Chapter 38: Persuading Zhang Xiu to Surrender Starts with Saving His Son! Wei Yan’s Gift of a Bedwarmer!

Zhang Quan? Zhang Xiu's son?

"General Yide, you actually captured Zhang Xiu's son? Why didn't you mention it to me?" Xiao Fang's eyes lit up as he turned to look at Zhang Fei.

"That brat took seven or eight slashes and was left with only half a life. I figured he was just the son of that scoundrel Zhang Xiu, and if he died, he died, so I didn't pay much attention to him," Zhang Fei replied, scratching the back of his head with an indifferent air.

Xiao Fang sighed and bowed toward Liu Bei. "General Yide capturing Zhang Quan is an unexpected gain."

"A-Liang is right. Perhaps we can use Zhang Quan as leverage; persuading Zhang Xiu to surrender may not be impossible."

"My Lord, let me try to save this Zhang Quan."

Liu Bei immediately understood Xiao Fang's intention and nodded in agreement. He ordered Zhang Fei to send men to the prisoner camp and bring Zhang Quan to the main tent.

A short while later, a young warrior, blood-soaked and covered in wounds, was laid out before Xiao Fang.

"Brother-in-law, this man is hanging by a thread. Is he still salvageable?" Zhuge Liang asked, looking skeptical.

Xiao Fang did not answer. After examining the man from top to bottom, he said, "Most of his wounds did not strike vital organs; only two are somewhat dangerous. I can only say I will do my best. Whether he survives depends on the lad's own luck."

Xiao Fang rolled up his sleeves and asked Zhuge Liang to fetch the medicine kit to assist him. Right there in the main tent, using improvised instruments, he began to operate on Zhang Quan.

Unbeknownst to them, an hour had passed. Xiao Fang wiped his sleeves and walked out of the tent, looking slightly weary.

"Jinglue, is Zhang Quan saved?" Liu Bei stepped forward, personally handing Xiao Fang a cup of tea.

Xiao Fang downed it in one gulp and replied, "The boy has a stroke of luck; he truly made it through this hurdle. My Lord, you can rest easy—his life is secured."

Liu Bei heaved a sigh of relief, his heart finally settling.

"To be injured so severely and yet survive? Military Advisor, I’ve always said you must be the reincarnation of Bian Que! You might as well admit it!" Zhang Fei’s eyes widened, his thumbs raised in praise, his face full of admiration.

Xiao Fang smiled but turned his gaze to Liu Bei. "Once he wakes up, my Lord, you can express your intent to recruit him and have him write a personal letter to persuade Zhang Xiu to surrender."

Liu Bei nodded heavily and said happily, "If the Military Advisor's plan succeeds and we can win over such a fierce warrior as Zhang Xiu, it will truly be a joyous surprise!"

With this interlude concluded, the military council was finalized. Liu Bei urged his generals to set up siege camps outside the four gates of Wancheng while dividing his forces to move south and capture Yuyang and the surrounding cities.

After the council, Xiao Fang, feeling somewhat drained, bid farewell and left the tent.

"Military Advisor, please wait!" Wei Yan intercepted him outside.

Xiao Fang stopped and looked at his fellow countryman from Yiyang.

"Were it not for you, Military Advisor, I would still be a corporal under Liu Biao, never having been entrusted with such responsibility by the Lord. I have no way to repay your recommendation, so I have prepared a small gift as a token of my gratitude."

Wei Yan looked grateful, but a sly smile flickered in his eyes. "As for the gift, I have already had it sent to your tent. I believe you will surely like it."

Without waiting for Xiao Fang to inquire further, Wei Yan turned and strode away.

Xiao Fang nodded slightly. It seemed this lad wasn't an ingrate; he remembered the favor and knew how to give gifts. Well, learning some social graces wouldn't hurt Wei Yan. It was certainly better than the version of Wei Yan in history—the arrogant, self-important, and tactless man who offended every colleague in the Shu-Han court.

"I wonder what kind of gift he sent. Likely just gold, silver, or jewelry..." Xiao Fang didn't hold high expectations and turned to head back to his tent.

Outside the tent, Xu Chu and the other guards were whispering among themselves. Seeing Xiao Fang approach, they fell silent, though faint smiles lingered on their faces.

"Zhongkang, Wenchang said he sent me a gift and that it's already in the tent. Is that true?"

"A... a gift?" Xu Chu blinked, then chuckled foolishly. "Wei Wenchang did indeed send a gift. It's inside the tent. You should go see for yourself, Military Advisor."

Xiao Fang felt a flicker of suspicion. Why did the Tiger Fool's expression look so strange today? Without further thought, he lifted the curtain and stepped inside.

The moment he entered, Xiao Fang froze. A young woman was sitting in the tent. She was beautiful and elegant, with skin as white as snow and a graceful figure—a true beauty. The crucial thing was that she was wearing wedding robes! She was a bride!

A bride in wedding dress suddenly appearing in his tent? What in the world was this?

"Zhongkang, come in!" Xiao Fang regained his composure and shouted.

Xu Chu stepped in, his sword half-drawn from its scabbard. "Wench, how dare you plot against the Military Advisor! You're looking for death!"

The bride had been anxious and uneasy. Xu Chu’s sudden roar and the flashing blade frightened her so much that her face turned pale, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Calm down. No one is trying to harm me," Xiao Fang pushed Xu Chu's sword back into its sheath and glanced at the woman. "I called you in to explain what this is all about."

Xu Chu paused, sheathed his sword, and grinned foolishly. "That scoundrel Wei Yan said he snatched this woman near Wancheng. He said she was protected by Xiliang troops and was likely on her way to the city to marry a Xiliang officer. Wei Yan originally intended to kill her, but seeing her beauty, he brought her back to serve you, Military Advisor—to warm your bed!"

Xiao Fang understood. Wei Yan didn't send gold or silver; he had chosen something unconventional and sent him a woman! And a snatched one at that?

However, Wei Yan's action wasn't entirely unreasonable. In these chaotic times, human life was as cheap as grass, let alone women. Most of the time, women—like grain, cattle, and sheep—were mere spoils of war. It was common for warlords to allow their troops to plunder women after taking a city.

Liu Bei, by contrast, was much more lenient toward the common people, repeatedly forbidding his soldiers from harassing or plundering them. But such restrictions only applied to the commoners. Hence, there were cases like Zhang Fei snatching Xiahou Yuan's niece while she was out gathering firewood and forcibly taking her as his wife. As Xu Chu said, this woman was protected by Xiliang troops, so she clearly wasn't a commoner. Wei Yan treating her as spoils of war and sending her as a gift was not technically a violation of Liu Bei's orders.

"This Wei Wenchang... why didn't he give me any warning before snatching a woman?" Xiao Fang muttered to himself, feeling a bit conflicted. It wasn't that he was being pretentious or putting on a facade of virtue. Fame, fortune, and beauty—these were the things heroes of the world chased after.

The key was his status. Unlike military commanders like Wei Yan and Xu Chu, he was Liu Bei's chief advisor. Taking a woman from the enemy side—even if she was forcibly snatched and thrust upon him by Wei Yan—without notifying Liu Bei first was somewhat improper.

Xu Chu, seeing Xiao Fang hesitate, darkened his face and drew his sword again. "Military Advisor, if you don't fancy this woman, I'll just behead her!"