Zhang He brought us to where we could put down our gear and luggage and invited us to a restaurant for food and drinks. I was planning on settling our troops and luggage with Zi Long and Gong You but could not refuse the invitation and had to take leave with Gong You.

I didn’t think that someone would be so happy in such an empty town but when I reached where Zhang He was waiting, she was smiling widely and seemed to be in very high spirits.

“Ah~~ It really has been a while since I’ve seen Lord Liu Bei.” Zhang He shook her head as she said between taking swigs of wine, “I was planning on writing a letter to ask you how you were doing but then I heard you went to Xuchang so I thought better of it.”

“That’s right. I was in Xuchang for a while. … Hai, everything that happened thereafter was just one big mess. It’s a long story.” I sighed as I drank with her, not forgetting to take a good look at this girl who was slightly older than me.

Ever since Han Fu committed suicide in Xu state a few months ago, Zhang He has joined Yuan Shao. I’ve never seen her since then, and now that I have had a good look at her, she doesn’t seem to have changed much on the outside but her energy seems to be much less than before.

“And you. You came to join Yuan Shao after that?”

“Ah, yes, I came here directly after that.” Zhang He said, and came up close and whispered in my ear, “It’s just as I predicted. The higher ranked generals do not respect authority and the strategists are divided into factions. Yuan Ben Chu herself is as you’ve seen. Hai~~~”

“If that’s the case, then why are you still here?”

Zhang He pointed at the table and then at the door leading outside when she heard this.

“Lord Liu Bei doesn’t know but I came to Yuan Shao to investigate what happened with my comrades after my lord fell. But who knew that Ju Shou, Ju Yi, and everyone else joined Yuan Shao. I really don’t understand! Where have their loyalty and righteousness gone?!” Zhang He’s eyes began to fill with tears as she said so, and then she lowered her voice once more, “I’m still adhering to what I said to Lord Liu Bei before. Many things are difficult to solve from the outside so I’ll start from the inside. Lord Liu Bei should know why Yuan Shao is gathering troops here right?”

“To attack Yuan Shao?” I replied in a questioning tone on purpose.

Zhang He nodded and took a sip of wine before coming up to whisper in my ear with a look of fury, “When the time is ripe, I will mutiny.”

Eh? Mutiny?

“I, Zhang He, am a specialist at launching raids on the enemy. Yuan Shao, too, has recognised this, and always has me act first before the infantry charge forth,” Zhang He said, and revealed a confident look, “The upcoming battle is no different, and when the time comes, I will give her a good one when I mutiny.”

Zhang He’s words were very dangerous and I turned to look into her eyes which were steeped in hatred. I was planning on dissuading her, but I couldn’t help but to swallow back the words I meant to say.

I thought for a bit, but the only words I say in response were these. I took a drink of wine before I said, “Is that so. Then you better be careful.”

Zhang He lowered her head and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Ah~~ Wine always tastes better just before a big battle!”

“That’s right, for us sisters anyway. Generals have to be slain, blood has to be shed, and wine has to be drunk~”

Just then, 2 off-key and refres.h.i.+ng voices came from behind.

I instinctively turned to look, and saw 2 young girls in plate armour sitting opposite each other at a table. One was wearing grey plate armour while the other was wearing brown plate armour. Both sets of armour had fearsome tiger and dragon motifs. Though the 2 of them had beautiful features, their pupils were narrow as though they had just taken medicine, perhaps from being on the battlefield for too long.

And their table was filled with wine jugs. Apart from wine, there was yet more wine.

These 2 are…

“Don’t look anymore, Lord Liu Bei. Those 2 are Yuan Shao’s most favoured generals– Yan Liang and Wen Chou. Their tempers are terrible and if we should catch their attention, I don’t know what might happen.” Zhang He warned me with her head still lowered.

I hurriedly turned my head back and stopped looking at them.

I’d thought that Yan Liang and Wen Chou would be big, burly men like Ju Yi. Though they differed from what I’d thought they would look like, seems like they aren’t ordinary people at all.

As I thought so, the scene I saw outside the tent came to mind again, and I couldn’t help but be convinced of the inevitability of Yuan Shao’s loss.

I looked at Zhang He’s face, which seemed thinner than before at Xu state.

After staring at her for a while, I shook my head.

No matter how I look at it, Meng De is better than Yuan Shao by far. Perhaps there is a reason why fate led Yuan Shao to lose.

By the time I regained my senses, we had finished the wine. Zhang He was planning on ordering another jug but I hurriedly stopped her.

“By the way,” Just before we separated, I remembered to ask about the combat situation, “Where is Yuan Shao planning to attack first?”

Zhang He did not speak, and wrote ‘Baima, Yan Liang’ on the table with wine.

I nodded, gave my farewell to Zhang He, and took a last look at Yan Liang and Wen Chou before I left the restaurant.