Liu Bei's Ambition, The Land of Foundation

Hearing Qin Tian ask about his ambitions, Liu Bei fell into silence.

Xu Shu watched from the side, also saying nothing.

Truth be told, he had never actually heard Liu Bei's ambitions before.

What a lord's ambition was mattered a great deal.

If the ambition was not grand enough, it was easy to give up halfway; such a person could not be a wise lord.

Under the gaze of the two, Liu Bei pondered for a long time before speaking:

"The Han Dynasty is currently in decline, and treacherous officials are rising everywhere."

"This humble one, despite my lack of strength, wishes to restore righteousness to the world. Thus, I raised an army in Zhuo Commandery, first to suppress the Yellow Turbans, then to punish Dong Zhuo. Yet, due to my shallow wit, I have achieved nothing to this day."

"As of now, I have neither troops nor provisions, possessing only a hollow reputation."

"However, Yuan Shu has recently risen and even dared to commit the act of usurpation. Though I am untalented, I am willing to raise an army to purge the world of all rebels and restore the peaceful and prosperous era of our Great Han!"

After hearing Liu Bei's words, Qin Tian turned back and smiled:

"If the General wishes to carry out this task, then now is the perfect opportunity!"

Without waiting for Liu Bei to ask, he stepped forward and said:

"Since the time of Dong Zhuo, the imperial court has moved west, and warlords have risen across the east, with countless men spanning provinces and commanderies."

"They raise their own retainers and private armies, attacking one another to bolster their own strength."

"If the General wishes to extend righteousness throughout the world, he must have a place to serve as a foundation."

Hearing Qin Tian reach this point, Liu Bei's spirit lifted, and he hurriedly said:

"Sir's words strike at the heart of the matter. I have been drifting for over a decade, and whenever I reflect on the reason, it is always because I lack a base!"

"But I do not know, in today's world, what land could serve as my foundation?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Tian did not speak, but instead looked at Xu Shu and said:

"I wonder, Yuanzhi, what land do you think could serve as a foundation in today's world?"

Seeing this, Xu Shu pondered for a long time before saying:

"Any foundation must be either legitimate or supported by the hearts of the people."

"Looking at the warlords of the world, every one of them raised their army from their home region."

"My lord is a man of You Province, which is thousands of miles away, and Yuan Shao's power is too great; it cannot be plotted against."

"Although you are the Governor of Yu Province, most of it is occupied by Yuan Shu!"

"Looking at it this way, only the land of Xuzhou will do."

"In terms of legitimacy, my lord accepted the request of Governor Tao and was meant to be the Governor of Xuzhou."

"In terms of the hearts of the people, Lu Bu is currently quite unpopular; the people's hearts lean toward Liu, not Lu."

"Perhaps you could use Xiaopei as a base, follow the story of Gaozu, defeat Lu Bu, and retake Xuzhou!"

Hearing this, Liu Bei nodded repeatedly while stroking his beard.

In truth, this was exactly what he had been thinking.

Pei County was the place where Gaozu Liu Bang started his rise. Using this place as a foundation to slowly plot for Xuzhou and raise an army again might just be his destiny.

But Qin Tian looked at this pair of lord and subject, shook his head, and smiled:

"If you think this way, then even if the General takes Xuzhou, it will be difficult to hold!"

"The best time to take Xuzhou was when Tao Qian offered it. At that time, Xuzhou had not yet suffered the ravages of war, and the foundations of Lord Cao and Yuan Shao were not yet stable."

"If the General had accepted Xuzhou then, you could have achieved a great hegemony."

"But now, the land of Xuzhou has long been ravaged by war and is already in ruins."

"If the General takes Xuzhou now, you must first defeat Lu Bu. Lord Cao, fearing that the General will grow too powerful, will inevitably come to attack."

"Since this place has neither grand passes nor dangerous terrain to defend, how will the General face the enemy?"

"Furthermore, Lord Cao now serves the Emperor. If he launches a campaign in the name of the Emperor, will the General resist or not?"

"If you resist, then the General's actions are no different from treason!"

"If you do not resist, then Xuzhou will instantly become the property of another!"

"Looking at it this way, how can the land of Xuzhou be occupied?"

As he said this, Qin Tian could not help but sigh that Liu Bei's obsession with Xuzhou was truly heavy; every time he wanted to do something big, he would think of seizing Xuzhou.

But this was not the period of Guandu. At that time, when Liu Bei killed Che Zhou to take Xuzhou, he had the backing of the secret edict hidden in the robe.

Even after killing Che Zhou and opposing the forces of Old Cao, it was still a legitimate act.

In this current timeframe, if Liu Bei were to wipe out Lu Bu, he would simply be making wedding clothes for Old Cao!

Therefore, no matter what, Xuzhou could not be taken!

When Liu Bei heard these words from Qin Tian, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. It was fortunate that he had come to see Qin Tian today; otherwise, relying on Xu Shu, he would have truly prepared to retake Xuzhou once again.

But looking at it now, the land of Xuzhou is nothing but a dead end!

Immediately, Liu Bei stepped forward and bowed again, saying:

"This humble one is dull and slow-witted. Today, meeting you, sir, is like parting the clouds to see the moon. I hope you will not despise my low status and will deign to bestow your guidance upon me."

"Where should I establish my foundation so that I may accomplish great things?"

Xu Shu also looked at Qin Tian with curiosity, asking:

"Zixuan, which land do you believe could serve as a foundation?"

Upon their questioning, Qin Tian answered without a moment's hesitation:

"The land of Huainan can serve as your foundation!"

Huainan refers to the region in the northern part of modern-day Anhui. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it specifically encompassed the areas of Jiujiang, northern Lujiang, and southern Runan.

As it happens, Huainan is currently the home base of Yuan Shu.

Hearing this, Liu Bei asked in confusion:

"Huainan is the base of Yuan Shu; how could it serve as a foundation for our army?"

Xu Shu pondered for a moment, a flash of brilliance appearing in his eyes as he said:

"Zixuan, do you mean to take advantage of this opportunity to attack and destroy Yuan Shu, and take his place?"

Qin Tian looked at Xu Shu with appreciation and smiled:

"Precisely. In the Central Plains today, since you, General, are stationed in Pei County, Cao Cao's power is too great to contend with."

"Lu Bu already has his own base, so he is also not a target."

"As for other regions, they are all beyond our reach. Only the land of Huainan is worth plotting for!"

"Although Huainan is currently Yuan Shu's territory, now is the very moment to seize it!"

"In the world today, although the imperial court has weakened, its residual prestige remains. Even though the Yuan family boasts the reputation of having served as the Three Excellencies for four generations, their act of treason shows they have reached the end of their road."

"The fact that Sun Ce and Lu Bu have broken ties with Yuan Shu is proof enough of this."

"Lord Cao supports the imperial court and cannot sit idly by while Yuan Shu declares himself emperor, so he will inevitably attack him sooner or later."

"Add to that your southward movement, General; though Yuan Shu is strong, he can hardly withstand a joint assault from four sides."

"Once Yuan Shu is defeated, his forces will scatter, and the lands of Huainan, Lujiang, Runan, and Guangling will instantly become ownerless."

"As the current Governor of Yu Province, it is only natural for you to take Yu Province and attack Yuan Shu; the people of the world would find it hard to criticize such a move."

"The land of Huainan is a hub of transportation, connecting to Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yu Province in the north, and allowing for a southward advance into Jiangdong. It is a place every strategist must fight for."

"If you, General, can take this land as your foundation, you can pacify Yu Province and bring it under your command."

"These two regions are populous and wealthy. If you can secure them both, you could command an army of over one hundred thousand. When that time comes, if you were to attack Xuzhou, how could Lu Bu possibly resist?"

"Furthermore, a war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in the north is inevitable. Once there is turmoil in the south, you, General, can take advantage of the momentum to move south into Jiangdong."

"If Jiangdong is secured, your foundation will be complete—you will be able to advance to attack and retreat to defend."

"If you advance, you can march directly north to welcome the Emperor and seize the Central Plains."

"If you retreat, you can hold Xuzhou and Yu Province firmly, dispatch a top general to march west to capture Jing Province and Yi Province, and divide the world with the northern warlords!"

"With the Shu region as your base and the Yangtze River as your lifeline, using the waterways to supply grain and using Jing Province and Yu Province as your outposts, you can wait for the situation to change before marching into the Central Plains."

"By then, whether Cao Cao or Yuan Shao occupies the north, you can defeat them both. In this way, your hegemony can be achieved, and the Han Dynasty can be restored!"

Having said this, Qin Tian stopped walking and looked at Liu Bei and Xu Shu.

Liu Bei's burly frame trembled, his face flushed with excitement.

This is what it means to be a top-tier strategist!

Without traveling far, he holds the state of the world in his chest. He had taken a Central Plains that seemed to offer no opportunities and carved out a path to hegemony.

Liu Bei said excitedly:

"Your words, sir, have cleared my mind; it is as if I have parted the fog to see the blue sky."

"You are truly a man of national talent. Please accept my bow."

With that, he bowed deeply.

Hearing this, Xu Shu also nodded and smiled:

"Zixuan's words are indeed far-sighted. If this plan can be executed, the success of our cause is within reach!"

This was the very reason he had insisted on bringing Qin Tian out of seclusion!

He could help Liu Bei lead troops into battle, but he could not provide Liu Bei with a clear path forward.

Only someone with Qin Tian's vision could help Liu Bei grasp the big picture!

It could be said that among all, only Qin Tian was qualified to serve as Liu Bei's chief strategist.