অধ্যায় একশ উনত্রিশ: উত্তরপ্রদেশের বীরেরা সম্মিলিতভাবে আক্রমণ করল!

দু’ Prowler horsemen rode east together, passing Hulao, approaching Guangwu, and entering Henei.

Visiting familiar old grounds, the mountains and rivers remained unchanged.

Liu Bei felt a deep sense of lingering emotion.

Since the day they had traveled west, in the blink of an eye, two full years had already passed.

Entering Henei, without visiting any other places first, the two went straight to a secluded courtyard.

Tethering their horses outside the door, the two pushed the door open cautiously, as if afraid of disturbing the people within.

Over the past two years, Gao Shun frequently returned here to sweep and clean. Coupled with the fact that a prominent figure from Luoyang had also secretly visited before, this place was now regarded as a forbidden area by the Sima family, who often sent people to look after it.

Although left vacant for several years, the courtyard remained as neat as it was when they had departed years ago.

There was nothing superfluous in the yard; an old locust tree, unseen for years, had instead grown increasingly robust.

With lush branches and dense leaves, if spared from the ravages of war, it would surely outlive them all.

In the exact center of the courtyard stood two burial mounds side by side.

Approaching the graves, the two saw several empty wine jars placed beside the tombs.

Liu Bei took out the wine he had brought and smiled, "It seems Duan Gong has already been here. No wonder when I previously asked him in Luoyang if he had any message for Li Bo, he remained entirely silent. So he had quietly run over here himself."

Guan Yunzhang helped Liu Bei crack open the mud seals on the wine jars. "I suppose Duan Gong had some words he wanted to say to Li Bo himself, preferring not to let his elder brother do the work."

"Indeed," Liu Bei nodded. "Some intimate words, when spoken by another on one's behalf, can never compare to speaking them in person."

He paused slightly, "Especially for someone as proud as Duan Gong; those words of vulnerability are surely things he would not wish others to know."

He sat cross-legged before the tombs, while Guan Yunzhang stood quietly behind him.

Liu Bei slowly poured the wine from his hands onto the ground, recounting all the interesting encounters and the heroes of the world they had met since leaving Henei. Even the most trivial matters were not left unmentioned.

A breeze swept past, rustling the green grass growing around the tombs back and forth, as if the ones resting within were listening to his endless murmurs and nodding repeatedly.

From midday until sunset, Liu Bei ran out of words, and the wine jars in his hands had also emptied.

He stood up, brushed off his sleeves, and smiled softly, "Li Bo, we came in a hurry this time, so I didn't bring much wine. Next time, I will surely prepare better stories and finer wine for you."

He and Guan Yunzhang each bowed respectfully, then backed out of the courtyard.

The wine stains before the graves had not yet dried, slowly seeping down into the earth.

Walking outside the door, the two held their horses by the reins.

Liu Bei suddenly asked, "Yunchang, are you puzzled? Why must I come here first upon arriving in Henei?"

"Yuwu has no confusion," Guan Yunzhang smiled. "If we had gone anywhere else first, I would have been worried that my elder brother had changed."

Liu Bei laughed heartily.

After a long while, he stopped laughing, looked at Guan Yunzhang, and spoke with a touch of reflection, "Yunchang, people always change. The higher one climbs, the more true this becomes. Man is not a sage; who does not covet beauty, cling to power, or seek wealth? It is merely a matter of using one's original intent to suppress those desires."

"I am naturally an ordinary mortal, which is why I must intentionally preserve a pure land within my heart."

"To constantly encourage oneself and never forget one's original aspiration."

Guan Yunzhang seemed to attain a sudden realization.

Liu Bei gave a soft laugh and leaped onto his horse, "Let's go. Next, we must go and see Master Sima."

...

Ever since Li Da had been disciplined by Liu Bei and his companions on that day, he had become much more well-behaved. Having lost his treasured sword, he never dared to seek trouble with Sima Zhi again.

Li Er often came to Sima Zhi to study scholarship, showing signs of abandoning farming to pursue literature.

The area in front of Sima Zhi's door had also become much more tranquil. Reading and growing vegetables in his daily life, he found joy in contentment.

When Liu Bei and his companion arrived before Sima Zhi's door, Liu Bei glanced at the long sword at his waist and smiled, "Thinking back to when we bought Li Da's long sword that day, we still shortchanged him a bit."

"We are honest folk; we cannot let others suffer a baseless loss. Yunchang, go and see if Li Da has been committing any evil deeds recently."

"If he has, teach him a lesson casually and leave him with a breath of life. If not, leave him some silver coins as compensation from us."

Guan Yunzhang nodded and turned to leave.

The words his elder brother most frequently kept on his lips were: Do not omit any good deed, no matter how small; do not commit any evil deed, no matter how small.

Liu Bei stepped forward and knocked on the door, and an elderly gatekeeper readily welcomed him inside.

At that moment, Sima Zhi was bent over, tending to his vegetable garden in the courtyard.

Seeing Liu Bei enter, he hurriedly stood up to welcome him, smiling, "Though we haven't seen each other for just a few short years, Xuande's reputation is already quite formidable."

Liu Bei hurriedly bowed, "Master Sima flatters me."

Although Henei was not particularly far from Luoyang, Liu Bei's renown had not yet grown large enough to spread all the way to Henei.

However, over the past two years, Gao Shun had been widely publicizing Liu Bei's name along the You and Bing borders. Coupled with the fact that Sima Zhi and Gao Shun were close friends, Sima Zhi was more or less aware of the deeds Liu Bei had accomplished in Luoyang.

Sima Zhi welcomed Liu Bei into the house, and the two sat facing each other.

A servant brought a bowl of hot soup.

Sima Zhi smiled, "Xuande is no longer in Luoyang; why have you come to Henei instead? Could it be that you have been appointed to an outer post?"

Liu Bei took a sip of the hot soup and recounted the matters concerning the Xianbei to Sima Zhi.

"So it is to deal with the Xianbei," Sima Zhi nodded, then sighed softly, "I have heard Yanzhi say that the Xianbei are currently at the height of their momentum. The Emperor should not dispatch troops at this time."

Liu Bei knew that Sima Zhi had always believed Emperor Ling to be quite wise, so he merely smiled, "I suppose His Majesty has his own hidden difficulties."

"Let us not speak of this matter. I am merely a frail scholar, unversed in military affairs. Xuande must be somewhat careful on this journey. Although achieving merit on the battlefield is important, one must also look after one's own life," Sima Zhi exhorted.

Liu Bei smiled and nodded, "Bei understands."

"Does Master Sima still have no intention of entering official service?"

"With the Proscription of Partisans not yet lifted and eunuchs holding power, I simply am not willing to bow my head beneath the eunuchs," Sima Zhi smiled.

Liu Bei did not press further. Sima Zhi possessed the heart to serve, and his current reticence was merely because the timing was not yet right.

The two spoke further of people and affairs in Luoyang before Liu Bei took his leave.

Sima Zhi stood up and walked into the courtyard, watching Liu Bei depart.

He sighed and looked around the courtyard.

Seeing these ambitious young men now, he wondered if he too should enter official service and accomplish something.

...

As years grew older, the days hurried by, and time waited for no man.

...

The borderlands of You and Bing had never been tranquil. Firstly, foreign tribes such as the Xianbei frequently raided southward, attacking commanderies, plundering the populace, leaving the border inhabitants in constant terror and lacking food.

Secondly, the people of the borderlands were largely valiant and fond of martial prowess, drawing their swords at the slightest grievance. Those who violated the law would either flee to the Xianbei to act as their jackals, or run to the gathering places of border-dwelling barbarians and Han people, heading up the mountains to become outlaws and bandits.

With so many disasters plaguing the frontier and the imperial court unable to attend to everything, bandits naturally took root, grew, and flourished.

Later, as the border regions grew increasingly chaotic, these forces became even more lawless. They roamed the frontier day and night, leaving the border folk without a moment of peace.

However, over the past two years, the borderlands where Henei and Bingzhou met had become much more peaceful, because under the support of the Sima family of Henei, a fortified manor had been built here.

And the person who planned and built this manor was surnamed Gao, given name Shun.

This man had come here all alone to build this manor, and after its completion, it was vastly different from other manors.

Most other manors mostly gathered respectable families from the borderlands, firstly because these people were familiar with farming, making it convenient for future reclamation and cultivation, and secondly because they possessed honest natures, making them safer to keep within the manor.

Yet the manor built by Gao Shun was entirely unique; from beginning to end, it recruited border refugees.

One must know that although some among these refugees were respectable folk from former border days, there was no shortage of idlers, vagrants, and lawbreakers who had escaped justice.

Regardless of their backgrounds, Gao Shun welcomed them all into the manor. At the time, many local powerful clans whose interests had been harmed by Gao Shun's manor were simply waiting to watch him make a fool of himself.

To their surprise, the manor remained completely peaceful thereafter, without even the slightest ripple of trouble.

It wasn't until several months later that Gao Shun led that group of people, whom they regarded as a mob, out to suppress bandits, winning battle after battle.

Only then did these people realize that Gao Shun was someone they could not afford to provoke. Later, when they vaguely learned of his connection behind the scenes to the Sima family, they even began to secretly render care and protection to Gao Shun's manor.

With no worries left behind him, Gao Shun naturally let go with both hands, sweeping away the nearby bandits into scattered remnants within a short period. The major factions were all destroyed, and while minor forces lingered, they could no longer stir up any great waves.

In an instant, the border residents of You and Bing felt profound gratitude whenever they mentioned Gao Shun, while the roving bandits of the frontier made sure to clear the path whenever they passed this place.

Today was the first time Liu Bei had ever visited this manor of his own.

He and Guan Yunzhang knocked on the door and waited outside. Several soldiers of the Camp Breakers stood not far away, their backs straight, staring fixedly at the two of them.

Even when meeting Guan Yunzhang's murderous gaze, they remained completely unmoved.

Liu Bei felt endless admiration; the men trained by Gao Shun were indeed extraordinary.

At that moment, Gao Shun had already walked out to welcome them.

Liu Bei stepped forward a few paces and grasped his arm.

Having not seen each other for a long time, the three naturally had much to discuss, and Gao Shun welcomed them into the manor.

Liu Bei looked around as he walked, seeing that guards were numerous within the manor—one every five steps, a post every ten steps, guarded with utmost strictness. The sentries of the Camp Breakers had tense expressions; even in such a secure place like the manor, they looked as though facing a formidable enemy.

...

He smiled and said, "Yanzhi truly has formidable skills. To govern an army to this extent, even the renowned generals of antiquity would hardly surpass this."

Gao Shun smiled and shook his head, "Xuande flatters me. When all is said and done, it still relies on you constantly funneling wealth from Luoyang to support this. Training troops is inherently a money-burning enterprise; if funds are insufficient, no matter what, it cannot be done."

Liu Bei smiled and nodded, "If we speak of the art of training troops, I am indeed inferior to Yanzhi. But when it comes to the art of making money, Yanzhi is inferior to me."

Without indulging his boasting, Gao Shun went straight to the point, "Did Xuande come this time because you intend to use them?"

Liu Bei recounted the affairs of Luoyang to Gao Shun.

Gao Shun pondered for a moment, then called over a sentry standing nearby, instructing him to assemble all the men, as he had something to say.

"Xuande, under the covert protection of the Sima family, the number of men in the Camp Breakers is not small—roughly around eight hundred. However, they have yet to see you, which presents a bit of a problem. Later, I will gather them all so you can meet them," Gao Shun said softly.

The Camp Breakers were built entirely by Gao Shun's own hands, and those men naturally held him in absolute obedience. Yet these men were originally border refugees, inherently wild and unruly. Even after being disciplined by Gao Shun and growing somewhat restrained, their stubborn natures still lingered, causing Gao Shun to worry that they might give Liu Bei a cold reception.

Naturally aware of Gao Shun's concerns, Liu Bei merely smiled, "Yanzhi need not worry. If I cannot subdue them, how can I accomplish great things in the future?"

Seeing Liu Bei so confident, Gao Shun said no more.

A moment later, the dispatched soldier of the Camp Breakers returned.

Gao Shun led Liu Bei to a high platform in the backyard. Before the platform lay a vast open space—his usual drilling grounds—where all eight hundred Camp Breakers were now assembled.

Liu Bei climbed the high platform alone. These men had indeed been exceptionally well-trained by Gao Shun; seeing that the person ascending the stage was not Gao Shun, not a single person lowered their head to whisper among themselves.

Liu Bei spoke in a resonant voice with a smile, "My name is Liu Bei, style Xuande. I imagine Yanzhi has mentioned me to you. I have long known of you as well, though I never had the leisure to visit until today, when we finally meet for the first time."

"You have all been trained by Yanzhi, so I will spare you any useless idle talk. My coming here today is precisely to lead you forth to risk your lives."

His words were so direct that, disciplined though the Camp Breakers on the field were, low murmurs instantly began to ripple through the ranks.

Liu Bei raised a hand to press the noise down and smiled, "Do not murmur. I hail from the borderlands, and so do you. You understand the rules of the frontier well enough: possessing neither family nor background, if you desire anything, you must trade your life for it."

"You are all refugees by origin. Even if I were not leading you to risk your lives, you would have no other path out besides shedding blood on the battlefield. Since you must risk your lives one way or another, you might as well sell them for a good price."

Liu Bei stepped forward a few paces and smiled, "I have always been exceptionally fair. As long as you have the ability and dare to fight, you shall naturally attain what you deserve—fame, wealth, all yours to take."

The low murmurs before the platform subsided somewhat.

He continued, "Furthermore, the Xianbei are the mortal enemies of our border folk. How many of you saw your families destroyed because of the Xianbei? How many of you were reduced to refugees because of them? Today, I am leading you forth to exact vengeance. You already hold swords in your hands; why not brandish your blades against the enemy chieftains!"

...

He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "With the expedition imminent, you may rest for a few days. Those with families may return home for two days. Whether you have family or not, you may all go to Yanzhi to collect some Wuzhu coins."

Flapping his sleeves, he smiled, "Bei has always believed that there is not a single coward among the men of the northern lands."

...

By the time the soldiers of the Camp Breakers dispersed, it was already sunset. Liu Bei walked down from the high platform and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"So Xuande can feel nervous as well. Seeing you speak with such fiery eloquence just now, I truly thought you were completely confident," Gao Shun smiled.

Liu Bei glanced at him sideways, "Before eight hundred fierce warriors, who could remain entirely undisturbed? It was merely a matter of not wishing to lose face before them."

The Camp Breakers were mostly haughty and untamed figures; subduing them could not be achieved overnight. With Gao Shun here, it was enough to let him handle these men.

"What are Xuande's plans next? Will you return to Youzhou and take a detour to Gaoliu, or cross directly through Bingzhou straight to Gaoliu?" Gao Shun asked.

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, "Where is Lü Bu now?"

Gao Shun was slightly startled, then replied, "Lü Bu is currently entrenched at the borders of Bingzhou. Relying on the reputation he carved out previously, he has also recruited quite a few men."

"That being said, Lü Fengxian has indeed carved out a path for himself," Liu Bei smiled. "Yet along the way, he has also borrowed a great deal of our momentum. I am not a particularly generous person; how can I let him take advantage of me so freely?"

Gao Shun paused, "Xuande means..."

Liu Bei patted the long sword at his waist, "Since I said just now that resisting the Xianbei is the duty of every man of the northern lands, Lü Fengxian naturally cannot be an exception. We must still go and meet this Lü Bu."

...

In a village on the borderlands of Bingzhou, Lü Bu was walking through the fields, carrying a bucket filled to the brim with well water.

The water surface was shallow; this martial man of Bingzhou, usually so swift and decisive in his actions, was now proceeding with extreme caution, terrified of splashing the water from the bucket.

"Young Master Lü is helping Granny Chen fetch water again," a thin, small peasant passing by greeted him cheerfully.

Lü Bu smiled and returned the greeting, showing not a single trace of his former arrogance and overbearing demeanor.

Along his walk, many people greeted him, and he responded to each of them in turn.

Carrying the water straight ahead, he finally arrived before a somewhat dilapidated courtyard.

An elderly woman and her grandson lived in this residence. The head of the household was an old matron whose only son had died in the northern borderlands when he went to join the army.

Unable to endure the hardship, the old woman's daughter-in-law had fled into the night, vanishing to parts unknown and leaving behind only a granddaughter.

As the young girl and the old woman grew older together, the grandmother felt boundless joy seeing her granddaughter grow up increasingly beautiful, yet inevitable worries filled her heart when she considered her own advancing age.

Lately, the old woman often sat on the threshold in a daze, wondering why such a fine girl had been born into her humble family.

Lü Bu carried the water inward.

The old woman sat in a daze on the threshold just as usual, while a little girl played with mud in the courtyard.

He walked straight into the kitchen and emptied the water into a vat.

...

Then he returned to the threshold and sat down beside the old woman.

"Young Master Lü, do you suppose people are simply born into this lifetime to suffer?" the matron asked softly. "Old woman I have accumulated virtue and done good all my life, never committing any evil deeds, yet Qi'er is still so young; why must she suffer such hardship?"

Lust resting his hands on his knees, Lü Bu looked at the little girl not far away with a bright smile on her face, his expression gentle, "Granny Chen need not worry. Although good people may not always meet with good rewards in this world, with Bu here, Qi'er will naturally live free from worry about food and clothing in the future."

The old woman let out a sigh of relief, "Young Master Lü, although we have not known each other long, this old woman can see that you are a good person. Entrusting Qi'er to your hands, this old woman can depart in peace whenever my time comes."

Though she said so, what choice did she have even if she felt uneasy?

At least letting her granddaughter follow this suddenly appearing Young Master Lü was far better than remaining here completely alone and destitute.

Lü Bu gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Throughout his life up to this age, others had respected him or feared him, yet this was the very first time anyone had ever called him a good person.

His coming to this secluded village was naturally not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the plotting of Zhao Zhe.

Zhao Zhe had previously analyzed the situation for Lü Bu. Lü Bu's reputation was now established, and his martial prowess was peerless, with few in the world able to block his sharp edge. Though the Liangzhou cavalry led by Wei Xu and others were not numerous, they were all first-rate seasoned fighters, meaning their actual combat power was already formidable.

The sole flaw lay in Lü Bu's overbearing and ruthless conduct, lacking a touch of human warmth.

When Zhao Zhe pointed this out back then, Wei Xu and the others dared not utter a sound, retreating slightly from Zhao Zhe out of fear that Lü Bu would fly into a rage and splatter Zhao Zhe's blood upon them.

Unexpectedly, Lü Bu acted entirely out of character by not flying into a rage; instead, he followed Zhao Zhe's arrangement and came here.

Hailing from Bingzhou, specifically the deeply turbulent Jiuyuan, Lü Bu had witnessed nothing but frontier slaughter and the law of the jungle since childhood. To him, the sword was reason itself, which naturally made it all seem logical.

He had initially thought coming here would be utterly dull.

Yet having stayed here for long, it had unexpectedly given him a sense of peace he had never experienced before.

Still, he knew that the leisurely days here must come to an end today, because he saw an old friend standing at the entrance.

"Fengxian, long time no see, trust you have been well." Liu Bei watched as Lü Bu walked out of the small courtyard to approach him.

Lü Bu cast a glance at Liu Bei and Guan Yunzhang—who had grown taller still, though slightly shorter than himself.

"Xuande has made such a massive name for himself in Luoyang, yet you still remember an old friend like Bu. That truly touches Bu deeply," Lü Bu smiled.

"Fengxian's temperament is not only different from before, but even your speech has grown much more humorous," Liu Bei smiled.

Lü Bu remained Lü Bu; despite living in peace here for many days, upon seeing Liu Bei, his guard went up instantly. "Xuande is not living in peace in Luoyang, so why have you come to Bingzhou? Even if one returns in glory like wearing embroidered robes in the night, you ought to be heading back to Youzhou instead."

Liu Bei smiled, "I have come specifically to seek vengeance for Fengxian."

Even Lü Bu was momentarily startled, "You have come to seek vengeance for me?"

"Bingzhou has long suffered from the Xianbei, and Fengxian's hometown has also repeatedly fallen to invasion. Has Fengxian never thought of exacting vengeance?" Liu Bei smiled.

Lü Bu's expression tightened as he frowned, "You have come here for the Xianbei."

"Now that the imperial court is launching a northern expedition with a great army, does Fengxian have any interest?"

"A northern expedition?" Lü Bu sneered. "If they could truly defeat the Xianbei, they wouldn't have let the greater half of Bingzhou fall into enemy hands."

Liu Bei shook his head, "Manpower has its limits, but if one does not try, who can know the outcome?"

Lü Bu suddenly smiled, "Xuande actually dares to negotiate business with me. Do you truly trust me?"

Looking past the wooden fence at the little girl playing nearby, Liu Bei's eyes were filled with gentleness.

He smiled, "Fengxian is a hero of the northern lands. If this battle lacked Fengxian, it would surely be far less interesting."

"If it were the Lü Fengxian of before, I naturally would not trust him. But as for the Lü Fengxian of today, I wish to give it a try."

Following his gaze, Lü Bu recalled the scene of their very first encounter in Henei.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he smiled, "Xuande is bold with lofty skills; Bu is naturally willing to keep you company."