Chen Gui Offers a Stratagem of Discord

After Han Yin was escorted to Xudu, Cao Cao did not hesitate in the slightest and had him taken directly to the marketplace to be beheaded.

Given Lu Bu's inclination to align with him, Cao Cao, acting on the advice of his advisors, manipulated the imperial court into bestowing upon him the title of General of the Left, and personally wrote a letter to Lu Bu to offer deep consolation.

When Emperor Xian of Han originally returned east to Luoyang, he was escorted by generals such as Guo Si and Yang Feng, but these men each had their own agendas; while passing through Hedong, the accompanying ministers suggested issuing an edict for Lu Bu to welcome the imperial carriage.

At the time, Lu Bu had just been defeated by Cao Cao and had sought refuge with Liu Bei; lacking the troops and provisions in Xiaopei to fulfill his duty to the throne, he sent an envoy to submit a letter of apology. The Emperor, mindful of his merit in eliminating Dong Zhuo, appointed him General Who Pacifies the East and Marquis of Pingtao.

The weight of this military rank was far inferior to that of General of the Left. The General of the Left was one of the Four Directional Generals, possessing the authority to establish a personal administrative office; although it did not hold the same power as the Four Directional Generals, it was indeed a position of real authority for a general during the Eastern Han period.

In the seventh month, upon learning that Lu Bu had beheaded his marriage envoy, Yuan Shu was enraged. He immediately dispatched his great generals Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui to join forces with the armies of Han Xian and Yang Feng, leading tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry to attack Xiapi.

Han Xian and Yang Feng had grown arrogant and boastful after escorting the Emperor back east. The Imperial Uncle Dong Cheng had secretly summoned Cao Cao to the capital to serve the throne, and eventually, the various factions with ulterior motives were defeated one by one by Cao Cao. With nowhere left to turn, Han Xian and Yang Feng fled south to join Yuan Shu.

After Xuzhou was ravaged by Cao Cao's slaughter of the city, it had yet to recover its vitality, and Lu Bu's forces were fundamentally insufficient to withstand Yuan Shu's massive army. Yet, this man was still immersed in the joy of his new title as General of the Left; only upon hearing the news of Yuan Shu's army invading Xiapi did he finally convene his generals to discuss countermeasures.

Lu Bu was fierce and invincible, which overshadowed the brilliance of his subordinates; most of the time, they would not voice their opinions, simply carrying out their lord's orders in silence.

Seeing that his generals remained silent, Lu Bu asked Chen Gong for a strategy.

Because of the incident with Han Yin, Chen Gong was still furious with Lu Bu, so he replied indifferently, "If my lord had honored the agreement earlier and sent the young lady to Shouchun, how would we have arrived at today's disaster?"

"I am a general appointed by the imperial court; how could I collude with a traitor to the state? Furthermore, the die is cast—Chen Gong, you must use your strategies to assist me."

"Chen Gong is now exhausted in wit and strength. Since my lord follows every word of Chen Gui, why not ask him for a strategy?"

"Chen Gong, why must you be like this?"

Seeing that Chen Gong still harbored resentment, Lu Bu snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and walked out of the main tent.

When he arrived at the Chen residence in Xiapi, Chen Gui and his son had already prepared a banquet, as if they had been waiting specifically for Lu Bu to visit. Regarding the movements of Yuan Shu in Huainan, the Chen family was more anxious than anyone else.

"General of the Left, it has been many days. My son and I have yet to offer our congratulations, so today we shall make up for it," Chen Gui said with a bow.

"Hanyu, you are too kind. It is just that with Yuan Shu's massive army pressing upon our borders, I truly have no heart for feasting," Lu Bu replied, shaking his head.

Chen Gui laughed heartily, "Yuan Shu is but a withered bone in a grave; the General need not worry. Please, drink your wine in peace."

Lu Bu sat cross-legged, thinking to himself, Does this man already have a plan? He asked anxiously, "Hanyu, do you perhaps already have a strategy?"

"Yuan Shu's main army is one thing, but he has also gathered a rabble of men like Han Xian and Yang Feng. The General only needs to use a strategy of alienation to easily repel the enemy," Chen Gui said.

A strategy of alienation? Lu Bu was filled with questions.

"How so?" Lu Bu asked earnestly.

"The General executed Dong Zhuo, while Han Xian and Yang Feng escorted the Emperor back east; you are all meritorious ministers of the court. How can you be equated with Yuan Shu as traitors? They are currently clinging to Huainan like stray dogs—how could they have any true loyalty? The General can write a personal letter to the two of them, detailing your meritorious service to the state, and urge them to turn their weapons around on the battlefield to eliminate the traitor for the nation," Chen Gui explained in detail.

Lu Bu pondered for a moment and asked, "Is writing a letter enough? I fear Han Xian and Yang Feng will not easily defect."

"A letter is certainly not enough; you must also send a silver-tongued orator to promise them the spoils of Yuan Shu's army once the enemy is defeated. They will surely agree," Chen Gui said, stroking his beard.

Lu Bu was happy at first, but then grew worried, "Hanyu's strategy of alienation is brilliant, but Chen Gong has been unwell lately and cannot travel far. As for this orator..."

"Though I, Chen Deng, am untalented, I am willing to assist the General," Chen Deng said, rising and bowing.

Lu Bu had long heard of Chen Deng's talent, so he raised his cup and said joyfully, "With Yuanlong to assist me, the matter is as good as done! Come, come, I toast you and your father."

As Yuan Shu's tens of thousands of troops marched north in a grand display, Liu Bei, far away in Xiaopei, also received the intelligence.

Zhang Fei said with great interest, "Big Brother, the tides of fortune truly turn. Now that Lu Bu and Yuan Shu are at each other's throats, should we be preparing ourselves?"

"Preparing for what?" Liu Bei asked, puzzled.

"Isn't this a heaven-sent opportunity? When we fought Yuan Shu before, that was how Lu Bu snuck into Xiapi. Now it's our turn to sneak back in," Zhang Fei said, grinding his teeth.

"Third Brother, when you killed Cao Bao and lost the city, it was mainly because you had Xu Dan as an inside man. Now that we want to sneak into Xiapi, where is our inside man?" Guan Yu shook his head and said.

"Is that so? By the way, where is Sister-in-law? I've been wanting to eat her cooking again," Zhang Fei said, scratching his head.

"Third Brother."

Just as Guan Yu was about to reprimand him, Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Recently, Gan Family Village has been busy with the summer harvest and sowing, so she went back to help."

"Sister-in-law is really something; even after marrying Big Brother, she still works so hard. In this regard, she doesn't compare to Sister-in-law Mi," Zhang Fei muttered.

Liu Bei sighed, "Alas, their backgrounds are different. I was once a weaver of mats and a seller of sandals; in these chaotic times, it is not easy for anyone to survive..."

"Big Brother, since we are free today, why don't we take a trip to Gan Family Village? I hear Lan Ziyu's culinary skills are astonishing, and I would like to have a taste," Guan Yu suggested.

"Second Brother, I like what you're saying."

Seeing his two brothers speak this way, Liu Bei set aside his work and rode out of Xiaopei with them, accompanied by a light escort.

As they walked through the countryside, the busy villagers in the fields stopped their work and watched the three of them.

Seeing the farmers spreading millet seedlings and green grass evenly across the fields, then turning the soil to bury them, Zhang Fei asked in confusion, "Big Brother, what are they doing?"

Liu Bei walked to the edge of the field, bowed to an old farmer, and asked, "Elder, what are you doing?"

The old farmer bowed in return and said, "The autumn planting is almost here, so I must bury the millet seedlings and green manure in the ground. This will help the crops grow better."

"Green manure?" Liu Bei looked blank.

"It's a type of fertilizer. The Young Master taught us to plant it. He said it can increase the fertility of the land, provide nutrients, and in short, it can increase the harvest," the old farmer said vaguely.

"Big Brother, that kid Lan Ziyu really has a lot of tricks up his sleeve," Zhang Fei praised.

Liu Bei knew that Lan Tian was good at farming, but he didn't know he was this good, so he asked again, "Elder, how was your harvest last season?"

The old farmer's face crinkled into a smile, "The rainfall has been perfect these past six months, and with the Young Master's frequent guidance, even after paying my taxes and returning the borrowed grain, my family still has some stores left."

Last year, when Lu Bu captured Xiaopei, these villages were plundered, leaving Liu Bei filled with guilt.

Seeing the common people's livelihoods looking promising now, he suddenly found his interest in Lan Tian growing even more intense.

"Big Brother, let's hurry to Sister-in-law's house, I'm starving," Zhang Fei urged.

"Third Brother." Guan Yu glared at Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei shot a glance at Guan Yu and retorted unconvinced, "Don't just pick on me, Second Brother. When we get to Sister-in-law's house later, be careful not to swallow your own tongue."

Guan Yu: .