Han Ji

Xiangyang. Governor's Residence.

Liu Biao lay on the couch. He had been ill for a long time, and was so thin that he was just skin and bones. The quilt covered his chest, and his ribs bulged out one by one, rising and falling with his breath.

Her hands were outside the blanket, her fingers dry and withered like winter branches, her nails grayish-white and bloodless. A medicine bowl sat beside the bed; the medicine had gone cold, a ring of brownish residue forming around the rim, and the room was filled with a strong, bitter medicinal smell.

Cai Mao and Kuai Yue stood by the couch. Cai Mao was Liu Biao's brother-in-law and commanded the Xiangyang navy. Kuai Yue was the patriarch of the powerful Kuai family in Jingzhou and the governor of Nan Commandery. The two were the most powerful men in Jingzhou, and now they stood before Liu Biao's couch, their expressions respectful.

"Liu Bei's envoy has arrived," Cai Mao said. "The man's name is Jian Yong, an old retainer under Liu Bei. He says he has come to visit the governor."

Liu Biao opened his eyes. His eyes were cloudy, the whites yellowish, but a faint light still flickered in his pupils. "Let him in."

When Jian Yong entered the bedroom, he first smelled the medicine and the old man's indescribable odor. He stopped three steps away from the bed, cupped his hands in greeting, and bowed.

"Lord Liu. The Chancellor heard that you are seriously ill and specially sent Yong to visit you. The Chancellor said that you are a member of the Han imperial family, of the same lineage. If anything happens to you in the affairs of Jingzhou, the Chancellor is willing to share the burden of the court."

Liu Biao understood the implied meaning. He remained silent for a moment, then took a breath, his breath coming in phlegm. "I appreciate Lord Xuande's good intentions. However, Jingzhou has an eldest son, Liu Qi, and a second son, Liu Cong. The affairs of Jingzhou should be decided by the people of Jingzhou themselves."

Jian Yong didn't say much. He bowed and left. Before leaving, he bowed to Cai Mao and Kuai Yue respectively, without exchanging glances.

After leaving Xiangyang, Jian Yong did not immediately return to Xuchang. He stayed in Xinye for a few days, met with several local taxi drivers from Jingzhou, and then went to Fancheng to inspect the city's defenses. When he returned to Xuchang, he placed a thick stack of intelligence reports on Liu's file.

"Liu Biao is nearing his end. His eldest son, Liu Qi, is in Jiangxia with only a few hundred soldiers. He wants to return to Xiangyang to see his father, but Cai Mao won't let him into the city. His younger son, Liu Cong, is Cai Mao's nephew, and Cai Mao wants to make him his successor. Kuai Yue doesn't outwardly express his opinion, but he's secretly supporting Liu Cong. With his two sons vying for the throne, Jingzhou will inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later."

"What about the defenses of Xiangyang?"

"The Xiangyang navy is in Cai Mao's hands, and the infantry is in Kuai Yue's hands. The two are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. The city walls are high, and the moat is wide, diverted from the Han River. However, the morale of the garrison is low. Liu Biao has been ill for more than half a year, and no one in the governor's office is in charge of military affairs. Many officers have been drawing salaries without actually serving. There are more than 10,000 men on the official register, but the actual number of garrison troops is likely much lower."

After listening, Liu Bei pondered for a moment. "What's the situation with Cao Cao?"

"Cao Cao is also sending envoys to Jingzhou. It is said that he secretly contacted Cai Mao, trying to win over the Jingzhou navy. Cai Mao's attitude is ambiguous; he has not yet agreed, but he has not refused either."

Liu Bei stood up. He walked to the map and pressed his finger on Xiangyang.

"Liu Biao is not dead yet. But we cannot wait until he dies. While he is alive, we make preparations; when he dies, we act immediately. Cao Cao is closer to Xiangyang than we are; even traveling from Xuchang to Xiangyang takes half a month at the fastest pace. We cannot wait until Liu Biao breathes his last before setting out."

Jia Xu said, "We can first deploy troops. Let Guan Yu lead the vanguard towards Xinye, making it appear as if we are heading south. If Liu Biao is dead, the main army can cross the border directly. If Liu Biao is not dead, we can simply station troops on the border to prevent internal strife in Jingzhou. No one can say anything about that."

"That's settled then." Liu Bei turned around. "Order Guan Yu to lead the vanguard of 20,000 troops to move towards Xinye. No need to attack cities or cross borders; just stay on the border. As soon as Liu Biao dies, head south immediately."

March of the sixteenth year of Xingping. Xiangyang.

Liu Biao lay on the couch, unable to eat. His head was turned to the side, his mouth open, and his breathing was like a bellows, each breath accompanied by a hissing sound of phlegm. A servant used a damp cloth to wipe his lips, but the water was quickly absorbed.

Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Liu Cong knelt before the bed. Liu Cong, only a teenager with a round face, shrank behind Cai Mao, not daring to speak. Cai Mao pinched his shoulder and pushed him forward, causing Liu Cong to stumble and kneel at the very front of the bed.

Liu Biao's gaze swept over Liu Cong. His lips moved slightly, his voice barely audible. "Qi'er...where is Qi'er?"

Cai Mao and Kuai Yue exchanged a glance. "The eldest young master is in Jiangxia. It's a long journey, and he hasn't returned yet."

Liu Biao raised his hand slightly, then let it fall limply onto the quilt. His fingernails scraped against the silk fabric, making a soft, grating sound. He didn't speak again. That night, Liu Biao died.

Cai Mao suppressed the news. The gates of the governor's mansion were closed, and the guards were replaced by Cai Mao's personal soldiers. A fast horse was dispatched overnight to fetch Liu Cong—Liu Cong had previously been sent to Jiangling by Liu Biao, but Cai Mao's men were faster. Three days later, Liu Cong succeeded as governor of Jingzhou in Xiangyang, the official document bearing Liu Biao's dying wish.

Liu Qi led several hundred men back from Jiangxia. When they reached the walls of Xiangyang, the city gates were tightly shut. The guards on the city walls drew their bows and nocked arrows, while Cai Mao stood on the wall and shouted down, "The late governor's dying wish was to appoint Liu Cong as the governor of Jingzhou. Young Master, please return to Jiangxia."

Liu Qi rode his horse around the city walls a few times. The archers on the walls followed his horse, their bowstrings taut and unyielding. Finally, he turned his horse around and rode away, the sound of his hooves slow and heavy, the hoofprints stretching eastward along the official road like a string of branded scars.

The message reached Xuchang in the morning. Liu Bei was squatting on a rock beside the training ground, watching his soldiers train, a bowl of porridge in his hand that he hadn't yet drunk. A personal guard ran in and handed him the military report. Liu Bei glanced at it, put the bowl of porridge down on the rock, and stood up.

"Liu Biao died. Liu Cong succeeded him. Cai Mao took power."

Jia Xu approached. "Whom will Liu Cong surrender to?"

"They'll either surrender to me or to Cao Cao. Cao Cao is closer; it only takes half a month to get from Xuchang to Xiangyang. But Guan Yu's vanguard is already on the outskirts of Xinye. If we set off now, we can get ahead of Cao Cao." He pointed to Xiangyang, "Give the order. Swear an oath."

In mid-March, on the training ground south of Xuchang City, 80,000 troops stood in formation. Looking down from the command platform, infantry, cavalry, and navy were each arrayed in square formations. The gleam of the spearheads in the sunlight was blindingly white. Flags fluttered and rattled in the wind.

Guan Yu's vanguard was already at the border, with Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Qian Zhao positioned in front of their respective armies. Gan Ning's naval forces stood on the far right, their clothing different from the infantry—short-sleeved shirts with tightly bound cuffs and straw sandals on their feet.

Liu Bei ascended the command platform. He wore gleaming armor, the sunlight reflecting off the plates and creating patches of white light. His black cloak billowed northward in the wind.

He stopped and looked down. The breathing of 80,000 people was drowned out by the wind, but he could feel the silence of a thousand troops standing before him, heavier than thunder.

He drew his double-edged sword, its blade pointing to the sky.

"Liu Biao is dead. Liu Cong is young, and Cai Mao is in power. Jingzhou is the former territory of the Han Dynasty. Today's southern expedition is not for conquering cities and seizing land, but for the court to recover the lost territories."

Eighty thousand people shouted in unison. The shouts shook the pebbles on the Ying River beach, making them jump.

The vanguard was the first to set off. Horses trod the southward-bound road, kicking up dust. Liu Bei descended from the command platform, his jade-white horse waiting for him below. He mounted his horse and looked back one last time at the walls of Xuchang.

The army marched south. Guan Yu's vanguard pressed south from the border of Xinye, Liu Bei's central army marched south along the Yu River, Zhang Fei's left flank flanked from the direction of Zaoyang, Ma Chao's Liangzhou cavalry blocked the route of reinforcements coming out of Fancheng by taking the westernmost mountain road, and Gan Ning's navy sailed downstream along the Yu River to approach the Han River by water.

The dust kicked up by the army rose from the official road, stretching into a long yellow dragon over the fields. Farmers in the villages along the way stood on the ridges of the fields watching the army pass by, first the cavalry, their hooves clattering, the riders lying on their backs, only their backs and heads visible.

Then came the infantry, spears slung over their shoulders, their tips gleaming in the spring sunshine. Finally came the supply wagons, mule-drawn carts lined up, their wheels creaking and groaning on the frozen ground.

A cowherd was counting soldiers while riding on the back of an ox. After counting to several hundred, he couldn't go on. He jumped off the ox and ran back to the village shouting, "There are more soldiers than there are oxen in our village!"

The outpost has already passed Xinye. South of Xinye lies Fancheng. Fancheng is on the north bank of the Han River, facing Xiangyang across the river. Taking Fancheng means we've got the entire north bank of the Han River.

Liu Bei set up camp and, accompanied by Jia Xu and Xun Yu, stood outside the camp looking south. On the horizon, the reflection of the Han River resembled a grayish-white ribbon. Across this ribbon lay Xiangyang. The outline of Xiangyang's city walls was faintly visible.

Those standing on the city wall had probably already seen Liu Bei's banner.