Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

(Summer of the second year of Jian'an, Jiangdu Port, Guangling County, Xuzhou)

A salty, damp breeze swept over me as I stood on the deck of a newly built warship, watching the bustling scene in the harbor. Thirty newly constructed warships were being loaded with provisions, and dockworkers were chanting as they carried sacks.

"My lord, battle report from Jiangdong." Xu Shu quickly boarded the ship and handed over a bamboo scroll. "Sun Ce has captured Qu'a, and Lü Bu has retreated to Moling. But... Sun Ce has been hit by an arrow."

I paused, unfurling the bamboo scroll. "How are your injuries?"

"The stray arrow wounded his left arm, but it's said to be minor," Xu Shu said in a low voice. "However, Sun Ce is a fierce man, and despite his injury, he launched a strong attack on Moling, which Zhou Yu couldn't dissuade him from."

"Young man..." I shook my head, handing the bamboo slips to Zhuge Liang beside me. "Kongming, what do you think?"

The nine-year-old child had changed into short clothes for easy movement, his hair was tied in a topknot, and he took the bamboo slips and read them carefully.

After a moment, he looked up: "Teacher, if Sun Ce is only slightly injured, it won't affect the siege. There might be something fishy about this."

Tell me about it.

"Firstly, Lü Bu retreated too quickly. Although Qu'a was not a fortified city, with Lü Bu's bravery, he could have held it for at least half a month, but he abandoned the city within three days."

"Secondly, the timing of Sun Ce being shot by the arrow was too coincidental—it happened right when the city was breached and the pursuit began, as if... a trap."

I patted him approvingly on the shoulder: "Go on."

Zhuge Liang's eyes lit up: "Teacher, do you mean... Sun Ce is setting a trap? Feigning injury to lure Lü Bu out of the city for a decisive battle?"

"Most likely." I looked towards the river to the south. "I know Bo Fu well; he's brave but not reckless. The fact that he dared to attack the city while wounded means either his injury wasn't serious, or... he was just bait."

Zhang Fei emerged from the cabin, carrying a wine jar: "Brother! The fleet is ready. Are we really going to 'mediate' the fight?"

"Of course." I took the bowl of wine he offered and took a sip. "Yide, remember our motto—"

"War is business." Guan Yu's voice came from the ship's side. He stood with his hand on his sword, dressed in a blue robe. "We are merchants, and they are customers."

Zhao Yun led his White Horse Cavalry onto the ship, their silver armor gleaming in the sunlight: "My lord, five hundred elite troops have boarded the ship, and another thousand naval soldiers will accompany us in warships."

"That's enough." I put down my wine bowl. "We're going there to be peacemakers, not to fight."

Xu Shu couldn't help but laugh: "My lord, last time you acted as a peacemaker and 'persuaded' Lujiang into your own hands."

"That was an accident." I said with a serious face. "This time, I really went to mediate—after all, Sun Ce and Lü Bu are both loyal subjects of the Han Dynasty; how could they fight amongst themselves?"

The expressions on everyone's faces were subtle.

(Inner monologue: My lord, doesn't your conscience hurt when you say such things?)

"Set sail!" I waved my hand and gave the order.

Thirty warships sailed down the river, their bows bearing the large "Liu" flags fluttering in the wind.

Seven days later, thirty li outside Moling City.

In the makeshift camp by the river, I saw Sun Ce, his arm wrapped in bandages. The young man was somewhat pale, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's.

"Bo Fu!" I strode forward, my face full of concern. "Hearing of your injury, I was extremely worried! I brought a skilled physician with me—"

"I appreciate your kindness, my lord," Sun Ce said, clasping his hands in a fist salute, but a cold smile played on his lips. "But is your visit truly solely to inquire about my injuries?"

"Of course," I said without changing my expression, "it's also for mediation. Although Fengxian has made mistakes, he did kill Dong Zhuo and contributed to the country. Your fighting will only allow Cao Cao to reap the benefits."

Sun Ce stared at me for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Does my lord know what message Lü Bu sent me the other day?"

"Oh?"

"He said that if I withdraw my troops, he would be willing to return Lujiang—My lord, isn't Lujiang in your hands?"

The atmosphere inside the tent froze.

I sighed. "Bo Fu, this matter... is a long story. Back then, Lü Bu seized Lujiang and mistreated the people, so I had no choice but to temporarily govern it. I intended to return it once the situation stabilized, but who knew..."

I looked heartbroken: "Who would have thought Fengxian would misunderstand me like this!"

Sun Ce looked as if he had swallowed a fly.

"How about this," I said sincerely, "I'll act as mediator. You two can cease hostilities for now, and I'll host a banquet to mediate. If we can't reach an agreement... then we'll talk about it later."

Sun Ce narrowed his eyes: "Can you guarantee that Lü Bu will attend the banquet?"

"I, Liu Bei, am willing to stake my life on this," I said, bowing. "If Lü Bu harms Bo Fu in the slightest, I will commit suicide to atone for my sins."

Having said that, Sun Ce could only nod.

That night, a banquet was temporarily set up outside Moling City.

Lü Bu arrived as expected—with Gao Shun and eight hundred elite troops. He was clad in golden armor, his halberd planted outside the tent. As he entered, he glanced at me and sneered, "Liu Bei, what trick are you up to now?"

"Fengxian, why do you say that?" I poured him wine myself. "Today we'll only discuss old friendships, not military matters. Come, let me first toast you both—"

Even after several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere remained tense.

Sun Ce suddenly smashed his cup: "Lü Bu! You attacked my Wu Commandery! This is an irreconcilable feud!"

Lü Bu slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "You brat! Qu'a is my territory, and you attacked me first!"

It looked like a fight was about to break out.

"Wait!" I stood up and stood between the two men, my voice filled with anguish. "Gentlemen! Listen to me! You are fighting here, do you know that Cao Cao has already sent Cao Ren to garrison Shouchun? If you both suffer heavy losses, the entire land of Huainan will fall into Cao Cao's hands!"

Both of them were startled at the same time.

I pressed my advantage: "In my opinion, how about this—Bo Fu takes Danyang and Wu Commandery, while Feng Xian takes Kuaiji and Yuzhang, dividing the land along the river to jointly resist Cao Cao. What do you think?"

Sun Ce sneered: "And what about Lujiang?"

"Lujiang..." I pondered, "How about this, Lujiang will remain under my temporary administration, but the annual tax revenue will be divided equally between the two of you. Once the two of you are on good terms, we can then discuss the ownership of Lujiang."

Lu Bu's eyes darted around: "Forty percent."

"Deal!" I declared. "Then it'll be 40% each—I'll keep 20% to maintain the county seat, that's fair."

Sun Ce stared at me, then suddenly laughed: "My lord, you're quite the schemer. So we're the ones fighting the battles, you get to divide the land, and you even take a cut of the profits?"

"Bo Fu, you are mistaken," I said solemnly. "If I hadn't intervened, you two would still be fighting right now, with Jiangdong men dying and being wounded. Now we can both cease hostilities and gain benefits—isn't that wonderful?"

Silence fell inside the tent.

After a long silence, Sun Ce raised his cup and said, "...Alright, let's give the lord face."

Lu Bu also grunted and picked up his wine bowl.

After the banquet, I returned to my tent.

Zhuge Liang was drawing a map under the lamp. When he saw me come in, he whispered, "Teacher, Sun Ce's injury... is fake."

"I can tell." I took off my outer robe. "When he smashed the cup, his left hand was extremely steady, and there was no blood under the bandage."

"That Lu Bu..."

"Lu Bu saw through it too." I laughed. "That's why he's been cooperating so well tonight—both of them are acting, it's just a matter of who can keep up the act until the end."

Xu Shu lifted the curtain and entered, his expression strange: "My lord, I just received news... Cao Ren has indeed made a move, but he only brought three thousand men and set up camp thirty miles outside Shouchun City, showing no intention of advancing."

"That's normal." I washed my face. "Cao Cao doesn't have the strength to look south right now. I was just trying to scare them."

"But they believed it?"

"Because they were all afraid of Cao Cao." I dried my hands. "If they were afraid, they would believe him."

Zhuge Liang raised his head: "Teacher, so this time... are we really just mediating?"

"Of course not." I unfolded the map of Jiangdong and pointed to Wuhu. "See? Sun Ce and Lü Bu divided the country along the river, and this buffer zone in the middle—Wuhu, Liyang, and Jurong—was once a prosperous place, but now it has become a 'no man's land'."

Xu Shu's eyes lit up: "My lord means..."

"Send Tian Yu to negotiate." I smiled. "Tell them that these three counties have suffered from repeated wars, and the people have been displaced. I, Liu Bei, cannot bear it and am willing to send officials to assist in governing them. Military expenses will be raised by ourselves, and taxes will be divided among them, one-tenth each."

"Will they agree?"

"Yes," I said confidently, "because nobody wants the other to get this land. Having me, an 'outsider,' manage it actually balances things out."

Just then, Zhao Yun rushed in: "My lord, there's something strange happening by the river. A thousand-man detachment of Sun Ce's army has headed west under cover of night, and judging from the direction... it seems to be heading to raid Lü Bu's supply lines."

I raised an eyebrow: "What about Lü Bu's side?"

"Five hundred men from the Trapped Camp left the camp and headed east—presumably to cut off Sun Ce's retreat."

The people inside the tent looked at each other in bewilderment.

I suddenly burst out laughing.

"Fine! They're all putting on an act! They shake hands and make peace on the surface, but they'll still stab each other in the back behind my back!" I walked outside the tent, the river wind was biting, "Then let them stab us."

"Order: Our fleet will withdraw tomorrow morning and return to Guangling."

"But my lord..." Xu Shu hesitated, "If they really start fighting..."

"A fight won't break out." I looked at the two large camps in the darkness. "Sun Ce and Lü Bu aren't stupid. They know that a real fight to the death would only benefit Cao Cao—and me."

"These little tricks tonight were meant for me. They meant: Lord Liu, we'll give you face for your mediation, but we'll still fight for what we need to fight for, so please don't meddle too much."

I turned back to the tent: "Let them fight it out. If we leave, they won't dare to really fight—because without a referee, whoever strikes first is in the wrong."

The next morning, the fleet set sail and headed north.

Looking back from the bow of the ship, the two armies were still facing each other below Moling City, but there was no longer any sound of fighting.

Zhuge Liang, standing beside me, suddenly asked, "Teacher, if they really cease hostilities and make peace, wouldn't that be detrimental to us?"

"They won't get along." I ruffled his hair, still seething with resentment, and both of them were stubborn and unruly—they might be at peace for a while, but not forever.

"Then let's..."

"Wait." I looked north. "Wait until the dust settles in Hebei, until our troops are better equipped, our supplies are more plentiful, and our ships are larger. Then..."

I didn't continue.

But Zhuge Liang understood.

As the boat reached the middle of the river, a swift horse came galloping along the bank. The messenger shouted, "Lord Liu, wait! An urgent message has arrived in Guangling from Xuchang; Lord Cao invites you...to Xuchang for a reunion!"

I took the message delivered by carrier pigeon from my personal guard.

Unfolding, Cao Cao's familiar handwriting:

"My dear brother Xuande, I have heard that you mediated between Sun Quan and Lü Bu, a meritorious act for the nation. Now that the court has been newly established, I wish to appoint you as General Who Guards the East and Governor of Qingzhou. I hope you will come to Xuchang as soon as possible to receive your appointment. Also, my son Ang has recently passed away, and I am deeply saddened. I look forward to meeting with you."

I handed the letter to Xu Shu.

"My lord, this is..." Xu Shu's expression was solemn.

"The Feast at Hongmen," Guan Yu said in a deep voice.

"No," I laughed, "it's like knocking on a bamboo pole."

To everyone's eyes.

"Cao Cao just finished the Battle of Guandu and is dirt poor. He appointed me General Who Guards the East? That's just to get me to 'show my appreciation'." I folded the letter. "As for Cao Ang's death... he wanted to test me to see if it had anything to do with me."

Zhang Fei glared: "So, is eldest brother going or not?"

"Go, of course I'll go." I put my hands behind my back and looked up at the sky. "Not only will I go, but I'll also bring generous gifts—bring a hundred jars of our newly brewed 'Hero's Intoxication' and prepare 100,000 shi of new grain."

"Wouldn't this... be aiding the enemy?"

"Wrong." I turned around. "This is a 'strategic investment'."

"Cao Cao is currently lacking two things the most: money and provisions, and a sense of security. By sending him provisions and wine, I am telling him: first, I have money, so don't mess with me; second, I have no ill intentions, so don't be wary of me."

"As for the General Who Guards the East..." My smile deepened, "I want more than just an empty title."

"You'll have to pay more."

The river breeze stirred the sails, making them flutter loudly.

In the north, in Xuchang.

In the south, at Moling.

And I stood in the middle of the river.

In the middle of the game, the pace of placing pieces increased.

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