Chapter Seventy-Four: The Failed Assassination

Inside Liu Yao’s command tent, all the officers had assembled. Liu Yao swept his gaze over those before him and asked, “Gentlemen, with General Lu now escorted back to the capital and myself appointed as commander-in-chief, what are your views on the situation at Guangzong City?”

Yet after Liu Yao spoke, Guo Jia, Tian Feng, and the others remained silent.

Finally, Tian Feng was the first to rise and say, “My lord, as the art of war teaches: if outnumbered ten to one, surround; five to one, attack; double, divide. We now have only the ten thousand elite troops you brought and the fifty thousand imperial soldiers under Lord Lu. However, these imperial soldiers are so poorly trained that even our common soldiers from Youzhou are superior. Within Guangzong City, there are one hundred sixty to seventy thousand Yellow Turbans, and the city, defended by Zhang Jue, is like an iron fortress. To seize it by force would be far too difficult.”

Liu Yao frowned, “Is there truly no way to break through Guangzong City?”

“My lord, it isn’t that Guangzong is impregnable,” Guo Jia replied, “but it depends on what you are willing to sacrifice.”

“Oh, Fengxiao, what must I give up?” Liu Yao asked curiously.

Guo Jia, with a touch of self-mockery, said, “If you send the Camp of the Resolute to storm the city, the broadswords you invented would indeed be formidable. With this spearhead, Guangzong’s defenses might be pierced. But the cost would be devastating to those troops…” He left the thought unfinished; he knew Liu Yao would never agree, and in truth, it was the only desperate idea he could muster.

As expected, before he finished, two anxious voices broke in, “No, I do not agree.”

These two were, of course, Liu Yao and Gao Shun. For Gao Shun, the men of the Camp of the Resolute were brothers who had followed him for years—how could he bear to watch them die before his eyes? And for Liu Yao, both the Camp of the Resolute and the Charge Battalion were painstakingly forged with immense effort and wealth; to rebuild such elite troops would be almost impossible. With only twenty thousand such men, to lose five thousand at once was unthinkable, even if Zhang Jue was worth ten lottery draws.

“Fengxiao, rest assured, I will never agree to that,” Liu Yao said firmly.

Hearing this, Gao Shun felt at ease and sat down in silence.

“Fengxiao, is there truly no other way?” Liu Yao pressed.

Guo Jia shook his head helplessly and sat down. For all his cunning, even Guo Fengxiao had no solution for such an overt, unassailable defense.

“My lord, for a fortress so tightly guarded, assaulting from without is futile. What we must do is attack from within, undermining the Yellow Turbans from the inside out,” suggested Xi Zhicai.

Liu Yao nodded—indeed, there was no other way. As for claiming Zhang Jue’s head as a prize, he could only resign himself to let it go.

Then Liu Yao looked at everyone and said confidently, “Let me tell you this: within a month, Zhang Jue will die of illness. When that happens, are you confident we can take Guangzong?”

Tian Feng exclaimed with delight, “If this is true, Guangzong will descend into chaos. The Yellow Turbans revere Zhang Jue as a god—if he dies, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang will never be able to control all the rebels. Morale in Guangzong will collapse, and seizing the city will be easy.”

The generals, Zhang Fei among them, were equally exhilarated—they believed Liu Yao without question and looked forward to claiming new merit.

Yet, unlike Tian Feng and the others, Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia were utterly confused. They could not understand how Liu Yao could be so certain of Zhang Jue’s death, nor why Tian Feng and the others believed him so readily.

Seeing their expressions, Liu Yao realized they were new to his command and unaware of certain matters. He then recounted to Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai the “dreams” he’d received from the High Ancestor.

The two were stunned, hardly able to believe it. But thinking of Liu Yao’s inventions—the stirrups, repeating crossbows, the strange yet formidable lances and broadswords—though they still harbored some doubts, they chose to trust him without hesitation.

“Who would have thought our lord receives visions from the High Ancestor? If this proves true, with Zhang Jue gone, the Yellow Turbans will crumble. All we need do is wait,” Guo Jia said with a grin.

“Indeed, we only need to wait. Our scouts report that Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun have already suppressed the Yellow Turbans in their regions. They will arrive at Guangzong soon. With the forces gathered here, we will have over one hundred thousand men—enough to wipe out the rebels,” Tian Feng added.

Liu Yao smiled, “Then for now, continue as we have. As for Yuanhao, pay close attention to messages from our agents inside Guangzong. The moment there is word of Zhang Jue’s death, let me know at once.”

“Yes, my lord,” Tian Feng replied.

“Hansheng, Yide, you two are to take charge of Lu Zhi’s fifty thousand troops for now. When Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun arrive, hand the command to them. These recruits are a burden for us,” Liu Yao said dismissively.

“Yes, my lord,” Huang Zhong and Zhang Fei responded.

“Well then, you’re all dismissed,” Liu Yao said with a wave.

The officers dispersed to their tasks. Only Liu Yao and the carefree Guo Jia were left with nothing pressing to do.

That night, Shi A entered Liu Yao’s tent.

“My lord, of the twenty agents we sent, all have perished. One returned with his last breath, but after reporting the situation, he too succumbed. I ask for your judgment,” Shi A said, crestfallen.

Liu Yao’s expression remained calm; he had anticipated this. “No matter. Liu Bei and Guan Yu are not so easily slain. The agents’ failure is understandable,” he replied casually. “Tell me what happened.”

“Yes, my lord. According to our agent, twenty of them ambushed Liu Bei and his companion on the road. But Guan Yu fought like a demon, wielding his great blade with such ferocity that none could approach. Liu Bei, too, was a skilled fighter, using twin swords with cunning and ruthlessness. Together, they overwhelmed our men. The agent who returned was only able to escape thanks to his comrades’ cover,” Shi A reported.

“I see,” Liu Yao said indifferently. “There’s no need to pursue them further.” Once had failed, and he saw little point in wasting more effort.

“Yes, my lord.”

In a forest near Guangping City, two figures hid in the shadows.

“Second Brother, are you all right?” Liu Bei asked anxiously, as he bandaged Guan Yu’s wounded left arm.

Guan Yu’s expression did not change. “It’s nothing, Brother. Just a scratch. But this ambush must have been sent by Liu Yao.”

“Despicable! Who would have thought a prince of Han could be so treacherous?” Guan Yu cursed.

Liu Bei, too, knew the killers must have been sent by Liu Yao. But what could he do? He was but a minor figure, no match for a lofty prince of Han. However much resentment he felt, he could only bury it deep in his heart.

“Let it be, Yunchang. We can’t fight them,” Liu Bei said, shaking his head. “Let’s rest and recover for a few days, then head to Qingzhou and see what chances await us there.”

“Yes, Brother,” Guan Yu replied through gritted teeth, though the anguish on his face would not fade.