Chapter 18 of 100

Chapter 18

14 min read3,491 words

The two of them came to the back garden of the manor, where peach trees were everywhere. Zhang Fei’s manor was known to have a peach grove, but it was already April, and the peach blossoms had withered. Liu Yao couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.

The two sat facing each other, drinking and chatting.

“My name is Zhang Fei, styled Yide. I haven’t had the pleasure of your name yet,” Zhang Fei said, clasping his fists in greeting.

“I am Liu Yao, styled... um, I haven’t chosen one yet.” Liu Yao just realized he hadn’t chosen a courtesy name. Although men generally chose one after the capping ceremony, Liu Yao had a great Confucian teacher, so it wasn’t a problem to choose one earlier. Liu Yao decided to ask Cai Yong to give him a courtesy name next time.

“Ha, I, Zhang Fei, love making friends with heroes. Today, we must drink to our heart’s content,” Zhang Fei said with a hearty laugh.

Liu Yao took a sip of wine. “Mm, Yide, do you also like Huoyun Shao?”

“Indeed, I love the boldness of Huoyun Shao. It suits me best. But this wine is really damn expensive. If it weren’t for my family’s wealth, I wouldn’t be able to afford it,” Zhang Fei said, a bit pained.

Liu Yao’s eyes gleamed. “Yide, I see you are a straightforward person. I won’t beat around the bush. Let me introduce myself again. I am Liu Yao, the current Governor of Youzhou. I came here today to invite you to join us and create a great cause together.”

“You are the Governor of Youzhou?” Zhang Fei’s eyes nearly popped out, looking utterly disbelieving.

“Indeed, no doubt about it.” Saying this, he showed Zhang Fei his seal.

“Greetings, Governor.” Zhang Fei gave a casual bow, with no trace of respect, just going through the motions.

Liu Yao wasn’t angry. “Yide, don’t you want to venture out and achieve great things, to become a general and receive a title? Do you want to stay here and be a butcher forever?”

“I do, but the court is so peaceful now. Where can I find a cause to pursue?” Zhang Fei said helplessly.

“Ha, don’t you know that the Wuhuan are preparing to invade Youzhou? This is our cause. Defeat the Wuhuan, and I can recommend you to the Emperor for a generalship. How about it?” Liu Yao said with a smile.

Zhang Fei’s eyes clearly showed hesitation. Liu Yao continued to fan the flames. “Also, Yide, I can tell you that Huoyun Shao is sold by my merchant guild. If you join us, I can ensure you have an endless supply of wine, and it will be even better than what you are drinking now.”

Zhang Fei looked at Liu Yao with even more surprise. “Really, an endless supply?”

Seeing Zhang Fei’s mouth almost watering, Liu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, an endless supply, as long as it’s not during a war.”

Zhang Fei’s eyes showed even more longing. Liu Yao was delighted, knowing he was about to win Zhang Fei over.

But suddenly, Zhang Fei’s eyes darkened, and he shook his head forcefully. “Bah, I almost fell for your trick. Fortunately, I came to my senses.”

Liu Yao felt as if cold water had been poured over him, feeling thoroughly chilled. He said with a bitter smile, “Yide, do you really not want to join us?”

“That’s not it.” Zhang Fei scratched his head and laughed. “It’s just that I made a vow with my teacher. Unless someone can defeat me, I will never serve anyone. So, if you can defeat me, I will join you.”

“You!@#￥%” Liu Yao almost cursed.

“I really don’t know how Liu Bei in history managed to recruit Zhang Fei. Did he rely on Guan Yu to fight Zhang Fei? That doesn’t make sense. Even Guan Yu might not be able to defeat Zhang Fei, at most a draw. I certainly can’t match him. My martial skills are truly pitiful. I’m just a bit stronger in strength,” Liu Yao thought to himself, feeling frustrated.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Liu Yao’s head. “Strength, yes, that’s it, strength.” A mischievous smile appeared on his lips.

“Yide, since this is our first meeting, it wouldn’t be good to start fighting right away,” Liu Yao advised.

“No, if you can’t defeat me, I won’t join you,” Zhang Fei said stubbornly.

“Then how about this, Yide. Let’s not fight. Instead, let’s have an arm-wrestling match. Who has the greater strength wins. How about it?” Liu Yao suggested.

“An arm-wrestling match, that’s fine.” Zhang Fei thought for a moment. He didn’t think this young man in front of him could defeat him, even though he had moved the millstone earlier, which Zhang Fei could also do easily.

Liu Yao finally smiled, knowing he had won. He had tested it before; even Huang Zhong, Taishi Ci, and Gao Shun together could only match Liu Yao in strength. Zhang Fei couldn’t possibly be stronger than all three of them combined.

The two got into position. “Begin.” With Liu Yao’s command, Zhang Fei roared, and Liu Yao immediately felt a tremendous force. Liu Yao immediately gathered his strength to resist Zhang Fei.

Liu Yao, being a modern person, knew not to use his full strength at once in an arm-wrestling match when the two were evenly matched. He aimed for stability. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, used all his strength to try to overpower Liu Yao.

Time passed quickly, and Zhang Fei already felt his strength waning. Liu Yao, however, still seemed to have plenty of energy. Zhang Fei roared and gathered all his strength to press down. With a “bang,” the stone table under their hands shattered, but Liu Yao remained unmoved. Zhang Fei was indeed exhausted.

“You, young man, are really strong. I used all my strength, and you didn’t budge at all,” Zhang Fei said, panting heavily as he sat on the ground.

“Ha, so Yide, do you admit defeat?” Liu Yao said with a smile, but his hands were behind his back, rubbing to relieve the pain.

“Yes, I, Zhang Fei, value my word. I lost, so I lost. Your servant, Zhang Fei, greets his lord,” Zhang Fei said without hesitation, kneeling and bowing.

“Quickly, rise, Yide. With your help, those Wuhuan are nothing but rabble. I believe with your strength, becoming a general and receiving a title is not a problem,” Liu Yao said excitedly, helping Zhang Fei up. He was already overjoyed. Zhang Fei was a top-tier general, one of the best in the entire Three Kingdoms.

Zhang Fei stood up, scratching the back of his head and looking a bit embarrassed. “Um, Lord, the wine you mentioned...” He kept swallowing his saliva.

Liu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. Zhang Fei was really a drunkard. He then said seriously, “Yide, I will ensure you have an endless supply of wine, but I have two conditions.”

“Ah, Lord, don’t mention two conditions, even twenty I would agree to,” Zhang Fei said without hesitation.

“The first condition is that you must not touch a drop of wine during military campaigns. The second is that even after drinking, you must not get drunk and cause trouble, and you must not take out your frustrations on your subordinates. If you violate any of these, you will never drink again. How about it, do you agree?” Liu Yao didn’t want Zhang Fei to delay military operations due to drinking, and he didn’t want Zhang Fei to be killed by his subordinates for the same reasons as in history.

Zhang Fei immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Not being allowed to drink would be worse than death. But seeing Liu Yao’s serious face, Zhang Fei knew Liu Yao was doing this for his own good. He said firmly, “Lord, rest assured. I, Zhang Fei, will definitely follow these rules. If I violate them, I will punish myself first, without needing your punishment.”

“Ha, good, Yide. As long as you don’t have these issues, becoming a general and receiving a title will not be difficult. For now, you will serve as a commandant. Once you have achieved military merit, I will certainly recommend you for a generalship,” Liu Yao said, nodding in satisfaction.

“Thank you, Lord!” Zhang Fei said excitedly.

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