Lord in the Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 284: Liu Bei Borrows Troops, Never to Return

But since their lord had already spoken, could they possibly publicly contradict his words?

How would that be any different from seeking death?

So everyone praised their lord for his brilliant strategy.

But did Cao Cao really think this way?

Of course not!!

He wanted Xuzhou more than anyone, but now that he had fallen into Long Chen’s "besiege Wei to rescue Zhao" strategy, he had no choice but to withdraw his troops back to Yanzhou.

Otherwise, he, Cao Cao, would surely have continued to compete with Long Chen for dominance in Xuzhou.

However, before leaving, Cao Mengde did not simply retreat to Yanzhou.

Even if he himself couldn’t get Xuzhou, he couldn’t let Long Chen have it.

Long Chen was an extraordinary talent, with vast strategic acumen, immense martial strength, and a blend of virtue and great ambition. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Once Long Chen took Xuzhou, he would use it as a springboard to attack and conquer the counties of the four provinces.

Given Long Chen’s massive military strength and terrifying logistical support, it’s not unlikely that he could indeed take the remaining provinces.

If that were to happen, then the kingship of the realm would essentially be settled.

Therefore, to prevent Long Chen from fully controlling Xuzhou, Cao Cao wrote a letter to Liu Bei (Liu Xuande) before leaving.

The letter’s content was nothing more than requesting Xuande’s assistance in Xuzhou...

And he even handed over the cities and lands he had previously conquered to Liu Bei.

Cao Cao intended to return to Yanzhou, and leaving these cities would be useless; it would only stretch his frontlines and exhaust his generals and soldiers to defend them.

Instead of discarding them, he thought it better to give Liu Bei a favor, while also watching the struggle between Liu Bei and Long Chen.

Cao Cao’s ability to recognize talent was no joke; in his eyes, both Long Chen and Liu Bei were heroes of their time, capable of standing alongside him.

It’s just that Liu Bei was currently impoverished and at a disadvantage, while Long Chen stood high above, like a dazzling star of tomorrow.

"Yuanrang, has the letter I sent to Liu Xuande arrived?"

"My lord, according to the scout’s report, the letter has been successfully delivered."

As Xiahou Dun said this, the corner of his mouth twitched.

Thinking about those cities and lands that he and his soldiers had fought for with flesh and blood...

And now they had to be handed over to that big-eared thief for free, which infuriated him.

But the lord’s orders still had to be obeyed; perhaps the lord had even deeper considerations.

This was the charm of Old Cao’s personality, allowing his subordinates to trust him unconditionally.

Leaving aside Cao Cao’s retreat to Yanzhou, let’s talk about how, far away in Youzhou, Liu Xuande, after receiving Cao Cao’s letter, found it hard to eat and sleep in peace.

As night fell,

Liu Bei called his brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, into his room.

Guan Yu, dressed in a green robe, with a red face and long beard, stepped into the room.

Zhang Fei, dressed in a black robe, with a rough, bearded face, shouted loudly,

"Brother, brother! Why are you looking for me?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu slightly narrowed his sharp phoenix eyes and said, "Third brother, mind your manners!"

At this moment, Liu Bei also stood up and, after closing the door, recounted what the messenger sent by Cao Cao had said today.

Zhang Fei’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, laughing, "Haha, big brother, this is a good thing! If we can take Xuzhou, we won’t have to wander around like this anymore."

Guan Yu also nodded in agreement.

Ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the three brothers had roamed the land.

They had served numerous lords and warlords, but had never secured a territory or foundation of their own.

The three were heroes of their time, so how could they endure a life of insignificance?

Therefore, now that an opportunity presented itself, they naturally didn’t want to give it up.

"Big brother, I believe what the third brother said is right. The current situation in Xuzhou might be the best chance for us to establish our foundation."

"In the territory of Xuzhou, two tigers are fighting, and now one tiger has retreated, leaving the other severely wounded."

"And at this time, if our army can display great strength, how could we not take Xuzhou!!"

"But our army is small and has few generals; it’s truly difficult to cook without rice!" Liu Bei spread out his empty hands, showing a bitter expression as he spoke.

The room suddenly fell into a heavy atmosphere.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn,

Zhang Fei suddenly stood up, his eyes full of spirit, and he cupped his hands toward Liu Bei, smiling as he said:

"Brother, don’t worry; I already have a good plan in mind!"

Seeing Zhang Fei so confident, Liu Bei quickly asked, "Oh! Third brother, speak quickly, I will listen attentively."

"Didn’t big brother have a deep friendship with Gongsun Zan in the past! Why not... why not borrow thirty to fifty thousand soldiers and weapons from him?"

"This..."

Liu Bei froze in place.

His third brother was indeed a straightforward man.

How could any warlord be willing to lend thirty to fifty thousand soldiers to a penniless guy like him!

Generally, anything borrowed by Liu Bei would never be returned, which basically meant Gongsun Zan would be giving him soldiers and weapons for free.

Only someone with a screw loose would do something like that; who else would?

Even Gongsun Zan, his former schoolmate, wouldn’t be willing to do it!

"Third brother, don’t speak nonsense!" Guan Yu shot a glance at Zhang Fei while continuing to stroke his long beard.

Liu Bei fell into deep thought.

Zhang Fei’s words weren’t entirely unreasonable; at this point, borrowing troops from Gongsun Zan was their only option.

They might not be able to get thirty to fifty thousand, but three to five thousand should still be possible.

Besides that, he would also need to ask Cao Cao for some things.

Didn’t Cao Cao say he would lend him the cities he had captured in Xuzhou? Well, those would need provisions and weapons, wouldn’t they?

With that in mind, Liu Bei stopped hesitating and shared his thoughts with his two brothers.

Naturally, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both agreed.

Guan Yu raised his hand and suggested:

"Brother, I think we could also leverage the power of the ’strangers’!!"

"There have been rumors among the people that the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang are invincible. Countless strangers see us as role models, so why not take this opportunity to recruit them and strengthen our army?"

"Indeed! Second brother is absolutely right. I’ll leave this matter entirely in your hands."

"As you command!"

Guan Yu cupped his fists in agreement. The thought of soon being able to showcase his might in Xuzhou filled his heart with fervor.

Youzhou.

In the governor’s residence.

Dressed in white armor, Gongsun Zan smiled as he raised his cup to Liu Bei, who was seated below him, and said with a laugh:

"Xuande, what brings you here today?"

Gongsun Zan was handsome, with a strong build and a resonant voice. He was known as one of the most attractive men in Youzhou, with countless women admiring him.

It was through his looks that he successfully married into the family of the Governor of Zhuo Commandery, rising from an illegitimate son to his current position as governor, achieving a perfect rags-to-riches story.

As Liu Bei looked at Gongsun Zan sitting above him, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of envy and jealousy.

He, Liu Bei, was a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, with royal blood in his veins, yet now he had to serve as a mere military adjutant under Gongsun Zan.

It truly felt like his talents were going unrecognized!

But this situation was about to change!

Xuzhou would be the turning point for him, Liu Bei!!!