The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 141 Yuan Shao is both incompetent and loves to play games; Liu Bei rescues Tian Feng in Ye City (1st update)
Guo Tu's retelling made Liu Bei sigh with sorrow.

Of the 100,000 infantry and cavalry that Yuan Shao once led south to Hebei, only one or two out of ten have survived.

In Ye City, every household wore mourning clothes and every family wore hempen robes.

They had been hoping for their loved ones to return victorious, but instead, they were separated by death forever.

If Yuan Shao had led 100,000 infantry and cavalry to fight to the death, the officials and people of Ye City would have been united in their hatred of the enemy; but now, Yuan Shao abandoned his army and fled, resulting in the massacre of tens of thousands of officials and soldiers, leaving the officials and people of Ye City with only resentment towards Yuan Shao.

"Mr. Guo, do you have a way to let me meet with the General? Staying indoors won't solve the problem," Liu Bei asked again.

Guo Tu pondered for a moment and said, "Since returning to Ye City, I have only been summoned by the General once. If the Left General wants to see the General, he may have to wait for the General to summon him."

Chatted for a while.

Liu Bei rose to take his leave of Guo Tu.

They left the Guo residence.

Liu Bei was deeply worried: "I never imagined that the General would disregard the safety of the overall situation for the sake of his own pride. How can he solve the problem by hiding in the General's mansion every day?"

Guan Yu sneered, "The sons of noble families cherish their lives the most. They make mistakes but refuse to admit them. Yuan Shao probably wants to hide for a few months and then come out when the gossip has died down."

When faced with a difficult situation, Yuan Shao would simply ignore it, a response consistent with his nature as a ruler who controlled power.

In essence, Yuan Shao was simply ashamed to face people, rather than recognizing his mistakes.

The group returned to their camp in the city.

Yuan Xi came to inquire and learned that Guo Tu was also unable to see Yuan Shao. Yuan Xi then suggested, "General Zuo, please rest in the camp. I will go and ask Yuan Shang."

However, when Yuan Xi returned from searching for Yuan Shang, he was furious: "That brat Yuan Shang actually thinks it's my fault that Xu You defected to Cao Cao! He failed in his own plan, yet he blames me! I am, after all, his elder brother!"

After calming him down with gentle words, Liu Bei asked, "Has Yuan Shang seen the General?"

Yuan Xi shook his head: "No."

Liu Bei frowned: "This is difficult."

Yuan Shao refused to see anyone, and even if Liu Bei had a thousand words to say, he could not get them to listen to Yuan Shao.

A few more days passed.

The scouts reported back: "People on the street are saying that Tian Feng offended the General and is about to be executed. Right now, many officials and commoners are pleading for Tian Feng in front of the General's mansion."

Liu Bei was greatly alarmed: "The officials and people are already complaining, how foolish of you, General, to kill Tian Feng now! Who is slandering you to the General?"

Just as Liu Bei was about to head to the General's residence, Zhuge Liang stopped him, saying, "General, you can summon Yuan Xi to accompany you. If things get urgent, rescue Tian Feng first!"

Liu Bei understood.

He hurriedly went to another tent to find Yuan Xi.

Upon hearing that Yuan Shao had killed Tian Feng against everyone's wishes, Yuan Xi was also surprised: "Tian Feng was a brave and resolute man, and he had risked his life to save the General during the Battle of Jieqiao. Someone must have slandered him!"

After a while.

Dozens of riders emerged from the camp and headed straight for the General's Mansion.

At this time, a group of officials and commoners had already knelt outside the General's Mansion, all pleading for Tian Feng's life.

However, Yuan Shao seemed determined to kill Tian Feng, and no matter how the officials and people outside the mansion shouted and pleaded, Yuan Shao remained unmoved.

Even more so.

The executioners pinned Tian Feng down at the gate of the mansion and were about to carry out the execution in front of all the officials and commoners!
The situation was urgent.

Liu Bei took out his bow and nocked an arrow, and shot the axeman in the right arm.

Then he shouted loudly, "Tian Feng is a loyal and brave man. How can he die because of the slander of a villain? I am Liu Bei, the Left General, and I have come here with Governor Yuan of Youzhou! If you believe me, you can wait for Governor Yuan and me to go inside and persuade him."

All the officials and common people were astonished.

Then Liu Bei strode forward, pointed his sword at another axeman, and shouted, "If Tian Feng is harmed before I come out, I will kill you!" The axeman was intimidated by Liu Bei's fierce aura, and seeing his companion clutching his hand and wailing, he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he said he dared not.

The disciples were also intimidated by Liu Bei, trembling and not daring to stop Liu Bei and Yuan Xi from entering.

They arrived at the mansion.

From afar, one could hear Yuan Shao roaring in anger: "They've rebelled! They've all rebelled! I killed Tian Feng because he was disrespectful. A bunch of lowly commoners dared to obstruct me!"

Then Feng Ji's voice was heard: "General, do not be angry. As long as you kill Tian Feng, you can make an example of him. Once the troublemakers have calmed down, the officials and people of Ye City will remember your benevolence."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Xi was furious: "It was Feng Ji who was stirring up trouble!"

Just as he was about to step forward, Liu Bei stopped him again.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei's voice rang out loudly from below the hall: "Liu Bei, General of the Left of Han, and Yuan, Governor of Youzhou, request an audience with the Grand General!"

Yuan Xi also shouted urgently, "Your subordinate Yuan Xi requests an audience with the General!"

The sounds in the hall abruptly ceased.

Yuan Shao exclaimed in surprise, "Why is Liu Bei here?"

Feng Ji then saw through the rhetoric: "They must have come to plead for Tian Feng! General, you can send Liu Bei away!"

Yuan Shao hesitated: "A few days ago, Liu Bei requested an audience, but I did not see him. Now that he has forced his way in, if I do not see him, trouble may arise. Now, all six counties of Youzhou have been pacified by Liu Bei. If Liu Bei leads the officials and people of Youzhou to respond to Cao Cao, I will be attacked from both sides."

Mind this.

Yuan Shao then ordered someone to summon Liu Bei and Yuan Xi inside.

Although Feng Ji was indignant, he could only obey Yuan Shao's decision and stand silently behind him to observe the changes.

Upon seeing Liu Bei, Yuan Shao put on a smile: "When did Xuande arrive in Ye City? Why didn't you send someone to inform me? I could have come out of the city to welcome you."

That's such a lie.

Liu Bei has been in Ye City for several days now; if Yuan Shao really wanted to see him, he would have done so long ago.

Seeing that Yuan Shao was feigning ignorance, Liu Bei did not expose him, but cupped his hands and said, "I have just arrived. I also heard that the General is recuperating in his residence, so I dared not disturb him."

Yuan Shao feigned a few coughs and said, "I just caught a cold, nothing serious. May I ask what brings you here today, Xuande?"

Liu Bei glanced at Feng Ji behind Yuan Shao and said directly, "I have come here specifically to persuade Tian Feng."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao frowned instantly: "Tian Feng clapped and laughed when he heard of my defeat. My killing of Tian Feng was an act of disrespect towards me. Why should Xuande plead for Tian Feng?"

Liu Bei said solemnly, "General, disaster is not far off. If you kill Tian Feng today, you will follow in Tian Feng's footsteps tomorrow."

Yuan Shao laughed dismissively: "Xuande is overthinking it. What harm could possibly befall me?"

Liu Bei continued, “I have heard that even the most skilled slanderer cannot conceal the beauty of Xi Shi of Yue, and even the most skilled beauty enthusiast cannot hide the ugliness of Wu Yan of Qi. The sun at its zenith begins to decline, and the full moon begins to wane; this is the natural order of things. Now, General, you have suffered a defeat at Guandu, and the officials and people of Ji Province are filled with resentment. You were unable to defeat Cao Cao to serve the Emperor, and you are unable to appease the people to quell their unrest. You are currently beset by internal and external troubles, and you are caught in a dilemma. If you suffer another defeat at Guandu, how will you face the people of the world?”

Liu Bei spoke in a heavy and sincere tone, aiming to persuade Yuan Shao to recognize the severity of the situation, face the enormous risks and hidden dangers he faced, and thus adopt a more cautious and pragmatic strategy.

In short: Stop suffering for the sake of saving face.

However, Liu Bei used the stories of Xi Shi and Wu Yan to illustrate that beautiful things cannot be permanently degraded and ugly things cannot be beautified for a long time, to emphasize the objective attributes of things. He also used the phrase "the sun at its zenith begins to decline, and the full moon begins to wane" to point out the universal law of the operation of the heavens: prosperity must eventually decline.

At the same time, it is accompanied by the defeat at Guandu and the complaints of officials and people, pointing out in a strong rhetorical question: If Yuan Shao were to suffer such a great defeat again, he would be disgraced and have no face to see anyone.

Compared to Tian Feng and Ju Shou's blunt and unforgiving approach to admonishing Yuan Shao, Liu Bei's advice today was more gentle and effective.

Upon hearing these words, the forced smile on Yuan Shao's face instantly froze.

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(End of this chapter)