Chapter 18: Bowin is the keen blade that shall shatter the tyrant Cao; how can he be revealed so lightly!

Xiao He finally boarded the ship.

Everyone felt a sense of relief, letting out long-held breaths. Liu Bei was overjoyed, stepping forward to assist Xiao He and laughing heartily: "First I gained the Crouching Dragon, and now I have gained Bowen. What need have I to fear in restoring the Han Dynasty and reviving the great Han!"

The group all laughed along. Xiao He’s integration into their ranks was thus settled.

Next came the celebratory banquet. Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, and the other civil and military officials each raised a glass to Xiao He. Even Guan Yu, in a rare display of high spirits today, offered a toast. The atmosphere of the banquet was joyous and spirited.

After three rounds of wine, Zhuge Liang gave a light cough and signaled to Liu Bei with his eyes. Understanding the hint, Liu Bei set down his cup and smiled: "Bowen, regarding your official position, I have been thinking of splitting the original post of Military Advisor into a Left and Right Advisor."

"Advisor Kongming shall be the Left Advisor, and you, Bowen, shall be the Right Advisor. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao He’s brows knitted slightly. To make him feel valued, Liu Bei had clearly gone to great lengths to divide the position. Although the Han Dynasty held the right side in high esteem, in military rankings, the left was considered superior. Given that Zhuge Liang’s seniority exceeded his own, serving as the Left Advisor was only logical. The problem was that Xiao He did not really want to be the Right Advisor.

It was not that he minded being half a step below Zhuge Liang in rank; it was simply that the position was too high-profile. As the Right Advisor, he would be the number two figure in the advisory circle. One could only imagine the immense pressure, the heavy burdens, and the mental exhaustion that would follow. Xiao He was accustomed to a nine-to-five pace; while he had no intention of being a slacker, he did not want to subject himself to such heavy stress. He preferred a position with a more relaxed feel.

Seeing that Xiao He remained silent and continued to frown, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exchanged a subtle glance. Could it be that Xiao Bowen was dissatisfied, feeling the rank of Right Advisor was too low?

After a quick flicker of his eyes, Zhuge Liang bowed toward Liu Bei: "My Lord, Bowen’s talent is ten times that of mine; how could he possibly be relegated to the right of me?"

"I suggest that Bowen should be the Left Advisor, and I shall be the Right."

Zhuge Liang was magnanimous, immediately willing to relinquish his position as chief advisor to serve under Xiao He. Upon hearing this, Xiao He hurriedly waved his hands: "Advisor Kongming, you have misunderstood. It is not that I think the rank is too small; rather, I feel the position the Lord has bestowed upon me is a bit too significant."

Liu Bei was taken aback.

Zhuge Liang was stunned. The civil and military officials gathered around were also caught off guard. They had only ever heard of people complaining that an office was too small; never had they heard of anyone complaining it was too big. Truly, he was a master from beyond the mundane world; his way of thinking was completely different from ordinary mortals like them. Such were the thoughts of those present.

"I say, Bowen, surely you aren't being modest again? I believe your capabilities are well-suited for the position of Right Advisor. Do not decline," Zhang Fei shouted, slamming his cup down and jumping up. Clearly, he assumed Xiao He was merely being humble.

The others realized this as well and joined Zhang Fei in urging Xiao He not to decline. Xiao He inwardly groaned, thinking to himself that he wasn't being humble—he truly did not want to be the Right Advisor.

"It is not that I am being modest, but I have always been obscure and unknown. The position of Military Advisor is of such great importance that if Cao Cao were to learn that the Lord has appointed a mere rustic recluse to such a post, I fear... ahem..."

Xiao He trailed off, unsure how to finish, and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. A flash of brilliance crossed Zhuge Liang's eyes as he seemed to grasp the meaning.

"I understand Bowen’s profound intent now."

"Bowen is a recluse, hidden from the world and unknown to the public. If the Lord were to suddenly appoint him as a Military Advisor, the news would reach Cao Cao, inevitably drawing the tyrant's suspicion and caution."

"Bowen is a sharp sword in the Lord's hand to counter Cao Cao. How can he be revealed so easily, allowing the tyrant to prepare defenses?"

"This must be why you are unwilling to take the post of Right Advisor, is it not?"

Zhuge Liang gently fanned himself with his feather fan, filling in the blanks for Xiao He. To his pleasant surprise, Xiao He found that Zhuge Liang’s reasoning was incredibly smooth, logical, and flawless.

"Yes, yes, exactly! Advisor Kongming is correct; that is precisely what I meant." Xiao He nodded like a pecking chick.

Liu Bei suddenly realized, stroking his thin beard with a slight nod: "It is as Bowen thought—your consideration is thorough. You are indeed a sharp sword in my hand; you must not be revealed to the enemy prematurely."

After a moment of contemplation, he changed his tone: "In that case, I shall wrong you by having you serve as an Attendant for the time being. Once we have repelled the tyrant Cao, you shall be promoted to Right Advisor. What do you think?"

This was exactly what Xiao He wanted. He nodded happily: "Very well, very well. An Attendant is excellent. My thanks to you, my Lord."

The matter of Xiao He's position and status was thus settled. Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to discuss plans for resisting Cao Cao with everyone gathered.

The group shared their opinions. Xiao He had missed his morning meal and was feeling famished; while others competed to offer strategies, he buried himself in his food and drink. After all, Xiangyang had already been captured, and with the natural barrier of the Han River in their hands, leaving the resistance against Cao Cao to the likes of Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu was more than sufficient. There was no need for him to exhaust his own brain.

"The Cao army consists entirely of northerners who are unaccustomed to naval warfare. Lacking a navy is their greatest weakness."

"Our strategy is primarily to use the Han River as a barrier, relying on our naval superiority to hold Cao Cao north of the river."

"However, the Han River is not like the Yangtze. During the dry season, the water levels drop significantly. The Cao army will not need a navy; they can simply cross the river on wooden rafts and bamboo floats, threatening our city of Xiangyang."

"Therefore, Fancheng cannot be abandoned; it must be held firmly by a great general."

"As long as Fancheng remains in our hands, even if Cao Cao has a million troops, not a single sail can descend the river, and Xiangyang will be as secure as Mount Tai."

Zhuge Liang concluded the discussion and pointed his feather fan to the north: "The garrison we can spare for Fancheng is at most ten thousand men, yet they must withstand the fierce onslaught of over a hundred thousand Cao troops. The pressure is unimaginable."

"Therefore, I believe the heavy responsibility of defending Fancheng belongs to none other than General Yunchang."

Guan Yu looked proud and bowed to Liu Bei: "Brother, rest assured. With me stationed in Fancheng, even if Cao Cao has a million troops, there is nothing to fear!"

Liu Bei nodded slightly; he trusted Guan Yu's abilities.

Zhuge Liang pointed his fan toward the south and said: "Once the tyrant's forces arrive at Fancheng, they will surely order Liu Cong to advance north from Jiangling, launching a pincer attack on Xiangyang and Fancheng from both north and south. Thus, the southern front also requires a great general to hold the line."

"General Yide shall lead seven thousand troops south to seize Yicheng to block the forces of Liu Cong from moving north to retake Xiangyang."

"The Lord himself shall remain in Xiangyang to oversee both the north and south, ready to lead reinforcements at any time."

Zhuge Liang detailed the overall strategy. Zhang Fei jumped up, patted his chest, and swore a military oath that he would hold Yicheng as firm as a fortress. Liu Bei thought it over for a long time before nodding in agreement.

Just as he was about to make the final decision, Zhuge Liang signaled him with his eyes, glancing at Xiao He. Liu Bei understood and asked with a smile: "Bowen, what do you think of Advisor Kongming's strategy to guard Fancheng in the north and hold Yicheng in the south?"

Xiao He let out a burp and finally looked up. Originally, he had no particular opinion. After all, with everyone brainstorming and the Crouching Dragon overseeing the strategy, it was naturally foolproof. There was no need to worry about Yicheng, and the defense of Fancheng had historical precedents—as the saying went, Xiangyang and Fancheng were one; to hold Xiangyang, one must hold Fancheng.

"The strategy proposed by Advisor Kongming captures the essence of military art. I have no objections."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao He suddenly thought of something and blurted out: "However, as far as I know, among the Lord’s generals, only General Yunchang is truly proficient in naval warfare."

"If the Lord assigns General Yunchang to defend Fancheng, then who will command our navy?"

At these words, Liu Bei and everyone present had their expressions change instantly.