[Lightscreen]
[Although this Liu Yuan bears the surname Liu, it was a bestowed surname.
During Cao Cao's rule, control over the frontier remained firm. In the Battle of Bailangshan, Zhang Liao led his forces to slay the chieftain Tadun and crush the Wuhuan, which stands as one of the most brilliant achievements on Cao Cao's record.
Zhang Liao, later hailed as the God of Hefei, was praised by a Tang dynasty grand scholar in these words:
"Wei Qing opened the campaigns, Zhang Liao expanded the borders, Huo Qubing served as the Piaoyao Colonel, and Li Guang was famed as the General Who Captures Foes," placing them among the four great generals of the Han.]
Liu Bei let out a quiet breath of relief. He could not help but be uneasy. Words like "attacking Luoyang" sounded suspicious no matter how one looked at them, and the man even bore the surname Liu. If that truly turned out to be one of his descendants, it would be a disgrace beyond measure.
The other generals, however, had their eyes gleaming.
Four great generals.
Huang Zhong showed a hint of disagreement. "If one speaks of great generals, how could the Marquis of Huaiyin be absent?"
Zhao Yun, having risen from the ranks of the Youzhou cavalry and long accustomed to fighting nomadic tribes, caught the underlying logic at once. "It seems the Tang court judged by merit in campaigns against foreign tribes. These four earned their fame through such victories. Perhaps that is why Han Xin was not included."
Guan Yu's gaze lingered on the words "expanded the borders," his fingers unconsciously stroking his beard. To extend the territory of the Han, this Tang scholar clearly held Zhang Liao in high esteem. To think that an old acquaintance had walked such a brilliant path.
"And to think Wen Yuan is the one they call the God of Hefei."
He and Zhuge Liang had once speculated privately. Based on the location of Hefei, it must have been a clash between Cao Cao and Sun Quan. Judging from the terrain, Sun Quan likely grew overconfident, while Zhang Liao seized the moment and struck like the Marquis of Huaiyin, choosing elite troops and attacking at the critical instant. Such tactics required both strategy and courage. The so-called God of Hefei had to be a great general. They simply had not expected it to be someone they knew.
Zhang Fei curled his lip. "Second Brother, don't forget Hefei isn't far from Maicheng. When you and my nephew were surrounded, that God of Hefei might have had a hand in it."
Guan Yu fell silent.
[Lightscreen]
[In dealing with the Xiongnu, Cao Cao continued the Han policy of division and control. Under Emperor Xian, the southern Xiongnu were split into five divisions, and their leaders, including Liu Bao's generation, were all granted the surname Liu. Each division was assigned a Han official to supervise them, ensuring tight control down to the roots.
Liu Yuan, the son of Liu Bao, was both ambitious and capable. Taking advantage of the chaos of the War of the Eight Princes, he carved out a domain in Bingzhou and, under the pretext of "the younger brother succeeding the elder," established a Han regime, even posthumously honoring Liu Shan as Emperor Xiaohuai. Truly outrageous.]
Liu Bei had initially intended to praise Cao Cao's handling of the Xiongnu. Though the bestowal of the Liu surname left a bitter taste, it was, in the end, for the sake of the Han.
But the moment he heard "honoring Liu Shan as Emperor Xiaohuai" and "the younger brother succeeds the elder," he shot to his feet.
"You think you're worthy!?"
The hall struggled to contain its laughter. Jian Yong, as carefree as ever, grinned and said, "Who would have thought my lord would gain such a grandson."
Zhuge Liang stepped in smoothly. "The light screen mentioned the War of the Eight Princes earlier. Judging by the name, it must have been another conflict among imperial princes."
"Heh! The Sima clan seized the realm in the first place. Not surprising their descendants turned on each other," Zhang Fei scoffed.
Liu Bei gradually calmed down. The events described were far too distant for him to influence. And in the end, was it not because A-Dou had failed to live up to expectations? If the Shu Han had endured even twenty more years, there might have been a chance to restore the Han during the Sima clan's internal strife.
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.
Perhaps he should give A-Dou another beating tonight.
The thought alone brought him a strange sense of relief.
[Lightscreen]
[What is even more absurd is that this regime, which controlled no more than two provinces, lasted only twenty-five years and passed through four generations. Yet the first two rulers were posthumously honored as Emperor Guangwen of Han and Emperor Zhaowu of Han.
The Sixteen Kingdoms period under the Eastern Jin was truly a chaotic free-for-all, where anyone bold enough could claim a throne. Titles like "Wen" and "Wu" were handed out so freely they seemed almost worthless.
In any case, this so-called regime was utterly crushed by the Liangzhou cavalry, and that was more than a century after the Three Kingdoms, when their strength had likely already declined.]
Liu Bei's brief moment of satisfaction lasted less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea before he erupted again, teeth clenched.
"Guangwen? Zhaowu? Even I was only granted the posthumous title Zhaolie! A petty regime of barbarians dares compare itself to the great emperors?"
Zhang Fei inwardly howled. Elder Brother, are you really acknowledging this so-called grandson now?
Outwardly, he kept his head lowered and behaved with perfect obedience.
Zhuge Liang shook his head in disdain. "Nothing more than empty arrogance. When the Jin fell, there were said to be sixteen kingdoms. The Eastern Han had only thirteen provinces. Could these so-called kingdoms even equal a single province?"
He found it increasingly difficult to imagine.
[Lightscreen]
[Within the same era, Ma Chao can be compared to Sun Ce. Both inherited their fathers' power, both commanded troops, and both faced unstable local elites.
Sun Ce cut down the Jiangdong aristocratic clans without hesitation. Though he ultimately lost his life, he successfully established the foundation of Jiangdong.
Ma Chao also cut people down without restraint, except he turned his blade on his own father, while treating the Liangzhou aristocratic clans with hesitation and leniency. In the end, he was betrayed. It is truly absurd.
He treated his enemies better than his own father. Ma Mengqi, he really… I'm moved to tears.]
Zhuge Liang frowned slightly. Was that last line praise or ridicule? Taken at face value it seemed like praise, yet combined with everything before it, it felt entirely off.
Liu Bei withdrew into silence. Guan Yu steadied himself, stroking his beard before speaking.
"The powerful families of Liangzhou are fickle and cunning. They submit to force but not to virtue. Ma Mengqi's killing of his father made him despised by all, and his killing of the Liangzhou Inspector made him intolerable to the court. Yet he still treated the local clans with leniency. His downfall was inevitable."
Jian Yong and Mi Zhu exchanged glances. They had seen such patterns before, whether under Tao Qian or Liu Biao. The same bitter lesson repeated itself.
And somehow, Ma Chao's path to ruin felt strangely familiar.
Zhang Fei suddenly slapped his thigh. "Isn't Ma Chao in Liangzhou just like Lü Bu in Xuzhou? Ma Chao trusted the local elites and got his whole family wiped out. Lü Bu was toyed with by Chen Deng, but at least he managed to preserve his kin."
Strangely enough, that comparison made sense.
[Lightscreen]
[If one cannot suppress local forces, then at the very least one must unite one's own ranks. Take Lü Bu. Though he was treacherous and self-serving, Gao Shun was willing to die for him, and even those who betrayed him did so out of desperation.
And Ma Chao? When he defected to Liu Bei, only his cousin Ma Dai followed him. His general Pang De would rather serve Zhang Lu than remain with him.
After Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao, Pang De fought at Fancheng with a coffin prepared, battling Guan Yu to the death and refusing to surrender. Chen Shou later praised him in Records of the Three Kingdoms, saying he possessed "the integrity of Zhou Ke," leaving behind a lasting name.
As for later, when Pang De's son followed Deng Ai in conquering Shu and, after Liu Shan's surrender, entered Chengdu and wiped out the Guan clan… that is a story for another time.]