The text on the light-screen drifted past like boats riding a slow current. There was a wealth of information—yet for Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, most of it merely confirmed what they had already feared.
The two exchanged a glance.
Just as expected.
On the glowing map, troop movements were unmistakable. Throughout the year, both Cao Cao's and Liu Bei's forces had been steadily drawn toward Hanzhong, as if pulled by gravity itself. Meanwhile, Sun Quan sat in the south, commanding a staggering one hundred thousand men. With power like that, the world lay open before him; he could march anywhere and leave his mark behind.
It should have been the perfect moment to expand his foundation.
And yet—
Liu Bei suddenly barked out a laugh.
"The so-called 'eternal foundation' of Jiangdong," he said, shaking his head, "shattered by eight hundred men?"
The generals beside him did not laugh. They stared at the screen with hawk-like intensity.
They had no choice.
This was Zhang Liao—later generations would rank him among the four greatest generals of the Han.
Eight hundred defeating one hundred thousand was not merely a victory. It was a legend. In real warfare, success was supposed to be dull arithmetic: the many crushing the few, the strong trampling the weak. That was precisely why such reversals burned so brightly in the historical record.
The Geography of a Nightmare
"Is the Marquis of Wu obsessed?" Mi Zhu asked in disbelief. "How many times has he thrown himself at Hefei? Is he trying to break the city—or his own head?"
"He tried once already last year," Huang Zhong replied. "Riding the momentum of Red Cliffs, he besieged Hefei for over three months. Then, for reasons unknown, he burned his camps and withdrew."
As he spoke, Huang Zhong pointed at the map on the light-screen. His thinking had been changing rapidly of late; his days as merely a Jing Province commander were over. Now, his eyes were fixed on the entire realm.
The rivers and mountains—once no more than names passed down in reports—were now laid bare with terrifying clarity.
"Jiangdong's armies are weak on land but dominant on water," Huang Zhong continued. "Transporting supplies by ship is far superior to moving them overland. But the moment they step ashore…"
The rest needed no explanation.
"They get slaughtered," everyone understood.
"There are only three routes north for Wu," Guan Yu said calmly. He had long been interested in naval warfare, and it showed.
Guan Yu's Analysis of the Northern Routes
• The Han River Route: Advance north through Xiangyang and Fancheng.
Verdict: The worst possible choice. Heavy Cao forces are stationed there, and the road leads straight into a meat grinder.
• The Canal Route: Depart from Jiangdu and travel north via the Zhongdu canals toward Xu Province.
Verdict: Unreliable. Water levels fluctuate, silt builds up, and once past Xu Province the fighting still takes place on open ground.
• The Hefei Route: The true prize. Take Hefei, secure Lake Chao, sail up the Fei River, and bring the fleet directly beneath the walls of Shouchun.
"If Shouchun falls," Guan Yu concluded, "you control the Huai River. Control the Huai, and the Central Plains open before you. From there, you can sail straight to Xuchang—or transfer to the Wo River and threaten the Yellow River itself."
"Second Brother truly lives up to his reputation!" Zhang Fei said proudly.
Zhuge Liang laughed softly, folding his fan. "General Guan's reasoning is impeccable. One can tell how much effort he has devoted to naval affairs."
Liu Bei smiled, but bitterness crept into his heart.
If Sun Quan possessed even half of my brother's clarity, he thought, how could he be remembered a thousand years from now as the man who lost one hundred thousand to eight hundred?
Bullet Comments: High-Speed Humiliation
〖 Sun Quan's Strategy: I have 100,000 men. I literally cannot lose. 〗
〖 Zhang Liao: Hold my wine. 〗
〖 Nanjing to Hefei by high-speed rail: 60 minutes. Sun Quan spent ten years trying to get there and earned lifelong PTSD instead. 〗
〖 Li Shimin (Tang Taizong): "After the Xiang River Pact, Liu Bei lost—and Sun Quan gained nothing." Even future emperors are roasting him. 〗
〖 Imagine being King of Wu and your primary historical legacy is: "The guy Zhang Liao bullied." 〗
The Gambit at the Gates
August, 215 AD.
Sun Quan personally led his army north along the Ruxu waterway. Claiming a force of one hundred thousand, he crossed Lake Chao and arrived beneath the walls of Hefei.
Inside the city stood only seven thousand defenders.
Cao Cao—occupied in distant Hanzhong—had left behind a sealed order with the Protector-General, Xue Ti.
"Open only when the enemy arrives."
The generals in the hall leaned forward.
"Seven thousand against a hundred thousand?" Jiang Wan looked up from his notes, genuinely perplexed. "Shouldn't they shut the gates and wait for reinforcements?"
"Gongyan," Zhang Fei said, clapping him on the shoulder, "there are no reinforcements. Cao Cao is deep in Hanzhong. If they sit behind walls, Sun Quan will starve them out."
Guan Yu nodded in agreement. "Sun Quan's army is a patchwork of clans and militias. Strong in numbers, weak in cohesion. You don't wait for a crowd to settle into formation—you strike while they're still finding their seats."
The seal was broken.
Cao Cao's instructions were revealed:
"If Sun Quan arrives: Generals Zhang Liao and Li Dian are to lead a sortie. General Yue Jin will remain to guard the city. The Protector-General is not to engage."
Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, and Li Dian exchanged looks. The three were not close; their mutual dislike was well known.
Zhang Liao did not hesitate.
He slammed his hand down.
"The enemy has not yet fully assembled," he said. "If we strike now, we shatter their momentum and steady the hearts of our own men. Victory or defeat hinges on this single blow. Who among you dares to follow?"
That night, Zhang Liao recruited eight hundred volunteers.
He slaughtered an ox and fed them well. He inspected armor and weapons by torchlight, each face reflected in the fire.
"Tomorrow," Zhang Liao said quietly, "we do not merely fight."
"We become a nightmare."