Listen:
Download Episode (Click this link. It will bring up a page with an audio player loaded with the file. Right click your mouse and "save as" to download episode.)
WARNING: BLAH BLAH BLAH 'SPOILERS' YADDA YADDA!
All right, Warlords of the Han! There aren't really any rules to this contest, so gather up your generals and your soldiers and go to your corners. When the bell rings, it's time to fight with everything you've got! First matchup: Yuan Shao vs. Gongsun Zan! Ding ding!
In all seriousness, Chapter 7 is an important chapter because it really sets the tone for things to come. The Feudal Lords are no longer interested in expending their resources in attempting to free the rightful Son of Heaven from the clutches of Dong Zhuo. Not when they're all ready to devour each other instead.
The great heroes of the realm are, by this time, maneuvering for position, and in the early stages of this massive civil war, a good ploy is as effective as a hundred thousand soldiers. In the north, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are about to clash, and Yuan Shao's more or less "bloodless" takeover of Jizhou from Han Fu fortifies his position as the pre-eminent Lord of the day. Gongsun Zan, however, isn't about to bend the knee to Yuan Shao a second time, and the resulting conflict for control of Jibei provides some entertaining storytelling, some interesting character development for Yuan Shao, as well, as introducing two pretty important characters: Wen Chou and Zhao Yun (Zilong).
Wen Chou is portrayed as kind of a brute in this audiobook, and I think that's a pretty accurate portrayal. Wen Chou was a mighty warrior, but far from brilliant. Of course, with Yuan Shao's impressive collection of advisors (Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Guo Tu, and Shen Pei to name a few), that SHOULDN'T matter. But there's an old saying that "a stupid enemy is a gift from the gods", and Wen Chou was far from being the sharpest knife in the drawer. Nonetheless, he was indeed a mighty warrior, and between Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shao could pretty much conquer almost any of his neighbors. I say almost any because Gongsun Zan has also found himself a great leader...
And that leader is Zhao Yun, or to go by his style-name, Zilong. Not only is Zhao Yun much smarter than Wen Chou, but he's no less of a warrior either, and anyone who knows anything about this story knows that Zhao Yun will go on to become one of the true heroes of the Three Kingdoms, and his impact will be felt throughout almost the entire story.
Yeah, I admit, I'm kinda biased. My political views tend to lend my sympathies a bit more to the Shu-Han side of the Three Kingdoms other than Wei or Wu, and among the many great generals of Shu-Han, only a few can even HOPE to match the brilliant exploits of Zhao Yun. He's still a young pup here at this point in the story, though, and hasn't yet proven his undying valor. Nonetheless, probably the most important thing that happens in this chapter is that Zhao Yun and Liu Bei meet each other, and begin a friendship which will span both their lifetimes.
But the North of China isn't the only place where shit's going down. South of the Great River, Sun Jian, enraged at Liu Biao's interference in his affairs, launches a mighty offensive to smite Liu Biao down and seize Jingzhou. This war will prove very costly for the burgeoning Wu kingdom, and it will leave Sun Ce, then only a teenager, fatherless and the heir of a broken army. In times to come, Sun Ce will be forced to work for his Father's rival, Yuan Shu, truly a humiliating turn of events for the eldest son of Sun Jian...
Enjoy this, the seventh installment in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.