The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 64

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 64:

Zhuge Liang Plans For The Capture Of Zhang Ren;;

Yang Fu Borrows Soldiers To Destroy Ma Chao. 

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So now it's Chapter 64, and Liu Bei is dealing with the fallout from what happened in the last chapter. What happened in the last chapter?  Well, it's been a while since I released that one from the vaults but you might remember that in the last chapter, Pang Tong was assassinated by Zhang Ren, and quite suddenly Liu Bei found himself not only bereft of his primary advisor in the invasion of Shu, but also now surrounded by enemies, his retreat cut off, and his entire dream in danger of being destroyed. (My oh my, how I can totally relate to that. I know that feel, Liu Bei. I know that feel.)

But Zhuge Liang is on the way to help save the day (I wish I had one of those), and so is Zhang Fei (I wouldn't mind having one of those either). Zhang Fei, if you will remember, cleverly captured and swayed Yan Yan in the previous chapter, and as a result, has gained control of virtually all of southeast Yizhou. 

I always read this chapter with more than a little bit of bittersweet feeling, because it's pretty much the beginning of the end for Liu Bei, though the novel gives no indication thus far that such is the case. When Liu Bei had both Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, he was as a dragon with both wings...and the Empire was within his grasp. Now that Pang Tong is dead, of course, Liu Bei is seriously crippled, and no matter what great things came his way afterward, he could not hope to ultimately defeat Cao Cao without Pang Tong's help. No matter what, from this point onward in the story, Liu Bei is seriously screwed. An Empire he will have, but for all his Empire, he will never be able to overcome either Wei or Wu. His one chance to do so just perished at the siege of Luocheng. 

But nonetheless, Liu Bei does still have Zhuge Liang, who still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the strategists of the land...and it's a good thing too. Because there's nothing more dangerous than a talented enemy that's loyal to his master, and such a one was Zhang Ren. Sort of a shame there...Zhang Ren wasted his loyalties on a guy like Liu Zhang, and because he did so, Pang Tong perished, but if Zhang Ren had given his loyalty to Liu Bei instead, the rest of this entire novel would have played out a lot differently.  Ah, but would have, could have, should have, didn't, right?

So in the wake of Pang Tong's death, Liu Bei's Jingzhou Army finds a gathering of the various heroes who serve Liu Bei, or will serve Liu Bei in days to come. All sorts of great, historically significant people are converging on the region of Shu...Zhuge Liang is coming, and Zhao Zilong, and Zhang Fei. Huang Zhong and Wei Yan are there as well, and even Ma Chao, perhaps by the nudging of Heaven itself, has found himself in the service of Zhang Lu, right there in that same neighborhood, and though he did not realize it, was being drawn to the stage of History, and his destiny as one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu. 

And that's pretty much the setting for this chapter...this is where Heaven starts bringing things together for Liu Bei to eventually take Cheng Du and establish his Empire in Shu...and after all, it's the least that Heaven can do right? Since Heaven has so completely blocked Liu Bei's chances of ever decisively defeating Cao Cao, might as well give Liu Bei an empire in recompense, right?

Enjoy this, Chapter 64 of the Sanguo Yanyi Audiobook, here at DJRaspe.com. Thanks for listening.

 

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