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

On the eleventh day of the second month of the sixth year of Jian'an, at the third quarter of the Yin hour.

Thirty li north of Ye City lies an abandoned temple.

Sima Yi leaned against the mottled mural and used a dagger to cut off the last small piece of horse meat. The meat was already black and smelled of decay, but he put it into his mouth without changing his expression and chewed it slowly.

Seven wounded men lay in the temple. The most seriously injured was Li Gan, the leader of the White Horse Cavalry, who had been shot in the left chest with an arrow lodged between his ribs. Without anesthetic, Hua Tuo's apprentice used a red-hot dagger to cut away the arrow from his flesh. This tough man gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound, only his forehead veins bulged and sweat poured down his face.

"Sima Jun, Sima..." Li Gan said weakly, a bloodstained wooden stick still between his teeth, "You...you take Young Master Kong and go first...don't worry about us..."

Sima Yi swallowed the chewed horse meat and said calmly, "Hold on for two more days."

"But food..."

"Someone will deliver food before dawn."

Li Gan was taken aback: "This is a desolate mountain wilderness..."

Before he finished speaking, three long and two short bird calls came from outside the temple gate—the spies' secret signal.

Sima Yi got up, moved silently to the door, and looked out through the crack in the door.

Under the moonlight, an old man dressed as a woodcutter was squatting by the ancient well in front of the temple, carrying a load on his shoulders and drawing water. But his rhythm of drawing water was strange: three quick strokes, two slow strokes, and then three quick strokes again.

Sima Yi pushed open the door and went out.

The old man looked up, revealing a wrinkled face: "Young man, would you like a bowl of water?"

"The well water is cold, but there is hot soup in the temple," Sima Yi replied in the code.

The old man smiled, revealing two missing front teeth: "That would be wonderful."

The two entered the temple one after the other. The old man put down his load and lifted the tarpaulin—underneath were two full baskets of flatbread and dried meat, as well as a jar of wine.

"Number 17, Bingzi, is here on orders from Military Advisor Xu to deliver supplies to the Sima Army's commander." The old man said in a low voice, "Military Advisor Xu said to hold on for two more days. At 1:00 AM on the 14th, there will be three beacon fires in the direction of Julu. Once you see the signal, lead your men eastward to the Qi River, where there will be boats to meet you."

Sima Yi picked up a pancake, broke it in half, and distributed it to the wounded: "What are the movements of Cao Cao's army?"

"Cao Ren's main force has been transferred to Julu, but he left a thousand men to search this mountainous area. The leader is Cao Ren's nephew, Cao Tai, a young and ambitious man who is searching very thoroughly." The old man took out a simple map from his pocket. "This is their search route for the past few days, narrowing it by five li each day. They will reach this point by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow at the latest."

The atmosphere inside the temple turned somber.

Li Gan struggled to sit up: "Military Commander! You take your men and leave, I'll stay behind to cover the retreat..."

"Lie down." Sima Yi pressed him back down, then turned to the old man. "Is there anywhere nearby where we can hide? Tunnels or caves will do."

The old man thought for a moment: "Ten miles to the east, there's an abandoned mine pit, left over from copper mining in the previous dynasty. The tunnels inside are complicated. But... it's said to be haunted, and even the locals dare not go there."

"Haunted houses are good." Sima Yi's eyes lit up slightly. "Ghost stories are the best way to scare away idlers."

He quickly assigned tasks: "Li Gan, you're seriously injured. Take three lightly wounded brothers and escort Young Master Kong to the mine first. The rest of you come with me and lure Cao's army away."

"You want to be bait?!" Li Gan exclaimed urgently. "No way! It's too dangerous!"

"Dangerous, but effective." Sima Yi had already begun packing. "Cao Tai is looking for a large force. I'll take twenty men westward, creating the illusion of a breakout back to Youzhou. You all head east, sneaking into the mine under cover of darkness—remember, once inside, seal the entrance, and no matter what happens outside, do not come out."

He looked at the old man: "Sir, I need to trouble you with something else."

"Please speak."

"After daybreak, spread the word in the nearby villages: say that a troop of cavalry was seen heading west, wearing white robes and riding white horses—the more detailed the description, the better."

The old man understood: "I understand."

At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Sima Yi, accompanied by twenty elite white-horse riders, deliberately left obvious hoofprints in the snow as he headed west. Reaching a fork in the road, he suddenly reined in his horse:

"Zhang Wu, you take ten men and continue westward, leaving a campsite every five li—ashes from a fire, leftover bones, the more obvious the better. The rest of you, follow me back."

"Back?" the guard asked, puzzled.

"The most dangerous place is the safest." Sima Yi turned his horse around. "Cao Tai will definitely pursue us with all his might once he discovers our westward journey. Let's circle back to the vicinity of the ruined temple, wait until they are far away, and then turn east—just in time to meet up with the brothers who went to the mine."

Someone hesitated: "But the hoofprints..."

"Dismount and walk." Sima Yi dismounted. "Lead the horse deep into the woods and tie it securely. We'll take the mountain path."

The twenty men abandoned their horses and walked on foot, carefully choosing areas with exposed rocks and shallow snow, trying to leave no trace. An hour later, they hid in the dense forest behind the ruined temple, looking down towards the temple from a high vantage point.

At three quarters past Chen hour, Cao's army indeed arrived.

About three hundred cavalrymen, carrying banners bearing the character "Cao," were led by a young general in golden armor and a red robe—it was Cao Tai. They stopped in front of the ruined temple and dismounted to search the area.

"General! There are signs of a fire in the temple, and there's blood!"

"There are fresh hoofprints in the snow to the west; they must have been there for about an hour!"

Cao Tai sneered, "Chase them! They're carrying wounded soldiers; they can't run fast!"

Three hundred riders thundered westward in pursuit.

Sima Yi waited quietly in the forest. Only after Cao Cao's army had completely disappeared from sight, and after another half an hour, confirming that there was no ambush, did he lead his men down the mountain.

"Military Commander, shall we go to the mine now?" the guard asked.

"No." Sima Yi thought for a moment, "Let's go to the nearby village first."

"what?"

"Cao Tai searched for three days but couldn't find us. Why did he suddenly lock onto the abandoned temple?" Sima Yi's eyes turned cold. "Someone informed on us. Moreover, the informant didn't know that we had split our forces this morning, which is why Cao Tai was led away by the westward tracks—this means that the informant is not one of our people, but an outside spy."

He looked down at the village below the mountain: "There are three villages nearby. The only people who can know the exact location of the ruined temple... are the locals. Let's go ask them."

Half an hour later, in Liujia Village.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several elderly people were basking in the sun. When they saw Sima Yi and his entourage enter the village—although they had changed into civilian clothes, the sword at their waists and the murderous intent in their eyes could not be concealed—the elderly people immediately fell silent.

"Old man," Sima Yi stepped forward, his tone gentle, "I'd like to ask you something. Have any strangers come to the village these past two days? Or... have any officials come to question us?"

An old man with a missing tooth stammered, "Sir...no, no..."

Sima Yi took out a few five-zhu coins from his pocket and placed them on the stone mill: "We are not bad people, we are tracking down a group of bandits. They stole government grain and are hiding in the nearby mountains. If you have any clues, the government will reward you."

Money has an immediate effect.

Another old man spoke up: "Speaking of strangers... a peddler did come the day before yesterday. He walked around the village for a bit, didn't sell anything, and then left."

"What do peddlers look like?"

"He was in his forties, fair-skinned and clean-shaven, and spoke with a Luoyang accent. Oh, and he had a mole on the corner of his left eye."

Sima Yi's heart stirred.

In the files of the night watchmen, there was a defector spy codenamed "Grey Sparrow," who had a mole on the corner of his left eye. This man was a native of Ji Province who had defected to Cao Cao two years ago, specializing in counter-espionage.

"Thank you." Sima Yi left a few more coins and led his men away.

After leaving the village, he immediately ordered: "Go to the mine, quickly."

"Aren't you going to investigate that peddler anymore?"

"That's an old hand; he's already run away." Sima Yi mounted his horse. "The key now is to protect Kong Shao and the wounded. Since Gray Sparrow has shown up, it means Cao Cao's control over this area is deeper than we thought—the mines aren't safe either; we need to move as soon as possible."

The group sped eastward.

At noon, we arrived at the abandoned mine pit.

The entrance was hidden in a mountain hollow, concealed by withered vines. Sima Yi pushed aside the vines, revealing a dark, musty interior.

"Li Gan!" he called out in a low voice.

no respond.

Sima Yi's heart sank, and he drew his sword, entering first. The alleyway was winding, with rotten mine carts and tools scattered on the ground. After walking about a hundred paces, a light suddenly appeared ahead.

"Military Commander!" It was Li Gan's voice.

Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief: "How is the situation?"

"Young Master Kong is alright, he's just frightened and hasn't said a word." Li Gan approached, holding a torch. "This mine is indeed complex. We found a natural cave with a spring inside, which can hold about a hundred people."

"Pack your things, get ready to leave."

"Now?"

"Yes." Sima Yi quickly explained, "Cao Cao's army has spies operating in this area, so it's not safe here. Our lord has arranged for boats to meet us on the Qi River, so we must set off ahead of time—without waiting for the beacon signal."

"But the wounded..."

"Those who can walk, walk; those who can't walk..." Sima Yi paused, "I'll carry them."

Li Gan's eyes reddened: "Military Commander! How can this be!"

"Enough with the nonsense." Sima Yi had already turned around. "Prepare in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Clean up all traces, and disguise the entrance to make it look like no one has been here for a long time."

At 1:00 PM, the team of twenty-three set off again.

Sima Yi carried the heaviest wounded soldier on his back—a young soldier with an arrow in his leg. The boy was only seventeen years old, named Wang Shuan, from Yuyang in Youzhou, and this was his first mission.

"Military Commander...please put me down..." Wang Shuan choked back tears, "I've dragged everyone down..."

"Shut up." Sima Yi's steps were steady. "Your mother is still waiting for you at home. If I leave you here, how am I supposed to explain it to her when I get back?"

Wang Shuan buried his face in his shoulder and wept silently.

The group trudged through the mountains with difficulty. To avoid leaving tracks, they deliberately chose to walk on rocky terrain and along streams. Sima Yi walked at the front, holding a simplistic compass—the latest equipment from the Liaodong Armory, more accurate than reading the sun.

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), they arrived at a bend in the upper reaches of the Qi River.

According to the plan, the waiting boat should be twenty miles downstream. However, after observing the terrain, Sima Yi changed his mind: "Let's not go downstream, we'll cross the river here."

"But the boat..."

"Build a raft." Sima Yi pointed to the bamboo grove on the bank. "This section of the Qi River isn't wide, and the current is gentle. We can cut bamboo and build a raft to cross."

Everyone immediately got to work. They were all elite soldiers, cutting bamboo, binding it together, and making oars with swift movements. In less than an hour, three simple bamboo rafts were ready.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from upstream.

"Cao's army!" the lookout soldier whispered.

Sima Yi looked up and saw about fifty riders searching along the riverbank. Judging from their banners, they were not Cao Tai's main force, but a patrol.

"Quick! Get in the water!"

The crowd hurriedly lifted the wounded onto the bamboo raft and pushed it into the river. Sima Yi stayed behind until everyone was on the raft before he swung his sword and cut the ropes that were tying the raft to it.

The bamboo raft drifted downstream.

Cao Cao's army on the riverbank spotted them and gave chase. But the riverbank was rugged, and the horses couldn't run fast, so they were quickly left behind.

"Fire!" Cao's army captain ordered.

Arrows whizzed by, embedding themselves in the bamboo raft and plunging into the water. A soldier was struck in the shoulder by an arrow and let out a muffled groan.

Sima Yi crouched at the bow of the raft, raising his shield to protect Kong Shao behind him. The six-year-old child huddled in his arms, his face pale, but he bit his lip and didn't cry.

"Are you afraid?" Sima Yi asked.

Kong Shao shook his head: "Father said...a man should be brave."

Sima Yi was taken aback for a moment, then patted his head: "Your father is right."

The bamboo raft drifted for about five miles before a fork in the river appeared ahead. According to the map, the main river was to the left, while a tributary to the right led to a swamp.

"Military Commander, which way should we go?" the soldier punting the raft asked.

Sima Yi quickly assessed the situation: the main river was wide, but he might encounter more of Cao Cao's troops; the tributaries were difficult to navigate, but offered better cover.

"right."

The bamboo raft turned into a tributary. The waterway suddenly narrowed, and reeds grew thickly on both banks, blocking out the sun. After traveling another two or three miles, the view suddenly opened up ahead—a lake with a small island in the center, and surprisingly, a dilapidated thatched hut on the island.

"Stop the boat and head to the island."

The thatched hut had clearly been abandoned for a long time, with a drafty roof, but it was surrounded by water on all sides, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Sima Yi let the wounded men go inside to rest, while he led his men to set up a perimeter on the riverbank.

"This must have been a temporary shelter for hunters or fishermen," Li Gan said, examining the remains in the house. "There are signs of fire, so it must have been no more than half a month ago."

"That means people come here occasionally." Sima Yi frowned. "We can't stay long. Let's wait until dark and then continue on our way."

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), it got dark.

But no one could sleep. Wang Shuan developed a fever, and his wound became infected. Li Gan's arrow wound also worsened, and his face turned ashen.

Sima Yi squatted by the fire, whittling wooden sticks with his dagger—he was making a splint. If Wang Shuan's leg wasn't immobilized soon, even if he survived, he would be crippled.

"Military Commander..." Kong Shao walked gently to his side and handed him a hard, flat cake. "Please have this."

Sima Yi took it, broke it in half, and gave it back to him: "You eat some too."

The child, munching on a biscuit, suddenly asked, "Brother Sima, can we...go home?"

"Yes," Sima Yi said decisively, "definitely."

"But my father... won't be coming back." Kong Shao lowered his head, tears falling in large drops onto the pancake.

Sima Yi was silent for a moment, then reached out and put his arm around the child's shoulder: "Your father is a hero. He risked his life for the sake of righteousness. You must live well, study hard, become successful, and in the future, show him what a peaceful world looks like—that will be the best tribute to him."

Kong Shao nodded emphatically and wiped away his tears.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), another unexpected event will occur.

The sound of oars and the light of torches could be heard from outside the lake.

"Someone's coming!" the lookout whispered.

Sima Yi immediately extinguished the fire, and everyone hid. Through the gaps in the reeds, he saw three small boats sailing into the water, carrying about twenty people dressed in Cao Cao's army uniforms.

"Damn it, where did those guys go?" the leading junior officer cursed. "General Cao said he wants to see them alive or dead!"

"Boss, this lake is so big, could it be hiding on some island?"

"Search! Search every island!"

The small boats began to disperse and search. One of them was rowing towards the island where they were hiding.

Inside the thatched hut, Li Gan struggled to grab a knife, but Sima Yi held him down.

"Don't move." Sima Yi's eyes were icy. "If they come ashore, I'll deal with them. You protect Kong Shao and the wounded."

The small boat docked, and five Cao soldiers jumped off, holding torches and shining them around.

"There's a dilapidated house here!"

"Let's go in and take a look!"

The two pushed open the door and entered.

The room was pitch black. They had just raised their torches when they were struck hard on the neck and collapsed to the ground.

Sima Yi emerged from behind the door, quickly stripped them of their armor, and threw it to the soldiers behind him: "Put these on. Li Gan, you pretend to be wounded and lie on the ground. The rest of you, pretend to be Cao Cao's soldiers—we'll sneak out."

"But face..."

"Keep your head down and speak less." Sima Yi had already put on the leather armor of a junior officer in Cao Cao's army. "Just say that we were ambushed during the pursuit, and our brothers suffered heavy casualties. We need to return to camp to report the news."

He picked up an unconscious Cao soldier, dragged him to the water's edge behind the house, and pushed him into the water—only letting go after the man drowned.

"Military Commander, this..." a soldier said, unable to bear it.

"If he doesn't die, we will die." Sima Yi's voice was completely calm. "In chaotic times, being soft-hearted is a disease."

The group changed into Cao Cao's army uniforms and armor, then carried the "wounded" Li Gan and swaggered towards the small boat on the shore. Cao Cao's soldiers, who were searching other islands, saw this and shouted, "How is it?"

Sima Yi lowered his voice and imitated the Jizhou accent: "There's a dilapidated house, but nobody's home! Damn it, what a wasted trip!"

"Let's go back then! This godforsaken place is freezing!"

The three small boats met and sailed out of the marsh.

Sima Yi stood at the bow of the ship, his back to the other Cao soldiers, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He would act immediately if anyone became suspicious.

Fortunately, it was dark and the firelight was dim, so no one looked closely.

At midnight, the fleet arrived at a temporary camp of Cao Cao's army. Sima Yi, under the pretext of "sending the wounded back to the main camp for treatment," successfully borrowed five horses and led his men away.

Only after walking ten miles and confirming that it was safe did the group dare to catch their breath.

"Military Commander...you really are..." Li Gan lay on the stretcher, unsure of what to say.

Sima Yi reined in his horse and looked north: "We'll reach the rendezvous point at the Qi River in about thirty li. Everyone, stay alert, this is the final stretch."

February 12th, dawn.

On the north bank of the Qi River, there is a secluded river bend.

Zhao Yun had been waiting here for three days. He led a thousand light cavalry to patrol the north bank of the Zhang River to attract the attention of Cao Cao's army, while he himself led fifty elite troops to sneak here in advance to prepare to provide support.

"General, a ship is coming!" a guard whispered.

Zhao Yun looked up—in the morning mist, three small boats were drifting downstream. The people standing at the bows, though dressed in Cao Cao's army armor, had figures...

"It's Zhongda!" Zhao Yun mounted his horse and led his men to greet him on the shore.

The small boat docked. Sima Yi was the first to jump down, staggering slightly—he hadn't slept for three days.

"General Zilong..."

"Don't speak yet." Zhao Yun supported him and looked towards the ship. "Have you received them all?"

"Kong Rong's youngest son, Kong Shao, is here." Sima Yi pointed to the boat awning. "Miss Fu Shou... we haven't received her yet, but we've arranged for others to go get her. There are seven wounded, and three... three have died."

Zhao Yun nodded and immediately ordered, "Change horses! Head north immediately!"

Fifty riders escorted the weary column, galloping northward. After traveling ten li, Sima Yi suddenly reined in his horse:

"General, we can't go straight back to Youzhou."

Why?

"Cao Tai will definitely block all routes back north once he realizes he's lost us." Sima Yi unfolded the map. "Go east, detour through Bohai Commandery, and head along the coast—there's a naval rendezvous point there."

Zhao Yun frowned: "But what about your wounded soldiers..."

"He can hold on." Sima Yi looked at Li Gan on the stretcher. "Right?"

Li Gan grinned: "I won't die!"

The team changed course and headed east.

On the same day, Xiangping.

I was listening to Zhuge Liang's report on the epidemic when suddenly a personal guard rushed in: "My lord! A message from the carrier pigeon! Sima Jun... has escaped danger! He is retreating towards Bohai Commandery!"

I breathed a long sigh of relief.

"What are the casualties?"

"Three dead, seven wounded, Kong Shao rescued. As for Miss Fu Shou... another team went to meet her, but there's still no news."

"Alright." I stood up. "Send an order to Zhou Cang to send a fleet to Bohai to provide support. Also, tell Hua Tuo to prepare medicine and wards for treating the wounds."

The guards obeyed and left.

Zhuge Liang closed the epidemic record and asked softly, "Teacher, Sima Zhongda has made a great contribution this time..."

"Um."

"About the traitor..."

"We'll talk about it when they get back." I looked out the window. "Right now, the most important thing is to bring them back safely."

February 15th, dusk.

Bohai County, an unnamed small port.

Five warships slowly approached the shore. The deck was lowered, and Sima Yi was the first to disembark, followed by Kong Shao, who was being held in his arms.

The child was asleep, his little face was dirty, but his breathing was steady.

I stepped forward and said, "You've worked hard."

Sima Yi bowed, his voice hoarse: "My lord, I have not failed you."

"Go get your injuries treated and rest first. We'll talk about the details tomorrow."

"No." The boy shook his head. "I need to report two things first: First, the traitor's code name is 'Grey Sparrow.' He has a mole on the corner of his left eye, speaks with a Luoyang accent, and has been working for Cao Cao for two years. Second, Miss Fu Shou may still be in Yingchuan. I suggest we send reinforcements immediately."

I patted him on the shoulder: "Everything's arranged. Your task now is to sleep."

Sima Yi wanted to say something, but he swayed and fell forward.

I helped him up—the boy had already fallen into a deep sleep.

"Take him to the ward," I ordered. "Let Hua Tuo treat him personally."

Night was falling.

I stood at the harbor, gazing at the sea to the south.

In this round, we won the first step.