Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

Fang Xuanling added, "My lord, we must also write down the losses. Just say... our army has suffered more than half its casualties, our food supplies are exhausted, our armor is damaged, and we urgently need supplies from the court."

"Yes, yes, yes! Add it to the end," Liu Ce quickly wrote, "...In this battle, we captured 5,000 warhorses, 100,000 cattle and sheep, and a certain amount of gold and silver... Hmm, that's all."

Fang Xuanling did the math and said, "My lord, we actually captured more than 25,000 warhorses and more than 500,000 cattle and sheep... Your estimate is a bit low."

Liu Ce put down his pen and said, "This is called 'giving face to the superiors while keeping the substance for oneself.'"

He explained, "What I said above about taking half and handing it over to the imperial court is just a token gesture. I intend to use the 30% of cattle and sheep actually captured to reward the troops—the brothers risked their lives, and we can't treat them unfairly."

"The rest," he laughed, "will, of course, stay in Youzhou to develop production and expand military equipment."

Xun You couldn't help but laugh and said, "My lord, are you trying to fool the court like a fool?"

"How could that be?" Liu Ce said seriously. "This is an 'unspoken rule,' and besides, what I'm doing is 'humility.' If we're too strong, we'll attract unwanted attention. We have to act pitiful and poor, so that His Majesty thinks that although we can fight, we're not all that great."

He then added the losses:

"Your Majesty is of dull mind, but I am fortunate to have been entrusted with this important task. Although we have managed to defeat the enemy by chance, this battle was extremely fierce. More than half of our army has been killed or wounded, and our weapons, armor, horses, and equipment have been severely damaged. Our food supplies have been completely depleted. Youzhou has just been pacified, and our treasury is empty. I earnestly request the court to allocate funds and provisions to replenish our supplies."

After writing this, he thought for a moment and added another sentence:

"Furthermore, recent intelligence reports from the border indicate that the Xianbei seem to be making unusual moves. I am deeply worried that they may take advantage of the situation to invade. I must strengthen our military preparations to defend the border. Therefore, I request the court to make a decision as soon as possible."

Throughout the entire text, one theme is highlighted: the battle was won, but it was fought hard and suffered heavy losses. The country is now very poor and needs relief from the imperial court, while also worrying about an invasion by the Xianbei.

"Perfect."

Guo Jia clapped his hands and said, "Brilliant! Adding this sentence will make His Majesty even less likely to doubt our strength. He's afraid the Xianbei will attack, and we'll definitely suffer heavy losses!"

After Liu Ce finished writing, he blew on the ink and looked at it with satisfaction.

He handed the letter to Lu Bing, saying, "Send it to Luoyang as fast as you can. Make sure His Majesty sees it first!"

"Here!" Lu Bing took the letter and turned to leave.

Xi Zhicai laughed so hard he almost fell over: "My lord, with your writing skills, it's a pity you're not writing novels! Facing an enemy of 30,000, fighting fiercely for three days, suffering more than half casualties... those people in Luoyang will definitely think we were in a terrible state, and will still praise our loyalty and bravery!"

Guo Jia laughed and said, "My lord's move will probably leave those people in Luoyang completely bewildered."

Liu Ce raised an eyebrow and said, "That's the effect we want! The stronger we are, the more harmless we have to appear. Otherwise, that old guy won't be able to sleep."

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said, "My lord's considerations are thorough. Now that Youzhou has just acquired the Wuhuan territory, it needs time to digest it. It's best to keep a low profile."

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "Once we have fully digested Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Youbeiping, Youzhou's strength will rise to another level. At that time, we can advance to conquer the world or retreat to defend our territory." Liu Ce stretched and said, "Alright, business is done. Xuanling, Ruhui, and Wenruo, take 30% of the spoils to reward the army. Distribute it according to merit, don't be biased."

The three men smiled and replied, "Rest assured, my lord."

Guo Jia leaned closer and said in a cheeky tone, "My lord, next time there's this kind of 'story writing' work, call me! I'm the best at making up stories!"

Liu Ce laughed and cursed, "Get lost! Isn't it chaotic enough already?"

When this news gets out, the military camp will erupt in cheers again.

......

Five days later, in the Greenhouse Hall of the Imperial Palace in Luoyang.

Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was embracing yet another newly selected beauty who had entered the palace, eating grapes and listening to a tune.

The beautiful woman peeled the grapes with her slender fingers and fed them to him. He chewed them with relish, while his hands wandered restlessly over the woman's waist.

Liu Hong squinted, thinking happily: This life is so comfortable.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Zhang Rang stumbled in, holding an urgent letter in his hand, his voice hoarse from shouting: "Great news! A great victory in Youzhou! General Liu Ce has sent the victory report!"

Liu Hong was swallowing grapes when he heard the words "Youzhou" and paused, almost choking.

"What? Good news? What battle has broken out in Youzhou?" He pushed the beauty away and sat up. "Could it be that the Wuhuan or Xianbei have started trouble again?"

He took the letter, opened it, and squinted as he read it word by word.

As I looked, my eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Upon seeing Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju colluding with the Wuhuan to rebel, he slapped his thigh and yelled, "These two bastards! The Liangzhou rebellion hasn't been quelled yet, and you two are already joining in the fun! Colluding with the Wuhuan? This is outrageous!"

The beauty trembled in fright.

But as Liu Hong continued reading, his expression changed.

Seeing Liu Ce uncover the conspiracy and capture Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju, he grinned and said, "Good! Well done!"

Seeing Liu Ce lead his army to meet the 30,000 cavalry of the Wuhuan, he held his breath in tension.

Upon seeing the headlines "Three Days of Fierce Battle" and "Over Ten Thousand Beheaded," he was so excited that he stood up abruptly: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Commendable loyalty and bravery! This is truly my imperial brother! This is the Liu family! They solve problems as soon as they arise, and eliminate enemies decisively! Clean and efficient, without any hesitation!"

Zhang Rang quickly added humorously, "Your Majesty is wise! The General of the Flying Cavalry is a pillar of the nation. With him guarding Youzhou, the border is absolutely secure! Your Majesty has excellent judgment in recognizing talent; you overruled all objections and appointed him Governor of Youzhou and General of the Flying Cavalry. You are truly brilliant!"

Liu Hong felt incredibly comfortable after being patted on the back and said smugly, "That's right! That's right! My judgment of people has always been accurate!"

Holding the report of victory, he proudly showed it off to his beauty: "Look, look, my imperial brother is truly remarkable! Much better than those ministers who only know how to argue!"

The beauty quickly followed up, praising, "Your Majesty is truly blessed to have such a virtuous brother. I congratulate Your Majesty and the Han Dynasty."

Liu Hong's smile grew even more smug.

Suddenly, he thought of something and said to Zhang Rang, "Go! Inform the officials to hold a meeting in the Deyang Hall! Let them all come and hear what it means to get things done!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Zhang Rang hurriedly went out to deliver the imperial decree.

Liu Hong held the victory report again, reading it twice with great satisfaction. He even sighed when he saw the line "Our army also suffered heavy casualties."

"My brother has had a tough time too... Youzhou is a harsh and cold place, and he has to fight a tough battle. Hmm, he deserves a reward, a very generous one!"

...

An hour later, at Deyang Palace

The civil and military officials stood on both sides, heads bowed, their hearts pounding. His Majesty had suddenly summoned them, and even smiled? This was strange! Usually, His Majesty was either frowning or cursing. Had the sun risen in the west today?

Liu Honglong strode in, plopped down on the dragon throne, and couldn't hide the smile on his face.

"My esteemed ministers, rise."

His voice was gentler than usual.