Chapter 831: The Chaotic Battle of Jingxiang

Compared to Ju Shou's meticulous observation of celestial signs, Liu Bei's side was much more casual. They didn’t have the energy to focus on such things. Those who understood celestial phenomena, like Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and Li You, all believed in a philosophy that was more pragmatic: "Three parts are destined by heaven, but seven parts depend on hard work." Then there were those like Chen Xi, who firmly believed in the idea that "man can conquer heaven."

In this environment, even Zhuge Liang, shaped by such attitudes, became much more relaxed about reading the stars. He no longer stayed up until midnight observing the heavens and woke up before dawn to handle state affairs. Now, if he felt like it, he’d check the stars, and if not, he’d just wrap himself in a blanket and sleep.

As a result of better rest, Zhuge Liang no longer appeared as exhausted during the day. He seemed more energetic and efficient in his work.

"General Taishi, ensure strict defenses tonight. Do not let Sun Ce’s army seize any opportunity," Zhuge Liang handed the command token to Taishi Ci, instructing him to guard the outer camp. After Taishi Ci left, Zhuge Liang called for Chen Dao and changed the internal passcodes for night patrols.

Over the past few engagements with Sun Ce’s forces, Zhuge Liang had held the upper hand despite Sun Ce’s army being full of fierce warriors and Sun Ce himself leading from the front. Even with Sun Ce’s courage, they had not gained any advantage over Zhuge Liang.

It was true that Pang Tong was known for taking risks, but Zhuge Liang, using proper and honorable tactics, steadily pressed forward. Over time, even Pang Tong found himself restricted and at a loss.

The ferocity of the Qingzhou soldiers had far exceeded Pang Tong’s expectations. While Sun Ce’s troops were no less equipped than Liu Bei’s, the soldiers from Yu Province, even under Sun Ce’s leadership, lacked the savage bravery of the Qingzhou soldiers.

Furthermore, Zhuge Liang’s near-monster-like mental talent had allowed him to lure Sun Ce’s forces into a trap. With his ability activated, and after the combined mental and military talents of Liu Bei’s civil and military officers were applied, they managed to reverse a seemingly desperate situation and secure a victory.

If it weren’t for Pang Tong's deep understanding of Zhuge Liang, Sun Ce’s forces would have suffered devastating losses even after retreating. Despite Pang Tong’s foresight, they were forced to withdraw to Xiakou, relying on the terrain for defense. It was clear that Pang Tong had little hope for reinforcements from Liu Biao or Liu Zhang.

"Shiyuan, can you handle this?" Sun Ce asked, frustrated.

"I can’t, but you can!" Pang Tong snapped back. Recently, being trapped by Zhuge Liang at Xiakou had left him with few solutions. While he understood this was merely a strategic retreat to shorten their supply lines, and that the enemy’s strength was too formidable to face head-on, Pang Tong still couldn’t swallow this bitter pill.

"I can’t do it either," Sun Ce said with a wry smile. If not for Pang Tong’s previous efforts, he wouldn’t have been able to defeat Yan Yan as smoothly as he did. Without Pang Tong, he might have already fallen into one of Zhuge Liang’s traps. Sun Ce no longer saw Pang Tong as merely someone recommended by Zhou Yu but as a capable and trustworthy ally.

"Then we wait. As much as I hate to admit it, the enemy currently has better troops and generals than we do. The only advantage we have is..." Pang Tong sighed as Sun Ce readily admitted his own limitations, explaining the situation to his ally.

"Of course, it’s you!" Sun Ce interrupted, placing a high hat on Pang Tong without missing a beat.

"As much as I enjoy hearing that and wish it were true, the fact is that Zhuge Liang is only slightly weaker than me," Pang Tong raised his pinky finger, gesturing how small the difference was. Then, feeling that he had overestimated himself, he lowered his hand slightly and finally pointed to a strand of his hair, exasperated, "There’s barely this much of a gap between us. No advantage at all!"

"Hehe..." Sun Ce laughed awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. But in his eyes, a rare trace of concern appeared. Hearing his proud companion speak in such a way made him realize just how capable the young strategist on the other side was.

"Well, we’re out of options for now. Let’s just sit tight. How are the defenses in the rear coming along?" Pang Tong asked, putting down his brush, abandoning any thought of confronting the two Liu forces head-on. Sometimes, retreating was also a form of strategy.

"They’re working on it. I’ve had Li Feng and Le Jiu oversee the construction," Sun Ce replied, a bit puzzled by Pang Tong’s rapidly shifting thoughts.

"Good. Let’s hold our position and wait for reinforcements. In a few days, Liu Biao might make a move. However, don’t harbor any thoughts of personally killing him," Pang Tong sighed again. Although the world was in chaos, there were certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed, especially when it came to killing a fellow imperial official like a governor.

"A father’s death must be avenged!" Sun Ce replied coldly, showing no room for negotiation.

"Oh well, that’s that," Pang Tong shrugged helplessly. He grabbed a jar of wine from beside him, took several big gulps, and then collapsed onto the table.

"Shiyuan, what are you doing?" Sun Ce asked, puzzled, as he watched Pang Tong’s strange behavior. However, just then, he heard Pang Tong muttering drunkenly, "This is easy... find someone who looks like him... send him to Chang’an, then let the fake escape on the way... kill the real one!"

Even though Sun Ce wasn’t the brightest, with Pang Tong laying it out so plainly, he couldn’t miss the meaning. To fail to understand now would mean he was truly clueless, not just straightforward.

Pang Tong’s suggestion essentially solved all the problems. Sun Ce only wanted Liu Biao dead; he never specified that it had to be done openly. This plan satisfied Sun Ce’s desire while providing an explanation to the world. As for Liu Biao escaping, there’d be no actual evidence to contradict it.

"Don’t shake me! Stop shaking!" Sun Ce shook Pang Tong so vigorously that the latter nearly vomited. Pang Tong had been pretending to be drunk, but now, after Sun Ce’s rough handling, the wine he had drunk was close to coming back up.

"Thank you," Sun Ce said, patting the now gloomy Pang Tong on the shoulder.

"I don’t know anything," Pang Tong muttered irritably. His biggest concern had been that Sun Ce would kill Liu Biao directly on the battlefield, which would spell disaster. That’s why he had planted the idea in Sun Ce’s mind early on, giving him a buffer and ensuring that everyone was mentally prepared.

While Pang Tong was setting up the defenses in Jingzhou, preparing for a potentially isolated campaign, Liu Biao, just as Jia Xu, Fa Zheng, and Zhou Yu had predicted, made a desperate move. He led his troops to Yiling, intending to join forces with Liu Bei and Liu Zhang. Together, the three Lius aimed to crush Sun Ce.

In truth, by this point, the ones Liu Bei hated most were no longer Yuan Shu and his ilk but Sun Ce and Zhou Yu. Their schemes had left his forces in Jiangbei and Nanjun with fewer troops and less competent officers than they should have had.

However, it was precisely because of the relatively modest forces and lackluster commanders that Liu Biao saw hope in seizing northern Jing. This was why he repeatedly launched northern expeditions.

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