Han Ji

Jia Xu said, "My lord, it will be more difficult for Yuan Shao to fight you than for Cao Cao. But he is coming for the Emperor. He doesn't have the Emperor, so his actions are illegitimate. He wants to attack you, seize the Emperor, and take the Imperial Seal. You cannot avoid this battle."

Liu Bei said, "I know. How does he plan to attack?"

Jia Xu pointed to the map. "Yuan Shao plans to cross the river at Liyang and attack Hulao Pass. Hulao Pass is the eastern gateway to Luoyang. Once Hulao Pass falls, Luoyang will be exposed. If Luoyang falls, Chang'an will be in danger. Yuan Shao won't take a detour; he will attack Hulao Pass directly. Because he has more troops, he believes he can take it by force."

Liu Bei said, "Zhang Fei is guarding Hulao Pass. Can he hold it?"

Jia Xu said, "We can hold out for a while. But Yuan Shao has 200,000 troops. If he besieges the city, even Zhang Fei won't be able to hold out for a year or two. My lord, you must find a way to prevent Yuan Shao from besieging the city."

Xun Yu said, "My lord, Yuan Shao is making preparations, and you must also make preparations. He is stockpiling grain, and you must also stockpile grain. He is building ships, and you must also build ships. He is training troops, and you must also train troops. When he attacks, you must be able to withstand him."

Liu Bei turned around and looked at Jian Yong. "Xianhe, how many soldiers do we have now?"

Jian Yong opened the notebook. "Brother, 73,000. 40,000 infantry, 15,000 cavalry, 3,000 naval troops, 1,000 special operations troops, and 15,000 garrison troops in each prefecture. In addition, there are 10,000 troops under Zhang Xiu in Wancheng and 5,000 cavalry under Ma Chao in Xuchang. Adding the garrison troops in Chang'an and Luoyang, the total is 73,000."

Liu Bei said, "That's not enough. Expand the army. Recruit soldiers. Recruit from Yizhou, Liangzhou, Yongzhou, Sizhou, and Yuzhou. Recruit 5,000 from each province, plus another 25,000. That will make a total of 100,000."

Jian Yong made a note in his notebook. "Brother, recruiting soldiers requires money and grain. One hundred thousand soldiers will consume 360,000 shi of grain a year. Adding the fodder for the horses, that's 500,000 shi a year. Your current grain reserves are enough to last three years, but with new recruits, it will only last two years."

Liu Bei said, "Two years is enough. Within two years, we will defeat Yuan Shao."

He turned to look at Qian Zhao. "Zijing, go north to scout Liyang and Yecheng. Find out exactly how many soldiers Yuan Shao has, how much food he has, and how many ships he has. Also, find out when he will launch his attack and who will be the vanguard."

He gestured with his hands clasped in a fist and palm salute. "Yes."

Liu Bei then looked at Xun Yu. "Wenruo, write a letter to Cao Cao. Tell him that Yuan Shao wants to attack me. If he's smart, he should restrain Yuan Shao from behind. If he doesn't move, Yuan Shao will attack him after he finishes fighting me. If he does move, Yuan Shao will have to fight on two fronts."

Xun Yu said, "My lord, Cao Cao will not help you. He will sit on the sidelines and watch the two tigers fight. He will make his move only after you and Yuan Shao are both exhausted."

Liu Bei said, "I know. But the letter must be written. Let him know that I see through him."

Spring in Chang'an is short; in the blink of an eye, it's May. The peach blossoms have all fallen, and tender green leaves are sprouting on the trees. Liu Bei stands in the courtyard of the General's Mansion, looking at the old peach tree. He thinks of Gongsun Zan, of Mount Goushi, of Luoyang. Those people, those events, are all in the past.

Now, Yuan Shao is coming.

Liu Bei decided to personally deploy the defenses in the north.

He led Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Qian Zhao from Chang'an towards Luoyang. The white jade horse moved at a leisurely pace, its hooves clattering on the official road. Zhang Fei rode a black horse, his spear slung over his shoulder, humming an unintelligible tune. Zhao Yun rode a white horse on the left, clad in white robes and silver armor, his spear held horizontally across his saddle. Qian Zhao led the way, scouting the route with several personal guards.

It took five days to travel from Chang'an to Luoyang. Upon arriving in Luoyang, Liu Bei did not enter the city but went directly to Hulao Pass.

Hulao Pass is located over a hundred li east of Luoyang, serving as the city's eastern gateway. The pass walls are three zhang high, constructed of bluestone, with eight arrow towers and a moat one zhang deep. Five thousand soldiers, all elite troops under Zhang Fei, are stationed there. Zhang Fei pointed to the walls and said, "Brother, I reinforced it again last year. The walls were thickened by five chi, two more arrow towers were added, and the granaries were expanded. We've stored five thousand shi of grain, enough to feed five thousand men for three months."

Liu Bei stood atop the pass, looking east. To the east stretched an endless plain, the official road like a gray ribbon extending into the distance. The wind blew, carrying the earthy smell of the soil.

"Yide, I'm handing Hulao Pass over to you. Ten thousand soldiers, is that enough?"

Zhang Fei said, "Brother, ten thousand men are enough. Hulao Pass has thick walls, many arrow towers, and ample supplies. If Yuan Shao comes, we'll hold him off."

Liu Bei looked at him. "It's not about blocking. It's about holding. Yuan Shao has 200,000 troops. He won't attack from just one direction. He might divide his forces, one part attacking Hulao Pass, and the other crossing the river from Hanoi to circle around from the north. Your task isn't to hold out to the death, but to hold him off. Give me time to redeploy my troops."

Zhang Fei said, "Brother, don't worry. As long as Hulao Pass stands, I will stand with you."

Liu Bei turned to look at Zhao Yun. "Zilong, you will take five thousand cavalry and station them in Hanoi. Hanoi is on the north bank of the Yellow River, northwest of Hulao Pass. If Yuan Shao crosses the river from Liyang to attack Hulao, you will attack his supply lines from the rear. If he divides his forces to cross the river from Hanoi, you will block him. Cavalry are fast, so hit and run, don't engage in a head-on battle."

Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Yes."

Liu Bei looked at Qian Zhao. "Zijing, you will lead the special operations battalion north and infiltrate Yuan Shao's territory. Find out his troop deployment, food reserves, and the movements of his generals. You need to know how many ships he has in Liyang, where the granaries are, and who is guarding them. Also, find out when he will launch his attack and who will be the vanguard."

Qian Zhao nodded. "Yes. Qian Zhao has already planted people in Liyang. Three spies, disguised as merchants, have settled in the city. They send messages once a day by carrier pigeon. They know exactly how many more troops Yuan Shao has sent and where his supplies are being transported from."

Liu Bei said, "Alright. Have them keep an eye on things. Also, send someone to Ye City to find out Yuan Shao's movements. We need to know when he summons his generals and when he launches his attack."

After completing the deployment, Liu Bei inspected the defenses of Luoyang. The magistrate of Luoyang, Jia Xu, had built the city walls very sturdily, and the defenses were extremely tight. Every fifty paces along the walls was an arrow tower, and every hundred paces a catapult. The granaries contained 100,000 shi of grain, enough to feed 20,000 people for a year.

Liu Bei stood on the city wall of Luoyang, looking eastward. The sky was overcast, and he couldn't see anything clearly.

"Yuan Shao, how long have you been preparing?"

Jia Xu stood beside him. "My lord, after Yuan Shao pacified Youzhou, he began preparations. He is stockpiling grain, building ships, and training troops in Liyang. He will be preparing for at least a year. He won't be able to send troops until next spring at the earliest."

Liu Bei said, "One year. We also have a year to prepare."

In May of the seventh year of Xingping, in Shouchun City, Yuan Shu lay on his bed, near death.

Shouchun City is in ruins. The flags on the city walls have fallen, and no one is there to prop them up. The city gate has a hole, and no one is there to mend it. The streets are overgrown with weeds, and garbage is everywhere. The people have all fled, even the stray dogs have all run away.

Yuan Shu wore a yellow sleeping robe, not a dragon robe. The dragon robe hung on the rack beside him, covered in a thick layer of dust. His face was sallow, his eyes sunken, his lips chapped, and his beard was unkempt, as if he hadn't combed it for days. He was so thin he was just skin and bones, lying on the bed like a pile of withered wood. He hadn't eaten for three days. Not because he didn't want to eat, but because there was nothing to eat.

The grain supplies in Shouchun City had long been exhausted. Most of the soldiers had deserted due to hunger, and the rest lay on the ground, unable to get up. There were no rats left in the city; the tree bark had been stripped away, and the grass roots had been dug up.

Yuan Shu's strategist, Yan Xiang, stood by the bedside, head bowed, eyes red.

"Your Majesty, we've run out of supplies. The soldiers have all deserted. There are only a few hundred men left in the city, and they're starving to death. Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Ce are all watching from outside. Shouchun can't be defended. Let's go."

Yuan Shu opened his eyes and looked at Yan Xiang. His eyes were cloudy, the whites of his eyes were yellowish, and there were deep dark circles under his eyes.

"Go? Where to?"