When Liao Hua arrived at Beihai, none of the Yellow Turbans stopped him. Even as he approached the main camp, there was no resistance. It wasn't until he reached the inner camp that two Yellow Turban guards finally barred his way.
"Tell Guan Hai that a former Yellow Turban has arrived," Liao Hua said.
Having rushed all the way there, and after receiving a lecture from Guan Yu, Liao Hua became increasingly aware of the Yellow Turban army's weakness. There were no scouts, no patrols, no sentries, and no way to check for infiltrators. They relied purely on raw courage, which could only lead to a disastrous defeat.
"Hahaha, Brother Liao, you're here!" Guan Hai's loud voice boomed from within the camp. "Why are you stopping him? He's one of us, a fellow Yellow Turban. If it weren't for him, Zhou Cang, and Pei Yuanshao scouting ahead for us, we'd still be hiding in Qingzhou, never daring to surrender to Taishan."
"What! Guan Hai, you say you plan to surrender to Taishan?" Liao Hua exclaimed in shock. "If that's the case, why have you gathered a million people to besiege Beihai? Kong Beihai has already sent a plea for help, asking General Guan to send troops to exterminate you!"
"Don't worry, don't worry," Guan Hai said nonchalantly.
"Don't worry? The fire is about to reach your eyebrows! General Guan is ready to send troops to wipe you out. If you plan to surrender, why do this? You're playing with the lives of a million Yellow Turban brothers!" Liao Hua shouted in anger.
"Liao Yuanjian, explain yourself! Who's playing with the lives of a million Yellow Turban brothers?" Guan Hai angrily demanded. "You don't know the hunger we face. We've been waiting eagerly for Lord Xuande to accept our surrender. But when the infrastructure teams in western Qingzhou vanished, we were left with nowhere to turn. If I hadn't gathered the brothers to figure something out, we'd all starve!"
"Your method is wrong! You should have surrendered, not led the brothers to besiege Beihai!" Liao Hua shouted back, his face dark with anger. "Do you realize that your actions have completely disrupted Taishan's plans? In a month, General Guan would have marched, and as long as you surrendered then, he would have accepted you and built cities on the spot! Do you know what building cities means?"
"A month! Have you considered what time of year it is? It's early spring. We have no surplus grain. In a month, tens of thousands of brothers will have starved to death!" Guan Hai roared at Liao Hua. "If I didn't gather the brothers, would Taishan march now? Would they?"
Liao Hua fell silent, knowing Guan Hai spoke the truth. A month later, the Yellow Turbans might still number over a million, but tens of thousands would never wake up again.
"I gathered a million people, restraining them from attacking, just to force Taishan to act. The more men we have, the more Lord Xuande will value us. When they arrive at Beihai, I will lead the million Yellow Turbans to surrender," Guan Hai said, his eyes bloodshot.
"I never wanted to dominate a region. The Yellow Turbans have suffered, and no one cares about us. No matter how many die, we're just called bandits. Now, we finally have a chance to farm, to live in homes, to have families—this chance is right in front of us. How could we not cherish it?" Guan Hai gripped Liao Hua's shoulders as he spoke, his words echoed by the tearful nods of the surrounding Yellow Turban leaders.
"Guan Hai..." Liao Hua whispered, a bitter taste in his mouth.
Indeed, only the Yellow Turbans knew their own suffering. Guan Hai was fighting against fate, and he wasn't wrong. He just wanted to lead his brothers to a better life. Gathering a million people was his desperate attempt to bring that day closer. He had waited for Liu Bei to take Qingzhou, waited until he could wait no longer, and was forced into this risky strategy.
"Yuanjian, go back and tell General Guan that as soon as he arrives, we will surrender," Guan Hai said solemnly, placing a firm hand on Liao Hua's shoulder.
"Guan Hai, I'll stay here for now. There are some things I need to tell you," Liao Hua replied bitterly. For the Yellow Turbans to live peacefully, there could be no leader, no figure of immense prestige. Such a person could not survive.
"Hahaha, then stay here. We're all old friends, no need for formalities. You know our situation," Guan Hai said casually. For the Yellow Turbans, who had only ten days of rations left, saving food was a priority. Guan Hai couldn't afford to be wasteful.
With that, Guan Hai led a group of people to take Liao Hua away. The usual banquet to welcome a guest was skipped. In these times, extravagance was a luxury the Yellow Turbans couldn't afford. They would settle for a simple wild vegetable dumpling for dinner.
"Here, take this." After fetching his horse, Liao Hua pulled a piece of dried mutton from his saddlebag and tossed it to the gaunt-looking Guan Hai. "Eat it. It's not easy for an old brother like you."
"Good stuff!" Guan Hai caught the meat, inhaling its scent deeply as saliva nearly dripped from his mouth. But he still put it away. "Tonight, I'll chop it up and add it to the porridge for everyone."
"Sigh..." Liao Hua sighed. Seeing Guan Hai's actions, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding. He leaned closer and whispered, "I need to speak with you tonight."
Guan Hai nodded without saying much, leading Liao Hua to the main tent and sitting down wherever they found space. "Come, Yuanjian, tell us about the current situation in Taishan. Among us, only you are familiar with it. The most we've heard are rumors from the infrastructure teams in Qingzhou. Tell us what you've seen with your own eyes so we can put our minds at ease."
"Yes, Liao, tell us! We've all heard that Taishan is rich and provides a way out for us Yellow Turbans. But what kind of wealth is it, really? We're anxious to know. Is it true that we'll have wives, land, and homes?" a small Yellow Turban leader asked, while the others eagerly looked at Liao Hua.
The Yellow Turbans had pinned all their hopes on Taishan, but they needed to know if it was just hearsay or the real deal. They trusted that Liao Hua, as a former brother, wouldn't deceive them.
Seeing their hopeful eyes, Liao Hua slowly recounted everything about Taishan. As he spoke, the light in their eyes grew brighter, and they longed to join Taishan as soon as possible.
"Can we really learn to read and write?" Guan Hai asked in a hoarse voice. "Will Taishan really teach us? Yuanjian, can you read now?"
"I've learned some. The teacher said I have talent, and I've already mastered the Thousand-Character Classic. The lord even recommended that I study military strategy," Liao Hua said, scratching his head, a bit embarrassed but also full of admiration for Guan Yu.
Liao Hua was proud of his literacy. He had started learning with Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao under Guan Yu's recommendation. Zhou Cang could now barely write his name, and Pei Yuanshao had learned about two hundred characters. Liao Hua, however, had completed the Thousand-Character Classic and was now studying military texts with Guan Yu and Guan Ping.