Chapter 83

Chapter 717: Unbinding the Hair and Tucking the Collar to the Left (披髮左?) (4)

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None of the soldiers in Lü Bu's army were worried about the fleeing Red Silk Army and their soldiers, as they knew that the Gaozhu soldiers were already lying in ambush to the east. They could leave it to them.

Wei Yue also knew this, so instead of chasing after the fleeing soldiers, he climbed up to the city wall to look for Lü Bu.

"Commander, did you see the enemy general? I couldn't even catch a glimpse of his nose... where could he be hiding?"

Wei Yue suddenly trailed off and cast his gaze toward a limp corpse held by Lü Bu's hand.

"Could it be that the body you're holding is the enemy general's?"

"Why not?"

Lü Bu's answer made Wei Yue slap his knee in regret.

"I searched high and low, but couldn't find him, and now he's in your hands. What a wretched fellow... If he had surrendered to me, he might have saved his life, but with you, how could he hope to live?"

Lü Bu didn't hear Wei Yue's words. He handed the enemy general's body to Wei Yue and descended from the city wall. Wei Yue shouted after him.

"Commander, are you giving me the enemy general's body? If you don't answer, I'll take it as a yes. The credit is mine too. Once a word is spoken, even four horses can't catch it back (一言旣出, 駟馬難追)!"

Wei Yue, having anticipated Lü Bu's response, smiled smugly.

* * *

Lü Bu kept turning his head, looking for someone... no, someone specific. The person he was looking for was Guo Jia.

Finding Guo Jia wasn't difficult. The Red Silk Army's archery was formidable, so he had many guards around him in case of emergencies.

Seeing Lü Bu approaching from a distance, Guo Jia guessed that Lü Bu had something to discuss with him. He ran over and bowed.

"General, congratulations on the great victory."

Guo Jia informed Lü Bu of the victory, but Lü Bu's expression remained gloomy. Guo Jia, sensing his mood, asked,

"General, why do you seem troubled? We've won a great victory, so why are you like this?"

Only then did Guo Jia notice that Lü Bu's forehead was swollen and red.

"General, you're injured. Is that the reason? Hey! Bring the army doctor..."

Lü Bu raised his hand to stop Guo Jia.

"It's nothing serious. I don't want to worry my subordinates. But, sir... Ah! Never mind."

Lü Bu seemed to want to say something but shook his head.

"General, what do you want to say to me? Speak freely. I, Guo Jia Fengxiao, will always stand by you, no matter how the world turns against you."

Guo Jia's jest made Lü Bu chuckle.

"Ha! How could someone like you take my credit?"

"Hahaha! Are you still upset about me beheading the Red Silk Army's commander? General, to rule the world, one must have the capacity to embrace it."

"Your words make it sound like I'm a petty commander."

Lü Bu's brows furrowed, but Guo Jia had something to say too.

"How could I belittle you, my lord? If you were a petty commander, I wouldn't have become your subordinate."

"I've never heard of a subordinate who competes with his lord for credit."

"General, how could I not understand your love for battle? But please understand this one thing."

Lü Bu met Guo Jia's gaze, urging him to speak. Guo Jia bowed deeply.

"A subordinate's credit is the lord's credit. No matter who beheads the enemy general, the glory and benefits belong to you. So, in the future..."

Lü Bu interrupted Guo Jia again.

"Such... such! Guo Sir, you underestimate me too much. Do you think I'm an old man now, and you want to take the lead yourself?"

"Hahaha! With your great wisdom, why not take charge of the military affairs instead of just leading the vanguard?"

"Chief of staff? Ahahaha! Fine. Chief of staff."

"Hahaha!"

Their conversation was quite amusing. Neither the vanguard nor the chief of staff usually took the lead, yet here they were, vying for the position. But Lü Bu's army was a unique group, a gathering of heroes, and couldn't be compared to other armies.

* * *

After the laughter subsided, Lü Bu gestured around him. Guo Jia dismissed the guards, and Lü Bu opened up.

"Sir, I've ruined your plan."

"No, what do you mean? Hangu Pass is now yours. If my strategy had failed, you wouldn't have taken it so easily."

Lü Bu rubbed his nose, reproaching himself.

"No, I followed your instructions, but I made some mistake and was exposed before the time. I don't know how they figured out I was an impostor."

"General, what does it matter? Hangu Pass is now in your hands. Forget about the past."

"I thought it would be easy. I knew there would be some sacrifices, but the thought that my mistake led to more deaths among my soldiers makes me unable to forgive myself."

Guo Jia picked up on a few clues in Lü Bu's words. To clear up Lü Bu's doubts, he needed to find the exact answer.

"Alright, General. I have a few questions. If you answer them, I'll give you the answer."

Guo Jia's promise brightened Lü Bu's expression.

"Ask quickly."

"Think about what could have revealed that you weren't Jiang Yidan."

"What is it?"

Guo Jia showed his thumb and index finger.

"First, language. Jiang is not Han, so he can't speak fluent Han Chinese."

"Was it the language?"

Guo Jia shook his head.

"Unlikely. Your accent is mixed with Bingzhou's, which wouldn't be considered fluent by Guanzhong people."

Bingzhou's dialect and accent were heavily influenced by the northern tribes. The Southern Xiongnu, for example, had settled in Bingzhou.

"If not that, then what?"

"Your clothing is suspicious."

Lü Bu's brow furrowed.

"Sir, you shouldn't say that. I wore Jiang Yidan's clothes as they were, even enduring the smell, including the undergarments and shoes..."

Lü Bu was upset. He had done everything Guo Jia told him, and it was about the clothes... He couldn't understand.

Guo Jia clasped his hands together.

"General, have you ever put on the clothes again?"

"Hmm...!"

Lü Bu thought for a moment and then confessed.

"I, Lü Bu Fengxian, achieve great deeds every day."

Guo Jia finally understood and leisurely waved his hand.

"General, could you try unbuttoning and rebuttoning your clothes now?"

"That's not difficult. I was about to change anyway. I want to wear my own clothes, but I can't without washing them."

Lü Bu changed his clothes again. After a fierce battle, he must have looked terrible.

Guo Jia watched Lü Bu button his shirt and then spoke cautiously.

"Now I understand the reason."

"I just changed my clothes. How could that be a mistake?"

"It's not exactly a mistake. All Han people wear their clothes like you do."

"Do Han and Jiang people wear their clothes differently?"

Lü Bu examined the clothes he was wearing. They were different from Han clothes, but not by much.

"They are different. Yes, very different."

"How are they different?"

Lü Bu asked, and Guo Jia, stroking his barely grown beard, paused. Lü Bu scratched his chest.

"What's so important about how to wear clothes that you're taking so long?"

"Good question. To answer it, I must first tell you about my studies at Yangze."

Guo Jia began recounting old stories, and when Lü Bu was thoroughly exhausted from listening, he subtly quoted Confucius from the Analects.

"Confucius said about Guan Zhong, 'If it weren't for Guan Zhong (微菅仲), we would be wearing our hair loose and our collars to the left (吾其被髮左衽矣).'"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Wearing hair loose and collars to the left is a barbarian custom. Are the Jiang people a barbarian tribe or Han?"

"Of course, they're a barbarian tribe. The Western Rong, right?"

Lü Bu said, slapping his knee.

"That's it. I was exposed because I tucked my collar to the right. Ah! I almost endangered my subordinates and ruined the plan because of such a simple thing. I, Lü Fengxian, am not worthy to be a great commander."

Guo Jia replied,

"No, how can there be perfection in the world? My lord, don't blame yourself for your shortcomings. It's bad to ignore your shortcomings and not seek to improve. Be cautious about not seeking to learn when you don't know."

"I am too lacking and too ignorant."

Guo Jia bowed and advised,

"General, self-discipline is a virtue necessary for a warlord aspiring to rule the world. But now, don't think about that. What's important now is to completely subdue Huang Bosun's army and make all of Guanzhong