Tiger Guards

Chapter 745 Loyalty and Righteousness Are Difficult to Balance
Throughout Nanyang, a scene of impending harvest unfolds.

In Wancheng, Liu Biao's messenger arrived once again, urging him to hurry.

Liu Bei felt even more troubled upon receiving this new letter.

Liu Biao had previously wanted Liu Bei to lead his army to help him pacify Jiaozhou and Nanhai, and completely eliminate the rebellious Zhang Xian, Huan Jie and others.

Meanwhile, the traitor was in the north. Zhang Xian, Huan Jie, and others, who had previously been loyal to the court, were betrayed by Lü Bu and had no choice but to flee to Jiaozhou to avoid disaster.

Now, Lü Bu and Zhao Ji are considered traitors to the state. Zhang Xian and others raised troops to oppose Liu Biao's invasion of Jiaozhou, and they themselves are loyal to the emperor of Xudu.

In a sense, Liu Biao's presence in Jingzhou not only limited the possibility of patriots in Jingzhou raising troops to defend the emperor and punish the rebels, but also hindered Zhang Xian and others from leading their troops north to punish the rebels.

For Liu Bei, he was no longer the nameless subordinate general who needed Kong Rong and Tao Qian to elevate him. As one of the former rulers of the Xudu court, Liu Bei now had no shortage of Liu Biao's support or recommendation.

Liu Bei himself could communicate with the emperor of Xudu and consult with other officials on politics... In other words, Liu Bei himself was one of the manifestations of the will of Xudu, and in terms of rank, he was higher than Liu Biao, the General Who Pacifies the South and the Governor of Jingzhou.

What he lacked was the manpower and resources of Jingzhou, but Liu Biao controlled it very tightly, treating Liu Bei like a thief.

Their relationship was purely one of mutual exploitation. Liu Biao lacked Liu Bei's battle-hardened elite troops and also wanted to rely on the will of the Xudu court that Liu Bei carried.

In fact, when Liu Bei led his army to Jiaozhou, it would greatly shake and damage the will of Zhang Xian, Huan Jie, Shi Xie, and others.

The road between Jingzhou and Jiaozhou was difficult to travel, and Liu Bei also had to be wary of Liu Biao abandoning him after crossing the river.

Moreover, the little bit of willpower that Liu Bei possessed was actually a consumable resource; it was accumulated little by little.

If Liu Bei disregarded the interests of the Xudu court and instead cooperated deeply with Liu Biao to suppress Zhang Xian, then the will of Xudu would vanish.

Faced with Liu Bei's repeated rejections, Liu Biao changed his plan this time.

This time, the proposal turned into an invitation for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to lead their troops south. In return, Liu Biao handed over eight counties in Nanxiang Commandery to Liu Bei, and also conscripted 10,000 new soldiers, along with their weapons and armor, to Liu Bei.

With 10,000 new recruits, Liu Bei was confident he could devour and digest them.

As long as they are fighting for the imperial court, the issue of the recruits' place of origin is not a problem at all.

Liu Bei was in a difficult position, so he summoned Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, Yang Xiu, and the new strategist Xu Fu.

Xu Fu was relatively low-key, knowing that he could not compare with Liu Bei's childhood friend Jian Yong in terms of trust, nor with Yang Xiu in terms of background and connections.

Therefore, Xu Fu sat below Jian Yong and listened to Liu Bei's explanation. He remained silent and did not rush to express his own opinion.

Yang Xiu held a long, narrow whisk and gently shook it. Only a leader of the local literati would be qualified to wave such a small fan.

Trying to put on airs with a whisk is just asking for trouble.

Guan Yu frowned and remained silent, while Zhang Fei seemed lost in thought, as if it were none of his business.

After pondering for a while, Yang Xiu finally spoke: "My lord, Liu Zhennan's heart is not in serving the king, and we should not befriend him. In my opinion, we should submit a memorial to the court."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei frowned, naturally understanding Yang Xiu's meaning.

The court submitted a memorial to the emperor, and the one who made the decision was none other than Grand Tutor Yang Biao.

In order to deal with the three masters of the Jinyang puppet dynasty, the Xudu court also appointed Yang Biao as Grand Tutor, and soon he will also be appointed Grand Preceptor and Grand Protector. All parties are vying for these two positions.

But with so many people and so little porridge, it was very difficult to distribute.

If Grand Tutor Yang Biao were to issue an edict ordering Liu Bei, Zhang Xian, Liu Zhang, and Liu Ai to jointly attack Liu Biao, while simultaneously granting Liu Bei the title of Governor of Jingzhou... it would be very difficult to refuse.

After all, this was with the Emperor's permission and an official imperial decree. Liu Bei hesitated for a long time, then slowly shook his head: "No, it was Liu Zhennan who sheltered our army in a predicament. If we were to follow the imperial decree to punish him, it would be against our principles."

At this moment, Zhang Fei spoke up: "But brother, disobeying the imperial edict is disloyal."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu opened his eyes and glanced sideways at Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei, ignoring the changes in the eyes of Guan Yu, Yang Xiu, and Xu Fu, continued, "Liu Zhennan is such a petty and calculating man. How can he be considered a benevolent and righteous person who would uphold the country and save the people? He is not as good as Zhao Yuansi, who gave Lü Bu three thousand warhorses and two thousand horsemen when they first met!"

"Yide, you mustn't speak nonsense."

Liu Bei gave a warning, and Zhang Fei turned his head to look at the living room door, avoiding Liu Bei's gaze, and continued, "Back then, Zhao Yuansi was fighting against the traitor Cao Cao, and he had no prior acquaintance with Lü Bu, yet he still provided him with three thousand warhorses and two thousand cavalry. That Liu Zhennan calls his brother 'brother,' but now he has only provided five thousand old, weak, and disabled soldiers, and he won't even allow his brother to recruit soldiers in Nanxiang, Yiyang, and Zhangling. He has also repeatedly detained and killed our envoys. Such brotherly affection is truly weak and despicable."

After saying this, Zhang Fei stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands. He bowed to Liu Bei and the others, ignoring Liu Bei's unpleasant expression, and said, "Anyway, I am a northerner and not used to the miasma of the south. If you want to agree to Liu Zhennan's offer, then you go, and I will not go."

Liu Bei remained silent, but Zhang Fei, looking furious, took a few steps back and shouted, "I'm not feeling well, I'll take my leave."

"Ah."

Liu Bei nodded heavily, indicating his agreement. Zhang Fei then bowed deeply, and then bowed to Yang Xiu, Xu Fu, and Jian Yong to say goodbye. The others also raised their hands slightly to signal that they were seeing this good man off.

Hearing the deliberately heavy footsteps outside the door gradually fade away, Liu Bei sighed and looked at Guan Yu: "Yun Chang, go and keep an eye on Yi De, and keep him under control."

"I obey."

Guan Yu dared not delay, so he stood up, cupped his hands, and also cupped his hands to Yang Xiu and the other two. The three returned the greeting and watched Guan Yu leave quickly.

Guan Yu really didn't dare to dawdle. If he arrived any later, Zhang Fei might actually have a sudden inspiration and run to the guesthouse to stab Liu Biao's envoy to death with his sword.

Guan Yu actually had no opinion on whether to fight Zhang Xian or Liu Biao.

As Guan Yu's footsteps faded away, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh and look at the newly arrived Xu Fu: "I'm sorry to have troubled you, sir. My third brother has always been reckless."

"I dare not. The Third General is straightforward by nature and is admirable."

Xu Fuqian joked that everyone has a youthful phase, and he wasn't exactly known for his good temper when he was young either.

At this moment, Yang Xiu spoke up, his expression solemn, and proposed his strategic plan: "My lord, the traitors are now in the north. As the saying goes, to repel external enemies, one must first pacify the internal situation. The intention is simply to unite all forces. Liu Jingsheng has never been loyal or righteous. Although he is not like Liu Yan of Yizhou who privately set up the emperor's banners and carriages, he has also committed the evil act of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth in the suburbs. Compared to Zhao Yuansi and Lü Bu, these two Lius are even more like traitors. If we can take over Jing and Yizhou and bring them under the control of the state, and also take over Jiao and Yangzhou, then we can unite the troops of the four southern states with the troops of the four eastern states to serve the emperor. We will surely be able to eliminate Lü and Zhao and restore peace to the world."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei gently shook his head: "I still can't bear to do it."

Jian Yong then turned to Liu Bei and said, “My lord, to eliminate the traitor, we must take extraordinary measures. Moreover, Zhao Yuansi is no ordinary man. If we are bound by petty principles and miss this opportunity, allowing a traitor to usurp the Han throne, wouldn’t that be losing the greater good for the sake of the lesser? How can we face our ancestors a hundred years from now?”

With that, Jian Yong rose, knelt solemnly before Liu Bei's steps, and kowtowed, saying, "I humbly beseech your lord to consider the greater good of the nation and its people!"

Seeing this, Xu Fu also stood up, knelt down beside Jian Yong, and sighed in a trembling voice, "I humbly beseech my lord to make a swift decision, for this opportunity must not be missed!"

Having missed such an opportunity, and faced with such a stubborn Liu Bei, Xu Fu could simply travel the world with his sword.

He has already stated that once the news leaks out, Liu Biao will definitely kill him.

Having spent so many years studying at Mount Lumen, Xu Fu was all too familiar with the ruthless methods these Eight Talents used to treat younger generations.

Liu Bei then looked at Yang Xiu, who gently swayed the whisk in his hand: "My lord, how can we defy the imperial edict?"

"Eh……"

Liu Bei sighed deeply, "If that's the case, how am I any different from Zhao Yuansi?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiu spoke righteously and resentfully, reminding him: "Our lord is a member of the imperial clan; how could he be a person like Zhao Yuansi?"

(End of this chapter)