Chapter Eighteen: Cleverly Winning Over Zhang Fei

The two of them made their way to the rear courtyard of the estate, where peach trees grew in abundance. Liu Yao had long heard that Zhang Fei had a peach grove on his land, but now that it was already April, the peach blossoms had faded, and he couldn’t help but feel it was a pity.

They sat opposite each other, drinking wine as they talked.

“My name is Zhang Fei, courtesy name Yide. May I ask your name?” Zhang Fei cupped his fists in greeting.

“I am Liu Yao, courtesy name... um, actually, I don’t have one yet.” Only then did Liu Yao recall that he hadn’t chosen a courtesy name for himself. Although it was customary for men to receive one after coming of age, since he had a renowned scholar as a teacher, it wouldn’t be inappropriate to choose one earlier. Liu Yao resolved to ask Cai Yong to select one for him next time.

“Haha! I, Zhang Fei, love making friends with heroes and men of valor. Today, let’s drink to our hearts’ content!” Zhang Fei laughed heartily.

Liu Yao took a sip of wine. “Yide, do you also enjoy this Firecloud Liquor?”

“Indeed! I love the fiery kick of Firecloud Liquor—it suits me perfectly. But it’s outrageously expensive! If I didn’t have a bit of family wealth, I’d never bear to drink it,” Zhang Fei said with a twinge of regret.

A sharp glint flashed in Liu Yao’s eyes. “Yide, you strike me as a straightforward man, so I won’t beat around the bush. Let me introduce myself again: I am Liu Yao, the current Governor of You Province. I’ve come to ask you to join me, to forge a great enterprise together.”

“You’re the Governor of You Province?” Zhang Fei’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head in disbelief.

“That’s right, none other.” Liu Yao took out his official seal and showed it to Zhang Fei.

“Greetings, my lord governor.” Zhang Fei gave a perfunctory bow, his eyes devoid of reverence—just a token gesture.

Liu Yao wasn’t angered. “Yide, don’t you yearn to make your mark on the world, to earn a general’s seal and a noble title? Do you really want to remain here as a butcher forever?”

“I do, but the court is so peaceful these days—what opportunities are there for adventure?” Zhang Fei replied helplessly.

Liu Yao chuckled. “You may not know, but the Wuhuan are preparing to invade You Province. That’s our enterprise. If we defeat them, I can petition the Emperor to grant you the rank of general. What do you say?”

Zhang Fei’s eyes wavered with hesitation. Liu Yao pressed on, fanning the flames. “And let me tell you, this Firecloud Liquor is sold by my merchant guild. If you join me, I can guarantee you’ll have your fill of wine—better than what you’re drinking now.”

Zhang Fei stared at Liu Yao in astonishment. “Really, all I want?”

Seeing Zhang Fei nearly drooling, Liu Yao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Absolutely, as much as you want—unless we’re at war, then there’ll be enough wine for you.”

The longing in Zhang Fei’s eyes grew more intense. Liu Yao was delighted, sensing that Zhang Fei was almost within his grasp.

But suddenly, Zhang Fei’s expression darkened. He shook his head vigorously. “Ha! I nearly let you tempt me. Good thing old Zhang came to his senses.”

Liu Yao felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him, chilling him to the core. He forced a bitter smile. “Yide, are you truly unwilling to join us?”

“That’s not it,” Zhang Fei said with a sheepish grin as he scratched his head. “It’s just that I once swore an oath to my master: unless someone can defeat me, I’ll never serve another as my lord. So, if you can defeat me, I’ll join you.”

“You—! Damn it!” Liu Yao nearly cursed aloud.

He thought to himself, “I really don’t know how Liu Bei managed to win over Zhang Fei in history. Did he send Guan Yu to fight him? That can’t be right—even Guan Yu might not be able to beat Zhang Fei; at best, it’d be a draw. As for me, I’m definitely no match for him—my martial skills are laughable at best. At most, I’m just a bit stronger than average.”

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through Liu Yao’s mind. “Stronger... That’s it, strength!” The corners of his mouth curled into a sly grin.

“Yide, this is our first meeting—wouldn’t it be inappropriate to come to blows?” Liu Yao tried to reason.

“No way! If you can’t beat me, I won’t join you,” Zhang Fei insisted stubbornly.

“How about this, Yide: instead of fighting, let’s test our strength with an arm-wrestling match. Whoever is stronger wins—how about it?” Liu Yao proposed.

“Arm-wrestling? That works too,” Zhang Fei agreed after a moment’s thought. He didn’t believe that this scholarly-looking youth before him could best him in strength. Though Liu Yao had moved a millstone earlier, Zhang Fei himself could do the same with ease.

A smile finally appeared on Liu Yao’s face—he knew he had succeeded. He’d tried before: even when Huang Zhong, Taishi Ci, and Gao Shun joined forces, they could only manage a draw with him. There was no way Zhang Fei could surpass the combined strength of those three.

The two squared off. “Begin!” At Liu Yao’s command, Zhang Fei let out a thunderous roar, and Liu Yao immediately felt a tremendous force through his arm. He summoned all his strength and matched Zhang Fei’s power.

Being a modern man, Liu Yao knew that in an arm-wrestling match between two evenly matched opponents, one shouldn’t unleash all their strength at once but should focus on stability. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, was exerting all his might, trying to overpower Liu Yao.

Time passed quickly, and Zhang Fei soon felt his strength waning, while Liu Yao remained composed and unhurried. With a final roar, Zhang Fei gathered all his remaining power and pressed down hard. With a loud crash, the stone table beneath their arms shattered to pieces—yet Liu Yao’s hand hadn’t budged an inch. Zhang Fei was utterly spent.

“You really are something! I, Zhang Fei, used all my strength, and you didn’t even flinch,” Zhang Fei said, gasping for breath as he sat on the ground.

“So, Yide, do you admit defeat?” Liu Yao asked with a smile, though his hands were behind his back, secretly massaging them to ease the pain.

“That’s right. I, Zhang Fei, always keep my word—defeat is defeat. Your subordinate Zhang Fei greets his lord,” Zhang Fei declared without hesitation, kneeling to bow.

“Quickly, rise! Yide, with your help, the Wuhuan and their like are nothing more than petty rabble. I believe that with your abilities, earning a general’s seal and a noble title is well within your grasp,” Liu Yao said excitedly, helping Zhang Fei to his feet. In his heart, he was overjoyed—Zhang Fei was a first-rate general, one of the very best in all the Three Kingdoms.

Zhang Fei got up, scratching the back of his head with an awkward grin. “Er... my lord, about that wine you mentioned...?” He swallowed audibly.

Liu Yao couldn’t help but laugh—Zhang Fei truly was a lover of wine. Putting on a serious face, he said, “Yide, I promise you’ll have all the wine you want—but I have two conditions.”

“My lord, never mind two conditions—even twenty, old Zhang would agree!” Zhang Fei replied without hesitation.

“First, during military campaigns, you’re absolutely forbidden to touch a drop of wine. Second, even after drinking, you must never cause drunken trouble, nor vent your temper on your subordinates. If you break either rule, you’ll never drink another drop. Do you accept?” Liu Yao was determined not to let Zhang Fei’s drinking delay military matters or lead to the tragic fate he suffered in history.

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Zhang Fei’s forehead. If he were forbidden wine, life would be unbearable. But seeing Liu Yao’s earnest expression, Zhang Fei understood he meant well. He nodded resolutely. “My lord, don’t worry—old Zhang will abide by your rules. If I break them, I won’t forgive myself, so you won’t have to punish me.”

“Excellent, Yide. As long as you avoid those pitfalls, there’s no reason you can’t become a general and a noble. For now, you’ll serve as a captain. Once you’ve earned merit in battle, I’ll make sure you get your general’s seal,” Liu Yao said, nodding with satisfaction.

“Thank you, my lord!” Zhang Fei exclaimed, his face alight with excitement.