Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

The night in Fucheng was deep, but Liu Bei's camp was brightly lit. Inside the central command tent, the candlelight flickered, the atmosphere was heavy, and even breathing felt difficult.

The warm atmosphere of their daytime meeting in Fucheng was completely replaced by the tense atmosphere inside the tent. Liu Bei sat solemnly in the main seat, while Pang Tong stood anxiously in the tent. Gu Sulin, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Liu Feng, and others stood on either side, all holding their breath and remaining silent, none daring to speak first.

During the day, Pang Tong had repeatedly advised Liu Bei to take advantage of Liu Zhang's unpreparedness and kill him on the spot, thus pacifying Yizhou in one fell swoop. Each time, Liu Bei stopped him with a wink. Now, back at camp, Pang Tong could no longer contain himself and was the first to bow and speak: "My lord! Today's meeting at Fucheng revealed Liu Zhang's incompetence and lack of preparedness, with no strong generals to protect him. This is the perfect opportunity to take Sichuan! Tomorrow, we can hold another banquet, and you can secretly hide executioners outside the tent. At the signal of a thrown cup, you can kill Liu Zhang on the spot, then lead your army straight to Chengdu. The counties of Shu will then readily submit, without the cost of war!"

Liu Bei frowned slightly, his face showing no anger, but he sighed deeply. His tone remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "Shiyuan, I know you are wholeheartedly planning for my great cause and thinking of the people of Shu. But Ji Yu and I are of the same clan. He has treated me with utmost sincerity, providing me with provisions and troops without the slightest ingratitude. If I were to capture and kill him by surprise, I would be committing a moral transgression. What would the world say about me? How could the people of Shu truly submit to an unrighteous person? I have lived my life with benevolence and virtue; I cannot do such a dishonest thing. Let this matter not be mentioned again."

"My lord," Fa Zheng said, bowing. "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. If we cling to petty benevolence and lose sight of righteousness, Yizhou will fall into the hands of the traitor Cao Cao, and the people will suffer. That would be truly betraying the world. If we remain patient now, and try to seize Yizhou later, we will surely suffer heavy losses and waste a lot of time."

"Even if it takes time and effort and results in heavy losses, I will never do such an unjust thing." Liu Bei shook his head, his tone calm but resolute. "I have just entered Shu and have not yet established trust with the people. If I kill my own clansmen, I will surely lose their hearts. The matter of taking Shu must be carefully considered and we must wait for the right time. We cannot be too hasty."

Seeing this, Gu Sulin stepped forward and softly echoed, "Strategist, Mr. Xiaozhi, our lord's benevolence is the foundation of our position. Although capturing and killing Liu Zhang at Fucheng gave us a geographical advantage, we lost popular support and thus jeopardized our great cause. It would be better to follow our lord's advice, first defend Jiameng Pass, extend benevolence widely, win over the hearts of the people of Shu, and then seek a legitimate opportunity. This is the best strategy."

Seeing that Liu Bei's mind was made up, Pang Tong did not try to persuade him further. He simply bowed and took his leave. Although he felt a pang of regret, he remained courteous and stepped aside without saying another word. The secret meeting in the tent thus came to an end. Everyone returned to their respective camps without any disputes or commotion. They all maintained proper etiquette and remained calm and orderly.

The following day, Liu Bei hosted a banquet for Liu Zhang at his villa in Fucheng. Soft music played, and food and wine were served. Liu Bei and Liu Zhang sat down as host and guest, continuing their kinship ties with humility and gentle laughter. Liu Zhang, completely unprepared, took Liu Bei's sincerity as the reason, raising his cup in celebration, his words still carrying a tone of entrustment.

On either side of the hall, civil and military officials from both sides stood in orderly ranks. Under Liu Zhang's command, Zhang Ren, Yang Huai, and Gao Pei stood solemnly with their hands on their swords, their expressions calm, yet they were secretly observing the surrounding movements, their eyes concealing vigilance; Zhang Song and Fa Zheng sat upright as usual, their eyes slightly lowered, secretly watching Pang Tong's expression, waiting for the situation to change.

Under Liu Bei's command, Pang Tong stood quietly to one side, his gaze calm. Seeing that Liu Bei remained unmoved, he slowly raised his hand, covered his face with his sleeve, and quietly gave Wei Yan below the steps a subtle wink. His movements were gentle and unassuming.

Wei Yan understood and did not rashly draw his sword. Instead, he rose and entered the hall, bowed respectfully to Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, and then said loudly, "My two lords are enjoying their gathering. However, there is no music at the banquet. I am not very talented, but I am willing to perform a sword dance to entertain you and make you smile."

Having said that, he drew his sword and began to wield it slowly. The sword's movements seemed gentle, but they concealed a sharp edge. As he moved, he intentionally or unintentionally approached Liu Zhang.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren calmly stood up and bowed to the two lords, saying, "General Wei's solo dance is uninteresting. I would like to accompany you and entertain you both." After speaking, he drew his sword and met Wei Yan's attack. His swordplay was steady, merely parrying and maneuvering to protect Liu Zhang's front. He had no intention of attacking. The scene seemed peaceful, but undercurrents were surging.

Seeing this, Pang Tong nodded slightly to Liu Feng, who also rose and bowed, joining the sword dance with a respectful posture, though his intentions were towards Liu Zhang. Seeing this, Ling Bao and Deng Xian from Shu also rose in turn, bowed, and drew their swords to protect each other. The several men danced with swords in the courtyard, their movements measured and graceful, seemingly a friendly exchange, but in reality, the swordplay was intense, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

More and more generals from both sides gathered, drawing their swords and facing each other. The wind howled as they clashed, seemingly a sword dance for entertainment, but in reality, it was a life-or-death struggle, and the scene was chaotic. Liu Zhang's face turned ashen, his wine cup frozen in mid-air, completely at a loss.

Liu Bei was shocked and stood up abruptly, shouting sternly, "Ji Yu and I are kinsmen. This is a joyous banquet, not a trap. Why must we fight each other with swords? Sheath your swords and leave immediately! Anyone who does not lay down their sword will be executed on the spot!"

Seeing that Liu Bei was angry, Wei Yan dared not disobey and could only sheathe his sword, bow, and retreat to the bottom of the steps. Liu Feng followed closely behind and retreated as well.

Liu Zhang finally came to his senses, breaking out in a cold sweat. Seeing his generals still tense and ready to draw their swords, he quickly waved his hand and sternly rebuked them, "My brother Xuande and I share a deep bond. You must not be disrespectful! Sheath your swords and step back!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ren and the other Shu generals glared at Wei Yan resentfully, then sheathed their swords and returned to their original positions.

Liu Bei took a deep breath and, with a sense of helplessness, summoned his generals and soldiers to the hall. He instructed his attendants to serve them wine and reassured the soldiers of Shu, saying, "Ji Yu and I are of the same blood. We have come to Sichuan to discuss the important matter of resisting Zhang Lu. We have no ulterior motives, so please do not have any doubts, generals."

The generals of Shu looked at each other and then bowed to thank Liu Bei for the wine.

Seeing this, Liu Zhang immediately felt relieved, grasped Liu Bei's hand, and choked with emotion, said, "I will never forget your kindness, brother. In the future, after you have pacified Hanzhong, we will surely drink together again!"

The banquet continued, but the earlier joy was gone. Before long, Liu Zhang rose to take his leave, and Liu Bei personally escorted him to the gate, shaking his hand in farewell, showing no lack of courtesy. After Liu Zhang left, Pang Tong bowed to Liu Bei to apologize, but Liu Bei merely sighed softly, offering no reprimand, only saying that in future actions, one must consider morality. Thus, the pre-banquet dispute ended peacefully.

Gu Sulin stood in the hall, watching the chaos subside, and sighed inwardly. This confrontation, which resembled a banquet at Hongmen, had ultimately ended according to the original story. The path to Sichuan could only be found through another opportunity.

As night deepened, both camps outside Fucheng fell silent, with only a few scattered lights flickering in the darkness. Although the daytime sword-fighting strife had subsided, the knot in Liu Bei's heart remained untied.

He dismissed his attendants and sat alone in the central command tent. The flickering candlelight on the table illuminated his somber face. Liu Zhang's sincere treatment, Pang Tong's urgent advice, and the tense scene at the banquet flashed through his mind again and again. Throughout his life, he had upheld benevolence and righteousness as his guiding principles. From Xuzhou to Jingzhou, he had endured half a lifetime of hardship, never daring to do anything against his conscience or principles. Yet, faced with the fertile land of Yizhou and the great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty, righteousness and ambition had become a difficult choice.

Light footsteps sounded outside the tent, and then a servant announced in a low voice, "My lord, Mr. Gu requests an audience."