"A Dou truly fails to live up to expectations."
Within the small side hall, the atmosphere was heavy and subdued. Although Zhang Fei spoke without restraint, Liu Bei still chose to forgive him.
It was still winter, so a brazier burned as usual inside the chamber, its warmth spreading faintly through the room. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Zhuge Liang sat kneeling around a low table, upon which were placed preserved plums, dried persimmons, several flat hu cakes, and bowls of tea.
Zhuge Liang had also transcribed the contents spoken by the auspicious light screen into three copies, just enough for each person to hold one.
Liu Bei let out a quiet sigh. The information revealed by the light screen was not extensive, yet the line "Liu Shan surrendered before the great army of Cao Wei, leading to destruction" lodged itself in his heart like a thorn, pricking at him incessantly.
"My Lord need not dwell on it so heavily," Zhuge Liang said gently. "It is possible that A Dou was a benevolent ruler who chose surrender in order to spare the people from the calamity of war."
"That does make some sense… yet…"
Zhuge Liang understood at once. His lord had touched upon another thorn, one called proclaiming oneself Emperor.
For as long as Liu Bei had lived, he had taken the restoration of the Han dynasty as his duty. Now, upon suddenly learning that he would declare himself Emperor in a few years, it was as though his original aspiration of becoming the Duke of Zhou had somehow twisted into resembling Wang Mang instead. The contrast was difficult to accept.
"My Lord, have you considered how the light screen refers to Cao Cao?" Zhuge Liang said with a faint smile.
Liu Bei thought for a moment. "It says Shu Han was destroyed by Cao Wei. That 'Wei' seems, like the 'Han' of Shu Han, to be a dynastic name."
"Precisely." Zhuge Liang tapped the table lightly. "The light screen explicitly states that in the era of the Three Kingdoms, all three principal powers ultimately became losers. Let us set Jin aside for the moment. Since later generations refer to our time as the Three Kingdoms, it follows that Cao Cao and the Sun clan of Jiangdong must also have proclaimed themselves Emperors."
"The dignity of the Han dynasty has fallen to such a state…" Liu Bei sighed.
Had he heard only that Sun and Cao had declared themselves Emperors, he would have flown into a rage. Yet after seeing that, in the end, all three kingdoms were destroyed by Jin, he found himself able to view the matter with a measure of calm.
"The restoration of the Han dynasty can only rely on you, elder brother," Zhang Fei remarked while eating a dried persimmon.
Liu Bei felt a trace of comfort. As expected of his sworn brother.
"It is just a pity that A Dou is so disappointing," Zhang Fei added.
Liu Bei's expression darkened once more. Could that matter not be set aside for the moment?
"It would seem that Cao Cao harbored wolfish ambition, imitating Wang Mang by declaring himself Emperor under the name Wei. My Lord, as a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, would raise the banner of the Han anew. Jiangdong, unwilling to be overshadowed, would follow suit and crown themselves as well, thus forming the tripartite balance of the Three Kingdoms," Zhuge Liang summarized, half deduction and half conjecture.
"And in the end, we and our grand nephew A Dou all meet our end, and everything ends up benefiting that Jin dynasty," Zhang Fei concluded, taking another bite of persimmon.
Liu Bei suddenly felt a lack of interest. For a fleeting moment, he thought it might have been better to let his third brother drink himself into a stupor alone today, which perhaps would have spared everyone some trouble.
"Enough of this idle talk. Did the Strategist not say that today we are to discuss how to save second brother?"
Zhang Fei stood up abruptly and declared, "Let us discuss Lü Meng and Lu Xun!"
"Indeed." Zhuge Liang nodded. "General Guan, you and General Zhang encountered Lü Meng when attacking Nanjun. What is your assessment of him?"
Guan Yu slightly opened his phoenix eyes and said, "A brave general."
Zhuge Liang nodded. Guan Yu was proud by nature and unaccustomed to speaking of others behind their backs, yet after so many years, one could easily discern deeper meaning from his few words.
A brave general meant he was not a commander of strategic caliber, relying merely on personal valor. Such a man was not particularly fearsome.
Zhang Fei naturally understood this as well and spoke up, "Then the mastermind must be that Lu Xun who burned you alive with a single fire, elder brother?"
Liu Bei fell silent.
Guan Yu paused in stroking his beard and said with utmost brevity, "Third brother, be silent."
"If this Lu Xun is so capable, why have we never heard of him?" Zhuge Liang interjected to ease the tension.
"When you traveled to Jiangdong, did you not encounter him?" Liu Bei asked curiously.
Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, refilling his own cup of tea as he spoke slowly, "The light screen describes Lu Xun as a representative of the great clans of Jiangdong, so he can only be from the Lu clan of Wu Commandery."
"When I went to Jiangdong last year, I did meet several members of the Lu clan. Lu Ji was widely learned, Lu Mao enjoyed a virtuous reputation among the countryside, and there was another named Lu Yi who attended closely upon the Marquis of Wu. Yet I never heard of anyone named Lu Xun."
For a time, the small side hall fell into an awkward silence.
Lü Meng was, at present, merely a fierce warrior whose strength seemed to reside entirely in his muscles, while Lu Xun, who would ultimately cause the deaths of Guan Yu and Liu Bei, could not even be found.
It felt as though a punch had struck empty air.
Liu Bei rubbed his face and said, "At least we have learned one piece of good news. The next ten years will be… how was it described again?"
"A period of rapid development," Zhao Yun replied. "During those ten years, My Lord will span Jing and Yi. General Ma Chao and General Huang Zhong will come to join us. Later, it seems we will once again go to war with Cao Cao. General Huang will slay Xiahou Yuan in battle, and General Guan will flood the seven armies."
Zhang Fei blinked. As a mighty general of Shu Han, how was it that the light screen did not mention him at all? This was blatant favoritism. He felt a strong urge to protest.
Unfortunately, Guan Yu sensed his third brother's intention to speak and cast a sharp glance at him with his phoenix eyes, forcing Zhang Fei to temporarily abandon the idea.
Liu Bei, however, was in high spirits. It seemed that hearing good news was indeed far more pleasant.
Flooding the seven armies. My second brother is truly unmatched beneath Heaven, his might shaking all of China.
Slaying Xiahou Yuan in battle. General Huang is indeed extraordinarily valiant… wait.
"Kongming, when we previously met Huang Zhong at Lord Jing Sheng's residence, I recall him being an elderly general. Is that correct?" Liu Bei asked.
"That is correct," Zhuge Liang replied, his memory sharp as ever. "General Huang was already sixty years of age at the time."
"To think he is such a valiant veteran even at that age," Liu Bei exclaimed in astonishment.
A general who refused to yield to age like this, why wait for him to come of his own accord when one could instead go and invite him personally?
This thought arose in Liu Bei's mind and could no longer be suppressed.
Now that the auspicious light screen had named these individuals, Liu Xuande could simply follow its list and recruit talent accordingly, surely succeeding each time.
For instance, that Lu Xun who would one day anger him to death with a single fire. Rather than allowing him to waste his years struggling within Jiangdong, why not secretly invite him to join in the great cause of restoring the Han dynasty?
Liu Bei's heart grew fervent once more, though he restrained the thought for the time being, intending to discuss it with the Strategist later.
At that very moment, the bored Zhang Fei continued reading along the passage Zhao Yun had just recited.
"The line 'fearing your brother suffers, yet also fearing your brother drives a Land Rover' left Zhang Fei thoroughly puzzled. What was this 'Land Rover,' and why was the word 'drive' used with it?
Yet the next line he read was unmistakably clear, and he cried out in shock:
"Elder brother, how did Sun Quan become your brother-in-law?"
Zhuge Liang remained composed. Marriages between great clans were commonplace, and after the alliance at Chibi, the relationship between the Sun clan and Liu clan had grown ever closer.
"Does General Zhang believe that the sister of the Marquis of Wu is unworthy of My Lord?" Zhuge Liang asked.
Zhang Fei shook his head vigorously and replied honestly, "My elder brother is a hero of the age. How could that two-faced, green-eyed rogue possibly be fit to become my elder brother's brother-in-law?"
"If that were the case, would I not have to bow and lower myself when facing that disloyal and unrighteous green-eyed rogue? The very thought infuriates me."
"And besides, elder brother, during the Battle of Redcliffs, were you busy finding me a sister-in-law?"