Foresight? Old Liu's Resolve

Hearing Qin Tian's third weakness, Xu Shu fell silent.

He had sensed the problem with Guan and Zhang, too.

The greatest difference between Liu Bei's camp and the other warlords was that Guan and Zhang stood above all his other officials.

If the two of them had been Liu Bei's own brothers, one could at most have said he played favorites.

But they were both peerless warriors, each a match for ten thousand, who had risen on the strength of their abilities.

And because of their special relationship with Liu Bei, they wielded immense influence and held a position above the rest.

A weaker man could work alongside them and simply go along with whatever they said.

Qin Tian, however, was a forceful man. It was easy to imagine that sooner or later, he and the two of them would clash!

At that thought, Xu Shu shook his head with a smile.

"So you knew Zixuan was wary of Guan and Zhang!"

"Yet Guan and Zhang are each worth ten thousand men. How could our lord afford not to use them?"

"That's not what I meant! I'm not wary of Guan and Zhang!"

Qin Tian smiled faintly.

"It seems Yuanzhi has misunderstood!"

"Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both fierce generals. Why would anyone cast them aside?"

"I said what I did because they are mighty warriors. If Lord Liu is to achieve greatness, he'll need their help!"

"But Guan Yu is proud and conceited, while Zhang Fei is violent and ungrateful. Those are their flaws. If Lord Liu achieves greatness one day, those flaws will surely bring disaster!"

"For now, his power is limited, so Lord Liu can keep them in check."

"But if his power grows, he'll have to send them to guard different regions."

"The two of them are so close to Lord Liu. If their flaws lead to defeat, what should he do?"

"If he refuses to help them, what becomes of the bonds they shared in the past?"

"But if he does help them, the whole enterprise could be ruined. At best, he'd lose troops and generals; at worst, his great undertaking would be destroyed in an instant."

"These dangers must be considered in advance!"

As Xu Shu listened, confusion spread across his face. He said nothing, merely circling Qin Tian several times and scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Qin Tian felt a chill under his gaze and tightened his collar.

"Yuanzhi, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

Xu Shu shook his head, then nodded. After studying him for a long while, he finally spoke.

"Zixuan, your words are as precious as gold and jade. How could they be wrong?"

"I'm only wondering whether you truly can foresee the future."

"How is it that every piece of advice you give strikes right at the heart of the matter, as if you've seen it all happen already?"

Was there anything wrong with what Qin Tian had said? Of course not.

It was more than right!

He hadn't been under Liu Bei for long, but he already knew that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei really were just like that.

They had plenty of strengths, but no shortage of flaws either.

Of them all, pride and conceit, and violence and ingratitude, were the most fatal.

But that was precisely the problem: those two flaws were still only tendencies. They hadn't yet caused any real harm.

Yet Qin Tian spoke as if he had already witnessed how things would end for the two of them.

After all, Liu Bei had barely ten thousand troops and controlled only Xiaopei.

Whether he could achieve greatness was still uncertain, yet Qin Tian had already pointed out these dangers.

If Qin Tian hadn't always had such remarkable insight, Xu Shu might really have suspected that he could see the future!

That was why he had stared at Qin Tian so strangely.

Xu Shu had spoken without thinking, but Qin Tian heard more in his words and couldn't help marveling at how clever the ancients were.

Just a few words had been enough for Xu Shu to realize he was using a cheat.

Unfortunately, this era had no concept of time travelers. Otherwise, he would have been the first one in history to be found out.

Thinking this, Qin Tian smiled.

"Suppose I really can foresee the future. What then?"

"Yuanzhi, if these flaws aren't corrected, what should we do when the day comes?"

Xu Shu thought it over carefully, and felt a wave of despair.

If anything happened to either Guan or Zhang, Liu Bei's temperament might well cause the whole enterprise to collapse.

Without Liu, Guan, and Zhang, this force would lose its very soul.

Even if it somehow managed to survive, its prospects would be bleak.

With that in mind, he spoke with firm resolve.

"I finally understand what you mean, Zixuan!"

"No wonder you've been so concerned. It seems I hadn't thought things through."

"But if I'd known nothing about this, that would be one thing. Now that I know it all, our lord is willing to listen to advice. He'll surely make changes!"

"Give it a few days, Zixuan. You'll see the results!"

Seeing Xu Shu so resolute, Qin Tian started to leave.

"In that case, Yuanzhi, you should go. I'll be off to join my wife and children."

But before he could take a step, Xu Shu grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Wait, Zixuan. You've just explained two of the dangers, but you haven't made the third clear. Please tell me what our lord should do to correct it."

Qin Tian stopped, then laughed in disbelief.

"Xu Yuanzhi, Xu Yuanzhi, do you really think everything under heaven can be made so easy?"

"First, I haven't entered his service. Second, I'm not related to him. Why should I help him so much?"

But as he spoke, he saw Xu Shu standing firm and knew there would be no leaving without an explanation. With a disgruntled sigh, he asked:

"Let me ask you, does Lord Liu's army have a ban on alcohol?"

Xu Shu frowned at the question, which seemed to come out of nowhere.

"How could any army not ban alcohol?"

"Alcohol is the strictest prohibition in our army!"

He wasn't exaggerating. Ever since Zhang Fei had lost Xuzhou while drunk, Liu Bei had loathed drinking in the army.

Qin Tian smiled faintly.

"Then that's it. I'll offer just one hint: if drinking is forbidden in the army, why have I heard that Zhang Fei likes to whip his soldiers after drinking?"

"Yuanzhi, go back and think it over carefully. Where exactly does the problem lie?"

"I was in the Cao Army and never heard of such a thing!"

With that, he walked past Xu Shu and headed toward his wife and children.

Xu Shu stood rooted to the spot. After pondering for a long while, he seemed to understand. Then he led his horse away.

The two had talked for quite some time, but Liu Bei was still waiting halfway up the slope.

As soon as Xu Shu returned, Liu Bei hurried forward and asked:

"Yuanzhi, were you able to persuade the gentleman to serve me?"

Xu Shu shook his head with a sigh.

"My lord, it's not that Zixuan refuses to join us. He has concerns in his heart, but can't bring himself to speak of them directly."

Liu Bei's expression turned serious.

"What concerns does the gentleman have? Yuanzhi, can you tell me?"

"Rest assured, whatever his concerns may be, if they're within my power to address, I won't refuse."

Moved by Liu Bei's sincerity, Xu Shu decided to recount Qin Tian's words, one by one.

When Liu Bei heard the first weakness, he couldn't help sighing.

"The gentleman's words are truly perceptive. I have felt this myself. I'm fortunate he pointed it out today. I'll take it to heart."

When he heard the second weakness, he shook his head and sighed again.

"This is my fault. If such a thing happens in the future, I'll gladly bear the blame. I won't let the gentleman be put in a difficult position!"

But after hearing the third weakness, Liu Bei fell silent. After a long while, he spoke with a sorrowful expression.

"Yunchang and Yide are both my younger brothers. When a brother errs, the elder brother bears fault as well."

"The gentleman's judgment is truly perceptive, but he's wary of my brothers. What should I do?"

Seeing Liu Bei like this, Xu Shu shook his head with a smile.

"My lord, you've misunderstood. Zixuan isn't wary of the two generals, Guan and Zhang!"

"He's wary of the lax discipline in our army!"

"My lord may not know this, but Zixuan believes in governing by law. He despises those in high places who stand above the law!"

"The problem in our army lies entirely in lax enforcement."

"By rights, I'm at fault as well. As Military Aide, I failed to enforce discipline. No wonder Zixuan dislikes us so much."

He understood now: Qin Tian wasn't staying indoors. He had been watching the movements of Liu Bei's army all along.

But what he saw had disappointed him, which was why Qin Tian refused to enter their service.

This was Xu Shu's failing, too. He knew there was a problem with Guan and Zhang, yet hadn't done anything to solve it.

But Liu Bei wasn't one to pass the blame. Seeing Xu Shu take responsibility, he shook his head.

"When all is said and done, it's my fault for indulging my third brother too much. That's why the gentleman had to point this out!"

"But my third brother is as hot-tempered as a blazing fire. How should I change him?"

Speaking of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, Liu Bei was troubled, too. Guan Yu was manageable; at least he understood the bigger picture.

Zhang Fei, on the other hand, was the sort who never learned his lesson.

Even with alcohol banned in the army, he would sneak a drink. Liu Bei could beat him all he liked, but once the beating was over, Zhang Fei went right back to his old ways.

Xu Shu gave a confident smile.

"This isn't difficult. In fact, what Zixuan said today was a way of showing our lord how to fix it!"

"I have a plan that will bring strict discipline to our army and put an end to this problem."

"It will require our lord to suffer a little, though. What do you think?"

Liu Bei immediately waved a hand.

"Don't worry about making me suffer. As long as my third brother can change and discipline is established, I'll do it!"

"What's your plan, Yuanzhi? Tell me!"

"It's simple. My lord, lean in and I'll tell you."

Liu Bei hurried closer to Xu Shu. After Xu Shu whispered in his ear, Liu Bei's face lit up.

"Yuanzhi, that plan will do. If Yide does it again, I'll follow your plan!"

Seeing that Liu Bei's delight was genuine, Xu Shu nodded to himself, then said:

"In that case, we can head back. We shouldn't keep the two generals waiting."

"Agreed!"

Liu Bei nodded, swung into the saddle, and smiled.

"We're going the same way, so you can tell me what the gentleman hopes to accomplish!"

He was now intensely curious about Qin Tian and eager to understand the thoughts of this remarkable man.

Xu Shu didn't refuse. He mounted his horse and began to tell him.

Along the way, he explained how the two had met and become friends, and how they had decided to leave Old Cao.

He also told Liu Bei of Qin Tian's desire to reform the system.

Reforming the system wasn't something that could be done in a day, nor was it something Qin Tian could accomplish alone. It would take Liu Bei's full support.

So Xu Shu decided to give Liu Bei advance warning, lest a rift arise later.

But as he finished explaining, Liu Bei's horse suddenly stopped.

Xu Shu turned around, puzzled.

"My lord, why have you stopped?"

Liu Bei looked up and sighed.

"It's not that I won't do it. I'm only marveling at how extraordinary Zixuan's talent is. Even Lord Shang of the Qin Dynasty was no greater!"

"If Cao Mengde knew how to make good use of him, why would our Han Dynasty have any fear of failing to flourish?"

Xu Shu shook his head with a smile.

"It's precisely because of his extraordinary talent that Cao Cao is wary of Zixuan."

"Cao Cao is no longer the loyal servant of the Han Dynasty he once was. His power grows by the day, and sooner or later he'll try to usurp the throne."

"If he made good use of Zixuan, it would be a disaster for the Han Dynasty!"

"But now that our lord knows his talent, he must make good use of him. Then perhaps we can revive the Han Dynasty, follow in Guangwu's footsteps, and restore the Han to greatness a third time!"

Hearing Xu Shu's words, Liu Bei nodded and declared fervently:

"Cao Mengde may not have made good use of Zixuan, but he should be my teacher!"

"If Zixuan is willing to come out of retirement again, the Han Dynasty will surely rise!"

With that, his spirits lifted, and he urged his horse onward.

Qin Tian had come to him; Heaven itself was giving him a chance. No matter what, he would seize it!