At the welcome banquet, Kongming was the last to arrive. The moment he saw Pang Tong, a rare, genuine smile crossed his face. The two old friends greeted one another warmly, speaking not of the years of wandering and hardship, but of how Jing Province was now at peace—brimming with life and potential.
That warmth dissolved the final trace of doubt in Pang Tong's heart. He even said openly, "With these Hydraulic Workshops, the fertile farmlands, and the fortified walls of Gong'an—your administrative talent, Kongming, is beyond what I could ever hope to match."
Kongming merely smiled and lifted his cup. "Then enjoy this peace while it lasts, Shiyuan. When late autumn comes, there will be no leisure left."
Pang Tong drank quietly, mind turning over the words. Late autumn? What grand move does the Lord have planned for September or October?
His arrival was a blessing for Kongming. It wasn't that the governance of the five commanderies was too heavy a burden—but Kongming had been stretched thin, balancing civil administration, agricultural reform, the refinement of the Repeating Crossbows, and the ongoing development of the Hydraulic Workshops.
With Pang Tong now managing the legal and civil affairs, Kongming could finally devote himself to the technical and logistical projects. When Jiang Wan came to deliver reports, he often witnessed a striking contrast: the "Hidden Dragon" bent over a desk covered in blueprints, and the "Fledgling Phoenix" asleep on a mat after finishing a full day's worth of documents in a single afternoon.
In Jiangling, the terror of Yue Jin's failed invasion had already faded from the minds of the people. There were no scorched fields, no forced conscriptions, no mountains of corpses—only five thousand captured Wei soldiers laboring peacefully on the "New City" construction site under the supervision of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.
That day, Guan Yu was not training the navy. Instead, he sat indoors with a scroll in hand, teaching Zhang Fei line by line.
"Third Brother," Guan Yu said gravely, "tell me—what does it mean to 'give the clothes off one's back and share one's own food' (jie yi yi zhi, tui shi shi zhi)?"
Zhang Fei, looking like a child dragged to class, sat upright and answered obediently, "When Wu She tried to persuade Han Xin to defect, Han Xin refused, saying he could not betray the Emperor because the Emperor had once shared his own clothes and food with him."
Guan Yu nodded. "To wear another's clothes is to bear their burdens; to eat another's food is to die for their cause. Gratitude is the root of human virtue. Tell me, Third Brother—have you shown gratitude to your soldiers?"
Zhang Fei hesitated. Before seeing that cursed light screen, he would have boasted that his soldiers were lucky to serve under him and share in his fame. But now, he was not so sure.
Guan Yu pressed on. "That screen showed my victory at Fan City. Tell me—was it because I was strong, or because my navy was strong?"
"The navy was strong, of course! But it was your vision, Second Brother!"
Guan Yu snorted. "No amount of vision can summon a flood by will alone. Without those soldiers, I would have drowned alongside Yu Jin. Every victory you claim belongs to the men who fight at your side. If they abandon you, do you think you can face ten thousand alone?"
Zhang Fei lowered his gaze. His voice grew small. "Even so… how could those bastards dare to murder their own commander?"
Guan Yu's palm struck the table with a thunderous crack. "You still don't understand! In that vision of the future, the fall of Jiangling was Mi Fang's fault—but it was also mine, for insulting him until fear drove him to treachery! Your death came by your own cruelty. Men will endure much in victory, but when the tide turns, why should they die for a tyrant?"
"Third Brother, victories and defeats come and go in war. Do you truly think yourself invincible?"
"I… am not," Zhang Fei admitted quietly.
"Then go and learn to love your soldier!" Guan Yu commanded. "Han Xin, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing—each of them loved their soldiers as their own children. Why should you be the exception?"
Zhang Fei's eyes reddened. "Second Brother… if you truly died as that screen showed, how could I go on living? Our oath in the Peach Garden still echoes in my ears. How could you bear to leave Big Brother and me behind?"
Guan Yu's tone softened. "If you would stand against the northern tribes and leave your name for ten thousand generations, you must follow the example of the greats. Only a veteran army that would die for you can bring you that legacy. And only then… can you live to the same age as Big Brother and me."
"Second Brother, I will listen," Zhang Fei said, wiping his eyes. "I promise."
By late September, Xiangyang had fallen into an eerie calm. Yue Jin, still smarting from his defeat and the loss of six thousand men, withdrew behind heavy defenses and dispatched scouts in every direction, desperate to learn how he had been so thoroughly deceived.
Meanwhile, the Shu-Han forces repositioned with deliberate precision:
Guan Yu and Ma Liang fortified Jiangling.
Huang Zhong took Dangyang, his archers cutting down Wei scouts from half a li away.
Guan Ping and Wei Yan secured the stronghold of Maicheng.
To Pang Tong, every maneuver seemed uncanny—each placement exploiting terrain and anticipating enemy thought, as though they were playing chess while clearly seeing through the fog that blinded their foe.
In Linju, Zhang Fei received urgent news. A ragged messenger burst into camp, tears streaming down his face.
"General Zhang! Master Jian Yong is trapped by bandits in the mountain pass!"
Zhang Fei frowned.
"Master Jian said he was on a mission from Liu Zhang of Yi Province," the man continued breathlessly. "But the bandits are ruthless. My master sent me to seek help from Jiangling—but when I heard of your presence here, I came straight to you. Please, save him!"
Zhang Fei did not hesitate. "Fan Jiang! Take three hundred men and follow me. We ride to rescue Master Jian."
He turned to another attendant. "Zhang Da! Gather all the gold and silver from the treasury. If the bandits have already taken him, we will ransom his freedom."
Zhang Fei was testing his new "leadership" upon the very men destined one day to betray him—hoping that by winning their loyalty in life, he might change the fate he had seen foretold. If I can make them die for me on the battlefield, that's not the same as killing them myself… right?
As the messenger prepared to depart, he added, "General, bring strong bows. I passed a grove filled with White Bears on the way. They're fierce beyond belief!"
Zhang Fei halted mid-step, eyes lighting with boyish excitement. "White Bears? Are you certain?"