The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 24 The Fierce Liu Bei and the Silent Cavalry

As the sun began to set, the main fire in the camp was brought under control. A large number of surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers were bound with hemp ropes and driven dejectedly to the prisoner camp under the shouts of the Han soldiers.

Under the command of officers at all levels, the Han soldiers cleared the battlefield and counted the mountains of captured supplies. Every face was filled with the excitement of a great victory and the expectation of a rich spoil.

Liu Bei had already entered Li Damu's tent. As soon as he lifted the tent flap, a decadent atmosphere rushed out. The lingering smell of wine, perfume, and the afterglow of intercourse made one's head spin.

The tent was quite spacious, but in a mess. Two women huddled in a corner, their clothes disheveled and shivering. Liu Bei frowned, but didn't look at them much. He ordered his soldiers to put clothes on them and send them out.

Then they walked to the huge brocade-patterned mat spread in the center of the tent. This kind of mat with brocade edging was definitely not used by the military. It was obviously looted from the residence of a high-ranking official. There were also a few fox furs scattered next to it. The fur was shiny and looked very valuable.

What's even more astonishing are the precious artifacts scattered everywhere. Liu Bei casually picked one up, held it up to his face, and glanced at it. It was an exquisite Boshan censer, with the lid carved into the shape of a layered fairy mountain, with immortals and mythical beasts among them. Originally an elegant incense burner, it was now piled up here like miscellaneous goods.

There were also a large number of jade bi discs, jade huang pendants, gilded bronze chariots and horses, etc., which showed that Li Damu not only plundered the city, but also dug up tombs and looted gold, emptying the homes of the wealthy families in the prefecture.

Liu Bei was also puzzled. Why was he bringing all these things with him to war?

Before he could think any further, Jian Yong's panicked voice came from outside the tent: "My lord, something terrible has happened."

Liu Bei turned around and saw Jian Yong walking hurriedly, his hat and belt askew, his face showing obvious urgency.

He frowned and asked, "Now that we have decisively defeated the Yellow Turbans and seized countless spoils, what could possibly cause you, Xianhe, such panic? Could it be that Yide's pursuit went too far and he fell into an ambush?"

Jian Yong abruptly stopped in front of Liu Bei, and without saying a word, pulled him outside: "It's not Yide, it's Yunchang!"

"Guan Yu is in a fit of rage and wants to kill Xianyu Congshi. He has already killed three state soldiers, and we cannot stop him. If our lord does not go soon, Xianyu Congshi will be killed by Guan Yu."

Liu Bei was also momentarily surprised. He immediately mounted his warhorse and followed Jian Yong, galloping south towards the camp. While riding, he calmly asked, "Yun Chang is not an arrogant person. Why would he clash with the provincial official and try to kill him?"

Jian Yong, naturally humorous, still spoke wittily even at this moment: "It's precisely because of what my lord just mentioned about the countless spoils. The problem with things in this world is that we're all intertwined. Xianyu, relying on his success in luring the enemy, how could he not be greedy for the spoils? This has offended Guan Yu."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei immediately understood. His second brother was of noble character, proud of his superiors but compassionate towards his inferiors, and accommodating to the strong but not the weak. He was also extremely trustworthy and clear about right and wrong.

In his view, today's battle was a great victory achieved because his soldiers fought bravely and relentlessly, risking their lives to defeat the enemy.

Although the state troops attempted to lure the enemy, their presence or absence did not prevent the great victory in this battle.

Being able to share some of the credit with them is already an act of consideration for our alliance and the overall situation.

Now, instead of being grateful, the officials of the state government want to seize the spoils of the bloody battle, and their words are full of contempt. This has undoubtedly violated a great taboo in Guan Yu's heart.

Liu Bei immediately made up his mind, and the group rode at full speed, soon arriving at the place where the camp's supplies were piled up.

On a cleared area in the camp, piles of various spoils were stacked high: bound silk, boxes of Wuzhu coins, scattered gold and silver utensils, stacked grain sacks, and a large quantity of fine armor, bows, crossbows, spears, halberds, and ring knives seized from the Yellow Turban armory. Under the torches and the setting sun, they gleamed and dazzled the eye.

In the center of the open space, the atmosphere was tense and ready to fight.

Guan Yu stood before the crowd, spear in his left hand and sword in his right. His green robe was stained with blood, his long beard flowed, and his phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed. He had already subdued several officials dressed in black robes and the attire of state officials.

Although one of them was forced to kneel on the ground before the crowd, he still raised his head and roared angrily, "Guan Yu, you are merely a minor official, how dare you kill a subordinate of the prefectural government?"

"This capture was accomplished by our state troops in luring the enemy. Moreover, a large amount of supplies were abandoned by our state troops. You did not want to return them and even rose up to kill people, which is tantamount to treason! If you do not give my state government an explanation today, I will definitely impeach you for the crime of being arrogant and killing without authorization."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu sneered: "Prefectural officials? When the prefecture fell, where were you, the prefectural officials, who diligently performed your duties and bravely sacrificed your lives? Now that we have achieved a great victory, you think of using your status to make unreasonable demands?"

"Especially you, Xianyu Fu, you indulge your subordinates, spouting arrogant words, insulting my commander, and belittling the blood and sweat of my soldiers! Such rude scoundrels deserve to be killed! My blade has slain the Yellow Turban leaders; can't it kill a few cunning, greedy officials who covet others' blood and sweat?"

After listening, Liu Bei fully understood the whole story. He then jumped off his horse and scolded, "Yun Chang, how can you be so disrespectful to Xianyu? Untie him at once!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's face turned even redder, and he said unwillingly, "Brother, this fellow spoke rudely and accomplished nothing, yet..."

Liu Bei's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes widened, and Guan Yu immediately stopped speaking unwillingly. He snorted and waved to his soldiers, ordering them to release Xianyu Fu.

When Xianyu Fu saw Liu Bei arrive, he thought he could finally control this arrogant fellow. He immediately roared, "Liu Xuande, look at your men! They are arrogant, domineering, cruel, and ungrateful. Is this your way of governing an army? If you don't give me an explanation today, I will report this to the prefecture and punish you. At that time, you will not only lose your merit in quelling the rebellion, but you will also lose your heads."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yong gritted his teeth and whispered to Liu Bei, "Xianyu Fu, relying on his powerful clan, looks down on us warriors. His subordinates are rude and arrogant. Not to mention Yun Chang, even I wish I could kill him."

Liu Bei remained calm, turning to Jian Yong and saying indifferently, "Since he has already chosen a path to death, why not kill him?"

Jian Yong's eyes widened in shock. He then remembered that his lord was also a man who hated evil and was decisive and daring. In his fierce temper, he was also reckless and disregarded the consequences. Not to mention killing him, he might even whip him to death in public.

However, Liu Bei would not have acted as he did in history, whipping the inspector simply to vent his anger.

He needed to be more rational, so Liu Bei cupped his hands to Xianyu Fu and said in a kind and easygoing manner, "Xianyu Fu is right. Since some of the weapons were abandoned by the state soldiers, they should be returned."

"Just now, in the bandit chief's tent, I saw many precious artifacts, gold, silver and money, which could not possibly belong to the Yellow Turban rebels. They must have been obtained by looting the state capital and its officials and people."

"Now that we have defeated the enemy, it is only right that we return them to the prefecture. We entrust Xianyu with the task of inventorying and receiving these valuables, so that they may be returned intact and to put the people of the prefecture at ease."

"Brother!" Guan Yu, who was standing far away, had not heard Liu Bei's private conversation with Jian Yong. He couldn't help but speak up, his face turning as red as a date.

Liu Bei raised his hand to stop Guan Yu from dissuading him. Guan Yu could only grit his teeth, close his phoenix eyes unwillingly, and refuse to look at Xianyu Fu again.

Xianyu Fu and the several state officials behind him burst into excited laughter: "Haha, we have long heard of Liu Xuande's reputation for kindness and benevolence."

"You are wise to recognize the times; we will reward you with military merits."

"A bunch of brutes, dreaming of achieving great things on their own? Without the introduction of a powerful family, they'll just be a bunch of peasants!"

They excitedly entered the main tent, completely unaware that behind them, Liu Bei calmly waved his hand, ordering the three armies to withdraw and set up camp. Then, he whispered a few words in Guan Yu's ear, and Guan Yu immediately stroked his beard, his face full of smiles, but his phoenix eyes were filled with murderous intent!

Watching them disappear, Liu Bei smiled slightly: "Gongsun Bogui, I have rid you of a great enemy today. When we meet again tomorrow, you shall treat me to a hearty drink."

Xianyu Fu was a powerful clan in Youzhou. Historically, he was affiliated with Liu Yu. After Liu Yu was killed by Gongsun Zan, Xianyu Fu joined forces with the Wuhuan and others to avenge Liu Yu. He defeated Gongsun Zan at Baoqiu, beheading more than 20,000 people, and became one of Gongsun Zan's most important opponents in Youzhou.

Liu Bei was also looking forward to seeing if Gongsun Zan would achieve more in Youzhou in the future without this formidable rival.

Subsequently, under Liu Bei's orders, the rebel army left the charred Yellow Turban camp and set up a new camp on a slightly higher ground nearby.

Less than an hour after he set up camp, Jian Yong once again entered Liu Bei's newly established simple central command tent, bowed deeply to his lord who was discussing matters with Guan Yu, Qian Zhao, and others, and looked grief-stricken.

"My lord! I have just received devastating news! At the Yellow Turban camp next door, the officers guarding the surrendered soldiers were negligent, and the soldiers suddenly rioted, seizing weapons and attacking the central army! By the time our troops arrived to quell the unrest, it was too late. Xianyu Fu's aide has unfortunately perished in the chaos."

He forced a smile to hide it: "According to the investigation by the state troops, it seems that among the surrendered soldiers was Li Damu's loyal follower. Seeing their leader beheaded, he harbored resentment and launched a nighttime uprising, intending to kidnap or kill the state officials in revenge. Unexpectedly, this tragedy has occurred!"

The candlelight flickered inside the tent.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's face showed regret and sorrow. He sighed deeply, "Alas! Just moments ago I was talking with Xianyu, full of confidence, saying that the Yellow Turbans could be quelled with a mere gesture. In the blink of an eye, we are separated by death, both from our country. Heaven did not grant us long life, and the treacherous and wicked have become so cruel! My heart... is filled with deep sorrow!"

To be honest, Liu Bei had considered that the state troops would be incompetent, but he did not expect them to be this incompetent. He made several preparations, but before he could take action, he only relaxed his vigilance slightly, and the Yellow Turban rebels rebelled and he had to deal with them.

So Liu Bei got up and instructed Jian Yong: "Xianhe, Xianyu was an important official of the state and a famous scholar of Yuyang. He has unfortunately died, but we should continue his unfinished ambitions."

"Of the gold, silk, and precious items captured in the army, three-tenths were allocated to the prefectural government and Colonel Zou's camp. This was to provide relief to the wounded and the injured, and to help them reorganize their troops and boost morale."

Jian Yong solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "My lord is wise and benevolent. With such generous treatment, the soldiers of the state will surely benefit and will not cause any further trouble."

Having arranged all this, Liu Bei's expression immediately turned serious as he turned to the main matter: "But the horses, weapons, and supplies that our army has captured are essential for our military preparations and the suppression of the chaos. We absolutely cannot give up even a single piece to others."

"Xianhe, please give me a detailed report on the extent of the spoils this time."

Upon hearing this, Jian Yong immediately perked up and took out a scroll from his sleeve, reporting in detail: "My lord, the greatest gain from this battle lies in armor and weapons. The enemy army obtained the state armory, which is mostly stocked with elite armor of the border army standard."

"Among them were more than 500 sets of leather armor, mostly made of cowhide or rhinoceros hide, lacquered and with excellent protective capabilities, which could be immediately equipped for the entire army."

"There are also more than 200 sets of forged iron lamellar armor, from which elite troops can be selected to form two to three hundred armored soldiers."

"In addition, there are two grades of armor and more than a hundred sets of basin-neck armor. These heavy armors are the most difficult to forge. They require two large pieces of armor, front and back, which are connected by cowhide and armor plates. They are the standard armor for cavalry."

Liu Bei nodded, feeling that the two-piece armor was somewhat similar to the Mingguang armor of later generations. There were also Mingguang armor and Heiguang armor in this era, but they were relatively rare. In fact, they were all evolutions of the standard armor of the Han army.

With these three hundred sets of armor, he could assemble three hundred elite armored soldiers and cavalry.

He thought that was all the armor he had obtained, and was pondering how to distribute it when Jian Yong's expression became even more excited. He said, "My lord, that's not all. We also found two sets of horse armor in the Moth Bandit camp! It's clear that the Moth Bandits didn't recognize the value of these items and didn't know how to use them, so they piled them up with ordinary junk."

"Horse armor!" Everyone in the tent was moved. Even Guan Yu, who had been stroking his beard, opened his phoenix eyes slightly and looked intently at Jian Yong.

"Absolutely true!" Jian Yong nodded emphatically. "It is made of thick cowhide as the base, with square iron plates attached, which can cover the horse's chest, neck, and vital areas on both sides of the body."

"Wearing this armor, wielding a long spear, and with two bows on the saddle, the knight, fully armored, can move freely even against tens of thousands of enemies!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and clapped his hands, laughing, "My second and third brothers possess the courage of ten thousand men; they are perfectly suited to wear this armored cavalry uniform and awe the world!"

Horse armor is extremely precious. Even up to the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao did not have many. So much so that when he was facing the enemy and observing Yuan Shao's military preparations, he exclaimed, "Yuan Shao has ten thousand sets of armor, while I have only twenty sets; Yuan Shao has three hundred sets of horse armor, while I don't even have ten."

Yuan Shao's ability to possess so many excellent military equipment was clearly due to his advantage of controlling the four provinces of You, Bing, Ji, and Qing. In particular, the two provinces of You and Bing had a large number of border army armories, and he had reorganized those border troops, which is why he had 10,000 heavy armors and 300 horse armors.

But now, the entire armory of Guangyang County in Youzhou has fallen into Liu Bei's trap.

Liu Bei decisively ordered, "Distribute these leather armors immediately, prioritizing veteran soldiers who are experienced in battle and loyal and reliable. Zijing will oversee this."

Qian Zhao immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes! I will certainly not fail my lord's trust."

Then Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu and said, "The Xuanjia and heavy armor will all be under Yun Chang's command. Select the bravest, most skilled in archery and horsemanship, and most loyal and reliable knights from the army. Equip them with fine horses, heavy armor, long spears, and strong bows, and train them rigorously. Form a heavily armored cavalry force dedicated to charging into battle, breaking through enemy lines, and destroying fortified positions. This force will be called the Jing Sai Iron Cavalry, and will be commanded by Yun Chang."

Liu Bei had great confidence in Guan Yu. If Guan Yu, a great man from Shuofang, could train a navy in Jingzhou, he would surely be able to train an invincible iron cavalry for Liu Bei in Youzhou, one that would come like a falling sky, go like lightning, and be unstoppable.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's phoenix eyes snapped open, and he exclaimed, "A name that signifies tranquility on the borders and the retreat of the barbarians is a name that signifies defense. This military name embodies the mighty spirit of the Han cavalry, a force that shakes the world! Brother, even for this name alone, I, Guan Yu, will train this cavalry into the strongest army in the land!"