32, Divine Oracle

The sky was bright, and the red sun climbed high.

Zhang Jiao sat within the main tent, attending to matters of administration and logistics, when Zhang Liang suddenly strode in.

"Brother, Great Virtuous Teacher!"

Zhang Liang clearly understood the principle of using titles while on duty. He stepped forward and said, "The Han Court has fired a command arrow into our camp, claiming that an envoy wishes to leave the city to discuss urgent matters with us. They request that we do not harm the envoy."

Zhang Jiao remained exceptionally calm. "The Holy Venerable has long known of this, saying the false emperor wishes to negotiate peace with us."

Zhang Liang was not at all surprised by the Holy Venerable's ability to divine the future; a hint of reverence deepened in his eyes. "The false emperor is dim-witted and devoid of virtue, cowardly as a mouse. Seeing our great army pressing upon the borders and advancing like a bamboo being split, he is naturally terrified and seeks to preserve Luoyang."

Zhang Jiao shook his head. "There is nothing to discuss. When the Holy Venerable descended into the world, he declared that the Yellow Heaven shall rise and the Blue Heaven shall die. This is the divine decree; we and the Han Court are like fire and water, unable to coexist."

"Then shall I have men fire arrows into the city to tell them not to send anyone, and extinguish their hopes for peace talks?" Zhang Liang asked.

Zhang Jiao, however, replied, "Peace talks are indeed unnecessary, but let the envoy come. The Holy Venerable has a divine oracle to pass down."

"Understood!"

Zhang Liang accepted the order and departed, sending men to fire a command arrow into Luoyang, stating that they were willing to talk.

Three quarters of an hour later, four solitary figures on four horses finally emerged from Luoyang.

The leader was a man with white hair and beard, his face etched with deep lines of age. It was none other than Liu Yan. Behind him were three men: the leader had long arms that differed from ordinary men, and his two attendants—one with a beard reaching his abdomen and sharp, piercing eyes, the other robust and fierce with a cold, stern expression—were Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

The three had met in You Province, sharing a bond as deep as brothers, always advancing and retreating together. This time, as Liu Yan entered the Yellow Turban camp as an envoy, Liu Bei had volunteered to serve as his guard. Fearing for Liu Bei's safety, Guan and Zhang had insisted on accompanying him, which was why this small diplomatic team consisted of four people.

Truth be told, Emperor Liu Hong was not pleased to let Liu Bei leave Luoyang for the enemy camp; he truly counted on Liu Bei to lead troops to protect him at a critical moment.

It was only because Liu Bei claimed to have a trusted aide named Jian Yong in the army, who would surely protect the Emperor's safety should he die in the enemy camp, that Liu Hong reluctantly agreed to let Liu Bei accompany the mission.

Once outside Luoyang, a desolate, cold wind blew, causing Liu Yan, who was riding on horseback, to catch his breath. He finally understood the feeling of "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold; the brave man goes, never to return."

He turned his head to look at Liu Bei following behind and said with emotion, "This mission is a narrow escape from death. The Moth Bandits have long hated our Han Court. Now that they have besieged Luoyang, they hold us in even less regard. If we make the slightest error in our speech, I fear it will mean death. Xuande, there was truly no need for you to accompany me."

Liu Bei's expression remained calm. "If not for the favor and promotion of the Clan Chief, how would a minor military officer like Bei have the chance to see the Emperor's noble countenance, let alone be trusted by His Majesty? A great kindness cannot go unrequited; what does it matter if I die?"

When Liu Bei was in You Province, he was merely a leader of a small local militia. Despite earning some merit while suppressing the Yellow Turbans in You Province, he could at most have been granted the position of a county lieutenant.

But after arriving in Luoyang, he was valued by Liu Yan and introduced to the Emperor, turning his life around to become a military commandant. Had he not lacked sufficient merit and been so young, Liu Hong might even have wanted to promote him to a general of a miscellaneous title.

Liu Yan had shown Liu Bei the grace of discovery; how could Liu Bei not repay him?

A look of appreciation appeared in Liu Yan's eyes. A man surnamed Liu, loyal, righteous, brave, and skilled in battle—this was precisely the talent the imperial clan needed most!

He said nothing more and continued riding toward the Yellow Turban camp, though in his heart, he was already thinking of how to promote Liu Bei further when the opportunity arose.

The Yellow Turban camp was very close to Luoyang, and after riding for a short while, the four arrived outside the perimeter.

The camp was set up on a gentle slope, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. The outer perimeter was lined with deep-dug trenches and several rows of extremely sharp caltrops. Watchtowers were erected high, and the soldiers atop them scanned the surroundings with vigilance.

The camp gate was heavy, constructed of thick timber. Under the guidance of a Yellow Turban soldier, Liu Yan and his party stepped into the camp.

Walking on the firm, level ground, Liu Yan and Liu Bei silently assessed the situation inside.

Patrolling soldiers, clad in armor and bearing blades, moved with steady steps throughout the camp. In a vast, open space, groups of soldiers were drilling; some practiced military formations with thunderous shouts, while others sparred in pairs to hone their skills.

Liu Bei noticed that although these soldiers had swarthy complexions, most were robust and far more elite than the Yellow Turban soldiers he had dealt with in You Province.

The four reached the front of the commander's tent. The guiding soldier told them to stop and went inside to report. After waiting a while, the soldier emerged and said coldly, "Go in. The Great Virtuous Teacher is waiting for you inside."

Liu Yan did not mind the cold reception; he had come for peace talks, and being humble was unavoidable.

Surrendering their weapons and passing through dozens of armored soldiers standing solemnly with spears, the four entered the main tent. The interior was sparsely furnished, containing only a few mats and a low table. Zhang Jiao was hunched over the table attending to affairs, while Zhang Liang, He Yi, Huang Shao, and others kept their hands on the hilts of their ring-pommel sabers, coldly eyeing the four men.

Liu Yan remained calm, Liu Bei was curious, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei responded to the glares of He Yi and the others with disdainful snorts.

"Liu Yan, Liu Junlang?" Zhang Jiao stood up and looked at the man before him. "Please, take a seat."

After Liu Yan bowed in greeting, he knelt on the mat to the lower left of Zhang Jiao. Liu Bei and his two companions stood behind him, saying nothing.

"Is the gentleman here to beg for peace?" Zhang Jiao did not care for beating around the bush and asked directly.

Liu Yan spoke with a serious expression, "Not to beg for peace, but to negotiate it!"

"There is no difference between the two."

"One who begs for peace is in a desperate situation and has no choice, whereas to negotiate peace implies that both sides are of equal strength."

"Your army is already besieged by us in Luoyang; how can you claim to be of equal strength?"

"Not so. The walls of Luoyang are high and thick, and the city holds one hundred thousand elite soldiers and a million loyal subjects. How can your army hope to take Luoyang?"

The one hundred thousand soldiers and one million subjects were, of course, a lie—merely a strategy of negotiation.

Zhang Jiao did not care and shook his head. "No matter how cleverly you argue, our army will not agree to negotiate."

Liu Yan frowned, deciding to offer some "sweeteners." "If your army is willing to withdraw, the Emperor can issue an order to grant you Ji Province, You Province, and Yan Province to establish the Great Peace Yellow Heaven."

Zhang Jiao did not respond. Liu Yan grew anxious, gritting his teeth as he said, "And we shall add Qing, Xu, and Yang Provinces!"

Zhang Jiao remained silent. After a long pause, Liu Yan finally said, "Yu Province can also be given to you. You and I shall divide the world—how about that? Without wasting a single soldier, you could obtain more than half the world. Is that not better than fighting to the death beneath the walls of Luoyang?"

Zhang Jiao finally spoke: "What we want is for everything under the heavens to be at Great Peace!"

"Must you insist on a fight to the death?" Liu Yan's face turned grim.

"It is not necessarily a fight to the death."

Zhang Jiao stood up and said calmly, "The oracle of the Sovereign Yellow Absolute God is this: if the Han Army surrenders the city, their lives shall be spared. I have said all there is to say!"