The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 261 Liu Bei is no longer the same Liu Bei of the past, but Guan Yu is still the same Guan Yu.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu breached the Huai River, flooding Yu Jin's seven armies in Anyang.

The high-ranking generals of Wei, led by Commander-in-Chief Yu Jin, Military Commander Dongli Gun, and Protector General Hao Zhou, accepted the surrender.

However, there were also a few who stubbornly resisted, such as the likes of Du Jiangcheng.

The army had won a great victory, and it should have been a time of great joy for everyone.

At this very moment, the vanguard killed Gan Ning, who had become Cheng Man, the orphan of He, and got into a dispute with the former general Guan Yu.

Guan Yu rebuked Gan Ning for disobeying his military orders and killing young children without authorization.

Gan Ning pretended to be deaf, indicating that he had not heard and refused to admit it.

The generals on the shore were all Gan Ning's troops and Jin Fan's men.

Faced with Guan Yu's rebuke, the Jinfan soldiers also rallied to support Gan Ning.

This indicates that they indeed did not hear Guan Yu's shout.

Some might say:

"On the shore, shouts of fighting and killing arose, and the wind and waves were very strong."

"None of us heard General Guan's words clearly. Otherwise, how dare we disobey his orders?"

"Moreover, on the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes and can disappear in an instant."

"Please forgive me, General Guan."

Guan Yu was a straightforward person. Seeing that everyone had said so, he thought that perhaps the people on the shore really hadn't heard it.

Even so, I still felt incredibly angry.

He then questioned Gan Ning, saying:
"This general has given a strict order: those who surrender will not be killed."

"All of Cheng He's troops have surrendered. Why did you kill them without authorization?"

Gan Ning found Guan Yu's words inexplicable and replied with a cold laugh:
"...Heh, General Guan, I don't understand what you mean."

"The son pays for the father's debts; this has been the way of the world since ancient times."

“Just now I personally killed Cheng He, his son must hate me to the bone.”

“If I don’t kill him, he will avenge his father sooner or later.”

"How could I possibly keep this bastard child to cause future trouble?"

"General Guan, holding the imperial insignia, is in charge of overseeing the generals in Huainan. He should prioritize the war effort."

Why should we begrudge the life of a mere child?

Gan Ning was baffled by Guan Yu's questioning.

The head of the military officers of the State of Qi actually dared to attack him in front of all the soldiers for the sake of a mere child.

This greatly displeased Gan Ning, who was always carefree and unrestrained.

Why did Gan Ning shoot and kill Cheng Man?

It turns out that Gan Ning was originally a river pirate, and was naturally rough, bloodthirsty, and cruel.

Like Zhang Fei, he enjoyed mistreating his subordinates.

Unlike Zhang Fei,

After Zhang Fei defeated his subordinates, he kept them by his side and continued to employ them.

When Gan Ning wanted to beat his subordinates, he would simply kill them.

I won't give you a chance for revenge.

Therefore, even though Gan Ning was as cruel as he was, he still died a peaceful death in history.

No villain could harm him.

Because he is even more despicable than a petty person, and his methods are extremely ruthless.

Seeing that Gan Ning showed no remorse, Guan Yu questioned him again:
"Even if you did not hear my military orders, to cruelly kill a child, is this not utterly depraved and insane?"

"Is this the kind of thing a husband would do?"

Gan Ning was a military general from Huainan who had long been allied with Chen Deng.

Now that Qi and Wei are at war, all the generals in Huainan believe they should follow Chen Deng to conquer Runan.

Unexpectedly, the King of Qi sent Guan Yu with the authority of an imperial messenger to oversee the generals of Huainan.

Even Chen Deng, the General Who Conquers the South, had to obey his orders.

Guan Yu was arrogant and spoke bluntly.

He often publicly criticized his generals, disregarding their feelings.

Gan Ning was unhappy and harbored resentment for a long time.

Of all the generals, he was the most arrogant. Upon hearing this, he angrily drew his sword and retorted loudly:

"Kill him if you want!"

"Does the general intend to use this day of triumph to execute a general who has distinguished himself in battle, a mere enemy descendant?"

The soldiers on either side paled upon hearing this, and their swords and halberds clanged slightly.

They were just waiting for Guan Yu's order to chop Gan Ning into mincemeat.

Upon seeing this, the other Jinfan warriors also rushed to protect Gan Ning, ready to fight at any moment.

Seeing that the two sides were on the verge of war, someone had already informed Chen Yuanlong.

Chen Yuanlong was both the General Who Conquers the South and the leader of the Huainan faction.

He had cultivated his business in Huainan for ten years, and his subordinates had long since formed a community of shared interests with him.

Now that Gan Ning has committed an act of insubordination, if things escalate, he will inevitably be held accountable.

Upon hearing this, Chen Deng immediately led his troops to the scene.

Sure enough, the two sides were on the verge of a fight, swords drawn.

Chen Deng hurriedly shouted loudly:

"Wait! Wait!"

"Wait a moment, you two!"

Chen Deng rushed forward in a panic and separated Guan Yu and Gan Ning.

Chen Dengxian turned to look at Gan Ning, his face displeased as he rebuked him:

"General Guan is a former general, and you are a commander in the army. How dare you disobey your superior?"

"Tell your men to put away their weapons!"

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning indeed waved to Jin Fan Lang behind him as instructed.

All the Jinfan soldiers listened to Gan Ning and did as he was told, putting away their weapons.

After reprimanding Gan Ning, Chen Deng turned to look at Guan Yu, his anger turning to a smile:
"...General Guan, I, Chen, have failed to properly discipline my subordinates."

"I was quite offensive just now, please forgive me."

Guan Yu said irritably:

"Chen Yuanlong, how do you manage your subordinates?"

"This scoundrel openly defied my orders and tortured and killed prisoners."

"Just now you dared to be disrespectful to your superiors."

"The King of Qi appointed you as General Who Conquers the South, entrusting you with all the affairs of Huainan."

"Is this how you govern this area?"

Guan Yu was always straightforward and said whatever came to mind.

They don't beat around the bush; they just say what's on their mind.

It wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't spoken of it, but once they did, all the generals from Huainan looked indignant.

It turns out that Chen Deng, the General Who Conquers the South, was only one rank lower than Guan Yu, the General of the Vanguard.

He was also the leader of all the generals in Huainan, and everyone respected him.

Guan Yu was like a supervisory commissioner sent down from the central government; he certainly had the right to reprimand Chen Deng, and even punish him.

However, criticizing Chen Deng without any restraint in front of Chen Deng's subordinates caused Chen Deng to lose face.

Fortunately, Chen Deng was a calm and composed person. Faced with Guan Yu's rebuke, he did not get angry, but only apologized:

"...General Guan is right. I will certainly reprimand Gan Ning severely later."

"At present, I urge you, General, to prioritize the affairs of the nation, first defeat Cao Ren, and then take back the land of Runan."

"To repay the King of Qi—"

Chen Deng's words were loaded with meaning, urging Guan Yu to let the matter rest.

This matter itself isn't a big deal; it could be considered a big deal or a small deal.

To put it mildly, just pretend nothing happened.

To put it bluntly, it means clinging to this issue and making everyone lose face.

Chen Deng said he would punish Gan Ning when he came down, implying that he was already pleading with Guan Yu for mercy.

Please ask him not to punish Gan Ning, but to let him handle the matter.

After all, Gan Ning was in Chen Deng's hands, and Chen Deng could protect him no matter what.

If I fall into Guan Yu's hands, my life will be in danger.

As Gan Ning was a military general from Huainan, Chen Deng would naturally try to protect him no matter what.

What leader doesn't protect their own?

to be honest,
It was precisely because of the support of military generals from Huainan such as Gan Ning, Jiang Qin, and Zhou Tai that he was able to become the General Who Conquers the South.

Why?

Because these generals held military power, even Liu Bei could not easily replace them.

Because Liu Bei also needed to consider appeasing the generals of Huainan.

This is actually a typical political group's interest structure.

The people of Huainan will align their interests with Chen Deng's, and they will support each other.

If one day a new leader suddenly comes in, the people of Huainan will definitely feel uneasy.

Because they were originally Chen Deng's confidants.

When there is wealth and honor, everyone shares it; when there is blame or punishment, there are leaders to help mediate.

If a leader is suddenly replaced, the trust between superiors and subordinates needs to be rebuilt.

This could lead to the collapse of a regime, and most rulers would not easily do such a thing.

This is what we often say: the essence of power is human approval.

A ruler cannot be all-encompassing and control everyone.

He only needs to control the leaders of his underlings, and those underlings will naturally become his men.

Just as Chen Deng listened to Liu Bei, Gan Ning listened to Chen Deng, and Jin Fanlang listened to Gan Ning.

This is a coherent hierarchy composed of self-interest.

The reason for this kind of interest relationship is that

It's still because the mountains are high and the emperor is far away.

To give a simple example,

If you are a minor official in a county, and one day an official from the capital comes, even the county magistrate has to listen to him.

So, at this point, would you support the official in the capital or the county magistrate?

The answer is that you can only support that county magistrate.

Because he is your direct superior.

As soon as that official from Beijing leaves, the county magistrate becomes the highest-ranking official in the area.

Unless the official in Beijing takes you with him and he becomes your direct superior.

Otherwise, no matter how much you flatter this official in the capital, it will be useless.

This is also the reason why the dual monarchy system was highly developed in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Even a low-ranking official is accustomed to directly addressing local officials as a subject.

It was precisely because of this relationship of interests that Chen Deng naturally had to speak up for Gan Ning.

Disposing of Gan Ning would not benefit him at all; on the contrary, it would greatly diminish his prestige in Huainan.

On the contrary, by protecting Gan Ning, he not only enhanced his own prestige in Huainan.

The only price they would pay was offending Guan Yu.

To put it bluntly, Chen Deng was also one of Liu Bei's original subordinates.

In terms of rank, as the General Who Conquers the South, he was the commander-in-chief who controlled a region.

Even if you are a commander, it doesn't matter if you have that authority.

You can't just shoot my soldiers arbitrarily, can you?

At least that's what Chen Deng thought.

I hope everyone can compromise and let this matter rest.

He also emphasized that everyone was serving the King of Qi, and that things shouldn't be made too complicated.

This made things awkward for both sides.

"……snort."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and let out a muffled groan.

"When two armies fight, each serves its own master."

"Killing Cheng He was a last resort."

"Now he has killed his own son and severed all human relations with him. This is not the behavior of a true man."

"Furthermore, did your subordinates brutally torture and kill him?"

“These people are inherently cruel and will become a menace sooner or later.”

"In my opinion, it would be better to execute him on the spot as a warning to the entire army."

Given Gan Ning's martial prowess, how could he possibly fail to kill a child with a single arrow?

He clearly shot three arrows just now, brutally killing the child.

This was the thing that Guan Yu found most intolerable.

Killing a child is already excessive, but to torture him to death is even worse.

This act is far too brutal.

Guan Yu was a man who could not tolerate any injustice.

In peacetime, he was not used to killing ordinary soldiers; he would only kill generals.

It's because he inherently sympathizes with the weak.

Take, for example, the 30,000 surrendered troops of Yu Jin.

We often say that killing prisoners of war is an omen of bad luck in ancient times, but why did so many generals still like to kill prisoners of war?

For example, Cao Cao captured 80,000 Yuan soldiers, and simply labeled them as "feigning surrender" and had them all massacred.

Whether Yuan Jun's surrender was genuine or not is hard to say, but Cao Cao certainly got rid of a major problem.

Thirty thousand surrendered soldiers who did not produce anything but still needed to be fed and cared for would undoubtedly become a huge burden for Guan Yu.

to this end,

Guan Yu even went so far as to rob Sun Quan of his grain, which angered Sun Quan and foreshadowed his later defeat at Maicheng.

It cannot be ruled out that Guan Yu accepted surrendered soldiers because he wanted to recruit them into his own service, but it is true that Guan Yu often acted without thinking.

Environment shapes personality.

Even Guan Yu in this dimension.

That is still true.

Cao Cao fawned over him, Liu Bei spoiled him, Li Yi coaxed him, and Chen Deng yielded to him.

This was both Guan Yu's good fortune and his misfortune.

Even Liu Bei has begun to make changes and gradually adapt to his current workplace life.

Guan Yu, however, retained his chivalrous spirit and always upheld the principles of loyalty and righteousness.

In the martial arts world, strength reigns supreme; the one with the strongest ability is the boss.

This led Guan Yu to simplistically understand the power structure as subordinates having to obey superiors.

Therefore, I can make harsh remarks without restraint and without caring about my subordinates' feelings.

However, politics is precisely a game of saving face.

Chen Deng was clearly much more experienced than Guan Yu in this regard, and immediately advised him:
"...With the world still unsettled, generals like Gan Ning are extremely rare."

"General, you should tolerate this and consider it a strategic move for the greater cause of the King of Qi."

Chen Deng kept mentioning the King of Qi, all to advise Guan Yu not to take the matter too seriously.

In fact, Chen Deng thought this matter was very simple.

It's understandable that Gan Ning wants to eliminate future troubles, but you feel you've lost face.

Then I, the General Who Conquers the South, will personally come forward with Gan Ning and the others to apologize to you.

Then you can back down gracefully and forgive Gan Ning. In this way,
You saved face, demonstrated your magnanimity, and won people's hearts.

At the same time, it also eliminated a potential problem.

Isn't this a win-win situation?

But Guan Yu didn't have so many schemes; he only cared about right and wrong.

Just as he was about to speak again, Zhao Yun arrived with his men.

He hurriedly went up to mediate:

"...Gentlemen, why has it come to this?"

Zhao Yun stepped forward and calmed the crowd down.

His character was truly pure and dignified, even though factions had already formed within the State of Qi.

Zhao Yun, however, remained true to his original aspirations and never formed factions with anyone.

This is one of the things Liu Bei admired about him.

But precisely because of this, Zhao Yun had very few supporters.

After all, if you take care of me, my brothers will all vote for you when I get promoted or something.

If you intentionally keep your distance from everyone, then no one will bother to get close to you.

Fortunately, thanks to the favor of Liu Bei and Li Yi, Zhao Yun still holds the position of General Yijun in the State of Qi.

His subordinate troops included the Cloud Cavalry, which was also a mainstay of the Qi state.

It makes people dare not underestimate slander.

Therefore, everyone could accept that Zhao Yun should step in to mediate.

Guan Yu was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and he greatly admired honest gentlemen like Zhao Yun.

He immediately dropped all airs and, like a brother, took his hand.

He said it like an old friend:
"...Zilong, you've come at the right time. You be the judge."

"Just now, Gan Ning disobeyed my military orders and killed Cheng He's orphan without authorization."

“I want to punish him for his crimes, but the generals seem to disagree.”

What's your opinion on this?

This……

Zhao Yun frowned. He felt utter contempt for the cruel killing of a child.

But in Zhao Yun's view, Gan Ning was Chen Deng's man.

Chen Deng himself is right here; the matter should be handed over to him directly.

As the commanders of the Protectorate, even if we have the authority to punish Gan Ning, we should not usurp the power and overstep our bounds.

Chen Deng and his group of generals from Huainan helped Liu Bei guard Huainan for ten years.

The people are at peace and the rice harvest is plentiful.

They also repaired the Hangou Canal, which now transports more than 500,000 bushels of grain to the central area of ​​Xiapi every year.

His achievements are truly remarkable.

Liu Bei issued imperial edicts more than once to praise Chen Deng, commending him as "possessing both literary and military talents, with extraordinary talent and strategy."

We are officially superiors sent by the central government, but we can't really boss the people of Huainan around.

They live in Huainan, and normally they don't receive much favor from the emperor.

Now that you have come here on behalf of the King of Qi, instead of offering comfort, you are to be punished.

This is somewhat inappropriate, especially considering that a victory has already been won.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Yun advised:
"The war is still undecided. If we were to execute a general over this matter, it would be detrimental to the morale of the army."

"Let's wait until the war is over before making a decision."

"What do you think, General Guan?"

Taking advantage of Zhao Yun's arrival, Chen Deng also said:
"Let's prioritize the war for now, out of respect for Prime Minister Li."

Chen Deng brought up Li Yi because he knew about him.

Among scholars, Guan Yu respected Li Yi the most in his life.

Chen Deng was a good friend of Li Yi, and it was Li Yi who recommended him to go to Guangling.

In the end, Chen Deng lived up to expectations.

Not only did they manage Huainan well, they also trained a fierce and valiant navy.

Li Yi also fulfilled his promise from ten years ago: "The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, and the sky is high enough for birds to fly."

Once you go to Guangling, Yuanlong, you will have a wider world to explore.

The generals of Huainan, led by Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, and Xu Sheng, saw that both Zhao Yun and Chen Deng, two high-ranking officials, had come forward to plead for them.

Seizing this opportunity, they all knelt down and bowed to Guan Yu:

"Please forgive me, General Guan!"

After saying that, Jiang Qin tugged at Gan Ning, who was standing next to him.

Gan Ning was naturally unruly and initially remained unmoved.

Zhou Tai and Xu Sheng also reached out to pull him, complaining:

"...Xingba, don't act rashly!"

We are all military officers from Huainan, so it's natural that we should lend a hand when trouble comes our way.

That way, if you need help in the future, others will be more willing to help you.

Gan Ning gritted his teeth, let out a soft groan, and reluctantly knelt down.

He whispered to the others:
"I am not kneeling before Guan Yu, but I cannot bear to see my brothers suffer for me."

After speaking, he reluctantly bowed to Guan Yu.

"...This humble general acknowledges his guilt and begs General Guan for punishment!"

Gan Ning was by nature brutal, bloodthirsty, and unruly.

Historically, he not only frequently broke his promises to Lü Meng.

Gan Ning often disobeyed even Sun Quan's orders.

But Gan Ning was also a very loyal and righteous person.

He was originally a wealthy man in Ba County, even after he became a river pirate.

She also wanted to dress her younger brothers in gorgeous embroidery.

Having roamed the martial world for many years, Gan Ning's style of doing things is:

—When we win, we celebrate together; when we lose, we stand together.

Although he came from a wealthy family, he also despised the powerful and wealthy at heart.

I really hate it when people use their status to put me down.

For example, Sun Jiao, a military officer from the imperial clan, had a conflict with Gan Ning.

People at the time advised Gan Ning to apologize to him, saying that the man was a member of Sun Quan's clan.

But Gan Ning believes that,

Ministers should be treated equally, even if Sun Jiao is a member of the imperial clan.

When you encounter a wise ruler, you should do your best to repay him, rather than compromising yourself because of worldly desires.

Because of Gan Ning's unconventional personality, Sun Quan made Sun Jiao apologize to Gan Ning.

Gan Ning was not one to hold grudges; instead, he became good friends with Sun Jiao.

Guan Yu was Liu Bei's sworn brother, so Gan Ning subconsciously harbored some resentment towards him.

In particular, as an outsider, he seized command of Chen Deng's southern front.

Gan Ning was indignant about this, but he knew why Liu Bei did it.

Pacifying the south was a great achievement.

If the task is handed over to Chen Deng, both Chen Deng and the other generals from Huainan will be promoted.

But clearly Liu Bei did not want the military generals of Huainan to be too powerful.

Therefore, Guan Yu was appointed to act as an imperial messenger to oversee Chen Deng and the generals of Huainan.

In this way, if they win, Guan Yu will be the one who deserves the most credit.

Chen Deng and the generals of Huainan will forever only be the second or even third most meritorious officials.

When it came time to reward those who had contributed, Guan Yu took the lion's share.

The remaining small amount was distributed among the generals, so it didn't cause much of a stir.

Guan Yu was a staunch supporter of Liu Bei, and Liu Bei trusted him no matter how high an official position he was given.

Gan Ning was dissatisfied with Liu Bei's intention to suppress the generals in Huainan, but he could understand it.

After all, even Prime Minister Li's military generals in Hebei were suppressed, and Prime Minister Li didn't say anything.

Let alone Chen Zhengnan?
Everyone knows this in their hearts.

Seeing that Gan Ning took the initiative to admit his mistake, the soldiers pleaded for him on his behalf.

Guan Yu's expression softened slightly. After pondering for a long time, he stroked his beard and said:
"...Fine, if it weren't for Prime Minister Li's sake, this matter must not be left unresolved."

The generals from Huainan looked at each other, wondering what it meant to "do it for the sake of Prime Minister Li."
Do you think it's beneath us all to kneel before you?

Chen Zhengnan has already made his point so clear, yet you're still harping on about Li Xiang.

Where is Li Xiang now?

Li Xiang is currently in Hebei!

Guan Yu continued speaking:

"Gentlemen, you should take Gan Ning's example. If you mistreat prisoners again, military law will not tolerate it!"

He then pointed at Gan Ning again and sternly admonished him:

"I will record this one crime for now, and deal with it after Runan is pacified!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.

He wondered to himself, "Has this matter not been put to rest yet?"

The generals from Huainan, led by Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, and Xu Sheng, looked at each other with displeasure.

Jiang Qinyin tugged at Zhou Tai's sleeve and whispered:
"We have already humbled ourselves and begged for mercy, why are you still so relentless?"

Zhou Tai, with his hand on his knife, sneered:

"The people of Hebei, relying on their great achievements, regard us Jianghuai youths as mere straw dogs!"

Jiang Qin sighed:

"Guan Yu is the King of Qi's sworn brother, so the King of Qi will surely treat him well."

Xu Sheng watched Guan Yu's departing figure and murmured:
"Since Guan Yu has shown such ruthlessness today, I fear we will never see each other again..."

……

That night, a sudden gust of wind arose.

The embers before the tent were blown away, and the shadows of the generals were shattered on the ground.

Generals such as Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Xu Sheng, and Gan Ning gathered together.

He went to the camp of General Chen Deng, who was in charge of the Southern Expedition, and reported Guan Yu's condition that day.

"...Chen Zhengnan, Guan Yu is so disrespectful to my soldiers in Huainan."

"If we swallow our anger, who will respect us, the people of Huainan, in the future?"

"The King of Qi will surely look down on us and not regard us as important."

Jiang Qin said angrily.

Xu Sheng nodded, then frowned and said:

"...We have guarded Huainan for the King of Qi for ten years, so that the Wu bandits and Chu thieves dare not invade lightly."

"Now we are all fighting for the country against the traitor Wei, yet Guan Yu publicly humiliated us because of a descendant of a traitor."

"If this continues, everyone will say that the generals of Huainan are good at deceiving people."

"If we tolerate this for now, how will we face the other generals of Qi in the future?"

"Chen Zhengnan must not tolerate this matter any longer."

Zhou Tai, with his hand on his sword, echoed:

"In my opinion, it would be better to go directly to the King of Qi and explain the matter in detail."

"Precisely because Guan Yu is the king's brother, the king will not show favoritism and will stand up for us."

Chen Deng also knew that everyone had come prepared.

Clearly, everyone was indignant about what happened during the day, feeling that Guan Yu had been too arrogant.

Although they were considered subordinates in Guan Yu's eyes.

But my younger brother also has his own younger brothers.

He knew how much his own troops respected him.

Then you get yelled at during the day and don't dare to talk back.

The image of the boss's authority was completely shattered.

As for confronting the King of Qi directly, Chen Deng shook his head and rejected the suggestion.

"To litigate before the king over the death of a mere child is to show one's own pettiness."

"Moreover, we are not in the right in this matter."

Even if Your Majesty knew, what decision could you make?

Don't present your boss with a problem they can't solve; this is a basic unspoken rule in the workplace.

Chen Deng knew that both he and Guan Yu held high positions and wielded great power.

It was only because the King of Qi relied on a powerful regional official that he dared not make a big deal out of this matter.

Imagine your two most trusted ministers coming before you to argue.

The cause was a trivial matter that could have been easily resolved.

What would Liu Bei think?
Isn't this just making things difficult for him?
If I help Guan Yu, people will say that I, the King of Qi, am biased towards my brother.

Who will dare to serve me loyally in the future?
If I were to help Chen Deng, the problem is that Guan Yu didn't do anything wrong.

Am I now in a situation where the truth is unclear?
The most likely outcome is that both sides will be equally blamed.

If things really escalate to this point, why bother?
If word gets out, this would be quite embarrassing.

Gan Ning slammed his fist on the table and stood up:

"Could it be that Chen Zhengnan could bear to see his comrades-in-arms suffer such humiliation?"

Chen Deng pondered for a long time, then stroked his beard and laughed, saying:
"Do not worry, gentlemen. I have a good plan to solve this problem."

Everyone hurriedly asked what the plan was.

"Prime Minister Li has always been on good terms with me, and now he holds the highest position among the ministers."

"King Qi trusted him, and Guan Yu respected him."

"The only way to resolve this matter is to ask him to make a judgment."

Everyone was overjoyed and exclaimed:

"Chen Zhengnan is right, only Prime Minister Li can resolve this matter well!"

All the generals from Huainan had met Li Yi and had worked with him briefly.

Li Yi is a typical workplace animal.

He wouldn't be like Guan Yu, saying whatever came to mind.

Always leave things unsaid, because too much talk leads to mistakes.

No matter the occasion, he always considers the feelings of his subordinates.

When subordinates make mistakes, they are always reminded through reprimands.

Instead of directly threatening and warning like Guan Yu, saying, "I will definitely punish you later."

Although they hadn't worked together for long, everyone respected Li Yi greatly.

It's a pity Li Yi went to the north, otherwise everyone would really like to work under him.

With Li Yi protecting him, how could he be publicly scolded for killing a prisoner today?
"If Prime Minister Li is willing to step in and mediate this matter, that would be ideal."

Everyone said.

Chen Deng nodded and said:

"...Alright, I'll write a letter and send it to Hebei."

"During this period, everyone should perform their duties and not let today's matter interfere with official business."

Everyone bowed in unison:

"We understand, and we can only hope that Chen Zhengnan will make the decision on this matter."

……

(End of this chapter)