To plot against Lu Bu, first eliminate Chen Gong

Xuzhou, Xiapi.

Setting aside Liu Bei leading his army through the night, let us speak of the day Chen Deng returned to Xuzhou after receiving his orders from the imperial court and informed Lu Bu of all that had transpired.

Upon hearing that he had failed to secure the position of Governor of Xuzhou, Lu Bu roared in a fit of rage:

"You did not seek the governorship for me, but rather titles and honors for yourself!"

"Your father told me to abandon Yuan Shu and pledge allegiance to the court, yet now I have gained nothing, while you and your father have risen to prominence!"

"If this continues, I shall surely be harmed by the likes of you sooner or later!"

He drew his sword, intent on beheading Chen Deng on the spot.

However, seeing this, Chen Deng showed not a hint of fear and laughed aloud:

"Why does the General not understand the intent of Lord Cao?"

Seeing Chen Deng unafraid, Lu Bu could not help but ask in surprise:

"And what is it that I do not understand?"

Chen Deng spoke plainly:

"When I entered the court to seek a position for you, Lord Cao said: 'The General is a tiger or a wolf; he must be fed with meat, or he will devour men!'"

"Yet Lord Cao replied to this: 'The General is a falcon; as long as the foxes and rabbits are not yet at rest, one dare not feed him to satiety!'"

"If hungry, he is useful; if full, he will fly away!"

"I then asked Lord Cao, what are these foxes and rabbits?"

"Lord Cao replied: 'Yuan Shu of Huainan, Sun Ce of Jiangdong, Yuan Shao of Ji Province, Liu Biao of Jingxiang, Liu Zhang of Yi Province, and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong—these are all foxes and rabbits.'"

"As long as these foxes and rabbits remain, I dare not grant the General the position of Governor!"

Hearing Cao Cao's praise, Lu Bu forgot his anger for a moment, sheathed his sword, and laughed:

"Lord Cao knows me!"

Just as they were speaking, word arrived that Yuan Shu had begun his advance.

Lu Bu was instantly thrown into a panic; he dismissed Chen Deng and sent men to scout for news.

When the scouts returned, it was revealed that Yuan Shu had marched tens of thousands of troops out of Shouchun, pillaging all along the way.

At this time, Lu Bu's forces were garrisoned in various locations, leaving only a few thousand infantry and cavalry within the city. Filled with fear, he sent a message to Liu Bei and ordered his scattered troops to assemble.

After many days passed, waiting in vain for news from Liu Bei, Lu Bu grew increasingly furious, yet with insufficient troops at hand, he could not take the initiative to strike.

Thus, Lu Bu had no choice but to sit in the county office all day, waiting for his troops to gather while watching the enemy army draw ever closer to Xiapi.

As bad news arrived one after another, Lu Bu could no longer sit still and hurriedly summoned his officials to discuss the matter.

Chen Gong arrived first; seeing Lu Bu sitting in the hall, he said:

"The enemy has arrived. Instead of going out to resist them, why does the General sit here?"

Hearing this, Lu Bu replied testily:

"I wish to march, but my forces are insufficient; how can I oppose them?"

"I have summoned you all to discuss this; we shall strike once Liu Bei's army arrives!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong replied with a cold smile:

"I fear Liu Xuande will not be coming!"

"That man has never been on good terms with our army. Had we followed his lead earlier and seized Pei County, his troops would have come of their own accord."

"Now that Yuan Shu has marched, if we beg for aid, he stands to gain nothing—why would he come to our rescue?"

"I advise the General to abandon this notion; do not pin your hopes on it!"

Lu Bu turned his head away, displeased:

"The enemy is powerful. If we do not wait for Liu Bei, what else are we to do?"

"If Gongtai has come only to say this, you may as well return!"

Seeing this, Chen Gong stroked his beard and laughed:

"General, do not worry. There is no need to march; I have a way to force the enemy to retreat!"

"Oh? And what is Gongtai's strategy?"

Seeing that Chen Gong truly had a plan, Lu Bu hurriedly turned back to face him.

Chen Gong stepped forward and said:

"The calamity of Xuzhou was invited by Chen Gui and his son. They fawned upon the court to seek titles and wealth, and today they have brought this disaster upon you. If you behead the two of them and present their heads to Yuan Shu, his army will retreat of its own accord."

Hearing this, Lu Bu frowned and said:

"That father and son have helped me greatly; how can I kill them for this reason?"

Chen Gong knew that Lu Bu was already tempted and hurriedly pressed on:

"Even if you do not kill them yourself, you could bind them and send them to the camp of Yuan Shu; that would also resolve the trouble."

Lu Bu fell silent for a moment. Compared to his own safety, it seemed that Chen Gui and his son were not entirely impossible to sacrifice!

Just then, Chen Gui and his son entered the hall, and Chen Gong hurriedly urged:

"My Lord, if you hesitate when you should act, you will surely suffer for it!"

Lu Bu pondered for a while, then immediately rose and commanded:

"Guards, seize Chen Gui and his son for me!"

Chen Gui and Chen Deng had been contemplating strategies to repel the enemy, never imagining that the moment they stepped into the hall, they would hear such a command.

The guards on either side stepped forward, ready to apprehend them.

However, both father and son were shrewd men. Upon hearing this, Chen Gui said to Lu Bu in a deep voice:

"General, what is the meaning of this? You summoned us here to discuss matters, so why seize us?"

Lu Bu felt a bit embarrassed and could only reply:

"Gongtai just told me that the current disaster in Xuzhou is the fault of you and your son. Since there is no plan to repel the enemy, I am seizing you to prevent further trouble!"

Upon hearing that it was Chen Gong's suggestion, Chen Gui sneered:

"Yuan Shu's mere rabble of an army—what is there to fear?"

"My son has already devised a plan; we can certainly defeat them!"

Chen Deng also held his head high and declared:

"I view the troops of Yuan Shu as nothing more than rotting grass; why should they be of any concern?"

Lu Bu had not expected that this father and son truly had a plan to repel the enemy, so he hurriedly said:

"If you truly have a strategy to drive back the enemy, speak it quickly!"

Hearing this, Chen Deng stepped forward with a bold stride and said:

"Although Yuan Shu's troops are numerous, they are all a disorganized mob, lacking mutual trust. We should defeat them with a surprise maneuver!"

"Han Xian and Yang Feng are former officials of the Han who fled because they feared Cao Cao. Having no home to return to, they have temporarily submitted to Yuan Shu."

"Yuan Shu is from a prominent noble family and surely looks down upon them; they, in turn, are not happy to be used by him."

"If we use a short letter to make them our internal allies and coordinate with Liu Bei to strike from the outside, we will surely capture Yuan Shu."

Hearing Chen Deng's plan, Lu Bu stroked his tiger-like whiskers and nodded:

"This plan is feasible. Yuanlong, do you dare to go into the camp of Yuan Shu to deliver the letter?"

Chen Deng replied with composure:

"Why would I not dare?"

"But there is one matter: our current forces are insufficient. Liu Bei previously agreed to join forces to advance, and now that the enemy army is pressing upon our borders, why does the General not seek reinforcements immediately?"

He would have been better off not saying it, but as soon as he did, Lu Bu said in a deep voice:

"I have long since sent men to seek reinforcements, yet Liu Bei has not sent word to this day!"

"Perhaps he is unwilling to send troops; that is not impossible to know!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Deng laughed loudly:

"The General's words are mistaken. If it were anyone else, they might not send troops, but if you seek aid from Lord Liu, he will certainly dispatch his army!"

"Xiapei is only a few hundred li from Xiaopei. If the messenger had arrived early, the Lord's troops would likely have already arrived!"

"Someone must be obstructing the process, which is why there has been no response."

As he spoke, he cast a cold glance at Chen Gong.

Seeing this, Chen Gong did not respond.

Lu Bu was quite familiar with Chen Gong, and seeing him act this way, he knew there was a problem. However, having no evidence, he found it difficult to press the issue and could only ask Chen Deng:

"As things stand, if Liu Bei does not come, what is to be done?"

Chen Deng also knew he could not do anything to Chen Gong, so he could only say:

"The situation is urgent. You may send another messenger to seek aid, and I shall go to the camp of Yuan Shu to sow discord myself!"

"That will have to do!"

Lu Bu sighed and hurriedly arranged for a messenger to set out once more.

But no sooner had the messenger stepped out than a small soldier came to report:

"My Lord, reinforcements from Liu Bei have arrived outside the city!"

"What? Liu Bei's reinforcements have already arrived?"

Lu Bu's expression suddenly became quite colorful.

Chen Gong's face darkened, his expression one of surprise.

Only Chen Deng smiled:

"General, since the Governor's reinforcements have arrived, we should invite him in for a meeting!"

"That is only natural!"

Lu Bu replied, then joyfully ordered his men to open the gates for Liu Bei.

At this moment, outside the walls of Xiapi, Liu Bei was leading his troops in formation before the city gate.

Zhang Fei looked up at the gates of Xiapi, memories of the past flooding his mind, and said to Liu Bei:

"Big Brother, why don't we wait for Lu Bu to open the gates, then charge in together? We could capture that scoundrel Lu Bu and kill him!"

Liu Bei frowned deeply upon hearing this:

"We have come to offer our assistance; how could we take advantage of the situation to launch an attack? To commit such an unrighteous act is absolutely out of the question!"

Hearing this, Zhang Fei could only sigh.

Qin Tian, standing to the side, remarked:

"Lu Bu is a fickle man and surely has his defenses up. He would never open the gates wide; he will likely leave only a small gap, just enough for us to enter!"

"Even a surprise attack would be difficult to pull off!"

Listening to Qin Tian's explanation, Zhang Fei's expression shifted. Since Qin Tian said this, could it be that he had considered the same thing?

If that were the case, then this strategist was someone worth keeping around!

As he was pondering this, the city gate creaked open just a sliver, and a young officer shouted:

"The General has ordered that the Governor be invited into the city for a meeting!"

Seeing that the gate had indeed only been opened a crack, Zhang Fei was even more astonished.

Liu Bei turned back and said:

"It is exactly as the strategist predicted. The main army cannot enter the city; we shall proceed with a light cavalry escort!"

"Strategist, would you care to accompany me?"

Qin Tian replied nonchalantly:

"Logically, I should accompany you, but I cannot enter just yet."

"Although Lu Bu has not seen me, Chen Gongtai would certainly recognize me!"

"Furthermore, that man has always been at odds with me; he would surely obstruct our grand strategy!"

"I must remove him before I can enter the city!"

At this reminder, Liu Bei recalled that both Qin Tian and Chen Gong had come from the Cao Camp. Now that Qin Tian was traveling under an alias, he would be exposed the moment he saw Chen Gong.

"But Chen Gong is Lu Bu's strategist; how are we to remove him?"

"Rest assured, my Lord. Chen Gong is upright but lacks quick wit. I have my own ways to ensure he is sidelined!"

Qin Tian's lips curled into a faint smile:

"After you enter the city, if Lu Bu asks, just act according to my instructions!"

"That will resolve the trouble caused by Chen Gong!"

With that, he leaned in and whispered a few words into Liu Bei's ear.

After listening, Liu Bei nodded repeatedly and said:

"Rest assured, Strategist. I shall certainly act according to your plan!"

He immediately took Zhang Fei and the others and headed toward the city.

As for the command hall, Liu Bei, fearing Zhang Fei might ruin things, had him wait outside. Upon entering the hall, Lu Bu rose to welcome him.

Once they were seated, Lu Bu laughed:

"Why has Xuande arrived so late? I have been waiting for you until my eyes grew weary!"

Had it not been for Qin Tian's instructions, Liu Bei would naturally have opened his mouth to apologize, but now he remained expressionless and said:

"I was obstructed by someone, and thus did not receive the news!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Bu recalled the earlier events and hurriedly asked:

"Who was it that obstructed you?"

Liu Bei remained impassive:

"That person is a high-ranking official under your command, General. As an outsider, it is not my place to speak of it!"

He had always been this way, so Lu Bu did not find it strange. But hearing that it was a high-ranking official of his own, he roared in anger:

"Now that Xuande and I stand together, why speak of 'insiders' and 'outsiders'? Speak freely, Xuande!"

"I have been waiting here for your troops, yet someone has been playing both sides, blocking my messengers! If I find out who it is, I will certainly not spare them!"

Seeing that the time was right, Liu Bei finally spoke:

"That person is Chen Gong, Chen Gongtai!"

"Because I knew Yuan Shu was advancing, I figured the General would surely need to request reinforcements, so I prepared my troops."

"Why did the messenger not arrive until four days ago?"

"Our strategist asked him the reason, and only then did he reveal the truth!"

Lu Bu actually had the answer in his heart already, but lacked the evidence. Hearing this now, he glared at Chen Gong and demanded:

"Chen Gongtai, is this matter true or false?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong simply spoke plainly:

"Even if it was I who obstructed him, so what?"

He was a man of upright character; what he had done, he had done, and he could not be bothered to offer excuses.

But when Lu Bu heard these words, his eyes widened, and he roared in anger:

"Chen Gongtai, what exactly is your intent?"

"I was wondering why Xuande's troops were so long in arriving, never imagining it was you who blocked them!"

Hearing this, Chen Gong rose resolutely, pointed at Liu Bei, and said:

"General, Liu Bei is nothing but a weaver of mats and a seller of straw sandals who rose during the chaos of the nation. Why do you hold him in such high regard!"

"I have heard that this man has been recruiting soldiers and buying horses lately; he must have ulterior motives!"

"If you allow him to come here, he will surely become a calamity!"

"Therefore, I blocked him. What is wrong with that?"

Seeing that the matter was out in the open, he simply stopped hiding his feelings.

To tell the truth, he truly looked down upon Liu Bei!

A mere weaver of mats and seller of straw sandals—who knew where he got this claim of being a member of the Han Dynasty imperial clan? By what right did he occupy such a high position!

Lu Bu at least had the great merit of slaying Dong Zhuo for the sake of the country; what merit did Liu Bei have?

Even if Xuzhou were truly to be given to Yuan Shu, he would never let Liu Bei lay a finger on it.

Lu Bu, hearing this, was already gnashing his teeth.

Seeing this, Liu Bei stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"Since Mr. Chen cannot tolerate me, I shall take my leave!"

Seeing Liu Bei about to depart, Lu Bu hurriedly said:

"Xuande, wait! Now that you have come, where would you go?"

With that, he roared:

"Guards! Seize Chen Gong and take him back to the residence to be kept under strict guard!"

The situation reversed in an instant, and the guards stepped forward to seize Chen Gong.

Seeing this, Chen Gong's eyes were wide enough to split, and he cried out:

"General, why do you trust a treacherous man and harm a loyal subject!"

He pointed at Chen Gui and his son, shouting:

"That father and son have always been close to Liu Bei. Now that Liu Bei has arrived, he will surely join forces with them. If the General continues like this, sooner or later you will be harmed by them!"

Lu Bu, already incensed, roared even louder upon hearing this:

"Shut his mouth, throw him straight into prison, and I will deal with him personally after the battle!"

Chen Gong, also losing his temper, began to curse Lu Bu for ignoring loyal advice, then turned to curse Liu Bei:

"Liu Bei, you little brat, who taught you to harm me like this? What are you people trying to do?"

He suddenly realized that this was not Liu Bei's usual style; someone must have instructed him!

But before he could finish his words, his mouth was gagged.

Liu Bei watched Chen Gong in this state, his expression remaining unmoved, as if it had nothing to do with him at all.