One is intrinsically noble, the other originally unpolished; on the surface, they are brothers.

The two armies stood facing each other on the battlefield.

Yuan Shao and Liu Bei rode side by side at the very front. Because Yuan Shao was the host and Liu Bei the guest, Liu Bei’s horse lingered slightly behind, by half a horse’s head, as a mark of respect.

It was also a sign of Liu Bei’s shrewdness. He knew Yuan Shao was a petty man, and if he did not flatter him at every turn, Yuan Shao would never tolerate him.

Liu Bei glanced across the enemy line and spotted Su Ming beside Cao Cao. Behind Su Ming stood two more formidable generals.

At that moment, Guan Yu, who had been behind Liu Bei all along, rode up to his side and murmured in his ear, “Brother, that young general beside Cao Cao is the very Su Ming who defeated me at the Yellow River crossing.”

“He is unstoppable in battle. Even Lü Bu of old may not have been his match.”

While Guan Yu whispered to Liu Bei, Yuan Shao watched the two of them and thought, What are they whispering about behind my back?

Still, Guan Yu was Liu Bei’s sworn brother after all, and Yuan Shao could not say much.

When Guan Yu finished, Liu Bei hastened to Yuan Shao’s side and said, “Brother Benchu, Cao Cao has brought reinforcements!”

“That young general beside him may be young, but he once defeated my second brother at the Yellow River crossing. Today, we must not underestimate the enemy!”

At those words, Yuan Shao’s heart gave a sudden jolt.

He thought, The strongest men under me are Yan Liang and Wen Chou, yet Guan Yu killed Yan Liang and Wen Chou. Now this young general has defeated Guan Yu.

Just where in the world are Liu Bei and Cao Cao finding all these mighty warriors? Why can I, Yuan Benchu, never get my hands on such men?

No wonder that crafty thief Cao had kept hanging up the banner of truce all these days, only to take it down and come out to fight today!

So that was it. Reinforcements had arrived, and he had gained powerful generals.

Yuan Shao thought again: if this young man is even stronger than Guan Yunchang, then this battle cannot be fought!

“Xuande, why don’t we hang up the banner of truce as well?” Yuan Shao asked Liu Bei.

Liu Bei heard this and thought, No way. We have already led so many men out of the camp, and now we are turning around and leaving without fighting?

If we show fear before the battle even begins, then the army’s morale will be broken on our side.

“Brother Benchu, though my second brother Guan Yu was once defeated by that young general, I still have my third brother Yide and my fourth brother Zilong.”

“However fierce that young man may be, can he really stand against three men at once?”

“We have already led our troops out of camp. If we retreat now, what will the soldiers below think of us?” Liu Bei reminded him quietly.

Yuan Shao thought it over and found it reasonable. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were all fierce men, each one more formidable than the last.

Especially Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong. He had once single-handedly defeated four generals from Cao’s camp, and his strength was even above Guan Yu’s.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shao finally felt assured.

“Ah!”

“How I envy Xuande! Yunchang, Yide, and Zilong are all rare warriors indeed!” Yuan Shao said with some envy.

His envy was not feigned; he truly envied them.

He had once had Yan Liang and Wen Chou under him, and they were not bad. But after those two died, he truly had no mighty general left to rely on.

At such a moment, Liu Bei’s wisdom in dealing with people became especially clear.

If Liu Bei were to follow Yuan Shao’s words and praise his own Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, he would only arouse Yuan Shao’s suspicion.

“Brother Benchu jests,” Liu Bei said at once. “Not only Yunchang, Yide, and Zilong, but even I, Liu Xuande, must obey Brother Benchu’s commands.”

“I, Liu Xuande, merely command a few generals, while Brother Benchu commands men of strategic brilliance and the stature of prime ministers.” Liu Bei flattered Yuan Shao a few times.

As the saying goes, no amount of wear can tear through a flattering tongue.

What Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, liked most was hearing others praise him.

After Liu Bei finished speaking, the smile on Yuan Shao’s face grew even more radiant, blooming like an old chrysanthemum in full flower.

“Hahaha!” Yuan Shao laughed heartily, stroking his beard. “Xuande flatters me too much. Between us brothers, we stand on equal footing, equal footing.”

Through these days of association, Liu Bei had completely grasped Yuan Shao’s character.

He knew Yuan Shao loved pleasant words, so he chose only the pleasant ones to say. After all, sweet talk cost nothing; it merely took a little saliva.

“Brother Benchu, who shall we send to fight the first round?” Liu Bei asked.

Yuan Shao stroked his beard and thought, However fierce Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun may be, do they not still have to heed my command, Yuan Benchu?

At the thought, Yuan Shao’s pride swelled almost beyond measure.

“Which general is willing to take the first battle?” Yuan Shao called to the generals behind him.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a general rode out from the front line.

This general was not Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or Zhao Yun, but one of Yuan Shao’s own men: Zhang He, styled Junyi.

Over these past few days of dueling with Cao’s army, all the limelight had been seized by Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun.

Of course, Zhang He and the other generals under Yuan Shao also acknowledged the strength of Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun.

Still, Zhang He thought that since Liu Bei was only a guest here, his commanders could not be allowed to take every fight. As the hosts, they should also step forward for a few battles and win a few battles.

In history, after Yuan Shao’s defeat, Zhang He surrendered to Cao Cao and later became one of the Five Elite Generals.

Thus, Zhang He was also a first-rate warrior, with considerable skill.

“My lord, I, Zhang He, am willing to take this first battle!” Zhang He said, clasping his hands in request.

After Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain by Guan Yu, the only generals under Yuan Shao who could still be considered dependable were Zhang He, Ju Yi, and Gao Lan.

Among these three, Zhang He was the strongest in single combat.

For that reason, Yuan Shao had originally not wanted any of his own generals to go out and fight.

On the battlefield, battle meant death or injury. These three were the treasures he had left; if he lost them too, then there would be no need to keep fighting this war at all.

These past few days, Yuan Shao had kept sending Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun to fight on the one hand because both were battle-crazed, and on the other because he wished to preserve his own strength.

After all, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun belonged to Liu Bei. Even if they died in battle, Yuan Shao would not feel the slightest pang of regret.

Yuan Shao had just been about to refuse Zhang He when he reconsidered. In the first clash, both sides were usually probing one another.

So the first battle would not ordinarily involve too formidable a general.

Besides, Zhang He had already volunteered. If he now sent Zhang He back and ordered Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun out instead, his intent to conserve strength would become far too obvious.

So Yuan Shao agreed and reminded him, “Junyi, you will take this battle. We may win, but we must not lose. Make certain Cao A-man learns the might of my northern warriors.”

“Understood!”

“In this battle, I, Zhang He, shall be victorious!” Zhang He cried, clasped his hands, then whipped his horse and galloped straight toward the field.

Watching Zhang He ride out, Yuan Shao thought to himself, Liu Xuande said that the young general who defeated Guan Yunchang was formidable, and that Xu Chu, who fought Zhang Yide to a draw, was also a fearsome man.

So long as that newly arrived young general and Xu Chu do not come out to fight, the rest of Cao’s generals will not find it so easy to defeat Zhang He.