Chapter 43 I Plan to Launch a Night Raid

Even if Liu Bei successfully holds Jingzhou, Jingzhou will no longer belong to Liu Biao’s descendants.
Everyone is well aware of this fact.
It is difficult for anyone to respond to Liu Pan’s words.
Yet, Zhao Shaojie has no such scruples and speaks out directly, "General Liu, do you truly believe the Eldest Young Master can stand against Cao Cao?"
Liu Pan desperately wants to answer in the affirmative, but ultimately shakes his head. "He cannot."
"That is precisely the core of the issue. Since the Eldest Young Master cannot contend with Cao Cao, what good does it do him to keep Jingzhou in his hands?" Zhao Shaojie continues.
Liu Pan immediately interrupts, "Can Liu Bei do it then?"
"He can!" Zhao Shaojie’s expression turns solemn and earnest as he says with a ringing voice, "Throughout the entire realm, the only person capable of standing against Cao Cao is Lord Xuande. Once Lord Xuande restores the Han Dynasty in the days to come, he will certainly reward the Eldest Young Master with a princely title."
"Should this come to pass, the domain of the Han will remain the domain of the Han, and the Eldest Young Master will inherit a hereditary royal title. Is that not vastly superior to being the Governor of Jingzhou amidst a chaotic age? Even if the Eldest Young Master were to inherit the Governorship of Jingzhou, setting Cao Cao aside for a moment, would Liu Zhang not come to attack? Would Sun Quan not come to attack?"
"General Liu, for the long-term prosperity of Liu Jingzhou's lineage spanning ten thousand generations, I implore you not to bicker over immediate gains and losses."
Everyone stares wide-eyed at Zhao Shaojie.
Though deep down, everyone vaguely understands that in this turbulent era, whoever pacifies the realm becomes the emperor.
Still, no one has ever dared to pierce that thin veil of pretense. When Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor, the entire realm turned against him, and even Sun Ce hurriedly distanced himself. Who would dare broach the subject of becoming emperor at a time like this?
After a brief moment of shock, Liu Pan suddenly gives a bitter laugh.
Human hearts have indeed changed; no longer does anyone regard the Emperor in Xuchang as a true sovereign.
Take Liu Biao for instance—he once offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth in Xiangyang, committing an equally presumptuous act.
"Do you have such blind faith that Liu Bei will definitely pacify the realm?" Liu Pan sneers.
*Since I am here, if Liu Bei still cannot pacify the world, wouldn't that shame all time-travelers?* Zhao Shaojie thinks to himself, though aloud he says, "In this world, nothing is one hundred percent certain. But if everyone strives toward a single goal, results will surely follow."
"Lord Xuande is the one we have chosen to pacify the realm. If he cannot succeed, Liu Qi even less so."
"Even if Lord Xuande ultimately fails to pacify the realm, what loss would it be to Liu Qi? He merely loses a Governorship of Jingzhou that was bound to be lost anyway, and that too only in name!"
"General Liu, I ask you to ponder this carefully. Is this not the truth?"
Liu Pan closes his eyes powerlessly, his expression heavy. If it were not for these chaotic times, Liu Qi and Liu Cong might indeed have been able to hold Jingzhou. Yet if it were not for these chaotic times, how could a father-to-son succession ever have occurred in Jingzhou in the first place?
"Very well. I shall remain stationed in Youxian and will not interfere with your movements. You may also take Huang Zhong with you," Liu Pan declares.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shaojie immediately responds, "Splendid, that is quite enough. I must ask the General to remain vigilant toward the direction of Yangzhou. Unless you receive a direct order from Lord Xuande, under no circumstances should you allow people from Yangzhou to cross the border—no matter what pretexts they use, whether they speak of alliances or jointly resisting Cao Cao!"
"Oh, and beware of large-scale merchant caravans as well; those people could very well be Eastern Wu soldiers in disguise!"
Liu Pan nods without answering.
Zhao Shaojie sighs. "General Liu, the realm of the Han must be jointly preserved by the descendants of the House of Liu. If all of you continue to bicker over personal and private gains, how heartbroken Grand Founder Gaozu would be in the netherworld!"
Liu Pan looks at Zhao Shaojie, then glances at Mi Fang, Xu Xu, and the others, before letting out a long sigh.
...
After lingering for a day, the entire party departs.
Having received Zhao Shaojie's pointers, Liu Pan begins drafting soldiers to bring his force up to the full complement of ten thousand.
The army continues its march northward.
The more Zhao Shaojie thinks about it, the more helpless he feels. Truly, human nature is the most chaotic thing of all. Logically speaking, those bearing the surname Liu should care the most about the imperial Han realm. Yet in reality, Liu Pan only cares about the future prospects of Liu Qi and Liu Cong. While he holds a certain degree of admiration for Liu Bei, he ultimately does not view them as part of his own faction of the Liu family.
Of course, there are even more outrageous cases, such as Liu Ye directly surrendering to Cao Cao and repeatedly offering strategies—though the fortunate news is that Cao Cao has never quite fully trusted him.
Several days later, the army arrives at Linxiang, the administrative seat of Changsha Commandery.
Han Xuan has already closed the city gates. Looking down at the approaching army, he shouts sternly, "If you wish to pass through our territory, do so immediately! But if you intend to besiege the city, once Prime Minister Cao learns of it, he will certainly not spare any of you!"
Zhao Shaojie and the others standing beneath the city walls cannot help exclaiming at the sheer audacity.
*Did you conspire with Zhao Fan beforehand?*
Zhao Shaojie shouts back, "Han Xuan, surrender immediately! Otherwise, once our army breaches the city, none of you will find a place for your bones!"
Changsha Commandery is by no means comparable to Guiyang Commandery; it is far more prosperous, boasting a garrison of five thousand commandery troops inside the city.
Although Han Xuan commands five thousand men, he is inwardly plagued by severe panic. Not only are his numbers few, but his troops are hardly elite, leaving him thoroughly indecisive.
Beside him, Xu Xu signals Huang Zhong to step forward.
Huang Zhong shouts in a booming voice, "Prefect Han, surrender!"
Han Xuan is taken aback. "Weren't you following Liu Pan? Why are you in Liu Bei's army?" With that, he hurriedly bellows, "Quickly drive them away! You are also a soldier of Changsha; now that Young Master Liu Cong has submitted to Prime Minister Cao, I remain the Prefect of Changsha, and you must obey my orders!"

Huang Zhong looks at Han Xuan without uttering a word.
Mi Fang and the others cannot suppress their laughter.
Indignant, Zhao Shaojie shouts, "Han Xuan, are you out of your mind? Under the present circumstances, you still attempt to incite General Huang—do you think that will have any effect? If you know what's good for you, surrender at once!"
"The terms we offer you are identical to those given to Zhao Fan. Tomorrow at this exact hour, we shall commence our siege. Refusal to surrender means death!"
"By now, Zhao Fan and Liu Pan have already submitted to Lord Xuande. Weigh your options carefully!"
Without waiting for Han Xuan to reply from atop the ramparts, Zhao Shaojie turns and heads straight back to the military encampment.
The others follow suit back to the camp, where the assembly of siege engines immediately begins.
Gazing at the army outside the city, Han Xuan cannot help uttering the exact same lament voiced by Zhao Fan: "Is it truly impossible for the likes of us to find even a moment of peace?"
Left with no alternative, Han Xuan has no choice but to return and consult his subordinates regarding their course of action for the morrow.
Inside the Liu Bei encampment, deep in the night, Zhao Shaojie summons Mi Fang and the others.
"I intend to launch a surprise raid tonight. What are your thoughts?" Zhao Shaojie asks with a grin.
The group pauses in slight surprise, and Xu Xu asks, "Doesn't doing so contradict what you proclaimed so righteously during the day?"
"Ah, all is fair in war; pay no mind to such trifles," Zhao Shaojie replies, waving a hand dismissively. Far from caring, he continues with enthusiastic eagerness, "Judging by Han Xuan's demeanor, he seems determined to put up a stubborn defense. We cannot afford to waste time here. Let us launch a nocturnal raid and pull a fast one on this veteran comrade Han Xuan."
Xu Xu frowns, unaccustomed to Zhao Shaojie's idiosyncratic terminology, but eventually nods. "Very well then. Reaching Jiangxi as swiftly as possible is the proper priority."
Mi Fang also chimes in, "Once our army enters the city, Han Xuan will lose all ability to resist. Securing Changsha will allow us to connect seamlessly with Jiangxi, paving the way for our lord to execute his grand plans."
Everyone expresses their agreement.
That very night, long after midnight when everyone is fast asleep, Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and their troops set out to advance.
By the time Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and the vanguard reach the base of the city walls, not a single soul inside the city has even stirred.