Chapter 2: I Anticipated That Cao Cao Would Not Withdraw His Troops Anytime Soon (New Book, Please Support!)

Liu Bei’s talent for recognizing people was unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms period. It would not be an exaggeration to say that even Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei himself ranked him at the very top. This gift stemmed from Liu Bei’s background: in his youth, he was a wandering swordsman and had contact with many heroes and vagabonds. Later, he studied under the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi and mingled with numerous gentry and nobles. In effect, Liu Bei had traversed all social strata, from the lowest to the highest, meeting countless types of people. Such extensive experience naturally endowed him with exceptional insight into character.

Liu Bei held a strong favor for the young man he had personally saved; he believed this youth was no ordinary person. It was not merely his striking appearance, but more so his calm and unflustered demeanor in the face of danger that convinced Liu Bei. Ordinary people, when pursued by enemy soldiers, would have been terrified to the point of losing their wits. Yet this young man, after being rescued, remained composed and serene, showing no trace of fear—clearly, he was extraordinary.

Back in Tan County, Liu Bei poured a cup of hot tea for Li Yi and asked carefully, “Forgive my boldness, but now that Cao Cao attacks Xuzhou, leaving devastation in his wake, why does the young man wander alone? You must know that this world is treacherous, and even if you escape the chaos of war, there are still wolves and tigers ready to prey on you.”

Li Yi took the tea cup, inwardly deciding he must not reveal his true identity as a man from the future. He needed a plausible story to convince Liu Bei. He replied, “To be honest, I have been practicing with a master in the mountains since childhood. Living exposed to the wind and rain, sleeping beneath the moon and frost, I have led a simple life. But last year, when Cao Cao waged war on Xuzhou, my master could not bear to witness the carnage. So, on his deathbed, he entrusted me to descend the mountain and seek a wise ruler to assist in great affairs. After settling my master’s affairs, I set out, only to encounter Cao Cao’s forces on the road. Fortunate that Your Excellency found me, or I would surely have perished!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yi rose again to express his gratitude. Liu Bei was overjoyed; this young man was a hermit sage. That explained his unusual attire and appearance. What delighted Liu Bei most was his desperate need for talent. His comrades Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were fierce warriors, almost invincible in battle, but their talents could hardly be fully utilized. His childhood friend Jian Yong and the newly joined Sun Qian were mere scholars, lacking the wisdom to govern and aid the world. Though Liu Bei was unsure if this youth possessed true abilities, even a glimmer of hope was enough to inspire his efforts.

“Ah, so you are a hermit sage! Forgive me for not asking sooner. May I inquire your name?” Liu Bei asked.

Li Yi cupped his hands and replied, “I am Li Yi, courtesy name—” He paused briefly before adding, “Zi Yu.”

Li Yi’s reply came swiftly, recalling the phrase from the Classic of Poetry: “A gentleman is like jade, gentle and radiant.” Liu Bei stroked his beard thoughtfully, savoring the name.

“‘Yi’ means to assist; ‘Yu’ means beautiful. A gentleman is gentle and radiant like jade, noble and unyielding. A fine name, a fine courtesy name!” Liu Bei smiled warmly and turned to Li Yi, saying, “I see in you a true gentleman, graceful and unsullied.”

That single sentence felt like a spring breeze, soothing and uplifting. At that moment, Li Yi understood what it meant to be the ‘Charmer of the Three Kingdoms.’ Was this why, in every Three Kingdoms game, the charm attribute always surpassed even that of Diao Chan? This was genuine charisma.

Li Yi had once worked in the Human Resources Department, meeting all manner of people. Some possessed high emotional intelligence and excellent social skills, making others eager to spend time with them because they were easy and pleasant to be around, without conflict. This feeling was distinct from the allure of a beautiful woman. Li Yi’s attention to detail and focus had propelled him early into a senior management role. He keenly noticed that although Liu Bei smiled, his brows were furrowed, clearly burdened with worries.

He inquired, “I see Your Excellency’s brows are drawn; do you have concerns?”

Liu Bei’s expression stiffened slightly, then he sighed, “Your insight is as clear as fire. Cao Cao has brought a great army to invade Xuzhou, slaughtering men, women, and children alike. Previously, Tao Qian entrusted me to resist Cao Cao, and alongside his general Cao Bao, I fought with all my might, but it was insufficient…”

At these words, Liu Bei’s tone grew pained, tinged with helplessness. When he served as magistrate of Pingyuan, he commanded barely over a thousand men, including a few hundred irregular cavalry. With so few troops, he was willing to risk everything to uphold justice and support Tao Qian against Cao Cao. At this time, Cao Cao was still a subordinate of Yuan Shao. Liu Bei had earlier assisted Gongsun Zan against Yuan Shao, and now aided Tao Qian against Cao Cao, offending both Yuan and Cao factions alike—truly, he was entering a bottleneck in his career.

Seeing this, Li Yi offered reassurance: “Your Excellency need not worry; I predict Cao Cao will soon withdraw his forces.”

“The siege of Xuzhou will be lifted.”

These words surprised not only Liu Bei but also the man behind him, Guan Yu. “What makes you say that?” Liu Bei asked quickly.

This was Cao Cao’s second invasion of Xuzhou. The first campaign saw him capture ten cities and deal Tao Qian a devastating defeat at Pengcheng, but he withdrew due to supply shortages. Now, invoking revenge for his father, Cao Cao launched another offensive. With the addition of the Yellow Turbans from Qingzhou, his strength had grown greatly, winning successive battles and capturing five cities. Despite Tao Qian’s aid, Liu Bei’s desperate resistance seemed unlikely to repel the enemy.

Yet Li Yi’s casual remark, confidently predicting Cao Cao’s retreat without battle, was startling.

Facing their astonished gazes, Li Yi calmly explained, “Cao Cao’s army is deep in Xuzhou, leaving Yanzhou undefended. If someone were to seize this opportunity and strike, Cao Cao would be unable to attend to both ends.”

“Would he not then retreat without a fight?”

Liu Bei exchanged a glance with Guan Yu, who spoke first, “Who would dare launch a surprise attack on Yanzhou?”

Li Yi chuckled softly and deliberately uttered two words:

“Lu Bu.”

Lu Bu.

The name was familiar to the brothers. After assassinating the traitor Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu’s reputation had somewhat recovered. But in recent years, he had been restless, first joining Yuan Shu, then Yuan Shao, pillaging the countryside and ruining whatever goodwill he had regained. Now, homeless and adrift, capturing a large territory like Yanzhou would indeed be a boon for Lu Bu.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, narrowing his eyes in analysis: “Lu Bu is a fierce and treacherous man. It is not impossible for him to seize such an opportunity. But since fleeing Chang’an, he has lost much of his army. Even if he has the courage, he lacks the means.”

Li Yi smiled, “If he is aided by Chen Gong and Zhang Miao, Yanzhou will surely fall.”

A sharp intake of breath—another intriguing assertion.

Zhang Miao was Cao Cao’s childhood friend, and before Cao Cao’s first campaign in Xuzhou, he had even entrusted his wife and children to Zhang Miao’s care. With such a bond, how could Zhang Miao betray Cao Cao? And Cao Cao cherished Chen Gong like a first love, holding him with utmost care. How could Chen Gong possibly abandon Cao Cao to support Lu Bu?

Yet Li Yi’s reasoning suggested otherwise.