Ji Han Liu Zhang

Xudu.

While Cao Cao was paying close attention to the current situation in the world, Liu Bei, the Left General and Governor of Yuzhou, was also keeping a close eye on the developments in all parts of the universe with his bright eyes.

As Liu Bei was secretly feared by Cao Cao, he did not become a core member of the Sikong Mansion, but lived in Xudu as a vagrant guest general. Therefore, Liu Bei could not know a lot of news in time.

However, thanks to the fact that Xu County is the imperial capital of the Han Dynasty and the seat of the emperor and his ministers, all the memorials and letters from the princes from all directions will be gathered in Xudu, and the spies from all directions will also gather here. In this mixed crowd, true and false news flow around the city of Xudu like water.

Therefore, Liu Bei did not have to spend any effort or bother to find out anything. All the major events in the world would naturally come to his ears.

Although the news would be delayed by one or two days, Liu Bei still waited patiently for the news to come, instead of sending people to inquire privately. He was aware that one or two eyes were staring at his house and his every move.

"Be content and wait for the right time." Liu Bei gave a countermeasure. He planned to pretend to be content and not give the spies who were investigating him any handle.

It is said that Liu Bei also vaguely guessed who the owner of the spying gaze outside the mansion was, but since the matter had not been made public, he pretended that it had not happened and ignored it to avoid alerting the enemy.

In the residence of the Left General, Liu Bei faced north, raised his cup and said, "Brother Bogui, have a safe journey."

Liu Bei poured cup after cup of wine straight down, which was a common way of offering sacrifices. The person he was offering sacrifices to was his senior brother - General Gongsun Zan.

In their early years, Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan studied together under the tutelage of Lu Zhi, the former governor of Jiujiang and a fellow countyman. Later, when Liu Bei served as the magistrate of Gaotang, Gaotang County was attacked by bandits. At that time, he had no place to live, so he defected to Gongsun Zan, who appointed him as the Sima of a separate department. Later, he served as the prime minister of Pingyuan State and received some favors from Gongsun Zan.

Now that Gongsun Zan was defeated and burned himself to death, as Gongsun Zan's junior fellow apprentice and having received Gongsun Zan's kindness, Liu Bei would naturally express his grief from afar and offer a memorial service, so as to live up to the friendship between him and Gongsun Zan.

At this time, a loud voice came from outside the door. Although the person had not arrived yet, the voice arrived first: "Brother, after Yuan Shao conquered Yi County, he sent an envoy to deliver the heads of General Gongsun and his chief secretary Guan Jing to Xudu. News came from the Sikong Mansion that Cao Sikong ordered people to build wooden bodies for General Gongsun and Guan Jing, and they will be buried soon."

"Third brother, is this true?" Liu Bei's expression showed some fluctuations for a rare moment. He strode out and met Zhang Fei who came to report the news.

Zhang Fei stepped into the house and nodded heavily: "Brother, this is not a secret. It has been spread all over Xu County. It is indeed true."

"Good." Liu Bei clapped his hands and sighed. Hearing that Gongsun Zan could rest in peace, he, as a junior brother, was naturally happy. He said to himself: "After Senior Brother Gongsun is buried, second brother, third brother, you two will follow me to pay tribute."

"That's right." Guan Yu, who was standing by, stroked his beard and responded generously.

Time passed quickly. After hearing the news that Gongsun Zan was buried, Liu Bei immediately brought Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to Gongsun Zan's grave. He first arranged the sacrificial items one by one, and then poured several cups of wine to express his grief.

Looking at Gongsun Zan's tombstone, Liu Bei couldn't help but recall Gongsun Zan's agile and heroic figure, hearty laughter, and loud conversation in the past. But now that he is gone, Gongsun Zan's appearance and voice gradually became blurred in Liu Bei's memory, leaving only a handful of yellow earth.

At the same time, Gongsun Zan's hegemony was also eliminated. When Gongsun Zan was powerful, even Yuan Shao had to cover up his brilliance. But now times have changed. Yuan Shao unified Hebei, and Gongsun Zan's hegemony became empty and turned into ruins.

Liu Bei let go of his thoughts and thought that in just this year, which was the third year of Jian'an, he did not know how many heroes had come to an end. Famous figures in the world such as Gongsun Zan, Lu Bu, and Zhang Yang of Hanoi had all died, and there were countless unknown ones.

The strong invade the weak, and the weak are destroyed. This is the theme of today's chaotic world.

As the fourth year of Jian'an approached, Liu Bei thought to himself that the disputes among the surviving princes might become more intense and violent.

After all, these remaining princes have experienced many turbulent times, and they have many capable ministers and generals under their command, as well as brave and sharp soldiers like rain. Once a war breaks out, the chances of winning or losing are hard to predict.

After paying tribute to Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei rode his horse back to the Left General's residence. On the way back, he was in low spirits and looked a little aggrieved.

After wandering in troubled times and struggling all the way to the present day, Liu Bei believes that he has only earned the empty title of Left General and Governor of Yuzhou, and is controlled by others, unable to spread his wings and soar into the sky.

There is a long way to go, so just wait and see.

After a moment of loneliness, Liu Bei regained his composure and his eyes conveyed an extremely firm determination. He did not lose his determination because of his momentary depression, but became even more motivated after the setback.

……

Sikong Mansion.

Cheng Yu walked into the meeting room on the left wing from outside. After taking his seat, he reported the news he had brought to Cao Cao: "Left General Liu Bei is out today."

"It's rare!" Cao Cao chuckled. Since returning to Xu Du with him, the Left General Liu Bei has been staying at home, seldom going out, and rarely receiving guests. He never thought that Liu Bei would go out for fun today.

"Who invited Liu Xuande to go out?"

Cheng Yu shook his head and denied it, saying, "No one invited him. Liu Xuande went out today to pay respects at Gongsun Zan's grave."

"Oh." Cao Cao nodded, with no surprise on his face: "Gongsun Zan and Liu Xuande once studied under Master Lu. It is natural for the younger brother to pay tribute to the older brother."

"Is there anything else?" Cao Cao asked. He valued Liu Bei very much. While recommending Liu Bei as the Left General, he also traveled in the same carriage and sat at the same table with Liu Bei when he was with him.

On the one hand, Cao Cao thought that Liu Bei was a man of great talent, but on the other hand, he was also somewhat afraid of Liu Bei, so while he respected Liu Bei, he also paid close attention to Liu Bei's behavior.

Cheng Yu replied, "Nothing special happened. Liu Bei just ran into General Dong Cheng on his way back, and the two of them exchanged a few words while greeting each other on horseback."

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, and after thinking for a moment or two, he ordered, "Since Liu Xuande's behavior is normal, you can withdraw your gaze from General Zuo's mansion."

……

Jingzhou. In the third year of Jian'an this year, a fierce battle between Jingzhou and Jiangdong began, with both sides winning and losing. When the weather turned cold and the ground was frozen, Sun Ce withdrew his troops and Liu Biao was slightly relieved.

At the moment, in the governor's mansion in Xiangyang, Liu Biao set up a banquet to entertain the officers and soldiers who had made contributions in the battle against Sun Ce in Jiangxia. He raised his cup and said to everyone: "The victory over Sun Ce is all due to you all."

"Come, drink this cup to the full."

After saying this, Liu Biao raised his cup and drank it all, and showed the empty bottom of the cup to the officers present. His generous behavior attracted a response from the officers, and they raised their cups and drank, and showed the empty bottom of the cup to Liu Biao for him to see.

The banquet at the governor's mansion was filled with the sounds of stringed instruments, singing and dancing. The melodious sounds of stringed instruments quietly rang out, matched with the graceful dancers. The two were a perfect match, caught the eyes and ears of the officers and made them happy.

"Han Sheng, in this battle of Jiangxia, you shot and killed Ling Cao, which is a great contribution. Come, drink this cup."

Amid the singing and dancing, Liu Biao spoke to Huang Zhong, who was sitting at the front seat. His eyes were filled with uncontrollable admiration as he looked at Huang Zhong.

There was no other reason. It was because Huang Zhong had been the first to capture Shouchun in the campaign to assist Cao Cao in conquering Huainan, and had fought with Lu Bu for more than a hundred rounds, which greatly enhanced the reputation of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, and made Liu Biao receive the emperor's reward and promotion.

Now, in the Battle of Jiangxia against Sun Ce, Huang Zhong drew his bow and shot Ling Cao, a brave general under Sun Ce, killing him, thus stabilizing the originally unfavorable battle situation and blocking Sun Ce's unstoppable attack.

When Liu Biao thought of this, his expression became even happier, especially when he thought that Huang Zhong was still a loyal and righteous man who gave up Cao Cao's recruitment and was wholeheartedly loyal to him.

So, after Huang Zhong finished his cup, Liu Biao stood up, took the wine jug from the servant, and filled the glass in front of Huang Zhong with wine in front of him, in front of Huang Zhong's surprised gaze.

"Han Sheng is brave and a great general of Jingzhou. He should drink this cup to boost his morale." After Liu Biao filled a glass of wine, he personally picked up the glass and handed it to Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong felt a little terrified at this moment. He declined, saying, "I am just eating your salary and sharing your worries. I don't deserve your praise."

"Han Sheng, don't refuse. Drink this cup." Liu Biao raised the cup and moved forward, intending that Huang Zhong drink the cup that he had filled himself.

"In that case, thank you very much, my lord." Huang Zhong could not bear to be refused, so he took the glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

Liu Biao nodded when he saw this and praised him, "He is indeed a real man."

The banquet ended in a joyful and cheerful atmosphere. After all the officers and soldiers left, a man came out from behind the screen behind Liu Biao. Liu Biao heard the light footsteps and asked without turning his head, "When did Madam come?"

Mrs. Cai, who had a beautiful face and an outstanding figure, laughed out loud and clear like a bell. She replied, "I have been here for a while, but the banquet has not yet ended, so it is inconvenient for me to come out."

Mrs. Cai walked behind Liu Biao and skillfully massaged the acupoints on his head to relax him. At the same time, she told the servant to bring some sobering soup to help Liu Biao get rid of the strong smell of alcohol on his body.

"My husband has drunk a little too much today, and you smell a little drunk. Please take care of yourself and don't drink too much." Mrs. Cai said with concern. Although they are an old man and a young wife, Liu Biao's health is related to the wealth of his Cai family, and even more to the status of his mistress, so there can be no mistakes.

"I was in a good mood today and drank a little more unconsciously." Liu Biao replied with a smile.

Mrs. Cai had just seen Liu Biao pouring wine for Huang Zhong from behind the screen. She asked the question in her mind, "Why does my husband think so highly of Huang Zhong that he pours wine for him personally, regardless of the hierarchy?"

Liu Biao reached out his hand and touched Madam Cai's scallion-like soft hands, feeling the familiar smoothness, and said with a smile: "Han Sheng deserves this glass of wine that I personally pour."

"If Han Sheng had not shot Ling Cao and stabilized the courage of the troops, Sun Ce's invasion of Jiangxia would not have been a situation of a win or loss."

Liu Biao sighed. Huang Zu was a veteran who set an ambush and killed the fierce tiger of Jiangdong, Sun Jian. However, he was repeatedly at a loss when facing the young tiger, Sun Ce. If it were not for Huang Zhong, the situation in Jiangxia would have been in danger.

……

Wujun.

The so-called spring foraging, summer seedling hunting, autumn hunting and winter hunting, in the winter, Sun Ce ran around hunting in the mountains and fields. Every time he shot an arrow, it rarely missed.

And only at this time, Sun Ce, who was unhappy in the mansion, would show a happy face, his thoughts would become clear, and he would have extraordinary insights into the current situation.

This was Sun Ce's unique way of thinking. When he was sitting idly, his mind was often restless. If he wanted to come up with a new strategy, it could only be born when he went out hunting.

Regarding this point, Sun Ce's Gongcao Yu Fan repeatedly advised him. Yu Fan thought that it was too risky for Sun Ce to go out hunting on horseback. If something like the White Dragon and the Fish were to be conquered or trapped by Yu Qie happened, the Sun family group would lose its backbone, and Jiangdong would be in danger, and so would the Sun family.

However, despite Yu Fan's earnest advice, Sun Ce turned a deaf ear to it. He relied on his military strength and took possible assassins and spies lightly. He did not give up his hobby of hunting on horseback because of the risks.

Just like now, Sun Ce went out hunting in the mountains on horseback as usual, but compared to the past, he was accompanied by a young man, and the identity of the young man was Ling Tong, the son of Captain Ling Cao, who was shot and killed by the Jingzhou general Huang Zhong in the Battle of Jiangxia which just ended.

When he saw a rabbit foraging in the snow, Sun Ce put down his bow and arrow. He signaled to Ling Tong, who had a solemn look on his face, to try to shoot the rabbit.

Ling Tong understood. He placed the arrow on the strong bow, exerted slight force with both hands, and pulled the bowstring like a full moon. Then he released the bowstring in an instant.

In an instant, the arrow flew towards the rabbit like thunder and pierced the rabbit's head with incredible precision. At this moment, the arrow's momentum did not decrease and it still moved forward, nailing the rabbit to the snow.

"Good." Sun Ce praised Ling Tong's archery skills, but the young man was unmoved by the compliment and still looked solemn.

Sun Ce knew the reason for Ling Tong's expression. Ling Tong, who lost his father in the Battle of Jiangxia, had been very serious during this period. He would get up at the crowing of the cock every day to practice martial arts, just to behead Huang Zhong, the enemy who killed his father, in the future.

Sun Ce saw this and had the same feelings, so today he took Ling Tong out hunting to vent the resentment in Ling Tong's heart, but now it seems that the force is not enough, so he took Ling Tong to continue hunting. (End of this chapter)