In the second month of Jian'an Year Two, two major events took place in the Central Plains.
The first occurred early in the month: Cao Cao attacked Zhang Xiu and returned in triumph. The court and populace were shaken, and all the officials came out to welcome him.
But the losses in this battle had been considerable.
First, his military adviser Qin Tian had angrily left. Then his great general Dian Wei had died on the battlefield.
Therefore, after Cao Cao returned to court, the first thing he did was not to celebrate his own achievements, but to personally mourn Dian Wei, raise a burial mound for him, and hold a funeral.
To commend Dian Wei's service, he appointed Dian Wei's son, Dian Man, as a Gentleman of the Interior.
Afterward, Cao Cao did something else. Citing Qin Tian's great achievements, he personally submitted a memorial requesting that Qin Tian be enfeoffed as Marquis of Yiyang.
Unfortunately, by then Qin Tian had vanished without a trace.
According to rumors circulating among the people, when Cao Cao returned to Xuchang and heard that Qin Tian had left, he sighed endlessly and remained silent for a long time.
He then ordered Qin Tian's fields and household property to be sealed away one by one, and personally recruited more than a hundred tenant farmers to manage his estate, hoping Qin Tian would return one day.
As for Cheng Yu and the others' efforts to hunt Qin Tian down, Cao Cao did not pursue the matter.
He merely ordered his spies in the army to secretly search everywhere for traces of Qin Tian.
The second event took place at the end of the second month: using a prophetic talisman from Zhang Jiong of Henei, Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor in Shouchun, established the Zhong Dynasty, appointed ministers and nobles, and offered sacrifices at the southern and northern suburban altars.
As soon as this news spread, the entire Han Dynasty was in an uproar.
First, Yuan Shu's Lady Feng died amid a struggle in the harem. Yuan Shu appointed Jin Shang and Xu Qiu, but neither accepted the posts.
Then Sun Ce announced that he was severing ties with Yuan Shu. He sent Xu Kun to drive out Yuan Shu's appointed Administrator of Danyang, Yuan Yin, and ordered Sun Fu to garrison Liyang against Yuan Shu.
By then, Yuan Shu had lost all support, and the situation in the Central Plains had grown even more chaotic.
At that time, inside the county government offices of a small county north of Pei Commandery in Yu Province, Liu Bei was discussing affairs with his subordinates.
Liu Bei stood a little over seven chi tall, with a mustache but no beard on his chin.
Two burly men sat beside him. One was broad-backed and powerful, more than nine chi tall, with a face red as a heavy date and a long, handsome beard.
The other was thick-waisted and broad-shouldered, with a swallow's chin, a tiger's whiskers, a leopard's head, and ring-shaped eyes. These two men were Liu Bei's generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
Besides the two generals, there were also Mi Fang, Fu Shiren, and others.
The civil officials Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, and Jian Yong sat to the right.
Everyone was gathered in one hall, their faces solemn and their brows furrowed with worry.
Seeing their expressions, Liu Bei could not help sighing.
"Now our country is beset by misfortune. The lords have risen up on every side, and Yuan Gonglu has committed such a heinous act of treason. Could you all discuss what our army ought to do?"
At that time, Liu Bei was at a low point in his life.
On the surface, he was the Governor of Yu Province, General Who Pacifies the East, and Marquis of Yicheng. In truth, all he had was the single county seat of Pei County.
Since it lay within Pei Commandery, it was also called Xiaopei.
He did have a few talented men under his command, but his troops were pitifully few: just over ten thousand newly recruited infantrymen, with little combat strength.
So, when Liu Bei asked his question, everyone looked troubled.
Only Guan Yu stroked his long beard and said:
"Yuan Shu has committed treason. We ought to attack him!"
As soon as he spoke, Zhang Fei boomed:
"Exactly! Second Brother is right. We should raise our troops and head south at once. I'm willing to lead the vanguard and seize Xiang County for Eldest Brother!"
Xiang County was the seat of Pei Commandery and was currently occupied by Yuan Shu's army.
But when Zhang Fei said this, Mi Zhu shook his head.
"General Zhang's proposal will be difficult to carry out. Yuan Shu's general Mei Gan is defending Xiang County with more than fifteen thousand troops."
"The Art of War says, 'If you outnumber the enemy ten to one, surround them; five to one, attack them; two to one, divide them.'"
"Our army has only a little over ten thousand men, and they are all new recruits. We are barely strong enough to defend a city. How could we take Xiang County?"
Zhang Fei frowned at this.
"Mei Gan is just some nobody. If he dares come out and fight, I need only five thousand troops to defeat him!"
"But what if the enemy refuses to come out and fight?"
Mi Zhu was an elegant, refined man, exceptionally handsome. Even as he argued, he remained graceful and composed.
"If the enemy refuses to fight and simply holds the city, how will our army attack it?"
Zhang Fei had no answer. He could only grumble:
"Ah, sir, the way you put it, we might as well not fight at all!"
Liu Bei shook his head.
"Yide, don't be rude. Zizhong is right!"
"Our forces are not strong enough to attack south!"
"I summoned you all today not to discuss a southern campaign, but to ask what you think our army ought to do."
With that, he directed the discussion toward Jian Yong and the others.
Unfortunately, Jian Yong and Sun Qian were eloquent and capable of managing civil affairs, but knew next to nothing about military matters.
Mi Zhu alone had a clear grasp of the overall situation.
So, after the three men exchanged glances, Mi Zhu cupped his hands and spoke again.
"My lord, the best course for us now is not to march south alone. We should join forces with Cao Cao, Lu Bu, and the others to campaign against the traitor!"
When he finished, Jian Yong shook his head with a smile.
"We would certainly like to do that, but our army is small. Why would Cao Cao, Lu Bu, and the others agree?"
At his words, everyone shook their heads again.
That was the problem. Liu Bei wanted to send troops south, but he simply could not get Cao Cao or Lu Bu to move.
All he could do was wait for Cao Cao or Lu Bu to send out their forces, then join in.
In short, the meat belonged to someone else. At most, Liu Bei could drink the broth!
Thinking of this, Liu Bei no longer felt like discussing the matter. He waved his hand.
"Very well. With our army in its present state, we can only wait."
"Thank you all for coming. You may return to your duties."
Seeing this, the others realized Liu Bei was in poor spirits. They rose one after another, bowed, and took their leave.
Only Jian Yong remained until the end, lingering instead of leaving.
Seeing his old friend stay behind, Liu Bei looked up and asked:
"Why aren't you leaving, Xianhe?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling to leave!"
Jian Yong grinned.
"I stayed to ease the troubles in Xuande's heart."
They had been friends since their youth, and when no one else was around, they addressed each other by their courtesy names.
Looking at Jian Yong's smile, Liu Bei shook his head and laughed.
"Xianhe, you truly are my friend!"
Hearing this, Jian Yong asked curiously:
"I see that Xuande has been frowning all day. There must be another reason besides Yuan Shu's treason. What is it?"
Liu Bei lowered his head and gave a self-mocking smile.
"I've been thinking of Yuan Yaoqing, Chen Changwen, Chen Yuanlong, and the others."
Yuan Yaoqing was Yuan Huan, Chen Changwen was Chen Qun, and Chen Yuanlong was Chen Deng.
At the mention of these three names, Jian Yong understood that Liu Bei was worried because he had no one to consult.
All three had once been wise advisers under Liu Bei.
Unfortunately, he had not managed to keep a single one of them.
Yuan Huan was the first. Liu Bei had recommended him as a Mao Cai several years ago, but later Yuan Huan fled south to avoid trouble and joined Yuan Shu.
Chen Qun was the second. He had originally served as Liu Bei's adjutant, but later went to Xuzhou. Chen Qun did not go with him and was now under Lu Bu's rule.
As for Chen Deng, he was the man Liu Bei admired most. The two had been perfectly in accord.
But Liu Bei had lost Xuzhou, and Chen Deng was still under Lu Bu's command.
All three wise advisers had joined the enemy. It was easy to see how miserable Liu Bei must have felt.
Thinking of this, Jian Yong smiled.
"How could everything in the world go exactly as you wish?"
"If there's nothing you can do to change it, why not cast it from your mind?"
"Come on, come on! Let's find a tavern and drink until we're both dead drunk!"
Liu Bei hurriedly smiled.
"There's still work to do at the residence. Go on without me, Xianhe!"
"Does our lord have something to do?"
Jian Yong glanced sideways at him with a smile.
"I have plenty of things to deal with myself, but they can wait another day!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward, took Liu Bei by the hand, and started pulling him toward the street.
Unable to resist his old friend's insistence, Liu Bei went along.
As the two walked down the street, passersby greeted them with bows.
Though Liu Bei's territory was small, his reputation among the people and soldiers of Xuzhou was far from slight.
Liu Bei was also exceptionally kind to the common people. Regardless of their status, he could sit beside them and share a meal from the same vessel, making no distinction between them.
So whenever Liu Bei went out, he was like a star surrounded by adoring crowds.
Seeing the peace and prosperity within the city, Liu Bei's worries faded somewhat.
Jian Yong saw his brow relax and laughed.
"You really should get out more. What good does it do to stay cooped up in the residence all day?"
Of all Liu Bei's subordinates, the person who understood him best was not Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, but Jian Yong.
The two had been friends since their youth.
Jian Yong knew that Liu Bei's nature had not always been so grave and burdened. He had always loved liveliness.
When he was young, he had loved fine clothes, spirited horses, and hunting dogs, and had roamed the martial world like a spirited young man.
Unfortunately, he had later become entangled in matters of state. He grew more and more steady, hiding his joy and anger from view.
In truth, Liu Bei might well have wanted to set aside the many affairs of state and relax for a while.
At Jian Yong's teasing, Liu Bei smiled without replying. He simply watched the common people on the street in silence, wondering who in all the realm could bring peace once more.
Seeing his brow furrow again, Jian Yong chuckled.
"Xuande, don't be like this. How many extraordinary talents are there in the world?"
"Take Qin Zixuan under Cao Cao, for instance. Haven't we recently heard that he left Cao Cao?"
"His whereabouts are now uncertain. If we search for a few more days, perhaps we'll find him!"
"Xianhe, you're joking again!"
Liu Bei smiled bitterly.
"Who is Qin Zixuan? Even the Two Yuans couldn't win him over. I, Liu Bei, occupy no more than a small county and have no reputation for virtue beyond it. Why would Qin Tian be willing to join me?"
For some time now, the news that Qin Tian had left Cao Cao had been all the talk.
How could Liu Bei not have dreamed of getting Qin Tian to join him?
But even a moment's thought made it seem unrealistic.
Who was Qin Tian? A top strategist whom Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had both sought in vain.
Although Liu Bei was a governor, he occupied only this small patch of land. How could Qin Tian possibly come to him?
As he pondered this, he suddenly heard a burst of singing. He asked in surprise:
"Xianhe, listen. Where is that song coming from?"
Jian Yong had just been about to console him, but when he heard the song, he fell silent as well. He listened closely and heard a distant voice singing:
"Heaven and earth turn upside down, the fire is about to die; the great hall is crumbling, one beam alone cannot bear it."
"In a mountain vale lives a worthy man, longing to serve a wise lord; a wise lord seeks the worthy, yet knows not where I am."
Hearing the song, Liu Bei looked up and saw a Taoist walking away as he sang.
He was delighted.
"If this man sings such a song, he must be a great talent!"
But before he had finished speaking, Liu Bei had already hurried after the man.
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