Rebellion

Before Lu Bu attacked Xiaopei, he had promised Liu Bei's troops rewards of wealth and grain to boost morale, which was why his soldiers had fought with such ferocity.

After breaking through Xiaopei, however, they found little grain in the storehouses, let alone any wealth.

Liu Bei had been aggressively recruiting soldiers and buying horses during this period, so how could he have left any funds behind for Lu Bu to reward his army?

Lu Bu had already made promises to his men before the battle; if he failed to honor them, his prestige within the army would suffer.

Lu Bu disdained Cao Cao's practice of slaughtering cities, but at this moment, he saw no other way than to let his soldiers plunder some wealth.

He instructed Cheng Lian and Zhang Liao, "You must restrain your subordinates. Borrowing some grain and property from the commoners is enough; do not take their lives lightly. Try your best to head to the villages outside the city."

"Understood," Zhang Liao and Cheng Lian replied in unison.

Chen Gui had once served as the Chancellor of Xiaopei and held significant property there belonging to the Chen family. Lu Bu still needed to maintain good relations with them, so he could not afford to go too far.

With tens of thousands of men pillaging the surrounding villages, most commoners could only watch helplessly as their property was seized to save their own lives, though a few lost their lives while trying to protect their food.

After half a day of looting, Lu Bu left five thousand troops under Zhang Liao to guard Xiaopei and led his main force back to Xiapi.

Because Liu Bei's family included members of the Mi family, Lu Bu was wary of causing collateral damage and did not harm them, ordering Zhang Liao to keep a close watch on them in Xiaopei.

Gan Qian had been taking refuge in Gan Family Village, which allowed her to escape this disaster.

After hiding in the shelter for a day, Lan Tian brought Gan Qian and her father out. At this time, Gan Family Village felt solemn and desolate, with many crops in the fields trampled by men and horses.

Zhang Liao sent the original officials to various areas to pacify the people. Hundreds of villagers in Gan Family Village spontaneously gathered at Gan Ji's home; only then did they realize the brilliance of the cellar Lan Tian had dug earlier.

Although there were few casualties this time, most of the villagers had their property looted, and more than half of the grain stored over the past two years had been carried away, leaving everyone weeping in sorrow.

"No matter how hard life is, as long as we are alive, we must fight to live on. Everyone, get to the fields as soon as possible to tend to the crops, or we will surely go hungry this winter," Lan Tian encouraged them.

"Young Master, can we all build shelters following your method?" the villager Li Yang asked.

"It can be built, but it is not easy to make them large, and the site selection must be relatively careful," Lan Tian replied.

Li Yang bowed and said, "Then please, Young Master, give us more guidance."

"Please, Young Master, give us more guidance," the crowd said in unison.

"Very well. Everyone, first take care of the crops; we can do the rest slowly. There shouldn't be any more warfare for a short time," Lan Tian encouraged them.

Lan Tian's words were like celestial music; once the villagers heard them, their grief vanished, and they returned to their homes one after another.

"I wonder how Xuande is doing," Gan Qian said worriedly after the villagers left.

Seeing Gan Qian in low spirits, Lan Tian comforted her, "Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both possess the courage of ten thousand men. With them by his side, General Liu will be fine. I predict he will surely return to Xiaopei."

"Truly?" Gan Qian was instantly overjoyed.

"When have I ever lied to you? Big Sister, just put your heart at ease," Lan Tian laughed.

Liu Bei would surely seek refuge with Cao Cao after this defeat. If he hadn't listened to Cao the Rebel's words to attack Yuan Shu, Xu Province would not have been so easily taken by Lu Bu, nor would there be today's defeat. Boss Cao would certainly help him clean up this mess.

Currently, Gongsun Zan in the north had retreated to guard Yi County after the Battle of Baoqiu. Yuan Shao had basically unified the region north of the Yellow River, and with his eldest son Yuan Tan having broken through the Qing Province held by Tian Kai, Yuan Shao's actual control had reached south of the Yellow River.

Although Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were currently allies, this fragile relationship could not last forever. With the situation in the north so severe, Cao Cao naturally did not want Lu Bu to become a threat in the east. Even if he knew Liu Bei had significant ambitions, he would still use him to "drive the tiger to devour the wolf" and keep Lu Bu in check.

After all, compared to Lu Bu, Liu Bei was more worthy of Cao Cao's trust.

On the other hand, Ji Ling had returned to Shouchun from Xiaopei. After reading Lu Bu's letter of reconciliation, Yuan Shu was furious.

Previously, Han Yin had sent a great deal of grain to Xu Province, but Lu Bu had secretly sabotaged the effort, forcing Ji Ling to retreat. Although the formal betrothal process was still underway, Yuan Shu now harbored deep hatred for Lu Bu.

At this time, a strategist under his command offered a plan, saying that Hao Meng from Henei was an old acquaintance and could be promised great profit to betray Lu Bu, then seize Xu Province and offer it to Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu was overjoyed upon hearing this; he had long coveted Xu Province, so he ordered this man to head to Xiapi in secret.

After returning from his victory in Xiaopei, Lu Bu was full of pride and satisfaction. He spent many days drinking and feasting with his generals until late into the night.

One night, at the third watch.

Lu Bu was sleeping soundly on his couch when suddenly, the sounds of chaos erupted throughout the manor, and the scent of clashing metal drifted on the wind.

The female guard responsible for the backyard patrol rushed to Lu Lingqi's door to report that assassins had invaded. Lu Lingqi quickly donned her armor and stepped out; only after questioning did she learn that her father's subordinate, Hao Meng, had rebelled and had already breached the government office. The female guards she commanded had already suffered more than half casualties.

The situation was dire, and Lu Lingqi kicked open Lu Bu's bedroom door.

"Round-eyed thief, how dare you!" Lu Bu was dreaming of fighting Zhang Fei when he was startled awake by the sound of Lu Lingqi kicking the door.

"Father, Hao Meng has rebelled! Please flee quickly with Mother!" Lu Lingqi pointed outside and shouted.

"Hao Meng? Not Zhang..." Lu Bu focused his eyes. Isn't this his own bedroom? His wife was frantically trying to dress.

"Don't put on your armor; there is no time!" Lu Lingqi saw that Lady Yan hadn't even dressed herself properly and was instead trying to bring Lu Bu his gear.

Ignoring her own state of undress, she grabbed Lady Yan's hand and ran out the door. Lu Bu, disheveled and panicked, followed behind the mother and daughter, his drunken stupor long since replaced by cold sweat on his back.

"Young Lady, the front hall has fallen. You can escape quickly through the back gate," the previous female guard urged.

Lu Lingqi led her parents to flee according to the instructions. Emerging from the back gate, they heard the sounds of chaos throughout the city. Lu Lingqi asked Lu Bu, "Father, the city of Xiapi is in turmoil, and we don't know how many rebel troops Hao Meng has gathered. Where should we go now?"

"We can go to Gao Shun's Xianzhen Battalion," Lu Bu said firmly.

Lu Lingqi nodded, thinking to herself that this coincided with her own idea; it seemed her father's drunkenness had worn off.

Because Hao Meng's forces were limited, he could not control the four gates of Xiapi in a short time, which allowed Lu Lingqi and her parents to escape after hiding in the city for an hour.

The three of them arrived at the Xianzhen Battalion. Seeing Lu Bu in such a disheveled state, Gao Shun knew that something major had happened in the city.

"That scoundrel Hao Meng dares to betray me! That scoundrel Hao Meng dares to betray me!"

While Lu Bu muttered incessantly, Gao Shun invited him to take the seat of honor in the main tent, then cupped his fists and said, "My Lord, please rest here for the moment. I shall lead my troops into the city to quell the rebellion immediately."

"Good. Wenyuan is currently in Xiaopei, so Xiapi must rely entirely on you," Lu Bu said, panting heavily.

"Rest assured, My Lord."

Gao Shun's Xianzhen Battalion maintained strict military discipline and was the most elite infantry under Lu Bu's command. Before departing to suppress the rebellion, he ordered his deputy, Xu Shuang, to protect Lu Bu's safety.

Most of the officers under Gao Shun were acquainted with Lu Lingqi. While they waited for news from Gao Shun, Xu Shuang whispered to her, "I heard that when the Lord attacked Xiaopei a few days ago, he allowed his soldiers to pillage villages after the battle. Gan Family Village was likely among them."

"What? What happened to Lan Ziyu?" Lu Lingqi asked anxiously.

Xu Shuang shook his head and said, "I only heard rumors from other camps over the last two days. General Gao might know the specifics more clearly."

Lu Lingqi stomped her foot in anger. "Hmph, even that fellow Gao Shun has started keeping things from me now."