Chapter 204: The Great Han Emperor's Brother (4k)

"That being said, Advisor Xu, I still feel unwilling to give up. A golden opportunity is right before my eyes. I only need to stab the executioner Cao Mengde with one shot, and Jingzhou will not suffer this disaster."

The sturdy man looked at the calm and composed 'Military Advisor Xu' in front of him, and felt a little guilty. He didn't dare to look at the other person's face, so he had to lower his head in shame.

"Military Advisor Xu, this was clearly a plan you had been planning for a long time, but I messed it up completely."

"No problem."

"Military Advisor Xu" patted the man on the shoulder.

The more this happened, the more ashamed the man felt.

The man's surname was Xiang and his given name was Lang. He was from Xiangyang, Jingzhou. In his early years, he studied under Sima Hui. He loved reading and read day and night. However, everything changed one night.

He dreamed of the three sworn brothers in Peach Garden. The brotherhood in his heart made his lungs burn and made him remember the three names Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei for the first time.

Originally Xiang Lang thought that the three heroes Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would be able to achieve extraordinary feats, but the development of events was beyond his imagination. The military exploits that he had fought so hard for on the battlefield were embarrassed by the Inspector because of lack of money.

The subsequent dreams from the immortals made Xiang Lang even more sad. Cao Mengde massacred Xuzhou twice, and Cao Mengde sent troops to Jingzhou. He survived the two great victories in the Battle of Hanzhong and the Battle of Xiangfan. He finally saw the hope of unifying the world, but unfortunately he failed in the end.

Liu Bei, the lord who once led his people across the river, also died in Baidi City.

When he dreamed of this, Xiang Lang suddenly woke up.

Looking at the bright moon and sparse stars outside the window, he threw the classics on the pillow to the ground, and with red eyes and gritted teeth, he made up his mind, reading? What's the use of reading! Can it resist Cao Mengde's iron hoof? ! Can it rush to help the trapped General Guan? !
No!

What's the use of him if he can't do anything!

Without any regrets, Xiang Lang bid farewell to Sima Hui, rode back to his hometown, learned martial arts, and devoted himself to the elimination of bandits.

At the same time, he was always paying attention to Cao Mengde's movements. If there was a chance to kill Cao Mengde, wouldn't that avoid the subsequent tragedies in Xuzhou and Jingzhou?

Therefore, Xiang Lang used the power of his family, pretending to wipe out the bandits, and trained and cultivated elite soldiers.

He thought it would take some time before he had a chance to attack and kill Cao Cao.

What a pity.

One day, Xiang Lang returned home and heard that there were scholars coming from afar to study. On a whim, he asked the names of the two people. One was called Shi Tao and the other was called Xu Shu.

When Xiang Lang heard the name Xu Shu, his pupils dilated and he became extremely excited.

Xu Shu, Military Advisor Xu!!!
Xiang Lang acted decisively and found Xu Shu and started a conversation with him. During the conversation, Xiang Lang discovered that Military Advisor Xu seemed to have been visited by an immortal in his dream as well.

Since this was the case, Xiang Lang did not hide anything and expressed his intention to attack and kill Cao Cao.

I never expected Xu Shu to have some concerns and said bluntly, "Not enough money"

"Snapped"

Xiang Lang slammed all his assets, coins and deeds on the table.

Xu Shu said again: "There is no one loyal to us."

"Snapped"

Xiang Lang slammed the cup onto the table.

Several soldiers walked into the house and said to Lang, "I have done them a favor. Their parents were saved by me, so they are willing to die for me."

Xu Shu was silent for a while, and finally said, "Maybe we can give it a try."

Not long after, Xu Shu handed the plan to Xiang Lang, who immediately felt it was feasible.

However, Xu Shu sighed, "We are missing a general."

Xiang Lang patted his chest and boasted, "Military Advisor Xu, why not leave it to me!"

After the two men got news about Cao Cao, they carried out their plan strictly.

Under Xu Shu's command, they indeed delayed Xiahou Yuan and separated him from Cao Cao. Then Xiang Lang, who showed weakness to the enemy, rushed to Cao Cao with the help of his fearless guards, and Cao Cao's life was within his grasp.

The voice that said "Guan Yu is here" startled Xiang Lang so much that he turned his horse's head.

Thinking of this, Xiang Lang buried his head even lower.

Xu Shu smiled and said, "Brother Xiang, failure may not be a bad thing."

"Oh?"

Xiang Lang was confused by the sudden words. He looked up at Xu Shu and asked, "Military Advisor Xu, why do you say that? What's the deep meaning behind it?"

Xu Shu looked towards the distant Luoyang, his mind seemed to drift away with the wind

He whispered, "If you and I were in a desperate situation, and someone came to save us on a red horse, looking like a god. His brother was famous throughout the country, and treated you and me with the courtesy he would give to a wise man, what would you think, brother Xiang?"

Hearing this, Xiang Lang's pupils slightly dilated. He was not a fool, so he naturally understood what Xu Shu meant. He whispered to himself, "The present is different from the past. The lord is becoming more powerful. If it were a dream, the lord would still be wasting time, and he would be powerless to kill the enemy. But now, under the subtle influence of the lord, things may not be impossible to change!"

"good."

"Listening to your words is worse than reading for ten years, Military Advisor Xu, even so, we should not implicate the lord, lest Cao Mengde become suspicious. It is better to return to Jingzhou and lay a foundation for the lord."

"That's great. After today's ambush, I also know my shortcomings." Xu Shu nodded. He felt much better after talking it out. He even wanted to joke with Xiang Lang, "Brother Xiang, when are you going to have a child? What will you name him?"

"Military Advisor Xu, please stop teasing me. I am still young and I will never be called Xiang Chong."

"Why?"

"My eldest brother has already named my unborn son Chong."

"I see."

The two led the remaining troops towards Jingzhou.

"Landing the Jieshi in the east, you can see the vast sea. The water is so sluggish, but the mountains and islands are standing tall."

"Trees grow thickly, grass grows luxuriantly, autumn wind blows, and waves surge!"

"The sun and the moon seem to be coming out of it, and the stars seem to be shining from it!"

"I am so lucky, I will sing to express my feelings!"

Looking at the falling snow, Zhang Fei gritted his teeth and recited an inappropriate poem.

This caused Cao Cao to applaud.

"Good, General Zhang has a brilliant literary talent. This must be what General Zhang saw and heard while traveling in Liangzhou. People say that General Zhang can't write Yuefu poems, but I think that's nonsense! Such poems really fascinate me!"

Xiahou Yuan, who was traveling with him, discovered something. "Mingshou, is there a sea in Liangzhou? Is there a Jieshi Mountain in Liangzhou?"

Xiahou Miaocai, why are you so picky?
Zhang Fei cast a complaining look at Xiahou Yuan, and then he said frankly: "Actually, this poem was not written by me."

"Oh? I thought General Zhang used the lake to represent the sea and the rocks to represent the mountains to express his lofty aspirations. It turns out that someone else wrote the poem?" Cao Cao became interested and asked, "May I ask who wrote this poem, General Zhang?"

"."

Zhang Fei looked towards Cao Cao.

"It's you."

"General Zhang is modest. Others may not know Cao's level, but does Cao know it? Could it be that General Zhang saw Cao's later poems?"

Cao Cao thought Zhang Fei's words were just a joke. He looked at Zhang Fei with admiration and even secretly made up his mind that he would write poems of the same level as General Zhang in the future. Zhang Fei pursed his lips. To some extent, Cao Cao had hit the jackpot.

There was no other way, so he looked to Liu Bei for help.

However, this time Liu Bei spread his hands and said, "Sorry, third brother, I can't help you."

His eyes turned to Guan Yu again. Guan Yu lowered his voice and said, "Third brother, even if I want to help, I can't do anything to save the situation. Didn't you see that when I shouted just now, Cao Mengde's eyes looked at me very strangely? If I take the title of being good at poetry, I can't imagine what Cao Cao will do."

"."

Zhang Fei sighed and could only nod and agree.

Alas, I regret it.

"Luoyang is ahead!"

Cao Cao reined in his horse and stopped.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei all stopped and looked into the distance, gazing at the most prosperous city of the Han Dynasty.

The thousand-year-old city exudes an ancient and vicissitudes of life atmosphere. It lacks the majesty that a Han Dynasty capital should have. It is filled with deadness, as if it is an old man who is about to die.

If Liu Bei were to say, the ancient building was far inferior to the theater.

Apart from its antiquity, there is nothing praiseworthy about it.

Cao Cao's eyes were always on these three people. He had heard of Liu Bei when he was the prime minister of Jinan. When he got to know this man in depth, he was almost shocked. He came from a humble background, but could achieve such a level. How could he not be admired?

He also heard that Liu Bei dealt with the Qiang and Hu people with both ruthless measures and a kind heart.

It's exactly my ideal self.

As expected of Liu Xuande, he remained calm in the face of adversity. When he first came to Luoyang, he remained calm even though he was shocked by the tall city walls and the countless people exclaiming in amazement. Was this the Protector of the Qiang who treated the Qiang and Hu as toys?

Someone learned it.

Cao Cao imitated Liu Bei in restraining his expression, but he still chattered enthusiastically, introducing the surrounding areas of Luoyang to Liu Bei, such as which wine shop had the most mellow wine, which restaurant had the most delicious food, and even which woman was the most beautiful.
"Stop, stop, stop. Thank you, Prime Minister Cao. I appreciate your kindness. Big brother, second brother, let's go!"

Originally Liu Bei just smiled and nodded slightly, but Zhang Fei couldn't help it. He interrupted Cao Cao and urged Liu Bei and Guan Yu.

Liu Bei bowed to Cao Cao and said, "Prime Minister Cao, Yide is a reckless person. Please forgive me."

"General Liu, you are joking." Cao Cao bowed in return, "General Zhang is a man of true character. What he said is absolutely right. Miaocai and I still have official business to attend to. General Liu, we will take our leave. We have a long way to go. We will meet again some other day!"

"good"

After watching Cao Cao leave, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Fei lowered his voice and said bluntly, "Brother, if we had known that it was Cao Cao who was suffering, we should have taken a detour. It is really unlucky that we saved Cao Cao."

Guan Yu pursed his lips and said nothing, as if he agreed.

Liu Bei raised his eyebrows and rebuked in a low voice: "Third brother, as long as he has done no evil and is a citizen of the Han Dynasty, we should lend a helping hand! How can we watch people die in vain? Moreover, I talked with Cao Mengde and found that although this man has some minor problems, he is far from being as crazy as described in the books. If I meet Cao Cao twenty years later, I will definitely kill him with my sword. Now he is doing things that benefit the people."

"Brother, I'm just complaining. I know I was wrong." Zhang Fei bowed his head decisively and admitted his mistake.

Liu Bei patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder.

At this moment, someone on the street shouted loudly:

"General Liu, it's General Liu. Look at all the sheep! General Liu is back!"

The streets were boiling in an instant, like a pot of porridge. Even the court judge who was there to stabilize the situation did not care about his status and cast his eyes towards Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others. The chill that was floating around was swept away.

Faced with such a scene, the three brothers looked at each other, none of them felt it was difficult. After all, in the fairyland and the afterlife, such things were common. The cheering people were just appetizers, and the countless flashes of light were fatal.

"Gentlemen, I have official business to attend to now. I will talk to you again after I have finished it. I will rent a humble house nearby, and you are welcome to send me visiting cards."

Liu Bei bowed and clasped his hands towards everyone in a friendly manner.

The cheers from the people around them gradually died down and they looked at each other.

Zhang Fei couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled a long face, pretended to be angry, and scolded: "Didn't you hear what my elder brother said?"

"Third brother!" Liu Bei scolded.

Everyone just reacted, someone said loudly
"General Liu is absolutely right. We, the gentlemen, must not offend a general like Marquis Dingyuan!"

Everyone agreed, "That's absolutely right."

"It's me who's being rude."

"Make way now and allow the three generals to pass!"

The bustling crowd dispersed, leaving a straight road. Under the gazes of countless people, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei imitated Liu Bei and bowed to everyone to express their gratitude. They handed the sheep, mules and Dayuan horses to the officials who had been waiting for a long time, and strode towards Luoyang city.

someday.

Nangong.

With the help of the palace servants, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei put away their weapons, put on their military caps, and changed into court robes.

The front hall of Yuntai.

The usher shouted: "Go!"

Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had been studying palace etiquette for the past few days, so they naturally understood what the usher meant. They took small steps and walked into the Yuntai Hall without wearing shoes.

The fire in the hall was crackling, and the ministers in court robes all looked at Liu Bei, perhaps with scrutiny, curiosity, or admiration.

"Your servant Liu Bei Liu Xuande"

"Your Highness Guan Yu"

"Minister Zhang Fei Zhang Yide"

"Greetings to Your Majesty!"

Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, holding jade scepters, lowered their heads towards the person sitting on the dragon throne. They bent over and bowed at almost ninety degrees, and their eyes could only see the steps leading to the dragon throne. This is the origin of the title "Your Majesty". Looking directly at the emperor was the most disrespectful behavior.

Liu Hong, who was sitting on the dragon throne, was obviously in a good mood. He smiled and said, "Are you Liu Xuande? Raise your head and let me see what you look like."

Hearing the voice, Liu Bei slowly raised his head. He saw the appearance of the Emperor of Han Dynasty clearly. With the support of the upper garment and lower skirt and crown robe, even Liu Hong looked quite like an emperor.

"So this is what Liu Xuande, who is famous in the Western Regions, looks like." Liu Hong smiled. He did not ask about the affairs of the Western Regions, but said in an uncharacteristic way: "Liu Xuande, I heard that you are a relative of the Han Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty, I am the descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, the great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing."

Liu Hong nodded, and he shouted to the side: "Zongzheng, is what Liu Xuande said right?"

Zong Zheng walked out with his head bowed. He was holding a thick bamboo slip and silk book. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to count the ancestors of Liu Bei.

After listening, Liu Hong laughed.

"So, Xuande, you are my cousin."

　I'm sorry to all the benefactors, but something happened at home and I'm not in a good state. I'm sorry.

　　Thanks to the benefactor book friend 20240209456-ed for the 688 book coins reward
　　
　
(End of this chapter)