140

Who else could it be if not Xu Chu?

As Cao Cao’s personal bodyguard, Xu Chu had entered the fray to deal Liu Bei a fatal blow. However, he had not expected Guan Yu to be alongside Liu Bei. Xu Chu furrowed his brow, though this did little to dampen his combative spirit. Known as the "Tiger Madman," Xu Chu was legendary for once having grabbed a bull by its tail and dragged it backward for over a hundred paces.

Having fought shoulder to shoulder with Cao Cao, and having recently slain Xu Tu—who had been sent by Li Shao to assassinate Cao Cao—Xu Chu enjoyed Cao Cao’s utmost trust. Furthermore, as Cao Cao’s elite bodyguard, his martial prowess was not to be underestimated.

Even so, Xu Chu found it difficult to hold his ground against the combined might of Guan Yu and Liu Bei. After engaging in over thirty intense bouts with the pair, Xu Chu showed no signs of falling behind, yet he gradually sensed a growing fatigue and dared not prolong the engagement recklessly.

After all, the reputation of Lord Guan Er was well-established. Initially, Xu Chu’s objective was merely to surround and capture Liu Bei alive, but under the ferocious onslaught of Guan Yu, he found himself hard-pressed to prevail. Nor was it comfortable for Guan Yu’s side; although they had the upper hand against Xu Chu, they were beset by wave upon wave of hostile troops. Both Guan Yu and Liu Bei had already sustained numerous wounds.

Fearing that continued combat with Xu Chu would allow the incoming Cao army to encircle them completely, Liu Bei let out a mighty roar, swung his long arms, and thrust his twin swords toward Xu Chu from both flanks. Xu Chu braced his blade horizontally across his saddle to meet them, while Guan Yu’s Green Dragon Crescent Blade seized the moment to slash directly at Xu Chu’s waist and abdomen. Startled, Xu Chu leaned backward, then spun sharply.

To his astonishment, Liu Bei and Guan Yu began retreating toward the rear. The two formidable generals spurred their horses into a gallop, leaving behind a trail of Cao soldiers' corpses and rivers of blood. Xu Chu whipped his mount into pursuit, but Guan Yu wheeled around to block him, completely suppressing Xu Chu with a flurry of strikes. Seeing that Liu Bei had escaped safely, Guan Yu forced Xu Chu back with a single sweeping blow, turned, and fled.

Realizing that blocking them was impossible after a prolonged chase and multiple indecisive clashes, Xu Chu let out a long sigh.

Without wasting words, Guan Yu and Liu Bei headed north to defect to Li Shao.

Meanwhile, Zhang Fei had broken out of Cao’s camp single-handedly. Remembering Liu Bei’s parting words before the battle—that a defeat would likely force them to seek refuge with Li Shao—and knowing they could no longer return to Xuzhou, our dear friend Zhang Fei also galloped straight toward Jizhou.

All three peach-garden sworn brothers had gone to defect to Li Shao. Ah, our dear friend Liu "The Runner" was truly ill-fated.

***

On the very evening of Liu Bei’s defeat, Li Miao returned joyfully to Lujiang with his top general, Wu Anguo, only to be greeted first by a piece of news that left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"What did you say?" Li Miao asked Li Yin, half-amused and half-exasperated. "Lord Qiao has specially invited me to a banquet?"

"Indeed so," Li Yin replied. "Your Majesty, if we can forge an alliance with Lord Qiao, it will be immensely beneficial to us."

"After all, Lord Qiao was an official of the Han court in the past and is now a prominent member of a prestigious lineage in Wan City. Aligning with the gentry clans carries immense advantages," Li Yin said, his tone carrying a subtle implication.

"What advantages?"

Li Miao was thoroughly amused. Li Yin was still dwelling on the tall tales Li Miao had once spun. Li Yin genuinely believed that Li Miao intended to capture Lujiang, and taking Lujiang naturally required cultivating good relations with the local gentry and aristocratic families. It seemed Li Yin had been harboring this thought all along.

Yet, current reality was that Li Miao was merely a general who had surrendered Lujiang—though no one had actually surrendered to him yet, why on earth would the gentry pay him such heed? Just think back to how difficult it had been for Liu Xun to borrow provisions under the influence of the "evil faction" led by the Lu family; Liu Xun hadn't even been given the time of day, let alone Li Miao!

Unable to make sense of it, Li Miao simply stopped thinking about it.

"Your Majesty, if the Qiao family can voice their support for our Jiangting, our reputation in Lujiang will surely rise," Li Yin urged earnestly.

"Have you gathered any news regarding Sun Ce?" Li Miao asked, furrowing his brow and steering the conversation to another matter, having no intention of humoring Li Yin. Li Miao curled his lip; why had he ever boasted so grandly in the first place?

"This..." Li Yin glanced at the burly, rugged man standing beside Li Miao. He hadn't noticed him before, but now realizing he might have spoken out of turn, Li Yin immediately clamped his mouth shut and exchanged a meaningful look. *(Note: The original text contained promotional web-novel navigation filler which has been omitted).*

"It's all right, Uncle. You may speak freely. From now on, Tenglan is one of our comrades-in-arms," Li Miao said with a light laugh, catching Li Yin's gesture and signaling him to continue.

Comrades-in-arms? Li Yin felt a momentary daze. What kind of terminology was that? Still, the literal meaning of "comrade-in-arms" was easy enough to grasp. Realizing that this man was considered one of their own, and trusting Li Miao’s judgment, Li Yin said no more.

These words, however, moved Wu Anguo deeply. Who was he? Once a subordinate general under Kong Rong, now a reclusive hermit in Lujiang, whose former lord was currently holding office under Cao Cao. Under normal circumstances, Li Miao should never have allowed him to overhear top-secret military matters immediately after his defection. Yet, after his dramatic arrival, Li Miao had shown not a shred of suspicion. Upon returning to Lujiang for the first time, Li Miao displayed the magnanimity of a true lord.

A sense of profound astonishment filled Wu Anguo's heart. Ever since Li Miao cured his severed wrist, Wu Anguo had revered him as his true lord, viewing him as a man of miraculous capabilities. For a lord to place such unwavering trust in his followers—how could such a man fail to achieve great things? Wu Anguo was overjoyed.

"Your Majesty, according to our scouts, Sun Ce is indeed mobilizing his troops," Li Yin continued. "In accordance with Your Majesty's directives, our men have also discovered that Huang Zu of Jiangxia is actively preparing for war. It appears a conflict between Jiangdong and Jiangxia is imminent."

A flicker crossed Li Miao’s brow. Huang Zu of Jiangxia reacted swiftly indeed; the moment Sun Ce mobilized, Huang Zu immediately prepared to meet the threat. It seemed that ever since witnessing Sun Ce conquer Jiangdong, Huang Zu hadn't been able to sleep a wink.

Considering that a ferocious tiger lived right next door—and that you had killed that tiger's father—Li Miao truly felt a chill down Huang Zu's spine.

"What about the areas around Haihun and Shangliao?" Li Miao asked with a furrowed brow. Knowing the movements in Haihun and Shangliao would greatly aid his strategic judgments.

"Your Majesty, the scouts sent to Shangliao have not yet returned. We will likely have to wait another couple of days," Li Yin replied in a deep voice.

***

"Ah, Uncle, come, come. Let me make an introduction," Li Miao said, rising to his feet and gesturing toward Li Yin as he introduced him to Wu Anguo. "Tenglan, this is my uncle, His Highness the Prince of Fu."

"Anguo pays his respects to Your Highness the Prince of Fu," Wu Anguo said, offering a formal bow upon hearing Li Miao. Ever since bringing him back, Li Miao had led him straight to the study to confer with Li Yin without even giving him a moment to sit and rest.

"Anguo?" Li Yin initially accepted the bow with a calm demeanor, but as he looked at Wu Anguo, something about his appearance seemed strangely familiar. Hearing the name once more, Li Yin gave a start and asked again,

"Anguo?"

"You... you are?" Li Yin lowered his gaze to look at Wu Anguo's arms, growing flustered. "You are Wu Anguo?"

"It is indeed Anguo," Wu Anguo replied, bowing his head. "My last fleeting meeting with Your Highness the Prince of Fu was nine years ago."

Back when Li Yin accompanied Li Shu during the joint campaign of the eighteen feudal lords against Dong Dong, Li Yin and Wu Anguo had had no real opportunity to become acquainted. However, because Wu Anguo had bravely stepped forward before the battle lines to fight Lu Bu for over a dozen rounds before having his wrist severed by Lu Bu, he had rightfully earned a reputation as a fierce warrior. While figures like Mu Shun and Fang Yue had been slain by Lu Bu within a mere few exchanges, Wu Anguo’s ability to survive over ten bouts against Lu Bu without being killed was ample proof that his prowess was by no means inferior to Zhang Xun's.

The allied lords' generals had rescued Wu Anguo, and it was precisely because of this event that Li Yin had caught a fleeting glimpse of him—which explained why Wu Anguo looked so familiar to him now.

"No, that's impossible!" Li Yin felt as though his worldview was collapsing. Could a person's severed hand actually grow back?

Li Yin looked down at Wu Anguo's hands again, confirming that, yes, there were two perfectly intact hands.

"Impossible." Li Yin looked toward Li Miao, searching for an answer in his eyes.

In truth, when Wu Anguo had first witnessed this, his own state of mind must have been much the same. But because Li Miao had instilled such immense hope in him from the start, Wu Anguo felt that it would only have been surprising if Li Miao *couldn't* cure him. Thus, once his hand was restored, Wu Anguo felt only joy and gratitude, lacking Li Yin's utter loss of composure.

"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?" Li Yin blurted out.

"Haha, who knows how Wu Anguo's hand grew back? It must be the blessing of the divine spirits. Over the span of ten years, it simply grew out anew," Li Miao laughed heartily, pointing at Wu Anguo. "Uncle, if you don't believe me, ask him yourself."

"If not for this recent hunting trip in the mountains with Ziyi, how else could I have encountered such a fine general? Truly, Heaven is smiling upon us!"

Playing along with his lord's absurd fabrication, Wu Anguo nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Your Highness the Prince of Fu! I hardly know how it happened myself—my hand simply grew back bit by bit."

Wu Anguo still remembered the solemn expression Li Miao wore when reattaching his hand, and he knew that the miraculous recovery of his wrist had to be covered up with some plausible excuse.

Li Yin's mouth twitched. *Who are you trying to fool? It grew back by itself? A severed hand growing back after ten years? No one in their right mind would ever believe that!*

Yet, Li Yin quickly collected himself. Since Wu Anguo had pledged himself to the emperor, and his severed wrist had been miraculously healed, even a fool could deduce that it was Li Miao's doing.

"Could it be... Your Majesty possesses medical arts as well?"

"Not at all!" Li Yin felt his head spin; something about this situation didn't quite add up.

Still, given that Wu Anguo was a warrior who had once fought Lu Bu and lived to tell the tale, he would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset to Jiangting. Li Yin's expectations for his resourceful young nephew's capabilities deepened all the more.

Someone who could find a way to heal a severed wrist was certainly no ordinary man, nor was he a mere creature of the shallows.

"Since that is the case, Your Majesty, do not forget the night banquet at the Qiao estate shortly," Li Yin decided to drop the matter. After all, it was a good thing, and it was the sovereign's own doing; as a strategist, he shouldn't pry too deeply.

"The Qiao estate?" Li Miao stroked his chin as his thoughts suddenly drifted to those two little sisters, the sisters Qiao, instantly recalling the sublime thrill of his previous romantic escapades.

"I pretty much explored every inch of her, didn't I?" Li Miao feigned an air of innocence. "Poor Da Qiao, I silently grieve for you. But since you were wronged, I suppose I should let your younger sister keep you company as well."

In an instant, Li Miao’s naive and innocent expression transformed into something utterly roguish and cunning. Watching his lord's complexion shift from solemn to blankly innocent, and finally into this mischievous look, Wu Anguo wondered what kind of peculiar hobbies his lord possessed. He hurriedly spoke up:

"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."

"Go ahead." Li Miao was growing genuinely excited about the Qiao family's night banquet. He only wondered if the two Qiaos would make an appearance.

***

***

The Qiao Estate.

Two radiantly beautiful women were sitting and chatting in the back garden. The garden was filled with autumn-blooming floral varieties, bright and fluttering, bearing little difference from the vibrant blooms of spring.

"Sister, do you think General Li will come?" Xiao Qiao asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What?" Da Qiao was momentarily startled. "Why on earth would you suddenly ask about General Li? Father invited all the men of letters to a poetry gathering today, and there aren't many people in all of Lujiang—how could General Li possibly be here?" Da Qiao lowered her head, a trace of shyness coloring her cheeks.

"Hmph, sister, you can't fool me. I saw with my own eyes when you asked Father for an extra invitation card. Wasn't it meant for General Li?" Xiao Qiao teased playfully.

"Nonsense, I did no such thing! Besides, who says the person I wanted to invite was General Li?" Da Qiao chided her younger sister with a hint of vexation.

"Hee hee hee, I even saw the characters you wrote on the invitation card; you can't deny it now." Xiao Qiao sprang to her feet, placing her hands on her hips with a puffed-up expression.

"You actually peeked at my things!" Incensed, Da Qiao stood up as well, making a playful swipe at Xiao Qiao, but the younger girl nimbly darted away.

"I looked, I looked! So what if I looked?" Xiao Qiao made a face at her and bolted off in a flash.

Behind her, Da Qiao's face instantly flushed as red as an apple.

Clad in simple yet elegant white robes, Da Qiao, with her blushing cheeks, looked as delicate and breathtaking as a pristine snow lotus. Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao, hiding among the blossoms in the garden, blended with the flora like a blooming China rose, possessing a peerless and stunning beauty.

***

***

Night fell swiftly, and the time for the night banquet at the Qiao estate was fast approaching.

Clutching his invitation card, Li Miao arrived before the gates of the Qiao estate under the protection of his guards. Having his invitation verified, Li Miao was led by an attendant into the rear garden of the Qiao family. Upon entering, Li Miao was taken aback.

The open grounds within the Qiao estate's garden had been laid out with numerous low seating mats.

Many individuals dressed in scholarly robes sat cross-legged, sharing drinks and chatting amiably in a lively and harmonious atmosphere.

Li Miao looked around but caught no glimpse of the two Qiao sisters.

Guided by an attendant, Li Miao took his seat on one of the garden mats. The blooming flowers swayed in the wind before his eyes, and the festive atmosphere hummed with life.

Li Miao looked closer—*Oh mother of mine, it's all chrysanthemums...*

Too lazy to make small talk with strangers, and with others equally disinclined to approach him, Li Miao simply sat there waiting idly for the banquet to begin. After a brief wait, an elderly gentleman entered the garden, his sideburns threaded with wisps of white hair.

He announced aloud, "Since everyone has arrived, let us begin today's literary gathering."

Li Miao was stunned. *Damn it, isn't this supposed to be a night banquet? How did it turn into a literary gathering?*

*Good grief, is there no justice in this world?*

*Lord Qiao is actually making friends through poetry and literature?*

Li Miao was utterly bewildered. What business did someone like him have attending an elite gathering of scholars like a literary symposium?

Although Li Miao was the master of Jiangting and held a somewhat nominal official title bestowed by the Lujiang prefect, he was by no means counted among the refined literati of Lujiang; on the contrary, he had turned Lujiang upside down the moment he arrived.

Given Lord Qiao's lofty and aloof reputation, why on earth would he invite him?

Naturally, Li Miao had no way of knowing that his invitation card had been specifically begged of Lord Qiao by Da Qiao; other people lacked even the qualifications to dream of such an invitation.

Even Lujiang Prefect Liu Xun had not been included in the guest list for this gathering—though, of course, someone like Liu Xun wouldn't have cared for such a literary affair anyway.

Listening to Lord Qiao’s opening remarks and the roster of famous scholars in attendance, Li Miao listened closely. While he didn't recognize most of the literati present, a few names were ones he had indeed heard of before.