SFS Chapter 212 Zhao Yun Accepts Jiang Wei as His Disciple
Chapter 212 Zhao Yun Accepts Jiang Wei as His Disciple
After decades of war and chaos, almost all of Liu's royal family members and princes had died out.
Currently, apart from Emperor Liu Xie's unfortunate sons who were granted titles but imprisoned by Cao Cao, there are only two remaining kings: Cao Cao, King of Wei, and Liu Bei, King of Hanzhong.
Liu Bei was no longer the roughneck who wove mats and sold shoes; he had transformed into a powerful warlord who dominated the two provinces of Yang and Yi, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops—the pinnacle of power.
To Jiang Wei, such an existence was no different from a true immortal in the clouds.
Keep in mind that he was just an ordinary soldier. The highest-ranking official he had ever met was Ma Zun, the prefect of his own county. He had never even met Zhang Ji, the governor of Yong and Liang, let alone Liu Bei, the king of Hanzhong, or Cao Cao, the king of Wei.
Moreover, Liu Bei's reputation was far better than Cao Cao's. He visited Cao Cao's thatched cottage three times to learn from his talent and treated his subordinates with respect. He led the people across the river and was unparalleled in his benevolence and righteousness. Every action he took was admirable. Such a hero naturally became the idol of the passionate young Jiang Wei.
The reason Jiang Wei surrendered to the Han army so quickly was not only because he was no match for Zhang Bao, but more importantly because he admired Liu Bei's character.
As for Cao Cao, Jiang Wei had no good impression of that scoundrel who liked married women and dug up graves. Moreover, he was forced to surrender to Cao Cao after Ma Chao's defeat. No one asked for his opinion when he surrendered, so he had no loyalty to Cao Cao.
If he were to choose his lord personally, he would definitely choose Liu Bei over Cao Cao; otherwise, even if Zhang Bao had killed him that day, he would never have surrendered.
Jiang Wei had thought he would only be able to see Liu Bei after the great battle ended and he retreated to Bashu. He did not expect Liu Bei to appear so quickly and to be so kind and gentle to him, without putting on airs as the King of Hanzhong. This made Jiang Wei feel flattered and excited. He bowed and said, "Jiang Boyue of Tianshui greets Your Majesty. I did not know Your Majesty was in person. I was very rude just now. Please forgive me."
For some reason, Liu Bei was reminded of his own son, Liu Shan, as soon as he saw Jiang Wei. The more he looked at the boy, the more pleasing he became. Upon hearing this, he stroked his beard and laughed, "You don't recognize me, so it's only right that you stop me. You're much better than some scoundrels who hide in the woods and sleep soundly during patrols."
Zhang Bao: "..."
Your Majesty, when did you learn to be sarcastic and sarcastic?
He knew Liu Bei was referring to him, and dared not refute, so he lowered his head in shame.
Jiang Wei glanced at Zhang Bao furtively, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say.
Liu Bei looked him up and down and laughed, "You like using a spear too? Good. The spear is the king of weapons. It's easy to learn but not easy to master. I'll have General Zilong teach you when you have time."
After saying that, he turned his head and asked, "Zilong, would you like to take on another disciple?"
Jiang Wei suddenly looked up at Zhao Yun, his breathing becoming rapid and his palms sweating.
He was confident in his martial arts skills, believing that few in the world were qualified to teach him. He might have turned hostile on the spot if others offered to instruct him, but it would have been a different story if it were Zhao Yun.
Who is Zhao Yun? He is the ruthless man who protected the young lord at Changban Slope and charged in and out of Cao Cao's million-strong army seven times with ease. Not to mention the world today, even if we count from the time of King Wu's conquest of Zhou, there are very few people like him now.
Zhao Yun's martial arts skills were so high that, apart from the already deceased Lü Bu, no one dared to claim that he was his match. It was no exaggeration to say that Zhao Yun was the number one martial arts master in the world today. It would be a blessing from several lifetimes for someone like him to be one's master.
Jiang Wei looked at Zhao Yun with trepidation in his eyes, his palms sweating as he nervously gripped the handle of his spear. He was afraid that Zhao Yun would look down on him.
Zhao Yun also scrutinized Jiang Wei, observing him for a long time before saying, "He has an upright posture and a solid lower body; he's a good prospect for spear training. I'll take him as my disciple."
These words sounded like heavenly music to Jiang Wei's ears. His mind was so dizzy that he felt as if his soul was about to leave his body. Without thinking, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Disciple greets Master."
Liu Bei stroked his beard with satisfaction and said, "You and your disciples can catch up later. First, take me to see the strategist. I have important military information to discuss with him."
Zhang Bao quickly said, "I'll lead the way. Boyue, you go and inform the strategist immediately."
Jiang Wei rose and bowed, then mounted his horse and galloped quickly toward the main camp. Zhang Bao, without thinking, jumped onto Zhao Yun's warhorse and rode with him, leading Liu Bei and the others toward the main camp.
Zhang Bao's role wasn't to lead the way, but to use his face to signal that the patrol soldiers along the route wouldn't stop him.
Not long after Liu Bei entered the camp, Zhuge Liang, along with generals Guan Ping and Zhao Lei, came to meet them.
Upon seeing this, Liu Bei immediately dismounted to greet him, and the two ran towards each other and soon met. Zhuge Liang bowed and was about to pay his respects, but Liu Bei did not give him the chance, grabbing his wrist and saying urgently, "Let's go into the tent and talk."
The group quickly entered Zhuge Liang's command tent, and before Zhuge Liang could ask any questions, Liu Bei spoke up, saying, "The matter is like this..."
Liu Bei spoke with great passion and fervor, but Zhuge Liang listened with a cold sweat running down his back and his scalp tingling. He was stunned for a long time before gradually digesting the information and said incredulously, "Does Your Majesty mean that General Zhang Fei will have to cross three hundred miles of Cao Wei's territory, and under the heavy protection of the Wei army, capture Dazhen Pass and enter the Longshan Road, and then come to meet us along the Longshan Road?"
This plan is too bold and risky. Have you bunch of old guys gone mad?
Zhuge Liang could certainly see the benefits of doing this, but the problem was that the entire route was filled with Wei troops, and even the slightest mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army.
It wasn't that he didn't want to cooperate, but he was skeptical about whether Zhang Fei could successfully enter the Longshan Road.
It's too difficult to get in; the probability of success is too low.
Liu Bei said, "Yes, and my third brother has already set off. I've already rushed back from Mei County. He's probably already reached Dazhen Pass, so there's no need to discuss this matter further. Strategist, you should think about how to coordinate."
Zhuge Liang's heart, which had just been hanging in suspense, instantly died. Yes, Zhang Fei had already started to carry out the plan, so what was there to discuss? Just grit your teeth and charge forward.
Zhuge Liang said, "Alright, let me first report the situation in Longxi to the King, then we..."
Liu Bei waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "You are the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition. You can decide how to fight. You don't need to tell me. Besides, I have completed my mission of delivering the message. Now I just want to sleep."
After saying that, he turned around and went into the bedroom behind the screen. Before Zhuge Liang could recover from his daze, Liu Bei's snoring could be heard first.
Old Liu was really tired after running all this way.
Helpless, Zhuge Liang pulled off his cloak and went into the inner room to cover Liu Bei with it. He came out and said, "The most urgent task at present is to send someone to Jieting to make contact with the Third General. The entire route is through Wei army camps, so this person must be familiar with the terrain, mature and steady, and know the Third General. Who do you think is suitable to send?"
Guan Ping said, "Let Zhang Da go. He is a subordinate of the Third General, so there won't be any misunderstandings when he meets the Third General due to unfamiliarity."
"Zhang Da may not be familiar with the terrain, but that's okay. We just need to find him a few more guides. The key is that these guides should not know each other, so that Zhang Da won't be scammed by them."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Okay, tell Zhang that once he arrives at Jieting, he should wait a maximum of ten days. If the Third General has not arrived by then, there is no need to wait any longer."
The biggest problem now is whether Zhang Fei can reach Jieting safely. If he dies on the way, the plan to attack Zhang He from both sides will come to nothing.
Guan Ping bowed and said, "I will go and make preparations now. Xingguo, come with me."
After the two left, Zhuge Liang looked at Zhao Yun and Ma Chao and said, "Generals, things happened so suddenly that I need to think about this carefully. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go and rest first, and we can discuss it again after you've had some sleep?"
They rode alone, and there was no large army to block their way, so they were definitely faster than Zhang Fei. Therefore, Zhuge Liang still had time and there was no need to make a decision immediately.
"Yes..." Zhao Yun and Ma Chao bowed and took their leave.
Zhuge Liang then removed the screen and map and went to another tent, leaving the general's tent for Liu Bei to rest in.