My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 199 Lu Bu Among Men
Upon hearing this, Lü Bu became somewhat arrogant.

In Lü Bu's view, Liu Bei was a man of truth and honesty, and what he said was absolutely correct.

He was indeed a meritorious official of the Han Dynasty, eliminating Dong Zhuo and supporting Emperor Xian. If Wang Yun hadn't disobeyed him, wouldn't he be ruling in Chang'an now?

Lu Bu considered himself a kind and honest man, so of course he knew how to reciprocate kindness.

Since Liu Bei was so sensible and knew his own reputation and status, he didn't mind praising the other party a little.

Then, Lü Bu uttered some shocking words: "Brother, you flatter me. You have achieved some success in Xuzhou. In the past, Tao Qian held Xuzhou, but it was defeated by Cao Cao, leaving the people displaced and Xuzhou devastated. But under your rule, I see Xuzhou thriving and full of life. This is all thanks to your governance. However, if I hadn't betrayed Cao Cao in Yanzhou, forcing him to turn his army back to Yanzhou, Xuzhou would probably have already fallen to him. How could you be so carefree then?"

After Lu Bu finished speaking, he looked smug, feeling that his words had been perfect.

By addressing him as his virtuous brother, he not only brought them closer but also praised Liu Bei's achievements in governing Xuzhou. Finally, he subtly pointed out that the greatest contributor was actually himself, demonstrating his great merit in saving Liu Bei and Xuzhou from dire straits. This was a well-reasoned and skillful maneuver.

After speaking, Lü Bu slightly raised his head, seemingly waiting for Liu Bei to bow and express his gratitude.

Unexpectedly, the atmosphere in the arena suddenly plummeted to freezing point. Not to mention the Xuzhou side, even Lu Bu's own generals were looking at each other in bewilderment.

While the generals of Bingzhou were indeed made exceptionally arrogant by Lü Bu, they were still aware of their current predicament and the circumstances of their defection. For the sake of their future situation, they could not utter such words.

As for Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and the others, they were all so shocked by Lü Bu that they were speechless.

Zhang Miao even wanted to angrily berate Lü Bu, "Do you even have a brain? So it's my family members who are trapped in Yongqiu, and it has nothing to do with you, huh?"

As for the Xuzhou side, Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, Pan Zhang, and others, who were all short-tempered, were glaring at Lü Bu with expressions that looked like they wanted to devour him.

Even generals like Guan Yu and Taishi Ci, who were relatively respectful, showed displeasure at Lü Bu's arrogance.

As for Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Xun You, Guo Jia, and others, their expressions varied—some shocked, some mocking, some laughing—but their eyes held different intentions.

Liu Bei, the person involved, looked quite grim.

No one present felt as embarrassed as Liu Bei, the person directly involved. He felt like he'd been offered a warm welcome but met with a cold shoulder. Even someone as emotionally intelligent as Liu Bei was momentarily at a loss for words to ease the tension.

"Lord Wen is mistaken."

A young man behind Liu Bei stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with disdain, "Lord Wen did indeed lend a helping hand to Xuzhou, but Xuzhou has already repaid that favor. Why does Lord Wen pretend not to know? Do you think Xuzhou is weak and benevolent?"

The speaker was Liu Feng.

Upon hearing Liu Feng's words, Lü Bu became unhappy. His handsome face darkened, and his bright eyes revealed displeasure as he turned to Liu Feng.

Liu Feng's heart sank. Being targeted by Lü Bu had actually given him a real sense of heaviness, which left him speechless.

"Where did you come from, brat? You have no right to speak here."

Lü Bu, at least, knew that this was Xuzhou and had no intention of harming Liu Feng. Instead, he scolded, "Get out of here at once!"

"Be bold!"

"You traitorous slave, do you intend to deceive my son and nephew?!"

"How dare Lü Bu deceive my lord!"

Lu Bu thought he had spoken very kindly and magnanimously, and didn't even bother to argue with the little guy, but he didn't expect to have stirred up a hornet's nest.

The generals behind Liu Bei and Liu Feng began to curse loudly, and Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, and Pan Zhang, three hot-tempered men, immediately wanted to rush forward and teach them a lesson.

Guan Yu, Taishi Ci, and Zhou Tai reacted quickly, each grabbing one of the three and restraining them, though anger was also evident on their faces.

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Lü Bu, while Taishi Ci held Gan Ning with one hand and reached for the precious bow with the other. Zhou Tai, who was holding Pan Zhang, looked at Liu Feng, clearly waiting for Liu Feng's order.

The shouts of these fierce generals startled Lü Bu and his men.

I hadn't looked closely before, but now that I do, I realize that Liu Bei had so many fierce generals under his command.

Leaving aside Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, they had dealt with Lü Bu in the past and had also accumulated their reputation during the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Although the origins of Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Pan Zhang, and Zhou Tai are unknown, each of them has the appearance of a bear or tiger, and must be a fierce warrior.

Putting aside everything else, among Lü Bu's subordinates, only Zhang Liao and Gao Shun could probably compare to these four.

Zhang Liao was essentially a partner, not just a subordinate of Lü Bu, but a shareholder. As for Gao Shun, he was more like a guest general to Lü Bu; his true lord was Zhang Miao.

Lü Bu, Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and even Zhang Liao and Gao Shun all began to scrutinize Liu Feng again.

Previously, this young man had simply followed behind Liu Bei. Although he possessed an impressive bearing, he was taciturn and showed no particular talent.

Unexpectedly, Lu Bu's slip of the tongue enraged the entire team of generals in Xuzhou.

It is evident that this young man was quite prestigious in Xuzhou and was not simply relying on Liu Bei.

Chen Gong also noticed that Liu Bei was completely indifferent to this matter and simply let Liu Feng do as he pleased.

This scene sent Chen Gong's heart plummeting to the bottom.

Liu Feng spoke up, "Gentlemen, please calm down for now."

To Chen Gong and Zhang Miao's surprise, Liu Feng's mere words had silenced the fierce bear warriors. However, Chen Gong and Zhang Miao felt increasingly uneasy.

After calming Zhang Fei and the others down, Liu Feng cupped his hands in greeting to Lü Bu: "I am Liu Feng, my father is the Governor of Xu Province. May I ask, Marquis Lü Wen, have you not received my letter?"

Upon hearing the name Liu Feng, Lü Bu's face immediately showed embarrassment.

Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun all looked shocked. They vividly remembered what Lü Bu had said to them before the Battle of Dingtao, when Lü Bu had even mocked Liu Feng for being inexplicable.

"The art of war is to combine the real and the unreal, and to complement each other. The real and the unreal can be switched at any time."

Liu Feng sneered, "I believe Marquis Lü Wen should now know that there were no large troops in Cao Cao's camp at that time, right? You only know that Cao Cao likes to take risks and use tricks, but you can't see the orthodox way of Cao Cao's military strategy. Whenever Cao Cao prepares a battle carefully, unless his forces are really insufficient, he will always fight with more troops than he can handle. If he had a large army in the camp at that time, why would he have left the camp gates wide open and not come out to fight?"

"I have long heard that Lu Wenhou has commanded troops for many years and is skilled in battle, but seeing him today, he is nothing special. No wonder he was driven out by Cao Cao."

"How dare you insult me, you brat!"

Lu Bu flew into a rage, instantly transforming into a ferocious tiger, his terrifying aura enveloping Liu Feng.

For a moment, Liu Feng felt a slight weakness in his legs, and he might collapse to the ground at any time, which would make him look ridiculous.

Liu Feng suddenly hardened his heart, bit his tongue hard, and the intense pain directly activated his adrenaline, allowing him to break free from Lu Bu's aura and regain his strength.

The next moment, Liu Feng roared back without backing down: "Let's stick to the facts!"

Lu Bu wanted to turn hostile on the spot, but suddenly a strong sense of crisis enveloped him, making him unable to help but crouch down and take a look.

Suddenly, Taishi Ci and Gan Ning on the opposite side both drew their bows and nocked arrows, their target clearly being him.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Pan Jinlian, and Zhou Yu had regained their fierce tiger-like momentum and were about to charge forward.

"Stop it all!"

Liu Bei finally spoke, and his powerful rebuke forced Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, and others to put down their bows and arrows, while Zhou Tai held back Pan Zhang.

Liu Bei took two steps forward, blocking Liu Feng behind him, and pretended to rebuke him, saying, "Lord Lü Wenhou is your elder, how can you be so rude? Even if your elder is wrong, how dare you question him? Get out of here at once!"

"Yes, father."

Liu Feng bowed respectfully and retreated into the crowd.

Guo Jia whispered to Xun You, "Our governor's son is indeed sharp-tongued, but his courage is truly remarkable."

Xun You said leisurely, "It's not just that it's not bad. If you and I were in the same situation as you, young master, we would probably have collapsed to the ground long ago."

Guo Jia wanted to refute, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that his body couldn't withstand Lü Bu's wrath, so he immediately changed the subject: "However, young master, your provocation of Lü Bu was a bit too obvious." Xun You nodded, then shook his head.

Guo Jia nodded thoughtfully.

Xun You meant that he agreed with Guo Jia's view. Liu Feng's provocation was indeed too obvious, but the deeper meaning behind Liu Feng's actions was not simple, at least Xun You had not yet figured it out.

Guo Jia nodded in agreement with Xun You's idea, because he also failed to see Liu Feng's true intentions.

Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong were whispering to each other: "Lu Bu is just a warrior. Although he has contributed to the country, he is arrogant and rude. If you, my lord, can rebuke him with righteous words, you will not disgrace the prestige of Xuzhou."

Zhang Hong nodded: "However, I believe Young Master Yi still has a backup plan; this anger is merely a prelude."

"Indeed."

Zhang Zhao nodded in agreement: "It's just that I failed to see it."

Zhang Hong, however, seemed to be pondering something: "Perhaps it's partly to vent his anger on his father."

Even Zhang Zhao's usually stern face showed a slight smile, and he nodded: "What Zigang said makes a lot of sense."

Among the crowd behind them, the Zhuge brothers also began to whisper among themselves.

"What? Is Young Master putting on an act?"

A flicker of shock crossed Zhuge Jin's calm face, but she quickly regained her composure, though inwardly she wondered, "How did you know?"

"Young Master and I have talked about some things concerning Yanzhou."

Zhuge Liang replied in a low voice, "Your Excellency is also very troubled by Lü Bu's defection, but it is inconvenient to refuse him. At this time, someone must step forward to play the bad cop, and this person must have the authority to speak, and preferably leave Your Excellency with no choice."

At this point, Zhuge Liang chuckled softly, "After thinking it over, isn't the young master the most suitable?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jin slowly nodded: "I see. But Liang, you must not reveal these things casually. The young master is discussing these matters with you because he trusts you, and you must not betray his trust."

Zhuge Liang immediately replied solemnly, "Brother, rest assured, I will definitely keep it in mind."

Zhuge Jin hesitated for a moment, then added, "It's best not to tell me about this in the future, not even me. The more people who know about confidential matters, the greater the risk."

Zhuge Liang admired his elder brother's prudence and explained, "Yes, elder brother, but this time the young master said beforehand that if Ziyu asked, Liang would tell him everything he knew. The young master also praised elder brother for being steady and cautious by nature, and for being a person who can shoulder great responsibilities."

Zhuge Jin was finally satisfied, especially when he heard Liu Feng praise him. Even though he was a calm person, he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth from turning up.

After Liu Feng returned to the crowd, Liu Bei regained his calm demeanor. He then greeted Zhang Miao, Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and others in turn, and sincerely invited them, saying, "Gentlemen, you have come from afar and must be tired. I have prepared lodgings in the city. After you have washed away the dust, I will hold a banquet to entertain you."

Zhang Miao exclaimed with emotion, "I have come here as a fugitive to seek refuge, but I never expected that you, my lord, would treat me with such kindness. I am deeply grateful and moved to tears."

"Brother Mengzhuo, why do you say that?"

Liu Bei took Zhang Miao's hand and comforted him, saying, "You are among the Eight Masters of the Imperial Kitchen, and your name is known throughout the land. I have long admired you. To meet you today is a great relief, a blessing I could never have asked for."

Zhang Miao was even more excited, and he grasped Liu Bei's hand and wept bitterly: "Your Excellency is truly a kind and honest man. I regret that I could not have met you sooner."

Chen Gong, standing nearby, also sighed deeply.

A fleeting, unbelievable thought crossed his mind: if Liu Bei had been the one they supported back then, even if things hadn't necessarily succeeded, he would still have been better than Lü Bu, right?
However, Chen Gong immediately smiled bitterly. At that time, Liu Bei was just an empty shell, the Chancellor of Pingyuan. He had even lost the Pingyuan Kingdom. How could he compare to Lü Bu?

At least Lü Bu had the Bingzhou army under his command, with dozens of brave and fierce generals. He also had the righteous cause of killing Dong Zhuo, and was a general personally appointed by the court, with the title of Marquis of Wen and the privilege of opening his own office with the same rank as the Three Excellencies.

Just looking at the dilapidated Yanzhou and then at the peaceful and prosperous Xuzhou, the difference is truly like heaven and earth.

Afterwards, Liu Bei personally escorted Lü Bu and his men into the guesthouse. The three or four thousand men that Lü Bu brought were placed in military quarters outside the city, and each of them was served wine and food.

There was no meat. Even his own troops couldn't get meat to eat, so Liu Feng couldn't bear to give any to these defeated soldiers in Yanzhou.

No sooner had Liu Bei left than a fierce argument broke out in the guesthouse.

Chen Gong rebuked Lü Bu for his rude remarks, but Lü Bu felt that he had done nothing wrong and that it was Liu Feng who was being unreasonable.

Zhang Liao leaned against the doorway, gazing outside. He knew Lü Bu's personality all too well and knew that words alone were useless. If Lü Bu had listened to advice, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

Gao Shun stood beside Zhang Miao, frowning as he watched Chen Gong and Lü Bu argue. He wanted to offer some advice, but couldn't think of a solution.

As for Zhang Miao, he sat in his seat lost in thought, indifferent to the argument between Chen Gong and Lü Bu, preoccupied with his own affairs.

Lu Bu said indignantly, "Gongtai, Liu Feng is such a brat. I didn't hold it against him, which is already a great act of magnanimity. Liu Xuande is grateful to me, so how could I be dissatisfied?"

Chen Gong almost vomited blood upon hearing this: "Lord Wen, they are father and son. Liu Feng stood up for his father, how could Liu Bei blame him for being too filial?"

"Besides, what Liu Feng said is not wrong. At that time, there was no ambush in Cao Cao's camp, and there were only a thousand soldiers. If we had followed Xiao Fu's request and let him lead a thousand vanguard to test the waters, what could Cao Cao do but abandon the camp and flee? The siege of Dingtao could have been lifted immediately. We are still in Dongjin City, not in Tan City."

Lu Bu blushed with embarrassment after Chen Gong's words. He later learned that Cao Cao's camp actually had no soldiers, and the guards on the city walls were all women and children in disguise.

“What Bu said is all true, and it is not a lie to deceive people. That child is in Tancheng, how could he know about the affairs of Dingtao? He is just guessing randomly, so why should you worry so much, Gongtai?”

But Lü Bu still stubbornly replied after a moment: "I see Liu Xuande as an honest and upright man. I believe he will be able to uphold justice and fairness. Gongtai, you need not worry too much."

Chen Gong was so angry that he stopped talking and sat down to sulk.

Chen Gong fell silent, which made Lü Bu feel awkward. He coughed twice, trying to ease the tension, but Chen Gong ignored him completely.

So Lü Bu could only sit down dejectedly.

For a moment, silence fell over the main hall.

After an unknown amount of time, the tranquility of the main hall was suddenly broken by Lü Bu's voice.

"Meng Zhuo, Gongtai, Wen Yuan, I observe that Xuzhou has a strong and well-equipped army. If we were to borrow troops and supplies from Liu Bei, could we possibly take back Yanzhou?"

It's clear from this that Lü Bu didn't have a good impression of Gao Shun. Among the people present, he deliberately ignored Gao Shun, which shows how low Lü Bu's emotional intelligence was.

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and Zhang Liao all turned to look at Lü Bu, wondering if this fellow had come up with some brilliant idea.
Chen Gong pondered for a moment and asked, "How do you plan to ask Liu Bei for troops and supplies?"

Zhang Miao, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and others were also staring intently at Lü Bu. Could it be that this guy has suddenly become smarter?

Lu Bu looked puzzled: "Liu Xuande is a kind and generous man, and he values ​​us so much. We are just borrowing troops, what's so difficult about that?"

Lu Bu's words silenced everyone in the hall once again.

After a moment, Chen Gong stood up and said, "There will be a banquet tonight, and we must not be impolite. I will go and freshen up first. Please keep me company."

Zhang Miao, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun followed closely behind, and also took their leave.

In the blink of an eye, only Lü Bu remained.

He was still puzzled, wondering why Chen Gong and the others had run away.

Lu Bu was being sidelined, and so was Liu Feng.

The difference is that Liu Feng was not neglected because he offended anyone; it was just that Liu Bei was in a bad mood and did not want to talk.

"Father, you didn't expect Lü Bu to be so reckless, did you?"

Liu Bei sighed deeply, shaking his head and saying, "Alas... I truly never imagined that Lü Bu would be such a person."

Only Liu Bei and his son, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were in the room.

Liu Feng did want to keep Taishi Ci and the others, but after thinking about it, he suppressed his thoughts.

What does this mean? Are they challenging their father?

Although Liu Bei might not think much of it, I still have to keep to myself, otherwise wouldn't I be just as filial as Lü Bu?
(End of this chapter)