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[Assistant] In between sobs, Cao Cao turned and said to his followers,


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[Assistant] Back when my friend Yuan Shao and I started the rebellion against Dong Zhuo, he once asked me,


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[Assistant] If we cannot prevail right now, what region would you choose to hold? I turned the question around and asked him what he would do.


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[Assistant] He said, To my south, firm possession of the Yellow River.


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[Assistant] To my north, security against the rugged regions of Yan and Dai.


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[Assistant] I would employ men of wisdom and energy, and guide them with my light.


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[Assistant] Then I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to.


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[Assistant] These words seem like they were spoken just yesterday. And yet, my friend is now dead. I cannot help but weep.


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[Assistant] Upon hearing this, everyone present sighed. Cao Cao then gave Yuan Shao's wife, Lady Liu, gold, silk and grains as a gift.


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[Assistant] He also sent out the order that because of the warfare they had to endure, the residents of the Hebei region were exempt from taxes that year.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao then wrote a report to the court, in which he named himself Imperial Protector of Ji Province.


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[Assistant] One day, while Cao Cao's general Xu Chu was entering the east gate, he ran into Xu You, and Xu You started on his, you won't be coming through this gate if not for me, spiel.


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[Assistant] But while Cao Cao might have humored him, Xu Chu was in no mood for his shenanigans.


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[Assistant] But this just egged on Xu You, who obviously did not know the temperament of the guy he was speaking to.


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[Assistant] Your kind are just a bunch of oaths. You are nothing, Shio said.


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[Assistant] Well, he was asking for it, and he got what was coming to him. Xu Chu, enraged, pulled out his sword and killed Xu You on the spot. He then cut off Xu You's head and brought it to Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Xu You was too disrespectful, so I have killed him, Xu Chu said.


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[Assistant] Xu You and I are old friends. That's why we tease each other, Cao Cao said. Why did you have to kill him?


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[Assistant] Cao Cao then gave Xu Chu a severe tongue lashing and, well, let him go on his way. He then ordered a fancy funeral for Xu You.


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[Assistant] So yeaah, maybe Cao Cao was not so fond of his old friend after all.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao then sent men out to look for talented people from around the province.


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[Assistant] Some of the civilians recommended a man named Cui Suo, a cavalry commander, who had tried time and again to offer advice to Yuan Shao.


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[Assistant] But Yuan Shao kept ignoring him, so Cui Suo pretended to be sick and stayed home.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao now appointed him as an aide to the assistant inspector of Ji Province.


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[Assistant] I looked at the registers yesterday and saw that there is a population of 300,000 here.


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[Assistant] That is quite a substantial province, Cao Cao said to Cui Suo. Cui Suo however, admonished him.


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[Assistant] The empire is going to pieces, the nine provinces have been torn asunder, the Yuan brothers are quarreling, and the fields are littered with the bodies of the people of this province, he said.


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[Assistant] Yet, instead of looking into the social and moral problems and trying to alleviate the crisis, Your Excellency's first task was to calculate what the province may yield.


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[Assistant] How can the people of this province place their hopes on you then?


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[Assistant] When Cao Cao heard this, he quickly thanked Cui Suo for pointing out his misplaced priorities, and treated him as an honored guest.


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[Assistant] Having solidified his hold on Ji province, Cao Cao now sent out scouts to check on Yuan Tan, the eldest son of Yuan Shao, who has surrendered to Cao Cao in the last episode, and was promised the hand of Cao Cao's daughter in marriage.


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[Assistant] At the time, Yuan Tan was raiding various cities in the region.


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[Assistant] When he heard that Yuan Shang had fled to Zhongshan after being defeated by Cao Cao, he attacked his younger brother.


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[Assistant] Yuan Shang had no heart for battle at this point, so he fled to You Province to seek refuge with Yuan Xi, the middle brother.


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[Assistant] What was left of Yuan Shang's army surrendered to Yuan Tan.


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[Assistant] Enraged, Cao Cao wrote to Yuan Tan again to tell him that


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[Assistant] Yeah, the wedding is off between you and my daughter.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao did more than that, of course. He also mobilized his army and headed to Pingyuan, where Yuan Tan was based.


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[Assistant] When Yuan Tan heard that Cao Cao and his army were on the way, he sent a messenger to Liu Biao, the imperial protector of Jing province, to ask for help.


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[Assistant] Liu Biao consulted with Liu Bei, who was staying with him at the time.


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[Assistant] Tao Tao has recently conquered Ji Province and his army is on a roll, Liu Bei said.


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[Assistant] The Yuan brothers will soon fall into his hands. There is no point in trying to save them.


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[Assistant] Besides, Cao Cao has often entertained thoughts of invading Jing province. We should strengthen our army and cede to our own defenses instead of making any rash moves.


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[Assistant] But how should I go about declining Yuan Tan's request for aid? Liu Biao asked.


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[Assistant] So Liu Biao did as he suggested, and sent letters to both Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang.


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[Assistant] The letters basically said, hey guys, you should really worry more about Cao Cao than about fighting each other, so kiss and make up.


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[Assistant] They said nothing of course about lifting a finger to help anyone.


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[Assistant] When Yuan Tan got the letter, he knew that Liu Biao had no intention of sending any troops to his aid.


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[Assistant] Figuring that he was no match for Cao Cao, Yuan Tan abandoned Ping Yuan and fled to the city of Nan Pi. Cao Cao chased Yuan Tan to Nan Pi.


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[Assistant] It was the middle of winter, and it was so cold that the waterways had become frozen, and the ships carrying Tao Tao's provisions could not move.


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[Assistant] So Cao Cao ordered the local civilians to break ice and pull the ships.


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[Assistant] When this order went out, however, the civilians began to flee because, hey, who wants to do that, right?


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[Assistant] Well, Cao Cao was fuming when he heard this, and he wanted to arrest the civilians and execute them.


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[Assistant] When the civilians heard this, they went to Cao Cao's camp to turn themselves in But Cao Cao said to them


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[Assistant] If I do not kill you, then my orders will carry no weight. But at the same time, I cannot bring myself to do it.


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[Assistant] Touched by his mercy and compassion, the civilians went away with tears in their eyes. So Cao Cao earned himself a little street cred, which was a pretty good scam considering he was sparing the civilians from his own deadly orders.


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[Assistant] When Cao Cao got to Nanpi, Yuan Tan led his troops outside the city to meet him. Cao Cao rolled out to the front lines, pointed at Yuan Tan with his whip, and scolded him.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao did not take kindly to this, and sent Xu Huang out for combat. Yuan Tan sent one of his generals out, but within just a few bouts, this guy fell victim to Xu Huang's axe. And Yuan Tan fell back inside the city, while Cao Cao ordered his troops to surround the city.


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[Assistant] Trapped in panic, Yuan Tan now sent his advisor Xin Ping to see Cao Cao to, get this, offer his surrender once again. But yea, Cao Cao was not biting this time.


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[Assistant] That brat Yuan Tan keeps going back on his word. I cannot trust him. Cao Cao Tou Xin Ping.


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[Assistant] Your younger brother, Xin Pi, has already received a key role on my staff.


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[Assistant] You should stay with me and serve me as well. Your excellency is mistaken, Xin Ping said.


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[Assistant] I have heard that servants share in their lord's glory and humiliation. I have served the Yuan's for a long time. How can I turn my back on them?


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[Assistant] Knowing that he could not convince Xin Ping to stay, Cao Cao sent him back to Yuan Tan.


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[Assistant] Yuan Tan got angry and took it out on Xin Ping.


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[Assistant] Xin Ping was so indignant over this accusation that he fainted. Yuan Tan instructed his attendants to carry Xin Ping out, and soon thereafter, Xin Ping died.


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[Assistant] Which made Yuan Tan regret his poor choice of words.


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[Assistant] His other advisor, Guo Tu, now said to him,


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[Assistant] Yuantan took his advice. That night, his troops rounded up all the civilians of Nanpi and forced them all to take up arms.


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[Assistant] The next morning, they threw all four gates of the city open. The civilians led the way, with the troops right on their heels. With a loud cry, they stormed out the city and made for Cao Cao's camp.


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[Assistant] The two sides scrummed until noon, and the battle had not yet been decided, although the bodies of the dead were littered across the field.


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[Assistant] Seeing his troops struggling to achieve clear victory, Cao Cao galloped up to a hilltop and personally beat the drum to spur on his men.


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[Assistant] The sight of their commander beating the drum inspired Cao Cao's troops, and they surged forward and routed Yuan Tan's troops. Countless civilians were killed in the process.


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[Assistant] In the midst of this chaos, one of Cao Cao's generals, Cao Hong, was storming through the enemy ranks when he ran into Yuan Tan.


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[Assistant] Cao Hong raised his blade and started hacking away. And that was all she wrote for Yuan Tan.


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[Assistant] Seeing his side fall into disarray, the advisor Guo Tu tried to run back into the city. But Cao Cao's general Yue Jin caught sight of him and shot him with an arrow. Guo Tu and his horse both fell dead into the moat.


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[Assistant] Unlike the other advisors of Yuan Shao, I cannot say that I exactly feel sorry for this guy, since all we have seen him do is offer up one terrible idea after another.


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[Assistant] After winning the battle, Cao Cao and his army went inside Nanpi to restore order.


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[Assistant] Just then, another army arrived, led by two lieutenants who were serving under Yuan Xi, the middle brother.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao let his troops out to meet them, but were greeted not with arms, but with surrender.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao rewarded both of them with titles of nobility, which he was obviously handing out quite liberally these days.


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[Assistant] At the same time, Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Rebels, which was another faction that was operating in these parts, also came to surrender at the head of an army of a hundred thousand men. Cao Cao rewarded him with a general ship.


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[Assistant] Now, as for Yuan Tan, Cao Cao ordered that his head be hung outside the North Gate as a warning, and decreed that anyone who dared to shed a tear for him shall be executed.


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[Assistant] Well, one person showed up in mourning clothes and wept under the head, so the guards arrested him and brought him to Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] This turned out to be Wang Xiu, the assistant protector of Qing province. He was the guy who, in the last episode, had tried to convince Yuan Tai to not turn against his brother, but was ignored.


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[Assistant] It would be disloyal of me if I do not weep for him.


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[Assistant] If I forsake loyalty for fear of death, how can I go on living?


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[Assistant] There are so many loyal men in Hebei. It is a shame that the Yuan's did not know how to use them. If they did, I would not dare to set my sights on this region.


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[Assistant] So Cao Cao ordered that Yuan Tan's remains be buried, and he treated Wang Xiu as an honored guest and made him an officer. Cao Cao then asked him,


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[Assistant] Now that Yuan Shang has gone off to join Yuan Xi, how should I go about defeating them? But to this Wang Xiu made no answer. A truly loyal official, Cao Cao said.


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[Assistant] So he did not put Wang Xiu on the spot any further. Instead, he posed the question to his advisor Guo Jia, who suggested using the officers who had defected from the Yuan's to attack the Yuan's.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao followed this advice and sent three armies under the command of the six officers who had defected to attack You Province. At the same time, he also sent another army to Bing Province to attack Gao Gan, the Yuan brothers' cousin.


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[Assistant] After they left, the Imperial Protector of Yeo Province, who is not important enough for me to bore you with his name,


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[Assistant] Gather all the provincial officials and declare that they must all make a blood oath to join him in surrendering to Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Anyone who dared to say no would be executed.


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[Assistant] So they were going down the line, with each man slicing open his hand or arm to drip blood and swear an oath. When they got to the assistant protector, who is also not important for me to name, this guy threw down the sword and shouted,


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[Assistant] I have received great kindness from Yuan Shao and his sons. Now, in their hour of demise, I have neither the wit to save them nor the courage to die for them. I am lacking in loyalty.


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[Assistant] But to surrender to Cao Cao is more than I can bear. Everyone turned pale at this declaration.


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[Assistant] But instead of killing the guy, the Imperial Protector simply said,


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[Assistant] To achieve great things, one must have the highest ethical principles. Our success does not depend on any one man.


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[Assistant] Since he has such lofty principles, let him do as he pleases.


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[Assistant] So the protector simply had this guy removed, and then he went outside the city to surrender to Cao Cao, and got himself a nice general ship, which Cao Cao was also liberally handing out these days.


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[Assistant] Just then, however, Cao Cao got word that the assault on Bing Province was not going well, as Gao Gan was mounting a stiff defense at Hu Pass. So Cao Cao went in person.


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[Assistant] Once there, he gathered his staff to discuss strategy.


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[Assistant] His advisor, Xuan You, suggested that they send someone to pretend to defect to Gaogan.


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[Assistant] So Cao Cao summoned the brothers Lv Kuang and Lv Xiang, two officers who had defected from the Yuan brothers.


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[Assistant] We surrender to Cao Cao only because we had no choice.


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[Assistant] But Cao Cao is treacherous and he has used us ill, so we have returned to serve our old master. Please let us in to discuss the details.


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[Assistant] Gao Gan was naturally suspicious, so he only let the Lü brothers in to hear what they had to say.


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[Assistant] The brothers shed their armor and left their horses behind and entered the pass, where they tou gaogan.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao's troops have just arrived. You should raid their camp tonight before they get settled. We are willing to lead the way.


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[Assistant] Gao Gan was duped and delighted, so that night, around 9 o'clock, he set out with about 10,000 men, with the Lü brothers leading the way.


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[Assistant] As they neared Cao Cao's camp, Lao Ruo suddenly rose up from behind, and enemy troops appeared from everywhere.


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[Assistant] Realizing he'd been had, Gao Gan tried to fall back to the past, but had already been taken by Cao Cao's officers Li Dian and Yue Jin.


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[Assistant] Gaogan managed to fight his way out and fled toward the territory of the Xiongnu.


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[Assistant] A large group of nomadic tribes to the north, whom the Han Empire has typically regarded as troublesome barbarians,


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[Assistant] Cao Cao had his troops block the path and sent men after Gao Gan.


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[Assistant] When Gao Gan reached the Xiongnu's borders, he happened upon their Khan.


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[Assistant] Gao Gan dismounted and kneeled in front of the Khan, telling him that Cao Cao had seized his territory and was now after the Xiongnu's land.


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[Assistant] He asked that the Khan help him reclaim his domain and protect the North. The Khan, however, was not convinced.


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[Assistant] There is no bad blood between me and Cao Cao, so why would he invade my territory? He said to Gao Gan.


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[Assistant] With nowhere to turn up north, Gao Gan headed toward Jing province instead to try to seek refuge with Liu Biao.


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[Assistant] But he never made it. Along the way, he was killed by a district commander who sent his head to Cao Cao and earned himself a nice title of nobility.


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[Assistant] So now, both You and Bing provinces were in Cao Cao's hand, but Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were still at large and hiding with the Wu Huan people.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao talked to his staff about possibly attacking the Wu Huan, but many of his officers advised against it.


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[Assistant] Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang have been defeated, decimated and exiled to the distant desert, they said.


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[Assistant] If we go west to attack them, Liu Bei and Liu Biao might take this opportunity to attack Xu Chang.


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[Assistant] Although our lord's prowess is feared throughout the realm, the desert tribes will not be prepared because they think they're too far away.


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[Assistant] If we attack while their guard is down, we will surely succeed.


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[Assistant] The Wu Huan have received kindness from Yuan Shao, so we must eliminate his two sons. As for Liu Biao, all he does is talk.


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[Assistant] He knows his own talent is not enough to keep Liu Bei in check.


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[Assistant] If he gives Liu Bei an important task, he would lose control over him.


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[Assistant] But if he gives Liu Bei a small task, Liu Bei would refuse.


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[Assistant] That is why, although the country may appear to be vulnerable while we go on this long expedition, there is actually little risk.


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[Assistant] These words convinced Cao Cao, and he pressed his army forward.


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[Assistant] As they traveled, however, they encountered only endless stretches of yellow sand with sudden windstorms and treacherous terrain that challenged both man and beast.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao began to think about turning around, so he consulted with Guo Jia.


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[Assistant] At that moment though, Guo Jia, unaccustomed to the harsh climate, had fallen ill and was resting on a cart. Cao Cao wept and said to him,


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[Assistant] It is all because of my desire to conquer the desert that you have had to traverse this difficult terrain and came down with this illness. How can I live with myself?


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[Assistant] Your excellency has showered me with such kindness that even my death cannot repay but a fraction of it, Guo Jia said.


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[Assistant] Well, this was all very touching and all, but Cao Cao's army was currently out in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and the guy who had talked him into coming here was sick. So what is Cao Cao going to do?


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[Assistant] Find out next time on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. This is episode 44. Last time...


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[Assistant] Liu Bei made a miraculous escape from a deadly trap that Cai Mao had set for him.


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[Assistant] And then he stumbled around until he came upon a recluse named Si Ma Hui. Si Ma Hui?


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[Assistant] Who dubbed himself Master Water Mirror, told Liu Bei that there were talented men in the area whom he should seek out.


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[Assistant] But he would not tell Liu Bei who these guys really were. Which, yeaah, thanks a lot.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was just about to press him for details when Sima Hui's young servant hurried in and told him that a general and a few hundred soldiers were outside.


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[Assistant] Alarmed, Liu Bei went out to see who this was. To his relief, it was his general, Zhao Yun.


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[Assistant] I went back to Xinye last night, but you were not there, so I set out overnight and searched all the way here, Zhao Yun said.


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[Assistant] My lord, you should return to Xinye at once, in case someone attacks us there.


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[Assistant] So Liu Bei took his leave of Master Water Mirror and headed back towards Xinye with Zhao Yun.


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[Assistant] Within a few miles, they saw a squad of troops heading their way. It turned out to be Guan Yu and Zhang Fei coming to search for him. And they were all delighted to see each other.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei discussed with his advisors about how to proceed.


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[Assistant] Sun Qian suggested that he first write to Liu Biao and tell him what happened.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei agreed and sent Sun Qian to Jing province to deliver the message.


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[Assistant] I invited Liu Bei to Xiangyang for a banquet. Why did he flee? Liu Biao asked Sun Qian.


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[Assistant] Sun Qian offered up Liu Bei's letter, which detailed how Cai Mao tried to ambush Liu Bei at the banquet.


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[Assistant] And how it was only thanks to a miraculous leap by his horse that Liu Bei managed to escape. After Liu Biao read this, he was fuming. He immediately summoned Cai Mao.


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[Assistant] How dare you try to kill my brother! Liu Biao scolded Cai Mao angrily and ordered the guards to take him outside and execute him.


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[Assistant] Cai Mao's sister and Liu Biao's wife, Lady Cai,


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[Assistant] If you kill Cai Mao, then my master would not be able to remain here for long.


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[Assistant] That gave Liu Biao a way out, and he spared Cai Mao.


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[Assistant] Though not before he gave him a stern tongue-lashing. Liu Biao then sent his eldest son, Liu Qi,


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[Assistant] In the middle of this banquet, Liu Qi suddenly started to shed tears which prompted questions from Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] My stepmother, Lady Cai, often harbors ill will toward me, Liu Qi said. I do not know how to avoid disaster. I hope you will teach me, uncle.


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[Assistant] Well, Liu Bei had already gotten himself into trouble once by unwittingly getting tangled up in Liu Biao's family business, so he was more careful this time.


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[Assistant] He just told Liu Qi to basically kill his stepmother, with kindness and filial piety, and that everything will work out, which honestly was not much help to Liu Qi.


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[Assistant] The next day, Liu Qi bid Liu Bei a teary farewell. As Liu Bei rode with him outside the city, Liu Bei pointed to his own horse and said to Liu Qi,


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[Assistant] If not for this horse, I would be a dead man now.


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[Assistant] It's not the horse uncle, Liu Qi said. You are blessed by heaven.


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[Assistant] After that, Liu Qi wept and said goodbye. Liu Bei turned around and rolled back into the city.


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[Assistant] On the way home, he noticed a man on the street. This man was wearing a linen headscarf, a plain robe, a black belt and black shoes. As this guy walked toward Liu Bei, he was singing these lines.


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[Assistant] Heaven and earth are topsy and turvy, oh. The fire is growing cold. A stately hall is coming down, oh. It's hard for one beam to hold.


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[Assistant] But away in the valleys are worthy men, oh, who long for a lord to whom to repair.


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[Assistant] And though that Lord is seeking the men, oh, of me, he is all too unaware.


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[Assistant] When Liu Bei heard these words, he thought to himself, could he be the sleeping dragon or young phoenix that Master Water Mirror was talking about? So Liu Bei dismounted, greeted the stranger, and invited him to the county office for a chat.


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[Assistant] I have long heard that your lordship welcomes talented men, so I have been wanting to come serve you. But I did not dare to approach you too directly.


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[Assistant] So I started singing on the street in hope of getting your attention.


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[Assistant] So this Danfu basically did a 3rd century version of sending a company a YouTube video of himself saying, Hey, I really want to work for you guys. And it paid off.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was delighted to meet him and treated him as an honored guest.


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[Assistant] My lord, may I have another look at your horse? Danfu asked. Liu Bei ordered the horse to be brought over. Danfu looked at it and said, Is this not Hexmark?


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[Assistant] Even though it is a fine horse, it will bring doom to its master. You cannot ride it.


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[Assistant] That has already passed. Liu Bei said as he recounted how the horse almost lost its footing in the river, but then leaped across to the opposite bank while he was fleeing from Cai Mao.


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[Assistant] No, that was the horse rescuing its owner, not dooming him, Dengfu said.


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[Assistant] You can offer this horse to him, Dan Fu Tou Liu Bei. Once the horse has brought doom upon that person, you can go back to riding it without worries.


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[Assistant] But when he heard this, Liu Bei's face changed color and he said sternly,


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[Assistant] I have heard that your lordship is honorable and virtuous, but I did not believe it so readily, so I tested you.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei now changed color again and thanked Dan Fu, saying,


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[Assistant] I cannot stake any claim to honor or virtue. I hope you will help me in that regard.


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[Assistant] Since Imperial Uncle Liu took Xinye in his care, the people round about have enough to spare.


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[Assistant] From that, it is plain to see that your honor and virtue have benefited the populace.


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[Assistant] If this was an interview session, it went really, really well for Danfu because Liu Bei appointed him as military advisor and put him in charge of training the army.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao was once again entertaining thoughts of conquering Jing province. He sent his officers Cao Ren and Li Dian, along with Lv Kuang and Lv Xiang, the brothers who defected from Yuan Shao.


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[Assistant] To garrison 30,000 troops at the city of Fancheng.


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[Assistant] From there, they were positioned to threaten Jing province and to gather intel.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei is garrisoned at Xinye and is recruiting troops, buying horses and stockpiling provisions. He obviously has great ambitions. We must take him down sooner than later.


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[Assistant] Ever since we surrendered to the Prime Minister, we have not rendered the slightest bit of service. So we would like to take 5,000 veteran troops to go take Liu Bei's head and offer it to His Excellency. Cao Ren was delighted and granted their request.


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[Assistant] So the Lü brothers marched towards Xinye with 5,000 men. Liu Bei's scouts quickly reported this development.


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[Assistant] And Liu Bei sat down with his new military advisor to discuss how to respond.


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[Assistant] We must not allow the enemy to cross into our territory.


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[Assistant] Have Zhang Fei lead another detachment to take on the enemy's rear.


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[Assistant] He sent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei on their way, and then personally led 2000 troops, accompanied by Zhao Yun and Dan Fu, and went out of the city to face the invaders.


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[Assistant] Within a few miles of leaving the city, they saw a huge dust storm kicking up from behind the hill.


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[Assistant] This was Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang arriving with their troops. After the two sides lined up, Liu Bei rolled out to his banner and shouted, Who goes there? How dare you encroach on my territory? Lü Kuang rolled out and said, I am the General Lü Kuang.


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[Assistant] I have come on the Prime Minister's orders to capture you. Liu Bei did not like this answer.


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[Assistant] Within just a few bouts, Zhao Yun's spear found its mark, and Lv Kuang fell dead to the ground. Liu Bei directed his troops to sweep forward.


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[Assistant] Lv Xiang could not hold his ground, so he led his men and fell back, just as they were running.


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[Assistant] Guan Yu and his troops dashed out from the side of the road and poured into the fleeing enemy. This cost Lv Xiang the majority of his troops. Lv Xiang himself managed to escape.


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[Assistant] But within just a few miles, another squad of soldiers blocked his way.


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[Assistant] The general at the front hoisted his spear and shouted, I am Jiangfei! And he made straight for Lv Xiang.


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[Assistant] Liu Xiang could not react in time, and Zhang Fei ran him through with the spear. The rest of Liu Xiang's men scattered. Liu Bei's army arrived on the scene at that moment, and most of the defeated troops were captured alive. So Liu Bei returned home in triumph.


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[Assistant] Feasted with Danfu and rewarded his troops.


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[Assistant] The remnants of the Lü brothers' soldiers fled back to Fancheng to tell Cao Ren that the brothers had been killed and that most of the soldiers had been captured.


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[Assistant] The Lü brothers underestimated the enemy and paid for it with their lives, Li Dian said.


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[Assistant] We just lost two generals and many troops. We must not allow this defeat to go unavenged for long.


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[Assistant] A pitly little place like Xinye that's not Warren calling on his excellency or a big army.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei is a hero among men. We must not underestimate him. Li Dian, caution.


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[Assistant] Why are you afraid of him? Cao Ren asked, as he was getting a little annoyed at his naysayer.


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[Assistant] As the art of war says, if you know yourself and your foe, you will always triumph. Lydian answer.


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[Assistant] I am not afraid of battle. I am just afraid that we would not win. How dare you have doubt, Taurin said angrily. I will capture Liu Bei alive for sure.


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[Assistant] General, if you go, then I will stay and guard Fan Cheng, Li Dian said. No, if you do not go, then it shows that you really do have doubts, Cao Ren said.


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[Assistant] Well, Li Dian was left with no choice, so he and Cao Ren set out with 25,000 troops that night, crossed over the river, and marched toward Xinye, intent on razing it to the ground. In Xinye, after celebrating their victory, Danfu said to Liu Bei,


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[Assistant] If he mobilizes the bulk of his troops to attack us, then Fan Cheng will be vulnerable, and we can take this opportunity to seize that city. Danfu said.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was delighted by what he heard, so he began to make preparations.


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[Assistant] Just then, scouts reported that Cao Ren has led a large army across the river.


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[Assistant] Just as I expected, Danfu said. He then asked Liu Bei to lead troops out to meet the enemy.


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[Assistant] When the two sides met, Zhao Yun came out from Liu Bei's side, while Li Dian rode out from Cao Ren's side.


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[Assistant] After they fought for about 10 bouts, Li Dian figured that he could not hold his own, so he retreated back to his lines.


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[Assistant] Before we set out, you are already damaging my troops morale, Tauren said angrily.


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[Assistant] And now, you are throwing fights. You should be executed.


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[Assistant] But the other officers beg for leniency and tauren kei.


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[Assistant] He spared Li Dian, but reassigned him to the rear of the army while Cao Ren himself led the vanguard.


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[Assistant] The next day, Cao Ren's troops beat the war drums and advanced, lining up in a special formation.


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[Assistant] This was basically a challenge. I dare you to come attack my formation.


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[Assistant] Dan Fu found a high vantage point from which to study the formation. He then tou liu bei.


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[Assistant] This is called the formation of eight impregnable gates. The eight gates, or joints between units, are desist, survive, injure, confound, exhibit, perish, surprise, and liberate.


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[Assistant] If you enter through the gates, survive, exhibit, or liberate,


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[Assistant] If you storm in from the southeastern corner through the survive gate, move west and exit through the exhibit gate, this formation will fall into chaos. So Liu Bei sent out word for his men to hold their line.


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[Assistant] He then ordered Zhao Yun to lead 500 troops and attack the formation as Dan Fu had instructed.


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[Assistant] Cao Ren fell back toward the north to try to lure Zhao Yun in.


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[Assistant] But Zhao Yun ignored him and instead stormed out the west gate.


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[Assistant] He then turned around and fought his way back through toward the southeast corner. This threw Cao Ren's troops into disarray.


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[Assistant] And Liu Bei took the opportunity to attack, sending the enemies scurrying. Danfu ordered a halt to the pursuit and Liu Bei's army returned to the city.


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[Assistant] As for Cao Ren, after this setback, he was finally starting to see Li Dian's point.


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[Assistant] So he summoned Lydian back to camp to figure out what to do.


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[Assistant] If we win, then we will figure out our next move. If we cannot win, then we will return to Fan Cheng. No, you cannot, Lydian said. Liu Bei will no doubt be prepared.


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[Assistant] But, once again, Cao Ren got sick of Li Dian's cautious ways.


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[Assistant] How can you wage war without taking chances?


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[Assistant] So he dismissed Li Dian's advice once again and decided to raid Liu Bei's camp around 9 o'clock that night, with himself leading the front and Li Dian bringing up the rear.


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[Assistant] In Liu Bei's camp, Danfu and Liu Bei were just discussing things when northeast winds kicked up.


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[Assistant] The novel being set in an alternate reality where weather is a reliable predictor of world events, Danfu said to Liu Bei, How should we counter? Liu Bei asked.


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[Assistant] I already have something in mind, Danfu said with a smile, so he handed out secret orders.


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[Assistant] That night, around 9 o'clock, Cao Ren's troops approached Liu Bei's camp. But they saw fire shooting up all around the camp.


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[Assistant] Cao Ren knew the enemy was prepared for him, so he hurriedly ordered retreat.


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[Assistant] At that moment, Liu Bei's general Zhao Yun swept in with a squad of troops. Cao Ren did not have time to turn around and go back to his own camp, so he fled north toward the river.


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[Assistant] When he got there, he started to look for boats to cross the river.


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[Assistant] But just then, another squad of enemy troops showed up, led by Zhang Fei.


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[Assistant] Cao Ren put up a desperate fight before Li Dian helped him into a boat and crossed over the river. As for Cao Ren's troops, however, most of them drowned in the water.


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[Assistant] Guan Yu gave chase, and Cao Ren ended up losing another big chunk of his troops. Now, he beat a hasty retreat all the way back to Xu Chang.


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[Assistant] Along the way, he had his men ask around and found out that Liu Bei's victory was all thanks to his new military strategist, Dan Fu.


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[Assistant] As for Liu Bei, after this complete victory, he led his army into Fancheng, and the prefect of the county, Liu Mi, came out to greet him.


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[Assistant] When this order was restored to the city, Liu Mi, who was also a member of the Imperial Clan, invited Liu Bei to his house for a banquet.


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[Assistant] During the banquet, Liu Bei noticed a dignified looking young man standing by Liu Mi's side. Who is he? Liu Bei asked Liu Mi. He is my nephew, Kou Feng. He became my ward after his parents died. Liu Bei took an instant liking to this young man and wanted to claim him as an adopted son.


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[Assistant] Liu Mi agreed and had a young man prostrate to Liu Bei, and they changed his last name to Liu, so he was now known as Liu Feng.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei brought his new son back to see his brothers and told the young man to call them uncle.


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[Assistant] But Guan Yu was not so pleased to see his new nephew.


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[Assistant] And decided to lead Zhao Yun with a thousand troops to oversee Fan Cheng.


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[Assistant] While Liu Bei led the rest of his troops back to Xinye,


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[Assistant] Made it back to Xu Chang and went to see Cao Cao. They both wept and prostrated on the ground.


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[Assistant] Recounting their defeat and asking to be punished for their failure. Cao Cao however gave them a pass. Victory and defeat are common in war, he said.


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[Assistant] But do we know who helped Liu Bei draw up these strategies? When Cao Ren told him it was Dan Fu, Cao Cao's reaction was, who the heck is Dan Fu?


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[Assistant] His name is not Danfu, said one of his advisors, Cheng Yu, with a smile. This man grew up with a fondness for swordplay.


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[Assistant] In his youth, he killed someone to avenge a friend and tried to conceal his identity and flee. But he was captured. When the magistrate asked him for his name, he refused to answer.


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[Assistant] So the magistrate tied him onto a cart and wheeled him around town while beating a drum, demanding that the people of the town identify him. But even those who did know him did not dare to name him. Later, his collaborators helped him escape, and he assumed a new name and fled. He dedicated himself to a scholar's life, studying with all the learned men in our area, including Si Ma Hui. His name is Xu Shu. Dan Fu is but an alias.


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[Assistant] How does Xu Shu's talent compare to yours? Cao Cao asks Cheng Yu.


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[Assistant] What a shame that he serves Liu Bei. Cao Cao lamented.


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[Assistant] Now Liu Bei has added wings. What should we do? Even though Xu Xu is there,


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[Assistant] If your excellency wants him in your service, it is not hard to bring him here, Cheng Yu said. How? Xu Shu is very filial.


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[Assistant] So he immediately dispatched men to fetch Xu Xu's mother. They returned within a day with her, and Cao Cao rolled out the red carpet for her.


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[Assistant] I have heard that your son Xu Xu is a rare talent, he said to her.


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[Assistant] But right now, he is in Xinye, serving the rebel Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] This is like a piece of fine jade falling into a mud puddle. What a shame.


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[Assistant] I would like to trouble you to write a letter and summon him back to Xu Chang. I will recommend him to the Emperor, and he will be rewarded handsomely.


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[Assistant] At that, Cao Cao ordered the attendants to bring out paper, ink, and brush. What sort of man is Liu Bei? Xu Xu's mother asked. He is a nobody, pretending to be the imperial uncle, completely untrustworthy.


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[Assistant] Here's what they call a noble man on the outside, a base man within.


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[Assistant] When she heard this, Xu Xu's mother said sternly, Lies.


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[Assistant] I have long heard that Liu Bei is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing, that he is humble toward men of talent and treats others with self-effacing respect. He is renowned for his humanity, young and old alike.


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[Assistant] And even the herdsmen and wood gatherers know his name. He is a true hero of the land.


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[Assistant] He is a truly worthy master for my son. Now, as for you, you may be the Prime Minister of the Han in name, but in truth, you are a traitor of the Han.


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[Assistant] Yet you dare to call Liu Bei a traitor and try to trick me into making my son abandon the light for the darkness. Have you no shame?


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[Assistant] At that, she grabbed the inkstone and tried to hit Taotao with it.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao was fuming after getting this earful from her.


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[Assistant] So he ordered the guards to drag her outside and execute her.


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[Assistant] But Cheng Yu quickly stopped them and went to see Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Xu Shu's mother is trying to make your excellency kill her, he said.


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[Assistant] If you do that, you will be saddled with a dishonorable reputation while confirming her virtue.


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[Assistant] Also, if she dies, then Xu Xu will be totally committed to help Liu Bei so that he can seek revenge on you. Why not keep her here instead?


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[Assistant] Cao Cao consented and put Xu Xu's mother in a house under watch. Cheng Yu went to visit her often.


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[Assistant] He then proceeded to treat her like his own mother and often sent her gifts along with a handwritten note.


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[Assistant] As was the custom, Xu Xu's mother always wrote a thank you note. Once he got enough thank you notes from her,


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[Assistant] Cheng Yu was able to learn how to imitate her handwriting. And yeaah, you can see where this was going. So one day in Xinye,


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[Assistant] A messenger arrived from Xu Chang asking to see Danfu.


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[Assistant] When Xu Xu heard that there was a message from his mother, he quickly summoned the messenger, who told him, I am a courier. Your mother asked me to deliver this letter. Xu Xu read the letter, which said,


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[Assistant] Your younger brother recently died, leaving me without any family. In my hour of grief,


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[Assistant] They said that you had turned against the court and that they were going to hold me responsible.


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[Assistant] Fortunately, Cheng Yu intervened and saved my life.


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[Assistant] If you submit, then my life will be spared. When you get this letter,


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[Assistant] For the sake of the hardship your mother endured to raise you.


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[Assistant] Come at once to fulfill your filial duties.


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[Assistant] Then we can bide our time until we can return home and tend to our garden. That way, we can avoid calamity.


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[Assistant] My life hangs by a thread. I hope you will save me. Need I implore further?


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[Assistant] After reading this letter, Xu Xu's tears flowed like a spring. He went to see Liu Bei with letter in hand. To see how he and Liu Bei are going to resolve this.


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[Assistant] Tune in to the next episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 54.


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[Assistant] Last time, Zhuge Liang had just ticked off Sun Quan by telling him that if he had any doubts about his own strength, then he should just throw in the towel right now and surrender to Cao Cao. When a displeased Sun Quan asked him


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[Assistant] Well, why doesn't your master surrender to Cao Cao?


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[Assistant] Zhuge Liang basically told him, Oh, my master's too great a man to surrender.


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[Assistant] This slight did not go over well with Sun Quan, and he stormed off in a huff, which caused his advisor Lu Su to admonish Zhuge Liang for his poor choice of words.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang, however, simply looked up and laughed.


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[Assistant] How can he be so intolerant? I know how to defeat Cao Cao, but he did not ask me, so I did not tell him.


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[Assistant] If you really have a good idea, then I will ask my lord to seek your counsel, Luxu said.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao's millions are like ants in my eyes. I need only to raise my hand and they would be crushed to dust.


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[Assistant] Hearing this confident boast, Lu Si was convinced enough to go see Sun Quan, who at this time was still fuming.


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[Assistant] Zhuge Liang went too far! Sun Quan said angrily.


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[Assistant] Your servant admonished him thusly as well, Lusu said.


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[Assistant] But he laughed and said that your lordship was too intolerant. He knows how to defeat Cao Cao, but he will not share it lightly. Your lordship should ask him.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan's demeanor did a 180 when he heard this. So, Zhu Ge Liang does have an idea. He was just inciting me with words.


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[Assistant] I almost ruined everything because of a momentary lapse in judgement.


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[Assistant] So Sun Quan accompanied Lu Su back into the main hall and invited Ju Ge Liang back in.


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[Assistant] I recklessly solely your great name just now. Please forgive me. Sun Quan apologized. Zhu Ge Liang responded magnanimously.


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[Assistant] My words offended you. Please, forgive me.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan then invited Ju Ge Liang into the private quarters. After a few rounds of wine, Sun Quan said,


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[Assistant] Cao Cao's enemies included Lyu Bu, Liu Biao, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lord Liu, and me.


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[Assistant] Now, everyone has been wiped out except for Lord Liu and me.


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[Assistant] I must not give the Southlands over to another man. Of that, I am certain.


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[Assistant] And none but Lord Liu can help me resist Cao Cao. But he has just suffered a defeat.


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[Assistant] So how can he withstand this coming calamity?


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[Assistant] Despite my master's recent defeat, Zhuge Liang said,


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[Assistant] Guan Yu still has 10,000 crack troops, and Liu Qi has another 10,000 at Jiangxia.


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[Assistant] His light cavalry traversed a hundred miles in one day.


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[Assistant] They are like an arrow at the end of its flight. They are too weak even to pierce silk.


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[Assistant] Besides, the northerners are not used to naval warfare. The soldiers and civilians of Jing province obey Cao Cao only out of fear, not loyalty.


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[Assistant] If you and my lord can join forces and act as one, we will defeat Cao Cao for sure. Once he is defeated, Cao Cao will no doubt retreat back to the north.


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[Assistant] Leaving Jing province and the Southlands in a strong position and creating a tripod balance of power.


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[Assistant] Victory or defeat rests in your hands today. It is up to you.


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[Assistant] These were accelerating words to Sun Quan's ears.


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[Assistant] Sir, your words have opened my eyes, he said. My mind is made up, and I have no reservations. We shall begin at once to discuss how to deploy our forces to destroy Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] He then ordered Lu Su to relay his intentions to his civil and military officials while Zhu Ge Liang returned to the guesthouse.


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[Assistant] So they immediately went to see Sun Quan to try to change his mind.


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[Assistant] We have heard that your lordship intends to fight against Cao Cao, Jiang Jiao said.


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[Assistant] But how do you think you stack up against Yuan Shao?


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[Assistant] Even when he had few troops and fewer officers, Cao Cao was able to defeat Yuan Shao in one fell swoop.


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[Assistant] Now that he is marching south with an army of a million, how can we take him so lightly?


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[Assistant] If you listen to Zhuge Liang and rashly respond with force, it would be like trying to put out a fire with kindling.


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[Assistant] Faced with this opposition, Sun Quan simply looked down without saying a word. Another of his advisors, Gu Yong, told him,


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[Assistant] Liu Bei recently lost to Cao Cao and is trying to borrow our soldiers to repel his enemy.


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[Assistant] Why must your lordship allow yourself to be used by him? Listen to Zhang Zhao's advice. But Sun Quan could not make up his mind then and there, so Zhang Zhao and company took their leave.


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[Assistant] After they were gone, Lu Su came to see Sun Quan and said,


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[Assistant] Zhang Zhao and the others are trying to convince your lordship to surrender instead of fighting because they are looking out for themselves.


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[Assistant] I implore your lordship to not listen to them. Still, Sun Quan remained quiet.


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[Assistant] If your lordship hesitates, then you will be led astray by the others.


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[Assistant] You may leave for now. Allow me to think it over, Sun Quan said. So Lu Su took his leave.


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[Assistant] At this moment, the officials of the Southlands were split about whether to fight or surrender, and they could not come to any kind of consensus.


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[Assistant] As for Sun Quan, he retired to his private quarters, but with so much weighing on his mind, he could neither sleep nor eat in peace.


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[Assistant] When Madam Wu saw him like this, she asked him what's wrong.


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[Assistant] And a reminder here, this Madame Wu was not Sun Quan's mother, but rather his mother's sister, which would technically make her his aunt. However, she and her sister both marry Sun Quan's father, so things get really complicated.


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[Assistant] When Sun Quan's mother died, she told him to treat her sister as if she were his mother, and he has done so as a filial son would.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao has garrisoned his army on the river and intends to invade our territory, Sun Quan told Madam Wu. Some of my officials advocate surrendering, while others say we should fight.


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[Assistant] If we fight, I am worried that we would be overwhelmed numerically.


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[Assistant] If I surrender, I worry that Cao Cao would not leave me alone, so I cannot make up my mind.


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[Assistant] Have you forgotten what my sister told you on her deathbed? Madame Wu said.


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[Assistant] She reminded you of what your brother Sun Ce told you when he died.


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[Assistant] If you cannot make a decision on an internal affair, ask Zhang Zhao. If you cannot make a decision on an external affair, ask Zhou Yu. So why not summon Zhou Yu and ask him?


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[Assistant] Sun Quan immediately sent a messenger to Boyang Lake, where Zhou Yu was training the navy.


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[Assistant] But as it turned out, Zhou Yu had heard that Cao Cao was approaching the Southlands, so he was already on his way back to Chaisang to meet with Sun Quan, and he arrived before the messenger could leave.


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[Assistant] Lu Su, Zhou Yu's best bud, was the first one to go welcome him upon his return.


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[Assistant] After Luzu brought him up to speed on what's been transpiring in his absence, Joyu told him,


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[Assistant] My friend, do not worry. I know what to do.


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[Assistant] Please, go invite Zhu Ge Liang to come meet with me.


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[Assistant] After Lu Su left, Zhou Yu had just settled in at home when Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Zhang Hong, and Bu Zhi, four of Sun Quan's top civil officials, came to pay him a visit.


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[Assistant] Zhou Yu invited them in. After a little small talk, Zhang Jiao asked him.


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[Assistant] Commander, do you know the danger that the Southlands are in? No, not yet.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao has garrisoned an army of a million on the Han River.


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[Assistant] He sent a decree here yesterday, inviting our Lord to meet with him at Jiangxia.


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[Assistant] Although he may intend to gobble up the Southlands, he has not made a move yet.


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[Assistant] We have been advising our Lord to submit, for the time being, to save the Southlands from disaster.


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[Assistant] But who knew that Lu Su would go to Jiangxia and bring back Liu Bei's military advisor, Zhu Ge Liang?


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[Assistant] That Zhuge Liang wants to settle his own score with Cao Cao, so he incited our lord into agreeing to fight, and Lu Su is still in the dark. We are hoping you will settle things.


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[Assistant] Do you all share the same view? Zhou Yu asked the others, and the other three officials all said yes.


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[Assistant] It has long been my intention to surrender, Zhou Yu told them.


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[Assistant] But momentarily, a group of military officers, led by the veterans Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang, came to see Zhou Yu.


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[Assistant] Zhou Yu welcomed them in, and after exchanging pleasantries, Cheng Pu said,


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[Assistant] Commander, do you know that the Southlands will soon belong to someone else? No, not yet.


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[Assistant] We follow the late General Sun as he established this domain, Cheng Pu said.


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[Assistant] It took hundreds of battles big and small to conquer the six districts we have now.


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[Assistant] And yet, our lord is being persuaded by his civil advisors to surrender to Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] We would rather die than suffer this humiliation. I hope you will advise our lord to fight. We will fight to the death.


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[Assistant] Do you all share this opinion? Zhou Yu asked the other officers present. We do not want to surrender, they all said.


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[Assistant] I intend to fight Cao Cao. I will never surrender. Jiu Yu told him.


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[Assistant] When another group of civil officials, led by Zhu Geqin and Lü Fan, arrived,


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[Assistant] So Zhou Yu invited them in and showed them the typical hospitality. Zhu Gejin then spoke.


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[Assistant] My brother Zhu Ge Liang has come from Jing province to propose an alliance with Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] The officials and officers are in disagreement over what to do.


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[Assistant] I have been waiting for you, Commander, to make the decision.


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[Assistant] If we fight, we would be in danger, Zhuge Jin said. Zhou Yu smiled and told him,


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[Assistant] I have a plan. I will settle the matter in the main hall tomorrow. So Zhuge Jin and company took their leave.


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[Assistant] And right on their heels came another group, led by the Generals Lu Meng and Gan Ning.


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[Assistant] And so it went, with some people saying FIGHT, and some saying SURRENDER. And Zhou Yu told them all,


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[Assistant] No need to say too much. We will discuss this tomorrow in the main hall.


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[Assistant] After all the visitors left, Zhou Yu could not help but chuckle.


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[Assistant] Later that night, Lu Su returned with Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu went out to the inner gate of his residence to welcome them.


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[Assistant] After the formalities, they sat down and Lu Su got the conversation going by asking Zhou Yu


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[Assistant] Right now Cao Cao and his army are encroaching on the south, and our lord cannot make up his mind whether to fight or to submit, and he is hoping that you will help him decide. What is your opinion General?


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[Assistant] Cao Cao acts in the name of the Emperor, so we cannot resist him, Zhou Yu said.


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[Assistant] Besides, he is too powerful to be taken lightly.


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[Assistant] If we fight, we will surely lose. If we surrender,


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[Assistant] It would be an easy piece. My mind is made up.


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[Assistant] Tomorrow, I shall advise our lord to surrender. Wait, what? Lu Su was taken aback by Zhou Yu's response.


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[Assistant] Our lord's family has been established in the Southlands for three generations now. How can we abandon it to someone else just like that?


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[Assistant] When the late general Sun Ce died, his last words were to entrust external affairs of state to you.


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[Assistant] Now we are looking to you to protect our domain and be our rock. Why do you adopt the viewpoint of the patents?


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[Assistant] With your prowess and the natural defenses of the Southlands, Cao Cao may not yet get his wish.


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[Assistant] Of course, Jiuyu doesn't actually intend to surrender.


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[Assistant] He's just playing Lu Su here and trying to fill out Zhu Ge Liang. But Lu Su did not catch on.


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[Assistant] I am laughing at none other than Lu Su for not recognizing which way the wind is blowing, Zhu Ge Liang replied.


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[Assistant] Sir, why are you laughing at me for not recognizing the circumstances?


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[Assistant] General Zhou is quite right in wanting to surrender to Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang told him. See?


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[Assistant] Master Zhuge is a man who understands the times, Zhou Yu said. He must agree with me.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao is adept at warfare, and no one dares to stand against him, Zhuge Liang said.


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[Assistant] Those who have dared, Lyu Bu, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao, have all been wiped out by him, and now there is no one else. The only exception is my lord Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] Who does not recognize the direction of the tide and insists on fighting Cao Cao? And now...


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[Assistant] He is alone in Jiangxia and his fate is uncertain.


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[Assistant] General Joe's plan to surrender will ensure the safety of his family, not to mention guarantee him great wealth.


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[Assistant] So what if the sacred throne of the house of Sun is transferred to someone else? Chalk it up to heaven's will. What's there to feel bad about? Lu Su was enraged by this response.


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[Assistant] You would have my lord bend the knee and suffer humiliation at the hands of that traitor? He fumed. I have an idea, Zhuge Liang said.


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[Assistant] It would not require any great sacrifices of wealth, power, or territory, and your lord will not have to cross the river to meet Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Just send an envoy on a long boat and deliver two people to Cao Cao's camp. Once he gets these two people, his army of a million will lay down their arms and leave.


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[Assistant] Who are these two people that can make the enemy leave? Zhou Yu asked.


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[Assistant] For the Southlands to give up these two people would be like a great oak tree shedding a leaf or a giant granary missing one grain of millet. Zhuge Liang replied coyly.


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[Assistant] When I was living in seclusion, I heard that Cao Cao had built a new tower on the Zhang River called Bronzeberg Tower, Zhuge Liang said.


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[Assistant] It's supposed to be quite an impressive sight, and he is choosing beautiful women from all around the realm to be kept there for his pleasure.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao is a lustful man. He has long heard that an old Mr. Qiao, who resides in the Southlands, has two daughters. The elder is named Da Qiao, and the younger is named Xiao Qiao.


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[Assistant] One of my great wishes is to pacify the four corners of the realm and achieve my imperial ambitions.


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[Assistant] My other great wish is to obtain the two Qiao women and keep them at Bronzeberg Tower to serve me in my old age.


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[Assistant] If I can do that, I would die without regret.


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[Assistant] Right now, Cao Cao and his massive army are setting their sights on the Southlands, but the real object of his desire are these two women.


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[Assistant] So why not go track down old Mr. Qiao, pay him handsomely for his two daughters, and send them to Cao Cao?


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[Assistant] Once Cao Cao has them, he would be satisfied and would call off his invasion.


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[Assistant] This would follow the President from long ago when Fan Li offered the beauty Xi Si to the King of Wu to obtain peace. You should act at once.


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[Assistant] So the historical reference that Zhuge Liang just made to Fanli is from the Spring and Autumn Period.


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[Assistant] Fan Li was an advisor to the ruler of the kingdom of Yue.


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[Assistant] Yue was defeated by the rival kingdom of Wu, and as part of the peace terms, the king of Yue had to go serve as a hostage in Wu. Eventually though,


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[Assistant] Fan Li managed to convince the King of Wu to let his master return home by offering the King of Wu a beautiful woman named Xi Si.


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[Assistant] Of course, the King of Yue never gave up thoughts of revenge, and after returning home, he managed to rebuild his forces and eventually defeated his old enemy.


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[Assistant] What prove have you that Cao Cao is after these two women? Zhou Yu asked.


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[Assistant] One of Cao Cao's sons, Cao Zhi, is a fantastic writer, Zhuge Liang said.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao once asked him to write a piece called Bronzebird Tower Rhapsody.


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[Assistant] It's quite a lovely piece of writing, so I have memorized it. Can you recite it for me?


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[Assistant] So, Zhuge Liang began to recite the Bronzeberg Tower Rhapsody line by line.


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[Assistant] But I am not going to recite it here, because it's pretty long, and it's really not necessary for you to hear the whole thing to understand what's going on.


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[Assistant] I'll post a link to the text of the poem on the website with this episode.


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[Assistant] But, for our purposes right now, this is the line from the piece that really matters.


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[Assistant] A loft on either side, the twin towers. Left, Jade Dragon. Right, Golden Phoenix. Holding two bridges, rejoicing day and night.


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[Assistant] Uhm, so you might ask, how does a line about towers and bridges prove Cao Cao's lust for these two women?


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[Assistant] Well, this is a play on words. In Chinese, the last name of these two women, 桥, sounds exactly like the word for bridge.


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[Assistant] Remember that when Cao Cao built his bronze bird tower, it had two bridges that connected the main tower to two towers on either side.


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[Assistant] So this line could very well just be referring to an architectural feature. But Zhuge Liang is hinting that there's a second, more lurid meaning here.


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[Assistant] The earlier Chinese versions of the novel printed this line with the character for bridge.


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[Assistant] But this was changed to the character of the two women's last name in later versions.


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[Assistant] There's a detailed note in Moss Robert's translation of the novel explaining how this was perhaps an attempt to further vilify Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] But in any case, what you need to know here is that the line may have had a double meaning.


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[Assistant] On the surface, it may be referring to the architectural feature of the bridges, but in reality


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[Assistant] It could be a veiled reference to Cao Cao's desire to be holding the two Qiao women and making merry with them day and night.


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[Assistant] That's certainly the interpretation that Zhuge Liang is putting forth here for Zhou Yu.


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[Assistant] Well, when Zhou Yu heard this line, he became livid.


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[Assistant] He jumped up from his seat, pointed to the north, and cursed out loud.


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[Assistant] Back when the Xiongnu tribe was harassing the empire's borders,


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[Assistant] Even the Han emperors would marry their princesses to the Xiongnu leaders in exchange for peace.


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[Assistant] So what's the big deal with giving up $2 of a commoner?


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[Assistant] Sir, you do not understand, Zhou Yu said.


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[Assistant] That Da Qiao is the widow of our late general Sun Ce. That Xiao Qiao, she is my wife!


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[Assistant] So yeaah, as you may have already guessed, Zhuge Liang totally knew.


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[Assistant] And he put on this whole charade in order to incite Zhou Yu and make sure that he is firmly committed to resisting Cao Cao instead of trying to talk peace.


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[Assistant] I mean, what better motivation is there for a man to fight than to make him think that the price for peace would be his wife?


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[Assistant] I swear, that's either me or that old traitor. We cannot both stand on this earth, Zhou Yu said.


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[Assistant] You must think it through carefully, so that you will not have any regrets.


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[Assistant] When I left my station at Poyang Lake, I already knew that I wanted to take up arms against the North.


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[Assistant] Even the executioner's axe upon my head will not soften my resolve.


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[Assistant] I hope you will lend me a hand and defeat Cao Cao together. If you would have me.


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[Assistant] I will do whatever I can and be at your disposal, Zhu Ge Liang said.


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[Assistant] Tomorrow, when I see my lord, we will discuss mobilizing our troops, Zhou Yu said.


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[Assistant] So, mission accomplished. Zhuge Liang took his leave.


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[Assistant] With a few words, he had managed to get under Zhou Yu's skin and manipulate him without him even realizing it.


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[Assistant] Rest assured, this will not be the last time that happened.


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[Assistant] Early next morning, Sun Quan reassembled his staff at the main hall. On the left side of the hall, 30 some civil officials lined up, led by Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong.


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[Assistant] On the right were 30 some military officers led by Cheng Pu and Huang Gai.


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[Assistant] The caps and robes of the officials rustled, while the swords and pendants of the officers jostled.


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[Assistant] Shortly after everyone lined up, Zhou Yu came in to pay his respects to Sun Quan. After the formalities, Zhou Yu asked,


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[Assistant] I have recently heard that Cao Cao has garrisoned his army along the Han River and has sent a letter here.


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[Assistant] That old scoundrel must think there are no talented men in the Southlands. How dare he approach us with such insolence? What is your opinion? Sun Quan asked. Have your lordship discussed this with your officials?


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[Assistant] We have been discussing this for days. Some have advised me to surrender, while others want me to fight. I have not yet made up my mind. I hope you will help me decide.


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[Assistant] Who has advised you to surrender? Zhou Yu asked. Zhang Jiao and company. Sun Quan answered. So Zhou Yu approached Zhang Jiao. I would like to hear your reasons.


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[Assistant] Plus, he recently conquered Jing province and his power is formidable.


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[Assistant] The only thing the Southlands had to repel Cao Cao was the Yangzi River.


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[Assistant] But now Cao Cao has thousands of warships. If he advances on land and on the river, how can we stop him?


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[Assistant] So why not surrender for now and bide our time? That, Zhou Yu said, is the viewpoint of a pedant.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao may be the prime minister of the Han in name.


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[Assistant] But he is, in reality, a traitor to the Han, Zhou Yu said.


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[Assistant] Invoking that same disparaging line that so many have used to describe Cao Cao before.


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[Assistant] Your lordship, with your magnificent talent, are heir to your father and brother's enterprise and ruler of the Southlands. You have skilled soldiers and ample provisions. You should be striding over the realm and helping to rid the country of its villains.


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[Assistant] How can you submit to that trader instead?


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[Assistant] Besides, Cao Cao has committed numerous carnal sins on this campaign.


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[Assistant] First, the North is not yet pacified, as Ma Teng and Han Sui remain a thorn in his side, and yet Cao Cao has set off on a long campaign to the South. Second,


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[Assistant] The armies of the north are not familiar with naval battles. Yet Cao Cao is trading his horses for ships to fight against the southlands on the river.


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[Assistant] Third, we are approaching the height of winter and his horses will lack for hay.


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[Assistant] Fourth, the soldiers of the North are not used to the local climate and have been ravaged by disease.


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[Assistant] With so many things working against him, even though Cao Cao has a large army, he would surely lose. If you want to capture Cao Cao, now is the time. I would like to lead several tens of thousands of soldiers to Xiakou and defeat them for you.


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[Assistant] So, are Zhou Yu's words enough to sway Sun Quan to resist Cao Cao?


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[Assistant] Find out on the next episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 62.


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[Assistant] Last time, Cao Cao's dreams of conquering the Southland had gone up in flames along with his fleet and his army at the Battle of Red Cliff.


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[Assistant] And every time he felt safe enough to start feeling smug about how he was still a notch smarter than Zhou Yu and Zhu Ge Liang, he was promptly sent running again by an ambush.


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[Assistant] And now, just as he was mocking his foes for not laying a trap for him at the narrow path of Huarong Trail, he was greeted by Guan Yu, who had been waiting there on Zhuge Liang's orders.


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[Assistant] With things as they are, we have no choice but to fight for our lives, Cao Cao told his men. But to this, his generals were all like, we'd love to, but...


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[Assistant] Even though we are able to fight, our horses are too exhausted. They cannot go into battle again, they told them.


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[Assistant] One of Cao Cao's advisors, Cheng Yu, suggested a different tag.


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[Assistant] I know that Guan Yu distings the high and mighty, but pities the lowly.


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[Assistant] He is short with the strong, but does not bully the weak.


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[Assistant] He draws a clear line between obligation and enmity, and is a man of good faith and honor.


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[Assistant] Your Excellency once bestowed kindness upon him. If you remind him of that now, you could escape this calamity.


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[Assistant] Well at this point, Cao Cao really had nothing to lose by trying, so he figured what the heck.


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[Assistant] I have been waiting here for your excellency on orders from my military advisor.


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[Assistant] In other words, I've got a job to do, so don't try to talk your way out of this one.


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[Assistant] I have been defeated and my troops are in dire straits, Cao Cao said. We have no way out. I hope, General, that our past ties still mean something to you.


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[Assistant] But Cao Cao was not just about to roll over and give up.


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[Assistant] Do you still remember when you stormed through the five checkpoints and killed six of my officers? Cao Cao asked.


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[Assistant] A man must place good faith and honor above all else.


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[Assistant] You have a deep understanding of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Do you not know the story of Yu Gong Zhi Zi pursuing Zi Zhuo Ru Ci?


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[Assistant] Whoa there, Cao Cao. Slow down with the cultural references.


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[Assistant] So the spring and autumn annals is a history about the spring and autumn period.


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[Assistant] If you have been paying any attention at all in our podcast, you would know that this is a period whose characters and stories have a dramatic influence over the culture and characters in our novel.


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[Assistant] Guan Yu in particular has boasted on multiple occasions about how he is well-versed in this history.


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[Assistant] Now, as for the particular story that Cao Cao cites here, both Yu Gong Zhi Zi and Zi Zhuo Ru Zi were standout archers from the Spring and Autumn Period,


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[Assistant] Their names are mouthful, so I'll just refer to them as Archer A and Archer B.


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[Assistant] At one point, one of the kingdoms sent Archer A to kill Archer B. It just so happened that Archer B was too sick on this particular occasion to even raise his bow to defend himself.


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[Assistant] When Archer A caught up to him, it should have been an easy kill. But Archer A held off.


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[Assistant] My master was your student, Archer A. told his prey. I cannot bear to use the skills that you have passed on to us to take your life.


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[Assistant] So, in a symbolic gesture, Archer A broke off the tips of four arrows and fired four harmless shafts, one in each direction, and then rolled off.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao's point to Guan Yu in reminding him of this story was that one should not kick an enemy while he's down.


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[Assistant] This of course was pushing all sorts of buttons in Guan Yu's honor-filled head.


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[Assistant] Add to the top of that Cao Cao's past kindness in letting him leave knowing full well that he was going to rejoin Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] Not only that, remember that when Cao Cao learned that Guan Yu had stormed through the five checkpoints and killed the six officers, his reaction was to send one messenger after another to make sure that nobody else gave Guan Yu any trouble on his journey.


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[Assistant] So yeaah, when you really did, still owe Cao Cao something.


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[Assistant] And if that still wasn't enough, one look at Cao Cao's pitiful, frightened, haggard, and sobbing followers was enough to close the deal.


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[Assistant] Guan Yu turned his horse around and said to his soldiers, Spread out and make way!


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[Assistant] Cao Cao and his men did not miss the message. As soon as Guan Yu's men opened up a path, Cao Cao and company rushed past them.


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[Assistant] By the time Guan Yu had turned his horse around again, they were already on the other side of him.


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[Assistant] But just then, Guan Yu had a change of heart, and he let out a mighty roar. At this, Cao Cao and all of his officers climbed off their horses, kneeled on the ground, and wept.


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[Assistant] If they were sorry sight before, they were just outright pathetic now. Faced with this, Guan Yu hesitated again.


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[Assistant] At that moment, someone else rode up on the scene from behind. It was Cao Cao's general, Zhang Liao, who had been bringing up the rear and just now got there, so he found his path cut off by Guan Yu.


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[Assistant] Remember that when Guan Yu was in Cao Cao's service, out of all of Cao Cao's officers, Zhang Liao was the one who had been the chummiest with him.


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[Assistant] Thinking of their old friendship, Guan Yu let out a deep sigh and signaled for Zhang Liao to pass and for Cao Cao and his men to go.


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[Assistant] A poet later wrote about this luckiest of all lucky escapes for Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao fled along the Huarong Trail, but Guan Yu barred his passage hardily.


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[Assistant] Then, weighing obligation once incurred, he slipped the lock and let the dragon free.


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[Assistant] So if this was a Hollywood production, this is where Cao Cao scurries back to the North, never to encroach on the South again, and Zhou Yu realizes that only by putting aside his enmity toward Zhu Ge Liang can Dong Wu and Liu Bei strike an alliance that guarantees their mutual survival.


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[Assistant] So the two sides become eternal friends and they all live happily ever after. The end.


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[Assistant] Except not. This is not Hollywood, this is Chinese historical fiction, and we've still got 60% of the novel to go. So let's see what happens after the end credits finish rolling.


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[Assistant] Having survived his close encounter with Guan Yu, Cao Cao kept fleeing until he reached the mouth exiting the canyon.


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[Assistant] When Cao Cao looked back, he saw that he only had 27 riders with him. Again, remember that he had gone into the previous night's battle with 830,000 men.


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[Assistant] And even when he started fleeing for his life, at one point he had around 3,000 men.


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[Assistant] So attrition was definitely not kind to Cao Cao over the past 24 hours or so.


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[Assistant] By now, it was starting to get dark, and Cao Cao and company were approaching Nanjun.


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[Assistant] However, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a group of riders approaching. These were his men under the command of his kinsman Cao Ren, who had been stationed here to hold down the fort.


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[Assistant] I had heard about your defeat but did not dare to venture too far from my post. Cao Ren told Cao Cao upon receiving him. So I have been waiting for you here.


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[Assistant] I thought I would never see you again, Cao Cao told him.


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[Assistant] They then led their men into Nanjun for some much needed rest. Shortly behind them came Zhang Liu, who told them about how Guan Yu had let him pass too. And oh yea, thanks for waiting for me, guys.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao took a head count and many of the guys that managed to stay with him were bearing injuries, so he told them all to go get some rest and treatment. Cao Ren then put on a banquet to cheer him up, and Cao Cao's advisors were in attendance.


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[Assistant] Suddenly, in the middle of this banquet, Cao Cao looked up to the heavens and wailed. This puzzled his advisors.


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[Assistant] When your excellency was fleeing from danger in the tiger's den, you showed no sign of fear, they said.


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[Assistant] Now that we have made it here, both men and horses have food, and it is time to regroup and seek revenge. Why do you cry so bitterly now? I am crying for Guo Jia, Cao Cao told him.


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[Assistant] And since we have not mentioned Guo Jia in quite a while, let me refresh your memory.


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[Assistant] He would not have allowed me to make such a huge mistake.


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[Assistant] As you could imagine, the rest of the advisors were quite ashamed by this.


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[Assistant] And the banquet probably did not do much for anybody's morale.


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[Assistant] Still, the next day, Cao Cao was ready to move on. He told Cao Ren,


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[Assistant] I am going back to the capital Xuchang for now to reorganize my army. I shall avenge this defeat. You stay here and protect Nanjun. I am leaving you with a secret strategy.


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[Assistant] Do not open this until the situation is dire. If the situation does become urgent,


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[Assistant] Read it and act accordingly, and Dongwu will not dare to set its sights on Nanjun.


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[Assistant] But what about the cities of Hefei and Xiangyang? Who can defend those locations? Cao Ren asked.


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[Assistant] You just worry about Jing Province, Cao Cao told him.


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[Assistant] I have already dispatched Xia Hodun to defend Xiang Yang.


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[Assistant] As for Hefei, it is the most crucial location.


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[Assistant] I have appointed Zhang Liao as the chief commander there, with Yue Jin and Li Dian as his lieutenants. If there's any trouble, send word to me at once.


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[Assistant] With these arrangements in place, Cao Cao began his trek back to Xuchang.


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[Assistant] As for the civil and military officials from Jing province who had surrendered to him earlier in the campaign, he brought them all back to the capital for jobs there.


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[Assistant] Probably because it's a bad idea to leave these guys alone in their home province where they just might be tempted to try to throw off the yoke in Cao Cao's absence.


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[Assistant] So let's take this opportunity to reset quickly.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao's dream of overrunning the Southlands and eliminating Liu Bei and Sun Quan was obviously a gigantic bust.


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[Assistant] But, he did not come away from his southern campaign empty-handed.


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[Assistant] He still held control over most of Jing Province.


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[Assistant] The Southlands, of course, was now safe from Cao Cao's incursion and feeling mighty good about itself.


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[Assistant] Although they had to know that Cao Cao would be coming back for revenge at some point,


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[Assistant] As for Liu Bei and company, they were likely breathing a huge sigh of relief since they no longer had Cao Cao breathing down their necks. At this point though, Liu Bei was still not very strong. He still only held a couple cities along the Yangzi River.


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[Assistant] And what happens to his alliance with the Southlands now that their common foe has been defeated, at least for the time being?


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[Assistant] Before we get to all that though, let's tie up one noxel minor loose end.


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[Assistant] Before Guan Yu had set out to wait for Cao Cao at Huarong Trail, he had basically made a bet with Zhu Ge Liang.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang promised that Cao Cao would come through Huarong Trail, while Guan Yu swore that if Cao Cao did, then he would not get away, past kindness be damned.


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[Assistant] They also upped the ante by both writing military pledges, which meant that if either one's promise fell through, they were supposed to be punished by military law, which basically meant getting your head chopped off. So what's Guan Yu going to do now? He would find out soon enough.


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[Assistant] By the time Guan Yu made it back to Liu Bei's headquarters at Xiakou, all the other officers had already returned from their missions, weighed down with horses, weapons, prisoners, and provisions that they had seized from Cao Cao's army.


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[Assistant] Guan Yu, meanwhile, came back totally empty handed.


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[Assistant] Without a single prisoner or horse to his name.


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[Assistant] Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei were in the midst of celebrating when they got word that Guan Yu was back.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang hurriedly left his seat and greeted Guan Yu with a raised cup.


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[Assistant] Congratulations, General! Zhuge Liang exclaimed.


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[Assistant] You have accomplished an epoch-making deed in ridding the land of a giant evil. I should have come out to receive you on your way here. While Zhuge Liang gushed, Guan Yu remained silent.


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[Assistant] Are you unhappy because we did not come out to welcome you on the road? Zhuge Liang asked.


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[Assistant] Oh? Did Cao Cao not come through Huarong Trail? Zhu Ge Liang asked knowingly.


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[Assistant] He was obviously going to enjoy every minute of this.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao did come through there, but I was useless and allowed him to get away.


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[Assistant] Well then, I think, General Guan, you must have let Cao Cao go because of his past kindness to you.