Lai Gong was overjoyed to see Lan Tian. Smiling, he cupped his fists in salute and said, "Luckily, hunger drove me ashore to look for food. Otherwise, I would have missed you, sir, and might have ended up searching all the way in Guangzhou."
When Liu Bei sent troops to seize Guanzhong, the civilian officials who did not command soldiers had all remained in Chengdu. Thus, Lan Tian was extremely surprised to see Lai Gong. In that instant of meeting, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he suddenly recalled that the Southern Barbarians had rebelled this year.
Historically, Liu Bei's death in Baidi City had immediately triggered the Southern Barbarians' rebellion. Yet Liu Bei was not only alive and well now, but had even fought his way back into Guanzhong. Lan Tian therefore could not understand why Lai Gong had come looking for him.
"Did something important happen in Chengdu?" Seeing Lai Gong positively radiant, Lan Tian did not think it looked like bad news.
"Chengdu? Nothing happened in Chengdu. I came from Chang'an." Lai Gong stroked his beard with a smile.
Lan Tian eyed him suspiciously and asked with a frown, "When did you go to Chang'an? Did you take a detour through Baoxie Road to Hanzhong, then sail to Jiao Province to find me? Deshun, you took such a winding route—what pressing matter could possibly require it?"
Lai Gong was somewhat astonished. "Sir, you truly did not know? In June, torrential rains fell around Luoyang. General Guan and Cao Xiu halted their fighting to rest and regroup, while His Majesty transferred General Yide from Tianshui back to Chang'an and launched surprise attacks on Shangluo, Shang County, and Wu Pass.
"At the beginning of July, when the rains stopped, General Zhang and General Guan struck from above and