Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1163 Wen Chao's Visit: Liu Bei Personally Welcomes Him

Guan Yu, accompanied by Lu Su, rode swiftly into Xiangyang City. The streets were clean and tidy, merchants bustled about, and taverns echoed with lively chatter. Children chased and laughed along the streets, showing no signs of the ravages of war. Lu Su reined in his horse, observing this orderly scene, and nodded inwardly—Liu Bei's ability to stabilize the region in such a short time was indeed remarkable, and his earlier anxiety had largely dissipated.

The two headed straight for the governor's mansion, where Liu Bei, having already heard the news, was already waiting in the hall. Upon seeing Lu Su, he immediately cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Mr. Zijing, you have come from afar, it is an honor to have you here!" Lu Su quickly dismounted, cupped his hands, and explained his purpose: "I have come on the orders of the King of Liang to pay a special visit to the Imperial Uncle and discuss the matter of borrowing a passage."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's smile almost overflowed. He gripped Lu Su's hand tightly, his voice filled with urgency: "Junior brother is coming? Good, good! That's wonderful!" He paced back and forth a couple of times, then pressed on: "Where are they now? How far are they from Xiangyang?"

Lu Su hurriedly replied, "We should be arriving in Jiangxia soon. We came by boat from the Jiangdong navy and are sailing downstream. Judging by the time, we should arrive in the next two days."

"Jiangxia?" Liu Bei's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands to Lu Su: "Mr. Zijing, please rest at home first. After I make some arrangements, I will personally go to Jiangxia to welcome my junior brother!"

Lu Su was led away by his attendants to rest. Liu Bei turned to his personal guards and said, "Quickly go and invite Mr. Zhuge, Mr. Shiyuan, as well as Yide and Zilong. Tell them that we have important matters to discuss and that they should come to the main hall immediately."

The guards obeyed and left. Liu Bei looked at Guan Yu beside him, his tone full of emotion: "Yun Chang, my junior brother is actually coming. After so many years, we finally have a chance to speak to each other in person. I wronged him a lot back then in Chang'an. Now that he's here, we must treat him well and talk about what happened back then."

Guan Yu's face also showed excitement, and he nodded heavily: "Brother is right. Meng Qi is going to pass through Jingzhou on his way back to Chang'an this time, which is a perfect opportunity for you brothers to put aside your past grievances."

Liu Bei paced excitedly in the hall, rubbing his hands together: "Yes, yes, we must talk about it! Otherwise, this matter will always be a thorn in my side. My junior brother has had a tough time these past years. I've long heard that he swept across the grasslands and pacified Xiliang. He's truly remarkable and a real man."

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps sounded outside the door. Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun entered the main hall one after another. Seeing that Liu Bei and Guan Yu both looked excited, they exchanged glances, guessing that something great must have happened.

Zhang Fei strode into the main hall and immediately noticed Guan Yu. He exclaimed, "Big brother, second brother, you're here too!" Then, squinting at the joy on their faces, he scratched his head and said, "You two look so excited. What great news has happened? Did you acquire some precious territory again?"

Liu Bei was excited when he heard this and patted his arm: "Yide, Mengqi is coming! He wants to pass through Jingzhou to return to Chang'an. I called you here to discuss how to properly welcome him."

Upon hearing the name "Ma Chao," Zhang Fei's brows immediately furrowed. "Brother, doesn't Ma Chao have a grudge against us? What's he doing here? Does he want to cause trouble again? Besides, back in Chang'an, it was the emperor who wanted to harm him, what does it have to do with us?" He paused, then looked at Guan Yu, "And Second Brother, have you forgotten? Back then, Zhang Wenyuan and Xu Gongming were threatening to sever ties with you, weren't they? Now, they're eagerly welcoming him?"

Guan Yu's face darkened, and he rebuked, "Yide, stop talking nonsense! Although Mengqi has old grudges with us, he is an upright man. There was a misunderstanding back then, and we were the ones who were wrong first. How can you say such things about him? Wen Yuan and Gongming were just serving their respective masters and had different positions back then. Why bring up old matters now?"

Liu Bei gave Guan Yu an approving look, then turned to Zhang Fei and said, "Yun Chang is right. Yi De, you've always been outspoken, so you mustn't act recklessly this time. Meng Qi and I are fellow disciples, and I still feel guilty about what happened in Chang'an back then. Besides, he has guarded Xiliang for many years, sweeping across the grasslands and driving the foreign tribes far away. Even Huo Qubing and General Wei might not have been able to match his achievements back then. The court owes him a debt of gratitude, so how can we not show him respect?"

Zhang Fei stiffened his neck, still wanting to argue: "But back then..."

"The mistake we made back then was listening to rumors and failing to distinguish right from wrong," Liu Bei interrupted him, his tone becoming more serious. "Wen Yuan, Gong Ming, and Yun Chang have a history. They served different masters back then and had different stances. How can you blame Meng Qi? He's here to pass through and to give us a chance to settle our old scores. If you continue to speak like this, don't blame your elder brother for disowning you!"

Zhang Fei's neck turned red from being talked to. He muttered a few words, but in the end, he didn't argue anymore. He just said in a low voice, "I understand, brother. Then... then I'll leave the welcoming to you."

Although Zhuge Liang was not very familiar with Ma Chao, he had heard of his name for a long time. In recent years, Ma Chao had risen to prominence, controlling Yong and Liang provinces, and even taking control of the capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. Furthermore, Gongsun Zan of Bing Province was on good terms with him; his power far surpassed that of Liu Bei at the moment. Now that Ma Chao was asking to pass through Jing Province, both Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei secretly pondered: this man's arrival was quite formidable; they wondered whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Pang Tong thought further ahead, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table—Ma Chao's power far surpassed that of their lord; if they could seize this opportunity to find a way to restrain him, they might be able to eliminate a formidable enemy. He saw that although Zhang Fei had been reprimanded by Liu Bei and had shut his mouth, his face still showed resentment, while Zhao Yun stood calmly to the side, and he had already secretly made a plan in his mind.

After Liu Bei finished speaking, Pang Tong spoke first, a smile on his face: "My lord, how do you plan to welcome us?"

Liu Bei said, "I want to go to Jiangxia to pick him up in person and let him stay in Xiangyang for a while so that we can rekindle our old friendship and resolve the misunderstanding from back then."

Pang Tong clapped his hands and laughed, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. Since we are fellow disciples and have had some disagreements, your personal visit to welcome us shows your sincerity. I'm sure the King of Liang will understand your intentions."

Liu Bei nodded: "That's exactly why I called you here. I'm going to Jiangxia with Yunchang, and I'm entrusting the affairs of Xiangyang to you and Kongming."

Zhuge Liang, who was frowning in thought, looked at Pang Tong upon hearing this—Pang Tong, who was usually outspoken and dared to speak frankly, was surprisingly going along with the flow today, which was unlike his usual style. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but Pang Tong gave him a look, signaling him to agree. Although Zhuge Liang did not fully understand Pang Tong's intention, he followed up and said, "My lord, rest assured, there is no war in Xiangyang for the time being. Shi Yuan and I will definitely handle things properly and then issue orders to clean the streets, prepare the ceremonial guards, and await the arrival of the King of Liang."

Seeing this, Liu Bei's smile deepened: "With you two gentlemen here, I have no worries." After saying that, he looked at Guan Yu and said, "Yun Chang, let's go to Jiangxia together to welcome Meng Qi."

"Yes, sir." Guan Yu bowed and accepted the order.

Liu Bei and Guan Yu hurriedly left the mansion for Jiangxia. Zhuge Liang watched their retreating figures, then turned to Pang Tong with a frown: "Shiyuan, what are you up to? Ma Chao's arrival is ambiguous, it's hard to tell if he's a friend or foe. How could you just agree to let the lord personally welcome him?"

Pang Tong did not answer directly, but instead looked at Zhang Fei, who was still sulking, and said with a smile, "Third General, Kongming and I do not know much about the King of Liang, but I suppose you do. Why don't you tell me what you think of him?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei raised his voice again: "That Ma Chao brat, to be honest, I don't have any ill feelings towards him, but he's just too arrogant! The Emperor treated him well back then, bestowing upon him high office and generous salary, but he was still a bit suspicious. If he had obediently handed over his military power, how could things have come to this? But he couldn't forget the late Empress and went against the Emperor, which brought trouble upon himself. In the end, he blamed us, complaining that our elder brothers stopped his men back then—if he hadn't fallen out with the Emperor himself, why would we have had to intervene?"

He paused, then thought of Zhang Liao and Xu Huang, and his anger flared even more: "And those two, Zhang Wenyuan and Xu Gongming, actually severed ties with my second brother over this matter! It's outrageous! My eldest brother is the imperial uncle personally appointed by the late emperor. If we don't side with the Han imperial family, are we supposed to side with him? His defiance of the court is no different from treason! In my opinion, he's just asking for trouble!"

Upon hearing Zhang Fei's words, Zhuge Liang frowned deeply, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the bamboo ribs of his feather fan. Although Zhang Fei's words were tinged with a fiery temper, he wasn't speaking recklessly. It seemed that Ma Chao's actions back then, even with merits to his name, inevitably aroused suspicion due to his overly sharp and outspoken nature.

He turned to look at Zhao Yun, who stood to the side, and saw that the man was upright and calm, clearly also reminiscing about the past. Zhuge Liang then raised his hand to signal him and asked gently, "Zilong, you were often by the late emperor's side back then, so you must know the inside story better than anyone else. Was there anything wrong with what Yide said just now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun first nodded slightly, his gaze darkening as if lost in memories. After a moment, he spoke, his voice steady yet carrying a barely perceptible heaviness: "The Third General's words are mostly accurate. Ma Chao's pacification of Xiliang was a resounding success, and the late Emperor even praised him as 'the bravest of the three armies.' However…" He paused, his tone becoming more complex, "He did indeed overstep his bounds with the late Empress. Although there's no concrete evidence, it was reported to the late Emperor by someone with ulterior motives. The late Emperor already harbored resentment towards Ma Chao for his high achievements, and upon hearing this, he flew into a rage, smashing many precious jade artifacts in his study, which deepened his suspicions of Ma Chao. All the subsequent entanglements, in the end, stemmed from this."

Zhuge Liang stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun's faces. He said in a deep voice, "The three generals are upright in character, and Zilong is always steady. Neither of you are the type to speak carelessly or make baseless accusations. I suppose what you just said is what happened back then." He nodded slightly, his tone tinged with emotion, "In this light, although Ma Chao is the bravest in the army, he ultimately falls short in matters of personal morality."

Having said that, he changed the subject, turning his gaze to Pang Tong, who had remained silent with a smile, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes: "Shiyuan, you just used an excuse to lure the lord away, and that was no random act; you must have already made a plan." He paused, then raised his hand to indicate, "Now that everyone in the tent is a trusted confidant, feel free to speak your mind—how do you intend to deal with the current situation?"

Zhang Fei, always quick-tempered, immediately glared at these words and gruffly echoed, "That's right! Shiyuan, get to the point! Stop beating around the bush!" Zhao Yun also nodded, his gaze fixed on Pang Tong, waiting for him to continue. The tent fell silent for a moment, all eyes focused on Pang Tong, waiting for this "Young Phoenix" to reveal his plans.