Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

While Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were disguising themselves as Hu Dang’s supply unit and moving towards Linzi City, Taishi Ci and Liu Bei were hurrying to a village near Linzi City.

“General Liu, could you slow down a bit! We’re fine since we’re used to riding horses, but the soldiers following behind won’t be able to keep up.”

Hearing those words, Liu Bei seemed to realize her mistake and pulled the reins to slow down.

“I’m sorry, Taishi Gongcao.”
“It’s alright. But why are you in such a hurry? It will take several days for the soldiers led by Commander Guan to reach Linzi City, so couldn’t you take some time to go around the nearby villages?”

There was nothing wrong with what Taishi Ci said.

It would take several more days for the disguised supply unit led by Guan Yu to reach the gates of Linzi City, and hurrying now wouldn’t make much difference.

Rather, if they showed signs of impatience by rushing, it might hinder their efforts to persuade the villagers.

Although Liu Bei didn’t have the genius intellect and broad vision of strategists like Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Jia Xu, Xun Yu, or Zhou Yu…

Her mind, which had insight that would be rated A to A+ even when evaluated solely on strategy among famous generals, fully understood this fact.

“Yunchang and Yide are now doing dangerous work, like putting their heads in a tiger’s mouth, to achieve merits for me. But all I can do is go around nearby villages to find people who will lend their strength.”

Of course, neither Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, nor anyone under Liu Bei’s command would blame her for doing relatively safe work.

It’s a principle in any army that high-ranking individuals stay in safe places, and what she’s doing is also essential for the victory of this operation.

“I’d like to face danger and fight together with Yide, Yunchang, and the other soldiers. But I can’t, and being separated like this makes me anxious. Isn’t it a bit pathetic for a woman who’s supposed to be the leader of a volunteer army to show such a side?”

Although Liu Bei spoke as if she was lacking, Taishi Ci didn’t feel that way at all.

Kong Rong, the Governor of Qing Province whom he was currently serving, was a person who always tried to stay alone in a safe place and showed no ambition to climb higher.

No, not only did he lack ambition, but he was actually quite incompetent…

‘He won’t advance any further, he’ll probably sink.’

However, Liu Bei was already starting to make a name for herself as a young volunteer army leader, and it was clear that she would grow even more in the future.

She had the power to lead by example and make her subordinates follow her, and she also had a genuine heart to care for them.

Looking a bit further ahead, Taishi Ci thought she could be a much more attractive choice than Governor Kong Rong of Qing Province.

Taishi Ci shook his head.

“How could that be? Rather, I can see that General Liu genuinely cares for them, which only makes you look good in my eyes.”

This was Taishi Ci’s pure sincerity.

He also believed that the person who would have the power to calm this chaotic world would be one who could win the hearts of others.

“There’s a village where people live right ahead, so let’s stop there first to let the soldiers rest while we try to persuade them.”

As soon as Taishi Ci and Liu Bei entered the village, they let the soldiers rest and gathered all the men in the village.

As soon as these people gathered, Liu Bei spoke in a loud voice.

“I am Liu Xuande, who raised a volunteer army from far away in Xu County of Yu Province to save the people of Qing Province.”

Hearing those words, everyone started to murmur.

“Liu Xuande, Liu Xuande. I’m sure I’ve heard that name before.”
“Wait, isn’t that the person who distributed food near Linzi City?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Liu Bei didn’t expect anyone in this village to recognize her.

That’s because she had distributed food in a village right next to Linzi County, and this place was quite far from there.

Surprised by this unexpected turn of events, Liu Bei was momentarily speechless.

The village chief explained to the stunned Liu Bei.

“The people who used to live near Linzi City told us when they came to this village to seek refuge. They said that while the Governor of Qing Province ignored them as they were starving to death, they survived thanks to the food Lord Xuande gave them.”

Although Liu Bei had done it to gain fame, she inwardly cheered at the fact that word had spread.

“Since you all know about me, I won’t say much. I’d like you to help me suppress the traitors who have taken over Linzi City.”

At those words, the village chief protested vehemently.

No matter how grateful he was for helping commoners like himself, wrong was wrong.

Even now, all the young men had been taken away by the rebel Hu Dang, who had coiled up in Linzi County, or by Governor Kong Rong of Qing Province, who had no intention of helping them.

He thought about how they could possibly fight in a situation where only old men, women, and children were left.

“We only have barely enough food not to starve to death, and all the able-bodied men who could hold spears have long been taken away. So what more are you trying to take from us?”

A woman behind the village chief protested to Liu Bei.

“I understand that Lord Xuande is a good person for taking care of women like us and giving us food. But what are you asking us to give up here? Three of my sons have already been taken away by the rebel bastards and the governor’s soldiers, and one of them came back dead yesterday.”

Liu Bei’s heart ached hearing their words.

She fully understood their pain because until recently, she too had been on the side of the trampled people like these villagers.

‘Still, for the sake of these people, I must end this rebellion as soon as possible.’

“I won’t ask you to directly pick up spears and fight the enemy. Nor will I take away the food you have.”

At those words, the villagers’ faces brightened a little.

They were told that the worst possibility they had just been thinking about – being dragged into war – wouldn’t happen.

“Is that really true?”
“All you need to do is follow the soldiers left here and come to the mountain near Linzi City by a week from now. Then, when night falls, just wave torches and shout. That’s enough.”

If Liu Bei had said this from the very beginning, the villagers would have opposed it just the same.

However, after being told they wouldn’t be dragged into actual combat, everyone thought it was more doable than expected.

Of course, since it was still not as good as not being involved in the war at all, everyone was showing slight signs of dislike.

“But it would still be dangerous…”

At those words, when Taishi Ci was about to use his position as the Gongcao of Qing Province to scold them and force them to move, Liu Bei raised her hand to stop him.

“It could be dangerous since you’ll be going near where the enemy has nested to provoke them. But if this rebellion drags on longer, do you think you’ll be safe?”

The villagers couldn’t refute.

For now, they barely had enough food not to starve to death, and not everyone had been dragged into the war…

But if the situation worsened or prolonged, they didn’t know when they might be taken away by the rebel bastards or the Governor of Qing Province.

Even if they weren’t taken away, it was obvious that they would starve to death if things continued like this…

“Just sitting here quietly will only result in suffering more and dying in the end, with nothing getting better.”

Then Liu Bei looked at the woman who had lost her child and said,

“If the war drags on, you could lose your other children too. Then you’ll have nothing left. Is that what you want?”

At those words, the woman nodded.

She didn’t want to die herself, but she didn’t want to live in a world where only she survived and all her children died.

“And don’t the rest of you who remain here dislike suffering and losing family because of this useless war? If so, we need your cooperation now. Let’s end this war together and return to our daily lives.”

Liu Bei’s words carried more persuasive power than when other volunteer army leaders or officials said similar things.

This was because even when the Governor of Qing Province didn’t help those who were starving, Liu Bei had proven herself by providing relief, even sharing her own military rations.

Taishi Ci also added a word.

“I am Taishi Ci, serving as Gongcao under the Governor of Qing Province. If you want to return to your daily lives as soon as possible, it would be good to listen to General Liu’s words. She is a hero who defeated 30,000 Yellow Turbans with just 1,000 troops in Yu Province.”

The villagers didn’t know how high the position of Gongcao was.

However, they thought that the words of someone working as an official under the Governor of Qing Province could be trusted as they were from a high-ranking person.

As the atmosphere settled, the village chief spoke in a loud voice.

“We will follow General Liu.”
“Thank you.”

Liu Bei succeeded in gaining the cooperation of the villagers by continuing to go around the surrounding villages.

Then, when it seemed that Guan Yu would soon be arriving at Linzi City, she moved alone to join Liu Bei’s army disguised as a supply unit.