Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

"We've fallen for their trap! Retreat! Retreat now!"

Kebineng was in a state of utter confusion, and fear welled up in his heart.

At this moment, nothing is more important than escaping for one's life, whether it's marching south to conquer Chang'an or restoring the Xianbei's hegemony.

But once you enter this crossbow ambush formation, you can't just leave as easily as you want.

In the darkness, countless Han soldiers and archers blocked Kebineng's advance and retreat routes.

Meanwhile, at Kebineng's camp in the rear.

Upon realizing the change in circumstances, Kebineng's son-in-law, Yuzhujian, hurriedly mobilized the Xianbei elites to rescue Kebineng, but they were intercepted by a Han general as soon as they left the camp.

"Prefect of Fufeng and General Who Guards the North, Wei Yan, are here. This road is blocked!"

Looking at the Han general who had once intercepted him in Beidi County, Yu Zhujian was both anxious and furious, and ordered his men to charge.

If Kebineng is gone, Yu Zhujian, Kebineng's son-in-law, will also suffer.

Yu Zhujian knew very well that Kebineng had made many enemies in the southern desert. They were afraid of Kebineng and had no choice but to obey him, but once Kebineng died, those enemies would definitely retaliate.

Wei Yan merely sneered as he watched Yu Zhujian and the Xianbei soldiers charge towards him.

With a swing of his sword, the archers on either side launched sharp arrows.

Arrows are merciless.

Without wearing sufficiently thick armor, even the best horsemanship skills would be insufficient to avoid a barrage of arrows.

The rain of arrows ended.

Wei Yan drew his sword and spurred his horse, leading several hundred light cavalry guards straight into the Xianbei army formation.

After Liu Bei acquired Yongliang, acquiring warhorses became much easier.

As the governor of Fufeng, Wei Yan naturally did not forget to build up his personal guard cavalry.

In the north, you can't fight without cavalry!
With Liu Feng's double-stirrup technology, Wei Yan was able to quickly train the fierce infantry into cavalry, rather than directly recruiting able-bodied young men who knew how to ride and shoot.

This reduced the time required to form a cavalry force.

Training valiant infantrymen into cavalry not only enhances their combat effectiveness but also enables them to fight on foot after losing their horses.

Although the Xianbei had a larger population, the Han soldiers were better equipped.

The saying "one Han soldier can take on five Hu soldiers" is not an exaggeration, but rather reflects the significant difference in equipment between the two sides, which allowed one Han soldier to fight against five Hu soldiers.

"Han cavalry are so brave?" Yu Zhujian was increasingly alarmed as the battle progressed.

What Yu Zhujian didn't know was...

When Wei Yan was in Beidi Commandery, he was trying to cover the retreat of the people back to Chang'an. His tactics were cautious and conservative, and he had been holding back his anger for a long time.

Now that he can finally vent his anger, his fighting spirit is naturally even stronger than usual.

If the normal combat strength is 1, the combat strength shown by the North County is 0.5, but the combat strength shown now is 1.5.

Although the Xianbei claimed to have an army of 100,000, they actually only had tens of thousands of soldiers.

These tens of thousands of people were not all elites; most of them were just there to cheer and encourage.

If Kebineng truly had tens of thousands of elite cavalry, he wouldn't have been so thoroughly defeated by Tian You, Qian Zhao, and even Liang Xi, the governor of Bingzhou who was only good at writing.

The reason why Kebineng was able to cause trouble in the north for many years was not because he was more skilled in battle, but mainly because when Kebineng was unable to win, he would flee far beyond the Great Wall, and the Han army, unfamiliar with the geography, could not pursue him.

When Cao Cao attacked the Wuhuan stronghold, his entire army was almost wiped out.

However, once the Xianbei arrived in the Han people's home territory, they became much easier to deal with.

This is not a place where the Xianbei can show off their power.

Since Yu Zhujian was unable to break through Wei Yan's blockade, Kebineng, trapped in the crossbow ambush, was finding it increasingly difficult.

The Xianbei cavalry who came out with Kebineng were mostly his elite troops who had followed him for a long time, but tonight they died tragically under the crossbows.

Kebineng was both terrified and heartbroken.

Just when Kebineng thought he was doomed, the crossbows stopped firing.

Subsequently.

A group of fierce-looking Han soldiers surrounded Kebineng and the Xianbei people around him, and the Emperor's Great Banner reappeared.

"Kebineng, why don't you surrender immediately!"

The shouts in unison startled Kebineng, who was terrified.

But Kebineng was unwilling to surrender so easily. He raised his neck and shouted, "You tricked me into coming here. And you outnumbered me, your victory was not honorable! I am not convinced!"

Hearing Kebineng's defiant voice, Liu Bei couldn't help but sneer: "This barbarian barbarian actually thinks he can compete with me in terms of numbers. The barbarians beyond the Great Wall don't know the principle of capturing the king first."

Liu Feng then said, "Father, why not temporarily release Kebineng and let him reorganize his army for another battle?"

Liu Bei was slightly surprised: "Does the King of Yan intend to subdue Kebineng?"

Liu Feng nodded: "If it were Budugen, who is close to the false Wei, we would naturally kill him to prevent future troubles; but if it were Kebineng, then we cannot kill him."

If we can subdue Kebineng, we might have a chance to defeat Cao Zhang and Zhang He, and directly seize Tong Pass!

Liu Bei stroked his short beard slightly: "It seems that the King of Yan's visit to Chang'an this time is not simply to help me repel Cao Pi's army."

Liu Feng did not hide anything and said, "Currently, there is no good opportunity to launch a northern expedition in Jingzhou and Yangzhou."

Coincidentally, I heard that Cao Pi's army had invaded Chang'an and was very likely to incite the Xianbei to move south. So I had the idea of ​​taking advantage of this.

A group of greedy Xianbei people will not be loyal to Cao Pi; if they can be used by Cao Pi, they can be used by their father, the emperor.

Liu Lin, who was accompanying the army, asked in bewilderment, "Since Father wanted to borrow strength, why did you set up an archery formation to kill so many Xianbei soldiers today? Why didn't you try to persuade them from the beginning?"

Liu Lin was still young. Although he had read a lot, he had not experienced any major events and could not quite understand Liu Feng's actions.

Liu Feng's tone turned stern: "The Xianbei people are stubborn and won't listen to reason. It won't work if you just talk to them. You have to beat them up first."

You must remember: you cannot be soft-hearted or show mercy to the Xianbei people.

We can accept Xianbei people who sincerely submit to the Han Dynasty and bestow upon them the title of "righteous followers." We can also teach them to farm and observe etiquette, and treat them equally as subjects of the Han Dynasty.

However, for the Xianbei people who refused to sincerely submit and harbored disloyalty, only the bow and arrow could teach them to change their attitude.

Watching Liu Feng teach his son, Liu Bei felt a sense of satisfaction.

Liu Bei did the same thing in the past, keeping Liu Feng by his side, not only answering his questions but also teaching him military and literary matters step by step.

Subsequently.

Liu Bei then sent someone to announce: "Release Kebineng so that he can regroup his army and fight again."

Kebineng was somewhat stunned as he looked at the scattered Han army formation.

"Are you really letting me leave?"

Originally, Kebineng only wanted to maintain the dignity of the Xianbei king, but unexpectedly, Liu Bei actually let Kebineng go, and also let the Xianbei people who were divided and surrounded go.

Even Wei Yan, who was in the rear, received orders to withdraw his troops.

Upon seeing Kebineng leading his remaining troops back, Yuzhujian hurriedly greeted him: "Your Majesty, why did the Han troops withdraw?"

Kebineng, with a gloomy face, did not tell Yuzhujian the real reason, but only said: "The Han army saw that it was about to dawn and was afraid that they could not defeat us, so they withdrew their troops."

Yu Zhujian looked up at the sky.

Is it getting light?
Seeing Kebineng's gloomy face, Yu Zhujian didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Kebineng then asked, "Has Budugen sent troops out of the camp?"

Yu Zhujian shook his head: "No."

Kebineng's eyes grew even darker: "This thief is indeed untrustworthy. If I die under Liu Bei's arrow, Budugen will definitely take the opportunity to launch an attack and annex my troops and tribes."

Yu Zhujian secretly made a hand gesture: "Why not lie and say that Budugen colluded with Liu Bei, and take the opportunity to kill Budugen?"

This proposal greatly appealed to Kebineng.

Thinking of the defeat he would suffer at the hands of Liu Bei tonight, Kebineng suppressed his impulse: "With such a formidable enemy at hand, killing Budugen would only encourage his men to defect to Liu Bei. Let's go back and discuss this further."

Back to the main tent.

Budugen and Wu Ying came to inquire about the situation. Kebineng, not wanting to lose face, still claimed, "Liu Bei is incompetent. Even with an ambush set up in advance, he couldn't capture me. If we fight Liu Bei again tomorrow, we will surely capture him alive."

however.

Although Kebineng tried to block the news, rumors began to circulate in the Xianbei camp early the next morning.

The rumor is that Kebineng was defeated and captured last night, and Liu Bei, seeing that Kebineng was not convinced, released him and agreed to fight again.

Kebineng was so angry that he just wanted to kill someone.

Just as Kebineng was about to question the enemy, news came that the Han army was marching towards the camp, which greatly alarmed Kebineng.

"First he spread rumors to demoralize our army, then he led troops to attack. Liu Bei is truly hateful!"

Despite his anger and frustration, Kebineng, fearing the fall of his camp, could only order his troops to sound the horn and gather for battle.

Before Kebi could gather his troops...

A Han Chinese cavalry force had already stormed into the camp and was charging straight for the commander's tent.

The leader wielded a spear eighteen feet long, and no one could stop him.

A fierce Xianbei general, highly regarded by Kebineng, stepped forward to intercept him, but was immediately knocked down by the general's spear.

"Who is this person, so valiant?" Kebineng was terrified.

Last night, Kebineng was ambushed and felt resentful, believing that Liu Bei was only good at playing tricks and was actually all bark and no bite.

Seeing Liu Bei's cavalry generals moving through the camp as if it were empty, he was deeply shocked.

Just as Kebineng was preparing to dodge the attack, an arrow shot directly from behind and struck his warhorse. The horse, in pain, threw Kebineng to the ground.

Then a rope flew over, and several cavalrymen quickly dismounted and tied Kebineng up tightly. In front of the astonished Xianbei people, they captured Kebineng alive and took him away.

"Kebineng, are you convinced today?"

Looking at Kebineng bound in front of him, Liu Bei felt contempt but still maintained a gentle smile.

Kebineng looked at Liu Feng standing behind Liu Bei, his eyes filled with fear: "Who captured me?"

Liu Bei smiled calmly: "My eldest son is Liu Feng, the Prince of Yan."

Kebin's pupils contracted.

Although he was far away in the southern desert, Kebineng had heard of Liu Feng's reputation.

Kebineng was unwilling to admit defeat, saying, "Today's defeat is not due to a lack of skill. It is because rumors spread in my camp that allowed you to gain an advantage. If you are willing to let me go back, and if you can defeat me again, I will be convinced."

Liu Bei laughed loudly: "It seems that I attacked at the wrong time. Why don't you set a time, and I will lead my troops to attack?" Kebineng's eyes rolled: "Let me go back to the camp to discuss it and send someone to set a time."

Liu Bei waved his hand, letting Kebineng go again.

Kebineng dared not lie or pretend this time. He had been captured alive from the camp and could no longer keep up the act.

Upon returning to the camp, Kebineng summoned Budugen, Yuzhujian, and Wu Ying to discuss countermeasures.

"Wu Sanqi, you have a lot of ideas. Give me a plan to defeat Liu Bei." Kebineng looked directly at Wu Ying.

Kebineng was captured and released twice, and Wu Ying guessed Liu Bei's intentions.

However, Wu Ying dared not tell Ke Bineng this speculation, for fear of inadvertently becoming Liu Bei's savior.

I pondered for a moment.

Wu Ying suggested, "Why not use a feigned surrender? Your Majesty can send someone to find Liu Bei, pretending that you have already submitted, and lure Liu Bei into the camp. We can then capture him alive."

Budugen asked doubtfully, "Liu Bei is the emperor of the Han Dynasty, so why would he enter the camp so rashly?"

Wu Ying sneered: "If Liu Bei doesn't come, it means Liu Bei is afraid, and Your Majesty will have won against Liu Bei."

Kebineng slammed his hand on the table and said, "This plan is feasible! Yuzhujian, you go and deliver the letter of surrender to Liu Bei in person. You are my son-in-law, and even if Liu Bei doesn't believe you, he won't harm you."

Upon receiving the military order, Yu Zhujian prepared generous gifts and went to Liu Bei's military tent, presenting a letter of surrender.

Liu Bei and Liu Feng exchanged a glance and both saw the smile in each other's eyes.

It's almost as if they're saying: I don't know which armchair strategist came up with such a clumsy feigned surrender plan.

They can't even offer their heads as a tribute, what kind of feigned surrender are they trying to pull!

Although Liu Bei saw through Kebineng's feigned surrender, he deliberately put on a smug look and treated Yu Zhujian to good wine and meat, and even chatted with Yu Zhujian about everyday matters.

Yu Zhujian had also studied the language and culture of the Han people, so there were no difficulties in communication.

After being warmly received by Liu Bei, the half-drunk Yu Zhujian blurted out the name of Wu Ying, who was standing next to Kebineng.

"To make Kebineng work for Father, we must first eliminate Wu Ying and cut off Kebineng's escape route," Liu Feng said coldly, revealing the new plan.

When two factions want to win over one faction, eliminating the other's envoy is the simplest and most direct method.

Just as Han envoy Sui He killed the Chu envoy to win over Ying Bu, and Han envoy Ban Chao killed the Northern Xiongnu envoy to win over the King of Khotan, there are many precedents that can be followed.

Liu Bei nodded in agreement with Liu Feng's plan and asked, "What brilliant idea does the King of Yan have?"

Liu Feng said, "Father, you can go to Kebineng's camp for a banquet. I expect Wu Ying will also be there. We can kill him at the banquet and force Kebineng to submit!"

Guo Youzhi, the Chamberlain, exclaimed in alarm, “Your Majesty is of noble birth; how can you lightly enter the Xianbei camp? What if something happens to you?”

Liu Feng didn't take it seriously: "Most of Kebineng's elite cavalry were shot dead last night, and Kebineng was captured alive by me this morning. Even if Kebineng has deployed an ambush outside the camp, what is there to fear?"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." This is to let the Xianbei people know that the Emperor can enter their camp as if it were his own backyard.

Moreover, with me and the White Feather Soldiers here, who can harm Father Emperor in the slightest?

Liu Bei, also infected by the laughter, exclaimed, "I have spent half my life on the battlefield, fearless in the presence of heroes. Now all heroes are gone, and only I remain. How can a mere Xianbei camp possibly stop me?"

Immediately.

Liu Bei rejected Guo Youzhi's advice. He ordered Wei Yan and others to wait outside the Xianbei camp, while Liu Feng accompanied Chen Dao with 500 White Feather Soldiers as they went to the Xianbei camp.

The arrival of Liu Bei greatly alarmed Kebineng.

Although Yu Zhujian reported that Liu Bei would come to the banquet, Kebineng didn't really believe it.

The emperor of the Han Dynasty came to the Xianbei camp for a banquet. Was he really not afraid of death?

While feeling alarmed, Kebineng was also somewhat excited.

If we could kill Liu Bei, wouldn't we be a force to be reckoned with in the Central Plains?
Yu Zhujian was praising Wu Ying, calling him a genius strategist.

Wu Ying was actually quite surprised. His intuition told him that Liu Bei's quick agreement to attend the banquet was likely a trap, but Yu Zhujian's boasting made Wu Ying think that he might be overthinking things.

Wu Ying only put aside his doubts when Liu Bei brought only five hundred men to the Xianbei camp for the banquet.

What good are 500 people?

To lower Liu Bei's guard, Kebineng also pretended to hold a banquet, and had Budugen, Yuzhujian and Wu Ying accompany him.

However, when Kebineng saw Liu Feng beside Liu Bei, he had some doubts.

Being captured alive by Liu Feng from his camp became not only a joke for Kebineng but also a nightmare for him.

Although Kebineng was confident he wouldn't be captured again if given a second chance, time cannot be reversed, and what has happened cannot be undone.

"Drinking alone is too boring. How about we perform a sword dance to liven things up?"

Liu Feng, sword in hand, arrived at the center of the banquet and, without waiting for Kebineng's consent, began to wield his sword.

After Liu Feng left, the two soldiers in white feathers took a step closer to Liu Bei.

They danced for a while.

Seeing that Kebineng and the others did not react, Liu Feng invited Budugen, saying, "It's too boring for one person to dance with a sword. This Xianbei warrior is clearly a rare and valiant man in this world. Would you like to dance with him to liven things up?"

Bu Du wanted to refuse, but seeing Liu Feng's unwavering gaze, he had no choice but to leave his seat and gesture with Liu Feng.

Liu Feng's victory over Kebineng was too impressive, and Budugen was also terrified. He dared not use too much force when sparring with Liu Feng, for fear of being misunderstood by Liu Feng.

Wu Ying was getting anxious at this moment.

If Kebineng were to launch an attack at this moment, Budugen would surely die. If Budugen were to die, no one would be able to restrain Kebineng.

Thinking of this, Wu Ying picked up his wine cup, stood up and said, "The King of Yan is brave and admirable. I respectfully offer my respects to the King of Yan."

Liu Feng glanced at Wu Ying: "You don't look like a Xianbei."

Wu Ying laughed and said, "I am a descendant of Han Chinese who fled to the southern desert during the Yellow Turban Rebellion."

Liu Feng then looked at Yu Zhujian: "Yu Zhujian, could this be Wu Ying, the Han Chinese from the southern desert you spoke of, who possesses unfathomable abilities?"

Yu Zhujian was somewhat bewildered.

When did I say that?
"He is Wu Ying, but—"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Budugen's longsword pierced Wu Ying's chest, causing Kebineng and Yuzhujian to rise in shock.

"Budugen, what are you doing?" Kebineng asked in astonishment.

Budugen also stepped back in horror: "No, it wasn't me."

applause.

Liu Bei clapped his hands and laughed: "What a wonderful sword dance. Budugen, don't worry. Although you killed Cao Pi's envoy, I will protect you from now on. Even Cao Pi will not dare to do anything to you."

Kebineng's anger reached a breaking point: "Budugen, how dare you betray me!"

Budugen was even more horrified: "I, I, I..."

Liu Feng placed his large hand on Budugen's shoulder: "Budugen, since you dared to do it, you should dare to admit it. Now you have no choice. Either you capture Kebineng, or Kebineng kills you. The choice is yours."

Budugen's hands trembled, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

Kebineng reacted quickly, staring intently at Liu Feng: "Don't try to sow discord. Just now you clearly used Budugen to kill Wu Ying, and now you want to stir up conflict between Budugen and me."

Budugen also realized what was happening and quickly retreated to Kebineng's side: "Yes! Yes! Yes! I was pushed just now, which is why I stabbed Wu Ying to death. Don't try to sow discord."

Liu Feng scoffed, "It seems you two do have some brains, but not many. Now that Wu Ying is dead, do you think Cao Pi will still trust you?"

Kebineng and Budugen were stunned.

Liu Feng then looked at Yu Zhujian: "We have to thank Yu Zhujian for this. If it weren't for Yu Zhujian, I wouldn't have known that there was a Cao Pi envoy named Wu Ying in the Xianbei camp."

I have heard that Wu Ying is the son of Wu Zhi, who was a close friend of Cao Pi. Wu Zhi's son died in the Xianbei camp, and it was Kebineng's son-in-law who revealed his identity.

"Alas, if I were Wu Zhi, and suddenly learned of this news, I would surely launch a night-long attack on the southern desert, both to avenge my son and to eliminate the border threat forever."

Kebineng trembled with rage: "Liu Feng, don't forget your current predicament!"

Liu Feng stared coldly at Kebineng: "Are you trying to say that I'm in your camp? Do you want to ask around? Since I started commanding the troops, in every battle have I not been at the forefront? Not to mention the distant past, have you forgotten who captured you this morning?"

What is deterrence?

Liu Feng is a deterrent!

Kebineng's palms were sweating.

Looking at Liu Bei, he was sitting quietly, enjoying the performance inside the tent as if he were watching a play.

He gritted his teeth.

Kebineng said, "I am not convinced. This time, I invited you two into the camp. I want to fight again."

The voice just fell.

An arrow flew directly over Kebineng's forehead, but Liu Feng had already taken out the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow at some point.

"Kebineng, don't be so arrogant. Do you really think that I'm playing this game of capture and release with you here because you, Kebineng, are worth recruiting?"

It was only because my father was benevolent and didn't want to kill too much that I was simply doing my filial duty. If it were up to my methods, you would have been dead the first time I set up the ambush.

Do you think you have the right to negotiate with me?

Don't tell me you're just bluffing. Even if you really have 100,000 archers, to me they're nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs.

Even Cao Pi had to avoid my sharp edge; how dare you, a mere Xianbei king, confront me?

Kebineng felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet.

Budugen and Yuzhujian were also too frightened to make a move.

"Kebineng, I grant you permission to answer again!"

The cold voice echoed in Kebineng's ears.

Kebineng gritted his teeth: "Aren't you afraid that I'll pretend to agree, but in reality still refuse to accept it?"

"King Yan, do not be angry." Liu Bei stood up and pressed down Liu Fengping's arm that was holding the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow: "I have always won people over with virtue. Since Kebineng is not convinced, then let's fight again."

Liu Feng snorted coldly: "Father, as the saying goes, things should not happen more than three times."

After catching and releasing him three times, even a dog should be convinced of his worth. Kebineng is a wolf with ambitions; it's better to eliminate him to prevent future troubles.

A generous reward will surely attract brave men. As long as Father Emperor is willing to support a new Xianbei king, he will surely be able to replace Kebineng.

"If Kebineng is unwilling, then let's try Budugen. If Budugen is unwilling, then we'll keep searching. I refuse to believe that among these tens of thousands of Xianbei people, we can't find someone who can replace Kebineng!"

Liu Bei's tone turned solemn: "King of Yan, since I promised to let Kebineng fight again, I will not go back on my word. I believe that Kebineng will sincerely submit to the Han Dynasty! I am the true Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty!"

If Wu Ying were still alive, he would surely be cursing: "You two, father and son, are playing good cop/bad cop game here!"

Just as Liu Bei and Liu Feng were "arguing," Kebineng, after much deliberation, finally gave up his insistence, knelt down, and surrendered: "Your subject, Kebineng of the Xianbei, is willing to die for Your Majesty the Great Han." (End of this chapter)