Liu Bei continues to grow stronger, yet he refuses to listen to his advisors when they urge him to set aside morality and do what needs to be done to save the nation. But the path to power does not follow a high road, and soon Liu Bei will confront betrayal that will tear more than one life apart.
Both Cao Cao and Sun Quan are examples of impatient men. Liu Bei, however, is an overly reluctant man. His habit of being cautious confounds his most loyal allies, and his unwillingness to resort to even temporary cruelty confounds the plans of his generals and civil servants alike. It was not until Zhuge Liang came along that someone was able to accommodate Liu Bei's frustrating tendency to resist doing what was deemed necessary to advance his cause. Whenever Liu Bei has refused Zhuge Liang's advice to take the offensive, whether by conquering a city by force or eliminating an adversary, Zhuge Liang has already prepared a backup plan. Zhuge Liang knows that only Liu Bei can make the choices necessary to advance his cause, so it may take a while for things to turn out the way he wants, but eventually Zhuge Liang's strategies come to pass.
