Troops Set Out for Jizhou!

After leaving the city, the three groups hurried toward Mengjin. Zhao Fu and Cheng Huan, Han Fu's aides, were stationed there with more than ten thousand men—the only force under Han Fu's complete control.

Whether they could safely pass through the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans' blockade depended entirely on those ten thousand men. They would cross the Yellow River at Mengjin (during the Han Dynasty, the Yellow River's water was still very clear and was called the River Water), pass through Dong Commandery, follow Liu Bei and the others' original route, and enter Qi Commandery through Licheng.

Once his family had left, Han Fu finally felt relieved. Following Tian Feng's instructions, he not only loudly publicized that he would pass his position to Yuan Shao, but also announced that he would return to his hometown in Yingchuan to retire. He even posted notices ordering every commandery and county to open its granaries and distribute grain to the people, exempting all of Jizhou from taxes for one year. This added even more splendor to the transfer ceremony. Most importantly, Han Fu issued the order in Yuan Shao's name, claiming it was meant to win Yuan Shao popular support and stabilize the situation.

When Yuan Shao received the news, his face turned livid with rage. He drew the sword at his waist and hacked the desk to pieces. Yuan Shao was still in the prime of his ambition and was nowhere near as deep and calculating as he would later become. Han Fu had thoroughly tricked him, catching him completely off guard.

Moreover, he could not rescind the order. The moment he showed any intention of doing so, Yuan Shao's reputation would be utterly ruined. It was not only the common people who would resent him—even the great clans that had received tax