Chapter 38 Before the Great Battle

Liu Liang said, "Four steps. First step: This battle must be fought. Since the alliance of the lords, apart from Sun Wentai's attack on Sishui and Cao Mengde's ambush at Xingyang, the other lords have not made any contributions. If you make contributions, they will not tolerate you. But if you do not make contributions, you will not even have the right to be tolerated by them."

Liu Bei's expression hardened slightly.

"The second step: This battle must be won. The eighteen warlords each have their own agendas. If you lose, you will be punished according to military law, and no one will speak up for you. If you win, they will be wary of you and hate you, but they will not dare to openly attack you. Because you have Dong Zhuo's blood on your hands, and you have rendered service to the state."

Guan Yu said in a deep voice, "Are you saying that victory would actually make us safer?"

"It's not safer," Liu Liang shook his head. "It's not that dangerous."

Liu Bei's gaze flickered slightly.

Liu Liang said: "The third step: This battle must be won by a narrow margin and with great difficulty."

"Why?" All four of them were puzzled.

Liu Liang said, enunciating each word clearly, "If we take Hulao Pass easily, the eighteen warlords will join forces to kill us first. Only when we fight a very difficult battle, suffer heavy losses, are on the verge of defeat, and barely manage to win, will they think, 'This person is nothing special,' and temporarily put aside their murderous intent, sparing our lives to use us again next time."

The tent fell silent once more.

After a long silence, Liu Bei asked, "And the fourth step?"

Liu Liang said, "The fourth step is if the first three steps are all wrong."

As he spoke, Liu Liang took out a roll of plain silk from his sleeve and spread it on the table.

That was a picture.

This is not a map of the attack on Hulao Pass.

It's a retreat map.

The three routes are marked with locations along the way where supplies can be replenished, where to avoid pursuers, and where to take cover and await reinforcements.

The destination of every route points in the same direction.

Youzhou.

Anxi County.

Their old camp.

Looking at the scroll, Liu Bei felt as if a thousand pounds were weighing down his throat.

After a long pause, he uttered only two words: "...Godfather".

Liu Liang did not respond.

Silently, he put the retreat plan away and placed it back in his sleeve.

"Hopefully we won't need it," Liu Liang said.

......

Inside Sun Jian's tent.

The flickering candlelight cast long, shadowy figures on the four walls.

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao were all present, their faces somber.

The news of the military meeting held during the day had already spread throughout all the camps.

Yuan Shao ordered Liu Bei to lead his troops alone to Hulao Pass, ostensibly as the vanguard, but in reality as a test of the waters.

The statement "The supply of provisions for the rear army will be decided today" sounded grand and impressive, but even now, Liu Bei's camp had not received a single grain of rice or a single bundle of grass.

"My lord!" Zu Mao couldn't contain himself any longer and stood up abruptly. "That Yuan Shao is going too far! How did Liu Bei treat us at Sishui Pass? He shared his provisions with us, and General Zhao Yun risked his life to save me! Now that they're in trouble, are we just going to stand by and watch?"

Sun Jian did not answer, his gaze falling on the tattered geomantic map on the table.

It was sent by Liu Liang, and the terrain, roads, and passes around Hulao Pass were marked in more detail than any military map of the allied forces. Accompanying the map were a few short words: "Hulao Pass is treacherous, and Lü Bu is valiant. Only by working together can we break this stalemate."

Sun Jian silently repeated that sentence three times.

"Brother Wentai," Huang Gai said in a deep voice, "Back in Changsha, what kind of battles haven't we seen? At Suanzao, the eighteen warlords swore an oath of blood, promising to jointly punish the traitors. And now? Everyone has their own agenda, and their schemes are practically falling off each other's faces. That Yuan Shu, who's in charge of the grain supplies, detained Sun Wentai, and now he's detaining Liu Bei. Today it's Liu Bei, tomorrow it could be us."

Han Dang also said, "My lord, this humble general may not be good with words, but there is one thing I understand clearly: the Yuan brothers cannot tolerate Liu Bei, not because Liu Bei has done anything wrong, but because he has done too well. Suppressing the Yellow Turbans, pacifying the people, defeating Hua Xiong—which of these was not won through real battles? Yuan Shao dares not use such a person, nor can he tolerate him."

Only the crackling of the campfire remained inside the tent.

Sun Jian slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the four generals one by one.

Before Sishui Pass, he was trapped in the heart of an ambush, surrounded by the shouts of the Xiliang cavalry.

When Hua Xiong swung his sword down, he thought Zu Mao was doomed.

Then, riding a white horse and wielding a silver spear, they broke through the enemy lines.

That young man was named Zhao Yun, and he was one of Liu Bei's men.

They were also people personally selected and sent by Liu Zishan to rescue them.

Sun Jian suddenly laughed.

"You're right." Sun Jian stood up, his hand on his sword hilt. "The eighteen warlords each have their own agendas. But we, the men of Jiangdong, will always repay kindness!"

"Pass on my orders!"

The four generals stood up in unison.

"Our troops will have a full meal tonight. We will prepare food at dawn tomorrow and break camp at dawn."

Sun Jian raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a tiger: "Follow Liu Bei to Hulao Pass!"

......

In Cao Cao's tent at the Suanzao camp.

Cao Cao sat alone at his desk.

Two scrolls of silk were spread out on the table. One scroll contained a design of double stirrups, and the other contained a method for storing grain in earthenware jars.

He had read it no less than ten times, but now his gaze passed over the silk scroll and landed on the flickering candle flame.

During a daytime military meeting, Yuan Shao appointed Liu Bei as the vanguard, sending him alone to Hulao Pass.

Cao Cao put down his pen.

Cao Ren approached from the tent entrance and whispered, "My lord, what happened to Yuan Shao today..."

"Yuan Benchu?" Cao Cao chuckled, interrupting him. "He is not Yuan Benchu."

Cao Ren was taken aback.

Cao Cao said, "When I was young, Yuan Shao and I were friends. We rode our horses in the western suburbs and discussed the heroes of the world. At that time, although he was reserved, he still had a burning passion in his heart. Now... he is nothing more than a mediocre ruler who only maintains the status quo."

Cao Cao shook his head: "He's still an incompetent ruler who can't even hold onto his position."

Cao Ren said, "Liu Bei has received military orders to march on Hulao Pass in three days. Eight thousand men against one hundred and fifty thousand Xiliang troops, plus Lü Bu. This is hardly a vanguard; it's clearly a flag-raising ceremony."

Cao Cao said, "He doesn't have to accept it."

Cao Ren said, "He dares not refuse. That day in the tent, Feng Ji's words had put Liu Bei in a very difficult position. If he didn't accept, it would be cowardice. If he did accept, it would be suicide."

Cao Cao did not respond.

He recalled that when the tents were set up during the day, Liu Liang had walked past him.

The man walked with composure and a calm expression. He whispered a few words to Liu Bei, as if giving him instructions.

As he was leaving, Liu Liang turned his head and their eyes met.

In just a moment.

Then Liu Liang withdrew his gaze and followed Liu Bei out of the tent.

Cao Cao asked, "Zixiao, what do you think of Liu Zishan?"

Cao Ren said, "It's bottomless."

"Unfathomable depths..." Cao Cao rolled these four words between his tongue and actually laughed. "A person whose depths are unfathomable should not die at Hulao Pass."

Cao Ren asked, "What does my lord mean?"

Cao Cao did not answer immediately.

He got up and walked to the tent, lifting a crack in the curtain.

The night was deep, and in the distance, lights still shone in Liu Bei's camp, with figures moving about in the distance.

"Summon Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian, and Yue Jin," Cao Cao said, lowering the tent flap.