Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

In this urgent situation, Liu Bei and his men mounted their horses without the slightest hesitation.

Two hundred elite cavalrymen turned their horses around in front of the Gongsun Mansion. The sound of their hooves gradually increased, like a muffled thunder rumbling through the streets of Lingzhi, sweeping towards the city gate.

From Lingzhi to Yangle, a distance of over a hundred li, Liu Bei and his party traveled almost without stopping.

When the city walls of Yangle City appeared in the twilight, it was already mostly dark.

Torches on the city wall lit up one after another, and the guards saw the smoke and dust rising in the distance. The bugle sounded mournfully.

The city gates were wide open, and Liu Bei rode in first.

The council hall of the Commandant's Office was brightly lit.

Wang Lie, Shan Jing, Tian Yu, Xu Rong, and others were already waiting.

Cheng Yu then entered, holding a newly transcribed military intelligence summary in his hand, his expression solemn.

Gao Shun was the last to enter. He was on duty at the drill ground tonight and had come in a hurry, so his armor was still covered in night dew.

Liu Bei didn't beat around the bush and placed the two urgent reports received from Gongsun's residence on the table.

In Youbeiping, the Xianbei invaded from the south, numbering no less than five thousand cavalry.

The Xianbei army besieged Changli, a vassal state of Liaodong, and Gongshamu sent an envoy to request aid.

After the words were spoken, the hall was silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

Han Dang was the first to stand up.

"My lord, this humble general requests permission to fight!"

His voice was like the ringing of a bronze bell, causing the candle flame to flicker slightly.

"My lord, this humble general is willing to be the vanguard!"

Cheng Pu also stood up, his eyes, as big as copper bells, practically overflowing with fighting spirit.

"We cannot send troops!"

Wang Lie's voice rang out almost simultaneously.

He strode to the desk, pointed to the map on the wall, and placed his finger on several military settlements in Liaoxi County.

"My lord, the autumn harvest is imminent. The military farms in Lingzhi and Feiru have opened up nearly 10,000 mu of new land this year, and the millet in the fields will be ready for storage in another half month."

"If we send troops now, who will collect all this grain?"

"The food rations for more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians for a year, and the fodder for thousands of warhorses, are all in these two weeks."

"If we delay, people will starve to death in winter even without the Xianbei attacking."

Shan Jing also stood up: "Yan Fang is absolutely right. Although most of the surplus grain of the powerful families in various counties has been purchased, there is still 30% that has not yet been stored."

"If we send troops now, I fear..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tian Yu interrupted him: "However, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."

Tian Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried to every corner, silencing everyone for a moment.

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed from Changli to Liaoxi: "The Liaodong Dependent State is adjacent to Liaoxi. Changli is no more than three hundred li from Yangle."

"If the Xianbei conquer Changli, Liaoxi will be next."

"If we don't save Gongshamu today, we will be trapped in Yangle City tomorrow."

"Guorang is right!"

Han Dang shouted, "If the Xianbei dare to besiege Changli, what difference is there between us and cowards if we cower in the city and refuse to step forward?"

"Magistrate Han!"

Wang Lie turned around, his face flushed: "I am not afraid of death, but I know the situation in Liaoxi better than anyone here."

"The grain accumulated from two years of farming is only enough to last until next summer's harvest."

"If the autumn harvest is delayed because of the military campaign, what will the 200,000 people eat? What will the soldiers eat?"

"So you're not going to save Changli?" Han Dang's voice rose three octaves.

That's enough.

Liu Bei spoke.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water poured on a hot coal fire.

The hall fell silent suddenly, and everyone's eyes were on Liu Bei, but Liu Bei turned to Cheng Yu.

"Zhongde, what do you think?"

Cheng Yu had not spoken since the beginning, but sat quietly at the end of the table with his hands tucked into his sleeves and his eyes fixed on the urgent report.

He then raised his head.

"My lord, I believe this matter is not simple!"

He stood up and walked to the map. The lamplight cast his shadow on the wall, making him appear exceptionally tall.

"The Xianbei people moved south from Youbeiping."

"The Xianbei army besieged Changli, a vassal state of Liaodong."

"Both routes are under emergency alert at the same time, and they are only a few hundred miles apart."

"This is no coincidence. This was a unified action by the Xianbei, not a lone raid by a single tribe."

His finger traced from Youbeiping towards Liaodong, and then northward.

"Since it's a unified operation, what about Yuyang? What about Shanggu? And further west, what about Bingzhou?"

"If the three tribes under the Xianbei Chanyu Tanshihuai are indeed personally commanded by him, then this matter is not just about Youzhou, but about the entire northern frontier."

The hall was completely silent. Han Dang's mouth was slightly open, and Cheng Pu's brows were furrowed into a deep frown.

Wang Lie and Shan Jing exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.

They only thought about the autumn harvest in western Liaoning and the survival of Changli, but they never thought that this might affect the entire northern frontier.

Gao Shun had been silent until now, when his gaze shifted slightly, and there was something new in his eyes as he looked at Cheng Yu.

After Zhao Bao entered, he sat down next to Liu Bei without saying a word.

At this moment, he couldn't help but nod in agreement, saying, "Zhongde is absolutely right!"

"The Xianbei were not a disorganized guerrilla force. Since they were able to attack from two directions at the same time, they must have a bigger plan."

"The hasty deployment of troops played right into their hands."

Liu Bei looked at Cheng Yu: "Zhongde, in your opinion, what is the Xianbei's intention in this action?"

Cheng Yu was silent for a moment, then said, "There are four possibilities for the Xianbei's actions!"

"The first method is to plunder grain during the autumn harvest, for the sake of survival!"

"This second reason is to avenge the previous three campaigns against the Xianbei; it's about venting anger!"

"This third possibility is that Tan Shihuai wanted to establish his authority for the sake of his rule!"

"The fourth method is to lure the enemy out of their hiding place, targeting the increasingly powerful lord specifically to eliminate future threats!"

Cheng Yu remained silent for a moment, the lamplight flickering in his eyes, like someone flipping through a mountain of bamboo slips in his heart.

"I believe the most likely explanation is that it's to establish authority."

He turned around and faced the crowd in the hall: "Last year, we launched a three-pronged attack on the Xianbei. Our lord personally led an army north, first destroying the Queji tribe, then defeating the Mijia tribe, and finally repelling Tanshihuai."

"Of the three Xianbei routes, two were defeated and returned in disarray. Although Tan Shihuai is the Great Chanyu of the Xianbei, the Xianbei are a tribal alliance. What sustains his prestige?"

"It relies on winning every battle."

"Once his commands fail to bring victory, the tribes below will begin to harbor rebellious thoughts."

"With Que Ji, Ke Zui, and Murong all killed, and many units suffering setbacks, there will inevitably be questions about whether Tan Shihuai's deployment was appropriate."

"Tan Shihuai needs a victory, not a small one, but a resounding one!"

"It was a resounding victory that silenced all the tribes once again!"

"So this time, he's not just using one or two methods, but multiple methods simultaneously."

"He wanted the entire northern frontier to see the might of the Xianbei army, and to let everyone know—Tan Shihuai was still the same Tan Shihuai."

The hall was so quiet that only the sound of candle flames popping could be heard.

Wang Lie's Adam's apple bobbed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

They had been arguing about whether or not to send troops, but after listening to Cheng Yu's analysis, they realized what they had been thinking.

In this game of chess, the autumn harvest, grain and fodder, and powerful families are nothing more than a few grains of sand on the edge of the board.