Chapter 7: Heroes and Bandits—A Single Thought Apart

This matter was orchestrated by Zhang Hong, acting as his spokesman in Xuchang. From the day Zhang Hong arrived in Xuchang, he had already begun plotting. Zhang Hong was a perceptive man; as soon as he entered Xuchang, he saw through Dong Cheng's helplessness. The outsider Dong Cheng had invited to bolster his position in court, Cao Cao, had now completely reversed the roles—he not only took control of Liu Xie but also drew him into his own territory.

It was as if one were eagerly waiting for a young maiden to grow up and marry her, only to have the neighbor Old Wang take her to bed as soon as she came of age. No ordinary person could stomach such humiliation, and Dong Cheng was, after all, just an ordinary man.

For Zhang Hong to be regarded as the equal of Zhang Zhao, his eloquence was naturally formidable. To sway an insignificant Dong Cheng was child's play, especially at a time when Cao Cao's own confidants were wavering and considering Yuan Shao. Secretly plotting something in such circumstances was hardly difficult.

Liu Bei, Wang Zifu, and others naturally clustered around Dong Cheng as senior officials of the Han, but Dong Cheng was no fool to be manipulated. Sun Ce, whom Zhang Hong served, was the most secretive and crucial element of Dong Cheng's plan.

If they succeeded in Xuchang, Sun Ce—at the height of his power in Jiangdong—would come racing to Xuchang in a flash, not only taking charge of Liu Xie, but also absorbing the remnants of Cao Cao's forces to continue the resistance against Yuan Shao.

Of course, if Yuan Shao proved unbeatable in the north, then they might as well let him have it, retreating to Jiangdong where they could still wield the emperor to command the lords.

The difference here was that Dong Cheng believed his position would change: Sun Ce, though dubbed the Young Overlord, was merely a twenty-five-year-old youth. In Dong Cheng's eyes, just a boy wet behind the ears. If he couldn’t outmaneuver Cao Cao, surely he could hoodwink Sun Ce.

Yet such a flawless plan was overturned entirely by the eighteen-year-old emperor Liu Xie—something no one anticipated, not even Zhang Hong.

Despite the failure, it wasn’t enough for Zhang Hong to personally seek him out while campaigning. Sun Ce, speaking of Dong Cheng’s incompetence and Liu Xie’s foolishness, was still full of doubts.

“My lord, I came here because on the very day His Majesty imprisoned Dong Cheng, he ordered Fu Wan to deliver a letter to me, and that letter… was for you!”

“What? Liu Xie, young and muddle-headed, could see through your plotting with me?”

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“My lord, you should look at this letter first. Though Dong Cheng has been defeated, our opportunity in Jiangdong is not lost.”

With these words, Zhang Hong, his expression complicated, drew a letter from his person and handed it to Sun Ce with both hands.

Sun Ce immediately saw Zhang Hong had already read the letter, but he did not resent it. After all, concerning Xuchang, there were no secrets between them; if there were, it was only Zhang Hong withholding information.

He took the letter from Liu Xie, who was seven years his junior. At first, Sun Ce’s face was full of disdain—what could a man who had managed to imprison his own father-in-law possibly know of real talent?

But the moment the letter rested in his hands and his eyes glanced over a few lines, the arrogance fell from Sun Ce’s face.

Zhang Hong stood beside him, as if he had expected this reaction all along—clearly implying that if things were that simple, he wouldn’t have bothered to come in person.

“What a fine line between hero and bandit; this emperor of the Han truly regards himself as a bona fide ruler.”

After finishing, Sun Ce slapped the letter onto the table, grinning in mockery.

Truthfully, he had little respect for Liu Xie. Though only twenty-five himself, the land beneath his feet, the ministers before him, and even the beauties at his side—all were won by his own hand. The two daughters of Master Qiao, already sent ahead to Wu to join Zhou Yu, were his conquests, earned by real effort.

Liu Xie was not really an emperor, just a puppet propped up by others. Now, suddenly, he was trying to throw his weight around with Sun Ce, the true lord of Jiangdong, which irked him deeply.

“He really is the true emperor. If not, Cao Cao wouldn’t have the confidence to challenge Yuan Shao. Though His Majesty is young and somewhat dim, what he says in the letter is correct: if we wish to become true lords, we must seize the moment as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao war against each other. When this battle is over, the emperor’s value to Cao Cao will diminish. If he falls into Yuan Shao’s hands, he’ll be dead, and that’s why he has sought us out.”

Zhang Hong’s analysis of the situation was incisive. Sun Ce reflected and realized he was right. He had always intended to stake his claim on the Central Plains; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent someone as important as Zhang Hong to Xuchang on such a difficult mission.

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“So, what do you advise, sir?”

“Cao Cao, seeing Liu Bei unstable in Xuzhou, has gone to campaign against him personally. He will surely return victorious. Once Liu Bei is defeated, it will be time for war with Yuan Shao—that is our opportunity, and His Majesty’s as well.”

Seeing Zhang Hong speak with conviction, a spark of eagerness flashed in Sun Ce’s eyes. Though Jiangdong was prosperous, it was ultimately too isolated; the vastness of the Central Plains was irresistible. To say he had no desire to join the fray would be a lie.

“These years I have worked diligently in Jiangdong, living up to my promise to you, sir. Now that Jiangdong’s foundations are secure, even if we march into the Central Plains, our sons of Jiangdong will not shrink from the challenge!”

When Sun Ce finished, Zhang Hong waved his hand and pointed to Liu Xie’s letter, saying, “This time, we do not send troops. We follow his instructions.”

“Follow his instructions? Are we truly to secretly bring this emperor back to Wu?”

In Liu Xie’s letter, he had already mapped out the route for Sun Ce: all Sun Ce needed to do was wait in Wu, with Zhang Hong coordinating the reception. When Liu Xie arrived with the Imperial Seal and all, he would immediately declare the relocation of the capital, leaving the rest to Sun Ce.

This plan differed from Sun Ce’s own vision. He had intended to join forces with Dong Cheng, eliminate Cao Cao, and then lead the sons of Jiangdong triumphantly into Xuchang. After that, he would no longer be the Young Overlord of Jiangdong, but the Young Overlord of the Han!

At that point, Dong Cheng would be of no further use to him, but Liu Xie would still need to remain emperor; when Sun Ce had seized all of Han, he could simply let Liu Xie vacate the throne.

But now, Liu Xie proposed relocating the capital to Wu, and Zhang Hong actually agreed. This unsettled Sun Ce, but after some thought, with Cao Cao alive and Dong Cheng ruined, their earlier plans had already alerted their enemies. If they couldn’t secure the emperor, all their schemes would amount to nothing.