Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 105 Righteousness Lies in Facing the Enemy

Arson doesn't really require many people, especially when it's an infiltrated arson; one person is much safer than a group.

Setting fires alone is not enough to ensure that the entire county is thrown into chaos.

They need to cooperate with the rumors.

Liu Bei was also inside the city; his task was to create panic.

As the fires rose in the eastern buildings, panicked shouts erupted in the west of the city, which then turned into a small commotion... and gradually into a major disturbance.

"Run! The fire is too big to save!"

"Thieves! The Taihang bandits have entered the city!"

"There are thieves everywhere in the city..."

"Open the city gates! Let the sect leader escape first..."

The rising flames swept through the city, and the charred ashes danced and rose with the heat, quickly spreading throughout the city.

The fire was too big, and with the wind blowing, thick smoke billowed and ashes filled the sky. These ashes would fall onto the thatched roofs and ignite again, making it easy for the fire to spread throughout the city.

If the entire city can be quickly mobilized to carry out the rescue, perhaps order can be restored.

However, if someone were to create panic at this time, saying that bandits from Taihang had entered the city, then there would certainly be cowards who would try to escape.

If one or two households flee, then every household will flee – this was originally the method used by the Liu family of Zhongshan to harm the people, and now it is just a case of them using the same methods against them.

Before long, a large group of soldiers and servants, surrounding several old men and a group of concubines and servants, opened the south gate.

The one leading the group was Su You.

Su You was quite alert; after the inn caught fire, he rushed to put it out. But seeing the fire was raging and realizing that chaos was breaking out in the city, causing widespread panic, he immediately led his troops to escort Liu Cheng out of the city to safety.

Regardless of whether there were thieves in the city, they had no choice but to leave, because Su You knew that in such a state of panic, it was impossible to put out the fire, and staying in the city would only mean waiting to be suffocated by the smoke.

But after the city gates opened and Su You had just escorted Liu Cheng out of the city, he saw a flag with ox horns.

And torches moving rapidly across the ground.

As night fell, the firelight was extremely conspicuous. The Taihang bandits who were waiting outside the city rushed forward when they saw the fire inside the city, with the ox-horn banner leading the charge.

The bandits of Taihang Mountain always came out in large numbers and with great force. At this moment, the mountains and fields outside the city were filled with bandits carrying torches and running wildly. Su You, who had just left the city, was terrified.

"Quickly, gather together and form ranks... We should immediately head to the fortified outpost outside the city to defend it!"

Su You called to the county soldiers, attempting to move to the Liu family's old residence outside the city before the Taihang bandits could get close.

"It's too late, there are too many bandits! Return to the city and defend the walls!"

Liu Cheng, however, gave another instruction.

"No!"

Su You hurriedly advised, "The fire inside the city is difficult to extinguish, and people have opened all four gates to escape. How can we defend the walls? We can only charge outwards!"

……

At the same time, in the city.

Zhang Fei wasn't fighting anyone; he didn't even bring any weapons. At this moment, he was carrying a little raccoon cat and heading towards the south gate—Liu Bei had said that whichever direction the people inside the city were leaving, that's the direction we would leave the city from.

Chaos reigned in the city as everyone frantically fled for their lives; no one paid any attention to Zhang Fei.

The so-called "risking one's life to enter the battle" is not simply about fighting and killing, but about using the enemy to defeat the enemy.

Although he admitted he hadn't fully grasped Duan Jiong's military strategy, Zhang Fei understood its essence. While Zhang Fei always considered himself clumsy and stupid, that was based on his elder brother's perspective…

How could a person with a pure and sincere heart be truly clumsy and stupid?
Anyone who thinks Zhang Fei is a fool is the real fool...

Upon reaching the south gate, Zhang Fei saw over a thousand people gathered outside the city. He placed the raccoon in his arms against the wall outside the city gate, took a piece of dried meat and stuffed it into the raccoon's mouth, then reached out and picked up a rough spear discarded by deserters from the ground.

At the city gate, someone was waving to Zhang Fei.

That was Liu Bei.

Then, the two quietly blended into Su You's group...

"Su You, are you disobeying orders? Are you trying to rebel against me?!"

Liu Cheng, his face contorted with rage, roared, "All of you, come and defend the city!"

Su You?

Zhang Fei couldn't see the face behind him, nor did he recognize Su You, but he heard the name.

Liu Bei heard this and gestured forward.

The two of them squeezed forward, taking advantage of the county sergeants' hesitation, and finally managed to reach Su You, who was wearing a hat with the feather of a bandit official. "Su You!!"

Liu Bei suddenly roared from the crowd.

Su You suddenly turned his head and saw a boy with ring eyes leaping towards him. A thick spear shaft was already in front of him, and then everything went black.

Just as Su You fell to the ground, a sword was also placed against Liu Cheng's neck, and the blade grazed his neck mercilessly, leaving a bloody groove.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

"So many bandits from Taihang are coming! Why aren't you running away?!"

Liu used his sword to strangle Liu Cheng, and looked at the county soldiers and servants around him.

Zhang Fei leaned against Liu Bei's back, protecting his elder brother's back.

Liu Bei's sword was pulled very tightly, and Liu Cheng dared not make a sound or move at all.

The county magistrate and his servants hesitated for a moment, then scattered in all directions...

The Taihang bandits are already upon us. Everyone knows that at a time like this, staying away from Liu Cheng will actually make it less likely for you to die... The Taihang bandits never kill the common people.

……

The bandits from Taihang Mountain have entered the city.

In the end, they still failed to obtain Liu Bei's reward of 30 million.

Su Shuang's two enemies were captured alive by Zhang Fei and Liu Bei amidst a vast army.

Zhang Fei, this sixteen-year-old boy, always thought he hadn't yet fully grasped Duan Jiong's military strategies...

But...did you really not learn it thoroughly?

Liu Bei did not wait for the Taihang bandits any longer; he hurried to visit their graves.

Su You and Liu Cheng had been tied up like dumplings and strapped to the carriage.

"Brother, these powerful clans of tens of thousands of people are nothing but this. They have neither the heart of caution nor the ability to defend the city. With just one fire, the whole city is thrown into chaos..."

Upon seeing Liu Bei waiting at the city gate, Zhang Fei raised the raccoon dog in his hand: "Aren't you supposed to be a powerful figure? How come you're so all bark and no bite?"

"Fei Lang, it's not that they are too weak, it's that you have become stronger."

Liu Bei looked at the little fox in Zhang Fei's arms and patted Zhang Fei's shoulder: "You can drink alcohol from now on... Foxes die easily from alcohol, so you have to be careful to keep it alive."

Zhang Fei smoothed the little raccoon's messy fur and nodded: "I won't get drunk and reckless anymore."

……

In August of the fourth year of the Guanghe era (181 AD), bandits from the Taihang Mountains captured Wangdu.

County official Liu Cheng, the head of the Liu clan, and county bandit Cao Suyou, among others, have disappeared, and thousands of members of the Liu clan have died within the county.

Wangdu County was burned to the ground, and all the pavilions belonging to the Liu family were looted.

Many of the common people, servants, and others followed the rebels. After the Taihang rebels retreated, only a few hundred households remained in Wangdu County, and the rest all fled to join the rebels.

In September, Zhang Chun, the Chancellor of Zhongshan, was impeached for the fall of Wangdu, the destruction of the city, and the fact that tens of thousands of people had joined the rebels. He was removed from his position as Chancellor of Zhongshan and demoted to the post of Commander of the Hu Cavalry of Yuyang.

But this time Zhang Chun did not argue; instead, he calmly returned to Yuyang as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Chun had a thousand carriages transporting gold, silver, and money, traveling north from Lu Nu.

However, just as they entered the territory of Yuyang County, they were attacked by an army.

Zhang Chun stated unequivocally that the incident was the work of the Gongsun clan of Liaoxi, and began to recruit and hire Wuhuan cavalry from Yuyang, saying that he wanted to avenge his family's blood feud.

However, this matter is temporarily unrelated to Liu Bei.

He is at Su Shuang's grave paying respects to her.

“Brother Su gave me my humble beginnings and helped me through poverty. Throughout his life, he was a man of great integrity, trustworthiness, and chivalry. We have benefited greatly from his help… Today, my brothers Xianhe, Zijing, Feilang, and I offer this sacrifice to Brother Su, and pray that his spirit may return!”

"All our enemies are kneeling before us now, begging to avenge our brother with their blood..."

"It is my duty to risk my life to fight the enemy, so that my comrades will not be left to lament in the desolate wilderness."

"May the souls of the fallen be turned into blades, and may there be no more enmity in the world!"

"Revenge!"

I'm sick, so I'm posting earlier than usual today.

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(End of this chapter)