Unexpected Guests Before the March on Chengdu
Just as we prepared to advance on Chengdu, unexpected news arrived.
Word that Huo Jun and Wang Wei had crushed the Shangzun Army at Gaimeng Pass lifted our entire force's spirits even higher.
"With the rear secured, nothing stands in the way of our advance. Lieutenant Jin—no, I should say General Jin now. Your suggestion to attach Wang Wei to him seems to have hit the mark. Just as I thought, you have a true gift for placing talent where it belongs."
Liu Bei laughed heartily as he spoke to me.
"It is only because Your Lordship was gracious enough to accept my counsel."
It truly was welcome news. A defensive campaign that should have dragged on for a full year had ended in three months, and Wang Wei had surely taken half the burden off Huo Jun's shoulders.
If Wang Wei continued to assist at his side, the physical strain would ease and the odds of Huo Jun working himself to death would drop… though whether that would be enough to change the fate that claimed him three years from now, I could not say. From here on, I could only leave it to destiny.
Knowing the future was, in its own way, an exhausting burden. There was never just one or two things to worry about, and knowing what was coming was a far cry from actually changing it.
As my thoughts churned restlessly, Gan Yong's words floated back to me.
Sometimes you look as if you're carrying the weight of the whole world on your shoulders. And you're still so young. Ease up a little.
Right. For now, focus on what I can do. There would be more than enough work ahead.
"Military Advisor Pang, how are you feeling?"
"Better, yes. I finally get to thank you properly. You saved my life. Lord Gan Yong has been singing your praises until his mouth ran dry."
"I only did what needed doing. Please don't speak of it—just focus on recovering."
Pang Tong, who had been in the field camp, had been brought to Luocheng to convalesce. That he had made it this far was a genuine relief. The anxiety that had dogged me since we first entered Yi Province could finally ease a little.
"Mm. Lying around all day is making me restless. I keep wondering how our army stands right now."
"Everything is proceeding well, so please don't concern yourself—just rest. The people's hearts are gradually settling, and the surrounding commanderies and counties are coming over to our side one after another."
"Even so, if there's work to be done, I ought to get up and—"
Oh, for heaven's sake. Couldn't he just be lazy for once, the way he usually was? I had gone through hell to keep him alive. This would not do.
I narrowed my eyes and put a little force into my voice.
"Mili. Tary. Advisor. If you keep this up, you're only making things harder for me. Do you have any idea how much I've been through? Hmm?"
"Ah—r-right, I understand…"
My mild threat seemed to work. Pang Tong started and obediently lay back down.
"I'll come check on you again. Take good care of yourself."
"Y-yes. You've been working hard."
I took my leave of his slightly flustered face and stepped out of the tent. He kept glancing after me the whole way.
Threatening a superior felt a bit wrong, but this much was fine. After everything I had endured for him.
With Luocheng behind us, our army reorganized and began preparing for the advance on Chengdu.
We had not marched on the capital yet for several reasons. Chief among them was the intelligence that roughly thirty thousand troops still remained in Chengdu, along with enough supplies to hold out for a year.
That suggested Liu Zhang still had the will to fight to the bitter end.
So for the time being we occupied the smaller counties around Luocheng while waiting for the reinforcements coming from Jingzhou. Once they arrived, we could surround Chengdu and apply real pressure.
We were far less pressed than during the siege of Luocheng itself, but that did not mean there was nothing to do.
First came winning over the people of Luocheng. The city had only recently fallen under our control and was still unsettled, yet no major unrest broke out.
A siege that should have lasted a year had ended in a matter of months, so the difficulty of the task had eased somewhat.
Liu Bei was a master at capturing hearts; I had no doubt it would go smoothly under his hand.
The other remaining task was the disposition of prisoners.
Deng Xian, wounded by my hand and taken captive, had apparently decided Liu Zhang had no future. The moment Liu Bei spoke to him, he surrendered outright.
But the two most critical figures of Luocheng flatly refused to yield.
Liu Xun and Zhang Ren.
Those two were not held in a prison but confined to a mansion within Luocheng.
Liu Xun was Liu Zhang's son, which made executing him casually out of the question. We were trying to induce Liu Zhang's surrender; killing his son outright might only harden his resolve.
And as for Zhang Ren—
I will never serve two lords!
He held to his principles to the end. Of course he did. He would not be Zhang Ren otherwise.
So he remained confined in the mansion alongside Liu Xun. Confinement or not, we saw that he lacked for nothing in food or clothing, gradually coaxing him in the hope of bringing him over to our side.
In the original history, Zhang Ren had been captured and executed before Luocheng fell. This time he had been taken alive together with Liu Xun, so his fate had already shifted a little. Whether he would ever serve under Liu Bei remained an open question.
"My lord, have you heard of Ma Chao?"
"Ma Chao? Of course I have. Who in the realm does not know that hero of Xiliang? But why do you bring up his name?"
I was discussing Ma Chao with Liu Bei—the man who would become the final key to the fall of Chengdu.
"I have quietly looked into his whereabouts. At present he has fallen out with Zhang Lu and taken refuge among the Di tribes."
"I see. I had heard he fled to Hanzhong after his defeat by Cao Cao, but nothing beyond that."
"Just so. Has Your Lordship considered trying to win him over?"
At my words, Liu Bei's eyes lit up.
Ma Chao's path had been this: after his defeat by Cao Cao in Xiliang, he fled to Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. He tried to use Zhang Lu's strength to reclaim the lands of Xiliang, but it came to nothing.
To make matters worse, slander from Zhang Lu's subordinate Yang Bai cast suspicion on him, and in the end he sought safety among the Di. The Di held him in goodwill, so he was safe for the moment—yet his position remained deeply precarious.
"If Your Lordship gains him, it will be as good as gaining Yi Province itself."
Liu Bei thought for a moment, then slapped his knee.
"You speak truly!"
I allowed myself a small smile. This was why one needed a lord who understood what was said to him.
"But how did you come by such information, General Jin? You must have been run off your feet just taking Luocheng."
I mumbled something about having kept an ear open for northern news for some time. It was not entirely untrue. I had sent people out to gather word from both the Xiliang and Hanzhong directions.
Once I confirmed that what I found matched the history I knew, I had brought the counsel to Liu Bei.
In the end he would have done the same thing I was proposing; the only difference was that we were moving a little earlier. And in matters like this, earlier was better.
"Then how do we win him? Bringing Ma Chao—the Brocade of Xiliang—over to our side will not be easy."
"Had he still been riding high in Xiliang, he would never have glanced our way. But now that he has lost his foundation, I believe a single skilled speaker sent to persuade him will suffice."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes. Lord Li Hui is the perfect man for it. He has an eye for the times and a gift for clear, persuasive speech."
Li Hui had been recruited while Liu Bei was at Mianzhu. He had originally intended to serve Liu Zhang, but deciding that Liu Zhang offered no hope, he had promptly changed his allegiance and come over to Liu Bei.
"Li Hui. I met him at Mianzhu. He certainly has the judgment to read a situation, and a quick mind. What's more, the moment we met he talked me into employing him—so yes, he has a silver tongue as well."
Liu Bei slapped his knee once more and made his decision.
"I accept General Jin's counsel. We will send Li Hui to Ma Chao!"
Some time after that, word came that the reinforcements under Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun had arrived. Because Liu Bei's main force, having taken Luocheng, had already pacified the nearby commanderies, they had been able to reach us faster than expected.
"Military Advisor Zhuge, General Zhao Yun. You must have had a hard journey."
"Hard? Hardly. I hear General Jin has been performing brilliantly—thanks to you, it seems our work has been cut down considerably. Haha."
"Lord Jin Cheong. Congratulations on your promotion to Deputy General."
I exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun. Then, a short while later, Zhuge Liang gave me news I had not expected at all.
"The young master has come as well. You should pay your respects."
"Eh? The young master?"
Only then did I notice the small face nestled among them.
A little flustered, I bowed my head to the brightly smiling boy.
"Ah—hello, Young Master. I am Jin Cheong."
"Hello. Hehe."
I had never imagined Liu Shan would come all the way here. He would reach Chengdu someday, of course—but that it would be now…
He had grown since I last saw him. Well, he was five now—old enough to walk and talk. Still, the roads must have been rough; that he had made it this far was rather admirable in its own right.
And the two officers behind him—Fan Jiang and Zhang Da. They served under Zhao Yun, so their presence was no surprise. I had heard they were causing no trouble and simply doing their duty.
And yet… something felt missing. What was it? It was not because of Fan Jiang or Zhang Da.
Then a voice slipped into my ear.
"Hello, Lieutenant Jin. It's been a while. Or should I say General now? Congratulations on the promotion. Things have been rather dull without you around."
Huh?
It was a cheerful woman's voice—one that set my thoughts spinning all at once.
I knew that voice. But it was a voice that had no business being here.
Th-this person… No. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong…
I lifted my head stiffly. And the moment I confirmed whose voice it was, I froze solid.
"What? Don't tell me you've forgotten my face? After how much I've missed you—I'm starting to feel a little hurt."
Ah! It—it couldn't be… In all the time since I had come to this world, nothing had shaken me like this. It felt as if I had been struck across the back of the head with an iron hammer.
She was smiling brightly, as if nothing at all were amiss.
Lady Sun. What on earth are you doing here?!