Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 213 Ji Ling: Danger!

Upon hearing Lü Bu's words, Liu Bei frowned slightly and chuckled.

"General Lü's kindness to me in the past is something I will never forget. I still remember the time when I shot the eagle at the gate in front of Ji Ling."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu feigned emotion, saying, "Since you and I are of one mind, and Yuan Shu is now powerful, having sent 100,000 troops to attack Jingzhou, this is a good opportunity for us to take advantage of the situation and advance into Yuzhou."

I have heard that the envoy sent by Liu Biao to seek help has entered Xiaopei. Why don't we invite him to meet us?
"How about we join forces and work together to achieve great things?"

Before Liu Bei could reply after he finished speaking, Mi Heng suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Lu Bu looked up at the sound and saw that he had never seen this person before at Liu Bei's residence. He asked him.

"Who are you? I was speaking with my brother, why did you laugh just now?"

Liu Bei quickly introduced him, "This is the envoy from Jingzhou that General Lü mentioned, Mr. Mi Heng."

Mr. Mi is a man of great talent and refined manners, known throughout the world.

He first went to Luoyang to meet Cao Cao, after which Cao Cao ordered him to bring an imperial edict to this place, intending to request that Liu Bei send troops to rescue Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke with a greater degree of politeness.

"It turns out it was you, sir. I was blind to your greatness, please don't be offended."

Since you arrived in Luoyang first, I wonder if you have been able to see the Emperor? Since we parted in Chang'an years ago, I have missed Your Majesty very much. I wonder how he is doing in Luoyang.

I wonder what kind of people are in Luoyang today, and how they differ from those when I visited it back then?

Mi Heng stroked his beard and smiled faintly, “I have never had the pleasure of seeing the Emperor. Only my eldest son, Cao Mengde, and my youngest son, Xun Wenruo, have been very respectful to me. Apart from these two, there is no one else in Luoyang.”

Lü Bu was startled by these words, and even more astonished by Mi Heng, asking him:

"I suppose you, sir, are so talented and arrogant that you cannot stand ordinary people. But do you know how the people of Luoyang compare to me?"

"The general, though possessing great strength and courage, is like a wolf with white eyes; I hate that he devoured his master."

In an instant, everyone present was astonished!

Lu Bu's previously ingratiating expression suddenly darkened, and the bronze jue in his hand was now deformed from being squeezed. He stared coldly at the person who had spoken.

"Sir, aren't you afraid that by spouting such nonsense and wild words, my brother and I will not send troops to rescue Jingzhou and Xiangyang, thus causing your lord Liu Biao to lose his life?"

“You are a treacherous and fickle man who is greedy for profit. Even if you want to save him, I'm afraid Liu Jingzhou wouldn’t dare to accept it.”

Facing Lü Bu's gloomy face, Mi Heng showed no fear, stood up resolutely, and spoke directly to him.

"First he served Ding Yuan, then he joined Dong Zhuo, and then he betrayed and killed him. What else could this be but a wolf with white eyes?"
You think you're worthy to discuss feelings with Lord Xuande?

In the past, when you were desperate and came to Xuzhou, it was Lord Xuande who took you in despite the criticism of others.

But what did you do?
Deeply grateful for their kindness, they did not think of repaying it, but instead used trickery and force to seize Xuzhou!

Lord Xuande is benevolent and righteous, and he will not stoop to your level, you fickle and petty person. Yet you still have no shame and dare to mention our past friendship.

"I have never seen such a disloyal, unjust, and shameless person as you!"

"An arrogant and despicable person!"
I was discussing with my worthy brother the matter of attacking Yuan Shu and rescuing your lord of Jingzhou, but instead of coming to discuss important matters, you're here rambling on and on with your silver tongue!
"You are sent on a diplomatic mission for someone else, yet you show no regard for the important matter at hand, only engaging in unreasonable arguments and spouting nonsense. Are you afraid that Liu Jingzhou will not lose territory or his life?"

As he spoke, Lü Bu suddenly stood up. "Keeping you here will only ruin the alliance's plans to send troops. It would be better to kill you and clean house for Liu Biao."

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei quickly stepped in between them, saying to Lü Bu:
"Fengxian, please calm down! Your husband is drunk and prone to rambling nonsense. Please don't take it seriously."

On the one hand, he quickly tried to dissuade Mi Heng, saying, "Mr. Mi, the matter of Xuzhou has nothing to do with General Lü. I feel that I am not talented and virtuous enough to hold such a high position, so I am willing to give it up."

General Lü tried several times to return it, but Bei refused, so the matter was dropped.

Lu Bu was still angry and wouldn't let it go. "Wine again? In the past, your third brother repeatedly insulted me, the slave of three surnames, and you always used wine as an excuse."

Now that this person has arrived, you still want to drink?

Liu Xuande, could it be that you've been using sweet words all this time, but in reality you're just as this fellow says, secretly resenting me for taking your Xuzhou, and have been trying to fool me all along?
If that's the case, then I, Lü, will return the seal of the Governor of Xuzhou to you!

"General Lü, please calm down and stop speaking in anger. I have no such intention."

Lu Bu was relentless in his demands, and Mi Heng was equally unforgiving, angrily rebuking him.

“Lord Xuande, since he gave it to you, it is yours to begin with, so why not accept it?”
Why bother putting up with and appeasing a fickle and capricious person?

Today, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both present, and Xiaopei has deployed a large army. Immediately order the soldiers to unleash a hail of arrows and kill this man here, to appease the world.

Afterwards, if our troops enter Xuzhou and seize all the prefectures, our great cause can be accomplished and the Han dynasty can be restored!

"Mr. Ne, please stop talking."

General Lü trusted Liu Bei, which is why he personally entered the city. If we use this opportunity to kill him and seize his territory, how can Liu Bei face the hearts of the people?

If the hearts of the people are lost, how can the Han dynasty prosper?

Liu Bei smiled wryly, caught between the two sides, trying to persuade him from both sides.

Lu Bu, enraged, laughed instead, "Liu Xuande, get out of my way!"

Did you deliberately take in such a madman to humiliate me?

If this man is not killed today, I fear I will be laughed at by the heroes of the world, and how will I stand in the world in the future?

"You make it sound like everyone in the world is laughing at you, Lü Bu, for being a slave to three masters."

Mi Heng pushed Liu Bei away, his neck stiff, "Come! Kill me! I'll stand right here today, waiting for you to kill me. See if I'll even flinch."

"Fine! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Lu Bu roared and was about to make a move when Liu Bei shouted angrily!

"enough!
The third brother took Mr. Mi away, and the second brother asked General Lü to leave the city, explaining that he had been impolite after drinking and it would be inconvenient to entertain guests today.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stepped forward upon receiving the order. Zhang Fei dragged Mi Heng away, and only his loud, playful laughter could be heard from afar.

“Mr. Ni, I, Lao Zhang, really misjudged you before. You are a man of great stature. I have wanted to scold him for saying these things for a long time.”

"Just keep shouting insults at him, and see what he can do in this small town of Pei."

Hearing these words only made Lü Bu's face darken further, but at this moment Guan Yu had already stood between him and Liu Bei, and the sound of armored soldiers gathering could be heard inside and outside the mansion.

Although Lü Bu was angry, he could not possibly turn against Liu Bei in Xiaopei City and turn against him for the sake of Mi Heng.

He finally swallowed his anger, the alliance with Liu Bei ended unhappily, and he left resentfully.

The night was cool and still. When Liu Bei arrived at Mi Heng's place, he found that Mi Heng and Zhang Fei were getting along well because of this incident, and they were drinking and chatting happily.

Liu Bei sighed with a wry smile and said to him:
"General Lü is a boorish man who doesn't care about fame. Why bother provoking him, sir?"

Liu Bei's meaning was clear: Lü Bu was different from Cao Cao and Liu Biao; he wouldn't care about the reputation of a famous scholar, and thus hesitated to kill him out of caution.

He finally understood why Liu Biao of Jingzhou would always send Mi Heng on diplomatic missions, deliberately using Cao Cao to kill him.

This person is indeed very talented, but keeping him around has too much of a negative impact. To put it nicely, he's just outspoken; to put it bluntly, isn't he just asking for trouble?

However, Mi Heng merely raised his drunken eyes, gave him a hazy glance, and uttered a single sentence that left Liu Bei speechless. "Didn't Lord Xuande say that he wanted to restore the Han Dynasty, but was hindered by limited territory and a small army?"
You just missed a golden opportunity to restore the Han Dynasty.

If Lü Bu were to kill me in the hall, he would surely lose the hearts of all the famous scholars in the land.

Therefore, if Lord Xuande were to kill him in the hall as well, it would be perfectly justified and reasonable for him to avenge Heng.

If we take Xuzhou, it will not damage Lord Xuande's reputation, and no one will criticize us for it.

If this is true, then the Han dynasty will be restored from obscurity, and Heng will be able to rest in peace with a smile in the netherworld.

This was the first strategy I devised for Lord Xuande when I saw Lü Bu completely unprepared, daring to bring a mere eight hundred men into the city for a banquet.

Liu Bei was stunned for a long time, almost in disbelief, and stepped forward to grasp his hand tightly.

"Why would you go to such lengths, sir? If you were to exchange your life for Xuzhou, what kind of person would you be?"
"I will absolutely not do this!"

Mi Heng sighed softly, "It was precisely because I knew that Xuande Guild was thinking this way that I dared not speak out before."

I give up this life not for Xuzhou, nor for you, Liu Bei, but to restore the Han Dynasty!

In the past, when Dong Zhuo was in power, Wu Fu assassinated him and died, and countless Han officials died for their principles.

At that time, Li and Guo caused great chaos in Chang'an, and most officials avoided the soldiers. Only Zhong Fu drew his sword and went out, shouting:
[A minister of state who fails to stop violence and eliminate tyranny, allowing villains to turn their weapons against the palace—where can he go from here!]

He then fought and died in battle with the mutinous soldiers.

Ju Jun, the Colonel of the Archers, was wounded and fell from his horse in the chaos of battle. Li Jue personally dismounted and inquired about his condition:
[Would you like to live?]

Ju Jun loudly cursed the thief:

【You are all wicked and rebellious, forcing the emperor; there is no other treacherous minister or traitor like you!】

He was subsequently killed by Li Jue.

Eight years have passed since the late emperor's death, yet our great Han Dynasty still has virtuous and righteous people who follow one after another, risking their lives.

"Now, if I can help Lord Xuande reclaim Xuzhou and give the Han Dynasty a chance to revive, what is there to fear in sacrificing my life?"

Liu Bei was moved and sat down opposite Mi Heng, wiping away his tears.

"Sir, you are truly righteous!"
However, our Han Dynasty has been in decline until now, and it is precisely because of righteous people like you, sir, who have died for justice one after another that villains have come to power and treacherous officials have spread everywhere.

I urge you, sir, to take good care of yourself and not let yourself be burdened with the task of restoring the Han dynasty, thus allowing the great path to be followed alone.

That night, the two found common ground and talked by candlelight.

From then on, Liu Bei was delighted to have found a wise and capable person, and Mi Heng was also gratified to have finally found a wise ruler to restore the Han Dynasty.

However, the peace was short-lived, as news from Jingzhou soon disrupted the tranquility of the area.

"what?
Yuan Shu decisively defeated Huang Zhong in Changsha, and Huang Zhong surrendered. The counties of Changsha surrendered without resistance.

He decisively defeated Xing Daorong at Lingling, and Xing Daorong, the general of Lingling, surrendered. The counties of Lingling were pacified by issuing proclamations.

"Now, Liu Bei's 70,000-strong army in Jingzhou is almost completely wiped out, Yuan Shu is pointing his sword at Guiyang, and the people of the nine commanderies of Jingzhou and Xiangyang are restless and yearning for change. This is truly a critical moment of survival."

Liu Bei read the military report aloud in disbelief, a sight that even Mi Heng from Jingzhou found hard to comprehend.

"impossible!

How could this be? Liu Bei, the governor of Jingzhou, went to great lengths to gather an army of 100,000 and made preparations in advance, all to keep Yuan Shu out of Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

Huang Zhong, a loyal and brave man, and Xing Daorong, known as the top general of Jingzhou, why would they surrender?

Seventy thousand troops! That's seventy thousand troops! And in just one night, almost the entire army was wiped out? Are all the talented people of Jingzhou pigs and dogs?

Kuai Yue! Cai Mao! A bunch of good-for-nothing worms! When I was in Xiangyang, I saw them acting all high and mighty, offering advice and strategies to Liu Biao, boasting that they were fearless against Yuan Shu. Now, it all seems utterly laughable!

Faced with Mi Heng's angry rebuke, Liu Bei had no choice but to accept the reality and said it with a wry smile.

"Mr. Ni has never fought against Yuan Gonglu, so he doesn't know how formidable he is."

Back in the State of Chen, Liu Bei believed that with tens of thousands of elite troops from Danyang, he could dominate the world. He also boasted that he could keep Liu Bei out of Yu Province. Now, you have seen the result.

Even with a massive army of 130,000 coming south to reinforce Liang, they were still no match for him.

It is evident that Yuan Gonglu's military tactics and battles cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

Now that Changsha and Lingling have fallen, Yuan Shu's army is advancing on Guiyang, and Liu Bei's Jingzhou is in imminent danger. What advice do you have for me now?

Mi Heng sighed deeply, "I originally thought that Liu Jingsheng had been in power in Jingzhou for many years, and that the people were rich and the army was strong. Even if he could not win, he could hold out against Yuan Shu. Therefore, I did not care about asking for help."

Unexpectedly, despite their great reputation, the people of Jingzhou were all mediocre and incompetent, and in such a short time, the situation had deteriorated to this extent.

At this critical moment, we must absolutely not allow Yuan Shu to seize all of Jingzhou; otherwise, with him holding sway over the southeast, no one in the world can rival him.

As Mi Heng spoke, he bowed deeply to Liu Bei.

"The only solution now is to ask Lord Xuande to send troops to help us. If we can break through Chen's defense line and reach Huainan, we may be able to force Yuan Shu's army to return to reinforce."

Given the current situation, Liu Bei naturally understood the gravity of the situation and had no reason to refuse.

The current situation is different from the previous one, when Liu Biao was able to hold off Yuan Shu.

In order to prevent the enemy from taking over Jingzhou and Xiangyang and becoming too powerful to control, Liu Bei, despite having few soldiers and generals, had no choice but to give it his all and try his best.

Mi Heng nodded slightly and continued, "To accomplish this, relying solely on Xuande Gong's Pei Kingdom is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Who could have predicted things would turn out this way? Lord Xuande, in this situation, the only way for us to accomplish this is to ask Lü Bu to join forces with us to attack Yuan Shao."

"General Lü?"

When Lü Bu was mentioned, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel embarrassed. After all, not long ago, Lü Bu had taken the initiative to form an alliance to attack Yuan Shao, but he had been scolded back by Mi Heng. Now, however, Lü Bu was asking him for help.
Both men looked embarrassed when, just then, a messenger came to report.

"Lord Xuande, a letter has arrived from Chen Gong, the strategist under Lü Bu."

Liu Bei opened it and looked at it, his face lit up with joy, and he said to Mi Heng:
"Gongtai is a reasonable man. He has agreed to persuade General Lü to let me immediately muster the troops and prepare to jointly attack Yuan Shikai in order to uphold justice for the world!"

Mi Heng nodded and said, "Good!"

A few days later, Lü Bu and Liu Bei responded to Cao Cao's imperial edict, forming an alliance to attack Yuan Shao and relieve the siege of Wei in order to aid Liu Biao in Jingzhou.

However, due to the rift that occurred at the previous banquet, a rift eventually developed between the two allies.

They did not join forces closely, but instead split into two groups.

Liu Bei led 30,000 troops to attack Chen County, while Lü Bu led 50,000 troops to attack Changping.

At this moment, Ji Ling in the State of Chen was shocked to hear this news. How could he not be flustered?

Despite being hailed as an unparalleled general and appearing incredibly powerful, when it comes to true skill, he couldn't defeat any of the likes of Lü Bu, Guan Yu, or Zhang Fei.

Now, with old grudges and grievances, all of them combined with an army of 80,000 to attack him alone, while the Chen Kingdom only has 30,000 troops to defend, leaving him with a truly unspeakable predicament.

(End of this chapter)