Liu Bei POV
“Ah yes,” Just then, Chen Dao thought of something and spoke up, “Lord Guan Yu said she would receive us but where would she be?”
“Ah… Let me see… I don’t think she specified a location. Maybe the city gates?”
“Ah, could it be that Yun Chang and the rest are currently in the 2 patches of forest on either side of the road we are on now?” Chen Dao suggested.
“Ahem, that’s not too likely.” Yuan Zhi replied as she cleared her throat, “As you can see, the trees are all barren and it’s impossible to hide anyone.”
“No, it’s still possible.” Zi Long said as she carved a line in the dirt road with her spear, “The ground is soft here and there are a lot of leaves on the forest floor so they might be lying down on the ground waiting to scare us.”
“Hahaha, that’s way too ludicrous.” I laughed as I tried to imagine how Yun Chang and Feng Xian were lying down on the floors with serious faces as they waited to scare us, “Don’t mess around, that is impossible. Given Yun Chang’s personality, she would definitely choose to receive us from the front.”
“Un, that does make sense.” Zi Long agreed immediately.
But from the front huh… To be honest, I had given the most sneaky and dastardly role for the final battle to her. She did not say anything back then but she must feel terrible inside.
“Ah, I see Lord Guan Yu and the rest.”
When I heard Zi Long’s words, I instinctively looked up and saw 2 groups of troops waiting for us at the end of the forest with Feng Xian and Yun Chang at the head of each group.
“Looks like it’s the most ordinary method of receiving us huh?” Chen Dao said as she smiled at me.
“Come on, let’s get going. Jia!” I said and commanded my horse to gallop forth. I am not riding Dilu today as usual and everyone around me has better horsemanship so they would undoubtedly be able to overtake me shortly. But they did not do so and allowed me to ride at the front.
“Xuan De, your horsemanship has not improved at all huh. Could it be that you can only tap into your potential in the heat of battle?”
Wu. Of course, Zi Long’s tongue is the same as ever.
“Xuan De.”
“Big brother.”
Feng Xian and Yun Chang saw us and rode over as they greeted me.
“Feng Xian, Yun Chang.” I returned the greeting and looked them over, “Are you both doing alright?”
“Yes.”
“I did sustain a few small injuries in the battle but I am fine now.” Yun Chang said as she patted her and looked at each of us in turn, “You’re all here huh… Ah, Yi De came as well.”
“Ah, un.” Yi De frowned as she replied and nodded. Yun Chang looked at me and I smiled stiffly at her upon which she too responded with her own stiff smile.
“By the way, is it just the 2 of you?”
“Ah yes, most of our troops are in the empty space outside of Fan city.” Yun Chang said as she pointed behind.
“The 2 of us came out to receive you first.” Feng Xian said as she looked down, “Red Hare couldn’t wait.”
*Wang*! Red Hare barked as it poked its head out of Feng Xian’s breastplate.
“But we’re…” Yun Chang said as she looked behind us, “Big brother, where are your troops?”
“Ah, we didn’t bring any–”
“What?!” Yun Chang seemed alarmed at my words and exchanged glances with Feng Xian before cautiously surveying the surroundings.
“Ah… What’s the matter?”
“No…” Yun Chang shook her head and finished scanning the surroundings before she continued, “We can’t stay here for long. Let’s return to our troops.”
She’s being so cautious and prudent, but why?
“Did something happen?” Zi Long asked.
“Let’s talk as we ride.” Yun Chang said as she turned her horse around and led the way at a faster pace. Zi Long and I exchanged glances before following behind her.
“If my guess is correct…” Yuan Zhi suddenly spoke up and looked about just as Yun Chang and Feng Xian did.
“Un? What’s the matter?”
“Un… As expected.” Yuan Zhi nodded as she pointed in the distance, “There’s a cave in the mountains over there. I’m afraid there are bandits.”
Eh? I looked in the direction where she pointed but all I saw were ordinary mountains.
“Xuan De, look at the center of the mountains, do you see some black smoke coming out?”
Un… Ah. I finally noticed this thanks to Yuan Zhi’s help and nodded at her, “Could that be from the bandits?”
“Yes, that is indeed the case.” Yun Chang answered as she slowed down and rode beside us.
“Yun Chang?” I looked at the mountains and then at Yun Chang, “Did you know about this already?”
“Of course we do.” Feng Xian said as she turned back with a calm expression, “We even had interactions with them just 2 days back.”
“Did they come to rob the city?”
“Yes.” Yun Chang said as she nodded at Zi Long, “Not 2 days had passed after we took the city did the bandits come to attack us. They numbered about 1-2,000 in total and we initially thought that they were Cao army reinforcements.”
“I see… Ah, b-but why did you not tell us about this?”
“Because Xinye must have been very busy the past 2 days as well.”
Ah… That is indeed the case. Literally everyone back in Xinye has been busy with various kinds of work, from reorganising the troops to relocating the commoners. And Yuan Zhi and Yi De have only just fully recovered.
“You lot were just as busy as well.” Zi Long said as she went up and hit Yun Chang’s arm lightly with a helpless expression. I understand why Yun Chang did what she did though. And she is Yun Chang after all.
“We were able to handle them on our own.” Feng Xian said with raised eyebrows.
“And… What happened in the end?”
“They didn’t know much about us and thought that we might have few troops and low morale and intended to finish us off while we were still establishing control over the city.” Yun Chang explained.
“And I finished them off with 1,000 troops.” Feng Xian added in casually.
Hahaha, looks like it ended as I expected huh?
“Lord Lu Bu was truly heroic then.” Yun Chang said as she looked at Feng Xian with respect but then immediately looked cautious once more as she continued, “But we only dealt with the bandits who came to attack the city because we had to establish control over the city so we didn’t deal with the rest of the bandits in the mountains.”
So that’s why she was being so cautious huh…
“But why didn’t they come and cause trouble while we were fighting with Li Dian and Cao Ren?” Chen Dao asked.
“I believe they were hoping that the battle would leave both sides in a critically weak state.” Yuan Zhi said as she adjusted her bandana.
“Which means that there are still some remnants in the mountains huh… In that case, we should deal with them soon or we will not be able to rest easy.”
“Un, I understand. I am planning to deal with that issue once Fan city is completely under our control.” Yun Chang said and sighed tiredly.
But if the bandits were there the entire time, then why did Li Dian and Cao Ren not try to use them? Or does it mean that they do not know of their existence?
That’s not very possible given that Fan city has been under Meng De’s jurisdiction for a while now. Even if Li Dian and Cao Ren are not aware of the bandits, the officers of the local garrison should know.
“Ah, we can see the troops now.” Chen Dao, who has the best eyesight of all of us, spotted the troops first and pointed ahead, where we could see half of our army waiting for us with familiar faces at the head.
“Oi~” When they saw us, they waved and yelled at us.
“That Guan Ping and Zhou Cang… I’m really embarrassed by this…” Yun Chang complained as she rubbed her temple.
“Everyone~ We’re coming~”
“…”
Amongst us, only Chen Dao and I waved and yelled back. The rest rode on in silence.
Liu Bei POV
“Ah yes,” Just then, Chen Dao thought of something and spoke up, “Lord Guan Yu said she would receive us but where would she be?”
“Ah… Let me see… I don’t think she specified a location. Maybe the city gates?”
“Ah, could it be that Yun Chang and the rest are currently in the 2 patches of forest on either side of the road we are on now?” Chen Dao suggested.
“Ahem, that’s not too likely.” Yuan Zhi replied as she cleared her throat, “As you can see, the trees are all barren and it’s impossible to hide anyone.”
“No, it’s still possible.” Zi Long said as she carved a line in the dirt road with her spear, “The ground is soft here and there are a lot of leaves on the forest floor so they might be lying down on the ground waiting to scare us.”
“Hahaha, that’s way too ludicrous.” I laughed as I tried to imagine how Yun Chang and Feng Xian were lying down on the floors with serious faces as they waited to scare us, “Don’t mess around, that is impossible. Given Yun Chang’s personality, she would definitely choose to receive us from the front.”
“Un, that does make sense.” Zi Long agreed immediately.
But from the front huh… To be honest, I had given the most sneaky and dastardly role for the final battle to her. She did not say anything back then but she must feel terrible inside.
“Ah, I see Lord Guan Yu and the rest.”
When I heard Zi Long’s words, I instinctively looked up and saw 2 groups of troops waiting for us at the end of the forest with Feng Xian and Yun Chang at the head of each group.
“Looks like it’s the most ordinary method of receiving us huh?” Chen Dao said as she smiled at me.
“Come on, let’s get going. Jia!” I said and commanded my horse to gallop forth. I am not riding Dilu today as usual and everyone around me has better horsemanship so they would undoubtedly be able to overtake me shortly. But they did not do so and allowed me to ride at the front.
“Xuan De, your horsemanship has not improved at all huh. Could it be that you can only tap into your potential in the heat of battle?”
Wu. Of course, Zi Long’s tongue is the same as ever.
“Xuan De.”
“Big brother.”
Feng Xian and Yun Chang saw us and rode over as they greeted me.
“Feng Xian, Yun Chang.” I returned the greeting and looked them over, “Are you both doing alright?”
“Yes.”
“I did sustain a few small injuries in the battle but I am fine now.” Yun Chang said as she patted her and looked at each of us in turn, “You’re all here huh… Ah, Yi De came as well.”
“Ah, un.” Yi De frowned as she replied and nodded. Yun Chang looked at me and I smiled stiffly at her upon which she too responded with her own stiff smile.
“By the way, is it just the 2 of you?”
“Ah yes, most of our troops are in the empty space outside of Fan city.” Yun Chang said as she pointed behind.
“The 2 of us came out to receive you first.” Feng Xian said as she looked down, “Red Hare couldn’t wait.”
*Wang*! Red Hare barked as it poked its head out of Feng Xian’s breastplate.
“But we’re…” Yun Chang said as she looked behind us, “Big brother, where are your troops?”
“Ah, we didn’t bring any–”
“What?!” Yun Chang seemed alarmed at my words and exchanged glances with Feng Xian before cautiously surveying the surroundings.
“Ah… What’s the matter?”
“No…” Yun Chang shook her head and finished scanning the surroundings before she continued, “We can’t stay here for long. Let’s return to our troops.”
She’s being so cautious and prudent, but why?
“Did something happen?” Zi Long asked.
“Let’s talk as we ride.” Yun Chang said as she turned her horse around and led the way at a faster pace. Zi Long and I exchanged glances before following behind her.
“If my guess is correct…” Yuan Zhi suddenly spoke up and looked about just as Yun Chang and Feng Xian did.
“Un? What’s the matter?”
“Un… As expected.” Yuan Zhi nodded as she pointed in the distance, “There’s a cave in the mountains over there. I’m afraid there are bandits.”
Eh? I looked in the direction where she pointed but all I saw were ordinary mountains.
“Xuan De, look at the center of the mountains, do you see some black smoke coming out?”
Un… Ah. I finally noticed this thanks to Yuan Zhi’s help and nodded at her, “Could that be from the bandits?”
“Yes, that is indeed the case.” Yun Chang answered as she slowed down and rode beside us.
“Yun Chang?” I looked at the mountains and then at Yun Chang, “Did you know about this already?”
“Of course we do.” Feng Xian said as she turned back with a calm expression, “We even had interactions with them just 2 days back.”
“Did they come to rob the city?”
“Yes.” Yun Chang said as she nodded at Zi Long, “Not 2 days had passed after we took the city did the bandits come to attack us. They numbered about 1-2,000 in total and we initially thought that they were Cao army reinforcements.”
“I see… Ah, b-but why did you not tell us about this?”
“Because Xinye must have been very busy the past 2 days as well.”
Ah… That is indeed the case. Literally everyone back in Xinye has been busy with various kinds of work, from reorganising the troops to relocating the commoners. And Yuan Zhi and Yi De have only just fully recovered.
“You lot were just as busy as well.” Zi Long said as she went up and hit Yun Chang’s arm lightly with a helpless expression. I understand why Yun Chang did what she did though. And she is Yun Chang after all.
“We were able to handle them on our own.” Feng Xian said with raised eyebrows.
“And… What happened in the end?”
“They didn’t know much about us and thought that we might have few troops and low morale and intended to finish us off while we were still establishing control over the city.” Yun Chang explained.
“And I finished them off with 1,000 troops.” Feng Xian added in casually.
Hahaha, looks like it ended as I expected huh?
“Lord Lu Bu was truly heroic then.” Yun Chang said as she looked at Feng Xian with respect but then immediately looked cautious once more as she continued, “But we only dealt with the bandits who came to attack the city because we had to establish control over the city so we didn’t deal with the rest of the bandits in the mountains.”
So that’s why she was being so cautious huh…
“But why didn’t they come and cause trouble while we were fighting with Li Dian and Cao Ren?” Chen Dao asked.
“I believe they were hoping that the battle would leave both sides in a critically weak state.” Yuan Zhi said as she adjusted her bandana.
“Which means that there are still some remnants in the mountains huh… In that case, we should deal with them soon or we will not be able to rest easy.”
“Un, I understand. I am planning to deal with that issue once Fan city is completely under our control.” Yun Chang said and sighed tiredly.
But if the bandits were there the entire time, then why did Li Dian and Cao Ren not try to use them? Or does it mean that they do not know of their existence?
That’s not very possible given that Fan city has been under Meng De’s jurisdiction for a while now. Even if Li Dian and Cao Ren are not aware of the bandits, the officers of the local garrison should know.
“Ah, we can see the troops now.” Chen Dao, who has the best eyesight of all of us, spotted the troops first and pointed ahead, where we could see half of our army waiting for us with familiar faces at the head.
“Oi~” When they saw us, they waved and yelled at us.
“That Guan Ping and Zhou Cang… I’m really embarrassed by this…” Yun Chang complained as she rubbed her temple.
“Everyone~ We’re coming~”
“…”
Amongst us, only Chen Dao and I waved and yelled back. The rest rode on in silence.
