Chapter 37: Liu Xie's Report! Someone is Offering Their Head on a Platter! (fixed)

The unexpected news caught everyone within the Great Hall off guard.

They were still discussing strategies to deal with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei when the trio unexpectedly arrived at their doorstep—an abrupt turn of events indeed.

“How did they come here?” Yuan Shao, equally surprised, couldn’t help but ask.

The guard responsible for reporting shook his head. “This subordinate does not know. Liu Bei only requested an audience with my lord without specifying his intentions.”

Ju Shou frowned deeply and continued questioning, “Were they armored or armed?”

“No, they came unarmed,” replied the guard.

Upon hearing this, Tian Feng’s eyes flashed with a murderous intent as he addressed Yuan Shao, “My lord, this is an excellent opportunity! Since they bear no weapons, we can lure them into the palace and then command our archers to shower them with arrows!”

Without arms or armor, how fearsome could even the bravest among them be? Forget Guan Yu and Zhang Fei; even if Lu Bu himself were present, one volley of arrows would turn him into a human pincushion!

Yuan Shao, gripping his wine cup, hesitated before finally giving instructions: “Summon three hundred armored soldiers and set up an ambush inside the palace.”

“Use the sound of smashing cups as the signal. Upon hearing it, strike immediately!”

“Also, summon Wen Chou and Yan Liang to enter the palace!”

Yuan Shao had not yet decided to kill the three Liu brothers outright. He preferred first meeting with them to understand Liu Bei’s true intentions. However, to ensure safety against any unforeseen circumstances, he prepared reinforcements due to the extraordinary martial prowess of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

“Yes, my lord!” The guard acknowledged and promptly withdrew.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, the three Liu brothers awaited their audience.

“Dage, are we truly going to meet Yuan Shao like this?” asked Zhang Fei.

“We’re currently unarmed,” Guan Yu replied gravely. “If he has set an ambush within the palace, our fate will be sealed.”

Initially, when Dage mentioned entering the palace to see Yuan Shao, Guan Yu thought they would storm it and capture him. However, his elder brother had no such intentions; instead, they were genuinely just planning to meet with Yuan Shao, without even bringing their weapons.

“If Yuan Shao intended to kill us, we’d already be dead,” said Liu Bei. “The fact that he hasn’t acted yet indicates his hesitation.”

“I suspect it’s largely due to you two.” Liu Bei understood the situation clearly.

With Yuan Shao’s forces surrounding both inside and outside the city, confronting them head-on was a certain path to death. It made more sense to directly face Yuan Shao and gauge his intentions.

Zhang Fei, puzzled, asked, “Because of me and Erge? Is he really that afraid of us?”

Liu Bei chuckled slightly, “No, he desires to recruit you two under his command, which is why he hesitates to act.”

Having observed Yuan Shao’s fervent interest in his second and third brothers over these days, Liu Bei could easily surmise his intentions. However, the unbreakable bond between the three brothers left no opportunity for Yuan Shao.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu displayed a look of disdain and declared, “Our brotherhood, forged at the peach garden oath, runs too deep for him to comprehend!”

“I am but a warrior from Jieliang, honored by Dage’s acceptance as kin. Facing such great peril now, how could I betray our bond and side with the enemy? Today may be my last, yet there is nothing to fear! Jade can shatter without losing its purity; bamboo can burn without destroying its integrity. Though my body may perish, my name shall endure through eternity!”

“Brother, I stand with you till death!” Despite knowing that entering the palace today meant almost certain doom, Guan Yu showed no fear.

Their oath years ago—“May we not share birth in the same year, month, or day, but let us share death together”—was more than just empty words!

Upon hearing Guan Yu’s declaration, Zhang Fei felt his blood boil. He tried expressing himself but managed only to stammer, “Me too!”

“Second Brother! Third Brother!”

Moved by their heartfelt expressions, tears welled up in Liu Bei’s eyes as he held their hands and affirmed, “Together in life and death!”

“Together in life and death!” Guan Yu and Zhang Fei solemnly echoed, pledging their lives to this vow.

After waiting outside the palace for some time, they finally saw a guard emerge—the same one who had gone in earlier to report.

“The lord awaits you in the Great Hall. Please follow me.”

The imperial palace loomed majestically before them, like a dormant beast concealing untold dangers within.

Exchanging glances, the three brothers saw determination and resolve reflected in each other’s eyes. With a smile, Liu Bei stepped forward first, followed closely by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

“Lead the way.”

After sending Zhang He to deliver the message, Liu Xie returned to his sleeping quarters. However, despite lying down, he found it difficult to fall asleep.

“I wonder if they managed to escape from Yecheng. Has Yuan Shao already sent men to capture them?” Liu Xie thought anxiously. He didn’t want Liu Bei to die; after all, his efforts today—playing the victim and alerting them of the danger—would be wasted otherwise. It had taken considerable effort for him to find this new path forward, and he couldn’t afford to have it blocked so soon!

“It’s unlikely,” he reassured himself. “As one of the main protagonists in the Three Kingdoms era, fate is on his side. They won’t perish that easily.”

“Right… probably not,” Liu Xie could only comfort himself with these thoughts.

Suddenly, faint yet rhythmic footsteps echoed in the distance, accompanied by the clanging sounds of swords against armor. A chill ran through Liu Xie’s heart.

He swiftly got out of bed, approached the door cautiously, and peered through the narrow gap between its panels.

In the dim night, he spotted rows of heavily armed soldiers marching past his quarters, each fully equipped.

“Damn! Where did all these soldiers come from?” Liu Xie was startled. At first glance, he recognized that these were not the imperial guards but rather soldiers under Yuan Shao’s command! Their uniforms matched those of the troops who escorted him when he moved from the Yuan Manor to the imperial palace days ago.

But what were they doing inside the palace?

Liu Xie’s heart raced with uncertainty. These soldiers weren’t there for him; they merely passed by his quarters and swiftly moved on.

Just as Liu Xie hesitated, contemplating whether to sneak out and investigate, a figure suddenly appeared outside his door.

“Your Majesty, it is I.”

The voice was somewhat muffled, but Liu Xie recognized it immediately—it was Zhang He!

Realizing that Zhang He had come to report back, Liu Xie asked, “How did it go? Did you deliver the letter to Liu Bei?”

Zhang He replied, “This humble general successfully completed the mission, handing the letter directly to Messenger Liu.”

Relieved, Liu Xie continued, “What about those soldiers earlier? Why did they suddenly enter the palace?”

This was his primary concern.

Zhang He answered, “Your Majesty, Yuan Shao summoned them all, including the two great generals Wen Chou and Yan Liang. It seems Messenger Liu, along with his companions, sought an audience with Yuan Shao at the palace.”

“What?!” Liu Xie was utterly astounded.

Liu Bei entered the palace to meet Yuan Shao? What kind of reckless move was this?!

I sent you a message so you could find an opportunity to escape, not to walk straight into your death at the imperial palace! If this were a game, Liu Xie would undoubtedly report Liu Bei for sabotage—this guy was practically gifting his head to the enemy!