Liu Xuande would never be a succubus of the Eastern Han Dynasty!

Liu Bei and Guan Yu rushed forward to stop him. Liu Bei grabbed Zhang Fei and said, "Third sister, stop!"

Guan Yu glanced at them coldly, and the soldiers took the opportunity to run away and disappear in the crowd.

Zhang Fei angrily sheathed his spear and glared at Liu Bei: "Brother, why are you stopping me? Those bastards are so mean-spirited! I'm going to teach them a lesson!"

Guan Yu said coldly, "Third sister, although they may have spoken rudely, they have not violated military orders. My brother's order only forbids disturbing the people, not prohibiting speech. As long as they don't take action, it doesn't count as a violation."

She paused, then spoke more slowly, "You're too impatient."

Liu Bei nodded and said gently, "Second sister is right. Military orders are as heavy as a mountain. Without solid evidence, even if you are the commander-in-chief, you cannot punish them at will."

He patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder and said, "But Third Sister has a sense of justice, and I am very pleased."

Zhang Fei curled his lips, kept silent, and kicked the stones on the ground with his head down. It was obvious that he was still angry.

After a while, Liu Bei walked over to the stall with a smile and bought a bunch of food - candied haws, roasted cakes, and roasted rabbit legs. He held them in front of Zhang Fei and said, "Don't be angry, Third sister. These are for you."

Zhang Fei's eyes lit up when he saw the food. He took it and ate the rabbit leg in big mouthfuls, mumbling, "Big brother, how kind!"

But after a few bites, she stopped again, her face falling, and she muttered, "I wasn't being rude to Big Brother, I was just mad. Those bastards are so mean, I get angry just thinking about them!"

Hearing this, Liu Bei squatted down, rubbed her head, and said with a smile: "I know that Third Sister is outspoken, and I don't blame you. You are angry because you are seeking justice for the people, and I am very happy."

He paused, his eyes gentle, "But don't be impulsive next time. I'm here and I'll definitely take care of it for you."

Zhang Fei grinned when he heard this, hugged the rabbit leg and nodded: "Big brother is still the best!"

She ran to buy a string of candied haws and handed it to Guan Yu: "Second sister, you should eat some too, don't always look so sullen!"

Guan Yu snorted coldly, but still took the candied haws, took a small bite, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

Liu Bei stood up and looked at his two sisters with warmth in his eyes.

The night market was bustling, the street lights flickered, and the three figures gradually walked away in the crowd.

Zhang Fei was running in front, chewing on food, Guan Yu was following beside him with a cold and arrogant look, and Liu Bei was walking slowly, his blue shirt fluttering in the wind, but there was a sense of determination in his heart.

Under the moonlight, Ying County's night market is still bustling, and the friendship between the three brothers and sisters has become deeper in this hustle and bustle.

Bingzhou: Chapter 10: Defeat the Xianbei Commandant

In the early morning of Luoyang, the sun shines through the eaves of the palaces, but a tense atmosphere permeates the magnificent halls.

Emperor Liu Hong of the Han Dynasty sat upright on the dragon throne, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe with a belt tightly tied around his waist. Her face was as handsome as a man, with sharp features and a heroic air between her eyebrows. However, her almond-shaped eyes were slightly raised, and the corners of her lips, which were lightly painted with rouge, showed a bit of feminine charm.

However, those phoenix eyes were full of bloodshot, and there were thick dark circles under the eyelids, as if he had not slept for several days and nights.

She rested her chin on one hand and tapped the dragon table with the other. Her gaze swept over His Majesty's courtiers, her tone lazy yet commanding: "…Victory report from the border counties. Shangjun Prefect Liu Xuande. Ha, this guy is quite a fighter. He's completely subdued both the Xianbei detachment and the main force."

"Two thousand war horses were captured. The head of their commander, deputy commander Helai Tulele, military advisor Wuertu, and others are all on their way. Well done."

Inside the main hall, all the ministers stood solemnly with their heads bowed, holding tablets in their hands. Some were whispering to each other, while others had worried looks on their faces.

Standing beside Liu Hong, the eunuch Wang Fu, dressed in a purple robe and beaming, held a string of jade beads in his hand. He spoke in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty is wise! Liu Bei's great victory demonstrates the might of the Han Dynasty. The Xianbei barbarians are nothing but clowns."

But at this moment, a messenger hurried into the hall, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly: "Report! Urgent news from the border counties, the Xianbei Khan Tan Shihuai personally led a large army south, entering the city from Shuofang. The surrounding isolated cities and villages were plundered, resulting in countless casualties and the loss of all wealth. They have now successfully evacuated!"

He presented a scroll of bamboo slips with both hands, his face covered in sweat.

When Liu Hong heard this, he frowned, took the bamboo slips, unfolded them and looked at them, his expression changed slightly.

The Xianbei cavalry is always like this. If you attack them from the east, they will rush out from the west. If you prepare a large army to attack, they will simply disperse and retreat fighting individually.

The most disgusting thing is that if you intend to send 100,000 troops to attack, you first need to find suitable generals, secondly, you need to gather money, and thirdly, you need to arrange the logistics first, which will take several months.

When you finally gather all these conditions, the Xianbei army turns around and flees deep into the north. You can't find them anywhere, and if you want to retreat you'll be harassed, or even face the possibility of annihilation.

It's really disgusting.

The Han Emperor slammed the dragon table, stood up and said angrily: "Tan Shihuai, that old bastard, has the audacity to act wildly under my nose!"

She narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, curled the corners of her rouge-painted lips, and revealed a murderous aura. "My dear ministers, tell me, is it war or peace?"

This is actually just a polite remark.

How could Liu Hong not know that the imperial court's warehouses were now ringing with money, and that there were even a lot of people clamoring for rebellion? In such an extremely unfavorable situation, if he insisted on gathering an army and marching, she might have set off before him.

As for using his own small treasury as military expenses?

How can I enjoy myself then?

Anyway, those barbarians were not very interested in attacking cities and occupying land. They just wanted to make some small moves and seize some things. It wasn't theirs to steal anyway, so why should they take it so seriously?

Liu Hong had also had great ambitions not long ago and intended to rectify the government, but after using eunuchs to deal with the aristocratic families for the first time, the number of Chixiao fragments in her body suddenly increased, causing her to fall into "madness" in an instant.

Afterwards, for some reason the fragments in her body disappeared, and she was able to regain a moment of clarity, but soon fell into madness again.

This is obvious.

The Chixiao fragments are controlled by the Liu clan. It is impossible for the Chixiao fragments to flow out without their consent. Therefore, some people must have colluded with the clan and intended to make her a "puppet".

Fortunately, Liu Hong had some abilities. Even in such an unfavorable situation, she still held the military power firmly in her hands, and continued to let the eunuchs play power games and suppress the aristocratic families. However, such a situation had long made her unable to cope with the situation, and her ambitions gradually faded.

In the end, she only wanted to govern the world a little while ensuring her own enjoyment, with the intention of winning over Liu Bei, hoping that he could act as a shield, a live target in the open.

In this way, the situation will be: there are those who have made military achievements for Liu Bei outside, and there are eunuchs inside. These two forces will jointly resist the eunuchs and the aristocratic families.

A wonderful balance.

His Highness's ministers were immediately in an uproar. Some advocated war, while others proposed trade. There was a lot of discussion at the moment.

Minister Yang Ci stroked his beard and said slowly, "Your Majesty, the Xianbei are powerful and their military is sharp. If we rashly start a war, it will damage the vitality of the Han Dynasty. It is better to open a trade, exchange wealth for peace on the border, and then make plans for the future."

As soon as this was said, someone immediately echoed: "Situ Yang is right! Trade can not only appease the barbarians, but also protect our border residents. Why not do it?"

But before he could finish his words, Tian Yan stepped forward. He was dressed in military uniform, his face was covered with flesh, and his voice was rough: "Humph! Mutual trade? That's raising a tiger to cause trouble! The Xianbei barbarians are greedy. They take the wealth today, but tomorrow they will go south to plunder again. Only by giving them a severe blow can we deter them!"

When these words were spoken, many court officials showed contempt on their faces.

Everyone knows that Tian Yan had committed a crime before and was about to go to jail. Now he came out to agree to the war, definitely wanting to take the opportunity to "make meritorious service while serving his sentence" in order to save his life.

As soon as Tian Yan finished speaking, the eunuch Wang Fu interrupted sarcastically, "General Tian is right. The Xianbei are barbarians, wild and unruly. If we don't tame them, they will think that we, the Han, are easy to bully!"

He glanced at Tian Yan and winked.

The ministers suddenly realized: Oh, it turns out that Tian Yan frequently visited Wang Fu before the meeting, and it turned out that he was trying to accept bribes.

After hearing this, Liu Hong narrowed his eyes and looked at Wang Fu, saying lazily, "Oh? Wang Zhongchangshi also thinks he deserves a beating?"

She paused, her eyes sweeping over the ministers. "I think Liu Bei is quite capable in combat. How about letting him achieve another feat?"

Wang Fu nodded quickly, the jade bead spinning rapidly in his hands. "Your Majesty is wise! Liu Bei has defeated both the Xianbei detachment and the main force. This is a time of great need. Why not seize the opportunity to dispatch troops and eliminate the border threat in one fell swoop?"

His voice was sharp and flattering, but the ministers frowned secretly, knowing that this guy was flattering them again.

"Your Majesty, you can't..."

Yang Ci wanted to persuade him again, but Liu Hong had already made the final decision: "Alright, stop arguing! I have made up my mind. Send the troops to the barbarians!"

She stood up, swung her long sleeves, and her dragon robe drew an arc in the air. "Pass the order down, mobilize the troops to go out of the border, and teach that old bastard Tan Shihuai a lesson!"

After a heated debate, the court finally decided to send troops.

In the hall, Liu Hong sat back on the dragon throne. His tone was lazy but majestic as he finally made the decision: "Bingzhou Governor Dong Zhuo will be stationed in the Hetao area. Wuhuan Captain Xia Yu will set out from Gaoliu and defeat Xianbei Lieutenant General Tian Yan from Yun**. Xiongnu Lieutenant General Zang Min will lead the Southern Xiongnu Tute Ruoshi Zhuju Chanyu and set out from Yanmen..."

She paused, narrowed her eyes and smiled, "As for Liu Bei, he will also serve as the Captain of the Xianbei Rebellion. His original position as the Grand Administrator of Shangjun will remain unchanged. I will order him to set out from Dingxiang County. Each of them will lead 10,000 cavalrymen and divide into four groups to advance beyond the border. They will advance over 2,000 miles and defeat the Xianbei barbarians!"

All the ministers responded in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"

But privately, some people murmured, "Military forces are dispatched from four directions, advancing two thousand miles. This battle is going to be quite a big one..."

"Little your mother." But someone immediately denied it, "Just 40,000 cavalrymen, and attacking in four directions...isn't this just a joke?"

Some people even stole glances at Liu Hong, thinking, "Such a foolish ruler doesn't even care how much silver is left in the treasury."

Liu Hong lazily leaned against the dragon throne and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, disperse. Pass the order down and have them move quickly. I'm waiting for good news!"

She stood up and flicked her long sleeves. The ministers lowered their heads, not daring to look at her any longer, and filed out.

Two days later, the early morning in Ying County was still shrouded in mist.

Liu Bei was sleeping soundly, dreaming that he was eating roasted lamb with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Suddenly, he heard a loud "bang" and the wooden door was kicked open, almost hitting him in the face.

He woke up suddenly, rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up, only to see Dong Zhuo striding in, his heavy dark gold armor clanging, a long red tassel swinging behind his head, his rouge-painted cheeks revealing a bit of heroism, his narrow almond-shaped eyes narrowed, full of playfulness.

"Hey, little Grape, are you still sleeping?"

Dong Zhuo stood with his hands on his hips, the curves of his armor faintly visible as he spoke in a voice so resonant that it shook the room. "I fainted a few days ago, but I'm full of energy today. I came to you to catch up!"

Liu Bei rubbed his forehead helplessly and said with a wry smile, "It was my third sister who kicked the door the day before yesterday, and now it's you who kicked it. Are you deliberately trying to prevent me from getting a good night's sleep?"

He put on his green shirt, got up from the bed, glanced at the door that had been kicked crooked, and sighed, "It's not cheap to repair this door."

Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, strode forward, and clapped his hand on his shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ground. "Little Grape, don't cry poor to me! You saved my life twice, that's a big favor. I'll buy you a drink later, how about that?"

She moved closer, and the smell of blood mixed with the fragrance of powder hit her nose. She blinked her narrow almond-shaped eyes, revealing a hint of teasing.

Liu Bei quickly took a half step back and said, "You are too kind, Governor. I am only doing my duty."

He was about to change the subject when hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. A messenger rushed in and knelt on one knee. "Report! Urgent order from Luoyang. Governor Liu, concurrently serving as the Commandant of the Xianbei Defeaters, is to lead 10,000 cavalrymen from Dingxiang County, and cooperate with the other three armies to advance 2,000 miles and annihilate the Xianbei!"

Liu Bei was stunned. He took the bamboo slips, unfolded them and looked at them, frowning slightly.

Dong Zhuo came over to take a look and grinned, "Hey, little Grape, you got promoted again? Captain of the Xianbei Defeaters, that's quite a title!"

She paused, patted her chest, and her armor rustled. "I've also been transferred to Hetao to take charge..."

Liu Bei put down the bamboo slips, his eyes deep. "...40,000 cavalrymen, claiming to be an army of 200,000, intend to penetrate deeply into the heartland... However, it was difficult to defeat the Hu people when they were divided. Now that they are united, how can we easily defeat them?"

"That's fine."

Liu Bei walked out of the house with a wry smile and shook his head. The morning mist dissipated, and a hint of paleness appeared in the sky. However, a larger war had quietly begun at the border.

Bingzhou: Chapter 11: Tan Shihuai

In Taiyuan County, shrouded in darkness, lights were twinkling everywhere, and the mansions of the aristocratic families were brightly lit, creating an eerie atmosphere.

In the halls of the major families, the heads of the families sat in a circle, holding the secret letters sent from Luoyang in their hands, and each of them had a solemn expression.

The secret letter came from a young man from an aristocratic family who held an important position in the imperial court, and there was a hint of conspiracy between the lines.

In the hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated everyone's faces, and the air was filled with tension and uneasiness.

Yuan Mi, the head of the Taiyuan Yuan family, stroked his beard, squinted his eyes as he glanced at the secret letter, and whispered, "Everyone, have you all read the secret report from the court? The emperor's military action this time may seem hasty, but there's a great purpose behind it."

He paused, pointing to a line of words on the letter, "The emperor is trying to use foreign military victories to seize the right to speak, cultivate 'military officials with great achievements', and then use this to reorganize the government and deal with our family!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly exploded.

Yao Fu, the head of the Yao family, frowned and said, "Isn't this clearly a scapegoat? That girl Liu Hong is not a simple-minded person!"

He slapped the table, his tone filled with worry, "If this group really defeats the barbarians and achieves great success, the emperor's prestige and reputation will increase, and we, the aristocratic families, will be in big trouble!"

Cui Ling, the head of the Cui family, snorted coldly and said slowly, "That's right. Think about the fate of those so-called 'party members'. They were trampled under the feet of the eunuchs, their property was confiscated and their families were exterminated. Not even a complete corpse was left. If we don't do something now, sooner or later we will follow in their footsteps!"

The contents of the secret letter were passed around among the crowd, and the more they read, the more frightened they became.

The letter read: "The emperor's move may seem reckless, but it is actually a far-sighted one. She knows that the government is controlled by the aristocratic families and important officials, making it difficult for her to exert her influence. Therefore, she took advantage of the Xianbei's southward advance to send troops from four directions, hoping to restore the emperor's prestige through military achievements and cultivate confidants."

"If we win this battle, Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo, and the others will surely become new elites at the imperial court, severely damaging the power of the aristocratic families. Although we have tried our best to stop the troops from being dispatched, we have been unsuccessful. Now, we have a plan. We can send a message to Tan Shihuai, revealing the military situation, so that he can prepare early and completely destroy the four Han armies on the frontier. If this is successful, the emperor's prestige will be greatly damaged, and the aristocratic families can seize the opportunity to expand their influence and regain control of the government."

Yuan Mi narrowed his eyes and whispered, "That's a good idea. Tan Shihuai is just a barbarian. We can kill him by sending an assassin. But if the emperor wins, our good days will be over."

He paused and looked around at everyone.

"What do you think?"

Yao Fu frowned and hesitated, "This...this is no different from selling out our country, right? If this gets out, our family's reputation will be ruined!"

Although his voice was low, it was full of righteousness and he was obviously unwilling to give in.

Cui Ling scoffed, "Reputation? Brother Yao, you're too naive! Who cares about reputation in this world? If the emperor really wants to punish us, those arrested 'party members' will serve as a warning! Do you want to be trampled on by eunuchs, or do you want your descendants to have no place to stand?"

After hearing this, Yao Fu was speechless and his face turned pale and blue.

Yuan Mi patted his shoulder and said slowly, "Brother Yao, don't worry about it. Tan Shihuai is just a small-time figure, he won't amount to anything. But if the emperor uses this to turn things around, we aristocratic families will be completely defeated. Think about it, Liu Bei has already defeated both the Xianbei army and the main force. If he can achieve more merit, won't the court praise him to the skies?"

There was silence in the hall for a moment, and finally someone whispered, "Forget it. For the sake of the family, this is the only way."

Everyone nodded, and although Yao Fu was reluctant, he could only sigh and agree.

The decision was made, and Secretary Yuan immediately made the final decision: "Without further delay, send a messenger to deliver this information to Tan Shihuai overnight!"

He pulled out a scroll of secret letters from his bosom, handed it to a black-clad guard, and whispered, "Make sure to deliver it. Don't let anyone find out."