Three Kingdoms: Taking Over Liu Bei’s Legacy at the Start, Rebuilding the Han Dynasty Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Seeing Huang Zhong charging forward, Lu Kuang was so frightened that he turned and ran, causing chaos in the Cao army as soldiers collided and trampled each other.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their troops into the fray like tigers among sheep, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Watching this from his horse, Liu Qi felt his blood boiling with excitement.

To fight on the battlefield, drenched in blood, was the aspiration of every hot-blooded man. In such brutal and bloody slaughter, even he felt the beast within stirring.

“Those who surrender will not be killed!” Zhang Fei raised his snake spear and shouted like thunder, his voice echoing throughout the battlefield.

Guan Yu, on his red hare horse, stood tall, lightly stroking his long beard. With a fierce killing intent, he surveyed the scene. The Cao army, already intimidated by Guan Yu’s reputation, threw down their weapons and knelt to surrender.

In the midst of the chaotic army, Lu Kuang fled in panic. Just as he broke through the rear guard, he saw cavalry blocking his path, led by a general in a white robe on a white horse, standing firm with a spear.

“Those who block my way will die!” Desperate to escape, Lu Kuang saw only five hundred men and charged forward with his blade.

Zhao Yun brandished his spear and galloped over. As their horses crossed paths, Lu Kuang let out a terrible scream, flying off his horse and crashing heavily into the grass nearby, motionless.

“Zhao Yun of Changshan is here! Those who surrender will not be killed!”

With this fierce shout, the Cao army was shocked, huddling together. At this moment, Huang Zhong also led his troops from behind, leaving the enemy with nowhere to go, and they surrendered en masse.

The entire battle lasted less than half an hour. Lu Xiang and his two generals were slain, over three thousand Cao soldiers were captured, and the rest were either killed or fled, with countless weapons and warhorses seized.

Liu Qi waited excitedly at the city walls. With four of the Five Tiger Generals deployed in this battle, it was bound to be a crushing victory.

The four generals arrived at the city gates, reporting back to Liu Qi, covered in blood, their imposing presence matched by the high morale of their troops behind them.

Liu Qi laughed and said, “You all truly are the tiger generals of our time; your reputation is well-deserved. You’ve opened my eyes!”

Guan Yu stroked his beard and glanced at Huang Zhong on his left. His phoenix eyes gently closed, concealing his brilliance.

“It’s unsatisfying to surrender before fighting!” Zhang Fei complained, clearly not content.

Liu Qi replied, “General, there’s no need to be anxious. With the front lines having suffered a crushing defeat, Cao Ren will surely seek revenge. The real show has just begun.”

Zhang Fei declared loudly, “Leave Cao Ren to me!”

These men were born generals; only on the battlefield could they fully unleash their potential and begin to move past their grief.

Liu Qi and the generals entered the city, ordering that the captives be detained, and a banquet be held to celebrate their victory and reward the troops.

Zhao Yun was tasked with selecting the several hundred warhorses, as the cavalry in the army were not enough for him alone to manage.

Meanwhile, Cao Ren was waiting for news in Fan City, thinking Liu Qi would be easily defeated and that the two Lus would surely capture Xinye.

Suddenly, hundreds of defeated soldiers returned, reporting that the two Lus had been killed and that most of their troops had been captured, leading to a complete rout. Cao Ren could not contain his fury and prepared to take action for revenge.

The military advisor Li Dian said, “Though Liu Qi may be weak, Guan and Zhang are still valiant. We should not underestimate them.”

Cao Ren angrily said, “Xinye is just a small place. If it weren’t for the Prime Minister’s orders, even if Liu Xuande were here, I could still crush it. Liu Qi is just a sickly boy, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are brave but lack strategy. What is there to fear?”

Li Dian replied, “Fan City is a vital location in Nanyang; we cannot send all our troops out. We must be wary of the forces from Xiangyang.”

Cao Ren laughed, “You worry too much, advisor. I have already stationed scouts along the river. Even if troops come from Xiangyang, our defenders are enough to hold them off. Once I crush Xinye, I can return to assist without delay.”

He then ordered Li Dian to lead the vanguard, sending twenty thousand troops to march on Xinye, leaving only three thousand new soldiers to guard the city.

After yesterday’s great victory, the morale of the defenders in Xinye was high. They encouraged surrenders and incorporated captives, increasing their numbers to ten thousand, with Zhao Yun’s cavalry expanded to one thousand.

While they were training, a scout reported that Cao Ren was bringing his army for revenge.

Liu Qi gathered the generals and said, “Cao Ren is coming personally for revenge. I want to reclaim Nanyang in this battle. Generals, you must follow the plan and not make any mistakes.”

The others were shocked. Guan Yu’s phoenix eyes widened slightly, radiating brilliance; they all felt Liu Qi was becoming overconfident after a small victory.

Liu Qi smiled and said, “We must be cautious in our approach. Let’s set a small goal: capture Cao Ren and take Fan City. What do you think?”

Zhang Fei shouted, “Leave Cao Ren to me; I’ll deal with him. Just give the orders for the rest!”

Xu Shu said, “Cao Ren has many troops; we cannot let them enter our territory. We should camp outside the city, engage with them, and look for an opportunity to defeat them.”

Liu Qi nodded, “What the strategist says is very true!”

He appointed Zhao Yun as the vanguard, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led the main army, moving out of the city to camp east of the Bai River, leaving Wei Yan to guard the city.

The generals each took their troops and departed. After the army was mobilized, Liu Qi called for the sullen Wei Yan, smiling, “are you upset that I don’t value you enough?”

Wei Yan looked surprised but replied, “I dare not say so.”

Liu Qi smiled and said, “These minor soldiers don’t require the use of many great generals. For the next few days, we won’t have Wenchang take action, as I don’t want the Cao army to recognize him. I have other uses for him.”

Wei Yan then turned his worry into joy and clasped his fists, saying, “Please give your orders, General.”

Liu Qi explained, “Cao Ren is bringing out his entire force, so Fan City will surely be vulnerable. I want you to take this opportunity to seize it. Are you willing to go?”

Wei Yan replied loudly, “I would gladly face ten thousand deaths!”

Liu Qi took out two letters and said, “The county magistrate of Fan City, Liu Bi, is from Changsha and also a relative of the Han family. He has a close relationship with my father, but due to the circumstances, he surrendered to Cao. When our armies are in a standoff, Wenchang can rush to Fan City overnight with this letter to secretly contact Liu Qin, and then we can take Fan City.”

“Understood!” Wei Yan took the letter but noticed the other one was unsigned and asked, “Who should this letter be given to?”

Liu Qi smiled and said, “This letter is for you to use. If you can successfully enter the city, follow the strategy outlined in it.”

“Understood!” Wei Yan felt deep admiration for Liu Qi’s foresight and gladly accepted the mission.

Liu Qi also assigned Fu Rong to accompany Wei Yan, leaving Huo Jun and the others to guard Xinye. Once all arrangements were made, he and Huang Zhong set off on light cavalry toward the main camp.

During this time, he had several times considered urging Xu Shu to bring his elderly mother over, but Xu Shu, being deeply filial, was reluctant to have her travel such a long distance. Moreover, the border checks were very strict, and the journey was fraught with danger. He believed his identity was hidden and politely declined!

Now that the war has begun, it’s even more impossible to go to Yingchuan to fetch anyone. Even if he were to realize that Xu Shu’s letter was fake, Xu Shu would still go to Xuancheng to rescue his mother. After all, one cannot stop someone from fulfilling their filial duties, right?

This matter is no longer about the authenticity of the letter; what’s crucial is that the hostage is in Cao Cao’s hands. This is an open scheme, and at that time, Liu Bei couldn’t persuade him otherwise.

Seeing that Xu Shu was about to be trapped, Liu Qi felt anxious and suddenly came up with a plan: simply capture Cao Ren and use him to exchange for Xu Shu’s mother.

As a member of the Cao family and a trusted general of Cao Cao, there’s no way Cao Cao wouldn’t agree!

Moreover, Cao Ren was also vital to his plan to take Wancheng, so capturing Cao Ren alive was crucial; if he died or escaped, it wouldn’t be considered a success.

Thinking about the various battles that were about to unfold, he unconsciously arrived at the main camp, where Guan Yu had already set up the camp, with three divisions properly arranged.

Liu Qi entered the tent to discuss matters and reiterated to the generals: “The goal of this battle is to capture Cao Ren alive and use him as a hostage to coerce Cao Cao, thereby delaying his army’s advance south. We must not harm him.”

Zhang Fei pounded his chest and said, “Leave it to me!”