Chapter 397: Worldly Affairs, Dreams, and Illusions, Once More Viewed as Such (7k, Forced 2-in-1 Continued)

Xun Yu and Guo Jia were, by any measure, among the most brilliant minds in the realm. Having spent over a year in Yecheng, the two had long since seen through the situation clearly, and their encounter with Guan Yu only further steeled their respective resolves.

Thus, after parting ways that day at the ferry crossing where the foul water met the clear Zhang River, the two no longer hesitated and immediately set about their own courses of action. On one side, Guo Fengxiao journeyed north, caught up with Guan Yunchang, and then entered Handan together with him—a matter we shall set aside for now. On the other side, after Xun Wenruo returned to Yecheng, he too immediately called upon and mobilized his clansmen to return to their homeland.

The response was overwhelming, primarily because Xun Yu's earlier foresight had left far too deep an impression.

In those days, before the Guandong coalition against Dong Zhuo, when Han Fu sent men to Yingchuan to fetch his family, Xun Yu had immediately called upon his clansmen and other allied old families to abandon their native lands together, seizing the chance to leave Yingchuan—which lay at the very heart of the Central Plains—to escape the calamity of war. Those who followed him had, by and large, survived. Those who did not had to rely on luck, and it was said that a great many of them perished.

And how could this wisdom, proven by the lives and deaths of countless kin and old acquaintances, fail to command the absolute trust of these Yingchuan refugees?

Consequently, three days later, not only the Xun clansmen who had already made private plans, but also many Yingchuan compatriots who did not bear the surname Xun, packed their belongings one after another and voluntarily followed along to return home.

And the most noteworthy among them was this: Han Fu, Han of Jizhou, who had previously surrendered his seal and ribbon of office, also brought his family out of the city and journeyed south together with Xun Yu to return to their native land.

There was no helping it. In just those three days—that is, in the days after the threat of Guan Yu had vanished—Yecheng had not been peaceful at all. Some old Yingchuan acquaintances, who had once survived only thanks to Han Fu and now held political power in Yecheng, had, on the very night the city's military control was lifted, suddenly arrested and immediately executed Geng Wu and Min Chun, the two men who had been the staunchest opponents of Yuan Shao that day.

The matter happened so swiftly that all of Yecheng, from top to bottom, was left in a daze. No one knew whether it was Yuan Shao himself who had given the order, or whether men like Guo Tu had taken it upon themselves to clean house for their lord in advance. In any case, the deed was done, murky and unresolved, leaving an awkward, bitter taste.

By this point, Han Fu had already begun to feel a certain dread.

However, what truly made him resolve to leave was not this incident, but rather—whether it was that this arrest operation had sent some vile signal to certain fools, or whether it had been part of the follow-up plan of Xin Ping, Guo Tu, and the others all along—on the second day, a commander named Zhu Han, a man from Henei whom Han Fu had once punished, actually led armed soldiers to surround the old residence of Zhao Zhong where Han Fu was staying, seeking revenge!

Han Wenjie, having inexplicably received word passed on by his old subordinates, fled in haste, but his eldest son was caught by Zhu Han, who then, for no discernible reason, publicly broke the young man's legs!

After this incident, the entire city, from high to low, was naturally in an uproar!

It seemed they understood the vile nature of this affair well enough. Thus, without waiting for the city's backlash, Xin Ping, Guo Tu, Xun Chen, and the others swiftly seized Zhu Han and immediately beheaded him in public as a warning, then personally brought Zhu Han's head to Han Fu to beg forgiveness and pay their respects. Yet, having suffered such a thing mere days after losing his military authority, Han Fu was utterly terrified. How could he still trust them? Thereupon, he openly declared on the spot that he would return to his homeland with Xun Yu and the others to take up farming and study.

It must be said, Guo Tu and his associates had discussed the departure of Xun Yu and many of his compatriots. After all, unlike Guo Fengxiao, who had just come of age, possessed no notable reputation, and was of little concern to anyone, Xun Wenruo had been renowned throughout the Central Plains since his youth, hailed as a talent worthy of assisting a king. Though still young, he had served in posts such as Gentleman Attendant at the Yellow Gate and Prefect of the Palace Guard, giving him some seniority. Moreover, his act of leading the migration to avoid disaster had earned him considerable esteem among the people of Yingchuan. For such a man to leave—would it not give the impression that Yuan Cheqi could not retain men of talent?

Furthermore, the reason Xun Yu put forward was that a great battle was about to erupt in Hebei, and although Yecheng was sturdy and magnificent, it was adjacent to the front lines, making it far less suitable for living than the area around Yingchuan, which had been stabilized by the alliance of Sun, Cao, and Liu. Was this not implying that Yuan Cheqi could not even hold Yecheng?

Besides, if too many Yingchuan men left, how would they contend on equal footing with the men of Hebei and Yanzhou in the future?

But then again, for one, Xun Yu's elder brother Xun Chen had formally come out to serve Yuan Shao, so they were all on the same side and could not afford to lose face with one another. For another, everyone understood that with battle imminent, this matter counted for nothing compared to pacifying the local hearts of Hebei and racing to seize Handan. And thirdly, it was precisely because of Xun Yu's own excellence and the Xun clan's status as leaders of the Yingchuan families that men like Guo Tu and Xin Ping did not want him to stay.

And now, with Han Fu voluntarily seeking to leave under these circumstances, it saved them the trouble of agonizing over it, allowing them to smoothly push the boat along with the current regarding Xun Yu's matter as well!

Thus, Xun Yu and his party not only departed smoothly but also received a sum of official funding. They successfully left Yecheng, where they had resided for over a year, swiftly, before Yuan Shao could take up residence, and then journeyed south together.

Along the way, though they crossed provinces and commanderies, forded rivers and traversed waters, it was just as Xun Wenruo had said earlier when persuading his compatriots: setting aside the end of the Dong Zhuo campaign, the initial annexations and alliances among the various lords had also largely been completed. The dangerous battlefronts were mainly concentrated at the edges of the major lords' spheres of influence. The northern part of the Central Plains appeared to be a region where powers interlocked like the teeth of a dog, but in truth, it had actually become a relatively stable area.

Thus, this group not only traveled without hindrance the entire way, but thanks to their carts and horses, by the turn of late June into early July, they had swiftly and successfully returned to their homeland.

Of course, upon returning home, there was first a moment of joy, followed by endless sorrow. After all, as one of the main battlegrounds of the earlier campaign against Dong Zhuo, this place had suffered immensely from the ravages of war, and many had fled as refugees. A place where ancestors had lived for over a hundred years had suddenly become so desolate, so empty. The phrase "the things remain, but the people are gone" most easily stirs one to mourn the passing of time.

After a spell of lamentation, the group bid farewell to one another and returned to their respective homes. There, they repaired houses and sorted out fields, gathered wild vegetables to conserve grain, and paid respects at the graves of deceased clansmen—in any case, there was always something to be done. As for some of the old acquaintances who had remained in the area, seeing their kin and friends return in such large numbers, they shared not a little of their precious grain to aid them, which only made the situation more poignant.

"Zixu, your elder brother here asks you about another matter," said Xun Yu, the undisputed head of the Xun clan at this time, as he chatted idly with a young local acquaintance in the old Xun residence at Gaoyang Hamlet, on the border between the western part of Yingyin County and Xu County. "Since you, by a twist of fate, remained here, and your family is in Dingling to the south, I must ask you to speak honestly with me. What exactly is the situation in the Central Plains?"

The person being addressed was named Du Xi, courtesy name Zixu, a man from Dingling in Yingchuan who had just come of age that year. Before the chaos of war, he, along with Chen Qun (Chen Changwen), Xin Pi (Xin Zuozhi), and Zhao Yan (Zhao Boran), due to their similar ages and prominent family backgrounds, had always been mentioned together. By all accounts, they should be the new generation of Yingchuan talents following after Xun Yu.

Of course, the custom before the war was to consider both family background and personal virtue simultaneously. Thus, even among those of similar age, this group did not include Guo Fengxiao, whose conduct was chivalrous and unrestrained and who had no one to discipline him, nor did it include the humble-born lad Xu Yuanzhi, who had once been a bandit. There was even one Fan Qin, whose literary talent was outstanding and whose family background lacked nothing, yet because the critics of talent only spoke of "four" and not "five," he was left out, which made his exclusion seem all the more unfortunate.

Returning to the matter at hand, the talented men of Yingchuan of this generation, since it was not they but their fathers who had made the decisions back then, had generally not chosen to heed Xun Yu's call, and consequently suffered the calamities of war, with most of their fathers' generation withering away amidst the chaos. Thus, after the campaign against Dong Zhuo, seeing Yuan Shu behave more and more outrageously, their only choices for refuge were Jingzhou or Xu and Yang provinces. But whether by misfortune or luck, just as Du Xi, Zhao Yan, and Fan Qin were contacting each other, preparing to pool their wealth and families to detour from Runan to Jingzhou, Sun Jian suddenly turned his coat and opposed Yuan Shu. Runan and Nanyang became the most chaotic places in the entire realm, and so they ended up staying behind again.

Now, seeing their old acquaintances return home one after another, these few young men naturally came out in force to offer what aid they could.

"How would a lad like me, who has just come of age, understand the situation in the Central Plains?" Du Xi, sitting cross-legged on a worn mat beneath a tree, smiled bitterly upon hearing this. "I can only tell Brother Wenruo what I happen to know."

"Speak, then."

"In the current chaos of the Central Plains, there are six lords entangled within it: three major and three minor. The three major are Yuan Shu, Liu of Jingzhou, and Tao of Xuzhou. The three minor are Sun Jian, Liu of Yuzhou, and Cao Fenwu." Du Xi opened his mouth and responded, speaking eloquently. "And in my humble view..."

Xun Yu, sitting across from him on the worn mat, could not help but laugh. "Zixu, hold on. How is it that after Liu of Jingzhou and Tao of Xuzhou comes Yuan Shu? And after Liu of Yuzhou and Cao Fenwu comes Sun Jian?"

"How else?" Du Xi curled his lip and shook his head. "Naturally, it is because these two have lost the people's hearts. Especially Yuan Shu. He clearly comes from a line of four generations of Three Excellencies, which rightly commands the esteem of the Central Plains. How many officials across the Central Plains are not students or former subordinates of the Yuan clan? How many great families are not bound to the Yuan clan by countless ties?"

Xun Yu smiled faintly and offered no comment.

"Yet these past two years, in Nanyang, while simultaneously controlling our Yingchuan and Runan, and remotely commanding Huainan, despite his vast territory, numerous troops, abundant population, and ample goods, he has been unable to bring peace to the land or quell chaos. Instead, he single-mindedly makes endless, insatiable demands!" Encouraged by the other's silence, Du Zixu grew more indignant as he spoke. "The great families and common people below him often starve to death, yet he drinks only honey water at every meal. The scholars urge him to pacify the region and win the people's hearts, but he instead puts his trust in local strongmen and even bandits, indulging these men to plunder the countryside. Not to mention, he previously sent someone to assassinate Luo Jun (Luo Xiaoyuan), the Chancellor of Chen State. In short, after two years in the Central Plains, this man's true nature is fully exposed. He is absolutely not someone who can be relied upon to bring peace to the realm; rather, he is a source of calamity and chaos! Now that Sun Jian has turned against him, he is beset by enemies on all sides and suffers defeat after defeat. One can only assume this is the cycle of heavenly justice, as it should be."

"And what of Tao of Xuzhou and Liu of Jingzhou?" Xun Yu, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, pressed on with his questions, temporarily setting Sun Jian aside for later.

"Tao of Xuzhou and Liu of Jingzhou—one is known for his sternness and severity, the other for his leniency and gentleness," Du Zixu answered, having somewhat calmed his emotions. "But in the end, both are capable of bringing stability to their territories. However, Tao of Xuzhou is far away in the east and only joins the chaos by supporting Liu of Yuzhou; he has no intention of directly intervening himself. As for Liu of Jingzhou, since he is right there in Xiangyang, if Yuan Shu were to be destroyed in the future, perhaps one could rely on him... but then one must also be wary of Sun Jian."

"What is Sun Wentai's posture at present?" Seeing that the other could not go a sentence without mentioning Sun Wentai, Xun Yu could only follow his lead and ask about this man first. "Yuan Gonglu's demands were insatiable, and Sun Wentai turned against him with a single strike. Does that not align with the people's hearts? Why do you always speak of him with such distaste?"

"Sun Wentai's military prowess is the finest in the Central Plains," Du Xi replied, growing serious as well. "In those days, when he aided Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu was unstoppable in the Central Plains. Now that he opposes Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu suffers utter defeat. As of last month, this man had already conquered the greater part of Runan and was advancing into Nanyang. His momentum is truly like a fierce tiger devouring its prey; he is without doubt the man of the hour in the Central Plains. However, his martial bearing fails to win the people's hearts. The deeds he committed while aiding Yuan Shu—can they be erased simply by his sudden reversal? His governance today is crude and careless, relying solely on military force and strength, a habit he cannot change overnight. Thus, throughout the commanderies, from high to low, he is detested, second only to Yuan Shu."

"So that is how it is," Xun Yu said thoughtfully, nodding slowly.

"Oh, there is one more thing," Du Xi suddenly added. "This man does not understand production or accumulation. His provisions are insufficient, and he basically relies on Cao Fenwu for support. For this reason, after seizing the greater part of Runan, he gave Chen State, where he was utterly detested, to Cao Fenwu as recompense. In any case, he could not bear to stay in Chen State a moment longer."

A thought stirred in Xun Yu's mind. "How does Cao Fenwu have grain?"

"Cao Fenwu is a native of northern Yuzhou. The local clans are all willing to contribute grain to aid him. Moreover, he very early on gathered refugees to establish military and civilian agricultural colonies. He has troops, grain, and a proper background, and he can also treat the worthy with courtesy. Everyone says he is a man who can achieve great things, and all are willing to submit to him," Du Xi continued. "However, Cao Fenwu's problem is that while his background is relatively high, it is not enough to swallow provinces and commanderies through family prestige alone, as the Yuan clan does. Though he has strength, it is not enough to sway the overall situation. He has military ability, but he is not as fiercely and aggressively enterprising as Sun Wentai. Even when it comes to winning the people's hearts, he only has the advantage of being in his own home region; Liu of Yuzhou may not necessarily be weaker than him in that regard."

"What is the situation with Liu of Yuzhou now?" Xun Yu could not help but be curious. "He has a martial reputation, the moral high ground of a righteous cause, and the support of Tao of Xuzhou. And according to you, Zixu, he can also win people over. One would think he should have already broken through his predicament?"

"Indeed," Du Xi admitted frankly. "Liu of Yuzhou took the six counties in the southern part of Pei State as his foundation and rose with three thousand troops. Now, after a mere three to five months, he is on the verge of conquering Huainan. I hear that in the regions of Jiujiang and Lujiang, the local scholars and heroes are mostly willing to follow him. Even here, because he is the legitimate Governor of Yuzhou, and in Xuzhou, because Zhang Zibu serves as the chief administrator under his command, people are flocking to him in droves. On one hand, it is because they feel Huainan is a secluded, safe haven to escape the chaos; on the other, they wish to see what future this Liu of Yuzhou holds. Ah, yes—Chen Changwen, together with his father, went to Runan to escape the chaos very early on and took this opportunity to join Liu of Yuzhou. I hear that Lord Chen is greatly employed there, and Changwen is also particularly valued by Liu of Yuzhou."

"Huainan, is it?" Xun Yu sighed with emotion for a moment. "It is unavoidably too far. But according to your account, among the lords of the Central Plains, the only true heroes are just these two, Cao and Liu, am I correct?"

"There is also Liu of Jingzhou..."

"I had many dealings with Liu Jingsheng in Luoyang," Xun Wenruo replied frankly. "In peaceful times, this man could be a renowned minister among the Three Excellencies. In chaotic times, he can only be a watchdog guarding his home—not worthy of being called a hero! Just as Tao of Xuzhou, for all his sternness, is unavoidably old and decrepit, and Yuan Gonglu, despite four generations of Three Excellencies, is nothing but a dry bone in a tomb!"

Du Xi, young as he was, was momentarily dazed upon hearing such abrupt words, but then he bowed forward on his mat, professing to have received instruction.

"What instruction have you received?" Xun Yu smiled faintly again. "Though Cao and Liu possess the spirit of heroes, at this moment they are unavoidably trapped by circumstance. One is wedged between Chen State and Liang State, the other confined to Jiujiang and Lujiang. And what traps these two is not Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, or Tao Qian, but precisely their sworn elder brother—Sun Wentai, the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong, who holds Runan and Yingchuan and is still attacking Nanyang. Unless Sun Jian defeats himself, it is a deadlock."

"How could Sun Wentai possibly defeat himself?" Du Xi shook his head. "In these chaotic times, stories of these martial men rising in a single bound through their skill at killing, only to collapse overnight, are indeed many. But men like this Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong, who are adept at self-reflection and timely course correction, are few and far between. Though we are unwilling to serve him, we must admit that under his rule, one can always live in peace. In this age of chaos, what more could one ask for?"

Xun Yu's expression was calm as he nodded slowly and repeatedly.

It must be said that Xun Yu was indeed worthy of being one of the top intellects in the realm at this time. Though he had only just returned to the Central Plains and had merely heard his compatriots recount the situation of the past few months, he had already deduced that Liu Bei and Cao Cao were trapped in the border regions by Sun Jian.

Cao Cao, of course, went without saying—he had always been dancing on three eggs, his territory completely encircled by Gongsun Xun, Yuan Shao, and Sun Jian. At the same time, Liu Bei, with Lujiang about to fall into his hands, was also sinking into an impending strategic dilemma. His enemy was Yuan Shu, and all his political legitimacy and the righteousness of his alliances stemmed from the joint campaign against Yuan Gonglu. Yet the roads leading to Yuan Shu's territory were now completely blocked off by Sun Jian and Liu Biao.

Moreover, Liu Bei was not without troubles of his own. For instance, as the flames of war had recently ignited in Runan and Nanyang, more and more people from Huaibei were flocking to him. His subordinates immediately split into a Huainan faction and a Huaibei faction, with constant friction between them. These matters, while certainly headaches, were also unavoidable. The men from Youzhou, Yuzhou, and Xuzhou who had come from the north naturally encroached upon the interests of the native inhabitants of the two Huainan commanderies. The latter, as the defeated and conquered in the war against Yuan Shu, could only live beneath these outsiders—how could they be content?

In truth, in this era, in an age of realm-wide chaos, such regional disputes were always the most serious internal problem for every political group. In Gongsun Xun's territory, the men of Sanfu cursed the northerners as "Dog Hat Faction." Under Yuan Shao, factions were openly divided along regional lines. In Yizhou, the Dongzhou soldiers and the native Yizhou people were openly at war. In Jiaozhou, the native Shi Xie and the outsider Zhu clan each held half the territory, clearly heading toward a military showdown. In Xuzhou, Tao Qian's indulgence of the Danyang troops provoked a severe backlash from the locals. Under Sun Jian, not a single local scholar thought highly of him.

In fact, if one were to truly calculate carefully, among all the lords of the realm at this moment, it seemed only Cao Mengde enjoyed unity of purpose from top to bottom, with everyone united as one. But then again, his territory was merely a circle around his own hometown.

As for Liu Bei, Liu Xuande was no immortal; how could he avoid such matters? Or perhaps, quite the opposite, his position was particularly awkward: as the Inspector of Yuzhou, he occupied the two wealthiest commanderies of Yangzhou thanks to Xuzhou's support. Moreover, his experience in governance was practically zero, forcing him to rely entirely on these northern transplants like Zhang Zhao, Chen Ji (Chen Qun's father), and Yuan Huan for administrative affairs. Thus, this problem was especially serious for Liu Bei.

"Yide wants to request leave?!"

That evening, Liu Xuande returned to Shouchun, where he was temporarily staying, from Shaobei, a civilian settlement in Huainan. He was utterly exhausted. He had just taken off his boots and soaked his feet when an unexpected piece of news arrived, and he gave a bitter smile. "The fighting in the two commanderies has mostly quieted down. Runan is entirely in Wentai's hands. A few scattered bandit disturbances are better dealt with quickly by locals like Ziyang and Youping... He had nothing to do here anyway, so why talk about taking leave?"

Jian Yong, who had reported this news, disregarded all decorum, turned around, and sat down directly on Liu Bei's couch, then lay back flat. "It was precisely because he knew there would be no fighting in Huainan in the short term that Yide asked for leave."

Liu Bei fell silent for a moment, as if reverting to his usual self, the Liu Yuzhou whose emotions never showed on his face. After a long while, he stared at the wooden bucket full of hot water at his feet and asked, "From what Xianhe says, could it be that Yide has already left?"

"Indeed." Jian Yong sat up from the couch, crossed his legs, and sighed. "He probably didn't want to put you in a difficult position. And he asked me to tell you, Xuande, that he will definitely return..."

"I know. I know all of this." Liu Bei suddenly grabbed a dry cloth and hastily wiped his feet, but after just two wipes, he dejectedly threw the cloth to the floor and plunged his feet back into the water. "Yide, that man — though he's been an official for many years and appears increasingly steady and courteous on the surface, deep down he's still that selfless wandering knight of Yan. When he receives a kindness, he'll stake his life to repay it! When he faces an enemy, he'll disregard life and death to unhorse them! My brother Wenqi showed him such great kindness — if he cannot repay it, he'll carry the burden his whole life. The day before yesterday, someone from the north mentioned that Yuan Shao had defeated Bogui and forced Han Fu to submit, and that a great war was about to erupt in Hebei. He sat there asking questions for a long time, and I knew then his mind was stirring. I just didn't expect him to leave so hastily!"

"Before Yide left, he mentioned something to me," Jian Yong replied calmly. "He said that earlier, when the campaign against Dong began, he was in Qinghe. He had assumed he would receive summons from both you, Xuande, and the General of the Guards at the same time, and he was already fretting over how to handle that dilemma. But he sat idle in Qinghe for a long time — the General of the Guards never sent word, and you only sent your letter much later..."

Liu Bei lowered his head and gave a scornful laugh.

"He said he didn't understand it at the time, but when he reached Hulao Pass, it suddenly dawned on him — the General of the Guards, and you too, Xuande, both knew exactly what kind of man Zhang Yide is. The General of the Guards understood in his heart that Zhang Yide had treated you, Liu Xuande, as an elder brother from his early years, and since you had risen on your own, Yide would never abandon you in the end. So he simply didn't summon him, sparing Zhang Yide the dilemma. And you, Liu Xuande, also understood in your heart that if he didn't repay the General of the Guards' great kindness, he would never be at peace. So at first you didn't write to invite him either, sparing him the difficulty, and only asked him to join your great cause after the General of the Guards had already marched west to Hedong... But with both of you being so considerate, it only made his heart more troubled!"

Hearing this, Liu Bei suddenly recalled that day outside Yanshi, when Zhang Fei had taken the initiative to speak with Xu Rong... Thinking back now, Zhang Fei must have done so because Xu Rong's situation was similar to his own, and he understood what the other man was thinking, so he stepped forward to urge him on.

At this thought, a bitter edge crept into Liu Bei's voice. "Xianhe, you've misunderstood. My loss of composure just now wasn't reluctance to let him go, nor fear that he won't return once his business is done. I am genuinely worried for his safety... What's about to erupt in Hebei is a chaotic melee spanning thousands of li of battle lines, with hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides. Youzhou shock cavalry, Jizhou great halberds, Sanfu long spears, Qingzhou powerful crossbows — brave generals like clouds, wise strategists like woven silk. And in the chaos of battle, blades and arrows show no mercy. Even if he alone possesses valor that can match ten thousand, how can he be absolutely certain of his own safety? Don't tell me he didn't ride off alone!"

"Indeed. Yide, one man, one spear, rode north alone," Jian Yong replied somberly. "And Xuande, it's not just you — I too know how dangerous this journey is for him... But I, Jian Yong, truly cannot stop him, nor do I wish to!"

"Why?" Liu Bei finally turned his head, his expression shifting as he pressed the question.

"Because it's not just Yide who is still, at his core, that wandering knight of Yan. Am I, Jian Yong, any different?" Jian Yong straightened his body and asked in a solemn tone. "And you, Liu Yuzhou — are you any different? Liu Xuande, stop pretending. You, me, and Yide — all our lives, we'll remain those wandering knights from the Zhuo Commandery countryside. It's branded into our bones; it can't be changed. A true man born into this world who receives kindness from another — how can he not repay it?!"

Liu Bei stared blankly for a moment, then let out a soundless laugh, yet his mind wandered, and he was at a loss for words... That day was the third day of the seventh month, in the first year of Jian'an.

Barely five days later, on the eighth day of the seventh month in the first year of Jian'an — that is, 191 AD — while Xun Yu was at home repairing his old residence and Zhang Fei had just crossed the Huai River, Yuan Shao, after a brief rest and reorganization in Ye City, had already successfully taken over the Wei Commandery treasury. He then personally paid visits, performing grand rites to invite local talents like Ju Shou, granting some military authority and promising others key positions, thus somewhat pacifying the local populace.

Immediately after, he heeded the advice of his advisors, cast aside all trivial matters, and formally issued a proclamation to the realm in the name of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, with Chen Lin acting as his scribe, calling upon all under Heaven to punish the state-thieving villain, the General of the Guards Gongsun Xun, who had taken the Son of Heaven hostage and driven out the ministers!

On the second day after the proclamation was issued, having ensured the autumn grain could be brought into the storehouses, Yuan Benchu personally led a host of eighty thousand, proclaiming it a hundred thousand, accompanied by countless generals and advisors, and marched directly on Handan City, attempting to seize this ancient capital of a thousand years, which stood facing Ye City from afar, before Gongsun Xun's main force could arrive.

At this time, inside and outside Handan City, Gongsun Xun's side had a total of thirteen thousand troops and forty to fifty thousand civilians. Within the city were two officials of the two-thousand-dan rank: the Chancellor of Zhao, Shen Pei, and the General Who Displays Might, Guan Yu. As for the recently capped Guo Jia and the horse thief-turned-officer Pan Zhang, they were not even as famous as Yang Jun, a student of the Yanzhou notable Bian Rang — and Yang Jun himself was merely a former Assistant County Magistrate now serving as Registrar to the General Who Displays Might, equally beneath anyone's notice.

For a time, on this local battlefield, the disparity in strength was stark.

————I am the stark-disparity dividing line————

"At that time, Zhang Fei was in Shouchun, under Liu Bei's command. Hearing that Yuan Shao was about to battle Gongsun Xun in Hebei, he longed to return and repay his debt of gratitude. He thus requested leave from Liu Bei, and Bei granted it. Fei immediately rode north alone. Chen Qun was present, serving as a staff officer, and remonstrated: 'Fei is a man who can match ten thousand. If he now rides north to return to the General of the Guards, he will surely be employed, and I fear he may not return.' Bei smiled and replied: 'Yide is a man of Yan. The men of Yan are like the birds of Yan — who can say why they fly north today, or south tomorrow!' Qun withdrew in shame." — Records of Han Heroes, by Wang Can

PS: Thanks to the student Evil Spirit Reappears for the lavish red-wrapped reward, and thanks to Teacher Akai for becoming the one hundred and third honored patron.

I overslept last night... thought I'd asked for leave and could nap a bit, but ended up not waking until past eleven, and wrote the chapter through the night... same thing, really.

(End of Chapter)