Chapter 254: The heroic Chen Deng and Qin Zhen are here! While Lu Bu was plotting against Chen Deng, Chen Deng was actually also plotting against Lu Bu. The reason for this is that Chen and his son were determined to expel Lu Bu from Xuzhou. Since being exiled to Guangling by Lu Bu last year, Chen Deng has gathered the troops of local powerful people and combined with his uncle Chen Yu's troops, and now has more than 10,000 soldiers. After obtaining the troops, Chen Deng wanted to do something, but neither Cao Cao nor Liu Bei had any intention of seizing Xuzhou. So Chen Deng had been quietly accumulating strength, waiting for the opportunity to help Liu Bei defeat Lu Bu. Unexpectedly, before Liu Bei could enter Xuzhou, he received news that Lu Bu was preparing to march south to launch a surprise attack on Liu Bei. Faced with this situation, he wanted to send troops to help Liu Bei, but he felt that the time was not right. But if he didn't send troops, he was afraid that Lu Bu would gain an early advantage and put Liu Bei in danger. After thinking it over, he could not make up his mind, so he asked someone to call Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao to discuss: "Now I have been entrusted by Lord Xuande to help him guard the rear route and prevent Lü Bu from going south." "It was originally intended that Lü Bu and Lord Xuande should form an alliance, and should not launch a large-scale attack to the south!"

"Unexpectedly, this man betrayed us and led his troops south." "Although I have sent a letter, there is no guarantee that Lord Xuande's reinforcements will arrive in time. I intend to stop Lu Bu here first. Do you have any good ideas?" Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao had always been at odds with each other, but they both respected Chen Deng. When Chen Deng asked for advice, Xu Xuan suggested to Chen Deng: "According to my humble opinion, your proposal is difficult to implement!" "Because you are now the governor of Guangling, you should not lead the army out of the country without reason." "Besides, we only have over 10,000 soldiers and horses, and it is difficult to resist Lu Bu's army." "Instead of sending troops to stop him, why not send a letter to explain the pros and cons and persuade Lu Bu to withdraw his troops." But when Chen Jiao heard this, he sneered: "Lü Bu has always been a fickle man. Now that he has sent out his troops, will he easily withdraw his troops and return?" "In my opinion, Lu Bu is jealous of you. If you try to persuade him, Lu Bu will be angry!" "Instead of trying to stop Lu Bu from going south now, it is better to station troops here and wait for the right opportunity." "I see that Liu Bei has many capable officials and generals under his command. Lü Bu may not be able to capture Jiujiang!" "Our army will wait here. If Liu Bei intends to counterattack, our army can take advantage of the situation to cut off Lu Bu's retreat." "If Liu Bei has no intention of counterattacking, then we will stay here for now and wait for the right opportunity!" Compared to Xu Xuan's good-natured character, Chen Jiao is much more practical. In his opinion, Chen Deng was just worrying about something unrelated to his own business. Liu Bei had more than 100,000 soldiers under his command, while they only had more than 10,000 soldiers in Guangling. If Liu Bei attacks Xuzhou, they can provide assistance. On the contrary, if Lu Bu launched a surprise attack on Liu Bei, that would not be something they could interfere with.

We might as well just wait here and see how things develop. If Lu Bu is defeated, we will give him a beating when he is down. If Lu Bu wins, it will be Liu Bei's own fault, not theirs. As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Deng knew that neither of them agreed to send troops to resist Lu Bu. Although he could make the decision directly, he had to take the opinions of the two important ministers into consideration. After thinking for a while, he decided to go to Guangling first to see what the situation was like and see if there was any chance to launch a surprise attack on Lu Bu's food supply route. But as soon as he made this decision, a messenger from Lu Bu came and asked him to lead the troops to help in the battle! Upon hearing the news, Chen Deng was naturally a little surprised, and then he felt strange, thinking that he had stayed in Guangling for so long, and Lu Bu had never cared about him. Why is it that now that they are going to attack Liu Bei, Lu Bu wants him to go and help? Don’t you know that he has a very good relationship with Liu Bei? He didn't know that Qin Zhen's early return had caused Lu Bu's suspicion. He couldn't figure out the reason for a while, so he summoned the two of them to discuss it. However, Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao were not as smart as Chen Deng, and it was difficult for them to work out the details at once. When Chen Deng saw this, he thought that others were unreliable and it would be better for him to go and take a look himself. However, as soon as he expressed his intention to lead an army forward, he was strongly opposed by Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao. The two men directly told Chen Deng that they would not discuss why Lu Bu asked them to go. Lu Bu himself is a fierce and ferocious person. If Chen Deng goes alone without any precautions, he will probably be in great danger! Facing the two's dissuasion, Chen Deng smiled nonchalantly and said: "Although Lu Bu is vicious, he is not a murderous person!" "He came to Xutai today and asked me to go, most likely to test me." "If I don't go, it would be a sign of cowardice, and it would give Lu Bu an excuse to march south." "It just so happens that I want to lend a helping hand to Lord Liu, so I should go to Lu Bu's army and see if there is any good opportunity!" If someone else set up the Hongmen Banquet, he would be a little afraid, but facing Lu Bu, he was not afraid at all. To put it bluntly, Lu Bu is just a paper tiger in his eyes. He looks scary, but in fact he has no deterrent power at all! Otherwise, he wouldn't look down on Lu Bu so much. But as he said this, Xu Xuan and Chen Jiao reached an agreement and refused to let him go. Finally, after the three of them had been involved for a while, Chen Jiao said to Chen Deng: "If you are not going, I will go with you!" Chen Deng also knew that Chen Jiao was too stubborn to be convinced, so he simply took Chen Jiao and his general Chen Mu with him and led 5,000 soldiers towards Xutai. Before meeting Lü Bu outside Xutai City, Chen Jiao said to Chen Deng: "Your Excellency, please go back to the palace. I will lead the troops outside. If Lu Bu dares to kill you, I will lead the generals into the palace to kill him." "Even if we are to perish together today, Lu Bu will not have an easy life!" Chen Deng saw that he looked very serious, so he smiled and said: "Ji Bi is truly my good assistant. With you here, I am not afraid of Lu Bu!" Having said that, he said goodbye to Chen Jiao and walked towards the city alone. Lü Bu had received the news long before. When he heard that Chen Deng really dared to lead his troops here, he said in surprise: "Although this person has betrayed me, he is quite courageous. Isn't he afraid that I will put him down?" Qin Song listened to his words and advised: "Perhaps we can test his true intentions by boiling a cauldron. If Chen Deng has already rebelled, we can throw him into the cauldron to avoid disaster." After hearing this, Lü Bu ordered his men to prepare a large tripod, and ordered the warriors to stand on his left and right, each holding a weapon, and then he called Chen Deng in to see him. After Chen Deng entered the city, he straightened his clothes and went straight into the mansion.

I saw two rows of majestic warriors, each holding a sword, lined up in the hall. Seeing this, Chen Deng understood what Lu Bu was up to, so he walked forward without fear and head held high. He walked straight into the hall and bowed to Lu Bu, saying: "My name is Chen Deng. It has been over a year since we last met." "I am very happy to see you again, General. I hope you will accept my respect!" When Lu Bu saw Chen Deng was still as elegant as ever, he said in a deep voice: "I heard that Yuanlong had arrived in Guangling and had been granted a title by Liu Bei and was under Liu Bei's command. Is this true?" When Chen Deng heard this, he smiled and said: "Please forgive me for not understanding Marquis Wen's intention!" "As for ascending to Guangling in the south, one is that I was appointed by the court in the past; the other is that I was sent by Marquis Wen. "This is an imperial decree, how can you accept the title from Envoy Liu?" "Furthermore, Envoy Liu has been appointed by the court as General of the Eastern Expedition to oversee the military affairs of the three states." "Not to mention Guangling, even Xuzhou is under your supervision!" "If the envoy has given the order, how can I not obey it?" "So I really don't understand what Lord Wen is asking about!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Bu slammed the table and shouted: "Good Chen Yuanlong, do you want to flirt with me?" "You have already surrendered to Liu Bei and leaked our army's orders. Now that you have been exposed, how dare you quibble?" "The tripod outside the hall is set up for you. Please enter it quickly." As he said this, his eyes were wide open, not allowing Chen Deng to explain. But when Chen Deng saw this, he laughed out loud, pointed at Lu Bu and said: "People say that Wen Hou is the bravest man in the world, but I didn't expect him to be deceived by a villain. Are you afraid of a scholar?" "Well, since Marquis Wen wants to be infamous in the future, what can I do if I fulfill Marquis Wen's wish?" Laughing loudly, he waved his sleeves, turned around and walked towards the big cauldron. Seeing this, Lu Bu raised his eyebrows, thinking, is it possible that Chen Deng is really not afraid of death? He was still thinking, but Qin Song stood up and said: "My Lord, please wait a moment before entering the cauldron. The outcome of the matter is still unknown. Why are you so impulsive?" Although he was the one who came up with the plan, Chen Deng could not be killed before he had gotten the facts straight. Because Chen Deng did not make any mistakes on the surface, and he had a very high prestige in Xuzhou. He himself is from Xuzhou. If this matter gets out, Lu Bu will be fine, but he may be accused of forcing a wise man to death! Even if he returns to his hometown in the future, he will probably be criticized by others, so he must stop Chen Deng who is now willing to die. As soon as he spoke, Chen Deng turned around and looked at him and said:

"Could it be that Qin Wenbiao from Guangling is here?" Qin Song nodded and asked directly: "Just now the Lord of the Mansion said that Marquis Wen was deceived by a villain. I wonder what he meant by that?" He wanted to give Chen Deng a chance to explain. But when Chen Deng heard this, he looked at Lu Bu coldly and said: "Now that Lord Wen doesn't believe me, my words are useless!" "Why not enter the cauldron first and preserve the reputation of Marquis Wen first!" As he said this, he ignored Qin Song and walked towards the big cauldron again. Seeing that Chen Deng came up with the intention of seeking death, Qin Song suddenly became anxious and looked at Lu Bu. Seeing Chen Deng's fearless appearance, Lu Bu was naturally shaken. Seeing that he was about to reach the tripod, he shouted: "Wait a minute, Yuanlong. I am not someone who doesn't know what is good for him." "If you really haven't betrayed me, please tell me clearly. How can I not believe you?" It was not until he spoke that Chen Deng stopped, turned around and shouted: "There is no need to distinguish these words. The clear is clear, and the turbid is turbid." "Deng was ordered by Marquis Wen to go south to Guangling, where he has governed the people ever since." "Although it is not considered hard work and encouragement, it is still considered some meritorious service." "Now that I heard that Marquis Wen is calling for you, I should not be negligent and lead my troops here immediately." "I didn't expect that Lord Wen would accuse me of colluding with the enemy without asking any clear questions. May I ask where the enemy came from and how I colluded with the enemy?" "My old father is still in Xia Pi. If I collaborate with the enemy, where will he be?" "Besides, even if we ignore this matter, if Deng really wanted to collaborate with the enemy, why would he lead his troops here?" "I believe that I am devoted to the country and have no selfish motives. Why am I so unbearable in the eyes of Lord Wen?" "Marquis Wen is the respected one. Deng dare not disobey his superior, but he cannot bear the humiliation. It is better to die here!" Having said these words, he was about to climb the stairs, ready to jump directly into the cauldron. When Lu Bu heard his words, he immediately looked ashamed. Seeing that he was still going to die, he hurriedly ordered the warriors to stop and ordered people to quickly remove the cauldron. Unexpectedly, Chen Deng failed and drew his sword to commit suicide. Lu Bu was frightened and rushed forward to stop him. He originally wanted to take the opportunity to test Chen Deng, but he didn't expect Chen Deng to be so stubborn. He had to give in for a while and persuade Chen Deng in every possible way before he finally stopped him. Because he was afraid that Chen Deng would die, he personally grabbed Chen Deng and invited him to take a seat, saying: "It's not that I don't trust Yuan Long, it's just that our army's expedition is a secret." "I was heading south with the vanguard, but I saw Zhongli had already cleared the fields and lined up to wait for us!" "I think outsiders should not know this matter first, there must be someone inside." "So I asked Wenbiao who was the accomplice. Wenbiao replied that only Yuanlong was outside. I was testing him just now, not to humiliate Yuanlong!" After he said this, Qin Song's old face turned red. He didn't expect that Lu Bu would sell him out directly! It's enough for you to know about this kind of thing, why tell it to outsiders?

When a lord becomes as bad as you are, who would be willing to be loyal and serve you! Subconsciously, he became more wary of Lu Bu. When Chen Deng heard this, he narrowed his eyes and instantly understood the whole situation. It turned out that Lu Bu did not find out that he had sent a letter to Liu Bei, but saw that Liu Bei's army was prepared and suspected that he had leaked the information. Admittedly, this matter did leak out from his hands, but Liu Bei’s army should not have reacted so quickly. It should be noted that his letter was sent directly to Liu Bei, and it has been no more than ten days since the letter was sent. No matter how fast Liu Bei reacted, it was impossible for him to clear the countryside in advance. Based on this inference, there is only one possibility: before he sent the letter, Liu Bei had already realized the danger posed by Lu Bu! Such an action may have been because Liu Bei had already sent people north and made preparations in advance. Thinking of this, Chen Deng heaved a sigh of relief and laughed loudly again: "How could Lord Wen be so unwise? The enemy is so alert, how could it be that our army leaked the secret?" "It's obvious that Jiangdong didn't act carefully, and Qin Zhen got to know him." "If my guess is correct, Qin Zhen has probably already arrived in Jiujiang!" He laughed so loudly, of course he felt happy, but Lu Bu and Qin Song were both horrified when they heard it! Chen Deng said that Qin Zhen had already arrived in Jiujiang? This news is even more terrifying than the fact that there is a traitor in their army! (End of this chapter)