A Choice in Turbulent Times:
Liu Bei's Moral Dilemma in Taking Yi Province
In the nineteenth year of Jian'an, the land of Shu hummed with cicadas, yet the chirps could not conceal the murderous tension in the air. Liu Bei stood beneath the walls of Luo City, staring at the last barrier on the road to Chengdu, his whip nearly snapped in his grip.
"My lord, if we hesitate any longer, our provisions will run out," Pang Tong's voice came from behind, sharp as ever.
This strategist, known as the "Young Phoenix," always pierced through Liu Bei's pretense in one sentence. At that moment, Liu Bei was trapped in a dilemma: he had built his entire life on the ideals of benevolence and righteousness, yet now he planned to seize Yi Province from Liu Zhang, his kinsman of the same clan. If he did not take it, Cao Cao's army would arrive at any moment, leaving him with nowhere to stand in this chaotic world.
"Military Advisor, do you know how the world will revile me for this?" Liu Bei's voice was hoarse.
Pang Tong only smiled, a cunning glint in his eyes: "This is an age of expediency; one single principle cannot decide everything. If Your Lordship does not take Yi Province, it will eventually fall into someone else's hands. When that time comes, who will remember your benevolence?"
He stepped closer and lowered his voice: "Take it first, then grant Liu Zhang a fief. The world will only praise Your Lordship for your virtue."
Liu Bei stared at the rolling mountains in the distance and finally let out a long sigh. He knew that his pitiful moral restraints had been completely torn apart by Pang Tong.
The Bloody Battle of Luo City: The Fall of the Young Phoenix
Zhang Ren, the defending general of Luo City, was a steadfast hero. Relying on natural fortifications, this renowned commander of western Shu had held Liu Bei's army outside the walls for nearly a year. Wave after wave of attacking soldiers fell, and despair hung heavy in Liu Bei's camp.
"Deputy Military Advisor, the front lines are in critical condition!" The messenger's voice trembled with tears.
Pang Tong stood abruptly, his dark cloak cutting a sharp arc through the air: "I will go and see."
"You must not, Advisor!" his attendants urged. "You are the wisdom of the entire army — how can you risk yourself on the battlefield?"
"It matters not." Pang Tong's smile held a touch of arrogance. "I will let Zhang Ren know the might of the Young Phoenix."
He mounted his steed and galloped straight to the front. When Zhang Ren on the city tower spotted the "Deputy Military Advisor" banner in the enemy formation, his eyes turned cold, and he quietly instructed his archers.
As Pang Tong personally beat the drums to rally the troops, dozens of arrows suddenly shot out from the dark spots on the tower, pouring down like a black rainstorm.
"Advisor, look out!" his bodyguards roared, throwing themselves forward.
Pang Tong felt a burning heat in his chest. Looking down, he saw a feathered arrow piercing his armor, blood gushing forth. He tried to speak, but only coughed up blood froth. In the moment he fell from his horse, he seemed to see Zhuge Liang's calm smile from the Longzhong Countermeasures. One thought flashed through his mind: "Kongming… you have won."
When the news reached the main camp, Liu Bei's wine cup crashed to the ground. He rushed to Pang Tong's body, caressed his still-warm face, and broke down weeping in front of everyone for the first time: "I have killed you, Shiyuan!"
Winning Over Hearts Is Paramount: Liu Zhang's Compassion
Pang Tong's death ignited fury in Liu Bei's army. Reinforcements led by Zhuge Liang arrived as scheduled. The "Sleeping Dragon" strategist displayed astonishing prowess the moment he entered Shu: first, he released the veteran general Yan Yan to win popular support; then he dispatched Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei to pacify surrounding counties. Now three armies encircled Chengdu.
To make matters worse for Liu Zhang, Ma Chao's Xiliang cavalry suddenly appeared north of the city. Though only a few thousand men, they made the people and soldiers of Chengdu believe Liu Bei had gained the support of Xiliang.
"My lord, we still have thirty thousand elite soldiers in the city, and provisions to last a year. We beg to fight Liu Bei to the death!" His generals knelt and pleaded for battle.
Liu Zhang climbed the city tower and looked at the weary people below. Twenty years prior, when he had entered Shu with his father Liu Yan, this land had been a haven of peace. Now, because of his own incompetence, Shu was engulfed in war. He recalled Pang Tong's last words and suddenly understood.
"My father and I have ruled Shu for more than twenty years, yet we have done no kindness for the people." His voice was hoarse, yet carried across the tower. "If we continue fighting, lives will be lost to the wilderness. How can my heart be at peace?"
The generals tried to argue, but Liu Zhang waved them off. He took off his official seal and ribbons, changed into plain white clothes, and rode out of the city in the same carriage as Liu Bei's envoy Jian Yong. As the city gates slowly opened, cries erupted from the crowd. Some threw vegetable leaves, but many more knelt and kowtowed — they might hate Liu Zhang for his incompetence, yet they respected his compassion in this moment.
Liu Bei welcomed Liu Zhang in his tent. Seeing his kinsman's calm expression, he unexpectedly felt a twinge of guilt.
"Jiyu (Liu Zhang's courtesy name), I…"
"Say no more," Liu Zhang interrupted him. "I am willing to trade my own life for the peace of Shu."
Echoes of History: Choices and Their Costs
Lamps burned bright all night in Chengdu. Liu Bei had finally obtained the Yi Province he had long dreamed of. At the victory banquet, he raised his cup repeatedly, yet always felt something was missing. When Zhuge Liang presented the household registers of western Shu, he suddenly remembered the look in Pang Tong's eyes before his death.
"Kongming, if Shiyuan were here… what would he think of today's outcome?"
Zhuge Liang fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly: "He would say that Your Lordship has finally learned to be ruthless."
Liu Bei froze, then smiled bitterly. He knew Zhuge Liang spoke the truth. To achieve great deeds, he had lost Pang Tong, abandoned benevolence and righteousness, and even learned to bluff with Ma Chao's troops. In this chaotic age, the soft-hearted had long turned to bones; only the ruthless could reach the end.
Outside the tent, moonlight flowed like water over the city that had just changed hands. Liu Bei recalled a line from Zizhi Tongjian: "History is a vast casebook of choices. Behind every major decision lie corresponding costs and consequences."
He gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist — a gift from Pang Tong before his death.
"Shiyuan, I have conquered western Shu for you. But at what cost…" He murmured, staring at the starry sky. "…I wonder if it was worth it."
The night wind blew past, as if carrying Pang Tong's unrestrained laughter, echoing over the timeless night skies of Shu.