Chương 382: Yuzhou, Xuzhou

The prefect slapped him on the head:

"Why are you firing arrows! You're trying to kill me! Those are the Prince of Yan's soldiers!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs towards the city walls:

"General, please wait! I will open the city gates immediately! I will open them right away!"

The city gates opened, and the prefect led his officials out at a brisk pace, holding the official seal high in the air.

Su Lie took the seal and asked:

"Why was the door closed just now? Were you trying to resist?"

The prefect waved his hands repeatedly, sweating profusely, and said:

"No, no! This humble official was merely... merely being cautious! I had absolutely no intention of resisting! General, you are wise!"

Cheng Yaojin chuckled softly beside him and whispered to Huang Zhong:

"This guy chickened out pretty quickly."

Huang Zhong didn't speak, he just nodded.

Looking at the group's arrogant yet obsequious manner, Cheng Yaojin couldn't help but burst into laughter again:

"Old Su, look at these guys! They were all tense just now, but as soon as they heard we were the lord's men, they started smiling like flowers! These opportunists are even better at changing sides than I, Old Cheng!"

Su Lie said slowly:

"That's normal. In this world, who doesn't know our lord's name? If they don't surrender, are they just waiting to be dealt with?"

Huang Zhong stroked his beard and said with a smile:

"That's good, it saves us the trouble of fighting. The sooner we recapture it, the sooner we can go back and report."

Su Lie led his team forward without any obstacles.

One by one, they all surrendered.

Cheng Yaojin, carrying his axe, said somewhat unsatisfied:

"That's it? I haven't even opened for business yet!"

Huang Zhong stroked his beard and laughed, "Isn't it good that there's no battle? It saves us from having to draw swords and guns."

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head and said, "That's true. But I always feel like something's missing."

Su Lie glanced at him and said quietly:

"Something's missing. The risk of you getting stabbed is gone. What, you want to get stabbed?"

Cheng Yaojin quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no! I don't want to! It's best if there's no battle!"

In less than half a month, the entire territory of Yuzhou was recovered.

There was only one exception: the State of Chen.

Su Lie deliberately bypassed the State of Chen, without sending a single soldier there.

He also sent a letter to Prince Liu Chong of Chen, which contained only one sentence:

"His Highness the Prince of Yan said, 'Cousin, rest assured, Chen remains your fiefdom...'"

Upon receiving the letter, Liu Chong beamed with joy and said to Chancellor Luo Jun:

"See? What did I tell you? Liu Ce is my cousin, he won't touch me!"

...

Yu Jin and Xu Huang traveled to Xuzhou.

The situation is exactly the same as in Yuzhou.

In the first prefecture, the governor surrendered without hesitation upon hearing that the Prince of Yan's troops had arrived.

He even went to the city gate to greet him, bowing and scraping as he said:

"General! I've waited so long for this day! His Highness the Prince of Yan's reputation for benevolence and righteousness is known throughout the land! I've long wanted to serve him!"

Yu Jin was a serious man. Looking at his expression, he frowned but didn't say anything.

Xu Huang whispered to himself:

"Wenze, don't look so stern. They've surrendered, so give them a friendly look."

Yu Jin nodded and said calmly:

"Get up. Do a good job from now on."

However, there were a few prefects who, relying on the fact that the emperor was far away, were not entirely convinced and wanted to wait and see.

Yu Jin and Xu Huang led 20, 000 troops to the most rebellious prefecture.

The governor stood on the city wall, looking down at the army below, his face ashen.

The captain beside him whispered, "Prefect, how about... we surrender? I've heard that one of the Prince of Yan's soldiers can take on ten."

The prefect glared at him and said, "You're talking nonsense! I, the head of a prefecture, how could I..."

Before he could finish speaking, an arrow shot from below the city wall, and with a "whoosh," it blew his hat off.

The prefect was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost sat down on the ground.

Yu Jin shouted from below the city walls:

"Listen up! Open the gates and surrender, and all past transgressions will be forgiven! Resist to the bitter end, and after the city falls, leave no one alive!"

The prefect said, trembling:

"Open... open the city gates! Open the city gates now!"

The city gates opened, and the prefect jogged out, holding the official seal high in the air.

Yu Jin took the seal, glanced at him, and said:

"Why didn't you open the door just now?"

The prefect, covered in sweat, said:

"This humble official... this humble official just woke up! I didn't realize what was happening! Please forgive me, General!"

Yu Jin didn't speak, but waved his hand and led the army into the city.

The remaining counties, upon hearing of this, dared not remain indifferent any longer.

Before Yu Jin and Xu Huang even arrived, they took the initiative to send people to greet them, presenting their official seals and indicating their surrender.

In less than half a month, the entire territory of Xuzhou was recovered.

...

The most difficult part was the route through Qingzhou, involving Xue Rengui, Gongsun Zan, and Qu Yi.

Qingzhou is a special place.

Qingzhou was one of the hardest-hit areas during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion was eventually suppressed, the remaining forces were never completely eradicated.

A large portion of Qingzhou was occupied by remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

These remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion were in complete chaos, with some ruling over mountains, others establishing their own fiefdoms in county towns, and still others wandering around.

Xue Rengui led 20, 000 troops into Qingzhou, but the situation was more complicated than he had imagined, and he was completely overwhelmed.

"How are we supposed to fight this? There are mountains everywhere, and bandit dens everywhere. If we wipe them out one by one, how long will it take?"

Gongsun Zan frowned and said, "Yes, the terrain is too complicated, and the cavalry cannot maneuver effectively."

Qu Yi went even further, saying, "How about we set the mountain on fire?"

Xue Rengui waved his hand and said, "No. Our lord said that we should try to persuade those who can surrender to do so, and not kill indiscriminately."

He thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he said:

"By the way, did our lord send two people with us?"

Qu Yi slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "That's right! Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao! They're in the rear guard!"

Xue Rengui quickly ordered someone to summon Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao.

When Xue Rengui and others went on this expedition, Liu Ce specially sent these two men, saying, "They might be useful."

As soon as Zhou Cang arrived, Xue Rengui asked:

"Zhou Cang, do you have any ideas?"

Zhou Cang said, "Yes! The Nine-Section Staff! It was Zhang Jiao's magic weapon back then, and later he gave it to the Holy Maiden Zhang Ning. After Zhang Ning married our lord, this thing was kept in her residence. Our lord specifically asked me to bring it with me on this expedition, saying that it might come in handy."

Xue Rengui's eyes lit up even more as he said:

"A nine-section staff! Zhang Jiao's stuff? Do those remnants of the Yellow Turbans even recognize this?"

Zhou Cang chuckled and said, "Of course we acknowledge it! Back in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Zhang Jiao was a god! His nine-section staff was like the emperor's jade seal! Everyone who saw it had to kneel!"

Xue Rengui was overjoyed and said, "Great! With this, things will be much easier!"

Upon arriving at a county town occupied by the Yellow Turban rebels, Zhou Cang took out his nine-section staff, stood below the city walls, and shouted:

"Listen up, brothers inside! I am Zhou Cang! I fought alongside the Great Teacher of Virtue back in the day! Now I serve His Highness the Prince of Yan! His Highness treats us Yellow Turban brothers well; as long as we surrender, all past transgressions will be forgiven! We'll be given food and land, and we can even serve as soldiers and receive pay!"

On the city wall, a minor leader of the Yellow Turban Army peeked out and looked down.