Chapter 13: Old Liu, It's Time to Cash in on Your Reputation for Benevolence and Justice

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Liu Bei’s expression changed slightly.

The others exchanged glances, shadows settling over their faces.

Zhuge Liang’s reminder brought them all back to their senses. The strength of the Xiliang army was plain for all to see.

Back when the coalition from the east had campaigned against Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian alone had ever managed to defeat the Xiliang forces.

Even Cao Cao, formidable as he was in the art of war, had suffered a crushing defeat at their hands and nearly lost his life.

With only a few thousand Xiliang troops under their command, the uncle and nephew Zhang Ji had swept through Nanyang and forced Liu Biao, who possessed a hundred thousand armored soldiers, onto the defensive.

Could this battered remnant of a force really hope to defeat such a powerful faction?

“What’s there to fear? That Zhang Ji looks like nothing more than a paper tiger to me!”

“Brother, do not worry. I’ll fight my way to Nanyang and take his head in a single battle!”

Zhang Fei, as confidently deluded as ever, thumped his chest and began firing off empty boasts.

“Yide, although Zhang Ji’s martial skills are mediocre, the Xiliang troops under his command are no rabble. Do not underestimate the enemy!”

Guan Yu was proud and arrogant, but he was considerably calmer than Zhang Fei.

“Master Xiao, your brother-in-law speaks wisely.”

Liu Bei knitted his brows, his face filled with apprehension.

“Zhang Ji’s Xiliang army is exceptionally fierce. With the forces I possess at present, I fear we may not be their match.”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Xiao Fang.

Xiao Fang, however, remained entirely unhurried. He leisurely sipped his tea, moistening his throat.

“With Deputy Governor Mi funding the recruitment of household troops, Governor Liu should be able to obtain at least two thousand fresh soldiers. Add them to your existing core troops from Youyan, and you should have some three thousand men.”

“On the road to Jingzhou, there are at least another five thousand troops waiting to be recruited by you.”

“Combining the two groups, assembling a force of eight thousand should not be difficult.”

“Eight thousand men is neither a great many nor a mere handful. If employed properly, they should be sufficient to defeat Zhang Ji and his nephew and seize Nanyang.”

“Even taking the worst-case scenario, it ought to be far easier than retaking Xuzhou, would it not?”

Yet the more they listened, the more bewildered everyone became.

“Master Xiao, wait a moment.” Zhang Fei narrowed his eyes into two slits and asked in utter confusion, “I understand everything else, but you said that on the road to Jingzhou there are another five thousand soldiers waiting for my brother to recruit.”

“That part has me puzzled. What exactly do you mean?”

Zhang Fei’s outburst voiced Liu Bei’s own thoughts. That was precisely the point he could not understand.

Xiao Fang smiled and had Zhuge Liang bring him a map, which he spread across the table.

“Governor Liu, look here. If you travel to Nanyang, Runan is a place you must pass through.”

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“After Cao Cao scattered the Yellow Turban forces in Runan at the beginning of the year, they broke apart and settled in scattered pockets throughout the region. With no leader to unite them, they now fight as separate bands.”

“When you pass through Runan, all you need do is raise your arm and call out. Those Yellow Turbans can be recruited into your ranks and put to your service.”

“Though they are no match for the elite Xiliang army, they have nonetheless endured life-and-death trials on the battlefield. They are not entirely a rabble.”

“As long as you train them properly and command them well, they may yet become an elite force.”

Xiao Fang gestured across the map as he revealed the crux of the matter.

The others suddenly understood.

The cloud of doubt in Zhuge Liang’s heart dispersed at once.

No wonder his brother-in-law had earlier declared with such confidence that he had already thought of a solution to Liu Bei’s shortage of troops.

So the answer was to recruit the Yellow Turbans of Runan.

“According to Master Xiao, the Yellow Turbans of Runan are indeed a force that can be put to use.”

“But in my present, wretched circumstances, would those Yellow Turban leaders truly be willing to serve me?”

Though Liu Bei now understood, a trace of uncertainty still remained in him.

Xiao Fang was not surprised by Old Liu’s state of mind.

Cao Cao had relied on force, crushing the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou and driving them into a dead end before they were compelled to surrender to him.

But Liu Bei had arrived in their territory of Runan after fleeing Xuzhou in miserable disarray with only a few thousand battered soldiers. On what grounds could he raise his arm and expect them to rally to him?

Because his face was thick?

Old Liu certainly did have a thick face.

That face was the reputation he had earned for benevolence and righteousness.

He had rescued Kong Rong at Beihai and Tao Qian in Xuzhou. His every act of charity and loyalty had long since spread throughout the realm.

And what had his enemies been doing?

Cao Cao had invaded Xuzhou twice, leaving the land drenched in blood and strewn with corpses until the Si River itself was clogged.

Yuan Shu, that spoiled heir, had passed from Nanyang to Runan and then to Huainan like a swarm of locusts, leaving not a blade of grass behind and stripping the common people bare.

As for Lü Bu, there was no need to say more. He had murdered his adoptive father and his lord, changed sides whenever it suited him, and treated trust and honor as though they were worthless weeds.

Now look at Old Liu. He had indeed held Xuzhou for too short a time to enact any substantial benevolent policies.

But by contrast with those enemies, he had become a rare species indeed, and the people had magnified his reputation for righteousness beyond all measure.

The Yellow Turban forces, meanwhile, were composed largely of displaced commoners. In their hearts, Old Liu enjoyed an excellent reputation.

That was why, in history, when Liu Bei was entrusted by Yuan Shao during the Battle of Guandu to open a second front in Cao Cao’s territory, he had swiftly gathered the Yellow Turbans of Runan as soon as he arrived.

It was also why, wherever Old Liu went, he could quickly raise an army even without the support of the local great clans.

There was no other reason. The people saw clearly, and justice lived in their hearts.

The Liu Bei of the present, however, had yet to realize that the benevolent reputation he had accumulated over many years was already valuable enough to be turned into real strength.

“During my recent journey through Xuzhou, I heard much of your reputation for benevolence and righteousness as I passed through Runan.”

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“I dare guarantee that the moment you arrive in Runan, the various Yellow Turban bands scattered across the region will flock to your banner.”

Xiao Fang could hardly reveal too much of the future to Liu Bei, so he could only thump his chest and offer his assurance.

Seeing Xiao Fang’s confidence, Liu Bei still harbored some doubts, but he could only force them down.

After pondering for a moment, the hesitation vanished from Liu Bei’s face. His expression grew resolute, and he declared with fervor:

“We shall follow Master Xiao’s plan. We will go to Runan, recruit and incorporate the Yellow Turban forces, and rebuild our army.”

“Then we will march west, destroy Zhang Ji, and seize Nanyang!”

Within the main hall, the generals responded with spirited agreement, and the atmosphere once again surged with heroic excitement.

Seeing this, Zhuge Liang gave a light cough and repeatedly cast meaningful glances at Xiao Fang.

The message was obvious: We have already convinced Liu Xuande. Brother-in-law, hurry up and recommend yourself as his strategist.

The corners of Xiao Fang’s mouth lifted slightly.

Back then, you had put on airs and made Old Liu visit your cottage three times before agreeing to serve him. Now you want me, your brother-in-law, to throw myself into his arms? That hardly seems fair...

Still, the proper amount of ceremony had to be observed. It was not merely about putting on a show or indulging in the sense of importance that came from being courted by Old Liu.

It was about establishing the authority and standing of a chief strategist.

With that thought, Xiao Fang rose and bowed toward Liu Bei with a smile.

“To encounter you once more, Governor, and to help ease your burdens and answer your questions—this too must be fate.”

“I must take my brother-in-law north to pay respects at our ancestral graves, so I shall bid you farewell for now. Perhaps fate will bring us together again.”

With that, Xiao Fang turned to leave.

“Jinglue, please wait!”

Liu Bei hurried forward and blocked Xiao Fang’s path.

He then drew a deep breath, straightened his robes, and bowed deeply with solemn respect.

“Though I was born of humble stock, I have never forgotten that I am a descendant of the Liu clan. My sole wish is to restore the Han imperial house and save the common people from suffering.”

“Yet I possess neither extraordinary talent nor grand strategy. I have carried a heart full of fervor, only to waste half my life accomplishing nothing.”

“Fortunately, Heaven has not treated me unfairly. It has allowed me, Liu Bei, to encounter a man of such world-shaking talent as you, Jinglue—someone capable of showing me a clear path toward restoring the Han!”

“I humbly beg you to serve as my army’s strategist and aid me in sweeping away the traitors against the Han and restoring the foundations of our great dynasty!”

“I, Liu Bei, humbly beseech you!”