Negotiation Battle with Liu Bei
I was stunned. Nearly as stunned as when Lady Sun had arrived in Chengdu.
W-wait. Is he trying to marry me off to Liu Shan right now?
As I stood there with my mouth hanging open, blinking in sheer disbelief, Liu Bei spoke.
"Why so startled? Don't tell me you're thinking of marrying my son?"
"Th-that's…!"
"Oh! So you have been thinking about marriage? That makes this simple. I've been thinking how reassuring it would be to have you as my daughter-in-law! In that case, we should summon General Jin Do at once and discuss this properly…"
"N-no, My Lord! That's not what I meant…!"
I waved both hands frantically, and he stopped mid-sentence — then burst into roaring laughter.
"Hahahahaha! I was joking! Just a joke. Hahaha!"
He nearly gave me a heart attack…
"Th-then… what did you mean…?"
"Not marriage. I want my son to go with you and learn. Shan is old enough now that he ought to gain some experience at the front, don't you think?"
Phew… At least it isn't marriage. But wait — is he asking me to teach Liu Shan? Should I even be relieved about this?
"Learn, My Lord?"
"Yes. If Shan stays at your side, there is much he will see and absorb."
"But this seems far too heavy a responsibility for me. And there is also His Highness's own wishes to consider…"
Liu Bei answered as though he had expected exactly that response.
"In truth, the boy told me not long ago that he wants to go with you. That he wants to follow you, see many things, and learn."
This little brat, of all people…
"I feel the same way, myself. Your renown and record of service stand out even among our army. And you did save him when he was a child. I suspect that is what drew him to you. I was a little surprised myself when I first heard it."
I helped save Liu Shan, yes — but so did Zhao Yun…
"Yes. Yes. B-but the place I'm heading may well become a dangerous battlefield. And no matter how earnestly His Highness asks, why entrust such an important duty to me…"
Why me, of all people! The words surged up to my throat and then sank back down.
"I entrust him to you because I trust you. I have never forgotten how you once rescued that child from the heart of Cao Cao's great army. I will be frank. He is my son, but Shan has many shortcomings — even accounting for his age. That is why I thought this would be a good chance to help him grow, even a little."
I know about your son. No — I probably know far more about him than you do.
So that's it. This man has no idea what crisis Jingzhou is about to face. Or the fall of Shu Han, for that matter.
"I understand Your Lordship's feelings a hundred times over, but as I said, it is simply too dangerous. The front lines can turn in an instant. And His Highness is still so young. He is only twelve. Would it not be better for him to remain here at Your Lordship's side?"
Liu Bei gave a faint smile.
"What are you saying? Did General Jin herself not take the field and distinguish herself at that very age? That was the Battle of Bowang Slope, was it not? Shan has passed ten years of age now. It is time he gained such experience."
When he puts it like that, I have nothing to say. My first battle at Bowang Slope — I really was twelve.
Still… this feels off. I've been getting completely steamrolled by Liu Bei this whole time.
"I have heard that Cao Cao's son Cao Pi was already accompanying his father on campaign at the age of ten. That was the Battle of Wancheng against Zhang Xiu, I believe."
Cao Cao did bring Cao Pi and Cao Zhang with him to Hanzhong. Maybe some kind of competitive instinct kicked in over that. But sending a child to the battlefield is not always a good thing. He could end up with serious trauma.
"I am reluctant to say this, but I have heard that His Highness has not been trained in the martial arts."
"I am not asking the boy to take up a sword and fight. I only want him to observe from the side how military affairs are conducted."
"Even so… I am a person with many shortcomings of my own."
"Nonsense. You will manage just fine. And I will assign a separate escort unit for the boy, so you need not concern yourself greatly with his personal security."
I tried to refuse, but Liu Bei would not budge.
Liu Shan… If I think about the future of Shu Han, he is someone I will have to take in hand(?) eventually. Getting to know him better wouldn't hurt either. But why does it have to be now, of all times?
I ran the calculations in my head. Liu Shan was a figure with a very high probability of becoming ruler one day. If I could help him grow properly while the chance was there, that would clearly be a good thing. Whether it would actually work out was another matter.
And if you can't avoid it, enjoy it! — no, that wasn't it. If I couldn't avoid it, then I needed to extract something more from Liu Bei right here. More support.
"My Lord. If Your Lordship commands it, this humble general will do her utmost. However, there is still much that worries me. If His Highness Liu Shan goes to the front, I fear what moves the enemy may make."
"For instance?"
"Your Lordship mentioned the Battle of Wancheng earlier. The outcome of that battle comes to mind."
"Wancheng… Hmm. In that battle, if I recall…"
Wancheng. The place where Cao Cao suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, and lost his eldest son Cao Ang. Drop a hint like that, and Liu Bei will know exactly what I'm getting at.
"And one more thing. When we were conquering Yizhou, there was that incident in Jingzhou as well. Wu made some unsavory moves."
"Jingzhou. Ah, yes — Military Advisor Kongming mentioned it. There seemed to have been an attempt to abduct Liu Shan. It ended in failure, as I understand."
"Yes, that is correct."
"So what General Jin is saying is that she needs more support?"
"Yes. Exactly, My Lord."
He catches on fast.
"Furthermore, Xiangyong may well become the foremost front against Wei. Even if we can seize it for now, I believe we must fortify its defenses thoroughly if we are to hold it."
"But with the aftermath of the Hanzhong campaign still unfinished, hands are short and it is difficult to pull more troops away. Sending you as an additional deployment is already stretching things somewhat. We have already dispatched Meng Da, and then Liu Feng after him. We must also think of Hanzhong's defense. Having taken it, we must now hold it, must we not?"
"Hanzhong is rugged terrain — a place that can be held with relatively few troops. Yangping Pass, the very throat of Hanzhong, is currently under the ironclad guard of generals such as Guo Jun and Wang Wei."
"Even that Yangping Pass has taken heavy enemy assaults and is in need of repairs in many places."
I knew that as well. Having poured so much strength into conquering Hanzhong, Liu Bei naturally had much to worry about.
Maybe I should throw him another tip. To get something, you have to give something.
"My Lord. Shall I offer a strategy for holding Hanzhong against a great enemy force with only a small number of troops?"
"Oh? Very well — speak."
At the words "hold off a great army with few," Liu Bei's eyes lit up.
"I believe Your Lordship should practice what the Book of Changes calls zhongmen jituo — layered gates and the night watchman's clapper."
"Zhongmen jituo. Building gates in successive layers and keeping strict watch — is that the meaning?"
"Yes, precisely. Have you heard of Mount Xingshi?"
"Mount Xingshi? I have heard of a mountain north of Hanzhong by that name."
"If the enemy invades, seal off Mount Xingshi. Then the approaches into Hanzhong through Luogu can also be blocked with few troops. If you make it appear as though a great army is deployed on the heights of Mount Xingshi, the enemy will not dare attack. And if you occupy the peaks of Shenling, Aling, and Fenshuiling in Luogu, you can cut off their retreat and annihilate them."
"Heavens. When did you survey all of that? I always feel this way, but you have a talent for astonishing people at the most unexpected moments. I shall have to send someone to examine the terrain of Mount Xingshi thoroughly."
Liu Bei was impressed, but I had simply stated facts I already knew. Far in the future, Wang Ping, Fei Yi, Liu Min, and others would use this very strategy to smash a great Wei army.
"Even so, mobilizing additional troops right now is difficult…"
"I am not asking for reinforcements to be added this very moment. Even after I have departed, I would be grateful if support could be sent toward Xiangyong and Jingzhou. Our power has grown enormously in just a few years. There may be those who do not look kindly on such rapid expansion."
I had phrased the possibility of a Wu surprise attack indirectly. Liu Bei thought hard for a moment, then spoke.
"Very well. Your counsel has never been wrong. I will discuss the matter of additional support with Military Advisor Pang."
"Thank you, My Lord."
Getting a positive answer on additional support was at least a relief.
One more thing. I should extract everything I can while the chance is here.
"And there is one more matter I wish to raise."
"Hm? What else is there?"
When I offered a subtle smile, Liu Bei's expression turned faintly uneasy.
"My Lord. I have heard that in conquering Hanzhong, Your Lordship acquired a great deal of gold, silver, and other wealth."
"That is true. Hanzhong is a region rich in produce, so the stores of goods and materials were considerable. But… General Jin has never been one to covet wealth."
"Yes, that is correct. This is not for my own sake, but for our cause."
With Liu Bei looking increasingly uncomfortable, I pressed on.
"If we are to occupy Xiangyong and govern the surrounding regions, I judge that funds will be necessary."
"That much is true, but restoring order in Hanzhong will also require a great deal of wealth."
There are things more important than Hanzhong coming.
"I understand that the wealth gained from Hanzhong is substantial. And to accomplish great things, is funding not the first necessity? My Lord — have you ever once seen me fill my own pockets? Everything I have done has been for our cause. If Your Lordship grants me additional funds this time, I will pour every ounce of my strength into growing Your Lordship's power and our cause further. Think of it as an investment toward something greater. Once again, Your Lordship will have no cause for regret. So please, trust me…"
"Has General Jin always been this talkative…?"
As I launched into an uncharacteristically passionate speech, Liu Bei broke into a cold sweat.
"And as for the soldiers under my command — they have just come through fierce fighting in Hanzhong, and now they are about to set out for Xiangyong at once. A victory banquet will be held here soon, but they will not even be able to attend it; they will have to follow me straight into hardship. As their commander, if I am to ease their hearts, should I not at least feed them well or see that they are properly supplied? They are all Your Lordship's people. If you would bestow your grace upon them…"
"General Jin. When you talk this much, I sometimes find you rather frightening…"
By the end of that impassioned appeal, I had managed to extract additional military funds from Liu Bei as well.
Now all that remained was to set out for Xiangyong.