Zhang Liao led two thousand cavalry ahead, taking a different route from Liu Wei.
Zhang Liao headed directly north, passing between Hejian State and Bohai Commandery, through Nanpi, Renqiu, and Yi County.
Liu Wei, however, traveled slightly westward, passing through Anping, Zhongshan, and Changshan.
Why go this way? I believe many people understand. In Wuji County of Zhongshan State, there was a family surnamed Zhen!
And Changshan Kingdom, needless to say!
Although the war situation on Liu Yu's side is critical and Ji County has been besieged for a long time, the stalemate has lasted for so long.
Moreover, it was winter, which made marching and fighting difficult, and if the weather was bad, it would snow.
It is not suitable for fighting at all.
The rebels are mostly cavalry, so it shouldn't be so easy for them to take over the city.
Liu Wei also sent Zhang Liao to lead troops to Zhuojun first, which was enough to help Liu Yu stabilize the morale of his army.
Therefore, he led his guards and Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's troops on a longer, detour, taking an alternate route.
But now, as soon as he entered Anping territory, a scout reported that a large army was heading towards him.
Those who come with ill intentions will not come with good intentions!
Upon hearing that there was an army of two thousand men, Liu Wei's expression tightened, and he turned to ask Liu Bei:
Do you know who they are?
"Your Highness, if I'm not mistaken, he must be a captain under Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, and a soldier under Qu Yi, the prefect of Anping!"
Liu Bei immediately replied, "However, we do not know why he is so hostile towards us."
"It is estimated that they discovered a large army was moving on the plains, and since we need to pass through this area, we came here."
Qu Yi?
Liu Wei was startled.
This guy is something else!
If we were to ask who Yuan Shao's most formidable general was, it would undoubtedly be Ju Yi.
Yuan Shao unified Hebei and defeated Gongsun Zan; Ju Yi deserves the greatest credit for this.
Qu Yi often lived in Liangzhou and was well-versed in the Qiang people's tactics. His private army was elite and was known as the Vanguard Camp!
Together with Gao Shun's Trapped Camp, it can be considered one of the two super elite forces in the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.
Qu Yi later betrayed Han Fu and allied with Yuan Shao.
In the Battle of Jieqiao, Qu Yi's vanguard battalion decisively defeated Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry, killing Yan Gang, a general under Gongsun Zan, and becoming famous throughout the land.
Unfortunately, he later became arrogant and unruly, wanting to establish himself as the sole ruler of the region. He was framed and killed by Yuan Shao, and his followers were annexed, leading to a hasty and tragic end.
"So it's him. Let's go and greet him!"
"We are here on imperial orders to go to Youzhou. Do you think he would dare to make things difficult for us? If he has any other intentions, execute him!"
Liu Wei didn't seem to care and smiled slightly.
The land of Yan and Zhao is rich in talented people and has many military generals.
As we walked, we collected a few of his belongings along the way.
If they refuse to submit, then kill them directly, and don't leave them for Yuan Shao.
"Your Highness, Qu Yi's army is strong and well-equipped, and his private troops are elite. We only have a little over two hundred soldiers. How can we deal with them? We should just go around them!"
Liu Bei advised him.
"Hmph, he should be the one taking a detour!"
Liu Wei spurred his horse and rode ahead, with Liu, Guan, Zhang, Wang Fangyi, Yan Da, Murong Ping, and others quickly following.
After driving for several miles and crossing just a small hill, we saw a military formation arrayed in the middle of the road.
Flags fluttered, the soldiers stood in perfect formation, and an aura of killing intent filled the air.
As Liu Wei and his group approached, they heard someone shout from the other side: "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on my Anping territory?"
Before Wang Fangyi, Yan Da, and the others could even step forward to speak, Liu Bei charged ahead, shouting, "Is that Prefect Qu over there? I am Liu Xuande, the magistrate of Pingyuan County!"
"Currently serving as a military advisor in the General of the North's Office, holding the rank of colonel!"
"We're heading to Youzhou, please make way!"
Liu Bei was quite satisfied with his new official position and immediately announced it aloud.
"I am Qu Yi! Magistrate Liu, who is this General Zhenbei? This is the first time I've heard of him."
It should be noted that in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the titles of Colonel and General of the Household were highly prestigious, and generals of higher ranks were extremely rare.
The title of General of the Four Expeditions and Four Garrisons was only conferred during wartime and was very rare in peacetime.
Last year, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the imperial court dispatched three generals, including Lu Zhi, to quell the rebellion. They were only at the rank of Lieutenant General!
In addition, due to the lack of information and the fact that Luoyang and Jizhou are hundreds of miles apart, Qu Yi naturally did not know that Liu Wei had bought the title of General of the North.
"Tell me my lord's name, and I'll give you a real shock!"
Hearing that Qu Yi actually questioned them, Liu Bei guessed that he was just ignorant, so he loudly announced Liu Wei's full title, "My lord is the current prince of the Han Dynasty, the King of Yunzhong, the General Who Guards the North, the Protectorate of the Northern and Western Regions, and the Governor of the Hetao, Hexi and Henan regions. He has been ordered to go to Youzhou to quell the rebellion of the foreign tribes!"
As Liu Bei reported this, he was secretly envious.
Given time, his name will surely be as long-lasting as that of the prince!
So he was a prince. No wonder his title was so long.
Qu Yi muttered to himself.
While he was in Anping City, he received a message from Ye City in Wei Commandery that the governor of Ji Province had been replaced!
The former governor of Ji Province, Han Fu, was promoted to the position of Minister in Luoyang, while Yuan Shao, whose family had produced four generations of high-ranking officials, was appointed governor of Ji Province.
Although He Jin allowed Yuan Shao to lead remotely, Yuan Shao still had to come and reorganize the province, replacing key personnel in Ji Province with his own.
Therefore, after receiving the appointment, Yuan Shao rushed to Ye City and notified the governors of various counties and kingdoms in Ji Province to report to Ye City and receive his instructions!
Qu Yi had long heard of Yuan Shao's name and was eager to attach himself to him in order to gain greater benefits.
However, in order to demonstrate his strength to Yuan Shao, Qu Yi took all his troops to Ye City to report for duty.
However, not long after leaving Anping, they received a report from scouts that more than two hundred cavalrymen had arrived from the direction of Pingyuan. Their military bearing was neat and orderly, and they should not be underestimated.
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