Chapter 247 – Revenge by Using Same Methods (The End of Guan Yu’s retelling)
Trebuchet? Pang Tong is surprised as he is kept listening to everything that Guan Yu has been speaking. Guan Yu’s description made Pang Tong worry very much. That thing can shoot as far as 500 steps and can tear open city gates. What kind of weapon is it? Thought Pang Tong curiously. Pang Tong understood a little about engineering as his rival Kongming is an expert in engineering, being a graduate of Mohist school. However, as smart as he is, he had yet have an image in his mind regarding this trebuchet that can reach 500 steps.
Hmm, no matter how good that trebuchet, as long it can be destroyed it is fine Thought Pang Tong. Pang Tong concluded that the reason Guan Yu lost Shouchun is because Guan Yu only had 10,000 light infantries Qing Province Soldier, impossible to breakthrough 10,000 heavy infantries mixed with heavy cavalries. It would be a different story if White Feathered Warriors was assigned to Guan Yu. They will definitely able to withstand their assault, able to destroy their trebuchets and finally able to rip open a path. Liu Bei’s trump card White Feathered Warriors is really impressive. Their numbers are 5,000 troops only, but their roster are comprised of many third-class generals, thus can be seen as a monster among heavy infantries. In the original timeline, White Feathered Warriors helped Shu Country to survive two eras after Liu Bei died. However, when General Chen Dao died, White Feathered Warriors also died with him. With internal strife always brewing in Shu’s court, no one thought to form elite forces like that again and finally, Shu Country can only blame themselves after being swallowed by Wei Country.
Pang Tong really disregarded Liu Mang’s heavy cavalries. Hmph, only 200+ heavy cavalries can be solved by White Feathered Warriors easily, even Tiger Leopard Cavalries1 is our opponent, they can be defeated by White Feathered Warriors. Thought Pang Tong. Regarding Bing Province Wolf Cavalry, Pang Tong has gotten Zhang Xiu commitment to launch his 20,000 Xiliang Cavalry to help solve them. Right now, Pang Tong is thinking about how to solve those 10,000 heavy infantries.
“So, Zilong really had been recruited into Liu Mang army. Ai!!!” Then Liu Bei took a deep breath and shook his head. Zhao Yun really valued highly by Liu Bei as in his opinion, he is very skilled in martial arts as well well-mannered and loyal to the end. During Zhao Yun’s service to Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei had already approached him several times. That Zhao Yun is too valuable to be wasted on that stupid Gongsun Zan Thought Liu Bei at that time. But still, Liu Bei did not snatch him at that time because Zhao Yun belonged to Gongsun Zan and Gongsun Zan is an idiot when dealing with his own personnel. Liu Bei really did not worried Zhao Yun will be snatched by his rivals. Yuan Shao, did not like peasants to be in his court, so Yuan Shao was crossed from the list. Cao Cao and Lu Bu? Both of them are criminals in Zhao Yun’s eyes and definitely will not join them. However Liu Bei himself is not a good, righteous and just person that he always promoted as he let his teacher Lu Zhi to die, leeching on several of his lords, killing them softly, but due to his weeping skill, . If one followed original track, Zhao Yun should have joined Liu Bei when he is serving under Yuan Shao. However due to big changes in several events in this nation, Liu Bei had the biggest luck. After he was expelled from Xu Province, Guandu was already raging, therefore he could not seek refuge with Yuan Shao. Instead he went to Runan, and was warmly received by Liu Pi, also got a lot of ordnance, money and even a strategist.
Actually, Zhao Yun was also looking for Liu Bei in this timeline, but because he lost his way and Liu Mang issued job advertisement, he came to Hefei. Liu Bei is actually pretty happy as well as jealous when Liu Mang issued that kind of nonsense. He really hoped that Liu Mang and Lu Bu will die extremely quick due to his offense against nobles. Therefore he dismissed them as a threat, but who really knew that his plan was ruined and Zhao Yun was snatched right under his nose. Liu Mang broadened Zhao Yun’s view on rescuing people from abyss and fire, and also giving him one of way to serve Han, the way Zhao Yun is very familiar with, which is repelling invaders. Therefore, Liu Mang got Zhao Yun’s fealty as a result.
“Yes, it’s right!!!” Growled Guan Yu, replying Liu Bei’s rhetorical sentence. Guan Yu already considered Zhao Yun as an enemy as his pride was destroyed completely from those sentence spoken by White Riders and himself. He know Zhao Yun is an earnest person, therefore he viewed words spoken by Zhao Yun is an earnest thank you as well as an insult toward himself. When Liu Bei mentioned Zhao Yun, most of Guan Yu’s Qing Province Soldiers held their laughter until their face become red.
“Zilong, the talent that should be mine, slipped away from my grasp!!!” Said Liu Bei dejectedly again while clenching his fist. A talent that can be said 99.99% will join him, suddenly slipped away from Liu Bei’s grasp, made Liu Bei really sad. But when he saw Guan Yu is looking weird toward him, he quickly changed his expression. Tao Quan then reported to Pang Tong “Master Pang, forgive us regarding those arrows!!! All snatched by Liu Mang army!!!” Tao Quan and Guan Yu just hang their head in shame for they ruined Pang Tong’s plan and it made Liu Bei’s face fuming with rage. If everything was running well, right now Liu Mang will be stalled by Guan Yu and at the same time, Pang Tong will send Xiliang Cavalry to deal Bing Province Wolf Cavalry. Pang Tong then just smiled and said toward Liu Bei and Guan Yu “Milord, don’t worry about anything!!! Those arrows will returned to us shortly!!!”
“Returned to us? Really?! HOW?” Said Guan Yu, changing his expression from shameful to angry. Either this bastard is really stupid, or already crazy!!! To retrieve those 200,000 arrows, we need to assault from both land and water. But the other warships beside those we took, already captured by that damned Liu Mang. This Pang Tong really speaking nonsense Thought Guan Yu while glaring at Pang Tong. Liu Bei then break the ice and asked “May Bei know what is Master Pang meant?!” Although Liu Bei is fuming with rage, he is much calmer than Guan Yu who was just insulted twice. Liu Bei really had big respect for this Pang Tong and relied on him a lot, as many problems that Liu Bei faced was easily solved by him and Pang Tong even gave Liu Bei a comprehensive, step-by-step plan for Liu Bei to take Central Plains.
“Of course, they will send them back to us with their own way, and we only need to gather the spoils from them!!!” Said Pang Tong while waving his feather fan to his front. He really likes feather fan right now, similar to his brother Liang. He had thought his brother Liang always carrying feather fan is because the weather is too hot. But right now, he understood why brother Liang liked feather fan so much, because right now Pang Tong received confidence as a military leader like never before. This feeling overwhelm Pang Tong so much that he started to become really addicted to it. Guan Yu then got up and tightened his fist, said “Tell me on how you going to do it? Tell me how you are going to stir up that hornet’s nest again to sting us. Are you really expecting any of us to become porcupine?!” Pang Tong just waved his feather fan back to him again and while smiling said to Guan Yu “Ooohhh, is General Guan so discouraged that he dismissed any chance of revenge?!”
“Eh, revenge?!” Guan Yu’s eyes is flashing dangerously. His mind is preoccupied with how to fight back, how can he pass up this opportunity. Guan Yu then changed his tone, cupped his fist and said “Kindly military adviser advise Yu!” Pang Tong then replied “Haha, my stratagem is very simple actually General Guan. We shall use their own stratagem against themselves!!!” Pang Tong is really happy, being respected like this. He is also happy as he is the one whom his lord wholly depended upon, he is really thankful that Kongming and Xu Shu did not come to Liu Bei otherwise, he cannot monopolize his lord like this. “Yu asks guidance from Master Pang!!!” Said Guan Yu. Then he half-knelt in front of Pang Tong. In his mind, there is only revenge for his damaged pride. “Hahaha, General Guan, Milord. Wait until night falls, then we move on with our plan!!!” Said Pang Tong calmly, he really feeling riding the clouds now. Also regarding trebuchet from Guan Yu’s report, Pang Tong surmised that they will be part of Shouchun’s defense, therefore he already prepared another method to counteract it.
TN Notes:
1) Tiger Leopard Cavalries: Prev translation, it was translated as Ferocious Cavalry by James and me, I double checked wikipedia and kongming.net and other 3 kingdoms related articles. I decided, I will use the official name from now on.