Chapter 53: Where Does Envoy Wish to Go? (fixed)

Lu Bu had no choice but to pay attention to this letter Liu Bei sent him.

Because within its words lay an important piece of information—the Emperor was currently under Yuan Shao’s soft house arrest in Yecheng!

Of course, whether or not this news was true was another question altogether.

That was why Lu Bu sought Chen Gong’s opinion on the matter.

Chen Gong had already finished reading the letter himself and pondered briefly before saying, “Now both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao claim that the Emperor is staying with them, but which among them is telling the truth remains unknown; it’s possible that the Emperor in Yuan Shao’s custody might be a pretender.

“Liu Bei’s letter may also have been a fabrication meant to deceive you into surrendering Pei County.”

The contents were nothing more than Liu Bei’s one-sided claims, after all. There was no way to verify their accuracy.

A hint of hesitation appeared on Lu Bu’s face. After some deliberation, he said, “But…this general has known Liu Bei for many years. Though we share some grievances, I know his character well, and he would not likely lie to me about such a trifling matter as Pei County.”

Chen Gong raised an eyebrow. “So, General, do you believe Liu Bei’s story?”

Lu Bu shrugged helplessly and shook his head. “I’m unsure; this general is prone to trusting others too easily, so it’s entirely possible that Liu Bei may indeed be deceiving me.”

“Does Gongtai have any suggestions?”

Lu Bu was adept at throwing difficult questions back at people. On one hand, he felt Liu Bei seemed like an honest man, but on the other, he feared being deceived. He tossed the question directly back at Chen Gong.

This was also his greatest strength—rather than blindly arguing over every detail, he listened to others’ advice before going about his day.

“This subordinate believes we ought to yield Pei County to Liu Bei,” Chen Gong responded promptly, explaining further, “Yuan Shao has gathered an army of fifty thousand for this campaign against us, but his intentions are likely more complex than simply supporting Liu Bei with his forces.

“If what Liu Bei wrote in his letter is true, then once he fails to capture our city, those fifty thousand soldiers will take over the battlefield and continue attacking Pei County, and the loss of Pei County would become inevitable sooner or later.

“In that case, why not offer Pei County up willingly to Liu Bei? This way, we can avoid casualties among our troops and give Liu Bei a favor.”

Lu Bu thought this suggestion over briefly and found it reasonable. They could never defend Pei County no matter what they did. Better to grant Liu Bei a favor and surrender Pei County to him.

“Then what does Gongtai think is the likelihood that the Emperor in Yecheng is the legitimate ruler? Is Yuan Shao truly trying to use the Emperor as a tool against his rivals?”

The safety and whereabouts of the Emperor were what Lu Bu cared about most.

He still remembered how, many years ago, he had joined Wang Yun in killing Dong Zhuo, for which the Emperor bestowed upon him the title of General Who Brings Victory, conferred on him the authority of a military commander, granted him the rank equal to the Three High Officers, and conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Wen, bestowing upon him joint control over court affairs with Wang Yun, showering him with trust and encouragement.

Later, when the Emperor resided in Hedong, he even issued an imperial edict requesting Lu Bu’s attendance at court.

However, due to insufficient provisions, Lu Bu was unable to respond promptly to the call for aid. Despite this, the Emperor did not blame him, instead issuing another imperial edict appointing him as General who Pacifies the East and conferring upon him the title of Marquis of Pingtao.

Lu Bu had always cherished these acts of kindness.

Chen Gong continued, “Liu Bei has seen the Emperor with his own eyes and accepted the Emperor’s trust; it is unlikely that the Emperor is a pretender. As for whether Yuan Shao harbors any ill intent…we need look no further than Yuan Shu.”

It was difficult to establish a good reputation, but destroying one required little effort.

The negative ramifications of Yuan Shu proclaiming himself emperor were already apparent, and no one would believe that Yuan Shao—who was older than Yuan Shu—was unaware of such developments.

“These two traitors! How dare they humiliate Your Majesty so!”

Lu Bu flew into a rage and smashed the table before him with a single punch, sending wine and food splattering across the floor.

Even when Dong Zhuo had captured the Emperor, he hadn’t dared proclaim himself emperor—but now the Yuan brothers were both vying for the throne while one held the Emperor hostage. How despicable!

Seeing Lu Bu’s reaction, Chen Gong said, “General, your first priority should be to refuse Yuan Shu’s marriage proposal and sever ties with him outright. You must also prepare for war.”

“If my predictions are correct, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao will undoubtedly issue decrees demanding that we quash this rebellion and call upon all the lords of the nation to join us in our campaign against Yuan Shu.”

“We must begin preparations without delay.”

Chen Gong’s eyes were keen, able to foresee the future course of events, so he urged Lu Bu to take action before it was too late.

Of course, Lu Bu followed Chen Gong’s every word without hesitation. He immediately declared, “Gongtai, fear not. This general will lead his men to decapitate that envoy at once! The head shall hang above the gate tower of Xiaopei!”

With these words, Lu Bu grabbed the sword hanging from its mount on the pillar, donned his armor, and rushed out toward the city’s relay station with murderous intent.

After watching Lu Bu depart, Chen Gong promptly set off for the military campgrounds.

He urgently sent people ahead to Pei County to withdraw their troops stationed there—if they arrived too late, Liu Bei would face military discipline.

Outside Pei County, ten kilometers away, lay the Yama Battalion’s encampment.

Inside their commander’s tent, Liu Bei paced anxiously back and forth, occasionally glancing outside as if waiting for something.

Guan Yu sat on the side, silently wiping his Dragon Crescent Blade.

A moment later, a figure rushed into the tent—Zhang Fei.

“Yide! How is the situation at Pei County?” As soon as he saw Zhang Fei return, Liu Bei hurriedly asked with a tone of anxiousness.

It had been four days since he sent his messenger to Lu Bu, today being the fifth day, also the last day that Liu Bei had given himself to complete the mission.

If he failed to capture Pei County by the end of today, he would be punished under military law!

Facing Dage’s hopeful gaze, Zhang Fei solemnly shook his head.

Liu Bei’s eyes dimmed immediately. “Still…not possible?”

He had originally sent his message to Lu Bu as a gamble for one chance, but it seemed like he had lost—and at the cost of their three lives.

“Dage, let’s go.”

Guan Yu stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with killing intent as he said gravely, “Third Brother and I will cover you; we’ll fight our way out together!”

He refused to sit idly by while waiting for death.

“I’ve already prepared horses outside!” Zhang Fei added, clearly sharing the same plans as Guan Yu.

Seeing the determination in their younger brothers’ gazes, Liu Bei took a deep breath and nodded firmly, then turned to grab his personal sword from where it was stored.

How could he be a coward who feared death?

Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside the tent accompanied by the clang of metal against metal—the sounds of clashing blades and armor—and more silhouettes flashed past the flap.

The three startled, then Liu Bei stepped out of the tent.

Outside, countless soldiers clad in armor had gathered around the tent, hundreds strong, surrounding it tightly like a sea, and not far away, a group of archers were readying themselves for battle.

Leading them all were Wen Chou and Wen Chou!

Wen Chou looked at the weapons held by Liu Bei’s hand and grinned. “Where is Envoy planning to go?”

His words were laced with murderous intent.