Hearing Qin Tian ask about his ambitions, Liu Bei fell silent.
Xu Shu watched from the side, not saying a word.
As a matter of fact, he had never heard Liu Bei speak of his ambitions either.
A ruler's aspirations were of great importance.
If they weren't lofty enough, he might give up halfway—and he wouldn't be a worthy lord.
Under their gaze, Liu Bei pondered for a long while before speaking:
"Now the Han Dynasty is in decline, and treacherous ministers are rising everywhere."
"I know my abilities are limited, yet I still wish to restore justice to the realm. That is why I raised an army in Zhuo Commandery, first fighting the Yellow Turbans and then Dong Zhuo. But my plans and strategies were inadequate, and I have accomplished nothing to this day."
"Now I have neither troops nor provisions, only an empty reputation."
"Yet Yuan Shu has risen again recently, even going so far as to plot usurpation. Though I am unworthy, I am willing to raise an army and put down every rebel in the realm, restoring peace and prosperity to our Han Dynasty!"
After hearing Liu Bei's words, Qin Tian turned around with a smile and said:
"If Your Excellency wishes to accomplish this, then now is the perfect opportunity!"
Without waiting for Liu Bei to ask anything, he stepped forward and said:
"Since Dong Zhuo's time, the court has moved west, and the warlords east of the passes have risen one after another. Countless men now hold sway over multiple provinces and commanderies."
"They have gathered retainers and private troops, attacking one another without restraint in hopes of expanding their own power."
"If Your Excellency wishes to uphold justice throughout the realm, you must first secure a territory as your base."
Hearing Qin Tian reach this point, Liu Bei's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly said:
"Your words strike at the heart of the matter. I have drifted from place to place for more than ten years. Whenever I reflect on the reason, it always comes down to having no territory to call my base!"
"But which place in the realm today could serve as my base?"
Qin Tian did not answer. Instead, he looked toward Xu Shu and asked:
"What place in the realm today do you think could serve as a base, Yuanzhi?"
Xu Shu pondered for a long while before replying:
"A base must either be justified by name or have the people's support."
"Look at the lords across the realm: every one of them raised troops in his home region."
"My lord is from You Province, a thousand li from here. Besides, Yuan Shao is too powerful to challenge."
"Though my lord is the governor of Yu Province, most of it is held by Yuan Shu!"
"By that reasoning, only Xuzhou would do."
"By rights, my lord was entrusted with Xuzhou by Lord Tao and ought to be its governor."
"As for the people's support, Lu Bu has lost their favor. Their hearts are with Liu, not Lu."
"Perhaps we could use Xiaopei as our base, follow Gaozu's example, defeat Lu Bu, and take back Xuzhou!"
Liu Bei heard him and nodded repeatedly, stroking his beard.
Truth be told, he had thought the same.
Pei County was where Liu Bang, Gaozu, had made his start. Establishing a base there and gradually taking Xuzhou before raising an army might well be his destiny.
Looking at the lord and his advisor, Qin Tian shook his head with a smile and said:
"If you think that way, then even if Your Excellency takes Xuzhou, you won't be able to hold it securely!"
"The best time to take Xuzhou was when Tao Qian offered it to you. Back then, Xuzhou had not yet been ravaged by war, and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had not yet secured their foundations."
"Had Your Excellency accepted Xuzhou then, you could have built a great hegemony from that territory."
"But now, Xuzhou has endured years of warfare and has long since been laid waste."
"If Your Excellency takes Xuzhou now, you must first defeat Lu Bu. Lord Cao will see your power growing and, fearing you'll become a threat, will surely attack."
"This land has neither mighty passes nor natural defenses. How will Your Excellency withstand your enemies?"
"Moreover, Lord Cao now serves the Son of Heaven. If the Son of Heaven issues an order to attack you, will you resist or not?"
"If you resist, Your Excellency's actions will be no different from rebellion!"
"If you don't, Xuzhou will become someone else's in the blink of an eye!"
"Given all that, how could you possibly hold Xuzhou?"
As he spoke, Qin Tian couldn't help but sigh at how deeply Liu Bei was attached to Xuzhou. Whenever he thought of doing something great, he always wanted to seize it.
But this wasn't the time of the Battle of Guandu. Back then, Liu Bei had killed Che Zhou and taken Xuzhou with the Belt Edict to back him.
Even after killing Che Zhou and resisting Old Cao's troops, he had been acting with just cause.
At this point in time, if Liu Bei destroyed Lu Bu, he'd only be doing Old Cao's work for him!
So no matter what, Xuzhou was off the table!
Hearing Qin Tian's words, Liu Bei broke into a cold sweat. He was lucky he'd come to see Qin Tian today. Otherwise, even with Xu Shu at his side, he would have been ready to take Xuzhou back again.
But now, he could see that Xuzhou was a dead end!
At once, Liu Bei stepped forward and bowed again:
"I am dull-witted and slow to learn. Meeting you today is like seeing the moon emerge from behind the clouds. I hope you won't disdain my humble station, but will kindly instruct me."
"Where should I establish my base to accomplish great things?"
Xu Shu, too, looked at Qin Tian with curiosity and asked:
"Where do you think we should establish our base, Zixuan?"
The moment they asked, Qin Tian answered without a moment's hesitation:
"Huainan can serve as our base!"
Huainan was roughly the northern part of what would later become Anhui. In the late Eastern Han, it referred specifically to Jiujiang, the northern part of Lujiang, the southern part of Runan, and other commanderies.
As it happened, Huainan was Yuan Shu's home territory.
Hearing this, Liu Bei asked in confusion:
"Huainan is Yuan Shu's base. How could it become the base for our army?"
Xu Shu thought for a while, then his eyes flashed with understanding:
"Zixuan, do you mean we should seize this opportunity to destroy Yuan Shu and take his place?"
Qin Tian gave Xu Shu an approving look and smiled:
"Exactly. In the Central Plains today, Your Excellency is in Pei County, while Cao Cao is too powerful to challenge."
"Lu Bu has already established his own base, so he cannot be challenged either."
"As for the other territories, they're all too far out of reach. Only Huainan can be taken!"
"Though Huainan belongs to Yuan Shu, now is precisely the moment to take it!"
"Though the court is weak, its authority still carries weight. The Yuan family may boast four generations of Three Excellencies, but Yuan Shu has committed this act of rebellion, showing that he has reached the end of the road."
"Sun Ce and Lu Bu have both broken with Yuan Shu, which is proof enough!"
"Lord Cao supports the court and cannot simply stand by while Yuan Shu declares himself emperor. Sooner or later, he will attack."
"Add Your Excellency's advance from the south, and though Yuan Shu is powerful, he won't be able to withstand an attack from all four sides."
"When Yuan Shu is defeated, his followers will scatter, and Huainan, Lujiang, Runan, Guangling, and the other territories will become ownerless in an instant."
"Your Excellency is now governor of Yu Province. Attacking Yuan Shu from there is perfectly proper, and no one in the realm can rightly criticize you."
"Huainan is crisscrossed by roads. It connects north to Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yu Province, while to the south lies the route to Jiangdong. It is a battleground coveted by every commander."
"If Your Excellency can seize this land as your base, you can then pacify Yu Province and bring it back under your command."
"These two territories are prosperous and densely populated. If you take them both, you can raise an army of more than a hundred thousand. Then, if you attack Xuzhou, how will Lu Bu resist?"
"Besides, Cao and Yuan will inevitably fight in the north sooner or later. When turmoil comes to the south, Your Excellency can take advantage of it and advance into Jiangdong."
"If you seize Jiangdong, your foundations will be secure. You'll be able to attack or defend as the situation demands."
"If you advance, you can head straight north to welcome the Son of Heaven and seize the Central Plains."
"If you retreat, you can hold Xuzhou and Yu Province, and send a top general west to seize Jing and Yi Provinces, dividing the realm with the northern warlords!"
"Use Shu as your base and the Yangtze River as your lifeline, supplying provisions by water. Make Jing Province and Yu Province your forward positions. Then, when the situation shifts, advance once more into the Central Plains."
"At that point, whether Cao Cao or Yuan Shao controls the north, you can move against them both. Then your hegemony will be achieved, and the Han Dynasty can be restored!"
With that, Qin Tian stopped and looked at Liu Bei and Xu Shu.
Liu Bei's whole body trembled, his face flushed bright red.
What did it mean to be a top strategist? This was what it meant!
Without even leaving home, he had taken the whole realm's situation into account and found a path to supremacy through the Central Plains, which had seemed to offer no opportunity at all.
Liu Bei spoke excitedly:
"Your words have lifted the fog from my mind. It is as if I have watched the clouds part and seen the clear blue sky."
"You truly are a man of the realm's finest talent. Please accept my bow."
With that, he bowed deeply.
Xu Shu heard this and nodded with a smile:
"Zixuan's words are indeed far-sighted. If we can carry out this plan, our army's great undertaking will be within reach!"
This was exactly why he had insisted on bringing Qin Tian out of seclusion!
He could help Liu Bei lead troops into battle, but he couldn't show him a clear path forward.
Only someone with Qin Tian's vision could help Liu Bei grasp the broader picture!
In truth, only Qin Tian could serve as Liu Bei's strategist.
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