Tiger Owl

Chapter 154 Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick
Zhuge Liang couldn't very well make Liu Bei travel too many times, as it was too dangerous. However, he still wanted to test Liu Bei's sincerity, so he made Liu Bei wait at his doorstep for a full three and a half hours, or seven hours, before he finally appeared.

Liu Bei's legs were numb from standing, but he still bowed respectfully, "But Mr. Zhuge, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

"I'm so sorry to have kept Uncle Liu waiting. Please come in and have a seat, everyone!"

Liu Bei went inside, but Guan Yu, seething with anger, refused to go in and continued to wait outside.

Zhuge Liang invited Liu Bei to sit down in the study and then had his brothers serve tea.

"First of all, congratulations to Liu Bei for having the prosperous land of Nanyang. He finally has a foothold."

Liu Bei gave a wry smile and said, "Our foundation is only temporary. Once Cao Cao's army comes, Nanyang County will be lost."

Zhuge Liang nodded and asked again, "Has the Imperial Uncle not considered launching another Northern Expedition?"

"I have indeed considered it, but I would like to ask you, sir, is the Northern Expedition likely to succeed?"

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and asked, "How much does Imperial Uncle know about Gan Ning?"

Liu Bei was taken aback. How did this bring up Gan Ning again?
He had no choice but to honestly reply, "I know some things about him."

"Does Imperial Uncle know why Gan Ning wants to form an alliance with Jiangdong?"

"Sir, please speak!"

Zhuge Liang calmly replied, "After capturing Wan County, Gan Ning did not advance further east. If he had taken Lujiang County, it might have led to an alliance between the two Suns, which is not what Gan Ning wanted. Therefore, he stopped in time and turned to Changsha County to snatch food from Liu Biao's mouth. But if Changsha County is not captured in time, and Liu Biao allies with Jiangdong, or even joins forces with Huang Zu and Sun Ben, and the four families divide Yuzhang County, how will Gan Ning deal with it?"

"I understand. That's why Gan Ning allied with Jiangdong, eliminating any worries about the rear during the western expedition."

Zhuge Liang nodded and smiled, "Actually, the Imperial Uncle's northern expedition to Xuchang and Gan Ning's attack on Changsha Commandery are the same thing. Once the Imperial Uncle's army marches north, will Liu Biao take the opportunity to reclaim Nanyang Commandery?"

Liu Bei immediately realized his mistake and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I didn't consider things thoroughly enough. Thank you for reminding me, sir!"

Zhuge Liang then laughed and said, "Now that Gan Ning wants to break off the alliance with Jiangdong, he obviously wants to attack Lujiang County. At this time, why isn't he worried about Liu Biao and Sun Quan joining forces?"

"Appreciate further details!"

"Things change over time. Now that the Imperial Uncle is stationed in Nanyang County, Gan Ning is no longer worried that Liu Biao will send troops. Once Liu Biao's main force is tied up by Gan Ning, will the Imperial Uncle ask to pass through Xiangyang?"

Liu Bei never expected that Zhuge Liang could see through his thoughts. He could only laugh awkwardly to cover up his guilty conscience.

Zhuge Liang continued, "In fact, whether it is a major battle or a minor battle, defending the rear is a major issue. Cao Cao went to great lengths to prevent being attacked from the rear during the major battle with Yuan Shao. He did not hesitate to support Gan Ning and Sun Ben, and even instigated internal strife in Jiangdong to assassinate Sun Ce."

"Sir, your insight is profound. Does this mean Liu Biao will not attack Jiangxia County?"

"No! Liu Biao will definitely send troops to Jiangxia, but he won't go all out. He'll only make a small effort, but even if he only makes a small effort, he will still lose at least 30,000 troops."

"How did you know, sir?"

"This is just my deduction; it may not be correct. Uncle, let's see the results!"

Liu Bei nodded and asked, "Now that I have occupied Nanyang Commandery, what should I do next?"

Zhuge Liang calmly replied, "Nanyang Commandery is a battleground on all sides, making it difficult to establish a stable presence or sustain a long-term strategy. Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, unified the north, and possesses absolute strength; we cannot contend with him. Although there is room for development in the south, there are two formidable enemies: Gan Ning and Sun Quan. My uncle does not have enough warships and a navy, making it difficult to contend with them, especially with Cao Cao's large-scale southward advance, where my uncle will be the first to bear the brunt. Therefore, if my uncle wishes to establish his own foundation, the only way is to plan westward." "Are you referring to Bashu, sir?"

Zhuge Liang nodded, “Liu Zhang is mediocre and incompetent, not a ruler fit to maintain his empire. This is your opportunity, Imperial Uncle. Take over Bashu, use it as a base, then take Hanzhong and Guanzhong to the north, and Jingzhou and Jiaozhou to the east. The world will be divided into three, and you will have one of them. Then, work hard to govern, use Jingzhou as a springboard, take over Jiangnan, unify the south, and then slowly take over the Central Plains, contend for Hebei. In twenty years, you can unify the world.”

Liu Bei seemed to have a sudden realization. After wandering in Hebei and the Central Plains for decades, he finally understood for the first time which path he should take.

Liu Bei remained silent, and he even felt like crying.

Zhuge Liang continued, "Although we have a direction, it is not easy to achieve it. The key is the first step: Imperial Uncle must take Nan Commandery in order to open the door to Bashu."

Liu Bei nodded. "I've always dreamed of taking over Nan Commandery, but where should I begin?"

Zhuge Liang picked up his brush and wrote a name on the paper: Liu Qi.

Liu Bei nodded slowly, "I understand!"

Liu Bei rose and bowed, saying, "I have lived half my life in a daze. Today, your words are like a beacon, illuminating my future. I earnestly request that you come out of seclusion and lend me a helping hand."

Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "My lifelong wish is to restore the Han Dynasty, but Cao Cao has usurped the throne and the Han Dynasty is on the verge of collapse. I have observed the world and believe that only you, my uncle, can revive the Han Dynasty. I am grateful that you, my uncle, do not abandon me. I, Kongming, am willing to do my best for your great cause."

Zhuge Liang, along with his wife and brothers, went to Nanyang County, where Liu Bei appointed him as his military advisor, thus beginning his career as a strategist.

That morning, the young Pang Tong arrived in Chaisang by boat.

The Jingxiang aristocratic families never staked their family's fate on one person. Gan Ning's capture of Jiangxia County and occupation of Changsha County had a great impact on the Jingxiang aristocratic families.

Many people used to discriminate against Gan Ning because of his poor background and looked down on him, but as Gan Ning's strength reached a certain level, this discrimination decreased, and the aristocratic families became more discerning.

Faced with overwhelming power, one's origins and lineage become completely irrelevant.

Some prominent families reacted quickly and took immediate action. For example, the Ma family in Yicheng County led to the scene of Ma Liang coming to Chaisang to seek employment.

The Pang family was in the same boat. Pang Shanmin was an official in Xiangyang, and Pang Degong was also considering whether to place a bet on Liu Bei or Gan Ning.

Since Huang Chengyan had already recommended his son-in-law Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, Pang Degong then turned his attention to Gan Ning.

But in the end, it was Pang Tong himself who made the decision.

Pang Tong and Xu Shu had a close personal relationship, so he naturally came to Chaisang to find Xu Shu and learn about the situation from him.

Pang Tong entered the city and inquired along the way until he arrived at the residence of Deputy Military Advisor Xu Shu. Xu Shu happened to be home and, upon hearing that his friend Pang Tong had arrived, he hurriedly came out to greet him.

"Brother Shiyuan, it's been a long time!"

Pang Tong clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said with a smile, "I have come uninvited, please forgive me, Brother Yuanzhi!"

"No, no! Please come in quickly."

Xu Shu warmly welcomed Pang Tong into his residence. Xu Shu was secretly delighted, as his lord had asked him about Pang Tong's situation several times, but unexpectedly, Pang Tong had come to him on his own.

(End of this chapter)