Take Care of Shan'er
"What? Take charge of what?"
"In recognition of her accumulated merits, Jin Cheong is hereby appointed Pingdong-general."
"Thank you, my lord. I swear to devote every ounce of my strength to your service."
I had been promoted yet again. And my deputy Yu Eun had been raised to Xiaowei as well.
"Yu Eun. Congratulations on the promotion. You barely joined our army and already you were up against the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the Qingzhou Soldiers. That couldn't have been easy."
"I have never once regretted following you, General. If I've risen at all, it's entirely thanks to you. Thank you."
I had fretted, privately, that he might only be suffering for having chosen to follow me — but from the day we met until now, he had been nothing but rock-solid. There was a reason men like Liu Bei and Cao Cao were so ravenous for talent.
Beyond Yu Eun and myself, the other generals and strategists received promotions and rewards according to their deeds.
Our faction was in a mood that said we owned the world. After decades of wandering the continent, they had at last seized a land worth living in — the elation of that was beyond words.
Once the promotions and rewards were done, Liu Bei threw a banquet, sending down wine and meat for the generals and soldiers who had endured so much.
Men who had gone without a proper drink through the entire campaign fell on the wine as if greeting a long-lost friend, and a lively, festive atmosphere took hold. Liu Bei, above all, seemed lost in a pure rapture of gratitude.
I ate a little of the food, then slipped quietly away. I was due to leave for Xiangyong soon, and I wanted a moment to gather my thoughts.
To keep this joy of theirs intact a little longer. And to stop the despair and grief they still knew nothing about.
I would need Liu Bei's leave. I would need to reorganize my unit. I would need to get word to Xu Shu in Jingzhou.
I was walking near a pond not far from the banquet, sorting through it all, when a voice from behind cut my thoughts short.
"General! General! Is that you, General Jin Cheong? Aren't you enjoying the banquet? Everyone's having such a good time."
"…?!"
A young voice. One I hadn't expected — and yet one I knew.
I turned slowly toward the sound.
What I saw was the face of a boy a full two heads shorter than me. When that face broke into a wide smile, I drew a sharp breath.
"General. It's good to see you."
"Y-yes. Yes. But Young Master — what brings you out here?"
"I was just wandering around because I was bored, and I saw you heading this way."
"I see. But you were walking around alone? It could be dangerous for you to be by yourself."
"I'll be fine. I just wanted to walk around because I was bored. Are you doing the same, General?"
"I had some thoughts to sort out. But this place is deserted — it doesn't look safe. Shall I escort you back to your quarters?"
"Oh, it's all right, General. Hehe. Walking somewhere with nobody around is actually kind of nice."
I had heard that Liu Bei had brought Liu Shan with him to Hanzhong. I had simply decided it wasn't my concern…
"Even so, Young Master. The war only just ended. There may still be people harboring ill will. Let me walk you back. It would be better if you returned to your quarters."
I managed to talk him into it and saw Liu Shan safely to his rooms — but an uneasy feeling lingered all the same.
I need to speak to Liu Bei as soon as possible. Ask him to send me to Xiangyong.
The next morning, I went straight to Liu Bei and laid out my request.
"You want to go to Xiangyong?"
"Yes, my lord."
Xiangyong lay east of Hanzhong, and it also bordered Jingzhou, where Guan Yu currently held command.
Meng Da had already been dispatched toward Xiangyong. Having taken Fangling County in a successful assault, he was now preparing to advance on Xiangyong itself.
Liu Feng had been named to support him. Up through the fall of Xiangyong, I didn't need to go — if history held, Meng Da and Liu Feng would manage that much on their own.
The problem was everything after that. And it was a very, very large problem, bound tightly to Liu Bei's downfall.
In the original history, Liu Feng and Meng Da never got along and did nothing but quarrel — even ignoring a direct request for reinforcements from Guan Yu in Jingzhou.
In the end, Guan Yu received no support at all, was caught between Wei and Wu, and lost his life. What followed was Liu Bei's greatest and most catastrophic failure: the Battle of Yiling.
Xu Shu was in Jingzhou now — along with the secret intelligence I had given him.
I would trust Jingzhou to Xu Shu, and do everything I could from Xiangyong.
"We only just drove Cao Cao back. Won't it be hard on you? Is there some reason you must go to Xiangyong now?"
Because that's where the truly critical scene that decides this faction's fate is going to play out — I couldn't say that, so I cast about for something that would sound like sound strategic reasoning.
"As things stand, Xiangyong is likely to fall into our hands. The problem is what comes after. Geographically, Xiangyong can open toward Hanzhong or toward Jingzhou. It may even connect through to Sizhou. Put another way — once we hold Xiangyong, we share a direct border with Wei. It becomes the front line, and fierce clashes with Wei are inevitable. I want to fortify it in advance. And from Xiangyong, coordination with General Guan Yu becomes possible. Under the present circumstances, I believe it is the region that most demands our attention on a grand scale."
"Hmm. Indeed. I am always struck by how your insight seems to broaden by the day."
Liu Bei rubbed his chin and nodded.
"Very well. I shall dispatch you to Xiangyong."
"Thank you, my lord."
The first step was done. I would have liked to stay and watch Liu Bei ascend as King of Hanzhong, but something more important demanded my attention. I would have to forgo it.
And while I was at it — a few more talented people. Jingzhou was likely to become a battlefield even fiercer than Hanzhong.
"And my lord — I have one further request."
"Yes? Speak freely."
"I would be grateful if you could assign a few more capable people to me."
"Capable people. Whom do you have in mind?"
"Fei Yi, and Deng Zhi. It would be excellent if they could come with me."
"Fei Yi. And when did you take notice of Fei Yi? I have thought this before — you have a remarkable eye for talent. Hahaha."
"You flatter me. They are men you yourself selected, my lord. Of course they are exceptional."
Deng Zhi had once accompanied me as an envoy to Zhang Lu, and I had crossed paths with Fei Yi several times as well.
Fei Yi was currently helping Liu Ba settle the internal affairs of the Hanzhong region, and Deng Zhi had served as a staff officer in the campaign for Hanzhong. The moment Liu Bei gave the order, both could leave with me at once.
If things went as I had drawn them, with those two I could secure Xiangyong stably and still save Jingzhou.
"Good! Take them both. I will issue the military orders shortly."
"Thank you, my lord."
I bowed deeply at the waist. That was Liu Bei for you. A man you could actually talk to.
"But do you not need more military officers? Fei Yi and Deng Zhi are both civil officials, are they not?"
"Military officers? Yes — of course, more would be ideal."
"A man of your rank ought to have capable subordinate commanders under him. As it stands, the only solid military officer beneath you is Yu Eun, is that not so?"
"Yes. That's right."
Yu Eun was reliable and capable, that much was true — but I had privately wished for more subordinate commanders as well. Talent was something you could never have too much of. Was he about to assign me someone else?
"Wang Ping. The man you recommended to me. He is here in Hanzhong now — take him with you. I will place him under your command as a subordinate general."
Wang Ping! Wang Ping, of all people! I had never even considered that.
Wang Ping was someone I myself had recommended to Liu Bei, so we already knew each other. Honestly, I would have been content if he had only granted me Fei Yi — but with this, I would be marching out with a far sturdier roster than I had expected. This was more than I could have asked for.
"Thank you, my lord! I will not disappoint you on this campaign. I swear it."
"Yes, yes. Haha. When have you ever disappointed me?"
Liu Bei smiled with satisfaction, and I smiled along with him. Had I known what he was thinking in that moment, I would not have been smiling at all.
"That aside, General Jin."
"Yes, my lord."
"My brother Zhang Fei. He has changed a great deal — and for the better. I believe much of that was your doing. No — without you, it would never have happened."
"I only did what a subordinate officer ought to do."
I was leaving Zhang Fei's command now, but given how his temperament had changed, he would not be the sort to pile up the resentment of his men.
And yet, looking at Liu Bei's smiling face… something felt off. Why did I feel so uneasy?
"No. You handled a difficult task superbly. Once again I am reminded that my eye for people does not fail me. And in that spirit…"
It was definitely praise directed at me — but the feeling was somehow wrong.
Only now did the thought strike me: had Liu Bei calculated this from the start, and placed me under Zhang Fei deliberately?
I had served Liu Bei for more than ten years, and still I could not fully read the man. That was probably how he had survived being battered from every side in this age of chaos.
While I was turning that over in my mind, the next words out of Liu Bei's mouth froze me solid.
"Would you take charge of Shan'er for me?"
"Yes, as you command— wait. What?"
My eyes went wide. Had I heard that correctly?
"What is it? I would like you to take charge of Liu Shan."
My mouth fell open, but no words came out.