Three Kingdoms: The Guan Family's Rebellious Son, Long Blessing Jing Xiang

In a corner of the southwest of Chang'an City, an ancient courtyard is hidden.

The path paved with blue bricks is winding, with weathered pines and cypresses on both sides. The sunlight shines through the sparse clouds and falls into the courtyard, adding a touch of gentleness and warmth to this quiet and ancient courtyard. Time seems to have frozen here.

In a corner of the courtyard, an ancient plum tree stands quietly, with its branches full of plums that have long since lost their greenness.

They sway gently in the breeze, as if they are also waiting for someone...

To be precise...it was the wait for a meeting between two people that lasted for twenty years.

A small copper stove was steaming, with fine charcoal burning in it...

The old man, who is about to enter his seventies, sat cross-legged quietly beside the copper stove, the firelight illuminating his calm and deep face.

However, his indifferent demeanor could not conceal the domineering aura that only a hero of the time could possess.

It was Cao Cao——

The bronze wine jug on the stove had already been prepared. The freshness of green plums and the mellowness of fine wine blended together, exuding an intoxicating aroma that filled the entire courtyard.

Now it seems that the only thing missing is... someone who is capable of sitting opposite him and drinking with him.

...

"He is in this courtyard... I will lead my eldest brother in."

Outside the door, Guan Yu's deliberately lowered voice was heard.

Following behind him was Liu Bei.

Brothers haven't seen each other for several years, so we should have a drink and talk, and not go home until we are drunk...

But because of Cao Cao, all brotherly greetings had to be postponed for the time being.

Along the way, Liu Bei was in a hurry... just to have a drink with Cao Cao face to face here.

At this moment, hearing Guan Yu's words, Liu Bei gently grabbed him, and under those eyes full of expectation, longing, and eagerness, he chanted the two words "no need" as calmly and nonchalantly as possible.

He rejected Guan Yu's kindness, "Yun Chang, let me meet him alone——"

With the elder brother saying this, Guan Yu would not follow him, so he stood guard at the gate of the courtyard, "Brother, I will stay here, if you need anything, call me at any time..."

It is not known whether the atmosphere in the courtyard changed suddenly because of Liu Bei's arrival, or whether the conversation between Guan Yu and Liu Bei was heard by Cao Cao who was standing next to the bronze stove.

As soon as Guan Yu finished speaking...

A vigorous, vicissitudes and hoarse voice came out:

——"Xuan De, is that you?"

It's Cao Cao's voice...

On the other hand, when Liu Bei heard the voice, the dragon-like and tiger-like steps he had deliberately taken stopped.

It was as if in an instant, the imagined condescending aura completely disappeared, and was replaced by a hint of nervousness.

After all, he still couldn't look down on Cao Cao, just as Cao Cao never looked down on him when he was down and out.

However, soon... After a brief moment of daze, Liu Bei quickly raised his head again, and replied in the same vigorous, vicissitudes, and hoarse voice: "Brother Meng De, it's me..."

At this time, Cao Cao had woken up from his meditation with his eyes closed. He turned his head and stared at Liu Bei, staring at Liu Xuande, the man who had been defeated by him but had now grown into a behemoth... and walked towards him step by step.

Finally, when Liu Bei knelt in front of him, Cao Cao hesitated for a moment, but still tried hard and choked up, "Xuan De, how are you——"

Different tone, different situation, but the same words...

In an instant, the words "I hope you are well" brought Liu Bei and Cao Cao back to June of the third year of Jian'an.

That year Cao Cao attacked Zhang Xiu again;
That year Cao Cao conquered Lu Bu;
In June of that year, plums were ripe, and many people said that the meeting between Cao Cao and Liu Bei was a discussion of heroes over plum wine...

However, plums have never been used to cook wine. Only Cao Cao and Liu Bei knew that green plums were not used to cook wine that year, but to accompany wine.

Just like the bowl of wine in front of them now, the plums in the wine are no longer green, but they are still so green and refreshing.

...

Memories start from the beginning of all these coincidences...

The first time Cao Cao met Liu Bei was during the Eighteen Princes' Campaign against Dong Zhuo. He recognized this hero from the conversation between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan.

——"Gongsun Taishou, who is behind you?"

——"This is my roommate since childhood, Pingyuan County Magistrate Liu Bei!"

It was from this time that a strong sense of fate began to arise quietly.

Start with this scene.

Overnight, the scenes of their shared experiences began to flash before their eyes.

...

At the meeting place of the 18 princes, Cao Cao shouted in front of all the heroes in the world:

——"Could it be Liu Xuande who defeated the Yellow Turbans? I have heard of your great name for a long time!"

...

When Liu Bei was cornered by Lu Bu and had nowhere to go, Cao Cao personally went out of the city to meet him.

——"Mr. Xuande, how are you?"

——『I am ashamed to come to you at the end of my rope.』

——"Xuan De, what are you talking about? You and I are brothers. Lü Bu is a man without loyalty and will never accomplish anything great. I will kill him together with you, my dear brother! Today, I have prepared a banquet to calm Xuan De down and welcome him back."

...

Behind the curtain of Cao's camp, all the counselors advised to kill Liu Bei!

——"My Lord, Liu Bei is a hero of our time. If we don't take action now, he will be a nuisance in the future!"

——"Now is the time to use heroes. We cannot lose the hearts of the people of the world by killing one person! Tomorrow I will submit a memorial to the emperor to recommend Liu Bei as the governor of Yuzhou!"

...

On the White Gate Tower, when Lu Bu was brought in, Cao Cao first asked Liu Bei for his opinion.

——"What do you think, Lord Xuande?"

——"Have you not seen what happened to Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo? Have you not seen what happened to Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?"

When Zhang Liao was brought in, Cao Cao was about to execute him, but Liu Bei grabbed him.

——"Such loyal and righteous people should be retained by the wise and just people!"

...

In Xuchang, Cao Cao invited Liu Bei to have a drink.

——"Xuan De, I just saw the plums on the branches have turned green, and I was suddenly moved. Seeing these plums now, I must appreciate them. And the wine is just about to be cooked, so I invite you to the pavilion for a while!"

——"The only heroes in the world today are you and Cao!"

...

Liu Bei escaped from Xuchang and seized Xuzhou, which made Cao Cao feel extremely regretful.

——"Liu Bei left Xudu! It is just as Feng Xiao said, if we let the enemy go for one day, it will be a problem for eternity!"

...

Go south to Jingzhou.

When the counselor chanted "My Lord, Liu Bei has brought the people into Fancheng, why not try to persuade Liu Bei to surrender first?"

Cao Cao was overjoyed and shouted:
——『This plan works!』

Even though Cao Cao had been hurt by Liu Bei, no matter when, what he most hoped for was still to subdue Liu Bei——

...

The plum wine is already warm.

But Cao Cao and Liu Bei, who were sitting opposite each other, just stared at each other in silence.

The memories between them kept coming back, as if both of them were enjoying those scenes from the past that were deeply embedded in their memories.

Finally, Cao Cao was the first to come out of those memories, and he asked Liu Bei.

"Xuan De, why are you speechless?"

It was this sentence that pulled Liu Bei's thoughts out of his beautiful, urgent, tragic, or decadent mood.

His face was serious and he sighed with regret.

"All along the way, I have been thinking about the scene when I met you, Meng De, and what I should say to you. I even thought about whether I should talk to Meng De from a superior position. But when I really sit here, I find that even if I look Brother Meng De in the eye, I feel inferior to him... I don't know why now? Haha, as for what to say... Actually, I have forgotten what I thought on the way, and I don't know what to say anymore!"

Listening to Liu Bei's words, Cao Cao also made a look of reminiscing about the past, thinking back to those glorious years.

"hehe…"

Finally, Cao Cao laughed, and while laughing, he said, "Xuan De won't tell me, then I will ask you. Xuan De, why don't you guess... This time, when I saw you on your territory, what did I feel in my heart!"

This…

Liu Bei thought about it for a while, then shook his head and stretched out his hand, saying: "I can't guess, I'd better ask Brother Meng De to teach me..."

"Haha..." Cao Cao laughed, "Then I have to say..."

"Brother Meng De, please——"

As Liu Bei finished speaking, Cao Cao stood up, took a deep breath, and then tried to chant in the most stern, serious, and cold tone...

But in the end...all the words finally become gentle, delicate and gentle!

"Xuan De, in fact, the moment I saw you again, it was as if... it was as if I saw myself who was once devoted to the public—"

This sentence...

Perhaps it was the most gentle, yet also the hoarseest, most husky, and most involuntary speech Cao Cao had ever made since he became the King of Wei.

It was this sentence that was like a warm current...that instantly rushed into Liu Bei's mind, like an epiphany.

His face trembled slightly due to the fluctuation of emotions.

His lips were tightly pursed, as if he was trying hard to suppress the throbbing in his heart, but tears were already beginning to... continuously fall from the corners of his eyes, like a broken string of beads.

Looking at Liu Bei's appearance, Cao Cao narrowed his eyes... and his voice became more and more thoughtful:
"You're still so fond of crying..."

Liu Bei wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then met Cao Cao's gaze and replied, stumbling and enunciating each word: "Brother Meng De, do you know...what kept me going during these thirty years when I was at my wit's end?"

"What?" "Every time I rebel against Cao... then... then my plan will work..." Liu Bei cried, "I have been through countless desperate situations over the years, but in every desperate situation, the driving force that kept me going was Brother Meng De... it was your words of approval!"

"I am dedicated to the public, haha, I never want to be just a hero in your eyes, I want to be the most respectable enemy among all your opponents——"

The tone of voice rose with each sentence, and by the end it was a hoarse roar...

This is the chanting of this sentence...

Cao Cao, who had already stood up, staggered. He tried hard to hold on to something with his hands to prop up his staggering legs.

After all, he was still holding Liu Bei's arm!

And his words, Liu Bei's words... overnight, have turned into completely new characters and are deeply imprinted in Cao Cao's heart.

——Seeing you is like seeing the self who once was dedicated to the public!

——I want to be the most respectable enemy among all your opponents!
never…

Liu Bei agreed with Cao Cao!
He forged five-colored sticks, he issued a memorial of ten crimes, he destroyed evil shrines, he stabbed powerful eunuchs alone in the middle of the night, he dared to ask for the Seven-Star Sword to assassinate Dong Zhuo, his armies looked north while I headed west, he and his army fought in the northern border of the Central Plains, he wiped out the Wuhuan, suppressed the Xiongnu, pacified the Western Qiang, subdued the Xianbei, and prevented the barbarians from taking advantage of the situation to enter the Central Plains and cause trouble!
All these made Liu Bei deeply admire him!

These are the deeds... spanning thousands of years, but when Wei Wu waved his whip, he would still have his own rumors and relics when he stood at Jieshi in the east.

Liu Bei deeply identified with Cao Cao...

Didn’t Cao Cao originally want to be a capable minister who governs the country?
Who is born willing to be a villain?

But the times... inevitably pushed him to the opposite side!
These are a pair of desperate eyes——

This is Cao Cao who goes against his original intention——

This is also Liu Bei who was forced into a desperate situation——

These three kinds of circumstances converge in this chaotic world, and art, at this moment... has reached its peak!

...

This is destined to be the afterglow before the great unification——

After only one round of conversation, Cao Cao and Liu Bei fell into silence again.

The green plum wine in Chang'an this time and the green plum wine in Xuchang City last time were destined to be completely different and destined to go in completely opposite trajectories.

"drink wine--"

"Brother Meng De, please——"

"Drink another bowl--"

"Brother Meng De, please——"

"Come again——"

"it is good--"

As the green plum wine goes down your throat, the aroma becomes richer.

Even though... the plums in September are no longer green, the mixture of sour and sweet taste with the aroma of wine... still lingers in the mouth for a long time, leaving a long aftertaste.

Liu Bei was wearing white clothes today, while Cao Cao was wearing black clothes.

White looks at black, black looks at white...

Liu Bei in white walked past Cao Cao in black, and Cao Cao in black looked at Liu Bei in white deeply...

There was a moment, those eyes, that gleam, that color… were just like those twenty years, just like those words - I am looking at you, with eyes that refuse to retreat!
It’s that damn thing again, what a strong sense of fatalism!
"Ha ha ha ha…"

Finally, a loud laugh brought this fateful eye contact back to the drinking party.

"The plums are finally ripe..." With a hearty laugh, Cao Cao drank another bowl of green plum wine, and then he spoke, "Thinking back to the time in Xuchang, I was wearing black and Xuande was wearing white... You were like me then, and I was like you then... At that time, I dared to say 'The only heroes in the world today are you and me' because I had extremely strong confidence, I was sure that you, Liu Bei, were mine, a fish in the pond... But..."

Having said this, Cao Cao raised his wine bowl again. The bowl was still empty, so Liu Bei filled it for him personally.

Cao Cao put the wine bowl to his lips and continued with a sigh, "I, Cao Cao, have killed so many people, but in the end, even if I spent half my life... I couldn't cross out the last name on the imperial edict!"

After saying this, Cao Cao was about to drink it all up again...

But at this moment, Liu Bei held the wine bowl with his hand and asked calmly: "May I ask Brother Meng De, the last name on the secret decree, is it that you can't cross it out? Or do you not want to cross it out?"

What Liu Bei meant was that what he was asking was... a difficult question that has caused countless historians to imagine and speculate for more than a thousand years.

Why didn't Cao Cao kill Liu Bei in Xuchang when he was in power for 20 years?

And with Liu Bei's words...

Cao Cao looked up in surprise, and finally put down the wine that was about to reach his mouth. He slowly stood up again, turned to the side, and stared up at the sky with his tiger eyes.

He pondered for a long time... before he sighed.

"The high spirits I had when I was young were all shattered by the reality..."

"At that time, if you were alone, and you saw your former self, your original appearance, would you kill him? Would you erase your own past and justice?"

At this point, Cao Cao closed his eyes...

He felt the September wind in Chang'an City, and took a deep breath again. As he breathed in and out, the most heartfelt words came out:

"I doubted your bustling justice, but in the end I decided to let go of your body that no longer fights back!"

"Xuan De, let alone the one time twenty years ago, even if you came to me ten, twenty, or a hundred times, I would still let you go…let you go…let…you go!"

With a gurgling sound…

Listening to Cao Cao's words, Liu Bei was grateful and couldn't help but bow solemnly.

"I finally understand why I am always inferior to Brother Meng De..."

"But don't worry, Brother Meng De. As you said, you doubted my justice, but in the end you let go of my body that didn't fight back. At this moment, if you and I switched positions, I wouldn't have any difficulty at all... You who don't fight back..."

Speaking of which…

Liu Bei solemnly raised the wine bowl towards Cao Cao... and drank it all in one gulp.

Cao Cao immediately replied, "Xuan De, remember, in the darkness, neither you nor I need pity..."

After saying that, he also picked up the wine bowl and toasted Liu Bei, the sky, and this era.

"Done—"

"Done—"

In fact, Liu Bei knew that Cao Cao had a request when he arrived.

But at this time, in this atmosphere, Liu Bei did not ask, and Cao Cao did not speak, but it seemed that they understood each other's thoughts and already knew...

There was no need to question this so-called request, just do it.

In this situation... they still regard it more as the memories between each other and the remembrance of the glorious years...

...

At that time... Cao Cao laughed and rushed to Liu Bei's residence: "Xuan De, you have done a lot of great things at home! It's not easy for Xuan De to have such leisure time to grow vegetables and water the garden at home!"

At that time, Liu Bei faced Dong Cheng and others, holding the imperial edict in his hand, blood still oozing from his fingertips, and he said solemnly: "I obey the imperial edict to fight against the enemy, and I dare not fail to do my utmost!"

...

While drinking plum wine, Cao Cao sighed: "Hahaha, the dragon is a creature that can be compared to the bravery of the world. When it is big, it can create clouds and mist, and when it is small, it can hide its heart. When it is alive, it can soar in the universe, and when it is hidden, it can lurk in the waves."

Liu Bei: "Who can take on this task?"

Cao Cao: "The only heroes in the world today are you and me!"

...

At that time, Cao Cao held the Seven-Star Sword in both hands and said, "My ancestors have been enjoying the Han Dynasty's salary for generations! If I don't think about serving the country, what's the point of being an animal? Although I am not talented, I am willing to cut off Dong Zhuo's head and hang it at the East Gate!"

Once upon a time, Liu Bei held the sword in both hands and said: "I am a relative of the Han Dynasty! I should support the Han Dynasty. How dare I leave it to fate?"

...

In Longzhong, Nanyang, Liu Bei faced Zhuge Liang: "In this world, only Cao Cao is as hostile to me as fire and water. Cao Cao is impatient, I am lenient; Cao Cao is violent, I am kind; Cao Cao is deceitful, I am loyal. I always oppose Cao Cao, and then things can be accomplished!"

On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliff, Cao Cao held up a wine jar and said to all the civil and military officials: "Liu Bei is just a weaving boy, why should I be afraid of him?"

...

On the battlefield of Hanzhong, Liu Bei pointed his sword at Cao Cao and said, "I am a relative of the Han Dynasty and I am here to punish the enemy! You killed the queen and made yourself king. You used the emperor's throne recklessly. You are a true traitor!"

Cao Cao stood on the high platform where the 18 princes met, pointing his sword at Luoyang, "Together we will defeat Dong Zhuo, support the Han Dynasty, and go through fire and water, even if it means death—"

However, more than a month later, Cao Cao, who was pursuing the enemy alone, was defeated in Xingyang. He returned and angrily rebuked the princes who were at the banquet: "You are not worthy of being my adviser..."

...

Outside Xinye City, beside the Han River, Liu Bei led the people across the river and said sadly: "Although the situation is urgent now, I swear to live and die with the people! We live and die together!"

After Cao Cao killed Lü Bushe, he wiped the blood from his hands and chanted: "I would rather let the world betray me than let the world betray me!"

...

Liu Bei said to Zhuge Liang in Nanjun: "Nanjun is Cao Cao's territory, it is reasonable to take it!"

Cao Cao said passionately at the Battle of Red Cliff: "I laugh at Liu Bei for trying to shake Mount Tai with the strength of an ant. How foolish he is!"

...

Someone advised Cao Cao: "Your reputation is growing day by day, why not take this opportunity to do what the king and hegemon do..."

Someone advised Liu Bei: "The emperor's uncle is a relative of the Han Dynasty. Not to mention occupying the prefectures and counties, he can even take the throne in place of the orthodox..."

——And...why not?

Haha, let me ask you, have they ever thought of exchanging their eager hearts for a piece of dragon scale?
No?
Hehe, maybe... they just want to become respectable enemies in the rival world -

...

Green plums are inevitably sour and astringent when served with wine, but they are also sweet and have an endless aftertaste.

Aged plums are no longer sour when paired with wine, but they also lose their sweetness, don’t they?
...

"Xuan De, is that you——"

"Xuan De, how are you——"

...

…(End of chapter)