Chapter 101: Dog Barking

"Your servant Liu Bei pays his respects to the Son of Heaven. Long live the Emperor!" Liu Bei knelt and performed the ritual obeisance.

"Furthermore, the Son of Heaven has summoned Uncle Liu to the palace, stating there are additional rewards for you!" The imperial envoy handed a letter to Liu Bei. "I shall take my leave now."

Xu Shu walked in from outside, and Liu Bei could not help but sigh, "Facing the peril of a starving wolf ahead and the malice of a hungry tiger behind—it is a difficult path indeed!"

Xu Shu said with a faint smile, "This decree was written by Sun Ce. His intention is clearly to lure you to the capital. If you go, you will be met with blades and axes. If you do not go, Sun Ce will have a pretext to attack you, claiming by day's end that you have disobeyed the imperial mandate and harbor the intent of a traitor. Though this scheme is simple, it is extremely difficult to break."

Liu Bei looked at Xu Shu's expression. "Since you believe this scheme is hard to break, why do you appear so composed?"

"My Lord, do not be anxious. If this had been proposed earlier, it would be difficult to break, but now it is quite easy. Not long ago, Sun Ce massacred high-ranking court officials. You may draft a memorial stating that due to Sun Ce’s treacherous actions, you are occupied with raising troops and horses abroad, making it inconvenient to enter the palace."

"But even so, Sun Ce will still march his troops into Xuzhou. When that time comes, how shall we resolve it?"

Xu Shu was silent for a long moment before saying, "Let me first discuss the current situation with you, my Lord."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement.

"Pengcheng is where you are currently located. Xiangyang is Sun Ce's position. Xuchang is Cao Cao's position. Ge is Yuan Shao's position. How does your military strength compare to these men?"

"Insufficient to be their match," Liu Bei said helplessly.

Xu Shu continued, "Sun Ce has defeated Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao has defeated Gongsun Zan; both are in high spirits. Not long ago, Sun Ce even slaughtered officials before the Son of Heaven; this was to demonstrate his current authority. Sun Ce will not stop; he will strike while the iron is hot and is bound to march north within these coming days. When that happens, even if you mobilize every citizen, you will have no more than fifty thousand troops."

"Cao Cao has newly defeated Lü Bu, reclaimed the cities of Xuchang and Chenliu, and even seized half of your Xuzhou. Were it not for the fact that Yuan Shao has begun gathering troops at Guandu, he would certainly continue to attack Xuzhou."

"Although Lü Bu lost to Cao Cao at Xuchang, he did not suffer any major losses in men or generals. On the contrary, he crushed Ma Teng, causing the forces in Liangzhou to be divided."

"Anyone can see that Lü Bu did not choose to put up much of a defense against Cao Cao, but rather chose to retreat and concede the cities of Xuchang and Chenliu. What is his intent?"

"This is on account of Yuan Shao."

"Lü Bu has established his power in Chang'an. Losing Xuchang and Chenliu is not a great loss for him. Instead, he can use this to ease relations with Cao Cao, thereby focusing his efforts on attacking Liangzhou again."

"Once Yuan Shao and Cao Cao fight to the death, he will then strike."

"Currently, these four men each have their own calculations, but no matter how you look at it, you are in a weak position."

"Sun Ce is now sharpening his weapons and preparing his horses. Soon he will surround Xuzhou. You ask me how to resolve this, but if you will forgive my bluntness, there is no solution."

"No solution..." Liu Bei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Does the Master also believe that I, Liu Bei, am destined to be swept away in this turbulent tide?"

"It is not that I believe it; this is a message a friend of mine entrusted me to bring to you, my Lord."

Liu Bei smiled with a weary expression. "Is this the 'Crouching Dragon' you have mentioned to me?"

"Yes."

"Since that is the case, Master Yuanzhi, go and rest for today." Liu Bei gestured for Xu Shu to withdraw.

"Does my Lord not wish to hear the rest of my friend's words?"

"Since this situation has no solution, I shall not trouble Master Yuanzhi or Master Crouching Dragon. I feel exhausted today; Master Yuanzhi, please go and rest."

Xu Shu bowed and said respectfully, "My Lord, in the past, when you had only five hundred soldiers and generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, you still dared to gaze upon the world. Now, although you are about to lose Xuzhou, are you also going to cast away the passion in your heart and the grand ambition to restore the Han Dynasty?!"

"If I lose Xuzhou, the world will have no place for me. How can I speak of the world, or of restoring the Han Dynasty?"

***

Xuchang, Cao Cao's residence.

The advisors in the mansion were silent; Yuan Shao was about to march south with his troops, and a great war was imminent.

Cao Cao looked at the map while Guo Jia covered his mouth with his sleeve and coughed softly.

"Is Fengxiao thirsty again?" Cao Cao turned around with a faint smile. "The weather has been fluctuating between cold and hot recently; Fengxiao, you should take more care of your health."

"Thank you, my Lord, for your concern. My body is fine. You are the one laboring for the state; you should take even better care of yourself."

Cao Cao looked around at the officials. "Why has Wenruo not come?"

Xun You replied, "Reporting to my Lord, my uncle fainted from anger due to the recent events. Although he has awakened, his health is poor."

Cao Cao's expression changed slightly. "Why was I not informed of such a major matter earlier?"

Xun You said, "My Lord is about to go to war with Yuan Shao; we did not want to distract you with this."

***

"The 'Ten Victories and Ten Defeats' theory that Fengxiao spoke of earlier has bolstered my spirits. Even if we must go to war with Yuan Shao, so be it! That is enough for today; hurry and take me to visit Wenruo!"

"Yes, my Lord!"

At Xun Yu's residence, Xun Yu was drinking herbal medicine. Seeing Cao Cao enter, he prepared to get out of bed to pay his respects, but Cao Cao said, "Wenruo, there is no need for such formalities."

Cao Cao walked to his side and looked at him. "Wenruo, you are my trusted confidant. Now that I am about to go to war with Yuan Shao, I cannot do without you!"

Xun Yu shook his head. "I am fine, my Lord. It is just that I never expected Sun Ce to be so insane. This man is a more terrifying opponent than Yuan Shao."

"I heard that Sun Ce demoted Jiang Wen to a county magistrate. Jiang Wen is a man of extraordinary talent, surpassing even Wenruo and Fengxiao. Now that he has been demoted, it removes a hidden threat for us."

"It seems that Advisor Guo's 'Ten Victories and Ten Defeats' has given you full confidence in this battle, my Lord," Xun Yu said with a smile.

Cao Cao laughed out loud. "Only Wenruo understands me!"

Xun Yu said, "As for the current matter, my Lord should focus on preparing for war. I and the other generals will remain in Xuchang to defend against Lü Bu."

"Then I shall trouble you, Wenruo!"

***

Fuchun County.

Jiang Wen looked at the letter in his hand. Sun Ce had intimidated the Son of Heaven in Xiangyang and killed many Han officials; he now harbored thoughts of declaring himself a king. Zhou Yu was also advising Jiang Wen to wait until Sun Ce declared himself king before implementing new policies, suggesting he should just stay quietly in Fuchun during these days.

Jiang Wen was born into a humble family. Although he had entered officialdom, his influence at court was too shallow. While the Nine-Rank System touched the interests of only a portion of the people, these very people could cost Jiang Wen his life.

Zhou Yu understood this all too well, which is why he kept advising Jiang Wen. But to declare oneself king, one needs an absolutely stable situation.

Yuan Shao was now about to go to war with Cao Cao, but it was unclear whether Cao Cao could defeat him again.

In his heart, Jiang Wen actually hoped that Yuan Shao would win.

"Young Master, a guest has arrived at the door, inviting you to a banquet."

Jiang Wen walked out and saw a man dressed in wealth standing outside, with a carriage parked nearby.

"I am Guan Guan. I am hosting a banquet on behalf of my master and invite the Magistrate to gather at the inn."

In the distance, Jiang Wen recognized the burly man who had appeared a few days prior. "We have already prepared some simple dishes at home. The inn is too far away. I have recently been experimenting with some new recipes; why not come to the residence to dine?"

Guan Guan nodded. He was only here to deliver a message today, and it made no difference where they met.

"You wait outside."

Guan Guan followed Jiang Wen into the residence. "I heard that when you were a Libationer, you had tens of acres of land at your residence. It must be uncomfortable to be reduced to this position now. We happen to have a piece of fine land; if you don't mind, we can gift it to you right now."

Jiang Wen said with a faint smile, "The amount of fertile land makes no difference to me. If I wanted to make money, I could easily become a wealthy merchant."

Guan Guan's expression faltered, then he smiled unnaturally as he saw a large porcelain pot in the courtyard, simmering meat.

"The Magistrate has a unique way of cooking, preferring to do it in the courtyard. Since you say you could easily become a wealthy merchant, I assume the pot contains delicacies from the mountains and seas."

Guan Guan's words were clearly full of sarcasm regarding Jiang Wen's boastful claim.

"The kitchen is a bit small, and delicacies are too extravagant. My rank is low, and the household does not have much money or grain; I can only eat pork to quench my thirst."

Guan Guan smiled with his eyes, but the expression was as fake as could be. "I never imagined the Magistrate was so incorruptible that you could swallow such smelly meat. However, if you are short on meat, why not tell me? I could even have beef sent to your residence."

Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow slightly. Tell you what? If you hadn't come today, I wouldn't even have known you existed.

"It's about to be served! If you're late, you'll be licking the pot!" Xiao Shu came out of the kitchen with a bowl, and saw the men from the east wing rushing out like starving wolves who hadn't eaten in ages.

Seeing this, Guan Guan sneered inwardly and said with a dumbfounded expression, "Does the Magistrate eat this smelly meat with these servants every day?"

"Master, where did this brain-damaged person come from?" Li Er cursed, a term he had naturally learned from Jiang Wen.

When Jiang Wen was in charge of the School of Affairs, he was busy day and night, and there was no shortage of times when he had to curse.

Guan Guan's expression turned slightly cold. Although he didn't know this new term, it was easy to hear that it was an insult.

"Where did this thing that knows nothing of respect or status come from, barking here?" Guan Guan said with a harsh, cold voice.

Li Er laughed and bowed. "May I ask what rank you hold?"

"My master is a Prefect!"

"Then you're still just a dog!"

"Hahaha!"

Guan Guan's brows twitched with anger, but Jiang Wen bowed and said, "My household servants lack discipline. I will surely take note of this in the future. I hope the steward will not blame them and will speak well of me before the Prefect."

"Hmph, Magistrate, since you eat such smelly meat in your house, it's no wonder you've raised these things that know nothing of respect!"

"This person has a truly foul mouth!" Tao'er's face was extremely displeased, and she gritted her teeth as she looked at Guan Guan outside the gate.

Diaochan chuckled lightly. "Madam, keep your composure. Soon, I will make sure he cannot speak at all."

"It's ready!"

Xiao Shu used a linen cloth to lift the lid, and the aroma of the meat filled the courtyard, rich and deep.

Guan Guan took one sniff and felt refreshed.

He actually felt a sudden craving...

"Magistrate, this..."

Jiang Wen said with a faint smile, "A dish I concocted when I was bored."

"May I have a taste?" Guan Guan asked directly.

Jiang Wen was somewhat stunned. Just moments ago, he was full of sarcasm, and now he could shamelessly ask for a taste. Truly, the skin of a merchant is thick.

"Isn't this 'smelly meat'? Why would you want to eat it?"

"You don't understand. Some people are used to delicacies, but they still want to try this 'smelly meat'!"

Guan Guan took a bowl directly from Xiao Shu's hand, picked up a piece of meat from the pot, and was intoxicated; it was so fragrant... He then quickly picked up five more pieces and put them in his mouth.

This was the delicacy Li Er and the others dreamed of. Not to mention that the pig was hard-won, the fact that it had been insulted as "smelly meat" already made them feel disgruntled.

Seeing Guan Guan's behavior, they were about to step forward and drag him away, but Jiang Wen shook his head from the side.

Jiang Wen walked over to Guan Guan. After only a short while, he had already eaten ten pieces, but he stopped now, staring straight at Yao Yu, who had appeared in the courtyard.

Yao Yu naturally saw Guan Guan and immediately turned to flee back into the house.

Guan Guan put down his chopsticks. "Very well, I should discuss the matter with the Magistrate. Can we go to the study?"

Jiang Wen gestured. "Please."

Inside the study, Guan Guan sat down on a mat without ceremony, and Jiang Wen sat down as well. Guan Guan said, "My young master said that in the past, when you assisted the Marquis of Guanwu in conquering east and west, you were invincible. Our master has even always respected you. I came today to tell you that a large courtyard in the north of the city is vacant. As long as you say the word, it will be yours immediately."

"It is not difficult for me to make money," Jiang Wen said calmly.

Guan Guan nodded. "Then what does the Magistrate want? Land, women, or power?"

"Since your master is a Prefect, he could easily give me a higher official position, but I have no need for that. As for land, there are still twenty acres in Xiangyang City, and I don't know what to plant. I'm afraid I'll need some dogwood if I go back this time. As for women, I already have two at home; if there were more, there would surely be jealousy, and I don't want a disharmonious household."

Guan Guan's eyes narrowed. "Since that is the case, I will be blunt. How can you hand that woman over to us? This is the wish of my young master and even my master. I hope you will consider it carefully before you speak."

Jiang Wen walked to the side and picked up a teapot to pour a cup of tea. "It's already cold, and the taste is a bit poor. Do you know the idiom 'the fox feigns the tiger's majesty'?"

"And what if I do?"

"It has a close relative called 'the dog relying on its master's power'."

Guan Guan's expression turned gloomy. "I came to speak with you properly, Magistrate. If you treat people with this attitude, you won't have a long future!"

"All right then. You say I want neither women, nor money, nor land, nor power. Why should I listen to you?"

"Because you want your life!" Guan Guan sneered. "When you were previously a Libationer, you were just a small official to the Prefect. Now, as a Magistrate, you are an even smaller one. If my master wants to take your life, it is as easy as turning over his hand. Since your rank is low, you should kneel for me. Don't think about crawling up from the ground; be careful not to crack your own head!"

"I have said all there is to say. Tomorrow at noon, bring the person to the Quanlai Inn. Also, bring the recipe for that meat. If anything is missing, your head will be on the line."

Guan Guan walked out of the door, and Jiang Wen followed. Li Er and his personal guards made a throat-slitting gesture. Xiao Shu, Diaochan, and Tao'er were extremely gloomy. Jiang Wen shook his head. "He is just a dog working for someone else. If we kill him, there will just be a new dog. It's better to let this dog stay."

Yao Yu walked out. "Did he come for me?"

Jiang Wen glanced at her without answering. Yao Yu's expression changed slightly. "You agreed to send me out?!"

"No. I said as long as you are in this residence, I will protect you."

Yao Yu's expression shifted. "Since that is the case, I will tell you something as well. Someone is looking for you everywhere. They are not friends; it looks like they are seeking revenge."