Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 110.

Last time, Zhuge Liang's deft combination of military deployment and diplomatic diplomatic maneuvering, had brought about peace

for the kingdom of Shu on its northern borders with Wei and eastern borders with Wu.

But around the same time, trouble was stirring on Shu's southwestern borders.

Meng Huo, the king of the Nanman or southern barbarians,

had convinced the governors of three borderland districts

to rebel against the authority of the Shu,

and the barbarian forces were staging raids in the area.

The three renegade governors were also laying siege to another district on the

border, whose governor was the lone holdout. Alerted to this crisis, Zhuge Liang went to court

and told his emperor Liu Shan, In my view, the recalcitrance of the Nanman tribes is a major

concern for our kingdom.

I shall personally command a large army to pacify them.

But Sun Quan lurks in the east and Cao Pi looms in the north, Liu Shan said.

Minister Father, if you abandon me and our rivals come to attack, what would we do?"

Dong Wu has just made peace with us, and so should not be harboring ill intent, Zhuge Liang

said.

But even if they do, Li Yan is overseeing the key city of Bai Di, and he is more than a match for the Dongwu commander Lu Xun.

As for Cao Pi, he just suffered a defeat and is licking his wounds, so he is unable to mount a distant

campaign. With Ma Chao defending the various passes in Hanzhong, there is no need for worry. I will also leave the generals

Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to each lead an army as backup, just in case. I will first go pacify

...