LiuBeiwasGreat wrote:This may have been asked before I forget but what if, when Liu Bei was serving Yuan Shao he managed to befriend Zhang He and managed to get Zhang He to come with him to Jing.
Could Liu Bei achieve more with the talent of Zhang He, and how would not having Zhang He effect Cao Cao?
I think Cao Cao had enough capable generals. Zhang He was a very good general and would have made a big difference for Liu Bei assuming he would have stayed loyal. Serving Liu Bei was usually a greater test of loyalty in those earlier days before he had a secure land of his own. If he stayed loyal then his presence could have helped to protect Jing. He's younger than Guan Yu but he I think he could have done a great job governing Jing or as Guan's second in command. On the actual battlefield I don't think Shu needed Zhang He earlier on. The other Shu men did their jobs well in Yi and Han Zhong. I don't think he would have done anything special at Yi Ling. But he would have been immensely useful during the northern campaigns. He could have led the van instead of Ma Su. That could have made all the difference. Not got the arrogance issue like Wei Yan either.
There is an argument for saying that some Wei generals despite their great talent and colourful records may have been opportunistic. They were serving an amazing leader who was 10 times richer than Liu Bei. I think for a guy in Liu's position he needed men of great personal loyalty not just ability for them to be of most value to him. This is where I doubt Zhang He. In that field I don't think he matches Guan, Zhang, Zhao, Zhuge.
''I've never fought for anyone but myself. I've got no purpose in life. No ultimate goal. It's only when I'm cheating death on the battlefield. The only time I feel truly alive.'' ~Solid Snake