Chapter 87: Personally Leading the Assault Corps

Although Lü Bu was now speaking with great passion and solemn vows, the future was another matter entirely.

At present, however, Liu Xie was willing to believe that every word he said was sincere.

That alone revealed something important: Lü Bu was, in truth, a man of feeling. He was nothing like the other warlords, who cared only for their own lands and their so-called interests. On the contrary, Lü Bu still possessed a certain warmth of heart, even if it was not always steady or reliable.

“All right, then let Lord Zhang handle this matter,” Liu Xie said. “As quickly as possible, select one hundred thousand cavalry and place them under General Lü’s training. And in one month’s time, we will set out for war.”

He drew a deep breath, and the memory of events from several months earlier still lingered in his mind.

Zhang Lu, Liu Yan, and the others had joined forces to attack him.

That grudge could not simply be left unresolved.

Now that Lü Bu had arrived in Wan City, the great generals who had once served under Liu Biao in Jing Province no longer dared to speak out at all. They knew all too well what Lü Bu was capable of. If one day Liu Xie became displeased with them and sent Lü Bu against them, the outcome would not be pleasant.

Though Liu Biao had already come under Liu Xie’s command, many of the leading generals of Jing Province still felt little respect or enthusiasm toward Liu Xie himself. Perhaps it was because of the nature of Jing Province as a whole. To them, Liu Xie still felt like an outsider, and that made any real sense of belonging difficult to form.

But that did not matter. Liu Xie would solve that problem in time.

For now, what mattered most was Lü Bu.

Lü Bu was unstable. He had to be made to settle down as soon as possible.

That, however, was a troublesome matter indeed. Lü Bu was simply that kind of man, and changing him would not be easy.

When Liu Xie returned to the residence where Lady Jia and her daughter lived, he found himself back in the very first house he had ever occupied after arriving in Wan City. Even though he now commanded immense power and held a million troops under his banner, he still chose to live here.

Of course, by now Jia Yu and the others knew who he really was. So did Yuan Ying.

Since their marriage, Yuan Ying had also been living here all along.

They were like a family, spending their days together under one roof.

As soon as Liu Xie returned, Fu Shou and Yuan Ying came forward to greet him.

“Your Majesty, has something been weighing on your heart lately?” Fu Shou asked softly.

Ever since the marriage, Yuan Ying had remained at Fu Shou’s side. Both women were gentle and easy to get along with, so their relationship was quite harmonious.

“Yes. Lü Bu has joined us, but his nature is far too unstable,” Liu Xie said with a sigh, briefly explaining the matter. He did not know whether these two women could truly help him, but at the very least, speaking of it eased his mind.

“Your Majesty,” Yuan Ying said in her slow, measured voice, “perhaps my consort and the Empress could try to handle this matter.”

“Oh? You two?” Liu Xie and Fu Shou both looked at her in surprise.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Yuan Ying replied. “If we try to begin directly with Lü Bu himself, it will indeed be rather difficult to achieve what you want. But we could approach it from another angle.”

Hearing this, Liu Xie and Fu Shou exchanged a glance.

“And what do you mean by another angle?” Fu Shou asked quietly.

Yuan Ying thought for a moment before speaking again.

“For example, we could start with Diao Chan.”

“After all, even if Lü Bu refuses to listen to us, surely he will listen to Diao Chan, won’t he?”

As expected of a woman whom Sun Quan had once wanted to honor as empress, she was far more gifted than the average woman.

Indeed, trying to persuade Lü Bu directly would be difficult. That much could already be seen from the example of Chen Gong. Chen Gong had followed Lü Bu for years and said all manner of things to him, but when had Lü Bu ever truly listened?

Diao Chan was different.

If Diao Chan’s understanding was guided properly, then over time Lü Bu would naturally be influenced by what he heard and saw around him, and little by little he would change.

“Yes, this kind of matter is not something Your Majesty could easily handle directly,” Fu Shou said with a nod. “It really does need to be done by us.”

“In that case, aside from changing Lü Bu himself a little,” Yuan Ying continued, “it also counts as our way of showing hospitality and care to those who have newly arrived. In any case, there is no harm in this and much to gain.”

Liu Xie nodded repeatedly.

Indeed, it was an excellent plan.

“All right. Since that is so, I’ll leave it to the two of you.”

With a plan in place and hope now within reach, Liu Xie’s mood brightened considerably. If Fu Shou and Yuan Ying could take this matter upon themselves, then he would be free to devote his thoughts to other affairs.

Over the next several days, almost everyone in Wan City, including Liu Xie himself, kept their attention fixed on Lü Bu and the men who had come with him.

The eight famed generals under Lü Bu were split apart by Liu Xie.

Among the forces that had followed Lü Bu here, however, the people Liu Xie valued most were still Gao Shun and the seven hundred men of his Assault Camp.

There was nothing to be done about it; the Assault Camp was truly formidable.

Under Zhang Xiu’s arrangements, one hundred thousand cavalry were gathered from all across Jing Province and placed under Lü Bu’s command.

With such an enormous force before him, Lü Bu was so pleased that he could hardly stop smiling.

“General Lü, are these men satisfactory?” Liu Xie asked with a smile. “How long will it take before they can be trained into effective troops?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s boundless fortune, these men are excellent,” Lü Bu said confidently. “Give me three months, and I will ensure that every one of them has real combat strength.”

Liu Xie smiled and nodded.

“Fengxian, there is something I am not sure whether I ought to say.”

As he spoke, Liu Xie seemed a little hesitant. After all, the Assault Camp was a unit Lü Bu valued highly. Asking for it would not be easy to put into words.

“Your Majesty, speak freely,” Lü Bu said with his usual boldness.

“It is nothing much. I was only wondering whether General Lü might let General Gao Shun and the Assault Camp under his command be placed under my personal direction instead,” Liu Xie said, finally stating his intention.

He simply wanted the Assault Camp.

“Your Majesty speaks too modestly,” Lü Bu replied. “Since I have now entered Jing Province, everything I possess belongs to Your Majesty. You may command them however you wish!”

Lü Bu was, after all, very shrewd, and his response was perfectly measured.

Liu Xie nodded in satisfaction.

“Very well. Then, Fengxian, train them well. In one month, we will march on Yi Province and Hanzhong.”

Liu Xie spoke in high spirits.

Hanzhong and Yi Province had always been territories he wanted to seize. Previously, though, he had lacked both a proper pretext and, more importantly, the strength to do so.

But now it was different.

With abundant troops, talented generals, and ample supplies, he could move at any time. Once Hanzhong and Yi Province were secured, the entire southwest would, for the most part, be in his hands.

After that, it would be Sun Ce in Jiangdong, Yuan Shao in Ji Province, and Cao Cao and the other northern lords.

Thinking of this, Liu Xie could not help but feel a surge of emotion.

It was easy to imagine how long the road ahead still was.

Moreover, the powers of every region were still growing. Among them, the strongest was undoubtedly Yuan Shao of Ji Province. At present, he controlled four provinces, and his strength exceeded Liu Xie’s.

There were also the other regional lords.

As for Cao Cao, judged purely by strength, he could not yet be called truly formidable. The famous historical clashes at Guandu and Red Cliffs would also have to be delayed, because Cao Cao’s rise here was far slower than in the records of history. Zhang Xiu’s continued survival, as well as Lü Bu’s continued presence, would both bring about profound changes.

Still, with this battle, Xuzhou had fallen completely into Cao Cao’s hands. Combined with his base in Yan Province, his strength could not be underestimated.

Then there was Sun Ce of Jiangdong.

Though he had made little movement up to this point, his quiet development in Jiangdong was remarkably swift.

It might appear that Liu Xie now held Jing Province, but in truth, his real power still extended only through Jing Province. If he wished to expand, he would have to seize more territory.

In that case, let it begin with Yi Province and Hanzhong.

After obtaining the Assault Camp, Liu Xie immediately gathered everyone together. Naturally, Gao Shun stood at the forefront.

“From this day forward, you will all be under my command,” Liu Xie said, letting his gaze pass over every face present. “In the days ahead, I will personally oversee you. To be able to command a force such as yours is, truth be told, an immense honor for me, Liu Xie.”

The men below all wore serious expressions, each of them brimming with a spirited, martial air.

“Your Majesty,” Gao Shun said, his voice fervent and resolute, “to be personally led by Your Majesty is the true honor. We call ourselves the Assault Camp, but compared with the Eighteen Wolfshadow Guards, we are ashamed of ourselves. We hope that one day we too may become men like them.”

From his expression alone, it was not hard to see that the deeds of the Eighteen Wolfshadow Guards in Xuzhou had left them deeply shaken and astonished.

The Assault Camp was already considered a very powerful force by the standards of this age, and they had always believed themselves to be so.

But the moment the Wolfshadow Guard rescued them from Xuzhou, they understood that there truly existed an army far more fearsome than their own.

Now that Liu Xie intended to take them under his banner, Gao Shun understood his meaning.

Liu Xie likely hoped that they, too, could become like the Wolfshadow Guard. Or perhaps, in the future, the Assault Camp would become a personal guard force like the one that protected Liu Xie himself.

“Then so be it. As long as that is what you desire, I will see that it is fulfilled,” Liu Xie said. “And from this day onward, the Eighteen Wolfshadow Guards will be merged into the Assault Camp. Of course, starting today, the Assault Camp will no longer remain merely the Assault Camp. You will have a new name.”

His voice rang clearly across every ear in the hall.

“You shall henceforth be known as the Wolfshadow Guard.”

At those words, many hearts stirred with excitement.

Everyone could see that Liu Xie was truly placing great hopes upon them.