Chapter 355

Yuan Shu looked at the intelligence report before him, feeling quite unsettled.

"That big-eared thief has taken Liangzhou again? That good-for-nothing Ma Teng not only surrendered Liangzhou but also his daughter! I will absolutely never surrender my daughter to beg for peace!"

"Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are also good-for-nothings. That big-eared thief is right there in Liangzhou, yet you two personally led campaigns and couldn't even break through a single pass!"

Yuan Shu had recently been training his troops and horses, reaching a force of over two hundred thousand. Although the quality was questionable, the quantity was intimidating.

Sun Ce, the son of Sun Jian, began to make a name for himself, helping Yuan Shu seize Lujiang and massacring dozens of clansmen of the Lujiang Administrator, Lu Kang.

Afterward, he used the Imperial Seal to borrow troops, gathered his father's old subordinates like Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, and launched an attack on Jiangdong.

He successively defeated Liu Yao of Qu'e, Wang Lang of Kuaiji Commandery, and the bandit Yan Baihu of Wu Commandery, successfully occupying the four commanderies of Jiangdong!

Yuan Shu felt somewhat smug and satisfied.

Cao Cao had failed in his expedition against Liu Bei, and Yuan Shao had also failed to achieve any merit.

Liu Bei was also a world away from him.

Yuan Shu felt it was time to kick aside the King of Jiujiang and become Emperor himself!

Outside Changancheng.

Liu Bei left Zhang Liao and Xu Sheng behind to continue guarding Liangzhou and to clear the obstacles along the Silk Road.

He himself returned to Jingzhao, bringing with him over five hundred thousand Qiang people and Xiongnu women.

The entire Jingzhao was in an uproar. Liangzhou, which the Great Han had spent massive wealth and vast military forces to no avail, had been pacified by Lord Xuande in just a few short months, and he had even brought back so many people.

Liu Bei settled the Qiang people in sparsely populated areas like Fufeng and Feng Yi Commandery.

A large portion of the Qiang people were actually Han Chinese who also made a living by farming. Liu Bei intended to scatter them and gradually assimilate them.

Over two hundred thousand Xiongnu and defeated Qiang tribal women were distributed by Liu Bei to the soldiers who had distinguished themselves in this campaign, greatly boosting the soldiers' morale!

Liu Bei himself took the daughter of the Eastern Qiang King as a concubine and selected over a dozen daughters of tribal leaders, having Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Gao Shun, and others take them as well, which also served to strengthen everyone's ties.

Guo Jia, naturally, went without saying.

Even the health-conscious Jia Xu was stuffed with one by Liu Bei.

This time, Liu Bei blocking the joint attack of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao gave the people of Guanzhong and Bingzhou immense confidence, and everyone lived their lives with greater peace of mind.

Liu Bei also encouraged everyone to go to the Western Regions to do business and reopen the Silk Road.

The Zhen clan and the Mi clan were not to be outdone and quickly organized several large merchant caravans to head to the Western Regions for trade.

Ma Teng sent Ma Chao, Ma Tie, and Ma Dai to serve Liu Bei and also had Pang De serve Liu Bei in the future, which gave Liu Bei several more tiger-like generals. Naturally, he had to go back and properly reward Ma Yunlu.