It seemed Sun Quan still had no idea how badly Zhou Yu was hurt.
Liu Bei had only just returned from Dantu, and the fatigue showed plainly on his face.
The past stretch of days had been relentless—even for someone like him. He had presided over the New Year ceremonies, rushed straight into negotiations with Sun Quan, finalized the marriage with Sun Shangxiang, and endured constant travel by boat and road. Years of campaigning had hardened Liu Bei's body, but even an old warhorse could feel its age.
Zhuge Liang already knew the outcome, yet he still asked politely,
"May I ask how the journey went, my lord?"
A smile flickered across Liu Bei's face—only to fade into a sigh.
"We've secured supervisory authority over Jing Province," he said slowly. "But Zhou Yu is still recovering in Jiangling…"
Zhuge Liang nodded, understanding immediately.
Lu Su had proven dependable. He had successfully persuaded Sun Quan to let Liu Bei oversee Jing Province and govern Nanjun. On paper, it was a victory.
But the problem was obvious.
Nanjun had been taken by joint Sun–Liu forces, yet Zhou Yu was now camped comfortably in Jiangling—squarely inside Nanjun—and showed no intention of leaving.
No wonder Liu Bei looked torn between relief and frustration.
Zhou Yu believes that by planting himself there like a stubborn nail, he can force Sun Quan's hand. Unfortunately for him… he doesn't have much time left.
When Zhou Yu died, Nanjun would change hands completely. And with it would come Pang Tong—the "Young Phoenix"—and the allegiance of the powerful southern Jing clans.
"Big Brother!" Zhang Fei burst in, his face red with anger. "The sister-in-law's troops have already moved into Cangling!"
Zhang Fei's temper was hardly a surprise. He'd been bracing himself for trouble ever since hearing about Sun Shangxiang's reputation, but the escort Sun Quan had assigned her—mounted riders and all—had caused chaos while passing through Gong'an, trampling fields and bullying locals.
Worse still, Sun Shangxiang herself traveled with a personal guard of sword-bearing female cavalry. Ordinary soldiers weren't even allowed to come close.
"She married into our house?" Zhang Fei snarled. "Looks more like Sun Quan sent her here to run things!"
The room fell awkwardly quiet. Liu Bei coughed, clearly uncomfortable.
Then footsteps echoed again.
"Big Brother!"
Guan Yu strode in, his presence sharp and cold. Blood stained the hem of his robe.
"Two of the sister-in-law's riders rode through farmland and refused arrest after insulting our officers. I executed them. I've come to request punishment."
Liu Bei froze.
He glanced at Zhuge Liang, who stood calmly as ever. Then at Guan Yu, radiating killing intent. A realization began to take shape.
Before Liu Bei could speak, Ma Su rushed in.
"My lord! The Lady Sun's cavalry has ridden out of Cangling and is advancing toward Gong'an. They demand that whoever killed their men come out, bind himself, and submit!"
By now, Liu Bei felt strangely calm.
Chaos like this? He'd lived through worse—far worse—back when he was fleeing from Cao Cao with barely a handful of followers.
And since gaining insight from the mysterious light-screen, his perspective had changed completely.
Liu Bei opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.
"Zilong."
"I am here!"
"Take your personal cavalry and suppress them. Issue two warnings. Anyone who resists—kill them on the spot."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Yunchang! Seal the river immediately. Anyone crossing without authorization—execute."
"Understood!"
"Yide! Take your men and fortify ten li northwest of Cangling. Build a camp. Guard against bandits."
"Hah! Leave it to me!"
Decisions made in the space of a single breath.
Ma Su watched Liu Bei with undisguised admiration.
The three generals departed at once. Liu Bei turned to Zhuge Liang.
"Strategist, draft a letter to the Lord of Wu. Lay out the situation clearly. Say that I'm willing to reopen discussions over Nanjun—in exchange for Sun Shangxiang's escort returning to Jiangdong."
When you already know the other side's bottom line—and know which of their key figures are about to die—negotiation becomes surprisingly simple.
Zhuge Liang smiled and bowed.
"I shall handle it."
Privately, he added another task to his list: a letter to Lu Su. At present, Lu Su was fully committed to pushing Liu Bei onto the front line against Cao Cao so Jiangdong could reap the benefits in safety.
Still, Zhuge Liang felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.
At last, the lord understands: right now, Jiangdong needs this alliance far more than we do.
Nanjun was the first line of defense against Cao Cao. With Zhou Yu gravely ill and rumors of surrender brewing, Sun Quan could not afford to move his veteran troops away from Dantu.
Throwing Liu Bei into Nanjun was the perfect solution—minimum cost, maximum gain.
Ma Su, standing silently nearby, had already reconstructed the entire situation in his mind.
Sun Shangxiang's escort numbered fewer than four hundred, and their quality varied wildly. Zhao Yun alone commanded twelve hundred elite cavalry.
Whether they were wiped out completely depended only on how many casualties Zhao Yun was willing to accept.
Guan Yu sealing the river cut off any chance of reinforcement. Zhang Fei's encampment served as both threat and reserve.
What waves could this possibly stir?
As expected, the outcome was utterly anticlimactic.
Seven or eight riders died. The rest surrendered.
Sun Shangxiang locked herself inside Cangling in a fury, declaring that Liu Bei must come personally to apologize.
That… was all.
Zhou Yu remained silent across the river. Sun Quan sent no reply. It was as though they had both forgotten Sun Shangxiang entirely.
As for Liu Bei's household—educating Liu family children was everyone's responsibility.
With Sun Shangxiang temporarily ignored, Liu Shan and Liu Feng enjoyed a surprisingly cheerful period.
One was reminded never to forget his comrades; the other, never to forget loyalty to Han. A slap followed by a sweet date—the method worked remarkably well.
Even the servants watched in terror, whispering that Lord Liu of Jing governed his household as strictly as he governed his army.
After the New Year passed, Zhao Yun departed for Changsha to serve as Administrator and suppress bandits.
Jian Yong volunteered to travel to Yi Province to persuade Liu Zhang, then head north to meet Ma Chao.
Liu Bei's greatest headache now was deciding whom to bring next into the auspicious light-screen.
Huang Yueying's name had already been circled.
In just twenty days, the Engineering Bureau she oversaw built a massive rotary mill by the Hu River—and somehow linked it to a giant pestle system.
Even Zhang Fei stared at it in amazement.
"Damn," he muttered. "That's basically a tireless strongman pounding grain day and night!"
Having tasted the benefits, Liu Bei shamelessly ignored concerns over Huang Yueying's gender.
Ideas from the future were simply too tempting.
Still… if only he could truly understand that high-speed train…
No. Enough.
Liu Bei shook his head.
That last slot remained.
When Jiang Wan stepped into the side hall, his heart sank.
His dream of coasting through life—gone.
Zhuge Liang dragged him aside and shoved a brush and paper into his hands.
"Gongyan, as a clerk, your recording skills should suffice. Write down everything you see and hear today. Clearly."
Jiang Wan nodded numbly, staring at the chaotic hall.
Facing the newly arrived Huang Yueying and Jiang Wan, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei, and Mi Zhu all tried their hardest to look calm and unimpressed.
They'd even rehearsed phrases like "nothing special" and "perfectly ordinary."
Then the light-screen opened.
And they were stunned anyway.
[Hello everyone, I'm Wen Mang.
Today, as promised, we're talking about the Battle of Xiangfan—
the war that truly proved Heaven was no longer on Shu-Han's side.]
Across the screen, floating words drifted by:
〖At last! Guan Yunlong, the Martial Saint who shook all of China!
Xiangfan witnesses Second Lord Guan's glory!
His might shakes Huaxia—his fame without equal!
Come see the Second Lord and his amphibious assault force!
Li Shimin: What is THIS?!〗
Everyone stared blankly.
"What… are those floating words?" someone murmured.