Xu Province (2)
"Aigoo... Lord Liu Xuande...!!"
"Lord Xuande!!"
As we entered Xu Province City, the people welcomed Liu Bei with tremendous fervor. The Xu clansmen, officials—everyone treated us like gods.
"Lord Xuande!! Take the seat of honor right away!!"
Leading the atmosphere was none other than Tao Qian. He tried to drag Liu Bei straight to the head seat, a place reserved for his kin, honored guests, or high court officials.
"Lord Tao Qian!! How could I possibly sit there?!!"
Liu Bei shook his head in flustered refusal.
"No!! You deserve it!! The aides should sit there too!"
But Tao Qian forced Liu Bei down and eyed us anxiously. Unable to resist the peer pressure, Guan Yu, I, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun quietly took our seats at the head table. Once we settled demurely at the meal-and-drink setup, Tao Qian swiftly brought out a simple spread.
The mood was serious, but Guan Yu pretended to eat before slyly slipping her hand under the table.
Wriggle. Wriggle.
Soon, she slid it right onto my hand and started kneading it.
Maybe because we'd confirmed each other's feelings—it was constant skinship from her now.
'Or... maybe she sees Bu Yong-hwa isn't around and figures now's her chance.'
Musing idly like that, I played along discreetly, keeping it subtle.
Amid the awkward drinking, Liu Bei and Tao Qian exchanged general views. Anyone familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms could sum it up simply.
Xu Province had been wrecked by Cao Cao's rampaging army. They'd sealed the city gates tight and refused to open, so the invaders rampaged even more, massacring the surrounding commoners.
Tao Qian had thought it was just intimidation at first, but seeing them systematically slaughter people like animals crushed his hope. Xu Province was already barren of people and resources. He'd sent pleas everywhere, but the other lords stayed silent—wary of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shu might help as allies, but they were too big a league; calling them would just mean they'd swallow Xu Province whole.
In that dire spot, Liu Bei of Pingyuan had arrived. Tao Qian had doubted a mere thousand men would help much, but after witnessing the Liu Bei army's prowess, he was in full worship mode.
"I, Xuande, will do my utmost to resolve this."
Liu Bei said humbly, offering a Bao Quan fist salute.
"Ah!! I trust you!!"
Tao Qian bowed deeply, ready to kowtow in perpetual adoration. He might clash with Liu Bei later, but right now, Liu Bei was his sole savior. His deference was utter humility—enough to mistake him for a Gongsun clansman.
"I'm on good terms with Jo Mang-deok. We've shared drinks. I'll talk it out and reach an accord."
Liu Bei smiled.
"Ah!! Please!!"
Tao Qian nodded eagerly. In such a tangled mess, the smoothest fix was dialogue.
"Kim Gong. Zhao Yun. Will you escort me?"
Going alone was risky, so Liu Bei turned to us pleadingly. I didn't want to, but... Cao Cao wouldn't outright stab during talks. Game mechanics allowed it, but pulling orphan widow stunts tanked diplomatic rep hard.
"Got it. Let's go."
I nodded.
"Ooh... Volunteering for danger... Truly a great hero, Kim Gong."
Zhao Yun's eyes sparkled.
"Hmph!! I'll protect the lord no matter what!"
His tension spiked; he twirled his spear in the air and bellowed.
"L-Lord...? Isn't your lord Brother Gongsun?"
Liu Bei probed with a cough.
"I despise such petty men. I've decided to follow this Liu Bei army!"
Zhao Yun declared flatly. Fresh off splitting from Gongsun Zan for Xu Province, he was quitting outright.
"E-Ehem. That's... tricky..."
Liu Bei's lips and ears twitched in delight. Elite talent like Zhao Yun volunteering was pure joy.
"Brother, be careful. A guy pulling this crap ain't right in the head."
Zhang Fei fretted from behind.
"He seemed sane last time..."
Guan Yu eyed our group worriedly. But with enraged Qingzhou troops possibly storming the city anytime, we needed reserves. And dragging masses screamed "fight," dooming talks. Subtle game mechanic.
"Let's go."
Liu Bei said gravely, tying his helmet straps.
Cao Cao's outpost wasn't far. Beyond corpses and ashes, red tents loomed imposingly.
Surprisingly, Cao Cao let us in easily.
"My lord!! Lord Xuande's here to negotiate!! Let's talk it out!!"
Cao Cao's brain trust, Xun Yu, greeted us warmly, inwardly pleased.
"Let's settle this here."
Xun Yu eyed Cao Cao pleadingly.
'Xun Yu opposed this Xu Province massacre.'
In this balanced era, no need for villainy. He'd tried dissuading Cao Cao. Our arrival thrilled him—maybe we could break his boss's stubbornness.
"Hmph. Let's hear them out. My brother Xuande came himself."
Cao Cao chuckled heartily, welcoming us. It felt like smooth talk would fix everything.
But talks crashed tragically.
"We'll track down Zhang Jie and..."
"No."
"Compensate the lost treasures fully..."
"Enough. Think I, Jo Mang-deok, mobilized for pocket change?"
"What do you want..."
"No negotiations. Only burning Xu Province—with Tao Qian's head and that vile Zhang Jie's land—will sate me."
Cao Cao was locked in.
"..."
Game-mandatory trigger—no choices. Fate Points could've swayed him otherwise, but not for canon events. Xu Massacre: inevitable.
"So withdraw, brother Xuande. Heard you've got a thousand. What can that do? Just watch me avenge my father by razing Xu."
Cao Cao glared hotly at Liu Bei—"I'll let you live."
"No. I can't stand by."
Liu Bei stared back fearless.
"I, Liu Xuande, vowed to fight for the realm's people. If you oppress them, I'll shield them—even with a thousand, or alone."
Hand on hilt, he locked eyes, declaring.
'...'
Inevitable. Fight it is.
"Kiyaa..."
Zhao Yun swooned Liu Bei-style, shaking his head in awe.
"...?"
Xun Yu gaped—at fools, not heroes.
"Pity. I liked you, brother Xuande."
Cao Cao sighed, face hardening.
"Safe passage this time. But step out, and you're enemies."
No escort—he turned crisply. Talks failed. Liu Bei army faced hopeless defense.
The Righteous Man of Xu Province: Anyone can see it's a fool's errand, but you made the right choice anyway. Even if it's the hard road.
Back in Xu Province, Liu Bei delivered the bad news.
"That mad dog... Enough blood already?! He really wants to devour Xu Province."
Zhang Fei scowled.
"From what Lord Tao Qian said, defense looks tough. Xu Province City, Xiao Pi City, Ha Bi City are the best strongholds, but holding long-term's impossible."
Guan Yu reported after eavesdropping inside. Despair for all... but I wasn't fazed.
'Two months tops.'
Two, three months later, Lu Bu and Chen Gong backdoor Xu Chang. Cao Cao withdraws from Xu to save it. Just defend.
'Eyes on Chang'an news, hunt treasures meanwhile.'
Wait for Dong Zhuo-Lu Bu fight over a woman, leading to regicide. That's the trigger.
Wait—Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu... fighting over a woman.
That hit weird. In this world, both women. Unless lesbians, fighting over Diaochan looked off. Gender-bent snag?
Chills hit. Nah... history happens. Shrugging it off, I joined the group to discuss siege defense.
About a month before the Xu Province Massacre.
"Huff... huff..."
A female general fled on horseback, face scarred and bloodied. Not just her face—arms, legs, gut riddled with wounds. Barely clinging to the saddle, she whipped her mount wildly, escaping Chang'an.
"Chase the traitorous bitch!!"
"Get her!! She can't have gone far!!"
Enemy shouts echoed closer from afar.
"Ngh... Dare betray me... I won't forgive...!!"
Through her mangled face, she glared murderously, charging into the woods. Under the bright moon, her purple-glowing hair shimmered in the light.
'East first.'
To Xu Province or Su Chun—beyond Chang'an's reach—to bide time. She veered east along the Han River.