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WARNING: WE'RE SURROUNDED BY ZOMBIES. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GRAPE JELLY-DROOLIN' ZOMBIES.
And we come to Chapter 48. In the last chapter, Pang Tong convinced Cao Cao to chain his ships together, in order to promote stability and prevent seasickness among Cao Cao's mostly northern army. Then he even obtained a written decree of protection for his own family, in Cao Cao's own handwriting, guaranteeing their safety despite the fact that Pang Tong's advice is going to end up destroying Cao Cao's expeditionary force. Way to go, Pang Tong! But there's a person present who could expose Pang Tong. Xu Shu, who, having been tricked over to Cao Cao's service, is present, and knows full well what Pang Tong's advice will lead to.
Xu Shu, as I think I've mentioned a time or two before, is one of my favorite characters in the novel, and this is the last chapter in which he appears in the novel. I think it such a shame that he did not accomplish more in his career than he did, considering his affinity for strategy, and when he, at Pang Tong's suggestion, requests Cao Cao to send him to defend the northwest against a fictional invasion by Ma Teng, he leaves also this great story we're almost literally in the middle of. Poor Xu Shu. He coulda been a contender!
Pang Tong also leaves the story. For a few chapters anyway, but I guarantee he'll be back before you know it.
Another theme appearing in this chapter is the almost epic poem recited by Cao Cao. In the Three Kingdoms television series, it's presented as this giant song and dance number, kinda like an ancient Han-Chinese version of a U.S.O. Show or something. But I don't know. I always imagine this scene as Cao Cao and his top military and civil officers getting drunk together, just standing there and drinking, probably not much different than people do at a bar. Then Cao Cao, like many drunk people do, decided it was a fine idea to sing a song, so he did.
Now here is where Cao Cao probably irrevocably lost his mandate from Heaven for his Southern Expedition. After Liu Fu criticizes Cao Cao's song for lyrics that are counterproductive to the war effort, Cao Cao runs Liu Fu through with a spear. The spear that defeated Lu Bu and Yuan Shu, Li Jue and Guo Si and Yuan Shao, now has run through Liu Fu, and this murder of a faithful minister probably proved to be the final nail in the coffin of Cao Cao's Expeditionary Force.
Enjoy this, the forty eighth chapter of the Sanguo Yanyi audiobook, here at djraspe.com. And thanks for listening.