Guan Yu said: "How can I betray what I said before? I hope you can help me express this meaning." Zhang Liao reported the situation to Cao Cao. Cao Cao was not disappointed and said with a smile: "I have a way to keep him!"
After Zhang Liao left, Guan Yu was thinking about ways. He knew that Cao Cao had always paid attention to his attitude. Now that his eldest brother Liu Bei knew the information, his sister-in-law was also urging him to make the next decision!
Falling into trouble, Guan Yu stood up, opened the window, and prepared to get some air. Suddenly, someone reported outside that an old friend was visiting.
So Guan Yu asked someone to invite him in. He found that he was not an old friend at all, and he didn't know him at all, so he asked: "Who are you? I don't know you at all!"
He replied: "I am Yuan Shao's subordinate, Chen Zhen from Nanyang!"
Guan Yu was surprised to hear that he was from Yuan Shao. He knew that he was in Cao Cao's territory and Yuan Shao was his enemy. He knew that this person might be here to deliver information, so he quickly moved away and walked to Chen Zhen stepped forward and asked, "You risked your life to come here to find me. You must have something important to tell me."
Chen Zhen didn't say too much nonsense. He just took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Guan Yu.
Guan Yu opened it and looked at it. It was his elder brother's note. The content was: "Your Excellency and I have vowed to live and die together since we became sworn brothers in Taoyuan. Why have we abandoned our common path and severed our friendship halfway? If you If you want to gain fame and wealth from Cao Cao, your fourth brother and I are willing to help you and make contributions. I won’t go into details here. I just ask you to take our lives.”
After Guan Yu saw this letter, he suddenly burst into tears and sighed: "It's not that I don't want to find you, it's that I didn't know your whereabouts before. How could I be greedy for wealth and forget my previous oath?"
Chen Zhen roughly understood Guan Yu's attitude through his expression, and said: "Actually, Duke Xuande still hopes that you will go back. Since you are unwilling to break the previous covenant, then please go to Hebei to find him." Two Foreigners Yu Yi Let me tell you, he also hopes you leave Cao Cao."
Guan Yu turned away, remembering Yu Yi's lively personality before, and felt sour in his heart. He finally stopped hesitating and prepared to leave Xudu and head to Hebei.
Guan Yu said: "A real man is born in heaven and earth. If he cannot have a beginning and an end, he is not a gentleman. When I surrendered, I made an agreement. Now I can't leave without knowing it. I will write a reply now. I hope you can bring it to me." Brother, I hope you will give me time to say goodbye to Cao Cao and meet my two sisters-in-law in person."
Chen Zhen said: "If Cao Cao doesn't allow you to leave and sends someone to monitor you, what should you do?"
Guan Yu said: "Don't worry, I won't stay here long even if I die!"
Chen Zhen nodded and said: "Well, please write a reply as soon as possible to avoid the mood that Mr. Xuande has been looking forward to."
Guan Yu wrote in his reply, "I heard that loyalty means not betraying one's original intention, and a loyal person will not be afraid of death. I have been studying since I was a child, and my knowledge of etiquette is very simple. I often sigh when I hear the stories of Yang Jiao'ai and Zuo Botao. Till I shed tears. When I followed the instructions to guard Xiapi, there was no food inside and there were no reinforcements of soldiers outside. I was originally prepared to die in battle, but I had two sisters-in-law entrusted to me, so I didn’t dare to die easily, so I decided to do it for the time being. I agreed to surrender to Cao Cao and made a three-part agreement. I agreed that after knowing the news about you, I would leave in order to have the opportunity to meet in the future. I recently went to Runan, and then I learned the news about my eldest brother. After returning to Xudu, I also I reported the situation to my two sisters-in-law and prepared to find a way to leave Xudu. If I have two intentions, gods and men will come together to kill me. Heaven and earth can clearly judge my loyalty. I hope that eldest brother will believe me."
Chen Zhen left with the letter.
In Hebei, Liu Bei and Yu Yi were sitting across from each other drinking. After writing the letter, he first asked someone to show it to Yu Yi and said, "What do you think, fourth brother?"
Yu Yi looked in great admiration and said: "Brother is very good at predicting things. Originally, Yuan Shao was planning to kill us to establish his authority because of his second brother's killing of Yan Liang and Wen Chou. However, after a few words from the eldest brother, Yuan Shao changed his mind and killed his subordinates. The counselor criticized him harshly. Besides, this letter contains only a few words and does not mean to blame, but it captures the weak points, especially the last few sentences, which are definitely the finishing touch. He directly tells the second brother that if he wants to be rich and prosperous, We are just waiting for him to take the head, which will definitely make the second brother change his mind. This is an attempt to awaken his conscience."
When Liu Bei heard Yu Yi's analysis, he was secretly amazed and praised: "Among the brothers, the third brother is reckless and a warrior, the second brother is loyal, but sometimes very arrogant, and the fourth brother is the only one who is both civilized and martial, and has a good strategy." Above me!"
Yu Yi smiled and said, "Brother is too modest. When it comes to the art of using people to recognize people, I'm afraid I can't even match him."
The two toasted each other, and suddenly Liu Bei's expression changed, showing some sadness, and said: "Now that the news about your second brother has been confirmed, I believe that after my letter is delivered, he will come to Hebei to find me. But there is no news about your third brother yet, he will not really..." After saying this, Liu Bei actually shed tears of sadness.
Yu Yi quickly went up to help him and said: "Brother, don't be too sad. Third brother is a man of great fortune. I think there is no news about Cao Cao, so he must be somewhere else. Sooner or later we will be reunited."
Liu Bei nodded, and the two of them dispersed and returned to their own camps.
In Xudu, Guan Yu secretly sent Chen Zhen away, turned around to find his two sisters-in-law, told them the situation, and then went to Cao Cao's mansion to prepare to bid farewell to Cao Cao.
Someone had reported it to Cao Cao a long time ago. Of course he understood Guan Yu's intention, so he hung an avoidance sign at the door.
Guan Yu looked very disappointed and walked back slowly. Although he did not see Cao Cao, his intention to go was very clear. He asked his old servants to pack up the carriages and horses and wait on them morning and evening. He also ordered the servants in the house to take care of him. All belongings are left behind and nothing can be taken away.
On the second day, Guan Yu went to Cao Cao's residence to say goodbye again, and found that the house sign was still hanging with the sign of avoidance. He went there several times in a row, but it was always the same situation. There was no way to see Cao Cao, so he had to visit Zhang Liao's home. He made his wishes clear, but coincidentally, Zhang Liao kept ignoring people because of his illness, which made Guan Yu a little depressed.
Guan Yu saw this, and he was not stupid. He thought, "Cao Cao must have known some information and deliberately prevented me from leaving. But I have already decided to go, how can I hesitate anymore?"
So I wrote a letter, intending to say goodbye to Cao Cao in the form of a letter, and not planning to visit again, so I said goodbye in person.
