The Emperor Flees and the Tiger Strikes at Night
If only it had been Yi Province, Jiangdong, or even Jing Province, he could've quietly built up his strength and solidified his foundations. But Xuzhou was truly a cursed land.
It bobbed like a buoy adrift on the currents of the world's chaos, battered by every wave.
"The Emperor has fled Luoyang."
Gan Nyeong and Chun Seol, who had been gathering intelligence from all directions, came in to report.
"The Emperor?!"
Liu Bei looked flustered.
"Yes. Li Jue and Guo Si are locked in a power struggle, turning the whole capital into a graveyard of corpses. They've been openly feeding the Emperor and his officials rotten food, treating them like dirt. Unable to bear the starvation and humiliation, the Emperor and all the civil and military officials fled together."
"Those rotten bastards…."
Liu Bei's face twisted in rage. Yeah, the imperial authority meant nothing anymore. The Emperor was little more than an abandoned stray dog.
"Zhang Ji and Fan Chou tried to chase down the Emperor and drag him back, but in the end, he ended up… deciding to stay in Xu Chang, where Cao Cao is stationed."
Gan Nyeong delivered the news of Cao Cao harboring the Emperor.
"I see… so that's how it is."
Liu Bei's expression was hard to read.
Back then, the two who could've harbored the Emperor were Cao Cao or Yuan Shao.
Geographically, they were the closest powers with the resources to feed him.
But Yuan Shao had never acknowledged the puppet Emperor Dong Zhuo had installed in the first place. He was already skeptical, even plotting to put someone else on the throne.
Or maybe, from the supercomputer-level pragmatism of Yuan Shao's mind, the cost of feeding the Emperor and officials just wasn't worth it. He kept crunching the numbers, but the returns didn't appeal.
It's not just feeding the Emperor.
How to put it? It was like moving the entire central government to your turf. The salaries for the Emperor and all those bureaucrats, plus administrative costs—it all fell on the host region.
Anyway, the one who'd crunched the risk management and chosen to harbor the Emperor was Cao Cao.
"If only we could've had the Emperor stay here in Xuzhou…."
Liu Bei said, tears welling up.
"My lord!! That's impossible!!"
Sun Qian and Mi Zhu, who handled administration, along with Zhang Shiping and Xiao Shuang, now the accountants, all turned pale.
"We're already running a deficit just keeping Xuzhou afloat!! Bringing in the Emperor would bankrupt us completely…."
Mi Zhu looked ashen.
Yeah. Xuzhou. Broke as hell. Cao Cao had ravaged it so thoroughly, turning it into a beggar province. Mi Zhu was pumping in money, and Liu Bei was pushing grassroots growth policies to barely scrape by—but housing the Emperor? No way.
"You're right…. If only this Yi had a bit more power."
Liu Bei started to look regretful but quickly composed himself. "But if we focus on what we can do, the day will surely come when we aid the Han imperial house!"
He summoned his greatest strength: unyielding optimism.
"As expected of brother!!"
"Indeed, well said."
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu nodded in satisfaction.
"Heh. True strength lies in not rushing."
Zhao Yun looked impressed too.
Anyway, it seemed like things were flowing into a heartwarming arc where everyone dreamed of the future and pressed on….
"Oh, right."
Liu Bei clapped his hands and brought something over.
It was a bundle of neatly wrapped clothing.
"This is…."
Battle robes.
"You've all been so busy, your battle robes are falling apart. I personally picked the colors and had them made."
Liu Bei said with a smile.
"My lord…."
Everyone was touched.
Impressive.
He learned a lesson: winning hearts often came down to these small, thoughtful gestures.
"Then let's try them on right now!"
Zhang Fei immediately pulled out his red battle robe. Yeah, red suited Zhang Fei's image. Most depictions went with that, though he didn't know who started it.
"Ahem."
Guan Yu took out a green one that matched her blue hair.
Zhao Yun grabbed the white one, and I picked up the last.
A somewhat dark black battle robe.
Oh. Nice.
Black was the safest choice, practically speaking. Blood didn't show up on it.
"Heh, Zhao Yun. That white'll get filthy fast."
I said it straight to him.
White yellowed quick. And on the battlefield, it'd be splattered with blood and mud.
If it got yellowed from Zhao Yun's sweat and pheromones, that'd have its own value….
I cut off the lewd thought.
"Heh, true. But this is my resolve."
Zhao Yun smiled brightly.
"White symbolizes my conviction. As long as I wear it, I'll fight to the end under the banner of peace for all under heaven."
Zhao Yun said with a grin.
"Ha. Got it."
The kid had a way with words.
"But forget peace under heaven—first, you gotta stop getting lost in familiar Xuzhou."
The guy still wandered in cities.
"Urk…."
Zhao Yun blushed, embarrassed.
"Then later, have Kim Gong, with his sharp sense of direction, show me the way properly."
He said, face red.
"…Tch. Saying that in front of her? Can't underestimate him."
Guan Yu seemed to be burning with rivalry toward Zhao Yun for some reason.
"Alright! Let's all huddle up and link arms!"
Zhang Fei shouted.
Yeah. With everyone in their colorful battle robes, it'd make for a lively scene.
Wish we could take a photo.
Too bad this era had no cameras.
"Heh. Yes, let's link arms with my siblings after so long."
Liu Bei smiled brightly and joined us.
Xuzhou Rangers: Liu Bei Edition!!
I muttered it internally, seeing the rainbow of robes.
Liu Bei Rangers!! Felt like they'd get dogpiled in defeat, scatter, then regroup over and over.
As usual, I spent time in Xiaopei monitoring Yeo Po while handling her duties. I kept an ear on Yuan Shu's movements too—no signs of invasion, so I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"Kim. Spar today?"
I'd gotten close enough to Yeo Po for regular spars. But instead of the training grounds, she'd come to the house, trade barbs with Bu Yong-hwa, then we'd go. Whatever—fighting built bonds.
I farmed swordsmanship XP sparring with Yeo Po, studied in the evenings, and at night mingled bodies with Yong Hwa and Guan Yu, focused on baby-making. Guan Yu wanted a kid too, so I had to step up.
At dawn, I'd slip to Mok Lan, hold her close. Even I thought it was a full life—no personal time left between work, study, and women.
Maybe I got too absorbed in that routine. I missed the cracks forming.
Eight months blurred by in Xuzhou before the big incident hit.
One night.
"Waaaaah!!!"
A roar from afar jolted my eyes open.
Clink.
I snatched the Nam Un Geom from beside the bed.
It wasn't our troops cheering. Enemy war cries. Raw fury prickled my skin.
"Kim!"
Guan Yu bolted up beside me.
"Gaga…?"
Bu Yong-hwa looked at me, panicked.
Not from outside the walls.
Too close. Unnervingly close.
Clang. Claaang!
Weapons clashed everywhere. Judgment snapped into place.
"Yong Hwa! Just follow behind me and Guan-nuna!"
I ordered her, then headed out.
"Yes!!"
Bu Yong-hwa jumped up briskly, pulling a bundle from under the bed.
"Wait, Yong Hwa, that's…."
What? A bundle?
"Gaga fights a lot, right? Just in case we ever have to flee, I packed essentials ahead of time."
Bu Yong-hwa said.
My wife's sharp.
Anyway, we grabbed our stuff and rushed out to assess.
"Waaaaah!!!"
"Raaaaah!!!"
Soldiers in red armor rampaged into Xiaopei, smashing everything.
The gates stood wide open for some reason.
Inside job? Betrayal?
Before complex thoughts, I grasped it.
Over the walls: ropes and hooks.
Jiangdong commandos scaled, slit the guards, infiltrated, and flung open the gates. Classic for men who'd crossed the Yellow River like that.
"Damn…."
Too late for barricades—the city was breached. Xiaopei wasn't huge; fighting in tight quarters now meant doom.
"Argh!! Burning a perfectly fine stable, you bastards!!"
Beyond the flaming stable, a hero stood before the horses he'd evacuated, swinging his sword bravely at the Jiangdong troops. Xu Sheng. True horse guardian.
"Xu Sheng!!"
To save him first, I charged with Guan Yu, cutting down Jiangdong soldiers.
"Kim Gong!! We're screwed!! Sun Jian's men night-raided…."
Xu Sheng teared up, blurting it out.
"So many horses died…!"
Wanted to retort, but not the time. No worry for people?
"Where're the others?"
Where were the western soldiers?
"General Zhang and General Go headed with the lord to fight the main Jiangdong raid force. But no word…."
They got caught in the raid too?
"Got it. Get the horses out the rear gate max speed. Evacuate as many people as you can."
I tasked Xu Sheng with leading the evacuation, then dashed through the battlefield with Guan Yu. Leaving Yong Hwa with his group was an option, but she was safer with us.
"There!! The curly-head!!"
"It's Kim!! Seize him!!"
"Lord said don't kill the lord! Capture alive!!"
They spotted me, tightening the noose.
Capture in a life-or-death duel? Fools.
Not even charging with killing intent was enough…!!
"Kkkiyaaaak!!!"
I roared, cleaving a Jiangdong soldier neatly in half.
"Hup!!"
Guan Yu drew her sword, slashing side attackers to open a path.
"Move or die!!"
Sword dripping blood, I became a beast, carving through.
The chaos wasn't limited to Xiaopei.
"Ngh…. Ambush…!"
Liu Bei, Zhao Yun, and Zhang Fei desperately held back Jiangdong troops pushing into the city. No spare hands for elsewhere.
Hab-i was the same—already fallen, Mi Fang retreating with remnants.
The year Liu Bei took Xuzhou, Sun Jian marched from Jianye to invade, eyeing Huainan under Yuan Shu next. Ambitious night raid.
"Ngh…."
How many had I cut down? Lost count. With Guan Yu beside me, we slashed, stabbed, blocked—repeat.
Body caked in blood, breaking through, I sensed alien killing intent amid the Jiangdong troops.
"Long time no see."
A burly man in tiger-skin armor stood sword in hand.
"Sun Jian…."
Didn't expect him to charge in personally.
"Heard you cleaved a trebuchet with one strike, routed Yuan Shu's 30,000 with just 500. Fierce general."
Sun Jian eyed me, then glanced left.
"And you're Guan Yunchang. Liu Bei's got luck—stacked with tigers like you."
Sun Jian chuckled, then leveled his sword.
"Surrender. Xuzhou and Hab-i are ours. Resist, and it's dog death."
Straight to demanding surrender.
"Didn't they teach you to ask nicely? Threats kill persuasion."
High-handed talk sparked my rebel streak.
"Ha. That attitude? Not bad. True warriors don't bow easy."
Sun Jian smirked, beckoning with a finger.
Shing.
A greatsword general stepped beside him. Ah, that one. Cheng Pu, right? Sun Jian's pillar.
"Bringing Jiangdong's Tiger Sun Wen-tai and famed Cheng Pu? Overkill for puny Xiaopei?"
"A fortress holding two fierce generals who leash the stray Yeo Po? Worth the investment."
Sun Jian glared sharply, sword raised, poised to lunge.
In that breath-crossing instant.
Claaaaaaang!!!
Four warriors' swords clashed, scattering metallic shrieks.