Chapter 53: Old Liu, You Can't Pop the Champagne at Halftime!

Strictly speaking, Langya Chancellor Xiao Jian was not under the direct command of Liu Bei, the Governor of Xuzhou.

This meant Xiao Jian had the option not to obey Liu Bei's orders.

However, realistically speaking, having only secured the isolated corner of Ju County and being completely surrounded on all sides by the Taishan army, it was impossible for Xiao Jian to offend both parties at once.

He had to choose between Zang Ba and Liu Bei.

The former was completely out of the question; from the bottom of his heart, Xiao Jian looked down upon these Taishan bandits.

Moreover, deep-seated grievances already existed between Zang Ba and Xiao Jian, making reconciliation between them entirely impossible.

That left only one option.

Liu Bei had now firmly established himself as the Governor of Xuzhou, and when he extended an olive branch, Xiao Jian seemingly had no room to refuse.

Xiao Jian ascended the city wall and unfolded the letter sent by Liu Bei once again.

The letter read:

——"Ever since Dong Zhuo instigated rebellion, the realm has raised its arms in arms."

"At that time, the common folk across rivers and mountains were utterly consumed by the scourge of war."

"Those of conscience, benevolence, and virtue all perished in the flames of battle."

"Bei has the heart to restore the Han Dynasty, yet the strength of a single man is finite; he seeks only those of like mind and shared ideals to stand shoulder to shoulder."

"Ju and Xiapi are not far apart; it is fitting that we communicate and unite."

"Could it be that you wish every commandery in Xuzhou to crown its own emperor, and every county to style itself a king?"

"In former days, Yue Yi attacked Qi, taking over seventy cities in the space of a breath, save only Ju and Jimo. The reason they held out was none other than the presence of Tian Dan within."

"Though Bei is no Yue Yi, neither are you a Tian Dan. Why not bring your letter beneath the city walls and discuss the grand affairs of Xuzhou with Bei?"

This letter written by old Liu possessed immense provocative power. Neither haughty nor humble, it clearly elucidated the critical stakes facing Langya to Xiao Jian.

In summary: Cooperate with us to recover Langya, and you shall be a meritorious minister of Xuzhou.

Should you desire the likes of Zang Ba and Sun Guan to style themselves kings and emperors in their respective counties of Ju, protecting your own skin will prove exceedingly difficult.

To sum it up in a single sentence: Separatism held no hope, but annihilation had your name written all over it.

"……Sigh."

Xiao Jian let out a long sigh. Gazing at the Xuzhou troops blanketing the fields outside the city, his heart knew the grand trend was already lost.

"Open the gates and surrender the city."

"……"

The news of Xiao Jian's surrender to Liu Bei quickly reached Kaiyang.

Upon learning of this, Zang Ba was greatly startled and exclaimed:

"Could it be that Lord Xuande suspects me?"

He promptly summoned all the Taishan generals to hold an emergency meeting.

"Xiao Jian has always been on bad terms with us. Now that he has surrendered to Liu Xuande, where shall we place ourselves?"

"You gentlemen have entrusted your lives and fortunes to Zang; naturally, I cannot forsake the future of all my brothers for the sake of my own selfish desires."

"Why not raise our forces and march together to Ju County, surrendering to Liu Bei? What do you gentlemen think?"

Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Chang Xi, and the others exchanged glances, each wearing a different expression on his face.

Doubtless, however, a trace of regret lingered in every heart.

To become a servant of another—how could it ever compare to reigning freely as a king?

Everyone had initially believed they could remain petty emperors in Langya for the rest of their lives.

They had never expected that the moment Liu Xuande took office, his methods would prove so resolute, forcing them to choose a side.

"We heed the eldest brother's command!"

The Taishan faction valued the code of brotherhood in the martial world. Now that their eldest brother had made up his mind, what reason did they have to object?

"……Very well, then let each of you return to your camps and muster your respective troops."

"Tonight, slaughter oxen and sheep so the brothers can eat their fill. Tomorrow we set forth to Ju County and pay our respects to Liu Bei."

"……Understood."

Just as the generals were gloomily preparing to return to their camps, a scout suddenly galloped in on a swift horse to report.

——"Report!"

"Trouble, General! General Yin, he……"

"What about him?"

Zang Ba furrowed his brows, a dark premonition stirring within him.

"He has led his personal troops and defected to Qingzhou!"

Gasp……

Hearing this, everyone present frowned.

"Qingzhou is currently in absolute turmoil. Yuan Shao, Tian Kai, and Kong Rong are locked in a bitter struggle. Why on earth would he go there?"

"Is he looking for trouble?"

Zang Ba rubbed his temples. The series of events over the past two days had left him somewhat breathless; he felt as though he had never faced so much pressure in his entire life.

"T-This subordinate does not know!"

Sun Guan shouted loudly,

"That fellow probably didn't want to be subjugated by others and ran off to Qingzhou to fish in troubled waters."

"Foolish!"

Zang Ba flew into a rage. "Yuan Shao is powerful, and Tian Kai is allied with Gongsun Zan; the two sides are irreconcilable foes. For that fellow to think he can profit from them is sheer wishful thinking!"

"Go immediately and bring him back!"

"General, not a single Taishan soldier remains in Dong'an. It is likely that General Yin never intended to return when he left."

"Heh." Wu Dun sneered coldly. "Dong'an is that fellow's old lair. By taking the soldiers with him, it seems he is utterly determined to part ways with us."

"Should we pursue him?" asked Sun Guan.

Everyone cast their gazes upon Zang Ba, waiting for the eldest brother to make a decision.

"No."

Zang Ba waved his hand. "Yin Li alone cannot stir up much trouble. With our massive army here, if we rashly pursue him, I fear Lord Xuande might grow suspicious, which would be counterproductive."

"Our primary task right now is to hurry to Ju County and pay homage to Lord Xuande."

The generals cupped their fists in unison and accepted the order.

Three days later,

Zang Ba led the Taishan army northward along the Shu River, heading straight for Ju County.

When the army arrived at Ju County, the city had long since changed hands, and Liu Bei had been waiting here for quite some time.

He had previously ordered provisions such as wine, meat, and grain to be prepared to reward the army, and personally led his forces five li out of the city to welcome them.

The army pitched camp to the south of the city.

Inside the central army tent:

"Zang Ba of Kaiyang pays respects to the Lord."

"Wu Dun of Licheng pays respects to the Lord!"

"Sun Guan of Dongwu pays respects to the Lord!"

"Chang Xi of Donghai pays respects to the Lord!"

Led by Zang Ba, all the generals of the Taishan army came forward together to pay homage to Liu Bei, the new master of Xuzhou.

Just ten days ago, Liu Bei's prospects in the war were entirely uncertain; he had no idea how long the conflict would last.

Let alone subduing the Taishan army.

Yet only a few days had passed, and the Taishan generals, led by Zang Ba, were now kneeling in unison before him, acknowledging him as their master.

This was something Liu Bei would never have dared to imagine beforehand.

Filled with great joy, Liu Bei cast an admiring gaze toward Li Yi, who stood beside him.

Everything was proceeding precisely according to the script written by Li Yi.

Next, once Zang Ba handed over military command and relinquished his separatist hold on Langya,

Liu Bei would not only unify Xuzhou and elevate his own prestige, but he would also acquire a powerful, fresh military force.

"……Ziyu."

With a smile curving his lips, Liu Bei softly called out Li Yi's name and raised a clenched fist.

His five fingers curled into a fist, symbolizing that he could now finally unite Xuzhou and project his power outward.

Yet Li Yi's expression revealed no hint of relaxation. On the contrary, the closer they drew to victory, the greater the caution required.

One must strictly avoid premature celebration.

Whenever people saw Li Yi acting with such effortless composure and masterminding everything from behind the scenes, little did they realize how much grueling preparatory work and mental simulation he had to undergo to ensure absolute foolproof success.

"Rise, gentlemen."

Liu Bei stepped forward and personally helped Zang Ba and the others to their feet one by one.

Although this was merely old Liu's routine tactic, to martial men like Zang Ba, old Liu's demeanor genuinely felt affable.

Perhaps it was the chivalric spirit exuded by old Liu that made the generals feel quite at ease in his presence.

Liu Bei invited the generals into the main camp to wash away the dust of their journey.

Attendants served fine wine and roasted meats, and Liu Bei raised his cup to toast and congratulate everyone.

Standing to the side, Li Yi did not lower his guard, yet a smile remained on his face as thoughtful contemplation lingered in his eyes.

Suddenly, he stood up and walked toward Zang Ba.