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

The gates of Hulao Pass were closed, and the battlefield in front of the pass was now settled.

The Xiliang army abandoned their armor and blocked the roads, grain carts overturned, and millet mixed with yellow soil flowed into a muddy yellow mess.

Hundreds of defeated soldiers who had not yet entered the pass knelt in the dust, their weapons thrown more than three zhang away.

Liu Liang rode his horse across the battlefield.

Zhang Fei pulled the spear out of the ground and cursed as he wiped the mud off the blade.

Guan Yu sheathed his sword, the tip touching the ground, revealing a small, rice-grain-sized chip on the blade.

Zhao Yun took off his cloak and wrapped it around the wound on his shoulder caused by the halberd.

When Lü Bu's halberd grazed the enemy's path for the last time before the breakout, blood was still drawn.

Xiahou Dun stood on his horse, spear in hand, his single eye fixed on the city tower of Hulao Pass.

Xiahou Yuan gathered his hundred or so cavalrymen and tallied the losses.

Liu Liang mentally reviewed the matter once more.

Food and provisions: The abandoned baggage of the Xiliang army, roughly estimated at 800 shi, plus some fodder, cured meat, and arrows.

Armor and weapons: more than 700 swords and spears, 370 bows and crossbows, and about 200 sets of leather armor and iron helmets.

Warhorses: 226 undamaged and usable, 82 wounded.

Casualties: Liu Bei's army suffered 170 dead, 230 seriously wounded, and over 440 slightly wounded.

No generals were lost.

Complete victory.

It wasn't a Pyrrhic victory; it was a true, impeccable, and complete triumph.

When this gets out, few people in the world will ask about the process; they will only remember the result.

As for those old foxes like Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan, they weren't concerned with winning or losing.

What they were looking at was that the knife was too sharp.

With enough profit, one could break through Hulao Pass; with enough profit, one could force Lü Bu to retreat.

These people won't be happy.

All they ever think about is how to break this knife.

Liu Liang was also not happy.

According to the plan, he was supposed to make this battle a Pyrrhic victory.

They suffered heavy losses, were severely injured, and barely succeeded.

This made the other warlords think "Liu Bei is nothing special," temporarily quelled Yuan Shao's murderous intent, and slowed down Liu Bei's momentum.

it's good now.

Liu Bei's benevolence and virtue attracted Sun Jian and Cao Cao to come and help him.

Eight thousand defeated one hundred and fifty thousand. Although Guan Yu had previously beheaded Hua Xiong, today, five generals surrounded Lü Bu at Hulao Pass, routed three thousand enemy soldiers, and seized a mountain of spoils.

The losses suffered by Liu Bei's army were negligible.

Originally, he was meant to hinder Liu Bei and assist Cao Cao.

Now, on the contrary, Cao Mengde, perhaps on someone's bad advice, has actually given Liu Bei a boost.

After sending out the letter proclaiming his intention to "replace the Han dynasty and establish himself as emperor," Liu Liang waited.

But Cao Cao did not move.

Liu Liang sat in the tent and went through the entire thread three times from beginning to end, gradually realizing that something was amiss.

Cao Cao must have received the letter.

Cao Cao must have understood the implied meaning of "urging him to ascend the throne" in the letter.

Understanding something is one thing, but actually putting it into practice is another.

At this time, Cao Cao's power was not yet fully developed. Yang Biao, Kong Rong, and others were still in the court, and Yuan Shao was eyeing him from the north. He did not yet have the strength or ambition to usurp the Han throne.

If one were to hastily "replace the Han dynasty" at this juncture, one would not be a cunning hero, but a reckless fool.

Liu Liang suddenly came to his senses.

Cao Cao probably didn't take that letter as a "plea for the throne" at all, but rather read it as a "pledge of allegiance".

What a shrewd man Cao Cao was.

Are you not going to take the bait? Are you waiting for me to make the first move?

So be it.

If you don't answer this letter, what about the next one?

Despite his frustration, the reward from the chosen one arrived as scheduled.

[Reward for submitting suggestions: Method for making pickled mustard tuber during military campaigns]

[Implementation method: Pickle fresh vegetables with salt, press to dehydrate, seal for long-term storage, and carry them with the troops]

[Military value: Lightweight and durable, appetizing and refreshing, replenishes salt, significantly improves soldiers' appetite and stamina, suitable for long-distance raids]

Liu Liang stared at the lines of text that appeared in his mind and remained silent for a moment.

It's food again.

From horseshoe baths to stirrups, from horseshoes to earthenware jars for military rations, and now we have pickled mustard tubers.

The rewards bestowed upon him by the Mandate of Heaven were increasingly practical and down-to-earth, so practical that he sometimes felt as if he wasn't planning to conquer the world, but rather running a logistics support company.

But this pickled mustard tuber arrived just in time.

After the battle of Hulao Pass, Liu Bei's army had captured a lot of spoils, suffered few casualties, and their morale was high.

But with 8,000 men and horses, the daily consumption of food and fodder was a bottomless pit.

The earthenware jars solved the problems of storage and long-distance transport of military rations. They could eat millet and dried meat every day. Not to mention the soldiers, even he himself would feel nauseous after eating them for three days.

Pickled mustard greens may look unremarkable, but when paired with dry food, they can make people chew more and swallow more bowls.

In long marches, whether soldiers can eat and whether they can withstand the strain is often more decisive than weapons and armor in determining victory or defeat.

Liu Liang mentally reviewed the preparation method.

Fresh vegetables are pickled, pressed to remove water, and then stored in an airtight container.

The steps are simple, the materials are readily available, and no special tools are required; it can be made by farm women in every village and hamlet.

The only problem is the salt.

Salt was a hard currency in this era, even more precious than grain.

However, Liu Bei's army did not lack salt for the time being.

The warehouse still holds several thousand kilograms of goods seized during the suppression of bandits, donated by powerful families, and bestowed as rewards by feudal lords.

If this technology is widely adopted, Liu Bei's army will overcome its logistical shortcomings.

There were earthenware jars for storing grain, pickled vegetables for meals, and stirrups and horseshoes to allow cavalrymen to run farther and faster...

Liu Liang went through all the rewards he had received from the Mandate of Heaven over the past few years in his mind and suddenly realized that he had built a fairly complete logistics and equipment system for Liu Bei.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, it was hard to tell whether it was a smile or a sigh.

If Cao Cao knew about this, he would probably be extremely jealous.

Liu Liang mentally reviewed the recipe for the pickled mustard tuber roll and decided to keep it quiet for now.

Unlike stirrups and horseshoes, this thing can't be hidden; it'll be exposed as soon as it's used.

But as long as no one says it was him who gave it to them, no one can guess its origin.

Find a pretext to have Jian Yong handle it, saying it's a traditional method passed down from old soldiers in the border region.

Jian Yong is a tight-lipped man and a reliable worker; entrusting things to him is the safest option.

As for the risk of the formula being leaked... Liu Liang thought about it and felt that it wasn't a big problem.

Anyone can pickle vegetables with salt, but you can't really master the details of pressing, dehydrating, and sealing them for preservation without doing it yourself a few times.

From afar came Zhang Fei's loud voice, as he was bragging to several captains about how he fought Lu Bu for three hundred rounds at Hulao Pass.

Liu Liang listened for a few moments, then shook his head with a smile.

This third brother of mine, now that the war is over, he starts making up stories.

He turned and walked towards the central command tent.

Liu Bei was discussing the next steps with Guan Yu and Zhao Yun.

Liu Liang could roughly guess what would happen next.

After the leader of the alliance bestows the wine, he should inquire about the next steps.

Should they continue westward, return to rest and regroup, or... have other plans?

There's no need for such deep planning; let's just take it one step at a time.

Just then, Sun Jian rode over.

Cheng Pu followed behind, his right shoulder wrapped in bandages, half of his robe soaked in blood, but his back was still as straight as a spear.

The wound on Huang Gai's forehead had already scabbed over with a thin layer of blood.

Han Dang's legs were wrapped up the thickest, and a small strip of white cloth dyed red hung down from the edge of the saddle, swaying in the wind.

Sun Jian dismounted and bowed deeply to Liu Liang and Liu Bei.

He didn't say a word.

After a long pause, he finally managed to say, "I won't thank you enough. I'll take Zu Mao's horse back with me."

Liu Liang bowed and took his leave, saying, "The young men of Jiangdong are many talented and capable; who knows if they might make a comeback! Take care!"

Sun Jian nodded with tears in his eyes, said nothing more, lashed out with his whip, and the horse galloped several feet away, raising dust in its wake.

......