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

Chapter 337: If we do not avenge this wrong, we have not lived as human beings; now we will overthrow the false Qi and inform the spirits of the heroes!
General Che, you have your reasons.
Facing the gazes of the crowd asking whether they should take action immediately, Shan Fu seemed to be stimulated by Che Zhou's death.

"Liu Xuande, how dare you harm my general!"

He flew into a rage and, seemingly on impulse, immediately led a group of swordsmen and axemen to charge forward.

Looking at the group of axemen and strategist Shan Fu who had surrounded Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.

The archers: "."

No, if you want revenge, you should shout for arrows to be fired. What's the point of surrounding people?

So here's the problem: now that General Che Zhou is dead, what if we shoot arrows and kill the strategist, Liu Bei, and the others as well?
We're just a few lowly archers!

General Che Zhou, Military Advisor Shan Fu, you don't expect us to hold off Lü Bu after the entire command is wiped out, do you?
Just as the archers were caught in a dilemma by Shan Fu, who suddenly rushed out to avenge Che Zhou, they were caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure whether to act or not.

Dan Fu had already led a group of axemen to attack Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, his voice filled with uncontrollable rage.

"Liu Xuande, you falsely claim to be benevolent and righteous. My general kindly invited you to a banquet, and even held a banquet outside the mansion for your personal guards to eat."

Not only did you not appreciate it, but you also tried to assassinate my general without saying a word.

This is absolutely outrageous!

After saying this, he was about to order his men to take action, but Liu Bei remained calm and spoke indifferently.

"We received news that General Che Zhou had colluded with Yuan Shikai and set up this Hongmen Banquet specifically to kill me, so as to achieve a great feat and gain the position of Star Lord from the false Han."

Now, seeing the executioners here, it was just as I expected.

As he spoke, he hurriedly tried to persuade the axemen around him:

"Fellow soldiers, I am a member of the Han imperial family and the current imperial uncle. I have been ordered by the Emperor to enter Yan and block the attack of the puppet Qi state!"
Che Zhou's collusion with Yuan Shikai deserves no regrets even in death, but do you all intend to follow suit and associate with this traitor, showing no sign of repentance?

"This"

Seeing that Che Zhou was dead, and hearing Liu Bei's righteous words about eliminating traitors for the country, the generals hesitated slightly and looked at Shan Fu again.

Dan Fu's face turned red with anger, and he pointed at Liu Bei, rebuking him.

"You scoundrel, how dare you slander me!"

It is clear that you harbored ties with Yuan Shikai, which General Che discovered, hence this banquet was arranged to rid the country of a traitor!
The truth is plain for all to see; how dare you distort the facts and cry wolf!

Liu Bei simply took out the letter from Che Zhou to Yuan and showed it to everyone.

"Che Zhou's letter to Yuan is here. What else do you have to say?"

Dan Fu, not to be outdone, took the letter from Liu Bei to Yuan Shao from Che Zhou's corpse and displayed it to everyone as well.

"Your correspondence with Yuan is also here, in black and white, Liu Xuande, what do you have to say about it?"

In an instant, the two held their respective letters and their own words, creating a subtle confrontation.

The axemen around them had some doubts because Shan Fu had talked for so long but hadn't told them to kill Liu Bei immediately.

Seeing this scene, even they could guess that there must be a hidden story behind it. The truth of the matter is probably terrifying to think about, and it will make people feel scared and terrified.

Immediately, everyone's doubts about Shan Fu disappeared, and they thought to themselves: As expected of the strategist, he must have guessed that there might be something hidden here when he heard that Liu Bei killed General Che Zhou under the pretext of colluding with Yuan.

Therefore, although he was extremely shocked and angry at the death of General Che Zhou, he was still able to force himself to calm down and did not immediately order Liu Bei to be shot. Instead, he led everyone forward to confront him.

The strategist must have foreseen this scene. He intends to find the mastermind behind it all and use the life of the real culprit to avenge General Che Zhou!

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Liu Bei and Shan Fu had exchanged their "letters to Yuan Shikai," and almost simultaneously exclaimed in surprise:
"This was definitely not written by Liu Bei!" / "General Che Zhou has never written such a letter!"

Not only did they verbally deny it, but the two of them also took the letters and pointed out the falsehoods in them, providing reasoned and evidence-based analysis that the two letters were forged by villains, and even circulated them to the people around them.

These two letters to Yuan Shikai were forgeries; how could they withstand scrutiny?
Just as everyone was captivated by their step-by-step analysis and reasoning, Shan Fu finally let out a mournful cry, revealing his conclusion.

"Yuan Gonglu, how dare you plot against General Che! I, Shan Fu, will never forgive you! If I break this oath, I, Shan Fu, am willing to be pierced through the heart by ten thousand arrows!"

He was both angry and resentful, and he explained the whole story to everyone.

"Why did two letters to Yuan appear just as we arrived in Yanzhou?"

If we and Lord Xuande fight amongst ourselves, who will benefit the most?
This must be a conspiracy by Yuan Gonglu!
Their aim was to prevent us from rushing to Yanzhou's aid, causing us to fall into internal strife and become unable to resist the advance of the puppet Qi army.

So that Lü Bu, the sharpest sword in Yuan Shao's hands, could penetrate deep into Luoyang, bringing disaster upon the emperor and plunging the court into turmoil.

Liu Bei also seemed to realize something, and immediately knelt on the ground, embracing Che Zhou's body and weeping.

"Brother Che Zhou!"
I deeply regret that I wrongly killed a righteous man!

As he spoke, he held Che Zhou's body tightly in his arms, facing Shan Fu, and burst into tears.

"Being foolish and lacking in strategy, I fell into Yuan Gonglu's trap. For a mere letter, I lost a righteous man who resisted Yuan. Even if I die ten thousand times, I cannot escape my guilt."

I have wrongly killed Che Zhou's brothers; I am willing to pay for it with my life.

"Liu Bei's head is here; Mr. Shan may take it as he sees fit. I only hope you will carry on Brother Che's legacy, prioritizing resistance against Yuan Shikai, and not fail the Emperor's expectations."

Zhang Fei was also saddened and cried out, "Brother!" He quickly tried to pull Liu Bei up and wept.

"We swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, not seeking to be born on the same day, month, and year, but seeking to die on the same day, month, and year."

"If Mr. Shan intends to kill my elder brother today, then kill me as well."

How could the people around not be moved by such a tearful performance?

Dan Fu also pretended to have tears in his eyes and hurriedly stepped forward to help Liu Bei up.

"Since this is Yuan Gonglu's scheme, if I kill you now, wouldn't it cause pain to my loved ones and joy to my enemies?"

Lord Xuande, please don't do that. Yuan Gonglu's schemes and treachery have shaken the entire land, causing fear among the feudal lords. He can even stop a child from crying at night.

As the mastermind behind the overthrow of the Han Dynasty, his schemes were the most unpredictable and subtle, making us deeply entangled in his plot without our knowledge.

When the letter from Tong Yuan appeared, General Che also believed it to be true and set up a trap to kill him. How much more so would he want to kill Lord Xuande?
Rather than sacrificing a head and allowing Yuan Gonglu's scheme to succeed, Lord Xuande should save his life to avenge General Che.

The puppet Qi army is imminent. Whether they can stop Lü Bu, save the capital from collapse, rescue the emperor from danger, and thwart Yuan Shao's grand plan to send Lü Bu to launch a surprise attack on Luoyang, depends entirely on Lord Xuande!

Unable to shed tears, Xuande could only hold tightly to Che Zhou's unseeing corpse and wail incoherently.

Axeman: "."

The surrounding axemen were stunned and bewildered at the sight.

No, this
General Che is dead, and the strategist has reconciled with Liu Bei. It was all a misunderstanding.
It turns out that General Che ordered us to ambush Liu Bei because he suspected him of colluding with Yuan Shu. But now the truth has been revealed, and it turns out that it was all a conspiracy by Yuan Shu.
Since Liu Bei did not ally with Yuan Shu, and General Che fell for Yuan Shu's treacherous scheme, is it still necessary for us to continue ambushing him?

The strategist has reached a consensus with Liu Bei. The two clasped hands tightly and decided to join forces to thwart Yuan Shu's grand plan and avenge General Che!
So, are we going to fight or not?
Axeman: "–_–!" (Scratching his head!)

Damn it! It's all Yuan Shu's fault!
How could Yuan Gonglu be so evil? If it weren't for him, General Che wouldn't have died an innocent and tragic death, and we brothers wouldn't be standing here awkwardly at a loss.

Among the executioners, some grieved for Che Zhou, some were at a loss, and some were moved by Liu Bei's genuine tears.

Besides Liu Bei's men, there were also those who harbored ill intentions and wanted to harm him.

However, they had barely made a move when Zhang Fei noticed them, and his voice was like thunder.

"You traitor Yuan, how dare you?"
General Che has already been harmed by your schemes, and now you still want to hurt my elder brother?
"You're courting death!" As soon as the words fell, a ten-foot-long spear swept through the crowd, chilling them to the bone, and they dared not make any further moves.

Good, good, good! Now that we've made our move, we'll immediately label them traitors who colluded with Yuan Shikai!

You must know that in the Luoyang court, according to Cao Cao's decree, anyone who colluded with or surrendered to Yuan Shao would have their entire family executed. How could people not be terrified?

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the hall, and a person led the way and called out to them.

"General Mi, this way."

The shouts of battle just now came from this place. A righteous man like Lord Xuande must not be harmed by treacherous people.

Upon hearing the sound, everyone looked over and saw that Mi Fang, along with the three hundred personal guards that Liu Bei had left outside the mansion, had rushed over to provide support. The person leading the way was none other than the gatekeeper from before.
With Liu Bei's reinforcements arriving, the situation on the field was completely under control, and no one dared to make any rash moves.

The following day, Xuande led his army to the Western Garden and, under the clear sky, exposed Yuan Shu's treacherous plot and sinister intentions.

Upon hearing this, all the generals were filled with indignation!
Yuan Gonglu is unjustly called the King of Han; how could he be such a wicked person?

Following Shan Fu's advice, Xuande ordered his chariot and armor to be placed in a luxurious coffin, and personally carried the coffin to the battlefield to demonstrate his resolve. He swore an oath in blood, saying:

"To not avenge this wrong is to have lived a life in vain; now I will overthrow the false Qi and report to the spirits of the fallen heroes!"

The three armies shouted in unison:
"revenge!
revenge! !
revenge!!!"

His voice resounded in the heavens!

In Puyang, Lü Bu, who was leading a large army to attack Dongjun, saw that Prefect Wang Yi was already at his last gasp and that the fall of Puyang was imminent.

They were shocked to see Liu Bei carrying a coffin, leading such a murderous army, shouting for revenge, and rushing towards their side.

Even he was shocked and wondered if he had done anything that would anger heaven and man recently.

Why is it that one minute it's the King of Han, the next it's Liu Bei, and they're all coming to seek revenge on me?
Bu Xunsi didn't kill your adopted son, did he? What grudge do you, Liu Bei, have against me? It can't be the hatred from when you took Xuzhou back then, can it?

What are those old, forgotten stories?

I admit that I was wrong in that matter, but putting aside the facts, Xuzhou is no longer in my hands. Even if you seek revenge, I have nothing to return to you.

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Lü Bu hurriedly urged his Red Hare to step forward and ask the question.

"My dear brother, how have you been?"

Why is there such intense murderous intent after such a long separation?
If it concerns matters of Yanzhou, why don't we sit down and discuss them in detail?
With the King of Han's army behind us, why rush things?

When Lü Bu saw Liu Bei leading his army to aid Yanzhou, he was unwilling to fight him. After all, others might not know, but he himself did.

The claim that Han state was a vassal state ordered to conquer Yan is nothing but a blatant attempt to intimidate others.

Now that the King of Han is right behind him, Lü Bu is afraid that after conquering Xuzhou, he will not be satisfied and will chase after him.

If Yanzhou remains as powerless as before, then we may as well fight.

Now that Liu Bei, a tough nut to crack, has arrived, Lü Bu still wants to prioritize preserving his strength. After all, if the King of Han really comes to pursue them, his tiger skin will be exposed, and he might have to join forces with Liu Bei to resist the Han army.

But how could Liu Bei know what he was thinking?

The reason why Liu Bei was able to win over Che Zhou's army in such a short time was because he was motivated by revenge. Now that he saw Lu Bu, Yuan Shu's lackey, with both old and new grudges against him, why would he waste words with him?
Zhang Fei roared, "You thrice-surname traitor, come and fight me for three hundred rounds!"

Immediately, the three armies pressed forward, and the entire army seeking revenge pressed down on Lü Bu in an instant.

Lu Bu cursed under his breath, "You bastard!" but had no choice but to lead his troops to meet them.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, Liu Bei's army was seen forming a battle formation under the guidance of a scholar wearing a turban.

The generals lined up and arranged the eight gates: Rest, Life, Wound, Block, View, Death, Shock, and Open. The eight gates circulated continuously, and the Qi army that entered them either died or were wounded.

Upon seeing this, Chen Gong was greatly alarmed and hurriedly ordered the retreat. Liu Bei, having come from afar, did not pursue the Qi army when he heard them sound the retreat.

He led his troops to join forces with Wang Yi, the governor of Dongjun who had been rescued, and entered Puyang City to rest and recuperate.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu and Zhang Fei were locked in a fierce battle on the battlefield, fighting for over a hundred rounds. Lü Bu beat the black-faced fellow until he was cursing repeatedly, and he still wanted to continue to wear him down before looking for an opportunity to kill him.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of gongs from his own army. Lü Bu frowned and hurriedly urged Red Hare to leave.

Zhang Fei laughed when he saw this, "You thrice-surname traitor, you've only fought for a hundred rounds, why did you run away when you saw me?"
"If you leave now, tomorrow I will proclaim to the world that I, Zhang Yide of Yan, defeated Lü Bu in a hundred battles, and am now the second greatest warrior in the world!"

"You arrogant bastard!"

Lu Bu was so angry that his face turned red. He wanted to turn back and fight again, but when he saw his own army sounding the retreat signal, which became more and more urgent, and the army was all lined up and retreating under Chen Gong's command, he finally suppressed his anger.

Before he could return to camp and see Chen Gong, Lü Bu rebuked him.

"I am leading the army to fight to the death against the enemy, why does the strategist sound the retreat?"

"Your Majesty is unaware of this."

Liu Bei had a highly capable advisor in his camp.

"Expert?"

"General, you are unfamiliar with the formation. Today, Liu Bei's army has deployed the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation."

The Eight Gates are a cycle of life and death; those who enter them first lose their way, then their comrades, and are then attacked separately, suffering either death or serious injury.

Chen Gong hurriedly explained the power of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation to Lü Bu.

Lu Bu was completely confused, only knowing that it sounded very impressive. After pondering for a long time, as if he had come up with an idea, he asked a question.

"Sir, are you capable of breaking this?"

Chen Gong: "."

"If it is an ordinary Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, which lacks a main force in the middle, all you need to do is use the King's martial prowess to enter from the southeast corner through the Life Gate, and kill your way through, and you will be invincible. Then go out through the West View Gate, and the formation will surely be in chaos."

However, the main commander in Liu Bei's army is currently proficient in this formation and knows all its variations by heart; I'm afraid he's no less skilled than me.

Its eight gates flow and transform endlessly; the Gate of Life becomes the Gate of Death, the Gate of Vision becomes the Gate of Injury, thus causing our efforts to fail at the last moment, and plunging the King into a deadly predicament that even immortals cannot save.

Lu Bu exclaimed incredulously, "Even you, sir, cannot break this formation?"

Chen Gong blushed slightly and frowned as he answered.

"It's not that it can't be broken, but that it's unnecessary."

If this formation is to be broken, although this person is well-versed in the principles of formations, his troops are only new to this formation and there will always be loopholes and weaknesses.

All I need to do is fight him a few times and send out more soldiers to probe him. Once I discover the flaws in his formation, I can break it.

It will simply take more time and result in some losses of troops.

Lu Bu was overjoyed, "In that case, please make your move quickly, sir, and we will break the formation tomorrow."

Chen Gong: "."

(End of this chapter)