Chapter 48: The Proper Way to Handle Yuan Shao

Liu Bei stepped forward and pushed Zhang Fei aside.

“Third Brother, don’t be reckless. You’re mistaken!”

“Brother, you’ve never met him. How can you be so sure I’m the one who’s wrong?”

Guan Yu’s phoenix eyes opened slightly, and he moved to Liu Bei’s side with his blade, whispering, “Brother, if we retreat now, it’ll make the three of us look guilty.”

Liu Bei understood all too well.

Chen Cong only spoke of his skill with the blade, deliberately avoiding mention of the spear, which was a tacit admission of his identity. The man Zhang Fei met by the banks of the Ji River was undoubtedly him.

According to Liu Bei’s original plan, as long as Cao Cao summoned Chen Cong to confront him, whether the man admitted or denied it, Liu Bei would remain unassailable.

It would be best if Chen Cong admitted it—Liu Bei could then modestly defer and recommend Yuan Shao, elevating his own standing by doing so.

If Chen Cong denied it, Liu Bei could simply claim Zhang Fei was mistaken, showing magnanimity and earning favor with Cao Cao.

But Chen Cong neither admitted nor denied it, openly signaling that he would not acknowledge the encounter, leaving Liu Bei with no recourse.

The logic was simple.

Liu Bei, with few troops and little power, could never become the leader of the alliance against the traitor. Letting Zhang Fei make a scene served two purposes: silencing Liu Dai and retreating in order to advance.

But now he was cornered.

If he allowed Zhang Fei to continue, he would appear as a petty man coveting the position of alliance leader.

If he restrained Zhang Fei, just as Guan Yu said, it would seem as if they were hiding something.

While Liu Bei hesitated, Zhang Fei cared nothing for these subtleties.

He shouted, “Whether you’re that man or not, you fought me once! If you lose, you must recommend my brother as the alliance leader!”

Chen Cong picked at his nose, sneering. “The alliance against the traitor is for the sake of the state, yet you twist it into a pursuit of personal power. It’s not for me, a man of small consequence, to recommend a leader. But even if I could, I would choose Yuan Benchu of Hebei! My father-in-law often said: Yuan Benchu is a man of talent and vision, the foremost in our times to brandish his sword against traitors. Even my father-in-law admires his virtue, hence the act of stabbing Dong with his blade.”

Yuan Shao was pleased, casting a satisfied glance at Cao Cao, and humbly replied, “Mengde flatters me; I am unworthy of such praise.”

Cao Cao laughed, “Benchu, you are too modest. No one else could be the alliance leader and command respect.”

“Yes, Lord Yuan. If anyone else becomes leader, I, Zhang Miao, will be the first to object!”

“Lord Yuan, do not refuse. With your reputation, who else could take the position?”

“We cannot let some obscure imperial scion seize the throne of the state, can we?”

Liu Dai struck precisely, and Liu Bei’s heart raced with anxiety.

He sternly rebuked, “Yide, stand down! Your brother’s only concern is to defeat the traitor, not covet high office. Speak no more of this!”

At that moment, Guan Yu’s phoenix eyes widened, glaring at Chen Cong. He cursed, “You villain! Do you dare to swear before heaven that you are not the man Yide met by the Ji River?”

Xu Chu stepped out, brandishing his blade, and retorted, “Red-faced rascal, who are you to demand an oath from Chen Zining?”

Chen Cong raised his hand to block Xu Chu, gazed at Guan Yu, and sighed softly, “Does it still matter?”

For his part, Chen Cong did not dislike the brothers of the Peach Garden. On the contrary, he deeply admired the bond between Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

He was moved by Guan Yu, who resolutely abandoned high rank, hung up his golden seal, and rode alone for a thousand miles.

By Zhang Fei, whose roar at Changban drove back eighty thousand of Cao Cao’s troops.

By Liu Bei, who, in a fit of rage, avenged his brother and overturned the foundation of his life.

From any perspective, Shu Han was the most romantic of the Three Kingdoms.

Yet, however romantic Shu Han might be, it had nothing to do with Chen Cong; everything he possessed was given by Cao Cao.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had their brotherly bond; Chen Cong had his own convictions.

Each served their own lord—who could claim to be nobler than the other?

“It matters!” Guan Yu panted, gripping his Cold Beauty Saw tightly.

Chen Cong turned to Zhang Fei. “I’ll swear, but only if you first swear before heaven that the man you met by the Ji River truly agreed to recommend your brother as alliance leader. If your words are false, may all three of you die beneath a rain of arrows.”

Liu Bei and Guan Yu turned.

“Yide?”

“Third Brother, answer him!”

Zhang Fei shrank back, stammering, unable to speak. He was adept at making trouble, but when it came to swearing upon his brothers’ lives, he could not do it.

Caught between advance and retreat, he leveled his spear at Chen Cong.

“No more nonsense! Let’s fight!”

Zhang Fei’s thoughts were simple: Chen Cong’s reputation was fierce. If he defeated Chen Cong, no one would question whether he was bluffing.

Chen Cong was waiting for this moment as well.

Close quarters, no horses, confined space.

The advantage was his.

The Crouching Tiger saber met the Serpent Spear. Chen Cong sidestepped the spear’s tip, lowered himself, and stepped forward, using his shoulder to shove Zhang Fei aside. With a twist of his wrist, the saber came down like thunder.

Seizing the moment while Zhang Fei was off balance, he brought the blade down with full force upon the center of the Serpent Spear.

Clang!

Wang Kuang, the closest, was instantly deafened, blood seeping from his ears.

The others frowned and covered their ears.

The clang of metal shattered the clouds above, sparks flying onto their faces, burning with agitation.

After the blow—

Zhang Fei’s feet were buried deep in the earth, his arms trembling so much he could barely hold his weapon.

Looking closely, a two-inch gash appeared in the iron-forged Serpent Spear, connected only by a thin strip of the shaft.

With a gentle twist, the legendary weapon split cleanly in two.

Chen Cong looked around.

He slowly withdrew his blade, tapped the handle lightly, and drove the tail of his saber a foot into the ground. The blade shattered segment by segment, scattering across the floor.

The vast army tent was as silent as a tomb at midnight.

No one dared breathe; every gaze upon Chen Cong was filled with deep dread.

After a long pause...

Someone finally spoke, “Let Lord Yuan take the alliance leadership.”

The gathered lords withdrew their gazes, glanced instinctively at Cao Cao, cursing him as a conniving dog, and clasped their fists.

“Let Lord Yuan take the alliance leadership!”

Task complete.

From the moment Cao Cao signaled to Chen Cong, he understood.

What did Chen Cong hear most often along the way?

“Yuan Shao is outwardly magnanimous but inwardly jealous, he climbs high but lacks long sight, he schemes but cannot decide, cherishes reputation in small matters, his own life in great ones, hesitates and vacillates—hardly a hero for the ages.”

Such a complicated man cannot be swayed by flattery alone. He must feel you are useful, believe you are on his side, and also harbor a healthy fear of you.

Only then would Yuan Shao be willing to pay a heavy price to win you over.

There are many ways to inspire fear.

Defeating Zhang Fei in forty or fifty rounds would suffice, but it would not be as direct.

Moreover, if the fight grew too heated, Chen Cong might end up beset by all three brothers. Whether he could win or not, once the scene devolved into chaos, those onlookers would be even less able to judge.

So Chen Cong chose the most direct approach—swift and decisive, ending the matter there.

He sought not to defeat Zhang Fei outright, but to achieve the most immediate and shocking effect.

Did Zhang Fei lose? Of course not!

When Xu Chu fought Ma Chao bare-chested, Ma Chao’s spear was broken in two, yet he still battled Xu Chu fiercely.

Victory in a brutal fight has only one standard: one side completely loses the ability to fight back.

But did the lords care about that?

They only saw Chen Cong’s unparalleled strength—one stroke to break Zhang Fei’s weapon.

They only knew that such a fierce warrior supported Yuan Shao as alliance leader.

This was the correct way to secure Yuan Shao.

As for what Yuan Shao thought? That was up to him.

Imagine, the grand Yuan Shao, relying on the very Cao Cao he constantly disdained, and on Cao Cao’s son-in-law to awe the lords, finally claiming the alliance leadership...

Would he have become leader without this spectacle?

Bitter feelings, but he kept them to himself...