"Advisor Pang, did you eat too many green hawthorns and sour your mood along with your stomach?"
Zhang Fei asked this while riding his horse, eyeing Pang Tong's unmistakable keep-your-distance expression with open curiosity.
Most of the candied hawthorns made the day before had ultimately disappeared into the students' bellies. What remained for the few of them were only the green, unripe fruits.
The sugar coating had been mellow and sweet; the fruit itself was viciously sour. Even now, recalling it made Zhang Fei's molars ache. He naturally assumed Pang Tong was still holding a grudge over it.
Pang Tong snorted.
What came to mind instead were those students—after eating their fill, they had still clung to Kongming, pestering him about when he might have time to give another full lecture.
So many students, and still not satisfied. Worse, they were even trying to snatch away his one and only disciple.
Pang Tong seethed inwardly, but in the end swallowed those words. He shook his head and said,
"I'm thinking about how to deal with Han Sui."
Leaving Jiang Wei aside, Kongming had already discussed the broader situation in Yong and Liang with Pang Tong at length. In the end, the two of them had calculated a single path of survival for Han Sui.
What remained was to see what choice this General Who Conquers the West of the Han would make.
It was already early August. Cao's forces had finished harvesting new grain and were beginning to stir. Yizhou was much the same.
With surplus grain in hand, both sides finally had room to act. One way or another, the chaos in Yong and Liang had to be straightened out.
"Are we heading out through Mount Qi?!"
The moment Zhang Fei heard this, his spirits shot up.
"Ma Su is still in Fangling—should we call him back?"
"If we're going out through Mount Qi, why isn't the military advisor coming along?"
"And if we end up with horse pastures in Yong and Liang, can I try raising a cavalry unit first?"
Zhang Fei had always been like this. He addressed Kongming as "Military Advisor," and when speaking of Pang Tong or Xu Shu, always used their full names.
Pang Tong didn't mind. Riding along while Zhang Fei rattled on like a market drum, he replied casually,
"Kongming says Yong and Liang can be settled with one hand. There's no need for him to come."
As for what Kongming intended to do next, Pang Tong didn't say—but he could guess well enough.
Select elite troops. Pacify Nanzhong. Open the route to Shendu… that is, India.
Yizhou's people were living better now. It was time to straighten out the trade routes as well, and let the tribal kings of Nanzhong understand that Yizhou had changed owners.
"Invite Sima Yi to accompany the army."
This was Kongming's recommendation regarding the choice of personnel for the Nanzhong campaign.
Liu Zhang had never exercised strong control over Nanzhong. Ever since Liu Bei entered Jiangzhou, unrest there had flared up from time to time.
Thanks to how quickly authority in Nanzhong changed hands, these disturbances never grew into full-scale rebellions—but that didn't mean Liu Bei ignored them.
On the contrary, after nearly a year of rest, even Liu Bei felt his bones itch. He took the initiative and asked to personally lead the army to pacify Nanzhong.
The difficulty lay in choosing who would accompany him. Kongming, however, spoke as though he had rehearsed it long ago:
"Transfer Sima Yi to serve as staff officer and accompany my lord on the campaign."
"Appoint Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and Wu Yi as subordinate commanders; Li Hui and Zhang Yi as clerks attached to the army."
Nanzhong's terrain was complex and did not require a massive force, so the selection naturally had to be precise.
Feng Xi and Zhang Nan were both steady, orthodox commanders—no reliance on strange tactics, perfectly suited to Nanzhong's style of warfare, and reliable to boot.
Wu Yi had real ability. His younger sister's relationship with the lord was… delicate. Moreover, the Wu clan had consistently supported Liu Bei's policies without a word of complaint. Letting him lead troops would give him proper seasoning.
Li Hui and Zhang Yi were both names that had appeared on the Light Screen. At present, each held the post of gongcao; serving as staff officers to learn the terrain and offer advice was entirely appropriate.
As for Sima Yi… it was simply time to weigh him and see how much he truly amounted to.
"Kongming can just wait to celebrate my victory," Liu Bei declared. "The bandit chiefs of Nanzhong—three months, and they'll be finished!"
The sun had just risen.
On the Wanli Bridge east of Chengdu, Liu Bei spoke with full confidence as he gave Kongming his assurance.
If it were marching out through Hanzhong to gamble his life against Ma Chao and Han Sui, even Liu Bei wouldn't feel secure.
But if it was diving into the forests of Nanzhong to fight locals—how did that phrase from the Light Screen go again?
Easy as grabbing something in your hand.
Elite troops, ample grain, commanders eager to fight—every condition for victory was already in place.
Liu Bei even glanced sideways at Sima Yi beside him, who wore a faint, knowing smile.
And with the future Emperor Xuan of Jin accompanying the army, how could they possibly lose?
Kongming cupped his hands.
"Then let us set three months as the term. When the time comes, I will prepare wine and dishes in full, and await my lord's victorious return."
Liu Bei nodded, flicked the reins, and called out loudly,
"Ma Zhong! Pass on my order—the army marches!"
Since the campaign was aimed at Nanzhong, the sixteen thousand troops assembled at Chengdu's southern gate.
Liu Bei himself had been dragged over by his attendants, who insisted that if he was setting out on a long journey, he must first walk across Wanli Bridge.
Now that the bridge had been crossed, the army naturally had to set off without delay.
At this moment, inside Chengdu, Hu Du was waiting for Li Shu at the entrance of the government office, preparing to go in for class together.
Just then, he heard the rapid da-da-da of hooves. A young officer galloped past along the main road, then turned south and vanished from sight.
The envy in Hu Du's eyes was impossible to hide. Li Shu comforted him,
"Didn't Uncle Liu say just the other day? Hu Du will grow up to be a pillar of the Han."
A hint of a smile appeared in Hu Du's eyes. He nodded.
"Mhm."
After thinking for a moment, he added,
"I only hope Uncle Liu returns victorious."
Li Shu's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
"My father went to a Daoist temple in the city yesterday to pray for Uncle Liu. When he came back, he said lots of people were doing the same."
Hu Du wasn't surprised.
"Uncle Liu is benevolent."
Compared to Liu Yan, who dreamed of becoming emperor, and Liu Zhang, who had maxed out every point in leisure and indulgence, Uncle Liu had given people something simple and real: households with surplus grain.
Hu Du felt this especially deeply.
These days, the talk in the streets was all about the great victory in Jingzhou, and Uncle Liu personally leading the expedition to Nanzhong.
As Hu Du's grandfather put it: Yizhou is no longer alone.
Scholars and ambitious men all hoped to make their names known under Heaven. Yet—
Liu Yan sealed off Yizhou to chase an imperial dream.
Liu Zhang lost Hanzhong and left Yizhou hanging in isolation.
For too long, the people of Yizhou had been adrift, asking the same question: where was the road to fame under Heaven?
Now Uncle Liu had entered Shu and, with storm-like momentum, brought all of Yizhou under his command. He reconnected Yizhou with Hanzhong and Jingzhou, no longer leaving it stranded.
Defeating the Han's enemies abroad, repairing civil governance within—aged Yizhou was reborn with fresh vitality.
Some wished to follow this imperial kinsman, who carried more than a hint of the Founder's spirit, to accomplish great deeds and make their own names echo across the realm.
Others, seeing the road back to the Central Plains reopened, set off at once—Heaven's mandate lay with Cao, and service should not be delayed.
In any case, there was no longer any need to waste life in stagnation.
Unlike the somewhat restrained reflections of Yizhou's people, those in Jingzhou responded to the victory at the front with unrestrained celebration.
Of all of them, none found the taste more complicated than the people of Jiangling.
After Cao's defeat at Red Cliffs, the city's original residents had been forcibly relocated by Cao's army.
The current population of Jiangling was a mix: some were Jiang–Huai folk who had crossed Mount Tianzhu with Lei Xu; others were former Jingzhou residents who had fled south early from Xinye, Wancheng, Xiangyang, and elsewhere.
They had cheered Zhou Gongjin's victory at Red Cliffs, and later mourned his untimely death.
After that came a lingering, uneasy question: with Lord Zhou gone, who could stop Cao's armies?
Now, the battle reports circulating through Jiangling were the best possible answer:
Guan Yunchang's navy took Fancheng in seven days.
Huang Zhong slew Yue Jin in battle; Xiangyang fell on its own.
Guan Yunchang launched a night assault and retook Wancheng.
Advisor Xu waved his fan and drove back a hundred thousand Cao troops.
Zhang Yide cursed Cao Aman to his face in battle.
Aside from the last claim—which remained of debatable authenticity—the rest had all been confirmed by merchants arriving from Wancheng.
According to those from Wancheng, General Zhang had been busy securing the city defenses at the time. The one who chased Cao Cao himself was General Guan. So if anyone had cursed Cao Aman in battle, it should have been General Guan.
But no one had ever seen General Guan curse anyone, which made it hard to imagine. Some therefore guessed that this was how the story became "General Zhang cursing him in battle."
After all, General Zhang's booming voice and explosive temper were known to everyone.
And when the people of Jiangling heard Wancheng folk vividly describe how General Guan had chased Cao Cao relentlessly, many slapped their thighs in regret:
"Why didn't he just cut that Cao bandit down with one stroke?"
Whether Jiang–Huai refugees or old Jingzhou residents, nearly everyone had lost friends or family to the wars.
As the common people shook their heads in lament, the merchants quietly let out a breath of relief. Jiangling was no longer the front line facing Cao's forces, which gave their businesses a sudden margin of safety.
It wasn't that they didn't trust General Guan or Jiangling's defenses. It was just… how did that saying go?
A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
Only when Xu Shu truly returned in triumph did Jiangling's acting commander, Jiang Wan, finally let out a genuine sigh of relief.
After Guan Yu and Xu Shu marched north, Jiang Wan had moved his office, overseeing all of Jingzhou's affairs while also guarding against their eastern "ally." It had left him utterly drained.
So the moment he saw Xu Shu, Jiang Wan complained,
"Only now do I understand why Chancellor Zhuge died young!"
Xu Shu shook his head and laughed.
"Even with a great victory, I'll still have to trouble you, Gongyan, for a while yet."
Complaints aside, Jiang Wan did not shirk his duties. Turning serious, he frowned.
"The north of Jingzhou is still unsettled?"
Xu Shu shook his head.
"The fighting is over. Guan Ping and General Huang advanced like a breaking wave, winning battle after battle. Jingzhou has been recovered."
"Guan Ping and General Huang are now jointly stationed at Duyang."
"In mid–seventh month, the enemy attacked again and was stopped by General Huang. One arrow struck Xu Huang's plume; Cao's troops failed and withdrew."
Jiang Wan oversaw Jingzhou and knew the intelligence well. After a brief mental calculation, he said,
"Though the grain has been harvested, transport still takes time. The force under Xu Huang should only be a secondary army?"
"Two armies," Xu Shu confirmed.
"The north is secure for now. Only…"
Jiang Wan sighed.
"Jiangdong."
As he spoke, he picked up a booklet from the table and flipped through it.
"Several months ago, Jiangxia was held by Lu Zijing."
"Over a month ago, it was jointly administered by Bu Zhi and Lü Meng."
"Half a month ago, the documents sent downriver by merchants bore only Lü Meng's seal."
Jiangdong and Jingzhou had long engaged in large-scale trade. Jiangling exported Yizhou's sugar and brocade, and imported iron ore and charcoal from Jiangdong.
Such exchanges required the prefect's authorization. From the signatures, it was clear that Lu Su had long since left Jiangxia, replaced by Lü Meng.
This was one of the reasons Jiang Wan had been so worn down—he truly feared that man would pull off a "White-Clad Crossing of the River."
Xu Shu nodded silently, tapping the table with a finger as he thought. Then he said,
"During the war, there was a group of secret envoys traveling from Xuchang to Jiangxia."
"They stopped in Wancheng for resupply. The records were seized by General Guan."
Jiang Wan immediately understood, and roughly grasped why Lu Su had suddenly left Jiangxia.
And in the worst-case scenario… that Ten-Thousand-Brother—no, Sun Quan—might truly become King of Wu.
Then Xu Shu revealed one final piece of news:
"Guan Ping has written. A merchant reported in secret—"
"The Son of Heaven may soon tour the north."