Chapter 11: Zhang Fei in Shock, Have We Three Brothers Truly Encountered Zhang Liang?

A short while later, Liu Bei led his troops to rendezvous with Zhang Fei’s unit.

"My dear brother!"

Seeing that Zhang Fei was safe and sound, Liu Bei was overjoyed. He sheathed his sword and, disregarding the blood and filth covering his own body, stepped forward to pull him into a tight embrace. Having been repeatedly defeated by Cao Cao over the past few days, he finally had reason to hold his head high.

Zhang Fei laughed with delight: "Today’s battle was truly exhilarating! We have struck such fear into the Cao army that they will never dare to underestimate us again."

Liu Bei reached out to wipe the blood from Zhang Fei’s face. He then noticed Cao Bao standing nearby, who met his gaze. To avoid any awkwardness, Cao Bao took the initiative to step forward, saying:

"My failure to follow your command the other day was why we were defeated by Cao Cao. But today, General, your tactical brilliance has utterly crushed the Cao army. I am truly convinced of your skill!"

Cao Bao spoke with sincerity. While he did not particularly like Liu Bei, he despised Cao Cao even more. Cao Cao had slaughtered many of his Danyang brothers and nearly taken his own life in Xuzhou; this was an irreconcilable blood feud. Today’s triumph and the chance to settle that score were entirely due to Liu Bei’s efforts.

A smile spread across Liu Bei’s face; he was genuinely pleased to hear these words. As mentioned before, Liu Bei had always held a fondness for Cao Bao, which was why he had remained patient even when Cao Bao clashed with Zhang Fei. Now, seeing Cao Bao speak this way, Liu Bei knew it was all thanks to the strategies devised by Mr. Li.

"This is not my achievement alone. It is thanks to the planning of Mr. Li that we have secured today's victory."

"Mr. Li? Could it be the reclusive genius you mentioned before?" Zhang Fei’s eyes widened as he eagerly asked.

A look of pride appeared on Liu Bei’s face: "This master is named Li Yi, courtesy name Ziyu. He is a disciple of a Taoist sage and possesses the talent to govern the world and save the people. It was his strategy that predicted Lü Bu’s sneak attack on Yan Province and led me to pursue Cao Cao."

Zhang Fei’s mouth hung open in astonishment: "Does Xuzhou truly possess a man of Zhang Liang’s caliber? Where is he? I must meet him!"

Zhang Fei had heard of Li Yi’s reputation before, but hearing from Liu Bei that this man had even calculated Lü Bu’s strike on Yan Province—was this not a singular talent capable of devising strategies in a tent that secure victory a thousand miles away?

"You shall see him soon enough. For now, let us clear the battlefield and tend to the wounded. We shall make further plans once we return to Xiaopei."

"…Very well, brother."

The brothers began to reorganize their troops, clear the field, care for the injured, and deal with the fallen.

...

Just as the bloody battlefield finally returned to silence, Li Yi, who had been observing from a hillside, felt a storm of emotions churning within him. He gently lowered his binoculars and took a deep breath to steady himself.

Just moments ago, he had witnessed a real battlefield. So many vibrant lives extinguished in an instant. It was nothing like what was shown on television; watching men have their throats slit and collapse to the ground was an indescribable sensation. Li Yi had experienced waves of physical nausea, yet he felt no fear. He knew this was the nature of the era, and he had to adapt to it.

After the fleeting discomfort, a surge of excitement took its place. As the saying goes: if the Si River did not stop flowing when I arrived, and it still does not stop when I leave, have I not lived in vain? The world is in turmoil, and I shall claim my place in it.

*Thump, thump, thump…*

Hurried footsteps approached, and a general came running over, looking elated.

"Great news! Great news! Wonderful news, sir!"

The voice was resonant and powerful, like the peal of a drum. Li Yi looked up to see Chen Dao, a native of Yu Province. He had joined Liu Bei’s ranks when Liu Bei took up station at Xiaopei in Xuzhou. Though he was a newcomer like Li Yi, in history, he was a genuine veteran of the founding of Shu Han. His status within the Shu Han military was significant, often described in historical texts as "ranking just behind Zhao Yun." He was the one who had personally trained the renowned "White-Feathered Army," so his capabilities were beyond question.

Although he was still young and green, like Zhao Yun, he was known for his courage and loyalty. Such a man was worth cultivating a deep friendship with.

"General Chen, you look radiant. I assume the General has routed the Cao army."

Despite having seen the situation clearly through his binoculars, Li Yi did not reveal the full extent of his knowledge. Chen Dao laughed heartily: "Thanks to your brilliant strategy, sir, the Cao army was caught off guard and fled in disgrace. Today’s battle was truly a joy to fight! We are heading west toward Xiaopei, where the Lord has already prepared a victory feast. The Lord sent me to fetch you, and he said that if you are not present at the banquet, no one would dare lift their chopsticks!"

Having been busy all day, Li Yi was indeed hungry. He immediately boarded the carriage with Chen Dao.

"Mind your step, sir." Chen Dao carefully assisted Li Yi into the carriage with sincere respect.

"My thanks to you…" Li Yi gestured with a bow. To have such a comfortable carriage amidst a military campaign—Old Liu was truly thoughtful.

The carriage moved slowly along the battlefield. Li Yi lifted the curtain, seeing corpses and scattered bones everywhere. How many people had died in Xuzhou? Pengcheng had been the first to be slaughtered, and a year had passed since. The bodies had long since rotted into heaps. After all this time, it was tragic that there was no one left to bury them. His people valued being laid to rest in the earth; if these souls still had family living, they must be in such agony knowing their loved ones were left exposed in the wilderness.

"In times of chaos, human life is as cheap as grass…" Li Yi sighed to himself, feeling fortunate to have met Liu Bei. If he had not been saved by Liu Bei and protected by a warlord, a man like him—without power, influence, or connections—would likely be just another heap of bones.

"Is there something you need, sir?" Hearing movement inside the carriage, Chen Dao urged his horse forward to ask.

Li Yi shook his head. "Nothing. Let us proceed quickly."

"Understood!"

Chen Dao accelerated. By the time they reached Xiaopei, twilight had fallen. The night was clear and quiet, with the moon shining like silver. Liu Bei, leading his generals with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei at the forefront, was waiting at the gate.

"…Sir, you have finally arrived." Seeing Li Yi approach, Liu Bei stepped forward with excitement and grasped his hand, as if fearing he would vanish if he let go.

"General, you have been campaigning all day; you must be exhausted. Why trouble yourself to wait for an idle man like me?" Li Yi was surprised to see Liu Bei waiting at the gate with his civil and military officials; the display of respect was so great it left him feeling flattered.

"An idle man? Hahaha…" Zhang Fei laughed boisterously. "If this feast were to proceed without you, none of us would dare touch our food. Our brother has told us that the prediction of Lü Bu’s raid on Yan Province and the strategy to pursue Cao Cao both came from your counsel."

Seeing this man standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Guan Yu beside Liu Bei, and noting his rugged nature, it was not hard to guess his identity. Li Yi immediately bowed with cupped hands: "You must be General Zhang. I have long admired your name!"

Zhang Fei hurriedly returned the gesture, his tone sincere and respectful: "Greetings, sir. It is thanks to your brilliant strategy that our army dealt such a heavy blow to the Cao forces. I had heard of your name before and wished to pay my respects, but I was tied up with military duties and lacked the time. To finally meet you today—you are truly as exceptional as they say!"