The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

"This...this is all the Lord's will. He...he was afraid you might do something uncontrollable, and to prevent you from becoming too powerful, he specifically assigned these ten thousand men to you!"

"This...this has nothing to do with us brothers. It was all Lord Yuan's idea. Be careful...swords have no eyes!"

Chen Lan added, trembling, trying to calm Huang Gai down so his hands wouldn't shake so much, lest he accidentally kill them both and that would be the end of them.

"Damn Yuan Shu!" Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent, and he cursed under his breath through gritted teeth.

Zhou Yu was prepared for Yuan Shu's suspicions, but he never expected Yuan Shu to use a rabble to fool him.

Can this fight a war? If they go to the battlefield and the situation turns unfavorable, wouldn't they just desert?

But despite his anger, he couldn't go to Yuan Shu to demand a replacement, or he might not even get those ten thousand rabble back.

After a heavy sigh, Zhou Yu grasped Huang Gai's hand holding the sword, removed the longsword from their necks, glanced at the surrounding soldiers, and instructed the veteran generals around him:

"We must gather these 10,000 people together for intensive training. We need to correct their bad habits and transform them completely in the shortest possible time!"

"This... Gongjin, is this really going to work? Are we just going to give up like this?"

Huang Gai, Han Dang, and the others hesitated, expressing their incomprehension of Zhou Yu's actions. Yuan Shu had given them ten thousand ragtag troops, and they had just taken over without even asking for an explanation.

How can anyone accept this?

"I am the commander-in-chief, my words are law. Do as I say, or don't blame me for court-martialing you!"

Since there were outsiders present, Zhou Yu didn't explain much.

"promise!"

Seeing Zhou Yu's serious expression, Huang Gai and the others didn't ask any more questions and immediately gathered the soldiers around them.

Since Yuan Shu's orders had been issued long ago, these 10,000 soldiers knew that a new general would be leading them, so not many troublemakers dared to cause trouble. They had no choice but to obediently assemble according to the other party's orders and wait for his instructions.

Looking at Lei Bo, whose expression of shock had not yet faded, Zhou Yu and Chen Lan said coldly:

"Please tell Lord Yuan that I have taken over this force of 10,000 men. We will set off as soon as possible. We hope that he can supply us with provisions and logistics in a timely manner. We must prevent a repeat of the incident in 1988 when the eighteen warlords withheld provisions during their campaign against Dong Zhuo."

"Let him fight for Yangzhou himself!"

Zhou Yu could only stubbornly refuse to admit his dissatisfaction, trying to express it in this way. After all, being dependent on others was not a pleasant experience, and he dared not do anything excessive.

Lei Bo and Chen Lan didn't say anything, but left the military camp with cold faces and went to complain to Yuan Shu.

Seven or eight minutes later, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and others finally managed to assemble the 10,000 troops in a proper manner in the vast training ground, awaiting Zhou Yu's instructions.

However, when Zhou Yu stood on the wooden platform and looked down at the group of people, he could no longer control his emotions. His face turned ashen, and he stared at them coldly without saying a word.

The ranks in front of me were a mess, with soldiers sprawled out and whispering amongst themselves, not at all like an army.

"Huang Gai, I'm only giving you five days. In these five days, train them rigorously and get rid of this lazy attitude!"

"promise!"

Huang Gai, who was standing to the side, hurriedly agreed.

Seeing the chaotic formation, Zhou Yu gave Huang Gai a wink, and Huang Gai immediately understood, shouting "Quiet!" His rough voice echoed across the training ground like thunder.

The soldiers were startled by the sudden shout, immediately shutting their mouths and standing at attention, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. The chaotic ranks instantly returned to calm.

Seeing that the troops were finally taking shape, Zhou Yu's ashen face softened a little.

"From today onwards, we are your commanding generals," Zhou Yu said in a deep and serious voice. "Lord Yuan assigned you to me so that you might achieve great deeds!"

"But can you really conquer cities and seize territory looking like this?"

"cannot!"

"So starting today, I will give you several days of rigorous training to make you look like soldiers, otherwise you'll just die on the battlefield!"

"You wouldn't want to be reborn and reincarnated while others are achieving success and enjoying wealth and glory, would you?"

"In no mood!"

Suddenly, someone in the sparsely populated queue shouted loudly. Although they were all forced to come, who wouldn't want to take this opportunity to reach the pinnacle of life?

Once someone took the lead, the others followed suit, each expressing their own thoughts. Zhou Yu's words were like a heavy hammer, awakening the long-hidden passion within them.

"Very well, dismissed!"

"All officers of the rank of centurion and above, assemble and follow me. The rest of you, begin training. General Huang Gongfu will be in charge!"

Zhou Yu pointed at Huang Gai beside him and said loudly, then left the spot.

The group began to get to work, and under the leadership of Huang Gai and others, they started intensive training. Meanwhile, Zhou Yu led the officers of the rank of centurion and above to a secluded place to promulgate the military regulations he had established, hoping that they would ensure that the soldiers below them strictly abided by them.

After all, it's impossible for so many people to shout at the top of their lungs, and hardly anyone would hear them anyway.

Looking at the ten centurions before him, Zhou Yu didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:

"I called you here because I want you to carry out what I'm about to say. Do you understand?"

"promise!"

The ten captains were trembling with fear. Huang Gai's shout had frightened them quite a bit, so they naturally dared not be presumptuous in front of Zhou Yu and quickly agreed.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu nodded in satisfaction: "First, from now on, no soldier is allowed to gamble in the camp. Anyone who disobeys will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane! Second, no soldier is allowed to slack off during training. Anyone who disobeys will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane! Third, no soldier is allowed to desert in battle. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Anyone who violates this rule will be dealt with strictly according to military law!"

"However, I am not unkind to my soldiers. After conquering cities and seizing territories, all soldiers will receive certain rewards!"

"You must make sure all soldiers know that anyone who outwardly obeys but inwardly defies you will face my wrath!"

Zhou Yu also understood the principle of combining punishment and reward; if only punishments were imposed without rewards, trouble would inevitably arise sooner or later.

Upon hearing Zhou Yu's words, everyone gasped in shock. This punishment was far too severe; Yuan Shu had never issued such a harsh penalty before. From now on, they would have to abide by it.

Seeing Zhou Yu's stern expression, everyone readily agreed without a single complaint.

····

Just as Zhou Yu was rectifying military discipline and training soldiers, Lei Bo and Chen Lan hurriedly arrived at Yuan Shu's residence to report everything that had happened not long ago.

As soon as the two men saw Yuan Shu, they immediately knelt down and tearfully accused Zhou Yu of his threatening actions, even embellishing the story and vowing not to give up until he brought Yuan Shu down.

To their surprise, Yuan Shu showed no displeasure, simply giving them a perfunctory reply before sending them away.

Through their conversation, Yuan Shu realized that Zhou Yu had seen through his schemes. He still needed Zhou Yu to expand his power and couldn't afford to offend him. If he turned against Zhou Yu, he would have no generals under his command who could rival Qin Xuan.

Otherwise, given his character, he would never have allowed Zhou Yu to curse him so fiercely; he would have sent men to arrest him and get rid of him as soon as possible.