Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 137 In what way am I, Lü Bu, inferior to Liu Bei?

Meanwhile, under Chen Gong's scheming, Lü Bu ambitiously wanted to take control of Yan Province.
Before he could even settle in, Cao Cao kicked him out.

Cao Ren, Zhao Yun, and others chased Lü Bu and Zhang Miao all the way to Pei State before stopping.

Lu Bu couldn't understand it.

How did Xiao Cao, who used to be so timid in front of him, and Xiao Karami, who was beaten to a pulp by Xu Rong in Xingyang, suddenly become so fierce?
Moreover, the strategists and generals under his command are all absolutely freakish!
And then there's Cao Yan, who used to be a good-for-nothing playboy, but now he can actually arm wrestle by himself.

Am I going crazy, or has the world gone mad?
If it weren't for Song Xian, Hao Meng, Wei Xu, Cao Xing, and others risking their lives to protect them, they might have perished in Juancheng.

only……

Lü Bu seemed to finally remember something, his heart sank, and he turned to Wei Xu to ask, "Have Gao Shun and Zhang Liao returned?"

Wei Xu said in a hoarse voice, "Reporting to Marquis Wen, there is still no news of Gao Shun and Zhang Liao..."

"Lord Wen, what should we do now?" Wei Xu asked, his mood somewhat downcast.

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Lu Bu thought to himself, quite displeased.

During his time on the run, he kept recalling his previous experiences.

It seemed as if they had been led by the nose the whole time. It was as if from the moment he entered Yanzhou and began cooperating with Zhang Miao, his every move and every plan was known to others, leaving him with no secrets whatsoever.

"Wasn't Cao Cao supposed to be attacking Xuzhou? How come he's back so quickly? Is Tao Qian some kind of genius?!" Lü Bu grew angrier and angrier, filled with resentment. "If I had another ten or fifteen days, Juancheng would have fallen without a doubt! But Cao Cao just happened to return ahead of schedule!!"

Chen Gong, standing beside Lü Bu, was also reviewing the defeat in Yanzhou.

He had already realized that this defeat was no accident, but rather a premeditated act by Cao Cao.

Chen Gong pondered to himself, "Cao Cao is a meticulous and decisive man. He must have already discovered our secret dealings with Zhang Miao and the gentry of Yanzhou."

"He deliberately pretended to attack Xuzhou, but in reality he set a trap to lure us deep into the heartland, and then quickly turned back, catching us off guard."

"Throughout the entire process, Cao Cao seemed to know everything we did, manipulating us at will..."

His own self-righteous plans were nothing but child's play in front of Cao Cao.

He underestimated Cao Cao's insight and adaptability, and he never expected that Cao Cao had already taken such control of Yanzhou that his actions had been completely exposed.

Thinking of this, Chen Gong couldn't help but sigh and bow deeply to Lü Bu, saying, "Lord Wen, this defeat is all my fault. I failed to plan properly and saw through Cao Cao's treacherous scheme, which led to our army's great defeat and put you in such a predicament. I deserve to die a thousand deaths."

Lu Bu looked at Chen Gong, his heart filled with anger, but he also knew that without Chen Gong, he would not have had the opportunity to take control of Yan Province.

He suppressed his anger, waved his hand, and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, Gongtai, there's no need to be so upset. Besides, this matter is not solely your fault."

Chen Gong raised his head, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by self-reproach.

He sighed and said, "Lord Wen is magnanimous, and I am deeply grateful. However... this defeat has made me see many things clearly. Cao Cao is no ordinary man. He is not only good at using troops, but also knows how to win people's hearts. The gentry of Yanzhou support us on the surface, but in reality they all have their own ulterior motives and cannot be relied on at crucial moments."

Lu Bu nodded and said, "That's right. Those old gentry are all good at talking about righteousness, but when it comes to a real crisis, they run away faster than rabbits."

“That’s exactly right,” Chen Gong continued. “In Yanzhou, we seem to have the upper hand, but our foundation is actually unstable. Cao Cao only needs to use a little trick to turn those gentry against us. And we can’t even get the right information.” Lü Bu frowned and said, “Gongtai, why do you think Cao Cao was able to return to Yanzhou so quickly? Is that old scoundrel Tao Qian really so vulnerable?”

Chen Gong shook his head and said, "Although Tao Qian is old, Xuzhou is not without capable men. Chen Deng is good at planning, and Cao Bao is also knowledgeable in military affairs... The most likely explanation is that Cao Cao did not go all out in this attack on Xuzhou, but left himself a backup plan. If something happens in the rear, he can quickly return to his base."

Just then, Cao Xing suddenly appeared before Lü Bu, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to Marquis Wen, the scouts who were gathering information have returned!"

"What is the current situation in Xuzhou?" Lü Bu asked.

"Tao Qian is dead, and Liu Bei has become the governor of Xu Province!" the scout replied.

"What?!" Lu Bu and Chen Gong were shocked and speechless for a moment.

It took Lü Bu a while to come to his senses.

Xuzhou has changed hands, and the new governor of Xuzhou is none other than Liu Bei, whom he fought against at Hulao Pass!

"Damn it!! Liu Bei? That mat weaver and shoe seller, how did he become the governor of Xuzhou?!" Lü Bu immediately flew into a rage.

He simply couldn't understand how that humble weaver of mats and seller of shoes, who once had no soldiers, had now transformed into the ruler of a state.
He was a hero who roamed the world and was invincible. He eliminated Dong Zhuo, a traitor to the Han Dynasty, but he was repeatedly defeated by the warlords of Guandong and now he doesn't even have a place to stand.

Liu Bei was just a nobody of humble origins, so how could he possibly possess such a wealthy place as Xuzhou?
Lu Bu grew angrier the more he thought about it, wishing he could immediately muster his troops, march on Xuzhou, tear Liu Bei to pieces, and seize Xuzhou as well.

Seeing Lü Bu's anger, Chen Gong quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, saying, "Lord Wen, please calm down! Liu Bei now occupies Xuzhou, so he must be on guard."

Our army has just suffered a major defeat and its morale is low. If we launch an attack at this time, we will probably not be able to win.

Moreover, our army has just suffered a defeat, with only a thousand or so survivors. If we rashly engage Liu Bei in battle, we will likely suffer a crushing defeat.

Although Lü Bu was still furious after hearing Chen Gong's words, he knew that Chen Gong was right.

He suppressed his anger and asked, "In your opinion, what should we do?"

Chen Gong pondered for a moment and said, "Although Liu Bei came from humble origins, he has a reputation for benevolence and righteousness and is quite popular. Tao Qian entrusted Xuzhou to him this time, probably because he valued his character."

Lu Bu scoffed, "Benevolence and righteousness? In this chaotic world, can benevolence and righteousness put food on the table?"

Chen Gong did not answer Lü Bu's question, but continued the previous topic, saying, "Liu Bei has just taken over Xuzhou, and his foundation is not yet stable."

We can go to Xuzhou first, feigning allegiance, and then probe the truth of the matter.

At the same time, he secretly contacted forces within Xuzhou who were dissatisfied with Liu Bei, waiting for the opportune moment to launch a coordinated attack from within and without, and seize Xuzhou in one fell swoop.

After listening to Chen Gong's plan, Lü Bu found it quite reasonable and nodded, saying, "Let's do as Gongtai says. But, who would be the most suitable person to send to see Liu Bei?"

In the past, Zhang Liao had always done these things, but now that Zhang Liao's fate was unknown, there was no suitable candidate for the time being.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Gong said, "Only if Marquis Wen goes in person can we truly show our sincerity."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu was somewhat displeased, but he still agreed to Chen Gong's suggestion, saying, "Then I will personally go there!"

(End of this chapter)