Chapter 38: Ten Days! Capture Pei County Within Ten Days! (fixed)

Upon entering the imperial palace, the three Liu brothers were swiftly escorted to the Great Hall.

Yuan Shao and his entourage awaited their arrival there.

Apart from Yuan Shao, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, and other advisors, two imposing armored generals stood flanking Yuan Shao—Wen Chang and Wen Chou.

All eyes in the hall turned towards the newcomers, filled with caution, hostility, and apprehension, each gaze conveying different sentiments.

Despite these varied stares, Liu Bei maintained a composed expression throughout.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei showed no signs of fear either; they barely glanced at the others, displaying clear disdain.

Liu Bei approached the center of the hall and bowed respectfully, saying, “Greetings, Great General.”

With the Emperor absent, Yuan Shao sat on the throne, twirling a wine cup in his hand as he looked down upon Liu Bei condescendingly.

“Xuande, weren’t you too intoxicated and advised to rest? Why have you returned?” Yuan Shao sneered coldly, a hint of mockery in his words. “Did you perhaps forget something here?”

His remark clearly referred to the “Imperial Decree.”

Liu Bei’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, “Not at all, I simply realized that it has been quite some time since arriving in Yecheng, yet there has been no progress on securing troops. This weighs heavily on my mind.”

“I came specifically to ask the Great General for a definitive answer.” It seemed as if Liu Bei didn’t grasp Yuan Shao’s veiled implication and focused solely on the matter of obtaining soldiers.

He understood well that although Yuan Shao knew about his secret plea to the Emperor for an imperial decree, neither side was aware that the Emperor had discreetly informed him. In other words, from Yuan Shao’s perspective, they hadn’t yet realized their exposure.

As long as this issue wasn’t openly discussed, a thin veil of discretion remained, leaving room for final negotiations. Thus, Liu Bei chose to engage Yuan Shao by discussing the request for troops.

“Requesting troops?” Yuan Shao laughed immediately upon hearing this, surprised that even now, Liu Bei dared to bring up such a topic. Truly, did Liu Bei think him a fool?

However, Yuan Shao refrained from instantly exposing him and calmly stated, “With Gongsun Zan to the north, Cao Cao to the west, and Yuan Shu to the south, though I am willing, I unfortunately lack sufficient forces to spare. Consequently, I cannot provide you with troops to campaign against Lu Bu or reclaim Pei County.”

“Moreover—” Yuan Shao paused briefly and looked at Liu Bei, “you had over ten thousand troops defending Pei County yet still lost it to Lu Bu.”

“Why should I believe that lending you more soldiers would enable you to defeat Lu Bu and reclaim Pei County? If we fail, not only will we lose ground, but also my precious forces for nothing.” This was one of the reasons Yuan Shao refused to lend his troops.

While Lu Bu may have been dishonorable, he undeniably held unparalleled bravery in this era. Even if Yuan Shao lent his soldiers to Liu Bei, there was no guarantee that Liu Bei could successfully retake Pei County. It simply wasn’t a favorable deal.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei’s expression turned serious. “Great General, although Lu Bu is formidable, he lacks strategy. If you are willing to lend your troops, I am confident with absolute certainty in reclaiming Pei County!”

“Ridiculous!” Feng Ji immediately scoffed as soon as Liu Bei finished speaking. “Absolute certainty to conquer Pei County? Do you treat war like a child’s game? Such baseless boasting!”

“My lord, do not listen to his nonsense. We should swiftly…”

Before Feng Ji could complete his sentence, Zhang Fei interrupted him, roaring, “Silence! When did it become your place to interrupt Dage’s words?! You better watch out or I’ll rip your mouth apart!”

Zhang Fei roared furiously, his eyes blazing with anger and hair bristling, looking as if he wanted to devour Feng Ji whole.

A single glance from Zhang Fei left Feng Ji terrified, causing him to pale and stumble backward repeatedly until he hid behind a pillar, trembling uncontrollably.

“Insolence! How dare you show disrespect before our lord!” The two prominent generals, Wen Chang and Yan Liang, were also incensed by this display. With a wave of their hands, dozens of armored soldiers stationed on both sides of the hall drew their swords and advanced, encircling Liu Bei’s trio.

At a mere command, these soldiers would charge forward, hacking down Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei under a flurry of blades! Not to mention, hundreds more soldiers were concealed within the side chambers!

“Who dares step closer?!”

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei each took a step forward, shielding Liu Bei behind them. Despite being unarmed and outnumbered, they showed no fear!

The tension in the Great Hall escalated rapidly, reaching its peak intensity.

Yet, Liu Bei paid no heed to the drawn swords before him; instead, he looked directly at Yuan Shao and declared firmly, “Give me five thousand troops, and I will capture Pei County within fifteen days!

“At that time, the Great General can send forces to garrison Pei County!”

These words caused Yuan Shao to pause momentarily, his expression turning grave as he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Liu Bei.

“In matters of war, one must not jest lightly.”

Liu Bei met Yuan Shao’s gaze unyieldingly and declared firmly, “Ten days! I will capture Pei County within ten days!”

“Rumble!” A sudden clap of thunder boomed across the sky, momentarily illuminating everything inside the Great Hall with its fleeting flash. The soldiers hidden in the side chambers were briefly silhouetted against the walls, their weapons gleaming menacingly.

Immediately after, torrential rain poured down, drowning out all other sounds except for the relentless drumming on the earth.

Everyone, including Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, stared at Liu Bei in shock.

“Dage!” Unable to contain himself, Guan Yu spoke up. Capturing Pei County within ten days seemed like an impossible fantasy!

Moreover, allowing Yuan Shao’s troops to occupy it afterward would effectively hand over Pei County to Yuan Shao without resistance!

“Agreed!” Before Guan Yu and Zhang Fei could say more, Yuan Shao slammed his wine cup onto the table and stood up, eyes fixed intently on Liu Bei.

“I’ll grant you five thousand troops. After the New Year, attack Pei County. My main forces will support you, and you must seize it within ten days!

“But if you fail—”

“Laws of war befall me; I willingly accept my fate!” Liu Bei showed no fear, leaving himself no room for retreat.

At this moment, there was no turning back for him.

“My lord, you must not!” Tian Feng could no longer hold his tongue and sought to dissuade Yuan Shao.

How could he miss Liu Bei’s deliberate stalling? If they didn’t eliminate Liu Bei today, such a favorable opportunity might never arise again!

Shen Pei sighed but remained silent, understanding that their lord had already made up his mind.

The terms offered by Liu Bei were indeed enticing.

Although Pei County wasn’t large, its strategic location was invaluable. Capturing it would provide a crucial military stronghold, serving as an ideal launching point for future attacks on Floria.

Crucially, Liu Bei required only a mere five thousand troops and promised to take Pei County within ten days or face death otherwise.

If Shen Pei were in Liu Bei’s position, he too would have taken this gamble. After all, success meant securing control over Pei County!

“There is no need for further words.” Yuan Shao cut off Tian Feng’s counsel and waved for the soldiers to step back. Then, addressing Liu Bei, he said, “It’s getting late; Xuande should retire early and rest.”

Liu Bei nodded without further ado, bowed respectfully, and led Guan Yu and Zhang Fei away, disappearing into the pouring rain with determined strides.