Capturing Zhang Xun, Zhang Fei Admits Defeat

Capturing Zhang Xun, Zhang Fei Admits Defeat

Zhang Xun was ultimately captured. This was another event Qin Tian had changed.

In the original course of events, Lu Bu had likewise used the Chen Clan father and son's scheme to turn Han Xian and Yang Feng against Yuan Shu, leading to Zhang Xun's crushing defeat and flight.

The army had been driven to the banks of the Si River, where countless men were killed or drowned, yet Zhang Xun had managed to escape.

But because of Qin Tian's appearance, the Liu Bei Army had joined the battle and directly cut off Zhang Xun's retreat.

Though Zhang Xun was a great general under Yuan Shu, he was not fiercely loyal. Seeing his path blocked, how could he still have the will to resist? He could only surrender with his hands bound.

Yet one question still lingered in Zhang Xun's mind. Though captured, he asked,

"Whose forces are you?"

There was something he couldn't understand.

Logically, even if Han Xian and Yang Feng had defected, Liu Bei and Lu Bu shouldn't have had enough troops to set ambushes everywhere! Since Lu Bu had charged in from the front camp and Liu Bei had laid an ambush to the south, while he had also concluded there was an ambush to the west, it should have been impossible for them to station so many men to the east!

Yet the enemy army had indeed been lying in ambush here.

That meant there was probably no ambush to the west. The enemy had predicted his escape route.

How had they done it?

The moment he asked, a familiar voice approached.

"General Zhang, have you been well?"

Zhang Xun fixed his eyes on the newcomer, and his heart jolted.

"Liu Bei, it's you?"

The man was indeed Liu Bei, whom Zhang Xun had met before.

Back when Yuan Shu had led a great army to attack Xuzhou, Liu Bei had led troops to resist him. The two sides had traded victories at Xuyi and Huaiyin, and they had met several times then.

But later, Liu Bei's home base had been seized, while Zhang Xun's standing under Yuan Shu had risen ever higher, so they had never met again.

He hadn't expected that when they met here, he would become Liu Bei's prisoner.

When Liu Bei saw Zhang Xun, he smiled.

"It seems even you didn't expect it to be our army, General!"

Seeing Zhang Xun tightly bound, he said to those beside him,

"Someone, untie the general!"

Chen Dao, standing behind him, immediately said,

"My lord, you mustn't!"

"Don't try to stop me!"

Liu Bei smiled faintly and looked at Zhang Xun.

"I treat the general with courtesy, and the general will surely return that courtesy!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xun remembered that he had called Liu Bei by name, which had been quite discourteous. He couldn't help feeling ashamed.

"I am but a defeated general. Why should Your Excellency trouble yourself so? Leave me bound."

"But I have a question. I hope Your Excellency will clear up my confusion!"

Liu Bei nodded.

"Ask whatever you wish, General!"

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xun said,

"I only wish to ask why Your Excellency had an ambush laid here."

"Could it be that you knew I would certainly pass through this place?"

As soon as he finished asking, Liu Bei couldn't help smiling.

"To be honest, that is exactly so!"

"Our presence here is entirely thanks to our strategist!"

"Before this battle even began, the strategist had already concluded that you would flee through this place. He deliberately stationed an ambush here to capture you!"

As he spoke, he recounted Qin Tian's analysis before their parting.

Upon hearing it, Zhang Xun sighed toward the heavens.

"Your army actually has such an extraordinary man!"

He had still harbored a trace of hope, thinking Liu Bei had merely stumbled upon him by chance.

He hadn't expected even his escape route to have been predicted. There was no way he could have escaped!

"Our defeat today was not unjust!"

Seeing this, Liu Bei knew Zhang Xun was convinced, so he asked,

"Then, General, are you willing to surrender to our army?"

Though he already had Guan and Zhang under his command, capable generals were still scarce. Zhang Xun was also a man of courage and strategy, so Liu Bei naturally wished to recruit him.

But Zhang Xun shook his head.

"It isn't that I refuse to surrender. My family is all in Shouchun. I cannot surrender to Your Excellency."

Liu Bei understood that Zhang Xun had his difficulties. He stopped trying to persuade him and ordered him escorted back to camp.

Meanwhile, within the Yuan Shu Army.

With Han Xian and Yang Feng guiding the way, Lu Bu charged into Zhang Xun's camp. He slew several generals along the way and terrified every soldier of the Yuan Shu Army.

When he later heard that Zhang Fei and the others from the rear camp had gone after Zhang Xun, he hurriedly sealed off the camp's supplies and gathered the surrendered soldiers scattered throughout the area.

After a brief count, he had taken in seven or eight thousand surrendered soldiers, along with great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, provisions, and equipment plundered by the Yuan Shu Army. He was delighted.

Most of that wealth had been looted from Xuzhou, but Lu Bu didn't care. He simply had it all collected and returned to his treasury.

Later, hearing that Zhang Fei had returned and was gathering prisoners, he sought him out and asked,

"Yide, have you captured Zhang Xun?"

Zhang Fei had never had a pleasant expression for Lu Bu. Now that Lu Bu mentioned Zhang Xun, he grew even more annoyed, turned his head aside, and refused to answer.

Fortunately, Fu Shiren was nearby, smiling ingratiatingly.

"Marquis Wen, we were unable to catch up to him, and Zhang Xun escaped!"

"However, we did capture Qiao Rui, so it wasn't entirely without gain!"

When Lu Bu heard that Zhang Fei had captured Qiao Rui, he said,

"Where is Qiao Rui now? Bring him here for me to see!"

Fu Shiren didn't dare offend Lu Bu, so he ordered the soldiers to bring Qiao Rui forward. The moment Qiao Rui arrived and saw Han Xian and Yang Feng, he immediately cursed them loudly.

"You traitors who betrayed your lord! How dare you act this way? I wish I could kill you and eat your flesh!"

"If I had known sooner, I would certainly have killed you!"

The two men grew angry at Qiao Rui's words and said to Lu Bu,

"This man is insolent. He should be executed!"

Lu Bu wanted to win the two men over for his own use, so he nodded.

"Someone, drag him away and behead him as a warning to the rest!"

But Zhang Fei stepped forward.

"How dare you! I captured this man. My elder brother hasn't spoken yet—who dares kill him?"

His round eyes widened, making Han Xian and Yang Feng jump in fright. Lu Bu also knew Zhang Fei was not someone easy to deal with, so he smiled.

"Very well. Since Yide is unwilling, may I ask where Xuande is now?"

Zhang Fei answered irritably,

"My elder brother is waiting in camp!"

Lu Bu smiled faintly.

"In that case, Yide, inform Xuande that I will hold a banquet in the city. Please invite Xuande to attend!"

Zhang Fei snorted and left at once.

Fu Shiren apologized to Lu Bu, then had Qiao Rui taken away and followed Zhang Fei.

Watching the two leave, Han Xian said in a low voice,

"We were willing to aid in this battle because we all admire Marquis Wen's courage. Who is Liu Bei that he dares act so arrogantly? We might as well kill our way into his camp and let him know our strength!"

Yang Feng nodded in agreement.

Lu Bu was somewhat tempted when he heard this, but after thinking it over, he feared damaging his reputation and shook his head.

"No. Liu Bei aided me; how could I harm him?"

"Let's return to the city first and discuss it further!"

Though he said this aloud, he was secretly making calculations.

Now that he had Yang Feng and the others helping him, perhaps he could reduce some of what he had promised Liu Bei.

Or he could simply renege on the debt. Liu Bei probably wouldn't dare say much anyway!

Having made up his mind, he led everyone back into the city.

As for Zhang Fei, after leaving Lu Bu's camp, the more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

A perfectly good battle had ended with him failing to capture Zhang Xun because of his greed for merit, while Lu Bu had taken all the money and provisions.

Now he had only three or four thousand prisoners in hand. Though he had captured Qiao Rui, how was he supposed to explain himself when he returned?

Thinking of how poorly he had always treated Qin Tian before, he had no idea how much mockery he would face upon returning to camp.

Even someone as carefree as Zhang Fei couldn't help sighing repeatedly.

Seeing this, Fu Shiren knew Zhang Fei must be afraid of punishment from the strategist, so he smiled.

"General Zhang, there's no need to be like this. From what I've seen, the strategist enforces discipline impartially and has never shown favoritism. He certainly won't blame you for this!"

Zhang Fei shook his head.

"I'm not afraid of his punishment. I'm afraid he'll mock me!"

"Back in camp, I made a wager with him. I promised to capture Zhang Xun, and if I failed, I would have to agree to one request from him!"

"I've contradicted him many times. He must resent me. Even if he doesn't punish me now, he can still take this chance to mock me!"

Fu Shiren hadn't known about the wager between Zhang Fei and Qin Tian. Hearing this, he frowned.

"There was such a thing?"

After thinking for a while, he said,

"Even so, I don't think the strategist is so petty. If the general speaks to him properly, why would he make things difficult for you?"

"Rather than wait for the strategist to bring it up himself, why not go and admit your mistake?"

"That way, the strategist may let bygones be bygones and spare you this time!"

Zhang Fei found that reasonable. Though Qin Tian was strict in commanding the army, he handled matters fairly. If Zhang Fei took the initiative to admit his mistake, perhaps Qin Tian might spare him.

Having made up his mind, he led his troops back into camp, told Fu Shiren and Xiahou Bo to settle them in, then went on his own to the outside of Qin Tian's tent.

But once he truly arrived, he began hesitating again.

Thinking of how many times he had acted against Qin Tian, and how he had now come to apologize, he truly couldn't bring himself to face him.

After a night of chaotic fighting, dawn had already come.

When the guards outside Qin Tian's tent saw Zhang Fei, they asked,

"Why have you come, General Zhang?"

Zhang Fei shuddered, then turned back with a smile.

"I came specifically to see the strategist. Is he in the tent?"

The guard hurriedly replied,

"The strategist is still resting. I'll enter and inform him!"

"No, no!"

Zhang Fei quickly waved his hand.

"I'll wait here myself!"

He stopped the guard from waking Qin Tian, yet paced back and forth outside the entrance several times. Growing increasingly irritated, he sighed and prepared to leave.

Then a voice called from within the tent.

"Is General Zhang outside the tent?"

Before Zhang Fei could answer, the guard said,

"It is indeed General Zhang waiting outside!"

As soon as he spoke, another voice came from within.

"Since General Zhang has come, why didn't you report it?"

As the voice sounded, Qin Tian emerged from the tent, already fully dressed.

Zhang Fei hurriedly clasped his hands.

"This subordinate, Zhang Fei, greets the strategist!"

Qin Tian smiled brightly.

"Has General Zhang returned victorious and come to fulfill his promise to me?"

Zhang Fei shook his head gloomily.

"I failed to capture Zhang Xun. I ask the strategist to punish me!"

Qin Tian stepped forward.

"So General Zhang has returned defeated?"

Zhang Fei shook his head.

"No. This battle was a great victory. The enemy army was completely routed, and we captured several thousand prisoners!"

Qin Tian asked again,

"Then did General Zhang suffer grievous losses?"

Zhang Fei shook his head once more.

"Our army won. We suffered only several hundred casualties!"

By then, Qin Tian had already walked up to Zhang Fei and helped him up.

"Then the general has only earned merit. What crime could there be?"

Zhang Fei's heart trembled when he heard this, and he hurriedly said:

"But I didn't capture Zhang Xun or fulfill the military order. Aren't you going to punish me, Strategist?"

Seeing Zhang Fei like this, Qin Tian gave a dashing smile.

"That was a private matter. Our wager was between ourselves, not a military order!"

"As the strategist, I must distinguish between public and private matters. How could I neglect public duty for personal reasons and refuse to reward merit?"

Hearing this, Zhang Fei thought it was indeed just as Fu Shiren had said, and his heart warmed.

"Strategist, you are truly a benevolent gentleman. Please forgive my past disrespect!"

The more he thought about how disrespectful he had been before, and how Qin Tian had not taken it to heart at all, the more guilty he felt.

Yet Qin Tian merely smiled at this.

"Hold on, General. Though military law won't punish you, our wager still stands. According to the terms, you must do one thing for me!"

Zhang Fei hurriedly lowered his head.

"Just say it, Strategist. Not to mention one thing—even a hundred things, I won't complain!"

"Now that is the bearing of a great general!"

Qin Tian laughed and said directly:

"Then listen carefully, General. My request is simple. After you return, copy the Analects three hundred times, the Spring and Autumn Annals three hundred times, and the Art of War three hundred times. Copy them all out and bring them to me for inspection!"

"Ah???"

Zhang Fei immediately raised his head, his eyes wide.

He could handle drawing pictures, but copying books? Wasn't that asking for his life?

This punishment was simply more unbearable than killing him!