Lu Bu truly had no mind of his own.
Most of the time, so long as something sounded reasonable to him, he would do it.
And Chen Gong's words won back Lu Bu's trust.
Seeing that Chen Gong had a way to preserve his reputation while also taking a shot at Liu Bei, Lu Bu asked:
"What scheme does Gongtai have? Speak plainly!"
Hearing this, Chen Gong proudly raised his head.
"If the general wishes to use my scheme, he must first promise me one thing!"
"The Chen father and son must be confined first!"
"Even if they are not thrown into prison, they must not be allowed their freedom!"
"That father and son have always been close to Liu Bei. If they learn of my plan, they will surely find a way to leak word of it!"
Lu Bu had already begun to resent Chen Deng and his father, so he said:
"Just so. I was about to seize that father and son and question them for their crimes!"
Only then did Chen Gong nod. Rising to his feet, he said:
"If the general confines the Chen father and son, then my plan can succeed!"
"The reason our army is now so passive lies at its root in the fact that the general fell into the enemy's scheme!"
"Though I do not know who exactly that Wang He under Liu Bei is, this man is indeed extraordinarily capable at plotting."
"He understands people's hearts well. He knew our army would certainly refuse them money and provisions, which is why he laid out this scheme."
"But he overlooked one thing. If our army does the opposite, they will no longer have any excuse to make trouble for us."
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, the general should first give them the