Chapter 306 (1/2)

Spoiler t.i.tle

Xu Shu had initially thought of stalling the attack. Instead, the attack came earlier than usual.

“Kill! Kill!” Xu Shu repelled the first wave of the joint attack by Liu Bei and Zhang Xiu. However, Xu Shu not happy. This was because there were flames burning at the East, outside the city. It was Shouchun’s flouris.h.i.+ng industrial zone. It was now being burned to ashes. These flames were not only caused by Liu Bei’s Army but also Xu Shu himself. This was because Zhang Xiu’s Xiliang Cavalry was too quick. He would be at Baohe at one moment and reach the industrial zone in less than half a day. Xu Shu had been caught unprepared. Fortunately, Zhao Yun was there to fight back. Otherwise, the industrial zone would have fallen into Liu Bei’s hands. At that moment, Xu Shu would have sinned against the Lu Bu’s Army. This was because there were still a lot of things that have not yet been moved over from the industrial zone.

However, this was the time for action and not thoughts. Liu Bei’s Army and Zhang Xiu’s Army would not stop as it is still not dark. There will be a second and third wave of attack. He needed to lead his men and hold on to the last paradise in Yangzhou.

“So it really was the Lu Bu’s Army trying to drive a wedge between us and the Liu Bei’s Army!” Zhang Xiu looked at the city with a smirk. He had launched a raid to capture the East of Shouchun but was stopped by a small yet elite cavalry. Zhang Xiu realized that they were suspicious and ended up reconciling with Liu Bei.

“Lu Bu’s Army’s schemes cannot be hidden from General Yang Wu’s eyes! Haha!” Liu Bei complimented Zhang Xiu. In the past half a day, they were incompatible like oil and water. Now, they were like good friends. A lot of things had happened.

*Flashback*…..

At Zhang Xiu’s camp the previous night, Zhang XIu had made up his mind to withdraw his troops. He will let Liu Bei’s Army and Liu Mang’s Army kill each other while he attacks Runan as vengeance for his Xiliang Cavalry. If his luck was good, he would even be able to ambush Liu Bei and send him to h.e.l.l. If this plan was implemented, Liu Bei’s luck would be really bad as he would meet his end in the hands of an ordinary man.

If Zhang Xiu could think of such a stratagem, Pang Tong would be able to as well. He knew that Zhang Xiu had been given the advantage. Zhang Xiu would not only attack Liu Bei but also steal his position. This was a nasty action. If it was Lu Bu or Sun Ce, they would have already taken action on Liu Bei. However, Liu Bei was someone who could endure what others could not. This was why he paid Zhang Xiu a visit at his tent.

“What? Liu Bei came to visit?” Zhang Xiu was about to sleep when he received a report that Liu Bei had come.

“Milord. What is the point of meeting Liu Bei? We are going to leave tomorrow and he will fight alone. We now know how he operates! He schemed against Milord and ambushed me!” Hu Che Er was dissatisfied. He was not only the deputy general of the Xiliang Cavalry. He was also Zhang Xiu’s bodyguard. This is why he also received the news.

“Hm?” Zhang Xiu frowned. He thought for a while in the tent with flickering lights. After a while, he asked the messenger. “How many of them are there?”

“Including Liu Bei, there is a total of three people. The other two is a scholar and a general.” The messenger replied.

“Three people? Haha. It seems like Liu Bei came to die! Milord. Watch me, Hu Che Er, lead the troops to capture Liu Bei. This way, Milord would not only be able to kill Liu Bei but also shame him! You can also receive tens of thousands of troops!” Hu Che Er wanted to gather the troops to get rid of Liu Bei and absorb his soldiers.

“Kill Liu Bei? Absorb his army?” Truthfully speaking, Zhang Xiu was tempted. Liu Bei’s White Armored Soldiers were something to drool for. However, the most important thing was the provisions. If he could obtain the provisions from Liu Bei, he would not need to worry about taxes for about a decade. After all, the provisions from Liu Bei mostly belonged to Liu Pi that couldn’t escape from Yuzhou.

However, Zhang Xiu’s fiery heart began to cool down. “Invite Liu Bei in.”

“Milord? What are you…” Hu Che Er could not understand. “Milord. This is a rare opportunity! After killing Liu Bei, we would obtain his soldiers. We would be able to attack Shouchun, capturing both Yangzhou and Yuzhou. Alongside our own Wancheng, we would be able to contend in the world!” Hu Che Er was simple minded but still understood the importance of having an army.

“Sigh.” Zhang Xiu really wanted to do as Hu Che Er suggested but was unable to. Liu Bei only came with a scholar and a general. His subordinates were also the types that were loyal to him till their deaths. Even if there was only one general with him right now, the remaining general would go all out for Zhang Xiu’s head the moment Liu Bei is killed. On top of that, these generals were all difficult to deal with.

“Milord!” Hu Che Er still tried to give his advice.

“Wait.” Zhang Xiu stopped the messenger. Hu Che Er’s expression turned into a happy one. He believed that Zhang Xiu was finally going to accept his suggestion and kill Liu Bei.

“No need to invite Liu Bei in. I will go out and greet him personally.” Zhang Xiu said and began to dress. Either way, he did not want to kill Liu Bei. In that case, he might as well show a good impression. After all, Liu Bei was still the Left General and of high position than himself.

Exactly three people had appeared at Zhang Xiu’s camp. One of them was Liu Bei and the other two was Pang Tong and Liao Hua. In Liao Hua’s hands was a parcel.

“This Zhang XIu really deserved his reputation for holding on to Wancheng for so long. The arrangement of his camp is truly sophisticated.” Liu Bei took a close look at Zhang Xiu’s military camp. It was formed in a triangle, such that if one of them was attacked, the other two would be able to react quickly. This was a cautious behaviour worthy of praise. He initially thought that Zhang Xiu relied on his uncle a lot but it seemed like Zhang Xiu was also talented.

“Milord. Look over there!” Pang Tong’s eyes were sharp. He saw many cloth bags with a single glance.

“Cloth bags?” These bags were used for provisions. The ones Pang Tong pointed at were empty.

“Fortunately Milord is wise and was prepared to enter the tiger’s den. Otherwise, Zhang Xiu would have already cleaned this up tomorrow!” The provision bags would be collected after use. After all, the bags were also considered supplies. This also meant that Zhang Xiu’s Army were already preparing food. They were still preparing the food and did not have enough time to clean up.

“Sigh.” Liu Bei sighed just like Zhang Xiu. He believed he would not be in this condition if he had more power and better ancestry like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. He believed he would have already conquered a part of the world if he had a huge army like Yuan Shu and occupied Yangzhou and Yuzhou. However, Liu Bei was simply a seller of straw sandals. He had worked harder than any of the others yet gained less. To accomplish his ambition, he endured what others could not and do life threatening things.

As Liu Bei thought of this, the camp became brightly lit and a person rode to him.

“Protect the Lord!” Liao Hua had already drawn his sword and protected Liu Bei who was behind him.

“Huh?” Pang Tong and Liu Bei frowned. ‘Is Zhang Xiu really that brainless to seek mutual destruction? Doesn’t he know that he would only trap himself by fighting? Does he want this to end only when one of our armies is destroyed?’ Just as Liu Bei felt uncertain, a clear voice was heard. “Xuan Degong. This one didn’t know that you have arrived and was late in greeting you. Please forgive me.”

Liu Bei calmed down upon hearing this and replied, “You are too kind. This one is the one at fault for bothering General Yang Wu’s rest this late at night.” After the two exchanged polite greetings, Zhang Xiu invited Liu Bei into camp.

“What is the bandit Liu Bei doing here? Are you here to see if Milord had been killed by you?” In comparison, Hu Che Er was not as polite.

Liu Bei did not give Hu CHe Er a reply and instead looked back at Zhang Xiu. Zhang Xiu did not stop him. Evidently, he still held a grudge over the ambush.

“Haha!” Hu Che Er was a deputy general. His position was not small but he was also not a big shot. Liu Bei did not need to give him a reply. Pang Tong stepped forward as he laughed and said, “General Hu Che Er. Milord and I came to visit this late because we have important things to discuss. We also need to apologize to General Yang Wu.”

“Apologize? Haha. Does Xuan De Gong guilty of something?” Zhang Xiu laughed. This was just a rhetorical question. Liu Bei already knew where he went wrong and needed to admit his mistake.