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In the western corridor of the Hall of Liu Bei, located at the Wuhou Shrine in the southern suburbs of Chengdu, Sichuan, there are fourteen statues commemorating the military generals of the Shu Han dynasty, known as the Gallery of Generals. Sun Qian’s statue is placed second, revealing his esteemed position in Liu Bei’s army.

Earlier, upon learning that Cao Cao was leading a large force to attack Xuzhou, Liu Bei had dispatched Sun Qian to persuade Li Shao to launch a rear attack on Cao Cao, which would temporarily relieve Xuzhou’s peril.

At this moment, Sun Qian hurried in, his expression grave. Liu Bei’s heart sank at the sight.

“Gongyou, what did my brother Benchu say? Will he attack Cao Cao from behind?” Liu Bei asked anxiously, for this was the crucial point.

“Lord, Gongyou is incapable,” Sun Qian replied awkwardly. “General Li will not attack Cao Cao from behind. However, he said that if you are in trouble, you can seek refuge with him.”

Liu Bei was taken aback—why would Li Shao refuse such a good opportunity? “Why won’t Li Shao attack Cao Cao? Didn’t I write a letter and carefully explain it to him?”

“It’s not that I didn’t analyze it,” said Sun Qian with a wry smile, “but Li Shao’s son is ill.”

“That’s impossible!” Liu Bei said decisively. Li Shao had risen from a mere Prefect of Bohai to controlling four provinces; he would never give up such an opportunity! Liu Bei understood this well.

“Perhaps, Li Shao is uncertain whether Cao Cao has left the front line?” At this moment, a tall, red-faced general with a long beard stepped forward—standing nine feet tall, his beard two feet long; his face like a dark red date, lips like painted lacquer; with phoenix-shaped eyes and prominent eyebrows, majestic and imposing. Yet at this moment, he held no Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand.

This was none other than our comrade Guan Yu.

In ancient times, one chi equaled 23 centimeters; thus, Guan Yu’s beard was nearly 46 centimeters long, carefully groomed to perfection, which earned him the epithet “the Lord of Beautiful Beard.”

“Oh?” Liu Bei listened as Guan Yu spoke, knowing his second brother was not like Zhang Fei—merely a brave but not very cunning warrior—and so he asked Guan Yu, “Second brother, what do you think?”

“Yes, big brother!” Guan Yu replied, hesitating slightly before offering his insight. “Brother, Cao Cao is a man who always uses strategy. Now that Li Shao and Cao Cao are locked in at Guandu, logically Cao Cao must be guarding the front lines. When Sun Qian went to ally with Li Shao, Li Shao may have thought it was Cao Cao’s trick, using his son’s illness as an excuse.”

“General Guan’s words make sense.” Sun Qian nodded silently. After hearing Guan Yu’s analysis, he realized Li Shao was not as incompetent as he had thought. “It seems Cao Cao’s sudden strike completely disrupted Li Shao’s formation.”

“Ah!” Liu Bei grew more anxious. A surprise attack meant that Cao Cao was confident of defeating Liu Bei in one decisive battle; otherwise, if Li Shao recovered in time, Cao Cao’s forces would be overwhelmed by Li Shao’s numerical advantage.

“Big brother, don’t worry,” Zhang Fei chimed in, ever the optimist, trying to soothe Liu Bei. “Cao Cao came from Yanzhou, and his troops are weary from the journey. When they reach Xiaopei, they will be exhausted. We should strike his camp tonight; we can defeat him.”

Liu Bei sighed, looking at Sun Qian and Mi Zhu, who remained silent. He nodded. “Very well, we’ll attack the camp tonight.”

Now, it seemed that escaping was the only option left for them, and Liu Bei had no choice.

...

At Xiaopei, after Cao Cao joined forces with Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Dun was startled.

“Lord, you... why have you come here?” Xiahou Dun had thought Cao Cao’s claim to have left the front line was a ruse, but now that Cao Cao was truly at Xiaopei, with Li Shao’s forces lurking behind, Xiahou Dun’s heart trembled. How could Cao Cao be so bold?

“Haha, General Xiahou, no need to worry. Wenruo, Gongda, and Changwen are guarding Xuchang; Yu Jin, Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, and Lü Bu command great generals in Yanzhou. We have secured the terrain at Guandu. Your lordship’s campaign in Xuzhou will encounter no obstacles!” said a slender man dressed in a light robe, holding a feather fan despite the autumn chill—an eccentric figure who drew an annoyed glance from Cheng Yu standing nearby. There was no greenhouse effect in those days.

“Not cold?” Cheng Yu thought silently.

Cao Cao, however, looked at the man with admiration. This was none other than Guo Jia, famed throughout history.

Guo Jia’s life was legendary. A true scholar from a humble background, he was exceptionally talented. At twenty, he foresaw the chaos that would engulf the late Han dynasty—much like Zhuge Liang’s famous Longzhong Plan. Fear of the unknown is mankind’s greatest dread, but Guo Jia’s extraordinary intellect proved the future could indeed be foreseen.

At twenty-one, Guo Jia traveled north to join Li Shao, but after hearing the counsel of Shen Pei and Guo Tu, he realized Li Shao was no wise ruler, and thus remained idle for six years.

Only when Xun Yu recommended him to Cao Cao did Guo Jia truly transform, shining brilliantly.

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After being appointed chief strategist by Cao Cao, Guo Jia dedicated himself fully. In 197 AD, when Cao Cao failed against Zhang Xiu and Li Shao insulted Cao Cao in a letter, Guo Jia proposed the famous “Ten Wins, Ten Losses” theory. He cited ten reasons proving “Cao has ten wins; Shao has ten losses.”

Guo Jia’s analysis was persuasive, boosting the morale of Cao’s troops and helping Cao Cao formulate both short- and long-term strategies. Cao Cao immediately recognized Guo Jia’s value—a talented man from humble origins with sharp insight and persuasive flattery—a promising asset indeed.

Thus, Guo Jia became a core adviser to Cao Cao. Incidentally, Guo Jia had once advised to detain Liu Bei indefinitely, never allowing him freedom, but Cao Cao ignored this, leading to the current predicament.

“Now I can rest easier,” Xiahou Dun sighed in relief.

“Gongming, Mancheng! You two distinguished yourselves at the Battle of Tianzhu Mountain!” Cao Cao praised generously. Xiahou Dun’s decisive defeat of Chen Lan was unexpected but welcome.

“Thank you, Lord,” Xu Huang and Li Dian said modestly, proud of their rightful credit.

Cao Cao furrowed his brows, contemplating. The stout man was excited—just as Guo Jia predicted, he had caught Xiaopei by surprise, and Li Shao had yet to react.

“Any comments on the battle for Xuzhou?” Cao Cao asked, determined to win decisively without further setbacks. He had to return swiftly to prepare for the decisive battle against Li Shao.

“Lord, Liu Xuande’s troops are unsettled. If we spread news of our army’s approach within Xuzhou, their forces will inevitably fall into chaos,” Cheng Yu suggested, hoping to sow discord.

But Guo Jia, fanning himself, laughed heartily.

“No, no, Zhongde, your plan is too slow!” Guo Jia was blunt.

Cheng Yu’s face darkened; Guo Jia was excellent in many ways, but his sharp tongue often caused friction. These were Cao Cao’s strategists; a little mutual respect wouldn’t hurt.

“Oh? Fengxiao, do you have a better plan?”

Cheng Yu glared.

Cao Cao watched these two bickering but did not object. This was the difference with Li Shao: Cao Cao’s advisers usually united in times of crisis, though petty quarrels occurred. Li Shao’s men frequently fought among themselves and sometimes withheld effort or even sabotaged their own side for personal gain.

“Haha, naturally! Lord, tonight you only need to ambush and wait for the trap to spring. Liu Xuande will come to raid the camp!” Guo Jia declared.

“Oh?” Cheng Yu, Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun, Zhang Liao, and other generals looked on with interest, puzzled as to how Guo Jia knew this.

Could he be a heavenly-sent savior?

Many would now narrate a passage about a fierce wind suddenly snapping a battle standard...

Guo Jia waved his fan. “The battle banner has broken. The enemy will attack the camp tonight!”

Such superstition was nonsense; only strategy and reason mattered.

“Fengxiao, explain your plan to everyone.”

Cao Cao had a close relationship with Guo Jia and deeply trusted this man who cared only for the greater good, unentangled in factionalism. A bachelor, Guo Jia had no need for intrigue. Among Cao Cao’s many advisers, Guo Jia understood Cao Cao best; they were like close friends.

Moreover, Cao Cao, strict in military affairs, tolerated Guo Jia’s unconventional behavior, thinking: “This is an extraordinary man; normal rules need not bind him.”

Guo Jia also had good relations with Cheng Yu and Xun Yu. Though they often teased each other, they were serious in critical matters. Xun Yu had recommended Guo Jia, and Cheng Yu highly esteemed his talents. Guo Jia was not ungrateful.

Cao Cao was straightforward with Guo Jia. The camp fell silent as all showed great respect. Guo Jia and Cao Cao often shared the same carriage and seat; such talent commanded admiration.

Who would not want to shine before their lord? Especially under a leader like Cao Cao, surrounded by brilliant minds, standing out was damn hard.

After Cao Cao’s question, all eyes fixed on Guo Jia, eager to hear his reasoning.

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“My lord,” Guo Jia smiled wryly, “such a simple question hardly needs pondering.”

“Consider what Zhongde just said: Liu Bei slew Che Zhou and took control of Xuzhou. His fifty thousand troops are all former Cao army soldiers who surrendered, following only their commander’s orders. But if we spread rumors that Liu Bei has betrayed us and that I command an army of one hundred thousand, what will Liu Bei do?”

Guo Jia warmed to his argument, speaking rapidly.

“Liu Bei will certainly realize this and never give us the chance to implement such a ploy. He will not stay entrenched in Xuzhou.”

Cao Cao frowned thoughtfully—indeed, Liu Bei would never hold Xuzhou.

Initially, under Tao Qian, Xuzhou had ample supplies, enough to last a long time. But after Tao Qian resigned and Liu Bei took over, the region suffered repeated ravages at the hands of Cao Cao, Lü Bu, and Che Zhou, exhausting its resources.

Furthermore, Liu Bei would never allow himself to be trapped like a cornered beast. He knew his own methods, had once sheltered Cao Cao, but would never tolerate betrayal. So if Cao Cao trapped him, Liu Bei’s only options would be permanent imprisonment or death.

This time, Cao Cao had justification to kill Liu Bei, no longer needing to preserve him out of loyalty to the virtuous.

Guo Jia continued.

“Look at Liu Bei’s history: first seeking refuge with Gongsun Zan in Youzhou, then fleeing to Qi but restrained by Tian Kai; after leaving Qi, joining Tao Qian in Xuzhou; then defeated by Lü Bu and forced to surrender; later attempting to establish himself, battling Lü Bu again, defeated and fleeing to you; and now, once more trying to establish himself. He will surely leave a path of retreat.”

The assembled understood. Damn, Liu Bei was like a cockroach—hard to kill.

Liu Bei’s early life was full of hardship and wandering—a tragic tale.

“Therefore, my lord, you must kill Liu Bei now. If not removed early, he will bring future trouble!” Guo Jia declared firmly.

“Yes, my lord, Fengxiao’s words are sound. Liu Bei will not hold Xuzhou but will surely fight us. Our troops are new and weary. Liu Bei will choose this moment to strike—a desperate battle. Without Fengxiao’s counsel, our army is doomed,” Cheng Yu added.

“My lord, then let us crush Liu Bei and capture him alive!” Ma Chao, following Xiahou Dun, urged. “Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are fierce warriors; killing Liu Bei might cause trouble. Imprison Liu Bei and enlist Zhang Fei and Guan Yu under our banner. Victory at Guandu is assured!”

“Hm.” The stout Cao Cao was pleased with his strategists; their minds were sharper than his own. He would not repeat the mistake of underestimating Liu Bei that had caused so much trouble.

Cao Cao frowned. With the plan set, he would allow no threats to his capture of Liu Bei and asked Guo Jia, “Fengxiao, you said Liu Xuande will leave himself a way out—does that mean he intends to surrender to Li Shao?”

“Exactly,” Guo Jia laughed. “My lord is wise.”

Cao Cao felt refreshed; Guo Jia’s casual flattery was always pleasing, sincere and fitting. The more Cao Cao looked at Guo Jia, the more fond he became.

“Good. Then tonight, let Liu Bei come but never return.”

...

Twilight soon fell, with a faint mist and dim moonlight—Liu Bei rejoiced.

“Second brother, Third brother, if we win today, we can consolidate in Xuzhou. If not, you two may have to flee with me to Li Shao again,” Liu Bei sighed deeply.

“Big brother, you worry too much. With fifty thousand troops raiding the camp, the Cao army will surely be defeated!” Zhang Fei’s voice boomed like thunder.