Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

The morning breeze was very refreshing.

Riding a fine horse from the Western Regions, Liu Bei breathed in the fresh air along the way and soon arrived at Zuo Zipu's home at Fifteen Mile Inn.

At this moment, in the backyard football field, Guan Yu, Zuo Zi, Zhang Ba, Dong Ye Ban, Xin Yuan Jian and others had already arrived early and were preparing their bows and arrows.

Zuo Zi prepared more than a dozen swords and eight ordinary bows and arrows, with each person receiving 30 arrows.

Soon, Qian Zhao arrived on horseback.

Everyone was all dressed and ready to depart at any time.

Jian Yong, however, has not yet arrived.

Shortly after, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang also arrived.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Zhang Shiping said:

"After you arrive at Xuwu County in Youbeiping Prefecture, you don't need to go to the county seat. Xuwu Mountain is located to the west of Xuwu County. Near the foot of the mountain is a village called Nanshanli, which is not far from the imperial road. At the entrance of the village is a tavern called Nanshan Hotel."

Once you arrive at the Nanshan Hotel, find a man named Du Chang. He is a friend of mine, and I have already sent a trusted servant to Xuwu County a day in advance to contact him. Du Chang will arrange everything you need.

In addition, I have ordered some dried meat, wine, and several thousand copper coins to be prepared. You may use them on your journey. Even on horseback, it will take at least two days to travel from Zhuojun to Xuwu County.”

Immediately, he called over a servant and had four prepared packages handed to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei took the gifts and distributed them to everyone, who then hung them on their respective horses.

"Many thanks to Brother Zhang and Brother Su for making such thorough preparations. This time, we will surely capture Xu Wushan, the Five Deer King."

"Have a safe journey, everyone. Our caravan will soon arrive in Xuwu County. We will meet again then."

As Zhang Shiping spoke, he glanced at the group of people and suddenly said, "That brother named Xianhe doesn't seem to be here..."

"They're here! They're here!"

Jian Yong, leading a horse, turned the corner of the house and arrived at the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) field in the backyard.

Liu Bei couldn't help but ask:

"Why is Xianhe so late?"

Jian Yong had no choice but to say:

"I was so excited yesterday that I couldn't sleep last night, which caused me to oversleep today. Luckily, I made it in time."

Liu Bei nodded and said:

"Let's get ready quickly. We're leaving immediately."

"it is good."

Jian Yong picked up a sword and slung it behind his back, but he did not bring a bow and arrows.

Although he had practiced archery with the others, he was never good at it and had no accuracy. So he simply stopped carrying it and only carried a sword for self-defense.

Everyone was ready.

They left the Zuo Zi family together.

The left mustache still kept the door locked.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, Liu Bei led the seven members of the White Feather Society away from Shiwulipu on horseback, heading east.

Although they endured wind and rain on the road, they were all teenagers, and their physical strength recovered quickly, so they did not feel tired.

Moreover, they had dried meat and fermented rice to replenish their energy at any time. In addition, it was their first time traveling far from home, and they were all extremely excited. They chatted and laughed all the way, and they felt particularly comfortable.

At night, the eight people set up a simple tent and rested in the mountains.

They did not enter any cities along the way, but instead raced through the mountains and fields.

By the afternoon of the second day.

Liu Bei and his party of eight, who had traveled through Yuyang County in Youzhou, finally arrived at Xuwu County in Youbeiping County.

They quickly found out the location of Nanshanli.

We found a tavern called Nanshan Hotel at the entrance of the village.

The eight men dismounted and prepared to enter the Nanshan Hotel.

Then a young man, nearly eight feet tall, strode out of the hotel. He wore a headscarf, a short jacket, long trousers, and cloth shoes. He was dashing and had a refined appearance, with a touch of "bamboo scroll" (book) about him.

"Could the visitor be Liu Bei?!"

The man bowed and greeted Liu Bei and his companions, saying, "I am Xu Wudu Chang, and I have been waiting for you here for a long time."

Seeing Du Chang staring at him, and knowing that he was easily recognizable due to his large ears and long arms, Liu Bei quickly cupped his hands and said:

"I am Liu Bei."

"You've all had a long and arduous journey, please follow me."

Du Changtou led the way, but did not enter the Nanshan Hotel.

Liu Bei and the other eight had no choice but to lead their horses and follow.

Turn past the tavern.

We arrived at a quiet courtyard not far behind.

There were several servants inside who took the horses from the eight men and went to the back stable to feed them hay and water.

Du Chang led the eight men directly into the main hall.

The banquet had already been prepared.

The food on the long table looked freshly served and was still steaming.

Du Chang gestured for the eight men to sit down and said with a smile:

"Brother Shiping and Brother Su Shuang have already sent their trusted confidants, who specifically instructed me to come. As their friend, I naturally dare not neglect them. This is just a small meal and some wine; please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Seeing the abundant wine and delicacies laid out on the long table, Liu Bei hurriedly said:

"Brother Du, there's no need for such politeness. We are just simple folks and don't care much for food and drink. Such a sumptuous meal is truly overwhelming."

Du Chang laughed:

"Gentlemen, you must be tired and hungry after your long journey. Please eat first, and then we can talk in detail."

At that moment, Liu Bei stopped being polite, as he was indeed hungry.

The eight of them ate and drank their fill in no time, as quickly as a whirlwind.

Take a short break.

The servants cleared away the bowls and chopsticks and served soup and fruit.

Du Chang remained silent, observing Liu Bei and the other eight people.

He was amazed to see that Liu Bei was just a young man, yet he was the leader of these seven men, and he knew that Liu Bei must be very capable.

Du Chang was eight feet tall, but he was still a foot shorter than Guan Yu, who was nine feet tall, and Zhang Ba, who was eight feet tall.

He couldn't help but marvel at how Liu Bei had managed to win over these two "masters".

After a moment's thought, Du Changfang finally said:

"The trusted men sent by Brother Zhang and Brother Su have already told me about the general situation of everyone. Why don't I first tell you about the situation here at Xu Wushan's place?"

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Alright. Brother Du, please speak."

Du Chang glanced at the road not far outside the house and said in a deep voice:

"This is the territory of Nanshanli, less than 20 li away from Xuwushan, where the Five Deer King is based."

"A rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. King Wulu is a very clever man. He basically won't harass villages within a 30-mile radius, nor will he kill ordinary people. He only targets powerful landlords and passing merchants."

"He set up five checkpoints on Xuwu Mountain, claiming to have more than a thousand men. In reality, apart from the elderly, women and children, there were only three or four hundred able-bodied men, most of whom were refugees who had nowhere else to go and were forced to come to the mountain. They were not those vicious criminals."

"King Wulu is a brave and warlike man. He and a few trusted confidants live at the highest point of Xuwu Mountain. If we were to launch a direct assault, we would need to break through five heavily guarded passes to reach the summit."

"The western part of Xuwu Mountain is relatively flat with little elevation change. It has a wide, flat area, making it easy to climb, but the pass is the most heavily guarded."

"The area south of Xu Wushan transitions from steep mountains to plains at the foot of the mountains, with a certain drop in elevation. There are many river valleys and streams flowing from north to south, with rapid currents."

"The area north of Xu Wushan is adjacent to the Yanshan Mountains. It is a high and steep region with towering peaks and precipitous cliffs. The main hall of the Five Deer King's stronghold is located on the main peak of the north mountain. This is the highest point."

"The area around the eastern part of Xuwu Mountain is characterized by steep mountains and deep valleys, with many canyons and huge rocks, making the roads extremely rugged and difficult to traverse. There are also many streams."

"King Wulu and his three or four hundred strong men mainly relied on the treacherous terrain to build passes and defend against the government army's attacks. But after all, their power was still small, and they did not conquer any prefectures or counties, but only engaged in some looting and plundering. The government army regarded them as petty thieves, but it was not easy to wipe them out in a short time."

After listening to Du Chang's introduction of the Xu Wushan area, Liu Bei nodded and asked thoughtfully:

"Now, there are only eight of us in our group. If we want to kill King Wulu and his trusted men, Brother Du, what method do you think is the best?"

……

He then went to the Xuwu Mountains, where he settled in a deep, dangerous, flat, and open area, and farmed to support his parents. People flocked to him, and within a few years, more than five thousand families settled there.

—From the Biography of Tian Chou in the Records of the Three Kingdoms