Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Sure enough, a few days later, the emperor took the initiative to discuss future strategic plans in court. Xun Yu again offered his advice: "Your Majesty, the remnants of Xiliang are still lingering in Tianshui County. The most urgent task is to unify this region, conquer Tianshui County, and open a smooth passage between Xiliang and Chang'an. This will allow the northwest to be pacified. The northeast is guarded by General Gongsun Zan, providing peace of mind. Furthermore, Gongsun Zan is located between Youzhou and Xiliang, with Bingzhou nestled in between. If these two provinces can be connected, the border will surely be stabilized. We only need to focus on dealing with the warlords in Guandong, and the situation will be largely stabilized." The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Your Excellency, you are absolutely right. Now, we must suppress the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo in Tianshui County. I wonder which of you can share my burden?" Liu Bei, unwavering in his responsibility, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go." By this time, Zhao Yun had already been ranked among the military commanders and appointed by the emperor as General Yingyang. Zhao Yun, eager to demonstrate his abilities, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I, too, am willing to go." The emperor paused for a moment, then continued, "Since I returned to Chang'an, Lü Bu has led his troops back to Bingzhou. He has neither surrendered nor made any other moves. This policy of neither starting a war nor surrendering is unacceptable. This time, we need your uncle to lead our troops in the campaign. General Zilong can lead his troops to form a supporting force alongside General Liu Bei, attacking from both sides. Also, promote Li Tong to deputy general and place him under General Zilong's command." Upon hearing this, several people stepped forward and agreed. Now, the emperor, knowingly asking, "Do you have anyone to recommend?" In reality, the emperor was simply waiting for Ma Chao to request permission to march.

Ma Chao was willing to consider his old friendship with Dong Zhuo, so he hesitated to come forward to ask for orders in the court. Seeing this, the emperor frowned slightly. Although he was slightly displeased, he hid his dissatisfaction very well and did not show it outwardly. At this time, the emperor quietly winked at Wang Jie, one of the civil officials. Wang Jie immediately understood. He bowed respectfully and said earnestly: "General Ma Chao, since you came to Chang'an, the emperor has been very kind to you. The ancients said: A scholar will die for his confidant. If you eat the salary of your emperor, you should share his worries. Now is the golden opportunity for you, General Ma Chao, to show your skills, share your worries, and make contributions to the country!"

After hearing Wang Jie's words, Ma Chao's face showed a hint of hesitation. He spoke slowly, his voice steady yet tinged with hesitation: "My army consists of only 5,000 soldiers. Moreover, Ma Chao's position is as Chief of the Imperial Guards, responsible for maintaining the security of the capital. How can I be easily transferred?" In reality, Ma Chao truly did not want to participate in the campaign against Dong Zhuo's remaining forces in Tianshui. After all, the leader of Dong Zhuo's remaining forces was Dong Bai's uncle, and Dong Gong's nephew. The troops he led were all from the Xiliang people, and the Xiliang nobles had close ties to the people. Furthermore, his brothers had once been allies with Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, forging a deep friendship. Therefore, Ma Chao's first thought was to shirk his responsibility, unwilling to be drawn into this war.

Wang Jie, hearing Ma Chao's words, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile. He said, "General Ma, you are wrong. The emperor's favor to you is as great as a mountain. Now that the country is in danger, it is time for you to serve the court. It is unwise for you to shirk responsibility by citing a lack of troops. When I first arrived in Xiliang, I witnessed with my own eyes the might of your troops and horses, over two hundred thousand armored men. Now you claim a lack of troops, isn't that a joke? As a general, you should prioritize the country. How can you sacrifice justice for personal feelings? Moreover, this campaign against Dong Zhuo's remaining forces is for the welfare of all people and the stability of the country. If you can achieve merit in this battle, the emperor will surely reward you handsomely. Why not?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's expression darkened. He said, "While what Lord Wang says makes sense, my troops are now scattered all over the place. Moreover, I am responsible for the safety of the capital and cannot be easily transferred. If I leave, who will be responsible for the safety of the capital?"

Wang Jie laughed heartily and said, "General Ma, you are truly worrying too much. The capital is guarded by many brave and capable generals. How could it possibly be lost? Moreover, this campaign against Dong Zhuo's remaining forces is the unavoidable trend of the times. If you do not dispatch troops, you will probably incur the displeasure of the Emperor, and your position will be in jeopardy. The best policy, General, is to recognize the current situation, share the Emperor's worries, and contribute to the country."

Ma Chao was furious, yet he couldn't refute Wang Jie's words. He knew that if he continued to shirk his responsibility, he would surely anger the Emperor. Helpless, Ma Chao bit the bullet and said, "Your Majesty, since Lord Wang says so, I will obey your command. However, I have one request: I hope Your Majesty can send more troops to ensure the success of this campaign."

After hearing what Ma Chao said, Liu Bian looked embarrassed and said, "Now that the emperor's uncle and General Zilong are going to send troops, Chang'an really doesn't have many troops available at this time. If the war is difficult, General Mengqi can transfer more troops from Xiliang." After that, the emperor slowly walked down from the throne, bowed to Ma Chao in front of all the ministers, and said sincerely, "Please, General Mengqi." The emperor's humble attitude made Ma Chao unable to refuse. After all, his master was still beside him, looking at him meaningfully.

Therefore, under the pressure of Wang Jie and the earnest request of the emperor, Ma Chao had to obey the order and go to the battlefield to attack the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo in Tianshui.

After the solemn court meeting, the emperor deliberately left four brave generals, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, alone. Afterwards, they all came to the mysterious and deep chamber for a crucial meeting.

Liu Bei, bewildered, bowed respectfully and asked, "Your Majesty, we are now fully engaged in military affairs, making intensive preparations for the upcoming campaign against Bingzhou. However, we, your Majesty, cannot understand why you have kept us here at this time. What is the purpose?"

Liu Bian raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. He said softly, "Uncle, there's no need to be so anxious. I've left you here to carefully plan this campaign against Bingzhou. Uncle, you and your two brothers can lead your troops to choose a suitable location within Bingzhou to camp, conserving your strength and preparing for battle, thereby deterring the enemy. General Zilong, on the other hand, will cleverly maneuver from the flank and circle around to Youzhou. When confronted head-on by Lü Bu, General Zilong will feign defeat and quickly retreat, then confront the three brothers. In this way, General Zilong can send a request for assistance to General Gongsun, asking him to dispatch troops to support you."

Liu Bei frowned, bewildered. "Your Majesty," he said, his voice filled with confusion. "Since ancient times, military deployments have valued swiftness. A prolonged standoff like this would undoubtedly deplete our army's supplies. How could we sustain such a massive loss? Furthermore, isn't this strategy too risky?" Guan Yu, his expression grave, furrowed his brow slightly. He spoke in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, even if we are to adopt a steady and cautious approach, we should proceed gradually, rather than entrenched in a stalemate. Furthermore, allowing General Zilong to deliberately suffer a defeat before seeking aid from Youzhou—this tactic is beyond our comprehension." Zhao Yun, though equally filled with doubts, his cautious nature and unwavering loyalty prevented him from rashly raising his doubts. He simply stood quietly by, his expression resolute, awaiting the emperor's further explanation.

At this point, the emperor tilted his head slightly, signaling to Liu Xie, the Prince of Luoyang. Liu Xie immediately understood and solemnly produced a secret letter, respectfully handing it to the four generals. Everyone peered in, realizing it was a secret letter from Lü Bu and Wang Yun, presented to the emperor. The letter was incredibly earnest, clearly stating that the emperor had returned to the capital, Chang'an, and that Wang Yun and Lü Bu were eager to pledge their allegiance. Liu Bei, perplexed, asked again, "Your Majesty, if Lü Bu is willing to pledge his allegiance, and we have our veteran minister, Wang Yun, to dissuade us, we could easily pacify Bingzhou in one fell swoop. Why bother with all the fanfare and unnecessary effort?"

Liu Bian straightened his body slightly and slowly explained, "Uncle, this move serves several important purposes. Let me explain them one by one. First, only if you confront Lü Bu can Ma Chao be left with no other excuse. If you all remain idle, it would seem unkind of me to ask Ma Chao to attack the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo. Ma Chao would also think I was doing this intentionally, thus putting him in a dilemma. But, Uncle, if I don't do this, how can I convince Ma Chao to resolve to attack the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo? If I don't, how will the people of the world view me? Only if Ma Chao devotes all his energy to attacking the remaining forces of Dong Zhuo can he demonstrate his resolve and sincerity in submitting to me, letting everyone know that he is strictly following my orders. Only then can we demonstrate the unity of purpose between the ruler and his subjects. I wonder if Uncle understands my deep meaning?"

The four generals suddenly realized what was going on. Although Liu Bei felt that His Majesty's arrangement was somewhat inappropriate, from the perspective of the Son of Heaven, doing so would also avoid giving people a reason to criticize him. Guan Yu also felt that it was inappropriate, but seeing that his elder brother did not say anything, he also remained silent.

Liu Bei said, "This is indeed a well-considered move by Your Majesty. But why is it necessary to maintain an army and confront Lü Bu, and even ask Zilong to borrow troops?" Liu Bian smiled slightly and said, "Uncle, this is the second point. With Bingzhou as a constraint, it is only natural for General Zilong to borrow troops from Youzhou. Bingzhou and Youzhou are neighbors, and Lü Bu's strength is obvious to all. If we borrow troops from General Gongsun, there will be no doubts. If General Gongsun allocates a few more troops, it will make Youzhou easier to govern and discourage his dominance. With the troops in your hands, I feel extremely relieved. Otherwise, seeing the various actions of Imperial Concubine Gongsun, I imagine General Gongsun will become increasingly arrogant. And because of my status as the emperor's father-in-law, I cannot handle it. I have no choice but to use this method to buffer the situation and avoid embarrassment between the father-in-law and the son-in-law. If that situation really comes to a head, it will be embarrassing for Master Lu, you, and General Zilong as well."