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

February 23rd, the seventh year of Jian'an, Hefei.

As dawn broke, the soldiers guarding the city walls spotted the white line on the horizon.

At first they thought it was morning mist, but as the line drew closer and became clearer, someone cried out in alarm:

"White, white horse! It's the White Horse Cavalry!"

Chaos erupted on the city wall.

Li Dian rushed out of the city tower, grabbed the battlements, and stared intently at the approaching white torrent.

Three thousand white horses, three thousand white robes, and three thousand long spears gleaming coldly in the morning light.

That was a legend left behind by Gongsun Zan, a nightmare that struck fear into the hearts of the Wuhuan people, and the pinnacle of cavalry in the world.

Now, they belong to Liu Bei.

Li Dian's hands were trembling slightly.

He wasn't afraid. He was a famous general from Yanzhou, having followed Cao Cao in battles for ten years. What kind of battles hadn't he seen? But at this moment, looking at the cavalry that stood silently arrayed below the city, without uttering a word, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Three thousand cavalrymen dared to arrogantly array themselves below the city walls in the face of fifteen thousand defenders.

On what grounds?

Based on the person behind them.

The man who rose from humble beginnings as a mat weaver and shoe seller to where he is today.

"General!" The lieutenant rushed to his side. "What do we do? Attack or defend?"

Li Dian did not answer.

He simply stared at the enormous banner beneath the city walls—

"Zhao".

Zhao Yun.

The man who charged in and out of Changban seven times, earned his fame among the White Horse Cavalry, and was called "Zilong, a man of unparalleled courage" by Liu Bei.

"General!" the lieutenant called out again.

Li Dian finally spoke.

"Pass down the order: no one is to leave the city without my command."

He turned and walked down the city wall.

---

At dawn, Zhao Yun reined in his horse beneath the walls of Hefei.

He had been watching for half an hour.

The defenders on the city wall panicked, their flags waving wildly, and several times they almost fired their own arrows. This showed that Li Dian had not given any orders; the defenders were simply acting out of instinctive fear.

"General!" The lieutenant rode forward, "Li Dian is staying indoors, what should we do?"

Zhao Yun did not answer.

He simply stared at the city gates, which were tightly shut, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

He recalled his first time on the battlefield many years ago. Back then, he was also on the defending side, and his hands trembled as he looked at the iron cavalry of the Wuhuan people below the city.

Later, Gongsun Zan told him, "If you're afraid, think about what's behind you."

Behind him were the people of the city, the wives and children of his comrades, and the land that gave him birth and nurtured him.

So he held on.

"What's behind Li Dian?" he suddenly asked.

The lieutenant was taken aback.

"What did the general say?"

Zhao Yun shook his head, offering no explanation.

He spurred his horse forward, and alone came to the edge of the arrow's range, where he reined in his horse and stopped.

Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of everyone on the city wall:

"General Li, Zhao Yun has come on orders to have a chat with you."

The city walls were deathly silent.

A moment later, the city gate slowly opened a crack, and a lone rider rode out.

Li Dian.

---

At 9:00 AM, a hundred paces outside the city gate.

The two riders stood facing each other.

Zhao Yun, dressed in white robes, held his silver spear across his horse's back, his expression calm. Li Dian, in black armor and robes, rested his hand on his sword hilt, his gaze complex.

"General Zhao," Li Dian spoke, his voice hoarse, "we are complete strangers, what is there to talk about?"

Zhao Yun looked at him.

"General Li, how much grain does Hefei have left?"

Li Dian was taken aback.

"How long can it last?"

Li Dian did not answer.

"Cao Ren's reinforcements have already retreated," Zhao Yun continued. "Cao Cao's main army is crossing the Huai River and won't be here for a while. Shouchun is already in our hands, and the supply lines to Hefei have been cut off."

He spoke slowly and deliberately:

"General Li, how do you plan to defend?"

Li Dian gripped the sword hilt tightly.

Are you trying to persuade me to surrender?

Zhao Yun shook his head.

"I'm not here to persuade you to surrender," he said. "I'm here to tell the general something."

"What is it?"

"The magistrate has decreed: If Hefei surrenders, the soldiers in the city who wish to stay will be incorporated into the new army, and those who wish to leave will be given travel expenses. Not a single person will be killed. The people will continue to live in peace as usual, and will not be harmed in the slightest."

Zhao Yun paused.

"If the general surrenders, he may continue to command his original troops, but under a different banner."

Li Dian fell silent.

After a long while, he raised his head.

"General Zhao, what makes you think I should believe you?"

Zhao Yun remained silent.

He simply took out a scroll of silk from his bosom, unfolded it, and let Li Dian see the writing and the bright red seal on it.

That was Liu Bei's personal seal, Li Dian recognized it.

The silk scroll contains only eight characters:

Those who surrender will not be killed, and those who leave will not be spared.

Li Dian stared at those eight characters for a long time.

Then he suddenly laughed.

A bitter laugh, a relieved laugh.

"General Zhao," he said, "do you know, I've served the Prime Minister for ten years."

Zhao Yun nodded.

"In ten years, he has never made me such a promise." Li Dian handed the scroll back to Zhao Yun. "He would only say: If you hold the position, you will be rewarded; if you fail, you will be punished according to military law."

He turned his horse around and headed towards the city gate.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

"General Zhao." He didn't turn around. "Open the city gates tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Zhao Yun watched his retreating figure and nodded slightly.

"Thank you, General."

---

Noon, in Shouchun.

Zhou Cang stood on the city wall, looking at the densely packed warships on the Huai River outside the city.

Those were his navy, three thousand men in fifty ships, who had just arrived from Guangling. The soldiers on the ships were unloading cargo, carrying bags of grain, bundles of arrows, and boxes of weapons into the city.

"General," the lieutenant came up from below the city wall, "the granaries have been inventoried, totaling 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). That's enough to feed us for two years."

Zhou Cang nodded.

"What about the city defenses?"

"The city walls are intact, and the watchtowers are in good order. The original garrison has been ordered to either stay or leave, with those who wished to remain being given travel expenses. About eight hundred men left, leaving two thousand two thousand."

Zhou Cang remained silent for a moment.

"Did any of those who left cause trouble?"

"No," the lieutenant shook his head. "We gave them plenty of travel expenses and provisions. They even bowed to us when they left."

Zhou Cang grinned.

"Your Excellency's move is truly brilliant," he said. "The cities you conquer don't need to be defended; the people will defend them for you on their own."

He turned and looked north.

That's the direction of Xudu.

Cao Cao is there.

There lies the battle they will face sooner or later.

"Pass down the order," he said. "Intensify drills and strengthen the city's defenses. We will hold Shouchun until the end of time."

---

Shenshi (3-5 PM), Xudu.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Cao Cao sat in the main seat, with the newly delivered battle report spread out in front of him. He had already read it three times, and with each reading, his fingers clenched tighter.

"Hefei... has surrendered." His voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Li Dian... has surrendered."

No one in the hall dared to speak.

Cheng Yu lowered his eyes, Jia Xu sat motionless in the corner, and Xiahou Dun stood with his hand on his sword, his face ashen.

"What a fine Zhao Yun!" Cao Cao stood up, walked to the map, and exclaimed, "What a fine White Horse Cavalry! What a fine Liu Bei!"

His finger pointed to the location of Hefei.

"If Hefei falls, and Shouchun falls, the entire Huai River defense line will be finished." He turned to look at everyone. "What do you say we do now?"

Cheng Yu said softly, "Prime Minister, the most urgent task is to stabilize the internal situation. Shouchun and Hefei have already been lost, and it will not be easy to seize them by force. It would be better to rest and recuperate first, accumulate strength, and fight again next year..."

"Next year?" Cao Cao sneered. "By this time next year, Liu Bei will be at the gates of Xuchang!"

He walked back to the head of the table and sat down again.

"Wenhe," he looked at Jia Xu, "what do you think?"

Jia Xu raised his eyes, his voice as calm as ever.

"Prime Minister, I believe... Liu Bei's strategy this time is intricately linked, and it was definitely not the work of one person alone." He paused, "There is Guan Yu in Xuzhou, Zhao Yun in Shouchun, Sima Yi in Hefei, and behind the scenes, Xun You, Pang Tong, and others are also strategizing. Liu Bei's ability to acquire such talent is due to his skill, and also to the Prime Minister's..."

He didn't continue.

Cao Cao completed the rest for him.

"Was that also my mistake?"

Jia Xu did not deny it.

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time.

"Issue the order," he finally spoke, "send men to Liaodong to investigate Sima Yi's background. And Pang Tong, and Xun You—wasn't he in Qingzhou for four years? Investigate, investigate thoroughly."

"promise."

"And one more thing," Cao Cao's gaze sharpened, "send men to keep an eye on Xun Yu's residence. Report to me immediately if anything happens."

Cheng Yu was taken aback: "Prime Minister, Lord Xun, he..."

"He claimed illness and refused to attend court, closing his doors to visitors." Cao Cao said, emphasizing each word, "I want to see when this illness of his will be cured."

---

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), in the western part of Xuchang City, at Xun Yu's residence.

In the backyard, under the eaves, Xun Yu sat alone, with a scroll of the Spring and Autumn Annals open in front of him.

He couldn't actually concentrate on reading a single word.

He had already heard about what had happened during the day. Hefei had surrendered, Shouchun had fallen, and Cao Cao was furious in the main hall, ordering men to keep an eye on his residence.

They eventually came to this point.

"Father."

Xun Yun's voice came from behind.

Xun Yu did not turn around.

"What is it?"

"There are some unfamiliar faces outside the mansion." Xun Yun's voice was low. "They seem to be the Prime Minister's men."

Xun Yu closed his eyes.

"understood."

Xun Yun did not leave.

"Father..." He hesitated for a moment, "Should we continue waiting?"

Xun Yu opened his eyes.

He looked at the plum tree that had lost all its leaves, at the sky that was gradually darkening in the twilight, and at the star in the north that had begun to shine.

"Wait," he said.

"What are you waiting for?"

Xun Yu did not answer.

He just kept looking north.

---

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), in Xiapi, Xuzhou.

Inside the main hall of the Governor's Mansion, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

I sat in the main seat, with two newly arrived victory reports spread out in front of me. One was from Zhao Yun, saying that Li Dian had agreed to surrender the city the next day; the other was from Zhou Cang, saying that the defense of Shouchun had been taken over.

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

He glanced at it and grinned.

"Excellent!" He took a swig of wine. "Zilong's move, subduing the enemy without fighting, is even more brilliant than taking the battle!"

Guan Yu sat to the side, his phoenix eyes also showing approval.

"Zilong is indeed remarkable."

Sima Yi sat in the corner, his face calm, but there was a faint smile in his eyes.

I looked at him.

"Zhongda, you deserve the most credit for the victory in Hefei."

He raised his head.

"I was merely acting according to plan."

"Act according to plan?" Pang Tong laughed. "Your 'act according to plan' scared Li Dian so much he couldn't sleep for three days!"

Sima Yi did not respond.

He just slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

I steered the conversation back on track.

"Shiyuan, what's the next step?"

Pang Tong put away his playful expression and walked to the map.

"My lord, Hefei and Shouchun are already in our hands. Next, there are two things we must do."

"explain."

"First, consolidate these two cities and make them two nails driven into Cao Cao's waist." He pointed to the map, "Hefei guards Chaohu Lake, and Shouchun controls the Huai River. As long as these two places are in our hands, Cao Cao will not be able to easily move south."

I nodded.

"And the second one?"

Pang Tong moved his finger upwards and pointed to the location of Yuzhou.

"penetration."

"penetration?"

"Cao Cao's rule in Yu Province was never stable to begin with. After the Xuchang massacre, the scholars were disaffected; after the tax increase, the people were full of resentment. Now he has suffered another defeat, and his prestige has been greatly damaged." Pang Tong turned to me and said, "My lord, if we don't infiltrate now, when will we?"

I looked at him.

"How to infiltrate?"

Pang Tong smiled.

"Has Your Excellency forgotten? We have night watchmen, we have Sima Zhongda, we have..." He looked at Sima Yi in the corner, "a mind that, at only eighteen years old, is already capable of setting up a trap to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

Sima Yi raised his head and met Pang Tong's gaze.

A glint flashed in their eyes.

I suddenly understood.

This is not a simple military advance.

This is a war without gunfire.

They used intelligence, popular support, and incentives to gradually undermine Cao Cao's foundation.

"Zhongda," I said.

Sima Yi stood up.

"Your subject is here."

"I'll leave this matter to you and Shiyuan."

"promise."

---

At 9:00 PM, the night patrol of the Xuzhou branch was halted.

Sima Yi and Pang Tong sat facing each other.

On the table lay a huge map of Yuzhou, densely marked with the names of various counties, the resumes of the garrison commanders, the spheres of influence of powerful local lords, and the degree of resentment among the people.

"Zhongda," Pang Tong pointed to a small dot on the map, "look here."

Sima Yi looked over.

That was a small county south of Xuchang called Yingyin.

"Xun Yu's hometown," Pang Tong said. "The Xun clan wields immense power here. Although Xun Yu remains secluded, his clansmen are still alive. If we can secure the Xun clan's support..."

Sima Yi's eyes lit up.

"Does the master mean to start with Xun Yu's clan?"

Pang Tong nodded.

"Xun Yu was a man of great intelligence, but he had one fatal weakness."

"What weakness?"

"He's too sentimental." Pang Tong took a swig of wine. "He owes Cao Cao a debt of gratitude, so he can't bring himself to betray him. But his clan doesn't share that burden. If we can just convince his clan that following Liu Bei offers a better future..."

He didn't continue.

Sima Yi took over the conversation.

"Even if Xun Yu doesn't surrender himself, he won't stop his clansmen. At that time, Yingyin will become a breach."

Pang Tong smiled.

"Good lad, you get it right away."

Sima Yi did not laugh.

He simply stared at that tiny dot on the map, his eyes gleaming.

---

At midnight, outside the city of Xiapi.

I stood alone on the city wall, gazing at the northern night sky.

In the distance came the sound of the night watchman's clapper, striking the silent night again and again.

I recalled what Pang Tong had said during the day.

"Infiltration", "People's hearts and minds", "Emptying the foundation".

These words may sound cold, but I know they are the fastest and easiest way.

Cao Cao has an army of 100,000, vast lands, and ample supplies. In a head-on confrontation, I might not win.

But I have something he doesn't.

I have the support of the people, the talent, and the time.

Xun Yu's decision to remain secluded in Xudu was proof of the growing discontent among the people.

Those refugees who fled from Jizhou, those garrison soldiers who panicked on the walls of Hefei, and those surrendered soldiers who received travel expenses and left in Shouchun—they are all living evidence of the people's hearts and minds.

I don't need to defeat Cao Cao with a single sword and spear.

All I need to do is gradually loosen his foundations, let his allies leave one by one, and let his people flee north one by one.

One day, he will find himself standing on an empty city.

I took a deep breath of the cool air.

Turn around and head down from the city.

There are still so many things to deal with on the case.

Tomorrow, Zhao Yun will enter the city to accept the surrender.

Tomorrow, Zhou Cang will continue to reinforce the city's defenses.

Tomorrow, Sima Yi and Pang Tong will begin their infiltration plan.

Tomorrow, and many more tomorrows.

But as long as the direction is right, the distance is not a problem.

---

At dawn.

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

The outline of Xiapi City gradually became clear in the morning light.

The neighing of warhorses could be heard in the distance; the White Horse Cavalry was preparing to depart.

Further away came the sound of bugle calls for training, as the Mo Dao team began a new day of training.

Further away, wisps of smoke rise from chimneys, where people are cooking breakfast.

I stood on the city wall, gazing at all of this.

Kongming was in Qingzhou.

Zhongda and Shiyuan were plotting.

Yun Chang is training his troops.

Zilong is in Hefei.

Yide brewed wine in Xiangping.

Gongda is writing his book.

Everyone is in their own place, doing what they are supposed to do.

This is the world I want.

It's not a world for one person alone.

It belongs to everyone.