[Lightscreen]
[There has been plenty of debate about the Chancellor's maneuver.
Some say he went back on his word.
Some say he did it to avenge Guan Yu.
Back and forth, the arguments never end.
But in reality, how could a statesman of his caliber ever design a plan with only a single objective?
First, Meng Da truly intended to rebel.
But was his resolve firm? That is questionable. His situation was difficult, but not yet life-or-death. So what the Chancellor did was give him a push, turning rebellion from an option into a necessity.
Second, did the Chancellor like Meng Da?
The answer is obviously no.
The words of Emperor Zhaolie of Shu still echo:
"Have you not seen what befell Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?"
Especially considering that this man directly caused Guan Yu's death, dealing a heavy blow to Shu Han's early strategy.]
"Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han?"
Liu Bei did not understand at first, but then it clicked instantly.
That line… wasn't that something he himself had said?
His gaze immediately turned to Zhuge Liang for help. He did not even need to speak.
Kongming understood at once.
"'Zhao' praises virtue, and 'Lie' praises merit. It honors both moral character and achievements. For you, my lord, it is indeed fitting."
Liu Bei nodded slightly, then quickly steadied himself.
That was a posthumous title. A final judgment of history.
But he had only just begun to establish his foundation. He had not yet reached that height.
No… Liu Bei shook his head inwardly.
That level was no longer enough.
A-Dou needed to be taught properly.
His second brother needed to be saved.
Those who betrayed him needed to pay the price.
The north needed to be unified.
He was no longer satisfied with merely "Zhaolie."
As for Meng Da, who once served Liu Zhang…
Liu Bei silently made a decision.
Better to strip him of power gradually and send him away as a commoner, letting him live out his days in peace.
"Peace and ease" suited him quite well.
[Lightscreen]
[Thus the Chancellor's strategy becomes very clear.
If Meng Da surrendered and awaited death, then Shu would be rid of a traitor. Everyone wins.
If Meng Da refused to sit still and instead rebelled, he would cause great trouble for Wei and draw attention away from the northern campaigns. Everyone wins.
If Meng Da lost his nerve and fled back to Shu, then his life or death would lie entirely in Zhuge Liang's hands. Still everyone wins.
No matter how you look at it, Meng Da's only ending is death.
So one cannot help but say: Chancellor, your heart is truly dark. Hahahaa]
"Northern Expedition?"
Liu Bei silently calculated the timeline, then turned to Zhuge Liang.
"Would it begin only five or six years after my death? Would that not be too soon?"
He still remembered Zhang Fei's earlier words.
"Big brother was angered to death by the fire at Yiling!"
The light screen had mentioned multiple times that many believed that fire marked the end of Shu Han's momentum. That meant the losses must have been devastating.
Could they really recover in just five years?
Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Bei's expectant gaze and almost wanted to complain.
My lord, you know you are not that Liu Bei from Baidicheng… so why do you forget that I am not yet that Zhuge Liang either?
As a mere Military Advisor General, he was not yet in that position. Still, a vague speculation formed in his mind.
Back when he devised the Longzhong Plan, it was said:
"When the world changes, an upper general will lead Jing Province's army toward Wan and Luo, while you personally lead the forces of Yi Province out through Qin."
In the future, Liu Bei would already be gone.
That meant half the plan was missing.
If the future Zhuge Liang chose to forcibly launch the Northern Expeditions, then there could only be one explanation.
The fire at Yiling must have burned away more than what they currently knew.
Zhuge Liang fell into deep thought.
Zhuge Liang entered AFK mode.
Zhao Yun sped up his writing.
Liu Bei, receiving no answer, could only suppress his questions.
But looking at the mention of Meng Da, Liu Bei suddenly thought of Liu Feng.
Such a brave adopted son…
Yet misled by slander, he failed to save his own uncle, leading to Guan Yu's death and everything that followed.
Was it possible… that he truly failed at raising his heirs?
Liu Bei fell into self-doubt.
[Lightscreen]
[In truth, figures like Meng Da and Wei Feng are merely reflections of Wei's internal condition.
Cao Cao gained support from Yingchuan scholars by controlling the Emperor, but that very act also gave rise to the Runan-Yingchuan faction.
At the time, led by the Xun clan, this faction still held loyalty to the Han. So when facing the Qiao-Pei military faction, they were willing to step back.
But as Cao Cao received the Nine Bestowments and became King of Wei, dissatisfaction began to grow.
When Cao Pi finally proclaimed himself emperor, the Han they once served was completely gone.
The Xun clan gradually withdrew, but instead of transferring their loyalty to the Wei emperors, ambition took root.
The Sima clan rose to become the new leader of the Runan-Yingchuan faction.
In his later years, Cao Cao could only suppress these factional conflicts and pass the problem to Cao Pi.
Cao Pi had decent political skill, but his life was short, leaving an even bigger mess to his son Cao Rui.
When Emperor Ming of Wei ascended the throne, Shu Han's Northern Expeditions actually prolonged Wei's survival by turning internal conflict into external conflict.
Cao Rui was competent in governance but weak politically. After ruling for fourteen years, he entrusted the regency to Sima Yi and Cao Shuang, completely igniting the factional struggle and leading to the Gaoping Tomb Incident.
And with that, Cao Wei was finished.]
"The Northern Expeditions actually saved Wei?" Zhao Yun was confused.
Huang Zhong chuckled.
"General Zhao, I have spent nearly twenty years in Jing Province. I have handled countless trivial disputes. This is just like village conflicts."
"When two neighboring villages fight over water, all internal conflicts are temporarily set aside. Even blood feuds can wait."
"If they lose the fight for water, the entire harvest fails. That is the real crisis. Compared to that, internal disputes become trivial."
Liu Bei nodded.
"Indeed. Just like how Lord Liu Biao's succession dispute led to brothers turning against each other. I have seen it many times."
"But I never expected that Cao Cao would both rise and fall because of controlling the Emperor."
"If he had truly been loyal to the Han, how could his clan have ended in extermination?"
Zhuge Liang shook his head.
"If he were truly loyal, he would still be a traitor."
"Even people seventeen hundred years later can recount his deeds in detail. That proves the people never supported him."
"Even if he had unified the realm under the Han, what difference would that make from Emperor Ling's time?"
"With such tyranny, he surpasses Dong Zhuo."
"He compared himself to Yi Yin and Huo Guang… but if Huo Guang were alive, he would likely die of anger from such comparison."
Huang Zhong, however, noticed something else.
"After Emperor Ming's death, there was another regency… which means the next emperor was also a child."
"He ruled for fourteen years and still could not produce a suitable adult heir?"
He paused, then concluded:
"Something's wrong with the Cao family bloodline."