Don’t Tell Me This Is the True History of the Three Kingdoms! Vol 6 Chapter 11

Yun Chang POV

To summarise what happened, we were able to easily capture Chen Gong who was caught completely unawares. The surrounding militia were all shocked, and some actually charged up and tried to save Chen Gong but Liao Hua was able to stop the human flow in time so we remained in control of the situation.

On the other side, Lu Bu had an even easier time. It seems like that Zhou Cang fellow had acceded to Lu Bu and Zhou Cang actually stopped her troops calmly from trying to save her when Lu Bu captured her.

I then ordered Chen Gong to return her people to the village town, and for Zhou Cang to get her people to withdraw as well, leaving only the 2 leaders of each side and our people. After discussing with Lu Bu, we decided on our beachside camp as the negotiation point and separately headed there.

Chen Gong wasn’t someone we could lower our guard against so Liao Hua and I maintained vigilance along the way back. After we caught a few scouts, Chen Gong finally relented and ordered them to all withdraw.

“I’m really impressed at you lot. To think you actually managed to capture the overall commanders of both sides at once. I don’t think there’s ever been such a precedence.” Chen Gong was still calm as ever, but her voice lacked a fair bit of the usual steel.

“But now can you finally see that we aren’t with the refugees?”

“Indeed, I must concede that point,” Chen Gong sighed and then turned to me, “Then why do you lot have to do such troublesome things if you’re not with them?!”

I smiled when I heard this and looked at Liao Hua, who had a similarly hateful expression as Chen Gong. She looked at Chen Gong and slowly said, “Wasn’t it you who got us involved?”

When she finished, Liao Hua walked over to Chen Gong and began to search her.

“Oi oi! You— Ah~ What are you trying to do?!”

“Find my whetstone and books.

“How could I possibly be carrying those things~”

Chen Gong began to moan as she was felt by Liao Hua in a complete turnaround from her att.i.tude before and after a while, she began to gasp with a reddened face. I didn’t think that Chen Gong had so many ticklish spots.

(TL: MC isn’t the only dense one…)

As for whether Liao Hua was actually finding her things, I felt that I shouldn’t ask about this, and just walked behind them and smiled.

When we returned back to camp, I saw that Lu Bu and the rest were already back and they saluted us from afar.

“Big sis~”

“Sister Guan, this disappearance of yours really worried us.”

When they saw us, Gan Qing and Mi Zhen came up to welcome us. I didn’t see Hua Tuo but she should probably still be sleeping at this time.

“Lord Guan Yu got sucked in as expected.”

“After being by our lord (Liu Bei)’s side for so long, it looks like you have gained the ability to get entangled with troublesome things.”

Lu Bu and Wen Yuan said sarcastically when they saw how bedraggled I was.

*w.a.n.g*! Red Hare too barked when it saw me.

Do you have to say that the moment you see me? And you even said it as if it was a matter of fact.

“Give me a break you 2. I’m exhausted in both body and mind.” I said as I rubbed Res Hare’s furry head, and wondered just how did this all come about.

“Is your big brother a G.o.d of misfortune?”

Don’t be misled, Liao Hua!

But instead of this, the more critical issue at hand is how to solve the Chen Gong-Zhou Cang conundrum.

I turned and saw that Chen Gong and Zhou Cang were sitting at a table across each other. Zhou Cang looked grim while Chen Gong was calm and composed.

Now then…

I steeled myself and stepped into the camp, but just as I placed 1 foot in, the 2 of them started bickering.

“Negotiations are of no use whatsoever when you refugees are so vile. It’s the truth that you committed robbery so what else is there to say?”

“Refugees too have their dignity. Not only have you not shown compa.s.sion to us, you even speak to us coldly and arrogantly as though we are your inferiors! How can we possibly cross the Yellow River if we don’t have boats and 3 days’ worth of provisions! Are you telling us to die then?!”

As Zhou Cang said so, her agitated movements made the table knock against Chen Gong’s leg with a *bang*. Chen Gong’s expression did not waver, and she just stared coldly at Zhou Cang.

It’s a very difficult problem to deal with. On one hand, what Chen Gong has done is right by the laws and by her responsibilities. On the other hand, what Zhou Cang did was to secure her survival, and was her last resort after all.

They’re all just people trying to live in these troubled times.

“General Guan, I’m interested to see how you are going to solve this problem.”

Liao Hua came up close behind me and whispered i to my ear. Her gaze was cold, but this did not differ from how she usually was.

Since I’ve been exposed to this problem, I must do something about it. Ignoring the problem would go against the path I seek to follow.

And so, I sat between the both of them and calmly drank the water placed on the table before I began to slowly speak, “I understand that both sides have their difficulties and it’s impossible for me to solve this alone with just my tongue. I would however like to understand the situation so please, Zhou Cang, tell me how many refugees you have? And Chen Gong, how much stores do you have?”

“I have many with me. Including the old, frail and other non-combatants, I have 3,000 odd in total. Apart from the 1,000 odd combatants with me, I’ve placed the rest in a location behind the mountains for now. The provisions we came with are almost depleted and if this goes on, people will starve to death within a week!”

She got more and more agitated as she went on and only stopped and withdrew when I yelled at her.

“And your side, Chen Gong?”

“Nothing! I do not even have a single spare grain for the refugees!” Chen Gong was just as enraged as Zhou Cang and slammed the table as she stood up with a stormy look, “My village too has about 3,000 or so people. We only just planted the seeds for winter planting and I’m expecting a harvest failure next year so we need 3 months’ worth of stores!”

Looks like Chen Gong’s side is under tremendous pressure as well.

“At the end of the day you’re still going to get me to give these people provisions right?! Or are you asking me to take them in?!” Chen Gong pressed closer as she said so, “If we lend them a month’s worth of provisions and our harvest turns out to be a failure, won’t we end up as wandering refugees as well? Who will save us then?!”

“Can’t you just take some in! I’m willing to leave with the rest!”

“Absolutely not! How do I know if any amongst you lot carry any diseases?! What if an epidemic breaks out after a few months?! What do I do then!”

“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Zhou Cang went up to hit Chen Gong as she yelled out.

“So you’re resorting to violence when you lose in reason! So much for manners!”

I wasn’t able to stop Zhou Cang in time but Chen Gong was able to quickly dodge the attack by bending backwards.

As Chen Gong stepped back, her skirt lifted and revealed 2 wooden blocks at her feet.

This is… Could they be wooden shoes to enhance her height…

“Ah!!!” When Chen Gong saw that her wooden shoes were revealed, she immediately screamed, in contrast to how calm she usually was, and hurriedly leapt on top of her wooden shoes to hide them.

We saw it already.

“Ah, un… Sorry.” Zhou Cang was at a loss as to what to do when she saw this and stood in a daze for a long while before she apologised and returned tp her seat.

Looking at her, her actual height should probably be only about 1.4m or so.

Eh, everyone has their weaknesses I guess.

But I should seize this opportunity and think of something.

At times like these, what would big brother do?

…

So it’s that huh.

“I got it.” I thought for a moment before nodding and looking at the 2 people at my sides.

Chen Gong was still blus.h.i.+ng while Zhou Cang was frowning as her side was in more precarious circ.u.mstances.

I don’t know if what I’m going to do is right but I’ve decided I should do it–

“I’d like to ask the 2 of you. Would you both be willing to go down to Dong commandery and Runan?”