NOVPUBChen Xi quietly sighed as he observed Tao Qian’s white hair and the figure that was hobbling with a cane to greet Liu Bei, reflecting on how unrelenting the passage of time truly was.
"I pay my respects to Lord Tao." Liu Bei, accompanied by Chen Xi and the rest of the entourage, greeted Tao Qian with a salute.
"Xuande is thoughtful as ever," Tao Qian said, hunched over and clutching his cane as he returned the gesture to Liu Bei, using the same appellation as in years past at Hulao Pass.
Though his body was frail as a spent candle in the wind, he still retained the spirited blood of a military general. Perhaps the recent bloodshed had allowed Tao Qian, despite his waning strength, to relive the ambiance of his youthful battles.
"Lord Tao," Liu Bei reached out to support Tao Qian, sensing that his time was running short.
"Hahaha, there’s no need for that," Tao Qian laughed heartily, yet a sense of sorrowful decline of a hero was palpable, "Come with me. The two behind you—I recognize Chen Zichuan, and this must be Jia Wenhe, the strategist who planned against Cao Mengde."
"Wenhe pays his respects to Lord Tao," said Jia Xu with a serene bow.
"Xuande, have the Danyang troops follow your units and station outside the city. Bring your civil officials and military generals with me," Tao Qian said with a nod to Jia Xu, then turned to Liu Bei, making it clear that he was passing military authority to Liu Bei.
"Lord Tao should really consider treatment first," Liu Bei said as he steadied Tao Qian, while signaling Hua Tuo with his eyes.
"No need, I know my own body. To say that my illness is deep-seated would be no exaggeration. I thought Cao Mengde and I shared a common goal, but alas..." Tao Qian said with apparent disappointment. However, compared to when Cao Cao had shattered his beliefs, he seemed much more resigned now.
"Wenhe, have you noticed something strange?" Chen Xi whispered, "Even though Tao Qian has killed off most of the disobedient Xuzhou aristocratic families, it shouldn’t be this deserted. Look, other than Tao Family’s guards, there’s Chen Deng, a few of Tao Qian’s ministers, but hardly any other aristocratic families."
"If Lord Tao Gongzu were to die at this time, who would benefit the most and who would it trouble the most?" Jia Xu quietly pondered aloud while looking towards Xiapi city’s battlements.
"Are you suggesting that someone is plotting to put Lord Tao in mortal danger at this moment?" Chen Xi frowned. If Tao Qian were to die now, even though Liu Bei would still take over Xuzhou, the blow to Liu Bei’s reputation would be significant, and more importantly, it would give many an excuse.
"Rest assured, I’ve made arrangements. With Zilong and Zhongkang at his side, even a barrage of arrows wouldn’t reach Lord Tao Gongzu," Jia Xu said calmly, "Though I don’t know who is fanning the flames behind the scenes, this presents an opportunity for us."
Though the conversation between Chen Xi and Jia Xu was in whispers and they were at a considerable distance from Zhao Yun and Xuu Chu, both men were keen of hearing and sight. After hearing Chen Xi’s question, they discreetly moved closer to Liu Bei without a word.
"Thump!" A soft noise followed as several huge, dark crossbow bolts shot towards Tao Qian and Liu Bei. Zhao Yun and Xuu Chu swiftly acted, using their Inner Qi to deflect the bolts afar. Then, Zhao Yun, wielding the Yitian Sword, leapt towards the city wall. Before landing on the ramparts, a volley of arrows rained down towards both Zhao Yun in midair and Liu Bei and the others below.
"Zilong, be careful!" Only then did Liu Bei react, shouting out loud.
Zhao Yun shifted his position in mid-air, moving several yards to the side and deftly dodging all the crossbow bolts. Then, with his right hand, he swung the Yitian Sword towards the direction of the wall, and in an instant, a dozen sword lights extinguished the lives of several soldiers who had been operating the bed crossbow and were preparing to attack Liu Bei again.
Chen Xi casually opened his folding fan and waved it at the sky full of incoming arrows, creating a strong wind that blew some of the arrows off course, while the rest were knocked down by Xuu Chu, who was swinging his great sword.
Following this, Xuu Chu charged into the black-clad troops pouring out of the city gate, wielding his great sword in powerful, sweeping arcs. Disregarding the tightly formed military formation of the enemy, he slaughtered dozens of men. Then the Tiger Guard surged forward, crushing the group of assassins and slaying nearly a hundred before taking several captives.
Jia Xu picked up an arrow, furrowed his brow, and examined the dark blue tip, "A potent poison, but strange, I knew this would happen, yet it differs from what I had estimated."
In a hidden alcove within the city gate, a Daoist accompanied by Zuo Ci’s disciple, Azui, quietly observed the actions of Liu Bei’s men as they eliminated the Death Soldiers, continuously assessing the strengths of Liu Bei’s followers.
[It seems the Mandate of Heaven should be with Liu Xuande. What remains likely belongs to Cao Mengde. The battle of Xuzhou essentially means Liu Xuande’s Mandate of Heaven has robbed the Mandate of Heaven from Cao Mengde. What would happen if a Mandate of Heaven Bearer were to be killed?] The Daoist hidden in the city gate felt a ripple of excitement as he sensed he might know how to restore the glory of his "immortal" kin.
[Neither Cao Mengde nor Liu Xuande evidently possess the capability to counteract us. Zuo Ci bets on Liu Xuande; Li Jin favors Cao Mengde. Both are men of caution, and with a host of civil officials and valiant generals, ordinary assassination tactics would undoubtedly be futile.] The Daoist thought carefully about the strengths of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and silently dismissed the idea of further probing.
[It seems I must seek another Mandate of Heaven Bearer, and I hope it’s not Yuan Benchu; otherwise, my only option would be to use Cao Cao as a weight.] The Daoist glanced over towards Zhao Yun, then swiftly averted his gaze, taking the eager-to-try Azui with him as they quickly disappeared from sight.
"Zilong, are you injured?" Liu Bei closely inspected Zhao Yun as he leapt down from the city wall.
"I am unharmed," replied Zhao Yun calmly, then slightly furrowed his brows, scanning the city gate with his Inner Qi before doubting whether he was being over-sensitive.
"I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Xuande," Tao Qian said, unfazed by the shocking scene before him and even finding the spirit to joke with Liu Bei. Yet, it was clear that a glint of cold light flashed in his eyes as he spoke; the Xuzhou aristocratic family really knew no better. Regardless of whether they had been incited by others, Tao Qian, who was already half in the grave, did not hold back in the slightest, "Xuzhou is infested with petty villains; their eradication is inexhaustible!"
Thus, Liu Bei and Tao Qian, looking indifferent to the assassins in front of the city gate, calmly led their followers towards the Xiapi Prefecture Office.
"Wen He, what did you just say?" Chen Xi asked as he followed behind Liu Bei.
"This incident is wrong, diverging greatly from what I deduced. This means someone else has interfered, but why now? And since they did interfere, why did they only attempt to probe and then cease? It’s illogical," Jia Xu said, his expression slightly gloomy.
"If it were Cao Mengde or Yuan Benchu, they would not conclude the matter so hastily if they took action. As for the other Feudal Lords, what could be the purpose of such behavior? The intensity doesn’t seem fit for an assassination but rather a probe," murmured Li Youu.
"Let’s not worry about it now. If we pin this matter on Cao Mengde and move on, we create the conditions we need, and a scattering of the aristocracy will suffice," Chen Xi said calmly, "We need not cling to this incident; better to overshoot than to fall short!"
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
