“Intention”: War for the Han Frontier sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“I meant to say, ‘And I shall fight at your side’, Father,” Yuan Tan
interrupted. “You are the man that led an armed force into the Imperial palace
at Luoyang - despite knowing that you risked accusations of high treason - and
slayed the eunuch allies of the ‘Ten’ to rescue the sovereign: I do not believe
that you will allow a ‘defeat’ - a loss caused not by your incompetence but by
wanton treachery and the incompetence of others - to harm you for long.”
“Your son is right,” Yuan Shao’s secretary, Chen Lin, said sincerely.
“You are a proven hero. You defeated the ‘Ten’, Gongsun Zan and the Black
Mountain Bandits, and those wars were not without setbacks.”
Yuan Shao nodded enthusiastically and said, “Yes... yes, yes, you’re all
quite right! My defeat was because Yan Liang and Wen Chou disappointed me with
their poor judgement, and Zhang Hè and Xu Yòu betrayed me, just as so many had
predicted that they would! Food and men, they can be replaced! Our cause is not
done yet! We shall write to our allies and inspire a second attack!”
“Liu Biao’s made it clear that he cannot commit to an attack on what he
now calls ‘the seat of power’, not while the Sun clan harass his southern
territory,” Cui Yan noted. “And as of the Suns, their ruler Sun Quan is
reportedly going further than Liu Biao, ingratiating himself with the imperial
court and going through with marriage alliances. The Yellow Turbans of Yu are
decimated if not dissolved, Gong Du’s gone to ground, and Liu Bei is crawling
on his belly to Jing Province with what’s left of the army you gave him. Zang
Ba’s return to Qing Province is losing us vital influence, and the neutrality
of the Southern Xiongnu is harming us.”
“Do not now try and depress me again after I have finally found hope,
Cui Yan!” Yuan Shao said angrily. “I will not simply roll over and die, not
when my opponent is Cao Cao, the friendless slayer of princes and seducer of
widows!”
“So what do you want to do?” the adviser Xin Pi asked.
“Locate Liu Bei, offer him a militia and propose a pincer,” Yuan Shao
replied. “No bandits and cultists this time, but a proper army. Despite what I
have said in the past, the man didn’t really curse me, not when I am being
rational... his Guan Yu, alone, is worth trying to maintain relations with him
for, and when I ponder it, he actually reached the capital with an army of
vagabonds, so he could rescue the Son of Heaven if he had a real force. When
Liu Biao sees what Liu Bei and I are achieving he will lend aid, and when Sun
Quan sees what is happening he will doubtless show some of his father and
brother’s spirit and truly fight for
the Han, not for Cao Cao!”
“...We’ll do our best to find Liu Bei,” Guo Tu said tonelessly.
“Be sure that you do,” Yuan Shao chortled. “It isn’t just
my neck that has one of Cao’s blades
pressed against it, Guo Tu.”
“...It is known to me, Lord Yuan,” Guo Tu replied.
Yuan Shao suddenly noticed a familiar face amongst the scholars and
said, “Is that... Ying Shao...? Is that Ying Zhongyuan???”
The frail Ying Shao - who was visibly in his early sixties - bowed
humbly and replied, “It is, Governor Yuan.”
“...Where have you been?” Yuan Shao asked. “I have not seen you in such a
time!”
“Your son and heir, who is now Governor of Qing Province, asked that I
attend court,” Ying Shao replied. “I have been working on additional notes for
my piece on folk legends.”