readytorunbook Chapter 479 Zhang Bao: The Neighbor's Kid is Too Hateful
Chapter 479 Zhang Bao: The Neighbor's Kid is Too Hateful
what?
what did you say?
Zhang Fei shuddered and instinctively turned around, only to find to his dismay that his body was like a zombie that had been buried for decades and finally dug out, so stiff that he could hardly move a finger.
Finally turning around, Zhang Fei saw the messenger running towards him. He was speechless and couldn't say a word. Even when the messenger was right in front of him, the muscles in his lips were still trembling slightly.
The messenger, however, paid no heed to any of that. He knelt on one knee, presented a folded piece of silk with both hands, and said, “General, this is a letter from the King to you.”
Zhang Fei was still in a daze when Zhang Bao, who was guarding another city gate and had heard the commotion, arrived with Jiang Wei. Upon reaching them and finding his father in a daze, Zhang Bao promptly snatched the silk and examined it with Jiang Wei. After only a few glances, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap…!"
The silk scroll, when unfolded, was a full meter long and wide, and was densely covered with writing copied directly from the Guanxing battle report, without altering a single word.
Looking at the long list of prisoners on the silk, Zhang Bao and Jiang Wei were dumbfounded. It had only been a few days since they last met, and their good brother, with whom they had grown up wearing open-crotch pants, had achieved such a brilliant victory.
Your brothers are all driving Range Rovers, but you're still riding an electric scooter?
This is truly unbearable!
Zhang Bao was stunned, but Zhang Fei was awakened by his shout. He reached out and snatched the silk, and at the same time kicked Zhang Bao, hitting his ankle so hard that Zhang Bao knelt down on the spot, his knee hitting the bluestone slab with excruciating pain.
Zhang Bao dared not make a sound, and crawled away like a thief, trying to get as far away from his irritable father as possible.
He knew his father's personality well; he knew he would get a beating if he saw another child was better than his own, so it was best to run away first and stay far away in such situations.
Zhang Fei was so engrossed in the contents of the silk scroll that he didn't have time to pay attention to it. He read it several times before he came to his senses. When he looked up and saw that Zhang Bao had already quietly slipped away more than a hundred meters away, he was instantly enraged. He roared at Zhang Bao's back and said, "What are you hiding for? What's there to hide for? Get back here right now!"
Zhang Bao: "..."
His father's roar gave him an urge to jump off the city wall and end it all.
After struggling for a long time, she finally couldn't bring herself to jump. She turned back to Zhang Fei's side and said meekly, "Father..."
Zhang Fei was furious at his son's sullen and dejected appearance, but surprisingly, he didn't attack him. Instead, he asked with a puzzled look, "You and Anguo are both students of the strategist, so why is there such a big difference between you?"
Zhang Bao was furious. He clenched his fists and secretly vowed that he would beat Guan Xing up no matter what when he saw him.
That damn Guan Anguo! We've been brothers since we were little kids, and you went to Jiangling without taking me with you? Do you even consider me a brother?
If you had taken me with you to Jiangling when my second uncle was defeated at Maicheng, I wouldn't have had to put up with the old man's wrath every day.
Zhang Fei continued, "Go and prepare the troops for departure."
Zhang Bao asked in surprise, "Where to?"
Zhang Fei immediately flew into a rage and shouted, "Where else can we go? Of course, we'll follow the King out of the three eastern counties and join forces with Anguo! Hurry up!"
Overjoyed, Zhang Bao grabbed Jiang Wei and left. Once they were far enough away that Zhang Fei couldn't hear them anymore, he gritted his teeth and said, "We're finally going to break out of the three eastern prefectures! We're finally going to see Guan Anguo! If I don't beat the shit out of him this time, I'll change my surname to Guan."
Jiang Wei asked in astonishment, "Brother Xingguo, aren't you and General Guan good brothers? How come you have such a deep grudge?"
Zhang Bao said irritably, "What do you think? My dad used to be quite satisfied with me, thinking that my martial arts skills were very similar to his. But ever since the Northern Expedition started, or more precisely, ever since the news of that bastard Guan Anguo capturing Zhang Cheng twice came back, my dad has been unhappy with everything I do. He scolds me whenever he wants and beats me whenever he wants. I'm almost driven crazy. If it weren't for my dad, I would have rebelled long ago. It's so damn frustrating."
Jiang Wei remained silent. He had also been beaten by the neighbor's children, so he understood Zhang Bao's feelings very well.
At present, Yangping Pass only has 8,000 troops. Zhang Fei summoned his generals, reported the great victory at Guanxing and the order from Liu Bei, and then ordered Fan Jiang to lead 3,000 troops to stay and guard Yangping Pass, while he himself led 5,000 troops back to Nanzheng to join Liu Bei.
Yangping Pass is only a hundred li from Nanzheng. Zhang Fei led his army on a rapid march and arrived at the city of Nanzheng smoothly at dusk the next day. He settled his army at the camp designated by Ma Liang to rest and then took Zhang Bao and Jiang Wei into the city to see Liu Bei.
Upon arriving at the county government hall, they discovered that in addition to Liu Bei, Liao Hua, Xiang Chong, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and other generals were also present.
Seeing that everyone had arrived and was waiting for him, Zhang Fei couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "How come you're all faster than me?"
These people were all blocking the Wei army on Tangluo Road and Baoxie Road. What does it mean that they have all withdrawn? It means that a battle is about to begin.
Liu Bei stepped forward and pounded his chest, laughing, "They're closer to you, so naturally they arrived faster. Third brother, your nephew has become a living Huo Qubing, aren't you happy?"
Zhang Fei said sourly, "He's not my son, what's there to be happy about?"
As he spoke, he instinctively glared at Zhang Bao, who shrank back and quickly retreated behind Liu Bei.
Ignoring the subtle actions of the father and son, Liu Bei said with high spirits, "Now that the 30,000 troops have arrived, we will rest for one night and set off for Nanzheng tomorrow morning to fight Xu Huang to the death. After defeating Xu Huang, we will break out of the three eastern counties and join up with my second brother."
Compared to Cao Cao, Liu Bei's military strength was at an absolute disadvantage. During his northern expedition, he only had 60,000 to 70,000 troops, and he left another 20,000 to 30,000 in Longxi without bringing them back. At present, he had a maximum of 40,000 troops in Hanzhong. It was already the limit to send 30,000 to the eastern expedition. Sending any more troops from Hanzhong would be dangerous.
As for Zhang He's captured troops, they dared not use them against Cao Cao; they were all sent back to Chengdu to farm.
However, 30,000 troops are enough to deal with Xu Huang.
Zhang Fei exclaimed excitedly, "This is wonderful! After so many years, I'm finally going to see my second brother again!"
Counting the time, from the time he led his army into Sichuan in the nineteenth year of Jian'an to now, he and Guan Yu had not seen each other for six or seven years. During this period, he also experienced the defeat at Maicheng. When the news of Guan Yu's defeat at Maicheng and disappearance reached Chengdu, Zhang Fei was so anxious that he went crazy on the spot. He wished he could sprout wings and fly to Jingzhou to find him. Fortunately, news of Guan Yu's surprise attack on Jianye soon came back. Otherwise, Zhang Fei really didn't know what he would have done.
Now things are finally looking up. We can finally break out of the three eastern counties, reclaim Jingzhou, and join up with Guan Yu.
He secretly vowed that when he saw Guan Yu this time, he would definitely drag Guan Yu out for three days and three nights to drink.
As for his good nephew Guan Xing, he hadn't beaten him in a long time and his hands were itching to do so.
Liu Bei briefed his generals on the situation and then told them to go back and rest. At dawn, he once again became a hands-off manager, leaving all the trivial matters of escorting the grain to Ma Liang, and personally led an army of 30,000 to Xicheng.
It was 400 li from Hanzhong to Xicheng, but since it was on his own territory, Liu Bei didn't have to worry. He marched 100 li every day and arrived at the city of Xicheng on time at dusk on the fourth day.
Upon receiving the news, Liu Feng immediately went out of the city to greet him, bowing and saying, "Father, Third Uncle, something terrible has happened! It seems that Xu Huang received Cao Cao's order and abandoned Xicheng yesterday at noon, retreating to Guanzhong along the Ziwu Road."
Liu Bei's face darkened with displeasure as he said, "Not only Xu Huang, but the Wei army in other directions has also retreated. It seems that Cao Cao has received Cao Ren's message and has revised his tactics. That damned Cao traitor, he's such a cunning scoundrel."