Liu Bei Smashes His Cup, Executes Yang Feng

"Little Brother, what are you saying? What does this have to do with those soldiers of Yang Feng?" Gan Qian asked, puzzled.

Lan Tian explained, "The soldiers under Yang Feng are mostly farmers by origin; their purpose in following him is merely to find food and survive. If Yang Feng is executed, as long as their rations can be secured, there will be no problem. Your husband will then gain a great many soldiers for nothing."

Gan Qian's eyes widened in realization, and she said happily, "If it truly happens as you say, Brother, I fear my husband will have to treat you to a drink."

"Just stop egging on our foster father and handle the wedding arrangements for me; that will be thanks enough," Lan Tian said with a wry smile.

Gan Qian knew that Lan Tian's heart was set on Xiapi, so she agreed immediately.

"A snake cannot move without a head. Yang Feng's death may cause a brief period of chaos, but with the might of Generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, I believe it will not be difficult to control the situation," Lan Tian continued.

"You, you were born with a brain meant for strategy, yet you insist on staying here to do manual labor. I truly cannot fathom you," Gan Qian said, speechless.

"Hehe, to each their own, to each their own."

Since Zhang Fei was the only guest, Lan Tian threw pork and vegetables into a pot for a stew, and it was served to the table before long.

Gan Ji was called out of the shelter by his daughter, and the four of them sat around the table, drinking and eating without much talk.

Gan Qian had matters on her mind; seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, she urged Zhang Fei to return to the city as soon as possible.

Zhang Fei asked, puzzled, "Sister-in-law, the day is still early, and the wine is not yet finished."

"Uncle, my husband has military matters to entrust to you; we had best return early," Gan Qian said.

"Go back, come and drink again next time," Lan Tian chimed in to help.

"Fine, you said it yourself, Old Zhang will come again next time." Zhang Fei stood up, extremely reluctant.

Lan Tian urged the two to leave, "Sister, you two hurry back; I will slowly clean up these bowls and chopsticks on the table."

"Mm, Brother, Father, take care these few days," Gan Qian instructed.

"You go with peace of mind; I will hide back in the shelter in a moment," Gan Ji said quickly.

Gan Qian:
[Status: Relieved]
[Affection for Lan Tian: +5]

The two rode back to Xiaopei, where Liu Bei had been waiting expectantly for some time. Upon receiving Lan Tian's suggestion, he felt a great weight lift from his heart.

Liu Bei personally went to the guesthouse to meet Yang Feng's envoy, expressing his agreement with his master's idea and requesting him to return to Guangqi quickly to invite Yang Feng to Xiaopei for a detailed discussion. He also had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei prepare to deploy and incorporate the other side's troops.

Yang Feng was overjoyed to receive Liu Bei's reply. He led his ten thousand-plus troops and arrived at Xiaopei the next day. Seeing the millet stalks towering by the roadside, the man thought to himself that it was truly as Lu Bu had said—the crops here in Xiaopei grew so well that the local people must be incredibly wealthy.

If the talk went well later, he would join forces with Liu Bei to seize Xu Province; if it went poorly, he would simply occupy this place. Yang Feng did not hold those three thousand soldiers of Xiaopei in high regard.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei personally went out of the city to welcome them. When Yang Feng saw the two men beside Liu Bei looking like heavenly gods, his earlier petty thoughts were suddenly shaken.

After a few moments of pleasantries, Liu Bei invited Yang Feng into the city to deliberate. Seeing that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were exceptionally heroic, Yang Feng stopped in his tracks, not daring to enter the city.

At this moment, Liu Bei said, "Second Brother, Third Brother, you two stay outside the city to entertain General Yang and his brave soldiers."

"Understood, Big Brother," Guan Yu and Zhang Fei said in unison.

Seeing that Liu Bei was wary of his troops and had sent the two generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, to keep watch outside, Yang Feng's suspicions vanished.

Liu Bei had already arranged a welcoming banquet in the city and had Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Liu Yan, and others accompany them.

Jian Yong and Liu Yan were both men of silver tongues; after a little flattery from the two, Yang Feng felt very pleased.

In the midst of the banquet, the wine cup Liu Bei was holding suddenly fell to the ground. A dozen or so hidden swordsmen rushed out at the sound, and Yang Feng was caught off guard and captured on the spot.

Yang Feng sobered up instantly; he shouted desperately, trying to summon the guards who had accompanied him outside the door.

Then, a heavy sound of footsteps approached. Chen Dao stood at the door and cupped his hands, saying, "Reporting to the Lord, the attendants brought by Yang Feng have all been executed."

Yang Feng was struck with terror, and he asked in shock, "Liu Xuande, what are you trying to do?"

"Take him out and behead him." Liu Bei's cold words ended the life of this rebel leader.

After Chen Dao beheaded Yang Feng, he had his head sent to Guan Yu outside the city.

Guan Yu held the head aloft to assert his authority, and the chaotic soldiers were suppressed in a short time by him, Zhang Fei, and their elite subordinates.

Just as everyone was trembling and in a panic, Liu Bei walked out of the city under the protection of Chen Dao.

He surveyed the remnants of Yang Feng's forces and said in a loud voice, "Yang Feng has spent many days in Xu Province with you all, burning, killing, and plundering like a bandit. Just now, acting on the Emperor's decree, I have executed the chief culprit. I, Bei, consider that you are all of good origin and cannot bear to slaughter you all. Are you willing to join my ranks to atone for your crimes and perform meritorious service? Xiaopei has ample grain and fodder; I will certainly not let you go hungry."

"I am willing!" After a brief silence, someone in the back suddenly shouted.

The soldiers in the last row had originally been watching, but they discovered the voice came from even further back—it seemed to be the troops of Zhang Fei.

"We are willing."

"I am willing to atone for my crimes and perform meritorious service!"

"We are willing to follow General Liu."

Once these words were spoken, it was like a stone causing a thousand ripples. Following anyone to conquer the world was the same, but here with Liu Bei, one did not have to go hungry. For these rebel soldiers, this temptation was undoubtedly the most moving.

Yang Feng's officers and soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground one after another. Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to reorganize and prepare them as previously planned; this army that had delivered itself to his doorstep became Liu Bei's weapon.

Han Xian, who was still near Guangqi, had fewer than two thousand troops under his command. Upon learning that Yang Feng had been executed by Liu Bei, and fearing he would follow in his companion's footsteps, he abandoned his main force overnight and fled toward Bing Province with a dozen attendants, only to be killed by others on the road. Thus, the two most successful figures of the Baibo Army were wiped out.

Yang Feng and Han Xian rose from humble beginnings and, due to the opportunities of the chaotic times, reached the highest ranks of officials. Both had once harbored the ambition to hold the Emperor hostage to command the lords, but unfortunately, their virtue did not match their positions, and they were instead utilized by the likes of Dong Cheng, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, and Lu Bu.

After this incident, Liu Bei's favor for Lan Tian grew even deeper. Whenever there were no military matters in Xiaopei, he would visit Gan Family Village with Gan Qian.

Liu Bei never spoke of the great trends of the world, never discussed governing the state, and never mentioned recruiting Lan Tian. He humbly asked for advice on farming and discussed the historical stories in the Spring and Autumn Annals. His patience and depth of character made Lan Tian admire him sincerely.

Time, however, waits for no man, and in the blink of an eye, the third year of Jian'an had arrived.

Liu Bei had not only slain Yang Feng but also seized his troops; upon hearing this, Lu Bu flew into a rage. Although he had no desire to provide grain to Yang Feng's forces, he still considered them a part of his own military strength while they were stationed within Xu Province. Now that Liu Bei had snatched the fruit of his labor, how could he possibly endure it?

With the acquisition of Yang Feng's troops, Liu Bei's strength gradually grew. Because Lu Bu had to guard against an invasion by Yuan Shu from the south, he dared not rashly withdraw troops to attack Xiaopei. Ignoring the objections of Chen Gui, he once again colluded with Yuan Shu.

After Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, he enjoyed only a few days of glory before Yang Feng and Han Xian defected, leading to his defeat by Lu Bu. Later that same year, he was soundly beaten by Cao Cao while attacking Chen State. Though his strength was far inferior to what it once was, he still harbored deep resentment toward that mat-weaver and sandal-seller, Liu Bei.

In the fourth month, Yuan Shu mobilized his generals and troops to join forces with Zhang Liao in an assault on Xiaopei.

As soon as the fighting broke out, the people of Gan Family Village abandoned their spring plowing, hiding in their shelters all day long in hopes that the war would soon come to an end.