Chapter 71: Butterfly Wings
Li Shu stroked his beard and laughed, “Xuan De’s biggest problem is that he has no strategist by his side! He actually asked an outsider like me about something so important.”
Liu Bei felt ashamed in his heart. How could he not want a good strategist? But all the excellent talents had gone to Cao Cao. In the end, it was because he had no base and could not steadily plan affairs or ensure the personal safety of excellent strategists. Of course, they were unwilling to join him.
Liu Bei let out a long sigh and said, “I just have no foothold to develop steadily. I’m always wandering in a place of four battles. I’ve occupied Xuzhou twice, and I know very well that Cao Cao will never tolerate me. His army will soon come to kill us. I just want to find a place where I can govern steadily and strive for improvement. The Central Plains has no room left, so I also want to try opportunities in the South.”
Li Shu thought for a moment and said, “The places now out of reach for Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are only a few: one is Hanzhong, one is Bashu, one is Jingnan Four Commanderies, one is Jiaozhou. If Xuan De wants to find a stable place to develop, he can only consider these few places.”
“Aren’t Jingnan Four Commanderies Liu Biao’s base?”
Li Shu shook his head and said, “Jingnan Four Commanderies have always been loyal to the Imperial Court and do not recognize Liu Jingsheng. Prefect of Changsha Zhang Xian began leading Jingnan Four Commanderies to resist Liu Biao from the previous year. Liu Jingsheng sent his nephew Liu Xin to lead the army to suppress Zhang Xian’s rebellion. Last year, Zhang Xian was killed by his subordinate general, and only then did Liu Xin capture Changsha Commandery.
At this time, he should have pressed on relentlessly and captured the other three commanderies in one go. Who knew that Liu Jingsheng suddenly became interested in Yuzhang Commandery and sent his nephew to attack Yuzhang Commandery, resulting in a great defeat by Taishi Ci. This was absolutely a foolish move. I really don’t know what Liu Jingsheng was thinking.
The other Jingnan Three Commanderies thus got a chance to breathe. Zhang Xian’s son Zhang Ze continued to lead the army in rebelling against Liu Jingsheng. It was at this time that Gan Ning rose up and threatened Changsha Commandery. Liu Jingsheng began to act cautiously, fearing both that Gan Ning would seize Changsha Commandery and that pushing Jingnan Three Commanderies too hard would backfire. Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou took the opportunity to expand his power northward, so Jingnan Three Commanderies are currently still a blank area.”
Liu Bei gently stroked his beard for a moment and said, “If I go to recover Jingnan Three Commanderies for Liu Jingsheng and eliminate Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou, how about that?”
Li Shu clapped his hands and laughed, “If Xuan De is willing, I will go speak to Liu Jingsheng. He was my old superior, so he is very likely to welcome Xuan De to help him deal with Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou.”
Li Shu was only making a temporary stop at Liu Bei’s place to replenish grain and fodder. He was ultimately still going to join Liu Biao. Two days later, Li Shu led his army from Runan toward Jingzhou.
Liu Bei immediately summoned his main generals and strategists to discuss important matters.
“Li Shu has opened a new line of thinking for me. Gan Ning rose rapidly from nothing in less than a year. Sun Ce was the same, sweeping Jiangdong in one year. The fundamental reason is that the South has no strong enemies like Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. If we want to survive and develop, we must avoid Cao Cao’s sharp edge and go to the South to develop. I have made up my mind. Everyone must prepare.”
Guan Yu frowned and said, “Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are locked in stalemate. Why doesn’t brother wait until the battle situation becomes clear before leaving?”
Liu Bei sighed and said, “After so many years, I understand Cao Cao very well. He will not ignore us. He will definitely eliminate enemies at his back before the great battle. Look at Sun Ce. I estimate Cao Cao will soon send troops to strike me. Whether we can resist or not, we must leave a retreat for ourselves.”
Liu Bei said to Sun Qian again, “Liu Pi of Runan and I agreed to jointly resist Cao Cao. He has invited me multiple times. Gong You, take the family members, money and grain, and part of the army to Runan first. If I defeat Cao Cao, you can return. If I am defeated, I will definitely go to Runan.”
Sun Qian clasped his fists and said, “I will not fail Lord’s heavy trust!”
Liu Bei said to the generals again, “If the army is scattered, everyone go to Runan to rendezvous, and then we reorganize and head to Jingzhou.”
The generals roared in agreement, “Understood!”
……..
Gan Ning fanned the butterfly wings, changing the course of history. Sun Quan invaded Guangling Commandery and cut off Li Shu’s retreat, preventing Li Shu from continuing to stir up trouble in Jiujiang Commandery and Lujiang Commandery as in history, where he was eventually killed by Sun Quan. Li Shu was forced to head north.
But it was precisely because of Li Shu’s northward journey that a seed for developing in the South was planted in Liu Bei’s heart.
A month later, in the fifth month of the fifth year of Jian’an, during a lull in the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao suddenly led his army to launch a lightning strike on Liu Bei in Xiapi. Liu Bei’s twenty thousand troops were crushed in one battle by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry led by Cao Chun.
Liu Bei did not go to Hebei to join Yuan Shao as in history, but led the remnant army to flee to Runan. He had made advance deployments, sending his family and money and grain to Runan first.
Cao Cao ordered Xiahou Dun to lead the army in pursuit of Liu Bei. Liu Bei had only arrived in Runan a few days when he heard that Xiahou Dun’s great army had arrived, frightening him into abandoning Runan and fleeing toward Jingzhou.
History was quietly changed, and many wonderful stories from history did not occur. Brother Guan Er cried in the toilet.
It could only be blamed on the Southern seed that Li Shu planted in Liu Bei quickly taking root and sprouting, causing Liu Bei to arrive in Jingzhou a year early.
Liu Bei very much wanted to develop in Jingnan, to live quietly for a few days, and to learn from Gan Ning’s rise in the South. But how could Liu Biao allow another Liu Bei to appear right beside his bed?
The history that had just derailed returned to its original track. Liu Bei was placed by Liu Biao in Xinye. Liu Biao wanted to use Liu Bei to help him deal with the increasingly arrogant powerful families of Jingzhou.
Liu Biao was now facing a big problem. He wanted to make his eldest son Liu Qi the successor, but the Cai Family and Huang Family did not recognize it. They demanded to make his second son Liu Cong the successor.
Because Liu Cong was deeply favored by Madam Cai, who treated him as her own. Last autumn, under Madam Cai’s auspices, Liu Cong married a daughter of the Cai Family.
The Cai Family’s stance was very clear. To make Liu Cong the Jingzhou successor, the Cai Family was willing to confront Liu Biao, making him feel deeply powerless. At this time, he also wanted to introduce external forces to assist him.
So when Li Shu told Liu Biao that Liu Bei wanted to come to Jingzhou to develop, Liu Biao immediately agreed.
……..
Gan Ning had already returned to Nanchang. A short parting was better than a new marriage. He and Da Qiao naturally enjoyed marital bliss fully, but Gan Ning still adhered to the final step, not letting desire cloud his judgment.
Xu Wei was still in Gan Ning’s residence. Her father had gone missing, probably on the way fleeing to Wu Commandery. Lujiang Commandery had already been occupied by Huang Zu.
Xu Wei was worried about her father and was downcast and distressed. She had been unhappy all this time.
This morning, Gan Ning took the three women on a boat out of the city for a pleasure trip, also to cheer them up. A two thousand stone pleasure boat slowly sailed on the Gan River.
The scenery on both banks of the Gan River was extremely beautiful. If rushing on the road, it was hard to appreciate the beauty on both shores. One needed to calm the mind and savor it slowly. The mountains on both sides were deep green, and the Gan River wound through the mountains like a jade belt.
The three young ladies sat together appreciating the beautiful scenery on both banks, occasionally letting out soft exclamations of admiration.
Da Qiao wore a dress of top-quality white satin, ethereal like a fairy. Xiao Qiao wore a purple gauze dress, purple with a hint of red, just like the Purple Cloud Fairy. Xu Wei liked to wear a green dress, her skin like snow, like an elf in green leaves, truly a feast for the eyes.
Gan Ning sat behind quietly admiring the three women. He suddenly remembered something and asked the guard Qin Yan beside him, “Miss Qin, in Jiangdong, are there many female guards like you?”
Qin Yan was only cold in temperament but not foolish. She had seen Gan Ning’s care and help for the young master. Moreover, she herself ate and lived in Gan Ning’s residence. How could she be rude to Gan Ning?
“Reporting to General, almost every noble family in Jiangdong has female guards to protect the inner residence and womenfolk.”
Gan Ning said again, “I also want to hire a few female guards to protect the inner residence. Do you have any connections?”
This was something Gan Ning had thought about for a long time. Male guards were always inconvenient, especially since Xiao Qiao often took a little maid out to play. What if they encountered villains?
So when he saw Qin Yan, he immediately thought of equipping Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao with female guards as well.
Qin Yan thought for a moment and said, “I can talk to my master and have her send a few highly skilled martial sisters to the General’s Mansion.”
“Where is your sect?”
“Longhu Mountain Yuxu Palace is my sect. It is one of the three major female Taoist temples on Longhu Mountain, famous for martial arts training.”
“Are you also from Yuzhang Commandery?”
Qin Yan shook her head. “I don’t know where I’m from. I only know I’m an orphan. Master brought me up the mountain to raise me when I was very young. She taught us martial arts from a young age, very strictly. After age fourteen, we dispersed to serve as female guards in various noble families.”
“Will you go back later?”
Qin Yan gently shook her head, somewhat sadly saying, “The day I left, I could never return. There is no place for me in Yuxu Palace anymore.”
Gan Ning immediately understood. This was no Taoist temple; it was clearly a business of providing guards.
“I’ll send someone to invite the guards. Give me a token.”
Qin Yan took an iron token from her neck and handed it to Gan Ning. “This is my identity token from Yuxu Palace. It’s my only memento.”
Gan Ning looked at the iron token. The front had three words for Yuxu Palace, and the back had the number fifty-six. Alas! Not even a name.
Gan Ning smiled and returned the token to her. “I know where to hire female guards now. Keep the token. I don’t need it.”
