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

February 20th, the seventh year of Jian'an, at dawn.

The Cao army camp on the north bank of Ruxukou was in complete chaos.

The news of the fall of Shouchun was like a knife, piercing deep into everyone's hearts. Their supply lines were cut off, their retreat was lost, and if the fighting continued, these 100,000 men would be trapped and die on the riverbank.

Cao Cao stood outside the central command tent, his face ashen.

Overnight, he seemed to have aged ten years.

"Prime Minister!" Cheng Yu staggered over, "News is spreading throughout the camps that Shouchun has fallen. Morale is wavering. If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

Cao Cao did not turn around.

He gazed at the Jiangdong banners still fluttering on the south bank, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"Zhou Yu..." he murmured, "What a Zhou Yu."

"Prime Minister!"

"Give the order," Cao Cao finally spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping against stone, "Withdraw the troops."

Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run away.

Cao Cao stood alone outside the tent, gazing at the river he had been fighting for twenty days without success.

In twenty days, they lost 20,000 men and made no progress.

Twenty days later, Hefei was left vulnerable, Shouchun fell, and the grain supply was cut off.

Twenty days...

"Liu Bei..." he said slowly and deliberately, "What a Liu Bei."

He turned and strode into the central command tent.

A map lay open on the table. His finger pointed over Xuchang, over Hefei, over Shouchun, and finally stopped at Xiangping.

"I won't lose." His voice was low, as if he were saying to himself, "I won't lose to you, you mat weaver and sandal seller."

He picked up his pen and drew a sharp line on the map.

From Xiangping to Xudu, a blood-red line.

At 7:00 AM on the same day, on the south bank of Ruxukou.

Zhou Yu stood on the top deck of the warship, watching the Cao army retreat in panic on the north bank.

The fleet was fighting for the waterway; some were pushing and shoving, some were jumping overboard, and some ships were capsizing in the collisions. Banners were scattered all over the ground, and supplies were piled up everywhere. The army, which had been said to number 500,000, now looked like a pack of stray dogs.

"Gongjin," Lu Su walked to his side, his voice trembling with excitement, "Cao Cao... has retreated."

Zhou Yu did not answer.

He simply stared at the chaos, his eyes devoid of the joy of victory, only displaying an indescribable complexity.

"Zijing".

"exist."

How many men did we lose?

Lu Su remained silent for a moment.

"Eight thousand dead, over ten thousand wounded. Wuhu lost, Dangtu lost, Liyang lost..." His voice trailed off, "Although Ruxukou was saved, the vitality of Jiangdong... was also damaged."

Zhou Yu closed his eyes.

Eight thousand.

Eight thousand Jiangdong youths will never be able to return home.

"Give the order." He opened his eyes, his voice soft, "Withdraw the troops. Rest and recuperate. Provide compensation to the families of the fallen soldiers."

"promise."

Lu Su turned to leave.

"Zijing".

Lu Su turned around.

Zhou Yu gazed at the north bank and slowly said:

"Send someone to Xiangping to thank Magistrate Liu on my behalf."

---

At 9:00 AM, thirty li outside Hefei city.

Sima Yi squatted in that abandoned shack, with three secret reports he had just received spread out in front of him.

First report: Cao Ren's reinforcements have halted their advance and are turning back. News of the fall of Shouchun has reached his ears.

Second: Li Dian kept the city gates tightly shut, not daring to step out of the city. The number of soldiers guarding Hefei's city walls had doubled, all of them temporary laborers.

The third account states that Cao Cao's army was retreating north across the Huai River in disarray, abandoning countless supplies along the way.

He placed the three secret reports side by side and studied them for a long time.

"Military Commander," Wang Wu said, squeezing in from outside. "Shouldn't we retreat? Cao Ren's troops have withdrawn, but what if some cavalry rams us..."

"No rush."

Sima Yi stood up, walked to the entrance of the shack, and looked in the direction of Hefei City.

"Wang Wu."

"exist."

"What do you think Li Dian is thinking right now?"

Wang Wu scratched his head: "What are you thinking? You're probably scared, scared that we'll attack the city..."

"No," Sima Yi shook his head. "He's wondering how long Hefei can hold out."

He turned around and looked at Wang Wu.

"Send a message to the lord: The morale of the garrison in Hefei has been shattered, and Li Dian is isolated and without support. If a general is sent to lead troops to press the border at this time, we can take it without a fight."

Wang Wu's eyes lit up.

"Does the military commander mean to strike while he's ill and kill him?"

Sima Yi's lips curled up slightly.

"Strike while the iron is hot and kill him."

---

At noon, in Xiapi, Xuzhou.

Guan Yu and I are playing chess on the city wall.

On the chessboard, black and white pieces clashed, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Guan Yu's chess style, like his swordsmanship, was bold and unrestrained, relentlessly pressing forward. My chess style, however, was more like my temperament: outwardly yielding, but inwardly harboring deadly intent at every turn.

"Brother," Guan Yu placed a piece, "Cao Cao has retreated."

"Um."

"When are we going to cross the river?"

I looked up at him.

"Yun Chang, do you wish to cross the river?"

Guan Yu remained silent for a moment.

"I want to," he said, "but if my elder brother won't allow me to cross, then I won't."

I laughed.

"Yun Chang, do you know why we won't cede the land?"

He shook his head.

I stood up, walked to the edge of the city gate, and looked at the river that was faintly visible to the north.

"Although Cao Cao has retreated, his main force remains. One hundred thousand men—even in defeat, they are still one hundred thousand men." I turned to look at him. "If we cross the river now, chase after them, and try to take a bite, how many can we catch?"

Guan Yu thought for a moment.

"Ten or twenty thousand?"

"Yes. Ten or twenty thousand." I nodded. "And then what? Cao Cao will stop and turn around to fight us to the death. Can our twenty thousand men defeat his one hundred thousand?"

Guan Yu shook his head.

"So," I said, walking back to the chessboard and sitting down again, "it's better to wait and reap the rewards than to chase after the prey."

"Waiting to collect?"

"Hefei and Shouchun are already in our hands." I placed a piece on the board. "If Cao Cao wants to go back, he will have to redeploy troops, stockpile grain, and redeploy defenses. All of this will take time. With that time, we can turn Hefei and Shouchun into two nails, firmly pinning them down on Cao Cao's vitals."

Guan Yu's eyes lit up.

"Does Brother mean there's no rush?"

"A hasty person can't win." I looked at the stalemate on the chessboard. "Yun Chang, you're going to lose this game."

Guan Yu looked down and his expression changed slightly.

His dragon has been surrounded and killed by me without my knowledge.

---

Shenshi (3-5 PM), in Shouchun City.

Zhao Yun stood on the city wall, gazing at the winding official road leading north outside the city.

Scouts have just reported that Cao Ren's reinforcements have retreated over a hundred miles away and are crossing the Huai River. The crossing is crowded and chaotic, and half of the supplies have been abandoned on the north bank.

"General," the lieutenant came up from below the city, "the people of Shouchun are all saying that we are a righteous army, and that we will not harm the slightest thing. Some of the bolder ones have already started going out of the city to gather firewood."

Zhao Yun nodded.

"Pass down the order: no one is to be disturbed. Anyone who dares to take even a single item from the people will be executed."

"promise!"

The lieutenant turned and left.

Zhao Yun continued to gaze at the official road.

He recalled the time many years ago when he followed Gongsun Zan to fight the Wuhuan. Back then, they did the same thing: capture a city, then continue the pursuit, the killing, and the attack.

At that time, he thought that this was how war was fought.

Later he met his lord.

Later he learned that fighting was not the goal; the real skill was how to defend the conquered territories.

"Shouchun..." he murmured, "From now on, you belong to us."

---

At 5 PM, at the Xiangping Governor's Office.

I just received a secret letter from Sima Yi.

"The morale of the defenders of Hefei has been shattered, and Li Dian is isolated and without support. If a general is sent to lead troops to press on the border at this time, we can take it without a fight."

I handed the letter to Pang Tong, who was standing next to me.

He glanced at it and grinned.

"Good lad." He took a swig of his drink. "Eighteen years old, much better than I was at that age."

I looked at him.

"Shiyuan, what were you doing when you were eighteen?"

Pang Tong thought for a moment.

"Drinking," he said. "I drink every day, then I curse at people, and then I go to sleep."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"And what about you now?"

"Now?" He put down his gourd. "Now I drink to think, I curse to get things done, and I sleep... still to sleep."

Xun You coughed lightly from the side.

Pang Tong glanced at him.

"Gongda, don't cough. Those four years you spent writing books were no better than my drinking."

Xun You did not refute, but simply turned his head slightly away.

I steered the conversation back on track.

"Shiyuan, who do you think should be sent to Hefei?"

Pang Tong put away his playful expression and thought about it seriously.

"Zhao Yun," he said, "Shouchun has already been captured. Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut there is futile. Let him lead three thousand White Horse Cavalry to Hefei. When Li Dian sees him, he will have no choice but to surrender."

"What about Shouchun?"

"Send Zhou Cang here," Pang Tong said, pointing to the map. "Zhou Cang's navy is just withdrawing from Guangling, and they can reach Shouchun on the way. With him here, Shouchun won't fall."

I looked at Xun You.

"Gongda, what do you think?"

Xun You nodded.

"Shiyuan is right. Zilong's reputation precedes him, and Li Dian dares not fight him; Zhou Cang is steady and reliable, and the city can be defended without fear."

I picked up my pen and wrote down two orders.

"Zilong led three thousand White Horse Cavalry to Hefei and forced Li Dian to surrender."

"Zhou Cang led the navy into Shouchun to take over the defense."

The messenger rushed out.

---

Xu hour (7-9 PM), Xudu.

In the backyard of Xun Yu's residence, the plum tree had completely shed its leaves, its bare branches standing out in the twilight.

Xun Yu sat on the veranda, holding the secret letter he had just received.

The letter was very short, only one line:

"Shouchun has been captured, and Hefei is within reach. Please do not worry, sir."

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he held the letter up to the candle flame and watched it burn out little by little.

"Father."

Xun Yun's voice came from behind.

Xun Yu did not turn around.

"What is it?"

"The Prime Minister is back." Xun Yun's voice was soft. "I heard... we lost 20,000 soldiers and lost Shouchun."

Xun Yu closed his eyes.

"understood."

Xun Yun stood behind him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

a long time.

"Father..." he finally spoke, "Should we...stay in Xudu?"

Xun Yu opened his eyes.

He gazed at the plum tree that had lost all its leaves, at the lights that gradually lit up in the twilight, and at the star that had already risen in the north.

"Wait a little longer," he said.

"What are you waiting for?"

Xun Yu did not answer.

He just kept looking north.

---

At 10 PM, on the official road outside Xiapi City.

Sima Yi, accompanied by ten riders dressed in black, was galloping through the night.

They had been traveling for three hours and were exhausted, but no one called for a stop.

Wang Wu spurred his horse and caught up.

"Military Commander! Xiapi is just ahead. Shall we go into the city and rest for the night?"

Sima Yi shook his head.

"No entry."

"Where to?"

"Go to the Xuzhou camp." Sima Yi's voice was calm. "Our lord is there."

Wang Wu was stunned for a moment.

"Military Commander, you haven't slept a wink for a day and a night, your health is failing..."

"I won't die," Sima Yi interrupted him. "Let's go."

The sound of horses' hooves rang out again.

Ten riders dressed in black disappeared into the night.

---

At midnight, at the Xuzhou camp.

I had just lain down when I heard the voices of my personal guards outside the tent.

"My lord, the military commander Sima requests an audience."

I was taken aback.

Zhongda?

Isn't he outside Hefei?

"Let him in."

The tent flap was lifted, and a figure walked in.

The eighteen-year-old boy was covered in dust, his face so pale it was almost transparent. But his eyes were still very bright, so bright that people dared not look directly at them.

"Zhongda..." I sat up, "What's wrong with you...?"

"My lord." He knelt on one knee and took out a scroll of silk from his bosom. "Battle report from Hefei."

I took the silk scroll but did not open it immediately.

"Did you come all the way back from Hefei?"

"Yes."

"how long?"

"Eight hours."

I looked at him.

Eight hours, three hundred miles.

This is a reckless running style.

"Zhongda," I said, setting the silk scroll aside, "do you know you're going to kill yourself running like this?"

He raised his head.

The eighteen-year-old boy showed such a serious expression in front of me for the first time.

"My lord," he said, "you said I am Sima Yi. Break my schemes, settle my accounts, and follow my path."

I nodded.

"I have won this game." His voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of stubbornness. "I wanted to tell you this myself."

The tent fell silent.

I looked at the boy.

He traveled a thousand miles to rescue Kong Shao, and while wounded, he saved Fu Shou. He also uncovered Cao Cao's spy network and personally killed the traitor, Gray Sparrow. Now, he single-handedly devised a plan to lure Cao Cao away from his mountain stronghold, forcing him to retreat and creating conditions for Zhao Yun to capture Shouchun.

He was only eighteen years old.

"Zhongda." I stood up, walked over to him, and helped him up.

He stood up, swaying slightly.

"You've broken this deadlock." I looked him in the eyes. "What reward do you want?"

He remained silent for a moment.

"Your Majesty... desires something."

"explain."

He took out the gleaming bronze talisman from his pocket—a talisman for night watchmen.

"I want to keep it," he said. "When I'm old and can't walk anymore, I can still look at it and think about this year."

I was stunned.

It's not about wanting official positions, money, or land.

All I need is this bronze talisman.

"Zhongda..." My voice was a little hoarse.

He looked up and smiled.

It's rare to see an eighteen-year-old boy smile like that.

"My lord, I'm going to bed."

He turned and walked out of the tent.

I stood there, staring at the dust-covered scroll, speechless for a long time.

---

At dawn.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.

I stepped out of the tent and stood in the morning light.

A bugle call came from afar; it was Guan Yu training his Mo Dao (陌刀) troops.

Further away came the neighing of warhorses; the White Horse Cavalry was preparing to depart.

Further away, the outline of Xiapi City gradually became clear in the morning light.

A new day has begun.

I thought of the plum tree in Xun Yu's mansion that had lost all its leaves, I thought of Zhou Yu's silhouette standing on the warship, and I thought of the blood-red line that Cao Cao drew on the map.

They are all waiting.

Wait for the next round.

Wait for the next encounter.

Wait until I make a mistake.

But they don't know that I won't make mistakes.

Because I have Zhuge Liang, Zhongda, Gongda, and Shiyuan behind me.

Because I have Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Yuan Zhi behind me.

Because I have three thousand students, fifty thousand soldiers, and five hundred thousand civilians behind me.

They are the reason I don't make mistakes.

I took a deep breath of the morning air.

He turned around and went back to his tent.

There are so many military reports to approve, so many orders to issue, and so many people waiting for me.