Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

As the tent flap fell, Yuan Shu laughed, "You think I'll be back as soon as I leave? What a boastful boast! Do you really think Hua Xiong is made of clay? I bet that red-faced man sensed something was wrong and made an excuse to escape, didn't he?"

Some of the feudal lords shook their heads and sneered, whispering among themselves.

After all, Hua Xiong had previously killed Bao Zhong and defeated Sun Jian, and this time he had killed Yu She and Pan Feng in succession. His ferocity was at its peak. Guan Yu was just a horse archer under Liu Bei, who had been unknown before, yet he spoke so arrogantly, which was really hard to believe.

Seeing that the other lords were looking down on him, Liu Liang said, "Since General Guan has made these words, he must be confident. Please be patient and wait and see."

Upon hearing this, many people in the tent couldn't help but laugh, feeling that Liu Liang was spouting such absurd nonsense in order to protect his own people.

Liu Bei's palms were sweating slightly.

He knew that his second brother was a master of martial arts, but Hua Xiong was no easy opponent. It was already a stroke of luck that his second brother was able to escape unscathed or fight to a draw.

But to easily kill Hua Xiong...

He dared not harbor such hopes, and had even begun to consider what to do if his second brother was no match for him.

Just as Liu Bei was secretly worried about his second brother, Liu Liang pointed to the wine cup on the table and said, "While this wine is still warm, Hua Xiong's head will arrive."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu laughed even harder, pointing at Liu Liang and saying, "Good! What a brilliant 'warm wine to kill Hua Xiong'! Since you're so confident, how about we make a bet? We'll bet on whether your General Guan can bring back Hua Xiong's head before this wine cools down! The wager... one hundred shi of military rations! Do you dare?"

Gongsun Zan, who already harbored resentment towards Liu Bei and Zhao Yun, added with a cold smile, "Count me in too. I bet Hua Xiong will win. The wager is one hundred suits of iron armor."

The tent was immediately abuzz with interest, and many of the feudal lords looked on with amusement, waiting to see how Liu Bei and his men would respond.

Liu Bei's expression changed, and he hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands: "Heroes, fighting on the battlefield is not child's play. How can we gamble with the lives of our soldiers? I... dare not participate in such frivolous talk."

Yuan Shu sneered, "What? Liu Xuande, are you afraid? Or do you know that your men are just boasting?"

The other warlords also shook their heads, thinking that Liu Bei was cowardly and didn't even dare to accept the bet, which further confirmed that Liu Liang was just bluffing.

As he spoke, Liu Liang stepped forward three paces and said, "Generals, since we're going to gamble, why be so stingy? A hundred shi of grain and a hundred suits of armor for betting on slaying Hua Xiong while the wine is still warm is to greatly underestimate General Guan and Hua Xiong. If we're going to gamble, let's bet a thousand shi of military rations and a thousand suits of armor. I wonder if you two dare to take the bet?"

Liu Liang's voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the tent.

"A thousand stones?! A thousand pieces of armor?!"

An uproar erupted inside the tent.

Even Cao Cao raised an eyebrow.

Liu Bei was greatly alarmed and hurriedly tugged at Liu Liang's sleeve: "Father! No! We are desperately short of supplies... This gamble is too heavy!"

Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Cao Cao stepped forward and laughed, "Lord Xuande, why be so modest? I see that this brave Guan Yu possesses extraordinary bearing and is destined for great achievements! In this bet, I, Cao Cao, am willing to fully support Lord Xuande, betting on Guan Yu's swift success! To slay Hua Xiong while the wine is still warm!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Liang was overjoyed.

If Cao Cao had joined the betting game, he could have easily won, acquiring a considerable amount of grain and armor.

This could be considered the first time he directly assisted Cao Cao, right?

Unexpectedly, Cao Cao immediately followed up, saying, "Didn't you just say that you were short of provisions and weapons? No problem! I'm willing to lend you 1,000 shi of grain and 1,000 sets of armor to bolster your forces! Consider it a little bonus for today's good show!"

Liu Liang inwardly realized his miscalculation and quickly declined, saying, "I appreciate Lord Cao's kindness, but this is truly..."

"Hey!" Cao Cao waved his hand to interrupt, "We both contributed to the campaign against Dong Zhuo, why should we distinguish between us? This is a loan of grain, not a free gift, Mr. Zishan, please don't refuse!"

Although Cao Cao was polite in words, he had another set of accounts in his mind.

Liu Bei's feigned poverty was a pretense; his true fear was losing.

He insisted on publicly borrowing a large amount of grain and armor from Liu Bei, thus putting Liu Bei on a high platform.

Guan Yu with his red face looked imposing, but Hua Xiong had slain several generals; he was no ordinary man.

Once Guan Yu is defeated, Liu Bei will be indebted and unable to repay his debts, making him completely at Guan Yu's mercy in the future.

Even if he defaults on the debt, he'll still gain a reputation for being benevolent.

This deal seems like a great deal no matter how you look at it.

Seeing the gazes of the assembled lords, Liu Bei knew that further refusal would only appear hypocritical, so he had no choice but to accept the offer with clasped hands under everyone's watchful eyes: "In that case... I thank Lord Cao for his kindness."

Cao Cao laughed heartily, appearing extremely magnanimous.

Seeing this, Liu Liang cursed inwardly, "You bastard Cao Cao! ... I originally intended to help you out, but you insisted on forcing this 'favor' upon me. It's really... I tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead. It's so difficult to get you to appreciate my kindness."

Although Liu Liang was helpless, he had no choice but to continue the gamble since things had come to this point.

At first, Yuan Shu was also taken aback by the number.

It wasn't that he couldn't produce the thousand bushels of military rations, but rather that he was intimidated by Liu Liang's imposing manner. How could a mere staff member under a county magistrate possess such ambition and audacity?

But that shock was quickly replaced by anger.

What nonsense! How could a general like him possibly show weakness in front of a mere county magistrate?

Yuan Shu slammed his fist on the table and said, "Let's gamble! Do you think my family, descendants of four generations of high-ranking officials, is afraid of you? One thousand shi of grain! Liu Xuande, do you agree?"

Gongsun Zan's expression changed. Seeing that Yuan Shu had agreed, he realized that if he backed down, how could he save face?

He slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth, declaring, "I'll take it! A thousand suits of armor!"

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly outrageous, Yuan Shao feigned a stern face and shouted, "Nonsense! Military matters are urgent; how can you be allowed to set up a gambling den here? What kind of behavior is this!"

However, the atmosphere inside the tent had already been stirred up, and many of the feudal lords, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, began to stir up trouble.

"Alliance Leader, since both parties are willing, why not settle for a small prize?"

"Yes, it's a good opportunity to see if Guan Yu truly possesses such supernatural powers!"

"Regardless of who wins or loses, the armor and provisions will circulate within our allied forces. What's there to be afraid of?"

Yuan Shu, with his neck stiffened, said to Yuan Shao, "Alliance Leader! This was a private bet between me and Liu Liang, and has nothing to do with military affairs! Does the Alliance Leader intend to interfere even in this?"

Seeing the public outcry and Yuan Shu's open defiance, Yuan Shao feared that forcibly suppressing him would damage his prestige. Moreover, he himself was secretly curious to see just how capable Guan Yu was and what gave Liu Liang such confidence. Therefore, he gave a cold laugh and stopped his firm opposition, which could be considered as tacit approval.

Liu Liang said, "Since that's the case, words are not enough. Let's bring paper and pen, and write down a contract, which will be witnessed by all the wise men present, to avoid any disputes later."

"Hahaha!" Yuan Shu burst into laughter, "I, Yuan Gonglu, come from a distinguished family, I am an upright and honorable man, would I break my word?"

Liu Liang said, "You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't measure the sea with a bushel. Let's put it in writing. Verbal agreements are unreliable, and I'm afraid someone might regret it later."

Yuan Shu's face turned ashen: "So be it! I'm afraid it won't be Yuan who regrets it, but Liu!"

Soon, the military officer brought pen, ink, and bamboo slips.

Liu Liang personally wrote down the terms of the wager: if Guan Yu could slay Hua Xiong and return his head while the wine was still warm, Yuan Shu would pay 1,000 shi of grain and Gongsun Zan would pay 1,000 sets of armor. Otherwise, Liu Bei's army would pay the same amount. All three parties signed and sealed the agreement, and all the lords present acted as witnesses, each signing their names.

Liu Bei looked at the black and white words on the paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Zhang Fei also held his breath and stared wide-eyed out of the tent.

Once the contract was signed, Liu Liang picked it up and placed it beside the cup of hot wine on the table in front of Yuan Shao, saying, "May the alliance leader bear witness!"

Yuan Shao glanced at them and nodded slightly.

Right now,

Suddenly, the sound of drums and shouts rose outside the tent, as loud as thunder.

The expressions of the people inside the tent varied.

Yuan Shu wore a mocking expression.

Cao Cao listened intently.

Liu Bei clenched his hands tightly.

Liu Liang stood quietly with his eyes lowered.