chapter 340

{Wuchao}

[?]: The fight at Gushi has begun!

[?]: Now that the enemy has entered Gushi, the Chief Controller orders Wuchao to be changed to a support base!
[?]: Dispatch five troops to go as reinforcements, my Lord!

[?]: Men, prepare to head out!
(“whole/main army…”)

[?]: We’re on the dispatch, my Lord.

chapter 340 Burning Wuchao

[?]: We leave this base to you!

[Yuan Shao]: This battle has been painstakingly planned by Yuan Fang. Please be careful and listen to his every command.

[?]: Don’t worry, my Lord. We’ve always regarded him as we have you.

[Lü Xiang]: So they’re to be Yuan Fang’s men from now on.

[YS]: Yes.

[LX]: Do you intend to step down, my Lord?

[YS]: The eagles’ wings have grown. An old man like me can no longer catch them.
(“eagles’ feathered wings grown flying all over the sky, old man me really cannot catch them”)

[LX]: Are you referring to your three sons?

[YS]: The days sure have flown by.

{flag reads: Yuan}
[YS]: They were still kids over ten years ago.

[YS]: But now all I see are the capricious Tan-er, and Xi-er who prefers to rest on his laurels…
(-er suffix is to show affection)

[YS]: As well as that conniving outsider of a relative whom Shang-er regards as family…

[YS]: In my eyes there is none of the innocence they had as children, only their inadequacies as adults.

[YS]: It’s only when the eagles fall out of the sky could an old man like me…
(“one day the eagles will fall, this old man could then…”)

[LX]: But they’re brothers after all, my Lord. Would master Fang really be so heartless?
(“my lord, have had same root, gong-zi fang must still have a shred of sentiment and bond”)

[YS]: With my training, how could he not?
(“under my training, Fang-er where has feeling/sentiment”)

[YS]: How?
(“where has honor/bond”, above two lines are dividing a two-hanzi word to individual hanzi with their individual meanings; here I’m cheating by repeating)

[YS]: The road toward one’s ambition is always overgrown by weeds.
(“great career’s path, always has wild grass growing, cannot not eliminate”)

[YS]: Untended, and the path will be covered completely.

[YS]: Therefore…

[?]: My Lord!

[?]: The first and third masters have returned with their troops!

[LX]: See, master Fang only meant to teach them a lesson, not kill them outright.
(“…use opportunity to take their lives”)

[Yuan Shang]: Yuan Tan! Yuan Fang and I had a deal. Why did you come and ruin it?

[Yuan Tan]: Shit- if you hadn’t abandoned your post, how could the Cao army gain access to roads to ambush me?

[YT]: Besides, wasn’t Yuan Fang going after Cao Cao before you took over the hills to rob his thunder?
[YS]: The hell you say! You know full well who’s to blame for the loss of both of our troops!

[LX]: What a relief, my Lord, knowing that the two masters are safe.

[LX]: It’s still possible to enjoy the family life again once the eagles get their wings clipped.
(simplified)

[?]: Sir, what should we do with the troops that were supposed to burn Wuchao?
[?]: Gushi has been burned. They’re dismissed.

[LX]: Strange. Why haven’t they received the news yet?

[LX]: Oh right, isn’t second master Yuan Xi in charge of that troop?
(“…lead army to burn Wuchao…”)

[Yuan Shao]: Lü Xiang, did you say Yuan Xi?

[YS]: All three are here…

[?]: If I’m Yuan Fang…

[?]: This troop was deployed first…

[?]: They still don’t know that we intend to burn Gushi.

[?]: Good. Keep approaching.

[?]: Look… their path…

[?]: Halt! Stop immediately!

[?]: Light up!

[?]: No… no way!?

{sfx: pa~}

{sfx: foom~}

[?]: Tailwind; light’em up; forward!
(“along-with wind, lit fire…”)

{sfx: neigh}

[?]: Oh no they’re starting a fire!

[?]: Shit they’re not our men…

[?]: We heard Cao’s army was going to be disguised. The two masters must’ve led them here!
(“…disguised as our army…”)

{army movement sfx}

{carts crashing sfx}

[?]: A raid, enemy raid!

[?]: The enemy has started a fire! Hold them off!
(top left bubble)
[?]: We can’t! Our main forces have been transferred!
(bottom right bubble)

[?]: See that, your disorderly retreat led the Cao army here!

[?]: Maybe you’re the guilty one crying foul!
(“don’t spit blood at me, could it be you”)

[?]: The two sides are at it!
[?]: Go notify our Lord!

[?]: Oh no the fire wagons have entered the camp!

[?]: Look how fast the fire is spreading.
[?]: There are so much flammable material here, just like at Gushi.

Burning Wuchao…

[Yuan Shao]: Gushi is merely a cover.

[YS]: Tan-er, Xi-er, Shang-er…

[YS]: and the weeds on the great path…

[?]: Your ride, my Lord! The flames are closing in!
(“…please get on the horse”)

[YS]: The wild grass-
(saying just “weed” make it sound like the drug)

[YS]: the biggest obstacle on Yuan Fang’s great path…

{sfx: shoo~}

is me, Yuan Shao.

[LX]: Go, my Lord, hurry!

{sfx: shoo~}

Me…

my three sons…

well done!

The weeds have been burned.
The crane is in flight.
(“that crane has took off”)

By burning Gushi and Wuchao,

both Cao Cao and I have entered the playing field.

Cao Cao’s end will be credited to him.
(if space too small try shorter version: “Cao Cao falls thanks to him.”)

My end will be blamed on my three sons.
(if space too small try shorter version: “I fall no thanks to my three sons.”)

A perfect setup…

The perfect setup!

Fang-er…
it is flawless!

It is brilliant beyond compare!

[?]: The Cao army attacks the camp disguised as our men!

[?]: Don’t hesitate! Didn’t we plan to burn Wuchao all along?
(“…long ago planned”)

[?]: Haha, Yuan Xi still don’t know the reality of this scheme.

[?]: Send someone to notify Young Master, that with Cao Cao as bait, the targets have entered the game.

[Duan Jian]: The ultimate goal of the battle of Guandu has been achieved!

Even the eagle’s nest gets taken.