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

Chapter 336 General Che must have his reasons!

Chenliu, Chefu.

Upon receiving Che Zhou's invitation to discuss the important matter of resisting Qi, Xuande, along with his sworn brother Zhang Fei and three hundred personal guards, attended the banquet.

Upon reaching the gate of the mansion, Xuande wanted to lead his personal guards inside, but the guards of the mansion stopped him.

"Lord Xuande, General Che has ordered that only you are invited to enter."

Xuande stopped and looked at the man with a surprised expression.

What does this mean?
I have always shared meals and drinks with my men. Now that I hear General Che is hosting a banquet, I am eager to bring my brothers to enjoy the delicacies and fine wine together, sharing both good fortune and hardship.

Why are you now blocking our way outside the mansion?
Could it be that General Che's residence cannot even afford three hundred sets of bowls and chopsticks? If that is the case, why not hold a banquet at the Bei residence and invite General Che over?

"Whether you bring five hundred or a thousand men, you are all welcome to drink and eat heartily together, so that we can unite as one and fight the false Qi together in the future."

Soldier: "."

Lord Xuande, why does it sound so heroic and righteous coming from your mouth, as if you're bringing your men along to freeload? Even I admire you and feel your righteousness is boundless!
Although the gatekeeper was moved by Liu Bei's words, he was still bound by his duty and could not simply let Liu Bei in.

He could only show a troubled expression and said, "Well then, Lord Xuande, please wait a moment while I go and ask General Che Zhou for instructions."

Xuande had no objection to this, and even encouraged the gatekeeper with a few words, such as: "Young brother, you have done your duty faithfully. With a young brother under my command, what more could I ask for?"

The young gatekeeper blushed and ran back to report.

In a secret room of the Che residence, Che Zhou and Shan Fu waited anxiously, secretly plotting and discussing their plans.

Upon hearing a report from a soldier that Liu Bei intended to share both good fortune and hardship with his subordinates, Che Zhou's face immediately darkened.

As the saying goes, "a guilty conscience needs no accuser." If it weren't for the Feast at Hongmen, Che Zhou would have seen Liu Bei as a hypocrite who was adept at winning people over, so he wouldn't have found it strange that Liu Bei would take such a step as to eat and drink with his soldiers.

But now that he has set up a trap for Liu Bei, how can he not be suspicious when he sees Liu Bei about to bring his troops in?

He hurriedly asked Shan Fu:
"Oh no, Mr. Shan, Liu Bei may have noticed something and become suspicious."

Did someone leak the information? Otherwise, why would they bring troops here?

But this matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me; so who could have leaked the news?

This matter was already part of Shan Fu's plan, so he remained calm and composed, and simply said something.

"not necessarily."

"Oh? Please teach me, sir."

"It is said that one should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others."

Liu Bei, a hero from humble beginnings, roamed the land for over a decade and earned a renowned reputation.

He killed him as an enemy, and Shao treated him as a friend. Cao Cao imprisoned him but did not kill him, regarding him as a hero. Lü Bu repeatedly called him a virtuous brother.

Having traveled far and wide, he knew countless heroes of the world and never died; in times of great calamity, he survived despite facing death nine times out of ten.

How could such a person be easily harmed?
General, you are a confidant of Cao Cao. Although Liu Bei follows Cao Cao, he harbors great ambitions and is unwilling to remain subservient to others for long. Now that you have suddenly invited him, how could he be completely unprepared?
If that were truly the case, Liu Bei wouldn't have needed to live until now; he would have died long ago during the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Upon hearing this, Che Zhou felt that Shan Fu's words made sense and hurriedly asked for his explanation.

"Since that's the case, what should we do now?"

If we allow him to bring his troops into the mansion, the banquet at Hongmen might turn into a dangerous affair.

"What's so difficult about this?"

Shan Fu chuckled lightly.

"Didn't the general suspect that Liu Bei had noticed something?"
Let's try it out now.

Since he wants to eat and drink with his soldiers, why shouldn't we give him that?

"Does the general's mansion lack three hundred sets of bowls and chopsticks?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Che Zhou's gaze turned suspicious again as he scrutinized him. "Does the gentleman mean to let Liu Bei bring his troops into the manor?"

Che Zhou wasn't stupid. To avoid suspicion, he only prepared five hundred axemen in his residence. If he really let Liu Bei bring three hundred men in, it would be uncertain who would kill whom at the Feast at Hongmen.

"General, you misunderstand!"

Throughout, Shan Fu remained calm and composed, appearing completely at ease. He simply replied indifferently.

"Now you can tell Liu Bei that your mansion is too small to accommodate three hundred banquets."

But since Lord Xuande thinks highly of me, General Che will naturally not be stingy.

We should set up tables and chairs outside the mansion, serving three hundred dishes, to entertain Xuande's men.

As for the banquet at the manor, it involves strategic secrets regarding resisting the puppet Qi state; it would be best to invite only Lord Xuande to attend.

Che Zhou was overjoyed upon hearing this and exclaimed, "Sir, you are truly talented!"

"These words left that hypocrite Liu Bei speechless."

If he dares not enter, or if he senses a trap, or if he suspects Zhou of having ulterior motives, then...

We can all cut our losses in time and make other plans.

If he is completely unaware and attends the banquet alone, he will be like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

By the time I kill him at the banquet, even if the three hundred men outside the mansion find out, it will be too late.

Without a leader, they only need to hold out for a short while, then mobilize a large army to annihilate them in an instant.

At this, Che Zhou's last remaining doubts about Shan Fu vanished.

This thing is designed to kill Liu Bei!

Forcing Liu Bei to enter the mansion alone for the banquet shows how intense his murderous intent is; he's even more afraid of failing to kill Liu Bei than he is of doing so himself!
As for whether Liu Bei was wary and dared not attend the banquet alone, even if the news did leak out, it would obviously have nothing to do with Mr. Shan.

Since the plan for the Feast at Hongmen was proposed by Mr. Shan, and now that Liu Bei is not coming, everyone has parted ways and nothing has happened.

So, what was the point of Mr. Shan's actions, which included offering the plan for the Feast at Hongmen and secretly relaying messages to Liu Bei?

Therefore, even if Liu Bei was aware of something and dared not enter the mansion, it certainly wasn't Mr. Shan who leaked it; it can only be said that:
[I don't know who leaked the information, ruining my grand plan with Mr. Shan!]

At the entrance of the Che Mansion.

Xuande had been waiting for a while. When he saw the gatekeeper return, he hurriedly stepped forward to greet him and inquire about the news.

The soldier dared not accept his courtesy, bowing his head and repeatedly saying he dared not, and hurriedly told Xuande everything that Che Zhou had instructed about the banquet outside the mansion.

Xuande had long conspired with Shan Fu, so how could he refuse now?

The gatekeeper said "Thank you for your hard work" and then turned to order everyone to wait outside the mansion, before stepping inside alone.

The soldier breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Lord Xuande was indeed as benevolent, approachable, and easy to talk to as the rumors suggested.

Looking up, he saw behind Liu Bei a burly man with a leopard's head, round eyes, a swallow's jaw, and a tiger's beard, about to follow Liu Bei inside, carrying an eighteen-foot-long spear.

If it's not Zhang Fei, then who is it?
The soldier was startled, and despite his panic, he still went forward to stop him.

"General, our General Che said that only Lord Xuande is invited to the banquet."

Furthermore, weapons are not permitted at banquets and feasts.

Zhang Fei glared at him coldly, his voice booming like thunder.

"What do you mean by 'General Che' or 'General Che'?"
My older brother and I are inseparable; though we are two people, we are practically one.

Not to mention when he, Che Zhou, held a banquet, even when Prime Minister Cao and my elder brother were drinking and feasting, I stood behind him with my spear, never retreating an inch.

"What? Does your General Che have more influence than Prime Minister Cao?"

The soldier was so frightened by his shout that he almost fell to the ground, and could only look to Xuande for help.

"Third brother, you mustn't be rude in someone else's home." Xuande first reprimanded Zhang Fei, then smiled gently at the soldier.

"Just as my third brother said, we brothers are very close and cannot bear to be apart for even a moment."

Previously at Prime Minister Cao's residence, the third brother also stood to the side with a spear in hand, keeping him company.

Regardless of who hosted the banquet, my brother and I were treated as one person, and we both attended together.

I know my brother is in a difficult situation, so I can only trouble you to make another trip and inform General Che to pass on the message.

This has always been the case; it's not just for him alone.

Seeing that Liu Bei was so understanding towards even a lowly gatekeeper, how could the gatekeeper not be moved?

He nodded slightly to Liu Bei and then went back to his residence to report.

The carriage residence, a dark room.

Then news came that Liu Bei was indeed willing to leave his personal guards outside the mansion, thus cutting off his own arm. How could Che Zhou not be overjoyed?

He gripped Shan Fu's hand tightly and exclaimed, "Brilliant plan!"

"With your advice and strategies, Liu Bei is sure to die without a burial place this time."

Shan Fu hurriedly advised him to calm down, saying, "The great undertaking is not yet accomplished. General, you must still be cautious. You cannot be halfway there after traveling a hundred miles!"

Che Zhou nodded, and just then someone reported that Zhang Fei was carrying a spear and insisted on following Liu Bei.

He couldn't help but frown slightly. "What do you mean, two brothers who are inseparable and practically one person?"
"Is Liu Bei playing a trick on me?"

He hurriedly asked Shan Fu, "Sir, what should we do? Has Liu Bei really discovered it?"

Dan Fu pretended to be deep in thought, waiting for Che Zhou to become anxious and press him repeatedly before speaking.

"I am new here and unaware of the inner workings of Luoyang. May I ask General Liu Xuande if there is any truth to your statement that Prime Minister Cao will host a banquet and Zhang Fei will also be present?"

"Not really."

Che Zhou recalled briefly, "When he was in Luoyang, Liu Bei was used to pleasing the Prime Minister with fruits and vegetables he had personally grown."

The Prime Minister often had him personally cook and prepare wine for banquets. He also greatly admired Zhang Fei and would often invite him to sit and drink with him.

Zhang Fei refused to sit, arguing that his elder brother was in front and he dared not sit, and instead stood beside Liu Bei.

The Prime Minister spoke to him several times, offering various rewards and incentives, but seeing that Zhang Fei remained unmoved, he let him be.

Shan Fu, who was in cahoots with Liu Bei, had anticipated that he would say such a thing, so he pretended to be enlightened.

"This is it!"
General, this is precisely because Liu Bei has ulterior motives. He has never regarded you as one of Cao Cao's men and is afraid of being harmed. Therefore, he needs Zhang Fei's protection at all times to feel at ease.

General, there's no need to worry. If he's so wary even in front of Chancellor Cao, how much more so towards you, General?

Che Zhou knew this was the truth, but thinking of Zhang Fei's martial prowess, he still felt a little uneasy.

"But what should we do now that things are like this?"

Shan Fu looked up at him strangely, "Zhang Fei is all alone. Even if we let him in to protect Liu Bei, what difference will it make?"
"The mansion has five hundred axemen, all elite troops. When the time comes, they will swarm in and, regardless of Zhang Fei or Liu Bei, turn them all into mincemeat. What is there to fear?"

Che Zhou felt somewhat embarrassed by Shan Fu's gaze, but for the sake of his own reputation, he hesitated to speak.

"Sir, you are new here and may not know anything."

Zhang Feiyong is exceptionally strong and extraordinary; letting him into the mansion would be disastrous.

Dan Fu's gaze toward him grew increasingly strange, as if he were surprised that someone who had prepared five hundred axemen would be afraid of just two people attending the banquet.

"General, you are overthinking it."

The hundred swordsmen and axemen are all equipped with crossbows. They only need the general to drink a wine signal to strike first!
At that time, a hail of arrows will be unleashed. Not to mention Zhang Fei, even Ji Ling and Lü Bu would perish here.

Instead, they continue to delay here, not even allowing Liu Bei to bring a single guard. Doesn't that make us look even more guilty?

If he becomes aware of this and refuses to attend the banquet at the mansion, even if I escape with my life today, I fear the consequences will be dire.

Che Zhou's face flushed under Shan Fu's gaze, but he also felt that Shan Fu's words made sense. Yes, no matter how brave Zhang Fei was, as long as he gave the signal first, he could strike first.

At that time, under the hail of arrows, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei would surely die, so what else was there to worry about?

Che Zhou agreed wholeheartedly and, following Shan Fu's advice, allowed Zhang Fei to enter the mansion with his spear.

Shortly after, in the banquet hall, Che Zhou arrived and took his seat. Shan Fu secretly placed hot wine in a wine vessel, while Xuan De arrived with Zhang Fei.

Che Zhou sat high in the main seat, coldly watching Liu Bei slowly approach, getting closer and closer.

He kept in mind Shan Fu's earnest instructions, knowing that he had to act first to avoid any unforeseen complications.

Without further ado, he took out a letter to Yuan Shikai and coldly rebuked him.

"Liu Xuande!"

Since things have come to this, I won't hide anything from you.

How dare you!
ah! ! ! "

[To betray one's lord and collude with Yuan Shikai is to be unworthy of being a member of the Han imperial family!]
Let's do it!!!

He intended to rebuke them in this way and then order his men to kill Liu Bei and Zhang Fei with a hail of arrows and knives.

Just as I was about to raise my cup to signal the drink, my hand touched the bronze vessel on the table, and it felt like touching a branding iron!
He cried out in pain from the heat, his fingers turning red. He lost his grip, and the only bronze vessel on the table fell to the ground.

Che Zhou: "."

Axeman: "."

At this moment, in the banquet hall, behind the screen, or in the side room, Shan Fu led five hundred axemen to hide on the side. Everyone was extremely tense, staring intently at Che Zhou, afraid of missing his every move.

According to prior instructions, as soon as Che Zhou was seen drinking as a signal, there was no need to hesitate; arrows were immediately fired from bows and arrows, and swords and axes were suddenly drawn to ensure that the two men would die without a burial place.

but
What is the current situation?
[General Che, you didn't specify what the command was when the cup was smashed as a signal.]

Since there was no prior notice, everyone couldn't help but turn their attention to General Che's newly arrived confidant and strategist: Shan Fu.

Facing the questioning gazes of the crowd, Shan Fu merely glanced at everyone, signaling them to remain calm and not to act rashly.

What's the rush!

Since General Che agreed to use drinking as a signal, how could he possibly forget it at the last minute or change the code on the spot?
Calm down, everyone!
General Che must have his reasons for doing this!

As subordinates, we should simply obey orders; are we supposed to question General Che's actions?

With just a glance, the others naturally couldn't fully grasp Shan Fu's meaning, but his calm and composed attitude, as if he could handle anything with ease, immediately put everyone at ease.

No wonder he can be a confidant and strategist; his calm and composed attitude in the face of a collapsing mountain is far beyond our reach.

However, while the executioners were still in shock and uncertainty over Che Zhou's smashing of the cup, they consulted Shan Fu.

At the banquet, Che Zhou, who had lost the initiative, saw Liu Bei also take out a letter to Yuan Shao and sneer at him.

"Che Zhou, how dare you betray your master and collude with Yuan? You are unworthy to be the Prime Minister's confidant!"
"Do it!!!"

Before Liu Bei could finish speaking, Zhang Fei had already made his move.

The banquet hall wasn't very big to begin with, and he leaped to Che Zhou's side in just a few steps.

Having just been burned by the wine vessel, Che Zhou was completely dazed and had no idea what was going on.
Moreover, with his martial prowess, how could he be a match for Zhang Fei? The eighteen-foot spear fell, leaving a transparent hole in his neck, and the corpse lay dead, bleeding profusely.

Axeman: "."

The hidden axemen turned their gazes toward Shan Fu again, their eyes filled with strange expressions.

General Che, you have your reasons.
Strategist, are we still going to stay calm?

(End of this chapter)