Guan Yu thought he was imagining things and stood there in a daze, not responding.

It wasn't until someone next to him reminded him that he suddenly realized what was going on and hurriedly stepped forward: "Your subordinate is here. May I ask what your lord requires?"

Of all the people who came to the governor's mansion for the discussion, everyone else had work assignments, but he was the only one whose name was not called.

When you are finally called upon, the sudden shift from resentment and disappointment to surprise and joy is something you can only truly understand when you experience it yourself.

"Commander Guan, I hereby order you and Commander Zhang to lead your troops with me to Yi County to confront Gongsun Zan and demand justice. Do you dare?"

Liu Wei's face held a subtle slyness.

"Why wouldn't I dare? Gongsun Zan is nothing but a nobody. I, Guan, will observe him and sell him to Seoul!"

Perhaps because Guan Yu had been ignored earlier, and now that he was suddenly called upon, he was so anxious that he blurted out his favorite phrase.

After saying that, I immediately regretted it terribly.

Gongsun Zan was Liu Bei's classmate, and they both studied under Lu Zhi.

Liu Bei was frustrated in Anxi County and was harassed by the inspector. He then whipped the inspector and resigned.

The three brothers were wanted by the imperial court, and then Gongsun Zan stepped in to resolve the matter and even got Liu Bei the position of magistrate of Pingyuan County.

Now that Liu Bei has joined Liu Wei's forces, Liu Wei is about to take action against Gongsun Zan, putting Liu Bei in a somewhat awkward position.

In this situation, avoidance is the best option.

Unexpectedly, when they entered the city, Liu Bei was punished, and Zhang Fei stayed behind to take care of him. Only Guan Yu came to the meeting, but he blurted out something he shouldn't have!

"good!"

Liu Wei wouldn't allow him to go back on his word, so he immediately clapped his hands and said, "Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Tomorrow you will lead your troops to the east gate of the city to await orders and accompany me to Yi County."

"Your subordinate... obeys!"

Having already spoken, Guan Yu had no choice but to accept the order and discuss with Liu Bei how to handle the situation later.

He had no connection with Gongsun Zan, but Liu Bei was different.

"Alright, that concludes today's discussion!" Liu Wei raised his voice authoritatively. "Defeating the rebels and recovering Youzhou hinges on this!"

"I hope everyone will work diligently and without slackening!"

"I request that the Imperial Clan Commander oversee this battle, strictly enforce discipline, and execute anyone who disobeys orders, cowards in battle, or colludes with the enemy!"

"We will obey the orders of General Zhenbei."

In this counter-offensive against the rebellion, Liu Wei was in charge of troop deployment as the General Who Guards the North.

It should be noted that in the present Han Dynasty, the Four Expeditionary Generals and Four Garrison Generals are only used during wartime and are not regularly appointed during peacetime.

Therefore, the title of General Who Guards the North is quite prestigious.

If we're really going to talk about authority and responsibility, then the troops in Ji Province and Bing Province should all be under his command.

However, the Han dynasty is now in decline, and rebellions are rampant everywhere, so the local areas no longer listen to the capital.

However, Liu Wei never thought that Ji Province and Bing Province could be of any help. With his troops and the existing forces in You Province, it would be enough to quell the rebellion and drive the Wuhuan and Xianbei people out of You Province.

"We will meet at the city gates of Ji County in twenty days!"

Liu Wei offered a few more words of encouragement and then dismissed the crowd.

......

"With the arrival of the imperial nephew, it's like bamboo meeting a sharp axe—it's easily cut down!"

Only Liu Yu and Liu Wei, along with their personal guards, remained in the main hall.

"You flatter me, Master Zong. Let's look at the results, not the advertisements!" Liu Wei smiled faintly.

"Your Highness, regarding Gongsun Zan's side, are you really going to take Liu Bei's five hundred troops, plus those two thousand cavalry, enough?"

However, Liu Yu was still somewhat worried. "Gongsun Zan's two thousand White Horse Cavalry are skilled warriors who move like the wind. You should be extra careful!"

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I already have a plan to defeat the enemy."

"Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry is strong, but my troops are even stronger!"

Liu Wei remained calm and composed.

Originally, they planned to call upon Qu Yi's elite warriors to participate in the battle, but Qu Yi was in Anping Kingdom. From Anping to Yi County, they had to pass through Hejian Prefecture in between.

If Qu Yi were to leave, Yuan Shao would easily notice, thus prematurely exposing himself.

Therefore, Liu Wei ultimately decided to use Zhang Liao's two thousand cavalry as the main force for the attack.

The White Horse Cavalry was defeated by the Vanguard Death Squad mainly because the Vanguard Death Squad's crossbows were too powerful, making it impossible for the White Horse Cavalry to get close.

Zhang Liao's two thousand Beiwei soldiers were all equipped with green-quality mountain-patterned armor, divine crossbows, and hook-and-sickle spears.

Such equipment would even make Xue Rengui's Xuanjia cavalry under Liu Wei's command wary.

It's unclear whether Zhang Liao's two thousand Beiwei soldiers or Xue Rengui's two thousand Xuanjia cavalry were stronger.

However, if the two cavalrymen were to actually fight, it would not be a mere exercise, but a life-or-death struggle, and in the end, they would probably both be severely injured.

Unless Liu Wei is completely out of his mind, he would never allow them to fight each other!

The two thousand Beiwei soldiers were equipped with powerful bows and crossbows, sturdy armor, and weapons like hook-and-sickle spears specifically designed for close-quarters combat to hook horses' legs. Whether at range or in melee, the White Horse Cavalry would likely be nothing more than easy prey.

Seeing Liu Wei's certainty, Liu Yu felt relieved, but then he remembered something:

“Your Majesty, I have an old friend who was originally the magistrate of Shangcai. He offended the Ten Attendants, resigned, and returned to his hometown to do business.”

"Within a few years, he became a wealthy merchant in Hebei."

"When I took control of Youzhou, he also provided me with a lot of money and supplies, and even gave me intelligence on the northern tribes."

"Upon learning that the emperor's nephew was coming, this man earnestly requested an introduction!"

"I wonder if my imperial nephew could do me the honor of meeting him?"

"As for what other ideas he may have, Your Highness need not concern yourself with them!"

Liu Yu looked at Liu Wei with some trepidation, worried that Liu Wei didn't want to see him!

"Oh, could this person's surname be Zhen?"

Upon hearing Liu Yu's description, Liu Wei immediately guessed that this person was the owner of Zhenjiazhuang, the father of the five beauties of the Zhen family, and Zhen Yi, a wealthy man from Hebei.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!