In the second year of Zhangwu of the Han Dynasty, October 28th.
Outside Hanzhong City, Wei Yan, under Fazheng's repeated instructions, led his troops to fight impatiently.
Looking at the back of Wei Yan leading the troops, Fazheng also had a gloomy look on his face. It was really a shame that Zhang Yuanchang could get along with this common man.
After only one month of getting along with Wei Yan in Hanzhong, Fazheng couldn't stand Wei Yan's temper. Especially since this old man always acted like "I'm the best", Fazheng became angry just looking at him.
Fazheng is not Zhuge Liang. For a good-tempered person like Zhang Xi, Fazheng is originally small-minded. If he had not known that this person had a bad character, and now he is facing a powerful enemy, no one in Hanzhong can replace Wei Yan's responsibility. I really want to mess with this ignorant old man.
To be honest, Fazheng really doesn't like generals like Wei Yan. He always feels that what he says to him is like farting. He has to worry at any time whether this old man will sabotage the strategy on his own initiative. This kind of feeling is not even for a strategist. like.
But now, forget it, Fazheng felt that instead of being depressed and complaining here, it would be better to go back to his office and deal with the battle reports and military information coming from the front line.
In this way, in Hanzhong, Fazheng sent Wei Yan away.
Outside Deng County, Guan Yu welcomed Zhang Liao.
Outside Deng County, in front of the two armies, Guan Yu set up a pavilion to entertain his old friend Zhang Liao.
Zhang Liao naturally accepted the invitation and went to the banquet happily.
Regardless of the fact that Han and Wei are now engaged in an undying national feud, the two armies are now at war with each other and a war may break out at any time, but no one will think there is anything wrong with Guan Yu's banquet with Zhang Liao.
Guan Yu, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang are good friends, and it is known throughout the world.
Even if these three people sleep on the same bed at night, if there is a combat mission the next day and they each have their own master, they will definitely not show mercy.
Cao Cao and Liu Bei would not suspect anything because of this, and others were even less qualified.
So the atmosphere at this banquet was indeed like a gathering of old friends, with both parties being open and aboveboard.
Guan Yu brought Guan Ping, Guan Xing, "Guan Suo" and Deng Ai with him.
Zhang Liao also brought his three sons, Zhang Hu, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Yan.
As soon as the two met, they laughed loudly, drank a little wine, and started bragging about how powerful their son was. He was no different from ordinary old men.
Halfway through the drink, Guan Yu gradually gained the upper hand. It was not because Guan Yu drank better, but because Guan Yu's son was more promising.
Guan Yu's "three sons", apart from Guan Xing who always regarded himself as a scholar and had no special achievements, Guan Ping was already a well-known general in the Mesozoic era of the Han Dynasty, and "Guan Suo" also had the merit of being a pioneer in Pingnanzhong. Deng Ai was even praised as "the hero of the time" by Sima Yi of Cao Wei Fang.
When Guan Yu was bragging, he had plenty to brag about.
But Zhang Liao's situation was even worse.
Zhang Hu was reluctantly promoted to general general because of Zhang Liao's contribution. Zhang Bao and Zhang Yan had just grown up. If it weren't for Zhang Liao's prestige in the army, these two would not even be qualified to go out with the army. No.
Zhang Liao had nothing to brag about, he could only listen to Guan Yu's bragging, and he had to brag about his eldest son and brag about his second son, and after bragging about his son and brag about his son-in-law. Zhang Liao could only stare.
Zhang Liao really couldn't stand listening anymore. On the one hand, he was ashamed that his son couldn't live up to his expectations, and on the other hand, he couldn't see Guan Yu being so arrogant. Of course, more importantly, Zhang Liao also drank a lot of wine.
Based on the above three points, Zhang Liao, who was furious, suddenly pointed his finger at "Guan Suo" and said, "My brother's sons are all talented people, and I deeply envy them. It happens that my brother's three sons are unmarried, and I also have a beloved daughter. No, If your daughter is betrothed to your elder brother’s third son, what will your elder brother think?!”
Zhang Liao said this deliberately.
What is "Guan Suo"? How could Zhang Liao not know how many sons Guan Yu had in his family? !
Not to mention that two years ago, Guan Yinping and Deng Ai visited Zhang Liao in Deng County together. How could Zhang Liao not recognize that the so-called "Guan Suo" of Guan Yu's third son in front of him was just Guan Yinping dressed in men's clothing.
Zhang Liao meant, on the one hand, that he couldn't stand Guan Yu's arrogance, and on the other hand, he wanted to tell Guan Yu, don't always brag about how powerful your son is. Except for Guan Ping, among the remaining two, one is your daughter and the other is your son-in-law. And the point is just that your son-in-law is capable.
The so-called marrying off a daughter is just a joke. Guan Yu is an upright man, how could he really take what is obviously a joke seriously.
It was hard to say whether Guan Yu was serious or not, but as soon as Zhang Liao said this, some people couldn't stand it.
The first person who disagreed was Zhang Liao's eldest son Zhang Hu.
Let’s not talk about the hostile relationship between the Han and Wei families. Let’s just talk about the younger sister. My father must be old and confused. The younger sister is only nine years old this year!
How can a nine-year-old girl arrange a marriage? !
The second person who disagreed was "Guan Suo" himself.
Come again? !
The last person who did this was called Huawan, but in the end he got the advantage of some shameless bastard, and now the child is rolling around on the floor.
This Uncle Zhang is really out of character. Why does he still have the reason to send his daughter to a woman? !
What's even more interesting is that after listening to Zhang Liao's drunken words, Guan Yu actually started to think thoughtfully.
This expression made Zhang Liao confused. Could it be that he drank too much and was really not clear-headed? !
It's such an obvious joke. If others can't understand it, how can you not understand it? !
What exactly is the composition of your third son's "Guansuo", don't you know? !
Zhang Liao was thinking about how to end it, but Guan Yu still spoke.
"Wen Yuan is joking."
As soon as this was said, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
It's not that enemies can't get married. In fact, this kind of thing is very common in this era, and it's not a big deal.
The key is that this matter seems absurd to both parties.
On the one hand, his daughter was only nine years old, and on the other hand, "Guan Suo" was born as a girl. But Guan Yu actually considered whether to agree to it.
Next, the two of them will fight on the battlefield. Many things are hard to say. Maybe one of them will die in the battle in a few days. Therefore, in Guan Yu's view, Zhang Liao has no reason to entrust his daughter to him.
However, considering that Zhang Liao's proposal was for a marriage, but not for Guan Yu to recognize him as his adopted daughter, this title was inappropriate, so Guan Yu formally rejected it.
All in all, it was just a small interlude, and the two continued to drink and talk and laugh.
After drinking until he was exhausted, Guan Yu was silent for a while, and then started talking about business.
"Wen Yuan, remember when we were in Xudu, brother, you and I were both in our prime." Guan Yu suddenly said to Zhang Liao, "I and the three of us drank and practiced martial arts every day, and we were very happy. .”
Zhang Liao was slightly stunned, and was also surprised when he heard Guan Yu say this.
Guan Yu rarely mentioned his experiences in Xudu. Even when he met with Zhang Liao, he talked more about personal friendship and basically didn't mention anything about Xudu.
From Guan Yu's point of view, Xu Du's matter is somewhat of a black history.
But now Guan Yu actually brought it up on his own initiative, which made Zhang Liao somewhat emotional, but more importantly, he was also a little confused.
"Brother's words are very true!" Zhang Liao first responded, and then said, "It's a pity that you and I are here drinking and talking, but brother Gongming is in Pengcheng serving the country. Well, brother, forgive me, I'm drunk."
Guan Yu just smiled, seemingly unaware of the gaffe in Zhang Liao's words, and continued, "Although eldest brother is not here, Wenyuan is. Now that the two families are against each other, a battle is inevitable, and we have not seen each other for a long time. Competition. I wonder if Wen Yuan’s martial arts has improved in recent years?!”
As soon as Guan Yu said this, Zhang Liao suddenly became excited, his face suddenly became serious, and he asked, "Brother, what do you mean by this?!"
Now that the two families are enemies, it's not just a simple gathering of old friends, right? !
Guan Yu also slowly calmed down his expression and said formally, "I would like to invite Wen Yuan to a duel in front of the formation to determine the outcome. I wonder if Wen Yuan dares to accept the challenge?!"
Zhang Liao's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he looked at Guan Yu seriously, while observing the reactions of the disciples behind Guan Yu. His mind was working rapidly, thinking about Guan Yu's intentions.
A duel before the battle? !
That's not what a general in charge of the army should do!
Guan Yu is not a fledgling boy, and he cannot be so impulsive and disregard the overall situation. Judging from the reactions of the disciples behind Guan Yu, they all seem to know that Guan Yu wants to do this. So, what is the purpose? !
Zhang Liao seriously thought about Guan Yu's purpose, pondered it, and said tentatively, "Brother, if you want to compete in martial arts, there is a tiger here. Come back to the camp and get my weapons!"
When Guan Yu heard that Zhang Liao deliberately changed the duel in front of the battle to a discussion among friends, he immediately waved his hand and stopped Zhang Hu who was about to return to the camp to get weapons.
Then, Guan Yu looked at Zhang Liao again, his eyes narrowed, and he deliberately smiled slightly, and said, "Is it possible that Wen Yuan has been pampered in recent years and neglected his martial arts, so he did not dare to agree to a duel in front of me?!"
In short, are you afraid? !
Can Zhang Liao be afraid of you? !
There is not much difference in martial arts between the two, but now Zhang Liao is only in his early fifties, and Guan Yu is already sixty years old. Judging from their age, Zhang Liao has no reason to be afraid of Guan Yu.
Besides, Guan Yu's method of provoking generals was a bit too clumsy, and the "scornful smile" he squeezed out was actually a bit poorly done. Could Zhang Liao be fooled by this? !
Zhang Liao just wanted to test Guan Yu's attitude and see if he could find out Guan Yu's purpose for doing this.
At this time, it is no longer the time for the two to reminisce about the past, but for both sides to consider the issue from the standpoint of the coaches of the two armies.
After looking at the problem beyond his identity, Zhang Liao understood Guan Yu's thoughts to some extent after this trial - Guan Yu really wanted to duel with him in front of the battle.
A duel to determine the outcome, even to the point of life and death.
Thinking deeply about Guan Yu's purpose of doing this, Zhang Liao felt that he seemed to have found some ideas.
Guan Yu's invasion of Nanyang this time brought about 50,000 troops, while Zhang Liao had more than 20,000 troops stationed in the area from Deng County to Wancheng, and they all had sufficient defense facilities. It was a city defense battle.
With 50,000 men against 20,000 men, Guan Yu may not be able to defeat him in a field battle. Once entering a defensive battle, Zhang Liao is fully confident that he can block Guan Yu's attack on Wancheng.
Thinking about it this way, although it is still absurd that Guan Yu wants to duel with him in front of the battle, it is not without reason after all.
Guan Yu wanted to win quickly, so the best way was not to engage in offensive and defensive duels in front of his own city and territory.
As for Guan Yu, he has been defeated many times as a leader in battles over the years, but in terms of martial arts, no one can beat him in a one-on-one fight. This was proven when he killed Yan Liang on a white horse.
The beheading of Yan Liang may have been a surprise attack, but after Guan Yu beheaded Yan Liang and then retreated to his own formation, Yuan Shao's army was "unstoppable by all the generals", which explains the problem very much.
Therefore, Guan Yu was very confident in his own martial arts, and when he proposed a duel with Zhang Liao, in Zhang Liao's view, he was definitely not going to compete in martial arts.
On the one hand, Zhang Liao was also angry that his martial arts were underestimated by Guan Yu, but on the other hand, Zhang Liao's calm mind told him that he absolutely could not agree to this matter.
Therefore, Zhang Liao calmed down his expression, stood up and held his hands, and said to Guan Yu, "If it were not for Liao, he would not dare to fight, but in fact, he cannot fight. My brother and Liao have both been favored by the emperor, and they should put the country and the country first. Those who are handsome will be rewarded. In command of the three armies, there is no point in showing off one's blood and courage to defeat the enemy. Liao cannot accept my brother's invitation, and I also ask my brother to think twice."
After saying this, Zhang Liao bowed again, said goodbye to Guan Yu, and turned back to the camp.
(End of chapter)
