Chapter 101: Internal strife in the Bingzhou army

"Fengxian, everything will be fine."

"Don't put such a heavy burden on yourself alone."

"If you fall, the situation for all our brothers will likely only become more difficult."

Gao Shun didn't know how to comfort people well.

But at this moment, Lu Bu’s state was clearly at its worst.

Gao Shun hoped to say something to make Lu Bu pull himself together.

Just as Lu Bu was about to respond to Gao Shun,

a rush of footsteps sounded outside the residence.

Gao Shun hurriedly went to check on Lu Bu’s behalf.

After opening the door, he saw Cao Xing and Cheng Lian, who said in a panicked tone:

"Something terrible has happened!"

"Song Xian, Wei Xu, and Hou Cheng are threatening to defect to Guo Si!"

Hearing this, even with Gao Shun’s composure, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

The three generals Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng were all considered high-ranking figures under Lu Bu.

Especially Wei Xu, who was the cousin of Lu Bu’s wife, Lady Yan, and could barely be considered Lu Bu’s relative.

The fact that these three were threatening to defect to Guo Si was no small matter, and the impact it would have on the army was imaginable.

This matter was of great importance.

Gao Shun had no choice but to bring Cheng Lian and Cao Xing into Lu Fu to inform Lu Bu of this matter.

At this moment, upon hearing this news, Lu Bu’s face first flashed with a trace of astonishment.

Subsequently, he fell into deep self-doubt.

"Presumably, these three resent me for not stepping up for Hao Meng?"

Lu Bu muttered to himself.

A few days ago, the protest that broke out among the Bingzhou soldiers was led by the three generals Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng.

And now,

hearing that these three were going to defect to Guo Si, Lu Bu became flustered.

"Lord, if these three generals only want to defect to Guo Si themselves, then let them go."

"But now, not only do they want to go themselves, but they are also spreading it widely in the army."

"In this way, it will surely cause great trouble for our other soldiers."

Gao Shun’s words were actually an understatement.

The entire Bingzhou faction was filled with complaints about Lu Bu.

The three generals Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng held high positions in the army.

Wei Xu was even considered Lu Bu’s relative.

Their public declaration to leave Lu Bu and defect to Guo Si would trigger a series of chain reactions.

Commonly known as the domino effect.

Being told this by Gao Shun, Lu Bu also realized it.

In any case, this matter must not be allowed to expand further.

Thus,

Lu Bu, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and Cao Xing hurriedly headed to the military camp.

Bingzhou Army Camp

Countless soldiers were quietly listening to the brainwashing speeches of Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng.

"Brothers, when we originally followed General Lu to defect under the Prime Minister, we thought we would be reused and have a great opportunity to achieve merits."

"But until now, it has been a full three years, three years!"

"The three of us thought it was our own problem."

"After all, we haven't been under the Prime Minister for long, so it's normal that we can't compare to those from Liangzhou."

"But what kind of treatment have we received?"

"Never mind comparing ourselves to those from Liangzhou, even compared to those originally from Luoyang, we are far inferior!"

"Why?"

"Why can those from Luoyang be reused, but we cannot?"

"Are our Bingzhou sons inferior to them?"

"Of course not!"

"It is because our leader is General Lu!"

"He killed Ding Yuan, making the Prime Minister always wary of him."

"Consequently, we brothers of the Bingzhou faction are also treated with wariness!"

"It is not that our Bingzhou sons are inferior, but that General Lu has ruined the bright future of us brothers!"

These highly inflammatory words made the soldiers of the Bingzhou faction recall the series of unfair treatments they had received since joining Dong Zhuo’s camp.

Then, thinking back to a few days ago,

Hao Meng was punished with thirty lashes,

while Li Li, a subordinate of Li Jue,

had to bear no responsibility at all.

For a time,

various emotions of grievance, anger, and resentment continued to spread in the hearts of the Bingzhou soldiers.

Seeing this, the three generals Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng smiled at each other.

Their goal had already been half achieved.

Next, they only needed to further incite emotions

and then throw out the various benefits of joining Guo Si’s camp.

These Bingzhou soldiers would definitely be moved by it.

However,

just as the three generals were preparing to take the next step of incitement,

Gao Shun, Lu Bu, Cheng Lian, Cao Xing, and others arrived outside the camp.

"What nonsense are you three spouting?"

"If General Lu hadn't killed Ding Yuan, would you have followed Ding Yuan to be beasts of burden for the Guandong aristocratic cliques?"

Gao Shun rebuked angrily.

But he was not good with words, and Song Xian quickly retorted:

"General Lu killing Ding Yuan was naturally the right thing to do."

"But why should we brothers of Bingzhou be discriminated against just because General Lu killed Ding Yuan?"

"If the person we followed wasn't General Lu, wouldn't we be free from discrimination?"

"In other words, it is General Lu who has delayed us, and we owe General Lu nothing!"

Once these words were spoken,

many soldiers of the Bingzhou faction also spoke out in support of Song Xian.

Lu Bu killed Ding Yuan, and they were grateful for that.

But gratitude is gratitude; it cannot be eaten as food.

The fact is that the Bingzhou soldiers had a hard time following Ding Yuan,

but they also had a hard time following Lu Bu to defect to Dong Zhuo!

The lower-level soldiers all received the same harsh treatment.

How could they care about anything else?

I only know that I can't even eat my daily meals, and my living conditions are particularly miserable.