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

Chapter 99 Boiling a Frog in Slow Water: Deadly Intent Lurks Within
Looking at yet another brand-new camp before him, Liu Bei already had a bad feeling.

But we've already come this far. If we give up now, wouldn't all the efforts and sacrifices made at the two previous camps be in vain?
Even for the sake of the fallen soldiers, Liu Bei could not abandon this place.

He mustered all his remaining courage and, with the strength of the crowd, fought another fierce battle, finally breaking through the camp. However, after the camp, another camp appeared.

That was the brand new fourth stronghold.

It was the same deep trench and earthen wall as before.

It contained two to three thousand soldiers.

All of this seemed to suggest that his previous efforts were meaningless.
Yuan Jun came with overwhelming force, like a raging flood, how could ordinary people resist it?

At this point, Liu Bei was well aware that Yuan's army of 100,000 might, as Guan Yu had said, be divided among numerous defensive camps in order to besiege the city, so each camp only had two or three thousand soldiers.

He and Guan Yu had anticipated this beginning, but they hadn't expected that Yuan's camp would build its fortifications so quickly, far exceeding their expectations.

In just a few days, the walls have become layered, like fish scales, with earthen walls and trenches stretching endlessly, inspiring despair.

This is indeed because Liu Bei and Guan Yu came from humble backgrounds and judged others by their own standards, assuming that Yuan Shu only had 100,000 troops at his disposal for construction.

They never expected that the Chen family, who had always looked down on them, would take the initiative to contribute food and labor, and donate to help them.

Therefore, the construction progress of Yuan's camp as estimated by Liu Bei and others was completely different from what they were actually experiencing, which led to the current unexpected predicament.

However, Liu Bei also knew that although his first breakout resulted in heavy casualties and seemed to have fallen into Yuan Shu's trap, he was also aware of the consequences.

But this may also be his most sudden, most profound, and closest breakthrough to success.

Just as he miscalculated the influence of the Yuan family head on the Chen state aristocratic families, Yuan Shu also misjudged Liu Bei's intuition and decisiveness in fleeing.

Yuan Shu never expected him to run away so quickly and decisively.

After all, even his second brother Guan Yu, out of consideration for his soldiers and troops, advised him to remain in the city and wait for reinforcements.

Even his closest brothers couldn't have imagined that Liu Bei would abandon the city and flee when he had the advantage of defending the fortified city, had three months' worth of provisions, and when Yuan's army did not attack. How could Yuan Gonglu have foreseen this?
So even now, taking advantage of the fact that the Yuan camp's defensive fortifications were not long ago, and fleeing so hastily and suddenly, which was unexpected by Yuan Shu, they are still in such a difficult situation.

He could foresee that if this breakout failed and he retreated back into the city, he would never again have the same determination and unstoppable momentum he had today.

When Yuan's army's defensive fortifications are fully completed, they will be even more terrifying and despairing than the endless layers of fortifications we see today.

By then, Liu Bei knew that Changping City, which seemed to be a place he could turn back to at any time, a place to rely on, where he could enjoy three months of peace and wait for the lords to come to his rescue.

This was the burial place that Yuan Gonglu personally chose for Liu Xuande.

will die!

Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, the danger lurks in the shadows.

Perhaps it was his innate talent for making life-or-death decisions, but in that instant, Liu Bei vaguely saw through the layers of fog surrounding the various warlords' moves and strategies.

The seemingly safe choice behind his actions was actually Yuan Gonglu's fatal mistake in this game of chess.

The warlords might actually come to the rescue, and the power struggle between the world and the Yuan family might once again unfold through Yuan Shu and the warlords.

But whatever the outcome of their contest, Liu Bei was truly going to die. In this power struggle in Yuzhou, which he initiated by raising the banner of resistance against Yuan Shao, the other warlords, including Yuan Shao, were betting nothing more than their territories and their troops.

Only Liu Bei, trapped in Changping, was betting his entire life and fortune on this gamble.

Only then did he realize that Yun Chang's analysis yesterday was quite reasonable.

Why did he still choose to break out immediately instead of staying in the city to preserve his troops and strength, waiting for the situation to change and entrust his fate to others?

Deep down, he had already sensed the answer.

This battle is not just about how much the feudal lords are willing to give up to rescue him.

It also reveals how determined Yuan Gonglu was to kill him, and whether he was willing to withstand the encirclement of other warlords and forcefully kill Liu Bei.

At this moment, looking at Changping City, which is surrounded by ambushes on all sides, and facing the layers of fortifications that are tightly sealed and offer no hope of survival, I see...

Yuan Gonglu's intention to kill him was crystal clear!

Liu Bei couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Yuan Gonglu, you always criticize those who weave mats and sell shoes, but you actually think highly of me, Liu Xuande."

Looking at the fourth layer of the camp in front of him, which was no different from the previous one, he thought about how unfathomable it was, and how many more layers there were before the end.

As everyone felt deeply hopeless and vaguely considered retreating to Changping City to make further plans another day, they began to have thoughts of giving up.

Liu Bei stepped forward!

He rode forward alone, wielding a pair of swords, one male and one female, with the "Liu" banner fluttering in the wind, and led the charge towards Yuan's army camp!
"Second brother, third brother!"
Do you still remember the oath made in Peach Garden?
Don’t ask to be born on the same day, same year, same month! "

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, each on horseback, spoke in unison.

"I only wish to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year!"

"it is good!"

Liu Bei laughed loudly, "If we break through this camp today, the three of us brothers will live together; if we cannot escape, we will die together today!"

"I am willing to lend you a hand, brother! I will serve you without any disloyalty."

"Me too!"

Yes! Now that we're here, how can we easily back down?

If we retreat now, what will be the risks and sacrifices we made to break through the three layers of fortifications?
Could it be that after three months, when food and water are exhausted, we will face an even more complete and terrifying fortification, make even greater sacrifices, and be forced to attack this place once again?
The thought of the despair of having to go through it all again gave everyone courage instead of fear, as they looked at the three commanders leading the charge.

Even the Imperial Uncle is willing to risk his life; why don't you all do the same?
"The three armies are ready to fight, and you all are ready to die!"

There is only one chance of survival, only one way out. Follow me and bravely break through the enemy lines. Before they can surround us and come to our aid, we must break through the encirclement and survive!

"My soldiers, I, Liu Bei, will live and die with you today, even in the face of death!"

　I'm here! Thank you all for your many monthly votes, love you all!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)