The Flames of Chibi and the Seeds of Discord

As the crimson fires of Chibi faded into the night, Zhuge Liang turned to Liu Bei with a sobering warning: “My lord, we must now turn our minds to the future.” Victory, though sweet, was no time for sentimentality. The alliance between Sun Quan and Liu Bei had shattered Cao Cao’s seemingly invincible navy, but this triumph masked deeper tensions. Sun Quan’s forces had borne the brunt of the battle, while Liu Bei’s ragtag army played a supporting role. Now, the spoils of war—particularly the contested Jing Province—threatened to unravel their fragile partnership.

Within Sun Quan’s camp, factions emerged. The pro-Liu Bei faction, led by Lu Su, argued that keeping Liu Bei as a buffer against Cao Cao’s inevitable retaliation was pragmatic. The anti-Liu Bei faction, spearheaded by the brilliant but suspicious Zhou Yu, saw Liu Bei as an untrustworthy opportunist who would betray them at the first opportunity. Sun Quan, ever the strategist, hedged his bets—he married his sister to Liu Bei, a political union meant to solidify ties while keeping his new brother-in-law under surveillance.

The Chessboard of Jing Province

Liu Bei’s position was precarious. Zhou Yu, now governor of Nan Commandery, controlled the strategic city of Jiangling, forcing Liu Bei to establish his base at Gong’an on the opposite riverbank. “Every move is blocked by Zhou Yu,” Liu Bei lamented. Zhuge Liang, ever the voice of patience, urged restraint: “Endure, my lord. The time will come.”

That time, Zhuge Liang hinted, lay in the fertile lands of Yi Province (modern Sichuan). Its ruler, Liu Zhang, was weak and indecisive, his grip on power weakened by internal revolts. Zhuge Liang had already laid the groundwork—disaffected officials like Zhang Song and Fa Zheng were ready to betray Liu Zhang and welcome Liu Bei as their new leader.

The Great Gambit: Betrayal and Opportunity

In 211 CE, Cao Cao’s march toward Hanzhong (a gateway to Yi Province) forced Liu Zhang’s hand. Desperate for protection, he invited Liu Bei to “help” defend against Cao Cao—unaware that his supposed ally had other plans. Liu Bei’s forces marched west, leaving Zhuge Liang and his best generals to hold Jing Province.

The meeting between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang at Fu was a masterclass in deception. Liu Zhang, a fellow descendant of the Han imperial line, welcomed Liu Bei as a kinsman. For over a hundred days, they feasted, while Fa Zheng urged Liu Bei to seize Liu Zhang then and there. But Liu Bei, ever the reluctant schemer, refused: “I cannot betray such hospitality.”

The Unraveling of Alliances

Sun Quan, furious at being excluded from the Yi campaign, recalled his sister from Liu Bei’s household. The formidable Lady Sun attempted to kidnap Liu Bei’s heir, Liu Shan, as leverage—only to be thwarted by the loyal general Zhao Yun. Meanwhile, Zhou Yu’s sudden death shifted power to the pro-Liu Bei Lu Su, easing (but not erasing) tensions.

The Legacy of Calculated Betrayals

Liu Bei’s eventual takeover of Yi Province in 214 CE marked a turning point. With Jing and Yi under his control, he finally had the resources to declare himself Emperor of Shu Han in 221 CE. Yet the very alliances that brought him success sowed future strife. Sun Quan’s resentment over Jing Province would erupt into the disastrous Battle of Xiaoting (222 CE), while Zhuge Liang’s grand northern campaigns against Wei strained Shu’s fragile economy.

The post-Chibi era teaches us that in the Three Kingdoms, victory was never final. Alliances were temporary, trust was a liability, and every triumph carried the seeds of the next conflict. Liu Bei’s rise—built on broken promises and strategic patience—remains a timeless study in the paradoxes of power: sometimes, to win the future, one must betray the present.