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

Chapter 442 Guan Yu vs. Dian Wei
"Mengde, we've been friends for many years, and I'm only doing this to help you win..."

Sima Fang lowered his head and remained silent for a while before explaining, "Guan Yu is incredibly brave, and the generals in the army are quite afraid of him. Moreover, his prestige in Hebei is extremely high. If we don't provoke him into attacking and turning him into a rebel, the counties of Ji Province will not surrender... The gentry of Taiyuan also all fear and hate Guan Yu. Only by eliminating Guan Yu can Taiyuan and even Bing Province become Mengde's allies..."

"……assistant?"

Cao Cao's face darkened further: "Can the assistance gained by scheming against the heroes of the Han Dynasty truly be considered assistance?"

"Mengde, do you know what will happen to you if you are defeated? And what will happen to those of us who are wholeheartedly helping you if you are defeated?"

Sima Fang bowed to Cao Cao and said, "If you cannot do everything in your power to gain the help of scholars throughout the land, how can you possibly defeat Liu Bei? Only those who conquer the world can write history... Mengde, if you do not conquer the world, you will be a traitor..."

Cao Cao's face was ashen as he gazed at Guan Yu's camp, remaining silent for a long time.

That night, Cao Cao's army displayed the imperial procession.

Commander Dian Wei of the Central Army raised a banner with the twelve-star pattern.

The banner representing the emperor's personal expedition was erected at the rear of the central army camp.

……

Liu Xie looked at the towering imperial canopy, his face equally ashen.

"Cao Ang! I've already said it! I'm not the emperor now! I'm just Jiang Ye!!"

Liu Xie's anger burned even brighter than Cao Cao's: "If you truly consider me the emperor, then why do you disobey the emperor's orders?! I asked for your help only to fulfill my filial duty to my grandmother! Not to let your Cao family wreak havoc on the world!! Why are you displaying these banners?! Why are you setting up these ceremonial guards?!"

"...Your Majesty, the rites are as they are, and they cannot be disregarded in the slightest."

Cao Ang bowed his head and said, "The emperor's majesty is indispensable... Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger? When have you ever regarded me as your sovereign?!"

Liu Xie gritted his teeth so hard they almost ground them to powder: "The majesty of the emperor? I want to go back to Linzi, I want to leave this place! Are you willing to obey the emperor's orders?!"

"...Your Majesty, a treacherous man has declared himself emperor in Linzi. We dare not allow Your Majesty to go to such a dangerous place again..."

Cao lowered his head even further, but his words remained unwavering: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. My father will personally punish the traitors and allow Your Majesty to return to the old capital."

"So you've become loyal ministers? Fine, fine... then kill that traitor Xin Ping first before you call yourselves loyal ministers, hurry up and go!"

Liu Xie was even more furious: "Why don't you go?"

Cao Ang remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and shook his head, saying, "Xin Ping has rendered meritorious service in protecting the Emperor; Your Majesty must not kill meritorious officials..."

After saying this, Cao Ang turned and left the inner tent, instructing at the door, "Protect His Majesty well, and don't let His Majesty see Xin Zhongzhi..."

Liu Xie felt a surge of frustration inside the tent and rushed out to unleash a torrent of abuse, only to be stopped by Cao Ang's guards: "Your Majesty, it's not safe outside..."

"You scoundrels! You can't even see me as a human being?!"

Liu Xie roared angrily.

"...Your Majesty, please return to camp..."

Cao Ang turned his head: "I do not wish to disrespect Your Majesty, but if Your Majesty cannot feel at ease, I will have no choice but to send someone to protect Your Majesty closely..."

Liu Xie stopped struggling, looked up at the darkening sky, and said dejectedly, "...Cao Ang, what difference is there between your actions and kidnapping?"

Cao Ang remained silent for a long time before finally uttering two words: "...no difference."

……

Xin Ping was standing alone to the side of Liu Xie's tent, holding a paper letter in his hand.

Writing letters on paper is the custom in Qingzhou.

This letter was written by Liu Xie, posing as Jiang Ye, to his "teacher's wife".

The gist of the story is: Upon hearing of his grandmother's passing, Jiang Ye was overcome with grief and hoped to return to his hometown with Xin Ping, an assistant at the Imperial Academy, to handle his grandmother's funeral. However, he was worried that his teacher would neglect his duties and that his classmates would be "disrupted in their studies." He wanted to discuss with his teacher's wife what to do.

The signature and seal are both Jiang Ye's.

The so-called teacher, of course, refers to Liu Bei, the junior tutor.

The actual meaning is that Xin Ping has discovered Liu Xie's identity, but Liu Xie must hold a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong. In order to avoid affecting the Northern Expedition and to prevent Zhuge Liang from being harmed, Liu Xie plans to return to his hometown in a low-key manner as Jiang Ye to hold the funeral. He asked Zuo Yuan if this was possible.

At the time, Liu Bei was in Youzhou. This letter should have been given to Zuo Yuan. After receiving the letter, Zuo Yuan would either send someone to arrest Xin Ping to protect Liu Xie, or he would think of another way to resolve the matter.

Liu Xie had discussed the matter of Empress Dowager Dong with Zuo Yuan, and at that time Liu Xie also understood that it was not appropriate for him to leave Linzi as the emperor.

However, after meeting Xin Ping, Liu Xie's emotions were disrupted by Xin Ping, and he still wanted to fulfill his filial duty to his grandmother. This letter was originally intended to discuss the matter again.

At that time, Xin Ping was an official in Linzi, and Liu Xie did not have much suspicion of him.

When Xin Ping saw Liu Xie's letter, he knew that he might lose his life if he didn't leave. So, he immediately tied Liu Xie up when he left the academy, gagged him, and left Qingzhou in a carriage without stopping. The letter ended up in Xin Ping's hands.

Xin Ping thus gained most of the day without being discovered.

Although Linzi was heavily guarded, it was normal for officials from the Imperial Academy to go to other prefectures and counties on business. Xin Ping was an official who had passed the examinations, so the checks on him in Linzi were not as strict.

After leaving Linzi, hardly anyone recognized Liu Xie.

Even if Liu Xie proclaimed himself emperor on the road, others would only think he was a child who didn't know any better. Besides, he was tied up by Xin Ping and didn't even have the chance to proclaim himself emperor.

Upon arriving in Xu County, Yingchuan, Liu Xie remembered that Cao Ang, who had served as his study companion, might be in Yingchuan. So, he took the opportunity of 'going to the toilet' to run to the guesthouse in Xu County, intending to seek Cao Ang's help.

For his own safety and to avoid being kidnapped by others with ulterior motives, Liu Xie claimed to be Cao Ang's classmate.

Cao Ang was indeed found, but when Liu Xie met Cao Ang, Xin Ping was standing with Cao Ang...

Xin Ping was sent to Yingchuan on orders.

Soon after, Cao Cao, accompanied by Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and others, came to greet him.

Xin Ping claimed that Liu Bei harbored rebellious intentions and was a usurper, no different from Wang Mang, and that he had risked his life to escape with the emperor.

Liu Xie tried his best to explain that he had been kidnapped by Xin Ping, but no one listened to him...

Or rather, they listened, but nobody cared.

Soon after, Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and other scholars from Yingchuan once again crowned Liu Xie with the emperor's crown. Although Liu Xie still called himself Jiangye, the scholars from Yingchuan still rushed to make a completely new set of imperial ceremonial regalia.

This isn't Linzi; nobody cares about Liu Xie's wishes here.

Without the imperial seal, without an imperial edict, and without Liu Xie appointing any officials or generals, countless positions were still issued.

Cao Cao was appointed General Who Guards the East, Xun Yu was appointed Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Zhong Yao was appointed Commandant of the Capital Region...

Everyone, including Cao Cao, treated Liu Xie with great courtesy, but no one paid attention to Liu Xie's thoughts and words.

Cao Cao led his newly appointed officials to hold a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong, and Liu Xie was thus able to fulfill his filial duty.

Subsequently, various factions in Yingchuan issued a proclamation to Qingzhou on the grounds that "Liu Bei had someone usurp the throne of the emperor."

But no sooner had the proclamation been issued than news of Liu Bei's great victory in Liaodong reached Henan.

Liu Bei achieved successive victories in Youzhou, expanding his territory by thousands of miles. His generals and soldiers were all riding high on the prestige of defeating foreign invaders. Moreover, Hebei, Liaodong, and even Korea had been pacified, and Yuan Shao had been defeated and killed...

The various factions in Yingchuan were somewhat panicked at this point. Now, no one in the north could hold Liu Bei back, and they knew that they were no match for Liu Bei in a direct confrontation.

Zhong Yao then submitted a memorial, stating that the emperor was nearly fifteen years old and it was time to establish an empress.

Xun Yu also said that Luoyang was in ruins, and now Xu County should be the capital.

Originally, this was a suggestion to Cao Cao to marry his daughter to the emperor, to give Cao Cao a pretext for assisting in the government, and also to create a protective shield for Yingchuan.

Just then, Sima Lang, the eldest son of Sima Fang, came to Yingchuan to deliver a message, saying that the remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces, with Dong Bai as their ruler, had entered Chang'an and had taken control of Jingzhao.

After discussing the matter, Zhong Yao went to Chang'an, found the Zhang brothers, and, using the marriage contract that Dong Zhuo had previously prepared for Dong Bai, proposed marriage to Dong Bai on behalf of Liu Xie.

Liu Xie was furious. He felt like a piece of livestock to be used for breeding... These people from Yingchuan really didn't treat him like a human being.

Soon after, news arrived that Liu Bei had returned with his army and been appointed Prime Minister.

Furthermore, Liu Bei also sent a proclamation to the two provinces of Yan and Yu, claiming that Cao Cao was spreading rumors to slander the emperor and had rebellious intentions. Liu Bei's army then began to send troops.

Sima Fang advised Cao Cao not to confront Liu Bei directly, but to take the emperor from Hanoi to Hebei, and take advantage of the emptiness of Hebei to first seize the three provinces of You, Bing, and Ji, and rely on the natural barrier of the Yellow River to defend them. At that time, Sima Fang said: "Liu Bei came for the emperor. If the emperor is in Xuchang, then Yan and Yu provinces will have to face the might of Liu Bei's army, and it is inevitable that some people will be afraid and defect."

"But if the emperor is in Hebei, we can maintain a defensive posture. As long as we can rely on the natural barrier of the Yellow River to defend Hebei, and once the marriage proposal to Chang'an is successful, not only can Yan and Yu be secured, but we can also conquer the whole country in one fell swoop..."

Even the gentry of Yingchuan thought this strategy was feasible—if they left Yan and Yu, Liu Bei would not need to attack Yan and Yu.

Going to Hebei first would not only avoid the sharp edge of Liu Bei's elite army, but also prevent Liu Bei from joining forces with Liu Pi, Li Tong, and others in southern Yuzhou to attack Yingchuan, and would also buy time for Zhong Yao to receive assistance from Dong Zhuo's remaining forces through Dong Bai.

These scholars were all very intelligent; they had a clear understanding of the situation and a clear assessment of Liu Bei's abilities.

Compared to their combat capabilities, they were actually more afraid of Liu Bei's production and development capabilities.

Cao Cao and Xun Yu, in particular, had seen what Qingzhou looked like, so Cao Cao had been developing military settlements. Although his approach was different from Liu Bei's, it was equally effective.

The fact that they were able to provide Zhang Yan with food aid is also a result of the military settlements.

When Cao Cao was facing a food shortage, he relied on Liu Bei's support to obtain grain. At that time, the construction of military farms never stopped—of course, it could be said that Cao Cao paid for them.

Last autumn, Cao Cao's army did indeed have a considerable amount of surplus grain.

If they hold their ground in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, Liu Bei will have ample time to turn Hebei into his rear base. Judging from Liu Bei's efficiency in Qingzhou, he might be able to conquer the whole country in two years at most, having already controlled the four provinces of Qing, Xu, Ji, and You.

Once the north recovers from the famine, it will be much more difficult to suppress Liu Bei.

The only one who felt uneasy was Xin Ping.

Xin Ping was a subordinate of Yuan Shao; he did not switch allegiance to Cao Cao.

Although nominally he "rescued the emperor from the dangerous land of Qingzhou and sent him back to Henan," seemingly having surrendered to Cao Cao, the people of Yingchuan all believed that Xin Ping was acting in the best interests of Yingchuan...

But in reality, he was acting on Yuan Shao's orders.

He was ordered to bring Liu Xie to Yingchuan, originally intending to incite Cao Cao and Liu Bei to fight, so that Yuan Shao could realize his plan to seize You and Ji and establish a new ruler.

But now Yuan Shao is dead.

Xin Ping could no longer switch allegiance to Liu Bei, otherwise he would surely have died.

But would he be able to survive under Cao Cao?
—Xin Ping knew that Liu Xie had always wanted to kill him.

Cao Ang won't harm me now.

But if Cao Cao wanted to force Liu Xie to do something—such as forcing Liu Xie to establish an empress—Liu Xie would definitely ask Cao Cao to kill the kidnapper Xin Ping first…

Would Cao Cao kill him then?

Fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on Xin Ping...

Xin Ping volunteered to become an undercover agent on Yuan Shao's orders because Yuan Shao had been kind to the Xin family during the period of the Party Prohibitions—Yuan Shao had been kind to many aristocratic families in Yingchuan.

But Yuan Shao died shortly after bringing Liu Xie to Yingchuan.

He could neither help Yuan Shao nor turn back...

Actually, serving as an official in Liu Bei's forces is quite good.

Xin Ping was originally valued by Cai Yong and had the help of his fellow townsman Xu Shu. Although he was only a minor official for the time being, Liu Bei promoted him based on his actual achievements. Xin Ping himself was quite capable, and the atmosphere in the Qingzhou officialdom was currently quite good.

But there's no going back.

Although joining Cao Cao allowed him to form a community with scholars from various families in Yingchuan, both Cao Cao and Xun Yu were wary of Xin Ping…

This was inevitable. Given his past record of kidnapping Liu Xie from Linzi, everyone had to be wary of Xin Ping.

……

……

The next day, Guan Yu led his army to attack Cao Cao's camp.

Cao Cao's camp was tightly closed, with a sign indicating that he would not engage in battle hanging in the air.

There were countless barricades and trenches in front of the camp, yet the tens of thousands of troops actually adopted a defensive posture of turtling and huddling.

The truce sign did exist in those days. Although the Spring and Autumn Period had already disrupted righteous wars, by the end of the Han Dynasty, the warring parties still maintained some gentleman's agreements.

For example, the bodies of those killed in battle might be exchanged between the two sides, and unless there was deep-seated hatred, the remains would generally not be desecrated. If a loyal and brave soldier was encountered who fought to the death, his head might be beheaded and then sewn back into his body and returned to the enemy.

The same applies to duels on the battlefield; if a duel agreement is made, it is usually honored.

Scholars usually valued trust and loyalty, even though opposing sides might be related by marriage.

The time to make these gentleman's agreements is when the truce sign is put up.

Guan Yu had already seen the emperor's entourage inside the camp.

However, the display of imperial procession in Cao Cao's camp was more of a provocation to Guan Yu.

"I am Guan Yu! You usurpers and traitors, come out and fight me!"

Guan Yu spurred his horse to the front of the camp and shouted loudly.

At this point, Guan Yu was already within range of Cao Cao's crossbow bolts.

Shi Huan looked at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao shook his head: "Don't fire arrows... Yuan Rang, go out of the camp and fight Guan Yu. Persuade Guan Yu to retreat and tell him that the Emperor is indeed here..."

Xiahou Dun glanced at Guan Yu's menacing broadsword and hesitated.

Shi Huan immediately pulled his head back and ran off to beat the drum.

The battle was signaled by the battle drum.

Upon hearing the drumbeats, Guan Yu brandished his sword, signaling the soldiers to halt, and pointed his blade at the camp gate.

This means a challenge.

Xiahou Dun swallowed hard, then turned to look at Dian Wei standing behind Cao Cao: "Commander Dian, come with me..."

Dian Wei was originally a subordinate of Xiahou Dun. When Cao Cao was fighting against the Southern Xiongnu, Xiahou Dun made Dian Wei follow Cao Cao as his personal bodyguard, which can be regarded as him serving his master.

Cao Cao liked Dian Wei very much and always kept him by his side, even appointing him as the Commandant of the Central Army.

Guan Yu, standing outside the camp, frowned when he saw that Xiahou Dun had only brought one person with him: "Has Yuan Rang come to his death?!"

"Yun Chang, His Majesty is currently in this camp. If you attack His Majesty's residence, it would be a rebellious and immoral act... Retreat to Henan, lest you ruin both your life and your reputation... Yun Chang may not know, but Li Qian has already led his troops to seize the ferry crossing. If you do not retreat, you will be surrounded on all sides."

Xiahou Dun and Guan Yu forged their friendship through battle. Although only one person was ever beaten, Xiahou Dun genuinely considered Guan Yu a friend, as the two had no personal grudges against each other.

Li Qian did indeed take advantage of Guan Yu's campaign to seize the ferry crossing, and Guan Yu's proactive attack was tantamount to abandoning his retreat and finding himself surrounded by enemies.

Of course, you could also call it a desperate battle. Guan Yu did like to put himself in the most dangerous position when fighting, and indeed, no one could guarantee that they could trap Guan Yu in the open field.

"Yuan Rang came here just to say these things?"

Guan Yu brandished his broadsword: "You usurp the throne and presumptuously establish yourselves as emperors! You are the ones who are rebellious and immoral! Since you've come to fight, then defeat me first!"

Having said that, he slashed down with his sword.

Xiahou Dun raised his spear and bravely parried the blow, then turned and retreated, exposing himself to the front.

Guan Yu raised his sword to strike again, but Dian Wei replaced Xiahou Dun without saying a word. He swung his halberd diagonally and blocked Guan Yu's long sword head-on.

The longsword and the halberd clashed, sparks flew, but there wasn't a loud clang of metal, because both weapons had broken their blades and were stuck together.

Guan Yu spurred his horse forward, wielding his long sword fiercely.

Dian Wei did the same thing.

Both men possessed superhuman strength and were evenly matched. Their weapons, which were stuck together, gradually twisted, and the two horses were pulled and spun around in place.

Guan Yu then realized that Cao Cao's warhorses also had high saddles.

(End of this chapter)