Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 428 You believe the enemy's words?
“General Wei, Commandant Qian is indeed surrounded in Wuzhong... Previously, Liu Yi and Liu Hui went to Wuzhong together, but were both defeated by Commandant Qian. After that, Tadun’s army surrounded Wuzhong.”

Xu Mao said to Liu Bei, "Liu Yi has no intention of fighting to the death with General Wei, but he holds hostages from various families in Guangyang, and what Liu Yi said should be true..."

"If Qingzhou is lost, even killing all the enemy will not bring it back... General Wei, why don't you negotiate with Liu Yi to stabilize the situation first?"

Qu Yi, who returned with Xu Mao, cautiously asked Liu Bei.

But Liu Bei seemed completely unconcerned about Qingzhou: "You believe what the enemy says?"

Qu Yi was puzzled: "What Mr. Xu said is all true..."

"What is the truth... Liu Yi can negotiate, but he can't talk to me. If he surrenders, I can let him talk to Gongsun Du!"

Liu Bei shook his head and looked at his generals: "Wen Yuan, go and give Liu Yi a message... Tell Liu Yi that I, Liu Bei, am now a banished barbarian with a guilty conscience, without official rank or title, unable to manage the affairs of Qingzhou, and unable to negotiate with him... I can only atone for my sins by killing all the barbarian bandits!"

"If Liu Yi doesn't want to die, let him surrender unconditionally and join me in killing the Hu to avoid punishment. Wouldn't it be better if he could atone for his crimes by killing Yuan Shao and destroying Tadun, and then be ennobled and promoted to general based on his military achievements?"

Xianyu Yin, Zhang Nan, Ma Yan, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

They were somewhat puzzled as to why Liu Bei referred to himself as a banished soldier who had been punished.

But they were all from Youzhou, and seeing that Liu Bei was still determined to take all of Youzhou despite the danger he faced in Qingzhou, most of them were somewhat encouraged, feeling that Liu Bei was still one of their own from Youzhou after all...

"What does the general mean by 'without official rank or title'?"

Zhang Liao stepped forward to receive the order, but he was still a little confused.

"Did Gao Gan, Liu Yi, and others ever attempt to persuade Qian Zijing to surrender by using Liu Zijing as a pretext?"

Liu Bei did not answer directly, but turned to ask Xu Mao instead.

"Of course I tried to persuade him... but the captain claimed he didn't know Liu Zijing..."

Xu Mao nodded.

In fact, Qian Zhao knew Liu Zijing, but she also knew that Liu Bei had long since separated his family and that the Liu family had not treated Liu Bei well.

The Liu family of Zhuo County was effective in front of others, but not in front of Qian Zhao and Jian Yong.

"Liu Zijing of Zhuo County is a traitor who has betrayed his country and colluded with the enemy. First, he helped the enemy to disrupt the morale of the soldiers and civilians in Youzhou. Then, he joined Liu Yi to disrupt the morale of our army. This action is tantamount to being a traitor... Liu Zijing's crimes should be made public and his Han nationality should be revoked!"

Liu Bei raised his voice and said to his generals, "Liu Zijing is my clansman. He has committed the crime of treason, and I should also be implicated... Yunchang, let the military law and penal code be proclaimed to the world that I, Liu Bei, will accept the punishment of being implicated!"

"Take Liu Bei, the Vanguard General and Governor of Qingzhou, for example. He was implicated in a crime because his clansmen betrayed the country... In order to avoid being beheaded on the battlefield, Liu Bei's hair was shaved off in place of his head, he was stripped of his official position, and punished by being exiled to Youzhou as a barbarian, leading various tribes of executioners to kill barbarians to atone for his sins!"

"The military affairs of Youzhou were commanded by Guan Yu as commander-in-chief, Feng Xiao as military advisor, and Wen Yuan as commander of the vanguard... Liu Bei served as the vanguard soldier."

"The tribes of Zhang Nan, Ma Yan, Jiao Chu, and Zhang Yi are all considered exiled barbarians. They are sent to serve their sentences while still bearing their crimes, and their heads of barbarians are used to atone for their sins and establish merit!"

"Do any of the departments have any objections?!"

After Liu Bei finished speaking, he took off his helmet and turned to ask Zhang Nan and the others.

"I am willing to die for the Han Dynasty!"

Zhang Nan and the others naturally had no objections...

No one expected Liu Bei to target Liu Zijing, let alone that Liu Bei would remove himself from his official post and punish himself by killing the barbarians to atone for his sins.

Although they were also executed as prisoners, there was no objection—Liu Bei received the same treatment as them, and even demoted himself to a lowly soldier in the vanguard. Who could say anything about that?
There were many enemy invaders on the border, and it was common for criminals to be released on parole. Zhang Nan and Ma Yan, who had surrendered to high-ranking officials, were also criminals released on parole. Killing barbarians to atone for their sins was also a tradition.

"Yun Chang, carry out my execution!"

Liu Bei drew his sword and handed it to Guan Yu, then loosened his hair.

Guan Yu hesitated for a moment, then cut off Liu Bei's long hair from the back of his head in front of everyone.

This is not a pose. In those days, short hair represented a sinner. One could not tie one's hair up and therefore could not impersonate other people to escape—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants all had to tie their hair up.

"Liu Bei, a former exiled soldier, requests the Commander-in-Chief to issue the order!"

Liu Bei turned around, cupped his hands, and handed the command flag to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu was completely bewildered... He had no choice but to take the command flag: "All troops, listen up! Prepare tonight, cook breakfast at midnight tomorrow, and march out at dawn to capture Ji County!"

Zhang Liao also seemed to wake up from a dream, cupped his hands in acceptance of the order, and prepared to deliver a message to Liu Yi.

……

In fact, for Liu Bei, Liu Yi's request for negotiations meant that Liu Bei should immediately attack Ji County.

No matter what Liu Yi said, Liu Bei would interpret it in reverse.

Liu Bei was a seasoned negotiator, and he always had a basic understanding of 'negotiation'.

—The enemy's words are never to be trusted.

The more truthful something is, the less you should believe it.

This understanding was practically common sense to Liu Bei...

During negotiations, neither side usually lies; every word spoken is the truth.

But every statement could be a true lie.

Liu Bei himself often used truthful lies to create 'difficult situations' for his opponents, and Jia Xu was also a master of this.

Those who claim to be the best in the world are mostly cowardly and lack courage.

Those who claim to have sex nine times a night mostly last only three seconds each time.

The enemy says a large army is attacking Qingzhou, which may be true, but the army may not be the one you think it is, and the attack may not be the one you think it is.

The enemy claims they defeated your general and seized many large ships, which is true, but the defeat may not be the kind you're thinking of, and the large ships may not necessarily be yours...

Every word can be the truth, but every word can also be deliberately spoken to disrupt morale.

Just like Liu Bei's northward expedition to Youzhou, he experienced many battles, some bitter and some defeats, which is the truth.

If we really have to say it, it would be that 'Liu Bei suffered defeat after defeat and didn't win a single battle'.

If Liu Zijing were to say to Qian Zhao, Xu Rong, and others: "Liu Bei has suffered several defeats, losing armor and countless banners and supplies along the way, incurring heavy losses. Most of the families in Youzhou have already submitted to Gongsun Du, even the Liu family of Zhuojun has submitted, and most of Youzhou has fallen into Gongsun Du's hands... Now Gongsun Du is about to attack Qingzhou. You have already endured months of hardship here, serving your lord and the country with utmost loyalty. Why must you die here?"

—It's all the truth, not a single lie, and it looks like they're genuinely considering the other person's feelings.

But... is this believable?
This is actually Liu Zijing's real crime; he did exactly that when he helped high-ranking officials persuade various families to surrender.

In negotiations, you should first create a 'difficult situation' for your opponent, and then 'help them solve the problem' yourself. This is the process for any successful negotiation, including sales, cooperation, alliances, truces, contracts, and so on.

If this process is not followed, it means you are being scammed.

If the opponent is in a better position, you need to make them believe that the situation is turning around and create a sense of unease among their people.

Negotiation is not a game between two people, and war is not a game between two armies.

This is a confrontation between two forces, involving everyone, and it requires exploiting everyone's mindset.

It's not that what you can't get on the battlefield can't be obtained at the negotiating table. It's not uncommon for a country to win on the battlefield but suffer a major defeat at the negotiating table. And there are many cases where a country can still sign a favorable treaty after a defeat.

Maintaining a sense of crisis is advantageous during production and construction, but disadvantageous during negotiations.

Negotiation requires a robber's mentality.

Liu Yi deliberately revealed that Yuan Shao and Gongsun Du had defeated Guan Hai and were preparing to cross the sea to attack Qingzhou, in order to create a "reversal of the situation" and make Liu Bei's side feel worried about Qingzhou.

The story of attacking Qingzhou across the sea might be true, but it's also certainly a lie. Defeating Guan Hai might be true, and if Guan Hai did launch a landing operation and Yuan Shao captured some of his large ships, that might also be true.

It is certainly true that Yuan Shao and Gongsun Du organized a large number of pirates to deal with Guan Hai, and it is also likely true that they prepared to cross the sea to attack Qingzhou.

These facts, taken together, make it seem as if the situation is very unfavorable for Liu Bei, as if Qingzhou is in imminent danger...

—This feeling of being on the verge of collapse is a lie.

The actual situation is far less serious than that.

If Liu Bei were a psychologically fragile person, upon hearing this news and conjuring up the idea that "Qingzhou might be lost," he would feel that Yuan Shao and Gongsun Du had gained the upper hand, and would become anxious and uneasy.

Once one's mindset becomes unstable, one often loses composure.

Liu Bei's men, as well as the troops led by Qian Zhao, Xu Rong, Xianyu Fu, and Bai Yao, who were besieged by the Hu army, might also have felt that 'Liu Bei was being led by the nose by the enemy'.

In reality, Liu Bei was winning victory after victory.

However, each party is so confused by the predicament that they often fail to see the overall victory.

Everyone is a human being, and everyone has their own feelings. Once this kind of 'precarious' atmosphere is created, even if Liu Bei himself doesn't make a mistake, his subordinates are very likely to make one.

That's the power of a 'true lie'.

Because it is real, it is considered 'credible' by the vast majority of people.

But truth is never the same as credibility.

……

……

Although Liu Yi was not well-known, he was much smarter than Gao Gan and Liu Hui.

Liu Bei used Liu Zijing to replace the Xu family members, which was originally a way to make use of waste... and also to win over the hearts of the various families in Youzhou.

Previously, no one in Youzhou truly submitted to Liu Bei. Liu Bei had never served as the chief official of Youzhou. Xianyu Yin was loyal to Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, while Zhang Nan, Ma Yan, and others were loyal to their hometown.

But what will the various families in Youzhou think if Liu uses his own clansmen to exchange for loyal and brave men?
Even if the families of the powerful clans in Guangyang were captured, they would no longer harbor any hostility towards Liu Bei.

Liu Yi understood Liu Bei's intentions, but since Liu Bei had already sent Liu Zijing over, if he didn't make a corresponding response, the various families in Guangyang who were being coerced might immediately start causing chaos.

Moreover, Liu Yi knew that after Liu Bei sent Liu Zijing to Ji County, he could no longer use the various families in Guangyang that he had previously coerced to deal with Liu Bei. He was certain that every family would only go through the motions and might even turn against him at any time.

That's why Liu Yi released Xu Mao and used Xu Mao to convey a message seeking negotiations.

Xu Mao's words would be more likely to gain the trust of Xu Miao and even Liu Bei's forces.

Liu Yi sent Xu Mao to deliver these messages in order to give Liu Bei a sense of 'credibility'.

Gongsun Du did indeed have the capability to conduct cross-sea operations, after all, the distance from Dalian Bay to the Penglai Islands is only a little over 300 li (160 kilometers), which is a very short distance for naval aviation.

Between Dalian Bay and Penglai, there is a chain of islands (Miaodao Islands, with large islands every few dozen miles), which means that the entire route is close to the coast and is the earliest reliable sea route. As early as the Warring States period, it was possible to conduct cross-sea trade and warfare.

It is true that Guan Hai attacked Liaodong from the sea on Liu Bei's orders and was defeated by Yuan Shao.

However, Guan Hai's strategic goal was not to seize Liaodong. His attack on Liaodong was merely a means of defense. The outcome of the battle itself was not important, nor was whether Liaodong was occupied. His strategic objective was to prevent Liaodong from crossing the sea to attack Qingzhou.

Guan Hai wasn't stupid; his goal was clear, and his family and academy were both in Penglai. He couldn't possibly lose all his ships just to conquer Liaodong.

Besides...

As long as he didn't receive a message personally from Zuo Yuan, Liu Bei wouldn't believe that Qingzhou couldn't be defended.

Liu Bei's trust in Zuo Yuan went beyond mere marital affection.

In Liu Bei's eyes, Zuo Yuan was also a famous general, and in many ways even far surpassed himself.

Even the story of Qian Zhao being surrounded is unbelievable.

Being surrounded is real, but the feeling of being 'in imminent danger' is unbelievable.

Tadun was indeed besieging Wuzhong, and Xu Mao himself witnessed the battle when Liu Yi besieged Wuzhong while he was being held hostage.

Liu Yi and Liu Hui had previously attacked Qian Zhao together, but they were quickly repelled by Qian Zhao, who even managed to break through Wuzhong.

However, the main force of the Tatun army launched a large-scale encirclement, and the available troops were limited, so they could only retreat back to Wuzhong and rely on the fortifications to hold their ground.

Liu Yi retreated to Ji County, and Liu Hui also returned to Zhongshan, both in order to procure supplies again.

It was at this time that Liu Bei sent troops north. Gao Gan no longer allowed Liu Yi and others to attack cities and seize territories, but instead used the Wuhuan people to fight. Gao Gan and Liu Yi's troops quickly surrounded Youzhou.

First, they kidnapped the Liu family of Zhuojun, then used the Wuhuan people to threaten other families, and had Liu Zijing and other members of the Liu family persuade others to surrender, thus gathering a large number of people to fight against Liu Bei.

But, but.

The Taidun Wuhuan tribe in western Liaoning numbered less than ten thousand. Even if he could mobilize thirty thousand troops, he would have to face Qian Zhao, Xu Rong, Xianyu Fu, and Bai Yao simultaneously...

The Wuhuan people weren't that powerful.

This situation actually means that there are no problems on Qianzhao's side.

Qian Zhao and Liu Hui had a grudge, and Liu Hui was the first to deal with Qian Zhao.

But even now, Qian Zhao is still alive and kicking, and can even hold off Ta Dun's main force, but he just can't break through.

If it weren't for Gao Gan and Liu Yi taking control of most of Youzhou, given time, Tadun would definitely not have been a match for Qian Zhao and Xu Rong.

However, Liu Yi took advantage of Xu Mao's firsthand experience to portray the situation on Qian Zhao's side as extremely precarious.

This is exploiting Xu Mao's credibility to gain leverage in negotiations, and it's also a psychological trap.

If Liu Bei shows even the slightest intention to retreat or compromise, even the slightest hint of compromise, Xu Rong and his allies, who have been waging a war of attrition, are likely to lose confidence, and the various factions in Guangyang County, who have been coerced, will have no choice but to fight against Liu Bei.

For Liu Bei, the real task was to prevent his people from falling into this mental trap.

If we're going to fight, then we're going to fight; we don't care about anything else.

Drive the road to its end.

Moreover, it helps everyone to reach a dead end.

Liu Bei is no longer the leader of the army; he has implicated himself in a crime punishable by association, and can only be exiled to the border as punishment.

What happened to Qingzhou is no longer relevant to Liu Bei; he's not even an official anymore.

But he led a large force of executioners, including Zhang Nan, Ma Yan, and Jiao Chu, and everyone was waiting to be executed to avoid punishment.

Liu Bei started his career as a low-ranking military officer, and others could certainly do the same; this was the proper path to military merit.

Those who had served the enemy now had a clear path: no need to dwell on past mistakes, just confess and make amends through meritorious service.

The opportunity to atone for one's sins and make meritorious contributions is right in front of us, as the Hu people are now all over Youzhou.

All the mental traps are useless now.

The soldiers and civilians of Youzhou will only be focused on killing the Hu people and will not have any other thoughts.

Upon hearing the news, Qian Zhao, Xu Rong, Xianyu Fu, and others would understand Liu Bei's intentions—there was no room for negotiation, they would fight to the bitter end!

(End of this chapter)