Just as the group arrived at Bashui and were preparing to cross the river, Li Hei suddenly sent someone to report that the Jingzhou army had been spotted in Daba Mountains and was very likely to attack Xuanhan.
Du Fu was shocked and said, "This is a tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. Liu Qi seems to be taking Hanchang, but in fact he is attacking from both the north and the south to seize the land of Badong."
"This Liu Qi is really cunning!" Pu Hu said solemnly, "He knows that Zhang Wei relies entirely on the help of us Ba people. If he eliminates us first, Zhang Wei will be like a grasshopper in autumn, unable to jump."
Du Fu said: "The troops from Jiangzhou have arrived at Dangqu. We need reinforcements. It is three hundred miles to Hanchang, which takes at least two days. We cannot leave easily. It is better to ask Zhang Wei to come and discuss matters."
Pu Hu frowned and said, "I'm afraid Zhang Wei won't dare to come."
Du Fu sighed, "Now that things have come to this, I have something to say but I don't know whether I should say it or not."
Pu Hu said seriously: "I have already said that the Seven Clans and the Qiang tribe are equal. From now on, you and I are one family. We will fight for the glory of the Ba people. You can speak freely if you have anything to say."
Du Fu called Pu Hu to the riverside and said seriously, "We Ba people are the heroes of the Han Dynasty. We are so honored. If it weren't for the instigation of Zhang Lu and his brothers, how could we be enemies with the Liu family? In the past, Liu Zhang was weak and didn't know how to use people. We could barely deal with him, but we were just fighting against the governor of Baxi. Now Liu Qi and Liu Zhang have joined forces. With only this tiny piece of land, it is like hitting a stone with a bird's egg. If we are not careful, we will cause the disaster of extermination of our clan. You and I will become sinners for all eternity. How can we face those ancestors who have made contributions in the future?"
Pu Hu sighed and looked at the rushing river in silence. He knew the current situation very well. The Seven Surnames Tribe, which thought they were powerful, were no match for Liu Qi's men.
After a long while, he said with a sigh: "Hundreds of years have passed, and the descendants have settled down to enjoy themselves and live a life of luxury. My warriors are no longer the brave and skilled 'Ban Dun Man' who made the people of the Central Plains tremble with fear."
Du Fu said: "I have thought about it and I have a plan to save the Ba people. All these troubles are caused by Zhang Wei. Why not get rid of him..."
Seeing Du Fu making a gesture of wiping his neck, Pu Hu's eyes twitched slightly: "Can I protect myself by killing Zhang Wei?"
Du Fu said: "Liu Qi sent out troops only to attack Zhang Wei. As long as we kill him, we can act accordingly: if we can defend, we will defend. If we cannot, we will offer Zhang Wei's head and put the blame on him. We, the Ba people, are meritorious servicemen of the Han Dynasty. For the sake of our ancestors, as long as we admit our mistakes, he will not kill us all."
Pu Hu was moved when he heard this. After all, the ancestors of the Ba people helped Emperor Gaozu of Han to conquer the world. It was not shameful to submit to the descendants of the Liu family. This was called protecting the glory of their ancestors.
"As the King of Ba, I must consider the overall situation. As long as I can protect my people, what does it matter if I confess my guilt to Liu Qi?" Pu Hu said with a serious face, "But Zhang Wei still has thousands of soldiers. How easy is it to kill him?"
Du Fu said, "Just as the King of Ba said, if Badong is not safe, Zhang Wei will not be able to defend Bazhong. He will definitely come when life and death come. We have ambushed swordsmen in the palace. The king provokes Zhang Wei with words. If he dares to take action, he will be accused of plotting to assassinate the King of Ba, and he will be killed by smashing the cup as a signal. Then he will be sent to persuade Yang Ren to surrender. He has no choice but to seize his military power and then deal with Liu Qi and act according to the situation."
"Good, this is a great plan!" Pu Hu was overjoyed and grabbed Du Fu's arm: "With the two kings joining forces, what's the use of the two Lius?"
The two returned to the team. Du Fu sent Wang Ping to invite Zhang Wei. Wang Ping clasped his fists and said, "I am a humble subordinate. Please give me a token so that I can invite you to Xuanhan."
Without hesitation, Pu Hu took off the tiger tooth necklace from his neck and handed it to Wang Ping. This was a token passed down by successive kings of Ba and was enough to represent his identity.
Wang Ping carefully put it away and galloped away with several Ba warriors. Du Fu and others returned to the city to make arrangements.
Zhang Wei was training troops and deploying defenses in Hanchang, and was trying to find out what was happening in Micang Mountain and Langzhong. He learned that Zhang Fei had divided his troops to attack Dangqu, and he was even more worried that Pu Hu would not come.
Just as they were worried, the garrison came to report the arrival of the messenger. They hurried to greet him, but saw that only one of his followers, Wang Ping, had come. Their hearts sank immediately, and they asked unhappily, "What does the King of Xiong mean by this?"
Wang Ping replied: "The King of Ba has arrived in Xuanhan, but because of the enemy troops in Dangqu, he dare not go far away and only wants to fight the enemy with the King of Xiong..."
"How dare you deceive me?" Zhang Wei was anxious and angry. After all the fuss, the Ba people made peace with each other and left him aside
Wang Ping said hurriedly: "It was only after the King of Xiong repeatedly persuaded the King of Ba that the King agreed to join forces with the King, but he refused to come to Hanchang and wanted the King to discuss matters in Xuanhan."
"Hmph, Pu Hu is so bold!" Zhang Wei was so angry that his face turned blue. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, hesitating.
Wang Ping took out the tiger tooth necklace and said, "The King of Ba knows that he is no match for Liu Qi, but with a powerful enemy at hand, he dares not leave the territory easily, so he sent me here to invite the King. This is the King of Ba's token."
Zhang Wei took the necklace and confirmed that it belonged to the King of Ba. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did the King of Xiong tell you anything when you came?"
Wang Ping replied, "King Xiong has repeatedly instructed us that everything is ready. As long as Your Majesty arrives in Xuanhan, we can join forces to fight the enemy."
Zhang Wei knew that the enemy Du Fu was referring to was Pu Hu, so he smiled coldly: "Pu Hu doesn't dare to come to Hanchang, probably because he is afraid of me. Humph, I will teach him a lesson this time."
He ordered his men to take Wang Ping away to rest and invited Yang Ren to discuss the matter. Du Fu tried his best to persuade King Ba to cooperate with Zhang Wei. He was obviously eager to get rid of Pu Hu. As long as Du Fu became the new King of Ba, the people of Ba would be used by him again.
After some discussion, Yang Ren stayed in Hanchang, while Zhang Wei took 300 elite soldiers and went to Xuanhan with Wang Ping to prepare to establish a new king.
When they arrived at the city gate, they saw Du Fu waiting for them. Zhang Wei dismounted and asked, "Where is the King of Ba?"
Du Fu replied, "A banquet has been prepared in the city, and the King of Ba is waiting at the government office."
"This Ba Wang is so arrogant!" Zhang Wei pretended to be unhappy and asked in a low voice as he walked: "What's the situation in the city?"
Du Fu replied, "I came to greet the king first because of this matter. The swordsmen have been ambushed in the palace. When the time comes, as long as the king announces Park Hu's crime and smashes the cup as a signal, they will immediately rush out and behead him."
Zhang Wei felt relieved, nodded and said with a smile: "From today on, you will be the King of Ba forever!"
When they arrived at the government office, Pu Hu and Yuan Yue came out to greet them. The two of them exchanged pretended greetings and then entered the government office side by side.
Finally, Du Fu instructed Wang Ping to entertain Zhang Wei and Pu Hu's guards. The banquet had already been set up in the courtyard. Everyone found a seat, called out to each other, and started eating and drinking.
Zhang Wei saw that Pu Hu's personal guards were all arranged outside, and secretly praised Du Fu for such a meticulous arrangement. Today, Pu Hu would not be able to escape even if he had wings.
In the hall, Zhang Wei sat in the main seat, Pu Hu and Du Fu were on his left and right, Yuan Yue and several leaders were there with them. After three rounds of drinks, they saw Wang Ping and Li Hu standing quietly at the door.
Du Fu frowned and said, "It's so noisy outside, it really disturbs our discussion."
Pu Hu also waved his hands impatiently: "These guys, drinking and eating meat are more fierce than fighting, it's so noisy!"
Du Fu shouted at Wang Ping, "You two kings have important matters to discuss, why don't you close the door?"
Zhang Wei watched Wang Ping close the door with cold eyes, laughing in his heart. This Pu Hu was unaware that he was about to die and was still putting on airs as the King of Ba.
Pu Hu also pretended to drink and sneered. Zhang Wei was completely isolated and had no idea at all. What a fool!