usatvline Chapter 68 A Tiger Cannot Be Tamed
Chapter 68 A Tiger Cannot Be Tamed
Corpses lay strewn across the withered grass. The Han army had won a narrow victory, but suffered heavy casualties, capturing only a little over a thousand heads.
Fortunately, Murong had at least given up his mission by killing the Xianbei general Ke Zui.
In the center of the battlefield, Zang Min, Liu Bei, and Ding Yuan reined in their horses and reunited.
Liu Bei dismounted first, bowed to Zang Min, and said, "I am Liu Bei, the magistrate of Yangle County, Liaoxi Commandery, and I greet General Zang!"
"The magistrate of Yangle County?"
"So you are: Lord Liu, the one who quelled the epidemic?"
"Why have you come to this place?"
Zang Min was astonished. He had initially thought these were Xia Yu's men, but it turned out to be Liu Bei, who had recently risen to fame.
Liu Bei recounted in detail how he discovered the great plague among the Xianbei in the east and how he sent troops to resolve the hidden dangers in Liaoxi.
This moved Ding Yuan, who was standing nearby, several times.
Even Lu Bu, who was behind him, gradually changed from disdain to taking him seriously.
Looking in the direction where Tan Shihuai had retreated, Zang Min couldn't help but sigh, "Tan Shihuai remained calm in the face of danger and did not collapse even after his army was defeated. He is truly a great ruler of the grasslands. Today, he still managed to escape unscathed."
Ding Yuan said with a wry smile, "If it weren't for Magistrate Liu's surprise attack that broke through our formation today, we probably wouldn't have made it back alive."
Zang Min nodded and said, "That's right. The Xianbei have neither a major epidemic nor a strong army; we really can't defeat them!"
Liu Bei repeatedly said it was just a coincidence, and returned the greetings one by one, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Lü Bu behind Ding Yuan.
The general, with his halberd slung diagonally across his shoulder, stood to the side, reining in his horse, his face radiating an arrogant and untamed air.
Liu Bei sighed inwardly: Although his bravery in charging into battle just now was not quite seventeen or eighteen or nineteen times as good as in his dream, it was already far superior to that of his generals!
After the Han army had finished cleaning up the battlefield, gathered the wounded soldiers and collected the remains of the fallen soldiers.
Zang Min gazed at the dust still faintly floating in the depths of the grassland, knowing full well that although Tan Shihuai had retreated, there were still scouts lurking there, and he must not linger in the border region.
He immediately ordered in a deep voice: "The entire army shall break camp and retreat to Yanmen Pass to garrison!"
With the military order given, the three Han armies set off in an orderly fashion, stepping into the majestic Yanmen Pass as the sun set.
The heavy gate slowly closed, shutting out the sandstorms and dangers from beyond the Great Wall.
Zang Min sent wine, meat, and medicine to Liu Bei, who distributed them all, allowing the soldiers who had been on the move for months to finally catch their breath.
That night, a victory celebration banquet was held at the Yanmen Pass Commander's Mansion, which was brightly lit.
Zang Min sat in the main seat and personally raised his cup to Liu Bei in a toast from afar, his tone full of undisguised appreciation.
"Xuande, you deserve the greatest credit for this great victory over Tanshihuai!"
"If it weren't for your troop reinforcements, your surprise attack on the central army, and your slaying of enemy generals and breaking through their lines, we would not only have failed to achieve this great victory, but we would probably still have been trapped and killed by Tan Shihuai beyond the Great Wall."
He put down his wine cup and said firmly, "I have already drafted a memorial, which will be sent to Luoyang tomorrow by express courier, to commemorate your merit in killing the Xianbei general Ke Zui."
"Furthermore, I will also report your previous achievements—the retreat from Queji, the surprise attack on Miga, and the campaign across thousands of miles—and strive to secure a reward worthy of your contributions!"
Liu Bei quickly rose from his seat, bowed, and said, "General, you flatter me."
"This great victory is entirely due to the skillful command of the General of the Central Army, the timely arrival of Commandant Ding, and the bravery of the soldiers. I have only fulfilled my duty to defend the territory and dare not claim credit."
During the banquet, everyone raised their glasses in toast, and Liu Bei calmly returned the toasts one by one, but his gaze repeatedly fell on Lü Bu, who was standing next to Ding Yuan.
Lu Bu, dressed in a red robe and shining armor, always kept his halberd by his side even at the banquet. He sat upright with a nonchalant arrogance on his face, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.
After several rounds of drinks, Liu Bei personally carried a wine cup to Ding Yuan and Lü Bu. He first bowed to Ding Yuan and said with a smile, "Commander Ding, you came to our aid in time and broke through Murong's flank. Your demeanor is truly admirable."
"Prepare a cup to toast the Commandant."
Ding Yuan quickly rose to return the greeting, raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp, then laughed loudly, "Xuande, you're too kind!"
"You dared to charge straight into the central army of Tan Shihuai's 30,000-strong force with only a few thousand men. I, Ding, am utterly impressed by your courage!"
The two exchanged compliments, which brought them even closer.
Liu Bei then turned to Lü Bu, raised his wine cup slightly, and said with genuine admiration, "General Lü, your might on the battlefield is divine. You broke through the enemy lines single-handedly, and entered the midst of ten thousand troops as if they were nothing."
"Having fought for many years, I have never seen such a valiant general as you. This cup is a toast to you, General."
Upon hearing this, Lü Bu was delighted, but his expression remained arrogant. He merely raised his cup in the distance without even getting up.
He had long heard of Liu Bei's exploits of leading thousands of men across thousands of miles and daring to charge into the central army of Tan Shihuai, and he considered Liu Bei to have some extraordinary courage.
But looking at this person again, he was just a minor county magistrate in Liaoxi County, with a low-ranking official position.
He didn't show any outstanding performance in the previous battle, and didn't demonstrate any amazing fighting skills.
Compared to his own bravery in taking the head of a general amidst a sea of soldiers, he was far inferior.
Such a person is not worth his excessive attention.
His indifferent and perfunctory demeanor caused Han Dang and Cheng Pu, who were also present at the table, to frown.
Liu Bei, however, did not care at all. He smiled calmly, drank the wine in one gulp, turned around and returned to his seat, without the slightest embarrassment on his face.
After the banquet ended and they returned to the inn, dismissing everyone else, Tian Yu whispered to Liu Bei, "My lord, although Lü Bu is brave, he is also arrogant and disdainful of everyone."
"At this moment, Commandant Ding has shown him great favor and recognition. My lord, you are currently of low rank and have little influence, so I'm afraid you won't be able to recruit him."
Looking out the window at the moonlight over Yanmen Pass, Liu Bei sighed softly, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes: "How could I not know?"
"Such an unparalleled warrior, it's hard for me not to be tempted!"
"However, once a tiger is captured, it's hard to rein it in!"
He quickly composed himself, regained his composure, and gave the instructions.
"Guorang, immediately arrange for a fast horse to return to Liaoxi tonight to report the victory and that everyone is safe."
"Tell the Prefect and Mr. Yanfang that we are safe and sound, the victory is assured, and we will be returning soon, so that they can rest assured."
"Yes, sir." Tian Yu bowed and accepted the order, then immediately went to make the arrangements.
The next morning, Liu Bei, along with his generals, bid farewell to Zang Min and Ding Yuan.
Zang Min repeatedly instructed Liu Bei that the memorial had been sent to Luoyang, and that he should wait patiently for the imperial decree. He also donated a considerable amount of grain and military equipment to replenish the losses suffered by Liu Bei's troops.
Ding Yuan also saw him off politely, but Lü Bu remained standing behind Ding Yuan without saying a word of farewell, seemingly not caring much!
Liu Bei also abandoned his plans, bowed in farewell, mounted his horse, and led his thousands of troops on their journey back to Liaoxi.
The group traveled northeast along the official road of the Eastern Han Dynasty. After leaving Yanmen County in Bingzhou, they first entered the territory of Dai County, and then traveled east for several days before entering the territory of Shanggu County in Youzhou.
Tian Yu rode up to Liu Bei's side, reined in his horse, and whispered, "My lord, ahead lies Juyang, the capital of Shanggu Commandery. Now that you are the son-in-law of the Prefect, you must pay your respects as you pass by our home!"
Liu Bei thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case.
Moreover, Shanggu is an important prefecture in Youzhou. In order to govern Youzhou in the future, it is also necessary to smooth out interpersonal relationships.