Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 314 My Family Has Been Serving as Dukes for Four Generations!

However, since Xiahou Yuan was sent by Cao Cao and had 8,000 elite troops under his command, Guan Yu could not capture him so easily.

Unable to reach an agreement, and to prevent their infighting from being exploited by Yuan Shao's army outside the city, Yuan sent a letter to Cao Cao, stating that Guan Yu had refused to obey the imperial edict.

When Guan Yu saw this, he also wrote a letter to Cao Cao, saying that Xiahou Yuan had the ambition to ally with Yuan Shao.

At Huanyuan Pass, the two maintained a delicate balance between confrontation and unity, jointly resisting the daily attacks of Yuan's army.

On this day, the moonlight shone brightly, and the moon was full in the sky.

At Huanyuan Pass, suddenly a fire broke out at Yuan's camp outside the city, and the fire spread across the fields, its flames reflecting the moonlight.

Xiahou Yuan saw him and said:

"This must be Lu Bu turning against us and attacking our camp. We must rush to their aid and launch a pincer attack. With the help of Dun and Ba, we can utterly defeat Yuan Shao's army!"

Guan Yu saw it and said:
"This must be Yuan's scheme. Yuan is cunning and treacherous, with countless conspiracies and tricks. If we go out of the city to rescue him now, we will not only be trapped in a deadly situation, but also allow Huanyuan Pass to be taken advantage of by him."

How could I possibly face the Emperor again?

Xiahou Yuan angrily rebuked him.

"The victory over Yuan is just around the corner tonight. Is Guan Yu still worried about his troops and dare not go out to fight?"
The alliance between Cao Cao and Lü Bu was a major national strategy. It was intended to assist Lü Bu in defeating Yuan Shu's army and thus dampen Yuan Shu's morale. Furthermore, the Prime Minister personally issued the military order.

Even now, you still dare to disobey orders and defy authority for your own personal grudges?

Guan Yu glared at him angrily.

"Guan was born between heaven and earth, and throughout his life he was loyal and devoted, with righteousness as his top priority."

Would I let personal grudges interfere with official business?
In my opinion, it was precisely because Miaocai was too concerned about Yuanrang and your son, secretly hoping they would defect to Cao Cao's camp as soon as possible, that he overlooked the risks and fell into Yuan Shao's trap.

"fart!
The news that Yuan Rang was controlled by others and had no freedom did not come recently, but only recently.

Years ago, his words and actions already corresponded to the message that Ba'er brought today.

You say Yuan Shikai used a scheme, but how could he have foreseen this day years in advance and laid out his plans ahead of time?

Unexpectedly, Guan Yu answered Xiahou Yuan's question with confidence and self-assurance.

"Why not?"
According to Cao Xiang's conspiracy theory, Yuan Shikai was most adept at concealing his intentions and planning ahead of time.

Let alone several years in advance, even ten or several decades in advance, this could still be a scheme by the traitor Yuan!

"you"

Xiahou Yuan opened his mouth, but found himself speechless when Guan Yu brought up the conspiracy theory about Yuan Shu.

After all, Cao Cao had been pushing forward theories about Yuan Shu's conspiracy and even the threat he posed.

Yuan Shikai is a cunning and scheming man who is adept at planning ahead.
Considering that Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Ba might have already switched sides, even if it meant fighting a bloody battle against Yuan Shao's camp, they would still help Lü Bu in this decisive battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, hoping for a glimmer of hope for survival.

Xiahou Yuan felt that time was of the essence and the situation was urgent. In his anxiety, he gritted his teeth and spoke.

"The situation is urgent. General Guan, are you really unwilling to send troops to defeat Yuan?"

Guan Yu remained calm and composed, saying, "No! I simply do not wish to fall into the enemy's trap!"

Just as the two were arguing, a man and a horse came from Yuan's camp under the cover of night. The horse was broken and the armor was torn, and the rider was covered in blood. Who else could it be but Xiahou Ba?
All that could be heard was his urgent cry from below the city walls:

"General Guan, Lü Bu has arrived, but unfortunately he has been tricked and ambushed by Yuan Shao's army. He is currently engaged in a fierce battle with Yuan Shao's camp."

Fortunately, my uncle came to my rescue in time and risked his life to save me, which gave me the strength to fight. I fought to the death and refused to retreat.

The rise and fall of the Han Dynasty and Cao Cao's great cause both depend on your single thought, General.

"General, please prioritize the overall situation and do not break our promise!"

Guan Yu sneered when he saw this, and was about to order the arrows to be fired when Xiahou Yuan spoke up beside him.

Is that my son standing beneath the city walls?

Xiahou Ba exclaimed with delight!
"Father?
That's wonderful! Now that my father is here, my uncle is saved.

Father, join me quickly to defeat the enemy. Our Xiahou family has endured the Yuan family's humiliation for years, all for this day.

"Tonight, defeating Yuan will be a great service to the nation!"

Xiahou Yuan hoped that what Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Ba said was true, that they had never betrayed Cao Cao, and that they were only bearing the infamy to endure humiliation and bide their time.

However, now that everything he had been waiting for was within reach, he still dared not believe it.

So the father and son, separated for several years, looked at each other from afar, one above the city walls and the other below.

Xiahou Yuan asked Xiahou Ba several questions in succession, all concerning how Xiahou Dun endured humiliation and hardship in Yuan's camp.

Following Yang Hong and Lu Xun's instructions, Xiahou Ba recounted in detail how Xiahou Dun had been restricted in Yuan's camp, how he had been deprived of his freedom, and how he had been controlled by others.

When Xiahou Yuan heard this, he found that it matched the intelligence he had gathered over the past few years in every detail, and he was now mostly convinced of its truth.

Below the city, Xiahou Ba also felt that tonight was a golden opportunity, a perfect chance to invite his father into Yuan's camp and jointly create the Xiahou family's great cause of becoming the number one family in the Han Kingdom next year.

My father is nearly fifty, the prime of his life. How can he continue to waste his years and squander his youth in Cao Cao's camp?
Your son is waiting for you to bestow a title and accumulate numerous great achievements so that he can inherit them from me after your death.

Seeing that Xiahou Yuan still harbored doubts in his words, he then revealed another shocking secret to gain people's trust.

"Father!
You may not know this, but Yuan's methods are unpredictable and treacherous. Whether we surrender or not is not something we can decide on our own.

In the past, on the battlefield, it was not that my uncle and I were afraid of death or dared not die for righteousness.

Rather, we knew that dying for our principles was futile. Even if we died, we would still be used by that traitor Yuan, becoming his loyal subjects. Only then would our lifelong reputation be completely ruined, and we would remain Yuan's subjects until the very end.

As Xiahou Ba spoke, his eyes nearly welled up with tears.

"Does Father know General Li Dian?"

Before Xiahou Ba could continue speaking, Guan Yu, unwilling to see him continue to bewitch people and spread false rumors, coldly rebuked him.

"Li Dian? He's just another traitor who betrayed his lord, colluding with you all. Why even mention him?"

As he spoke, he immediately gave the order.

"Shoot the arrow!!!"

"Who dares to move?!"

Just as Guan Yu was about to order the arrows to be fired and kill Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Yuan hurriedly ordered them to be stopped.

Liu Bei's former subordinates naturally disobeyed his orders and continued to obey Guan Yu's command, drawing their bows to shoot, while Cao Cao's soldiers under Xiahou Yuan's command hurriedly drew their swords.

Seeing that he hadn't even seen Yuan Jun yet, and that his own side was about to have an internal battle, Guan Yu ordered the archers to stop shooting. His phoenix eyes suddenly opened, and he stared at Xiahou Yuan with murderous intent.

"What does General Miaocai mean by this?"
"Do you really intend to fight me, Guan Yu, for the sake of a mere enemy general from Yuan Shao's camp?"

"Whether my son is loyal or treacherous is still unclear."

Why is the general so eager to call for battle? Is he perhaps feeling guilty?
"Could it be that you saw we had received news and were going to rescue Lü Bu, so you deliberately made things difficult, just to buy time so that Lü Bu would be killed by Yuan Shao's army, using him as a tool to avenge your loss of Xu Province?"

Guan Yu looked on arrogantly, seemingly disdainful of explanation, saying, "Such petty views are not worth discussing with!"

Seeing the commotion on the city wall, Xiahou Ba was also anxious, fearing that his grand plan to lure his father back to Yuan's camp might be thwarted.

He burst into tears and cried out:
"Father!
Please do not let my unfilial son cause you to clash with General Guan.

General Guan is a loyal and kind-hearted person. It's all my fault. My sudden arrival has caused misunderstandings. Please let me explain.

The reason why General Guan had doubts was that he was unaware of General Li Dian's background!
Father, you don't know this.

The widely known story of General Li Dian surrendering to Yuan's camp is false; in reality, he had already fought to the death.

Li Dian, who is currently residing in Yuan's camp, is merely an unknown general named Chen Zhang.

If Father doesn't believe it, he can check Cao's intelligence; he'll know the answer in a single glance.

After surrendering to Yuan Shikai, Li Dian claimed that his face had been destroyed in a fire and that he wore a bronze mask for many years, never showing his true face.

Guan Yu and Xiahou Yuan were both astonished upon hearing this. After carefully considering the intelligence they had seen in the past, they realized that it was indeed true; this so-called Li Dian who had surrendered to Yuan had never shown his true face before.

Thinking of this, I was even more terrified!
What kind of bizarre and treacherous place is this Yuan camp? How could the wicked Yuan be so vicious and cruel that he doesn't even spare the dead?

Xiahou Ba cried out repeatedly, but could not stop.

"My uncle Xiahou Dun did not dare to speak lightly of his will to die, but rather sought to preserve his life."

Even if one witnesses firsthand the terrifying methods of Yuan Shikai, one cannot escape his grasp even if one dies. In the end, one will be manipulated like a puppet, losing one's reputation for loyalty and righteousness, and even after death, one will become Yuan Shikai's lackey.

It was truly out of utter helplessness that they had no choice but to endure humiliation and hardship, spending years in quiet desperation, all for the sake of one day clearing their name.

He was put to death that day, and because of this, he was persuaded by his uncle to feign surrender to Yuan and plot a rebellion.

Father! General Guan!

The reputation of loyalty and righteousness of the Xiahou family, and the long-standing kinship with the Cao family, cannot be ruined today.

To assist Lü Bu, to uphold the great cause, to destroy the traitor Yuan Shao, and to prove one's loyalty!
The loyalty and righteousness of the entire family, father and son, will be established tonight!

Lü Bu and his uncle are still fighting fiercely in Yuan Shao's camp; they won't last much longer. Father, what are you still hesitating about?

He said no more persuasion, and simply turned and rode away.

"I will go back now to help my uncle. Though I am but one man, I will face a million men. I will go."

Even in this perilous situation, I will not betray the name of loyalty and righteousness.

Xiahou Yuan stared blankly at Xiahou Ba's departing figure.

"My son has such a heroic side!"

He felt both gratified and ashamed, and then advised Guan Yu:

“Yuan is tyrannical and acts cunningly. He has not even spared the dead, let alone Yuan Rang and Ba’er.”

Those who were controlled by others and had no choice but to surrender have now turned against their masters to prove their loyalty. Why doesn't General Guan give them his full support?
We will never forget your great kindness.

Guan Yu: "."

At this moment, even Guan Yu was somewhat swayed by Xiahou Ba's words.

But this did not stop him from remaining unmoved. After all, what did Lü Bu's life or death, the loyalty or treachery of the Xiahou family, or even Cao Cao's great cause have to do with him in the end?

Therefore, he only coldly rebuked:

"Xiahou Miaocai, I think you've lost your mind!"

Yuan is a cunning traitor. You can't believe a single word his men say, no matter how close or distant they are.

Otherwise, you will not even know it when you die today.

Seeing that Guan Yu was unmoved by reason and had made up his mind to hide at Huanyuan Pass and not put in any effort, Xiahou Yuan was secretly annoyed.

What do you mean I won't even know I'm going to die today?

joke!

My elder brother is currently the nominal supreme commander of Yuan's camp, the General Who Guards the North.

The one who came to deliver the message at the risk of his life was my son.

You can't believe anything they say, no matter how close or distant you are to them.

Could it be that my brother, my son, would deliberately harm me?

You must understand that in this era, the principle of protecting one's own relatives was advocated. Xiahou Yuan did not believe it. Just by going to Yuan's camp, his own brother and son were accused of being ruthless and betraying their own family.

Then he faced Guan Yu head-on and confronted him, saying:

"Since the general harbors personal grudges, he is unwilling to help."

Then open the city gates, and Rong will lead his troops to rescue Lü Bu and defeat Yuan Shao's army.

"Once I join forces with Lü Bu and engage in a fierce battle with Yuan Shao's army, the loyalty and treachery of my Xiahou family will be clear in due time!"

Xiahou Yuan wanted to lead his troops out of the city to rescue Xiahou Yuan, and Guan Yu naturally wouldn't stop him.

The main problem is Xiahou Yuan's soldiers, who don't listen to him anyway. If they forcibly refuse to release the people, they might start fighting amongst themselves again.

Fortunately, Guan Yu did not stop them and opened the city gates to release the people.

"Ba'er! Wait a moment."

Xiahou Ba, who had run not far, heard a call and stopped his horse. He turned around and saw his father leading his army in hot pursuit.

When the father and son met again, after many years of separation, they were speechless and tears flowed first.

However, considering that Lü Bu and Xiahou Dun were still fighting to the death in Yuan's camp, the two could not say much and hurriedly rushed to Yuan's camp to rescue them.

With Xiahou Ba as their guide, they successfully evaded Yuan's army and made their way unimpeded to the heart of Yuan's camp.

Amidst the raging fire in the camp, Xiahou Dun could be vaguely discerned being besieged by Yuan Shao's generals.

He fought with all his might, and Xiahou Dun was wounded several times, narrowly escaping death. The fight was just like a real battle.

Because it really was a real fight!

After all, Xiahou Dun would not be willing to cooperate with Yuan's army's plan, so Yuan's generals were really serious about beating him.

Xiahou Dun's performance was a natural fit, portraying a character who suffered humiliation in Yuan's camp. It was a genuine performance with no acting involved.

Just then, Xiahou Yuan arrived and was shocked to see this scene. He had no doubts and hurriedly led his troops to attack.

"Brother, don't panic, Miaocai is here to save you!"

Unexpectedly, Xiahou Dun looked over upon hearing the voice and was surprised to find that it was not Guan Yu, but Xiahou Yuan.

He was truly terrified, his face turning deathly pale.

He called out urgently:

"Wonderful talent, you've fallen for their trap."

"Go quickly, don't worry about me!!!"

At this moment, if Xiahou Dun had shouted something like "Come save me quickly," Xiahou Yuan might have become suspicious.

His words, "Go quickly, don't worry about me!" were truly heartfelt and showed deep brotherly affection!

If it weren't for enduring years of hardship and biding one's time within Yuan's camp, who could have done this?

If Yuan Rang has already sided with the traitor Yuan, and today he has deliberately plotted to harm me, how can he expect me to leave quickly?
After not seeing each other for several years, we met again today. The first thing he said was that he was worried about my safety and told me not to worry about him.

Yuan Rang, you bastard
Therefore, Xiahou Yuan charged even more urgently, shouting:

“I am aware of Yuan Jun’s plan.”

Ba'er told me that they had long suspected Lu Bu's defection and surprise attack, which is why they deliberately set up an ambush today.

"Yuan Rang, there's no need to worry. You and I, brothers, will fight side by side. Once we reunite with Lü Bu, we'll break through this encirclement and fight that traitor Yuan again in the future!"

Xiahou Dun: “???”

Can't you understand human language?
"What Lu Bu, ambushing?"

I said: You've fallen for their trap!
Run, you silly little brother!

Xiahou Yuan: "???"

Before he could figure it out, a loud shout came from right behind him, as loud as a thunderclap.

"My family has produced three dukes for four generations!"

(End of this chapter)