Since Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, he had quickly become a pariah among the warlords. Liu Biao, as part of the royal family, never saw eye to eye with him. In the past, when Yuan Shu was leading the campaign against Dong Zhuo, he held the title of Governor of Nanyang, but Liu Biao had forced him to retreat east.
After the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu quickly sent Sun Jian to attack Huang Zu in Jiangxia, but Sun Jian's death had ended the plan. This solidified the rivalry between Yuan Shu and Liu Biao. If Yuan Shu knew that Lü Bu was planning to seek refuge with Liu Biao, he certainly wouldn't let it slide easily!
But deep down, Lü Bu still favored Chen Gong's third suggestion: heading toward Liu Biao.
After considering it, Lü Bu turned to Gao Shun and Zhang Liao. "Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, what do you think?"
Gao Shun replied, "My lord, I don't understand the greater politics of the world, but we, brothers from Bing Zhou, may not be accustomed to the waterways and boats of Jiangdong. As for Yuan Shu, he's a self-proclaimed emperor and is hated by all the warlords. You, my lord, openly broke ties with him. If we go to him, we risk losing our reputation."
"Therefore, I still believe seeking refuge with Liu Biao would be the best option."
Zhang Liao clasped his fists and agreed. "General, I also believe that heading to Liu Biao is the most prudent course of action."
Lü Bu nodded thoughtfully. "What is your opinion, Chen Gong?"
Chen Gong elaborated, "The first path, heading toward Yangzhou, is a place already largely under the control of Sun Ce. This man is strong, strategic, and well-supported by his advisers, such as Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao, and Lu Su. If we just want to survive, Sun Ce might leave us alone, but if we plan to contest Yangzhou with him, he'll immediately come after us."
"With our current strength, we are no match for him."
Chen Gong sighed in acknowledgment. "You are correct, Lü Bu. I didn't fully consider this aspect."
Zhang Liao continued, "The second path, seeking refuge with Yuan Shu, is not viable either. Yuan Shu is a usurper. Aligning ourselves with him would be akin to staining our reputation. Furthermore, Yuan Shu has devastated Huai Nan, leaving the people homeless and the land barren. Even if he would accept us, there is no future there."
"And most crucially, Yuan Shu has too many enemies. If we join him, we might be used as pawns in his struggles. It would put us in a precarious position."
Lü Bu stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. After a long pause, he slowly spoke. "Then it is decided. We will seek refuge with Liu Biao."
"But before we proceed, we must find a way to convince Liu Biao to accept us."
Chen Gong nodded. "Liu Biao is not like Liu Zhang, who is a pushover. We need his consent before making any moves, or else we will be ambushed before even entering Jing Zhou."
Lü Bu nodded in agreement. "Liu Biao's power is built on the support of his four influential families—Cai, Kuai, Huang, and Peng. In particular, Cai Mao, head of the Cai family, has great influence with Liu Biao. Cai Mao is known to be very greedy and is involved in a power struggle with the other families. If we can get his support, we might have a chance."
"Cai Mao, huh?" Lü Bu mused. "I remember him well. He has supported Liu Biao when the latter was strong, giving money, supplies, and even his sister to strengthen their relationship. But once Liu Biao is gone, Cai Mao will likely turn to Cao Cao. But whatever happens, his riches will always stay intact."
Lü Bu turned to Chen Gong. "Please head to Jing Zhou immediately. Take Gao Shun and ten of our elite guards for safety."
He added, "As for the treasury, you can take what you need."
Chen Gong bowed respectfully. "I understand. I will leave immediately."
Lü Bu looked at his officers. "As for Yuan Shu, I will send him a letter to inform him that we are heading to Jing Zhou and Zhang Xiu. If he allows us to pass, then good. If not, we will fight our way through."
Zhang Xiu, stationed at Wan Cheng, was one of Liu Biao's loyal commanders and had no real conflict with Lü Bu. So, Lü Bu hoped that Yuan Shu wouldn't block their passage.
Gao Shun was confused. "My lord, when you were in Luoyang and Chang'an, you had no dealings with Zhang Ji or Zhang Xiu, correct?"
Lü Bu shook his head. "No, but Yuan Shu doesn't know that. We all served under Dong Zhuo, so it's not impossible for Yuan Shu to believe that we have connections there."
With his plan decided, Lü Bu gave the order. Gao Shun and Chen Gong quickly selected their guards and set out for Xiangyang to gather support. After they left, Lü Bu quickly penned a letter to Yuan Shu, detailing their plans and hoping for a safe passage through his lands.
But Lü Bu knew that time was of the essence. Once Cao Cao regained his forces and launched another assault, there would be no way out.
As Lü Bu set out with Zhang Liao and his remaining forces, they quickly moved westward, leaving Xiapi behind. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but their only hope now was to secure safe passage and shelter.
Meanwhile, in Cao Cao's camp, scouts were already reporting that Lü Bu had started his retreat westward. Cao Cao was seething with anger, knowing that Lü Bu's flight had prevented him from completing his victory in Xu Zhou.
As he pondered, Cao Cao turned to his officers. "Lü Bu is retreating with his forces. What do you think his next move will be?"
The Xu Zhou campaign had nearly come to an end, but now, Cao Cao had to decide whether or not to pursue Lü Bu further. The question was no longer about victory—it was about survival for both sides.