Tiger Guards

Chapter 431 Victory or Defeat is Not a Loss
The following day, the two thousand Eagle-Winged New Army soldiers stationed in Fugou remained stable and were not attacked by Zhao Ji.

Therefore, Wei Yue, who was prepared in advance, had no choice but to comply with Lü Bu's arrangement and send another 3,000 troops north.

Wei Yue did not want to provoke Zhao Ji too much, so the three thousand troops marched north from the west bank of the Honggou River, still heading towards Fugou, without any intention of expanding the area under their control.

However, Wei Yue's actions aroused Lü Bu's dissatisfaction, so he mobilized more than 7,000 men from Cheng Lian and Song Xian's forces ahead of schedule to advance towards Fule.

If the two groups of 5,000 troops from Fugou today did not encounter Zhao Ji's attack, then tomorrow they will send 5,000 troops from Fule in Chen State northward to garrison Yu County in Chenliu.

By testing and squeezing Zhao Ji's bottom line step by step, only in this way can Lü Bu consolidate his authority.

After Cheng Lian and Song Xian led their troops out, Wei Yue, who was at the front line, was also recalled to Xuchang by Lü Bu.

Accompanying Wei Yue back was Yuan Huan, a man from Fule in the State of Chen who had raised an army in the face of battle.

On the way back to Xuchang, Wei Yue was in a bad mood. Seeing that Yuan Huan, a traitor who had turned against him in the face of battle, was acting as if nothing had happened, he was even more annoyed.

While resting and feeding the horses along the way, Wei Yue strolled over to the vicinity of the prisoner caravan.

These prisoners were mostly involved in treason, or their close relatives were implicated in treason.

When Wei Yue arrived, Yuan Huan and his thirty-odd men were mixing horse feed under the supervision of officials and soldiers.

Yuan Huan rolled up his sleeves and worked diligently, but the smug and nonchalant demeanor in his expression made Wei Yue even more unhappy.

Wei Yue stepped forward and tapped the carriage railing beside Yuan Huan with his whip. Yuan Huan turned around unhurriedly and cupped his hands to Wei Yue, saying, "General."

"When Yuan Shu started his rebellion, did you ever foresee things would turn out like this today?"

Wei Yue couldn't help but laugh, but Yuan Huan calmly replied, "Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, the world has been in turmoil, and the counties and prefectures are at a loss. Every great man has the ambition to quell the chaos and bring peace to the country and the people. I was just entrusted with the wrong task, but my will to assist the country and bring order to the people has never wavered."

Seeing his self-righteousness, Wei Yue asked, "When Yuan Shu established his regime, you were a subject and should have known that the matter was doomed to fail. Did you have any advice to dissuade him?"

Yuan Huan scrutinized Wei Yue with suspicion, then smiled and said, "Who doesn't know that Yuan Shu is ruthless? It's unfortunate enough that he misjudged people and entrusted himself to a traitor. He wants to bring about his own destruction, so why should I advise him? If I were to offer a plan to help him survive, that would be disloyal to the Han Dynasty."

Feeling that Yuan Huan was making excuses, and unable to think of a rebuttal for the time being, Wei Yue chuckled, a mocking look on his face, and turned to leave.

While Wei Yue did affect Yuan Huan's mood, the impact wasn't significant.

Yuan Huan had his own set of logically consistent behavioral principles. Whether he submitted to Yuan Shu's rebellion or led his fellow villagers in an uprising in Fule after Yuan Shu broke through the siege, he felt that he had done the right thing.

He came from a noble family and was recommended by Liu Bei as a candidate for official service when Liu Bei was the governor of Yu Province. He also went to work for Yuan Shu because he disliked Cao Cao.

But who could have imagined that Yuan Shu would succeed in assassinating the Prince of Chen, and in the blink of an eye annex most of Yu Province, thus breaking the deadlock?

Yuan Shu's establishment of a title and system was a huge gamble. As Yuan Shu is still alive and Shouchun is still in existence, it cannot be considered a lost gamble.

As Yuan Shu's subordinate, he had no choice but to follow Yuan Shu, who was the one who wanted to rebel.

Yuan Shu did not allow anyone to resign from their post. If you dared to resign and undermine Yuan Shu, he would decisively take your head.

Unable to resign from his post, yet not offering Yuan Shu any long-term strategies, nor actively betraying Yuan Shu, Yuan Huan genuinely believed that he had not failed in his duty as a minister, regardless of rank.

The integrity of a high-ranking official is loyalty to the Han Dynasty; the integrity of a low-ranking official is the moral character of someone serving under Yuan Shu.

Even when he raised an army and changed flags, he believed he had not done anything wrong.

If Yuan Shu had stayed in Chen County to defend it to the death, Yuan Huan would have been able to urge his fellow villagers to defend Fule to the death, and to shed his last drop of blood for Yuan Shu.

However, Yuan Shu broke through the siege and returned to Huainan without informing them. Yuan Shu treated him like dirt, and the relationship between the ruler and his subject was broken. It would be pointless to continue to defend Fule and increase casualties. Therefore, Yuan Huan simply raised an army and changed sides.

As dusk approached, Wei Yue escorted the prisoners back to Xuchang.

His task was to escort prisoners, but in reality, a mid-level military officer could have done that.

Lu Bu specifically requested that Lü Bu personally supervise the prisoner, which was an expression of his dissatisfaction and a desire to reprimand him in person.

Wei Yue was mentally prepared, and without even washing his face, he went to see Lü Bu, covered in dust from his journey.

In the West Pavilion of the General's Mansion, Lü Bu specially arranged to meet Wei Yue during dinner.

Seeing Wei Yue's expression, he said irritably, "What does Yang Zu mean by this?"

"Brother, I don't understand why you are oppressing Yuan Si like this?"

Wei Yue grabbed the wine bowl and took a big gulp. He raised his hand to wipe the wine stains from his chin. The wine wet the grime on his beard, so he wiped off a handful of ashes.

After the wine went down my throat, a salty taste seeped into my mouth along my lips.

Wei Yue poured himself another drink, rolled up his sleeves and vigorously wiped his chin and beard before saying, "Could it be because of Wen Yuan?" "It's not just Wen Yuan; Wen Yuan is just the beginning."

Lu Bu pointed to his face: "There can only be one lead horse in a herd. When two herds compete for grass, their lead horses must also compete for supremacy. My position with Yuan Si is neither here nor there, which is not conducive to the long-term development of either herd. I didn't want to become enemies with him at first, but he lured Wen Yuan away. If I don't react, now it's Wen Yuan, but who will be next?"

Wei Yue nodded slowly, agreeing with this reason, and then asked, "Does it really mean we will send troops to Yanzhou to fight him?"

"It depends on his choice. If he still refuses to give an inch and insists on fighting me, then I have no way out."

Lu Bu looked slightly helpless: "If I am weak, the generals in the army will all think of ways to retreat, and who will be willing to serve me? Not only in the army, but what will the officials in the court think? Yang Biao is still in prison, and the people who come to visit him every day have to draw lots! Once he is released, his door will be crowded with visitors, and he will not be willing to give up."

Even if Yang Biao is hurt and refuses to challenge himself again, so many people are constantly encouraging and supporting him, which will lead him to make trouble.

Therefore, fighting Zhao Ji became an effective way to solve the problem.

In fact, this problem is unsolvable, and Lü Bu can only postpone it.

He was not a powerful general related to the emperor by marriage. Even if he were, the emperor would have already come of age and held a coming-of-age ceremony, and conflicts between them could erupt at any time.

If the emperor is to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony early, and the government is not returned to the emperor by the time the emperor turns twenty, then the emperor, the dukes and ministers, and the officials accompanying the emperor will definitely launch a collective attack!

If we were to fight Zhao Ji and win, it would be good to establish a solid master-servant alliance, greatly increase our prestige, and be able to suppress the court and the people inside and outside the court.

Even if he fails, it doesn't matter, because the court, the emperor, and the ministers still need him to check and balance Zhao Ji. These people will support him and encourage him... Even if Zhao Ji gains the upper hand, he will know when to stop.

In short, in Lü Bu's view, this battle had reached a point where it was unavoidable.

Whether you win or lose, you can solve certain specific problems.

If similar problems arise again, we should fight Zhao Ji to control the intensity of the war... Sometimes, defeat can actually help to purify the army internally and stabilize relations with the court.

Lu Bu summoned Wei Yue from the front lines, intending to give him a lecture.

In the past, when Wei Yue commanded two or three thousand men, it was natural to force him to obey in a brutal and forceful manner.

But now that they control the court and want to support Wei Yue in taking on important responsibilities, they must explain the situation to Wei Yue in detail.

Wei Yue is thirty years old now, so he naturally knows everything he needs to know.

Instead of forcing Wei Yue to obey in a brutal and forceful way, it would be better to broaden his horizons and let him know his bottom line and concerns.

Lu Bu had no choice. If a simple, forceful approach could solve the problem, he wouldn't want to resort to such gentle persuasion and step-by-step guidance.

After dismissing Wei Yue, Lü Bu summoned Yuan Huan, hoping to use Yuan Huan to assess the true nature of Yuan Shu's forces.

Yuan Huan remained upright and honest, dressed in the crimson coarse cloth clothes typical of prisoners, and bowed to Lü Bu: "Your subject Yuan Huan greets the Great General."

"You come from a distinguished family, being a cousin of Cai Yong, and are exceptionally talented in literature. You have long served in Huainan and are familiar with Yuan Shu's true strength and weaknesses. Could you draft a proclamation denouncing Yuan Shu's treasonous and immoral acts, and encouraging those in Huainan who have submitted to the rebels to rise up in righteous rebellion?"

Lu Bu held high hopes and asked in a gentle tone, laying out the steps in his mind, just waiting for Yuan Huan to step on them.

Yuan Huan thought for a moment and said, "General, Yuan Shu is a former lord and a disgraced subject. Although we have severed all ties with him, how can we speak ill of him? He was a former colleague who submitted to the rebel, and although he had no choice, it was his duty as a subject. How can I coerce or bribe him to break his loyalty?"

"you are not willing?"

Lu Bu glared, his expression hardening: "Did you think my blade couldn't kill you?"

Yuan Huan stood unmoved at the door, slightly raising his chin and looking at Lü Bu with cold arrogance: "May I ask, General, if your subordinate were to defect to another place, would you prefer him to write a letter insulting you, or would you prefer him to uphold his loyalty as a subject and not damage the old relationship between ruler and subject?"

Lu Bu was speechless. He had come this far from his humble background in the border region, and he had to be reasonable on many occasions.

Immediately, Lü Bu stood up, strode to the door, and reached out to untie the ropes binding Yuan Huan. Yuan Huan dodged to the side and looked coldly at Lü Bu: "General, this is against etiquette."

"Someone, untie them."

Lu Bu shouted at his men and stood quietly to the side, watching the guards come forward to untie Yuan Huan.

Yuan Huan accepted the change calmly, then rubbed his sore wrists that were tied behind his back, and bowed deeply to Lü Bu, saying, "This sinful subject thanks the General for sparing my life."

Looking at Yuan Huan, who was neither humble nor arrogant and was very principled, Lü Bu liked him from the bottom of his heart and immediately extended his arms: "Sir, please do not stand on ceremony, please take a seat."

"General, please go first."

Yuan Huan's demeanor was serious and methodical, clearly demonstrating a respect for hierarchy, which made Lü Bu even more comfortable.

(End of this chapter)