Securing the Foothold (2)
Gongsun Zan's gaze locked onto Minju. It felt like the sharp tip of a spear pressed against his throat, but Minju, with the soul of a modern man, didn't so much as blink.
"You're the one proposing a deal?"
"Yes."
Minju didn't yield an inch as he pressed on. "If the general entrusts a portion of the territory to my eldest brother, then when the great anti-Dong Zhuo banner rises again in the future, Brother's forces will join as one branch under the general's command. The merits will flow to you, General, and Brother will serve as your wing. For you, who aims for hegemony in the north of the river, it would be like gaining the wings of Liu Xuande, a man renowned across the realm."
"Hah."
Gongsun Zan scoffed. "What does that Liu Bei have to offer? The land is crawling with feudal lords right now. Why should I specifically nurture you lot? Just because we shared the same teacher? All you've got are a few hundred soldiers and your own martial prowess."
Minju tossed out his strongest card, as if he'd been waiting for it. "Soon, Lu Bu's forces will move alongside us."
In an instant, the air inside the tent flipped. The generals' eyes widened, and even Gongsun Zan leaned forward slightly for the first time. His eyes narrowed like a blade.
"Zhang Yide. Repeat what you just said. Who?"
"Lu Bu, Fengxian."
Minju spoke clearly, enunciating each syllable like he was spitting them out. "It doesn't mean he's fully joined anyone yet. But while striking down Dong Zhuo, he'll undoubtedly point his blade in the same direction as us. And once Brother has at least a minimal fief and justification, that alliance will solidify further."
"......"
"General, consider this: Among all the feudal lords in the realm today, who can stand face-to-face with Lu Bu and draw him into dialogue? Who can seat that tiger, brimming with murderous intent, at the same table outside the battlefield?"
Gongsun Zan stared at Minju in silence. Minju drove the wedge home without pause. "If you entrust even a small patch of land near your borders to Brother, he'll rally his forces under that name and serve as your extension when Dong Zhuo is targeted later. What if Lu Bu's power is linked in as well? You'd establish the cause of aiding the Han, lead northern crack troops into the fray, and make your name echo across the land. You'd become the true master of the north, surpassing Yuan Shao."
A murmur rippled through the assembly. Gongsun Zan's mind was already furiously calculating the showdown with Yuan Shao.
"And if you're lying? If Lu Bu doesn't come?"
Minju grinned. The smile on Zhang Fei's face carried a strange allure. "Then reclaim the land Brother received. We're still small. We lack even the strength to betray you. Or, if you prefer, take my life as collateral."
It was a gamble. But for a man like Gongsun Zan, this bold provocation would land better than overly meek words.
Liu Bei finally added quietly, "Elder Brother Bogui, I've not come to stab you in the back. Nor do I seek petty charity on old ties. In this chaotic age, I've come only to preserve a small spark to right the Han dynasty. If that spark can blaze brighter under your name, I will never forget the grace."
Gongsun Zan fell silent. A long, heavy silence stretched on. He stopped drumming his fingers on the armrest and tilted his head toward the rough wind howling outside the tent. The scent of chaos rode that wind.
At last, he spoke lowly. "Our teacher once said that Xuande had a knack for drawing people in, even back then."
His gaze shifted back to Minju. "And you—your tongue is sharper than any blade. Zhang Yide, since when did you become so cunning?"
Minju made no reply. Gongsun Zan let out a sigh-like chuckle. "Fine. But no major town. I can grant you a small area near my borders."
As the assembly stirred, he raised a hand to quiet them. "However, there are conditions. First, Liu Bei must not tarnish my name. Second, when the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition properly forms, you will unconditionally fight under my banner. Third..."
He stared piercingly at Minju. "If this Lu Bu business turns out to be bluff, I'll personally rip out your tongue and hang it from a horse's neck."
Minju smiled and cupped his fists. "Before that, I'll show results first, General."
Even after leaving the tent and mounting their horses, Liu Bei remained silent for a while. The cold wind pierced their collars, but the three brothers' hearts burned hotter than ever.
Guan Yu rode up from the waiting main force in the distance. "How did it go?"
Minju answered with a grin first. "It's done. Not a vast territory, but enough to gather men and raise a banner in Brother's name."
"Where?"
"Pingyuan."
Guan Yu's eyes changed in an instant—surprise, relief, and newfound admiration for his younger brother flashing in sequence.
"You truly pulled it off..."
Liu Bei added, "Elder Brother Bogui granted it conditionally."
At Liu Bei's words, Guan Yu gazed deeply at Minju. "Yide. When you first brought up Gongsun Zan, I honestly thought you were being reckless."
Rare sincerity weighted his low voice. "But now I see. You weren't after just land."
Minju slowed his horse to ride abreast of Guan Yu. "Yes. Brother needs territory for the minimal face to bring in Lu Bu. A man like Lu Bu might find an empty heroic tale intriguing, but he won't stake his life on it. But if Brother has even a small county, with soldiers and people gathering under his name, banners and supplies in place—then it's different."
Guan Yu listened wordlessly.
"At that point, Lu Bu won't think 'ally with Liu Bei.' He'll feel 'I have a stage to ride.' That alone shifts the alliance's weight. Lady Diaochan can rest easier too."
Liu Bei gave a wry smile. "So you've seen this far from the start."
"At least this far."
Minju answered honestly. "It'll get rougher ahead, but now the minimal conditions are met. To call in a tiger, you need at least a den to shelter from the storm, right?"
"Well said."
"And Brother, Pingyuan isn't just some small county. It's a crossroads where Hebei's talents flow. There, we must find our true people."
Even talent recruitment. Through this parley with Gongsun Zan, they'd gained far more than expected.
"Heh... incredible."
Guan Yu chuckled lowly—a rare smile tinged with pride. "What foresight, Yide. I thought you led only with brute force, never dreamed your head held such schemes."
Minju scratched his head sheepishly. "When even Second Brother says that, it's embarrassing. I got a modern education... I mean, I have my own ideas too."
Liu Bei watched his two brothers with a quiet smile. But his eyes looked far off, toward the small territory just granted to him—Pingyuan.
Small. Perhaps insignificant. But in chaos, a single castle or county could change a man's fate.
Now Liu Bei had not just a name, but a vessel to hold his ideals. Tiny, yet for them, a sturdy first foundation against any fear. To others, a remote scrap of borderland; to them, the first stepping stone toward the realm.
Minju gazed at the scene, murmuring inwardly. 'Good. Now we have the justification to call Lu Bu. And Pingyuan... plenty of talents to recruit there.'
The wind blew again. The harsh, biting northern gale. But this time, strangely, it didn't feel purely cold. Mingled in was the scent of small but certain possibility.
Liu Bei gripped the reins. "Let's go. Time to prepare to welcome those who'll gather under our banner."
"Yes, Brother."
Minju slung the Zhangba Snake Spear over his shoulder with a grin. "Now the real start begins."
The three horses surged forward together. A fledgling with a nest could now eye the vast sky. And at the end of their path waited the realm's mightiest tiger, Lu Bu—and another white-maned hero yet to reveal his name.
Pingyuan's banner began to rise. It was the signal that twisted history would soon roil once more.