Chapter 15

Liu Yao's trip to Guangping not only won him the allegiance of Ju Shou but also gained him Gao Shun, making it a highly successful venture.

The group waited in Guangping for a few days. After reuniting with the team led by Zhang Fang, they set off together towards Jixian, the administrative center of Youzhou. After half a month of travel, Jixian was now in sight, not far from them.

"Report, sir, there is a cavalry unit about five kilometers ahead, charging towards us with great momentum," a scout reported to Liu Yao.

"Cavalry? How many?" Liu Yao frowned.

"About 1,500, and from their attire, they don't seem to be from the Central Plains."

"It looks like Wuhuan cavalry. Everyone, form ranks, prepare the repeating crossbows, and get ready to engage the enemy," Liu Yao shouted loudly.

Soon, 1,500 Wuhuan cavalry stopped 500 meters in front of Liu Yao. A man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, frowning at Liu Yao's 3,000 well-equipped troops. "Han people, leave all your supplies behind, and I will spare your lives." In the eyes of the Wuhuan, Han people were all weaklings, and even in large numbers, they were no match.

"Hmph, you're not even qualified," Liu Yao sneered.

"Then I'll kill all of you. Charge!" The leader ordered, and the cavalry charged towards Liu Yao.

"Prepare the crossbows. Wait until they are within 200 steps, then start the three-round continuous fire. Remember, aim for the men, not the horses." Clearly, Liu Yao was impressed by the Wuhuan's horses.

The 3,000 well-trained crossbowmen quickly divided into three groups. As soon as the cavalry came within 200 steps, they began continuous firing. Thirty thousand crossbow bolts soared into the sky, momentarily covering it with a dense cloud of arrows.

"Watch out!! Get out of the way!" the leader shouted, but it was too late. Screams of agony filled the air. Under the indiscriminate attack, the Wuhuan suffered heavy casualties. Some of the luckier ones turned into human pincushions, and fewer than 10, including the leader, survived unscathed.

"Han Sheng, You An, Zi Yi, kill the remaining men, but keep the leader alive," Liu Yao ordered. His face was pale, having never been in a battle before. Seeing such a bloody scene, he was struggling not to vomit.

"Yes, sir." The three rode out, and the remaining Wuhuan cavalry fell one by one under their blades.

"Lord, are you alright?" Shi A asked, concerned by Liu Yao's pale face.

"I'm fine. If I can't handle such a small matter, how can I talk about reviving the Han dynasty?" Liu Yao said firmly. Perhaps the psychological comfort helped, and he felt a bit better. This was the first step in Liu Yao's transformation.

Soon, the cavalry leader was brought before Liu Yao. "Everyone, gather the horses, recover the arrows, and finish off all the bodies with one more strike." The arrows of the repeating crossbows were not easy to manufacture, so they were usually recovered and reused.

The leader was terrified, "Don't kill me, don't kill me!!"

"Heh, weren't you just so confident? And didn't you say Wuhuan people are very brave? Why are you so afraid of death?" Liu Yao sneered.

"Yes, yes, sir, I am afraid of death. Please spare my life," the leader pleaded, bowing repeatedly.

"Answer my two questions, and I won't kill you."

"Yes, I will tell you everything, sir."

"What is the purpose of your cavalry being here this time?" Liu Yao asked fiercely.

"King Qiuliju sent us to scout the area," the leader stammered, terrified.

"When does Wuhuan plan to invade Youzhou?"

"This..." The leader hesitated, knowing that if he spoke, Qiuliju would surely kill him.

Liu Yao laughed coldly, "Think carefully. If you don't speak, you will die now. If you do, the situation might be different."

Liu Yao's words echoed in the leader's mind like a devil's voice. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "King Qiuliju plans to invade in the autumn."

"Autumn, huh? That's half a year from now, plenty of time to prepare," Liu Yao thought to himself, then looked at the leader with satisfaction. "You did well. You can go now. I said I wouldn't kill you."

The leader immediately turned to run. But before he could, Liu Yao gave Shi A a nod. The next moment, the leader's head was flying through the air. "I said I wouldn't kill you, but I didn't say my men wouldn't," Liu Yao muttered to himself. He had no mercy for the Wuhuan.

"Lord, this time we suffered no casualties, only losing 10,000 arrows. We gained 1,260 horses, 2,000 stones of grain, and various weapons and supplies," Zhang Fang reported after taking stock.

"Very good, this is a great victory," Liu Yao was pleased.

After gathering the supplies, the group continued towards Jixian. No one disturbed them again, and they arrived at Jixian half a day later.

"Open the gates quickly, this is the Governor of Youzhou," a soldier shouted to the gatekeeper, presenting the order.

The gatekeeper, after verifying the order, opened the gates and let them in.

"Summon all the officials of Youzhou, I will hold a meeting."

"Yes, sir."

"Zi Yi, arrange the camp for our troops. The rest of you, come with me to the Governor's residence."

"Yes, sir."

In the Governor's residence,

Liu Yao sat in the main seat, with Huang Zhong, Shi A, Gao Shun, Ju Shou, and Tian Feng standing behind him. Soon, all the officials were present, each carefully observing the new Governor, fearing that the "three fires" might burn them.

"State your positions," Liu Yao said calmly.

"I am Wei You, currently the Legal Officer of Youzhou."

"I am..."

A series of names made Liu Yao shake his head in frustration. Apart from Wei You, who had some reputation, the others were unknown. Moreover, only one Administrative Officer was present, while the others, such as the Chief Officer, Military Officer, and Secretary, were all missing.

"Ju Shou."

"Here."

"I appoint you as the Chief Officer of Youzhou."

"Yes, sir."

"Tian Feng."

"Here."

"I appoint you as the Military Officer and also the Secretary." Liu Yao was helpless; with insufficient manpower, he had to overwork Tian Feng.

"Yes, sir."

The officials of Youzhou, hearing that these newcomers were immediately given higher ranks than themselves, were不服气 (dissatisfied), but dared not speak out. The man before them was not only the Governor of Youzhou but also the current Crown Prince, a position no one dared to provoke.

"Wei, the Administrative Officer, report the population and troops of Youzhou," Liu Yao said calmly.

"Yes, sir. Youzhou has a total population of 2.8 million, with 500,000 stones of grain in storage. Apart from the troops stationed in various counties, Youzhou currently has 40,000 troops, including 5,000 cavalry, 35,000 infantry, and 5,000 archers. We have 10,000 horses and countless weapons," Wei You reported respectfully. Wei You was originally under Liu Yu, not a great talent but competent in administration.

"Good. The Wuhuan are very rampant. I need your help to deal with them. If anyone disobeys my orders, I will not be lenient," Liu Yao said coldly.

The officials broke out in cold sweat. They had intended to give the new Governor a hard time, but now they were the ones receiving the "three fires."

Thus, the officials of Youzhou were subdued, and Liu Yao's influence in Youzhou began to grow.