The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 52 Xun Yu Visits Xiaopei

Xiaopei, the residence of the prefect.

The atmosphere in the hall was unusually heavy, filled with the smell of medicine.

Zhang Fei's upper body was bare, and his left shoulder was wrapped in thick linen, with blood still seeping out.

He knelt on the ground with his neck stiff, his face full of resentment.

Liu Bei, his face ashen, paced back and forth in front of the table, while Guan Yu, his hand on the hilt of his sword, stood to one side, his phoenix eyes filled with power, remaining silent.

"Speak! Yide! Explain yourself! Why did you raid Yuan Tan's army? Don't you know the current situation? We must be walking on thin ice!"

Liu Bei stopped abruptly, his voice trembling slightly.

He was heartbroken by his third brother's injuries and furious at his recklessness, which nearly led to a major disaster.

Zhang Fei stubbornly persisted, shouting:

"Brother! I, Old Zhang, didn't initially intend to rob Yuan Tan! I had heard that Lü Bu, that traitor who served three masters, had recently plundered a batch of fine horses in Huaibei, intending to transport them to Xiapi. I thought to myself, 'Robbing him would be doing justice for Heaven!' So I led my men to intercept them halfway!"

He took a deep breath and continued:

"Who knew that when I passed through Langya, I ran into a small troop of cavalry, about thirty or fifty riders, watering their horses by the river. Hey! Brother, you didn't see it, but those horses were all plump and strong, exceptionally fine, far superior to Lu Bu's horses! I got a sudden urge and... so I ate some snacks along the way."

"You...are you going that way?"

Liu Bei was so angry that his fingers trembled.

He had initially held onto a sliver of hope that Yuan Tan was just a smooth talker, deceiving him into believing the truth. But now it seemed that his third brother had indeed become a bandit.

"The first time went very smoothly!"

Zhang Fei got so carried away that he forgot about his injuries and started gesturing wildly.

"That cavalry looked elite, but they were easily defeated. They scattered after a single charge, leaving behind more than a dozen good horses! I thought to myself, if I don't seize such good horses, I'll be a fool! I went again the next day and sure enough, I ran into them training again, though there seemed to be fewer of them!"

I wanted to have another big bite... but who knew... who knew this time they were faking it! They pretended to retreat, leading me into that ghostly valley, and then... damn it, those horses could understand human speech, they just lay down and disappeared in the blink of an eye! And then, those two bastards Yan Liang and Zhang He blocked the valley entrance..."

As he finished speaking, Zhang Fei's voice lowered, clearly indicating he knew he was in the wrong, but he immediately raised his head again, his eyes wide with fury:

"Brother! I swear I will not rest until I avenge this! Once I recover from my injuries, I will muster my troops and raze Langya to the ground, capturing that brat Yuan Tan alive..."

"shut up!"

Liu Bei shouted angrily, his chest heaving violently.

He was shocked not only by Zhang Fei's recklessness, but also by the information he gleaned from Zhang Fei's words.

Yuan Tan's cavalry not only had excellent horses, but their tactics were also unparalleled.

Even more terrifying was the absolute discipline his army displayed.

Even though they outnumbered their opponents by a large margin, they showed no signs of collapse; instead, they fought fiercely and roared with excitement.

This is something no ordinary army could do!

Therefore, it is clear that Yuan Tan's victory over Lü Bu in Qingzhou was no fluke.

A chill ran down his spine. Yuan Tan was a man of great ambition, and his army was extremely fierce!

Having Lu Bu as a neighbor was already a headache enough, but now there's Yuan Tan as well.

"Revenge? What are you going to use to get revenge?!"

Liu Bei was heartbroken and filled with remorse.

"Our army is weak, our soldiers are exhausted, and our supplies are running low! Yuan Tan controls Qingzhou, with well-trained troops and ample provisions, and he also possesses such cunning and unpredictable elite cavalry!"

Your recklessness has not only resulted in heavy losses, but has also thoroughly offended him! If I hadn't arrived in time, you...you would already be beheaded!

Zhang Fei was about to argue when Guan Yu stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

"Third brother, what elder brother says is absolutely right. Yuan Tan's army is formidable. The discipline of their cavalry and the cunning of their tactics are unparalleled in my life. This matter needs careful consideration."

Just then, a guard came to report:

"Reporting to my lord, Cao Cao's envoy, Xun Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, has arrived outside the mansion. He says he has come on Cao Cao's orders to discuss the purchase of military provisions."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei and Guan Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

At this time, the army had just suffered a defeat, morale was low, and supplies were already scarce. Cao Cao's envoy arrived at this crucial moment...

"Please come quickly!"

Liu Bei quickly straightened his clothes, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and put on a calm demeanor.

Xun Yu entered slowly. He was about forty years old, with a tall and imposing appearance and refined manners.

He entered the hall, and with a quick glance, he took in the entire scene inside:

Zhang Fei, wounded, knelt on the ground; Liu Bei and Guan Yu looked weary.

Has Xiaopei just experienced a battle?

"I am deeply sorry for not being able to welcome Mr. Wenruo properly."

Liu Bei bowed respectfully.

Xun Yu returned the greeting, his voice gentle and warm.

"Lord Xuande, you are too kind. I have come on Cao Cao's orders. Please forgive any inconvenience caused."

He turned his gaze to Zhang Fei and asked with concern, "General Yide, what's wrong...?"

Liu Bei sighed deeply, a look of shame on his face:

"Alas, what a misfortune for our family. I hope you will forgive me, Mr. Wenruo. My third brother is impetuous. The other day, while patrolling the border, he had a misunderstanding and conflict with the army from Qingzhou, resulting in some minor injuries and the loss of some soldiers."

His words were vague, but Xun Yu was no ordinary man. Combining the scattered sounds of wind he had heard on the way here with the scene in the hall now, he had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

He didn't point it out, but simply followed the conversation, saying with slight surprise:

"Oh? The Qingzhou Army? Is it under the command of Yuan Xiansi, the young master who recently pacified Qingzhou? They actually possess such fighting strength that they could injure General Yide?"

The question was asked tactfully, but it hit the nail on the head.

Liu Bei's wry smile deepened, and he decided to stop hiding the truth altogether. He briefly recounted Zhang Fei's account and his observations of the impressive scale and ingenious tactics of Yuan Tan's army during the rescue, concluding with a sigh:

"Young Master Yuan Xiansi is truly a dragon among men. His methods of training troops are unheard of. This time... he has suffered a great loss."

He then took the opportunity to reveal the truth:

"To be honest, Mr. Wenruo, our army has suffered heavy losses in this incident, and our grain reserves in Xiaopei are currently low, which may not be enough to meet Cao Cao's needs."

Xun Yu listened quietly, his face remaining gentle, but his heart was in turmoil!

Yuan Tan? The eldest son of the Yuan family, who I remember as brave and fierce, actually has such methods?

Could they train an elite force that would be a challenge for Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei?

No wonder Yuan Tan was able to defeat Lü Bu with fewer troops.

In retrospect, it was by no means a fluke.

He comforted Liu Bei, saying:

"Lord Xuande need not worry too much. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. It is only natural that Yuan Xiansi has made progress after gaining control of Qingzhou. Lord Cao and Lord Xuande are as close as lips and teeth. The matter of military provisions can be discussed further later."

He then changed the subject.

"On this trip, I also need to go to Shouchun to meet with Cao Cao and inform him of the matters in Xuchang. I will certainly convey the situation of Lord Xuande to Cao Cao truthfully."

Xun Yu did not linger. He offered a few more words of comfort and encouragement before taking his leave.

Liu Bei personally saw him off at the gate of the mansion.

After leaving Xiaopei and getting back into the carriage, a gloom gradually settled over Xun Yu's face.

"Yuan Xiansi...Qingzhou..."

He muttered to himself.

"We thought Cao Cao's threat lay in the north and south, but unexpectedly, such a change is lurking in the east... This news must be reported to our lord immediately."

(Please, all you godfathers, grant me a monthly pass!)