Anyone Who Touches Little Xinye (7)
At that very moment, in Heodo.
"Heodo truly feels like hell," Liu Bei said, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei nodded gravely.
"If we were Cao Cao's men, we could live so comfortably. But it seems we're not. The longer we stay, the more it sinks in."
"Indeed. Yide, have you felt it too?"
"Yeah. They're trying to win each of us three brothers over with different approaches."
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—the sworn brothers were being courted by Cao Cao's forces through separate tactics.
"Under the pretext of my imperial clan status, Cao Cao has invited me to his banquets multiple times, offering to make me his Left General. But honestly..." Liu Bei set down his wine cup. "I was tempted. I thought living here in Heodo as one of Cao Cao's subordinates wouldn't be so bad. In a wealthy household, with money piling up from eating and drinking like this every day, sharing happiness with my wives, and seeing you two content—it made me wonder how nice it would be to sink into that bliss."
"But it wasn't to be, was it, brother?"
"Right... I guess I need to hit the field after all." Liu Bei slapped his thigh. Despite his long stay in Heodo, it remained firm and solid. "We can't linger here too long. We need to go somewhere we can build our own strength."
"Where to?"
"...Anywhere." Liu Bei's eyes sharpened as he pointed to the map on the table. "How about toppling the traitor Yuan Shu and settling there?"
"Yeonam, then?"
"Anywhere works. As long as it's free from Cao Cao."
"...What about here, then?" Guan Yu pointed elsewhere with his finger. "I heard from Zhang Liao and Xu Huang that Cao Cao's advisors are pushing to appoint you as Prefect of Henei."
"Henei?"
"Yes. Near old Luoyang."
"Little brother, is that... okay...?" Zhang Fei glanced at Guan Yu, who stroked his beard and closed his eyes briefly. "...For the greater good."
"I understand your intentions, Yun Chang, but Henei is dangerous." All eyes followed Liu Bei's finger. "If we go there, we'll be caught between Cao Cao's and Yuan Shao's armies, vulnerable to a pincer attack—or at least focused fire from one."
"Like our days in Xiaopei?"
"Exactly. Sandwiched between Cao Cao and Lü Bu, serving as shields on both flanks." Liu Bei gestured up and down with a groan. "Accepting Henei from Cao Cao would surely provoke Yuan Shao to strike us. We'd have to defend it with our own forces. No matter how many troops they give us, can we hold off Yuan Shao's massive army?"
"We can repel them however many times they come, big brother!"
"But once the soldiers die? At least two hundred thousand—no, three hundred thousand. Can we get that many from Cao Cao?"
"Generously, thirty thousand. ...Optimistically, fifty thousand. Forgive me, brother. That was short-sighted."
"No, Yun Chang. Just learning Cao Cao's men want to send us to Henei is a huge help. It reminds us... we absolutely cannot go there." Liu Bei hardened his expression and lowered the flag bearing his family name. "So, let's head south. After crushing Yuan Shu, with no owner for that land, we demand Yeonam. What do you think?"
"Big brother, don't you really want somewhere else?"
"......" Liu Bei couldn't respond to Zhang Fei's words. He couldn't say it easily to others, but these two were different. "...Honestly, I'd love to go to Xuzhou."
Xuzhou. The place that had welcomed Liu Bei more warmly than anywhere. Though the governorship had gone to a native scholar-official, the people still cheered his name and longed for him to rule.
"Yeonam is too underdeveloped, ravaged by Yuan Shu. Xuzhou isn't much better off, but if it recovers, it'd be far superior to Yeonam." Having once held Xuzhou, no one knew its potential better. "Let's go to Xuzhou. Besides, wouldn't your second sister-in-law prefer returning to her homeland?"
"Sun Qian and Mi Fang helped us there too. The people of Xuzhou will aid us—let's go."
"Yes. Xuzhou... but." Liu Bei looked up at the ceiling with a troubled face. "Xuzhou is stable, and Yeonam has a traitor. How could we justify going there?" Unless even the heavens intervened. "...I'm afraid. That one day Cao Cao might kill me, use my brothers as his generals, and take my wives as concubines for his men. He's not the type to leave me be if I refuse to serve."
Cao Cao thought highly of Liu Bei. But Liu Bei could never serve him as lord.
"Half of Cao Cao's subordinates want me dead, and the court officials envy my sudden imperial status. You're feeling it too, right? The hands reaching not just for me, but all three brothers, aren't only from Cao Cao."
"......"
"......"
"We'll be used again. Discarded and killed once we're spent."
Out of unease.
"That'll never happen! Pull yourself together, big brother!"
"Indeed. Have you forgotten our oath at the Peach Garden? If you die, we die with you."
"......Thank you." Liu Bei patted their shoulders with a bitter smile. "Still, if I go first, do as you please then. Protect my wives if you want, or build fame under Cao Cao or someone else."
"How could we?"
"Just in case. Hypothetically."
"Brother. I swear again. If you're murdered by anyone, this Guan Yu..." Guan Yu straightened and knelt on one knee. "Will offer that person's head at your grave, then take my own life. Even if it's Cao Cao himself."
"Hah! Count me in. Even if heaven itself tries to kill you, I'll smash the heavens! Kahaha."
"......." Liu Bei wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Thank you, Yun Chang. Yide."
"What're you saying now? Big brother, you can't act like that as an imperial kinsman. We're popular now as your sworn brothers—right, little brother?"
"Yes. Dong Cheng's men always start with, 'Not just any general, but Liu Huangshu's brother?'"
"...Isn't that what you hate?"
"So we smile on the outside and curse inside!"
"Brother, chin up. Who was the first to see us wanderers as heroes who could command the realm? Not Cao Cao, not the Emperor, not Yuan Shao—it was you."
Ah, they say a man pledges eternal loyalty to the one who first recognizes him.
"...Right. I can't mope here. I am Liu Huangshu. Tomorrow, I'll ask the Emperor for troops to subjugate Yuan Shu."
"Going alone, big brother? That's disappointing."
"Shouldn't we three brothers fight together? We leave Heodo as one."
"Liu Bei at center, Guan Yu on left, Zhang Fei on right. How's that?"
"Perfect! Hahaha!"
"This time, we'll smash Yuan Shu to pieces." The three brothers clinked their cups together.
"If those guys all die now, Yuan Shu's basically done for, right?"
"Of course."
On a cliff overlooking the battlefield clearly, Zhuge Liang and I watched the soldiers clash, eyes fixed on the flow of battle.
Lei Bo and Chen Lan. Or was it Lei Lan and Chen Bo? Anyway, Yuan Shu's generals, tireless, targeted Xinye again.
They'd broken through our first hidden alleyway with ten thousand troops, but they'd soon realize it was bait.
"Crane Wing Formation, you traitorous scum."
The moment they smashed through our alley and pushed inside, multiple others awaited them. Beyond the first, they interconnected to support one another. They couldn't strike enemies past their own paths but were positioned to shoot toward the gates, aiding escape to Xinye side.
Zhuge Liang had been dead serious about the alley layout, prioritizing ally survival and enemy blockage. Thanks to her, we'd felled over a thousand foes with just alleys and Yuanrong Crossbows.
Now, all that remained was sweeping the enemy in one go.
"Eight thousand enemy troops, maybe five thousand ours. Standing by idly, we're at a disadvantage."
"That's why how we use our forces from here matters." Zhuge Liang raised her white feather fan, gazing down. "Cavalry—to the enemy's flank for breakthrough. Spearmen—approach at range, fortify defense."
Boom, boom, boom. Massive drums thrummed steadily, signaling. Flags fluttered, spreading her will; cavalry and spearmen moved in sync.
Waaaaah—!! Our army's morale pierced the skies. Not just from overwhelming might, but unhesitating fury against the invaders.
Leading the charge: Mun Bing in silver armor, charging straight for the enemy commander, plunging deep into their lines.
"Husband. If there's a path with the fewest soldier deaths, anyone would choose it, right?"
"Naturally."
"...Even if it means countless soldiers clashing spears and swords? Is that okay?"
Zhuge Liang looked glum even as she commanded.
"We could take them down with even fewer losses if we bought more time."
"True. But we're the schemers, not the deciders." Our influence was vast, but final calls rested with the supreme commander.
And right now, that was Mun Bing.
"Opening with the alleys halved—no, nearly two-thirds—their strength. That's a massive win already. Shaping the field here for better fighting is impressive too. And..."
"And?"
"From serving in Cao Cao's army, I realized—they're already prepared to die."
I'd met those heading to the frontlines. Some enlisted for survival, others to feed parents back home, some joked that serving their country as soldiers would end the chaos sooner. The common thread: they didn't want to die, but they were ready.
"Don't forget, Liang. They're not ordinary folk."
"Then what?"
"They're... soldiers." Men who stake their lives for a purpose, whatever it was. And we—staff officers, strategists, tactical commanders—devised ways to preserve those lives as best we could.
"Smack the back of the head of fools fighting thoughtlessly. But for those defending our land, we cheer them on fiercely."
Praying for our army's victory, nothing more.
"...Look, there—see it?"
Slash. A fountain of blood sprayed.
Zhuge Liang clenched her fist watching the head soar skyward with me.
"Single combat—victory."
Enemy commander defeated—!!
Mun Bing beheads Lei Bo. After that, it went without saying: total rout.