Liu Biao (1)
Xiangyang Castle, Jing Province.
Ever since the imperial decree had arrived — one that differed little in substance from a summons to surrender — Liu Biao had plunged deeper into worry with each passing day.
"We would have thee return once more to the heart of the realm, and attend upon Our side."
There was no doubt in his mind that the hand of the General-in-Chief lay behind every line of it.
"Hoo..." Picturing the man's face, Liu Biao released a long sigh and lifted his gaze to the hall before him. "I trust every one of you already understands why I have summoned you here today."
The many talented men gathered in the government office of Xiangyang Castle held their silence, waiting for him to continue.
"Not long ago, an envoy of the Emperor delivered an imperial command into my hands."
With that, Liu Biao turned his head toward Kuai Yue.
"Kuai Yue."
"Yes, my lord."
"Summarize the contents of that decree for us, from memory."
"As you command."
Kuai Yue bowed once, stepped forward, and began reciting in a clear, deliberate voice.
"Her Majesty has rated most highly my lord's merits in quelling the chaos of Jing Province and laboring for the peace of all under heaven."
"..."
"Sincerely delighted that one of the imperial bloodline should render so great a service, Her Majesty wishes to appoint my lord to the post of Minister of Agriculture, and commands him to ascend to Luoyang without delay—"
"That will be quite enough."
At those words Kuai Yue dipped his head slightly and withdrew into the ranks.
"Now, then. I trust you all grasp how matters stand."
"..."
"So I put the question to you. What intention do you believe lies behind this proposal?"
One man answered without a moment's hesitation.
"It is a summons to surrender."
"Yes. Precisely that."
Affirming the answer, Liu Biao went on.
"At the time, I was far too bewildered to reach any decision, and so I asked for your counsel instead."
His voice took on the distant tone of a man sifting through memories.
"In all the days since, I have not once called upon you... but my resolve is settled now."
The gentry who had answered the summons fixed their lord with tense, watchful eyes — praying, every one of them, that whatever he had decided would not bring calamity down upon their own houses.
With eyes gone dark and sunken, Liu Biao declared to the assembled officers:
"?!"
The gentry packed into the hall stared at him, eyes gone wide with shock.
Cai Mao, head of the powerful Cai clan, dropped to one knee and cried out.
"My lord! The General-in-Chief commands the largest army under heaven, and even his elite regulars are beyond anything we can afford to dismiss!"
"Is that so."
"He has poured years into civil administration besides, and his stockpiles run deep — with what we have now, we cannot possibly stand against him!"
"I see."
Each time Liu Biao acknowledged a point, Cai Mao pressed on in a rush.
"Even now, I beg you — retract this decision before it is too la—!"
"Is that all?"
"...I beg your pardon?"
Liu Biao studied him with eyes utterly devoid of feeling.
"The General-in-Chief's domain is indeed vast. Strip away Sili Province, however, and the greater part of it is land of precious little substance."
Bing Province? Nomads came swarming over its borders at the slightest provocation, and with mountain ranges swallowing most of its terrain, even passage through the region was a trial. As a military shield against the tribes it had genuine value — but beyond that, the land offered nothing at all. Meager income, ruinous expense: in practice, Bing Province contributed hardly anything to the General-in-Chief's strength.
Xiliang? A few scraps of arable soil dotted it here and there, but they were a drop in the ocean; set those aside, and nothing remained but desolate steppe rolling out to the horizon. Why else would the people of Han have abandoned all that breadth and crowded into provinces like Jizhou and Jingzhou instead? The barbarians prowling Xiliang's fringes were trouble enough, but at root the land itself was simply too unforgiving to tame — that was why no one could build a life there.
And what of Sili Province, the one jewel in his crown? Luoyang might be called the capital of Han, but a capital, by its nature, exists to consume rather than to produce. On top of that, Dong Zhuo had burned Chang'an to the ground and plundered the Sanfu region, and mountains of treasure had since been poured into restoring what was lost.
None of this changed the fact that the General-in-Chief's power could not be taken lightly. But weighed point by point, opposing him was not the utter impossibility it appeared at first glance.
Liu Biao spelled it out.
"You are quite right. Our strength alone could never go up against the General-in-Chief."
"Then—"
"But when, exactly, did I say I intended to fight him alone?"
When those gleaming eyes swung toward him, Cai Mao flinched and shrank into himself.
"For all its size, the General-in-Chief's realm presses its borders against no small number of rivals."
At his flank stood Cao Cao, fresh off a crushing victory over Yuan Shu; to the north, Yuan Shao, who had swallowed Jizhou whole, and Gongsun Zan, the so-called White Horse General. To the south crouched the warlords of Yi Province — Zhang Lu, Liu Yan, and their ilk — and diagonally opposite them all sat Liu Biao's own domain.
"Why do you suppose I ever cast my lot with the alliance of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao?"
"That is..."
"Yuan Shao and Cao Cao know full well how the currents of the world will run once we are gone."
As rivals contending for supremacy over the realm, they would no more welcome the General-in-Chief's rise than Liu Biao himself did.
"If my domain comes under attack, they will surely send their armies marching to my relief."
Hearing this, Cai Mao raised a timid objection.
"But during the coalition, I am told, they shunned battle entirely and did nothing but ship supplies in from the rear."
"Hm? And what of it? I did precisely the same."
"..."
Cai Mao could find no words to answer him.
Liu Biao, after all, had refused to join the coalition outright — and had sent supplies only out of fear that those very spears might otherwise be turned against him.
"If anything, consider how the coalition ended. One would call that conduct wise."
The coalition had risen in a thunder of righteous fervor — and for all its staggering numbers, it had disbanded without ever setting foot past Hulao Pass. Losses it had taken in full measure; gains, not a single one. They, too, must have spent their nights sighing over it.
Cold sweat beaded on Cai Mao's brow.
"Then what will you do about Lü Bu, the one they call Peerless Under Heaven?"
"I captured even Sun Jian, the man they called the Tiger of Jiangdong. You think a single Lü Bu is beyond me?"
The confident voice rang off the walls of the hall.
"A title like Peerless Under Heaven will not carry her over my battlements. Let us but harden the defenses of Xiangyang Castle, and what can the likes of her possibly do about it?"
"..."
"War is not a thing to be overturned by one warrior's strength."
Liu Biao asked.
"Anything further?"
"...No, my lord."
Cai Mao bowed his head at last and withdrew.
Having marked his retreat, Liu Biao turned and let his gaze sweep slowly across the officers assembled in the hall.
"If any man here harbors doubts, let him step forward now."
"..."
"I take it there are none."
When no one spoke, satisfaction spread across Liu Biao's face, and he rose to his feet.
"The moment my reply reaches him, the General-in-Chief will come leading his army — and it will not take him long."
Standing, Liu Biao issued his orders.
"Muster the troops and take stock of our stores. War will be upon us before long."
Even as he spoke, Liu Biao was draped in vestments that one man alone in all the empire was permitted to wear: the Son of Heaven. Black court robes, embroidered over every span with imperial patterns.
And within Liu Biao's eyes, an emotion as dark as those robes churned without end. What that darkness was, only Liu Biao himself would ever know.
When word arrived that Liu Biao had sent his reply, I hurried straight to the government office to see it for myself.
Written in a careful, painstaking hand, the reply read as follows:
The offer fills this old servant with overwhelming awe, for it lies far beyond his humble deserts; yet of late his health has failed him, and he finds himself unable to undertake the journey to Luoyang.
Frail though this body may be, such strength as remains to it shall be devoted to the stability of Jing Province; I humbly beg that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to take this into consideration...
I rolled the reply back up, having read no further.
He's actually refusing this. Where does the man even find such confidence?
It was a journey of barely a week even at an easy pace — and he cannot manage it because he feels "unwell"? If his condition were truly that grave, he ought to be flat on his back incapable of anything, yet somehow he'll still find the strength to keep running Jing Province on the side.
Ah. The very model of a loyal subject.
Fine. If his health forbids him to come, then plainly I'm the one who has to pay him a visit.
I turned to Lü Bu, who had been hovering somewhere at my shoulder.
"Lü Bu."
"What?"
"Prepare to march."
"Wait, seriously? Finally!"
The woman loved a fight the way most people loved a feast — the instant the words left my mouth, joy broke across her face and refused to hide itself.
Then Liu Bei, who had been at my side assisting with my duties, posed a question.
"Might I ask where our objective lies?"
"Xiangyang Castle, in Jing Province."
"That place is..."
"I know."
As her voice trailed off, I gave a slow nod.
"We go to settle accounts with Liu Biao."
"Understood."
Bowing, Liu Bei withdrew to see to her part; Lü Bu, meanwhile, had vanished from sight some time ago.
Now, what would make a proper get-well gift?
Amusing myself with that idle thought, I set off down the corridor — and Seo Yeo fell silently into step behind me.
I had offered him a way out. In the end, it was Liu Biao who chose war.