Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 39.

Last time, Cao Cao had just put another smackdown on Yuan Shao,

when he was distracted from his work by news that Liu Bei was trying

to make a sneak attack on his capital. So Cao Cao quickly turned around and met Liu Bei on route.

Liu Bei won their first clash, but then was met with silence from Cao Cao's camp the next two days,

which made him very suspicious.

Liu Bei did not have to wait long for his fears to be justified.

Words soon came that his officer Gongdo had been ambushed while delivering provisions

and was presently surrounded by Cao Cao's troops,

so Liu Bei quickly dispatched Zhang Fei to bail him out.

Just then came more word that a force led by Cao Cao's general Xia Houdun

has sneaked around Liu Bei and was on its way to attack Rue Nan, Liu Bei's home base.

If that is the case, I am under siege from front and back, and I have no way home, a concern

Liu Bei said, so he sent Guan Yu off to protect Ruanan.

But within a day, work came that Ruanan had fallen to Xia Hudun, and that Liu Pi, the guy

Liu Bei had left in charge, had fled the city, and that Guan Yu was now trapped by Xia Hudun's forces.

Just as Liu Bei was panicking, more bad news arrived. Apparently, Zhang Fei was also now trapped.

Liu Bei was now in a huge bind. He wanted to retreat, but he was afraid that Cao Cao would attack him if he did.

Just then, his men reported that Cao Cao's general Xu Chu was challenging for combat

outside the camp.

With everything else going on, Liu Bei did not dare to answer the challenge.

...