Lu Bu's Growing Arrogance, Confusing the Issue

After Lu Bu returned to the city, he had Han Xian and Yang Feng set up camp outside its walls.

The two men together commanded a full fifteen thousand troops.

Add that to the several thousand men under his own command in the city and the seven or eight thousand prisoners, and his total force exceeded twenty-seven thousand. His strength had surged overnight.

And that was on top of the troops he already had scattered across various places. All told, he commanded a staggering fifty or sixty thousand men!

The increase in his forces sent Lu Bu's confidence soaring.

Then they took stock of the money and provisions they had seized. They found countless weapons and armor, over a hundred thousand shi of grain and fodder, and more money than anyone could count—a fortune worth well over a hundred million!

Yuan Shu's army had plundered its way there, stripping nearly every county south of Xiapi bare. That was how they had amassed such enormous wealth.

Other warlords would have been plagued by worries about the damage done to their lands.

But Lu Bu was no ordinary man!

Even if Yuan Shu hadn't plundered the place, Lu Bu would have done it himself if he'd run short of money and provisions.

Now that it was in his pockets, there was no chance he'd hand it back to help the common people. He wouldn't even consider it.

But there was the rub: after his earlier slip of the tongue, he'd agreed to split it all with Liu Bei. In theory, half of this money and grain belonged to Liu Bei.

Now that Han Xian and Yang Feng had arrived, shouldn't he reward them, too?

Once it was divided up, what would he have left?

At the thought, he wanted to slap himself. Why had he agreed to this of all things?

So, before the banquet had even begun, Lu Bu was already wearing a troubled expression. He wanted someone to consult, but realized there was no one he could ask.

The Chen father and son were both shrewd, but they were on friendly terms with Liu Bei and would surely side with him.

The only other man he could use was Chen Gong, but he was always defying orders and repeatedly breaking the rules.

After turning it over in his mind, Lu Bu summoned Xu Si to ask his advice.

Xu Si was a famous scholar from Yanzhou, renowned as a man of rare talent. He was on friendly terms with Wang Kai, Chen Gong, Zhang Miao, and others.

But despite his reputation, he was no match for men like Chen Gong.

He stood about seven chi tall and had a rather refined, scholarly appearance. When he heard of Lu Bu's troubles, he stroked his beard and said with a smile:

"Why worry, General? I have a plan that will secure you yet more money and provisions!"

Lu Bu was delighted to hear this and asked:

"What is your plan, sir? Please enlighten me."

Xu Si clasped his hands behind his back and paced forward:

"I've considered the General's worries. They come down to two things. First, Liu Bei has done nothing to earn his share, yet he wants half the money and provisions. Second, even though they are clearly our army's spoils, we must still share them with Han Xian, Yang Feng, and the others!"

"At the root of it all, we simply don't have enough money and provisions!"

"So our army should seize this opportunity to march south and plunder Huainan!"

"Although Yuan Shu's army has been defeated, Yuan Shu doesn't know it yet and will be caught unprepared."

"Our army has just won a victory, and morale is high. This is the perfect time to strike!"

"If we do this, we can first enlist the strength of both forces to increase our supplies. Then we can use the expedition as an excuse to hold onto these provisions and let the two forces fight over them themselves."

"If the two forces seize enough money and provisions, the General can let them keep it. If they don't take enough, the General will have grounds to rebuke them!"

"I expect Liu Bei is famed for his benevolence and righteousness and would not want to plunder the common people. If he leaves, the General can give him a little grain as an excuse and send him on his way!"

Hearing the plan, Lu Bu thought, Now that's something I know how to do!

He might not be able to take a fortified city, but he had plenty of experience plundering the people.

And if Liu Bei truly refused, then Lu Bu wouldn't be to blame!

He nodded again and again:

"Your plan is sound, sir. I shall do as you say!"

He had already pushed aside the promise he'd made that day to help Liu Bei seize Xiang County. Xu Si seized the opportunity to add:

"If the General means to march south, he must have a man of wisdom to assist him."

"The Chen father and son are no use to us. We must bring Gongtai here!"

Xu Si's plea on Chen Gong's behalf immediately displeased Lu Bu.

"That man obstructed my reinforcements. His offense is unforgivable. How can I let him off just for that?"

Xu Si smiled at his words:

"The General must understand that Gongtai was not acting for his own sake. He was considering the General's grand undertaking!"

"Liu Bei has little to offer, yet he wants to take our money, provisions, and troops. That shows his intentions are not good."

"Seen in that light, Gongtai's words at the time were not wrong!"

"His choice of words may have been inappropriate, but the General cannot be certain what he truly had in mind."

As Lu Bu listened, he considered the matter and decided there was some truth to it.

That Liu Bei fellow really is shameless.

I asked you to come help, and you did. A meal and a word of thanks should have been enough. How could you have the nerve to ask for money?

Have you forgotten the favor I did you with the halberd shot at the gate?

Did I ask you for money back then?

I did! But it was Yuan Shu's!

I didn't ask you, Liu Bei!

What gives you the right to come asking me for money now?

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. But even if Chen Gong had been right, he had acted behind Lu Bu's back. Did Chen Gong have so little regard for his lord?

Frowning deeply, he said:

"What you say is not without reason, sir. Give me a few days to think it over."

Seeing Lu Bu give way, Xu Si knew he had convinced him. He stopped pressing and bowed before taking his leave.

After Xu Si departed, Lu Bu gave the matter more thought and realized his own safety was not entirely secure.

He had brought many captured troops into the city, but they couldn't be sent straight into battle.

In truth, he had only a few thousand men in the city, while Liu Bei and Yang Feng's forces outside numbered over twenty thousand.

If they joined forces and turned on him, his life would be forfeit!

At the thought, he personally wrote orders for Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, and the other generals guarding the outskirts to return at once. He needed to strengthen his forces so he could keep the two armies in line.

Only after making these arrangements did Lu Bu feel somewhat at ease. He settled in to await the evening banquet.

Night soon fell. Lu Bu hosted the banquet himself and invited Liu Bei, Yang Feng, and the others.

He said nothing about dividing the spoils and simply drew everyone into drinking.

Han Xian and Yang Feng were easygoing enough, since they were committed to following Lu Bu. Liu Bei, however, remembered Qin Tian's instructions. He rose and said:

"Today, Yuan Clan traitors usurp the throne. Thanks to Marquis Wen's efforts, we have won a great victory. Let us all join in celebrating Marquis Wen's accomplishment!"

Yang Feng and the others raised their cups to offer their congratulations. Lu Bu felt a wave of satisfaction and raised his own cup with a smile:

"This victory was all thanks to your assistance. Let us drink together!"

With that, he drained his cup.

Everyone followed suit. Once their cups were empty, Liu Bei spoke again:

"By rights, I should not bring up matters of state at today's feast."

"But treacherous ministers have seized power, and time waits for no one. So forgive my boldness, Marquis Wen: when will you march with us on Xiang County?"

At this, Han Xian and Yang Feng paused. Lu Bu gave an awkward laugh.

"We can take Xiang County; there's no need to rush things by a day or two. Why don't we discuss it tomorrow?"

Liu Bei knew Lu Bu's tricks all too well. He could tell at once that Lu Bu was going to go back on his word. Still, he wasn't in a hurry. He only smiled and said:

"If we're not discussing the campaign, then we should at least discuss money and provisions."

"My camp has enough grain, but the two generals have neither money nor provisions. Now that we've won, we should reward the troops. How can we do that without money or grain?"

A man was shaped by those he spent time with. The old Liu Bei would never have said such a thing.

But after spending so much time with Qin Tian, he had naturally picked up a few of his tricks.

At his words, Han Xian and Yang Feng perked up. Lu Bu's expression, however, turned cold.

If only Liu Bei had asked, that would be one thing. But now he had brought the other two men in as well. If Lu Bu refused, wouldn't that alienate them?

Lu Bu had his own ways of handling things. His expression first hardened, then relaxed into a smile.

"It's not that I don't want to provide money and provisions. We've simply been pressed for time today and haven't finished taking stock. Let's discuss it tomorrow, once we've counted everything. How does that sound?"

Liu Bei knew he shouldn't push any further. He nodded and sat down.

Han Xian and the others were disappointed, but they didn't dare oppose Lu Bu. They could only drink in silence.

Lu Bu had matters on his mind, so he said no more either.

The banquet came to an end. Anyone with eyes could see that the atmosphere had grown tense.

After the banquet, Liu Bei was about to return to his tent and tell Qin Tian how things had gone when someone called from behind him:

"Lord Liu! Lord Liu, please wait!"

Liu Bei turned around. A rather plump scholar was hurrying toward him.

He took a careful look at the man and was surprised.

"What does Attendant Wang want?"

The newcomer was Wang Kai, one of Lu Bu's attendants.

He was there because Chen Gong had previously asked him to find out who Liu Bei's military adviser was.

Unfortunately, Liu Bei and Qin Tian had left the city the day before, so Wang Kai hadn't seen him.

When he heard that Lu Bu was hosting a banquet that day, he had hurried over.

But when he arrived, he saw only Liu Bei and not Qin Tian, so he decided to ask Liu Bei about him.

Wang Kai gave a composed smile in response to Liu Bei's question.

"Perhaps you didn't notice, My Lord, but I was at the banquet just now."

Liu Bei wondered why Wang Kai had called out to him. He had no particular connection to the man.

He had only met Wang Kai and the others in passing. By rights, they weren't close enough to have a conversation.

But Liu Bei was the sort of man who could watch Mount Tai crumble before him without changing expression. Though he was puzzled, he kept a smile on his face.

"I truly didn't notice you just now. I didn't realize Attendant Wang was at the banquet, too!"

"But what did you wish to discuss with me?"

"It's nothing important. I heard that the military adviser under Lord Liu is a man from Yanzhou, gifted and exceptionally wise. I've long admired him and came to meet him!"

Wang Kai stepped forward, his face wreathed in smiles.

"May I ask why the military adviser wasn't at the banquet tonight?"

When he asked about Qin Tian, Liu Bei's heart gave a jolt. He feigned a sigh.

"Unfortunately, the military adviser came down with a chill last night and couldn't attend."

"I see!"

Wang Kai looked regretful.

"What a shame, what a shame. I didn't get to meet such a worthy man. What a pity."

As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Bei, hoping to see if Liu Bei would invite him to the army camp.

But Liu Bei shook his head.

"Why regret it, sir? Once the military adviser recovers, you'll have the chance to meet him."

"If you have nothing else, I'll take my leave."

He cupped his hands to Wang Kai, then turned and strode away. Chen Dao and the others escorted him toward the city gates.

After returning to the camp, he told Qin Tian everything that had happened.

Qin Tian laughed at once.

"Lu Bu is probably having wicked thoughts, but it's nothing to worry about. We'll discuss it tomorrow and see what he has to say!"

Liu Bei knew Qin Tian had a plan of his own, so he said no more. Then he remembered what had happened on his way out and added:

"There's something else. Just as I was leaving the city, someone came up and asked why you hadn't come."

Qin Tian's eyes narrowed.

"Oh? Someone asked about me? Who was it?"

Seeing his reaction, Liu Bei quickly answered:

"You probably know him, military adviser. He's Wang Kai, an attendant under Lu Bu."

"I thought he and the military adviser had both once served at Cao Camp. Now that he's asking after you, could your identity have been exposed?"

He knew Qin Tian's identity was of great importance. If it were exposed, it could affect the entire situation.

It was one thing for their own people to know. Outsiders absolutely could not find out.

Qin Tian paced with his hands behind his back, thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Don't worry, My Lord. If this man came asking, that proves my identity hasn't been exposed. It won't affect the situation."

Liu Bei was immediately baffled.

"How so? If it hasn't been exposed, why would he ask about you?"

"This must have been at Chen Gongtai's behest!"

Qin Tian stopped and explained to Liu Bei:

"Chen Gong may lack quick wits, but he is a man of strategy. He has crossed wits with me before. Now he's trapped and knows my whereabouts are unclear, so he has deduced that I'm here."

"He sent Wang Kai to confirm his deduction!"

When he heard that Chen Gong had deduced Qin Tian's identity, Liu Bei grew worried.

"Chen Gongtai is a man of strategy. If he's figured it out and tells Lu Bu, what then?"

But as soon as he finished, Qin Tian shook his head with a smile.

"Why worry, My Lord? This isn't a bad thing. It may even help us!"

"We can use this opportunity to confuse the issue!"

Seeing that Qin Tian had a way to handle it, Liu Bei was relieved and hurriedly asked:

"How do we confuse the issue? I'd like to hear the details!"