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

Chapter 142 Liu Bei's hoe was well wielded, Yuan Shao's petty tricks were all for naught (2 updates)
Seeing that Yuan Shao seemed to be swayed, Feng Ji felt a pang of panic. It was Feng Ji who had framed Tian Feng, and if Tian Feng didn't die, Feng Ji would be punished.

Mind this.

Feng Ji rebuked him sharply: "General Zuo's words are absurd! Our Hebei region has deep roots; how could it be overthrown in a single battle? The defeat at Guandu was nothing more than a minor ailment! General, you control four provinces, with a population of a million, and Yuan Shao's followers are spread throughout the land. You yourself are renowned throughout the land. Although Cao Cao was fortunate to win temporarily, his massacre of surrendered soldiers and his tyrannical nature have long since alienated the people of Hebei. With a shared hatred of the enemy, why shouldn't you, General, make a comeback and avenge your defeat? Yet General Zuo uses clever words and flattery to compare your temporary setback to the collapse of destiny. What are your intentions?"

"Tian Feng gloated and even mocked the General's defeat in public! If such an arrogant and rebellious person is not severely punished, how can we deter villains? How can we uphold military and national laws and regulations? The General's execution of disrespectful officials is precisely to rectify the situation and stabilize the morale of the army! Yet the Left General claims that 'disaster is not far off,' is this not alarmist talk?"

"Furthermore, General Zuo forcibly broke into the mansion today, openly protecting the traitor Tian Feng, and even gathered with those unruly people of Ye City to harass the General's mansion! Such behavior is already an overstepping of authority! General Zuo keeps saying he is worried about the safety of Ye City and the foundation of Hebei, but judging from General Zuo's actions, wouldn't it be easier to breed chaos and shake the foundation?"

"I've heard that General Zuo had quite a long-standing friendship with Cao Cao. What exactly is your intention in acting like this in Ye City? Could it be that you're trying to sow discord among our troops and the people on behalf of that traitor Cao who slaughtered the people of Hebei?"

When it comes to sowing discord and spreading rumors, Feng Ji can be considered one of the best.

His words, delivered with stern tone and exaggerated manner, coupled with his superb acting skills, successfully shifted the blame onto Liu Bei.

Yuan Shao, who had been wavering, became even more determined to kill Tian Feng after hearing Feng Ji's words.

Yuan Xi, who was traveling with him, was furious and shouted, "Feng Ji, how dare you spread slander and sow discord here?"

Feng Ji glanced at Yuan Xi and sneered, "Young Master Xi, you address me by my given name directly. Are you perhaps lacking in manners? As the son of the Grand General, you not only fail to fulfill your filial duties to the Grand General, but you also force your way into the mansion with the Left General. What are you trying to do? Could it be that you have become arrogant and conceited after gaining control of the six counties of Youzhou, and wish to emulate Young Master Tan in vying with Young Master Shang for the succession?"

Yuan Xi was greatly alarmed when his thoughts were exposed.

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

Liu Bei laughed loudly, "I have long heard of Feng Yuantu of Nanyang's eloquence and persuasive skills. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

Changing his tone, Liu Bei shouted sternly, "General, you are recuperating in your residence and unaware of what is happening outside your window. However, how could you, Feng Yuantu, not know what the scene is like inside and outside Ye City? You only see Tian Yuanhao's 'inappropriate words,' but you turn a deaf ear to the city in mourning and the grief of the people, and you turn a blind eye to the failure to defend the city gates and the despair of the soldiers!"

"The hearts of men are like mirrors; those who see them know themselves! Today, the officials and common people gather outside the government office to plead for mercy, not because they are traitors, but for justice! If the General insists on killing loyal and righteous men because of your slander, wouldn't that chill the hearts of the officials and common people of Hebei to the bone?! If Cao Cao's army arrives outside the city, who will be willing to fight to the death for the General?"

"As for that traitor Cao! I have long been irreconcilably opposed to him, our blood feud is irreconcilable, and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have followed me north to Zhuo County, all of which can serve as proof! Yet you use this to frame me, are you trying to sow discord, or do you want to put the General in a desperate situation of being betrayed and abandoned by everyone?! You ask me what my intentions are, but I want to ask you what your true intentions are?"

Liu Bei's words were impassioned and powerful, shattering Feng Ji's slander and once again shaking Yuan Shao.

Feng Ji had not expected Liu Bei's eloquence to be so sharp. His face turned pale and then red, and his lips trembled as he tried to say something, but he could not come up with any words to refute Liu Bei. In the end, he did not dare to speak again.

Yuan Xi, listening from the side, was filled with excitement, clenching his fists. Feng Ji's sarcastic remarks had made Yuan Xi so angry that he only wanted to use his fists and not reason. But Liu Bei's sharp rebuttal made Yuan Xi secretly exclaim, "That's great!"

Yuan Shao's expression also changed drastically. Seeing Feng Ji silenced by Liu Bei's arguments, he also felt ashamed. His tone was complicated and embarrassed: "What Xuande said is very good. It was my oversight."

Then, Yuan Shao sternly rebuked Feng Ji: "Because of you, I almost mistakenly killed a loyal and righteous man. Considering your merits over the past few days, I will not punish you today. If you commit this offense again, you will be punished without mercy!"

Feng Ji's face turned ashen, and he glared at Liu Bei with resentment, but dared not disobey in the slightest.

Yuan Shao then urgently ordered the release of Tian Feng.

Before long, cheers erupted outside the mansion. "We never expected that General Zuo would actually persuade the General!"

"If General Zuo had been at Guandu that day, there might not have been the defeat at Guandu."

"Stop talking nonsense! Do you intend to harm General Zuo?"

"Today, we have already violated a taboo by gathering in public to offer our advice. Now that Mr. Tian is safe and sound, we should disperse."

"."

At this moment, Tian Feng's expression was extremely complicated.

Tian Feng never expected that Liu Bei would be the one to save his life today!

Although it was Ju Shou who directly clashed with Liu Bei in Liyang, Tian Feng also supported Ju Shou's view that Liu Bei's entry into Hebei was treacherous and should not be ignored.

However, Yuan Shao not only refused to listen to advice, but also appointed Liu Bei as the governor of Zhuojun.

For ordinary people, Liu Bei's pacification of the six counties of Youzhou only evokes amazement and admiration. However, a strategist with the wisdom of Tian Feng could see the underlying logic: Liu Bei was not one to be subservient to others, and his current period of dormancy was merely a prelude to his future rise to power.

With a sigh, Tian Feng turned and left.

At this moment, Tian Feng had a similar mindset to Ju Shou: What are Liu Bei's intentions, and what does it have to do with me?

Inside the mansion.

Yuan Shao, however, put on a smile again and asked Liu Bei for a plan to avoid disaster: "As Xuande says, we have just suffered a defeat at Guandu with our isolated army, and the officials and people of Ji Province are complaining. Beset by external and internal troubles, we are in a dilemma. Where is my way out?"

Liu Bei glanced at Feng Ji, then remained silent.

Seeing this, Yuan Shao asked Feng Ji to leave for the time being, which made Feng Ji even angrier.

However, circumstances were beyond his control, and Feng Ji could only grit his teeth and leave in resentment.

After Feng Ji left, Liu Bei said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. General, you should not be discouraged by a temporary setback. Cao Cao is extremely skilled in military tactics and has many wise and resourceful men under his command. I predict that Cao Cao will definitely march north next spring. General, you need to make preparations as soon as possible."

Yuan Shao said indignantly, "Cao Cao is deceiving me after my recent defeat; he is truly hateful. I wonder if Xuande has any good plan to help me?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei said, "When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it. General, you can first comfort the families of the fallen soldiers, then cultivate land, repair armor, soothe the people, and train the troops. That will be enough to deal with the situation."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao sighed, a cunning glint in his eyes: "Most of our elite generals and soldiers were lost at Guandu. It will be truly difficult to resist Cao Cao's army. I have heard that Xuande has elite troops and fierce generals in Youzhou who are renowned among the Wuhuan. Could you perhaps transfer them to us?"

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(End of this chapter)