Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 128 Liu Bei is overjoyed to have Xun You, and Yuan Shao goes mad (Please subscribe and vote for monthly tickets)

Inside the big tent.

Xun You sat alone on the mat, staring intently at the bamboo slips in his hands.

These bamboo slips were given to Xun You by Fa Zheng to help him pass the time and keep him entertained.

Xun You was just casually flipping through the pages when he realized something was wrong.

This book, labeled "Lu's Commentary on the Analects," gave Xun You the illusion that he might have been studying it incorrectly before.

For example, the opening line is: People say that Confucius traveled to the six states to spread his teachings, but I say that Confucius traveled to the six states only to seek defeat.

Xun You was so startled that he almost dropped the book. He kept questioning in his mind: Is this really the Analects annotated by the great Confucian scholar Lu Shangshu? How come I have never seen this version before?

For example, the saying "A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way" can be interpreted as: I like money, so taking your money makes perfect sense!

Upon seeing this annotation, Xun You subconsciously thought of the hundreds of cartloads of gold and silver treasures that Liu Bei moved when he executed the eunuchs.

Doesn't this perfectly correspond to the statement, "Liu Bei liked money, so it makes perfect sense for him to take the eunuchs' money"?
For example, the saying "Preparation is the key to success, lack of preparation leads to failure" can be interpreted as: To accomplish great things, one cannot hesitate. If you hesitate, the opponent will rise up; if you don't hesitate, you can directly defeat the opponent.

Doesn't this perfectly correspond to the scene where "Liu Bei loudly proclaimed that he would escort the Prince of Chenliu to Yongzhou and then lead his troops back to Luoyang, which immediately silenced all the ministers who dared not stand up"?
Then look at the saying, "When a person is about to die, their words are kind." The annotation is: When someone is beaten to the point of death, their words become more pleasant.

Although Liu Bei did not kill Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao, the two did become more amiable during their discussions in the Western Garden.

After reading the entire "Lu Zhi's Commentary on the Analects", Xun You concluded that it was not Lu Zhi's commentary at all, but Liu Bei's commentary!
Only Liu Bei's behavior and conduct conform to the annotations in Lu's Commentary on the Analects!
But after reading them for a while, Xun You found these annotations quite novel.

Although Xun You was a descendant of Xunzi, he was not a pedantic and inflexible scholar. While reading, he combined his understanding with his knowledge of military strategy and seemed to have discovered a new world.

Just as they were engrossed in reading, Liu Bei burst into the tent like a gust of wind. Upon seeing Xun You, he greeted him warmly: "Gongda, how have you been?"

When Liu Bei's gaze fell on the "Lu Commentary on the Analects" in Xun You's hand, his lips twitched involuntarily: How could Xiaozhi have given this book to Gongda? With Gongda's wisdom, he would surely have seen that this was not annotated by Lu Shi.

Xun You put down Lu's commentary on the Analects, stood up and returned the greeting: "Since our parting in Yingchuan, Your Excellency's demeanor has become even more outstanding, which is truly admirable."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while.

When Xun You got to the point, he asked, "Uncle, do you think it's a blessing or a curse that Dong Zhuo is now Minister of Works?"

Seeing Xun You's increasingly serious expression, Liu Bei couldn't help but think of Xun You's assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo, secretly wondering: Could Xun You be plotting to assassinate Dong Zhuo now? That shouldn't be the case. Dong Zhuo used a secret edict to depose and install emperors, and he hasn't yet caused any chaos in the palace. Empress Dowager He and the Prince of Hongnong are still alive.

After a moment's consideration, Liu Bei said, "This is a blessing for now, but the future is still uncertain."

Xun You secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his expression returning to normal: "It seems my guess was correct. Yesterday, when the Imperial Uncle was discussing matters in the West Garden, he deliberately killed someone in the palace to humiliate the officials. The Imperial Uncle wanted to make an example of Dong Zhuo."

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Gongda has keen insight. I do indeed intend to intimidate Dong Zhuo, but I am not only trying to scare Dong Zhuo, but also Yuan Wei."

“If I do not take action, given Dong Zhuo’s nature, he will surely kill people to establish his authority; however, Dong Zhuo’s reputation is already bad. If he kills people to establish his authority, he will surely be plotted against by Yuan Kui, and many of the officials are Yuan Kui’s protégés and former subordinates, who will also take the opportunity to oppose him.”

“Yuan’s protégés and former officials are all over the country. If they were to become too powerful in the court, it would surely cause a great disaster. At present, I do not have enough power to check Yuan’s power. I must use someone else to fight back, and Dong Zhuo is the best candidate.”

"There was a reason why I handed the secret edict to Dong Zhuo in the past. I needed time to accumulate strength so that I could live up to the title of Imperial Uncle."

Seeing that Liu Bei admitted it, Xun You asked again: "Has the Imperial Uncle considered that even if Dong Zhuo and Yuan Wei can check and balance each other in the court, there will be people outside the court who would not want to see such an outcome?"

Liu Bei guessed, "Does Gongda mean Yuan Shao, who is not attending the ceremony to depose and install the emperor today?"

Xun You nodded: "Yuan Shao left Luoyang yesterday and headed towards Hanoi. The general has summoned many brave warriors from all directions, not only the Imperial Uncle and Dong Zhuo, but also Ding Yuan, Wang Kuang, Qiao Mao, and others. These men have more than ten thousand troops in total. If Yuan Shao persuades Ding Yuan and the others to counterattack Luoyang, what will the Imperial Uncle do?"

"I had completely forgotten about this!" Liu Bei feigned surprise and stood up, pacing anxiously. "I only have two thousand soldiers, how can I possibly deal with more than ten thousand strong troops?"

Seeing Liu Bei's "helpless" appearance, Xun You was speechless: "Uncle, am I perhaps an untrustworthy person?"

"Gongda, what makes you say that?" Liu Bei pretended not to understand. Seeing Xun You about to get up and leave, Liu Bei quickly stopped him and said with a smile, "Gongda, I was just joking with you! I was giving you an opportunity to offer advice! I made an agreement with you that day that if we ever had a battle, I would ask you to be my military advisor."

"Now that war is imminent, it is time for Gongda to strategize and win battles from afar. I and my two thousand soldiers will cooperate with you and make you famous in one battle!"

Xun You's lips moved slightly, and what he said made so much sense that I couldn't refute it.

As they were talking...

Fa Zheng carried the wine jar and wine utensils inside.

Liu Bei poured Xun You a cup of wine, then bowed deeply, saying, "This cup of wine is just a small token of my apology. I humbly request that you, my lord, teach me a sound strategy to defeat the enemy!"

Xun You drank it all in one gulp and asked, "Before using the plan, I would like to know whether you, my uncle, want Dong Zhuo to establish his authority or if you want to establish your authority yourself?"

“Naturally, it’s my turn to establish my authority.” Liu Bei replied without hesitation: “I need to let those in Guandong who have ulterior motives know that if I unleash my power, even ghosts and gods will have to respect me and stay away from me.”

Xun You was taken aback, then opened the "Lu's Commentary on the Analects" and read the passage about respecting ghosts and spirits while keeping them at a distance. He glanced at the annotations and couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, is this 'Lu's Commentary on the Analects' really annotated by Minister Lu?"

"Of course! I am a disciple of Minister Lu! This 'Lu's Commentary on the Analects' is a top-secret, unique copy given to me by my master years ago; there is only one copy." Liu Bei said decisively!
Xun You dipped his hand in the ink and said, "These words must have been written yesterday."

"Hahaha—" Liu Bei laughed loudly: "Gongda. In this turbulent world, it is already difficult to gain a foothold, let alone make progress. Some things are better left unsaid."

really!

This "Lu's Commentary on the Analects" was written by the Imperial Uncle under the false name of Minister Lu.

Subconsciously, Xun You thought of the sayings passed down among scholars, such as "Lord Lu said" and "Lu said by the river".

Could it be that the Emperor's uncle was falsely using Minister Lu's name to write these poems?

If that's true, then the Imperial Uncle's talent is truly exceptional, encompassing both ancient and modern knowledge!
Direction to Hanoi.

More than a hundred riders galloped off, including Yuan Shao, Chunyu Qiong, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou.

Since the meeting at the West Garden yesterday, Yuan Shao has not returned to the city, but instead led his retainers straight to Hanoi.

If Yuan Shao were willing to humble himself and say some kind words to Yuan Wei, he might be able to govern a region.

But Yuan Shao was not convinced.

Why should his personal interests be sacrificed for the benefit of the Yuan family?
Why not sacrifice Yuan Shu's interests and still let him become the governor of Nanyang?
For a warlord like Yuan Shao, it would be better to overturn the table and not eat than to endure the humiliation of being relegated to a corner of the kitchen to eat leftovers.

What I lose today, I will surely take back tomorrow!

I will repay the humiliation I suffered at the hands of Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei, and the Yuan family tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

Yuan Shao roared inwardly. Just then, another cavalry force came from the direction of Hanoi.

"Who is coming!"

At the very front, a cavalry general, as strong as a bear and as powerful as a tiger, shouted loudly.

Yuan Shao looked closely and secretly admired him: What a brave warrior!

He then reined in his horse, slowly stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "I am Yuan Shao of Runan. And who are you?"

"So you are Yuan Shao. Humph!" Upon hearing the name Yuan Shao, the newcomer drew his bow and shot an arrow at Yuan Shao.

The arrow was so fast that Yuan Shao didn't even have time to react. It struck the whip in Yuan Shao's hand, and the powerful force caused Yuan Shao to lose his grip on the whip, and his right hand trembled violently.

Upon learning of this, Yan Liang and Wen Chou finally reacted, spurring their horses to protect Yuan Shao and angrily shouting, "You traitor, how dare you!"

Yuan Shao then dismissed Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and bowed to the newcomer again: "Brave warrior, your archery skills are excellent. However, every grievance has its source, and every debt its debtor. I have never met you before, and I do not know when I offended you. Please explain."

The newcomer shouted, "How dare you ask such a question? You sent men to tell us to stay put, but why did you send Dong Zhuo to Luoyang alone? Now you ask a question you already know the answer to. How hypocritical and hateful you are!"

Yuan Shao was slightly startled: "Whose subordinate are you? Ding Yuan or Wang Kuang? May I ask your esteemed name, brave warrior?"

The newcomer raised his head and shouted: "Listen up! I am Lu Bu of Jiuyuan, the adopted son and chief clerk of Ding Yuan, the former governor of Bingzhou and the current Wumeng Commandant!"

"So you are under Governor Ding's command. This is a misunderstanding. Please allow me to meet Governor Ding." Yuan Shao did not mind Lü Bu's rudeness, but was secretly delighted.

People do not suffer from scarcity but from inequality.

They were all brave warriors summoned by He Jin from all directions; we cannot favor one over the other.

But now only Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo are eating meat and drinking soup, while Ding Yuan, Wang Kuang and others can't even get a sip of soup.

How could they be content with that?

Lu Bu was surprised to see that Yuan Shao had not been angry at all. Seeing that Yuan Shao's tone was serious, Lu Bu thought for a moment and then stopped making things difficult for him. Instead, he led Yuan Shao to the camp.

Ding Yuan was also surprised to learn of Yuan Shao's arrival.

"The Commandant of the Capital Region is not in Luoyang, so why has he come to my camp in person?" Ding Yuanyu asked tentatively.

Yuan Shao sighed: "A sudden incident occurred in Luoyang. The eunuch killed the Grand General. I was worried that you would be implicated, so I ordered you to stay put and wait for another opportunity. Unexpectedly, Liu Bei suddenly joined forces with Dong Zhuo, working together from the inside and outside. First, he killed the eunuch, then deposed His Majesty, and then forged an imperial edict to establish the Prince of Chenliu as emperor."

"Although I objected, I couldn't do it alone. Even my uncle was unwilling to help me, and Zhang Kai, the Vice Minister, was beheaded by Liu Bei in the palace. I had no choice but to flee to Luoyang. Now I am no longer the Commandant of the Capital Region, but just a homeless dog."

Yuan Shao's words were half true and half false, which alarmed both Ding Yuan and Lü Bu.

"It's Liu Bei again!"

Ding Yuan was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth.

Liu Bei had already lured away his fierce warriors Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang, and now he had also stolen the great credit for killing the eunuchs.

Lu Bu stared blankly at Ding Yuan: "Father, the General is dead, then haven't we all worked for nothing?"

When asked, Lü Bu immediately regretted it.

What bad luck! I've wasted my time having this godfather!

He originally wanted to enter the General's mansion as Ding Yuan's adopted son, and then use the General's power to climb the ranks. However, after calling him "adoptive father" for so long, he ended up getting no benefits at all.

Lu Bu suddenly felt the impermanence of life, and that the court and the countryside were full of scoundrels.

Ding Yuan was also furious.

In order to win He Jin's favor, Ding Yuan disguised himself as "Black Mountain Earl" in Hanoi and committed a lot of evil deeds, which resulted in He Jin's death.

Was he killed by a eunuch?
Butchers are never going to achieve anything great!
That damned woman!

Ding Yuan was filled with rage and had nowhere to vent it, so he couldn't bother to answer Lü Bu's question.

You ask me, who should I ask?

Seeing that Ding Yuan and Lü Bu's anger had been stirred up, Yuan Shao was secretly pleased, and also pretended to be indignant: "Originally, the General said that Governor Ding had made great contributions, and as long as the eunuchs were eliminated, Governor Ding could be appointed as the Commander of the Imperial Guards. But who would have thought that unexpected events would happen? Alas—"

Ding Yuan clenched his fists instinctively.

The Commander of the Imperial Guards—that's one of the Nine Ministers!

"But my adoptive father can no longer be the Commander of the Imperial Guards." Lü Bu's tone was somewhat resentful.

What's the use of just talking?

He Jin is dead!
Yuan Shao, having gauged the reactions of Ding Yuan and Lü Bu, said angrily, "The position of Commander of the Imperial Guard was promised to Governor Ding by the Grand General. Must Governor Ding endure such humiliation just because Dong Zhuo and Liu Bei arbitrarily deposed and installed emperors?"

"I observe that Governor Ding's adopted son is exceptionally brave and skilled. Why not gather troops and, before Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo have fully controlled the Luoyang forces, assassinate them and rescue His Majesty from this perilous situation? At that time, not only would he be appointed Commander of the Imperial Guard, but he might even be ranked among the Three Dukes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ding Yuan and Lü Bu's eyes lit up.

Then Ding Yuan said in a somber tone, "I only have a few thousand soldiers. How can I possibly assassinate Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo?"

Yuan Shao urged, "Governor Ding, don't boost the morale of others and diminish your own. Liu Bei only has two thousand men, and Dong Zhuo only has three thousand. Wang Kuang and Qiao Mao's troops are also in Hanoi. Together with the troops from all camps, there are more than ten thousand men."

"As soon as we approach Luoyang, Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo will surely come out of the city to fight in order to establish their authority. They are also afraid that the various camps in Luoyang will rebel, so they will not dare to send out their entire army. It would be good if half of their five thousand men could be mobilized."

"The art of war says, 'If you have ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if you have five, attack them.' What is there to fear?"

Listening to Yuan Shao's logical analysis, Lü Bu was also greatly excited. He then volunteered, saying, "Your son is willing to help my adoptive father kill Dong Zhuo and Liu Bei. In the future, my adoptive father can be ranked among the Three Dukes, and no one in the world will dare to disobey him."

Ding Yuan was also emboldened and stood up: "The traitor forged an imperial edict to depose and install emperors, and everyone in the world has the right to kill him. However, I am not familiar with Wang Kuang and Qiao Mao, so I ask Lord Yuan to persuade them on my behalf."

Yuan Shao had already intended this, and replied, "Governor Ding, rest assured, that's exactly what I was thinking too. I have many old friends in Hebei. After I persuade Wang Kuang and Qiao Mao, I will go back to Hebei to gather troops and enter Luoyang to prevent Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo from launching a counterattack."

Ding Yuan laughed loudly: "If we wait for Lord Yuan to return, my son Fengxian will have already taken the heads of Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo."

(End of this chapter)