Just as numerous omens portended, disaster strikes Liu Bei’s campaign in the Riverlands.

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Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 79.

Last time, Liu Bei and company got a visit from a strange man named Peng (2) Yang (4), who made himself at home in the residence of Liu Bei’s adviser Pang Tong. Peng Yang ate Pang Tong’s food, drank Pang Tong’s wine, and took a nap on Pang Tong’s couch, all without so much as telling his host what his name was. It turns out that Peng Yang was a good friend of Fa Zheng, a Riverlands official who was helping Liu Bei, and he claimed that he was there to save the lives of tens of thousands of Liu Bei’s men, but he would only reveal his secret to Liu Bei.

So Fa Zheng quickly alerted Liu Bei, and Liu Bei rushed over to meet this strange man who had apparently come to save his life and the lives of all his troops.

“General, how much troops do you have in your front camps?” Peng Yang asked him.

“Wei Yan and Huang Zhong are garrisoned there,” Liu Bei answered.

“How can a commander not understand geography,” Peng Yang said. “The front camp hugs the River Fu (2). If the enemy redirects the river’s flow, no one would be left alive in your front camp.”

 

This reminder brought Liu Bei to his senses, but Peng Yang was not done yet.

“Judging by the stars, something bad is going to happen. You must be careful,” he told Liu Bei. Liu Bei thanked him profusely and treated him as an esteemed guest. He also secretly sent word to Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, warning them to be on the lookout for shenanigans with the river. So the two generals decided that they would take turns keeping watch each day and would alert each other if they saw the enemy coming.

That night, the rain began to pour and the wind was howling. Ling Bao saw this and decided that this was the perfect time to redirect the river. So he set out with his 5,000 men to the riverbank. But just as they were getting ready to do some channel digging, shouts came from the rear of his column. Recognizing that the enemy was ready for him, Ling Bao quickly ordered his men to retreat. But it was too late. Wei Yan was charging this way with his troops, and the soldiers of the Riverlands trampled each other trying to get away.

Ling Bao was also trying to get away, but he ran smack dab into Wei Yan. After just a few bouts, Wei Yan captured Ling Bao alive. Ling Bao’s backup, led by Wu (2) Lan (2) and Lei (2) Tong (2), tried to come to his rescue, but Huang Zhong fought them off.

After the battle, Wei Yan took his prisoner to see Liu Bei. This time, Liu Bei was much less lenient.

“I treated you with honor and benevolence, yet you betrayed me!” Liu Bei admonished Ling Bao. “There is no mercy for you this time!”

And so Ling Bao was dragged outside and beheaded, while Wei Yan and Huang Zhong were rewarded for their good work. Liu Bei then held a banquet to welcome Peng (2) Yang (4).

 

As they were celebrating, they suddenly received word that Zhuge Liang had sent the official Ma (3) Liang (2) to deliver a message. Liu Bei summoned Ma Liang, who came in and told him, “Everything is ok in Jing Province. There’s no need for your lordship to concern yourself with that.”

Ma Liang then handed Liu Bei a letter from Zhuge Liang,