To be honest, Old Liu couldn't make sense of Qin Tian.
It wasn't the unfamiliarity of dealing with someone unknown. He simply couldn't follow Qin Tian's train of thought.
Or rather, the things this strategist did were so unconventional that Old Liu was always one step behind.
Xu Shu had a better grasp of him than Old Liu did. He was only half a step behind.
After hearing that Qin Tian was preparing to deal with Lu Bu, Xu Shu furrowed his brow and said:
"Strategist, isn't it too early to make plans against Lu Bu?"
"Our army's attention should be on Yuan Shu first!"
Hearing this, Old Liu hurriedly chimed in:
"Exactly, Strategist. Yuanzhi is right!"
"Our most pressing concern is Yuan Shu. Why go after Lu Bu first?"
Seeing their expressions, Qin Tian chuckled.
"Come with me, both of you. Let's go inside and discuss this in detail!"
That was what happened when your thinking ran too far ahead. Whatever you did, people questioned you. He'd long since gotten used to it.
He led the two of them toward the inner hall, speaking as they walked.
"Allow me to ask you, my lord: what do you think of Lu Bu?"
At the mention of Lu Bu, Old Liu fell silent.
It wasn't that he had nothing to say. There was too much he could say, and he didn't know where to begin.
If anyone knew Lu Bu best after Dong Zhuo's death, it was undoubtedly Old Liu. He'd been burned by him too many times, and had plenty to say about it.
But Old Liu was an honest man who disliked speaking ill of others behind their backs. After thinking for a long while, he finally said:
"Lu Bu is a man of the tiger and wolf."
Qin Tian smiled at Old Liu's assessment.
"That's still praising him. In my view, Lu Bu is a man with a wolf's heart and a dog's lungs!"
"If he had the heart of a tiger or wolf, he might yet accomplish something."
"But he has only a wolf's heart, while somehow being born with a dog's nature. A vicious dog, at that!"
He turned to Xu Shu.
"A dog like that barks at everyone it sees, yet retreats when faced with a real threat. He'll never amount to anything!"
"You asked why I intend to deal with Lu Bu. That's why."
"Though our forces are now fully prepared, we still fall short of Lu Bu's."
"If we join forces with him and our army gains an advantage, he'll surely grow resentful. He may even turn against us!"
"Lu Bu is short on wit and has no plans worth fearing. The real problem is that he commands the Bing Province Iron Cavalry."
"That's why I had this weapon made."
"If he behaves himself, so much the better. But if he turns against us, we'll have a way to restrain him!"
"A weapon like this may never be needed, but we can't afford to be without it!"
At last, Xu Shu understood. He couldn't help laughing.
"If caution were a contest, Strategist, would you not take first place?"
"First you schemed against the steward, and now you're scheming against Lu Bu. Good grief!"
Qin Tian took Xu Shu's teasing in stride.
"Those who fail to plan for the long term cannot plan for the moment; those who fail to consider the whole cannot govern a part."
"When you make plans for another, you must devote yourself to the task and exhaust every possibility. Only then can you see it through to the end!"
Liu Bei's eyes lit up at those words.
"What a fine saying: 'Those who fail to plan for the long term cannot plan for the moment; those who fail to consider the whole cannot govern a part'!"
"Your words have captured the true essence of strategists throughout history. Only a man of wisdom could say such a thing!"
Listening nearby, Xu Shu nodded to himself. This was probably what frightened Cao Cao about Qin Tian.
No matter the circumstances, Qin Tian always had the whole situation under control.
Who wouldn't fear a man like that when standing within his grasp?
Still, fortunately, Qin Tian was his ally, not his enemy. Xu Shu smiled.
"Your debating skills are far beyond mine, Strategist. I won't argue with you!"
"I'll ask you just one thing: when do you intend to march and take Xiang County?"
"Remember, the three-month deadline is already more than halfway over!"
"If we don't move soon, we won't have time even to lay siege!"
Qin Tian was already confident of victory and showed no sign of worry.
"Taking Xiang County will be as easy as turning over a hand. Why resort to a frontal assault?"
"However, to take Xiang County, we still need word from Lu Bu's side. As soon as he asks for reinforcements, I'll have a plan to seize it!"
He turned and asked Liu Bei:
"Yuan Shu has already raised his troops. May I ask, my lord, has Lu Bu requested our aid?"
Liu Bei froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"Lu Bu hasn't sent a letter, and we've heard nothing from him."
That was what had been troubling him, too. He didn't know what Qin Tian's letter was meant to accomplish.
But if a letter had been sent, there ought to have been a reply.
Yet even now, they'd heard nothing from Lu Bu!
He couldn't bring himself to ask whether Qin Tian's scheme had been seen through, so he could only wait in silence.
Seeing Old Liu's furrowed brow, Qin Tian reassured him.
"Lu Bu has no plans of his own. When he sees how powerful Yuan Shu is, he'll surely be afraid. He won't disregard our reinforcements."
"He must have been delayed on the road. I expect he'll arrive soon!"
Qin Tian knew Lu Bu's temper well. Push him too hard, and he could do anything!
If they hadn't contacted him, Lu Bu would've been too embarrassed to ask for help.
But now that they'd reached out, given Lu Bu's nature, he'd definitely ask for reinforcements!
Listening to Qin Tian, Old Liu felt reassured. He was just about to respond when a shout came from outside:
"My lord, a messenger from Lu Bu has arrived!"
Old Liu was instantly delighted.
Xu Shu also turned to Qin Tian, excitement in his eyes.
Qin Tian smiled.
"My lord, the fish has taken the bait. Let's reel it in. The time has come for our army to march!"
Liu Bei was overjoyed. He'd waited far too long for this moment!
At once, he led the two men toward the county office.
As soon as they entered, he asked Lu Bu's envoy:
"What brings you here, sir?"
The messenger was a scholar. He hurriedly clasped his hands and replied:
"Some time ago, Your Excellency invited my lord to join forces against Yuan Shu. After considering it for some time, my lord resolved that Yuan Shu was a traitor to the state and must be defeated. But now Yuan Shu has taken the initiative and raised his troops, so my lord sent me to ask Your Excellency to send reinforcements!"
"If Your Excellency is willing to help, once Yuan Shu has been driven back, our army will march alongside yours and help you seize Pei Commandery!"
"This is a letter from my lord. Please read it for yourself!"
Liu Bei took the letter and read it carefully.
Meanwhile, Qin Tian strolled over to the scholar and asked:
"May I ask your name and position?"
The scholar realized Qin Tian must hold a high rank and quickly answered:
"My name is Zhang Tong, and I'm a minor clerk under the general. May I ask who you are, sir?"
Qin Tian replied with a smile:
"I'm Your Excellency's strategist. My name is Wang He."
"Since you're the messenger, let me ask you: were the words you just spoke personally given to you by General Lu?"
Hearing that Qin Tian was the strategist, Zhang Tong became even more deferential.
"Indeed! Those were my lord's exact words!"
Qin Tian nodded, then asked:
"Then let me ask you another question. Yuan Shu has been on the march for quite some time. If General Lu needed our aid, why have you only arrived today? Were you negligent on the road and delayed?"
At Qin Tian's question, Zhang Tong shuddered. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"It wasn't my fault. Mr. Chen held me up!"
The smile on Qin Tian's face grew broader.
"Was this Mr. Chen Chen Gong, Chen Gongtai?"
Zhang Tong was only a minor clerk. How could he withstand Qin Tian's shrewd questioning? He could only answer meekly:
"That's right!"
As soon as he heard that Chen Gong had been obstructing them, Qin Tian understood. Lu Bu had most likely wanted to ask for help, but Chen Gong had secretly stopped him, dragging things out until now.
Chen Gong was actually an old acquaintance of his!
But unlike the others, who were his friends, Chen Gong was unquestionably his political enemy!
That fellow Chen Gong had the typical mindset of the scholar-official class: he cared only for the great clans and not the common people.
Qin Tian, by chance, disliked that circle. He cared only about the common people and had never gotten along with those lofty men who did nothing but talk.
So the two of them had been at odds from the very beginning.
Chen Gong had tried to rebel before, and Qin Tian had thwarted him. The feud between them ran deep.
Thinking that he'd have to cross swords with Chen Gong again, Qin Tian laughed to himself.
"You struck first this time. Don't blame me for what comes next!"
He already had a way to deal with Chen Gong. Turning to the clerk before him, he said:
"I see. Thank you for clearing that up."
After exchanging a few words, he stood off to one side and said no more.
Once Liu Bei had finished reading the letter, he asked:
"Strategist, should we send troops to help?"
Qin Tian smiled.
"Since Marquis Wen has written to us himself, our army should give him our full support!"
He turned to Zhang Tong.
"Go back and tell Marquis Wen that our army will set out at once. Ask him to await good news!"
Zhang Tong was delighted. He hurriedly clasped his hands, agreed, and left the county office.
After he had gone, Xu Shu, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and asked:
"Zixuan, are we really going to reinforce Lu Bu?"
"Though Lu Bu has agreed to lend us a hand, he's fickle and unpredictable. Even if we win, I doubt he'll make things easy for us!"
Liu Bei listened and nodded.
"Lu Bu cannot be trusted!"
He hadn't said much, but his stance was clear: they could make use of Lu Bu, but he was wary of cooperating with him.
Qin Tian had expected both of them to feel that way. He simply smiled.
"Rest assured. This expedition will bring us nothing but benefits. It won't do us the slightest harm!"
"My lord, just muster the troops and follow my plan. We'll reach Xiapi as quickly as we can!"
"After this battle, not only will Xiang County be ours for the taking, but we'll also gain money and grain and take control of all Pei Commandery!"
Seeing how confident Qin Tian was, Xu Shu said:
"It seems the strategist's plan is already in place. I won't say any more."
He smiled at Liu Bei.
"My lord, go muster the troops. We can all watch the strategist's plan unfold!"
Liu Bei didn't hesitate any longer. He nodded and ordered the generals to assemble.
Ever since Qin Tian had taken office, Zhang Fei and the others had been drilling the troops harder. They could see that their forces were ready for action, and they'd been eager to fight every day. But with no orders to march, they could only wait. Now that Liu Bei had summoned them, they all came gladly.
As soon as he entered the county office, Zhang Fei said:
"Big brother, are we going to march on Xiang County?"
Liu Bei saw his eagerness and shook his head.
"Lu Bu has asked for reinforcements. We're going to help him."
Zhang Fei had never thought much of Lu Bu. Hearing that they were going to reinforce him, he immediately shouted angrily:
"Big brother, what do you mean by this? Lu Bu has made trouble for us again and again, and even attacked our Xuzhou. Now he's about to be defeated, so let him fall! Why should we send troops to help him?"
Liu Bei had no choice but to look toward Qin Tian.
Qin Tian answered solemnly:
"Though we're marching to aid Lu Bu, we're also going to take Xiang County. All of you, get the troops ready to depart. Xiang County will soon be ours!"
Zhang Fei was still unhappy.
"Strategist, I don't understand. What does rescuing Lu Bu have to do with taking Xiang County?"
If it had been anyone else, Qin Tian might have explained. But instead, he said sternly:
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Just obey the order!"
"An army's orders are as weighty as mountains. Enough of this nonsense. Go prepare the troops and set out!"
"Anyone who disobeys my command will be dealt with under military law!"
The most important thing in an army was obeying orders. Liu Bei might indulge those two, but Qin Tian wouldn't.
Zhang Fei had always had a short fuse. As soon as he heard this, he was about to fly into a rage, but Guan Yu grabbed him by the arm.
Seeing this, Liu Bei's voice turned stern.
"The military advisor's words are my orders. All of you, make ready your troops and set out today. No more arguing!"
The generals were cowed by Liu Bei's authority and didn't dare speak. They all accepted the order and left.
Guan Yu also dragged Zhang Fei out of the county office.
As soon as they were outside, Old Zhang couldn't hold back any longer.
"Second Brother, why did you stop me? Just let me give that man a good grilling!"
"It's one thing for us to train our troops, but how can we let ourselves be used by someone else?"
Seeing Zhang Fei like this, Guan Yu knew he couldn't accept the idea of reinforcing Lu Bu. Truthfully, Guan Yu found it hard to accept, too.
But Qin Tian wasn't going to indulge them with talk of personal feelings. He only cited military law. As subordinates, what could they do?
"I know you're angry, Third Brother. But he's the military advisor, and we're generals. How could you win an argument with him?"
"Besides, if we disobey our orders, our elder brother will have to take the blame for us. How can we be so willful?"
Hearing this, Zhang Fei immediately wilted.
"Then what do you think we should do, Second Brother?"
"Yide, just go with the army and see how he plans to proceed!"
Guan Yu narrowed his eyes.
"If we can take Xiang County, then we'll have no choice but to obey. If we can't, we'll have military law to cite, too!"
Zhang Fei understood that the situation left them with little choice. He could only nod in agreement and return to camp to muster the troops.
After that, Liu Bei formally issued his orders, appointing Guan Yu as commander to defend Xiaopei, with Xu Shu assisting him.
He himself led Zhang Fei, Chen Dao, Fu Shiren, and the other generals, with Qin Tian as military advisor. Taking eight thousand troops, he hurried through the night toward Xiapi.
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