Chapter 12: Zhang Fei's military prowess shakes the world, while Guan Gong's Green Dragon intimidates all the feudal lords!

  After Liu Bei responded to Cao and returned to the main account, he said that the eighteen roads of the vassals were divided into troops stationed in Luoyang City. Today's Luoyang City is no longer what it used to be. Corpses are all over the ground, blood flows like rivers, and only one out of a hundred people remains. Why did the imperial court become so miserable? It turned out that Li Jue and Guo Si followed Dong Zhuo's orders and drove hundreds of thousands of Luoyang citizens to Chang'an. Every hundred civilians were accompanied by a team of soldiers, pulling and dragging each other; countless people died in the ditches, and corpses filled the ground. Furthermore, Li Jue and Guo Si were licentious, and whenever they saw beautiful women, they would order their men to take them into their camps for their own use. They also did not stop their soldiers from raping civilians' wives and daughters, and seizing people's food; the sound of wailing shook the heavens. If anyone was slow to move, three thousand soldiers would be sent to chase after them, with swords in hand, showing no mercy, and killing people on the spot. What's even more hateful is that not only did Dong Zhuo do this, but also ordered his soldiers to set fire to the city gates and burn down the residents' houses, as well as setting fire to temples and palaces. The flames engulfed the two palaces in the south and north; the Long乐 palace was reduced to ashes. China's treasures were all destroyed by Dong Zhuo, whose brutal actions ruined a Chinese treasure! Furthermore, Dong Zhuo also ordered Lü Bu to dig up the tombs of the emperors and their consorts, taking their gold and jewels. The soldiers took advantage of the situation to dig up the graves of officials and civilians, almost all of which were destroyed, and used the treasures they found to enrich themselves! Blood flowed like rivers. Sun Jian and Guan Yu dispatched soldiers to put out the remaining fires in the palace, stationed troops inside the city, and set up their headquarters on the foundation of the Jianzhang Temple. Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu to lead his soldiers to clear away the rubble from the palace. All the tombs that Dong Zhuo had dug up were sealed again. On the foundation of the Tai Temple, three simple halls were built, where the vassals set up altars for the gods and offered sacrifices. After the ceremony, they dispersed. Sun Jian also returned to his camp!

  It was a night with stars and moon shining brightly, so he sat with his sword, gazing up at the sky. Seeing the white air swirling in the Purple Palace, Liu Bei sighed: "Now the emperor's star is not bright, our great Han dynasty today suffers from disaster! The treacherous minister Dong Zhuo has thrown the country into chaos, the people are suffering, and the capital is empty! The world is in turmoil, I don't know how to revive our great Han dynasty." As soon as he finished speaking, tears fell.

  At this time, Guan Yu opened the brocade bag that Li Yu had handed over to him before he left and handed it to Liu Bei to watch. It turned out that in Li Yu's brocade bag, two things were written. The first thing was not the jade seal, but the hope that Liu Bei would take this opportunity to form an alliance with Sun Jian and Cao Cao! Because Li Yu knew that these two people would eventually become a dominant force! Forming an alliance early on would provide external support. Although Li Yu had also thought about helping Yuan Shao destroy Cao Cao, he didn't think it was realistic. Cao Cao was after all the treacherous hero of the time and couldn't be compared to Yuan Shao. Even if Li Yu were to lead Liu Bei's army to help Yuan Shao destroy Cao Cao now, it would still not be realistic! Liu Bei nodded his head in agreement after reading this plan. He also looked at another matter, which was the issue of the ownership of the national jade seal! Although Li Yu didn't know the specific location of the Han Dynasty's national jade seal, he remembered that according to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the national jade seal had been discovered by Sun Jian in a well. Then Li Yu told Liu Bei that the national jade seal must be in Luoyang and was likely to be in an abandoned well in the imperial palace. Liu Bei was shocked after reading this! In ancient times, the national jade seal represented not only the emperor but also the hearts of the people. The ancients believed in "name and reality", which is why so many heroes who had dominated the world wanted to get their hands on this national jade seal by any means possible! At that time, Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to lead all the soldiers to search for it immediately! For Liu Bei, getting this palm-sized national jade seal was a must!

  That night, at dusk, tens of thousands of soldiers in the imperial capital of Luoyang held Eastern Dragon torches and bright oil lamps, illuminating the entire city as if it were daytime. If Li Yu were here, he would definitely secretly send people to search, rather than making such a big show. Liu Bei's actions didn't seem important, but they startled one person - Sun Jian, the Jiangdong warlord known as the "Jiangdong Tiger", and his son Sun Ce! Although Sun Ce didn't think that Liu Bei was searching for the Imperial Seal, he guessed that it must be an extremely important object. Sun Jian immediately ordered his troops to begin a search operation!

  Sun Jian's move was not good, and the eighteen vassals were all shocked. What about Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, Wang Kuang, Han Fu, Gongsun Zan, Kong Rong, Tao Qian, etc.? They are not fools. In their eyes, this must be a very important person or thing. For the eighteen vassals, as long as it doesn't involve their own interests, everything is easy to say. But today's event involved the interests of each of the eighteen vassals, and they immediately took action. Look, taking advantage of the momentum of the soldiers' high morale, the eighteen vassals did not dare to attack Dong Zhuo in Tiger Trap Pass, but for this small jade seal, they all sprang into action! Tell me, how great is the attraction and magic power of this national jade seal?

  At this time, a soldier beside Sun Jian pointed and said: "There is a five-colored light rising from the well in the south of the temple." Sun Jian quickly ordered the soldiers to light up the torches and go down to the well to salvage. At this time, Liu Bei also arrived, and the other eighteen vassals discovered that Liu Bei and Sun Jian's troops were moving in the same direction, so they rushed over immediately. When Sun Jian saw Liu Bei coming, he quickly ordered someone to salvage a woman's corpse from the well. At this time, the other eighteen vassals had also arrived. Liu Bei was determined to get the jade seal, so he secretly ordered Guan Yu to prepare for battle, and Zhang Fei stood behind Liu Bei with his snake spear, ready to strike at any moment. A strange thing happened: when the woman's corpse was salvaged from the well, it did not rot despite being dead for several days. She wore palace-style clothing and had a brocade bag around her neck. When Sun Jian opened the bag, he found a small box made of red jade with a golden lock. Sun Jian saw that the eighteen vassals had all arrived, so he personally opened the box to take a look. Inside, there was a large Han dynasty jade seal, also known as the "Heirloom Seal" or "Imperial Seal". It was four inches square and had five dragons carved on it, with one corner missing and replaced with gold. On top of the seal were eight characters in ancient script: "Received the Mandate from Heaven, Long Life and Prosperity Forever." The jade seal was said to have been created by order of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, and had been passed down through generations of emperors as a symbol of imperial power. Whoever possessed this seal would be considered the rightful ruler of China. Sun Jian knew that if he kept the seal for himself, it would bring him great danger, so he decided to hand it over to Liu Bei, saying: "The Han dynasty is in crisis, and I, Sun Jian, will not betray my loyalty. I see that among all the vassals, only you, Liu Bei, are worthy of holding this jade seal to defeat the rebels."

  Before Liu Bei could speak, Cao said on the side: "Now that Han Xing Wang is a close relative of the great Han emperor, it is most appropriate for Han Xing Wang Liu Bei to take charge of this national jade seal!" Liu Bei saw that Cao also said so, and he didn't hesitate at all. He knew that this was not the time to be modest, as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, two brothers on the side, were eyeing the national jade seal covetously! Liu Bei took the national jade seal from Zhang Fei, who was standing beside him, and handed it over to Sun Jian, saying: "General Wentai, I am only temporarily in charge, but your loyalty and righteousness will surely be passed down for generations!"

  At this time, Yuan Shu became enraged and said: "Military matters are decided by the allied army commander! The alliance leader has overstepped his authority!" The other lords were originally just watching from the sidelines, but now that Yuan Shu had spoken out, they chimed in with words of agreement: "That's right!" "Lord Cao is reasonable!" "I share General Yuan Shu's view!" and so on. Seeing everyone agreeing with him, Yuan Shao said: "Now we are raising an army to punish the rebels and eliminate harm for the country. The imperial jade seal is a treasure of the imperial court; since you have obtained it, you should leave it in my care as commander-in-chief. Although Han Xianwang is a close relative of the Han emperor, he is still just a regional king - wouldn't keeping the seal from him be harmful to him? After we punish Dong Zhuo and return to the imperial court..."

  "Who would have thought that at this moment, someone shouted loudly: 'My elder brother is the current imperial uncle, the majestic Han Xing Wang. To say that my elder brother is only temporarily in control of the Imperial Seal, even if my elder brother were to claim the throne, I think it's not excessive at all! Are you guys going to see the might of our Yan people, Zhang Fei and Zhang Yide's 18-foot snake spear?' This person was none other than Liu Bei's third brother, Zhang Fei, the hero who fought against Lü Bu at Tiger Trap Pass. Seeing this opportunity, Gongsun Zan drew his sword and said: 'Who dares to have designs on the Imperial Seal? I will assist Lord Xuande in punishing them!' Cao Cao and Sun Jian also stood behind Liu Bei and said: 'The Han Xing Wang is indeed a member of the imperial family, temporarily holding the Imperial Seal is only a matter of time before it becomes a reality!' Everyone knew Zhang Fei's temper, and every time he got angry, Liu Bei and Guan Yu would stop him. But this time, Liu Bei thought to himself that his third brother's occasional outbursts were actually right!"

  Kong Rong and Tao Qian, among several neutral lords, also wavered at this sight. They knew that these three lords were the heroes of Dong Zhuo's defeat in this war, and they had witnessed their military might!

  Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, as well as Wang Kui, also drew their swords, ready to engage in a fierce battle. Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, along with several other warlords who were on good terms with them, made preparations for combat, and the battle was about to erupt.

  Just then, a loud shout rang out: "I am Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, here to escort King Wang back to his camp! Now that Yi Province is under attack by Dong Zhuo's army, Han Xing Hou Li Yu requests that our lord return to Yi Province immediately. If anyone dares to block our way, they will be considered a rebel and an enemy of the state. Today, we will fight to the death!"

  Yuan Shao turned his head to see Guan Yu leading his troops towards him, with a fierce battle cry.

  Yuan Shao saw this and said: "I had no intention of fighting, why must you force me? Please take your leave quickly, lest you bring disaster upon yourself."

  Liu Bei pointed to the sky and swore an oath: "Today, I have obtained the precious jade seal, and I vow to restore the Han dynasty. If anyone dares to oppose me, they will be punished by heaven and earth!"

  Liu Bei indeed did not go back on his word.

  The other warlords saw this and tried to persuade Yuan Shao, saying: "Han Xing Wang has sworn an oath, he must have no ulterior motives."

  But the other warlords did not want to get involved in this mess. Yuan Shao was furious, drew his sword, and prepared for battle. Liu Bei also drew his sword and said: "You may be the commander-in-chief, but I am the current emperor's uncle, Han Xing Wang Liu Bei! Today, you are trying to deceive me."

  Yuan Shao's subordinates, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, also drew their swords. Behind them, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang also drew their knives.

  Cao Cao's subordinates, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Le Jin, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and Li Dian, were also ready for battle at any moment.

  Zhang Fei held up his spear to block Liu Bei's path, while Guan Yu swung his sword to replace the military order. The tens of thousands of soldiers sang a heroic song, advancing in unison towards the enemy.

  The other warlords were shocked by this sight, realizing that a battle was imminent. They had seen the fighting power of Liu Bei's army before!

  The other warlords immediately tried to persuade Yuan Shao and Liu Bei to stop fighting. Liu Bei mounted his horse and left Luoyang, departing from the gathering.

  Liu Bei had not intended to clash with the warlords today, so he took advantage of the situation to leave. Liu Bei was not afraid of Yuan Shao!

  Yuan Shao was enraged, and after breaking the precious sword in his hand, he said: "I and Liu Bei cannot coexist!" He then wrote a letter and sent it with his trusted men to Jingzhou overnight, instructing them to intercept and seize it on the way.

  The next day, Cao Cao bid farewell and returned to Chang'an. Yuan Shao sent someone to receive him at the camp, where they set up wine and had a gathering with Cao Cao to dispel his worries. During the banquet, Cao Cao sighed and said: "I initially rose up for the great righteousness, to eliminate the bandits for the country. You gentlemen have come with righteous intentions, my original intention was to trouble Yuan Shu to lead the troops from Henan to Mengjin, Xianyang; The various generals firmly defended Chenggao, occupied Ao Village, blocked the passes of Yangliang and Taigong, controlling the strategic points; Han Xing Wang Liu Bei led the troops from Yizhou, out of Yangping Pass! General Yuan Shu led the army from Nanyang, stationed in Dan and Xi, entered Wuguan, to shake the Three Auxiliaries. All were deeply entrenched, not engaging in battle, but creating a sense of doubt, showing the situation to the world. With righteousness to punish the rebellious, it can be settled immediately. Now, hesitating and not advancing, we have lost the expectation of the world." Yuan Shao and others had no words to respond. After the banquet dispersed, Cao Cao saw that Yuan Shao and others each had different intentions in their hearts, and knew that things could not be accomplished, so he led his troops to leave for Yangzhou. Gongsun Zan also bid farewell and rushed to catch up with Liu Bei's army, where he met with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, saying: "Yuan Shao is incompetent, and will surely change soon. Brothers, you should return. The world will soon change!" He then pulled out of the camp and headed north, guarding his territory and nurturing his troops.

  Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, was a member of the Han imperial family. He was known for his connections with seven prominent scholars, who were referred to as the "Eight Talents of Jiangxia". The seven men were Chen Xiang from Runan, Fan Qian from the same county, Kong Yu from Luning, Fan Kang from Bohai, Tan Fu from Shanyang, Zhang Miao from the same county, and Cen Zhi from Nanyang. Liu Biao was friends with these seven men, and he also had two advisors, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue from Xiangyang, and Cai Mao from Xinye.

  When Liu Bei received a letter from Yuan Shao, he ordered Kuai Yue and Cai Mao to lead an army of 10,000 soldiers to intercept him. As Liu Bei's army approached, Kuai Yue arranged his troops in formation and rode out first. Liu Bei asked him, "Kuai Yue, why have you led your army to block my path?" Kuai Yue replied, "I just received a letter from the allied commander Yuan Shao, ordering me to intercept the King of Han, Liu Bei, and take the imperial seal!"

  Liu Bei was furious, and Guan Yu was about to charge into battle. Cai Mao, not knowing any better, also wanted to test his skills against Guan Yu. Just then, drums and horns sounded from behind the mountain, and Liu Biao arrived with his army. Liu Bei saw Liu Biao and dismounted his horse to pay his respects, saying, "Brother Jing Sheng, why have you listened to Yuan Shao's orders and blocked my path?" Liu Biao returned the courtesy and said, "You are hiding the imperial seal, do you plan to rebel?"

  Liu Bei replied, "I may have this object, but I am only holding it temporarily." Liu Biao said, "If you want me to believe you, you must hand over your weapons and leave!" Zhang Fei was enraged and shouted, "What power do you have to dare look down on our army?" This statement was well-made, and once again Liu Bei did not stop Zhang Fei from speaking out of turn.

  Liu Bei thought to himself that Liu Biao was being unreasonable, so he decided to engage in battle. He planned to take advantage of the situation and capture Jingzhou! Just as they were about to clash, Liu Biao retreated his army. Then Liu Biao said, "Brother, please don't be like this. I am also being forced into this situation. If I didn't make a show of it, Yuan Shao would not let me off the hook!"

  Oh, so that's what was going on! Liu Bei understood now that Liu Biao had been pretending all along. Liu Biao always maintained his neutrality among the warlords, and he wanted to let Yuan Shao know that he had blocked Liu Bei, but at the same time, he didn't want to offend Liu Bei. He withdrew his army and let Liu Bei pass through. But would Liu Bei take advantage of the situation and capture Jingzhou after all?