Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 68 Succubus of the Three Kingdoms

They returned to the mansion.

Yuan Feng's brows remained furrowed.

On one hand, they were heartbroken by the loss of the Flying Swallow Cavalry. The family had only raised five hundred cavalry over the years, and now they had lost countless of them. How could they not be heartbroken?

On the other hand, they were pondering the Liu brothers. The powerful families in the border regions were not a concern, but if Liu Quan was as brave as Gong Lu had said, he would be a problem.

…………

Day two.

Although Yuan Feng ordered it to be kept secret, the matter still came to the attention of some people.

For example, Gongsun Zan, and He Yong.

Gongsun Zan's expression changed drastically, and he asked urgently, "A-Yue, is the information you obtained accurate? Yuan Shu, leading a hundred Flying Swallow cavalry, was utterly defeated by the Liu brothers, and even he himself was wounded?"

Gongsun Yue nodded, his expression complex, and said in a low voice:

"Brother, it's absolutely true. I paid money to get this information from the second steward of the estate."

"Yuan Shu fled back to his estate yesterday evening, having been shot in the buttocks with an arrow, covered in blood, and in a sorry state."

"Afterwards, about twenty more Flying Swallow cavalrymen escaped back, and when they mentioned Liu Yuangu, they were all terrified."

Gongsun Zan sat on the mat in a daze, speechless for a long time.

In Yuan Shao's residence.

He Yong was equally shocked upon receiving the news.

"The Yuan family's Flying Swallow Cavalry has actually been defeated?!"

"Are all the powerful scions of Youzhou this strong?"

After saying that, he shook his head, denying his previous idea.

It wasn't that all the powerful families in Youzhou were strong, but rather that the young man named Liu Quan was simply too strong.

The information he gathered was far more detailed than what Gongsun Zan had received.

In this battle, the Flying Swallow Cavalry attacked with a hundred men, but only about twenty of them survived and escaped back to the village.

Everyone was injured, their faces were ashen, and their eyes were unfocused; they were clearly terrified.

All the fleeing Flying Swallow cavalrymen had a surprisingly consistent evaluation of Liu Yuangu—"brave as gods and demons."

He Yong couldn't help but stand up and pace around the room a few steps with his hands behind his back.

He possessed both literary talent in classical studies and martial prowess capable of defeating ten thousand men, and at a young age, he was able to navigate the complexities of Luoyang with ease and establish a firm foothold...

How can such a person be simply regarded as a "son of a powerful family"?

He pondered for a moment, then made up his mind.

Returning to his desk, he spread out bamboo slips, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote another letter to Yuan Shao, who was far away in Ruyang.

With each stroke of the brush, each character is distinct:

"My dear brother Benchu: I have recently heard of something that is quite noteworthy. Liu Quan, courtesy name Yuangu, is a native of Zhuojun in Youzhou."

"Since entering Luoyang, this young man has gained fame for his literary talent, and only recently have I learned that his martial prowess is also astonishing."

"Recently, Yuan Gonglu led a hundred Flying Swallow cavalrymen to pursue and kill them, but was instead defeated and lost seventy-five riders. Gonglu was shot in the thigh and returned in a sorry state."

"Those who returned on horseback all said that this boy possessed 'the courage of ghosts and gods,' and their words were so certain that they must not be mere exaggerations..."

Having written this far, He Yong paused, considered for a moment, and then continued:

"This boy and Gong Lu are mortal enemies, there is no room for reconciliation. Gong Lu is a vengeful person, he will definitely cause trouble in the future."

"However, this young man is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and has already befriended gentlemen such as Cai Yong, Lu Zhi, and Liu Kuan. His future is limitless."

"Yong believes that Yuan Shao should take this opportunity to befriend them, show them kindness and righteousness, and bring them under his control."

"If we wait until this young man rises to prominence and then try to win him over, it will be no easy task..."

He put down his pen, waited for the ink to dry slightly, then rolled up the bamboo slips, sealed them with bamboo strips, summoned his trusted aide, and instructed him: "Quickly send this letter to Ruyang and personally deliver it to Young Master Benchu. Do not make any mistakes."

The family members obeyed and left.

…………

On the banks of the Yellow River, the setting sun bleeds like blood.

Liu Quan coldly swept his gaze over the twelve prisoners kneeling on the ground, then expressionlessly drew his ring-pommel sword, the bloodstains on the blade already turning black.

"Wait, Quan!" Liu Bei hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Liu Quan's arm. "These people have already laid down their weapons, why kill them again?"

Liu Quan turned to Liu Bei and said, "Abei, they are Yuan Shu's men. If we don't kill them today, are we going to let them go? Wouldn't that be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?!"

Liu Bei shook his head, gently pressed down on Liu Quan's sword, and said in a deep voice, "Quan, listen to me. These men are just soldiers under Yuan Shu, acting under orders, and have no choice in the matter."

He added, "They also have parents, wives, and children at home. If they die here today, it will be the collapse of the pillars of twelve families. Although you and I are enemies with Yuan Shu, why should we involve these innocent people?"

Liu Quan said calmly, "Innocent? There are no innocents on the battlefield!"

Liu Bei's eyes darted around, and he simply feigned helplessness. "Ah Quan, these men are all very brave, and I've taken a liking to them. Would you help me win them over?"

Liu Quan was easily swayed by this. A slight smile played on his lips as he said, "I'll give it a try. If they refuse to surrender, then we'll still have to kill them."

He walked up to the prisoners, his expression turning cold once more, and said condescendingly, "I originally intended to kill you all and throw you into the Yellow River to feed the fish. However, my brother Xuande is merciful and will spare your lives."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each terrified face: "Now I'll give you two choices. First, pledge allegiance to my brother Liu Bei and remain loyal to him from this day forward. Second, jump into the Yellow River yourselves."

The twelve prisoners looked at each other, none of them daring to respond.

At this moment, a burly man kneeling at the front suddenly raised his head.

This man was burly and strong, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. Even though he was bound by ropes, he still exuded a fierce and courageous aura.

Liu Quan recognized the man; it was the one he had personally captured.

At that time, the Flying Swallow cavalry was routed, but this man still fought to the death and refused to retreat. Liu Quan knocked his weapon away, picked him up with one hand, and knocked him unconscious with a punch.

The burly man declared loudly, "We have failed in our duty to protect our master, and returning to the Yuan family would be a capital offense; jumping into the Yellow River would only lead to certain death. Since the young master is so benevolent, why don't we all surrender?"

Having said that, he was the first to bow and kowtow: "I surrender!"

Upon seeing this, the other prisoners followed suit, kowtowing and shouting, "We surrender! We surrender!"

Liu Bei's face lit up with joy, and he quickly stepped forward to personally untie the strong man's ropes.

He helped the man up, speaking sincerely, "Brave warrior, you understand the greater good; I thank you greatly. May I ask your honorable name?"

The burly man straightened his clothes, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply, his voice booming like a bell: "I am Yan Liang, courtesy name Gongji, a native of Langya Commandery. I am skilled with a long sword and adept at mounted combat. Today, I have met a wise lord, and I wish to pledge my allegiance to you, my lord, and serve you faithfully to the death!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "It is my good fortune to have the help of the brave Yan!"

Liu Quanben stood to the side, arms crossed, watching quietly.

Upon hearing the burly man identify himself as Yan Liang, his gaze shifted slightly.

Yan Liang?

Isn't this person a general under Yuan Shao?

On second thought.

The Flying Swallow Cavalry were Yuan family troops, not Yuan Shu's private army. It was not impossible for Yan Liang to choose to join Yuan Shao in the future.

Ah Bei was quite lucky; he intercepted Yuan Shao's attack and gained another valiant general under his command!

He glanced at the remaining eleven prisoners and thought to himself, "These men are no ordinary people either. It wouldn't be a bad deal for A-Bei to take them on."

By this time, Liu Bei had finished talking with Yan Liang and went to greet the other eleven surrendered soldiers. He said in a gentle tone, "Since you are all willing to join my Liu family, from now on you are brothers. Although Liu Bei is not extremely wealthy, I will never mistreat my brothers..."

In just a short while, Liu Quan saw that the group of surrendered people had lowered their guard against A Bei and were chatting and laughing together.

He couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself, "The Pangu database records that some later generations called A Bei a succubus of the Three Kingdoms period, which isn't entirely wrong."