Vol 4 Chapter 4 (2/2)
“Yuan Shao moved the bulk of her troops to the border of Bing state and Ji state 2 months ago. There have been no movements since then.”
“How many troops have we gathered?”
“About 50,000 or so.”
“And Yuan Shao?”
“A rough estimate puts her army at 200,000 strong, excluding reinforcements from Xianbei and Wuhuan.”
(TL: Xianbei and Wuhuan are places where the nomadic Mongolian tribes are. The Han Chinese typically considered them as barbarians.)
When I heard this, I couldn’t help but to put down my chopsticks and take a swig from my gourd of wine.
1 to 4 huh…
“Imperial Chancellor!”
Un?
Just then, a middle aged man barged in from outside. He wore the official uniform very properly, and was the perfect exemplar of a Han dynasty official.
“Oh~~ Isn’t this Kong Rong? How is it? Have you gotten used to life in Xuchang?”
Kong Rong, Administrator of Beihai, is a famous scholar. His way of thinking is somewhat outdated but leaving him in Beihai would be a waste of his talent so I got the Son of Heaven to summon him to the capital and serve as Palace Counsellor.
“I heard that Imperial Chancellor wishes to attack Yuan Shao?” He did not bother with niceties or greetings, and cut to the chase anxiously.
“Un, that’s right. I did say that in morning Court.” I gestured with my hands as I said so, “Please sit sir, if you have anything to discuss, we can do so at length.”
(TL: By sir, it’s more of like a t.i.tle. E.g. you call professors by professor.)
“There is no need for that.” He saluted before continuing.
“Please pardon my directness but I think it would be better to seek peace with Yuan Sho.”
“Oh? Peace?”
“Yes.” He straightened his back and began explaining, “Yuan Shao now occupies a large swathe of territory that covers Hebei and Liaodong, and is the bulwark against Xianbei, Wuhuan and Gaoli. If external powers seize the opportunity while we are embroiled in civil war, then that would be disastrous. Moreover, Yuan Shao belongs to the family that held the 3 princ.i.p.al appointments for 4 generations. Yuan Shao herself is loyal to the Son of Heaven. I’m afraid Imperial Chancellor has no legitimate reason for your attack on her.”
(TL: Gaoli is the Chinese name for Korea, which was in the Goryeo dynasty then.)
As Kong Rong said so, he walked toward me and his expression grew more severe with every step.
“That’s right, what sir has said is all correct.” I laughed as I clapped. “But though Yuan Shao is but a mere Governor of Ji state, why has she become the Grand Commandant of 4 states? If she is loyal to the Son of Heaven, why has she not come to see the Son of Heaven at all in Xuchang?”
“This…”
“Sir, I’m sure you and I know what this all means.” I waved and summoned the 2 servants outside, which gave Kong Rong a fright. Only when he saw that they came in to clear my lunch did he heave a sigh of relief. “In this chaotic era, the only ones who are truly loyal to the Han are but 2 individuals. And of them, neither are Yuan Shao or Sun Ce.”
“… Alright, I’ll stop being a wet blanket to Imperial Chancellor.” Kong Rong seems to have been convinced, but he sighed and continued again slowly, “But how does Imperial Chancellor intend to fight this battle? Whether its troops, logistics, or morale, there is not one area in which you have an advantage in.”
His words were on point this time, and were things which I was worried about as well.
I clenched my fist. “I’ve made arrangements for all of these issues. Sir need not worry, I will end this swiftly.”
That’s right, this battle with Yuan Shao cannot drag on, it must end as swiftly as possible.
Only after Kong Rong left did I lower my guard. As a scholar, his skill at debate is top notch indeed. If I am not careful enough, I could find myself convinced by him.
But, 1 to 4 huh…
“Is Xun Yu still around?”
“… Yes.”
“Tell me, are Yuan Shao’s strategists more outstanding than mine? Are her warrior generals braver than mine?”
After a moment of silence, Xun Yu began speaking in a rare, uncharacteristic tone that was filled with scorn. “Our armies are far superior to Yuan Shao’s. Tian Feng is strong but rebellious, Xu You is ambitious but unintelligent, Shen Pei is knowledgeable but ingenuous, Feng Ji is determined but useless. Yan Liang is ferocious but brainless, Wen Chou is brave but naive, and the rest are ordinary people. The ones who are truly talented are former subordinate generals of Han Fu and Zhang Yang who will not die for Yuan Shao.”
When Xun Yu finished, I burt into laughter.
“But my lord,” Xun Yu interrupted, and emerged from behind a flower vase and sat beside me, “You said there were 2 people loyal to the Han. Who is the other one besides my lord?”
“That’s right, who indeed?”
“My lord!”
“Haha~~”
Going by a rough estimate, w.a.n.g Zhong and Liu Dai should have reached by now.
Liu Bei POV
So the ones who should come, came in the end anyway.
“Big brother.”
“Ah, I know.” I stood on the Xu state city walls with my 2 little sisters and looked at the army that came from afar. On its flags, one could clearly see the ‘曹’ emblazoned.
Even if it was a misunderstanding, must the friends of yesterday be the enemies of today?
My heart ached once again.
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