Chapter 107: Xuzhou, Liu Bei's Ambitions

Yuan Xi, on the other side, could not escape either. Dian Wei followed closely behind and struck a heavy blow against the center of his back.

Yuan Xi spat out a mouthful of blood, tumbled to the ground, struggled for a few moments, and then fell still.

Cao Peng rode up, frowning. "Old Dian, that was too heavy-handed! This guy is a prize pig worth a thousand taels of gold. If you kill him, how am I supposed to extort Yuan Shao?"

Dian Wei: ...

Elsewhere, Zhang Liao and Zang Ba had each led their troops to clear the Yuan forces on both flanks before returning to the main cavalry column.

Although the enemy forces had been substantial, Cao Peng had executed a classic victory of the few over the many. Once the news spread, Cao Peng's reputation would surely strike terror throughout Hebei.

"Bind these two up, and find someone to tend to the one who’s half-dead..."

Cao Peng issued his orders while leading the army forward without slowing his pace. In the blink of an eye, they crossed the border of Qingzhou and rendezvoused with the tens of thousands of troops he had left stationed there.

"What next?" Dian Wei asked.

Cao Peng glanced at the dust-covered road behind them and pointed in the direction they had come. "Back to Xuzhou, of course."

Leading such a massive army required a city to garrison, and his original plan had always been to head for Xuzhou.

Upon hearing that Cao Peng intended to garrison Xuzhou, both Zhang Liao and Zang Ba seemed displeased. When Cao Peng asked why, it emerged that they held a strong aversion to the current Inspector of Xuzhou, Che Zhou.

"When that fellow became the Inspector of Xuzhou, he was the very picture of a petty man drunk on power. That arrogant, condescending manner of his is truly detestable," Zhang Liao said, a look of revulsion appearing in his eyes at the mention of the man.

When Zhang Liao and Zang Ba had first surrendered to Cao Cao, Che Zhou had just been appointed as the Inspector of Xuzhou. As the ones who previously held the region, they were inevitably involved in the handover process. Che Zhou had been so insufferably arrogant that, had Zhang Liao and his comrades not just surrendered and chosen to swallow their pride, Che Zhou would surely have been beaten to a pulp by the Eight Generals.

Dian Wei patted the two men on the shoulders and consoled them: "He’s just an inspector who secured his position by currying favor and offering women to the Lord. Why bother taking him seriously?"

Even so, Zhang Liao and Zang Ba could not swallow their indignation.

Cao Peng, however, said with a smile: "Rest assured, Che Zhou’s days are numbered."

Everyone looked at Cao Peng in surprise, wondering why he would say such a thing.

Cao Peng acted mysteriously, placing a finger to his lips. "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. Don't forget, I am the ultimate prophet!"

The others were somewhat inclined to believe him. Cao Peng possessed a knack for anticipating enemies and planning with foolproof precision; he had never been wrong. His self-proclaimed title as a prophet was not without merit.

...

Just as Cao Peng and his men had cleared the border between Qingzhou and Xuzhou and were preparing to return to Xuzhou, Liu Bei had already annihilated Yuan Shu, absorbed the remnants of his army, and confiscated their weapons. His current direction was not toward a rendezvous with Cao Peng, but straight for Xuzhou.

Not long ago, Liu Bei had consulted with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Since his pursuit of Yuan Shu had led him toward Xuzhou, while Cao Peng’s battle with the Yuan forces had moved toward Qingzhou, Liu Bei would certainly reach Xuzhou faster than Cao Peng.

Back when he had volunteered to Cao Cao to lead troops against Yuan Shu, his true intention had been to kill Che Zhou and seize Xuzhou. He had not expected Cao Peng to appear out of thin air and disrupt his plans. Now, the opportunity had returned; despite the immense risk, Liu Bei was determined to try. He was not a man to stay indefinitely under another’s command, and he believed in the principle that great wealth must be sought through great danger.

Because Cao Peng had assigned him cavalry for the pursuit of Yuan Shu, their speed was rapid. As they neared Xuzhou, Guan Yu’s narrowed, phoenix-like eyes opened wide, and he suddenly asked, "Big Brother, Xuzhou is a well-fortified city. With only this many men, how can we succeed?"

Liu Bei smiled faintly upon hearing this. His second brother, though well-versed in military strategy, possessed a limited perspective as a man of rigid moral integrity.

Seeing Liu Bei’s smile, Guan Yu knew his brother had conceived another devious scheme. Liu Bei was adept at wielding interpersonal morality like a sharp blade—a talent no one else possessed.

After a few chuckles, Liu Bei finally explained: "Second Brother, we are currently wearing the uniforms of the Cao army. If we arrive in Xuzhou and claim we are acting under the orders of General Cao Peng to return to the city first, how could Che Zhou dare to keep the gates closed?"

His doubt was resolved, but Guan Yu could only think of two words: "Damn it!" It was not that he couldn't conceive of such a ruse, but that this kind of act was a race to the bottom. Though the Art of War states that warfare is based on deception, the proud Lord Guan simply disdained such trickery.

"Second Brother, why do you still seem so troubled?" Liu Bei noticed Guan Yu’s unusual demeanor and asked.

Guan Yu hurriedly apologized: "Forgive me, Big Brother. I am perhaps a bit tired, so my mind wandered."

His excuse did not arouse Liu Bei’s suspicion, but Guan Yu sighed inwardly. Initially, he had never questioned Liu Bei’s "benevolent" ruses. Everything had changed starting from the hunt at Xutian, when Liu Bei had stopped him from killing Cao Cao. Later, when the incident regarding the secret edict in the belt was exposed and Liu Bei had distanced himself from it, Guan Yu felt these actions were unmanly.

As Guan Yu remained lost in thought, the army arrived at the walls of Xuzhou. The guard captain on the wall shouted: "Who goes there?"

Liu Bei rode out and responded loudly: "We are under the command of the Northern Expedition General, Cao Peng! Open the gates!"

Upon hearing the name of Cao Peng, the guard captain immediately went to report to the Inspector, Che Zhou.

Che Zhou’s face changed dramatically upon hearing the news. "General Cao Peng has arrived? I must go out to greet him personally."

A deputy officer nearby asked: "Why must the General go to such lengths?"

Che Zhou replied: "This Cao Peng is the person the Prime Minister trusts most; we must not be negligent."

Che Zhou donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led a thousand soldiers out of the city. Even Liu Bei had not expected Che Zhou to come out in person. He whispered to Guan Yu beside him: "Yunchang, the rest depends on you."

In a few moments, Che Zhou arrived before them. Not seeing Cao Peng, he immediately asked: "Where is General Cao?"

Liu Bei stepped forward with a flattering smile: "General Cao is leading the main army behind us. We were sent ahead by his order to arrive in Xuzhou first."

Che Zhou did not suspect a thing, but seeing that Cao Peng was absent, his attitude cooled slightly. "If that is the case, then please, enter!"

With that, he turned back, cursing his bad luck inwardly—Cao Peng’s absence meant he had wasted a trip.