Chapter 81

Upon learning that Liu Liang had left Madam Liu's place, Guo Tu entered Yuan Tan's residence that very night.

Yuan Tan was about to rest when he heard that Guo Tu had arrived, so he put on an outer robe and went out to greet him.

Yuan Tan secretly reasoned that Guo Tu was an old confidant of his father and also one of his own men, so his late-night visit must mean something important.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

Guo Tu entered, and without sitting down, said directly, "Young Master, Liu Liang has gone to see Madam Liu."

Yuan Tan was taken aback: "Liu Liang? Liu Zishan? Liu Bei's adoptive father?"

Guo Tu nodded.

Yuan Tan's expression changed: "Why did he go to see that woman?"

Guo Tu recounted the events.

Of course, the part about Liu Liang collecting antiques is omitted. It only says that Liu Liang asked someone to send a generous gift to Madam Liu's courtyard. The next day, Madam Liu secretly met with him, and the two talked behind closed doors for half an hour.

"My spies over there have sent word that Lady Liu is preparing to advise our lord to let Yuan Shang lead his troops across the Yellow River and join forces with Yuan Shu to attack Lü Bu from the north and south."

Yuan Tan suddenly stood up.

"Let Yuan Shang lead the troops? Has he ever fought a battle? Is he going to his death?"

Guo Tu looked at him and chuckled coldly.

Yuan Tan paced back and forth a couple of times, then suddenly stopped, his face turning even uglier.

"Wait a minute... what's that woman up to? Is she sending Yuan Shang to gain merit? And then he comes back and outdoes me?"

Guo Tu then spoke up: "Young master, you are a wise man."

Yuan Tan cursed, his teeth grinding together.

"Sir, what should we do?"

Guo Tu said, "Young master, you must do it before she does it."

"What are you doing?" Yuan Tan froze.

Guo Tu said, "Tomorrow morning, young master, go to see our lord and volunteer for battle."

Yuan Tan's eyes widened: "Sir, what are you saying? That Lü Bu is incredibly brave and fierce, leading an army of 300,000. He kills anyone he sees and slaughters ghosts in his wake. You want me to go and die for nothing?!"

Guo Tu sighed and laughed at the same time: "My lord, please listen to me. Requesting to fight is a pretense; expressing our stance is our true intention. Your initiative to cross the river and attack Lü will surely delight the lord, who will praise your bravery and sense of responsibility. That is the most important thing. Before Lady Liu whispers in his ear, let's set the tone for this matter first."

Yuan Tan frowned: "So what if the tone is set? In the end, we still have to fight, don't we?"

Guo Tu laughed: "If the young master volunteers for the battle, will Ju Shou and Tian Feng agree? They'll have a hundred reasons to stop him. If the lord asks for their opinion, they'll definitely object. And when Lady Liu hears that the young master wants to steal the credit, will she sit still? She'll immediately whisper in her ear, trying to get Yuan Shang to go. With both sides making a fuss, who will ultimately go?"

Yuan Tan's eyes gradually brightened.

"You mean... Yuan Shang will go in the end?"

Guo Tu shook his head and nodded smugly.

Yuan Tan thought for a moment, then suddenly frowned.

"But what if... what if Yuan Shang really wins?"

Guo Tu chuckled, but the smile was somewhat sinister.

"Young master, who is Lü Bu? Five generals couldn't even surround him at Hulao Pass. How can Yuan Shang, a young master who has never been on the battlefield, possibly win?"

Yuan Tan said, "Yan Liang and Wen Chou are my father's generals, and they will certainly accompany Yuan Shang on the expedition!"

This time, Guo Tu laughed even harder: "These two scoundrels may be considered someone of importance in Hebei, but under Lü Bu's halberd, they're nothing but two arrogant and resentful ghosts!"

Yuan Tan shook his head slightly: "Sir, you must not underestimate your enemy. Ju Shou and Tian Feng have devised flawless strategies and will not let Lü Bu succeed so easily."

Guo Tu added, "My lord, do not worry. What I mentioned earlier is not the main reason. The most important thing is that your uncle Yuan Shu, who is born of the principal wife, will also join the war."

Yuan Tan was taken aback: "Isn't it a good thing that he's joining the war? With more men, they'll have a greater advantage..."

Guo Tu grinned dismissively.

"Young master, don't you know Yuan Gonglu well? He obtained the Imperial Seal and thinks he's 'the chosen one'? Only he himself takes that broken stone seriously. He's long wanted to become emperor, he just needs a pretext. If he really sends troops this time, with attacks from both the north and south, will he fight well? Will he let Yuan Shang steal his thunder?"

Yuan Tan seemed to be deep in thought.

Guo Tu said, "If Yuan Shu doesn't join the battle, Yuan Shang still has a 10% chance of winning. But if Yuan Shu does join the battle, Yuan Shang will either suffer a major defeat or die in the chaos of battle."

After hearing this, Yuan Tan was stunned for a long time, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sir, your scheme..."

Guo Tu waved his hand: "Young Master, please don't say that. I'm only thinking of our lord and you. If Yuan Shang is defeated, your position will be secure. If he dies..."

He didn't continue, but just smiled again.

After listening, Yuan Tan was stunned for a long time, then suddenly remembered something else.

"Sir, there is still one thing I don't understand."

Guo Tu said, "Please speak, young master."

Yuan Tan said, "Father recently sent Yan Liang to ambush Anxi, killing Pei Yuanshao and capturing Jian Yong. Liu Liang is Liu Bei's adoptive father, and Anxi is Liu Bei's stronghold. Now he's come to join Father in fighting Lü Bu. What's he after? Doesn't he hold a grudge?"

Guo Tu spread his hands: "Young master, you've hit the nail on the head."

He took a half step closer to Yuan Tan and said, "I initially thought that Liu Liang might not know that Anxi was attacked by our lord. After all, we used Liu Bei's army flag that night, pretending to be defeated soldiers to trick our way into opening the city gate. But these past two days, I've thought about it repeatedly, and this possibility doesn't hold water."

Yuan Tan frowned: "Why?"

Guo Tu said, "Who is Liu Liang? He's got his plans in mind for every step—from Hulao Pass and Hangu Pass to Luoyang and Chang'an. How could he not know about such a major event? Liu Bei is in Luoyang, where he's well-informed. How could he keep Yan Liang's few thousand troops from crossing the border? The only explanation is... he knows, but he's pretending not to."

Yuan Tan asked, puzzled, "Pretend you don't know? Why?"

Guo Tu chuckled.

"My lord, think about it. Lü Bu's 300,000-strong army is heading straight for Luoyang. Liu Bei has 20,000 men guarding over 200,000 civilians. He can't escape, and he can't win. Where is his way out? His way out is external aid. Who is his external aid? Cao Cao has returned to Yanzhou and is too busy to help himself. Yuan Shu is in Nanyang, which is far away. Only you, my lord, are in Hanoi, which is close by and has more troops. If Liu Bei wants to live, he has to ask you, my lord."

Yuan Tan fell into deep thought.

Guo Tu continued, "But our lord just destroyed his stronghold, killed his generals, and captured his advisors. If he were to hold a grudge and turn against our lord, he would lose on both fronts. Anxi would not return, and Luoyang would fall. He can only swallow his anger and pretend he doesn't know who kidnapped Anxi."

Yuan Tan said, "But everyone in the world knows it's my father..."

Guo Tu waved his hand: "Knowing is one thing, but if we don't expose it, there's still room for maneuver. He can say that Gongsun Zan took advantage of the situation, that Liu Yu stabbed him in the back, or that some bandit impersonated a government soldier. Anyway, there are many people who don't like Liu Bei, so anyone could be an accomplice. As long as he doesn't confront our lord directly, our lord can pretend this never happened."

Yuan Tan understood.

"So, Liu Liang's alliance with my father is genuine?"

Guo Tu shook his head.

"It's not out of genuine concern, it's out of necessity. His biggest enemy right now is Lü Bu, not our lord. We'll deal with Lü Bu first, and then settle accounts with Anxi later. Remember this, my lord: the more polite this man is now, the more ruthless he'll be when he turns on you."

Yuan Tan nodded repeatedly, praising Guo Tu incessantly.

Guo Tu added, "But that's a matter for later. Right now, my lord, just remember this: tomorrow morning, go and ask our lord for permission to fight. Speak eloquently and be sincere. Make our lord feel that you are genuinely trying to share his burdens, not just seeking credit."

Yuan Tan was overjoyed: "Don't worry, sir, I will go to see my father tomorrow and ask to fight Lü Bu."