mtlumby2d Chapter 421 Guan Xing, why are your hands so ungrateful?
Chapter 421 Guan Xing, why are your hands so ungrateful?
Guan Yu actually wanted to personally lead troops to launch a surprise attack on Jiangling? What a joke!
Don't you know what you do for a living?
Wang Fu said urgently, "My lord, you mustn't do that! You are now the commander-in-chief of the three armies and are facing a formidable enemy like Cao Ren. How can you abandon the front-line battle to run off to do the job of a suicide battalion commander? I've searched through all the ancient books and never seen anyone do that."
"Besides, Jiangdong has just been recovered and is still unstable. We are short of manpower and cannot do without you. Without you in charge, Lu Xun, Lü Dai, Zhuge Jin and others might be thinking about how to use my head to pledge their loyalty to Cao Ren. If you don't think about yourself, think about your subordinate. We have come a long way since our defeat at Maicheng."
Guan Xing hurriedly chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Father, although you have a deep-rooted base in Jingzhou, don't forget that you also have many enemies. There are more than just one or two traitors in Jingzhou who want you dead."
"Furthermore, surprise attacks require the utmost secrecy, but with your distinctive appearance, your ruddy face and magnificent beard are like a beacon in the night. Even strangers would know it's Guan Yu just by standing on the roadside. How can we maintain secrecy under such circumstances?"
"This isn't a surprise attack at all; it's clearly a grand display of war to the Wu army, as if you're afraid Sun Quan won't know you've returned to Jingzhou!"
"Besides, you're almost sixty, and the arrow wound on your arm hasn't fully healed. How can you withstand such a long journey?"
These words were very unpleasant to hear, and Guan Yu's eyes were filled with anger, but surprisingly he did not get angry. Instead, he stroked his beard and sighed, "I understand what you are saying, but Jingzhou was lost under my watch. I will feel sorry for your uncle if I don't take it back with my own hands."
You have to get back at the table yourself if you lose face; otherwise, it will always be a stain on your record.
Who was Guan Yu? How could he tolerate such a big stain on his resume?
Guan Xing continued to persuade him, "I've also come from Maicheng, so I naturally understand your thoughts, but we also have to put the bigger picture first."
"Besides, I am your own son, not like Liu Feng who was adopted. Going to war for you is the same as going to war for you. We are one, father and son. If I win, you win. You don't need to abandon Jiangdong and make this trip yourself."
"Furthermore, if the surprise attack on Jiangling goes wrong, and Jiangdong is lost because of your departure, how will you face your uncle and third uncle? Your uncle's great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty has just seen a glimmer of hope, and you can't extinguish it."
These words were effective. Thinking of the predicament Liu Bei faced when he was defeated at Maicheng and lost Jingzhou, and considering the hope of conquering Jiangdong and the loss of Jiangdong, Guan Yu decisively abandoned the idea of rushing to attack Jiangling. He sighed helplessly, "You are right. We have finally managed to salvage the situation. I can't be willful this time. So you will take my place in launching a surprise attack on Jiangling. Remember to be careful in everything you do."
Guan Xing nodded emphatically and said, "I understand. Also, Father, this surprise attack on Jiangling will definitely not be as easy as the surprise attack on Jianye. If the battle goes badly, you may need to defeat Cao Ren as soon as possible and come to support us. You need to find a way to coordinate well with Shen Yi."
After his departure, Guan Yu had to lead his 100,000 troops and Shen Yi's 60,000 troops alone. How to coordinate the two armies and enable them to exert their maximum combat power to defeat Cao Ren as soon as possible became the most important issue for Guan Yu.
Guan Yu nodded and said, "I understand. You can rest assured that Guoshan and I will take care of things at home. Once you're out there, don't worry about what will happen to you."
After saying that, he picked up a pen and quickly wrote something. Once finished, he handed it to Guan Xing and said, "These are some acquaintances of mine in Jiangling City. They might be helpful to you."
Guan Xing took a look and was speechless. Zhang, the tailor shop owner in the west of the city, Li, the carpenter in the woodworking workshop in the east of the city, and Zhao, the chef in the Yuelai Restaurant in the south of the city—what are these?
Behind them were clerks from various government offices and servants from the mansions of officials and gentry, a total of over a hundred people, all from the lower classes of various trades. It must have been quite remarkable that Guan Yu could remember so many names so clearly.
However, to be fair, Guan Yu truly never forgot his original aspirations and always remained one with the working people.
Unfortunately, the Han Dynasty was not an era in which the working people were the masters, which is why he met his end at Maicheng.
Guan Yu said, “Boss Zhang, Carpenter Li, and Chef Zhao are all refugees I took in. They started their own families and businesses with my help. They are also secret spies that I have been supporting. I have never used them. Therefore, only Guoshan and Deng Hong, who is in charge of contacting them, know about their existence. Even they don’t know about each other. You can use these three with peace of mind.”
"Take Deng Hong with you when you leave. Deng Hong knows how to contact them. As for the others, I'm not sure if they're trustworthy. You decide what to do."
The key to victory or defeat lies in the information gap. Therefore, whether officials or businessmen, they will establish their own intelligence network when conditions permit, and Guan Yu was no exception.
However, since this group was monitoring "their own people" in Jiangling City, it was somewhat unpleasant to say, and Guan Yu valued his reputation, so this intelligence network was never used after it was established.
In short, from a rational point of view, Guan Yu knew that he should establish such an intelligence network; one can never be too careful.
However, from an emotional standpoint, Guan Yu was too arrogant. He felt that sending spies to monitor his own people was a bit despicable. He wasn't Cao Cao, so there was no need for him to build a secret service office and spend his days thinking about how to fight among himself. Therefore, he treated the intelligence network he had worked so hard to build as a mere decoration.
He built it but didn't use it, and he was afraid of what people would say if he did use it. Guan Yu's personality was really contradictory. The core of the contradiction was that he was too concerned about his reputation.
If Guan Yu had actually used this intelligence network during the Battle of Xiangfan, he might have been able to detect the abnormalities of Mi Fang, Fu Shiren, and others in advance, and then react quickly to ensure that Jiangling was not lost.
However, at that time he was far away on the front line in Xiangfan. By the time the news was sent from Jiangling to the front line, Lü Meng would probably have already captured the city. Who would know about something that had never happened?
Guan Xing was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, "That's wonderful! With the help of these people, I'm even more confident in launching a surprise attack on Jiangling. Father, is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"
Guan Yu waved his hand and said, "Go, go see your wife, and set off again tomorrow morning."
He led his troops into battle right after his wedding, and after being away for several months, he finally returned, only to have to leave again before he could even get his footing. It must have been tough on this young man.
Guan Xing chuckled and said, "What's so interesting about your wife? Dad, you're worrying for nothing."
He said he didn't care, but his feet seemed to have wheels of fire on them as he sped away. Before he could finish speaking, he was already at the door, making Guan Yu roll his eyes.
Guan Xing left the hall and went straight to the backyard. Only after entering the yard did he suddenly realize that he had returned in such a hurry that he seemed to have forgotten to bring a gift. What should he do?
How about we go out and buy some?
While I was debating what to buy, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a peony tree in the garden that was more than half my height and older than Guan Yu's great-grandfather. The peonies on the tree were in full bloom.
Guan Xing quickly went over, drew his sword, and slashed and chopped, soon cutting off more than a dozen flowers that were tied together with branches. He held them in his hand and ran excitedly towards the bedroom. Thinking about seeing his beloved wife soon, his heart was burning with excitement.
They are currently living in Lü Meng's residence, but it is not Lü Meng's residence, because Lü Meng also seized it from someone else and has only lived there for a few years.
This peony tree has a long history. It is said to have been planted in the year Wang Mang usurped the Han throne. It was planted by the predecessor of Lü Meng's predecessor. Its value in later generations could buy a house. Therefore, it was especially loved by the women in the mansion. Sun Luyu and Zhou Che would personally come to water it every day.
Just as Guan Xing left, Sun Luyu and Zhou Che arrived carrying wooden buckets. Upon seeing the tragic state of the peony tree, Zhou Che immediately broke down in anger and cursed, "Which bastard had such a dirty hand to cut down my peony?"
Sun Luyu's expression was also not good. He said angrily, "Let's go and ask if any outsiders have come to the manor today."
Everyone in the manor knew how much the two women valued the peony, so no one dared to harm the peony tree. Guan Yu might dare, but he wasn't that greedy.
After making inquiries, the two quickly received news that Guan Xing had returned. Now there was no need to investigate further; the murderer was about to be identified.
Zhou Che rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront Guan Xing, but Sun Luyu quickly comforted him, coaxing and cajoling him until he sent her away. Then he went to the well to tidy up his headdress and clothes, making sure everything was alright before heading to the bedroom.