chapter 385

[?]: Another geographically convenient fire. We’ve been beaten again.

[?]: Xiahou Yuan couldn’t break their defenses after multiple rounds, and Yu Jin’s surprise attack was blocked.
[?]: Li Dian and Han Hao’s siege didn’t defeat them either.

[?]: Yue Jin, Xu Huang…

[?]: plus us two…

chapter 385 Dark Path of the Wise

[?]: Ten thousand casualties to push back two thousand defending troops.

[Cao Ren]: A country’s finest warriors toyed by an officer.

{Cao Hong}
[Cao Hong]: Haha, you suffered quite a few losses since you joined the frontline, brother.

[CR]: The way that officer adapts his men for all kinds of scenarios has really opened my eyes.

[CR]: Isn’t it funny that we don’t even know who he is.

[CH]: Yes. A momentary lapse in caution and we get…
(“…sudden underestimation…”)

[Liao Hua]: The enemy has breached our defenses.

[Xu Shu]: With so few men, we’re helpless to stop them.

[XS]: Since our Lord has escaped, the strategy was a success. Let’s retreat.

[CR]: What a nameless military advisor…

[CR]: If an unsung officer is already this amazing…

[CH]: Would even the sight of that Seventh Genius strike fear into our hearts?

[?]: Water Mirror’s school is full of hidden gems.
(“…crouching tiger hidden dragons”)

[?]: Land!
(“get on shore”)

[?]: Retreat!

[?]: Advisor Jia, our main troop has been forced to land!

[Jia Xu]: We’re fighting on the outer rim. Keep away from them.
(not sure)

Just one more step, Gong Jin.

[?]: Chief Controller, the scattering Cao army is fleeing onto land!

[?]: Please order a pursuit and we’ll take them out all at once!

[Zhou Yu]: No, wait a bit longer.

[?]: The Cao army morale has crumbled, Chief Controller, we can’t miss this chance!

[?]: Chief Controller, I volunteer to lead the vanguard!
[?]: Yes! Chief Controller, he’s right!

[ZY]: No, we cannot pursue!

[?]: Advisor Jia, the Sun army did not land, instead…

My, my!

[?]: Right one, up three, get ready!
(not sure, archery term)

[?]: Fire!

{sfx: shoo~}

{sfx: shoo~}

{sfx: shoo~}

[?]: Those are fire arrows. They’re starting a fire!

Fifth…

{sfx: shoom~}

[?]: Don’t stop! Follow the tailwind, fire!

{sfx: shoom~}

[ZY]: Ambush…
(“ambushing soldiers”)

[ZY]: Not on my watch!
(“roll out here”)

[?]: Look! There’s an ambush in the woods!

[?]: Just like you expected, Chief Controller!

[ZY]: My, my. Just one more step…

[ZY]: and he’d have lured us onto land.

[ZY]: The ambush in the woods is by Xiahou Dun’s forces.

[ZY]: Jia Xu was the bait to lure us away. Xiahou Dun marched south and has already occupied several staging grounds around Xiakou.

[ZY]: His goal is to clear the path to Red Cliff.

[JX]: Hm. Just one more step and we could’ve achieved both.

[ZY]: Hm… Third shixiong…
(shixiong ~ male upperclassman)

[JX]: We’re not done yet.

[Liu Bei]: Advisor, you mean… Liu Cong will die?

[Zhuge Liang]: Yes, my Lord. If I were Jia Xu, I wouldn’t let him live.

[ZGL]: Ultimately Liu Cong is still of the Liu clan, and Jingzhou has always been the center of the anti-Cao resistance.

[ZGL]: Jia Xu knows that Jingzhou cannot be stabilized if the Liu clan remains.

[ZGL]: He will make the killer move…

[ZGL]: and sacrifice a young lord.
(“gong-zi gives head”)

[ZGL]: Once you pass Xiangyang, he’ll spread the rumor that you assassinated Liu Cong in an attempt to usurp power for Liu Qi.

[ZGL]: This way those southern counties that were undecided will regard you as the enemy.

[ZGL]: Jia Xu would recover several counties using one murder.

[ZGL]: Similarly,

[ZGL]: he has a way to repeat it again…

[ZGL]: My Lord…

[ZGL]: plant an orange tree across the Huai river and it grows into a lime bush.
(the connotation is: environment can change a person; quoting “Rites of Zhou”, chapter “Office of Winter”, passage 6)

[ZGL]: Both sides are employing ever-changing stratagem.

[ZGL]: You…
(the respectful “you”)

[ZGL]: know what I’m talking about, right?

Both fell silent for a moment.

Their thoughts coincided.