Chapter 38: Lord Liu’s Ingenious Plan to Lose Xuzhou

Liu Bei could not help but harbor an utterly absurd thought: Am I still dreaming?

Liu Bei was, after all, a hero of his generation. Though still inexperienced, he was not one to give up lightly. Even though he found Liu Feng’s reasoning impeccable—each point interlocking logically with the next—he still furrowed his brow and stared intently at the map, searching for a flaw in his son’s deduction. To his dismay, no matter how he analyzed it, he could find none.

At this moment, Liu Feng added fuel to the fire: "Father, there are two more dire matters I have yet to mention."

Liu Bei was jolted with alarm. It was not that he lacked composure; it was simply that Xu Province was his first true foundation, and he had pinned all his hopes upon it. To put it bluntly, he could not even imagine how he would survive if he lost Xu Province. History would eventually show that Liu Bei remained indomitable even after losing the province, but that was a testament to his later resilience; he did not yet possess such a perspective. Moreover, after losing Xu Province, Liu Bei had always stationed himself in Xiaopei. Those familiar with the geography knew that Xiaopei sat at the gateway from Yu Province to Xu Province, a mere twenty kilometers away. Time and again, the "Big-Eared Brother" had been routed by Lu Bu, only to reorganize his troops and return to Xiaopei, driven by his deep yearning for Xu Province. In the end, he even went so far as to deceive Cao Cao, his benefactor, just to return to Xu Province and re-establish his independence. Even now, though he had not yet lost the province, his attachment to it was already as profound as it would ever be.

"This... this... what other disasters could there be?"

Despite the dread and anxiety in his heart, Liu Bei did not shy away from the bitter truth; he possessed the courage to face adversity head-on.

Seeing this, Liu Feng did not hold back. "In fact, I have already mentioned these two disasters to you before. The first is Yuan Shu of Huainan. As I said earlier, Yuan Shu is currently bogged down in a quagmire, locked in a bitter struggle against Liu Biao, Liu Yao, and the clans of the south in Yang Province. He has no time to look north for now. However, while Liu Yao has the support of the Jiangdong clans and possesses moderate talent, he is ultimately isolated and lacks sufficient strength."

Liu Feng paused here, nearly letting slip the name of Sun Ce. At present, Sun Ce was merely an upstart junior with no notable achievements; he had even been nearly routed by the Shanyue chieftain Zu Lang while trying to recruit soldiers in Danyang, barely escaping with his life. To suggest that such a youth could defeat Liu Yao would be hard for Liu Bei to believe, even if one were to invoke immortals or ancestors.

"I estimate that Liu Yao can hold out until next year at the latest. Once he falters and Yuan Shu is free, his first target will be our Xu Province—specifically Guangling Commandery." Liu Feng’s tone was absolute, and he provided evidence: "After all, Yuan Shu has just self-proclaimed the title of Earl of Xu Province; his wolfish ambitions for the region are plain for all to see."

"That Yuan Gonglu is truly abominable!" Liu Bei exclaimed with hatred. He had finally found a foothold, yet Yuan Shu was so shameless as to covet his province. He was determined to be at odds with him forever. But then, a thought struck him: if Yuan Shao were to secure Qing Province in two years, and Cao Cao were to take full control of Yan Province, and Yuan Shu were to invade Guangling, did that mean he could only stay in Xu Province for two years?

Liu Feng, unaware of his father’s inner sorrow—or perhaps choosing to ignore it, as a truly filial son must serve his father with sincerity—continued. "Father, do not forget about Lu Bu."

Liu Feng’s slow, measured words hit Liu Bei like a plunge into an icy cellar.

"As I said before, once Lu Fengxian is defeated, his only path will be to come to Xu Province. When that time comes, will you accept him or not? If you refuse, Lu Bu, with his wolfish nature, may hold a deep grudge and seek a fight to the death with us. If you accept him, where will you house him? Surely not Pengcheng? That would be far too dangerous."

Liu Bei stood stunned, as if turned to stone. This son of his was truly capable of foresight. Earlier, when Liu Feng had predicted that Lu Bu would eventually come to seek refuge, Liu Bei had pondered the matter for a long time and devised a brilliant plan: to station Lu Bu in Pengcheng. The state of Pengcheng was already a wasteland, so he did not fear Lu Bu taking root there to usurp him. At the same time, he could use Lu Bu as a vassal to block any potential attacks from Cao Cao. It was a stroke of genius—killing two birds with one stone. Yet, hearing his son’s words, he wondered if his brilliant plan was flawed.

"Is there something wrong with stationing Lu Bu in Pengcheng?" Liu Bei asked with a trembling voice.

Liu Feng sighed and countered, "Father, Lu Bu possesses the nature of a wolf; he is fickle and untrustworthy, and betraying his masters is as common as eating a meal. If you station him in Pengcheng today to use his strength against Cao Cao, how can you be certain he won't covet our city of Xiapi? You must realize that the road from Pengcheng to Xiapi is smooth and flat, with rivers to facilitate the transport of supplies. Lu Bu’s army is the Bing Province Legion, composed of skilled cavalry who move with speed. Once Yuan Shu invades and you march south to defend, what will you do if Lu Bu suddenly turns his back on you and strikes directly at Xiapi?"

Liu Bei’s heart turned cold. Having spent half his life on the battlefield, how could he not know whether Liu Feng’s words were true? His confidence plummeted to the depths. He recalled the advice Chen Qun had given him back in Yu Province. Had Chen Qun been right all along? Chen Qun had urged him not to leave for Xu Province, arguing that Yu Province was his true base of support and that remaining there was the best option. Xu Province looked appealing, but the waters were too deep; he would not be able to control it, and if his ship capsized, he would lose even his base in Yu Province.

Seeing his father sink from the heights of optimism into the depths of despair, Liu Feng knew that as a good son, he had to offer encouragement, letting his father know that he would always stand by his side to face any hardship.

"Though the situation is grim, with me here, Father need not worry!" Liu Feng straightened his posture, looked Liu Bei in the eye, and spoke with a gravity and confidence that infected his anxious father.

"Feng'er, what brilliant strategy do you have to teach me?"

Liu Bei was genuinely terrified by the scenario Liu Feng had painted. If it were to come to pass, life would be worse than death. Yet, Liu Feng’s logic was impeccable, leaving him no room to argue. Unless he chose to be an ostrich, he could not ignore it. At this moment, Liu Bei desperately wanted to hear some good news to soothe his frayed nerves. Liu Feng knew that they had reached the bottom, and it was time to rebuild his father’s confidence.