Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 97 Liu Bei Did Not Meet His Plan

"We have the advantage of defending the city, so why should we attack them instead?"

Guan Yu naturally retorted with a question, leaving everyone speechless.

Liu Bei asked, "Second brother, do you have a plan to deal with this?"

"Our army is small while Yuan Shu's forces are numerous. The reason he has not rushed to attack and destroy us is because he is wary of our ability to defend the city."

If we follow Mr. Sun's words, then our decision to go out of the city to fight is to attack an enemy force of 100,000 with a small number of generals and soldiers, abandoning the advantage of defending the city and instead attacking their camp to defend it.

In this way, the offensive and defensive strategies shift, and the weak attack the strong, resulting in the loss of soldiers' lives and the exchange of earth for the enemy's mounds and ditches.

This is exactly what Yuan Shu hopes for; elder brother, please consider this carefully.

Liu Bei agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "What my second brother says is quite right. So how do we defeat the enemy?"

Guan Yu held the Spring and Autumn Annals in his hand, stroked his long beard, and glanced at Sun Qian with his phoenix eyes.

"I am not a strategist, so please let Mr. Sun Qian speak."

Liu Bei: "."

Sun Qian: "???"

Didn't I suggest a strategy? In my opinion, let's fight, the sooner the better. Otherwise, once Yuan's army has built deep trenches and high walls, we'll be trapped like a turtle in a jar, just waiting to die.

I finally came up with such a reasonable plan, and you rejected it outright. Now you want me to say something?
Seeing everyone looking at him, Sun Qian was speechless for a long time before finally trying to speak.

"Last time, Zizhong raised more grain and fodder than he needed."

Our army still has three months' worth of rations, the moat is still flowing, Yuzhou has many waterways, and there are many deep wells in the city.

We still have food and water, my lord, why are you in such a state of chaos?
"It is better to remain calm and composed than to respond with action. Let them build deep trenches and high walls; I will remain unmoved and can ensure three months of peace."

Liu Bei: "."

"May I ask you, sir, three months from now, Yuan's army will have completed its deep trenches and built its fortifications, while our army will be completely out of food and water. What will we do then?"

Sun Qian glanced at Guan Yu, who was calmly flipping through the Spring and Autumn Annals, with a hint of resentment in his voice.

"What my lord says, I know it all too well. But what General Guan said is also reasonable."

At this point, going out of the city to fight Yuan's army to the death would be a shift from defense to offense, abandoning the advantage of a fortified city.

With a weaker army, attacking his deep trenches and fortified walls with 100,000 troops; using the lives of soldiers to fill his earthen mounds and trenches, all in vain.

Yuan Shu's move was an overwhelming display of power, leaving Qian Shi with no way to counter it. Whether to attack or defend remains to be decided by our lord.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei sighed deeply, feeling helpless. Suddenly, he saw Guan Yu sitting upright as usual, reading the Spring and Autumn Annals as if nothing had happened. His eyes lit up, and he asked with a smile, "..."

"Second brother, you are well-versed in the Spring and Autumn Annals. If you have a strategy to defeat the enemy, why not enlighten your brother instead of making things difficult for Master Sun?"

"Brother, you jest. If I, Guan, had a plan to defeat the enemy, how could I keep it to myself and not help you?"

He smiled and unfolded the half-scroll of Spring and Autumn Annals in his hand, showing it to everyone. It was indeed written on it!
[Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xi, Year 5: The Duke of Jin again borrowed a route from Yu to attack Guo.]

Gong Zhiqi advised, "Guo is the outpost of Yu; if Guo falls, Yu will surely follow."

The proverb "The cart and the wheel are interdependent; if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" refers to the states of Yu and Guo.

(Duke Xian of Jin once again asked the State of Yu for passage to attack the State of Guo.)

Gong Zhiqi advised: "The State of Guo is the shield of the State of Yu. If the State of Guo perishes, the State of Yu will surely perish as well."

The proverb says, "The cheeks and jawbones depend on each other; without lips, the teeth will feel cold," which describes the relationship between the states of Yu and Guo. Seeing that everyone had finished reading, Guan Yu smiled calmly.

"Although Guan has no strategy to defeat the enemy, Chen Yuanlong certainly does."

Isn't our relationship with Lü Bu now just like that of the states of Yu and Guo, where the loss of one is like the loss of the other?
Yuan Shu is currently very powerful and cannot be defeated by any single family or individual. Chen Yuanlong is working for Lü Bu, and Chen Gongtai is not a man without strategy either.

Even a mere warrior like Guan Yu understands the great principles of history; how could these strategists of our time not understand the principle of mutual dependence?
Once we perish, it will be Lu Bu's turn to rule Xuzhou, where he will face the overwhelming ferocity of Yuan Shao.

Furthermore, the Emperor previously issued an edict granting Yu Province to our elder brother, which was Cao Cao's way of using us to contend with Yuan Shu for a long time in order to secure his own long-term interests.

If we sit idly by and watch us perish suddenly, Yu Province will fall entirely into Yuan Shu's hands, while Yuan's army will suffer no losses. Wouldn't Cao Cao's plans then be nothing but empty talk?
At that time, Yuan Jun will have all the lands of the two commanderies and four kingdoms of Yuzhou. If he invades Yanzhou again, how will he resist?

He, Yuan Gonglu, with the overwhelming power of the Chen state, launched a grand offensive, digging deep trenches, building fortifications, and advancing step by step. This is the proper way to wage war in the open.

However, how could the power of the Chen state and the Yuan family possibly withstand the power of the world?

My elder brother is a member of the Han imperial family, and the emperor calls him the Imperial Uncle. Now, he has been ordered to punish the rebels, to raise a great righteous army, and to attack the disobedient. The people of the world are well aware that he will not submit to the emperor.
He was then the Governor of Yuzhou, a position bestowed by the imperial court and hoped upon by the feudal lords!

Today, Yuan Shu's family is so powerful that it is feared by the other warlords. All that is needed is for the eldest brother to uphold righteousness and stand firm, raising the banner of resistance against Yuan in Yuzhou.

Those close to us, like Lü Bu and Cao Cao, and those further back, like Liu Biao and Yuan Shao—what man of discernment wouldn't help our elder brother resist the tyrannical Yuan, and uphold righteousness to punish the unjust?

As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Yu closed the Spring and Autumn Annals in his hand, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and he remained seated upright.

"Let them build deep trenches and high walls, I will remain steadfast and unmoved."

The saying goes, "Those who follow the righteous path receive much help, while those who stray from it receive little." This refers to a virtuous and benevolent gentleman like yourself, brother, and a wicked and rebellious minister like Yuan Shu.

Liu Bei suddenly realized!

His current position as Governor of Yu Province, including his current standoff with Yuan Shu's army in this area, is not what he wanted.

Rather, it was the circumstances that pushed him into this position.

Because Yuan Shu was powerful, the warlords of the land needed someone who could uphold righteousness and counter Yuan Shu.

And if this person is not Liu Bei, then who could be it?

Thus, he was pushed along by the times, step by step, to where he is today.

So what did Cao Cao, Lü Bu, and other warlords hope to see?

Of course, Liu Bei could at least weaken Yuan Shu's strength and buy him time, even if it meant that Liu Bei could fight Yuan Shu to a standstill.

Yuan Shu clearly understood this as well, which is why he did not launch a full-scale attack on Yingchuan, but instead chose the current tactic, which, although protracted, would result in minimal losses.

But this is definitely not what the feudal lords wanted to see!
The saying goes, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." If Liu Bei had not played his due role, not only would he have failed to weaken Yuan Shu's army, but he would have also suffered a sudden defeat, allowing Yuan Shu to swallow up Yu Province.

People like Cao Cao and Lü Bu must have been furious at Liu Bei for being so useless, and they were even more anxious than Liu Bei himself, who was trapped and besieged at Changping.

There is no such thing as "the righteous gain much support, while the unrighteous lose little support."

It was clearly a conflict of interests; the warlords were concerned for their own interests and needed Liu Bei to step forward and stand on the front line against Yuan Shao.

Do heroes emerge from the times? Heroes are also shaped by the times.

Looking back, twelve years of fame and fortune have turned to dust, ultimately amounting to nothing more than being a pawn in a chaotic world, beyond one's control.

To be honest, Liu Bei was quite a coward.

Liu Bei gazed into the distance at the dragon-shaped pendulum hanging in the sky, his heart filled with an unprecedented urgency.

When will he finally find the master who can help him escape the chessboard and change his destiny, and lay out a grand strategy for him to conquer the world?
(End of this chapter)