Dong Jue and Xu Shu clasped hands tightly.
With a single glance, Xu Shu could already infer much from Dong Jue's current appearance. He shook his head slowly.
"Gongxi… why take such a dangerous risk?"
Dong Jue patted his own belly and laughed.
"If I didn't use a move like this, how else could I see you, Counselor? Our lord would probably envy me terribly right now."
At the mention of Liu Bei, Xu Shu's expression dimmed. He wanted to speak, but for a moment, he did not know where to begin.
Dong Jue, perceptive as ever, spoke first.
"Our lord is well. After you left, he even ordered a patch of forest to the north cleared. Whenever he has free time, he stands there gazing northward."
Xu Shu let out a long sigh.
"I have wronged my lord greatly."
"You needn't blame yourself so deeply," Dong Jue said gently. "Our lord now has Counselor Zhuge and Counselor Pang at his side. All is well."
Xu Shu chuckled bitterly.
"That is good. Back then, Shiyuan and Kongming could hardly stand each other. Who would have thought they would now work together to restore the Han?"
Then, thinking of his own situation, Xu Shu shook his head again.
Dong Jue said nothing. He reached into his robe and carefully took out a tightly wrapped letter sealed in oiled leather.
After pacifying Hebei, Cao Cao had moved his base to Ye City, leaving only the emperor and the court in Xuchang, along with trusted relatives and generals to oversee matters. As long as one stayed far from the emperor's residence, things were manageable. That was why Dong Jue dared to act after two full days of preparation.
"This is a personal letter from our lord, written jointly with the two military counselors, addressed to you," Dong Jue said, exhaling in relief as he placed it solemnly into Xu Shu's hands.
"The letter has been delivered. This journey was not in vain."
Xu Shu felt the weight in his hands at once.
He carefully opened the letter and read quickly. As his eyes moved across the page, his expression grew increasingly animated.
"Our lord… has already taken Yizhou?!"
He rapped his fingers twice against his forehead, paced back and forth several steps, then came to a firm conclusion.
"If Yizhou was seized under Shiyuan's planning, then at the latest by early next spring, Hanzhong must be pacified. Any delay invites chaos."
"At present, Cao Cao is likely advancing steadily—first securing Yong and Liang Provinces, then moving into Hanzhong."
"At this moment, Zhang Lu is utterly isolated. If a great army presses him hard and stirs disorder within, Hanzhong can be taken as easily as turning one's hand!"
Dong Jue stepped back a pace out of propriety, careful not to glimpse the contents of the letter.
Yet as he listened to Xu Shu's analysis, a quiet relief filled his heart. When he first saw Xu Shu, the man had appeared thin and dispirited. Now, however, he was once more full of vigor—just as he had been years ago.
A swordsman who roamed the world with bold spirit,
Upright and cautious, yet harboring great ambition.
…
Below Yangping Pass, Zhang Fei and Fa Zheng stood close, studying the formidable stronghold.
"Why is Counselor Pang acting so… strangely?" Fa Zheng asked, glancing behind them. Pang Tong stood far away, with two soldiers holding shields in front of him. Fa Zheng could not make sense of it.
Zhang Fei shook his head and slung an arm companionably around Fa Zheng's shoulders.
"Counselor Pang fears stray arrows most of all. The fact that he followed Old Zhang all the way here is already rare enough."
Fa Zheng felt a little stiff under the sudden closeness but still spoke up for Pang Tong.
"A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Counselor Pang is not wrong."
Zhang Fei nodded noncommittally and raised his head to look at Yangping Pass. The defenders atop the walls stared down nervously. Archers attempted to loose arrows, but the distance rendered them useless.
Zhang Fei lowered his head and spoke into Fa Zheng's ear.
"Xiaozhi, would you be willing to lead a detachment around the rear of Yangping Pass?"
Fa Zheng considered carefully before replying.
"If given elite troops and a capable general, I would gladly go and harass the enemy, to support the General's main strategy."
Zhang Fei released him and smiled.
"Huo Jun—Huo Zhongmiao—requested battle yesterday. He plans to cross the Han River from here, traverse the mountains eastward, and secure Mount Dingjun as a supporting position."
Fa Zheng was startled. The plan aligned almost perfectly with his own thinking. He suddenly felt deep admiration for Huo Zhongmiao. The man had seemed quiet and reserved before—who would have guessed he possessed such hidden depth? Truly a strategist-general.
"In that case," Fa Zheng said at once, "I request to accompany General Huo."
Zhang Fei nodded.
"Zhongmiao also respects your talent. However, we must wait a little longer. When the time comes, I will send personal guards to summon you."
Fa Zheng felt as though merit and achievement were already within reach. Even his steps felt light as he departed.
Watching him go, Zhang Fei summoned a guard.
"Invite General Huo."
Moments later, Huo Jun jogged over.
Zhang Fei spoke bluntly.
"Counselor Pang's subordinate, Fa Xiaozhi, proposed that when we attack Yangping Pass, we send elite troops and a capable commander to circle through Mount Micang toward Mount Dingjun. It would threaten Yangping Pass and harass Hanzhong's interior."
"He believes only you are suited for this task. What do you think?"
Huo Jun had no objections. His blood surged with excitement, and he left grinning from ear to ear.
Zhang Fei cast one more look at Yangping Pass, then led his guards west along the Han River. After several hundred paces, they encountered Pang Tong.
The Han army had constructed a temporary dock here. Pang Tong was directing soldiers as they unloaded items from the "flowing horses" and stacked them neatly nearby.
These transport devices had been tied together head to tail with ropes on Pang Tong's advice. From Jiameng Pass to here, soldiers hauled them upstream along the riverbanks. Once reaching the downstream stretch of the Han River, a single small boat could guide them effortlessly.
Zhang Fei examined the unloaded items curiously. Besides grain, there were wooden pieces and iron components, scattered and unassuming.
"Can these really be turned into siege towers and wells?" he asked.
Pang Tong answered with full confidence.
"Just wait and see, Yide. Within five days, you'll be using them to attack the city."
The designs for the siege well and folding ladders had already been fully explored, copied, and dismantled back in Public Security by Kongming and Huang Yueying.
The first problem Kongming identified was transportation. On flat plains, wheels sufficed—but in a place like Yizhou, even wheeled machines were useless.
Thus, a special version was devised. Key components were manufactured in the rear. Once delivered to the front, soldiers could simply fell nearby trees and reconstruct the weapons on-site.
Back in Public Security, Kongming and Huang Yueying had selected five hundred deft-handed soldiers and trained them in weapon construction, turning them into skilled craftsmen. They had come along with the flowing horses—this was Pang Tong's true source of confidence.
Since Pang Tong was so certain, Zhang Fei raised no objections.
Returning to his central command tent, Zhang Fei mulled things over before finally ordering Fan Jiang:
"Go fetch Feng'er."
After a brief rest, Zhang Fei opened his eyes to find Liu Feng standing quietly before him, hands bound, clearly having waited some time.
"You've learned patience," Zhang Fei praised.
"Third Uncle… have I displeased Father?" Liu Feng asked, his voice trembling as he suppressed his emotions. "I never intended to compete with A-Dou…"
Zhang Fei cut him off with a shake of his head, then said honestly after a moment's thought:
"When A-Dou grows up, that'll be interesting to watch."
He pointed to a chair and gestured for Liu Feng to sit, then slapped his shoulder heavily.
"You're still young. If you want to be a good general, how can you not understand warfare?"
That simple statement convinced Liu Feng completely.
He changed tack.
"Then what about the Mi boy and Ma Youchang?"
Zhang Fei answered flatly.
"Mi Fang colluded with Eastern Wu. Ma Su abandoned the army and fled."
Liu Feng was stunned.
"They weren't executed? Father is truly benevolent."
Zhang Fei did not respond directly. Instead, he asked:
"If, on the battlefield, the Mi and Ma boys fall into danger—do you save them or not?"
"This…" Liu Feng hesitated.
He had been about to joke his way through it, but one look at his Third Uncle's face stopped him cold. Zhang Fei's eyes were utterly devoid of emotion.
Clenching his teeth, Liu Feng answered:
"Of course I save them. In the ranks, they are comrades. Whether their crimes warrant death should be decided by Father and Third Uncle."
Zhang Fei looked away. The pressure vanished instantly.
"This is one jin of cane sugar," Zhang Fei said, pointing to a paper packet on the table. "Your father gave it to you. If you grow fearful in battle or are wounded, eat a piece. It helps a little."
Then he added gravely:
"Don't forget what you just said."
Which part? Liu Feng wondered vaguely as he picked up the packet.
Five days passed in a blink.
From atop Yangping Pass, the defending general Yang Ren watched the strange contraptions being rolled out in the enemy camp and laughed with his officers.
"So Zhang Fei wants to use tricks again?"
"He tricked Gao Pei into surrendering Baishui Pass with lies—does he think such petty schemes can scare us too?"
News of Baishui Pass had reached Yangping Pass, but Yang Ren dismissed it.
"Gao Pei and Yang Huai dared call themselves famous generals—empty names, nothing more!"
Seeing Zhang Fei's devices, Yang Ren grew smug.
I truly possess the bearing of a great general—seeing through the enemy before the battle even begins!
Without hesitation, he ordered:
"Spread the word! This is an enemy ploy meant to disrupt morale. None of these things are usable. Anyone spreading rumors to shake the army will be executed!"
Zhang Fei issued his commands calmly. Soldiers advanced behind the siege wells, pushing carts forward. Once within range, archers began suppressing the walls.
Then the folding ladders moved up. Soldiers concealed within prepared to storm the city.
"The enemy's morale is collapsing!" Pang Tong shouted loudly, though even he did not know why the effect was so dramatic. He only regretted that Fa Xiaozhi was not present—having someone relay his orders would have looked more impressive.
Zhang Fei did not wait. He spurred his horse forward, roaring for the troops to press the attack and seize the moment.
Liu Feng and the other two stood among the reserve forces, eyes wide as they watched the brutal scene ahead.
Comrades shouted in rhythm as they hauled ropes, extending the ladders. One by one, fearless soldiers climbed upward.
Though the arrows from the siege wells suppressed the walls, the defenders' prepared measures still took their toll.
Men fell from the walls, hitting the earth with dull thuds. Some, not yet dead, let out weak groans.
Ma Su clenched his teeth as his body began to tremble again.
Liu Feng's face remained expressionless. He had seen scenes like this before, during the fight from southern Jingzhou.
Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a sweat-soaked piece of cane sugar, pried Ma Su's mouth open, and shoved it in.
Ma Su wanted to curse—but the sudden sweetness blooming on his tongue stunned him, dragging his mind back from the brink.
Without turning his head, Liu Feng stared at the assault and said to both of them:
"Get ready. At most two more waves… then it'll be our turn."