That is most excellent.

After its completion, the brothers all shouted, "A genius! A masterpiece!" and hurried to imitate it. As a result, the names of the various houses became a hodgepodge, until Wang Bo could stand it no longer. He decided to standardize everything, assigning unified titles like "Archer Barracks," "Cavalry Barracks," and so on, finally bringing the matter to a close.

At this time, Wang Bo sat at one end of the long table, tapped the tabletop, and called out, "Brothers, has the stronghold been safe and sound these past few days?"

Yang Feng replied, "All is well. Guided by Feihu, our army has wiped out two bands of mountain bandits. Those steeped in evil have all been executed, while the majority who have not grievously offended heaven and reason have come to join our 'Han Revival Fort.'"

"Good, very good! Be meticulous in your selection. Do not let villains or imperial spies infiltrate our ranks!"

"Understood!" the men answered. Yang Feng then asked, "Has Lord Wang's journey gone smoothly?"

Wang Bo gave a wry smile and said, "All those who are truly talented and extraordinary have steadfast hearts. For now, they have not favored our 'Han Revival Fort.' It is difficult indeed."

"Hmph! Those pretentious scholars, even if our second brother visits, they put on airs. Do they wish to liken themselves to Zhang Liang or Xiao He?" Huang Long said bitterly. The others were equally indignant, their voices rising in protest.

Wang Bo waved his hand gently, "Brothers, do not be impatient. Today, those loyal and upright still hold hope for the Han dynasty and do not yet despair of the court. We need not force the matter. Instead, we must grow stronger and wait for our opportunity." He paused, then added, "Though Tian Feng's talents are not equal to Zhang Liang or Xiao He, he is by no means lesser than Guan Zhong of ancient Qi. If well used, he will surely help our Yellow Turban cause! I will invite him again in the future; let us not speak further of this."

"From now on, strengthen the training of our soldiers and increase its intensity. Do not allow even a trace of slackness! I have matters to contemplate tonight. After the morning run tomorrow, we will gather here to discuss. Dismissed!"

That evening, Wang Bo, Yang Feng, and Xu Chu deliberated for a long time, only ending their discussion when fatigue overcame them.

The next morning at dawn, everyone was seated in the meeting room. All squad leaders, as well as the heads of checkpoints and old camps, had been summoned.

Wang Bo looked around and spoke, "Our 'Han Revival Fort' has now stood for over two months. Has any brother thought about our plans for the future?"

Ping Han wondered aloud, "What need is there to plan? We only wait until our forces are strong enough, then go down the mountain to kill corrupt officials and powerful tyrants."

"And after that, what then?" Wang Bo pressed.

Ping Han scratched his head, "What after that?... " He laughed awkwardly and lowered his head.

Wang Bo scanned the room again and asked in a clear voice, "Does anyone have a plan?" The men looked at each other, but all shook their heads.

"In the end, it'll just be the government troops and the powerful coming to suppress us, and if luck is with us, we flee to the mountains; if not, we are wiped out. Thus, the cycle repeats!" In the silence that followed, Wang Bo continued, "We rise and are defeated, then hide away, only to rise again. What benefit does this cycle bring to our Yellow Turban cause?"

He paused, then added, "And why is it so? It is because our Yellow Turban brothers have no foundation and lack the strength to sustain prolonged warfare!"

"Can these mountains provide sufficient food and fodder?" The men shook their heads.

"Can these mountains forge fine weapons and armor?" They shook their heads again.

"If the Han court sends a large army to besiege us and cuts us off from all sides, how will we respond?" The men looked lost.

"There is neither food nor weapons here—why should we remain in this place?" Still, they were bewildered.

"My thoughts are thus! Brothers, observe!" As he spoke, he signaled Yang Feng to bring out a large piece of beast hide from the corner. Yang Feng stretched it out and nailed it to the wooden wall. Wang Bo took a thin stick and pointed to a spot, "Here lies the foundation I have found for all of you."

The hide was covered with dots, lines, curves, and swirls, and script of various colors and sizes. After staring at it for a long while, most still did not understand what it was.

Ping Han frowned and scratched his head, "Second brother, what are these strange markings on the hide? I can't make sense of them."

Wang Bo laughed and scolded, "Go stand aside if you don't understand!" After the laughter died down, he explained seriously, "This was crafted over several days by me and my elder brother!" He then pointed to the large characters at the top, "This is called 'The Thirteen Provinces of Great Han,' a complete map of our Han territory. Here is our 'Han Revival Fort' in the mountains, here is Julu Commandery, here is Ji Province, here is the capital region, and in the center, the imperial city of Luoyang. Around it are Liang, Jing, Yi, and Yan provinces. At the very top are the vast grasslands of the nomads—Xianbei, Xiongnu, and Wuwan. Below are Bing and You provinces!"

"Oh, so that's what it is! Marvelous, marvelous!" exclaimed those who understood.

"This map was made from the secret books of Tian Feng, Tian Yuanhao! With it, we can view the entire realm of Han at a glance." He then explained how to read the map: north at the top, south at the bottom, west left, east right, with the mountains and rivers, and so forth.

When everyone had the gist, he continued sternly, "We are now in the mountains of Zhao State, Ji Province. East lies Zhongqiu County and Julu; south is Wu'an County and Wei Commandery; north is Fangzi County and Changshan; west over the mountains is Bing Province!"

"This is Guangzong, where the 'Great Virtuous Master' and the 'General of the People' ascended to immortality; here is Xiaquyang, where the 'General of the Earth' fell! In Qing Province, Bu Yi the Great Chieftain rose in rebellion; in Yingchuan, Huang Shao and Bo Cai also started their uprisings! … Alas, now our Yellow Turban brothers are but a shadow of the past." At this, the listeners fell into somber silence.

After a moment, Wang Bo clapped his hands, "Brothers, do not grieve for the past! The dead are gone; it is up to us to fulfill the unfinished wishes of the 'Great Virtuous Master' and keep the Yellow Turban banner flying! Can you hold to this resolve?"

"Honoring the Heavenly Master's will! For the long-suffering common folk, we will not regret! The Yellow Turbans will not fall! Long live Han Revival!" Yang Feng shouted.

Everyone echoed, "The Yellow Turbans will not fall! Long live Han Revival!"

"Excellent!" Wang Bo roared, pointing to the top of the hide with his stick, "Here is the place of our Yellow Turban rebirth! Come closer, brothers: to the north is the Yinshan Range, to the west the great mountains of the Hundred Thousand Valleys, to the east the vital Gouzhu Pass. Only the southeast and northeast need be guarded! This place is easy to defend and hard to attack, perfect for our followers to recuperate and thrive!"

After a silence, Huang Long stood and said, "Lord, when I was in You Province I heard of this place—it's called Yanmen Commandery. But it has long been abandoned, turned into a playground for the barbarians. The Han court's troops and people have retreated behind the Gouzhu Fortress, barely holding off the marauders. Sometimes they break through the pass, and north of Gouzhu Mountain, Han civilians are almost extinct! The barbarians burn, kill, and plunder every year; it is a land of death—how can we survive there?"

"Brother Huang Long, your concern is valid. Let me answer. Precisely because the Han court has retreated and the barbarians only raid and withdraw, this is a golden opportunity for our Yellow Turbans to slip in. If we settle there now, the court will not make a major move against us—they will ignore us!"

"We only need to defend ourselves against the barbarians, gather our followers, and we will have a chance to breathe. Besides, the barbarians bully the weak and fear the strong. Have you not heard how the 'Marquis of Champions' once led a few thousand elite troops beyond the frontier, slaughtered the barbarians, and made them bow in submission? Recently, Gongsun Zan with just a thousand cavalry slaughtered the Xianbei, overawing the Wuwan and keeping them at bay! Are our Yellow Turban warriors not the equals of a mere captain of cavalry?"

"Look again, brothers: to the northwest is a fertile land formed by the river's alluvial deposits. Once we drive out the barbarians, we will have both farmland and pasture! We can amass grain and fodder, build a cavalry force, forge fine weapons—within three years, our Han Revival Army will be strong and well-equipped. How can we not succeed?" By the end, Wang Bo was almost shouting with passion.

Seeing the men partly inspired and partly lost in thought