The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Seven years ago, when Yan Liang attacked Baima, he fell into Xun You's trap of dividing his troops and nearly died.

Seven years later, Yan Liang became Liu Bei's number one general after the Five Tiger Generals Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao, and was also known as the head of the Four Pillars of Hebei.

In the past, after Zhang He surrendered to Zhao Yun, Gao Lan also surrendered to Zhao Yun during Cao Cao's withdrawal from Hebei. Because Liu Bei had been protecting the families of the two men since the Battle of Guandu, Zhang He and Gao Lan were not slighted by Liu Bei for this.

Even more so, in order to turn hostility into friendship, Liu Bei had Guo Tu, who had previously framed Zhang He and Gao Lan for treason, apologize to the two men with a bundle of thorns on his back.

Having received both the grace of protecting their families and the sentiment of resolving old grudges, Zhang He and Gao Lan joined Liu Bei's ranks without any doubt.

When Liu Bei marched south, Zhang He and Gao Lan were also at the Liyang camp.

In seven years, Liu Bei not only rose to prominence in Hebei, but also annexed most of Yuan Shao's core civil and military officials.

Yuan Shao's strategists Shen Pei and Feng Ji died, and many strategists such as Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xu You, Guo Tu, Xin Ping, Xun Chen, and Gao Rou all obeyed Liu Bei's orders; while brave warriors such as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Gao Lan, and Qian Zhao also obeyed Liu Bei's orders.

Although Han Dang was fierce, he was far inferior to Yan Liang, and this time he was not only facing Yan Liang, but also Wen Chou.

Even with White Horse City as a stronghold, they still couldn't withstand the swift and fierce attack of Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

In less than five days, Baima City was captured by Yan Liang and Wen Chou. Han Dang fled in disarray with only a hundred or so cavalrymen, while Zhou Yu's reinforcements barely reached Kuangting.

Upon seeing Han Dang arrive in a disheveled state, Zhou Yu was both surprised and furious: "I gave you five thousand soldiers to garrison Baima, why couldn't you even hold it for five days?"

Zhou Yu thought he had reacted quickly, and he thought that as long as Han Dang could hold out for ten days, he could save Baima.

Unexpectedly, Han Dang couldn't even hold out for five days. Even if Baima Ferry had been held for five days and Baima City for five days, it would have been enough to hold off Yan Liang and Wen Chou for ten days.

Han Dang felt ashamed, but he still argued, "If the commander hadn't insisted that Xun You send a challenge to Liu Bei, Xun You wouldn't have given Liu Bei the emperor's secret edict, and I wouldn't have been ambushed at Baima Ford by Yan Liang and Wen Chou."

Seeing Han Dang shift the blame, Zhou Yu's eyes widened in anger: "Preventing Liu Bei from crossing the river to launch a surprise attack is your duty at Baima. You failed in your duty after the defeat, and I haven't even held you accountable yet, but you're blaming me instead? I told you to issue the challenge, not to be unprepared. I've never seen anyone as stupid as you! If it weren't for the General's sake, I would have executed you to set an example for the army!"

Enraged by Zhou Yu's shout, Han Dang was even more defiant. In Han Dang's opinion, Baima would not have been lost if Zhou Yu had not secretly ordered Xun You to issue a challenge!

However, Zhou Yu is now the commander-in-chief, and he can restrain Han Dang in terms of power. Moreover, Zhou Yu already had a lot of support from the army when Sun Ce was around. If Han Dang turns against Zhou Yu now, he will only suffer.

With a cold snort, Han Dang remained silent.

Before Zhou Yu could come up with a solution, another scout reported: "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the Hebei troops are heading towards Kuangting!"

"They've come so fast!" Zhou Yu was even more alarmed.

Although Zhou Yu was well-versed in military strategy, he ultimately lacked practical combat experience. Even if he had won against the powerful clans of Jiangdong, it wouldn't have been considered a testament to his skill.

Liu Bei, on the other hand, has been playing in the highest level since his debut.

He fought against the once-powerful Yellow Turbans, as well as against Cao Cao, Lü Bu, Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao. These battles, large and small, honed Liu Bei's decisiveness.

Therefore, after learning that Yan Liang and Wen Chou had captured Baima, Liu Bei ordered the army in Liyang to cross the river and advance into Chenliu.

Soldiers are valuable and quick.

As long as Liu Bei acts faster than Zhou Yu, he will be more likely to seize advantageous terrain.

Just as Zhou Yu was preparing to intercept them at Kuangting, he discovered that the Hebei soldiers had bypassed Kuangting and were heading directly towards Yangwu in the rear.

However, Zhang He and Gao Lan, who were ahead, discovered that Kuang Ting had troops and chose to give way.

Xu Shu originally disagreed with making Zhang He and Gao Lan the vanguard for advancing into Chenliu, since the two were different from Yan Liang and Wen Chou, having first served Cao Cao and then Liu Bei.

However, Liu Bei overruled the objections of others and said to Zhang He and Gao Lan, "Yan Liang and Wen Chou have already avenged their humiliation, and you two should also avenge yours." Such magnanimity deeply moved Zhang He and Gao Lan.

Zhang He was naturally skillful and wouldn't feel ashamed for giving way.

Although bypassing Kuangting would damage our reputation and add more than ten miles to our journey, as long as we can avenge our defeat in Chenliu, the process is not important.

Zhang He's skillful maneuver also disrupted Zhou Yu's interception plan.

With his support for Baima thwarted and his interception of Zhang He blocked, Zhou Yu found it difficult to remain calm amidst these successive defeats.

"Return to Chenliu immediately!"

Unlike Cao Cao, who built camps at Guandu to resist Yuan Shao, Zhou Yu consistently used Chenliu and Baima as his strategic lines of attack and defense.

Now that Baima has been captured by Liu Bei, only by holding Chenliu can we prevent Liu Bei from heading south to Xuchang.

However, Zhou Yu wanted to defend, but Liu Bei did not give him the opportunity.

In addition to sending Zhang He and Gao Lan to seize Chenliu and having Yan Liang and Wen Chou lead troops to reinforce it, Liu Bei also sent a large number of messengers to deliver proclamations to various places in Yanzhou, and even appointed Xun You to persuade the counties to surrender with the emperor's secret edict, which made Zhou Yu angry and helpless.

To put it bluntly, most of the officials in the counties of Yan and Yu were selected and recommended by Xun Yu.

Sun Quan was able to stabilize the counties of Yan and Yu not because he was particularly capable, but because Xun Yu feigned allegiance to him.

Now, Xun You, carrying the emperor's secret edict, is persuading the counties to surrender. This represents both Liu Xie's and Xun Yu's intentions. In addition, Liu Bei's southward army is powerful, and Zhou Yu is suffering repeated defeats.

The officials of the counties in Yanzhou switched sides and surrendered to Liu Bei without any hesitation.

In less than a month, the entire territory of Yanzhou, except for Chenliu City, was under Liu Bei's banner.

This unexpected turn of events caught Zhou Yu completely off guard; before he even met Liu Bei, the entire territory of Yan Province was almost lost.

This unstoppable momentum did not disappear even though Zhou Yu held firm in Chenliu.

After persuading the counties of Yanzhou to surrender, Xun You then entered Yuzhou with a secret imperial edict and a large number of messengers.

Although Sun Quan appointed his trusted confidants to govern the counties of Yuzhou, after Xun You persuaded him to surrender, Sun Quan's confidants were killed one after another.

No matter what military strategies or tactics, no matter how elite the troops are, they are all powerless in the face of overwhelming odds.

The defection of the entire Yan and Yu regions not only trapped Zhou Yu in Chenliu, but also turned Sun Quan in Xudu into a raging tyrant.

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

In a normal battle between two armies, or in the siege of cities and the conquest of territories, losing is simply a matter of being outmatched, and Sun Quan would accept that!
But what's going on with this situation now?

Betrayal?

"I am the Great General! These lowly officials, I gave them official positions, and instead of being grateful, they want to rebel against me?"

Before Sun Quan could come up with a solution, Xu Sheng rushed in from outside: "Reporting to the General! Xun Yu has colluded with Fu Wan in a rebellion, has already occupied the palace, and is heading towards the General's residence! Please, General, evacuate Xuchang immediately and proceed to Chen County!"

The series of bad news almost made Sun Quan unable to stand.

"Xun Yu, you treacherous dog! I have treated you well, why have you betrayed me!" Sun Quan gritted his teeth, especially enraged by Xun Yu's betrayal. (End of Chapter)