Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 345 Hot Potato
"My lord, he..."

“It has nothing to do with him.” Qiao Wei shook his head.

In every era, men have always viewed women as subordinate to themselves. Liu Bei also wanted to change Qiao Wei's allegiance by bestowing her upon his subordinates, so that he could gain Qiao Wei's willing loyalty.

It was as if Qiao Wei was just a puppet without any independent consciousness; whoever claimed her innocence could control her and bind her to them.

But what Qiao Wei wanted was her own voice, not because of whose woman she was, but simply because of herself.

Having the ability to overturn the table, she must also have the right to be allowed to sit on the table and overturn the entire battle.

Besides, she was a hostage, not a prisoner.

"Madam, this is very difficult." The worry in Zhuge Liang's eyes seemed genuine.

There are many dirty tricks in the military that can make a woman wish she were dead.

Qiao Wei knew this, but her inherent pride wouldn't allow her to easily bow down in front of Liu Bei.

Moreover, she was unwilling to implicate Zhuge Liang in what she was doing. Once the plan succeeded, she could leave, but Zhuge Liang's situation in Xinye would become increasingly awkward.

Zhuge Liang indicated that he understood.

That which knows it is impossible yet still does it is called courage.

Qiao Wei looked towards Jiangdong. She really missed Sun Deng. She wondered if he would hide under the covers and cry because she hadn't come home at the agreed time.

"It's okay, I can wait."

Only when Liu Bei actively seeks her out can she seize the initiative.
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As time passed, Qiao Wei continued to quietly read books and copy the Book of Songs in her room.

She needs to calm herself down. Only when she calms down can she see the predicament clearly and find a way out.

Finally, the tightly closed door welcomed the person who had been waiting.

Liu Bei, with a dark face, agreed to Qiao Wei's request, allowing Qiao Wei to enter and leave the armory in men's clothing as a craftsman. He also arranged for Zhuge Liang to join the armory with him and returned the Zhen Nu, which had been seized from Qiao Wei and his group, to Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei gave two swords to Zhuge Liang, one for him and one for Huang Yueying.

Explain the basic structure to him and teach him how to use it.

Huang Zhong stood not far away, glancing at the two out of the corner of his eye, eavesdropping, and secretly memorizing the usage method Qiao Wei had taught him.

Qiao Wei saw this and simply walked over to his side. "If General Huang wants to learn, he doesn't need to learn from Kuang Heng's method of stealing light by chiseling a hole in the wall. Once the general's injuries have healed, he will naturally learn it in no time."

After confirming with Qiao Wei that there were craftsmen in Wancheng who could subdue this Zhennu, Huang Zhong repeatedly asked Liu Bei for permission to attack and seize the metallurgical workshop in Wancheng and abduct the craftsmen back to Xinye.

Compared to Qiao Wei, who was a tough nut to crack, the craftsmen were easier to pry open in order to save their lives.

The power that Zhen Nu displayed in front of Liu Bei was so astonishing that Liu Bei couldn't help but feel envious.

Despite Xu Shu's advice that Zhou Yu was resourceful and unpredictable in his military tactics, Liu Bei made a decisive decision as soon as he received news that Zhou Yu's back sores had relapsed and that he had fainted and vomited several times. He also learned that Hua Tuo had entered Wancheng to treat Zhou Yu.

Huang Zhong was ordered to lead his troops in a night raid on Wancheng.

Unexpectedly, he was still defeated by the guards of Wancheng and fled back.

Even though Zhou Yu was ill, the military defenses of Wancheng remained orderly and as solid as a rock. In addition, all the archers were equipped with Zhennu arrows. Huang Zhong and his men suffered heavy losses and returned empty-handed, and Huang Zhong himself almost died under the Zhennu arrows.

Having witnessed once again the destructive power of Zhennu on the battlefield, Liu Bei had no choice but to agree to all of Qiao Wei's demands.

His plan was simple: even if Qiao Wei refused to teach the other craftsmen, as long as she stayed in the armory for a long time, they would naturally learn by observation. Once even one craftsman could learn Qiao Wei's techniques, it would be irrelevant whether Qiao Wei killed or released him.

While Qiao Wei was assembling the crossbows, Zhuge Liang stood by and watched over her. Sometimes he could see her fingers flying like she was playing a zither, and yet, under those skillful hands, one crossbow after another appeared.

Zhuge Liang couldn't help but marvel, "Your wife has skillful hands and a clever mind."

Qiao Wei put down the crossbow in his hand. "If you want to learn, sir, I can teach you."

Zhuge Liang certainly wanted to learn, but everyone has their own expertise, and he wasn't good at these mechanical crafts. If Qiao Wei really wanted to teach him, it would probably take a lot of effort.

"Madam, a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

Countless people in the entire ordnance department were eyeing her skill and wanted to learn it, but Qiao Wei was unwilling to teach it. If people found out that Qiao Wei was willing to teach him this unique skill, he probably wouldn't be able to stay in Xinye for even a day.

In just a few days, Qiao Wei had provided Xinye with the first batch of crossbows, numbering as many as fifty.

Military reports from the front lines indicate that Lingling County and Guiyang County have fallen, the governor of Xiangdong County surrendered without a fight, and more than half of Liu Pan and other generals have been killed or wounded.

More than half of the counties in Changsha Commandery have fallen. Cai Mao has personally led troops to Changsha, demanding that Liu Bei hand over Qiao Wei and escort him to Changsha. If Sun Quan refuses to withdraw his troops, he will kill him as a sacrifice to the flag.

Liu Bei's forces were divided into two factions, with Zhuge Liang and Huang Zhong forming one. Huang Zhong and Zhuge Liang naturally argued that Qiao Wei should not be handed over because he was capable of making bows and crossbows.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Jian Yong, and others believed that Jingzhou was in grave danger, and if Changsha fell, Sun Quan would immediately turn his attention to Xinye.

Moreover, Liu Biao and Liu Bei were both relatives of the imperial clan. Liu Bei's defense of Xinye was also due to Liu Biao's shelter. If he did not obey Liu Biao's orders at this time and failed to resolve the crisis in Jingzhou, he would likely be branded as unjust.

Furthermore, Sun Quan's conquest of Jingzhou has only yielded three commanderies at most; he lacks the strength to seize the entire province. Once the war between Jingzhou and Sun Quan ends, wouldn't Liu Biao turn around and settle scores with Liu Bei?

If Qiao Wei is not handed over now, Xinye's situation will become even more precarious once Liu Biao recovers.

Liu Bei's head was spinning from the commotion among his generals. He had initially thought that kidnapping Qiao Wei would give him leverage in negotiations with Sun Quan, but now it had become a hot potato—he couldn't throw him away, nor could he keep him.

He excused himself to change his clothes and left the meeting tent.

The soldiers were still training in the drill ground, their movements synchronized with shouts of battle and the sound of war drums, causing the ground to tremble.

Meanwhile, the archers were practicing archery on targets.

The crossbow could pierce the bullseye from over fifty paces away, causing Liu Bei's pupils to tremble slightly.

Liu Bei stood with his hands on his hips and sighed deeply.

Xu Shu quietly walked to Liu Bei's side, following Liu Bei's gaze as he looked at the crossbows in the soldiers' hands.

"Is the general unable to make up his mind?"

"Mr. Zhuge had his own selfish motives, and Hansheng only saw the benefits of the bow and crossbow. Yunchang valued righteousness, Yide was at odds with Hansheng, and the rest were from Jingzhou and admired Jingsheng's governance."

No one can see the predicament we are in today!