Advisor Xu Shu

Is Liu Bei a hero?

Cao Cao once said that among all under heaven, only he and Liu Bei could be counted as heroes. But in truth, it was merely a polite remark. At the time, Liu Bei was serving under Cao Cao; how could a subject stand as an equal to his lord? In Cao Cao’s heart, he was the sole hero in the land. Yet to say so directly would seem excessively arrogant, so he included Liu Bei as a courtesy.

In Su Ming’s opinion, given the current circumstances, Liu Bei could hardly be called a hero. He first sought refuge with Tao Qian, then with Lü Bu, and later with Yuan Shao... Three times he changed his allegiance, and aside from not adopting a foster father as Lü Bu did, there was little difference between them. Whomever Liu Bei relied upon, misfortune invariably followed.

He allied himself with Tao Qian of Xu Province, who soon died, leaving Liu Bei to inherit the land. When Lü Bu seized Xu Province, Liu Bei turned to Lü Bu, who ended up slain at White Gate Tower. After Cao Cao took Xu Province, Liu Bei sought out Yuan Shao. Now, with the Battle of Guandu looming, Yuan Shao was on the verge of defeat.

One could not help but see Liu Bei as a star of ill omen, a bringer of disaster. He had drifted through life without making a mark, while his contemporaries—Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Sun Jian, Cao Cao—some lived, some died, but all had once ruled their own domains. Half a lifetime had passed, yet Liu Bei remained rootless, accomplishing nothing significant.

Su Ming picked up a piece of meat and drank a cup of wine, then spoke slowly, “Even my horse must surpass the Red Hare and trample Guan Yu before it can be called the hero among steeds. Liu Xuande has muddled through half his life and achieved nothing; how can he be counted a hero?”

Su Ming’s words left Xu Shu with nothing to refute. Liu Bei had wasted years and owned no territory. Aside from his reputation, he had nothing to boast of. The reason Xu Shu had not directly gone to join Liu Bei but instead wandered in search of a worthy master was precisely because Liu Bei possessed no land—he was like a rootless duckweed, drifting wherever fate took him.

Had Liu Bei held even a single county, Xu Shu would have resigned from Liu Biao and gone straight to him. But even the most skillful cook cannot make a meal without rice. With no land at all, even if Xu Shu pledged himself to Liu Bei, he would have nowhere to employ his talents.

Having guessed Su Ming’s identity, Xu Shu knew that Su Ming was seeking him. At that moment, Xu Shu was considering whether he should go along and join Su Ming.

After all, the territory of Jiangxia was not small, with an ample supply of troops and provisions. Even so, Xu Shu wished to test Su Ming further.

A ruler must choose wise ministers; wise ministers must find enlightened rulers.

So Xu Shu posed another question: “The current Chancellor, Cao Mengde, holds sway over vast lands, commands a million soldiers and a thousand generals; he is surely a hero of the realm. But is one who holds the Emperor hostage to command the lords truly a hero?”

“The Chancellor, though not a hero, is the greatest villain in the land,” Su Ming replied bluntly, without the slightest reservation.

When it came to Cao Cao, Su Ming was frank and fearless, for their relationship was not simply that of superior and subordinate. Though Cao Cao was his father, their bond was more akin to estranged kin. The territory of Jiangxia was nominally Cao Cao's, but Su Ming wielded actual control.

Hearing this, Xu Shu thought, “You certainly dare to speak your mind!” Yet it revealed that Su Ming possessed genuine autonomy.

Having reached this point, Xu Shu dropped all pretense. “Governor Su, what brings you to seek out a humble Daoist like myself?” he asked, his gaze fixed intently on Su Ming, waiting for him to speak his purpose.

Su Ming smiled and retorted, “That title, Governor Su, is not quite accurate!”

Xu Shu was taken aback, for he had already deduced that the man before him was Su Ming, the recent conqueror of Jiangxia. Now Su Ming claimed the title was wrong; Xu Shu wondered if he had somehow misjudged.

As Xu Shu hesitated, Su Ming spoke again.

“Should I call you Governor Xu, or Governor Shan?” Su Ming countered.

Xu Shu: “?????”

Xu Shu was stunned, furrowing his brow, unsure what Su Ming meant.

“Governor Su, what is the meaning of this?” Xu Shu asked, perplexed.

At that moment, Xu Shu found Su Ming ever more unfathomable, unable to grasp his intent.

“If you join me, I shall submit a memorial to the Chancellor, requesting that you be appointed Governor of Jiangxia. All affairs in Jiangxia except the military shall be under your command!” Su Ming offered a proposal nearly impossible for Xu Shu to refuse.

As a strategist, what does one desire most? To find a lord who grants authority, allowing one to fully exercise their talents. If one ended up with a meddling overlord, prone to interfering and directing beyond their expertise, even the greatest enterprise would be wasted.

Such an offer was difficult for Xu Shu to turn down. It was like a company recruiting you to a senior position and promising full autonomy over your projects, with no interference from above. To be endowed with such power was truly ideal.

Yet Xu Shu voiced his lingering question: “If I am made Governor of Jiangxia, what will you be?”

Su Ming had just taken Jiangxia; his seat was not yet warm, and he was already proposing to recommend Xu Shu as governor?

“If you are Governor of Jiangxia, then naturally, I will be Governor of Jingzhou!” Su Ming replied, seemingly casually.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Xu Shu nearly choked on his food, startled, and asked, “Governor of Jingzhou?”

Xu Shu wondered, “Does he even realize what he’s saying? Governor of Jingzhou? What becomes of Liu Biao then? Has Liu Biao agreed to this?”

But Su Ming was not boasting; he truly intended to move on Jingzhou. His goal was to take Jiangdong and overthrow Sun Quan. To achieve this, Jiangxia alone would never suffice. To seize Jiangdong, one must first conquer Jingzhou.

It was now the year 200, the Battle of Guandu. Liu Biao would not die until 208, which meant he had eight more years. Liu Bei had relied on the strategy of waiting out the old man to inherit Jingzhou, but Su Ming had no patience for that; he would not wait eight years.

Within three years, Su Ming vowed to take all of Jingzhou.

“Three years, at most three years,” he declared. “I will claim the whole of Jingzhou. What does the gentleman think?”

Hearing this, the corners of Xu Shu’s mouth curved into a broad smile. His journey had not been in vain; he had found a worthy lord.

A ruler who grants authority, possesses great ambition, and is young—such a lord was Xu Shu’s dream.

(P.S.: There have been quite a few negative reviews lately! Friends, please don’t give bad ratings. Too many negative reviews will affect the score—it’s now only around seven. If you’ve read this far, please go to the comments section and leave a five-star review! Gratefully kneeling in thanks to all of you.)