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

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves approached, the tent flap was lifted, and Guan Yu stepped in carrying something, then threw it to the ground.

Where everyone's eyes fell was Hua Xiong's head!

The wine on the table was still warm.

The assembled lords were dumbfounded!

Hua Xiong, who had slain several generals, was actually killed by a mere horse archer while the wine was still warm?!

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat: "This time, not only did I fail to control Liu Bei, but I also made a name for myself and paved the way for him! Those provisions and armor have turned from ropes into congratulatory gifts, from debts into favors, and I even forced them on him as a huge favor!"

Yuan Shao's expression was complicated, and he chuckled twice: "Under Lord Xuande's command, there are truly hidden dragons and crouching tigers."

The tent fell into a deathly silence, broken only by heavy breathing and the crackling of the fire.

Everyone was thinking, "The appearance of Zhao Yun, who could rival Hua Xiong, was already remarkable. Now, Guan Yu has appeared who beheaded Hua Xiong while the wine is still warm! Liu Bei is just a county magistrate, yet he has such capable civil and military talents around him?"

Many eyes once again focused on Liu Bei and his group.

Shocked, he revealed his murderous intent!

Standing by the tent, Liu Liang watched as Liu Bei was surrounded by the various lords offering their congratulations, and looked at Cao Cao's beaming face. Only one thought occupied his mind:

"I was originally loyal to Cao Cao, but he just wouldn't see the light."

He did want to give the grain and armor to Cao Cao, even if it was just under the guise of "borrowing," it would still be a way to accumulate some achievements for the mission of the Mandate of Heaven.

But Cao Cao, on the other hand, turned around and dumped these supplies on Liu Bei, making sure the whole camp knew about it, and did so with great enthusiasm.

However, there was also some "good news".

Cao Cao gave this "favor" in front of the eighteen warlords.

With a thousand bushels of grain and a thousand sets of armor, plus the awe-inspiring feat of Guan Yu slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm, from this day forward, the name Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, will be etched into everyone's minds.

Originally, all I wanted was for Liu Bei to get some benefits and become a familiar face.

Now that's bad, his face is too familiar, and he's become a target.

......

Just as the warlords were getting restless, Yuan Shao was not idle either.

In the past few days, he has sent three groups of people.

The first group went to find Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

He offered gold, silver, fine wine, and warhorses, implying that "Lord Xuande is merely a county magistrate, why should General Guan stoop so low?"

Zhang Fei glared, overturned the box, pointed at the envoy's nose, and cursed, "You dare mention my elder brother?"

I almost got into a fight.

The second group went to find Zhao Yun.

To put it more directly, they carried a whole box of money and silk.

Zhao Yun's attitude was indifferent, and he only replied, "I have sworn to live and die with Lord Xuande."

He didn't even drink tea.

The third group went to find Liu Liang.

Having already tested the waters twice before, Yuan Shao took this opportunity to be extremely cautious.

He specially selected an eloquent and persuasive advisor, prepared generous gifts, and spoke with the utmost sincerity.

After all, he could tell who was truly the strategist under Liu Bei.

Liu Liang accepted the teacup, listened to the purpose of the visit, and smiled: "I am honored by the Alliance Leader's kindness. However, my relationship with Lord Xuande is not only that of ruler and subject, but also that of father and son. There is no reason for a father to switch allegiance to another family if his son is still alive."

The words were spoken politely, and no tea was spilled, but the guest was seen off.

The three groups of troops returned to their camps one after another. Yuan Shao listened to the reports without saying a word.

He was just putting on a show.

If you, Liu Bei, are wise enough to submit to me, you will surely have a place in the future.

But now, this mere county magistrate, along with his civil and military officials, can't budge a single one of them.

This shows they don't take Yuan Benchu ​​seriously.

What he found even more intolerable was that the feudal lords were watching.

Seeing Liu Bei return victorious and Guan Yu make a name for himself, Guan Yu, as the leader of the alliance, sent envoys to win him over, but they were all turned down.

In casual conversations, what did Yuan Shao become? Was he eager to recruit talented people? Or did he bring shame upon himself?

That night, in Yuan Shao's tent.

Yuan Shu arrived uninvited, followed by Gongsun Zan.

"Brother, did you hear those gossips outside the tent today?" Yuan Shu leaned back on his seat, poured himself a cup of wine, and said, "They said that our family, which has held high office for four generations, was being bullied by a straw sandal seller."

Yuan Shao did not answer, his gaze falling on Gongsun Zan.

Gongsun Zan, his face somber, clasped his hands and said, "Alliance Leader, there is something I do not understand. Zhao Yun was originally a cavalry commander under my command. Although his martial arts were not bad, I had never seen him so brave and fierce. Why is it that after joining Liu Bei's forces, he was able to fight Hua Xiong without being at a disadvantage? And Guan Yu, I had never heard of him before, yet he became famous in one battle. Where exactly did Liu Bei gather these men?"

Yuan Shao remained silent.

Yuan Shu sneered, "Brother, you are the leader of the alliance. There are some things you can't say yourself, so I'll say them for you. Liu Bei is a man who's completely out of touch with reality. You and I both know he's a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan. That Prince of Zhongshan has over a hundred sons and relatives all over the world—has anyone verified that? And then this Liu Liang suddenly appears by his side, a generation higher than him, claiming to be a fourteenth-generation descendant, with a genealogy written flawlessly. Brother, do you believe him?"

Yuan Shao finally spoke: "The matter of genealogy can be verified. You don't need to remind me of this; I've already sent men north to Zhuo and Dai commanderies to search for former officials of various branches of the Liu family, as well as old acquaintances of Liu Hong from his time in Dong Commandery. If Liu Liang truly had a past with Liu Hong, someone should have seen or heard of him. If not..."

Yuan Shu grinned and poured the remaining wine from his cup into the charcoal brazier, causing the flames to hiss and leap up. "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! My Yuan family has held high office for four generations, and our disciples and former officials are all over the world. We'll dig three feet into the ground to dig up the roots of these two."

Gongsun Zan, however, felt rather uncomfortable listening to this.

He came from the Gongsun clan of Liaoxi. Although it was a prominent clan, it was not a family of scholars, and was ultimately a step removed from the Yuan family, which had been "hereditary nobles."

At this moment, Yuan Shu kept referring to Gongsun Zan as "a disciple and former official of the Yuan family," as if Gongsun Zan were merely a subordinate.

Gongsun Zan suppressed a hint of displeasure and said in a deep voice, "An investigation is necessary. But it's too late to solve the immediate problem. Dong Zhuo isn't sitting idly by waiting for people to dredge up old grievances at Hulao Pass."

Yuan Shu glanced at him sideways: "General Gongsun, what brilliant idea do you have?"

Gongsun Zan said, "Liu Bei's immediate weakness is that he is too 'clean.' He rose from humble beginnings, has no powerful backing in the court, and no local power base. Such a person can be praised as a loyal minister, but can also be easily crushed with a single military order."

Yuan Shao raised his eyes.

Gongsun Zan continued, "The alliance leader decides on all matters concerning the distribution of provisions and troop deployments in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. Liu Bei, having falsely claimed kinship and rendered meritorious service, is perfectly suited to be the vanguard. At Hulao Pass, there are 150,000 Xiliang troops, including Lü Bu and Li Ru. If he is defeated, he will be punished according to military law. If he wins, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Once his remnants return, we…"

He didn't say anything more.

Yuan Shu clapped his hands and said, "General Gongsun's plan has finally shown its true strength."

Yuan Shao remained silent, lowering his eyes to fiddle with the lamp wick on the table. After a long while, he said calmly, "Liu Bei is a man who prides himself on his benevolence. Since he is a benevolent leader, he should naturally charge into battle and be the first in the world."

That's settled.

Yuan Shu stood up, brushed the dust off his knees as if brushing away something insignificant: "Then we'll wait for them to return, and I'll personally welcome them back and wash away the dust!"

After Yuan Shu and Gongsun Zan left, only Yuan Shao remained in the tent.

He gazed at the rolled-up register of Liu Bei's army's provisions and fodder, and murmured to himself:

"Liu Zishan... Liu Xuande..."

"Your family tree may fool others, but it can't fool me, Yuan Benchu!"

......