The next morning, Liu Bei wore his armor and brought his subordinates up the wall of Fancheng. One day was enough for the Allied Forces to arrive but there was no news of them.
“What’s going on?” Liu Bei did not know why his enemies weren’t here yet.
“Milord. I have already dispatched scouts to check out the surrounding area fifteen kilometers away.” Hu Che Er explained.
“Still no sign of them? Expand the area to twenty five kilometers. You must find the enemy!” Liu Bei ordered. He could not rest easy at this critical moment.
“Understood.” Hu Che Er replied. Liu Bei stayed at the walls for another four hours in case the enemy suddenly appeared. At this time, Hu Che Er returned with a strange expression.
“What’s wrong? Are you unable to find the Allied Forces?”
“We’ve found them Milord but… they are still twenty five kilometers away!” Hu Che Er explained. An entire day had passed but the enemy did not move at all.
“They did not move at all?” Liu Bei frowned. What could they be thinking of? “Are both armies there?”
“Yes. My subordinate confirmed it. Altogether, there are four camps, about thirty thousand stoves and the banners of both Jingzhou and Yangzhou.” Hu Che Er explained. He also said that the Allied Forces did not exactly stay still but were moving around within the same area.
“What are they doing?” Liu Bei could not understand. If the Allied Forces moved half a kilometer a day, it would take fifty days to reach Fancheng.
“Let’s go! Follow me to go and see what they are up to!” Liu Bei could not understand and was unable to rest easy. The enemy was not moving according to common sense.
“Understood!” The gates was then opened as Liu Bei left Fancheng with a group of cavalry to scout out the enemy.
****
“General Chen Deng. We are moving too slowly.” Zhang Gui said anxiously at the Allied Forces camp.
“General Zhang Gui. There is no need to be anxious.” Chen Deng replied indifferently.
“I am not anxious. We have travelled half a kilometer in a day. The distance from here to Fancheng is twenty five kilometers. Are we going to spend fifty days travelling? At this rate, it would be hard to explain ourselves to the Lord.” Zhang Gui could not understand why they were moving so slowly. They were supposed to besiege a city, not go for an outing. Zhang Gui wanted to win back Fancheng and get commended by Liu Biao. He was happy when Liu Mang picked him as commander. He thought he would fight as Liu Mang’s subordinate to recapture Fancheng but Liu Mang was unable to become the commander-in-chief.
Liu Mang was meant to be Liu Biao’s hostage. How could he leave? Then there was Lu Bu who Zhang Gui admires. However, the God of War vanished along with his Wolf Cavalry. Now, there were only two high ranking officers present. These two were Chen Deng and Wei Yan.
Zhang Gui was not too familiar with Wei Yan. Even if he was familiar with Wei Yan, he would treat Wei Yan in disdain as Wei Yan used to be Jingzhou’s gate guard. Meanwhile, Chen Deng is having the army march half a kilometer per day.
“Does General Zhang Gui want to attack Fancheng with just these thirty five thousand troops?” Chen Deng asked.
Zhang Gui was immediately made speechless. Although there were thirty five thousand troops, only five thousand could actually fight. Attacking Fancheng was impossible.
“That is why you do not need to be so anxious. Although we did not advance, it does not mean that there is no action.” Chen Deng laughed. Liu Mang gave the order for them to slowly advance at twenty five kilometers while digging trenches to stall for time.
“Are you talking about Marquis Wen and the others?” Zhang Gui thought, believing that the White Horses and the Wolf Cavalry must have begun moving after he was consoled by Chen Deng.
Chen Deng simply smiled indifferently. Liu Mang was stalling for time for both himself and Liu Bei.
“Report! The enemy have approached the camp!” A messenger suddenly arrived and reported.
“Oh. Follow me to the camp!” Chen Deng said as he immediately brought Zhang Gui with him.
“General Chen!” Wei Yan who was already at the camp called out. He too, was feeling anxious as he wanted to quickly fight against Liu Bei’s Army. It was his first time leading the troops under Liu Mang.
“General Wei Yan, there is no need to be so courteous.” Chen Deng replied as he gave Wei Yan face even though he was of higher rank. The reason for this is because Wei Yan was one of Liu Mang’s subordinate instead of Lu Bu’s.
***
“They really are travelling only half a kilometer a day.” Liu Bei who arrived nearby the Allied Forces’ camp muttered.
“Milord. Look over there!” Hu Che Er pointed at one corner that looks like a construction site. It seemed to be buzzing with activity.
“What are they doing?”
“Milord. They seem to be digging a trench.”
“A trench?” Liu Bei could not understand. If the Allied Forces have already constructed their main camp, why would they now dig trenches?
“Let us go take a look!” Liu Bei said and took a detour around the camp. They could move easily as they were all on horses.
“General Chen. Should we have the soldiers stop?” Wei Yan asked. It might not be good if Liu Bei were to see them digging their way towards Fancheng.
“No need.” Chen Deng waved his hand. He wanted Liu Bei to see.
As the Allied Forces did not respond to Liu Bei’s movements, Liu Bei became bolder and started to approach even more. They came close enough to see each other’s faces.
“Shoot them with arrows. Don’t let them come any closer than one hundred paces!” Chen Deng ordered coldly. Lu Bu was able to leave with confidence because Chen Deng was a good commander.
Chen Deng could allow Liu Bei to watch them but could not allow Liu Bei to act so impudently as this would affect the morale of the soldiers. With his orders, the arrows chased Liu Bei and the Xiliang Cavalry away.
At a hundred fifty paces away, the arrow lost its effectiveness and bounced harmlessly off the Xiliang Cavalry’s heavy armor. Only the misfortunate suffered injuries. Liu Bei did not approach any closer after the volley. The volley was just a warning as the arrows could pierce through the armor at a closer distance. Even if it could not pierce through the heavy armor, it could still kill the horses.
“That person is…!” Liu Bei’s Xiliang Cavalry quickly turned back towards the enemy and also raised their shield to protect them from the arrows. At this moment, Liu Bei also recognized an acquaintance.
“Chen Deng Chen Yuanlong?”
“Brother Yuanlong?” Jian Yong was shocked when he heard Liu Bei’s words. He waited until the Xiliang Cavalry were in a safe situation before asking Liu Bei. “Milord, are you certain it was him?”
“Yes.” Liu Bei was certain as Chen Deng had a close relationship with him. A long time ago, Liu Bei went to Tao Qian at Xuzhou to request for troops, equipment and food. Instead Tao Qian decided to abdicate.
At that time, Liu Bei was hesitant to accept. He may be unlucky but he was not stupid. He could not truly rule Xuzhou without the support of the nobles. It would have been an unstable position. He declined this offer three times not because of modesty but because of self-preservation.
Finally, Liu Bei accepted because he gained the Chen Family’s support and also because Tao Qian was at the end of his lifespan.
The Chen Family was also comparatively more influential than the Kuai Family as they had territory and troops. The Chen Family’s support turned risk into opportunity.
If it was not because Lu Bu occupied Xiapi, Liu Bei would have still be ruling Xuzhou with the support of the Chen Family.
“Why is Chen Deng with Lu Bu’s Army?” Jian Yong asked. It looked as though Chen Deng was leading the army.
“I don’t know.” Liu Bei shook his head. Lu Bu and Chen Deng should have been incompatible. Half the reason Lu Bu lost Xuzhou was Liu Bei’s fault. The other half was Chen Deng’s fault.
Chen Deng and Lu Bu’s characters were extremely incompatible. Chen Deng hated treacherous people like Lu Bu, who had the title Slave of Three Surnames. That was why Chen Deng and his father advised against the marriage alliance between Lu Bu and Yuan Shu. This was to weaken Lu Bu. Chen Deng also went to Xudou and gave plans to Cao Cao to destroy Lu Bu. Cao Cao was pleased with this and even appointed Chen Deng as the governor of Guangling.
When Cao Cao surrounded Xuzhou, Chen Dang even joined the attack with his own army. It was strange for Chen Deng to now work for his enemy.
Liu Bei could not understand. He had searched for Chen Deng when he obtained Xuzhou. He had thought that Chen Deng had become an official at Xudou.
“Milord. Should we advise him to surrender?” Jian Yong asked. Chen Deng used to worship Liu Bei. If it was not because Chen Gui forbid it, the Chen Family would have joined up with Liu Bei like the Mi Family.
Liu Bei also had the same idea. He suspected that all the trenches was because Chen Deng still thought of him and was procrastinating to delay the attack.
“Men! Go and request for a conversation!” Liu Bei said passionately. If he could get Chen Deng to defect, Fancheng would be safe.
“Understood!”
“General. Liu Bei is sending someone over.” Wei Yan notified Chen Deng. Chen Deng also noticed it.
The cavalier from the Xiliang Cavalry went up to almost a hundred paces before stopping to watch for the enemy’s reaction.
“Put down your bows.” Chen Deng passed down the order. The soldiers obeyed but the arrows remained nocked as precaution.
The cavalier sighed with relief when he saw the enemy’s actions. Being the person that passed messages to the enemy was a very risky job. Their survival depended on the messages being delivered.
The cavalier then approached and gave his message. “Allied Forces! My Lord, the Left General, Imperial Uncle Liu, requests to meet with your General!”
“What nonsense is this? Our General has nothing to say to your Lord! Get lost before we shoot you down!” Wei Yan shouted loudly before Chen Deng could say anything.
The cavalier was so frightened of Wei Yan he hid behind his horse. This caused the Allied Forces to laugh.
“Go back and tell your Left General that I have nothing to say to him. It is best he go back and prepare for battle!” Chen Deng refused but Liu Bei ended up approaching as Chen Deng spoke.
“Milord. You should not go any closer.” Jian Yong tried to stop Liu Bei at two hundred paces away.
“Xianhe, step aside. There is no need to worry with Hu Che Er by my side.” Liu Bei replied and approached even further. He stopped at one hundred and fifty paces away. This was the distance where the arrows lost its power. Any further would be too risky.
Arrows flew towards Liu Bei. Most of it landed harmlessly in front of Liu Bei. The rest were blocked by soldiers holding shields.
“Yuanlong. Is this how you treat guests?” Liu Bei’s voice travelled far and wide.
These arrows were not shot by Chen Deng’s troops but Zhang Gui’s. This is because Zhang Gui wanted Liu Bei dead. That being said, Chen Deng would not bother explaining himself.
“Haha. The Left General must be joking. I would certainly entertain guests but I can only greet ravenous wolves with arrows!”
“Chen Yuanlong! You!” Jian Yong wanted to curse Chen Deng for badmouthing Liu Bei.
“Xianhe! Withdraw!” Liu Bei stopped Jian Yong and looked back at Chen Deng. “Yuanlong. How about we talk for a while? Are you afraid that I will kill you? If that is the case, then I will take my leave.”
“A provocation!” Wei Yan said in disdain.
“Men! Bring the horses and open the gates of the main camp.” Chen Deng ordered.
“Huh?” Wei Yan was stunned. “General Chen. What are you doing?”
“I will return soon!” Chen Deng replied indifferently.
“General! He is just trying to provoke you!” Wei Yan said anxiously. Why would Chen Deng take the bait when it was so obvious that even Wei Yan could see it?
“Haha! Wenchang. I will return soon!” Chen Deng repeated as he shook his head. It was precisely because it was a provocation that Chen Deng had to go. Otherwise, it would seem as though he was afraid of Liu Bei, affecting the morale of the troops. This is especially true when their tactics were to stall for time.
“General Chen! If you go, who will command the army?” Zhang Gui also asked anxiously. He was afraid there would be no one to command the army if something were to happen to Chen Deng.
“Don’t worry, I will return. Until then, Wenchang is in charge.” Chen Deng replied.
Zhang Gui still had things to say but stopped himself when he saw how resolute Chen Deng was.
“No! Before Marquis Wen left, he told me to protect General Chen Deng! If General Chen Deng insists on going, you must take me with you!” Wei Yan objected. Initially, he thought he would be commander after Lu Bu left but the position ended up going to Chen Deng. Wei Yan was unhappy with this arrangement until Chen Deng proved to have a good head and proper bearings. On top of that, Liu Mang had ordered Wei Yan to listen to Chen Deng’s orders and that if something bad were to happen to Chen Deng, Wei Yan himself won’t be spared.
“Fine. Wencheng can accompany me. General Zhang Gui will be in charge until then. General Zhang Gui simply needs to keep the gates closed!” Chen Deng no longer bothered saying anything more and allowed Wei Yan to accompany him.
After the gates opened, Chen Deng slowly left on his horse with only Wei Yan accompanying him. Within a hundred paces, he was vulnerable to arrows. However, it was safe with the powerful Wei Yan by his side. Chen Deng himself was a Second Grade warrior so he could also take care of himself. On the contrary, having more people with him would make it harder to react to archers so this was safer.
Liu Bei had a group of soldiers with him while Chen Deng only came out with Wei Yan. His bravery showed his confidence to his troops, restoring their stamina.
“Chen Yuanlong is brave!” Liu Bei said in admiration. One hundred paces was neither too far away nor too near. He was close enough to be harmed by a charging cavalry but even then, Chen Deng came out.
Liu Bei envied Lu Bu for being able to obtain Chen Deng’s help. Then he became motivated. If he could persuade Chen Deng, then this talent would become his.
“Yuanlong. I trust you have been well since Xuzhou?” Liu Bei took the initiative and cupped his fist.
“Left General, I am well. There is no need for concern.” Chen Deng replied politely but also dealt a blow to Liu Bei. He used to addressing Liu Bei as Lord Xuande. Addressing him as Left General now showed estrangement.
Liu Bei sighed. “Time cannot be turned back. We once shared a drink but now we can only meet on the battlefield.”
“Haha, the Left General do not need to lament. Even brothers turn against each other much less us two. We can only meet on the battlefield.” Chen Deng also lamented a little as their relationship had now changed.
“The Yuanlong of that time is gone. The Chen Yuanlong I know was a person of noble character. He is faithful, upright and hates traitors. You have changed and now work for villains.” Liu Bei said, praising Chen Deng while insulting Lu Bu. The only person who had a reputation as bad as Lu Bu was Cao Cao.
However, Cao Cao’s bad reputation came from his previous generation while Lu Bu’s bad reputation was the result of his own personal affairs.
“Bah! Liu Bei! You are just a hypocrite!” Wei Yan spat in disdain before Chen Deng could reply.
“Hm? Are you sick of living?” The Xiliang Cavalry became restless.
“You want a fight? Bring it on! I, Wei Yan Wei Wenchang, am not afraid of you lot!” Wei Yan shouted as he swung his sword at the air.
“Wenchang! Withdraw!” Chen Deng ordered. Meanwhile, Hu Che Er took note of Wei Yan and warned Liu Bei that Wei Yan was skilled. Liu Bei also took note of Wei Yan’s name.
“Left General. You are crossing the line a bit.” Chen Deng reminded Liu Bei politely as he still remembered Liu Bei positively.
“Yuanlong! What is so good about Lu Bu? He is just a Slave of Three Surnames! Even now, he is using his daughter’s ability to get his position! Following this person will simply end in your death! You should switch sides! Milord appreciates you since long ago. Didn’t you also wanted to become his subordinate last time? This is your chance! Surrender! With Milord here, you will be able to establish your career!”
Chen Deng remained silent. Jian Yong thought he was moved and added even more oil to the fire. “Yuanlong! The Slave of Three Surnames is a disdainful person! That Liu Mang is an inhumane butcher that massacred countless at Wan! Do you still insist on doing things the wrong way?”
“General Chen?” Wei Yan called out when Chen Deng remained silent. He started to feel anxious. “Chen Yuanlong. If you dare betray Milord and Marquis Wen, I will kill you immediately!”
“Yuanlong! There is no need to fear him! Milord’s fierce general Hu Che Er and your martial skills is more than enough for that man!” Jian Yong smiled, thinking he was successful.
“I dare you to try! Let us see what a worthless man with one arm could even do?” Wei Yan shouted. He hated being looked down on.
“Worthless?” Hu Che Er became angry as the rest of the Xiliang Cavalry also became restless.
“Is that enough?” Chen Deng suddenly asked.
“What?” Liu Bei could not understand.
Chen Deng looked at Liu Bei indifferently and asked again. “Has the Left General had enough? I can ignore your words this time but from today onwards, we no longer have any connection. Wenchang, let us leave!”
“Yuanlong! Yuanlong! Are you really going to continue following that Slave of Three Surnames?” Liu Bei could not help but ask.
Chen Deng looked back at Liu Bei. Just as Liu Bei thought he was successful in persuading Chen Deng, the man’s next words immediately made Liu Bei speechless.
“Then should I, Chen Yuanlong, follow the Left General and end up like Mi Zhu Mi Zizhong?” Chen Deng asked mockingly.
“Wha?”
“Mi Zhu?” At this point, Wei Yan already understood that Chen Deng had no intentions of betraying them. He also knew Mi Zhu’s situation. Even then, he purposefully pretended not to know and asked.
“That’s right! Jian Xianhe, Hu Che Er and the rest might not know! Our Yangzhou has a Chief of Commerce, Lord Mi Zhu Mi Zizhong! He is also our Left General’s wife’s older brother1!”
“The Left General’s wife’s older brother?” Many people could not understand. Such as person should have been a trusted aide. So why was Mi Zhu on the opposing side?
Chen Deng then told everyone about how Mi Zhu and his family ran a trading company. He then told them about all of the Mi Family’s contributions towards Liu Bei. At this point, the audience were very interested in the story. The story ended when Mi Zhu ended up being abandoned by Liu Bei before working for Liu Mang.
Throughout the story, Zhang Gui was impressed by Mi Zhu’s dowry. Even Liu Biao was not that generous. When the story was over, the people understood that Mi Zhu was kicked down by Liu Bei once he was broke and worthless.
“How hateful! People provided him help in his hour of need but he simply abandons his savior! This Liu Bei is inhumane!” The soldiers at the camp all pointed at Liu Bei.
“Yuanlong is good at jokes!” Liu Bei managed a laugh even in this situation. His face was indeed thick.
“Left General, let us not talk about Mi Zhu. Let us discuss about Liu Pi and Zhang Xiu! One offered Yuzhou to you while the other allied with you to attack Yangzhou! Where are they now?” Chen Deng mocked again.
“Yuanlong. Must you do this?” Liu Bei turned gloomy.
“Liu Pi was accused by you for starting a rebellion and was executed. Zhang Xiu was even more pitiful. His life, his city and his children ended up being taken by you! How skillful of you, Imperial Uncle Liu!”
“What? Could it be that General Zhang Xiu was…” This time, the Xiliang Cavalry was the one that reacted. After all, Zhang Xiu used to be their Lord.
“Don’t listen to him! Do you not trust me, Hu Che Er? Milord was killed by Yangzhou’s troops!” Hu Che Er immediately refuted.
“Left General. Do you think I still dare to be your subordinate?” Chen Deng asked as he narrowed his eyes. His words gave Liu Bei a bad name.
Chen Deng could endure hearing Liu Mang and Lu Bu being badmouthed the first time as Liu Bei was an old acquaintance. However, he could no longer endure after being persuaded three times. They had already cut all ties. Any further provocation would mean being enemies. Chen Deng was not someone who would ignore being cursed at.
“Fine.” Liu Bei was strong mentally. Even though he was cursed so badly by Chen Deng, he laughed.
“Yuanlong, no. General Chen. Since you have such a sharp mouth, I hope you can be equally sharp on the battlefield!” Even though Liu Bei’s acting was great, Chen Deng could see the killing intent in Liu Bei’s eyes.
“Haha, the Left General need not worry. All of this effort is to destroy hypocrites.”
“Then let us meet again on the battlefield. I will take my leave!” Liu Bei cupped his fist and left.
“I won’t be sending you off!” Chen Deng replied indifferently. “Wenchang. Let us return.”
“General! You are so eloquent!” Wei Yan said admiringly. Chen Deng simply laughed in reply.
“Milord! Allow this Hu Che Er to tear that Chen Deng apart right now!” Hu Che Er suggested. Right now, Chen Deng was still within range of a charge.
“Hm?” Liu Bei looked back and then rejected Hu Che Er’s proposal. “I cannot show such injustice here even if he is heartless. No need, let us go back.”
Although Liu Bei said this, he actually wanted to kill Chen Deng then and there more than anyone. He only stopped himself because of all the trenches. If they were to attack, they would simply fall into a trap.
Looking at the trenches again, Liu Bei gave a disdainful smile as he thought to himself. “Are they trying to make a camp as wide as twenty five kilometers? Or perhaps they intend to trap me in Fancheng? What a joke!”
________
