Old Liu's Reflections, Acquaintance Zhao Yun

Faced with the plan to seize the city proposed by Qin Tian, Liu Bei fell into deep thought.

Just as Qin Tian had said, this strategy certainly carried risks!

But compared to the potential gains, these risks were nothing at all!

War is war; where could one find a battle without risk?

Therefore, the key lay entirely with Qiao Rui.

Thinking this, he looked toward Qiao Rui and asked:

"General Qiao, what do you think of this plan?"

"If you are troubled by past sentiments, the strategist and I can seek another way!"

This was Liu Bei's strength—his ability to empathize. He felt that since Qiao Rui had only just surrendered, forcing him into such a task immediately might be difficult for him to accept.

As long as Qiao Rui showed the slightest reluctance, he would not force the issue, even if it meant failing to take Xiang County.

This was Liu Bei's virtue, and the very essence of his personal charisma.

Seeing this, Qiao Rui was deeply moved, secretly thinking that he had truly encountered a wise lord.

If it were Yuan Shu, he wouldn't have bothered to ask a single question about such a plan; if he told you to go, you went, and if you didn't want to, you went anyway!

How could he be like Liu Bei, considering his feelings at every turn?

As the saying goes, a scholar dies for one who understands him. He immediately stood up to declare his stance:

"My lord treats me with such kindness that this humble general wishes to repay you with his very life!"

"This matter will surely succeed. If it does not, I am willing to die within the city walls!"

Seeing his determination to face death, Liu Bei hurriedly stood up, grabbed his hands, and said:

"General, do not say such things. Even if Xiang County is not taken and our army is defeated, I would not wish for you to leave us. You must cherish your life to accomplish great things!"

Hearing these words from Liu Bei, Qiao Rui was moved beyond words, his heart stirred.

Qin Tian watched from the side without speaking. There were some things he needed to point out, but other things were simply Old Liu's natural talent; he did not need to interfere.

After this exchange of hearts between lord and subject, he finally spoke:

"Since the plan is set, General Qiao should depart!"

"After you leave, our army will arrive in ten days at the latest. I hope you will act according to the situation. Even if you hear no news, do not panic, and do not be rash!"

Hearing this, Qiao Rui nodded heavily.

Qin Tian then summoned Chen Dao to arrange the remaining matters.

The most important task was to be responsible for slaying Mei Gan!

To be honest, Qiao Rui was getting on in years, and having sustained injuries during his battle with Zhang Fei, it would be somewhat difficult for him to kill Mei Gan.

But Chen Dao was different. In terms of martial prowess, Chen Dao ranked third in the current Liu Bei army.

When it came to loyalty and execution, Chen Dao was also top-tier.

Entrusting this matter to Chen Dao, he felt at ease!

Once Qin Tian had arranged everything, Liu Bei issued the military order, letting the two lead their troops away!

After they had departed, Liu Bei asked:

"Strategist, although our army is carrying grain and supplies, why did you tell General Qiao to wait for us for ten days?"

He always pondered Qin Tian's words carefully, and hearing a hint of delay in the strategist's tone, he was naturally confused!

In his view, as soon as they left Xiapi, they should advance at full speed!

Even if they couldn't match the pace of Qiao Rui's men, they would be at most three or four days behind; there was no way it should take ten days!

Upon hearing this, Qin Tian shook his head and said:

"Does my lord think our army can simply leave whenever it pleases?"

"What does the strategist mean by this?"

Liu Bei was startled and asked:

"Was it not agreed that we would deal with Lu Bu only after seizing Xiang County?"

"Could it be that Lu Bu will turn against us the moment we leave?"

"It is not that Lu Bu will turn, but that Chen Gong will cause trouble!"

Qin Tian sighed slightly:

"Originally, my intention was to imprison Chen Gong upon our arrival so he would remain quiet for a few days. Once our army departed, he could be released, and it would not affect the grand plan!"

"But I did not expect this man, Chen Gong, to be so difficult to deal with."

"Even while in prison, he remains restless, having tried several times to probe my identity. It is clear he has already grown suspicious!"

"Given his personality, even if he does not know my true identity, the moment he sees our army leave, he will exhaust every means to make Lu Bu attack us to prevent future trouble."

"Furthermore, Lu Bu lacks personal conviction; with Chen Gong there to persuade him, he will likely dispatch a pursuit force!"

Hearing that it was Chen Gong causing trouble, Liu Bei frowned and sighed:

"If that is truly the case, what are we to do?"

He knew full well how formidable Chen Gong was, and Lu Bu currently commanded a vast number of troops.

If Chen Gong managed to persuade him, their own forces would likely be unable to withstand the assault!

When Qin Tian heard Liu Bei's sigh, he realized the old man had misunderstood, so he smiled and said:

"My Lord, do not worry. The reason I sighed was not because of this matter, but because Chen Gong must not die yet; otherwise, I would have killed him already!"

"As for whatever schemes Chen Gong may have, there is no need for concern!"

"Our army shall simply retreat. No matter whom he sends to pursue us, I will ensure they never return!"

Truth be told, he did not fear Chen Gong.

Because that fellow was suited for head-on battles, but when it came to schemes and trickery, he was ten streets behind Jia Xu!

Just as he had said, his sigh was because he needed to keep Chen Gong alive to stabilize the situation in Xuzhou for Lu Bu, thereby leaving room for them to develop!

Otherwise, during these few days in prison, he had plenty of ways to finish Chen Gong off.

But the guy was like a fly—you couldn't kill him, yet leaving him alive was a nuisance. That was the reason for his sigh.

It was not, as Liu Bei assumed, that he had no way to deal with Chen Gong!

With that thought, he said to Liu Bei:

"I suspect that since Lu Bu has few troops and many captives, he cannot easily leave the city. If he sends anyone to pursue, it will surely be either Han Xian or Yang Feng!"

"When our army retreats, My Lord, just arrange for scouts to follow behind us. If you see their troops leave the city, do not alert them!"

"If they dare to come, I shall devise a plan to swallow their forces whole and bolster our own strength!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei looked at him sideways, stunned.

So, the things that seemed like major crises in his eyes were, to Qin Tian, not worth mentioning at all?

Just how was this Qin Tian's brain wired?

Why did it feel like every difficulty, once it encountered Qin Tian, was solved as easily as splitting bamboo!

It was strange, truly strange; he had never experienced such smooth sailing, and it felt somewhat unreal.

Seeing the old man silent, Qin Tian felt it was odd and asked:

"My Lord, why have you stopped speaking? Is there some error in what I have said?"

Startled by his words, Liu Bei snapped back to reality, shook his head, and sighed:

"It is not that the Strategist is wrong; I was merely wondering, is the Strategist perhaps a celestial being descended to earth?"

"Otherwise, how could you see through the enemy's plans so clearly!"

"If I knew the enemy had such designs, I would be unable to eat or sleep in peace, let alone speak and laugh as the Strategist does!"

Listening to Liu Bei's lament, Qin Tian thought to himself:

Not a celestial being, just a transmigrator!

Though he thought this, he smiled on the surface:

"There are no celestial beings here, merely someone who thinks and worries too much. Once you have pondered enough, things naturally become clear!"

Liu Bei nodded upon hearing this and said:

"Perhaps that is so. In the end, it is just my own dull aptitude that prevents me from seeing it clearly!"

"My Lord, do not belittle yourself!"

Seeing the old man constantly disparaging himself, Qin Tian laughed:

"Everyone has their own strengths. Take me, for instance—I am naturally inclined to overthink, and I must resolve every doubt before I can sleep soundly."

"As for you, My Lord, you are naturally gifted at drawing people close and utilizing the strengths of others for your own ends!"

"In the past, Gaozu evaluated himself: his strategy was inferior to Zhang Liang, his governance inferior to Xiao He, and his command of troops inferior to Han Xin. Yet, he achieved the imperial cause. Why?"

"It is because he knew his own shortcomings and was skilled at employing others!"

"I observe that your way of employing people, My Lord, carries the spirit of Gaozu. You should emulate his method: gather the wise and capable, and let them serve you. This is your strength; do not compare your own weaknesses to the strengths of others!"

Liu Bei listened, a smile appearing on his face:

"I often said to Yuanzhi: 'The Master should be my teacher!'"

"Now it seems that is indeed the case. Every time I hear the Master's words, I feel I have gained something new!"

"As for the matter of employing talent, I do indeed have that desire!"

"It is a pity that there are so few talents under my command; there is no one to use!"

He looked at Qin Tian suggestively, as if to say: since we are on the subject, why don't you recommend a few?

Seeing Liu Bei like this, Qin Tian wanted to retort—where was he supposed to find talent right now!

In short, Pei Commandery had no such men, and those who could be recommended were too far away. As for those "destined heroes" of Liu Bei, young Zhuge was only seventeen and still in his growth phase, while young Pang was already an adult, though no one knew what he was up to. Fa Zheng was certainly usable, but unfortunately, he was stuck in Yi Province!

These people would naturally be useful in the future, but he could not summon them now.

As for military generals, Qin Tian pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said:

"My Lord, do not sigh over a lack of talent. Perhaps there are those who are capable, yet you have simply not thought of them!"

He had remembered—Zilong could be used!

There was no need to wait for Guandu; Zilong was currently a commoner. Given Liu Bei's connections, a single letter could bring him over!

If Shu Han had no poster girl, could it even be called Shu Han?

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei thought carefully and said:

"If we speak of capable men, there are quite a few. Counting them one by one: Tian Guorang, Chen Changwen, Taishi Ziyi, Yuan Huan, and others could all be used. It is a pity they have all left me!"

Tian Guorang was Tian Yu. This brother had only left recently to return home and care for his elderly mother; Qin Tian was aware of this.

As for the scions of noble families like Chen Qun and Yuan Huan, there was no point in thinking of them for now; they would not come until Liu Bei had established a stable foundation!

However, this mention of Taishi Ci caught Qin Tian's attention.

One had to remember that Taishi Ci did not join Sun Ce until much later, remaining independent for a considerable amount of time!

Perhaps there was a chance to recruit him after all.

But his primary goal now was to make Liu Bei remember Zhao Yun.

If Liu Bei did not think of him, he could not bring it up proactively, as Zhao Yun was currently just a nameless nobody, and he had no reason to know him!

Seeing that the old Liu could not recall, he hurriedly prompted:

"Perhaps there is someone who did not wish to leave, but had no choice due to circumstances!"

Liu Bei listened, and a flash of inspiration struck his mind as he said:

"There is indeed one man. He is a native of Changshan named Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong. His martial arts are exceptional, and he is a man of great loyalty and courage!"

"I met him years ago while serving under Gongsun Bogui. I intended to recruit him, but alas, his brother passed away, and I could not keep him!"

Seeing that the old Liu had finally remembered Zilong, Qin Tian hurriedly said:

"Now is the time when we are in dire need of talent. Since this man was a former subordinate of Gongsun Bogui, he must be a cavalry officer!"

"Our army will inevitably need to develop cavalry in the future; why not recruit him?"

But Liu Bei frowned as he listened:

"Although I have this intention, Zilong may not be willing to come!"

Qin Tian thought to himself, if others wouldn't come, Zhao Yun certainly would. He hurriedly said:

"A great man should strive to establish his legacy. Since you, My Lord, hold this man in such high regard, you should at least try. If he truly does not wish to come, we simply need not mention it again!"

Liu Bei thought this made sense and nodded:

"Since the strategist advises it, I shall write a letter of invitation once we return!"

But Qin Tian was still not satisfied and urged:

"We are in urgent need of talent now; the sooner he arrives, the sooner we can put him to use!"

"Why wait until we return? You can write the letter now and have General Guan send someone north."

"If they are fast, they can arrive in a month or two, and we can make use of him before this autumn!"

"My Lord must understand, our army lacks generals. Every additional general is an extra source of strength!"

He was genuinely worried about the shortage of commanders. Their territory was small enough to manage for now, but by the end of the year, once they took Huainan, they would have such a vast territory that without generals, they would be unable to hold it even if they conquered it!

Liu Bei found this strange; why did it seem like Qin Tian valued Zhao Yun so highly?

In reality, he only admired Zhao Yun's loyalty and courage and did not yet know of his talent for leading troops!

But thinking of how his current subordinates were indeed insufficient, and that Zhao Yun was so loyal and righteous, he could certainly be put to great use. He nodded immediately and had someone bring silk, preparing to write the letter to bring Zhao Yun over.

Qin Tian watched Liu Bei and could not help but reveal a faint smile.

If Zhao Yun could come, he would have three of the Five Tiger Generals.

Aside from Zhang Fei, he would have another option for the future. As for Guan Yu, he intended to pair him with Xu Shu to guard the rear.

With Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun to advance, and Guan Yu and Xu Shu to hold the home front, he would be confident in letting the old Liu gain a firm foothold in the Central Plains!