Chapter 70

"Lord, this person is impersonating a member of the Han royal family. As the heir of the Han, you should preserve the family's reputation and have him executed." At this moment, Guo Jia stepped forward and said to Liu Yao. Guo Jia was a shrewd person and instantly understood that Liu Yao wanted to deal with this Liu Bei, though he did not know why. Nevertheless, he immediately stepped forward to play along with Liu Yao.

"That's right, Lord. This guy actually dared to take advantage of you, even making you call him uncle twice. We absolutely cannot let him off easily." Zhang Fei then stepped forward, ready to grab Liu Bei.

"Leave my elder brother alone!" Before Zhang Fei could touch Liu Bei, a loud roar came from Liu Bei's side, and a hand suddenly appeared, firmly grabbing Zhang Fei's hand.

"En!!!" Zhang Fei was startled, not expecting the red-faced man beside Liu Bei to also be a skilled warrior, whose strength was not inferior to his own. He immediately engaged in a struggle with Guan Yu.

"How dare you, are you planning to rebel?" Shi A roared, drawing his sword and pointing it at Liu Bei. Huang Zhong and Liu Yao's personal guards also drew their weapons, eyeing Liu Bei and Guan Yu warily. The main tent was suddenly filled with tension.

"Yun Chang, stop immediately." Liu Bei, seeing the encirclement, immediately called out to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu, who usually listened to Liu Bei, reluctantly let go. Zhang Fei, finding it uninteresting, also stopped struggling with Guan Yu.

"Lord, I indeed do not have a family register, but my lineage has been passed down in my family. I believe it is genuine. My second brother acted out of concern for me, with no other intentions. Please forgive us, Lord." Liu Bei knelt down and pleaded for forgiveness.

"This is not my elder brother's fault. I was the one who acted. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me." Guan Yu also stepped forward and called out.

At this moment, Lu Zhi also knelt before Liu Yao, pleading, "Please forgive them this once, Lord."

Seeing this, Liu Yao knew it was enough and quickly called for Lu Zhi to rise. "General Lu, please rise. I never intended to punish him."

Lu Zhi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Liu Yao's words. Although he did not particularly like Liu Bei, he was still his disciple, and he could not bear to see him die before his eyes.

Liu Yao then looked at Liu Bei and Guan Yu, his face cold, and said, "This time, I will let it go, but I hope you do not act recklessly in front of me again." Liu Yao paused and continued, "However, Liu Bei still lacks a family register to prove his identity, so I cannot recognize him as a member of the royal family. But if you can find the family register one day, the door of the royal family will always be open to you. Until then, you are just a commoner. If you dare to claim to be a member of the Han royal family again, beware of your head."

Liu Bei, after all, was Lu Zhi's disciple, and it would not be good to kill him here. But taking away Liu Bei's claim to the Han royal family was enough. Historically, Liu Bei relied on his status as a member of the Han royal family to attract many strategists and brave generals. Without this status, who would join a penniless man like him?

"Thank you, Lord," Liu Bei said calmly. Guan Yu, on the other hand, was grinding his teeth, his eyes full of resentment. He felt that Liu Bei had been wronged. With the status of a Han royal family member, Liu Bei's reputation in the Han would have naturally improved, and his chances of achieving great things would have been greater. Now, without this status, Guan Yu was already worried about his elder brother's future. However, with Guan Yu's loyalty, he would likely follow Liu Bei to the end, no matter what.

Liu Yao then coldly snorted and left the main tent without even looking at Liu Bei. Shi A and the others also glanced at Liu Bei disdainfully and turned to leave. Only Liu Bei, who appeared calm but was seething with anger inside, and Guan Yu, who was grinding his teeth in resentment, were left behind. Lu Zhi was also left there, awkward and at a loss. Cao Cao, who had not said a word, was also left behind.

Lu Zhi then looked at Liu Bei, sighed, and left, leaving behind the words, "A rotten tree cannot be carved."

Cao Cao, lost in thought, followed Lu Zhi out.

In the tent, Liu Bei sighed helplessly. His greatest advantage was now gone, and no one could accept that.

"Brother, I feel like that Liu Yao is targeting you," Guan Yu finally spoke up after everyone had left.

"Ah, Yun Chang, I don't know either. It was our first meeting, and I don't know why he is targeting me," Liu Bei thought for a moment and shook his head helplessly. As for the incident in Zhuo County, Liu Bei was very confident that he had not let Liu Yao notice anything. He could not figure out why Liu Yao would target him, a commoner.

However, what Liu Bei did not know was that Liu Yao had sharp senses and had seen all of Liu Bei's small actions. Even if Liu Yao had not noticed, with his knowledge of history, he would not fail to be wary of Liu Bei.

Guan Yu, frustrated, punched the ground to vent his anger. The tent fell into silence.

Outside the tent, Liu Yao and Guo Jia, Xizhi, and others were heading back to their camp.

On the way, Liu Yao casually asked, "Fengxiao, Zhicai, Yuanhao, what do you think of Liu Xuande?"

"Lord, what do you mean? I think he's like a little woman, always crying. He has no backbone at all," Zhang Fei interjected before anyone else could speak.

Guo Jia and the others ignored Zhang Fei, who rolled his eyes and fell silent.

"Lord, I think Liu Bei is very patient. Despite your severe blow, he still managed to remain calm, showing that he is indeed a remarkable person," Tian Feng spoke first.

"Indeed, I also believe that Liu Bei is not a simple character. He has long arms and large ears, a sign of good fortune. He is also very deep and knows how to win people's hearts, making him a man capable of great things," Xizhi agreed.

Liu Yao nodded, acknowledging their keen insight. He then noticed Guo Jia smiling silently and asked curiously, "Fengxiao, why are you not speaking and just smiling?"

Guo Jia smiled and said, "Lord, what I wanted to say has already been said by Zhicai and Yuanhao. I have nothing more to add. As for my smile, it's because the current Liu Bei is not a threat."

"Fengxiao, what do you mean?" Liu Yao asked curiously.

"Lord, although Liu Bei is a man capable of great things and has the skills, and he has a brother named Guan Yu who is as strong as General Zhang, he still lacks a strategist like Zhicai or Yuanhao. Even with a strong army, I can easily defeat him with a simple plan. However, if Liu Bei ever finds such a person, it will be his chance to rise to power," Guo Jia explained.

Liu Yao nodded in agreement. He knew the threat Liu Bei posed. Liu Bei was like a cockroach that could not be killed, always finding a way to rise again despite repeated defeats. Therefore, Liu Yao was determined to create obstacles for Liu Bei, preventing him from growing and nipping the threat in the bud.