My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In the summer of the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), in Jiaozhou, Jiuzhen County.

The news of Sun Ce's death was like a dull knife cutting into Liu Bei's heart.

He had been on the run for seven days. From Jiaozhi to Jiuzhen, from Jiuzhen to Rinan, he had traveled day and night without daring to stop. Behind him, Yuwen Chengdu's pursuers were like shadows, relentlessly pursuing him. Ahead lay the sea, a dead end, a vast ocean with no hope in sight.

"My lord!" Jian Yong rode forward, his face deathly pale. "General Sun...he..."

Liu Bei reined in his horse and turned to look at him. Jian Yong's eyes reddened, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence. Liu Bei's heart sank, and the veins on his hand gripping the reins bulged.

"Speak." His voice was terribly hoarse.

Jian Yong took a deep breath, his voice trembling: "General Sun... was captured alive by Yuwen Chengdu and escorted to Shuntian. The Duke of Yan gave him poisoned wine... General Sun... died for his country."

Liu Bei's vision blurred, and he nearly fell off his horse. Xu Chu reacted quickly, catching him just in time: "Brother!"

Liu Bei steadied himself, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He recalled Sun Ce's words to him atop the city walls of Jiaozhi: "My life was given to me by you, my lord. I return it to you today, as a way of repaying a debt of gratitude."

It's been repaid. Really repaid. Repaid with one's life.

"Bo Fu..." Liu Bei murmured, two lines of tears silently sliding down his cheeks.

Behind him, the old troops who had followed Sun Ce to join him were already weeping loudly. Some knelt on the ground and kowtowed in the direction of Shuntian in the north; some drew their swords to commit suicide, but were held tightly by their comrades; some slumped on the ground, their eyes vacant, as if their souls had been taken away.

"What are you crying for!" A loud shout rang out, as loud as a thunderclap.

Everyone looked up and saw that Liu Bei had wiped away his tears, his face was ashen, and his eyes were like knives.

"General Sun sacrificed himself for his country, a worthy death! Can your weeping bring him back?!" His voice was hoarse but powerful. "Those who live must continue to live! General Sun's revenge must be taken!"

The crowd gradually stopped crying. Some stood up, some wiped away their tears, and some gripped their knives tightly.

Liu Bei turned around, facing the thousands of remaining soldiers and the tens of thousands of civilians who had followed him from Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, and Rinan, and said loudly:

"Gentlemen! The Duke of Yan is powerful, and the imperial army is strong. But this world does not belong to Ji Xuanyuan alone! Though we have been defeated, we are not dead! As long as we have a breath left, we will fight him to the very end!"

The people looked at each other, some nodding, some shaking their heads, and most simply staring blankly at him. They didn't know where this Prefect Liu could take them. To the north lay the imperial army, to the west towering mountains, and to the east the vast sea. Where else could they go?

Liu Bei offered no explanation. He simply waved his hand and said, "Keep going. Head south."

Southward? Further south lies the sea. But no one dared to ask. They simply followed, following this man who was still "Liu Bei" in their hearts, step by step, into the unknown.

Rinan County, the outlet to the sea.

Three days later, Liu Bei's troops finally reached the southernmost tip of Rinan Commandery. This was the end of the Han Dynasty's territory; further south lay the vast sea.

The sea breeze howled, and the waves crashed against the rocks with a deafening roar. Liu Bei stood on the shore, gazing at the boundless ocean, silent. Behind him, Jian Yong, Xu Chu, Xu Sheng, and the former generals of Sun Ce all watched him, awaiting his decision.

"My lord," Jian Yong said softly, "there is no road further south."

Liu Bei turned around, looked at them, and a smile appeared on his lips. In that smile, there was bitterness, relief, and a hint of something else... cunning.

"Who says there's no road?" He pointed to the sea. "The road is over there."

Following his finger, everyone looked and saw a few sails faintly visible where the sea met the sky.

Jian Yong's eyes widened: "That's...!"

Liu Bei did not answer, but strode towards the sea. In the sea breeze, the faint sound of a bugle could be heard. It wasn't the bugle of the imperial navy, but Liu Bei's.

One year ago, in Jiaozhi, Longbian Port.

Liu Bei stood calmly before the newly built dock, gazing at the massive warships under construction. Behind him, Jian Yong said softly, "My lord, these ships have cost our army most of its savings. Was it worth it?"

Liu Bei did not turn around, but simply said, "It's worth it."

Jian Yong asked, puzzled, "My lord, Jiaozhou is located in a remote corner. If the imperial army comes, the land route will be difficult, and the sea route will be even more treacherous. Will these ships be of any use?"

Liu Bei turned around, looked at him with a deep gaze, and said, "Xianhe, tell me, if one day the imperial army presses in and Jiaozhou cannot be defended, where will we retreat to?"

Jian Yong was taken aback, opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer.

Liu Bei answered for him: "To the north is the territory of the imperial court, to the west is Yizhou, and to the east is the sea. Only to the south—"

He pointed south, his gaze piercing: "To the south lies the vast ocean. But beyond the ocean, there is land."

Jian Yong was stunned: "Does my lord mean..."

Liu Bei offered no explanation, but instead walked back to the dock, stroked the hull of the largest warship, and murmured, "After I captured Jiaozhou, I sent men out to sea to explore. Southward, eastward, to places no one had ever been before. After several years, we finally reaped the rewards."

He raised his head, gazing southwards with a profound look in his eyes: "In the southeast, in the middle of the sea, there is a large island. It is shrouded in miasma and inhabited by barbarians, yet it is a place beyond the reach of the imperial court."

Jian Yong gasped, "My lord... wants to escape to the sea?"

Liu Bei smiled bitterly: "Escape? I don't want to escape. But I can't just sit here and wait to die. If that day really comes, that will be our last resort."

In the summer of the fifth year of Jian'an, at the estuary of Rinan Commandery.

The sails drew ever closer. The fleet was enormous, with over a hundred warships of all sizes, blotting out the sky in a magnificent spectacle. Leading the fleet was a colossal five-toothed warship, towering high, its decks teeming with sailors. At its bow, a large flag fluttered in the wind—bearing a massive "Liu" character.

Liu Bei's fleet has arrived.

The people cheered and spread the news. Some knelt on the beach, thanking heaven; some held their children, tears streaming down their faces; some collapsed to the ground, finally smiling. They had boats, they had a way to survive.

Liu Bei stood on the beach, gazing at the fleet, and let out a long sigh of relief.

More than a year of preparation has not been in vain.

"Pass down the order," he said, his voice steady, "Everyone, board the ship in order. Civilians first, then baggage train, and finally soldiers. No fighting or shouting. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded in unison.

Boarding began. The people, young and old, filed on, supporting each other. There was no scrambling, no shouting. They knew this was their only way to survive.

Jian Yong stood beside Liu Bei and whispered, "My lord, Yuwen Chengdu's pursuers are still behind us. If they catch up..."

Liu Bei waved his hand, interrupting him: "No. Even if Yuwen Chengdu is fast, it will take him three days. Three days is enough for us to leave."

He paused, then added, "Besides, he wouldn't dare to chase after him."

Jian Yong was taken aback: "Why?"

Liu Bei smiled slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "Because there are tens of thousands of people on board. Ji Xuanyuan is known for his love for the people; would he dare to order Yuwen Chengdu to harm them?"

Jian Yong suddenly realized.

A hundred miles away, at Yuwen Chengdu's main camp.

A scout rode swiftly to report: "General! Liu Bei's troops have arrived at the mouth of the sea in Rinan Commandery, where a fleet of ships is waiting to meet them! The people are boarding the ships!"

Yuwen Chengdu frowned: "A fleet? Where did this fleet come from?"

The scout reported, "I don't know. It's a large operation, at least several dozen warships!"

Yuwen Chengdu's expression darkened. He recalled Zhou Yu's words—"Liu Bei is good at defending cities, but not at open-field battles. But his greatest strength is not defending cities, but escaping. He always manages to leave himself a way out."

It seems this is Liu Bei's escape route.

"General," the lieutenant whispered, "should we give chase?"

Yuwen Chengdu remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I won't pursue them."

The lieutenant was taken aback: "Why?"

Yuwen Chengdu looked south, his gaze complex: "Because there are tens of thousands of civilians on the ships. Duke Yan loves his people like his own children; if our army were to attack the civilians, it would be disobeying military orders. Besides..."

He paused, then said, "Liu Bei has already escaped. Chasing after him will only force him to take desperate measures. It's better to let him go. The sea is unpredictable; whether he can survive is still unknown."

The lieutenant said no more.

Three days later, at the mouth of the sea in Rinan County.

The last group of people boarded the ship. Liu Bei stood on the dock and glanced back north. That was where he had fought, where he had dreamed of restoring the Han Dynasty. But now, he was leaving.

"My lord," Jian Yong said softly, "it's time to board the ship."

Liu Bei nodded, turned, and walked towards the massive five-toothed warship. His steps were steady, his back ramrod straight, and he did not look back.

The fleet slowly departed the dock and headed towards the vast sea. On the shore, some who hadn't been able to board watched the departing sails and wept bitterly. But Liu Bei couldn't hear them. The sea wind was too strong, the waves too loud, swallowing up all other sounds.

Liu Bei stood at the bow of the boat, gazing south, silent. Xu Chu walked to his side and asked in a deep voice, "Brother, where are we going?"

Liu Bei did not answer, but instead took out a nautical chart from his robes and handed it to Xu Chu. Xu Chu unfolded it and saw a large island drawn on the chart, marked with the words "Yizhou".

"Yizhou?" Xu Chu scratched his head. "What kind of place is that?"

Liu Bei looked south, his gaze distant: "That's our new home."

Yizhou, later known as Taiwan.

In the summer of the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), Liu Bei led tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians across the sea, fleeing eastward to Yizhou. He did not look back, nor dared to. Behind him lay the empire of Ji Xuanyuan, his homeland he could never return to. Ahead lay unknown lands, the jungles of barbarians, and a perilous realm shrouded in miasma. But he had no other choice.

"Xianhe," he suddenly spoke, "tell me, is it possible for me to return?"

Jian Yong remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "As long as our lord does not give up, there will always be a day when we return."

Liu Bei smiled. In that smile, there was bitterness, helplessness, and a hint of resentment.

"I will not give up." He gripped the ship's railing, his gaze resolute. "Ji Xuanyuan, you wait. I will return."

The sea breeze howled as the fleet sailed further and further away. The land behind them gradually disappeared below the horizon. Ahead, the shadow of Yizhou was still far on the horizon.