Chapter 13: Liu Bei Returns Triumphant, Revolution in Yi Province!!!

  Here is the translation:

  As mentioned earlier, Liu Bei saw Liu Biao to avoid Yuan Shao's attention and put on this act. However, Liu Bei now indeed has the power to take Jingzhou, and Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are also ready for battle. Just then, two armies appeared on both sides of Liu Biao, each with tens of thousands of soldiers, led by Wen Ping and Huang Zu! On the high mountain opposite, there was also smoke rising from cooking fires. It turned out that Liu Biao was not a fool either. If he were a fool, he wouldn't have been able to stand firm in the Three Kingdoms for so long and make Jingzhou prosperous. If it can be said that Liu Biao's greatest achievement is making Jingzhou flourish and becoming a haven in this chaotic world, then it's only because he lacked ambition, but this doesn't represent his incompetence. On the contrary, Liu Biao was still a capable person! In his youth, he was known as one of the "Eight Talents" along with seven other scholars. He was appointed as a general by He Jin and served as a military officer in the north. Later, he became the governor of Jingzhou and used the Xun brothers and Cai Mao as his assistants. When Li Jue entered Chang'an, Liu Biao sent an envoy to pay tribute. Li Jue made Liu Biao the General Who Pacifies the South and the Governor of Jingzhou, enfeoffing him as the Marquis of Chengwu, giving him a ceremonial axe, and making him an ally. During his time in Jingzhou, Liu Biao used both kindness and severity to govern, attracting people with his policies, clearing up the region, and winning over the hearts of the people. He also established schools and loved the common people, taking care of himself. He formed alliances with Yuan Shao from afar and Zhang Xiu from nearby, and internally he accepted Liu Bei, controlling a territory of several thousand li and commanding an army of over 100,000 soldiers, becoming a powerful force in Jingzhou. He first killed Sun Jian from Jiangdong and later often resisted Cao Cao, being one of his strongest enemies. However, Liu Biao was suspicious by nature, liked to engage in idle talk, and had no ambitions for the four directions. Later, he became infatuated with his second wife Cai, giving power to her family members like Cai Mao. After Liu Biao's death, Cai Mao and others deposed the eldest son and installed Liu Cong as the new lord; Cao Cao launched a southern campaign, and Liu Cong surrendered the state, causing Jingzhou to be lost. Therefore, it can be said that the loss of Jingzhou had nothing to do with Liu Biao, but rather was due to Liu Bei's kindness and Cai Mao's treachery in deposing the eldest son and surrendering to Cao Cao, cutting off Jingzhou's future prospects!

  Liu Biao invited Liu Bei to come forward and talk, Liu Bei led his horse forward, and Liu Biao also dismissed his attendants and came alone on horseback. Liu Biao said: "Xuande, don't be surprised at my behavior today. Although Jingzhou is a peaceful place in the world, the allied army's general Yuan Shao has strong soldiers and horses, and I am really ashamed to have offended him. Today, I can only deceive Yuan Shao's eyes like this!" Liu Bei bowed his hands and said: "Jingsheng brother, Xuande dare not be surprised. Today, I am grateful to my brother and cannot express my gratitude enough! Haha!" Liu Biao said: "Xuande, you are the king of Hanxing in our great Han dynasty, and the jade seal is truly yours!" Liu Bei hurriedly cried and said: "Now that our great Han dynasty has a name but no reality, Dong Zhuo's rebellion has disrupted the imperial court. It is indeed an unfortunate event for our ancestors and the world! Now, Jingsheng brother says this, making me feel ashamed and unable to bear it! I really have no ulterior motives, and I am only acting as a substitute! If Jingsheng brother does not believe me, I am willing to take an oath in public!" Liu Biao saw that Liu Bei was like this and could not say anything else, so he had to persuade him: "Xuande brother, do you think I don't trust you? Now, I am willing to form an alliance with you. If there is any change in Yizhou, I will lead the 200,000 iron-clad soldiers of Jingzhou to assist in the war. But can you, when there is a change in Jingzhou, lead the brave soldiers of Yizhou to come and rescue me? Now that the royal family of the Han dynasty only has our two branches left, are we willing to help each other?" Liu Bei listened and was overjoyed, hastily dismounting his horse and coming before Liu Biao. Liu Biao saw Liu Bei dismount and also got off his horse. The two brothers clasped their hands and made a vow! This is how the famous Jingzhou Agreement was established between the two Liu brothers! It was precisely because of this agreement that Sun Jian's army lost its rightful reason to take Jingzhou! For Liu Bei, it laid a good foundation for later obtaining Jingzhou! The signing of this agreement eliminated the worries about the rear route for Liu Bei's army in the early days and their victory in the Battle of Hanzhong.

  Liu Bei's army passed through Liu Biao's Jingzhou territory unimpeded, which greatly surprised Sun Jian. However, after some thought, Sun Jian understood that there must have been an agreement between Liu Biao and Liu Bei. This incident completely foiled Sun Jian's strategic intention to seize Jingzhou, as he was not afraid of Liu Biao's army but feared a head-on confrontation with Liu Bei's Yizhou army. Sun Jian had witnessed the fighting strength of Liu Bei's Yizhou army at Tiger Trap Pass, where they faced death without fear or hesitation, leaving a deep impression on him. If given the choice, Sun Jian would not have clashed with Liu Bei's Yizhou army unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, when Liu Bei and Cao Cao parted ways, the three parties secretly signed an alliance treaty! It can be said that Li Yu's strategy was successful! However, in reality, Liu Biao's true intention was not hidden from even Yuan Shao, but at this time, Yuan Shao was busy expanding his military strength and competing for territory in the north. As Ji Province and Jingzhou were far apart, it was not suitable for a large-scale expedition. Therefore, Yuan Shao was unable to intervene in Liu Biao's affairs, not because he failed to see through Liu Biao's true intention but because of the distance between their territories. Nevertheless, Liu Biao's actions did give face to the allied army commander-in-chief Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao could not afford to make a fuss about it.

  Liu Bei led the 140,000-strong army from Xiamen Pass into the territory of Yizhou. At this time, Li Yu's injuries had healed, and Li Yu personally led all the officials of the Yizhou Army to welcome Liu Bei back at Xiamen Pass! It can be said that the streets were clean and the roads were paved with yellow earth! Although the allied forces of the vassals fought against Dong Zhuo, it ended in nothing. The two armies clashed, and both sides won and lost half, but Liu Bei's Yizhou Army won! Liu Bei won! Li Yu won! Guan Yu won! Zhang Fei won! Zhao Yun won! So everything made the prestige of Liu Bei's army rise to a brand new high point!

  Liu Bei led the three armies into Yizhou, and wherever they went, hundreds of thousands of people welcomed them. The elderly who were waiting for their sons to return, the women who were waiting for their husbands to come home, and the clans of Yizhou all came out to greet them with drums and cheers, lining the roads to welcome them!

  Liu Bei entered the Hanxing Palace in Chengdu Prefecture after passing through Xiameng Pass for three or four days. The first thing he did was to pay his respects to his mother, Empress Wang. The Han Dynasty ruled with filial piety! Now Liu Bei is different from before, so his mother is still alive and healthy, if nothing unexpected happens, she will definitely outlive Wu Guotai, Sun Jian's wife! Then, orders were given to reward the three armies, promote soldiers who had made contributions, select some grassroots officers from the military school to supplement the troops. After all, the battle of Tiger Trap Pass had caused Liu Bei's army to lose dozens of grassroots officers and backbone soldiers!

  Liu Bei also listened to Li Yu's suggestion and established a heroic monument, mourning the soldiers who had been with him since the campaign against the Yellow Turbans and had sacrificed themselves in battles all over the country. The heroic monument was created by Liu Bei himself, writing the inscription on the monument, as well as famous Confucian scholars such as Lu Zhi, who was responsible for the historical relief work, and Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou (who had been sent by Dong Zhuo but had no real power, but Liu Bei gave him a nominal position because he was also a member of the Han royal family and had treated him well in Zhuo County). The monument's design was drafted by Liu Hua, the head of the Engineering Academy. The relief on the monument depicted scenes from battles against the Yellow Turbans, as well as the military song "Jing Zhong Bao Guo" (Loyal Hearts Reporting to the Country) inscribed on it. Moreover, without even consulting his generals, Liu Bei chose to erect the heroic monument in front of the Han Xing Wang Fu palace gate, and assigned people to offer sacrifices to it every season. He also listened to Li Yu's suggestion and organized patriotic education for all students, requiring them to visit the monument once a quarter. Furthermore, he dispatched Zong Zhou, who was in charge of Yizhou's finances, to distribute relief funds to the widows and orphans of the deceased soldiers. As a result, the people of Yizhou became even more enthusiastic about letting their sons and daughters join the army to serve the country.

  Because Li Yu was very heavy, he let the troops open up wasteland and be self-sufficient, which greatly reduced the national financial expenditure on the troops and played an indelible role in the prosperity of Yizhou! Liu Bei followed Chen Gong's suggestion that a country will perish if it is too warlike, and a country will be in danger if it forgets about war when it is at peace. He let the troops train non-stop throughout the four seasons to prepare for battle! Li Yu also drew on the valuable experience of modernized armies and organized a large-scale military exercise for all major troops every season! And he required all levels of commanders to think from the perspective of soldiers, to sweat more during training and bleed less during battles! Because Li Yu had a far-sighted view of war, he specially established Yizhou's first water fortress in Jiangzhou, trained Liu Bei's military group's first water army, and built warships! However, although the warship was good for fighting, Liu Bei's military group did not have a good naval commander at that time, so Li Yu temporarily took over and appointed Wang Xue as the political commissar and Guo Jia as the chief of staff.

  Li Yu borrowed the modernization of the military management plan, dividing the troops into three major military regions and three major military divisions. The Chengdu Military Region was directly under the central government, with Liu Bei in direct command, Li Yu as commander-in-chief and concurrently as the overall commander-in-chief of the three armies, Wang Xue as the overall political commissar, Guo Jia as the chief of staff, and Zou Zhong as the director of the General Logistics Department. After all, at this time, there were not many suitable strategists in Liu Bei's army, so they had to do so.

  Guan Yu was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Zigong Military Region and concurrently as the deputy commander-in-chief of the three armies, Chen Gong was appointed as the political commissar of the Zigong Military Region and concurrently as the chief of staff and deputy chief of staff of the three armies. Zhang Fei was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Jiangzhou Military Region, Fa Zheng was appointed as the political commissar of the Jiangzhou Military Region and concurrently as the deputy political commissar of the whole army, Huang Quan was appointed as the chief of staff of the Jiangzhou Military Region.

  Zhao Yun was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Yangping Pass Military Division, Jian Yong as the political commissar, Guo Youzhi as the chief of staff. Xu Huan was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Qishan Military Division, Liu Hua as the political commissar and concurrently as the chief of staff.

  Due to war merits and following time, Xiameng Pass currently borders Jingzhou and has an alliance treaty with the Jingzhou military group led by Liu Biao. Liu Bei originally intended to appoint Zou Dan as the commander-in-chief of the Xiameng Pass Military Division, but later Li Yu strongly recommended Wu Anguo, so Liu Bei had to follow Li Yu's suggestion and appoint Wu Anguo as the commander-in-chief of the Xiameng Pass Military Division, Zou Dan as the political commissar, and old general Zou Jing as the chief of staff due to his rich experience.

  Due to the lack of direct leadership in the garrison troops of Chengdu, Li Yu appointed Yan Yan and Zhang Ren as deputy commanders of the Chengdu Military Region respectively, and no longer had full authority over all matters of the Chengdu Military Region of Liu Bei's army.

  Li Yu also issued two formal marshal orders, the first of which was to launch political education throughout the army. The topic of this political education was: "The people's army must always obey King Li's order!" This cut off the foundation for future warlords to carve up territory and become kings! Liu Bei vigorously implemented Li Yu's order, making it spread smoothly throughout the entire army.

  The second order of the marshal is to carry out heroic education throughout the army, which has concentrated the combat effectiveness of the entire army into one, and fundamentally solved the problem of deserters that have appeared in history.

  Liu Bei followed Lu Zhi's advice and properly settled the ordinary people who had voluntarily followed Li Yu from Dongjun to return to Yizhou, after traveling long distances. He widely gathered the hearts of the people under heaven and gained a reputation!

  Here is the translation:

  Moreover, he listened to Guo Jia's advice and returned to Yi Province to write a royal edict, which was sealed with the Imperial Seal of China and proclaimed throughout the land. He vowed never to negotiate or make peace with Dong Zhuo's army, which had taken Emperor Xian hostage. He also promised to be the vanguard in the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

  The content of the edict, written by Lu Zhi himself, was as follows:

  "I have heard that when a rebel arises, a hero is born. In the past, when the Lü clan caused chaos, Ping Feng rose up; when Wang Mang usurped the throne, Dou Rong worried about the fate of the country. It is because loyal ministers do not speak out that the state cannot be at peace.

  I have read the history of Qin and seen how Zhao Gao was arrogant and Li Si followed him in his rebellion, leading to the downfall of the Qin dynasty. It was not defeated by Chu or Han, but destroyed by the treachery of its own officials.

  In the imperial court, the rebel minister Dong Zhuo falsely claims to be the Prime Minister, and has even called himself a loyal and virtuous man, saying that without him there would be no great Han dynasty! In reality, he is the greatest traitor in our great Han dynasty!

  To enumerate his crimes: he has forgotten the proper way of governance, deposed and killed Emperor Shao and Empress Dowager He, and is truly a national traitor. He has murdered innocent people to gain wealth and power, burned down the capital city of Luoyang, forcibly relocated the population, dug up the imperial tombs, and overturned the heavy vessels. He has imprisoned the Son of Heaven!

  Such atrocities have brought harm to the people and are not tolerated by gentlemen. Dong Zhuo is truly the greatest traitor in the land, the greatest demon king of our great Han dynasty!

  Now that King Xian of Han has risen, he has gathered all the lords and vassals to form an alliance. He has won five battles: against Hua Xiong, Lü Bu, Lü Bu again, Hu Lao, and Luoyang! He has marched out of Yi Province to punish the national traitor and has fought in all directions!

  He is truly a pillar minister of our great Han dynasty, a long wall that protects our country! Since ancient times, the imperial court has never been at peace. Now that King Xian of Han has risen, he vows not to coexist with the national traitor Dong Zhuo! He will never negotiate with the rebel Dong Zhuo!

  This is hereby proclaimed to the entire land!"

  With this, most of the old and young scholars of the Han dynasty turned to support Liu Bei's army. The hearts of the scholars returned to him like a vast ocean.

  But this edict only got the support of Gongsun Zan, Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Liu Biao. Moreover, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu even said that Liu Bei had a heart of disobedience, and was not worthy of using the national treasure, the imperial seal. He is indeed a traitor to the great Han! The two sides engaged in another war of words, and finally ended because of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's discourtesy.

  After Liu Bei left, the Zhaoxiangguan was even more bustling with people coming and going. They successively recruited Wu Yi, Wu Ban, Huo Jun, and Huo Yi, four military generals from Yizhou, as well as Liu Ba and Tian Feng, two extraordinary talents!

  Here comes the introduction of two great talents, Liu Ba and Tian Feng!

  Tian Feng initially served under Han Fu, but was dissatisfied with his position due to his straightforward nature. In the second year of Chuping (191 AD), Yuan Shao became the governor of Ji Province. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Tian Feng "had a natural talent for being outstanding and had many unusual strategies. He lost his parents at a young age and observed mourning rituals diligently. Although time passed, he never smiled again. He was well-read and knowledgeable, and his reputation was renowned in the province." Initially, he was appointed to the position of Taifu, but later resigned due to the eunuchs' dominance in court and the persecution of worthy officials. Yuan Shao then invited him to join his side with humble words and generous rewards, and Tian Feng accepted, hoping to rescue the imperial court from its difficulties. He followed Yuan Shao on a campaign against Gongsun Zan and participated in the Battle of Jieqiao. When Gongsun Zan's army approached, surrounding Yuan Shao multiple times, Tian Feng suggested that Yuan Shao take refuge behind walls, but was refused. Later, Yuan Shao adopted Tian Feng's plan and pacified Hebei. Tian Feng advised Yuan Shao to welcome the emperor, but was ignored. In 199 AD, after Yuan Shao had defeated Gongsun Zan, Tian Feng proposed selecting 100,000 elite soldiers and 10,000 cavalrymen to prepare for an attack on Xudu. Tian Feng and Ju Shou suggested using their advantageous military strength and geographical position to wage a protracted war against Cao Cao, "advancing troops to Liyang, camping in Henan", and "dispatching elite cavalry to raid the enemy's borders, making it impossible for them to settle down". However, Yuan Shao rejected this plan. In 200 AD, before the Battle of Guandu, when Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei in Xuzhou, Tian Feng suggested launching a surprise attack on Xu Chang, but was again refused by Yuan Shao, who claimed his son was ill. Later, Tian Feng strongly advised Yuan Shao on his mistakes and analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of Cao Cao's military deployment, believing that the people were exhausted and food was insufficient, and that they should use protracted warfare. Unfortunately, this advice was not adopted, and Tian Feng was even imprisoned after forcefully speaking out. After Yuan Shao's defeat, he regretted not listening to Tian Feng's advice but had him killed due to slander from his attendants. Now, Tian Feng has defected to Liu Bei's side, and Li Yu will certainly rewrite history for him. As soon as Tian Feng arrived, Li Yu requested that Liu Bei appoint him as a senior advisor and deputy commander of the military council, which was immediately approved by Liu Bei, who had never been disappointed by Li Yu's recommendations.

  Liu Ba was even more unwell, Liu Bei's style name was Zichu, and the Records of the Three Kingdoms recorded that he was a famous person from Jingzhou. He was very talented when he was young. At the age of 18, he served as the main clerk in the county office of Jingzhou. At that time, Liu Bei happened to come to Jingzhou to seek refuge with Liu Biao. Liu Bei asked Liu Biao's nephew Zhou Yidou to go and ask him to study together, but Liu Ba declined, saying: "In the past, I traveled north of Jingzhou, and occasionally visited the teacher's door, but my learning was not enough to be recorded, and I had no internal Yang Zhu's art of guarding quietness, nor external Mozi's wind of serving the times. It's like a heavenly ladle, empty and useless. If you give me books, do you want to make your talented nephew destroy the beauty of the phoenix and the peacock, and wander in the world of swallows? What can I use to enlighten him?" On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao and escaped to Jiangnan. Most of the scholars and aristocrats of Jingchu followed Liu Bei, but only Liu Ba went north to visit Cao Cao. Cao Cao was both surprised and delighted at his surrender, and appointed him as a assistant. When Cao Cao was defeated at Wulin, he wanted to send Huan Jie to recruit and accept the territories of Changsha, Lingling, and Guilin. But Huan Jie declined, saying that Liu Ba would be more suitable for the task. Liu Ba told Cao Cao: "Liu Bei occupies Jingzhou, it's not good." Cao Cao said: "If he wants to plot against me, I will follow him with my six armies." Liu Ba then left. However, after the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao was defeated, and Zhuge Liang's strategy for Liu Bei was to go and seize the territories of Changsha, Lingling, and Guilin. Liu Ba returned in defeat.

  Liu Bei entered the city of Lingling, and Liu Ba fled south. Liu Ba, who had escaped to Vietnam, was afraid that Liu Bei would find him through his connections, so he changed his surname to Zhang and worked under Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhi. Shi Xie was a supporter of Wu, and one of the few leaders of the Three Kingdoms period who did not get involved in the struggle. Perhaps because Liu Ba's advice did not match his style, the two did not get along, and Liu Ba left. When he passed through the Collation Road, he was detained by the governor of Yizhou and almost killed. Fortunately, the governor's chief clerk thought Liu Ba seemed like an extraordinary person, so he sent him to meet Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou. Liu Zhang was originally a supporter of Cao, and had sent Zhang Song to express his attitude to Cao. However, because Zhang Song was not impressive in appearance, Cao treated him coldly. Zhang Song returned and advised Liu Zhang to unite with Liu Bei against Cao. Liu Zhang had no strong opinions and agreed. At this time, Liu Ba was brought before Liu Zhang, who had heard of his great reputation and was overjoyed. He immediately asked Liu Ba for his good advice, and Liu Ba only gave him one opinion: "Do not accept Liu Bei." As it turned out, "Bei is a heroic person, if he enters, he will definitely cause harm, and cannot be allowed in." Liu Zhang did not listen and sent Fa Zheng and Meng Da to welcome Liu Bei. As Liu Ba had said, welcoming Liu Bei was no different from inviting a wolf into the house. In the end, Liu Zhang was defeated by Liu Bei.

  Liu Bei defeated Liu Zhang and recruited Liu Ba to his side. Zhang Fei once went to Liu Ba's home to sleep, staying there for a whole day without Liu Ba saying a word. Zhang Fei found Liu Ba unwelcoming and was furious.

  Zhuge Liang mediated: "Zhang Fei is indeed a brave warrior who respects you deeply. Our lord is now gathering civil and military officials to settle great matters; although you are naturally talented, it would be better for you to humble yourself slightly."

  Liu Ba said: "A great man should interact with heroes from all over the world, how can I have conversations with a soldier's son?"

  Liu Bei heard this and angrily said: "I want to conquer the world, but you are causing chaos. Do you want to return north and borrow our path? Are you trying to help me succeed?"

  Liu Bei continued: "You have exceptional talent, like mine. I can entrust important tasks to you, others cannot."

  Zhuge Liang also said: "I am not as good as Liu Ba in strategizing behind the scenes! If we were to discuss military tactics and make the people joyful, that would be a topic for discussion with others."

  This matter was transmitted to Eastern Wu, where Zhang Zhao said: "Liu Ba is really impolite, treating Zhang Fei so rudely." Sun Quan said: "That's just how Liu Ba is; talented people are often arrogant."

  Indeed: "If Liu Ba were to follow the world's trends and flatter Liu Bei, interacting with those who aren't his kind, can he be considered a high-minded scholar?"

  Liu Ba said, "It's easy. Just cast a straight hundred coins and price all goods fairly, and have the officials act as merchants." Liu Bei followed his advice, and within several months, the treasury was full.

  Such a person, the vacant position of Liu Bei's Shangshu Ling has been vacant until now. Li Yu suggested to Liu Bei that he should be appointed according to his ability, and if this person is not competent, it would be better not to use him. As Fa Zheng is currently in charge of local corruption and military corruption, as well as important cases related to people's livelihood, Li Yu directly suggested that Liu Bei promote him to Shangshu Ling! Liu Bei agreed! And also let Liu Ba cooperate with Mi Zhu to solve the financial problems of Yizhou!

  Now Liu Bei's army has officials like Guo Jia, Chen Gong, Tian Feng, Lu Zhi, Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, Huang Quan, Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Liu Hua, and Liu Ba! These are generally capable advisors and ministers! As for the brave warriors, there are Wei Yan, Li Yi, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Xu Huang, Zhang Ren, Wang Xiu, Wu Anguo, Wu Ban, Huo Jun, Huo Yi, Cheng Yuanzhi, Deng Mao, Zou Dan, Zou Jing, and Fan Qiang! Capable advisors and brave warriors are everywhere, making Liu Bei's army much stronger than before! Where will Liu Bei's army go from here? Please recommend.

  I'm still here, I've always loved you, if you turn back, we'll be together forever! WL, please don't break my heart.