The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Seeing that the city walls remained unmoved, Lü Qian spurred his horse to the city walls and shouted, "Old man Huang Zhong! I've always heard Liu Bei boast of his benevolence and love for the people! Yet today, the southern counties of Bohai are suffering from the ravages of war, fields are barren, and people are displaced, all because of Liu Bei's deceit and hypocrisy, which has provoked the heavenly army to punish him! Women and children in the city are crying from hunger due to lack of food, and lives outside the city are weeping blood from the flames of war, all because you, old man, are cowering in Nanpi! So cowardly in battle, do you have even a shred of shame?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Huang Zhong clapped his hands and laughed: "General Lü, were you just praising my lord's 'benevolence'? I'm hard of hearing, I only heard that! Now that you know my lord is benevolent and wise, why don't you abandon the darkness and embrace the light? With your loud voice, if you learn archery from me, you'll surely become a great man in the future!"

Lü Qian was furious: "You old scoundrel! I'm talking about Liu Bei's hypocrisy and harm to the people..."

"Oh? General, you mentioned the word 'good' again? Brilliant!" Huang Zhong interrupted before he could finish, "Even Duke Kang Cheng personally praised your goodness, my lord. Since you admire him so much, General, you are my friend! Why don't we share a drink?"

After saying this, Huang Zhong actually ordered his soldiers to pour wine. He first drank from one cup, and then poured the other cup down from the city wall as if offering a sacrifice, shouting, "General Lü, please drink to your heart's content!"

The soldiers on either side burst into laughter and echoed, "General, please drink to your heart's content!"

Seeing this, Lü Qian felt as if the other party regarded him as a dead man, and he immediately flew into a rage, shouting again: "The people of southern Bohai have suffered because of you, and you actually..."

Huang Zhong stroked his beard again and interrupted, "Hmm? General, you actually dare to say something like 'the people suffer because of you'? It's rare to find such self-awareness! I am very pleased! Cao Cao's perverse actions are abhorrent to both gods and men. If you can come to your senses today and submit to a wise ruler, it will truly be a blessing for the people of Bohai and a blessing for the Han Dynasty!"

Having his words repeatedly taken out of context, Lü Qian's face turned as purple as a pig's liver. He lashed out with his whip in the air, shouting, "Huang Zhong! You...you old thief!"

Huang Zhong remained unmoved, his tone still warm: "Hehe, I know you are anxious. However, the way of archery is to persevere; haste makes waste. General, in my opinion, you have extraordinary bones and your limbs are as agile as an ape. You can draw the bow with both hands and run like the wind. If you practice diligently in the future, I will surely be able to praise you as 'Flying General Lü Qian'!"

Huang Zhong's words have a double meaning.

The title "Flying General" originally came from Li Guang, who was named after his near-death experience when he escaped from the pursuit of the Xiongnu army, "flying like the wind." The Xiongnu people originally used this title to mock his ability to run. Later, after being praised in the Records of the Grand Historian, it gradually became a term of praise for horsemanship and archery, and Lü Bu was also called "Flying General."

If Huang Zhong were simply called "Flying General," it could be understood as a compliment. However, the addition of "his limbs are as agile as an ape, he can draw his bow with both hands and run like the wind" changes the meaning. It is a veiled criticism that if Lü Qian insisted on not retreating, he would inevitably suffer a defeat and flee like Li Guang, barely escaping with his life.

A war of words ensued, but reason could not prevail, nor could force prevail.

Seeing that the walls of Nanpi were thick and difficult to attack, Lü Qian was so frustrated that he almost vomited blood. In the end, he had no choice but to turn his horse around and return to his camp, filled with anger.

On the city tower, Huang Zhong watched Lü Qian retreat in a disheveled state, stroked his long beard, and smiled faintly: "This child is restless and unfit for important tasks."

Xu Xun, the governor of Bohai, bowed in admiration, saying, "General Huang's few words were enough to send Lü Qian away in a huff. He is truly a divine general!"

Huang Zhong chuckled: "Lord Xu, you flatter me. I have only learned a few smatterings from the strategist. If the strategist were here, he might make Lü Qian vomit blood."

Huang Zhong vividly remembered the time when Zhuge Liang cursed Gongsun Xu as a spineless dog outside Zhen Ding City, causing Gongsun Xu to scream and vomit blood.

As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." Even Huang Zhong, after spending a long time with Zhuge Liang, would occasionally learn his eloquence and the tempering of his character. In Zhuge Liang's words, "A general should not be petty and narrow-minded. If one cannot even tolerate a few harsh words, one will surely be provoked by treacherous people. Only with magnanimity can one achieve great things, and one should not be biased towards one extreme."

Seeing Huang Zhong's calm demeanor, Xu Xun breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the worry in his eyes remained: "Now the southern counties are suffering from the ravages of war and we are unable to help them. As the governor of Bohai, I feel ashamed."

Although Lü Qian was trying to use the image of heavenly soldiers to proclaim his side's righteousness, it was also a fact that the southern counties of Bohai had suffered greatly from the war. Recently, many refugees and civilians had appeared at the foot of Nanpi City to accuse Cao Cao's soldiers of mass slaughtering, looting, and destruction.

“Lord Xu, you are overthinking this.” Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong’s usual cheerful smile slowly vanished, replaced by an undeniable air of authority. “Lord Xu, I deeply appreciate your love for the people. However, in times of crisis, we cannot be bound by trivial matters. Our immediate priority is to defend Nanpi. If we abandon this strategically important city out of momentary indignation, we will be playing right into Cao Cao’s hands! If this city falls, not only will the southern counties suffer from the ravages of war, but the entire Bohai region, and even You and Ji, will be engulfed in flames of conflict. How could you, Lord Xu, not understand this crucial situation?”

Intimidated by Huang Zhong's imposing presence, Xu Xun's inner struggle eased slightly, but his worries remained: "What the general says is very true, but, but... alas!"

Huang Zhong's expression softened slightly, but his authority remained: "Forgive my bluntness. Caring for the people is your duty, Prefect, and also the direction of our lord's benevolent rule. However, those who command troops to defend against the enemy must not act impulsively. As the strategist Zhuge Liang often taught: 'A general must be discerning and know what is permissible and what is not.' Prefect, please take care of matters of civil administration. As for military affairs, please refrain from speaking too much. As the Prefect, you are the source of courage and pride for the entire city. How can you wallow in self-pity?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xun immediately looked ashamed.

When Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were mentioned, Huang Zhong's eyes revealed a resolute look: "Our lord's benevolence and righteousness are known throughout the land, and our strategist's wisdom and strategy are unparalleled. How could they not know of the predicament of Bohai? Lü Qian's raving here is nothing but a minor ailment. Our strategist has a plan in place. What we need to do is to defend Nanpi firmly, leaving the enemy with no opening! The day our strategist gives the order, and our lord's banners point, will be the day we strike hard against Cao Cao, rescue the people, and wash away our shame!"

"What is there to fear?!"

Huang Zhong spoke in a loud and clear voice, his words conveying conviction, both to reassure Xu Xun and to comfort the soldiers on the city wall.

A general is the courage of his soldiers. If a general has courage, the soldiers will naturally have courage too. Huang Zhong's bold words made the soldiers on the city wall less timid.

Xu Xun was greatly shocked, and most of the pent-up frustration in his chest was dispelled. He bowed deeply and said, "General Huang's words of wisdom are like thunder in my ears! I have learned a great deal!"

One side rejoiced while the other grieved. Unable to trick Huang Zhong into leaving the city, Lü Qian was also extremely anxious. If he could not break through Nanpi, it would be meaningless no matter how many cities he seized in southern Bohai.

"You old bastard, once I conquer Nanpi, I will devour your flesh alive to vent my hatred!" Lü Qian cursed, racking his brains for a good plan but to no avail.

A few days later.

Another message came back: "General, Liu Bei's reinforcements have arrived outside Nanpi City! Their banners are marked 'Ju,' and they number about two thousand!"

Lü Qian was overjoyed: "If that old scoundrel Huang Zhong refuses to leave the city, then let's first defeat Liu Bei's reinforcements. After I take his banners and hang his head under the city walls, let's see how that old scoundrel can stabilize the morale of his troops!" (End of this chapter)