Chapter 1 The Crown Prince

  Liu Bei was secretly regretful and naturally had a stronger desire to win over Zhao Yun. However, Liu Bei also knew that now was not the time, he had to think of a way to make Liu Feng's image collapse in Zhao Yun's heart before he could take advantage of the situation.

  Just as Liu Bei was thinking, a knight rode up to them on horseback.

  This knight has a refined face, slender figure, and is very poised when riding a horse, looking like an elegant literati. However, he also carries arrows and holds a bow, showing that he is one of the hunting figures. That is, a military general.

  "Why are you four hiding here so freely?" The knight approached the four and laughed with a raised fist.

  "Haha, Wen Yuan doesn't know either. Apart from you, we're not familiar with those generals, so it's only natural to keep a distance." Zhang Fei said with a smile as he saw the knight.

  It turned out to be Zhang Liao.

  However, Zhang Liao was only a minor general at this time and not the renowned Five Elite Generals who would shake Jiangdong in later times. Because Cao Cao had yet to defeat Yuan Shao and capture Zhang Yan.

  The five sons are not all gathered yet. However, although this is the case, Zhang Liao himself was quite valued by Cao Cao, and despite his low official position, he often led him to his side, including today's hunt, where he also invited him to join.

  Zhang Liao was one of the people in the entire Cao group who had a relatively good relationship with Liu Bei and others. At least during the period when Lü Bu was stationed in Xuzhou, Liu Bei's troops were stationed in Xiaopei, and Liu Bei and Zhang Liao had a good relationship for a while.

  Later, Liu Bei and Lü Bu became enemies, and the two sides no longer had any contact. Now that Liu Bei and Zhang Liao are both generals under Cao Cao's command, their relationship has gradually recovered.

  "We are all great Han generals, what is there to be jealous of?" Zhang Liao shook his head and said.

  He was also aware of Liu Bei's ambitions and identity. However, he still hoped to bring Liu Bei into Cao Cao's camp, because according to the current situation, although Cao Cao's power was not as strong as Yuan Shao's, his heroic talent was far superior to Yuan Shao's.

  In the past, following Lü Bu wandering around, Zhang Liao came to understand a principle: following someone with no cultural refinement but great power is far inferior to following someone with great wisdom and slightly weaker power.

  It's Cao Cao.

  Now in such a situation, Liu Bei and his two men still maintain their own small group, not befriending Cao Cao's generals, which seems extremely unwise and dangerous to Zhang Liao.

  So Zhang Liao's sentence that everyone is a general of the great Han, what good interval. In fact, it was advising Liu Bei to give up his position.

  Zhang Fei shut his mouth, he admired Zhang Liao's ability and character, but he was disdainful of Zhang Liao's stance. Guan Yu also had no expression.

  "Hehe, Wen Yan is also overthinking. When we brothers first arrived in Xudu, it's natural that we're not familiar with the place. Once we get used to it, there won't be any gaps between us." Liu Bei said with a smile, being very tactful.

  "Hehe."

  Zhang Liao heard this and also felt that he should give Liu Bei some time, so he smiled.

  "Come, let me introduce. This is Zhao Yun, also known as Zhao Zilong." Immediately afterwards, Liu Bei remembered that he had not yet introduced Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun to each other, so he pointed at Zhao Yun and said to Zhang Liao.

  Then Liu Bei pointed at Zhang Liao and said to Zhao Yun: "This is Zhang Liao, also known as Zhang Wenyuan."

  "They both have an unimpressive appearance, but they are both fierce and heroic. Only when you get to know them well do you realize." Liu Bei said with a smile.

  Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun are really similar in some ways, both having the bravery of a lone warrior, but on the surface they seem more like Confucian generals, men with an aura that doesn't leak out.

  Their circumstances are also the same, Zhang Liao's light is still introverted, and he is just a small general of Cao's family. Zhao Yun is just a guard.

  "Zi Long."

  "Wén yuǎn."

  Translation: "Man of letters from afar"

  At Liu Bei's introduction, Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao exchanged greetings with a raised fist.

  However, it was a bit cold afterwards because both of them were introverted and reserved characters. If they weren't familiar with each other, they wouldn't say much.

  "Waaaahhhh."

  A moment later, a horn sounded with a long and high-pitched sound, its momentum was overwhelming.

  "The Emperor issues an order, the hunt begins."

  Immediately, some messengers galloped and shouted wildly.

  "Haha, this time I'll be hunting and my goal is at least top three. Yide, Yun-chang, Zilong, don't expect any mercy from me later." Zhang Liao said with a grip on his bow and arrow.

  "Haha, I also want to make a name for myself and bring glory to my ancestors. Why would I stay behind?" Zhang Fei said with a loud laugh.

  "It's also a wonderful thing to compete with friends." Guan Yu said with a smile.

  "Haha! Let's go." Liu Bei burst out laughing and urged his horse forward.

  "Kill."

  Zhang Fei, Guan Yu and Zhang Liao all shouted loudly together and rushed out. Their spirits were high. A thousand miles away, they sought to capture the Marquis of Fengyi.

  It's the dream of every martial general, although the marquis title has been devalued and is no longer worth much. However, it's still a marquis title, and even someone like Zhang Liao or Zhang Fei would be moved by it.

  Even Zhao Yun was like this, however, Zhao Yun strictly followed Liu Feng's orders and only followed behind the crowd in a hurry, without any intention of competing for victory.

  Yu Jin, Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, Zhu Ling and many other generals, along with their respective cavalrymen and attendants. Nearly a thousand people galloped forward on horseback, rushing towards the forest ahead under the Emperor's life-or-death order.

  Good at martial arts.

  This hunt's theme is martial valor, aiming to showcase the grandeur of Han's military prowess, establish a powerful presence, and intimidate the surrounding vassals into not daring to make reckless moves.

  And this time, over a hundred generals led nearly a thousand people galloping on horseback, which really fits the current theme.

  Overwhelming presence.

  The many civil officials sitting on the platform all had smiles on their faces. Cao Cao was even more beaming with joy, so martial. Before the battle with Yuan Shao, he could organize such an activity to inspire the generals' desire for merit.

  It's really a happy event.

  At this moment, Cao Cao was very confident that his proud and powerful generals could defeat Yuan Shao.

  "Even if it's Yuan Shao of Jizhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou and Qingzhou, he is destined to be a defeated general under my command." Cao Cao's heart was filled with heroic spirit.

  At this moment, it is actually the most evidence that can reflect the full court of Wenwu being divided into two forces and being incompatible.

  Most of those with a smile on their faces were followers of Cao Cao, while most of those with no expression, or even a hint of sadness, were loyal to Emperor Xian of Han.

  Even Emperor Xian of Han himself felt a sense of desolation. These were all powerful and fierce generals, but almost none of them belonged to him.

  "Ah."

  Liu Xie let out a sigh in his heart.

  Among those present, perhaps only Liu Feng was calm. He quietly observed from the sidelines because he knew that this was not Cao Cao's strongest moment yet.

  At his strongest, Cao Cao had Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, Yue Jin, Xu Huang and Zhang He as his five elite generals in the north. Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan and Cao Chun were also capable generals from his clan, whose abilities were not inferior to any of the five elite generals. Even Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan, who were trusted old subordinates, could lead the five elite generals and command a large army against Wu and Shu.

  There were also Li Dian, Cang Ba, Li Tong, Wen Ping, Zhu Ling and Xu Chu, who were either fierce or powerful generals.

  It can be said that there are hundreds of thousands of hidden soldiers and fierce generals as numerous as clouds.

  But what Liu Feng had to do was not to let Cao Cao have the opportunity to rise to the highest peak. A faint, subtle smile flashed across Liu Feng's eyes as he watched coldly from the sidelines.

  Even if Cao's bandits have a million soldiers and fierce generals as numerous as clouds, I am not afraid.