Han Ji

"Cao Cao gained control of Xuzhou, which greatly increased his power," Liu Bei said.

Jia Xu, standing to the side, said, "My lord, although Cao Cao has acquired Xuzhou, it will take him at least a year to digest these territories. In a year, you can manage the affairs of Wancheng and Danshui, and you can also manage the military farms in Yuzhou and Sili."

Liu Bei asked, "Is one year enough?"

Jia Xu said, "That's enough. Your territory is larger than Cao Cao's, your population is larger, and your army is larger. As long as you don't make any mistakes, Cao Cao is no match for you."

Liu Bei turned around, walked back and sat down.

"Issue the order. Gan Ning's fleet must be expanded. Transfer another hundred ships from Yizhou to transport grain to Wancheng. The granaries in Wancheng must be filled to the brim. Zhang Xiu's troops must be well-trained. By next spring, I want to see a capable army."

Jian Yong made a note of it.

Lü Bu died, and Cao Cao occupied Xuzhou. Liu Bei decided to send Jian Yong to offer his congratulations.

It wasn't a genuine congratulatory visit. It was a probe to gauge Cao Cao's true intentions and see what his next move would be.

Jian Yong set off from Chang'an on a donkey, accompanied by twenty attendants and ten cartloads of gifts: fifty bolts of Shu brocade, one hundred catties of gold, ten pairs of jade discs, and a personal letter from Liu Bei.

After traveling for half a month, we arrived at Xiapi.

Cao Cao received Jian Yong at the governor's mansion. He wore a brocade robe but no armor, and his hair was neatly combed. Guo Jia sat beside him, and Cheng Yu sat opposite him.

Jian Yong knelt down and bowed. "Jian Yong, under the command of the Grand General, pays his respects to Lord Cao."

Cao Cao stood up and bent down to help him up. "Mr. Jian, please sit down. How is the General?"

Jian Yong said, "The General is very kind. He sent me to congratulate Cao Cao on his pacification of Xuzhou."

Cao Cao read the letter and smiled. "General, you're too kind. It's just that Lü Bu was defeated; there's nothing to congratulate me on."

He placed the letter on the table and looked at Jian Yong. "Mr. Jian, what has the General been busy with lately?"

Jian Yong said, "The General is in charge of land reclamation, troop training, and road construction. In Wancheng, they are dredging the Dan River, and the waterway from Hanzhong to Wancheng will be open soon."

Cao Cao said, "With the waterways open, there are many benefits. Grain from Yizhou can be transported to Wancheng, and troops from Wancheng can attack Xiangyang."

Jian Yong said, "Cao Gong is right."

Cao Cao asked, "Has the General considered attacking Liu Biao?"

Jian Yong said, "The General said that Liu Biao has not declared himself emperor; he is a subject of the Han Dynasty. We cannot attack him. If we must attack, we should attack Yuan Shu."

Cao Cao nodded. "Yuan Shu. He's declared himself emperor; he deserves to be attacked. When will the Grand General attack Yuan Shu?"

Jian Yong said, "The General is waiting for the right opportunity. Once we have enough provisions and the troops are well-trained, we will attack."

Cao Cao said, "Alright. I'll help the General when the time comes."

That evening, Cao Cao hosted a banquet for Jian Yong. The food was plentiful, and the wine was excellent. Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Xiahou Dun, and Cao Ren were all present. After several rounds of drinks, Cao Cao took Jian Yong's hand and said, "Mr. Jian, go back and tell the General-in-Chief that I, Cao Cao, am friends with him. Friends speak frankly. I helped him fight Yuan Shu. I didn't stop him from fighting Liu Biao. But there's one condition: he cannot attack me."

Jian Yong said, "Don't worry, Lord Cao. The General will not attack you."

Cao Cao said, "Good. Go back, I've remembered this."

Jian Yong returned to Chang'an and told Liu Bei what Cao Cao had said.

Liu Bei laughed upon hearing this.

Cao Cao said that he and I were friends.

Jia Xu, standing nearby, said, "My lord, only Cao Cao himself knows what he was thinking when he spoke of friends."

Liu Bei said, "I know. He calls me a friend because he's afraid I'll attack him. Right now, he's busy consolidating Xuzhou and doesn't have time to fight me. Once he has time, he won't call me a friend anymore."

Jia Xu said, "You are right, my lord."

In March, news came from the north.

The scout who had been summoned ran back, covered in mud and with chapped lips. He entered the general's mansion and knelt on the ground.

"Yijing is in grave danger. Gongsun Zan is trapped inside the city and cannot get out."

Liu Bei stood up. "Explain yourself."

The scout said, "Yuan Shao has led an army of 100,000 to besiege Yijing City. Gongsun Zan is inside the city, and his provisions are enough to last him a year. However, he doesn't have many men, less than 10,000. Yuan Shao has surrounded the city, dug trenches, and erected fences, so that not even a bird can fly out. Gongsun Zan sent messengers to ask for help, but they were all intercepted by Yuan Shao's men."

Liu Bei's hand rested on the table, his knuckles turning white.

"Has Gongsun Zan sent anyone to ask for help?"

The scout said, "Yes. The messenger didn't reach Chang'an. He was killed by Yuan Shao's men. But Gongsun Zan sent someone to Heishan to find Zhang Yan. Zhang Yan is a remnant of the Yellow Turbans, active in the Heishan area. Gongsun Zan has a relationship with him and asked him to attack Yuan Shao from the rear."

Liu Bei remained silent. He stood up and walked to the map. Yi Jing was in Youzhou, far from Luoyang. Gongsun Zan was his senior fellow student; they had studied together on Mount Goushi and drunk together in Luoyang. Gongsun Zan had helped him greatly, gifting him the Red Cloud Horse and teaching him riding skills. Now the Red Cloud Horse was old, but it was still being kept in the stables of Luoyang.

"How long can Yijing hold out?" Liu Bei asked.

Jia Xu said, "One year. Gongsun Zan has stockpiled three years' worth of grain in Yijing, but he has less than ten thousand soldiers in the city. Yuan Shao has one hundred thousand. He can hold the city, but he can't get out."

Liu Bei asked, "Can I save him?"

Jia Xu said, "My lord, we cannot save them. It is a thousand miles from Chang'an to Yijing. Yuan Shao's territory lies in between. Your troops cannot cross that distance. Even if they do, they will be lightly armed and easily wiped out."

Liu Bei remained silent.

He recalled Gongsun Zan inviting him to drink in Luoyang, where they drank too much and he played the zither and sang songs. That bold and unrestrained senior brother was now trapped in Yijing City, like a tiger locked in a cage.

"Write a letter. Write a letter to Gongsun Zan. Tell him I am in Chang'an, I am here. If he manages to break through and head south, Hulao Pass will meet him."

Xun Yu said, "My lord, he can't get out. Yuan Shao has him surrounded tightly."

Liu Bei said, "I know. But the letter must be written. Let him know that I'm watching him."

Xun Yu nodded and turned to write a letter.

Liu Bei sat in the hall, motionless for a long time.

Outside the window, it was getting dark. In the twilight of Chang'an, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. In the distance, flags on the city walls fluttered in the wind.

"Senior brother," he murmured.

In March of the sixth year of Xingping, the peach blossoms in Chang'an City bloomed.

The old peach tree in the courtyard of the General's mansion was laden with pink blossoms. A breeze blew, and petals drifted down, landing on the ground, the stone steps, and the lanterns under the eaves. Liu Bei stood beneath the tree, staring blankly at the petals. He wore an old robe, no armor, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hands were behind his back, his fingers slowly twirling. The peach blossoms bloomed every year, but this year the flowers seemed particularly abundant, densely packed, bending the branches low. A few petals landed on his shoulder, but he didn't brush them away.

The guard rushed in from outside, his footsteps hurried, his boots clattering on the bluestone pavement. He reached Liu Bei, knelt on one knee, and panted heavily.

"My lord, someone from the north has arrived. They say they are an envoy of Gongsun Zan, and they have already reached the city gate."

Liu Bei paused for a moment. Gongsun Zan. He hadn't heard this name in a long time. The last time he heard it was last winter, when scouts said Yuan Shao had besieged Yijing. Before that, it was the year before, when they said Gongsun Zan had killed Liu Yu and occupied Youzhou. Going back even further, it was in Luoyang.