The three brothers, having learned from past mistakes, didn't hesitate this time.
Run!
As fast as they could!
Without even seeing who was coming, the brothers were already hundreds of meters away.
Even so,
Thinking that riding horses might draw too much attention, the three brothers abandoned their steeds.
They galloped off the main road, ducked into a small grove of trees.
Indeed,
This allowed them to escape and also gave them a free front-row seat to a grand spectacle.
However,
It was a spectacle they didn't want to see, nor were they willing to witness.
"B-Big Brother…"
Zhang Fei, lying flat on the ground, too scared to move, his eyes wide and unfocused, said:
"H-How many?"
"Don't know!"
Liu Bei swallowed hard, a look of despair on his face, and said:
"There are just a lot, a lot of soldiers!"
"…"
Guan Yu lay on the dry branches, silent, a flicker of unknown emotion in his eyes.
Yes!
So many soldiers!
From the first one that appeared until now, thousands of cavalry had passed by.
That alone was bearable!
This was, after all, the border region of Youzhou, so a considerable number of cavalry was understandable.
But what was with those tens of thousands of well-equipped soldiers with swords and shields?
Had the Yellow Turban rebels become so wealthy?
Exquisite iron armor, sturdy round shields, steel sabers glinting with cold light…
This was all about money!
Could a mob of Yellow Turban rebels, rising from humble origins, afford such things?
Absolutely not!
Then,
Did the question even need asking? The answer was clearly written above!
Thinking of the consequences of the aristocratic clans getting involved, Guan Yu suddenly sat up.
"Big Brother~!"
"Hmm?"
"Why don't we join the Yellow Turbans as well!"
"Pfft… Cough cough~!"
Liu Bei, about to speak, choked on his own saliva.
What was this?
He was suggesting joining the Yellow Turbans right in front of him, a royal uncle of the Great Han?
Who was he looking down on?
If he truly couldn't defeat Guan Yu, would he dare to slap him a few times?
"Big Brother~!"
Seemingly guessing Liu Bei's thoughts, Guan Yu turned his head and looked straight at him.
"You saw the situation just now, do you really think they are Yellow Turban rebels?"
"I…"
Liu Bei opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words back.
"You thought of it too?"
Guan Yu didn't care about Liu Bei's reaction, instead sighing deeply.
"If those clans also raise an army, the Great Han won't be able to resist."
"N-No way?"
Zhang Fei, who had overheard, seemed to understand and said with disbelief:
"Second Brother, you mean, those clans want to rebel too?"
"Otherwise?"
"That's true…"
Thinking of the soldiers who had just passed, Zhang Fei was the first to believe it.
"If it weren't for the clans rebelling, how could the Yellow Turbans get such equipment."
"B-But…"
Liu Bei was still somewhat unwilling, stubbornly retorting:
"Then how do you explain the Yellow Turbans entering the city and only killing those clans?"
"Isn't that simple?"
Guan Yu looked at Liu Bei with a hint of surprise, shaking his head with a wry smile:
"Who doesn't have a few enemies?"
"…"
As soon as Guan Yu said this, even Liu Bei fell silent.
Yes!
Who didn't have a few enemies?
Did the Yellow Turban rebels really kill all the clans in the city after entering?
Unlikely, was it?
………………
Qin Feng had no idea that he had led the three brothers, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, down the wrong path.
After the Great Han cavalry arrived, Qin Feng searched for them for a long time.
Unfortunately, he couldn't find them.
Otherwise,
Qin Feng estimated that he could have gained several high-ranking generals under his command.
But there was no help for it!
He truly hadn't expected that the three brothers, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, would resort to such tactics.
It was one thing to lose in a one-on-one fight and then resort to a group brawl.
But to lose in a group brawl and then launch a full-scale attack?
Was there no shame?
Fortunately,
After being tricked this time, Qin Feng understood one thing.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is all fake!
In a real fight, who would care about rules or no rules?
Killing you is the biggest rule!
"My Lord~!"
Just as Qin Feng was lamenting about Liu, Guan, and Zhang, a burly man on horseback approached.
"Hmm?"
Looking at the commander of the Great Han cavalry before him, Qin Feng nodded slightly.
"What was the result of the battle?"
"Reporting to my Lord, we annihilated over two hundred and thirty enemies and captured over three thousand eight hundred."
"How many?!"
Qin Feng looked at him in surprise, not entirely certain:
"Three thousand eight hundred prisoners?"
"Yes!"
Seeing Qin Feng's lingering disbelief, the burly man quickly explained:
"As we led our troops here, we encountered fleeing soldiers who voluntarily surrendered along the way, so we brought them along as well."
"…"
After confirming he hadn't misheard, Qin Feng felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.
So,
The scattered Yellow Turban rebels mistook them for the imperial army coming to suppress the rebellion.
This truly… couldn't be blamed on them!
Glancing at the equipment of his soldiers, Qin Feng said with a sigh:
"System, why don't you just turn me into a Great Han army? That way, I could get rewards or something when I kill Yellow Turban rebels!"
"Ding~!"
"Respected host, to change factions, the consent of the opposing leader is required!"
"What do you mean?"
"It means that only when the Emperor issues an order for your recruitment can the faction change be considered successful."
"…"
Qin Feng pouted and dismissed the thought, then turned to look at the city wall before him.
Since he couldn't become a Han army, he had to consider attacking the city.
He needed to find a place to settle, after all.
Moreover,
If he wanted the Emperor to recruit him actively, the first step was to make him feel the pain.
Otherwise, it would be called a suppression, not a recruitment.
"Liu Jiang, is it?"
Qin Feng, snapping back to reality, beckoned to the burly man standing at attention by his side.
"Tell me, how do we take this city?"
"Uh…"
Liu Jiang, as the commander of the Great Han cavalry, was somewhat stunned by the question.
Attacking a city?
He hadn't learned how to do that!
Cavalry was always meant for open warfare; who trained cavalry in siege tactics?
However,
Since his Lord asked, not saying anything wouldn't be right.
After much deliberation, Liu Jiang tentatively replied:
"M-My Lord, why don't I lead the men to attack it?"
"???"
Looking at Liu Jiang's earnest expression, Qin Feng was speechless for a long time.
This was truly… like listening to a lot of words that amounted to nothing.
Didn't he know they needed to attack it?
The question was how to attack it?
Although he now had over ten thousand troops under his command, he had absolutely no siege equipment.
They would have to make even the siege ladders from scratch!
More importantly,
Besides the two thousand shi of grain from the beginner's gift pack, he had not a single grain more.
How long could two thousand shi last?
One shi was one hundred and twenty Han jin, sixty jin, thirty kilograms.
Assuming each person ate four Han jin a day, one shi would only last thirty people for one day.
In other words,
His current two thousand shi of grain would only be enough for his over ten thousand troops for five days.
And this didn't even include the warhorses.
Eleven hundred cavalry, three horses per person, totaling over three thousand three hundred horses.
Horses ate even more than people!
In addition,
"Damn it!"
"My head hurts!"
After calculating for a while and feeling dizzy, Qin Feng decisively took out the strategist card.
"Professional matters should be handled by professionals."
"Come out!"
"Pikachu, no, come out, my strategist!"