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“Really...?” Wang Lang scoffed. “I saw some of the letters that Gongsun Zan sent out
as his little barbarian empire collapsed around him and inevitable defeat and death awaited him at Yuan
Shao’s hands; one of the arguments for his being spared was that very same protest that he was a
‘victim of circumstance’.”
Kong Rong started to speak, but he thought better of it and allowed Wang Lang to continue.
“Remember that I served Liu Bei’s predecessor in Xu Province,” Wang Lang
said. “Remember that I served the last rightful governor, Tao Qian, before all
of that terrible nonsense that saw first Bei and then Dong Zhuo’s treacherous
foster son Lü Bu running the province. Bei’s a born liar: I’m sure that his
flowery speeches, ingratiating letters and empty promises are convincing, but
think - truly, seriously ponder it properly - and you’ll see someone else.”
Kong Rong exhaled loudly.
“Liu Bei is a poor, disinherited member of the Liu clan,” Wang Lang
continued. “He wove mats and shoes from straw until a wealthy uncle took pity
and financed his education: Bei befriended his fellow student Gongsun Zan and
the two became as brothers. Yes, he had a moment of ‘glory’ during the Yellow
Turban Crisis, but he was dependent on his growing entourage of pig butchers,
fugitives and naïve peasant farmers looking for adventure. Had that two-faced,
conniving Mi Zhu not looked to Bei’s militia as muscle to facilitate a takeover
of Xu Province, Bei would have had to settle for a civil role in a distant
rural county.”
Kong Rong was forced to nod silently once again.
Liu Bei had been a ‘wildcard’ during the recent years of the ailing Han Dynasty; schooled with the money of others, Bei had, as so many of his detractors relished pointing out, endured a peasant’s life that he had inherited from disinherited ancestors.
He lived with his mother and eked out a
living weaving mats and shoes from straw that could then be sold for meagre
money; his schooling changed that, introducing him to the famous
scholar-official Lu Zhi and fellow student Gongsun Zan. Gongsun went on to lead
his own impressive militia, which included cavalry at a time when skilled
horsemen - and, indeed, horses - were a luxury for a warlord; he was a minor
hero during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, as was Liu Bei, although Gongsun
enjoyed greater rewards. Gongsun Zan became a county magistrate in northern Yòu
Province; Liu Bei was eventually granted the same, but the ‘Ten’ were keen to
maintain their grip on administrative power and Liu Bei was soon forced to
abandon the role when confronted with requests for bribes.
Gongsun Zan went from
strength to strength while Liu Bei drifted around Yòu, Qing and Xu Provinces,
accepting various administrative roles and military assignments; he came to the
attention of Xu Governor Tao Qian, who later recalled Bei’s valour when faced
with an invasion by Cao Cao, who blamed Tao personally for the robbery and
murder of his father Cao Song as he passed through Xu. Cao Cao’s ‘revenge’
consisted of a series of ‘scorched earth’ raids that left thousands dead; one
famous attack left the Si River dammed with bodies, and the extent of the
genocide made Tao Qian ill.