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

Chapter 443 The Last Act of Kindness
"open!"

Dian Wei exerted force with both hands, and twisted his halberd violently.

Guan Yu felt a tremendous force coming from his hand; if it were an ordinary person, their weapon would probably have already flown out of their hand.

However, Guan Yu was no ordinary man.

He also spun and stabbed in the opposite direction of Dian Wei's twisting motion.

After a piercing, teeth-grinding sound of metal scraping together, the two weapons finally separated.

Guan Yu's longsword was very resilient; although it was twisted and developed a large nick, it still did not break.

Dian Wei's iron halberd was clearly specially crafted, much heavier than an ordinary halberd. After locking onto the opponent's weapon, it was violently twisted, which was probably a common fighting style used by strongmen like Dian Wei.

Dian Wei's halberd was neither the Fangtian Halberd nor the short halberd he wielded in pairs during foot combat, but a long-handled, single-crescent-shaped, heavy-duty Azure Dragon Halberd.

This crescent moon is not concave, but convex, making it look more like an axe-spear, but larger and heavier than a regular axe-spear (钺矛), and the shaft is also much thicker than that of a regular cavalry halberd.

Most of the time, these large, heavy weapons were used for ceremonial purposes, and few people used them on the battlefield.

Liu Bei also had a ceremonial guard, mostly composed of tall and robust retainers. These ceremonial weapons, which were nearly twice the size of normal weapons, were generally only used in the training grounds and in front of the general's mansion.

Because this halberd is unbalanced and too heavy, weighing nearly forty jin (Han jin, approximately ten kilograms), it would be too physically demanding to use on the battlefield. It would be better suited for martial arts training and physical exercise.

Guan Yu's longsword was already a rare heavy weapon, but it only weighed twenty jin (five kilograms).

Of course, if someone is a naturally gifted strongman, such a heavy weapon would indeed be very powerful.

Dian Wei was such a fierce warrior with astonishing strength.

The sound of war drums gradually faded, leaving only banners fluttering in the wind.

Dian Wei and Guan Yu passed each other on horseback, then turned back to look at each other again after being thirty paces apart.

Guan Yu squinted at Dian Wei: "State your name, general!"

"I am Dian Wei, please enlighten me, General Guan!"

Dian Wei was wearing half-body lamellar armor, his thick arms were exposed, and several leather straps were wrapped around a large hook, which was wrapped directly around his left forearm.

It is summer now, and sleeveless half-body armor is the standard equipment for most elites, but ordinary people who go out to fight one-on-one will put on all their shoulder armor, arm armor, and throat plates.

Compared to the protective power, a little stuffiness is bearable.

However, Dian Wei did not wear shoulder armor, nor did he have any protection around his neck. He had no extra items on his body, and the red banner on his helmet, which represented the commander of the central guard, was the only decoration on him.

Clearly, only those who are extremely confident in their skills would abandon most defensive tactics in pursuit of agility.

Dian Wei was the first to attack. His warhorse suddenly galloped forward, and his halberd shot out like a venomous snake, aiming straight for Guan Yu's face.

Guan Yu neither dodged nor evaded, but instead raised his long sword from bottom to top with a loud clang, sparks flying everywhere.

As the two horses crossed paths, Guan Yu was about to retaliate with a slash when he discovered that his longsword had been pulled again—Dian Wei had once again twisted the halberd as their blades clashed.

Guan Yu's hand froze for a moment. Although he managed to pull his long sword back, he lost the opportunity to strike a second time.

Guan Yu turned around and glanced at Dian Wei again—in terms of pure strength, Dian Wei was slightly stronger than Guan Yu.

Moreover, Dian Wei's use of the Green Dragon Halberd made Guan Yu very uncomfortable. Once the weapons clashed, Dian Wei would spiral and twist the blade – that's how the Green Dragon Halberd was supposed to be used, but no one had ever been able to twist it so that Guan Yu couldn't swing his backhand blade.

In the second round, Guan Yu decided to take the initiative and attack.

The long sword drew an arc of light, slashing straight at Dian Wei's face.

This time, Dian Wei did not use his halberd to parry. Instead, he used his left hand to hook and block Guan Yu's long sword, while holding the halberd in his right hand and thrusting it at Guan Yu's ribs.

This is a fighting style that trades injury for life!
Moreover, Dian Wei wielded the heavy halberd with one hand, and his movements were both accurate and fast.

Guan Yu withdrew half of his sword strike, then lowered the hilt to block. With a clang, the tip of the halberd scraped across the hilt, producing a piercing scraping sound.

Guan Yu's blade also lost half its force, sliding across Dian Wei's hook and inlay, leaving a long trail of sparks.

The two horses passed each other again.

The two sides are evenly matched, and both are facing extremely dangerous situations.

Dian Wei's attacks were all heavy, and Guan Yu's were equally so.

Guan Yu had no tricks up his sleeve, and neither did Dian Wei.

In Guan Yu's view, Dian Wei was even more difficult to deal with than Lü Bu—Lü Bu was indeed a master of martial arts, but at least he valued his life.

Dian Wei is like a silent beast, often resorting to tactics that involve trading injury for life or even mutual destruction.

After twenty rounds, both of them were breathing heavily.

Guan Yu finally saw an opportunity.

Dian Wei's offensive was still fierce, but his horse was showing signs of fatigue. The horse was carrying a load far exceeding that of ordinary warhorses, so its endurance was naturally insufficient. Dian Wei's riding skills did not seem to be very good, and he could only continue the horse battle by relying on the high saddle.

A rider's skill has a significant impact on a horse; poor riding skills can cause a horse to bear a lot of unnecessary stress.

This area is not far from the banks of the Yellow River and was once a floodplain of the Yellow River. The soil is loose and mixed with silt, making it even more difficult to transport horses.

Guan Yu's horse was a fine horse selected after the campaign against the Xiongnu—now Liu Bei has a lot of warhorses, and each general has a good horse, and each has more than one.

Right now, Guan Yu is riding a horse called 'Xuanhu'. It is jet black, tall and mighty. It is not the fastest, but it has excellent endurance.

This horse has a very violent temper; it's a king among horses, the kind that bites.

However, the yellow horse that Dian Wei rode was just an ordinary warhorse.

"Dian Wei, your martial arts are extraordinary, and I, Guan Yu, cannot bear to kill you... Your lord has rebelled against the established order and is a traitor. Why not abandon the darkness and embrace the light, and work together to save the Han Dynasty?"

Guan Yu shouted, but his swordsmanship did not slow down at all.

"Shut up! You're the traitor!"

Dian Wei's voice was like thunder, and his halberd spun as he thrust out like a drill.

"Then don't blame me..."

The two fought for a few more rounds. Guan Yu then feigned an opening, pretending his swordsmanship was scattered, and his long sword fell to his left, backhand side.

Unable to defend against this attack from the side, Guan Yu spurred his horse to make a sharp left turn, seemingly to avoid Dian Wei's attack.

Seeing this, Dian Wei chased after Guan Yu, his long halberd aimed straight for the center.

But just as the halberd tip was about to hit him, Guan Yu suddenly dodged to the side, and his long sword slashed upwards from under his arm with a diagonal strike—this was a dragging sword technique!
Dian Wei was shocked. It was too late for his left hand to defend, so he had to use all his strength to dodge to the right.

At that moment, the warhorse was turning left, but Dian Wei's burly body dodged to the right. The warhorse, already exhausted, was pulled and neighed, its front hooves leaving the ground.

The warhorse was pulled to a stop. Although Dian Wei did not fall off his horse, he was unable to avoid Guan Yu's blade.

The long sword sliced ​​through his right breastplate, and the armor split open with a foot-long gash, from which blood gushed out.

"Excellent swordsmanship..."

Dian Wei roared and instead of retreating, he swung his halberd back and charged straight at Guan Yu.

Blood flowed down his armor, staining the saddle red, but he was completely unaware.

Guan Yu blocked Dian Wei's desperate attack and exclaimed, "A true tiger general! Dian Wei, you should have fought alongside my brother against the barbarian invaders, not died here!"

"Each serves their own master... Enough said!"

Despite his injury, Dian Wei relentlessly attacked, as if the wound on his body didn't exist.

After another dozen or so rounds, Dian Wei's horse began to foam at the mouth.

When Dian Wei launched another frontal assault, Guan Yu fiercely countered with his longsword, while his black tiger also headbutted Dian Wei's warhorse.

Dian Wei's horse's front hooves buckled, and it knelt down on the ground.

Dian Wei was thrown to the ground, but he continued to fight.

Guan Yu spurred his horse a few steps around and looked at Dian Wei.

"I am not defeated yet! Let's fight!!"

Dian Wei raised his halberd and roared, still refusing to admit defeat.

"Fine... your warhorse is too weak, I won't take advantage of you!"

Guan Yu threw away his bent and broken longsword, jumped off his horse, and drew his horizontal sword.

Foot combat!

Seeing this, Dian Wei also threw down his long halberd and took two hand halberds from his waist.

Foot combat was actually more dangerous. Dian Wei pounced like a mad tiger, his twin halberds tearing and slashing like a net.

The hand halberd was short, but at very close range, it made it difficult for Guan Yu to wield.

Guan Yu took two steps back in an attempt to create space, but he did not expect Dian Wei to be so fast and pounce on him.

A halberd tip grazed Guan Yu's left arm, slicing through his armor and causing blood to splatter.

Guan Yu grunted, and his swordsmanship suddenly changed. He no longer used wide, sweeping slashes, but instead used short, sharp thrusts—this was Zhang Fei's style, which looked like carving words on bamboo slips.

Dian Wei had never seen such swordsmanship before and was forced back two steps.

But then, Dian Wei regained his footing and stopped dodging. He was willing to be stabbed in the shoulder by Guan Yu in order to force his way in.

The twin halberds launched a fierce counterattack, still trading injury for life.

Guan Yu shifted to the side, creating another step of space, but Dian Wei immediately lunged forward half a step. The two dodged and weaved in the narrow space, the sounds of clashing swords and halberds ringing out incessantly.

They fought for who knows how many rounds, and as the sun began to set, their shadows grew longer and longer.

Dian Wei was ultimately injured, and his movements gradually became sluggish. Although each strike still had the power to shatter stone tablets, his steps were clearly not keeping up.

Guan Yu's battle robe was soaked in blood, and it was impossible to tell whether it was his own or Dian Wei's.

Finally, Guan Yu seized the moment when Dian Wei was taking a breath, and with lightning speed, his blade pierced through Dian Wei's double halberds, thrusting straight for his throat.

Dian Wei crossed his twin halberds to parry, seemingly locking the blades, but he was a fraction too slow—the blade tips were already at his throat.

The outcome has been decided.

Guan Yu's blade stopped at Dian Wei's throat, trembling slightly.

Dian Wei's eyes were wide open, and his hands were still gripping the short halberd tightly, perhaps still intending to fight to the death, but his arms were already trembling.

This is due to excessive blood loss.

"Go back..."

After a long while, Guan Yu sheathed his sword and took three steps back.

"Why don't you kill me?"

Dian Wei asked in a hoarse voice.

Guan Yu sheathed his sword, took out a wine pouch from his waist, took a swig, and tossed it to Dian Wei, saying, "I, Guan, salute you as a true hero."

Dian Wei took the wine flask, hesitated for a moment, then tilted his head back and drank it down.

The alcohol mixed with blood flowed down his chin.

"If you don't kill me today, Wei Ke will show no mercy when we meet on the battlefield tomorrow."

Dian Wei threw the wine bag back.

"There is no tomorrow... You can no longer fight, and today I will charge into Cao Cao's camp!"

Guan Yu mounted his horse and looked at Xiahou Dun: "Yuan Rang! Lead the army to battle!!"

"General Guan!"

Dian Wei called out from the side, "When you first arrived here, there were already hundreds of large crossbows pointed at you, General... Cao Cao ordered that no arrows be fired. General Guan, you should appreciate Cao Cao's goodwill!"

After saying this, Dian Wei staggered back to camp.

Guan Yu looked up at Cao Cao's camp.

At this moment, Cao Cao's camp gates were wide open, and there were indeed soldiers with large crossbows mounted on the walls and in front of the gates.

But no one in Cao Cao's army fired an arrow.

Xiahou Dun slowly stepped forward: "Yun Chang, withdraw your troops. You value heroes and did not kill Dian Wei... Mengde also values ​​heroes and does not wish to kill you. The tens of thousands of troops here are not afraid to fight you, but only because Mengde does not wish to harm you, so he has not attacked... Moreover, His Majesty is indeed here. If Xuande were here, he would not have raised troops to attack my camp."

Guan Yu remained silent, watching Cao Cao's camp.

Several figures appeared in front of the camp gate.

Cao Cao appeared in front of the camp with a young man dressed in the emperor's ceremonial robes.

Guan Yu saw it; it was indeed Liu Xie.

Guan Yu had met Liu Xie; he truly knew him.

Liu Xie tried to say something but was stopped. He stared at Cao Cao with a displeased expression, clearly having been taken hostage.

Cao Cao didn't say anything, but simply waved his hand at Guan Yu.

"Yun Chang..."

Xiahou Dun was about to say something else.

“I appreciate your kindness… but your kidnapping of the emperor will inevitably lead to your downfall sooner or later… you are enemies, not friends, and when we meet again, it will be a fight to the death. There is no need for further words.”

Guan Yu could tell that Liu Xie had been kidnapped. He sighed, turned back to his formation, and led his troops to the ferry.

In any case, he could not continue attacking Liu Xie's camp after Liu Xie had intervened.

Guan Yu knew that Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun had indeed shown him goodwill.

But they are enemies after all.

……

At the same time that Guan Yu crossed the river to Baima, Liu Bei also arrived at Baima Ferry.

Seeing Guan Yu return safely, Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief.

When Guan Yu met Liu Bei, he asked, "Brother... His Majesty was indeed captured by Cao Cao, and now the emperor is in the army..."

"That's Zhuge Liang... The army needs an emperor now, otherwise the morale of the army will be hard to maintain."

Liu Bei did not deceive Guan Yu: "I am relieved that you were able to withdraw. As long as the brothers do not act rashly, everything else will be fine."

Guan Yu was in Hebei and was unaware of Zhuge Liang's replacement of Liu Xie's identity, but he understood that since Liu Xie was with Cao Cao, Liu Bei's side needed an emperor.

"Now that I am not in Hebei, I fear that Ju Shou, Shen Pei, and others from Wei Commandery will also defect to Cao Cao, and Hebei will be indefensible... If we attack Cao Cao, he will surely use the emperor as leverage. What should we do?"

Guan Yu asked again.

Even if Liu Xie wasn't considered the emperor, he was still Liu Bei's junior brother, so we couldn't just kill him.

It's as if Cao Cao has taken hostages.

"Cao Cao doesn't want to hurt you, nor does he want to confront me directly, so let him be... Let's go to Chang'an first."

Liu Bei regained his composure: "Send someone to Cao Cao and ask him if he remembers the agreement with King Huai?"

With Guan Yu returning safely, Liu Bei was much relieved.

No one in Hebei could stop Cao Cao, and just as no one in Henan could stop Liu Bei...

What was the agreement with King Huai?
Of course, whoever enters Guanzhong first will be king...

Jiang Ye and Zhuge Liang are currently just students from Qingzhou.

Whoever gains the approval of the majority in Chang'an first will become the emperor.

After establishing the capital in Chang'an, the emperor would reside in the palace and would no longer appear in front of others.

Cao Cao showed Guan Yu goodwill, and Liu Bei also planned to return some goodwill.

……

A few days later, the newly appointed General Who Guards the East, Cao Cao, received a letter from Liu Bei in Liyang.

"Brother Mengde, now that the barbarian bandits have been pacified, His Majesty wishes to return to the old capital, Chang'an, to re-establish the capital and change the era name. Would you be willing to join me in this grand undertaking?"

"I have heard that Brother Mengde has a virtuous and kind daughter who is worthy of marrying the emperor. Please do not let her fall into the ranks of criminals... I hope Brother Mengde will take care of himself. If he is ranked alongside the traitor Yuan Shao, who in the world can help him?"

"The Han Dynasty is about to conquer the west, but where is the General of the Western Expedition?"

"When did Mengde's ambition become the defense of the east?"

Cao Cao did not take the previous proclamation seriously. Although Chen Lin wrote it in a flowery style, it did not harm Cao Cao in the slightest.

But Liu Bei's letter stung Cao Cao.

The pain was excruciating.

(End of this chapter)