Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

As Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu rode their horses through the gates of Xiangyang, the willows along the moat were already a vibrant green. But the whispers in the streets and alleys carried a strange undertone. "Have you heard? That King of Liang from Xiliang is going to marry Sun Shangxiang from Jiangdong this February!" "The daughter of Sun Jian, the sister of Sun Ce? How many wives has he had already..."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes, and spurred their horses straight towards Liu Bei's residence.

Inside the mansion, Liu Bei was staring intently at a map when he saw the two return. He immediately rose to greet them, his face beaming with eagerness: "Second brother, Master Kongming, you're finally back! How did things go on Mengqi's side during your trip to Chang'an?"

Guan Yu tossed his cloak and sat down, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his tone clearly resentful: "Brother, that Liang King Ma Chao is truly a different person now, I almost don't recognize him."

"Oh?" Liu Bei looked surprised. "How has it changed?"

"He first married Dong Bai as his principal wife, and then took Zhang Qiying and Zhang Fubao as concubines. That's all," Guan Yu paused, his voice deepening, "After we left Chang'an, we heard that at the end of January he married Zhen Mi, as well as Gongsun Rou, the daughter of Gongsun Zan!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's brows furrowed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the table. "Mengqi... sigh, it's common for a young hero to attract the favor of a beauty, but..." He paused, a hint of confusion in his voice, "That Gongsun Rou, after all, is Gongsun Zan's daughter, and in terms of seniority, she's a step below him. Moreover, she was once a concubine of the late emperor..."

"Hmph!" Zhang Fei slammed his hand on the table, his leopard eyes wide open. "That brat Ma Chao is utterly lecherous! I think he's completely forgotten about the people of the world; all he cares about are these cosmetics!"

Liu Bei was silent for a moment, then sighed: "Enough, young people are bound to be impetuous. Besides, the late emperor did misunderstand the Ma family back then, and he was somewhat wronged. Miss Rou'er is still young; she can't be lonely and miserable for the rest of her life..."

“My lord, you are mistaken.” Pang Tong, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his feather fan waving lightly, his eyes sharp. “You only think he is lustful, but have you not considered the deeper meaning behind this marriage?”

Liu Bei raised his eyes: "What are your thoughts, Shi Yuan?"

“Although Gongsun Zan was defeated, he had been operating in Youzhou for many years, and his former subordinates were scattered in various places, still wielding considerable power,” Pang Tong said slowly. “Moreover, Gongsun Zan’s Bingzhou was ceded to Ma Chao. Ma Chao’s marriage to Gongsun Rou may seem like taking a concubine, but in reality, it’s about absorbing Gongsun Zan’s remaining forces. This move has won him both a beauty and popular support—a double win.”

Zhuge Liang nodded in agreement: "Shiyuan is absolutely right. The King of Liang's actions are by no means simply a matter of romantic love. He has been marrying women from all sides one after another. Dong Bai is a link between Dong Zhuo's old subordinates, the Zhang sisters are involved with the forces in Hanzhong, Zhen Mi has deep ties with Hebei, and Gongsun Rou is connected with Youzhou... Every step he takes is to expand the network of people in Liang and gather forces from all sides."

Guan Yu's expression softened slightly, but he was still indignant: "Even so, it is wrong to harm the late emperor's people; it is against etiquette and law!"

"In chaotic times, etiquette has long since given way to power struggles," Pang Tong said calmly. "What Ma Chao wants is not empty fame, but real power. If he were truly bound by etiquette, how could he gain a foothold in Xiliang?"

Liu Bei gazed out the window, his expression gradually growing solemn. He had always thought Ma Chao had the world at heart, but he hadn't expected the other to possess such profound scheming. Those seemingly "lustful" actions were, in fact, carefully laid pawns.

"So," Liu Bei murmured, "the rumors that he married Sun Shangxiang might not be entirely unfounded?"

"A baseless rumor?" A sharp glint flashed in Zhuge Liang's eyes, and he paused lightly in his palm with his feather fan. "My lord, it is true."

He turned to Liu Bei, his tone grave: “My lord, consider this: Zhou Yu, the Grand Commander of Jiangdong, is still in Xiliang, and the young Sun Shao lives with him in the Liang King’s Palace. When I left Chang’an, I personally witnessed Sun Shao’s complete obedience to Ma Chao, treating him like a father. That intimacy is far beyond that of ordinary allies. The relationship between our two families has long surpassed diplomatic relations; it would not be an exaggeration to say that we are ‘like one family.’”

“If Ma Chao really marries Sun Shangxiang,” Zhuge Liang walked to the map, pointing his finger across Xiliang, Jiangdong, and Yuzhou, “the two provinces of Liang and Yong in the northwest are already under his control, and the former subordinates of Gongsun Zan in Bingzhou have been brought under his command through Gongsun Rou. Youzhou will be his for the time being; with the marriage alliance with the Cao family in the east, the Yuzhou line can be temporarily stabilized; and with the help of Jiangdong in the southeast—at that time, it will stretch for thousands of miles from east to west and connect the Yangtze and Han rivers from north to south, making my Jingzhou the heartland, tightly sandwiched in the middle.”

Zhang Fei's forehead veins bulged as he heard this, and his hand gripping his eighteen-foot spear cracked: "He dares! If that's the case, I'll lead my troops to fight him. Are you afraid of him?"

"Yide, calm down." Zhuge Liang shook his head. "The Xiliang cavalry is invincible, and the Jiangdong navy is the best in the south. If the two sides join forces, with Ma Chao personally leading the infantry and cavalry in the north and Zhou Yu commanding the naval forces in the south, they will attack from both sides. Our Jingzhou forces are insufficient and our food supplies are limited. We have no chance of winning."

Liu Bei frowned, his fingers tracing patterns on the table: "Mengqi...is he really going to come to this? How could this young man, once so full of patriotic fervor, have..."

“Times have changed,” Pang Tong interjected. “In chaotic times of warring states, what loyalty lasts forever? Ma Chao wants the entire realm. Jingzhou is centrally located; how could he allow others to lay a finger on it? Now he's proceeding cautiously, and the marriage alliance is merely a means to an end. His true aim is likely to bring all the warlords under his control, and ultimately…”

Before he finished speaking, everyone understood his meaning. A hush fell over the council chamber, broken only by the howling wind outside the windows, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

Seeing everyone frowning at the perilous situation before them, Zhuge Liang suddenly smiled and waved his feather fan, saying, "My lord, please don't worry. This trip to Chang'an wasn't entirely fruitless. I've obtained two pieces of information that may alleviate our urgent crisis."

Seeing the smile on his face, Zhang Fei asked urgently, "Could it be good news for us? Tell us quickly, sir!" Everyone perked up, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Zhuge Liang said, "The first piece of news is that at the end of September last year, Lü Bu fought against Ma Chao at Hulao Pass and was defeated and his entire army was wiped out. Now Lü Bu is severely weakened and it will be difficult for him to cause trouble again in a short time. This is a good opportunity for our army to advance and recover lost territory."

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and the gloom of the past few days dissipated considerably. Liu Bei eagerly asked, "And what's the second piece of news?"

Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Bei: "Does my lord still remember Zhang Song, the envoy from Yizhou?"

Liu Bei, still reeling from Lü Bu's defeat, was stunned by the words and didn't immediately understand. Zhang Fei blurted out, "That short, ugly bastard I kicked out!"

Liu Bei looked displeased and said in a deep voice, "Yide, watch your words! I haven't even held it against you for your rudeness in driving him away that day."

Zhang Fei lowered his head sheepishly, not daring to speak again. Liu Bei turned to Zhuge Liang: "Could this second piece of news be related to Zhang Song?"

"Exactly," Zhuge Liang nodded. "Zhang Song's last mission was actually because Ma Chao's offensive against Yizhou was very urgent, and Liu Zhang was very uneasy, so he sent him out to seek allies. However, he was not valued in Jingzhou, so he eventually went to Jizhou and formed an alliance with Yuan Shao."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei's face immediately showed regret. He scratched his head and stammered, "Brother, could it be... could it be that I've ruined something big?"

Liu Bei glanced at him, and although he was dissatisfied, he knew that this was not the time to pursue the matter. He just sighed and said, "It's no use saying more now that things have come to this. It's just that Zhang Song's alliance with Yuan Shao seems to provide Yizhou with support, but in reality, Yuan Shao is far away in Hebei and can't reach it. He may not be able to really protect Yizhou."

Zhuge Liang continued, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. Liu Zhang is inherently weak, and now that he is relying on Yuan Shao, he is walking on thin ice. Ma Chao has long coveted Yizhou, and once he has the opportunity, he will surely launch another attack. At that time, the situation in Yizhou will be turbulent, which will be our opportunity to advance into Xichuan."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts gradually brightened. Lü Bu's defeat eliminated one threat; the instability in Yizhou created another opportunity. The previously gloomy situation seemed to have suddenly been illuminated by light.

A glint flashed in Pang Tong's eyes. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Yizhou is a land of abundance. If we can obtain it, we can use it as our foundation. With Jingzhou in front, which is well-connected, and Yizhou behind, which is rich in resources, we can advance into the Central Plains or retreat to defend ourselves. The foundation of our great cause lies in this moment!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei frowned slightly, his tone hesitant: "But Yizhou is Liu Zhang's territory. He and I are both members of the Han imperial family. If we rashly invade his territory, wouldn't that damage our kinship and give him ammunition for criticism?"

"My lord!" Pang Tong was somewhat anxious and was about to persuade him again, but Zhuge Liang gently stopped him with his feather fan.

Zhuge Liang turned to Liu Bei and said slowly, "My lord, you may not know this, but in Chang'an this time, besides meeting Zhang Song, I also met another envoy from Yi Province, Wang Lei. Wang Lei is extremely dissatisfied with Yuan Shao—Yuan Shao has ostensibly allied with Yi Province, but in reality, he demands that Liu Zhang submit to him. He calls it 'assistance,' but in fact, he wants to annex it."

He paused, then continued, "I have had many interactions with Wang Lei, and when we discussed kinship, he agreed wholeheartedly. My lord and Liu Zhang are both descendants of Emperor Jing, and should naturally help each other. I have already made an agreement with Wang Lei that after he returns, he will speak to Liu Zhang and invite our army to enter Sichuan to jointly resist the formidable enemy like Ma Chao who is eyeing us covetously."

A hint of doubt flashed in Liu Bei's eyes: "To enter Sichuan and fight against a powerful enemy together?"

Pang Tong immediately chimed in, his face beaming with even greater joy: "Exactly! We're not going to annex his territory; it's simply a matter of the imperial family helping each other. In the end, you and Liu Zhang are both working for the sake of the Han dynasty. Defending Yizhou is to ensure the continuation of the Han dynasty's lineage. How can you talk about 'annexing' it?"

Liu Bei remained silent for a long while, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the table as he weighed his options in his mind. The wind outside the window swept past, carrying fallen leaves, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

A moment later, he suddenly stood up, his gaze hardening: "In that case, we shall proceed in two steps. First, we shall prepare our army for battle, taking advantage of Lü Bu's recent defeat and weakened state, to march north, capture Xuchang, avenge the late emperor, and restore the prestige of the Han Dynasty; second, we shall secretly prepare provisions and weapons, and when Liu Zhang's envoy arrives and the time is right, we shall lead our army into Sichuan to join him in resisting Ma Chao and safeguarding this kinship empire!"

"Our lord is wise!" Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong bowed in unison, their eyes filled with undisguised excitement.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and said in a deep voice, "Brother, rest assured, I am willing to be the vanguard in the northward expedition!"

Zhang Fei responded in a deep voice, "If we're going to Sichuan, I'll go too! I'll make sure Ma Chao knows that we Han Chinese are not to be trifled with!"

The atmosphere in the council hall became lively, the previous gloom completely dispelled. The group discussed the two strategies in detail, finalizing everything from troop deployment to food supplies. The setting sun cast Liu Bei's silhouette against the wall through the window lattice, standing tall and straight like a pine tree. This member of the Han imperial family had finally found his own path amidst the fog of chaos.