The prison in Zhuo County,
A cell,
Although Qin Feng did not kill the envoy or the Liu and Guan brothers, he did not treat them with much courtesy.
It was easier to deal with the envoy, as he represented royal dignity.
Qin Feng did not make things too difficult for him, merely placing him and the Imperial Guards under house arrest in the military camp.
However, Liu and Guan brothers did not receive such good treatment.
Of course!
Even though they were imprisoned in the jail, Qin Feng did not truly mistreat them.
Each was given their own private cell, and their meals were delivered on time every day.
Even so,
For Liu and Guan brothers, confined here, it felt like an eternity.
"Brother!"
Guan Yu glanced at the pacing Liu Bei and frowned impatiently.
"No matter how anxious you are, it's useless. You might as well save your strength for the road ahead!"
"???"
Liu Bei, already flustered, stopped short, murmuring with despair,
"No, it can't be?"
"Why not?"
Recalling Liu Bei's previous foolish actions, Guan Yu said without reservation,
"You reported him for rebellion, do you think he would spare you?"
"I, I..."
Though he knew Guan Yu was right, Liu Bei still murmured with a hint of unyielding hope,
"Since he took in Yi De, why can't he take in the two of us?"
"We're not weak either!"
"Heh~!"
Guan Yu sneered and stopped paying attention to the disheartened Liu Bei.
He was also panicking now!
Yes!
It was Liu Bei who betrayed Qin Feng, not him, but who would listen to his explanation?
In the end, wouldn't they both be executed?
Who made them brothers?
Therefore,
Guan Yu was also secretly contemplating what he had gained from their sworn brotherhood.
Brotherhood?
Don't be ridiculous!
As the saying goes:
Love at first sight is lust, and love that grows over time is based on weighing benefits.
Did they really develop feelings through a fight?
How could that be!
If Liu Bei were not of the imperial lineage, they might have beaten him soundly.
Was it easy to mediate a fight?
As for becoming sworn brothers?
Zhang Fei came from a wealthy family but lacked status, wanting to rely on an imperial descendant to elevate his position.
And him?
It was even simpler!
Life as a wanted man was not easy, and he also wanted to find a strong backer.
But now?
Not only had the problem of being wanted not been resolved, but he was also implicated and facing execution?
This was already bad enough!
The problem was,
Zhang Lao San, who they had parted ways with back then, was now exceptionally powerful.
Commanding over a thousand cavalry!
What did that mean?
Before, even with all their possessions, they had only managed to gather five hundred able-bodied men.
And those were infantry!
You must know that,
The daily consumption of one cavalryman was at least three to five times that of an infantryman!
If that's the case... Zhang Lao San commanded at least five thousand men?
The most crucial point was,
If he hadn't been tricked by Liu Bei back then and had followed Zhang Lao San instead...
Would he also be in a similar position?
Regret gnawed at him!
The more he thought about it, the more remorseful Guan Yu became, his resentment towards his own brother almost reaching the heavens.
A typical example of being good for nothing!
Sought refuge with Lu Zhi?
Lu Zhi was dismissed and investigated!
Sought refuge with Dong Zhuo?
That fatty Dong Zhuo was also in a precarious situation now!
"Hiss~!"
It was truly astonishing when he thought about it!
Was it really this uncanny?
If Guan Yu had only felt a bit resentful earlier, he had now made up his mind.
Run!
Run as far as possible!
If they were lucky enough to survive this, he would never associate with Liu Bei again.
As for Liu Bei,
Although he was panicked by Guan Yu's words, he had not given up hope.
Since Qin Feng had not killed him on the spot, it proved they still had some value.
After all,
If even Zhang Lao San, that brute, could be reused, they couldn't be that much worse, right?
It was with this thought,
When Zhang Fei received the news and came to see him, Liu Bei eagerly revealed his intention to pledge allegiance.
However,
The news Zhang Fei brought back made Liu Bei's heart turn to ice.
"Wh-what do you mean?!"
Looking at the excited dark-faced man in front of him, Liu Bei's voice trembled slightly as he said,
"You mean I can never set foot in You Province again? This is my home!"
"Brother!"
Seeing that Liu Bei seemed not to understand their lord's good intentions, Zhang Fei quickly explained,
"Our lord is doing this for your own good!"
"For my own good?"
"Yes!"
Zhang Fei nodded earnestly and repeated Qin Feng's words from yesterday.
"Brother, think about it..."
"Your identity is of the imperial lineage, while our lord is a rebel leader!"
"If the news of you pledging allegiance to him spreads, will the Great Han court spare you?"
"Even if the Great Han court cannot defeat him for a while, what if you are disowned by your clan?"
"That would bring shame upon your ancestors!"
"..."
As Zhang Fei's words fell, Liu Bei's expression became rather complex.
It seemed, it seemed to make sense?
The only thing he could rely on now was this identity of imperial lineage.
If he were disowned?
It would be the end!
Let alone in You Province, even in the entire Great Han, he would have nowhere to go.
"Then, then..."
Liu Bei, having made up his mind, subconsciously looked towards Guan Yu.
"Second Brother, since Lord Qin is not going to hold us accountable, why don't we leave now?"
"???"
Guan Yu stroked his beard, putting on a confused expression.
"Third Brother, did Lord Qin say I am not allowed to enter You Province?"
"He didn't say that!"
Zhang Fei honestly shook his head, then added,
"Second Brother, our lord said you are welcome to stay if you wish!"
"Then, fine!"
Guan Yu nodded without hesitation and turned to look at the ashen-faced Liu Bei.
"Brother, since Lord Qin said so, why don't I stay and accompany Third Brother!"
"I, I..."
Although Liu Bei wished he could beat Guan and Zhang to death, he forced out two tears.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, I truly cannot bear to part with you!"
"Thinking of our oath in the peach garden..."
"Brother!"
Before Liu Bei could finish speaking, Zhang Fei seemed to recall something and quickly said,
"Our lord also said that it's not advisable for you to stay here for too long, as it might not be good for you."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"This..."
Seeing that Liu Bei was still not giving up, Zhang Fei hesitated for a moment before saying,
"Our lord plans to kill that eunuch today, thus completely breaking ties with the imperial court."
"Hiss~!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei shivered, feeling a slight pressure on his bladder.
It was indeed not advisable to stay!
Otherwise,
Even if he returned to that fatty Dong Zhuo's side, it would not be easy to explain.
But to leave now?
Glancing again at Guan and Zhang, these two elite fighters, Liu Bei's reluctance grew even more intense.
He truly hated to part with them!
Without these two elite fighters, his path to rise in the future would likely be even more difficult.
But he had to leave!
Fighters could be tricked into joining again, but if his identity was lost, he wouldn't even have the chance to trick anyone.
With this thought,
Liu Bei, having made his decision, cupped his fists towards Guan and Zhang.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, take care of yourselves. We shall meet again if fate allows!"