Chapter Sixty-Five: The Strategist Liu Ye

Liu Xun rode up to Cao Hong with a hearty laugh, saying, “Zilian! How have you been?”

Cao Hong clasped his fists and replied, “I appreciate the governor’s concern.” Liu Xun and Cao Cao had known each other since their humble beginnings; in front of Cao Hong, Liu Xun always assumed the posture of an elder brother, and Cao Hong had always shown him utmost respect. Now, though his soul had changed, his memories remained intact, so he naturally knew how to interact with Liu Xun.

Liu Xun drew his horse alongside, riding beside him, while he ordered the captain behind him to lead Cao Hong’s county soldiers into the central barracks. Pointing to a young man behind him, he said, “Zilian, this man has quite the lineage—he is of imperial blood, a noble by birth, descended from the son of Emperor Guangwu of our dynasty, the Prince of Fuling, Liu Ye, styled Ziyang!”

On hearing this, Cao Hong immediately recalled Liu Ye’s background. Liu Ye was one of Cao Cao’s key advisors, serving three generations of the Cao Wei rulers: Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Rui. Cao Hong remembered Liu Ye vividly; twice his counsel had presented Cao Wei with a chance to unify the realm, but both Cao Cao and Cao Pi failed to act, letting those rare opportunities slip away.

The first was after Cao Cao had defeated Zhang Lu and taken Hanzhong. Hanzhong was the gateway to Ba Shu; at that time, Liu Bei had just secured the land of Ba Shu. Liu Ye advised Cao Cao, “My lord, with five thousand infantry, you have executed Dong Zhuo, crushed Yuan Shao in the north, campaigned against Liu Biao in the south, and united eight of the ten provinces, your power shakes the empire and awes the lands beyond. Now, with Hanzhong taken, the people of Shu are panic-stricken and defenseless. Press forward now, and you can subdue Liu Bei in Shu by mere proclamation. The people of Shu have yet to rely on him; their hold is shallow. Strike while they’re shaken, and with your divine wisdom, you will conquer all. If you delay, Zhuge Liang will govern wisely as their chancellor, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will command the armies with unmatched valor, and once the people are settled and defending the mountain passes, Shu will be impossible to attack. If you do not seize this moment, it will become a future worry.”

His advice was to pursue the victory and invade Shu while Liu Bei’s foothold was unsteady, overwhelming the people before they could rally. Otherwise, with Zhuge Liang’s governance and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei defending the strongholds, the land would be impregnable. It was sound advice, perfectly timed, but for reasons unknown, Cao Cao refused, leading to the tripartite division of the realm.

The second opportunity came after the Three Kingdoms had formed. When Guan Yu was slain by Eastern Wu, Liu Bei raised a great army to avenge him. Sun Quan, ruler of Wu, sought surrender to Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi. Liu Ye offered counsel:

“Sun Quan seeks surrender without cause; there must be urgent trouble within. He previously killed Guan Yu and took four commanderies of Jingzhou. Liu Bei’s rage will bring a massive army against him. With powerful enemies outside and unrest within, he fears Wei may exploit his weakness. Thus, he seeks surrender—in part to repel the armies of Wei, in part to borrow Wei’s support and strengthen his own ranks, sowing confusion among his foes. Sun Quan is adept at warfare and adapts swiftly; his plan must be thus. Now the realm is split three ways, and Wei holds eight-tenths. Wu and Shu each guard a province, relying on mountains and rivers, aiding one another in times of crisis—that is the advantage of small states. Now they fight each other, the heavens are turning against them. This is the time to raise a great army, cross the river, and strike at Wu’s heart. Shu attacks from the outside, we from within; Wu will fall in less than a month, and then Shu will be isolated. Even if we only take half of Wu, Shu cannot endure long, let alone if we seize its exterior while Wei takes the interior!”

These words dissected Sun Quan’s motives: he simply wanted Wei to accept his surrender and use Wei’s power to threaten Liu Bei. He explained that Wu and Shu survived by defending natural barriers and aiding each other, but now, with mutual conflict, it was heaven’s will to destroy them both. He urged Cao Pi to seize the moment, launch a grand campaign against Wu, while Shu attacked from without, ensuring Wei would gain the lion’s share of the territory. With Wu gone, Shu would soon follow.

Yet Cao Pi replied, “If I accept his surrender and then attack, those wishing to submit may fear for their lives and hesitate. It’s risky. Why not accept Wu’s surrender now, and attack Shu later?” Thus, he rejected Liu Ye’s advice. Later, after Liu Bei’s defeat, Sun Quan rebelled, and Cao Pi’s campaign accomplished nothing.

There was no doubt—Liu Ye was an exceptional strategist, his vision precise and unique. In terms of strategic insight, he was no less than Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi. Yet, due to the tangled politics within Cao Wei and his own lack of ambition, preferring self-preservation, he never reached the heights of power.

Whenever Cao Hong read these episodes in history, he lamented the missed opportunities when rulers ignored Liu Ye’s advice. Hearing Liu Xun introduce him now, Cao Hong clasped his fists sincerely and said, “I have long admired your great talent, sir!”

Liu Ye was momentarily surprised. Though he lived in Yangzhou and came from a noble family, his clan had long since faded; he was only well-known in his county, Chengde. It was only after accomplishing a major feat a year ago that his reputation grew, and he came under Liu Xun’s banner. By that time, Cao Hong had left for the north to join Cao Cao; it was impossible for him to have heard of Liu Ye’s fame.

But then, Cao Hong continued with a remark that revealed how he knew of Liu Ye’s reputation. He smiled and said, “Sir, your decisive and ruthless handling of Zheng Bao truly won my admiration!”

Liu Ye’s connection with Cao Cao dated back to the time when Cao Cao issued his proclamation against Dong Zhuo. Yangzhou was plagued by bandits then, the most formidable being Zheng Bao, who planned to pillage the locals and move south to exploit the ungoverned lands. He saw Liu Ye, a noble of Chengde, as an ideal figurehead and attempted to force Liu Ye to spearhead his plan. At that time, a messenger bearing Cao Cao’s proclamation arrived in Yangzhou, and Liu Ye hosted him generously.

The campaign against Dong Zhuo was a chance for fame; Zheng Bao, unwilling to be left out, brought livestock to Liu Ye’s house to meet the messenger. Liu Ye took the opportunity, killed Zheng Bao in his own home, and declared to his followers, “Cao Cao’s envoy is here; anyone who acts rashly will face severe punishment from Cao Cao himself.” By then, Cao Cao’s call to arms was known everywhere, his power unmatched, so the rabble dared not stir.

Afterward, Liu Ye took Zheng Bao’s head to his stronghold, explained the situation to his men, and they ultimately knelt to welcome him into their camp. However, Liu Ye had no desire to command an army of his own, so he led Zheng Bao’s remnants to seek refuge with Liu Xun, an old friend of Cao Cao.

The messenger was actually from the Wei clan; at the time, Cao Cao was busy with countless affairs and knew nothing of this episode. It was only after Liu Ye joined Cao Cao’s camp that he recalled it. Cao Hong, meanwhile, had learned of it from the “Records of the Three Kingdoms,” and had always believed that Liu Ye was the first advisor whose heart was truly inclined toward Cao Cao. Liu Ye had not gone directly to Cao Cao, perhaps because he needed to care for his own clansmen, or feared the journey would be too difficult to control Zheng Bao’s unruly followers, so he sought refuge with Liu Xun, who was connected to Cao Cao.

Both Xun Yu and Guo Jia had worked under Yuan Shao; Xi Zhicai was recommended by Xun Yu, while Cheng Yu had served under Liu Dai. Only Liu Ye managed to preserve his life and gain a band of followers simply by leveraging Cao Cao’s reputation before ever leaving his home.

Hearing Cao Hong speak thus, Liu Ye realized his companion understood the entire story behind Zheng Bao’s demise. Instead of surprise, he was pleased, and he smiled, clasping his hands, “You flatter me, General!”

Liu Xun said, “I have already arranged a banquet at the prefectural office to welcome Zilian and your family. Please, join us!”

Cao Hong laughed, “After you!” He then instructed Shi A and Liu Xun’s captain to settle the county soldiers, and the group proceeded toward Shuxian.