After Pu Hu was defeated and returned to Dangqu, his prestige plummeted. Not only were the chiefs and elders of the seven tribes dissatisfied with him, but even ordinary soldiers and civilians looked at him with strange eyes.
The rumors about him secretly colluding with Liu Qi to suppress other tribes had long been circulated among the clan.
During this expedition, all the troops suffered some damage except Park's, who were completely unscathed. Although Park Yang was captured, he returned unscathed, which further increased suspicion.
Park Hu didn't take the rumors seriously at all. The more he tried to stop them, the more ridiculous they became. Some people even added fuel to the fire to fool people. Foolish people believed them to be true, and people became panic-stricken.
Being able to sit on the position of King of Ba, he has a longer-term vision. Now that Micang Mountain has been lost, the soldiers of Jingzhou will surely take advantage of the victory to advance. Zhang Wei and Du Fu are no match for Liu Qi. How should he respond next
Just when he was worried, the witch god Yuan Yue sent people to invite him. The Luo tribe chief Luo Dai refused to admit that he had surrendered to the enemy. The people of Luo surrounded the temple and said that King Ba had colluded with Liu Qi to harm people and demanded that he be released.
Pu Hu was furious and rushed to the temple, only to hear a constant commotion outside. The Luo people were actually holding weapons and farm tools and trying to break into the hall.
Downstairs in the lobby, Luo Tai knelt in front of a black tiger statue carved from a meteorite from outer space. Although his face was haggard, his eyes were cold and he did not show any remorse.
Pu Hu stepped forward and said coldly: "Lord Luo, if you hadn't asked Lord Gong to come out of the pass and be captured, we wouldn't be in this situation. You are a criminal of the Ba people, why don't you admit your guilt?"
Luo Tai laughed sternly, "My troops were annihilated, and you accused me of colluding with Liu Qi. What did I gain? What benefit did Luo's troops gain? On the contrary, it was King Gong who was captured, but was released by Liu Qi. He was the one who surrendered. Why don't you punish Gong's troops? I don't accept it!"
Pu Hu took a deep breath and asked, "You fled back to the tribe alone. Aren't you feeling guilty?"
Luo Chu shouted, "My brothers died in battle, and my people were destroyed. How can I have the face to return to the army? Returning to the tribe means making amends to them and repenting for my ignorance and arrogance. I shouldn't have led my people to the battle."
Pu Hu's eyes were slightly stern. No wonder when Luo Tai returned to the tribe, he was not expelled by the elders, but had so many people supporting him. It turned out that he had tried to win people's hearts first.
Yuan Yue sighed, "King Luo has sworn an oath to the Tiger God, and what King Gong said may not be true. The Luo tribe has also suffered heavy losses. Perhaps we have been deceived by King Gong."
"Damn it!" Park Hu punched the pillar.
Gong Xi is dead, and there is no evidence to prove this matter. If we continue to investigate Gong's tribe, not only will the authority of King Ba be destroyed, but all tribes will also be in chaos. A crisis is approaching, and there must not be any more internal strife.
Just when he was wondering what to do, the defenders suddenly came running over and reported: "King of Ba, the soldiers of Jingzhou are leaving from Jiangzhou and are preparing to attack Dangqu."
"What?" Pu Hu was shocked and asked hurriedly, "How many soldiers are there and who is leading them?"
The messenger replied, "There are at least 5,000 elite soldiers, and the general in the vanguard is named Zhang He."
"Probe again!" Pu Hu's face was gloomy, and he turned to look at Yuan Yue: "Liu Qi has sent troops from Jiangzhou again, and we are the first to bear the brunt. Now is not the time to blame. It is important to unite and fight the enemy first."
Luo Tai stood up suddenly and said through gritted teeth: "You all say that I am colluding with Liu Qi? Well, I will go and stop the enemy now, take Zhang He's head and offer it to the Tiger God to clear my name."
Yuan Yue hurriedly advised: "Liu Qi came prepared. We should deploy our defenses according to the terrain of the mountain. The terrain of Dangqu is complicated and the rainy season is coming. They can't stay for long..."
"As long as it's not Zhao Yun or Chen Dao, I'm not afraid of anyone except Zhang Fei!"
Luo Dai interrupted Yuan Yue and stared at Pu Hu: "I killed the general and repelled the enemy. The King of Ba must apologize to me in front of the seven clans."
Pu Hu sighed, "As long as we can repel the enemy and resolve the crisis, let alone apologize, what's the harm in giving you the throne of King of Ba?"
"It's a deal!" Luo Tai saluted the Tiger God, turned around and strode away. Soon the noise outside disappeared.
Pu Hu stood there for a long time and asked, "Have you ever heard of Zhang He, God of War?"
Yuan Yue replied, "When I was in Hanzhong, I occasionally heard Master mention him. He was originally a general under Yuan Shao, but he defected to Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu. Although he is known as a famous general in Hebei, he did not have many military achievements."
Pu Hu nodded and said, "I hope King Luo can kill this man and scare off the enemy."
Yuan Yue frowned and said, "Liu Qi has sent troops from two directions and has joined forces with Pang Xi in Baxi. He is determined to take Bazhong. We need to think of a long-term plan."
Pu Hu sighed, "The king has been worried about this matter these days. We are enemies with Liu Zhang, and now we have offended Liu Qi. Zhang Wei is even more unreliable. If the Seven Surnames are in great trouble, I will become a sinner for all eternity!"
Yuan Yue looked at the black tiger statue for a long while before saying, "Master Zhang really went to Jiangnan. The imperial edict is very likely to be true. Liu Qi's letter..."
"At this point, we have no choice!" Pu Hu shook his head and said, "The seven tribes suffered heavy losses during this expedition and have a deep hatred with the soldiers of Jingzhou. I should have avenged my people. If I surrender to Liu Qi now, where will the dignity of the King of Ba be? The glory of the seven surnames will also become a joke. Who will look up to us Ba people in the future?"
Yuan Yue had no choice but to say: "This is about the survival of the Ba people. We must work together and quickly summon the elders of each department to discuss the matter."
Pu Hu immediately sent people to invite the chiefs and elders of each tribe to gather at the temple. His attendant asked, "Do you want to invite the King of Qiang?"
Pu Hu paused for a moment, waved his hand and said, "Please only ask the seven ministries to discuss the matter."
Half an hour later, the leaders of various tribes gathered in the temple. They started arguing before they could even discuss a few words. In the end, Gong's tribe became the target of attack again.
As they were arguing, a man with blood on his body suddenly stumbled into the hall, crying, "King Ba, something terrible has happened. Chief Luo was killed by Zhang He and we have been defeated. White Tiger Cliff has been lost."
"This... How is it possible?" Pu Hu stood up in shock, and the hall fell silent in an instant.
Luo Chu was one of the top three warriors in the tribe, yet he was killed right after he went into battle. This shows how capable Zhang He was.
Pu Hu's face was gloomy, and he glanced at everyone: "Now that Baihu Cliff has been lost, Hutou Pass must not be lost again. Who will guard it?"
Everyone lowered their heads. Luo's army suffered another heavy blow, leaving only the elderly, the weak, women and children. Who would dare to listen to Pu Hu's orders again
In the silence, someone outside the hall asked to see him again. It was Zhang Wei who sent an envoy to invite Pu Hu to Hanchang to discuss strategies against the enemy.
Yuan Yue said helplessly: "Zhang Wei has already lowered his status to invite us. Now is a critical moment. Only by joining forces with Zhang Wei can we have the strength to fight."
Pu Hu glanced at the crowd coldly, and seeing that everyone was still bowing their heads, he felt an inexplicable sadness in his heart. Even at this point, the tribes still did not believe him.
After a little thought, he sent Prince Puyang to lead the troops to guard Hutou Pass in person, and ordered Xi tribe chief Xiduo to temporarily take charge of tribal affairs. All tribes must unite to fight the enemy, and anyone who dared to cause trouble would be imprisoned in the mountain behind the temple and await trial.
The situation was urgent, so the two did not dare to delay and set off for Xuanhan overnight to invite King Xiong to Hanchang for discussions. Du Fu was also worried about the soldiers in Jingzhou, so he took Generals Wang Ping and Li Hu with him.