Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 146 Liu Bei Attends the Meeting Alone and Forms an Alliance with Sun Jian (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Sun Jian remained silent.

When Huang Guang first came to persuade him, Sun Jian was already wavering.

Now that Liu Bei has sent Fa Zheng to persuade him, Sun Jian's resolve is even more precarious.

However, if he were to actually rebel against Yuan Shu, Sun Jian would face insults and attacks from Yuan's former followers and officials.

Yuan's protégés and former officials were found throughout the land, and many officials and powerful figures in various prefectures, counties, and cities were willing to go through fire and water for Yuan.

Although the Sun family of Wu County, where Sun Jian lived, was a local powerful clan and could gather five or six hundred villagers and clan members as the backbone of the army, compared with the entire Yuan family and its disciples and former officials, they were like ants in front of a big tree.

a long time.

Sun Jian stared intently at Fa Zheng, then sneered, "Although you are Liu Bei's disciple, you do not represent Liu Bei. If Liu Bei has the guts, he can come out of the pass to meet you first thing tomorrow morning; if Liu Bei does not have the guts, then don't talk about stabilizing the people anymore."

"Although I, Sun Jian, cannot be called a military genius, I am confident that I am brave and resourceful enough to be the best in the region, and I am not afraid to fight Liu Bei to the death outside this pass."

Fa Zheng bowed respectfully and said, "I will convey Prefect Sun's intentions truthfully. I will not linger here any longer, please."

Seeing that Fa Zheng remained neither humble nor arrogant throughout, Sun Jian couldn't help but think of his eldest son, Sun Ce, who was far away in Wu County.

"It is truly astonishing that even one of Liu Bei's disciples possesses such courage," Sun Jian couldn't help but sigh.

Chief Secretary Gongchou asked, "Lord Sun, if Liu Bei really comes out of the pass to meet us tomorrow, should we really become enemies with the Yuan family?"

The more you learn about the Yuan family, the more terrifying they seem.

In terms of ancestral lineage, Gong Chou was a descendant of Ji Chou, the crown prince of Duke Mu of Jin. However, in his time, Gong Chou was merely from a minor aristocratic family in Changsha.

Compared to the Yuan family, they were like ants before a giant tree.

Making an enemy of the Yuan family was something Gong Qiucheng had never considered.

"To be honest, I don't know either." Sun Jian sighed and said, "Don't worry, Chief Secretary, if I really want to be an enemy of the Yuan family, I will definitely not implicate you."

Gong Chou's expression changed drastically, and he said solemnly, "What makes you say such a thing, Lord Sun? Do you think I am an ungrateful person? If it weren't for Lord Sun's kindness in recognizing my talent, would I be where I am today?"

“Since I follow Lord Sun, how could I back down in the face of battle? If Lord Sun truly intends to be an enemy of the Yuan family, I will die alongside Lord Sun.”

Sun Jian shook his head and chuckled: "I thought the Chief Clerk was going to say that we should deal with the Yuan family together."

Gong Chou said sheepishly, "I know my own limitations. To die alongside Lord Sun is a matter of principle; but I have no ability to deal with the Yuan family."

"Enough! Let's talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow." Sun Jian's eyes sharpened. "I also want to see with my own eyes whether the world-renowned Liu Bei has the courage to come out of the pass and meet me!"

Yaoguan.

Fa Zheng conveyed Sun Jian's invitation to an audience.

Upon hearing Sun Jian's request, Guan Yu instantly flew into a rage: "Sun Jian is utterly ungrateful! My sworn brother calls him a hero and offers him a way out, yet he refuses to accept it. Tomorrow I will personally lead my troops out of the pass and fight Sun Jian to the death!"

From the very beginning, when Sun Jian entered Wuguan, Guan Yu wanted to lead his troops to fight Sun Jian, but Liu Bei said that he should consider personal relationships and asked Zhang Wen to send someone to persuade him.

However, after Guan Yu tried to persuade Sun Jian, Sun Jian only showed a lack of interest in fighting and did not even respond, which made Guan Yu very angry.

Tonight, Liu Bei specially sent Fa Zheng to Sun Jian's camp, praising Sun Jian as a hero. However, Sun Jian wanted Liu Bei to come out of the pass to test Liu Bei's courage.

This made Guan Yu even more furious.

"Second brother, there's no need to get agitated." Liu Bei smiled gently, unconcerned. "Since Sun Jian wishes to invite me to a meeting, I will meet with him tomorrow. Don't worry, although Yuan Shu has withdrawn his troops, with Gongming keeping an eye on things ahead, he won't go far. It's not too late to pursue him after I've persuaded Sun Jian!"

Guan Yu snorted and said, "Brother, you think too highly of Sun Jian."

Seeing Guan Yu's reaction, Liu Bei stepped forward to comfort him, saying, "Second brother, those who aspire to great things must be tolerant of others. Sun Jian is brave and skilled in battle. If he can join forces with me to defeat Yuan Shao, I will have an even greater chance of victory."

Guan Yu remained unconvinced: "Even without Sun Jian, I could still capture Yuan Shu alive for my elder brother!"

Liu Bei chuckled: "Who said I wanted to capture Yuan Shu alive? I only said I wanted Yuan Shu to tremble at the mere mention of my name. I had no intention of capturing him or killing him."

Guan Yu turned his head and snorted, "Brother, if you neither capture nor kill him, aren't you just letting a tiger return to the mountain?"

Liu Bei smiled without saying a word and looked at Fa Zheng.

Fa Zheng took a deep breath and said, "Now that Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji are dead, the Yuan family reveres Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. If Yuan Shu dies, then all the Yuan families in the world will belong to Yuan Shao. With my current strength, you are not able to contend with the Yuan families in the world."

“If Yuan Shu had not died and had suffered a great defeat in Guanzhong, he would not have dared to provoke his mentor again; similarly, if Yuan Shao had not been able to break through Hulao Pass, he would not have provoked Dong Zhuo again.”

"If they cannot unite against external enemies, internal strife will inevitably occur. Yuan Shu has always looked down on Yuan Shao because he was born to a concubine. If these two give up attacking Guanzhong and Luoyang, they will inevitably face off against each other from the north and south."

"Although my mentor appointed Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Dai, and Gai Xun to govern the four provinces, the four of them might not be able to deal with the Yuan family. Now, he persuaded Sun Jian to rebel against Yuan in order to gather the strength of everyone to eliminate the Yuan family first."

Liu Bei nodded approvingly: "Xiaozhi has been working hard lately. Keep up the good work and don't slack off."

Fazheng was overjoyed and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Master."

Guan Yu hesitated, then remained silent.

Guan Yu wasn't unaware of these principles; he simply deliberately ignored them.

In particular, Guan Yu was even more furious when he learned from Dian Wei that Yuan Shu had cursed Liu Bei outside Lantian City.

Does anyone think they can insult my elder brother, Guan Yu?

Guan Yu secretly vowed: When I have the chance in the future, I will definitely kill Yuan Shu from the midst of ten thousand troops, so that the whole world will know that anyone who insults my elder brother shall die!
Silent all night.

The next morning.

Liu Bei then led his army out of the pass.

Upon receiving the news, Sun Jian's expression changed drastically: "Liu Bei has actually led a large army here? It seems I was wrong. How can someone so cowardly possibly stand against the Yuan family?"

Thinking of Fazheng's words last night, Sun Jian felt a sense of humiliation again: You said a lot of nice things, but you didn't even have the courage to come out of the pass to meet me. You directly led your troops to fight me.

Enraged, Sun Jian also led his troops out of the camp, and the two sides lined up in battle formation a hundred paces apart.

Just as Sun Jian was about to lead his troops to fight Liu Bei, he was surprised to see that Liu Bei had only led a few generals, dressed in simple clothes and carrying only a single sword, to walk out of the formation and stand between the two formations, inviting Sun Jian to meet him.

Sun Jian was horrified.

At a distance of fifty paces, skilled archers could easily kill Liu Bei and his men. Even without archers, a charge on horseback would be enough to kill them.

For a moment, not only Sun Jian was shocked, but his generals and officers were also extremely horrified.

"My lord, beware of a trap!"

Huang Gai subconsciously took the bow and arrow from his hand.

"Put down the bow and arrows!" Sun Jian snapped, his face showing displeasure.

Huang Gai was stunned, not understanding why he was suddenly being scolded.

Cheng Pu, standing to the side, shook his head, snatched the bow and arrow from Huang Gai's hand, and whispered, "Liu Bei is lightly dressed and single-handedly goes into battle on foot. If you take the bow and arrow at this time, won't people laugh at our lord for being a coward?"

As Sun Jian's retainer, Cheng Pu understood Sun Jian's character all too well.

Although brave and skilled in battle, he also values ​​his reputation highly. He can use any means necessary on the battlefield, but not in the current situation.

not to mention.

Liu Bei is now the Imperial Uncle!
Killing the Imperial Uncle means that from now on, he can only follow the Yuan family down this dark path.

If Sun Jian were truly willing to be loyal to the Yuan family to the death, he would not have hesitated to fight at Yaoguan Pass.

"Remove armor!"

"Lord——"

"Remove armor!"

Sun Jian removed his armor, dressed lightly with only a single sword, and led only Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao on foot out to battle.

"This Sun Jian does have some guts." Guan Yu squinted his phoenix eyes, watching Sun Jian walk towards him step by step, and his contempt from yesterday was gone.

Liu Bei was flanked by Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, and Chen Dao.

Before setting out, Guan Yu and his three companions disagreed, believing that Liu Bei was taking too much of a risk.

However, Liu Bei was certain that Sun Jian would not resort to underhanded tactics and would also go into battle lightly armed and alone on foot.

Seeing that Sun Jian had also brought four generals, Liu Bei admired Sun Jian's courage even more.

"Prefect Sun, I have come out of the pass today at your invitation. I only have one question for you: will you help me or Yuan?" Liu Bei asked with a gentle smile.

Sun Jian frowned and asked, "Uncle Liu, aren't you afraid that I just shot an arrow from the shadows? You couldn't have avoided it at that distance."

Liu Bei laughed heartily: "Prefect Sun is joking. First of all, I do not believe you would resort to such petty tricks, which shows my ability to judge people; secondly, even if you did resort to petty tricks, you could not kill me, which shows my ability to make judgments."

Huang Gai couldn't help but speak up: "Uncle Liu, you are only human. How can you avoid arrows without armor?"

“It’s very simple. My fierce warriors will risk their lives to shield me from arrows; just like you, you will risk your life to shield Prefect Sun from arrows.” Liu Bei praised his own men and then Huang Gai, before adding, “But if my fierce warriors shield me from arrows, then you’ll have to consider how to defend against my eight hundred armored cavalry. Just a reminder, three hundred of my eight hundred cavalry are wearing horse armor.”

The beginning is one of trust and praise, the end is a blatant threat.

Whether it was Sun Jian, Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, or Zu Mao, their expressions all changed.

With eight hundred armored cavalry and three hundred horsemen wearing horse armor, and the two armies lined up in this position, if they really charged, no one in Sun Jian's army could stop them!
"So it's true that Liu Bei defeated Ding Yuan's army of over ten thousand with only eight hundred cavalry," Huang Gai said, his expression turning grim.

Liu Bei chuckled: "Don't worry. We are not enemies. You will not encounter these eight hundred cavalrymen on the battlefield in the future."

Liu Bei then turned to Sun Jian: "Now, please tell me, Prefect Sun, whether to help me or Yuan."

Seeing Liu Bei's confident and composed smile, Sun Jian asked again, "The Yuan family of Runan has held high office for four generations, and their disciples and former officials are all over the world. Even if I help Liu Huangshu, I cannot deal with the Yuan family. Liu Huangshu is giving me too much credit."

Liu Bei shook his head: "Prefect Sun is wrong. If Yuan Kui and Yuan Ji were not dead, the Yuan family would indeed be difficult to deal with, but now the Yuan family is controlled by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu."

"Yuan Shao is a man who is afraid to risk his life for great things, but will risk his life for small gains. He is unlikely to become a great man. Yuan Shu is a man who is outwardly glamorous but inwardly rotten. He is nothing more than a skeleton in a grave."

"The two of them together took charge of Yuan Shao's protégés and former officials all over the country, yet Yuan Shao could not break through Hulao Pass and Yuan Shu could not break through Yao Pass. How foolish they were."

"From today onwards, I will make Yuan Shu tremble with fear at the mere mention of my name. Does Prefect Sun still fear a mere fleeing coward?"

Sun Jian was even more surprised.

Although he had just witnessed Liu Bei's courage and resourcefulness, hearing Liu Bei's contempt for the Yuan family now left Sun Jian with mixed feelings.

Even though Liu Bei called him a hero, Sun Jian felt as if he were seeing a mountain instead of a hero.

a long time.

Sun Jian's gaze hardened, and he said, "I can help Liu Bei, but what will I gain in return?"

Courage is one thing, stance is another; ultimately, it all comes down to interests.

Liu Bei laughed and took out a letter from his bosom, handing it to Sun Jian. He said, "Take this letter to Yangzhou and find Liu Dai. He will recommend you as General Who Destroys the Enemy. I have a blood oath with Liu Dai. If you help Liu Dai, you are helping me."

"What Prefect Sun seeks is nothing more than fame and fortune. I am the imperial uncle whom the emperor has appointed. What Yuan Shu can give, I can give; what Yuan Shu cannot give, I can also give."

Sun Jian took the letter, put it in his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Isn't Uncle Liu afraid that I will break the agreement?"

Liu Bei smiled as usual: "Since I dared to make an alliance with Prefect Sun, I am not afraid that Prefect Sun will break his promise. What I can give to Prefect Sun, I can also take back from Prefect Sun. What is there to fear?"

"Furthermore, Prefect Sun, you must not emulate my solo journey to the meeting today. One such instance is enough to earn you a good reputation; using it too often will lead to a terrible death."

"I've heard that Prefect Sun likes to brave arrows and stones himself without guards. This is quite inappropriate. I don't want to hear of your death in a year or two."

Liu Bei then looked at Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Huang Gai, and Zu Mao, and said, "I also greatly admire the fierce generals under Prefect Sun; if Prefect Sun does not heed my advice and encounters misfortune in the future, you may come to Guanzhong to find me, and I will surely avenge you."

Sun Jian's face immediately darkened: "Uncle Liu, we just made an alliance, and you're already talking about my death?"

Liu Bei laughed and said, "I have some knowledge of apocryphal texts. Apocryphal words are either believed or not. Prefect Sun, there is no need to take them seriously."

Subsequently.

Liu Bei composed himself and said, "I will pursue Yuan Shu in two hours. Prefect Sun may proceed with the pursuit."

"However, the main purpose of this pursuit of Yuan Shu is to seize grain and scare him away, and to minimize casualties as much as possible."

"Presumably, many of these soldiers were recruited by Prefect Sun from Jingzhou, and they should not die for Yuan Shu."

Having decided to ally with Liu Bei, Sun Jian no longer hesitated and said, "I understand Liu Huangshu's meaning. Two hours is enough."

The statement that it would take two hours was not because Liu Bei had failed to reorganize his troops, but rather to give Sun Jian time to win over the old troops in Jingzhou.

Two hours later, Liu Bei would regard the remaining troops as Yuan Shu's loyal followers.

We cannot be lenient with Yuan Shu's loyal followers.

"Brother, can Sun Jian really be trusted?" Guan Yu watched Sun Jian's army gradually depart, but he did not completely trust Sun Jian just because of his solo meeting today.

Liu Bei smiled slightly and gently patted Guan Yu: "Second brother, you only need to remember this. When you are strong enough, you will not fear anyone's betrayal! The reason you dare not trust is because you are still too weak, and weakness is the original sin!"

(End of this chapter)