Monday, June 4, 2012

Three Kingdoms Episode 14

Liu Bei calls for a conference with his "brothers". I guess I should now call them the Four Musketeers as Zhao Yun has been adopted into the clan. Once again Zhao has just one line. I told you to get a better agent! The brothers all agree the secret orders from the emperor are really from Cao Cao. The discussion is whether to obey the orders or not. Liu Bei decides in the end to attack Yuan Shu. He uses some reverse psychology on his younger brother, Loudmouth, in order to get him to stay behind and guard the city.

Yuan Shu receives the message from Cao Cao about Liu Bei plotting against him. One of Yuan Shu's advisers (I don't catch his name) sees right through Cao Cao's plans, but he advises Yuan to attack anyway, for the advisor has a clever plan. They'll bribe Lu Bu to attack Liu Bei.

As soon as Liu Bei is out of the city, Zhang Fei is breaking out the wine bottles and beating up Cao Bao, a cousin of Lu Bu's.

Lu Bu and Chen Gongtai receive Yuan Shu's letter with the bribe offer. While Chen Gongtai still doesn't think the time is right to seize Xuzhou, he sees no reason for them not to take all the silk and gold Yuan Shu is offering. Cao Bao has managed to finally get away from the drunkard and comes to tell his cousin about the beating. Wanting to avenge his cousin, and learning that Liu Bei and the boys are out leaving the city with a skeleton crew of soldiers, Lu Bu marches on Xuzhou. Loudmouth is forced to flee.

A remorseful, and probably hung over, Zhang Fei has to report what he has done. Zhao gets a handful more lines (yeah, Zhao!) to announce Yuan Shu's army is moving towards them. Liu Bei decides his demoralized army is in no shape to face Yuan, so they'll go back to Xuzhou. To Liu Bei's way of thinking he's done nothing wrong to Lu Bu, therefore Lu Bu will deal kindly with them. They'll let Lu Bu keep Xuzhou and the Four Musketeers will go to that ever-mentioned Xiaopei.

The Three Musketeers (where's Zhao?) stand outside the city gates and Lu Bu invites them in. Lu Bu offers the city back to Liu Bei, but Liu Bei refuses, saying all this is the Will of Heaven. He asks for and gets the station of Xiaopei.

Yuan Shu is back to scheming with his unnamed old advisor and a beautiful house as a backdrop. This time Yuan Shu will send Lu Bu double the provisions Lu Bu asked for. Lu Bu gladly accepts the bounty, but Chen Gongtai is not happy. Now Yuan Shu will expect Lu Bu to help attack Liu Bei. If they lose the city of Xiaopei, then Xuzhou is left vulnerable. Lu Bu decides he'll just not help anybody. Poor Diaochan is overhearing all this but she only gets one line. She must have the same agent as Zhao.

Yuan Shu asks for a volunteer to lead the army against Xiaopei. Big Fat Ji Ling steps up to the plate. Liu Bei sends Zhao to beg Lu Bu for help. If that doesn't work, Zhao is to go talk with Chen Gongtai.


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