Chapter 107: The Rebellious Guan Yu and Zhang Fei

Beside him, Zhuge Liang and the others, upon witnessing Liu Xie's actions, all shared the same thought in their hearts: they had not followed the wrong man; this was indeed a wise and benevolent ruler.

“Alright, Uncle Liu, rise,” Liu Xie said. “Since I will not let a single common soldier die in vain, much less every general, you have come to me out of trust. Given your trust in me, how could I possibly fail you in return? Our relationship is mutual: you trust me, and I shall give you my utmost trust in return.”

“Now, let us first observe the battle below. The fight against Cao Cao will be long and arduous. This time, I intend to bring everyone from the imperial palace in Xuchang to safety. My fellow comrades, I seek to restore the Han dynasty, and during this endeavor, many lives may be lost. Yet, I hope you all live well and share in the fruits of the Han’s revival with me. Beyond you, I also wish for more ordinary soldiers to survive, for after all, these are human lives.”

Indeed, Liu Xie was somewhat soft-hearted. In the twenty-first century, he had been a formidable special forces instructor, once having killed many enemies on the battlefield. But compared to the present, those were mere trifles. As a special operative, the number of enemies he had eliminated was likely only in the hundreds. Now, a single war could claim tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of lives. This was a colossal conflict involving nearly a million troops on both sides, and the casualties would be immense. These were all lives nurtured by their parents, tens or even hundreds of thousands lost amidst this war.

Therefore, Liu Xie was exceedingly cautious, weighing every decision carefully, striving to prevent needless deaths among his soldiers.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, the battle outside Xuchang had already begun. Zhang Fei charged forward, immediately confronting Han Meng, sent by Wen Chou. The two soon engaged in combat. Zhang Fei had hoped to quickly resolve the fight, but soon realized his opponent was no weakling. The battle reached a stalemate, neither side gaining the upper hand. As time dragged on, Zhang Fei grew anxious.

Meanwhile, others like Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Gao Lan stood motionless, eyes fixed on Lü Bu and his companions afar. As long as Lü Bu did not move, they would not take the initiative. Everyone knew that Lü Bu, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun were formidable foes; since they refrained from attacking, there was no reason to provoke trouble.

However, seeing Han Meng holding his ground against Zhang Fei, their morale rose.

“Brothers, what’s going on? Why aren’t Lü Bu and the others moving?” Xiahou Yuan asked with some confusion.

Xiahou Dun shook his head lightly. “I don’t know, but it’s not necessarily bad for us. As long as they have no hidden agenda, that’s good.”

Many felt uneasy about Lü Bu and the others’ inaction; it seemed odd, yet their respect for their strength remained.

In truth, it wasn’t just them—Lü Bu and his comrades were also frustrated.

“I’m truly vexed. What is His Majesty thinking?” Guan Yu said, his patience fraying. “Why send us here but forbid us from attacking?”

He couldn’t fathom Liu Xie’s reasoning. Meanwhile, Zhang Fei, struggling against Han Meng, was losing ground.

“Second Brother, help me quickly!” Zhang Fei shouted.

Hearing this, Guan Yu was unable to sit still and immediately urged his horse forward, but Zhao Yun stopped him.

“Yunchang, His Majesty has ordered that none of us may engage,” Zhao Yun said politely. “Though I do not understand His Majesty’s plan, we must trust his judgment.”

“Hmph! What reason could there be? That is my third brother—I cannot abandon him!”

“Yide, Yunchang is coming!” Guan Yu ignored all objections and charged forward.

From a mountain afar, those watching saw the scene and frowned, especially Liu Bei. He had just dealt with Zhang Fei’s recklessness, and now Guan Yu was causing trouble. Even he did not know how to plead for reason.

Many eyes turned cautiously to Liu Xie, eager to see how he would handle this matter, how he would deal with Guan Yu.

Under all eyes, Liu Xie’s face darkened as he lowered his telescope.

“Send word: Lü Bu and Zhao Yun must withdraw immediately.”

“Order: Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, you two have challenged the generals of Xuchang without orders. No one is to leave their position without command. Anyone who disobeys shall be executed!”

With that, Liu Xie decisively turned and left the mountain.

Liu Bei’s face turned green; he knew his two brothers had caused trouble.

“Kongming, order the army to hold position. No one is to move without command,” Liu Xie instructed. “Also, inform Jingzhou to continue sending troops to support Yizhou. We must swiftly repel Yan Liang.”

Liu Xie made no further mention of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, focusing instead on other arrangements.

“Understood, Your Majesty,” Zhuge Liang noted carefully.

“And what of Yunchang and Yide?” he asked cautiously.

“Let them be. As long as they don’t die, let them suffer a little,” Liu Xie replied briefly, returning to camp.

From Liu Xie’s orders, all could discern his intent: he aimed to resolve the conflict in Yizhou swiftly. The standoff with Cao Cao would not end anytime soon; wasting time here was futile—it was better to settle Yizhou’s troubles quickly.

Outside Xuchang, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei battled fiercely with Han Meng and Gao Lan for hundreds of exchanges. With Guan Yu’s arrival, they soon gained the upper hand. But when the Xiahou brothers joined, the tide turned. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei found themselves pressed, unable to seize any advantage. It was said that Xiahou Dun alone could hold Guan Yu to a draw; with three others present, it was only a matter of time before Guan Yu and Zhang Fei sustained injuries.

When they looked back, Zhao Yun and Lü Bu had vanished.

Suddenly, a horseman rode swiftly over and stopped at a distance, calling out loudly:

“Generals Guan and Zhang, His Majesty commands that you two are challenging the generals within Xuchang city! Without orders, no one is permitted to retreat. Any violation will be met with execution without mercy!”