Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 182 The Hero Liu Bei
After his defeat in Yanzhou, Lü Bu led his remaining troops to Tancheng.

At that time, although he only had a little over a thousand men under his command, the fighting strength of his army should not be underestimated.

Lü Bu intended to join Liu Bei and wanted to find a place to settle down in Xuzhou.

Zhang Fei, Chen Deng, and others under Liu Bei's command strongly advised Liu Bei not to accept Lü Bu, saying that Lü Bu was fickle and might bring disaster to Xuzhou.

However, considering the current situation, Liu Bei believed that Cao Cao was eyeing the west with covetous intent, and Yuan Shu was ambitious in the south, so Xuzhou was still in a precarious state.

Although Lü Bu has a bad reputation, his army can be of assistance. Moreover, if we refuse to let him in, he will become a bandit in Xuzhou and plunder everywhere, and Xuzhou will never have a peaceful day.

Furthermore, Liu Bei has always presented himself as benevolent, and accepting Lü Bu at this time would demonstrate his magnanimity.

Therefore, Liu Bei overruled the objections of others and chose to accept Lü Bu.

At first, Lü Bu had great respect for Liu Bei. When talking with Liu Bei, he said with emotion, "You and I both come from the northern border. In the past, when the Guandong army raised troops to kill Dong Zhuo, I killed Zhuo and went east. However, none of the generals in Guandong accepted me. They all wanted to kill me as soon as possible."

After speaking, he invited Liu Bei to sit in a high seat in the tent, ordered his wives and concubines to bow to Liu Bei, served him wine, and addressed Liu Bei as his virtuous brother.

Liu Bei was displeased with Lü Bu's evasive and unpredictable words, but he remained outwardly calm and continued to feign compliance.

Liu Bei knew that Lü Bu was not one to remain subservient to others for long, but given the current complex situation, he dared not rashly make an enemy of Lü Bu.

To appease Lü Bu, Liu Bei lent him Xiaopei to stay temporarily.

Lu Bu outwardly thanked him, but inwardly he already coveted the entire Xu Province.

Historical records state that "when Lü Bu first entered Xuzhou, he wrote a letter to Yuan Shu," a mere eight characters that perfectly encapsulates Lü Bu's ambivalent nature.

Yuan Shu, a shrewd and calculating man, immediately sent him provisions and supplies upon receiving the letter, while also inviting Lü Bu to seize Xuzhou when the opportunity arose.

At that time, Yuan Shu was confronting Liu Bei in Xuyi. If he could win over Lü Bu, he could launch a pincer attack on Liu Bei from the north and south.

Although Lü Bu recruited soldiers in Xiaopei, he only had three or four thousand remnants under his command. He alone could not shake Liu Bei's foundation in Xiapi. Only by working together from within and without could he have a chance of victory.

Liu Bei was not entirely without precautions against Lü Bu.

He left his third brother Zhang Fei and Cao Bao, the leader of the Danyang troops, to guard Xiapi.

As a former subordinate of Tao Qian, Cao Bao once followed Liu Bei to intercept Cao Cao. Because of his bravery in battle and his familiarity with military affairs in Xuzhou, he was entrusted with the important task of serving as the chancellor of Xiapi.

Liu Bei believed that with Cao Bao's prestige among the Danyang soldiers and Zhang Fei's martial prowess, they would be able to deter Lü Bu's ambitions.

But the problem lies with Cao Bao.

One night, while inspecting the military camp, Zhang Fei accidentally discovered that Cao Bao and Lü Bu were exchanging messengers frequently. In their secret letters, they even agreed to cooperate from within and without when Yuan Shu's army pressed in.

The fiery Zhang Fei immediately charged into Cao Bao's tent with his spear and killed him before he could even explain.

Although this action was motivated by loyalty and righteousness, it thoroughly enraged the Danyang soldiers.

This private army, controlled by powerful local magnates in Xuzhou, already harbored resentment towards Liu Bei's group. Cao Bao's death became the spark that ignited the powder keg.

General Xu Dan, one of the commanders of the Danyang troops, secretly sent Sima Zhang out of the city overnight to inform Lü Bu, who was stationed forty miles west of Xiapi: "Zhang Yide has killed Cao Bao without authorization, causing great chaos in the city. A thousand Danyang soldiers are stationed at Xibaimen and are willing to open the city gate for the general!"

Upon receiving this news, Lü Bu immediately ordered his troops to advance by both land and water, marching through the night.

As dawn broke, Lü Bu's army was already at the city gates.

At this time, Xiapi City was in chaos due to the conflict between Zhang Fei and the Danyang soldiers.

The defenders on the city walls fought individually, and flames soared into the sky at the city gates.

Xu Dan personally opened the West White Gate, and Lü Bu led his army into Xiapi City without any resistance.

Although Zhang Fei led his personal guards in a desperate resistance, the morale of the army had already collapsed, and in less than half a day, Xiapi fell into enemy hands.

When Liu Bei learned of the fall of Xiapi, he was extremely anxious.

He immediately led his troops back to reinforce the city, but the journey was long. When he arrived at the city of Xiapi, he found that the city walls had been changed to Lü Bu's army flag.

The exhaustion from the long march and the blows of successive defeats caused the army to collapse instantly. In short: "When Liu Bei heard of this, he withdrew, and by the time he reached Xiapi, the army had been routed."

Finally, when they returned to the foot of a mountain near Xiapi, Liu Bei encountered Zhang Fei, who was also in a sorry state.

Zhang Fei's face was covered in blood, and his armor was tattered. The moment he saw Liu Bei, his eyes instantly turned red.

Zhang Fei dismounted and knelt before Liu Bei with a thud, his voice choked with emotion, "Brother, I failed to defend Xiapi. I have let you down, I have let down my sister-in-law, and I have let down the people of Xuzhou!"

As he spoke, he drew his dagger, intending to commit suicide to atone for his sins. Fortunately, Liu Bei and Guan Yu reacted quickly and stopped Zhang Fei.

Seeing his third brother's disheveled and self-reproachful appearance, he felt a pang of sorrow, but still forced himself to remain calm and said:

"Third brother, don't blame yourself. This is not your fault alone. Lü Bu is fickle, and there are traitors within the ranks. This situation is beyond human control."

Zhang Fei raised his head, his eyes filled with regret and anger: "It's all my fault for acting impulsively and killing Cao Bao, which gave Xu Dan an opportunity to open the city gates and surrender to the enemy."

"Brother, just give the order, let me lead the brothers back to retake Xiapi, and I'll definitely take that bastard Lü Bu's head!"

Liu Bei sighed and gently patted Zhang Fei's shoulder: "Third brother, our army has just suffered a defeat and morale is low. Lü Bu has the advantage of occupying the city. A direct attack will only send our soldiers to their deaths in vain. We need to plan carefully, preserve our strength first, and then look for an opportunity to take back Xuzhou."

Zhang Fei, though unwilling, knew that Liu Bei was right and could only grit his teeth and clench his fists.

Liu Bei rallied his remaining troops and retreated eastward along the Si River towards Guangling.

Yuan Shu led his army in hot pursuit and inflicted a major defeat on Liu Bei's army at Guangling.

Helpless, Liu Bei had no choice but to flee to Haixi, where he found himself in dire straits. His army was short of food and supplies, and morale was low, bringing him to the brink of despair.

At the critical moment, it was Mi Zizhong who showed loyalty and extended a helping hand to Liu Bei.

Mi Zhu gave away all his wealth to support Liu Bei, providing not only a large amount of supplies but also gathering more than two thousand servants, guests, and clansmen to replenish Liu Bei's army, which allowed Liu Bei to catch his breath.

After a brief reorganization, Liu Bei, in order to survive, decided to write a letter to Lü Bu to seek peace, expressing his willingness to return to Xiaopei and guard the eastern gate of Xuzhou for Lü Bu.

A few days later, Liu Bei, accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, arrived outside Xiapi City to request an audience with Lü Bu.

Upon seeing that it was Liu Bei, the soldiers on the city wall hurriedly announced his arrival.

When Lü Bu heard that Liu Bei was coming, he went to the city wall to observe him secretly.

Below the city, Liu Bei stood clad in worn black armor, his helmet plume stained with black blood.

Guan Yu stood behind him, holding his sword, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, revealing no expression.

Zhang Fei clenched his fists, and veins bulged on his forehead, clearly showing that he hated Lü Bu to the core.

Seeing this, Lü Bu was secretly pleased, but he was also curious about Liu Bei's purpose in coming. So he ordered the city gates to be opened and welcomed Liu Bei and his party inside.

Liu Bei and his entourage entered the city and arrived at the governor's mansion to meet Lü Bu.

Lu Bu sat high in the main seat, looking at Liu Bei and his two brothers with a haughty smile on his face: "Brother Xuande, what brings you here today?"

Despite the great humiliation he suffered, Liu Bei remained calm and stepped forward to bow, saying, "Lord Wen, I have come here to discuss something with you."

Now that Bei has suffered setbacks in his battles with Yuan Shu and has lost his foothold, he wishes to return to Xiaopei to garrison troops and guard the gate of Xuzhou for Marquis Wen.

Liu Bei knew that Wen Hou was a hero of the time, and that Xuzhou would be impregnable in his hands.

"I am willing to lead my troops to serve Marquis Wen, and I only ask for a place to settle down."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes: "Brother, are you truly willing to defend Xiaopei for me, without holding a grudge against me for taking Xiapi from you?"

Liu Bei sighed and said sincerely, "Both I and Marquis Wen are people of a chaotic world, and we should prioritize the overall situation."

If Xuzhou can be stable and the people can live and work in peace, what do personal gains and losses matter?
Moreover, Liu Bei was well aware that he was not strong enough to compete with Marquis Wen.

Rather than suffering mutual destruction while others reap the benefits, it is better to join hands and cooperate to resist external enemies.

Guan Yu stood behind Liu Bei, feeling resentful but understanding the current situation, and could only silently endure it.

Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Lü Bu was first taken aback, then burst into laughter: "My worthy brother is indeed a man who understands the big picture!"

Alright, since you are so sincere, my brother, I, Lü Bu, am not an unreasonable person.

I'll entrust Xiaopei to you, my virtuous brother, to garrison there, but we must make a pact: you must obey my orders.

Liu Bei bowed and said, "I will follow your instructions, Lord Wen."

Seeing his elder brother so humiliated, Zhang Fei's eyes turned red, and he wished he could rush up and tear Lü Bu apart with his bare hands, but Guan Yu secretly held him back tightly.

"Third brother, are you trying to ruin your elder brother's plans again?" Guan Yu warned softly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei immediately turned his head away and stopped struggling.

(End of this chapter)