Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

Liu Liang said, "Yide, do not underestimate the enemy. A hundred cavalrymen venturing deep into the enemy lines may seem valiant, but it is actually a matter of life and death. Do not actually get trapped. Just make a feint attack, repeatedly harassing the perimeter and stopping when you've made a point. Remember, you are there to 'hold back' the enemy troops, not to 'break through' their lines."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, shouting, "Understood! I'll definitely keep these thieving bastards running around in circles!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei felt a sudden sense of clarity, and the worry on his face vanished. He said, "My godfather is well-versed in military strategy and has a keen understanding of the enemy's weaknesses! This plan uses our strengths to attack their weaknesses, avoiding their sharpest points and striking their Achilles' heel! We will proceed according to my godfather's plan!"

Then, Liu Bei ordered: "Yun Chang, quickly select a hundred skilled cavalrymen, quick-witted and courageous, from the camp, and prepare plenty of tinder. Set off immediately and find the enemy's supplies, burning them in one fell swoop! Yi De, select a hundred cavalrymen, lightly armed, and strictly follow your adoptive father's plan without fail. I will lead the White Feather Camp and the remaining troops, carrying three days' worth of dry rations, lightly armed and stealthy, to ambush near the mountain pass. Use beacon fires or fast horses as signals; once the enemy is in disarray, attack immediately!"

Liu Liang added, "We need to send out more scouts to find out the general location of the enemy's supplies and the detailed terrain where Colonel Zou is surrounded. Timing is crucial."

With the plan finalized, everyone immediately split up to prepare.

Zhang Fei selected over a hundred of his most valiant and courageous cavalrymen, and without any attempt to conceal their presence, headed straight for the Yellow Turban army's main camp, which was besieging Zou Jing.

Two or three miles away, they beat drums and shouted, galloping on horseback, and the hundred or so people shouted with the momentum of a thousand troops.

Zhang Fei took the lead, wielding his eighteen-foot spear, and went straight to the outer perimeter of the Yellow Turban camp. He cursed loudly, insulting Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao's ancestors one by one, using foul language and venomous words that were piercing to the heart.

A commotion broke out in the Yellow Turban vanguard. A leader led his troops out to drive them away, but Zhang Fei did not engage in battle. Instead, he led his cavalry in a nimble maneuver, firing a few volleys of arrows and throwing a few torches. When the main force of the Yellow Turbans surged out, he gave a whistle and ran away, changing direction to continue harassing them.

This back and forth caused the Yellow Turban army great frustration, and their attention was firmly tied to the front lines.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu had personally led another, more elite light cavalry force, men gagged and horses hoofed, using the terrain as cover, to make a wide detour around the flank of the battlefield.

Based on the intelligence brought back by the scouts at great risk, they accurately located a relatively flat riverbank behind the Yellow Turban Army.

Sure enough, there were mountains of grain and supplies piled up here. Although there were garrison troops, their numbers were small, and most of their attention was drawn to Zhang Fei's commotion in front.

Guan Yu seized the opportunity and gave the order, and the cavalry suddenly launched a charge, like a sharp sword cutting into soft mud.

The Yellow Turban army guarding the area had no time to organize an effective resistance and was scattered in an instant.

Guan Yu ordered fires to be set everywhere. The dry grain, cloth, and vehicles caught fire immediately, and in an instant, flames shot into the sky and thick smoke billowed, turning half the sky red.

In the main Yellow Turban formation ahead, Cheng Yuanzhi was furious at Zhang Fei's harassment tactics when he suddenly saw flames shooting into the sky and black smoke rising behind him, which was the direction of the grain storage. He was instantly terrified.

"We've fallen into their trap!" Cheng Yuanzhi hurriedly ordered Deng Mao to continue the siege of the mountain pass and keep an eye on Zou Jing. He then hastily mustered the elite troops in the central army and rushed back in a frantic attempt to salvage the supplies and provisions.

Guan Yu acted according to plan. After burning the grain, he did not flee far away, but led his troops to line up and wait quietly behind a mound not far away.

Seeing Cheng Yuanzhi's large army rushing over in a panic, their formation scattered, Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes, spurred his horse, drew his sword, and charged straight at the central army banner!

Cheng Yuanzhi saw a red-faced, long-bearded general suddenly appear before him like a god descending to earth. With a flash of light, he felt the world spin and his body was cut in two.

The commander was killed by Guan Yu with a single blow, and the Yellow Turban reinforcements were thrown into chaos.

At the front, Deng Mao received news that Cheng Yuanzhi had died and that the grain supplies had been burned. He was shocked and furious, and the morale of the army was already wavering.

Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Fei did not retreat. Instead, he led his hundred cavalrymen in a counter-charge, heading straight for Deng Mao's banner.

Deng Mao fought back with difficulty, but before he could exchange three blows, Zhang Fei pierced his chest with a spear and he died on the battlefield.

With the commanders and deputy commanders dying one after another, and the supplies turning to ashes, tens of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers were instantly plunged into a desperate situation of being leaderless.

The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse.

When Zou Jing saw the Yellow Turban army's rear on fire and their formation thrown into chaos in the mountain pass, he immediately led his remaining troops in a desperate breakout.

Once the dust settles, the results will be tallied.

They killed and wounded the rebel leaders Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao, and killed or wounded thousands of Yellow Turbans. The number of those who surrendered was a dark mass, roughly estimated to be no less than 20,000!

The captured weapons, armor, and supplies that had not yet been completely burned were piled up like mountains.

How to deal with these 20,000 surrendered soldiers has become another problem.

Zou Jing, still shaken, frowned at the Yellow Turban rebels: "Lord Xuande, these people are numerous and difficult to control. If they were to cause further chaos, it would be a serious matter. Perhaps..."

Zou Jing made a gesture indicating immediate execution.

This time, Liu Bei did not immediately express his opinion, but looked at Liu Liang, wanting to hear his adoptive father's thoughts.

Liu Liang said, "Xuande, these Yellow Turbans are different from the long-standing bandits of Laoyaling and Black Wind Mountain. They are mostly people driven by hunger and cold, bewitched and coerced by Zhang Jiao. Their fighting strength is low, their organization is disorganized, and all they want is a full meal. Now that their leader is dead, they have no backbone. We should carefully screen them, weeding out the unruly and those with a history of bad deeds, and selecting the strong and honest among the rest to be dispersed and incorporated into our army. Although our army has captured some spoils in this battle, it still needs to replenish its strength. Of these 20,000 surrendered soldiers, we can select several thousand, give them strict training, explain the principles of gratitude and righteousness, and enforce strict military discipline. In time, they can become a great help."

Upon hearing this, Zou Jing said, "Then what should we do with the rest? After they return to their hometowns, they are very likely to go back to their old ways and raise the banner of rebellion again."

Liu Liang said, "As for the remaining elderly and weak, we can provide them with a small amount of rations and send them back to their hometowns. We can also tell them that following Lord Xuande means they will have land to cultivate and food to eat when there is a battle. If they are willing to be law-abiding, they may come back in the future. In this way, we can not only quickly expand our army's strength, but also spread our reputation for benevolence."

Liu Bei wholeheartedly agreed.

This resounding victory boosted his confidence, and he urgently needed to expand his team.

Following Liu Liang's advice, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, and others were ordered to oversee the selection of about three thousand able-bodied men from among the surrendered soldiers. The rest were given dry rations and dispersed to farm on the spot.

These three thousand men, along with the original force, instantly expanded Liu Bei's army to five thousand.

Although the subsequent training and assimilation will be a huge challenge, the basic structure has finally been established.

Grateful for being saved, Zou Jing selected five hundred usable warhorses from his own troops and the spoils of war, and presented them to the two Lius: "Zishan and Xuande, I will never forget your kindness today. These horses are a small token of my gratitude, and I hope they will help you achieve your great cause soon!"

Five hundred horses.

This was a godsend for Liu Bei, who was just starting to build his cavalry and was struggling with a shortage of horses.

Liu Bei repeatedly thanked him and accepted the gift.

After the victory at Zhuojun, Liu Liang's position as "adoptive father" remained unshaken, thanks to his "battle record" and "foresight."

Liu Bei's army grew like a snowball, and it seemed that he was now much, much further away from "assisting Cao Cao in becoming emperor."