Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The next day, just as Wen Pin was inspecting military affairs in the camp as usual, Liu Biao's messenger arrived in a hurry, sweating and looking anxious. Upon seeing Wen Pin, the messenger hurriedly presented a secret letter with Liu Biao's seal attached.

Wen Pin unfolded the secret letter and quickly scanned it, his anger rising. Liu Biao had distorted the facts, claiming that Wen Pin was secretly colluding with Liu Bei and harboring ulterior motives. He demanded that Wen Pin immediately attack Liu Bei to prove his loyalty. Any disobedience would be punishable by military court.

Wen Pin was so angry that he threw the letter to the ground and shouted, "Absurd! I, Wen Pin, am devoted to Jingzhou and serve Liu Jingzhou. How could I be colluding with Liu Bei? Someone must be trying to sow discord between us!"

Seeing this, the deputy general beside him carefully picked up the letter, glanced at it, and said, "General, now that Liu Jingzhou has issued this order, what should we do? Liu Bei and the general used to be good friends. If they really start fighting..."

Wen Pin frowned, pacing back and forth in the tent, his mind awash with mixed emotions. He knew Liu Bei well; he would never do such a thing. He must have been deceived by a treacherous person. But Liu Biao's orders were as firm as a mountain; if he disobeyed, he feared he would be branded as disloyal and unrighteous.

After a long moment of contemplation, Wen Pin sighed and said, "I, Wen Pin, have been loyal and righteous my entire life. I cannot allow this false accusation to tarnish my reputation. However, Liu Bei and I are not enemies, so this matter must be handled with caution. Pass on my order: the entire army is on alert and must remain in place for now."

The deputy general looked troubled and said anxiously, "General, if we don't send troops now, it will be against Liu Jingzhou's orders. Besides, Liu Bei must be wary of us..."

Wen Pin's eyes were firm, showing no fear. He said, "You don't need to say anything more. I have made up my mind. You will take this envoy and accompany me to Liu Bei's camp."

Upon hearing this, the deputy general was horrified and stammered, "This...this...General, this is too risky. What if Liu Bei misunderstands and it harms you?"

Wen Pin ignored his deputy's dissuasion and strode out of the tent at a brisk pace. He knew that rashly sending troops at this moment would not only put him in an unjust position but also trigger an unnecessary war, devastating the people of Jingzhou. Only by personally visiting Liu Bei's camp and questioning him face to face could this crisis be resolved.

The deputy general had no choice but to hurriedly follow Wen Pin, bringing the envoy with him. Along the way, the deputy general was filled with anxiety, constantly scanning his surroundings, fearing an ambush. Wen Pin, on the other hand, remained calm, his gaze fixed firmly ahead.

Soon, they arrived in front of Liu Bei's camp. Seeing that it was Wen Pin, the guards at the front of the camp immediately became alert, holding their spears high and shouting, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Wen Pin stepped forward and said in a clear voice, "I am Wen Pin. I have come to see Uncle Liu to discuss an important matter."

Upon hearing this, the guards dared not act on their own and hurried into the camp to report. Liu Bei was also surprised to learn of Wen Pin's arrival. After exchanging a glance with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he said, "I wonder why Wen Pin has come at this hour. Second and third brothers, come with me to meet him."

When the three of them arrived at the camp, Liu Bei saw Wen Pin accompanied by an envoy, and he became even more puzzled. Wen Pin, upon seeing Liu Bei, quickly clasped his fists in greeting and said, "Uncle Liu, I'm sorry to have come here. I have something important to tell you."

Liu Bei returned the greeting, saying, "General Wen, you are very polite. I don't know what you are talking about, but please speak frankly."

Wen Pin then told the emperor everything about Liu Biao's secret letter. Finally, he said sincerely, "I know my uncle well; he would never do such a thing. I believe Liu Jingzhou must have been deceived by a treacherous person to issue this order. I've come here, first, to make my feelings known to my uncle, and second, to investigate the truth with him to avoid a conflict that would damage the relationship."

After hearing this, Liu Bei was deeply impressed by Wen Pin's loyalty and courage. He said, "General Wen, your loyalty is truly admirable to me. It is indeed as you say, Liu Biao was deceived and harmed me. I am ready to raise an army to seek justice, but I do not want to implicate you."

Zhang Fei couldn't help but say, "Humph, that old Liu Biao is really despicable. If General Wen could join us, we would have no problem defeating him!"

Guan Yu also nodded slightly and said, "If General Wen can help, great things can be accomplished."

Wen Pin looked embarrassed.

Liu Bei, holding the dying child, tears welling in his eyes, said in a trembling voice, "The late emperor died abruptly in Chang'an that day. On his deathbed, he entrusted this child to me, earnestly hoping that I could restore the Han Dynasty and revive its glory. But Cao Cao, the traitor, ushered in Liu Xie as emperor and seized power, leaving this child in disgrace, unable to inherit the throne in an upright manner. To live up to the late emperor's trust, I had no choice but to take this child with me, wandering from place to place."

He gently stroked the child's face, his heart filled with grief and indignation: "That Liu Biao, is an unworthy relative of the Han Dynasty. He controls Jingzhou and has a strong army. He should have joined us in supporting the Han Dynasty and marching to serve the country. But he is greedy for pleasure, not enterprising, enjoying everything brought to him by the Han Dynasty relatives, but completely disregarding the people of the world and the danger of the Han Dynasty. Now, he is so cruel that he has done such an evil act to harm the orphan of the previous emperor. It is really outrageous!" Liu Bei became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes burning with anger, and his hands clenched unconsciously.

Wen Pin listened to Liu Bei's confession with mixed feelings. He knew that Liu Bei was devoted to the Han Dynasty and that his life of wandering was not easy, and Liu Biao's behavior this time was truly despicable.

Liu Bei burst into tears, holding the dying child in his arms, his voice choking. "Yesterday, Zilong rushed to report the horrific events in Xiangyang. I was terribly anxious and wanted to march my army straight to Xiangyang. However, thinking of our past friendship and knowing your loyalty, I didn't want to embarrass you, so I suppressed my anger and stopped."

He raised his head, looked at Wen Pin sincerely, and continued, "With the General's presence today, I have taken this opportunity to speak candidly with you. My campaign against Liu Biao is not motivated by personal gain, but rather by the preservation of the Han Empire. Liu Biao, a relative of the Han royal family, has been reaping the benefits of his success without striving for advancement. Now, he has murdered the orphan of the late Emperor. This atrocity is an outrage to both humans and gods. If I do not punish him, how can I face the people of the world, and how can I appease the spirit of the late Emperor?"

Liu Bei spoke, taking two steps forward and firmly grasping Wen Pin's hand. "Ever since I became friends with you, I've always admired your loyalty. Being with you brings me joy and peace of mind. I only hope to work with you to restore the Han Dynasty. I know you well: you are loyal, righteous, and kind-hearted, and certainly not someone who would aid the tyrant."

Wen Pin was deeply moved by Liu Bei's heartfelt words. He looked at Liu Bei's sorrowful yet resolute face, then at the child in his arms, whose life hung by a thread, and the balance in his heart gradually tilted.

Liu Bei released Wen Pin's hand, stepped back, clasped his fists, and said, "I only ask that you understand my difficulties. If you can stay out of this conflict, I will be grateful. I promise you that wherever our army marches, we will not harm a single blade of grass, a single tree, a single soldier, or a single civilian in Jingzhou."

Wen Pin bowed his head in thought for a long time. When he raised his head, his eyes were filled with determination. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said, "Uncle Liu's sincerity humbles me. I am willing to submit to you. From now on, I will follow your lead and work together to restore the Han Dynasty."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and hurried forward to help Wen Pin up, his eyes filled with relief. "General Wen's action is truly a blessing for the Han Dynasty and the world. With your help, I can achieve great things!"

Zhang Fei saw this and laughed: "Haha, great! With General Wen coming, we will be even more powerful! Let's see what Liu Biao can do!" Guan Yu also smiled and nodded slightly, expressing his approval of Wen Pin's decision.

Pang Tong, who was standing aside, had a gleam in his eyes. He was thoughtful and considered things carefully, and said slowly: "It is a great joy that General Wen Pin has surrendered to the lord today. But all the soldiers under the general's command are still under the orders of Liu Biao. I wonder if the general..." Although he did not point it out in his words, his implication was that whether Wen Pin was sincere in his surrender remained to be seen.

Wen Pin understood Pang Tong's concerns. He smiled slightly, turned around, waved toward the door, and said, "The messenger Liu Biao sent has been escorted outside the camp. Please follow me, everyone." With that, he was the first to leave the camp.

Everyone was startled, then quickly followed. As they left the camp, Wen Pin's deputy rushed forward to meet them. Without a word, Wen Pin pulled his deputy aside and walked straight to the messenger. His face darkened, a flicker of determination flashed in his eyes, and without hesitation, he drew the longsword from his waist. With a flash of cold light, he raised his hand and brought the sword down, severing the envoy's head with one blow.

Blood splattered on the spot, shocking everyone. Pang Tong, however, was overjoyed, clapping his hands and laughing, saying, "Brilliant! Since Liu Biao sent this messenger, he must be someone close to him. General Wen Pin's move demonstrates his resolve; he must be truly committed to surrendering."

Liu Bei looked at Wen Pin, his eyes filled with admiration and trust. He said, "General Wen's loyalty is unparalleled. I firmly believe that your actions are sincere. From this moment on, you and I are brothers who will live and die together, and we will strive together to restore the Han Dynasty."

Wen Pin clasped his fists and said with a firm expression, "Thank you for your trust, my lord. I am willing to sacrifice my life for you, and I will do anything for you."

Zhang Fei, watching from the sidelines, was filled with excitement and laughed heartily, saying, "Excellent! General Wen's courage is truly impressive! From now on, let's work together to give that old scoundrel Liu Biao a good beating!"

Guan Yu nodded slightly and said, "General Wen's actions have impressed Yunchang. If we work together in the future, there is no need to worry about not achieving great things."

At this moment, everyone's doubts about Wen Pin were completely dispelled. Wen Pin's surrender not only strengthened Liu Bei's power but also increased his chances of victory in the impending war. However, they also knew that Liu Biao would not give up after learning of this. A major battle was already on the verge of being launched.

Liu Bei looked at Wen Pin, his eyes filled with hope and trust. He decisively said, "General Wen, there's no time to lose. Return and assemble your forces immediately. We will return to Yingchuan and then prepare to capture Nanyang County with all our might. Nanyang County is strategically located and, if we can control it, our army will be able to attack or defend, which will be of great significance to our cause of defeating Liu Biao and restoring the Han Dynasty."

After hearing what Liu Bei had said, Wen Pin immediately knelt on the ground with a plop. With a sincere and resolute expression, he said, "My lord, I am a man of limited talent and learning, but I am grateful for your kindness. Now that I have submitted to you, all my troops will be at your disposal. I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly, even if it means danger."

Liu Bei looked at the kneeling Wen Pin, deeply moved, his eyes welling up slightly. He quickly reached out, forcefully lifting Wen Pin to his feet. He gripped his arm tightly and said, "General Wen, why do you say that? Your loyalty is unparalleled. It is a blessing for me and the Han Dynasty to have your assistance. Your troops are all the best of Jingzhou, and I will certainly deploy them wisely. However, the situation is complicated at this moment. Let's return to Yingchuan together first, and then we can make detailed plans."