Liu Bei spent the night in Chanling.
To be precise, he brought his troops and spent the night inside Lady Sun's residence.
Within the manor, Liu Bei's personal guards stood facing Lady Sun's female escorts, weapons drawn and killing intent filling the courtyard. The servants kept their eyes lowered and hardly dared to breathe.
Even inwardly, they could not help wondering.
Liu Huangshu was usually gentle and courteous. For him to deploy such a formation, Lady Sun must truly be someone who could not be handled lightly.
Following Liu Bei's instructions, several servants carried in a table and two chairs before warming a jar of wine.
Liu Bei waved his hand.
"You may leave."
The servants withdrew as if they had been granted amnesty. Before departing, they even remembered to close the courtyard gate behind them.
Liu Bei sat openly beneath the sparse stars as the night wind drifted through the courtyard. He poured himself a cup of wine, raised it, and spoke.
"Madam, shall we hold a Single Blade Meeting tonight?"
"Stand down!"
Lady Sun's sharp command rang through the courtyard.
Her female guards immediately lowered their weapons.
Lady Sun stepped forward and sat across from Liu Bei without hesitation.
With a snort, she seized the wine cup from his hand, tilted her head back, and drained it in a single gulp.
Liu Bei clapped loudly.
"Madam has an excellent tolerance for wine! Good!"
Only then did Liu Bei take the time to study his new wife carefully.
Her eyebrows were shaped like drawn blades, slanting toward a pair of eyes faintly tinged with green. She was utterly different from Lady Mi. Even the hand holding the wine cup bore calluses from years of wielding weapons.
She truly carries the bearing of her father and brothers.
Liu Bei praised her inwardly, then added a mental caveat.
Except for Sun Quan.
If a fierce woman like this commanded troops, she would probably have chosen to counterattack beneath the walls of Hefei rather than retreat.
Liu Bei shook his head slightly, refilled her cup, and continued.
"Does Madam think I feared you would cross the river to seek out Zhou Gongjin and complain?"
Lady Sun drank another cup before answering.
"If I truly had no intention of crossing the river, how would I have learned that you ordered your Second Brother to seal the waterway?"
They drank together in silence.
After a moment, Liu Bei spoke again.
"I know Madam is reasonable, but the Jiangdong riders are of mixed quality. Tomorrow, I will have my Second and Third Brothers select the capable ones and incorporate them into the infantry."
He paused.
"If any of them refuse to join the infantry and are unwilling to return to Jiangdong, they can only be detained and later handed back to Marquis Sun."
Lady Sun tightened her grip around the cup. She took a small sip and spoke in a low voice.
"You and I are one body. My husband may handle the matter as he sees fit."
"Ah, good. Then there is another matter."
Liu Bei glanced toward the female guards.
"The paper workshop beside the Hudu River happens to be short of capable women."
One of the female captains stepped forward, chin raised.
"We are here to protect the young lady's safety, not to—"
"As for Madam's safety, Chen Dao has followed me through life and death," Liu Bei interrupted sharply. "The guards under his command surpass even Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. With Chen Dao protecting her, there will be no danger."
Chen Dao stepped forward without a sound and planted his sword beside Liu Bei. He was fully armored, his killing aura restrained but heavy.
The female captain faltered under both Liu Bei's interruption and Chen Dao's presence. For a moment, she could not find a response.
Crash!
A clay wine cup shattered against the ground.
Lady Sun rose.
"It is late. Husband, why not retire?"
"Why hurry? The wine is not finished yet," Liu Bei said awkwardly, glancing at the broken cup.
"Oh?"
A faint smile curled across Lady Sun's lips.
She said nothing, but her expression seemed to say everything.
Liu Bei tightened his grip around his short dagger, then stood.
"Fine. Then we shall retire together!"
The two entered the chamber one after another, separated by several paces. The door closed behind them.
Chen Dao remained outside, unmoving.
He stepped on the broken shards with a crunch as he took up his position before the door.
The female soldiers looked indignant, but under Chen Dao's imposing aura, none dared to speak.
The following morning arrived.
By the Hudu River, Guan Yu and Lei Xu walked along the riverbank like ordinary farmers. Neither wore armor.
"Zibo has endured much hardship on this journey."
The makeshift huts of the Jianghuai refugees stretched endlessly along the river, reminding Guan Yu of Zhang Liao.
Surrounded by enemy forces, yet still charging forward without hesitation…
It was no wonder later generations would enshrine such a man in the Martial Temple.
But what of me?
I will fall at Maicheng. How will history judge my merits and faults?
"I am not the one who suffered," Lei Xu said. "It has always been the people of Jianghuai."
Having finally laid down his burdens, Lei Xu looked worn, but healthier than before.
He pointed toward the huts.
"When we first moved, there were more than one hundred thousand people. The Cao thief sent Yu Jin, Zang Ba, Zhang He, and Niu Gai to harass and slaughter us repeatedly. Even the treacherous terrain of Mount Tianzhu claimed countless lives."
"Those who reached this place safely had all lost relatives. Among a hundred families, hardly one remained whole. It truly was not easy."
Guan Yu fell into deep thought and said nothing.
Seeing this, Lei Xu laughed.
"Is General Guan thinking of recruiting soldiers?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued.
"Among the fifty thousand people here, nearly every able-bodied man bears a deep blood feud against Cao's dogs. Even if you do not ask, most of them will seek enlistment."
"Furthermore, Liu Huangshu has shown them great benevolence, but fifty thousand people cannot rely on his charity forever. Joining the army is also a way to provide for themselves and their families."
Guan Yu spoke softly.
"I only heard Zibo say that they have suffered greatly. They should be given good farmland, where they can rest and recover."
Lei Xu burst out laughing.
"General Guan must be joking. In this broken world, where is there any peaceful home?"
"I will not hide the truth from Zibo," Guan Yu said. "I intend to build a navy. I have heard that the Jianghuai people are skilled with boats, so I came specifically to seek capable soldiers."
He pointed north.
"Beyond here lie Xiangyang and Fancheng, famous strongholds under Heaven. Without a navy, it will be difficult to defeat the Cao thief."
Guan Yu paused. 'Wait. Did I actually see Big Brother walking past while holding his lower back?'
Lei Xu's eyes lit up.
"In that case, I am willing to entrust all my personal troops to General Guan! They were selected from among a hundred men. They are skilled at seizing boats and swimming to attack fortifications."
Guan Yu hesitated.
"Is that appropriate?"
Lei Xu laughed and led him onward.
"General Guan's fame after lifting the siege of Baima is known throughout the world. Many of the Jianghuai troops admire your heroic bearing."
"It is only that they are accustomed to living on the river and mostly refuse to submit to discipline. They still need General Guan to train them personally."
"That will not be a problem."
Guan Yu did not beat around the bush.
"Where does Zibo intend to go after this?"
"I originally wished to remove my armor and return to the fields," Lei Xu admitted with a smile. "I am not afraid of General Guan's mockery, but after clashing with Zhang He at Mount Tianzhu, I finally came to understand the heroes of the world."
"Moreover, I am only a mediocre strategist. Now that we have reached this fertile land, the fifty thousand people still respect me, Lei Xu, for the moment. I can only shamelessly remain as a defending general under our lord's banner."
"Now that I can entrust my troops to General Guan, it feels as though I have finally set down a great burden."
"Since that is the case," Guan Yu said, "would you be willing to accompany me somewhere?"
Lei Xu agreed, and the two returned together.
After entering the Gong'an county office and passing through several checkpoints, they arrived before a vast hall.
At the center stood an exceptionally detailed sand table made from rice, soil, bricks, and stones.
Lei Xu approached beneath the lamplight and examined it carefully.
He recognized it almost immediately.
It was the Jianghuai region.
The rivers were familiar. The terrain was familiar. He had occupied that land for ten years.
And yet, looking at the sand table, it was as though the entire region had been reproduced before his eyes without the slightest error.
"Second Brother brought Zibo over?"
Zhang Fei's booming voice rang through the hall.
Lei Xu turned around.
After spending this much time in Gong'an, he could at least recognize several familiar faces now.
Ma Su, Fu Rong, Fu Shiren, Xiahou Lan, Gao Xiang, Chen Shi, and the newly arrived General Huang Zhong.
After everyone exchanged greetings, Guan Yu stroked his beard and announced:
"Today, we will conduct a wargame. We will simulate how our lord might attack and capture Xiangyang and Fancheng while holding Jingzhou."
The generals examined the unfamiliar sand table with curiosity.
Small figurines represented the various armies. After observing it carefully, they quickly understood the situation.
Their lord already held Yizhou and was preparing to seize Hanzhong. Jingzhou possessed thirty thousand mixed infantry and naval troops.
How should they attack Xiangyang and Fancheng?
After studying the arrangement, Ma Su was the first to raise an objection.
"Jiangdong is our ally. Why are they not attacking Hefei and forcing Cao Cao to divide his military strength?"
Zhang Fei waved his hand dismissively.
"They are completely useless. Eight hundred men defeated their hundred thousand. Their morale has collapsed, and they do not dare to fight at all!"
Ma Su stared fixedly at him.
"General Zhang, a military wargame requires seriousness. You must not joke around!"