Liu Bei stood on the tower at Xiangyang and looked down over the city that now belonged to him, his heart full of emotion.
Only a few days earlier, he had still been trapped between internal trouble and outside pressure, thinking that Cao Cao would drive him onto the road of flight once again and force him to repeat the misery of years past.
In the blink of an eye, Xiangyang was in his hands, and the deadlock had been broken.
The road ahead, which had once seemed so dim, now showed a new opening.
For a moment, Liu Bei almost felt as though he were dreaming.
Beside him, Zhuge Liang spoke of the future with a confident smile.
“Xiangyang holds several hundred thousand hu of grain, and in this battle we have taken in at least twenty thousand defenders from Xiangyang.
Once our forces are combined, our army will number thirty thousand.” “My lord, with this foundation, we finally have the strength to fight Cao Cao Army.” Liu Bei came back to himself, and fierce confidence lit up his eyes.
“Men, go at once and invite Xiao He across the river, so we may discuss the great plan to resist Cao Cao Army!” On the south gate tower of Fancheng on the north bank, dawn was only just beginning to break.
The Liu soldiers left behind, from Guan Yu down to the lowest private, stared at the opposite shore without blinking.
They were waiting for the result of the Raid on Xiangyang, and the same worry showed on every face.
Even Guan Yu, steady as a mountain, had a trace of concern between his brows.
Then a yawn sounded nearby.
He glanced sideways and saw Xiao He sitting on the threshold of the tower gate, propping up his cheek and nodding off.
That sleepy look stood in sharp contrast to the tense mood on the wall.
Guan Yu could not help thinking that even he found it hard to remain calm in a battle that would decide life and death, yet this young man could still fall asleep.
Then he guessed that Xiao He must be doing it on purpose, making everyone think victory was certain so their hearts would steady.
The more Guan Yu thought about it, the more he felt Xiao He was just as Zhuge Liang had said: carefree on the surface, but hiding great depth within.
He stroked his fine beard and gave a slight nod.
Nearby, Zhao Yun, Sun Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, and the others saw how lazy and drowsy Xiao He looked, and their own tension eased a little.
Yet Xiao He was quietly muttering to himself in regret.
If he had known the attack would not begin until just before dawn, he would have stayed in his room and slept his fill before coming.
Unlike Liu Bei and Guan Yu, who had spent years on campaign and treated sleepless nights as nothing, he was used to regular hours, and now his eyelids were fighting each other.
He felt that if he stayed awake much longer, he might drop dead on the spot.
Looking at the brightening sky, he wondered whether Liu Bei had succeeded in the Raid on Xiangyang or not.
Just then, Guan Guan Yinping’s clear but anxious voice sounded beside him.
“Zhao Yun, can you see whether our banners have gone up in Xiangyang?” Xiao He forced his eyes open and saw Guan Guan Yinping shading her brow with one hand, her round eyes fixed on the far bank.
Zhao Yun gave a bitter smile and said that although Fancheng and Xiangyang were separated by only one river, they were still some distance apart, and he was not a man whose sight could reach that far.
Guan Guan Yinping froze, realizing her question was foolish, and could only let out a soft sigh.
So they all widened their eyes and stared toward the ferry crossing, waiting eagerly for a messenger from Liu Bei to return from the south bank with news of victory.
At that moment, Xiao He suddenly remembered something.
His sleepiness vanished at once.
He jumped to his feet, went over to Guan Guan Yinping, pulled the telescope from his bag, raised it to his eyes, and looked toward Xiangyang across the river.
The strange action instantly drew everyone’s attention.
Guan Guan Yinping, Zhao Yun, and even Guan Yu and Sun Sun Qian a few steps away all looked at Xiao He in surprise.
“Xiao He, what are you doing?” Guan Guan Yinping asked, staring at the strange object in his hand.
She knew it was something from his pack, but when he had woken earlier they had not had time to inspect many of the things he carried, including this one.
Xiao He did not answer.
He focused on adjusting it until the scene in Xiangyang became perfectly clear.
From the tower at Fancheng, he could clearly see that Liu Bei’s command banner had already been raised.
“Liu Bei won.
Xiangyang has already been taken!” His sudden shout immediately stirred a wave of commotion.
Guan Yu, Sun Sun Qian, and the others exchanged looks, all of them shocked.
No victory report had yet arrived from the south bank, so how could Xiao He declare with such certainty that Liu Bei had already captured Xiangyang?
“Xiao He, how do you know Liu Bei has taken Xiangyang?
Did you count on your fingers and work it out?” Guan Guan Yinping asked, voicing the question in everyone’s heart.
Xiao He smiled and said that if counting on his fingers could tell him that, he would be an immortal.
Then he handed the telescope to her and told her to look for herself.
Guan Guan Yinping lowered her head and stared at the strange object in confusion, not knowing what to do with it.
Helpless, Xiao He stepped beside her, took hold of her hands, and helped her raise the telescope to her eyes.
The customs of the age were fairly open, and Guan Guan Yinping had the spirit of a warrior, but she was still a young woman, so being grasped by the hands in public like this made her cheeks flush and her heart pound.
Zhao Yun and the others all changed expression slightly and secretly glanced toward Guan Yu, afraid that the beautiful-bearded general would fly into a rage.
As her father, Guan Yu naturally darkened when he saw his daughter being treated so boldly.
He was just about to react when he remembered that Liu Bei had already told him that Xiao He was no ordinary man and that his words and actions were always unusual, so they should show him tolerance.
With that in mind, Guan Yu forced down his displeasure and watched in silence to see what Xiao He meant by it.
Beside Guan Guan Yinping’s ear, Xiao He quietly told her to look inside and see whether she could spot Xiangyang.
His breath brushed past her temple, making her heart jump again.
She was embarrassed and angry, and for a moment she was ready to flare up on the spot.
But just then, the scene of Xiangyang came clearly into view before her eyes.
Banner after banner belonging to Liu Bei, and even the figures of Liu soldiers, could all be seen plainly.
“Our banners are flying in Xiangyang.
Liu Bei really took Xiangyang!”