Chapter III: Struggle for Jingzhou, Battle with Cao Cao
(Begins after the Three Brothers unite, and ends with ….)

Jingzhou Castle

Headquarters
Inn (10 Gold Each)
Training Room (1500 Gold)
Blacksmith (Copper Sword, Spear, Sabre, Armor, Helm. Scale Shield)
Merchant (Herbal, Smoke, Revive)

1. Liu Biao hears from a messenger that his territory is under attack by bandits. He laments that he is unable to do anything about this due to his condition. Liu Bei, however, volunteers to destroy the rebels for him. Liu Biao is happy.
2. Note that you cannot use the Zheng Letter here. You cannot use it in any throne rooms connected to a bedroom.
3. After you exit the palace, walk around to the northeast corner inside the stream surrounding the palace. Search there, and you will find an Iron Sword. Give this to Liu Bei.
4. Adjust your formation. I am using Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Guan Ping, and Zhao Yun. I chose Guan Ping over Zhou Cang due to Guan Ping’s higher intelligence and soldiers. I am using Chen Deng as my strategist.
5. Visit the weapon smith. You should upgrade any non-Copper weapons in your party to their Copper equivalents (aside from your new Iron Sword, of course). Also, you should fill in any armor or helmet gaps with Copper equivalents, and any shield gaps with Scale Shields. If you have some money, you may want to upgrade all of your helmets to Copper Helmets. The Copper Armor and Scale Shields, at this point, aren’t really worth the price. They provide an AC bonus (5) similar to that of the Copper Helmets, but their price is nearly three times higher.
6. When prepared, exit the city, and travel southeast until you find yet another hut.

First Encampment

Inn (10 Gold Each)

1. Upon entry, you will approached by Huang Shao, who attacks!
2. Battle Huang Shao inside the Encampment (Very Easy)
   • Huang Shao
   • Bandit Party x3
   • (~50 Exp, ~140 Gold, Drops: Short Sword)
     Focus physical attacks on Huang Shao. Your party should be able to destroy him in a few rounds. No challenge from here.
3. Speak with the inhabitants. One suggests trying to use the Heng Fang tactic to increase attack and defense at the cost of speed. The other shares that he heard a Sleeping Dragon was near. You will learn more about this soon enough.
4. Continue southeast to the next encampment.

Second Encampment

Inn (10 Gold Each)

1. Here, upon entry, you will be attacked by He Yi.
2. Battle He Yi inside the Third Encampment (Very Easy)
   • He Yi
   • Bandit Party x4
   • (~55 Exp, ~120 Gold, Drops: Leather Shield)
     Nothing fancy to do here. Focus physical attacks on He Yi and he should fall in a round or two.
3. Speak with the villagers. It seems the bandits took all of their women. A fellow in the back seems to be the exception, however. It seems even bandits have standards.
4. Continue southeast to the next encampment.

Third Encampment

Inn (10 Gold Each)

1. Here, upon entry, you will be attacked by Gong Du and Liu Pi.
2. Battle Gong Du inside the Third Encampment (Very Easy)
   • Gong Du
   • Liu Pi
   • Bandit Party x3
   • (~87 Exp, ~245 Gold, Drops: Leather Helmet)
     Again, this battle won’t be much of a challenge. Defeat Gong Du with focused physical attacks (he should fall in a few rounds), then finish Liu Pi in the same manner.
3. Rest at the inn if you need to recover.
4. Speak with the villagers. One tells you that the Longzhong estate lies to the north, and suggests you visit it. Another tells you that Liu Biao is pleased with your success, and requests that you return to Jingzhou. Another says you are strong, but that Lu Bu is even stronger.

Jingzhou Castle (2nd Visit)

Headquarters
Inn (10 Gold Each)
Training Room (1500 Gold)
Blacksmith (Copper Sword, Spear, Sabre, Armor, Helm. Scale Shield)
Merchant (Herbal, Smoke, Revive)

1. Return to Jingzhou castle and talk to Liu Biao. He will thank you for your wonderful work, and charge you with the defense of Xin Ye castle. You may have visited Xin Ye prior to this. If you did, you noticed that it is in ruins. Liu Biao suggests that, with work, it can be built into a wonderful city.
2. Depart the city and head to Xin Ye.

Xin Ye Castle

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. Xin Ye is now full of people building it into what they ensure you will be a wonderful city. There is nothing you can do here for now, however, so continue west. All there is to do, at the moment, is investigate this Sleeping Dragon rumor by finding the Longzhong estate.
2. Save your game. The historian is presently outside.
3. When you exit the city, a messenger from Liu Biao will arrive to tell you that he has fallen ill. He requests that you return right away.
4. Save and return to Jingzhou.

Jingzhou Castle (3rd Visit)

Headquarters
Inn (10 Gold Each)
Training Room (1500 Gold)
Blacksmith (Copper Sword, Spear, Sabre, Armor, Helm. Scale Shield)
Merchant (Herbal, Smoke, Revive)

1. Enter the palace and speak with Liu Biao. He has become very ill. He uses what little energy he has to share his wish that Liu Qi be placed on the throne.
2. As you walk away, Yi Ji will find you. He will tell you that Cai Mao is plotting against you, and that you aren’t safe. He suggests you escape through a secret passage in the western wall of Liu Biao’s room. He also tells you that Cao Cao is plotting to have Liu Biao’s other son, Liu Zong, given the throne instead of Liu Qi.
3. Exit through the secret passage. It is located in the center of the western wall of Liu Biao’s room.

Secret Passage

1. Travel northeast and around to pick up the treasure you will see. It contains an Herbal.
2. Take the stairs and continue west, then around, to pick up a treasure containing ~80 Gold.
3. Backtrack your steps, and go south. Take the stairs. In the next room, pick up the chest southeast of your location for ~100 Gold.
4. Travel east and around to reach the entrance again. This time, travel west through the southest passage. At the stream, turn north, but follow the first passage on your right. It should take you to an Herbal. Now walk back to the stream and continue north to the stairs.
5. Here, you will be able to travel west using two separate passages. Remember this location, and take the southern passage. It will take you to four chests divided with a wall. You will obtain ~75 Gold (SE), a Power Pill (SW), a Scale Shield (NW), and a Copper Sabre (NE).
6. To the north, there are two passages. Take the easternmost of the two to pick up a chest containing ~215 Gold.
7. Go down the stairs in the western-most passage.
8. Travel east and take the southern path to a chest containing ~110 Gold.
9. Follow the eastern path for chests containing, from west to east, a Copper Spear, a Copper Sword, and a Copper Axe.
10. Backtrack to the stairs detailed in step 5.
11. This time, take the northern of the two western passages. Don’t take the stairs, and continue to get an Herbal. Now take the stairs to enter a room with a large stream.
12. Follow the central northern path to get a Copper Armor.
13. Now go southwest and around to reach some stairs. These stairs will lead you out of the city.
14. If you return to Jingzhou, you can enter the city and leave with no problems. Seems like a lot of fuss over nothing. Cai Mao, in fact, is still standing inside the palace…
15. When you leave, you will notice that a bridge has appeared leading to the hut you were unable to access earlier.
16. Feel free to return to Xin Ye to save and rest. Otherwise, travel west to the hut.

Sima Hui’s Hut

1. Inside the hut you will meet with someone named Sima Hui. He observes that you have many talented officers, but lack a strategist to guide them. Liu Bei asks who he suggests, and he proposes either Sleeping Dragon or Fledgling Phoenix. He even goes so far as to suggest that, with their assistance, you might even conquer China. Liu Bei asks for more information, but Sima Hui says they will talk more in the morning. You will rest at Sima Hui’s hut.
2. At night, someone visits. Sima Hui greets him as Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang says that, despite searching, he has been unable to find a worthy lord to save the land. Sima Hui says that the best person for Zhuge Liang to turn to under the circumstances is, rather, himself. Zhuge Liang departs. Liu Bei decides to ask about the conversation in the morning.
3. Liu Bei asks in the morning. Sima Hui tells him that the man was Zhuge Liang, or rather, Sleeping Dragon. Liu Bei asks to meet him, and Sima Hui instructs you to go east past the villages, then north.
4. Reassemble your formation. It was broken.
5. Travel past the villages then continue northeast. You will find some trees in the center of a valley, surrounded only by plains. Walk into the trees.

Zhuge Liang’s Home

1. Meet with the fellow in the back of the home who appears to be a strategist. When Liu Bei asks if he is the master, the resident observes that you are actually seeing his brother, Zhuge Liang. He is Zhuge Jun. When Liu Bei asks where Zhuge Liang is, Jun says that he has left with Cui Zhouping. Liu Bei asks to stay, and Jun says he could be gone for a while. Instead of waiting, he will send word to you at Xin Ye.
2. Return to Xin Ye.

Xin Ye Castle (2nd Visit)

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. When you return to Xin Ye, you will meet Yi Ji in the throne room. He tells you that Cao Cao is marching on Xin Ye! To thwart this attack, he suggests luring Cao Cao into the forest southwest of Xin Ye Castle. You are to scout the forest in advance.
2. Exit Xin Ye and travel west until you enter the forest.

Western Forest

1. Enter the forest west of Xin Ye. Move west, and pick up the first treasure you find along the way to get ~80 Gold.
2. Continue west until you find a fork in the road, one path going a little further west, another heading south. Travel west to pick up another treasure chest containing ~125 Gold.
3. Travel past the river along the bank to your east. You will find a Copper Helmet.
4. Southwest, around the patch of forest, you will find an Herbal.
5. As near the forest’s exit, you will see two generals blocking the way. They Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang, officers of Cao Cao. They comment on how daring you must be, and attack.
6. Battle Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang in the Forest (Easy)
   • Lu Kuang
   • Lu Xiang
   • Outlaw Army x3
   • (~105 Exp, ~420 Gold, Drops: ???)
     Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang are tougher than the other officers you have been facing. Both have a great amount of troops, and a good strength rating to match. Fortunately, they aren’t very bright. On the first round, have your strong warriors attack Lu Kuang. Have a smarter officer cast Yi Xin on Lu Xiang in an attempt to paralize him while you finish off his friend. Any other smart officers in your party can cast Ye Huo on Lu Kuang. Generals like Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, or Liu Bei are excellent for this. After Lu Kuang is defeated (it will probably only take a few rounds), focus your attacks on Lu Xiang for the win.
7. Further south you will find a final chest containing ~100 Gold.
8. Continue a short distance further to exit the forest.
9. Upon exit, you will find that the path is blocked with fallen rocks and boulders. You cannot continue. The only thing left to do is return to Xin Ye.

Xin Ye Castle (3rd Visit)

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. Return to Xin Ye and enter the ‘palace’. There, you will find Zhuge Jun waiting for you. Liu Bei asks if the master has returned, and Jun confirms that Zhuge Liang is now waiting at his home. Excellent! Travel east beyond the three towns, then northeast to the lone forest in the valley to visit Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang’s Home (2nd Visit)

1. You will enter Zhuge Liang’s home to find him sleeping in his bedroom. Nobody else is home. If you speak to him, you will receive nothing but a silent, "….." in exchange. The trick here is to ‘Search’ him (use the ‘Search’ command from the main menu). You will now be presented with an option as to whether or not you wish to wake him.
     Spoiler: If you wake Zhuge Liang, he will become angry, and you will be kicked out of his home.
2. If you do not wake him (choose ‘No’ and the screen will go blank for a few moments, with Zhuge Liang eventually waking as long as you don’t press any buttons) he will greet you.
     Liu Bei begs Zhuge Liang to join his cause. Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, is concerned for his brother Jun, not knowing who would be able to look after him. Liu Bei, feeling he won’t be able to get the talented strategist to join his cause, begins to sob. Zhuge Liang feels bad for him, and agrees to join.
     (Liu Bei liked to sob in the novel. First time we’ve seen this actually appear in a game! I wonder if he does so in the Chinese or Japanese versions?)
3. After Zhuge Liang joins, the screen fades out to Xin Ye.
4. Note that Chen Deng’s gear will be passed on to Zhuge Liang. If you have a duplicated Zheng Letter, and the original was placed in Chen Deng’s care, it will now be with Zhuge Liang.

Xin Ye Castle (4th Visit)

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. Standing in the ‘palace’ with your officers and Zhuge Liang in attendance, you receive word that Cao Cao is marching on Xin Ye with a 100,000 man army. Liu Bei, concerned, asks Zhuge Liang if they would be able to defend the castle. Zhuge Liang ponders the question for a moment, then decides it should be possible as long as a plan is prepared. He proceeds to dole out orders to the individual officers in Liu Bei’s service, each accepting the orders without complaint, then explains to Liu Bei, who remains in the city, that he will lead the attack with Zhao Yun. The other officers depart, and you take control of a limited party consisting of Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang. Have a look at your new strategist!
     (Background: In the novel, when Zhuge Liang arrived and started giving orders to defeat Cao Cao, both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei opposed him. Neither felt their force or objectives needed him. It was only after Liu Bei interjected that they complied. After the victory, he won their support.)
2. Make Zhuge Liang your strategist.
3. Adjust equipment as needed. Because Zhuge Liang is a new addition to your force, his equipment may be sub-par.
4. When ready, save your game, and return to the forest.

Western Forest (2nd Visit)

1. Travel west a short distance after entering the forest, and you will find four officers blocking your path. When you are ready to battle, talk to any one of them.
2. Zhuge Liang greets Cao Ren, then tells him the mountains will serve as his tomb.
3. Battle Cao Ren in the Forest (Very Easy)
   • Cao Ren
   • Yu Jin
   • Li Dian
   • Outlaw Army x2
   • (~283 Exp, ~435 Gold, Drops: Copper Sword)
     In terms of troops, you are badly outnumbered. Cao Ren is a talented officer, and Yu Jin and Li Dian, while not terribly dangerous, can hold their own. Have Zhao Yun attack Cao Ren with physical attacks while Zhuge Liang targets him with Ye Huo. You will also discover, quite soon, that Cao Ren hits very hard.
       After the first round, all opposing officers will be hit with a powerful fire attack (this destroys half of Yu Jin and Li Dian’s soldiers). Afterward, Guan Yu announces his arrival. Target Cao Ren with physical attacks from Guan Yu and Zhao Yun, while Zhuge Liang applies another dose of Ye Huo. Cao Ren isn’t hitting your party quite as hard anymore.
       After the second round, they will be struck with yet another fire attack. Zhang Fei announces his arrival. It is likely that both Yu Jin and Li Dian will have been wiped out in the flames.
       If you have been attacking Cao Ren, he will most likely die in combat this round. Otherwise, he will probably perish at the end of this round when Guan Ping comes to your aid with yet another fire attack. Either way, victory will be yours.
       (Note: Lord Yuan Shu of lordyuanshu.com notes, in his own guide, that his game sometimes locks up if he kills Cao Ren before Guan Ping arrives. He explains that this can be avoided by using defensive tactics until Guan Ping arrives. Good to know in case this happens in your game.)
4. After his defeat, Cao Ren will lament the death of his 100,000 soldier army, and retreat back to his own kingdom. Return to Xin Ye Castle to learn what has happened while you were away.

Xin Ye Castle (5th Visit)

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. Enter the ‘palace’ to give Liu Bei the good news. He will be excited at your wonderful victory, but that won’t last long. A messenger arrives with news that Liu Biao’s condition has grown worse, and that he is now nearing death. Liu Bei rejoins your party to visit Jingzhou, and Zhuge Liang leaves your party to prepare Xin Ye’s defenses.

Jingzhou Castle (4th Visit)

Headquarters
Inn (10 Gold Each)
Training Room (1500 Gold)
Blacksmith (Copper Sword, Spear, Sabre, Armor, Helm. Scale Shield)
Merchant (Herbal, Smoke, Revive)

1. Speak with the villagers. There is concern over Liu Biao’s heirs. Liu Qi lacks experience, while Liu Zong is far too young. The people despair over their kingdom’s future.
2. Sell your junk. You probably have a lot of it.
3. If you want to buy any items or gear, now is a good time. It still isn’t advisable to buy Copper Armor or Scale Shields.
4. Save your game, and enter the palace.
5. Liu Biao still rests in his bed, but his condition has grown much worse. When you speak to him, he wastes no time in telling Liu Bei that neither of his sons are equal to the task of ruling Jingzhou, and pleads that Bei take his place. Liu Bei is unsure of what he asks, feeling it isn’t his right to take the land, but Liu Biao presses the matter.
     Cai Mao arrives with news that Cao Cao has rebuilt his army, and that it now boasts nearly 1,000,000 soldiers. Liu Biao, hearing this, becomes even more concerned. With a final plea to Liu Bei to watch over his son and Jingzhou, he passes on.
6. Speak with Cai Mao on the way out. He asks you why you have chosen to oppose Cao Cao, believing himself that embracing Cao Cao’s force would bring peace to Jingzhou. He then leaves, leaving Liu Bei angry. He decides to return to Xin Ye to prepare for war.

Xin Ye Castle (6th Visit)

Inn (10 Gold Each)
Headquarters (Outside)

1. You return to Xin Ye to consult with Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei asks him if there is any hope for Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang explains that there probably is, but it would depend on them conserving their resources (i.e. Liu Bei taking the opportunity to command Jingzhou). Liu Bei explains that it still doesn’t feel right. Zhuge Liang suggests consulting Liu Qi in Xiakou, and rejoins your party.
2. Your party has returned to normal. Arrange your gear between your officers to suite your strategy. If you need anything, stop at Jingzhou on your way to Xiakou to pick it up. Also, assign Zhuge Liang as your strategist.
3. Travel south beyond Jingzhou. Before long you should reach Xiakou Castle. It lies in an open field before the river.

Xiakou Castle

Headquarters
Inn (12 Gold Each)
Training Room (4000 gold)
Blacksmith (Copper Sword/Spear/Sabre/Axe; Copper Shield/Armor)
Merchant (Copper Remedy, Smoke Bomb, Revive)

1. Speak with the villagers. The man at the entrance seems very excited to see Liu Bei’s army. Another gentleman shares a rather surprising rumor. It seems Cai Mao’s nephew, Cai Xun, may have captured Xin Ye, your capital city! Another fellow provides insight regarding the location of the other Cais. Cai Mao has stationed himself in Xing Yang, Jingzhou’s capital, while Cai Zhong is marching north.
2. Visit the blacksmith. Upgrade all shields held by your active warriors to Copper, providing a most excellent AC bonus.
     Spoiler: Configure your party without Liu Bei.
3. Enter the palace and speak with the guards. They are all interested in the pending arrival of Lu Su, a strategist who serves the neighboring kingdom of Wu governed by Sun Quan. It seems Sun Quan too is concerned with Cao Cao’s impending invasion, and they think an alliance with Wu is the best choice to make in order to resolve this situation.
4. Liu Qi is also ill, and in the side bedroom. The Liu family here sure seems to be a useless lot.
5. Speak with Liu Qi. He will lament his uselessness along with the treachery of Cai Mao. He will then ask you to take the throne of Jingzhou. You can try to refuse, but he will present a powerful argument consisting of compelling points such as, “But you must!” After you accept, Liu Bei will leave your party, take the throne, and command you to throw the Cai nephews out of their castles. Perhaps a good place to start is with the bum, Cai Xun, who stole Xin Ye from Liu Bei?