“Intention”: War for the Han Frontier sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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“Tomorrow morning would be better,” Guo Jia declared. “Don’t give any of
Bei’s remaining supporters in the capital a chance to send a warning. And we cannot
take Generals Xu Huang or Zhang Liao, because they might hesitate in a
confrontation with their friend Guan Yu. Zhang Liao almost certainly would.”
“…That reduces our options,” Cao Cao complained.
“Those men are better placed on the northern front, facing Cangting and
Yuan Shao’s army,” Xun Wenruo replied. “General Zhang Hè is a better choice, so
that he cannot be approached by Yuan Shao’s agents and offered a chance to go
back to him.”
“He wouldn’t,” Cao Cao said, “but I will take him anyway, since I am
unable to take the other two.”
“Is taking Xu Yòu and Zhang Hè
to rout Liu Bei a wise move either…?” Xun Wenruo asked. “One possible scenario
is Zhang’s deciding to avenge the loss of friends and colleagues at Wuchao
depot by taking Xu Yòu’s head to Yuan Shao - perhaps alongside your own,
Excellency - and pleading forgiveness…?”
“…No,” Cao Cao decided. “Zhang Hè is clearly a ‘thinking general’, and
far too shrewd to consider such a silly move. He remembers Qu Yi’s fate after
the Battle of Jie Bridge: Yuan Shao would believe the slander that endangered
Zhang before and kill him anyway.”
“Agreed,” Guo Jia said. “With Zhang Hè, Cao Ren, Cao Xiu and Xiahou Dun
in the vanguard, and if needs be the might of your bodyguard Xu Chu to match
blades with Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, you cannot lose. Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Li
Dian and Yue Jin can guard against Yuan’s movements and any possible mischief
by the Qiang - which, hopefully, Zhang Xiu in Nan County will give us advance
warning of - while Yu Jin continues to liaise with Zang Ba and the other former
bandit kings in Xu and Qing Provinces.”
Cao Cao nodded agreeably and said, “Tomorrow, Liu Bei dies!”
*************
8
Liu Bei’s plan to occupy Runan Prefecture and build a base there instead
of retreating to Jing Province was brought to a sudden and humiliating end: Cao
Cao’s arrival in the region struck fear into many former Yellow Turbans and
generated popular support from the people that Cao had defended from those same
Yellow Turbans 3 years before. Liu Bei’s tiny force reached the prefectural
border just as Cao Cao’s army was preparing to pursue him; a fight was
unavoidable and the outcome was obvious to both sides.
“We’re dead,” Jian Yong sighed.
“We should have just gone to
Jing!” Mister Sun whined.
“Shut up, you old coward!”
Zhang Fei bellowed. “It’s only Cao Cao!
We-!”
“No, Yide!” Liu Bei said as he watched Cao Cao’s forces order
themselves with frightening efficiency. “I’ve
made a mistake: I should have seen that he’d do this! We might have been in
Jing, if only I’d…! …But enough! Yide, you, Mi Fang and Mister Sun shall lead
the men back to the west! Zizhong, Yunchang, Zilong, Xianhe and I will-”
“That is unwise,” Liu Bei’s
bodyguard, Chen Dao, said suddenly.
“I agree, my lord,” Zhao Yun
said. “I will hold the rear with my
cavalry; everyone else should be advancing westward with all haste!”
Liu Bei shook his head and cried, “I
cannot be seen to-!”