Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1020: Lü occupies Xudu and prepares to resist again

"Hey! Little Lu Bu, stop talking nonsense! What my elder brother said is reasonable. If you continue to be stubborn, I, Zhang Fei, will teach you a lesson today!" Zhang Fei's roar made the air around him buzz, as if even the earth was shaking.

Seeing Zhang Fei rushing towards him so aggressively, Lu Bu on the city wall frowned and a fierce look flashed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and shouted, "Shoot!" In an instant, there was a sound of bowstring, like a dense muffled thunder, and countless sharp arrows poured down towards Zhang Fei like raindrops.

The rain of arrows descended upon Zhang Fei like a black cloud, whistling with a sharp roar, obscuring the heavens and the sun. Each arrow gleamed with an icy gleam, like the claws of the god of death, ready to reap a life. Zhang Fei showed no fear. His eyes widened as he wielded his Zhangba Snake Spear with impenetrable force, forming a solid defensive barrier. With a series of crisp clinking sounds, the incoming arrows were deflected, sending sparks flying.

However, the barrage of arrows was so intense that even Zhang Fei's personal guards were not spared, with men repeatedly falling from their horses and screaming in agony. Seeing this, Liu Bei, distraught, shouted, "Third brother, don't be impulsive! Retreat!" Simultaneously, he quickly ordered his own soldiers to raise their shields, forming a shield wall to block the rain of arrows and cover Zhang Fei's retreat.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the battlefield was extremely tense, and a major battle was imminent. Soldiers on both sides gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with vigilance and murderous intent.

Liu Bei, terrified, spurred his horse forward a few paces, shouting, "Lü Bu, I, Liu Bei, am devoted to the Han Dynasty, and all I seek is to uphold the orthodox lineage. Liu Xie is being held hostage by Cao Cao, a puppet. The late emperor's orphan is the real hope for the Han Dynasty's revival. If you join us in supporting a wise ruler, you will surely go down in history. Otherwise, you are nothing more than a traitor."

Lü Bu sneered and retorted, "Liu Bei, don't try to fool me with these high-sounding words! You are merely trying to exploit this situation to strengthen yourself and seek personal gain. This Xu Capital is the foundation of my rule, Lü Bu. You will not be allowed to tamper with it!"

Zhang Fei roared with rage, his face flushing like a ripe persimmon. He glared at Lü Bu on the tower and shouted, "Lü Bu, you used to be a hero, didn't you? How come you've resorted to such despicable tactics as shooting arrows? Come out here if you dare, and let's have a fair fight!"

Lü Bu, standing atop the city wall, overheard Zhang Fei's outbursts. Instead of getting angry, he threw back his head and burst into laughter, his laughter echoing across the empty battlefield, filled with disdain. He looked down at Zhang Fei, scornfully saying, "A defeated general, you dare to act so arrogantly! Well, today I'll grant your wish. I'll fight you in a hearty battle and show you how formidable I, Lü Bu, am!" With that, he yanked his cape and tossed it away, sending it fluttering to the ground like a fallen leaf. Then, he took the Fang Tian Hua Ji from his personal guard, its tip gleaming with an icy light in the sunlight.

Lü Bu waved his hand and shouted, "Open the city gate!" With a dull creak, the heavy gate slowly swung open. Lü Bu took the lead, leading his troops out of the city like a tiger descending a mountain. The sound of their hooves was like rumbling thunder, shaking the earth slightly.

Seeing Lü Bu finally leave the city, Zhang Fei's fury intensified, the pent-up anger he'd been holding back from the rain of arrows suddenly erupting. He didn't care if he still bore the scratches from dodging the arrows. He clamped his legs against his horse's belly and charged at Lü Bu like an arrow, shouting, "Lü Bu, give me your life!" In the blink of an eye, the two men were engaged, the resounding clash of weapons threatening to rip the tense atmosphere apart.

Zhang Fei's 10-foot-tall snake spear, like a dragon emerging from the sea, pierced Lü Bu's throat with a fierce and powerful attack. Lü Bu, in turn, wielded his Fang Tian Hua Ji (Painted Halberd) like a whirlwind, its powerful wind whistling in the air. The two exchanged blows, and for a moment, it was difficult to tell who was stronger. The surrounding soldiers roared in support, their cries of battle resounding through the air.

Guan Yu was well aware of Lü Bu's formidable strength. Seeing Zhang Fei and Lü Bu engaged in a fierce battle, he worried about Zhang Fei's fate. His eyes flashed, and he thrust his Green Dragon Crescent Blade sharply forward, squeezing his legs hard against the yellow steed beneath him. The steed, seemingly understanding human nature, neighed loudly and charged like an arrow from a bow, towards the battle between Lü Bu and Zhang Fei.

Lü Bu was locked in a fierce battle with Zhang Fei. Seeing Guan Yu join the fray, he wasn't afraid. Instead, he roared with laughter as he fought, his voice echoing all around him. "Hahahaha, Liu Bei, come on too! Otherwise, the two of them can't stop me. This isn't the first time you two have come together. Come on, come on, show me what you're capable of!"

Liu Bei's face turned ashen instantly when he was mocked by Lu Bu. Anger suddenly flared up in his heart, and he subconsciously put his hand on the double-edged sword at his waist, wishing he could rush up and fight Lu Bu to the death.

Just as Liu Bei was about to make a move, Pang Tong, quick-witted and quick-handed, quickly reached out to stop him, saying sternly, "My lord, don't be impulsive! A gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall. Why bother with a lunatic like him? He's just trying to provoke you and disrupt our formation."

Liu Bei was extremely anxious, his eyes fixed on the battlefield. He said, "Sir, you don't know, but I know Lu Bu's abilities. He is extremely brave and can defeat ten thousand people. If I don't step forward to help, I am afraid that my second and third brothers will be in danger!"

Pang Tong frowned slightly, looked at Liu Bei with a determined gaze, and said, "My lord, why challenge him to such a brave man? The situation is complicated now, and we need to make a long-term plan. If you rush forward rashly, if something goes wrong, it will be a complete loss. It is better to call off the troops and make further plans."

Although Liu Bei was deeply troubled, he knew Pang Tong's words made sense. He suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth, saying, "Okay, sir! Sound the horns to withdraw!" With a resounding blast of golden bells, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, hearing the signal, each feinted and leaped out of the battle circle. Lü Bu watched Liu Bei's army retreat with the horns, a smug smile playing on his face. He paraded his might for a while before leading his troops slowly back into the city.

Liu Bei watched Lü Bu's retreating figure and vowed to himself that he would be a traitor if he didn't avenge his actions. One day, Lü Bu would pay the price for his arrogance. At this moment, he had to calm down and work with Pang Tong to figure out a way out of this increasingly complex and difficult situation.

Outside Xudu, Liu Bei's army set up camp in an orderly fashion. Inside the tents, the atmosphere was solemn. Liu Bei's three brothers, Pang Tong, and Wen Pin sat together, discussing their next strategy.

Wen Pin was the first to break the silence. His expression was calm as he spoke slowly, "Everyone, although Liu Bei and I were allies before, fighting against Cao Cao, we are now determined to seize Xu Du. Since that's the case, why not give Xu Du to him for now? We can bypass Xu Du and continue pursuing Cao Ang. There's no need to engage him here any longer."

After hearing Wen Pin's words, Liu Bei frowned slightly and did not express his opinion immediately. He fell into deep thought.

At this point, Pang Tong took over the conversation, his expression serious. "General Wen, Lü Bu is a fickle villain, as everyone must know. His current stance clearly shows he's trying to emulate Cao Cao's tactics of 'holding the emperor hostage to control the princes.' And my lord, your long-held ambition has always been to overthrow Liu Xie, who is controlled by Cao Cao, and support the late emperor's orphan to succeed him, thereby reviving the Han Dynasty. This is in stark conflict with Lü Bu's intentions. If we truly bypass Xu Du and attack Yanzhou, I'm afraid Lü Bu will be wary of us from behind, and might even cut off our retreat. Then, we'll be attacked from both sides."

Zhang Fei's face flushed with anxiety when he heard this. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "What should we do? Should we just let Lü Bu run rampant in Xudu? I, Zhang Fei, simply cannot bear this!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and, after a moment's silence, said, "Third brother, don't be impulsive. The military advisor is absolutely right. We must be on guard against Lü Bu. But giving up now is not a good idea either. We need to devise a foolproof plan that will allow us to continue pursuing Cao Ang while also guarding against Lü Bu's hidden agenda."

Liu Bei pondered for a long time before slowly speaking, "Since Lü Bu insists on supporting Liu Xie, he's undoubtedly standing against us and becoming our enemy. In the current situation, whether or not to attack Cao Cao isn't the most crucial issue. Even if we defeat Cao Cao, Yuan Shao still dominates the north, Ma Chao commands a powerful army in Xiliang, and Sun Quan in Jiangdong holds a separate position, each of whose power cannot be underestimated. Even Liu Jingsheng, head of the imperial clan, has an ambiguous attitude towards us. And I'm determined to support the late emperor's orphan. To achieve this, I must first dethrone Liu Xie from his position as emperor. Therefore, the most important thing right now is to see who has Liu Xie, and that's the one we'll have to fight against."

Having said that, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh slightly. Thinking of the many enemies ahead, he didn't know which way to go. For a moment, he was also a little confused.

Everyone in the tent nodded silently, their expressions solemn. They all understood that Liu Bei's words were true. The situation in the world was complicated, with various forces intertwined. It was no easy task to fulfill the ambition of supporting the late emperor's orphan.

After a long pause, Liu Bei took a deep breath, as if expelling all his confusion and worries. His eyes gradually grew resolute. He looked around at everyone and spoke loudly, "Everyone! We don't need to be overly concerned with the gains and losses of a single city or territory. Our ultimate goal is to force Liu Xie to abdicate, place the late emperor's orphan on the throne, and revive the Han Dynasty. Now, Lü Bu is attempting to emulate Cao Cao and manipulate the emperor for his own gain. We must defeat Lü Bu to achieve this goal."

Zhang Fei was filled with passion upon hearing this. He waved his fist and said, "Brother, you're right! I, Zhang Fei, will be the first to charge forward and will beat the living crap out of Lü Bu!"

Guan Yu nodded slightly, his eyes showing determination: "Don't worry, big brother, my third brother and I will definitely assist you with all our strength and fight Lu Bu to the death."

Pang Tong stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying, "Since my lord has made up his mind, we must act without delay. Lü Bu has occupied Xudu, and the city is well-fortified and well-moored. We cannot attack by force. We must first ascertain his troop deployments, food reserves, and other details before formulating a detailed battle plan. We must also monitor the movements of other surrounding forces and guard against them taking advantage of our situation."

Wen Pin also bowed and said, "My Lord, I would like to lead a group of people to explore the terrain around Xudu to facilitate the movement of the army."

Liu Bei looked at the crowd, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He stood up and said gratefully, "I, Liu Bei, and the Han Dynasty are fortunate to have your help. Everyone should fulfill their duties and work together to revive the Han Dynasty. Next, we will follow the advice of Military Advisor Pang and make preparations for the battle."

After a detailed discussion in the tent, everyone took their orders and began to make intensive and orderly preparations for the upcoming battle with Lü Bu. Liu Bei knew that this would be a difficult battle, but for the sake of his ideals and the future of the Han Dynasty, he was determined to move forward bravely, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead.