One hundred and fifty-three episodes later, we have finally reached the “long divided, must unite” part of the novel. * Transcript * Map of Key Locations * Graph of Key Characters and Relationships Transcript PDF version Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 153. Last time, after many delays and postponements, the kingdom of Jin finally decided to march South. Its army was cutting through Wu territory like a hot knife through butter, or if you prefer the Chinese equivalent of that saying, like a knife through bamboo. They were knocking on the doorstep of Jianye, the Wu’s capital city, but there was dissent back home about whether to press forward. The senior court official Jia Chong wanted to recall the troops on account of fatigue and disease, but his colleague Zhang Hua (2) spoke against it, prompting Jia Chong to scold Zhang Hua. But Sima Yan was like, if you’re done, Mr. Let’s Recall the Army, I would like to say something, seeing how I’m, you know, emperor and all. “It is my intention to continue,” he said. “Zhang Hua just happens to share my opinion. There is no need to bicker.” And just then, a dispatch arrived from the Jin grand commander Du (4) Yu (4), also urging Sima Yan to continue pressing the troops forward. With all second thoughts erased, Sima Yan promptly gave the order to advance.   With that command, the Jin army resumed its course on land and water, and just like before, the people of Wu surrendered at the first sight of their banners. When Sun Hao heard this, he turned pale. “The Northern army draws nearer by the day,” his officials told him. “And our soldiers and people are surrendering without a fight. What should we do?” “Why do they not fight?” Sun Hao said. Oh, I don’t know. Could be that decade-plus of hell you just put them through? That would be my guess. Sun Hao’s officials now pointed the finger at the chief eunuch that had been mucking things up at court, saying that if Sun Hao would execute him, then they would all go and fight it out with the enemy. “But he is just a eunuch,” Sun Hao said. “How could he have doomed the state?” To this, everyone at court shouted, “Your majesty, did you not see what the eunuch Huang Hao (4) did to the kingdom of Shu?!” And then, the mob decided that they weren’t even going to ask for permission from their lord. They just weren’t going to take it anymore. The court officials all stormed into the palace, tracked down that eunuch, cut him to pieces, and — just to show how much contempt they had for this guy — ate his flesh, raw. Wiping grisly human remains from his chin, the official Tao (2) Jun (4) said, “The warships under my command are all small. Please give me 20,000 troops on large ships. That will be enough to defeat the enemy.” So Sun Hao did as he requested and sent the imperial guard to accompany Tao (2) Jun (4) to go up river to face the oncoming foe. Meanwhile, the Forward Army General, Zhang Xiang (4), led the navy into the river. But just as they were about to set sail, a strong gale kicked up from the northwest. All the banners of the Wu forces were blown over. Seeing this, most of the men said thanks but no thanks, and they scattered rather than get on the ships.So Zhang Xiang was left with all of a few dozen men.   Meanwhile,