Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

The twenty-eight elite cavalrymen of Xuwu Mountain followed Liu Bei from Xuwu County, under the jurisdiction of Youbeiping Commandery in Youzhou, all the way to the grasslands at the foot of Yinshan Mountain in the border region. They shared joys and sorrows, experienced many storms, and received many favors from Liu Bei. They had long been of one heart with Liu Bei and became his most loyal guards.

As the first batch of White Feather Soldiers, Xu Wushan's 28 elite cavalrymen received meticulous instruction from Liu Bei, receiving careful teaching in both literature and martial arts.

As they traversed the vast grasslands, they received guidance from Liu Bei's military strategies, learning the art of leading troops and the art of battle. Gradually, they transformed from barbaric mountain bandits into wise and courageous centurions.

They followed Liu Bei to learn archery and horsemanship, served as Liu Bei's personal guards, and also served as scouts within a hundred miles of the army. They even served as messengers, shuttling through the thicket of flying blades.

It can be said that they learned a lot of skills in the process.

Especially since they followed Liu Bei, they learned the essence of Liu Bei's loyal, kind, wise, and shrewd character through observation and experience. The temperament of each of the twenty-eight men had undergone a tremendous change compared to when they first came down from Xuwu Mountain.

Whenever they saw Liu Bei leading the charge as commander-in-chief, they were deeply moved and inspired, and all longed to become as brave and fearless as Liu Bei.

Of course, under normal circumstances, a commander-in-chief doesn't need to charge into battle; he can simply sit in the central command tent. But this was in the early days, and Liu Bei, in order to set an example for his soldiers, had no choice but to personally lead the charge.

Historically, there were many military generals who led the charge ahead of their soldiers, such as the renowned General Li Shimin and Chang Yuchun, also known as "Chang Shiwan".

Xu Wushan's twenty-eight elite cavalrymen have completely transformed from mountain bandits into war generals.

Liu Bei saw all of this.

Therefore, after recruiting 2,500 light cavalrymen from the five major villages of Yanliyou, he directly appointed 25 of Xu Wushan's 28 elite cavalrymen as centurions.

Being by Liu Bei's side always allowed me to learn a lot of things subtly.

Historically, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu served Liu Bei tirelessly, day and night.

Wei Yan served as Liu Bei's personal retainer and attendant.

They all learned a lot from Liu Bei.

They all gained Liu Bei's appreciation and were entrusted with important responsibilities.

Liu Bei was a discerning judge of character, and he certainly wouldn't have misjudged the twenty-eight men he selected from Mount Xuwu.

Normally, he also observes these twenty-eight people, and no slightest change can escape his eyes.

Under Liu Bei's watchful gaze, the banditry of the twenty-eight men slowly vanished without a trace.

He was very pleased.

Before twenty-five of Xu Wushan's twenty-eight elite cavalrymen were to depart for the army to serve as centurions, Liu Bei summoned them all before him and spoke to them earnestly:

"You gentlemen have followed me from Mount Xuwu all the way to the borderlands without ever complaining, and you have been diligent and self-disciplined. You have done your best to complete every task I have assigned you."

"You will remember the literature and martial arts I taught you and practice them diligently."

"Although you were all initially chosen by me for your martial prowess, you were trusted by me because of your excellent character."

"You have all been by my side for a long time now. I believe you all know very well who I, Liu Bei, am."

"Next, I will send all twenty-five of you down to the army to serve as centurions."

"Many of you have never served as a squad leader, platoon leader, or company commander; you started as centurions. But I believe that each of you is capable of doing so."

"You have learned a lot from me, both in martial arts and military strategy. But this is the first time I have let you lead troops personally."

"The most important thing in leading troops is to treat each other with sincerity and empathy. Treat every soldier as your brother, share their joys and sorrows, think what they think, and be anxious about what they are anxious about. Reward those who have made contributions and punish those who have committed crimes."

"Only in this way can you lead this hundred-man squad well. Next, I will send you down to the army. How you lead troops will depend on each of your own abilities."

The twenty-five men were deeply moved by Liu Bei's words, but also felt a profound sense of responsibility.

Liu Bei temporarily refrained from appointing commanders of a thousand men, instead implementing a flat management structure, with himself directly leading the twenty-five commanders of a hundred men.

He had just finished giving his instructions when he saw Tuoba Qiudun walking straight towards him.

Behind Tuoba Qiudun followed seven or eight felt carts.

On the felt cart were rows of neatly arranged iron armors.

Following behind the felt cart were hundreds of fine horses.

Tuoba Qiudun approached Liu Bei and said with a smile:

"Commander! I've brought you armor and fine horses!"

When Liu Bei saw the iron armor, his eyes widened in surprise.

This is really good stuff.

Military generals love horses.

The head coach loves Jia.

Especially the armored vehicles.

When infantrymen put on iron armor, they become heavy infantry.

When cavalrymen put on iron armor, they become heavy cavalry.

Whether it is heavy infantry or heavy cavalry, they can both be key factors in deciding a battle.

Sometimes, heavy cavalry charges against the enemy, disrupting their formation and leading to their defeat.

Sometimes, heavy cavalry being wiped out by enemy archers and crossbowmen ambushing their own ranks can lead to a major rout.

In any case, heavy cavalry is an extremely crucial factor in a battle.

Destroying the enemy's heavily armored cavalry will shake their morale and cause them to collapse without a fight.

Liu Bei achieved his final victory by annihilating the three thousand heavily armored cavalrymen of Yanliyou's tribe, thus demoralizing their troops and throwing them into disarray.

When Yan Liyou saw that even the heavily armored cavalry he had painstakingly built up over his lifetime could not withstand the army of the Tuoba tribe, he was disheartened and ultimately chose to surrender.

Liu Bei asked:

"Where did you get all this armor and horses?"

Tuoba Qiudun laughed:

"Don't be offended when I tell you this. The armor was taken from the bodies of the dead heavy cavalrymen of the Yanliyou tribe, but it has been cleaned up now."

These fine horses were all found on the battlefield. Most of them were the mounts of fallen heavy cavalrymen.

Liu Bei nodded and said:

"These armors are so precious that they certainly cannot be discarded. Even if they are stained with blood, it will not stop us from continuing to use them."

"Three thousand suits of iron armor... This is probably the life savings of the once-great King Yan Liyou..."

"You're right."

Tuoba Qiudun nodded and said, "From the moment I was born, Yan Liyou was already a renowned Xianbei king on the grasslands. He was a king appointed by the Han Dynasty, and his people greatly admired him. Now, I never imagined that a Xianbei king would one day become my prisoner. Hahaha."

"The King of Xianbei..."

Liu Bei suddenly remembered something: "During the Yongchu era of Emperor An, it was the time when Empress Dowager Deng ruled as regent. Yan Liyou, an important leader of the Xianbei tribe at the time, was only fourteen or fifteen years old when he personally went to Luoyang to pay tribute."

Empress Dowager Deng was overjoyed and bestowed upon Yan Liyou the seal of "King of Xianbei" and granted him the privilege of "being accompanied by a red chariot." At that time, the young and ambitious Yan Liyou was enjoying unparalleled prestige...

During the Yongchu era of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yan Liyou was granted the title of "King of Xianbei" by the imperial court and became the supreme leader of the various Xianbei tribes officially recognized by the Han government.

Taking advantage of the power of the Han Dynasty, the Xianbei king Yan Liyou quickly brought more than 120 tribes on the grasslands under his control.

With a single order, he commanded these 120-plus tribes to send envoys to the Han Dynasty to pledge their allegiance to the court.

Empress Dowager Deng, on the advice of Yan Liyou, established a border trade market in Ningcheng, Shanggu County, Youzhou.

In order to receive the hostages sent by the leaders of the Xianbei tribes who had submitted to the Han Dynasty, Empress Dowager Deng also ordered the establishment of two "hostage houses" in her hometown of Ningcheng, one in the north and one in the south.

Empress Dowager Deng Sui, who was born in the "Protective Wuhuan Commandery" of Ningcheng, Shanggu, was a woman of great talent and ambition, no less than any man. Moreover, because she grew up in the border region, she was very familiar with the situation of the enemy.

After Empress Dowager Deng pacified and conferred the title of King of Xianbei upon Yan Liyou, the northern border region entered a period of relative peace. Historically, this was described as a time of "all tribes submitting, and the borderlands remaining tranquil."

……

The Xianbei chieftain Yan Liyang (Yan Liyou) went to the capital to pay homage, and Empress Dowager Deng bestowed upon him the seal and ribbon of the King of Yan Liyang and a red chariot.

—From the "Biography of the Wuhuan and Xianbei" in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty