Chapter 62: The Emperor's Uncle Counterattacks

  Although there were four large braziers in the banquet hall, and the braziers were also filled with burning red charcoal, Lu Su and Chen Gui, Chen Deng's father and son still felt very cold, as if they were in an ice cellar.

  It wasn't that the charcoal fire wasn't warm enough, nor was it that the cold wind outside was too biting. It also wasn't that the atmosphere of the banquet wasn't lively and luxurious enough, or that the fine wine wasn't fragrant enough. On the contrary, the aged wine at the banquet was quite rich and full-bodied, and the atmosphere was very lively. Zhang Fei, who loved good wine like his life depended on it, was also engaged in a fierce drinking competition with Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Lü Yu, and other drunkards, their boisterous voices almost blowing the roof off. However, Lu Su and Chen Gui, father and son, still felt a chill that pierced to the bone, a coldness that came from deep within their hearts. And this chill came from the two main protagonists of this banquet - Deputy Director Tao and Liu Xiangyu.

  The reason why Ruzi and others felt this way was the conversation and behavior of Liu Huangshu and Tao Deputy Director at the banquet. In the daytime, in front of the city gate, they had suffered a great loss, being forced to personally kill their most loyal accomplice in Xuzhou, but our Liu Huangshu could still talk and laugh as usual, with an air of elegance that made people's hearts break. And our Tao Deputy Director was even more impressive, not only talking and laughing as usual, but also calling Liu Huangshu "Uncle" with a sweet and intimate tone, holding onto Liu Huangshu's sleeve to repeatedly offer him wine, and even getting up from his seat multiple times to personally pour wine for the three Liu brothers.

  It's precisely because of this that people like Ruzi, who are very clear about the grudges between Liu Xiang and Deputy Director Tao, feel a chill in their hearts. They know that the acting skills of Deputy Director Tao and Liu Xiang are absolutely unattainable for them in this lifetime. The gaze they cast at Liu Xiang and Deputy Director Tao is no different from looking at two venomous snakes coiled together, hissing at each other.

  The seriously ill Tao Qian did not attend the banquet, and let Tao Ying represent him to entertain Liu Xuan's three brothers. He also publicly handed over the power to discuss with Liu Xuan about fighting against the enemy to Tao Ying, and openly said that Tao Ying's decision could be finalized. Xu state officials understood the implication of Tao Qian's words, and Liu Xuan saw through it even more clearly. However, things had already reached this point, and Liu Xuan no longer dared to dream of Tao Qian offering him the position of Governor of Xu State for the third time. To take control of the five counties of Xu State, he would have to resort to force. Therefore, from the beginning, Liu Xuan was thinking about how to find an opportunity to use force to annex Xu State and how to eliminate Tao Ying, a dangerous opponent who was very similar to himself.

  He secretly made up his mind, and when Tao Ying personally came to pour wine for him again, Liu Xuan asked with a smile: "Xianzhong, just now your father said that about the Cao army, you will replace him to discuss with me the strategy of defending against the enemy. Do you have any plans in mind? How do you plan to join forces with me to resist the enemy?"

  Tao Ying blinked his big, pure and innocent eyes, and replied very sincerely: "I'm just a humble junior, I don't know much about military affairs, so I'll have to discuss this with the civil and military officials of Xuzhou before giving you an answer, uncle."

  "Ah, General, you're too modest." Liu Bei smiled warmly and said: "General, in the previous campaign against Lu Bu, with 800 cavalrymen, you defeated over 10,000 enemy soldiers, making a name for yourself throughout the land. Later, you again used a small force to defeat a large one, annihilating Sun Bofu's 8,000 elite troops and forcing Sun Ce to his death. Finally, you also forced Yuan Shao to surrender. Your military achievements are already so illustrious, yet you still claim not to understand military affairs - isn't that being too humble?"

  "Uncle is overpraising, those were just lucky coincidences. Tao Qian and Sun Ce underestimated the enemy, which allowed me to gain an advantage. Tao Qian smiled humbly and said: "Since Uncle says so, I can only offer my humble opinion. In my foolish view, maintaining the current situation would be best."

  "Maintain the status quo?" Liu Xuanzi was somewhat surprised and hastily asked: "Xianzhong, do you think maintaining the status quo is enough? Can it stop Cao Cao and Lü Bu?"

  "It's exactly so." Tao Ying nodded vigorously and smiled foolishly: "In my humble opinion, Xiaopei is the northern gate of Xuzhou. Whether it's Cao Cao or Lü Bu invading Xuzhou, they must first pass through Xiaopei. So as long as Uncle guards Xiaopei, even if Cao Cao and Lü Bu have thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of brave soldiers, they won't dare to enter the heart of Xuzhou one step further. Moreover, in my opinion, Xiaopei City is surrounded by the Si River and the Pao River on three sides, making it a solid and easy-to-defend city. With Uncle, a renowned general, stationed here, whether it's Cao Cao or Lü Bu, they can only sigh at the city walls. Therefore, I think maintaining the current situation is enough."

  Liu Bei had an urge to strangle Tao Qian, thinking that this little thief's plan was really good. Maintaining the status quo made him die defending Xiaopei, making him fight against Cao Cao and Lü Bu in the front line, while he hid behind and watched the battle from a safe distance. Wasn't this little traitor too greedy?

  "Nephew, it's not that I'm blaming you, but you're being too conservative." Liu Bei shook his head and sighed, seemingly regretful of the younger generation's conservative attitude. He smiled and said: "You've read many classics and are familiar with strategies, haven't you heard the principle of going against the current or retreating? The people of Xiaopei have little food, the city is damaged, how can we hold out for long? If Cao Cao and Lü Bu really come to attack, even if I, as your uncle, defend Xiaopei firmly, how long can it last? At that time, either the grain in the city will be exhausted, or there will be a slight mistake, and Xiaopei City will be lost. What will you do then?"

  "Don't worry, by the time you're done fighting Cao Cao and Lü Bu, both of you will be exhausted, and I'll have an easy time defending Xuzhou. So I'm not worried." Tao Ying's face was warm with a smile, but in his heart he was thinking to himself, and then he smiled foolishly again: "Uncle, please don't worry, if the enemy attacks, I will definitely provide supplies and military aid for you at all costs, along with my father. At the same time, I will also lead the Junzi army northward in a timely manner to support you from the side."

  "No need to be so troubled." Liu Bei continued shaking his head, and smiled as he said: "I have a plan. If my wise nephew is willing to carry it out, I can guarantee that the five counties of Xuzhou will be as safe as Mount Tai, and there will no longer be any threat from Cao's army."

  "What clever plan does Uncle have? Please instruct me, Uncle." Tao Ying asked with a face full of surprise and delight.

  "The Art of War says: 'When the enemy is in a difficult situation, take advantage of the opportunity to gain an advantage.' I'm not being modest, but I'll point it out to you young folks. This sentence means that when the enemy is in a tough spot, I'll seize the chance to launch a surprise attack and strike them with determination and decisiveness to achieve victory - Nephew, do you understand your uncle's meaning?"

  "Not good!" Lu Su, Chen Gui and Chen Deng, who were listening attentively on the side, suddenly changed color in their faces, already understanding Liu Xuan's next plan - to use the excuse of taking advantage of the fire to lure Tao Ying into sending troops or forming a Tao-Liu alliance army to attack Cao Cao, who was troubled by food shortages, and then take advantage of the war between Tao and Cao to reap benefits!

  Anxious, Lu Su hastily stood up, wanting to remind Tao Ying to be careful not to fall into the trap, but unexpectedly...

  "Uncle's wonderful plan! It's indeed a wonderful plan!" Tao Ying jumped up faster than Lu Su, clapping his hands loudly and excitedly shouting: "Gentlemen, generals, please quiet down, please quiet down! I have some good news to tell you, my uncle Guan Yu has proposed a wonderful plan, taking advantage of Cao Cao's treacherous grain shortage, to lead the small army of Shandong to march north and actively attack Cao Cao's treachery, completely eliminating Cao Cao's treachery and ensuring the safety of our five counties in Xuzhou!"

  Liu Bei almost vomited blood, while Chen Gui and his son, as well as Lu Su, were on the verge of bursting out laughing. They thought to themselves that they didn't need to worry at all, for it was unlikely that anyone in this world could deceive their Second Master. On the other side, Cao Zhen and Zhang He, along with other Xu State generals, although puzzled by Liu Bei's sudden generosity, were also applauding wildly, eager for Liu Bei to leave Xu State and engage in a life-or-death struggle with Cao Cao! Guan Yu and Zhang Fei exchanged bewildered glances, unsure why their elder brother had suddenly gone mad and volunteered to fight the notorious Cao Cao.

  "Gentlemen, generals." Vice Director Tao didn't give Liu Xuande a chance to explain himself at all, and loudly shouted: "Xuande Gong is so kind and righteous, making such an important decision for Xuzhou, yet you gentlemen, along with me, should pay respects and thank Xuande Gong."

  Saying that, Tao Ying really bowed to Liu Xuanzhi and the officials of Xuzhou also quickly got up from their seats, preparing to thank Liu Xuanzhi for his great kindness and righteousness. But Liu Xuanzhi was anxious and hurriedly waved his hand, saying: "Worthy nephew, you misunderstood, I didn't mean that, when did I ever say I wanted to send troops to attack Cao Cao?"

  "Isn't that the meaning?" Tao Ying raised his head, with a surprised expression, and asked: "Uncle, why do you bring up the plan to take advantage of the enemy's emptiness again? Are you suggesting that I should let my father and son take the initiative to attack Cao Cao?"

  "Not bad, that's right." Liu Xuande hastily nodded and explained: "At present, Cao Jun is weak and troubled by famine, and Xianxu is brave and extraordinary in using troops like a god. If we lead the army north to attack Cao Cao, we can certainly defeat the enemy in one battle and eliminate future troubles!"

  A faint hum of disapproval rose among the crowd of generals in Xuzhou, all of whom were extremely disappointed by Liu's words. Tao Ying's face turned red with embarrassment as he smiled wryly and said: "Uncle, how is this possible? Last time Cao's rebellion caused heavy damage to Xuzhou, just defending ourselves was barely enough, where would we find the strength to take the initiative to attack and conquer Cao Cao? Moreover, under the heavens, who else besides you could be a match for the treacherous Cao Cao? Your humble nephew is foolish and loyal, taking the initiative to attack Cao Cao would not be like driving a flock of sheep to fight a fierce tiger?"

  "If you are foolishly loyal, then there would be no cunning and treacherous people in this world!" Liu Xuan's heart roared with anger, but his face smiled: "Xian nephew is being humble again. In my opinion, based on your performance on the Guangling battlefield, you may not necessarily be a match for Cao Zhen."

  "Young master, it's just good luck in Guangling. Is there anything that has continuous good fortune in this world?" Tao Ying shook his head and said honestly: "Besides, even Uncle is afraid to go against Cao Ze, how can I have the guts to do so?"

  "Tao Gongzi, you're wrong." Zhang Fei, who had already drunk to the point of having a red face and thick neck, was somewhat displeased. Only because he had a very good impression of Tao Ying did he not shout out loud, but still said loudly: "Who dares not go to punish Cao Zei? As long as Big Brother gives the order, I'll go take that Cao Zei's head..."

  "Third brother, don't speak rashly!" Liu Xuande's expression turned urgent, fearing that Zhang Fei would be provoked by Tao Qian and really attack Cao Cao. He hastily opened his mouth to stop Zhang Fei. Then, Liu Xuande turned to Tao Qian with a more affectionate smile and said: "Nephew, why are you so impatient? Your uncle's words have not been finished yet, do you need to be in such a hurry?"

  "My young nephew knows his fault, I beg for your pardon, uncle." Tao Ying honestly confessed his crime and showed respect to Liu Bei, looking like a junior indeed.

  "It's nothing, just listen to your uncle finish speaking." Liu Bei waved his hand generously and continued with good intentions: "What Uncle wants to say is that Cao Cao is indeed a difficult opponent. Even though he's currently troubled by the grain shortage, he still has strong forces and should not be underestimated. So don't even mention Uncle and you, my nephew, taking on the task of defeating him alone; even if we join forces to attack him, it's likely to be a tough battle."

  Tao Ying didn't interrupt this time, but only nodded obediently. In his heart, he also had a bad premonition, knowing that Liu Xuan must have some ulterior motive and was going to come up with another despicable plan to deal with him. As expected, Liu Xuan smiled and said: "Therefore, Uncle thinks that you can send an envoy to Shanyang, make friends with Lü Bu, form an alliance, and join forces to attack Cao's villain."

  "Form an alliance with Lü Bu? I'd rather die!" Tao Ying sneered in his heart, thinking that he would rather form an alliance with Cao Cao than dare to form one with Lü Bu. Although Cao Cao is unscrupulous and ruthless, at least he follows some reason and rules when doing things, and won't casually harm his allies. Forming an alliance with Lü Bu means that even if they make a pact today, it's possible that Lü Bu will cut off my head tomorrow! That shameless Lü Xiaoqiang, would he care about the infamy of killing his allies?

  "You can rest assured, my nephew. I am certain that Lü Bu will agree to form an alliance! Previously, Cao Cao retreated because Lü Bu seized Yan Province, and the two families have been sworn enemies ever since. After half a year of fighting between Cao and Lü, with both sides having their victories and defeats, the war situation has been at a stalemate. Now that you propose forming an alliance with Lü Bu to resist Cao, he will surely agree! When that happens, our three families can join forces and launch a joint attack on Cao's forces. How difficult can it be to defeat him? And after defeating Cao, the five counties of Xu Province will be as stable as Mount Tai, and you, my lord, can avenge the innocent people of Xu Province who were killed by Cao's forces, earning the gratitude of the people of Xu Province. Isn't that a perfect outcome?"

  It's true that Liu Bei's proposal is reasonable, if the three families of Tao, Liu and Lü can really work together to fight against Cao Cao, then Cao will have to prepare for his own funeral. Therefore, some officials in Xuzhou couldn't help but be moved by Liu Bei's proposal and echoed it, but there were also several officials who expressed their concerns, saying: "This might not work? Lü Bu is currently troubled by the lack of food, if we take the initiative to form an alliance, wouldn't he take the opportunity to demand grain from us?"

  "It's possible." Liu Bei nodded and smiled, saying: "But it doesn't matter, Lü Bu has indirectly saved Xuzhou from great danger and your life, so it's only natural to repay him. Moreover, after providing grain and supplies, Lü Bu will have food while Cao Cao won't, perhaps you won't even need to send troops, and Cao Cao's head will already be delivered to Xuzhou by Lü Bu, what's wrong with spending some money and grain?"

  Liu Bei continued, "I also know that Xu Zhou's grain and fodder are not rich. If Lord Lv Wenhou asks for grain, I am willing to give out 10,000 dan of grain to help the prince support Lord Lv Wenhou in breaking Cao."

  "You're using my family's grain to curry favor with me, Liu Xuande, you're really good at being a sycophant." Tao Ying muttered to himself, but on the other side, the civil and military officials of Xuzhou were greatly moved, and they all spoke up in agreement, approving of Liu Xuande's proposal, supporting the alliance with Lü Bu, and joining forces to resist Cao Cao. Even Cao Bao couldn't help but feel that Liu Xuande's words made sense, and he opened his mouth to say: "Young master, this idea is worth considering, Lü Bu is brave and unmatched in the world, with countless elite soldiers and strong generals under his command. If we can form an alliance with him, defeating Cao Cao will be easy."

  If it weren't for the fear of Lü Bu's unpredictability, Tao would have really wanted to agree to Cao Bao's request - and then take the opportunity to persuade Cao Bao to sell that ugly Cao Ling to Lü Bu, who had a great appetite. However, because he was clearer than anyone about Lü Bu's character, Tao immediately shook his head and said: "Uncle Cao, don't joke around. Lü Bu is unpredictable and has the nature of a wolf, allying with him is like plotting with a tiger."

  As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Tao Ying immediately regretted speaking ill of others behind their backs, losing the demeanor of a gentleman. Hurriedly looking at Liu Xuan's expression, he saw that although Liu Xuan's face was calm, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, revealing a mysterious smile that was hard to fathom. Tao Ying suddenly felt tense again, thinking: "Why is this big-eared thief smiling? What kind of evil plan is he brewing?"

  "Since the young master does not want to form an alliance with Duke Wen, that's alright." Liu Xuanzi reverted back to his normal smile and took the initiative to compromise: "Then let's do it according to your plan, the northern defense of Xuzhou will remain unchanged, maintaining the status quo. If Cao's bandits come to attack, Uncle will firmly defend Xiaopei, not letting the enemy take a single step southward, waiting for your reinforcements."

  Liu Bei finally agreed to his own proposal, and was willing to continue serving as the gatekeeper of Xuzhou. Tao Qian, although suspicious in his heart, had no choice but to sincerely thank Liu Bei and continue with the hypocritical pleasantries, while constantly pondering in his mind, "Why did the Big Eared Bandit take the initiative to concede? Is it related to that strange smile? What is he plotting?"

  After waiting patiently for everyone to eat and drink, Liu Xuan led Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to bid farewell. Tao Qian pretended to persuade them to stay, but Liu Bei replied frankly: "Thank you, nephew, but it's not necessary. I still need to visit the residence of Mi Zhuang. Although I ordered my third brother to execute Mi Fang today, it was only to uphold national law and punish evil, and has nothing to do with Mi Zhuang. Besides, Mi Zhuang and I have always been on good terms, and his younger brother has just passed away, so he must be heartbroken. Both emotionally and rationally, I should go to his residence to pay my respects."

  "This is a hypocrite, clearly wanting to go and flirt with Mi Zhu, but still able to speak so eloquently. I'm far from being as good as him." Tao Ying sighed in his heart, but could do nothing about it, and could only obediently apologize to Liu Xuan, blaming himself for causing trouble and forcing Liu Xuan into the unjust position of having to kill a friend's younger brother. Liu Xuan spoke humbly and modestly, saying many irrelevant things that had nothing to do with Tao Ying. He then led Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were already quite drunk, in taking their leave and departing in a grand manner, heading to the Mi residence to meet with Mi Zhu.

  Liu Bei left, and the officials of Xuzhou naturally bid farewell one after another. Only Tao Qian, who was still only the second son of his lord, did not dare to be slow and personally sent these future sycophants out of the gate one by one. After a short while, he finally managed to get rid of these pests. However, Chen Gui and his son, as well as Lu Su, did not leave with the crowd. Until only the three of them were left in the hall, Tao Qian returned to the main hall, exhausted. Lu Su then bowed and smiled at him: "Young master, I was really worried for you just now. This Xuande is indeed a formidable opponent. Every word he spoke was full of hidden malice, and his words were as elegant as a crown. Fortunately, you are wise and did not fall into his trap."

  "It's just so-so." Tao Yi, who was really exhausted, sat down beside Lu Su with a thud, picked up the remaining wine on Lu Su's desk and drank it in one gulp, while moistening his already somewhat hoarse throat, and said vaguely: "But I'm still worried that this Lord Xuande agreed to maintain the status quo, he agreed too readily, there must be some trickery involved."

  "The old man and his son are left behind, just to remind the young master of this. Chen Gui said slowly: 'Xuande is a hero of the world, not a person who can stay under others for a long time, let alone willingly serve as the gatekeeper of Xuzhou's five counties, looking after the house and protecting the courtyard. The young master still needs to make a good plan early on and invite this plague god out of Xuzhou as soon as possible, lest it bring disaster in the future.'"

  "Han Yu, I've been wanting to get rid of this plague for a long time." Tao Ying replied helplessly with a wave of his hand: "But there's no suitable excuse, and this Xuande has indeed saved our five counties in Xuzhou. Without any reason, we can't just drive him away. If Xuzhou encounters danger again in the future, who will dare to help us?"

  "There's no excuse, but an excuse can be found." Chen Deng smiled and said: "With your talent, Young Master, can't you come up with an excuse to send Xuande away in a dignified and justified manner?"

  "I dare not deceive Brother Yu Long, I have already racked my brains." Tao Ying pointed to his own head and smiled bitterly: "I've thought of nearly a hundred ways to get rid of the plague god, but none of them can come up with a suitable excuse to send this plague god away... Hmm?"

  At this point, Vice Director Tao suddenly stopped and his face showed a tense expression. Lu Su and Chen Jia's father and son were both stunned, and they quickly asked together: "Young Master, what's wrong?"

  "Bang!" With a loud slap, Deputy Director Tao slammed his palm on Lu Su's desk and gritted his teeth, saying, "Not good! I've been tricked! I gave that big-eared thief an excuse to bring that even bigger scourge, Lü Bu, closer to Xuzhou to stir up trouble, forcing me into a difficult situation! You're too ruthless, Big Ears! This despicable plan of yours was bound to deceive me from the moment you spoke it!"

  "Gongzi, are you worried that Liu Bei will sow discord between you and Lü Bu?" Chen Deng asked anxiously: "Will you tell Lü Bu about your evaluation of him, enrage the little man, and then take advantage of it to instigate Lü Bu to enter Xuzhou to avenge himself on you?"

  "No! The Big Ears Bandit would never be so direct in sowing discord, it would not only damage his reputation but also be easily seen through!" Tao Ying waved her hand and quickly thought to herself, then said in a sinister tone: "If I were Liu Bei, the Big Ears Bandit, wanting to pull Lü Bu, this scourge, into Xuzhou, first, I would send an envoy to make friends with Lü Bu and ask for an alliance between Liu's army and Lü's army to resist Cao!"