"Pang Shiyuan, did you eat too many of those unripe hawthorns? You look like you're about to bite somebody."
Zhang Fei leaned over from horseback and studied Pang Tong with genuine concern.
Yesterday's experiment with candied hawthorns had ended exactly the way anyone with common sense could have predicted. The academy students had happily carried off all the good ones, leaving the adults with the leftovers.
Specifically, the green hawthorns.
The sugar coating had been excellent. The fruit underneath had felt like a personal attack. Even now, Zhang Fei's teeth felt uncomfortable whenever he remembered it.
Pang Tong snorted.
The hawthorns had nothing to do with his mood. What was actually bothering him was what happened afterward.
The moment those students finished eating, they had surrounded Zhuge Liang and begged him to hold another lecture.
Another lecture.
As if one Kongming wasn't already enough trouble. Apparently the world still didn't have enough students lining up to worship him. To make matters worse, they were competing with Pang Tong for his future disciple.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became.
Pang Tong silently decided to complain about it again later. Out loud, he simply said, "I'm thinking about Han Sui."
Zhang Fei immediately lost interest in discussing education. That was understandable. Compared to students, war was much more exciting.
Over the past few days, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong had spent hours discussing the situation in Yong and Liang. Between the two of them, they had finally pieced together something that looked vaguely like a survivable future for Han Sui.
Whether Han Sui himself could recognize that opportunity was another matter entirely.
The calendar had already entered the eighth month. Cao Cao's summer harvest was complete. Granaries were filling up, and both sides were beginning to move. Once grain was available, armies naturally followed.
The situation in Yongzhou and Liangzhou couldn't be left unresolved much longer.
"Are we finally going through Qishan Pass?"
Zhang Fei straightened in the saddle. The change was so sudden that Pang Tong suspected he had been waiting for those words all morning.
Questions immediately began flying out one after another.
"Do we call Ma Su back from Fangling?"
"If we're marching through Qishan pass, why isn't Kongming coming?"
"If we take Yongzhou and Liangzhou, can we finally start building proper cavalry forces?"
"If we get enough horses, how many cavalry forces can we support?"
Pang Tong patiently waited for him to run out of breath.
Zhang Fei never did.
Eventually Pang Tong raised a hand. "One question at a time, Yide."
Zhang Fei obediently closed his mouth.
For roughly three breaths.
"Kongming says Yongzhou and Liangzhou can be settled with one hand," Pang Tong replied. "He has more important matters to handle."
Zhang Fei blinked. "More important than Yongzhou and Liangzhou?"
Pang Tong shrugged. He didn't know the full plan either, but he could make a reasonable guess.
With Yizhou growing more stable by the day, Zhuge Liang's attention had naturally shifted elsewhere.
South. Far south.
An elite force would likely be dispatched into Nanzhong. The local tribal kings had been quiet recently, but quiet wasn't the same thing as obedient.
At the same time, the route leading toward Shendu needed to be opened. Or India, as the people of later generations called it.
The Light Screen had made one thing abundantly clear. Trade was often more profitable than conquest. If Shu could establish a reliable southern trade route, the benefits would continue flowing for generations.
Of course, before any merchants could safely travel those roads, the people living along them needed to understand who was in charge.
Pang Tong glanced southward. Some lessons, unfortunately, were best taught by an army.
When the discussion turned to the Nanzhong campaign, Zhuge Liang offered a recommendation that immediately caught everyone's attention.
"I suggest bringing Sima Yi."
Liu Bei looked up. "Sima Yi?"
Zhuge Liang nodded.
Nanzhong had never been firmly under Liu Zhang's control in the first place. Ever since Liu Bei entered Yizhou, small disturbances had been breaking out across the southern commanderies from time to time.
Ironically, the rapid transfer of power had kept any of them from turning into a major rebellion. Everyone had been too busy figuring out who was actually in charge.
That temporary stability wasn't going to last forever.
After nearly a year spent restoring order throughout Yi Province, Liu Bei was already looking south. To be more precise, he had been looking south for months. The moment the administration could spare the manpower, he fully intended to deal with Nanzhong personally.
The real question was who would go with him.
As usual, Zhuge Liang appeared to have settled the matter long before anyone else started asking.
"Promote Sima Yi to Staff Officer and assign him to the campaign," he said. "Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and Wu Yi can each take independent field commands. Li Hui and Zhang Ni should accompany the army as staff advisors."
Pang Tong glanced at the proposed roster and nodded slightly.
The choices made sense.
Nanzhong's terrain was difficult. Its roads were poor. Its local tribes were scattered across mountains and forests. Sending a massive army would only create logistical headaches. A smaller force led by capable officers made far more sense.
Feng Xi and Zhang Nan were steady commanders. Neither was famous for brilliance, but both were dependable and understood how to follow orders without creating unnecessary complications. For a campaign focused on pacification rather than decisive battles, that was exactly what was needed.
Wu Yi's inclusion was also reasonable. Whether his sister would ultimately enter Liu Bei's household was still uncertain, but the Wu clan had shown unwavering cooperation ever since the change of government. They had supported every reform and never once complained. Rewarding that loyalty while giving Wu Yi more military experience was a natural decision.
As for Li Hui and Zhang Ni, both men had originally been highlighted by the Light Screen. At present, they were still serving in relatively modest positions. Assigning them as staff officers would let them familiarize themselves with Nanzhong while proving whether the future's favorable assessment was justified.
That left only one name.
Sima Yi.
Liu Bei stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You want to test him?"
Zhuge Liang smiled. "Wouldn't you?"
The room went quiet.
Everyone knew who Sima Yi was. Or rather, everyone knew who the future version of Sima Yi would become. The man himself was still young and had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had performed every task assigned to him with diligence and competence.
That was precisely why he was so hard to evaluate.
Pang Tong folded his arms. "Keeping him in Chengdu won't tell us much. He'll just keep handling paperwork."
"Exactly," Zhuge Liang replied. "A man's character is easiest to see when things go wrong."
Nanzhong had plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. The mountains were dangerous. The roads were miserable. The local tribes all had their own interests. Supplies were unreliable. Disease was common.
A capable administrator could survive comfortably behind a desk. A capable strategist needed to function when everything fell apart.
Liu Bei considered the proposal for a moment before nodding.
"Very well."
His expression carried a trace of amusement.
"Perhaps we should let Zhongda stretch his legs a little."
Pang Tong chuckled.
Somehow, he suspected Sima Yi would not enjoy this opportunity nearly as much as they did.
"Kongming, just wait for my good news. And have the wine ready. I'll be back before you know it."
The first light of dawn was spreading across the eastern sky.
Standing atop Wanli Bridge on the outskirts of Chengdu, Liu Bei delivered his promise with complete confidence.
"The troublemakers in Nanzhong will be dealt with within three months."
A northern expedition into Yongzhou and Liangzhou was one thing. Fighting Ma Chao, Han Sui, and Cao Cao's generals required careful planning and more than a little luck.
Nanzhong was different.
Liu Bei searched his memory for a phrase he had picked up from the Light Screen.
'A sure thing'.
That was what this felt like.
The troops were ready. Supplies were enough. The officers were eager for action after spending months stuck in Chengdu.
Everything looked good.
More importantly, Liu Bei's gaze drifted toward Sima Yi, who was standing quietly among the officers with an expression of perfect politeness.
The future founding architect of the Jin Dynasty was coming along too.
How exactly were they supposed to lose? The man's luck stat was off the charts.
Beside him, Zhuge Liang folded his hands and returned the salute.
"Then I shall begin preparing the victory banquet, three months from now, I'll personally welcome you back to Chengdu."
Liu Bei laughed.
"Good."
He tightened the reins and turned his horse toward the waiting army.
The campaign force had gathered outside Chengdu's southern gate long before sunrise. Sixteen thousand soldiers stood in orderly ranks stretching across the road. Banners fluttered in the cool morning breeze. Horses stamped impatiently against the earth.
Originally, Liu Bei had intended to leave directly from the military camp.
Unfortunately, his subordinates had other ideas.
Apparently, anyone embarking on a major expedition from Chengdu was supposed to cross Wanli Bridge first.
The explanation involved local customs, auspicious fortune, and several very passionate officials who refused to take no for an answer.
Liu Bei eventually surrendered.
The bridge had been crossed. The ritual had been satisfied. Now there were no more excuses.
He raised his voice.
"Ma Zhong."
The young officer immediately stepped forward.
"Your orders, my lord?"
Liu Bei pointed south.
"Pass the command."
A grin spread across his face.
"The army marches."
The signal flags rose. War drums thundered. Sixteen thousand soldiers began moving as one.
Watching from the bridge, Pang Tong suddenly nudged Zhuge Liang with his elbow.
"Do you think they'll actually finish in three months?"
Zhuge Liang watched the departing banners disappear into the morning mist.
Then he opened his fan.
"If they fail, we'll simply blame Sima Yi."
For a moment, he wondered whether Kongming had been spending too much time around Zhang Fei.
Then he burst out laughing.
Back inside Chengdu, Hu Du was waiting outside the government academy for Li Shu. The two of them were supposed to head into class together.
As he stood by the entrance, a sudden burst of hoofbeats echoed down the main road.
A young officer came galloping through the avenue at full speed. Dust flew behind him as he raced past the academy gates before turning south and disappearing from sight.
Hu Du's eyes followed him until he was gone. The disappointment on his face was impossible to miss.
Li Shu took one look and immediately understood.
"Didn't you hear what the Imperial Uncle said the other day?" he asked. "He said Hu Du would become a pillar of Shu Han someday."
Hu Du's expression eased slightly.
"I heard him."
Then after a brief pause, he added quietly, "I just hope the Imperial Uncle comes back safe."
Li Shu smiled. "Yesterday my father went to the Daoist temple to pray for him."
Hu Du turned toward him.
"There were already a lot of people there," Li Shu continued. "My father said he had to wait just to find a place to burn incense."
That didn't surprise Hu Du at all.
"The Imperial Uncle has real virtue."
To ordinary people, virtue wasn't some mysterious quality discussed by scholars. It was much simpler than that.
Under Liu Yan, Yizhou had been sealed off while ambitious men dreamed about thrones.
Under Liu Zhang, life had been peaceful enough, but Hanzhong had been lost and the province had slowly drifted into isolation.
Under Liu Bei, granaries were full.
That fact alone carried more weight than a thousand speeches.
Hu Du understood this especially well.
The streets of Chengdu had been lively these past few months.
Wherever people gathered, they talked about the same two subjects. The victory in Jingzhou, and the Imperial Uncle personally leading an army south to pacify Nanzhong.
A few days ago, Hu Du's grandfather had summed up the situation in one sentence.
"Yizhou isn't trapped anymore."
At the time, Hu Du hadn't fully understood what he meant. Now he was beginning to.
For educated men, making a name for themselves was a lifelong ambition. Everyone dreamed of doing something worthy of the history books. The problem was that dreams needed a road.
For years, Yizhou hadn't had one.
Liu Yan had closed the gates and treated the province like his private kingdom.
Liu Zhang had lost Hanzhong and let Yizhou drift further from the rest of the realm.
Talented people had spent years looking beyond the mountains and seeing nothing but dead ends. There was nowhere to go. Nothing to do. No stage large enough for ambition.
Then Liu Bei arrived.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, Yizhou, Jing Province, and Hanzhong were connected again. The roads reopened. Merchants returned. Messengers came and went. News from across the realm flowed into Chengdu every day.
More importantly, people could finally imagine a future beyond the mountains.
Liu Bei had defeated Cao Cao's forces, stabilized the province, and immediately started preparing for the next campaign. The whole region felt different. Like a man who had been asleep for years and suddenly opened his eyes.
Some people looked at Liu Bei and saw the shadow of Emperor Gaozu. They wanted to join him and become part of something bigger.
Others looked at the changing situation and reached a different conclusion. If the future belonged elsewhere, better to leave early and seek opportunities under Cao Cao.
Hu Du didn't blame them. Everyone had to choose their own path.
But regardless of which direction they chose, one thing was undeniable.
The years of waiting were over.
At the academy gates, another group of students hurried past, chattering excitedly about military campaigns, future careers, and the latest stories from the Light Screen.
Hu Du watched them for a moment. Then he looked south, toward the road Liu Bei's army had taken.
For the first time in his life, the future felt close enough to reach.
---
The people of Jingzhou reacted somewhat differently.
For them, the news wasn't a slow realization that unfolded over months. It was a celebration.
And nowhere was that celebration louder than in Jiangling.
The city's residents had spent years carrying around a complicated mix of emotions.
After the defeat at Red Cliffs, Cao Cao had forcibly relocated much of Jiangling's original population.
The people living there now came from all over.
Some were refugees from Jianghuai who had followed Lei Xu south across the mountains. Others were old Jingzhou families who had fled from Xinye, Wancheng, Xiangyang, and countless smaller settlements swallowed by war.
They had cheered when Zhou Yu burned Cao Cao's fleet at Red Cliffs. They had mourned when Zhou Yu died young.
After that came the question nobody wanted to ask. If Cao Cao returned, who would stop him?
Now they finally had an answer.
The stories arriving from the north spread through teahouses, markets, docks, and wine shops faster than merchants could unload their carts.
Guan Yu captured Fancheng in seven days.
Huang Zhong killed Yue Jin in open battle, and Xiangyang surrendered shortly afterward.
Guan Yu retook Wancheng through a daring night attack.
Xu Shu waved his fan and ten thousand Cao troops turned around and went home.
Zhang Fei cursed Cao Cao to his face on the battlefield.
The last one was still under review. Everything else had already been confirmed by merchants traveling down from Wancheng.
According to those merchants, Zhang Fei had actually spent most of the battle securing Wancheng after the city fell. The one who personally chased Cao Cao was Guan Yu.
This created a small problem.
Nobody in Jiangling could imagine Guan Yu screaming insults at anyone. The mental image simply refused to cooperate. Whenever someone tried, they inevitably pictured Guan Yu stroking his beard and speaking in a calm, dignified tone.
After several attempts, the public reached a consensus.
The cursing must have happened, just not from Guan Yu. The details had simply migrated to the wrong brother. After all, if someone was going to scream insults at Cao Cao in the middle of a battlefield, Zhang Fei was the obvious perfect suspect. It was practically his job description.
The explanation felt reasonable enough.
When the merchants described Guan Yu personally chasing Cao Cao after the battle, many listeners reacted with immediate frustration.
One old man slapped his thigh so hard the sound echoed through the teahouse.
"Then why didn't he kill him?"
His voice carried through the teahouse, immediately drawing agreement from every direction.
"That's what I'm saying!"
"How did he let him run away?"
"If you already caught him, why not finish the job?"
"One swing of the blade and the whole world would've had fewer headaches!"
The discussion exploded almost instantly.
Unlike the scholars and officials who enjoyed debating legitimacy, governance, and the finer points of statecraft, the common folk tended to view history through a much simpler lens.
Had Cao Cao caused suffering? Yes.
Had countless families been displaced by war? Also yes.
Then from their perspective, the answer seemed obvious.
An elderly man from Jianghuai snorted loudly.
"My younger brother died when the armies marched through our county. If someone had told me back then that Cao Cao was standing right in front of them, I'd have tied him up myself."
"Exactly. They always say great men think about the bigger picture. Fine. But from where I'm sitting, a dead enemy is a good enemy."
"That's easy for you to say now. Back then, nobody knew what would happen later."
"So? He's still alive, isn't he?"
"...Fair point."
"Besides, I suspect this Cao dog was born under the rabbit zodiac. Always running, always escaping."
"Good point."
"Now I'm even more annoyed."
Whether they were refugees from Jianghuai or old Jingzhou families, almost everyone had lost relatives during the wars. Their disappointment was completely sincere. To ordinary people, the death of Cao Cao sounded like a perfectly practical solution.
The merchants gathered inside the teahouse viewed the matter from an entirely different angle.
Most of them had listened to the discussion with only half an ear. Military strategy, famous generals, and historical turning points were certainly interesting, but those things occupied a distant place in their priorities.
What truly mattered to them was something far more immediate.
Business.
And from a merchant's perspective, the recent developments were excellent news.
The fact that Jiangling was no longer the first major obstacle standing between Cao Cao and the southern territories was enough to make many of them sleep better at night.
A silk merchant who had been one of the loudest voices advocating for evacuation just a few months ago now sat back with a satisfied smile.
"So. General Guan actually beat Cao Cao. Beat him to the ground."
"Man, General Guan only needed seven days. He kicked Cao Cao's ass in seven days," another said, still sounding like he didn't quite believe it. "Fancheng fell in seven days. That's not a siege. That's a landlord collecting rent."
"And Huang Zhong? The old man? He cut down Yue Jin like he was chopping firewood."
"I heard he's nearly seventy."
"Seventy. He's seventy and he's still deleting enemy generals. Meanwhile, my back hurts just from counting coins."
"If you're tired of counting your coins, just send them to me, dude!"
"In your dream. Go away."
Someone across the table raised a cup.
"To General Guan. May Cao Cao's nightmares be forever haunted by that beard."
They all drank.
The silk merchant leaned back. "Remember when we were all panicking? Talking about evacuating to Jiaozhou?"
A younger merchant shuddered. "Don't remind me. Swamp diseases. Giant insects. I still have nightmares."
"At least we didn't have to find out."
"Thank heaven for small mercies."
The tea merchant, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke. "Jiangling isn't the frontline anymore. That alone is worth celebrating."
"Tell me about it," a grain trader chimed in. "Do you know how many times I had to reroute my shipments last year? Too many. I stopped counting."
"But now?" another said. "Now the roads are safer. Fewer checkpoints. Fewer delays."
"Don't jinx it," someone muttered.
"I'm not jinxing. I'm just saying business is finally looking up."
The silk merchant nodded. "Not that anyone doubts General Guan's ability to defend Jingzhou. It's just..."
He tapped the table.
"Standing behind a strong wall is good. Standing behind a strong wall that isn't anywhere near the enemy is better."
"Wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall," the grain trader quoted.
"The wall isn't crumbling," someone pointed out.
"The wall isn't. But the frontline was right on top of us. That's close enough."
A round of agreement followed.
"So what you're saying," the tea merchant concluded, "is that we're happy General Guan Yu won, but we're happier we don't have to worry about Cao Cao's army showing up at our doorstep anymore."
"Exactly."
"Precisely."
"Well said."
The silk merchant set down his cup and looked around the table.
"You know, there was a time not long ago when some of us were seriously considering surrendering."
A few merchants shifted uncomfortably.
"I remember," the grain trader said quietly. "People were saying maybe Cao Cao wouldn't be so bad."
"And now?"
"Now those same people are suddenly very quiet."
Laughter rippled through the group.
The tea merchant shrugged. "To be fair, we didn't know General Guan had a floating fortress with water wheels strapped to the back."
"Did you see that thing? It looked like someone took two normal ships, stacked them on top of each other, then added wheels just to see what would happen."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"It doesn't have to make sense. It just has to work."
Someone else added, "I heard they have a whole department of engineers in Chengdu now. They just sit around all day inventing new ways to make Cao Cao's life miserable."
"Finally. Someone is doing the ancestors' work."
The former soldier who had been at Baima puffed out his chest.
"I told you. I told all of you. General Guan doesn't lose. I saw him at Baima. One horse. One blade. Thousands of enemy troops. He didn't even slow down."
He looked around the table.
"So go ahead. Tell me again how General Guan can't win."
Nobody said anything.
The silk merchant raised his cup again.
"To General Guan. And to never having to evacuate to Jiaozhou."
Meanwhile, for Jiang Wan, it was only when Xu Shu finally returned in triumph that he finally allowed himself to breathe.
Ever since Guan Yu and Xu Shu had marched north, Jiang Wan had moved his office into the administrative center and taken responsibility for nearly every aspect of Jingzhou's governance.
At the same time, he had kept a close eye on the eastern river routes, watching for any unusual movements from their allies across the water. The workload had been relentless.
So the first thing he said when he saw Xu Shu was:
"Now I finally understand why Kongming died young."
Xu Shu laughed.
"We won, but you'll have to keep working a little longer."
Jiang Wan was the sort of man who could complain while still doing his job.
Without missing a beat, he frowned and asked: "The north still isn't settled?"
"The fighting is over," Xu Shu replied. "Guan Ping and General Huang have spent the past months sweeping through the remaining resistance. Jingzhou is firmly back under our control."
He paused before continuing.
"Right now, Guan Ping and General Huang are jointly stationed at Duyang. In the middle of the seventh month, Cao Cao's forces tested the line again. General Huang answered by putting an arrow through the tassel on Xu Huang's helmet. After that, the enemy withdrew."
Jiang Wan had spent so much time managing supplies that the logistical situation was practically engraved into his mind. After a moment's calculation, he nodded.
"The harvest just came in. Moving grain takes time. Xu Huang was probably leading a probing force."
"Two probing forces," Xu Shu corrected.
Jiang Wan nodded again.
"Then the northern front is stable."
His expression darkened slightly.
"Which means the real problem is Jiangdong."
He reached for a ledger and flipped through several pages.
"A few months ago, Lu Su was still overseeing Jiangxia."
He turned another page.
"About a month ago, authority there shifted to Bu Zhi and Lu Meng."
Another page.
"Half a month ago, every merchant document coming downriver carried only Lu Meng's seal."
Trade between Jingzhou and Jiangdong had grown increasingly important. Sugar and silk from Yizhou flowed east, while iron ore, coal, and other materials came west. Every shipment required official authorization, which made administrative seals an excellent source of intelligence.
From the records alone, it was obvious that Lu Su had been gone from Jiangxia for quite some time.
Lu Meng was now in charge.
That fact alone had cost Jiang Wan more than a few nights of sleep. He had a very specific nightmare involving white-clad soldiers crossing the river at night. And he had no desire to see it become reality.
Xu Shu tapped the desk thoughtfully.
"During the campaign, our people picked up traces of a group of sealed envoys. They left from Xuchang and were heading toward Jiangxia. They stopped at Wancheng to resupply, which left records behind. Guan Yu's officers noticed it."
Jiang Wan immediately understood.
So that was why Lu Su had disappeared from Jiangxia.
Following that line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, Sun Quan might genuinely be preparing to take the final step. The man the future generations jokingly called 'Sun Shinwan' could very well become King of Wu.
Then Xu Shu delivered the second piece of news.
"Guan Ping sent additional intelligence."
His expression grew more serious.
"A merchant with reliable connections brought word from the north."
Xu Shu paused briefly before continuing.
"The Son of Heaven may be preparing an imperial inspection tour."