Chapter 17: Li Yu's Gate Learns of Wen Hou, Guo Jia Has No Choice But to Request a Secret Order! Page 1
As mentioned earlier, Liu Biao followed the suggestion of Jing Liang and colluded with Dong Zhuo to attack Yangping Pass in Yizhou. Xu Huan defended it desperately while waiting for reinforcements. Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu as the commander-in-chief and Guo Jia as the military strategist to lead an army of 160,000 soldiers to rescue Yangping Pass. On another front, Liu Bei wrote a letter to Li Yu informing him of the situation in Yizhou. Li Yu was anxious to immediately persuade Sun Jian and Liu Biao to stop fighting and make peace. However, both Sun Jian and Liu Biao refused Li Yu's mediation, with Liu Biao even refusing to stop fighting. Li Yu became enraged and grasped his halberd, while Zhang Ren, Wu Anguo, Cheng Yuanzhi, and Deng Mao were also ready for battle. At this moment, all it took was a single order from Li Yu for the lives of Liu Biao and Sun Jian to be forfeited to Li Yu's headquarters!
Li Yu saw the generals under his command all stood up and said: "You all sit down, military and national affairs are not your business, everything is decided by the commander-in-chief!" Zhang Ren, Wu Anguo, Cheng Yuanzhi, and Deng Mao, four generals had to return to their seats, but at this time, the atmosphere in the big tent was tense. After all, Zhang Ren, Wu Anguo, Cheng Yuanzhi, and Deng Mao had also been informed by Li Yu that Yizhou was now in a state of emergency, Dong Zhuo led an army of 300,000 to attack Yangping Pass fiercely, and Han Xing Wang had no choice but to send two generals, Guan Yu as the commander and Guo Jia as the military strategist, with an army of 160,000 to support Yangping Pass. It can be said that all the soldiers in Yizhou on the border of Jingzhou have already turned their hearts back. Seeing Sun Jian and Liu Biao's two families being so ungrateful, Li Yu was furious and thought to himself: "I advise you two families not to fight each other, it is for the sake of the great Han dynasty, but I didn't expect both armies to be uncooperative, this is even better. I have a plan, everything will be decided by heaven." Liu Biao said: "I don't know what the commander-in-chief's plan is?" Sun Jian said more directly: "Whether the two armies fight or make peace, it all depends on Han Xing's decision!" Li Yu saw the two masters speaking like this and burst out laughing: "Come here!" The attendants replied: "Yes!" Li Yu ordered: "Put my spear, Fang Tian Hua Halberd, 150 steps outside the camp gate!" The attendants didn't dare to delay, took the halberd from Li Yu's hand, ran quickly to insert it firmly 150 steps outside the camp gate. Because Li Yu's halberd was quite heavy, the two attendants were panting and gasping for breath when they returned to report that everything was ready.
Liu Yu said, "Now the governor of Jingzhou and General Sun Jian can drink wine and chat first. We'll discuss this matter later!" After all, Liu Yu didn't have as much confidence as Lü Bu, although he also had the ability to shoot accurately from a hundred paces. If this matter could be resolved without resorting to violence, Liu Yu would rather not take the risk! Sun Jian and Liu Biao, the two masters of the armies, could only reluctantly raise their cups in a toast under Liu Yu's pressure, with hearts that didn't match.
At this time, Li Yu's wife, Wang Xue, rushed into the main account and said: "Husband is not good! Sun Jian's Jiangdong army is in front and Liu Biao's Jingzhou army is behind, both are in our military camp, forming a pincer movement against us! There is a tendency to start a war! Husband, you should prepare early!" Sun Jian, who had contact with Li Yu, said: "Wife, don't talk nonsense, I have already ordered Han Xing to drink and feast before the account! It will not be like this!" Liu Biao also hastened to explain himself, saying: "Yes! Brother-in-law, I also told Jingliang military division to drink and feast at your place before leaving the city!" Wang Xue smiled coldly and said: "This is your business!" Li Yu saw this and slammed his hand on the table, angrily shouting: "Zhang Ren, Wu An Guo, Cheng Yuan Zhi, Deng Mao! Four generals, listen to orders!" Zhang Ren, Wu An Guo, Cheng Yuan Zhi, and Deng Mao immediately stood up from their seats and responded: "We are here!" Li Yu, still angry, ordered: "Zhang Ren, return to the front army and prepare for battle! Cheng Yuan Zhi, return to the left wing army and prepare to launch a surprise attack on the Jiangdong army! I will give one order, you two will lead the entire army to attack!" Zhang Ren and Cheng Yuan Zhi dared not delay and immediately returned to their troops! Li Yu continued to order: "Wu An Guo, return to the rear account, Deng Mao, return to the right wing, prepare to fight against the Jingzhou army team! Just wait for my one order, prepare to start a war with the Jingzhou army team!" Wu An Guo and Deng Mao stood up, saluted, and returned to their camps to prepare! Li Yu continued: "Tian Feng, listen to orders!" Tian Feng stood up and said: "I am here!" Li Yu said: "Immediately write three letters, one sent to the Jiangdong army, telling them that if they dare to make a move, I will kill Sun Wen Tai first! One sent to the Jingzhou army, telling them that if they dare to start a war, Liu Biao's head will be left in our army! One sent by a brave general, riding a fast horse out of the right wing, straight to Xia Meng Guan, to tell Zhang Yi De to prepare 200,000 soldiers and horses, I want to take Jingzhou first, then attack Jiangdong!" Tian Feng saw Li Yu's determination and replied: "I will follow the great general's orders!" Moreover, Li Yu issued an order, which shocked Sun Jian and Liu Biao. He ordered his men to forcibly disarm Liu Biao, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, and Sun Jian! This was telling them not to be arrogant! Arrogance would lead to their downfall today! And Tian Feng did not hesitate, saying that he would write the three letters immediately in front of Sun Jian and Liu Biao!
Here is the translation:
Now it's Liu Biao and Sun Jian's turn to be shocked. They didn't expect Li Yu to react this way, thinking they could intimidate him, but instead, they've provoked him. Li Yu's current attitude makes it clear that he doesn't want to negotiate a truce between the two sides anymore; it's obvious that war is imminent! The two commanders of Jingzhou and Jiangdong armies are stunned! They didn't expect Li Yu to be so overbearing, daring to resist with 50,000 troops against Jingzhou's 200,000 and Jiangdong's tens of thousands. This is going to be a disaster! The disparity in military strength is too great, and what's more, Li Yu has even sent people to tell both sides that if they dare to start the war first, he'll execute their commanders as a warning. This is blatant intimidation! If the two armies don't kill the envoys, Li Yu will do it himself. He's telling them that this is outrageous and thuggish behavior!
Li Yu's image is no longer just that of a majestic and powerful commander-in-chief; words like "sly", "despicable", "thug", and "rascal" now suit him perfectly. What's even more detestable is that he's ordered Liu Biao, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, and Sun Jian to disarm, although he hasn't bound them - it's almost the same thing!
Liu Biao sees this and immediately bursts out laughing, saying: "Han Xing, what are you doing?! This is too much!" Li Yu retorts with a single sentence that leaves Liu Biao speechless: "You think I won't scold people?! You're really loyal, aren't you? You colluded with the traitor Dong Zhuo and attacked Yangping Pass. I know you won't admit it! Do you think I'm an idiot?! I came all this way for your sake, Jingzhou, and this is how you treat me?! Did you give my army a basket of food or invite me to drink wine?! If not for the fact that we're both members of the Han imperial family, along with my brother Liu Bei, I'd have beheaded you long ago!"
Liu Biao is stunned; he's never seen Li Yu like this before. In reality, Li Yu rarely shows this side of himself, usually only in front of people like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Chen Gong. He wouldn't dare behave like this in front of Lu Zhi, who is too straightforward and serious! Fa Zheng also knows to restrain himself around Li Yu, although he still often speaks ill of Li Yu in front of Liu Bei. But Li Yu doesn't take it seriously; he thinks Fa Zheng is just like Wei Zheng, the honest advisor of Tang Taizong.
However, Zhang Fei isn't afraid of Fa Zheng and would often go to his house to eat and drink after Fa Zheng had spoken ill of him. It can be said that the officials in Yizhou are now harmonious and working together to create a prosperous era! But Liu Biao, this great Confucian scholar, can't take it anymore and has been stunned for half a day!
Just as Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were about to step forward, Li Yu continued: "You two little rascals, get out of here! I'm only sparing you because of your lord Liu Biao's face. You think you have what it takes to enter this main tent? You're just high-ranking officials in the Jingzhou army...
