Chapter 28: Zhang Fei Defends Xuzhou

As soon as Liu Bei departed, Zhang Fei immediately had the three orders left by Liu Bei written out and hung as banners in the main hall.

“Someone, bring out the fine wine at once! Today marks my first day in charge of Xuzhou. Let all the generals come and drink with me!”

Everyone was taken aback. Liu Bei had barely left, and Zhang Fei was already ordering the wine to be brought out for a feast. This was truly...

“General Zhang, didn’t you just promise the lord moments ago?” Sun Qian was anxious beyond measure. Liu Bei had just left, and Zhang Fei was already throwing a banquet. If anything were to go wrong, would he not be blamed for dereliction?

“Oh, my elder brother only forbade me from getting drunk, not from drinking. Besides, just this once—never again. Supervisor Sun, please make an exception!”

Unable to resist Zhang Fei’s persistent pleading—after all, he was Liu Bei’s sworn brother—Sun Qian dared not object too much. Besides, even if he did, it might be futile.

The banquet went ahead, attended by all the generals. Of course, none dared be absent; to incur the wrath of this black-faced man might mean more than a simple beating, perhaps even death.

Zhang Fei went around offering toasts, eventually reaching a general named Cao Bao, who pleaded illness, citing a bad stomach as reason to refuse the wine.

Zhang Fei, with his blackened face, would not let it go.

“Well, so you dare snub my goodwill, do you?”

“No, General Zhang, truly, if I drink, I suffer unbearable stomach pains. I mean no disrespect.”

“It matters not. If you won’t drink today, then take a hundred strokes of the military rod!”

Zhang Fei’s relentless insistence left Cao Bao with no way out.

He said, “I am Lü Bu’s cousin. My cousin is a good friend of Lord Liu. For his sake, I beg you to spare me!”

He hoped invoking Lü Bu’s name would give Zhang Fei pause. Unexpectedly, Zhang Fei ignored the plea and, rather, grew furious at the mention of Lü Bu.

“Oh, so you’re that turncoat’s cousin! You must be planning to collude with Lü Bu and plot against Xuzhou. Take him out and execute him!”

Zhang Fei’s sudden rage left Cao Bao terrified, his soul nearly leaving his body.

“General Zhang, spare me!”

At his command, soldiers began dragging Cao Bao away. The assembled generals immediately pleaded on his behalf.

Sun Qian, frightened, set down his wine cup and rushed to Zhang Fei.

“General, you must not! Have you forgotten what you promised our lord?”

With Sun Qian’s intervention and the generals’ pleas, Zhang Fei finally relented.

“Very well, then. The death penalty is waived, but not punishment. Someone, take him out and give him a hundred strokes!”

And so, the banquet continued amid Zhang Fei’s wild laughter and Cao Bao’s agonized screams from outside.

In Xiao Pei, within Xuzhou, Lü Bu was conferring with Chen Gong and others in the main hall when a soldier suddenly reported.

“General, a wounded officer named Cao Bao has come from the city, seeking refuge.”

“Cao Bao? He’s my cousin. Bring him in at once.”

Moments later, Cao Bao, limping and supported by others, stood before Lü Bu.

“Cao Bao, what happened to you?” Lü Bu asked in surprise.

“Cousin, you must seek justice for me! Last night, that black-faced Zhang Fei invited all the generals to drink. I was unwell and could not partake, but Zhang Fei, without reason, insisted on punishing me.

I revealed my connection to you, hoping he’d show leniency. Who would have thought that scoundrel would lose his mind, shouting and cursing—especially when I mentioned your name, he called you the vilest names imaginable...”

Cao Bao, with embellishments, recounted how Zhang Fei had insulted Lü Bu.

Lü Bu was incensed, almost to the point of madness. Since arriving in Xuzhou, he had found this black-faced Zhang Fei particularly detestable.

Not only did this man insult him openly and behind his back, but once, when Lü Bu kindly invited Liu Bei to dine at his home and even had his beloved concubine, Diao Chan, serve, Zhang Fei barged in upon hearing Liu Bei was there, upended the banquet table with his spear, and afterwards loudly challenged Lü Bu to a three-hundred-round duel!

Lü Bu truly hated this black-faced Zhang Fei, grinding his teeth in fury. Yet Zhang Fei was not only highly skilled in martial arts, he was also Liu Bei’s sworn brother. Lü Bu, being a guest in another’s domain, could do nothing about him.

“Cao Bao, you said all this—doesn’t his elder brother Liu Bei care?” Chen Gong, who had been listening, immediately seized upon the key point.

“Liu Bei has left under imperial edict to campaign against Yuan Shu. The city is now under Zhang Fei’s command,” Cao Bao replied.

Lü Bu and Chen Gong exchanged glances, a heavy silence falling between them.

“What is it? Did I say something wrong?” Cao Bao asked hesitantly.

Chen Gong ignored Cao Bao, instead rising abruptly and bowing before Lü Bu.

“General, Heaven has delivered Xuzhou into your hands. If you do not seize it now, you would be squandering Heaven’s gift.”

He feared Lü Bu might falter, but this was the perfect opportunity to take Xuzhou. Whether it was moral or not had never been a concern for Chen Gong. After all, in the eyes of the world, Lü Bu’s reputation for morality was already in tatters.