Estranged Kin

Lu Bu went back on his word at the last minute, leaving Chen Gong in an awkward position before Han Yin, yet he could not force his own daughter into marriage.

Chen Gong instructed Han Yin to remain in Xiapi to prevent further complications, while also telling him to send a servant back to inform Yuan Shu, urging him to proceed according to the traditional rites of the three letters and six betrothal gifts.

With his fate in another's hands and knowing Lu Bu to be a man of fickle temperament, Han Yin had no choice but to obey and carry out the arrangements.

Gao Shun had waited at the gate to no avail; he knew that while Lu Bu was a man who loved his wine, he was never muddled when it came to major affairs. Now that the wedding date had been delayed, could it be that someone was truly intervening?

Shortly after, Gao Shun entered the residence to see Lu Bu, encountering Lu Lingqi in the garden along the way. The young lady must have received the news, for when the two met, she wore a look of joy, suspecting that Lan Tian's scheme had taken effect.

"My Lord, I heard from Master Gongtai that the wedding arrangements have been postponed?" When Gao Shun arrived at the rear hall, Lu Bu was in the midst of washing and dressing; having been stirred up by Chen Gong earlier, the effects of the wine had already faded by eighty percent.

"Hmm. You return to the camp and continue the drills; there is no rush for this matter," Lu Bu said indifferently.

"Understood. Master Gongtai and Han Yin are on good terms, so I trust that with him explaining things, he will surely not delay the Lord's great plans." Seeing Lu Bu's change in tone, Gao Shun seized the moment to drive in a metaphorical dagger.

Lu Bu wiped the water from his face and paused for a brief moment before saying, "You go first; I understand."

By midday, Chen Deng came to invite Lu Bu to a banquet. The previous day, the father and son had used their silver tongues to persuade him against forming an alliance with Yuan Shu. Lu Bu's relationship with the Chen family was growing closer by the day, so he followed Chen Gui's advice.

What Gao Shun had said earlier clearly carried a hidden meaning, and since Lu Bu did not understand the underlying connections, he intended to seek counsel from Chen Gui.

Upon hearing the account, Chen Gui laughed aloud, "It is fortunate the General stopped it in time; this was a classic case of a distant relative trying to sow discord between kin."

The phrase "a distant relative sowing discord" made Lu Bu suddenly realize the truth; Chen Gong's recent behavior had indeed been overly solicitous.

Chen Deng also spoke up, "Cao Mengde serves the Emperor to command the unruly; he holds the moral high ground and has allied with Yuan Benchu of Hebei. The General already has friction with Cao Cao, so if you were to marry into Yuan Shu's family now, you would clearly be making enemies of both."

"If not for Yuanlong's reminder, I would have nearly brought disaster upon myself. I offer this cup to you, sir." Lu Bu raised his wine cup.

Seeing the opportunity, Chen Gui struck while the iron was hot, "I hear Han Yin is still staying in Xiapi. Rather than being pestered by him daily, why not have him return to Shouchun first?"

"Your words are most wise." Lu Bu struck the table in approval.

The following day, Lu Bu had Chen Gong send away the Yuan envoy, Han Yin.

Gao Shun was overjoyed and immediately sought out Lu Lingqi to share the news. Upon hearing it, Lu Lingqi's face blossomed with delight; she had not expected Lan Tian's scheme to be so effective, and her reverence for that fellow increased by several notches.

Huainan, Shouchun.

After Han Yin returned and reported the situation, he felt Lu Bu's demands were not entirely unreasonable, but the old grudge against Liu Bei had to be settled. He ordered preparations for the three letters and six betrothal gifts while simultaneously appointing Ji Ling as general to lead an army of thirty thousand to attack Xiaopei.

At the end of the eighth month, Ji Ling's massive army marched aggressively toward Xiaopei.

The northward movement of Yuan Shu's army could not escape the eyes and ears of Xu Province, and Lu Bu gathered his generals in Xiapi to discuss countermeasures.

The valiant general Cheng Lian suggested, "My Lord took in Liu Bei out of benevolence, but this man has great prestige in Xu Province. Why not use Yuan Shu's hand to eliminate him? That way, the Lord will not have to bear the infamy of harming a virtuous man."

Cheng Lian and Zhang Liao had followed Lu Bu since their time in Bing Province, so they held his deep trust. After he spoke, the other generals remained silent.

Seeing that his generals had nothing to say, Lu Bu turned to ask Chen Gong for advice.

Because of the earlier incident with Han Yin, the knot in Chen Gong's heart had yet to be untied. He shook his head and said, "Liu Bei and the Lord have a private friendship; I really cannot say anything."

Seeing that this fellow still held a grudge, Lu Bu said indifferently, "Then we shall follow Cheng Lian's suggestion and watch from the sidelines for now."

With Lu Bu showing no signs of movement, Liu Bei was left completely stunned. Xiaopei now had only a few thousand troops; how could they possibly be a match for Ji Ling?

Seeing the bitter expression on Liu Bei's face, Zhang Fei said, "Big Brother, when soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we earth-cover it. When Ji Ling arrives, I will fight him for three hundred rounds first."

"Third Brother is brave, but the troops in Xiaopei are mostly new recruits. Big Brother must think of another way," Guan Yu sighed.

"What other way? Are we to beg that scoundrel Lu Bu?" Zhang Fei asked.

Liu Bei nodded slightly, "Third Brother's suggestion is not entirely out of the question. I shall write a letter and send it to Xiapi."

As Ji Ling attacked Xiaopei, the common folk in the city were filled with terror.

Gan Qian used the excuse of visiting her father to return to Gan Family Village, where she found Lan Tian and said, "Little Brother, I heard Lu Bu has broken off the marriage alliance with Yuan Shu. Your former scheme has succeeded, but now Xuande is being troubled by Ji Ling. Could you devise a plan for your elder sister as well?"

"Elder Sister, I fear that if you meddle in military and political affairs, it will only cause Liu Xuande to be displeased," Lan Tian sighed.

"Little Brother, if Xiaopei falls, the lips are gone and the teeth will be cold. If I, Xuande, and even this Gan Family Village are involved, how can we survive?" Gan Qian argued.

"Very well, I will help you once," Lan Tian agreed with a nod.

After speaking, Lan Tian took out a bamboo slip and used a small knife to carve a dozen characters. The slip read: If Shu defeats Bei, he will link with the generals of Mount Tai in the north. If Lu is within Shu's encirclement, he can be saved.

Once finished, he found a bamboo basket, placed the bamboo slip at the bottom, covered it with several layers of grape leaves, and finally placed several bunches of ripe grapes on top.

Lan Tian then called for the village servant Li Yang and instructed, "You must go to Xiapi immediately and deliver these grapes to General Gao Shun."

Li Yang was originally a refugee from the capital, nearly starved to death during the chaos caused by Cao the Rebel. Later, under Lan Tian's guidance in Gan Family Village, he had solved his family's food and clothing problems. His family also owned a mule used for hauling goods, which would serve perfectly as transport.

Li Yang treated Lan Tian's words as an imperial decree and promised to carry out the task without fail.

After Li Yang left, Gan Qian asked doubtfully, "Will General Gao Shun speak for you?"

"Rest assured, Elder Sister. If Gao Shun won't, Lu Lingqi will."

"Then I shall return to Xiaopei first."

"Elder Sister, take some grapes back to quench your thirst." The grapes on the trellis were ripe, and the second year's harvest tasted even better; Lan Tian picked many for Gan Qian to take back.

Thinking of bringing them back for Liu Bei to taste, Gan Qian accepted them happily.

Upon returning to Xiaopei, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were discussing how to defend against the enemy. Gan Qian washed some grapes and brought them to the table, "Husband, two uncles, please have a taste. These are grapes planted by my sworn brother."

With such a disparity in military strength, no amount of discussion seemed to hold any meaning.

Zhang Fei plucked a grape and bit into it, his mouth instantly filled with sweet, juicy pulp. He widened his eyes and pointed at the plate, saying, "Big Brother, Second Brother, hurry and try these. The grapes Sister-in-law brought are truly delicious."

Liu Bei and Guan Yu had no intention of eating, but seeing Zhang Fei's exaggerated expression as he stuffed one after another into his mouth, they both decided to try them. Sure enough, they were as flavorful as Zhang Fei had claimed.

"You have worked hard, Madam. Even while visiting your family, you still brought such delicacies for us brothers to enjoy," Liu Bei said.

"You are too formal, Husband. These were all cultivated by Lan Ziyu; I merely brought them along."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei suddenly asked, "Lan Ziyu? I heard Second Brother mention him before—is he very skilled at farming?"

"He is quite proficient," Gan Qian replied.

"Big Brother, why not appoint him as an agricultural official? He is a talent, after all," Zhang Fei suggested.

"I once invited him to serve as a clerk for Big Brother, but Lan Ziyu refused. The lad said he prefers farming," Guan Yu added.

Seeing this, Gan Qian attempted to defend him: "Ziyu is not only skilled at farming, he is also exceptionally adept at strategy. Husband, perhaps you should—"

"You have had a tiring journey, Madam. You should return and rest early; we can discuss other matters once we have repelled Ji Ling." Liu Bei interrupted her before she could finish.

Having traversed the world for many years, Liu Bei knew exactly what she was going to say even if she hadn't finished. She simply wanted to secure a good position for Lan Tian. Mi Zhu was heavily relied upon only because he had provided real men and grain.

What could the Gan family provide? Empty words?

A seventeen or eighteen-year-old child, adept at strategy? Did they take him, Liu Bei, for a fool?

If Lan Tian wanted to rely on nepotism, Liu Bei could only say that there was no chance for that now.