"Xiuyuan and Wenjin... both died because of my negligence."
At this point, Liu Bei no longer needed anyone to explain it to him.
He understood exactly where he had gone wrong.
The images surfaced in his mind without invitation. The two of them arriving together back then, full of spirit, full of ambition, speaking as if the future lay open before them.
Now, that memory only made his chest feel heavier.
"They treated me as a pillar of the state... yet I failed to repay them as one."
Guan Yu's gaze sharpened as he pieced together the battlefield.
"The battle at Mount Ma'an is likely a loss," he analyzed. "Lu Xun used fire to break the camps and a surprise force to cut the rear. His main army should still have at least 40,000 troops capable of fighting."
"And Big Brother's forces... were trapped within the chain camps..."
"Second Brother, just watch," Zhang Fei muttered, tugging at his sleeve.
No need to say more. Everyone could already feel how this would end.
Ma Liang, meanwhile, silently wrote down the name Shamoke.
To think this barbarian king died just like that...
[Lightscreen]
[Liu Bei ascended Mount Ma'an and arranged his forces around it.
Mount Ma'an held a unique position. Located to the west of the Yiling battlefield, it had a narrow path leading north directly to Zigui, which was the closest retreat route available to Liu Bei at the time.
It is also highly likely that Ma Liang was stationed here, as it served as the encampment for the Wuxi tribes.
It was here that Shu Han and Sun Wu finally had a literal head-to-head clash.
Unfortunately, while Liu Bei held the terrain advantage, he had no more than 10,000 scattered troops at his side. The bulk of his army had already been destroyed across the forty-plus camps broken by Lu Xun.
Lu Xun, though attacking uphill, commanded 50,000 untouched troops eager for merit. After all, a battle fought with momentum is the easiest kind.
Moreover, everyone knew who stood atop that mountain.
The leader of Shu.
No need to capture him alive. Killing him alone would guarantee eternal fame, titles, and rank.
With such a reward dangling before them, the soldiers became utterly fearless.
Under such overwhelming disparities in both numbers and morale, the Shu army had only one option left.
Fu Rong and Cheng Ji fought to the death to cover the retreat, buying Liu Bei a sliver of survival.
Yiling was lost. But Liu Bei could not die here.
In the end, Liu Bei escaped alone to Baidicheng
The veteran soldiers he had accumulated over ten years of warfare since Red Cliffs were completely wiped out. A vast number of mid- and high-ranking officers were killed or captured. The losses were absolute.]
Utter devastation.
The word did not even begin to cover it.
Liu Bei's fingers tightened until his knuckles turned pale.
Just days ago, he had hosted a banquet with Fu Tong. That same man had wept for the Han after drinking, grief pouring out of him like a flood. And later, even his son would die for Shu.
And now... gone.
As for total annihilation, Liu Bei, a veteran himself, understood exactly what that meant.
An army's strength was not just its soldiers. It was the officers. The Majors, the Commandants, the Captains of a Hundred, the Gate Guard Generals. The men hardened through Jingzhou, Hanzhong, and Yizhou.
Soldiers could be recruited again. But those men? Where would he ever find them again?
Even with abundant grain and gold, all he could raise would be fresh recruits. At best, they would be like Wu soldiers who scattered the moment the battle turned unfavorable.
"Wu troops are quite stubborn when defending," Wei Yan spoke up, emboldened. "I have dealt with them back in my hometown."
"They are driven by authority, not reward. Without profit or merit to gain, they will not fight to the death."
"But Mount Ma'an is different."
He raised a finger. "First, there is great reward ahead. Second, this battle is fought in Jingzhou."
He paused. "And third... they are defending their own land. How could they not fight desperately?"
"Well said," Guan Yu nodded. "Yide, Wu troops may be weak, but they are not to be underestimated."
Zhang Fei gave a rare, serious nod.
Guan Yu then glanced at Wei Yan again, his thoughts turning. The Lightscreen had not said much about this subordinate. Only that there would be a Wei Yan rebellion in the future, yet he would also be one of Kongmingt's right-hand men.
At first, Guan Yu had opposed bringing him here. But Liu Bei had insisted. If he could become Kongminh's right hand, then he must have talent. And if his rebellion lay twenty years in the future, then his nature was not yet fixed. Treat him with great favor now, and perhaps that future disaster could be avoided.
[Lightscreen]
[This single battle caused Shu Han to collapse entirely.
Looking back, the first major error was the timing. The campaign began in the seventh month of 221. Liu Bei advanced swiftly, capturing Wu County and Zigui.
And then... he stopped. He remained there until early 222 before advancing again.
This gave the hastily reacting Sun Wu time to mobilize and array their forces.
Lu Xun completed his strategic analysis and tactical setup, locking the Shu army into the Yiling gorge.
So where did Liu Bei go during those months? Surely he was not imitating Duke Xiang of Song, playing at righteousness?
A line outside Liu Bei's biography notes: In the second year of Zhangwu, the Empress Si was posthumously honored and her remains moved to Shu, but the First Ruler passed away before they arrived.
The second year of Zhangwu is 222. During the first half of the year, Liu Bei was trapped at Yiling. In the latter half, he suffered defeat and could not leave Jingzhou.
Thus, some speculate that the missing months were used to relocate Lady Gan's tomb. Because she had died in Nan Commandery and was buried there, and after the stalemate at Yiling, there would have been no time or opportunity to move her remains.
Due to a lack of detailed records, this remains speculation. But aside from this, it is difficult to explain such a major tactical delay in the early stages of the Yiling campaign.]
Liu Bei froze for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"Speculation. Nothing more."
"Perhaps disease broke out among the troops at Zigui, delaying the advance."
Zhang Fei shook his head vigorously. "If it were anyone else, I would not believe it. But... Big Brother..."
The others exchanged glances and nodded in understanding. Everyone knew how deeply Liu Bei cared for Lady Gan. And how well she had managed his household, sparing them countless concerns.
Liu Bei forced a smile. "Just last month, Doctor Zhang examined my wife. He said it was wind illness. He prescribed a few decoctions, and she has been getting better since."
"That is good," the others said, relieved.
But Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong exchanged a glance.
Concern flickered beneath their calm expressions.
The speculation sounded strange. Yet Liu Bei had spent his life accepting advice humbly. Only at Yiling had he acted with such stubborn insistence.
Something was off. There had to be a reason. What was my lord planning?
Pang Tong seemed to realize something. He silently wrote a few characters and passed the slip to Zhuge Liang.
Cao Pi is inferior to his father.
[Lightscreen]
[The second tactical error was the six-month stalemate with Lu Xun. In modern terms: I am waiting for my ultimate move, what are you waiting for?
Lu Xun was under immense pressure from his arrogant generals and had to write to Sun Quan every two months to soothe his nerves.
He was waiting for Shu Han's morale to drop and the weather to change, hoping for a flaw. Luck favored him; Liu Bei handed over control of the river, and Lu Xun struck with precision.
In a stalemate, it is often a contest of who blinks first. If Liu Bei had not slipped up, Lu Xun might have been forced to attack prematurely by his veteran generals, giving Shu Han a chance.
But history has no ifs. If there were ifs, Guan Yunchang would have marched north from Xiangyang-Fancheng and beheaded Cao Cao years ago, saving us all this trouble.]
Liu Bei could not help asking, "Yunchang, if Sun Quan had coordinated from Hefei during the Xiangyang-Fancheng Campaign... could we have reached Xuchang?"
Guan Yu shook his head without hesitation, shattering the illusion. "If Sun Quan had such resolve, there would have been no Xiang River alliance. By then, you would already have taken Guanzhong after securing Hanzhong. Why would we still be here?"
He paused. "But these are empty words. No use discussing them."
Jiang Wan added thoughtfully, "Even after the merit of taking Jingzhou, Lu Xun still lacked full authority. He had to stabilize both his lord above and the fierce generals below."
"The outcome between him and Your Lordship was no more than fifty-fifty."
Liu Bei nodded in agreement. Yet inside, his heart ached.
Damn it, Where exactly is this Lu Xun?
The intelligence Jian Yong had gathered on the Lu clan was still tucked in his sleeve. A thin sheet of paper. No matter how he read it, there was no mention of Xun.
[Lightscreen]
[Overall, Yiling is called Liu Bei's Gamble of Destiny.
At this time, Wei was strong, but not overwhelmingly so. Sun Wu had swallowed Jingzhou and the surrendered troops of Guan Yu and Yu Jin, greatly increasing their strength.
Wu's attention was fixed on Yiling. By choosing to fight south of the river, Liu Bei might have been acting as bait to lure Cao Wei into the fray.
But unfortunately, the naive Cao Pi was thoroughly outplayed by the deeply scheming Sun Quan.]
Zhuge Liang unfolded the slip Pang Tong had handed him.
Four characters.
'Cao Pi is inferior to his father.'