Is “The number and timing of Tao Qian's yielding of Xuzhou.” true?

The novel describes Tao Qian repeatedly (three times yielding Xuzhou) strongly urging Liu Bei to take over Xuzhou during his lifetime, but Liu Bei firmly declined (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, chapter 11: "Tao Qian yielded repeatedly, but Xuande would not accept."). In the official history, it is only recorded that when Tao Qian was critically ill and about to die, he instructed Bieja Mi Zhu to let Liu Bei take over, and there is no plot of yielding the province multiple times during his lifetime (Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Shu, Biography of the Former Lord: "When Qian was critically ill, he said to Bieja Mi Zhu: 'Only Liu Bei can bring peace to this province.' When Qian died, Zhu led the people of the province to welcome the Former Lord").