Lu Bu: My wife comes from two thousand years later

"Brother, do you really want to help Cao Mengde fight Fengxian?"

In Chengdu, Shu Commandery, Yizhou, at the Weiyang Palace of Shu Han, Zhang Fei had just returned from suppressing a rebellion in a vassal state of Shu Commandery (a frontier tribal controlled area). Upon hearing that Liu Bei was dispatching troops to Hanzhong to attack Lu Bu, he hurried over to meet him without even taking off his armor.

Looking at his messy hair and sweat-soaked collar, Liu Bei said gently, "Third brother, you've worked hard these days. Go back and wash and change clothes first. I'll explain this matter to you slowly later."

"I'm not tired!" Zhang Fei took off his helmet and held it under his armpit, saying, "Brother, tell me now, what are the reasons for opposing Fengxian?"

Knowing Zhang Fei's stubborn nature, and that he wouldn't leave until he had a clear explanation, Liu Bei walked over and helped him remove his armor while saying, "I don't want to go against Fengxian, but Cao Mengde is facing a life-or-death situation. If he is destroyed by Fengxian, we will be next."

He handed the armor to the attendant and said, "You should know the ambitions of the couple. They will not allow me to rule a separate region. At this point, the foundation of our Han Dynasty is almost limited to Shuzhong and Jingzhou. If you want to keep it, you can't let Fengxian annex others. Third brother, do you understand?"

"He can annex his territories, and we will defend ours. The road to Shu is difficult to travel. Even if he eliminates everyone outside, it will not be easy for him to seize Shu. At least not in his lifetime."

Liu Bei shook his head. "You're too naive. It might not have been possible in the past, but Liang Province has completely been annexed by the Tang. Wudu County is right at the gate of Yangping Pass. The enemy only needs to break through this gate to capture Hanzhong. Furthermore, there are two routes to the west, the West Han River and the White Dragon River, which lead to Guanghan County. Counting the two routes in Guanzhong, if the Tang army really wants to attack Shu, they have five routes to advance. If Cao Cao and Sun Ce are both dead, do you think we can hold on to Shu?"

Zhang Fei was silent for a moment, then continued, "Even if Hanzhong is captured by him, as long as our army firmly defends Guancheng Pass on the West Han River and Baishui Pass on the White Dragon River, he won't be able to do anything to us. Look, we've fought Liu Fan several times before, but we were always blocked outside these two passes. Even if we take another step back, there are Jiameng and Jiange downstream from Qiaotou. Counting Yangping Pass in Hanzhong, there are three more gates behind these two. Furthermore, the roads are difficult to travel and it's hard to transport military supplies. With my second brother and I here, how can outsiders get in that easily?"

"Brother, when Fengxian attacked Liangzhou, you promised to send troops to help, but you dragged your feet for so long that you ultimately offered no help. We owe him a debt of gratitude, but this time he's attacking Cao Mengde, which has nothing to do with us, and yet you're trying to hold him back. How ungrateful! I clearly remember hearing that when you heard His Majesty had Cao Mengde killed, you cried for two days and two nights without a drop of water. You said you'd never reconcile with Cao Cao in your life, and now you're actually siding with him?"

"This is a different time! There is no room for negotiation on this matter. Third brother, please say more!" Liu Bei looked at him unhappily and his tone unconsciously became heavier.

"Brother, you've really changed..." Zhang Fei looked at him with some disappointment. "Ever since you appointed that villain Li Ru as your military advisor, you've been bewitched by him and become increasingly dishonest and selfish..."

"Shut up!" Liu Bei suddenly roared, glaring. "I haven't changed. From the beginning to the end, I only wanted to do one thing, and that was to restore the Han Dynasty and my Liu family's kingdom. Everything I did was for this. Do you think conquering the world is that easy? How can a straw mat seller like me rely on kindness and righteousness? Without Li Wenyou, I couldn't even enter Hanzhong. I would still be living under someone else's roof, homeless. Without Li Wenyou, could I have conquered Shuzhong?"

He paced back and forth in the hall in a rage, "You say I'm selfish. Did I build myself a mansion or a beautiful wife and concubines? Do I eat delicacies every day or do I eat silk and satin? If I don't beat him now, he will beat me tomorrow!"

Zhang Fei had never seen Liu Bei so furious, and he stood there in a daze for a moment, not daring to say a word.

After Liu Bei vented his anger, he calmed down and said, "If you don't want to go against him, you should stay in Shu this time."

After saying that, she ignored him and went straight out of the palace to find Li Ru.

The palace where Liu Bei lives now was newly built a few years ago when Liu Fan proclaimed himself emperor. Although it is not as large as the imperial capital of Luoyang, it is decorated quite luxuriously with glazed tiles, vermilion lacquer, white jade bricks, agarwood, carved beams and painted buildings, and it is magnificent. Every brick and tile here demonstrates the emperor's supreme authority.

Walking on the jade road in front of the palace, Liu Bei looked back and looked up. The two dragons on the eaves of the main hall of Weiyang Palace were vivid and seemed to be about to fly away with their fangs and claws bared.

He watched quietly for a moment, then said to a servant, "Let someone demolish this palace tomorrow!"

"This..." the attendant said in disbelief, "Is it really demolished?"

Liu Bei looked determined and said, "Tear it down!" Then he turned around and strode out of the palace.

Li Ru's residence was not far from the imperial palace. Liu Bei didn't take a car, and it took him half an hour to walk to Li's residence. The attendant led him directly to the study. Li Ru was bent over his desk, concentrating on studying the map, and occasionally circling and marking it with his pen. Seeing Liu Bei coming, he quickly put down his brush and went out to pay his respects. "My lord, why are you here so suddenly? If you need anything, you can call me to the palace."

"I just felt bored, so I came to visit you." Liu Bei walked into the study with his hands behind his back. Seeing the map on the desk, he asked, "What is the military advisor busy with?"

Li Ru followed and pointed to the Guanzhong region on the map, explaining, "I've been wondering for the past two days whether our army could take advantage of Lü Bu's campaign against Cao Cao to launch a surprise attack on Yongzhou."

"Steal Yongzhou?"

Liu Bei was shocked by his idea and shook his head and laughed, "Military Advisor, your imagination is too wild. Lü Bu has a strong army and many brave generals under his command. Even if he diverts all his main forces to attack Yanzhou, we can't capture Yongzhou. Even if we are lucky enough to take it, we have Liangzhou behind us and Sizhou in front of us. Once he destroys Cao Mengde, we won't be able to hold it."

Li Ru said, "Cao Mengde has the support of the Lord and Sun Bofu. I predict that Lü Bu will not be able to defeat him within three to five years. By then, his economy will be ruined, his army will be old and his people will be exhausted. How can he have the energy to fight us?"

Liu Bei's mind shifted slightly, and he asked, "What if he discovers something is wrong in Yongzhou and turns back to deal with us first?"

"How can a thrust be so easily retracted?" Li Ru laughed. "Cao Mengde has set up layers of defenses in Yanzhou, making it very difficult for Lü Bu to penetrate. My lord, wait until his blade has already penetrated the skin before striking. Will he be willing to withdraw his blade then? By the time he finishes defeating Cao Mengde, we will have already secured Yongzhou."

"What about Liangzhou?" Liu Bei asked immediately.

"Lü Bu forced the dismantling of families and tribes. The people of Liang Province were intimidated by his military sanctions and were forced to compromise. How many of them truly obey him? My lord, if you can capture Yong Province, you will be your support. Then send people to persuade them to surrender. Perhaps you can take it without resorting to force. There are horse farms belonging to the Han Dynasty there. Lü Bu also grows large quantities of cotton to the north of Liang Province. With the Silk Road at your side, this is a great place to accumulate wealth!"

Li Ru paused, then pointed at the map and continued, "As long as we capture these two places, my lord can send a strong army to garrison the Huayin-Pujin area. Even if Lü Bu is free in the future, it won't be easy to recapture them. Or perhaps, if Cao Gong survives, my lord can even join him in a counterattack."

"Let me think about this, let me think about it..."

Liu Bei's hands and feet began to tremble slightly, and his heart was pounding. He walked out of the study door a little restlessly, took a deep breath of the cool air outside, and slowly calmed his pounding heart.

Li Ru followed and continued, "The foundation of our Han Dynasty is in Luoyang and Chang'an. If my lord can recapture Chang'an, it will be considered as the revival of half of the Han territory."

He looked at the corner of the palace on his left. "Although the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an is not as luxurious as this one, it was the residence of many generations of emperors of the Liu family. It is a symbol of orthodoxy. My lord, as a descendant of the Liu family, how can you live in this fake Weiyang Palace?"

Liu Bei said, "I ordered it to be demolished before I came here!"

Li Ru curled his lips and smiled, "It seems that my lord and I are of the same mind!"

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, and finally made a decision, "Follow the military advisor's advice!"