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

Before Yuan Shao could finish speaking, Liu Bei immediately stood up without hesitation and replied, "I am willing to go."

"Okay, okay!"

Yuan Shu paused, his hand holding the teacup, then exclaimed with delight, "Lord Xuande is indeed exceptionally loyal and brave! In that case, I, the leader of the alliance, will allocate you three thousand troops—no, five thousand troops—along with provisions and supplies. Tomorrow morning, we will attack Hulao Pass!"

Liu Bei cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Alliance Leader."

The expressions of the people in the tent were all different.

Some felt relieved, some secretly rejoiced, some watched coldly, and some lowered their heads to drink tea.

Cao Cao remained seated at his desk, without uttering a single word from beginning to end.

On the way back to camp,

Zhang Fei finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Brother! Yuan Shao is clearly using us as pawns! Attacking a city? We just finished a battle, we haven't even caught our breath, and now he wants us to go again?"

Liu Bei said calmly, "Someone has to go."

Zhang Fei was about to shout again when Guan Yu held him down by the shoulder.

Liu Liang walked last.

Looking at Liu Bei's retreating figure, he suddenly recalled the expression on Liu Bei's face when he stood up and said "I am willing to go" in the tent just now, and sighed in his heart.

This completely contradicted his original plan.

He wanted Cao Cao to take advantage of the situation, but Cao Cao pretended to be stupid.

He wanted Liu Bei to sit back and watch the two tigers fight, but Liu Bei took the initiative to do it.

He wanted to thwart those schemes, but in the end, Liu Bei still benefited from the outcome.

at night,

Liu Liang sat in his tent, staring blankly at the geomantic map of Juanhu Pass, actually thinking about when he could return to the real world, receive the huge prize money, and enjoy life.

Instead of suffering in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, where it was pitch black at night, water tasted salty, and defecation caused anal pain.

The curtain was lifted, and Liu Bei came in carrying a bowl of hot soup.

"Is your godfather still not resting?"

Liu Liang took the soup bowl, but didn't drink it; he placed it on the table.

"Xuande, why did you agree to attack the city while we were in the tent today?"

Liu Bei sat down opposite him.

"Yuan Shao has already spoken. If we don't respond, we'll find it difficult to advance in the allied forces. Besides, my adoptive father said in his tent that Hulao Pass could be breached, and that wasn't an empty boast. I trust my adoptive father."

Liu Liang looked at the bowl of hot soup.

A few pieces of dried meat floated in the soup; they were preserved using the earthenware jar method of military rations he taught us.

It was cooked until very tender, the aroma of meat mixed with the smell of millet, and the steam rose onto my face.

Liu Liang said, "What if I'm wrong? If there really are 150,000 Xiliang troops inside Hulao Pass, how many of your 8,000 soldiers will come back alive?"

Liu Bei did not answer immediately.

The sound of footsteps of night patrolmen came from outside the tent, approaching and then receding again.

"Did my adoptive father make a mistake?" Liu Bei asked.

Liu Liang was taken aback.

He wanted to say that he had miscalculated many times.

He miscalculated the more than five hundred veterans west of Zhuojun City.

He miscalculated by forcing powerful families to donate grain.

He miscalculated by killing the inspector.

He miscalculated when he killed Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm. (Tiger)

Five generals surrounded Lü Bu at the prison gate, but he still miscalculated.

But I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Liu Bei said, "If my godfather is worried, I will bring more dry rations tomorrow. In case we can't break through, it will be enough to last us a few more days."

Liu Liang couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're quite optimistic."

Liu Bei smiled as well.

"What can I do if I can't figure it out? My godfather taught me that defeat doesn't mean victory. I've considered all the possible paths to defeat. I know when to retreat, when to defend, and how many days I can hold out. The rest is up to fate."

Liu Liang picked up the bowl of soup, which was half-cold, and took a sip.

The dried meat was stewed until it melted in your mouth, and the corn porridge had a salty taste, which was just the right amount of salt.

Liu Liang said, "I'll go with you to attack the city tomorrow."

Liu Bei was taken aback: "Father!"

"Let me finish." Liu Liang put down the soup bowl. "When attacking the city, have your soldiers line up in front of the pass, beat the drums, and shout, but don't actually attack."

Liu Bei's brow twitched slightly.

Liu Liang continued, "If Dong Zhuo really retreats, the garrison inside the pass will be reduced. If you beat the drums for a day and no one inside the pass comes out to fight, and you don't fire arrows, it means you're feeling guilty. At that time, you won't need to attack; the garrison will run away on its own."

Liu Bei asked, "What if Dong Zhuo hadn't withdrawn?"

Liu Liang said, "It's better not to retreat. You beat the drums for a day, making a show of force. When Dong Zhuo sees that we are outnumbered and outmatched, he will surely send Lü Bu out of the pass to fight. At that time, you fight and retreat, lure him out, and then..."

Liu Liang suddenly stopped.

"And then what?" Liu Bei leaned forward.

Liu Liang smiled and said, "Then, let Yuan Shao and his men fight. We'll go straight back to Anxi."

Liu Bei was taken aback for a moment, then laughed.

"Father, get some rest. Tomorrow we will attack the city. I will go first, and you will follow behind."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out.

Liu Liang sat in his tent, staring at the empty bowl of soup, and suddenly thought:

"This adopted son is truly a remarkable person."

The next morning.

Liu Bei's army broke camp and set off for Hulao Pass.

Sun Jian sent Cheng Pu with 300 shi of grain as a token of his appreciation.

There was no movement from Cao Cao's side.

Only Cao Ren led about twenty riders to follow at a distance, without approaching to speak, just following along.

Zhang Fei glanced back and muttered, "What does Cao Cao mean by this?"

Guan Yu said, "Just watch."

The sun is rising higher.

The walls of Hulao Pass appeared on the horizon.

The banners on the gate were sparse, and no soldiers were seen moving about.

Liu Bei gazed into the distance from his horse, recalling the words his adoptive father had spoken the previous night.

"If the drums are beaten for a day and no one from within the pass comes out to fight, and no arrows are fired, then they are feeling guilty."

He raised his hand.

The drums suddenly sounded.

Eight thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the fields.

There was still no movement on the closed wall.

Liu Bei waited for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Two incense sticks.

The banners on the gate tower fluttered in the wind, but no one was in sight.

Zhang Fei couldn't hold back any longer: "Brother, shall I lead a few hundred men and charge up to see what's going on?"

Liu Bei shook his head.

"Wait a little longer."

Another incense stick burned.

Thick smoke suddenly billowed from behind the wall.

Thick black smoke billowed straight into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the door was opened wide.

It wasn't enemy troops who attacked.

The garrison has fled.

Zhang Fei was dumbfounded.

Guan Yu slammed the hilt of his sword on the ground.

Zhao Yun reined in his horse and looked toward the open gate.

Liu Bei sat on his horse for a while.

Then, he turned his horse around and looked at the troop that was following him from a distance.

Cao Ren stopped his horse at a distance and was stunned when he saw this.

Hulao Pass, it's fallen just like that?