Chapter 106: The Painstaking Efforts of Liu Xie

Indeed, in the past, Lu Bu might have been even more arrogant than Guan Yu. He might have even dared to challenge everyone in the city single-handedly. But now, Lu Bu appeared much more grounded and significantly less reckless than before. In truth, this was a lesson learned from his time spent with Liu Xie.

Previously, he had always considered himself invincible, believing there was nothing he couldn't accomplish on the battlefield. It was much like the time when the eighteen feudal lords besieged Dong Zhuo; he had dared to face them all alone, showing no fear even when confronted by hundreds of thousands of troops. Now, however, Lu Bu was far more composed. The bold and extraordinary combat tactics Liu Xie employed during the campaign against Zhang Lu had made Lu Bu realize that he was not the most powerful person in the world. He had come to truly understand the saying: "There is always someone better, and there is always a sky beyond the sky." From that moment on, his arrogance began to fade.

Zhang Fei, however, did not quite appreciate Lu Bu’s sentiment. "Humph, the way I see it, if I, Zhang Fei, were to take them all down by myself, that would be showing real spirit." Zhang Fei was intentionally trying to go against Lu Bu. Even though they were currently on the same side, Zhang Fei had always looked down on Lu Bu, and he often picked fights with him, whether intentionally or not.

"Yide, I see that the four of them are no pushovers, especially since Cao Cao has sent out Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan," interjected Zhao Yun, the most temperate of the four. "These two brothers are formidable. I suspect that even if one of us were to face them, we might not necessarily emerge victorious."

Zhao Yun was right. Setting aside the two sent by Wen Chou, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun were formidable opponents. Even if Guan Yu were to step up, he might not be able to defeat them both. History recorded that Xiahou Dun and Guan Yu had clashed before, and the result was merely a draw. Therefore, when facing the Xiahou brothers, Lu Bu might stand a chance, but anyone else would struggle.

"Humph, Zilong is being too cautious. I don't think much of them!" Zhang Fei acted as if he feared nothing, appearing even more arrogant than Lu Bu. But while Lu Bu had the capital to be arrogant, Zhang Fei—to put it bluntly—was nothing more than a reckless brute.

"Very well, since that is the case, Yide, go ahead and face them alone," Lu Bu said, not bothering to argue. If Zhang Fei wanted to be a hero and take them on by himself, fine. He could go. Once he found himself unable to win, he would see how embarrassing it would be.

"Humph, watch me. I'll poke three hundred holes in them!" Without further ado, Zhang Fei spurred his horse and charged toward the four men, including the Xiahous.

"Who goes there? State your name!" Han Meng, who had come out of the city, shouted upon seeing Zhang Fei charging toward them.

"Zhang Yide of Yan is here! The four of you, come at me together!" Zhang Fei roared with wild arrogance as he galloped forward.

On a mountain peak in the distance, Liu Xie, along with Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, and others, stood watching the battle. Each of them held a telescope, an invention of Liu Xie’s.

"Your Majesty, this device is truly incredible," Zhuge Liang said, clearly excited as he looked through the lens. "Xuchang is at least three miles away, yet I can see everything so clearly." Naturally, he had never seen such a thing before; after all, the telescope was an invention nearly a thousand years ahead of this era.

"Indeed. This is called a telescope, designed to bring distant, blurry objects into clear view," Liu Xie said with a smile. "What do you all think? How does the battle below look?"

Liu Bei glanced at him intentionally. Although Liu Xie was speaking about the battle, anyone with a keen ear could tell he was also referring to Zhang Fei. They were all aware of the conversation that had just taken place, and now that Zhang Fei had rushed out alone, Liu Bei worried that his third brother might cause trouble and displease Liu Xie.

"Yide is quite valiant, taking on four men by himself," Liu Xie noted, watching the battle through his telescope. "I just wonder how long he can hold out."

Zhuge Liang cast a subtle glance at Liu Xie, sensing the Emperor's dissatisfaction with Zhang Fei.

"Your Majesty, it is my third brother’s fault. I hope you will not hold it against him," Liu Bei said, stepping forward to mediate. He felt helpless regarding his brother's temper and didn't know what to do.

"Oh? Why so, Imperial Uncle Liu? I actually think Yide is doing quite well," Liu Xie replied. His expression turned serious as he issued a command to his attendants: "Go and inform Lu Bu, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun that none of them are allowed to intervene. No matter who comes out of Xuchang, Zhang Fei is to face them all alone! And he is not allowed to retreat!"

"Yes!" the attendant acknowledged loudly and departed.

Liu Bei was thrown into a panic. He fell to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Yide’s temperament is just like that, please, have mercy! You can recall him, and I, Liu Bei, will discipline him properly. Please, Your Majesty, spare him!"

Liu Bei was terrified. With Lu Bu, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun sidelined, leaving Zhang Fei to challenge anyone from Cao Cao’s camp—especially warriors like the Xiahou brothers—was practically sentencing him to death.

"Imperial Uncle, as you said yourself, that is Yide’s temperament," Liu Xie said, looking at Liu Bei with intense gravity. "But such a temperament is dangerous. Have you ever considered what happens when a commander with such a disposition leads troops? If he makes a mistake, he might survive to repent, but what about the soldiers? One wrong decision can lead to mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Tell me, are Liu Bei and Zhang Fei the only ones born of flesh and blood? Do the soldiers deserve to die just because of his poor temperament? They are human beings too. My campaign to restore the Han Dynasty depends on every single one of them."

Liu Xie’s powerful presence silenced everyone around him. They realized that this Emperor was not the submissive figure of legend, but a man of profound inner strength.

"Imperial Uncle, rest assured. I know your relationship with Zhang Fei. Do you really think I would let him die?" Liu Xie took a deep breath.

Liu Bei looked up, beginning to understand. Liu Xie was trying to force a change in Zhang Fei—he was trying to help him.

"I need generals as much as I need soldiers," Liu Xie continued. "Yide is not a bad man, he is just too arrogant. Even Lu Bu was more arrogant than him once, and I believe you know that. But Lu Bu had the strength to back it up. When the eighteen lords besieged Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu dared to face them all. Could you, or your brothers, have done the same?"

Liu Bei remained silent. He knew Liu Xie was right.

"Where are the Eighteen Wolf Shadows?" Liu Xie called out. Instantly, eighteen figures in black appeared from nowhere, kneeling before him. "Go to the outskirts of Xuchang. If it becomes necessary, save Zhang Fei. Do you understand?"

The guards were stunned. "Your Majesty, we are your personal bodyguards. Our duty is to protect you. If we leave..."

"Do not dawdle," Liu Xie commanded firmly. "I am safe here. You must protect him from the shadows, and Zhang Fei must not discover you."

As the guards departed, Liu Bei, overcome with emotion, bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, your immense grace... I, Liu Bei, thank you on behalf of Yide. We can never repay this debt." He finally realized the depth of Liu Xie’s intentions.