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WARNING! ZHUGE LIANG IS A BAAAAAD MUTHA.... (SHUT YO MOUTH!) but I'm just talking about Zhuge Liang...(we can dig it!)
Yes, and so is Xu Shu. At the end of the last chapter, Xu Shu was handing Liu Bei a victory against Lu Xiang and Lu Kuang, the recently surrendered former generals of Yuan Shao who had been sent south with Cao Ren and Li Dian. Because Xu Shu is also a badass.
At the beginning of this chapter, the ownage continues. Xu Shu, the first military strategist of Elite quality to advise Liu Bei, continues his roll with the sound defeat of both Li Dian and Cao Ren, and the complete rout of Cao Cao's expeditionary force. For the first time in the novel, Liu Bei is beginning to realize his power as a feudal lord and is actually holding his own against Cao Cao. And all because of Shan Fu, or, as it is revealed, Xu Shu.
But Cheng Yu, truly a consummate Machiavellian centuries before Machiavelli was even born, shows his lack of scruples here. Swaying the difficult-to-sway generals of Cao Cao's enemies has long been demonstrated to be Cheng Yu's area of expertise. It was his plan which caused Guan Yu to submit to Cao Cao before Guan Du, and it is now that same Cheng Yu that now works his wiles to bring Xu Shu over to Cao Cao, thus removing the "wings from the tiger" (Liu Bei).
So now Liu Bei must lose Xu Shu, and thus, his hope at eventually making a bid for the Empire. His ambitions, which just recently have been given the chance to flare into the fire of the Phoenix, now are just as cruelly extinguished. And, it would seem, Cao Cao wins. Right?
But though Cao Cao, through the devices of Cheng Yu, has been successful in removing Xu Shu from Liu Bei's service, Xu Shu nonetheless retains his loyalty to Xuande, and also happens to know people. So Xu Shu gives Liu Bei the gift of a replacement that is truly without equal in the Empire. Zhuge Liang, the Sleeping Dragon, THE Strategist of Strategists, who alone of all the many Heroes of the Three Kingdoms possesses the ability to restore the House of Han.
Those of you who have read this novel are no doubt quite aware of just what a badass Zhuge Liang is. Those of you who haven't read it are in for quite a treat, because Zhuge Liang is truly one of the most awesome characters in the novel, and there is no other quite like him. (Though that might be an asinine thing to say, considering that no two people are completely alike). Anyways, you only get a glimpse of the Zhuge in this Chapter. But don't worry, I guarantee he's going to be around for a long, long time...
Enjoy this, the thirty sixth (wow!) chapter of the Sanguo Yanyi audiobook, and as always, thanks for listening!