The side hall had been warm and lively after wine and food, yet the words from the light screen seemed to drop the temperature by ten degrees, as if a cold wind had risen within the room.
"Those rats of Jiangdong, as expected, cannot be trusted! Sun Quan, I swear I shall kill you!"
Liu Bei flew into a rage, and it took Zhuge Liang's gentle voice to calm him.
"My lord, do not be troubled."
Having followed Liu Bei since the three visits to the thatched cottage, Zhuge Liang understood all too well the bond between the sworn brothers.
"Since what the light screen speaks of is the future, something yet to come, is this not a warning from the ancestors of the Han, urging my lord to help General Guan avoid this calamity?"
These words of reason finally restored Liu Bei's composure. The letter from his second brother resting against his chest reminded him that Guan Yu was presently campaigning at Nanjun alongside Zhou Yu, alive and vigorous.
Yet after calming down, Liu Bei's unease only deepened.
"Kongming… could it be that we become traitors to the Han in the future?"
Zhuge Liang could not answer. The light screen continued, speaking at its own steady pace.
[Lightscreen]
[We all know that Sun Wu was built by outside forces from Jianghuai suppressing the local powers of Jiangdong. To put it bluntly, they were cutting down the local aristocratic clans to make room for their own followers like Cheng Pu and Han Dang.
Historical records say Sun Ce was killed by three retainers of Xu Gong, but how those men infiltrated Jiangdong, how they found Sun Ce alone, and who supplied their weapons are all left unexplained. It is reasonable to believe that the Jiangdong clans played a rather disgraceful role.
Sun Quan was very different from Sun Ce. He lacked decisiveness and perseverance, and preferred softer methods. But the Jiangdong clans would not forget their blood feud with the Sun family, and Sun Quan would not quickly trust them either. That contradiction is the root of instability within Sun Wu.]
"Precise," Zhuge Liang murmured as he wrote, deeply impressed by the analysis of Sun Wu's internal strife.
Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Jiangdong had been like oil set ablaze. The conflict between the Jianghuai faction and the local Jiangdong clans had nearly become irreconcilable.
The Jiangdong clans cared little whether their lord bore the surname Sun or Cao, while Sun Quan and Zhou Yu, as outsiders from Jianghuai, were determined to fight Cao Cao to the death.
In such a situation, Zhuge Liang had gone east and debated the scholars, binding the Jiangdong clans temporarily to Sun Quan's cause, which ultimately led to victory at Red Cliffs.
[Lightscreen]
[So how was this fragile balance between local and outsider factions in Jiangdong broken? To understand that, we must first look at someone often overlooked at Red Cliffs: Pang Tong, the "Fledgling Phoenix," who was as renowned as Zhuge Liang.
Everyone knows Pang Tong, but most impressions come from the Romance, where he proposed the chain stratagem to aid Zhou Yu's fire attack, later joined Liu Bei, and ultimately died young at Luofeng Slope.]
Pang Tong joined me?
A smile burst across Liu Bei's face, impossible to conceal. He had always thirsted for talent and often felt his ranks were lacking.
Back when he met Sima Hui, the man had said, "Here lie both the Sleeping Dragon and the Fledgling Phoenix." To think both would eventually serve under him.
As for dying young at Luofeng Slope… that hardly mattered.
He would simply forbid Pang Tong from ever going near that place.
Luofeng Slope… even the name sounded ominous. How could Shiyuan have been so careless?
[Lightscreen]
[But if we strip away the Romance, Pang Tong was a native of Jingzhou, related to Pang Degong, and part of a great clan in Xiangyang. He was later recruited as a gongcao, effectively a subordinate of Liu Biao.
When Cao Cao's massive army arrived, Jingzhou fractured into competing powers. Later, when Zhou Yu attacked Nanjun, Pang Tong directly became his subordinate. Notice anything?
That's right, Pang Tong smoothly switched factions. In essence, this reflects the allegiance strategy of the Jingzhou aristocratic clans. After Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu's reputation was unmatched. With that level of power, what choice did they have but to submit? Remember, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce once slaughtered the Jiangdong clans. Jingzhou is their neighbor. They knew this very well.
But Zhou Yu did not live long. After his death, Pang Tong traveled a great distance to mourn him, and then went straight to Liu Bei.
The inner workings are not hard to guess. Pang Tong likely represented Jingzhou in negotiating terms, and those talks probably failed.
By the way, the Romance also adds the famous "three times Zhuge Liang enrages Zhou Yu" plot, but we now know that is fiction. Historically, Zhou Yu was broad-minded and refined, praised as a hero among men and a most elegant figure of Jiangdong.
As for his death, the official records state that Zhou Yu was struck by a stray arrow during the siege of Nanjun, and the following year died of illness at Baqiu while preparing to take Shu. Most likely the wound became infected and never healed.]
"Three times enraging Zhou Yu?" Zhuge Liang was momentarily stunned. Why would he provoke Zhou Yu?
Zhou Gongjin was the Grand Commander of Sun Wu, having just defeated Cao Cao and soon to take Nanjun. His prestige was unmatched.
As for Liu Bei's side… it could not be said they had nothing, but they were far from powerful. There was no reason for enmity.
"Zhou Gongjin is fated to die young?" Liu Bei murmured.
The light screen had not mentioned Zhou Yu earlier, which had puzzled him. Now it seemed his fate was to die prematurely. Without him, Sun Quan would struggle even more to control the Jiangdong clans.
Zhao Zilong sat quietly, recording everything without offering judgment.
[Lightscreen]
[Zhou Yu's death triggered a chain reaction. For example, the Jingzhou clans, who could only bow their heads before him, now dared to negotiate with Sun Quan.]
Liu Bei shook his head slightly. "That phrasing… is rather uncouth."
"This 'manifestation of the ancestors' likely shows us things of future generations," Zhuge Liang said with a smile, even in winter gently fanning himself. "Just as people of the pre-Qin would not concern themselves with King Zhou or Tang of Shang, perhaps in the eyes of future generations, we and the clans of today are of little consequence."
[Lightscreen]
[What do the Jingzhou clans want? The same thing powerful families have always wanted: some degree of autonomy. When imperial authority does not reach the countryside, life becomes quite comfortable.
In fact, they succeeded once. After Liu Biao's death, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun supported Liu Cong, the son of Lady Cai, to inherit Jingzhou, effectively placing control of the region in the hands of local powers.
Now that Zhou Yu is dead, Sun Quan would never grant them autonomy. So they found a new target: Liu Bei. At the time, Liu Bei lacked manpower. Whether he liked it or not, he had to rely on the Jingzhou clans. And perhaps Liu Biao's fate could be repeated on him.
Thus, when Pang Tong joined Liu Bei, the later "borrowing of Jingzhou" was simply going with the flow. The Jingzhou clans paid lip service to Sun Quan while resisting him in practice, and Sun Quan himself was happy to offload this burden and focus on internal conflicts after Zhou Yu's death.
From 208 to 219, this was Liu Bei's period of rapid growth. He took Yi Province, gained talents like Huang Zhong and Ma Chao, and achieved great military success. At Hanzhong, Huang Zhong slew Xiahou Yuan in battle, and Guan Yu flooded seven armies, shaking the realm.
As the saying goes, you fear your brother suffering, but you also fear your brother driving a luxury carriage. Sun Quan, Liu Bei's in-law, could no longer sit still.
Lu Meng and Lu Xun executed a "crossing the river in plain clothes," launching a fatal surprise attack against their own ally. They seized Jingzhou and beheaded Guan Yu and Guan Ping.
In the same year Guan Yu was killed, Lu Meng conveniently died of illness. So when Liu Bei attacked Wu two years later, Lu Xun became the only viable commander.
After Lu Xun burned the camps at Yiling, Sun Wu inevitably shifted into a weaker position. The conflict between the Jiangdong clans and the Sun ruling family intensified, eventually leading to its downfall.
A regime consumed by internal strife cannot hope to unify the realm.]
Liu Bei stared blankly at the images within the light screen.
Zhou Yu lay in Xiao Qiao's arms, his breath fading, sighing, "If Heaven gave me Yu, why also Liang?"
Pang Tong, plain in appearance, stood with an arrow in his chest, gazing at the sky as he sighed, "My death today is Heaven's will."
Another Liu Bei was crowned emperor in Chengdu. Then the scene shifted. Soldiers of Sun Wu, disguised as merchants, crossed the river. The banner bearing the character "Guan" was cut down and trampled into mud.
Another Guan Yu was beheaded on Sun Quan's orders, his head sent to Cao Cao. Another Liu Bei raised an army in fury, only to face the endless flames of Yiling, his face ashen.
The scene changed again. That Liu Bei, pale as paper, spoke his final words to Zhuge Liang.
"If the heir may be assisted, then assist him. If he proves unworthy, you may take matters into your own hands."
[Lightscreen]
[Therefore, in my view, after Yiling, Sun Wu completely lost its chance at the realm.
That is all for today. Follow and like so you do not get lost. Next time, we will discuss how the Cao clan lost the realm as well.]
"So this… is my future, and the future of the Han?" Liu Bei's voice was hoarse.
Betrayed by an ally, his second brother beheaded, himself driven to death by rage after a devastating fire.
The light screen had already made it clear: the Shu Han he would establish would fall in two generations, and though the realm would be divided among three, it would ultimately belong to Jin.
"My lord, you must quickly follow and give your approval," Zhuge Liang reminded him while organizing his hurried notes. It seemed these actions were key to continuing the manifestation.
Liu Bei looked bewildered. He imitated the gesture on the screen, raising a thumb.
"Like this?"
A flash of golden light appeared, and words emerged:
[Next video will be updated in one month]
Liu Bei relaxed. It seemed he had done it correctly by chance. But another concern soon arose.
"Kongming, do you think we should prepare offerings?"
"My lord need not worry," Zhuge Liang said after some thought. "In my view, the one within the screen is likely from later generations. In that case, we are the ancestors. It would be inappropriate to offer sacrificial animals."
"Sound reasoning!" Liu Bei clapped his hands. Having studied under Lu Zhi, he quickly formed an idea. He removed the jade pendant from his waist.
"If we are dealing with descendants, then we should treat this with a calm heart."
He took a sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a note. Holding it together with the jade pendant, he presented it to the light screen.
"Descendant of the future, your knowledge is beyond price. I only ask that you appear more often. This jade pendant is of little worth, but let it serve as a token of thanks."
The light screen seemed to understand. A flash of light passed, and the jade pendant vanished from Liu Bei's hand.
With matters settled, Zhuge Liang frowned as he studied the recorded words.
"My lord, with such a revelation before us, we must quickly summon Generals Guan and Zhang to return and deliberate. What comes next must be planned in detail."
"I was thinking the same." Liu Bei's expression turned resolute.
"Kongming, we must never allow the tragedy of my second brother to come to pass again."