Ma Chao was furious. "But who exactly is this Dan Fu? Was my father really killed by Liu Bei?"
Xun You smiled. "I know of this Dan Fu."
Everyone turned to look at Xun You.
Bai Xiaowen said, "Please enlighten us, Strategist."
Xun You said:
"His real name was not Dan Fu, nor was he from Jingzhou. He was a native of Yingchuan, surnamed Xu, given name Shu, courtesy name Yuan Zhi.
"When Xu Shu was young, he loved swordsmanship. He once killed a man to avenge a friend. With his hair loose and his face smeared, he walked through the marketplace, and no one dared approach him. Later, he was arrested by the authorities and refused to answer when asked his name. They tied him to a cart and paraded him through the streets, beating drums and asking the onlookers for his name. Though some recognized him, none dared speak.
"Later, someone rescued him. He changed his name, abandoned martial pursuits for scholarship, and sought out famous teachers everywhere. Dan Fu was merely an alias."
Xun You was also from Yingchuan, so it was hardly strange that he knew of Xu Shu.
Bai Xiaowen said, "Anyone who comes to stir up trouble is bound to be trouble themselves. Xu Shu would not have taken the alias Dan Fu and come to Hanzhong for no reason, persuading Zhang Lu to abandon Guanzhong and pinning this blame on me."
Ma Chao fell silent.
Ma Dai said, "Brother, though we still do not know whom Xu Shu serves, this is enough to prove that Zhang Lu's letter was no coincidence. Xu Shu instigated it, and his purpose was clearly to frame Duke of Yan! That means the people who murdered our uncle must be connected to Jian Yong and the force behind