Dawn at Xiaopei
The morning sun was rising.
My mood was utter shit.
Zhang Liao had saved me and then collapsed. Rather than wondering why the hell did he do that?, I was mostly just thinking, oh crap, what do I do now, I'm so sorry...
He was still breathing.
Barely hanging on in a knockout state.
"Any pursuers? Did it feel like they were still on us?"
"No, Father. Some torches followed for a bit, but they turned back soon enough."
Zhao Yun, who had been checking on Zhang Liao, gave him a once-over and voiced his doubts.
"Why would he take an arrow like that?"
Why did Zhang Liao take an arrow?
Well...
"Seems like Cao Cao was trying to kill me."
That had to be the facts, right?
"What country assassinates an envoy who comes under a flag of truce?"
"You're saying the Ghost really did that?"
Both of them were floored by Cao Cao's gall.
Man, that guy's character is something else.
With the mood flowing that way, I skipped mentioning how my loose lips might've complicated things.
We spent the time trash-talking him instead—but now wasn't the time.
"Standing around here won't get us fed or anything. Let's head to Xiaopei. It's closer distance-wise."
Zhao Yun asked, "Xiaopei?"
"There was a report that Wu forces have taken Xiaopei. We'll throw ourselves on their mercy."
"Doesn't feel right. How about we turn around, skirt around Xuchang, and head straight to Soyang?"
That was an option.
The problem was we didn't know if Cao Cao had sent pursuers, and we risked running into them.
I got Uncle Zhao Yun's concern. Even if Wu were allies, you couldn't trust anyone in this world. Totally relatable.
But.
"No can do. Too risky. There could be enemy scouts scattered at every choke point. We're going to Xiaopei."
That was my call.
I figured Cao Cao had sent a pursuit force.
He was scary as hell, for real.
"First, let's strip this guy's armor off."
We'd take Zhang Liao with us.
"...You're bringing him along?"
"What, leave him to die? Take off the armor and helmet."
"Why go to all that trouble?"
"Dude, he can't even walk! We don't know how far we gotta go—this is the smart play, right?"
Armor was filthily heavy.
Zhang Liao's wasn't full plate that clanked with every step, but those iron-plated reinforcements were no joke—probably weighed as much as me, easy.
"Strip it?"
"No! Be gentle about it!"
Dad grabbed it and just ripped the whole thing off, snapping the joints with pops and cracks.
"I'm gonna die at this rate, for real. I told you he got shot!"
"Yeah, he's not dying easy."
"Nooo!!!"
Riiip!
Dad had technically wrecked the armor. He hoisted the now-disassembled Zhang Liao over his shoulder by the side.
"Let's go. You'll have to walk some too. You okay?"
Haa...
"I'm fine. Let's move."
To put it bluntly, we walked our asses off. Like, insanely far.
Finally, the end was in sight.
Just as dawn broke, a faint silhouette of walls emerged through the mist.
Xiaopei Castle.
"We're... here?"
I calmed my trembling thighs and dismounted.
The end was in sight...! No, this was the end!!!
A quick check: Liu Bei had stayed here briefly, and yeah, this was where Lü Bu had backstabbed him.
Thankfully, no sign of Cao Cao's pursuit squad.
If we'd run into them, it wouldn't have ended with "let's grab rice later sometime."
"Halt!"
There were people. Looking up, Wu banners fluttered on the walls.
"Stragglers?"
"We came all the way from Hefei!!! Open the gates!"
"Hefei? Wei deserters?"
One soldier pulled aggro, and the walls went into full alert.
Fair enough—I'd misunderstand too.
We had time anyway; we could clear it up slow until the boss showed.
"You filthy dog bastard!"
...Huh?
"Hey, you shit-eating whore-spawn! If you're opening, open already—what's with all the yapping!!!"
Dad went full throttle.
What the hell did those soldiers do to piss him off that bad?
Hmm...
"Full alert!!! Battle stations!!!"
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Drums echoed.
Arrowheads poked out from the wall's small ports.
"All troops, lower weapons! What is this disgrace?!"
A man dashed up top—familiar face, definitely Pang Tong.
"What're you waiting for? Lower 'em! They're Shu troops! Shu!"
"But no banners, and they look suspicious..."
"Did that sound like I was threatening punishment? Have you no manners?"
"My apologies!"
The gates creaked open slowly.
Pang Tong waited in front of the fully opened entrance.
"...This is why you made us move the army all the way to Xiaopei?"
"Pardon?"
Not a great opener.
"Save the lecture. Can't you see the state we're in?"
Pang Tong clicked his tongue at our ragged troops.
"Tch. Who's the unconscious one?"
"Zhang Liao."
With Pang Tong's help, I got some precious personal downtime.
Ate something tasty, caught a bit of sleep. Tossed Zhang Liao on what passed for a bed over there.
Right now, he was in the corner getting back surgery.
The doc dipping white silk in hot water nonstop—felt like proper late-Han major surgery.
I didn't know medicine, but it looked grueling.
"Treatment complete."
"Thanks for the hard work."
The physician checked the wound site and muttered something like "lucky bastard," so Zhang Liao must've had some guardian angel.
"Muscles were tough; arrow didn't pierce flesh, just stuck to bone. Thank heavens. Bad spot though—nicked the lung area. Purged the poison with herbal decoction; needs total rest to avoid infection."
In short: he'd live.
Skilled old-timer; wrapped it up quick. About Doctor Su's age, ballpark.
"Thank you. How much for the fee?"
"Already paid."
???
Someone covered it. Zhao Yun, probably.
"Got it, paid already. Thanks."
What to call this place? Too rustic for hospital... more like an apothecary.
Bowed and left.
Xiaopei was a ghost town.
War swept through, hardly anyone left.
Should be a beggar or two scrounging meals, but... plague or what?
Xiaopei probably always lacked people, even without war—bad thought, right as a Wu soldier ran up.
"Commander's orders: attend the war council!"
Haa... This damn war council.
"Gotta go... gotta go."
The soldier hoisted me onto a horse; I got dragged straight to the inner keep.
People have no sense of proportion.
Yeah, I'm in a position to take responsibility.
But the overall commander of this expedition was Zhuge Liang.
I had no real authority—just chattered away.
Believe it or not.
"Stop standing there—spit it out straight!"
"Spit it out straight?"
I had to explain the whole Hefei mess for a solid hour.
The war council kicked off with the bombshell that Cao Cao got crushed at Yushugou.
"Given the situation, shouldn't we fortify and bide our time?"
I pulled some aggro to steer the topic.
Surprisingly, Xu Shu and Yu Bong were there too.
No clue why they skipped my orders to show up, but they'd brought the scouts I sent and hunkered down in Xiaopei.
Proactive handling? Felt like it.
With 5,000 troops stationed like they'd foreseen this—made me see Xu Shu in a new light.
Smart folks really do read the future.
"But... how'd you win? Yushugou... against 500,000?"
All eyes snapped to me.
"Why... ? No, just curious."
I backpedaled. Those stares were intense.
Zhou Yu spoke calmly: "We schemed, but your stonewalling is infuriating, Vice Strategist."
Cough!
"Commander!"
Pang Tong yelped in shock. Zhou Yu staggered and collapsed.
He wiped blood from his sleeve, groping for the chair arm.
"If I'd more years, I'd kill you here, Vice Strategist."
??? Outta nowhere?
"Kill me?"
"You're that much a threat. But you know what I mean by saying it."
Regaining composure, Zhou Yu sat straight.
"Pay respects. What disgrace to the victors."
Everyone bowed with clasped fists.
Too generous.
Seconds later, Pang Tong, supporting him, quipped: "What more is there to say? We'll hash details later. We were discussing before you arrived."
Apparently, Xu Shu and Pang Tong had been debating whether to keep pressing or halt and regroup.
Decision-makers Zhou Yu and Lu Meng listening quietly.
They'd adapted fast: rushed Zhuge Jin to Father, sent Lu Su to Yangyang.
Ling Tong on recon with 5,000 from Xiaopei base, keeping pressure on.
Xu Shu and Pang Tong inferring Liu Bei's intent amid it all.
Pang Tong said: "As Xu Shu says, fortify. No momentum left. Keeping offense... all for you, Vice Strategist."
"Pardon?"
"Tch."
Pang Tong raised his voice at me.
"Spit it out straight!"
Public setting, so polite speech?
"Can't stand the suspense. Ugh... Chen Soyoung. Chen Soyoung!"
Pang Tong hounded me to the end.
Xu Shu cut in: "Vice Strategist has reasons. Let's hear the one who made this battlefield."
"Think she'll talk if we ask nicely, Yuan Zhi?"
"Don't rush, Feng Chu."
"Then? We going in circles?"
Story was: they'd clashed for hours over Liu Bei's mobilization.
Started with setting objectives—prep ahead of fast changes.
Seeking common ground.
But inevitable clash point.
"If we ease offense, doesn't the Hyeongseo-Byeongjin fall apart? If Hefei's Wei rush to defend Chang'an, we're outnumbered. Chang'an's a pipe dream."
Hyeongseo-Byeongjin: Jingzhou and Xiliang armies advancing.
Pang Tong skeptical of Chang'an push.
No idea how Chang'an attack talk started, but Wuguan was impregnable—"one man holds off a thousand"—and detours through brutal mountains. Made sense.
So Pang Tong wanted withdraw, reset the board.
"Way exists. Hit while enemy horde tied at Hefei. Pang's right, but they'll split forces—we match, just counter. Stalemate empowers Xiliang's Hansu anyway; that's why he mobilized."
Xu Shu knew Liu Bei always garrisoned Yangyang eyeing Chang'an/Loyang, so figured response to Hansu's Chang'an strike.
"Boils down to: respond aggressively to Lord's mobilization or play defense? What's best for the state?"
All nodded agreement.
Board's clear.
Time for honest feelings.
"Our army's heading to Yizhou next. Hyeongseo-Byeongjin?"
Bunny eyes stared.
Feels familiar somehow.
"No, how do you even breach Chang'an? Logically impossible."
Pang Tong tsked at the obvious.
"Xu Shu, you had ulterior motives too?"
Xu Shu looked offended.
"What? I thought Lord mobilized for Chang'an too!"
Quiet Zhou Yu calmed the noise.
Face pale as death.
"Truly... a devilish scheme. Give flesh, take bone?"
"Devilish? Where?"
No, just hitting Liu Zhang? Why devilish?
"Haa... that's it."
Zhou Yu's mind painted a picture.
The once-dreamed Tianxia Ibunjigye.
Wu and Wei splitting south/north in stalemate.
Zhou Yu murmured low: "Xiliang's doomed."
No one replied to the icy cough-laced words.
Xu Shu, ice-vet, broke silence.
"Yizhou? Lord mobilized for that?"
Xu Shu baffled too.
Perfect timing for anti-Cao alliance—situationally, seasonally spot-on—yet... Yizhou?
No clue what picture Chen Soyoung drew.
"Met Cao Cao. Wu should pull back to Xiaopei. Bolster Hefei defenses—Cao Cao won't eye the capital again."
Added: "Told you—Lord Sun Quan took Hefei, achievement no Sun ancestor matched. Victory report sent; rest is yours."
Nothing more I could do. Cao Cao lured to Chang'an by Sima Yi? But Hansu coming gave legitimacy.
As I finished thinking, Zhou Yu slowly raised his head.
"Entrust what, Vice Strategist?"
"Cao Cao'll garrison lost Hefei. We're allies, right?"
Zhou Yu got it instantly.
"Plains north of Hefei. Nest in Cao Cao's throat... indeed. Pang Tong, your thoughts?"
"No loss. Nothing gained either. We've plenty—greed now?"
"Same thought. Then? State your intent clearly."
Hopeful tone.
"Hefei secures capital threat gone. Push from Shouchun to Xuchang possible. But premature. Our front sandwiched Soyang-Xinyang with Cao Cao—force dual fronts, pin him down. Best play."
Serious tone: "Abandon Xiaopei. Indefensible. Pull to Hefei-Shouchun, bide time... right?"
Pang Tong raised voice: "Then why urge take Xiaopei and press? Commander heard you clear."
"Uh, it just... happened."
Pang Tong raised fist—not rock-paper-scissors. Pissed.
"You brat!!! Can't you just talk straight?!"
"Thanks to that, we're alive!!! No pressure, Cao Cao wouldn't bite!"