Baimen Tower

Everyone under heaven knew of Lu Bu's courage. Whether Cao Cao killed him or spared him, why would he ask anyone else's opinion? At that moment, he asked the three men before his tent for their advice mainly to see how they would react.

Cao Cao's achievements and strength owed much to the support of Henan's powerful clans. Of course, he had also "repaid their kindness" by treating them generously. Xun You and Guo Jia were both from Yingchuan in Henan.

Back when he raised troops in Chenliu, Yanzhou, the powerful clans of Henan were not the only ones to invest in him early on. Many Yanzhou clans had also supported him. But Cao Cao favored the Henan clans alone, which bred resentment among the people of Yanzhou.

Later, when Chen Gong and Zhang Miao invited Lu Bu into Yanzhou, it was chiefly because the Yanzhou clans wanted revenge. Their contributions had not been adequately rewarded, so why should they continue to support Cao Cao? Lu Bu might have been useless, but he was willing to give Yanzhou men important posts.

The adult world wasn't all fighting and killing. People spoke of benevolence and righteousness, but all they cared about was business. Why had the famous scholar Bian Rang cursed Cao Cao? Why had every county in Yanzhou rebelled in such a short time? All the reasons came down to one thing: profit.

Xun You and Guo Jia had let Cheng Yu state his position first because Cheng Yu was a native of Yanzhou. Unlike them, he wasn't merely a strategist. He was a versatile man who could command troops and lead them in battle. As Yanzhou's governor, his position represented Yanzhou's position.

In Cao Cao's mind, even if Lu Bu was invincible under heaven, he still wouldn't dare employ him. He couldn't keep such a threat at his side. If the Yanzhou clans joined forces with Lu Bu to rebel while he was fighting Yuan Shao, he'd die without a burial place.

Inside Xiapi, Lu Bu was furious over Chen Gong's actions. Then the man suddenly did something very strange.

Using Gao Shun's failure to defend the city as an excuse, Lu Bu first demoted him from General of the Household to Colonel, then from Colonel to Military Sima. He turned him from a senior city-defense commander into an officer patrolling the inner city, gradually removing him from the sight of the high-ranking generals.

Zhang Liao was unexpectedly made the city's chief defender. He even went to comfort Gao Shun in secret, but the man showed no resentment at all. Zhang Liao could only admire him all the more.

Not long after Lu Bu's ban on alcohol was issued, Hou Cheng, a cavalry commander under him, recovered some horses that had gone missing. His fellow generals and friends brought gifts to celebrate, and Hou Cheng presented Lu Bu with homemade wine and cooked meat to share in his joy.

Lu Bu was already in a foul mood. When he saw Hou Cheng grinning as he brought the wine and meat, he thought the man was showing contempt for his orders and wanted to kill him.

After the other generals pleaded on his behalf, Hou Cheng was spared with a beating. The blows left him battered and bloody.

Hou Cheng grew resentful. While recovering from his injuries, he plotted with his friends Song Xian and Wei Xu to surrender to Cao Cao.

They needed a gift to present when they surrendered, so they set their sights on Chen Gong, the city's staunchest opponent of surrender.

In the twelfth month of Jian'an Year 3, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, Wei Xu, and the others bound Chen Gong and led their men out to surrender.

When Lu Bu heard the news, he was shocked. He and Zhang Liao climbed Baimen Tower and saw the Cao Army charging forward fiercely in a desperate assault. Realizing that all was lost, he turned to those around him and said, "Xiapi can't be held. You may take my head and offer it to Cao Cao. At least that way, our acquaintance won't have been for nothing."

"General!" His men wept, unable to bring themselves to kill Lu Bu.

"Your lord has wanted to surrender for a long time. Why insist on dying?" Zhang Liao urged him from the side.

Lu Bu had his men bind him, then sent someone to welcome Cao Cao into the city. Seeing this, Zhang Liao also bound himself beside his lord atop Baimen Tower.

Cao Cao was directing the siege outside the city. He had just accepted the surrender of Hou Cheng and the others when he suddenly heard that Lu Bu had also sent someone to surrender. His expression changed. "The great matter is settled! Hurry and invite Liu Bei here. We'll enter Xiapi together and see our old friend."

The people around him didn't understand what Cao Cao was up to. Only Guo Jia smiled calmly.

Liu Bei was then under orders to attack West Gate. After receiving Cao Cao's invitation, he went with Guan Yu to South Gate, then entered the city with Cao Cao and climbed Baimen Tower.

When Lu Bu saw Cao Cao, he hurriedly said, "My lord's only concern is me. I have never met a worthy lord in my life. Now I'm willing to serve beneath your command, leading your horse and holding your stirrup, and help you contend for all under heaven."

Cao Cao didn't answer. Instead, he looked toward Liu Bei.

Under Cao Cao's gaze, Liu Bei's heart tightened. Could Cao the Rebel be plotting something?

Just then, Chen Gong was brought up to Baimen Tower. Cao Cao had nearly been defeated by him in Yanzhou in the past, so now that he had won, he naturally wanted to show off before everyone.

After hearing Lu Bu's ringing words, Chen Gong threw back his head and laughed. "Lu Bu is a fool. Defeated and captured, he has nothing left but death. Why imitate a stray dog, wagging his tail and begging for mercy?"

"Gongtai, you have quite a sharp tongue. Where was that swagger back in Yanzhou? Hahaha!" Cao Cao laughed.

"Hmph." Chen Gong had originally been pushed beside Lu Bu, but he suddenly struggled and moved several steps away.

Ignoring Chen Gong, Cao Cao turned to Liu Bei and said, "This man has bullied Xuande many times. In your opinion, should I kill him or spare him?"

"Well..." Liu Bei hated Lu Bu, but he hadn't wanted him dead. Still, he felt it would be a pity to let him serve Cao Cao.

"Cao Mengde, even now you can't resist playing tricks. You truly live up to your reputation as a cunning hero," Chen Gong sneered.

With Chen Gong saying that, how could Liu Bei dare answer?

Cao Cao furrowed his brows and said coldly, "Chen Gong, you've shown contempt for me again and again. Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Chen Gong turned his head away, refusing to look at him. "The victor becomes king and the loser is branded a bandit. Death is death. What more is there to say?"

"You..." Cao Cao was left with no answer.

Lu Bu might have been slow-witted, but he wasn't stupid. Thinking it over, he realized Cao Cao had no intention of sparing him. He laughed bitterly. "We speak of empire and glory as if they were nothing, yet a drunken night is worth more than life itself. Gongtai is right. The victor becomes king and the loser is branded a bandit. There's nothing left but death."

Chen Gong's expression changed as he looked at Lu Bu. He echoed him passionately. "We speak of empire and glory as if they were nothing, yet a drunken night is worth more than life itself. Now that's the Lü Fengxian I know."

Cao Cao looked utterly baffled. Was that line so famous? Why had I, Cao Mengde, never heard it before?

"Cao the Rebel, do you have wine for those about to die?" Chen Gong shouted.

"I do. Huh? Bring them wine." Cao Cao paused. Chen Gongtai was insulting me. Why did I agree? That's what you call magnanimity.

After Lu Bu and Chen Gong drank their last cups of wine, they laughed without end. Seeing that they were determined to die, Cao Cao stopped trying to persuade them and had them both hanged on Baimen Tower.

"Why didn't Xuande speak just now?" Cao Cao asked again.

"I was still considering it, and then Master Gongtai..." Liu Bei trailed off.

Cao Cao shook his head, then turned to the bound Zhang Liao and asked, "Who are you? Why didn't you follow your lord in death?"

"Would Zhang Liao be the sort to fear death? Kill me if you must." Zhang Liao glared at him.

Guan Yu, standing beside Liu Bei, hurriedly pleaded, "My lord, please wait. Zhang Wenyuan is highly skilled in martial arts, loyal, and righteous. It would be a pity to kill him."

"I know Wenyuan is loyal and righteous. I was only teasing him," Cao Cao said with a smile. Then he went over and personally untied Zhang Liao.

Zhang Liao had no firm resolve to die. He clasped his hands to thank Guan Yu, then joined Cao Cao's camp.

"I just heard Lu Bu and Chen Gong say, 'We speak of empire and glory as if they were nothing, yet a drunken night is worth more than life itself.' Those words have a fine ring to them. Do you know who wrote them?" Cao Cao asked Zhang Liao.

"I heard they came from a farmer in Xiaopei," Zhang Liao answered honestly.

"A farmer? What farmer could have such a bold spirit? Do you know his name, Wenyuan?" Cao Cao asked with a smile.

Zhang Liao thought for a moment. "I think it was someone called Lan Ziyu. That's what people in the army say, but I can't be certain."

"Lan Ziyu? I've never heard that name. Xuande, you've been in Xiaopei for a long time. Have you heard of him?" Cao Cao asked again.

Liu Bei's heart gave a start, but his face remained as calm as still water. "I don't know him. This is the first time I've heard those words as well."