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

Chapter 258 Liu Bei's Differential Treatment Infuriates Yuan Shu (Please Subscribe and Vote)
Yuan Shu was very dissatisfied!

There is no harm without comparison.

In the Battle of Wei Commandery, Liu Bei deployed 800 White Feather Soldiers, 800 Trapped Camp Soldiers, and 20,000 Lingyan Army battalions led by ten generals: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Taishi Ci, and Xu Chu.

These 20,000-plus infantry and cavalry were all well-equipped.

Most importantly, Liu Bei personally led the White Feather Army to break through Yuan Shao's central army, which shocked the entire army!
Then came Yuan Shu's Northern Expedition.

King Liu Chong of Chen led his troops into Runan to assist Man Chong, Xu Chu led a battalion of Lingyan Army to Pei to assist Yuan Huan, and Sun Jian led 20,000 troops from Xuzhou to reinforce the area. These three armies, totaling 30,000 men, were responsible for dealing with Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Cai Mao, who had set out from Shouchun.

If we only look at Yuan Shu's eastern route northern expeditionary army, Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Cai Mao attracted 30,000 troops from Yu and Xu with tens of thousands of soldiers, which makes Yuan Shu's eastern route northern expeditionary army seem quite powerful.

But looking back at Yuan Shu's western expeditionary force, it was a complete disaster.

The Western Route Army, with over 100,000 troops, including generals such as Zhang Xun, Lü Bu, Qiao Rui, Liu Xun, and Ji Ling, plus Yuan Shu's personal command, faced only Guan Yu's troops stationed in Yingchuan as their opponent!

Besides Guan Yu's two thousand Lingyan soldiers, there were only three thousand Gebei soldiers under He Yi, Huang Shao, and Gong Du, and six thousand men under Wu Ban, Zhang Zhang, Zhou Cang, Wang Ling, Han Meng, and Guan Ping.

Most importantly: Guan Yu, with just over ten thousand soldiers, not only did not defend, but actually took the initiative to attack!
Not only did Liu Bei not personally lead the troops into battle, but even Guan Yu didn't treat Yuan Shu as a human being!
Can be biased.

Yuan Shu's vanguard has lost!

Before Guan Yu even reached Bowangpo, Zhang Xun was ambushed by a group of unknown junior officers.

As soon as Guan Yu arrived at Bowangpo, Zhang Xun was ambushed again. The ambush was carried out by Guan Yu and his thousand cavalry.

This discriminatory treatment is going too far!

Subconsciously, Yuan Shu recalled the days when Liu Bei chased him so hard that he had to cut off his beard and abandon his robe.

five years.

Yuan Shu wore a fake beard for five years!

He had hoped to wash away the shame in one fell swoop, so that he would no longer have to wear the fake beard and could openly show off his newly grown beard, and then mock Liu Bei: "Big-eared thief, you're nothing but a nobody!"
Unexpectedly, Guan Yu stifled their initial momentum in the very first battle!

What made Yuan Shu even more vulnerable was that Lü Bu both offered Zhang Xun a plan and advised him to be cautious, yet Zhang Xun still fell for it!

Even a pig wouldn't have suffered repeated defeats if he had listened to Lü Bu!

Seeing Yuan Shu's face contorted with anger, Zhang Xun said aggrievedly, "Your Majesty, it's because General Huo Qubing is not here tonight, otherwise Guan Yu would not have been allowed to run rampant."

Upon hearing this attempt to shirk responsibility, Yuan Shu became even more enraged and rebuked him, saying, "The General of the Flying Cavalry wanted to fight to the death, but you ran away first; the General of the Flying Cavalry advised you not to pursue him, but you insisted on doing so; the General of the Flying Cavalry came to protect me, and you blame him for not being there?"

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Even if you lose, you must be able to accept it. You are the great general, so don't always push the blame onto the General of the Cavalry! Guards, drag Zhang Xun out and behead him to uphold military law!"

Zhang Xun was terrified and hurriedly begged for forgiveness, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I know I was wrong!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't," Lü Bu interjected at the opportune moment. "Although the General suffered a defeat, it was merely a tactical error. Killing a general during a major battle is inauspicious. Moreover, killing the General might invite ridicule from Zhou Xin."

Thinking of Zhou Xin, the General of Chariots and Cavalry who had led the troops from Shouchun, Yuan Shu suppressed his anger and shouted angrily, "For the sake of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, I will spare your life for now."

Zhang Xun breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly thanked Yuan Shu and Lü Bu.

Yuan Shu snorted coldly and said, "However, the death penalty can be waived, but punishment is inevitable. The seal of the Grand General will be handed over to the General of Chariots and Cavalry, who will temporarily assume the duties of the Grand General."

Although reluctant, Zhang Xun knew that he was lucky to save his life at this point, so he had no choice but to hand over the seal of the Grand General to Lü Bu.

Lu Bu originally only wanted to cause trouble for Zhang Xun and weaken Yuan Shu's northern expedition, but he did not expect that Yuan Shu would directly make Zhang Xun hand over the seal of the Grand General.

The inside man sent by Liu Bei became Yuan Shu's general, and Lü Bu didn't know how to express his contempt and ridicule for Yuan Shu.

With such a mind, how could he possibly establish himself as emperor?

"Your Majesty, if I were to temporarily assume the position of Grand General, I fear the generals would not be convinced. Now that the Grand General has just suffered a defeat, it is the time to boost morale. Your Majesty should personally go to the front lines to inspire morale so that we can fight Guan Yu again."

Lü Bu declined the appointment as acting general.

As an inside agent, one must always avoid direct conflict with Liu Bei's side.

Lü Bu could offer advice, but he couldn't actually decide which strategy to use.

Once Yuan Shu is defeated, Lü Bu can still demonstrate his "loyalty" in saving his lord in times of crisis. In this way, he can happily return to Echeng with Yuan Shu to enjoy beautiful women, fine wine, and luxurious food and clothing.

Zhang Xun was overjoyed when he heard that Lü Bu was unwilling to accept the seal of the Grand General.

If Lü Bu truly accepts, he will officially become a Grand General after this battle due to his merits, and the position of Grand General will have nothing to do with Zhang Xun from then on.

If Lü Bu refuses to accept the position, and Yuan Shu directly commands the battle, then no matter how much merit Lü Bu has made, Zhang Xun can privately try to win the position of Grand General from Yuan Shu again.

In terms of loyalty to Yuan Shu and seniority in following him, Zhang Xun was second to none.

This is Zhang Xun's advantage!
"Your Majesty, I also believe that Your Majesty should personally lead the troops to boost morale so that we can fight Guan Yu again! Your Majesty and I, the General of the Flying Cavalry, are willing to be Your Majesty's right-hand men and fight Guan Yu together!" Zhang Xun shouted loudly.

While shouting, Zhang Xun repeatedly winked at Qiao Rui and Liu Xun.

Lü Bu's position as General of the Cavalry had already made Qiao Rui, Liu Xun, and other former generals who had long served Yuan Shu very dissatisfied, so naturally they were unwilling to let Lü Bu continue to be a general.

Although Zhang Xun lacked ability, he was still a long-time subordinate of Yuan Shu, so it was somewhat believable that he was appointed as a general based on seniority.

If Lu Bu, a surrendered general, is made a Grand General, and Zhou Xin, a newcomer, is made a General of Chariots and Cavalry, wouldn't that make all of Yuan Shu's former generals seem incompetent?

For their own benefit, Generals Qiao Rui and Liu Xun also stepped forward to urge Yuan Shu to personally lead the expedition.

After glancing at the reactions of his generals, Yuan Shu felt a surge of dissatisfaction, but instead placed even greater trust in Lü Bu.

Lu Bu just said, "I'm afraid the generals won't accept this," and you really won't accept it!
If it weren't for the fact that Guan Yu was currently at Bowangpo and the need to consider the overall situation, Yuan Shu would have really wanted to send Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui, and Liu Xun away.

He's bad at fighting, but good at seizing power.

With a snort, Yuan Shu stopped insisting that Lü Bu temporarily assume the position of Grand General, saying, "In that case, I will personally lead the troops tomorrow! If he neglects the war again, he will be executed without mercy!"

The next day.

They saw Yuan Shu's banner appear.

Guan Yu felt a surge of disdain.

"With an army of over 100,000, not a single one can command troops. Yuan Shu only knows how to forcibly conscript young men into his army; he doesn't understand any military strategy at all."

They do everything based on numbers and power.

They weren't soldiers, they were bandits!
To be honest, it wouldn't be wrong to call Yuan Shu a bandit.

Along the way, Yuan Shu had been plundering.

Even the common people of Nanyang were plundered by Yuan Shu's troops.

However, in Yuan Shu's eyes, this was not plunder, but rather the support of the people of Nanyang County, Jingzhou, for the Northern Expedition.

Although there were many people, in Guan Yu's eyes they were all a rabble.

"Tanzhi, go and challenge them!" "Remember, you must only lose, not win."

Guan Yu issued another order, preparing to deliver a severe blow to Yuan Shu.

Although Guan Ping was only sixteen years old, he inherited Guan Yu's excellent genes and was tall and strong. In recent years, he has been studying literature and practicing martial arts day after day.

In terms of martial prowess, among the commanders under Liu Bei, he was second only to Ma Chao, son of Ma Teng, and Sun Ce, son of Sun Jian.

The reason he was inferior to the two was simply because Guan Ping had a few fewer years of martial arts training than Ma Chao and Sun Ce.

A tiger father has no dog sons.

The historical Guan Ping was not known for his bravery because he was separated from Guan Yu at a young age. He struggled to make ends meet and avoid war, let alone practice martial arts.

Since ancient times, scholars have been poor while martial arts have been rich. Without enough money and food to fill one's stomach, it is almost impossible to master first-class martial arts skills.

But now it’s different.

Guan Ping followed Guan Yu from an early age, and not only did he have grain to eat, but he could also eat meat and practice riding and archery skills every day.

As the old oil seller once wisely said: "There is nothing special about it, it's just a matter of practice."

The same applies to horseback archery; it requires rigorous training and daily, persistent practice to reach a top-tier level.

Because Guan Ping is not famous, even though he is as tall as an adult, his youthful face and voice can give an idea of ​​his approximate age.

Therefore, when Guan Ping challenged him to battle, Yuan Shu felt humiliated again: "Guan Yu actually sent a mere child to challenge me to battle, does he think I have no one else under my command?"

Normally, in military operations, there are very few instances of one-on-one challenges between two armies.

However, Yuan Shu had been suffering defeats since he launched his campaign, and his anger was already burning. Now, seeing Guan Yu send a young boy to challenge him, his anger seemed to be torn open!
"General of the Flying Cavalry, kill this traitor for me!"

Before Lü Bu could even speak, his subordinate general Yue volunteered, shouting, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? This humble general is willing to take His Majesty's head!"

Seeing Yue Jiu's eagerness to fight, Lü Bu secretly scorned him, but said aloud, "General Yue is right. If I were to fight, it would be an dishonest victory."

However, deep down, Lü Bu was thinking: It's a good opportunity to see if my son-in-law's horsemanship and archery skills have improved.

Thanks to Liu Bei's matchmaking, Guan Ping was already Lü Bu's unofficial prospective son-in-law.

This was one of the reasons why Lü Bu was willing to serve as an inside agent under Yuan Shu.

Not only could he live a life of luxury under Yuan Shu's command, with fine clothes, food, wine, and beautiful women, but his wives and concubines were also secure in Luoyang, and his only daughter was Guan Yu's prospective daughter-in-law.

Although she was not Liu Bei's prospective daughter-in-law, given the sworn brotherhood between Liu Bei and Guan Yu, the relationship was practically the same.

In other words, Guan Ping was no different in essence from members of the imperial family and princes.

Seeing Yue Jiu shouting as he charged into battle, Guan Ping didn't reply. He stepped forward, brandished his sword a few times, and then rode away feigning defeat.

"Ignorant little brat, nothing special!" Le Jin laughed triumphantly and returned to his camp to report his success to Yuan Shu.

Seeing Guan Ping defeated in just a few moves, Lü Bu's initial enthusiasm for watching the battle vanished instantly: feigned defeat?

Seeing through Guan Ping's feigned defeat at a glance, Lü Bu pondered for a moment and said, "Guan Yu's son's martial arts should be more than this. I'm afraid this is a ruse. Beware of ambushes."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yue became furious: "What do you mean by that, General? Are you perhaps upset that I stole your thunder just now?"

Li Feng and Liang Gang, who were on good terms with Yue, also chimed in, expressing their dissatisfaction with Lü Bu.

Lu Bu snorted but did not respond.

Yuan Shu looked ahead with suspicion, clearly trusting Lü Bu more.

After a while.

Then Guan Ping led Wang Ling and Han Meng out to fight, shouting, "That scoundrel general from before, do you dare to fight me to the death again?"

Le laughed loudly: "This is the ambush that General Pike was talking about? I think it's nothing special!"

Lu Bu remained calm and deliberately provoked, saying, "Don't underestimate them! The General underestimated the enemy and pursued them too much, which is why he fell into the ambush."

Zhang Xun's expression changed.

If the ambush troops are all in such a disorganized state, wouldn't that make Zhang Xun seem even more incompetent?

When Yue saw Lü Bu mention Zhang Xun, his expression changed, and he felt even more resentment towards Lü Bu.

To say that the ambush troops were nothing special is to subtly criticize Zhang Xun's incompetence; to say that the ambush troops were formidable is to blatantly lie.

Li Feng, quick-witted, retorted: "No! The general ambushed us at night, and in the darkness we couldn't see the situation clearly, so a temporary retreat was a fundamental principle of military strategy. Now that it's daytime, we have seen the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, so what is there to fear?"

Liang Gang also said, "Although Liu Bei's Lingyan Army is brave and skilled in battle, there are only two camps in Yuzhou: Guan Yu's and Xu Chu's. Xu Chu is in Qiao County, and there is only Guan Yu's camp in Yingchuan. The one that raided the camp earlier should have been Guan Yu's Lingyan Army, which is why they were able to successfully launch a surprise attack."

"On the other hand, this also exposes the weakness of Guan Yu's insufficient military strength. Otherwise, with the charging power of the Lingyan Army, why would they need to use ambushes and surprise attacks? Today, they are even trying to lure us into advancing by feigning defeat."

"Only those with insufficient military strength resort to trickery and deceit. As long as we are careful and cautious, even if we send all 100,000 troops forward, Guan Yu will have no choice but to abandon Bowangpo!"

"Your Majesty, this humble general requests permission to fight!"

Lu Bu looked at Liang Gang with some surprise, thinking to himself: I was just worried about how to incite Yuan Shu to advance his troops, but I didn't expect that Yuan Shu would have such a person under his command!
Only those with insufficient military strength resort to intrigue and trickery—what a brilliant idea! Absolutely ingenious!

Zhang Xun was also overjoyed.

Li Feng's words, "When you can't see clearly in the dark, it's a fundamental principle of military strategy to retreat temporarily," struck a chord with Zhang Xun.

Yup!

It's not that I can't do it, it's just that I can't see the situation clearly in the dark, so it's a temporary retreat!

I am retreating, not defeated!
Liang Gang's analysis further boosted Zhang Xun's confidence: "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve as the vanguard once more, and I will surely defeat Guan Yu and avenge our previous humiliation!"

Generals Yue Jiu, Li Feng, and Liang Gang also volunteered to fight and assist Zhang Xun.

See this.

Yuan Shu hesitated for a moment.

No matter how you look at it, it's a fact that Guan Yu's military strength was insufficient.

Otherwise, Guan Yu would have simply slashed his way through the enemy ranks.

"General of the Flying Cavalry, what do you think?" Yuan Shu was unsure and looked at Lü Bu again.

Lu Bu deliberately provoked and challenged Guan Yu: "Although Guan Yu is using a tactic to lure the enemy, our soldiers are not as elite as Guan Yu's. We should proceed cautiously, establish strongholds, and confront Guan Yu. If we advance rashly with light troops, we will surely fall into Guan Yu's trap."

"If the Grand General is defeated again, the Eastern Route Northern Expeditionary Army will be unable to advance any further. If Zhou Xin on the Eastern Route continues his unstoppable advance, wouldn't the position of Grand General have to be handed over to Zhou Xin?"

(End of this chapter)