Chapter 114 Guan Yu asks for battle, Qin Zhen challenges him As Guan Yu moved south, he soon arrived outside Shouchun City. When Liu Bei heard the news, he naturally came to the outside of the city early to wait. Seeing a troop of soldiers appearing in the distance, Zhang Fei said to Liu Bei happily: "Brother, the second brother is here!" Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu's flag and smiled without saying anything. There is no need for too many words to express the feelings between the three of them, everything is self-evident. But before Guan Yu led his troops to arrive, a man came out on horseback, shouting: "Envoy, Envoy!" Hearing this, Liu Bei's face changed, he squinted his eyes and looked over, suddenly overjoyed, whipped his horse and shouted: "Could it be Zilong who is coming?" It had been many years since they last met, and Liu Bei was delighted to meet his old friend again. As soon as he rode out, he saw the general dismount from his horse, kneel before him, and bow to Liu Bei, saying: "Zhao Yun greets the envoy!"

When everyone looked over, they saw that the man had a square face, was eight feet tall, had a white face and a silver spear, and looked quite imposing. When Liu Bei saw this, he quickly dismounted, grabbed Zhao Yun's hands and said: "Zilong, why be so polite! Hurry up and get up!" He helped Zhao Yun up and said with a smile: "Since we parted, I have been thinking about you every day. I heard that you left Gongsun Bogui and wanted to invite Zilong to join us in this great cause!" "What a waste of years!" "Now that I have heard what the military advisor said, and I think Zilong should go into government, I have the audacity to invite you!" "I didn't expect Zilong to come. I'm so happy. I'm so happy!" As he spoke, he looked Zhao Yun up and down and sighed: "I didn't expect that after not seeing you for a few years, Zilong has become increasingly thinner!" He explained the whole story and expressed his concern. Zhao Yun was deeply moved and could not help but stand up and say: "Thank you for your concern, sir. Actually, Yun Yi has long intended to go south." "However, I am bound by my family and cannot be free. I have even made you come to invite me. I am really ashamed!" In between words, he briefly recounted his experience. It turned out that since meeting Liu Bei that year, Zhao Yun had long intended to follow him, but unfortunately he was still under the command of Gongsun Zan at that time and had no freedom. Later, because of the death of his brother, he had to leave Gongsun Zan's army. For several years, he stayed at home and wanted to come out again, but Gongsun Zan was stubborn and refused to summon him. Yuan Shao also had a grudge against Gongsun Zan, so although Yuan Shao tried to recruit him many times, Zhao Yun refused to accept the invitation. It was not until Liu Bei's messenger went north that Zhao Yun, upon seeing Liu Bei summoning him, went south with his good brother Xiahou Lan. After arriving in Pei State, he heard that Liu Bei had already led his army to war, so he had no choice but to stay in Xiang County. Later, when Guan Yu received the transfer order, he immediately raised his troops. Thinking that Zhao Yun must want to see Liu Bei, he asked Zhao Yun if he wanted to go with him. Zhao Yun immediately agreed and went south with the army. When they arrived outside Shouchun City, Zhao Yun saw Liu Bei standing in front of him. Naturally, he couldn't help but took the lead and stepped forward to greet him. Liu Bei listened to Zhao Yun's experience and couldn't help but sigh: "It's really sad that my brother Bogui doesn't know Zilong's ability!" "If I had known that Zilong was going to come out, I would have invited him earlier. Why did Zilong waste several years in vain?"

To be honest, he was really a little emotional now. Before Zhao Yun left, he once said to him: "I will never betray my virtue!" He thought it would be difficult for him to meet Zhao Yun in this life. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun really stopped serving as an official and has been waiting until now. This shows how loyal and righteous Zhao Yun is! Thinking of this, Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun's expression and said: "When I first met Zilong, I felt reluctant to leave." "I am so lucky to meet you today. I will never let you down in my life!" Zhao Yun saw this and also bowed and said: "He traveled all over the country, choosing a master to serve, but none was as good as you." "Now that I am able to accompany you, I can celebrate my life together. Even if I die, I will have no regrets!" While the two were talking, Guan Yu had already arrived with his troops. Seeing Liu Bei and Zhao Yun like this, he stroked his beard and smiled: "I said I would bring you here, but I didn't expect Zilong to get here first!" Zhao Yun listened, turned around and bowed, saying: "Because I saw the envoy in front of me, I couldn't help myself." As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Fei behind Liu Bei and smiled again: "I haven't seen you for a few years. General Zhang, do you still remember me?" Zhang Fei grinned and said: "I can't remember others, but how can Zilong not remember?" "I was afraid that Zilong would forget, so I didn't dare to go forward and greet him!" When he said this, everyone burst into laughter. Liu Bei immediately held Zhao Yun in one hand and Guan Yu in the other: "This is not a place for jokes. Second disciple Long, you can come into the city with me!" After saying that, he pulled everyone into the mansion. Inside the mansion, Qin Zhen had already had a banquet prepared. As soon as everyone arrived at the mansion, Guan Yu saw Qin Zhen, bowed and called him military advisor. Qin Zhen nodded in agreement, and the two had a very pleasant conversation. When Zhao Yun saw this, he was surprised. He thought that he had never seen this person before and did not expect that he could be so respected by Guan Yu. While he was surprised, Qin Zhen looked at him and asked: "General Guan, who is this?" As soon as he asked the question, before Guan Yu could say anything, Liu Bei stepped forward and said with a smile; "I haven't introduced him to the military advisor yet, this person is my old friend, Zhao Zilong from Changshan!"

After that, he smiled at Zhao Yun and said: "Zilong, you don't know this, this is our military advisor Qin Zhen, Qin Zixuan!" When Zhao Yun heard this, he was about to step forward to greet him, but suddenly he realized what was happening and was immediately shocked: "Could it be that the military advisor is the talented Qilin?" When Qin Zhen saw his appearance, he couldn't help but think that Zhao Yun was really handsome. He is not the kind of person with handsome facial features, but his whole person is very heroic, with a white robe, a silver spear, a broad mouth, and a strong character. He is by no means comparable to the popular young actors in later generations. Hearing Zhao Yun say this nickname again, he could only smile helplessly and said: "It's just an empty title, don't worry about it!" "I have heard that the Lord praised Zilong for his loyalty and bravery. Today I see that he is indeed extraordinary!" "I have prepared a banquet to welcome you all!" After hearing this, Liu Bei smiled and invited everyone to the banquet. On the way, Guan Yu met Yuan Huan and greeted him again. After the ceremony, everyone took their seats. Liu Bei thought of the good friend Zhao Yun had just mentioned and asked: "I just heard Zilong say that an old friend was coming, why is he not here now?" When Zhao Yun heard this, he stood up and bowed, saying: "I was just trying to introduce myself to the envoy, but I couldn't get my mouth open, and I couldn't get all the way here!" He really wanted to introduce Xiahou Lan just now, but unfortunately Liu Bei did not give him the chance, resulting in Xiahou Lan never appearing. When Liu Bei heard this, he shook his head and laughed: "If he is Zilong's friend, he is also Bei's friend. How can I neglect him? You can call him in to see me!" After hearing this, Zhao Yun stood up and apologized, and went outside the mansion to call Xiahou Lan in. Speaking of Xiahou Lan, according to his original life story, he actually had a very tortuous experience. He first surrendered to Yuan Shao, and after Yuan Shao was defeated, he joined Cao Cao. Later he was captured by Zhao Yun in Bowang and joined Liu Bei's army. And now, because of Qin Zhen's butterfly effect, Zhao Yun went south ahead of schedule, and naturally brought Xiahou Lan with him. I saw that Xiahou Lan was not thinner than Zhao Yun. He was over seven feet tall, with a dark complexion and bright eyes. After paying respect to Liu Bei, Liu Bei nodded and praised: "If you are a brave and resolute person, please take a seat!" Xiahou Lan thanked him repeatedly and took the last seat opposite Zhuge Jin. At that moment, all the civil and military officials under Liu Bei's command were gathered together, and Liu Bei was very happy, so he feasted for a while. It was not until the next day that he gathered everyone together to discuss the strategy of advancing. After listening to the details of how Liu Bei, assisted by Qin Zhen, defeated Ji Ling and captured Shouchun, and persuaded Sun Ce and Lu Bu to retreat, Guan Yu stood up and said: "I was on the road when I heard that my third brother and Wen Xiang had captured several cities." "Even if Lü Bu and Sun Ce are gone, our army will continue to make efforts. Although I am not talented, I am willing to lead the army to conquer the cities for you!" Before Qin Zhen came, Guan Yu was Liu Bei's sharp knife. Guan Yu was the one who carried out all the tasks, while Zhang Fei stayed behind.

But after Qin Zhen came, Guan Yu was often on the bench. He was guarding Xiaopei in the Battle of Xia Pi, and was guarding Xiang County in the Battle of Shouchun. Now that he has finally led the troops here, he is eager to fight and make achievements. Seeing Guan Yu actively seeking a fight, Liu Bei looked at Qin Zhen and smiled; "The military advisor said that we can only discuss the military affairs after Yunchang arrives. Now that Yunchang has arrived, I wonder if we can fight?" When Qin Zhen saw this, he asked Guan Yu: "General Guan, please know that if our army wants to take Huainan, we have two options: one is to go south to take Hefei, and the other is to go west to attack Xincai!" "It is easy to take Hefei, but difficult to take Xincai!" "But our main force is now exhausted and unable to advance westward, so I have discussed with my lord that we need to send a general to lead the troops westward in order to be effective." "Now that General Guan has arrived, it is time to march forward. I wonder where the general would like to take?" Guan Yu listened to this and stroked his beard and smiled: "What do you mean, military advisor? If you need a general to march west, then I should go first!" "That place in Hefei that is easy to take, Guan is unwilling to take it!" But as soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhen shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't believe in General Guan's ability, it's just that Xincai is too important." "Yuan Shu's army has stored money and food here, and there are 5,000 soldiers stationed here." "If we can capture this place, our army will be able to hold Huainan firmly!" "If we fail to capture this place, our army will be in vain!" "Besides, we cannot take Xincai alone this time, we must also take Ruyin. The Ruyin defender Lu Mian is also a general under Yuan Shu. He is well versed in military tactics and has thousands of soldiers." "Although General Guan is capable, he may not be able to take this place, so I suggest that you go south, what do you think?" Seeing Qin Zhen like this, Guan Yu was displeased and said: "Military advisor, don't encourage others to be more powerful and destroy your own prestige!" "I only see a few thousand soldiers and horses as worthless. How can you say I can't take them?" "Military advisor, please stop trying to persuade me. The mission of advancing westward belongs to me alone!" Seeing this, Liu Bei was worried that Guan Yu might underestimate the enemy, so he said: "Second brother, why don't you listen to the master's advice and go south? Xincai is for you to take!" When Guan Yu heard this, he said to Liu Bei: "Brother, if you don't believe in my ability, how can you not believe it?" "I am here with my troops to help you capture cities and territories. Although Xincai is difficult to capture, I am not afraid. Why don't you believe me?" Seeing Guan Yu like this, Liu Bei immediately looked at Qin Zhen helplessly. When Qin Zhen saw this, he said to everyone: "Well, if General Guan is willing to go, then go ahead!" Then he looked at everyone and said: "General Guan wants to leave, who will be his deputy?"

Xu Sheng saw this and was about to stand up, but Qiao Rui stood up first and said: "Military Advisor, I am willing to be your deputy general!" Guan Yu saw that Qiao Rui was willing to go, so he nodded and said: "General Youqiao, go and take this city!" Seeing Qin Zhen like this, Liu Bei had no choice but to agree to Guan Yu's request and let him go to capture Xia Cai. Guan Yu took the order and left. The mission to go south was naturally handed over to Liu Bei. After the meeting, he pulled Qin Zhen aside and sighed: "Military Advisor, you don't know my second brother's personality. If you don't want him to go, he will definitely go!" "The matter of Xincai concerns the lifeblood of our army. How can we treat it as a joke?" As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhen smiled and said: "Don't you believe that General Guan can take Xincai?" Seeing Qin Zhen's condition, Liu Bei suddenly said in surprise: "What does this mean, Military Advisor? Wasn't he worried just now?" Speaking of trust, how could he not trust Guan Yu? He was only worried because what Qin Zhen said was important. Now, this guy asked back. When Qin Zhen saw this, he shook his head and laughed: "It's not that I'm worried about this, but because General Guan has come from afar this time, he must want to make achievements, so I think I should contribute to his success." "But I am worried that General Guan might be too greedy for merit and make reckless advances, so I am here to provoke him. It's not that I don't believe in General Guan's ability!" This is the difference between using Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei is a fierce general, while Guan Yu is a commander. To be honest, Guan Yu is not as useful as Zhang Fei to Qin Zhen. Because Zhang Fei focuses on being obedient without being reckless, while Guan Yu has his own ideas. If you want to use Zhang Fei, you have to make sure everything is in place; if you want to use Guan Yu, you have to give full play to his subjective initiative. Therefore, provoking the general is the best method, which can both arouse Guan Yu's fighting spirit and ensure that Guan Yu does not underestimate the enemy and advance rashly. As for whether he could capture Xincai, he was not worried. If Guan Yu could not even take Xincai, he would not be worthy of the title of Second Master. "So that's how it is. The military advisor really has good intentions!" After hearing the explanation, Liu Bei sighed again, and in his sigh, he said with some worry: "Although the military advisor is trying to motivate me, I am still a little worried that my second brother will not be able to accomplish his goal!" "It's alright, let Xu Wenxiang lead 3,000 soldiers to support us!" After some thought, Qin Zhen suggested to Liu Bei: "If General Guan takes Shangcai first, then let Xu Wenxiang seize Ruyin when the opportunity arises." "If General Guan takes Ruyin first, then both cities can be taken. Then Wenxiang can go and take Yangquan and Liaoxian to help General Guan!" After hearing this, Liu Bei nodded in agreement. After Guan Yu left, he asked Xu Sheng to lead 3,000 soldiers and horses to prepare to leave the city. (End of this chapter)