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

Chapter 243 Liu Bei and Ma Chao reminisce on the battlefield; Zhong Yao feels tricked (5th update)
Inside Pishi City.

Zhong Yao had a terrible headache.

Just as I learned from Fu Gan that Ma Chao had accepted Shu brocade from Liu Bei and that there was a suspicious person named Sun Zi, a scout came to report that Ma Chao had raided the camp.

You told me one minute that sending troops ahead of schedule would make Liu Bei think you were untrustworthy, and the next minute you went to raid Liu Bei's camp. Why don't you admit that you are fickle?

"What do you two think?"

Zhong Yao looked up at Zhang Ji and Fu Gan.

"Highly suspicious!"

Zhang Ji and Fu Gan spoke in unison.

Although both Zhang Ji and Fu Gan found it suspicious, they couldn't figure out what was so suspicious about it.

Seeing that it was late at night, Zhang Ji advised Zhong Yao to get some sleep and rest up, and to discuss the matter again the next day after Ma Chao's report on the raid on the camp was delivered to the city.

Zhong Yao sighed and rubbed his aching temples.

Since Liu Bei's arrival, Zhong Yao felt that everything was going wrong.

"I wonder if Sikong has received my battle report yet. Guo Yuan and Deng Sheng should be arriving in Hebei soon." Zhong Yao secretly calculated the time and told Zhang Ji and Fu Gan to find a bed in the county office to rest, so that the two wouldn't be absent after Ma Chao's battle report arrived.

Zhong Yao was awakened by a scout's report less than an hour after he had slept.

"Ma Chao's raid on the camp failed, and Yang Qiu was also killed?" Zhong Yao exclaimed in shock.

Subconsciously, Zhong Yao thought of Yang Qiu's secret report to Fu Gan and hurriedly urged Zhang Ji and Fu Gan to come inside to discuss it.

Upon learning that Yang Qiu had been stabbed off his horse by Zhang Fei and his fate was unknown, Fu Gan was also shocked: "Could this be Ma Chao's scheme to kill someone with a borrowed knife? Has Ma Chao really colluded with Liu Bei?"

Zhang Ji carefully examined the battle report, a look of doubt on his face: "That's not right. How could Ma Chao know that Yang Qiu had secretly informed him of everything? He couldn't have overheard it in front of the two of you, could he?"

Fu Gan was also puzzled: "When I was whispering with Yang Qiu, Pang De was far away, and Ma Chao's strategist was not in the tent either; apart from Pang De's personal guards moving around and carrying wine, no one came close, and it was impossible for a few soldiers to come specifically to listen to my whispering with Yang Qiu."

Zhang Ji's suspicions deepened: "If no one was eavesdropping, would Yang Qiu have willingly betrayed us? Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Ma Chao may have originally intended to raid the camp, or perhaps he didn't have this idea at first, but suddenly it came to him."

“What De Rong said makes sense.” Zhong Yao slowly said, “When I was drinking with Ma Chao, Pang De suddenly rushed through the city gate claiming that he had urgent military information and had to enter the city. This should be related to the raid on the camp.”

Fu Gan sighed, "If that's really the case, then Yang Qiu is truly wronged. I thought I could use Yang Qiu to counterbalance Ma Chao, but I never expected Yang Qiu to be so unlucky."

Zhang Jize said, "If there is no Yang Qiu, there is still Yan Xing. Last night, Yan Xing clearly stated that he would fully support Cao Sikong, only asking that Cao Sikong treat his parents, who are being held hostage in Xuchang, well. After we repel Liu Bei's troops this time, we can increase our support for Yan Xing. First, let Yan Xing replace Han Sui, and then let Yan Xing take charge of Chang'an and join forces with Wei Kang, the governor of Liangzhou. This will be enough to keep Guanzhong stable."

There was a pause.

Zhang Ji then said, "Ma Chao has just suffered a defeat. We can send an envoy to appease him, so as not to make Ma Chao suspicious."

Zhong Yao nodded: "Then we will follow De Rong's plan!"

After sending out the envoy, Zhong Yao was so tired that he fell into a deep sleep.

When Zhong Yao was awakened again, it was already noon. The reason for waking Zhong Yao was that Liu Bei was leading his army to attack Ma Chao's camp.

Zhong Yao was so startled that he was wide awake. He quickly spurred his horse out of the mansion and went straight to the east gate. He strode up the city wall and looked out at Ma Chao's camp gate.

Ma Chao's camp was built one li away from Pishi City, and the weather was clear today, so standing on the city wall, one could see the troops in front of Ma Chao's camp gate.

What I saw was that the two sides had not started fighting, but only two people on horseback in the middle of the field, talking less than ten meters apart.

"I just sent men to investigate. The one on the left is Ma Chao, and the one on the right is Liu Bei. Neither of them is wearing armor or carrying any weapons," Zhang Ji reported to Zhong Yao.

Zhong Yao's eyes darkened: "How long has it been?"

Without hesitation, Zhang replied, "About fifteen minutes."

"It's been a quarter of an hour already?" Zhong Yao frowned.

The two sides met in civilian clothes in front of their respective battlefields and chatted for a quarter of an hour without stopping, which seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

Fu Gan added, "Within that fifteen minutes, Ma Chao laughed five times and Liu Bei laughed six times. They seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation."

After a pause, Fu Gan speculated, "I think our previous assumptions might be wrong. Ma Chao not only colluded with Liu Bei, but last night's raid on the camp was also a deliberate act to show the Commandant of the Capital Region."

While we were chatting.

Then another person came out from Liu Bei's side, seemingly bound, but after a while, the bound person was taken back to Liu Bei's main camp.

Then Liu Bei and Ma Chao clasped their hands in a salute and rode back to their own camp. Afterwards, Liu Bei even led his troops back to the camp.

"I will go out of the city immediately to inquire." Seeing that Zhong Yao's face was getting more and more gloomy, Zhang Ji was not comfortable letting his men go to investigate, so he went himself.

After a long time, Zhang Ji returned with a frown, bringing back a summary of the conversation between Ma Chao and Liu Bei: Liu Bei rebuked Ma Chao for breaking his promise on the battlefield. Ma Chao initially denied it, but after seeing Yang Qiu who had been captured alive, he claimed that all's fair in war. Liu Bei then left in a huff.

"Is that really all there is to it?" Zhong Yao and Fu Gan both disbelieved it.

Did he specifically go to the gate of Ma Chao's camp just to rebuke Ma Chao for breaking his promise?
Zhang Ji nodded solemnly and said, "Yan Xing was also on the front lines at the time and confirmed it. Apart from that, Ma Chao and Liu Bei also talked about the old story of the duel between generals a couple of days ago."

"Furthermore," Zhang Ji said, his tone now tinged with doubt, "on my way back, I reflected on what Liu Bei had done during his time in Hedong, and it struck me as odd. Given Liu Bei's military prowess and the bravery of his generals and soldiers, I wouldn't be surprised if he had even reached Tongguan. Yet it's been almost a month, and Liu Bei is still staying by the Fen River, as if he has never considered taking over Hedong entirely."

"After Liu Bei arrived, he first stopped Guo Yuan from attacking Jiangyi, then sent back the Huchuquan tribe, and then had the powerful families of Jiangyi distribute money and grain to the poor officials and people. He then established military farms in Jiangyi. After that, he sent Xia Zhao and Deng Sheng with four thousand troops to their deaths. Given the situation at the time, Liu Bei only needed to send more troops to seize Pishi City. However, Liu Bei deliberately waited for Ma Chao to arrive and challenged him to a duel. The duel was only a battle of generals, and after the battle of generals, it was a battle of wits."

"If Ma Chao hadn't launched a surprise attack on the camp last night, Liu Bei didn't seem to have any intention of fighting Ma Chao. Even after the attack, he only chatted with Ma Chao today, verbally condemned him, and then led his troops back to camp. Is it possible that Liu Bei didn't actually want to fight for Yuan Shao, but just wanted to delay the time in the Fen River area, and then lead his troops back when the time came?"

Zhang Ji's analysis left Fu Gan speechless: "If De Rong's guess is true, why would Yuan Shao have spared Liu Bei?"

"Although Liu Bei is stalling for time, he has suppressed us and Ma Chao, and even captured Yang Qiu." Zhang Ji sneered, "What reason does Yuan Shao have to blame Liu Bei? Or is Liu Bei deliberately waiting for Yuan Shao to question him?"

Zhang Ji's conjecture horrified Zhong Yao: if Liu Bei's guess was indeed true, then wouldn't my deliberate release of Guo Yuan and Deng Sheng to sow discord be tantamount to...
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(End of this chapter)