Zhang Song said:
"Liu Bei had always feared only one man: Cao Cao. Since gaining Xuzhou, Liu Bei had repeatedly suffered defeat at Cao Cao's hands. Only when he was exhausted and at the end of his rope did he flee to Jingzhou and seek shelter under Liu Biao.
"Although Cao Cao had now been destroyed, Duke of Yan Yuan Xi's civil and military talents surpassed Cao Cao's tenfold! If we could ask Duke of Yan to send troops to rescue Western Sichuan, Liu Bei would surely flee in panic and never again dare to covet Western Sichuan."
Liu Zhang could not help nodding. "Duke Yan's wisdom and strategy are indeed far superior to Cao Cao's, and his strength exceeds Liu Bei's several times over. But... since Duke Yan has no intention of taking Western Sichuan, would he be unwilling to mobilize his army to stop Liu Bei merely because Shu is so remote?"
Zhang Song smiled. "My lord worries too much. In Duke Yan's eyes, Liu Bei is unlike you. He will not be content with a single corner of Western Sichuan. If Liu Bei gains Western Sichuan, he will surely invade Hanzhong and may even threaten Guanzhong, imitating the founding emperor's old example of emerging from Sichuan. Therefore, for Duke Yan, it is fine for you to hold Western Sichuan, but Liu Bei must never be allowed to take it."
Zhang Song's unspoken meaning was that Liu Zhang was inferior to Liu Bei and lacked great ambition.
Yet Liu Zhang was not angered. Instead, he said, "Duke Yan's army has already withdrawn. I must trouble the Assistant Administrator to make another journey and persuade him to turn back."
Huang Quan hurriedly said from the side, "My lord, you must not! Liu Bei is a wolf, but Duke Yan