NOVPUBChen Xi walked out of Liu Bei’s place with a dazed and desolate expression, wondering when he had become so adolescently delusional. Could it be that not being foolish in one’s youth is a waste? What a joke, Chen Xi felt utterly depressed.
"I’ve fallen into a trap. Liu Bei, you went crazy and dragged me into it, now I’ve caught your madness, you bastard!" Chen Xi muttered darkly, radiating a ’keep away from me’ vibe as he cursed Liu Bei internally.
On the other hand, Liu Bei was feeling quite pleased with himself, thinking that the grandeur he had displayed previously was enough to make even his current self tremble. He had uttered words that could have come from a great ancestor. Indeed, becoming a hero must sometimes require a feverish brain!
"Indeed, Zichuan doesn’t look down upon things so lightly. How could a prodigy covet merely the position of a family leader? If one’s vision is so narrow, wouldn’t it waste all that talent! We share the same ambitions, the same path!" Liu Bei laughed heartily. Taking Chen Xi along in his madness today had brought about a delightful surprise. No matter how lazy Chen Xi might be, his breadth of vision, his aspirations, and his mindset were comparable to anyone in the world. Even surpassing his ancestors was something Chen Xi could shoulder!
Chen Xi was unaware of Liu Bei’s expectations of him, but even if he knew, his face would show nothing but conflict. He still felt uncomfortable, and whenever the image of Liu Bei grabbing his hand, unleashing his adolescent aura, came to mind, Chen Xi would think it best to continue recuperating.
Chen Zichuan fell ill, and although it was unclear what illness it was, he spent every day hiding at home, wilting away, sprawled on the bed and completely immobile. Even the visits from Fan Jian resulted in nothing but Chen Zichuan lying in bed, moaning and holding his head, complaining about his laziness...
"Husband, get up. Stop lazing in bed; you’ve been at it for many days now," urged Fan Jian, a middle schooler, tugging at Chen Xi’s arm to pull him out, but to no avail. Chen Xi stubbornly remained motionless in bed.
"Zichuan, Big Brother has ordered me to take you out of the city!" Zhang Fei’s booming voice caused the dust on the beams to fall.
"I’m so tired. If it’s important, ask Zijing," Chen Xi’s weak voice came from beneath the covers. He previously felt embarrassed, but now all Chen Xi wanted was to rest. Remaining in bed all day seemed like the perfect life, a very good life indeed.
"Madam," Zhang Fei greeted Fan Jian with a salute, "Please step aside for a moment. There’s an urgent matter today, and we must have Zichuan come along, so please understand."
"General, there’s no need for formalities. I’ve been meaning to get my husband out and about, but..." Fan Jian sighed mid-sentence.
"Leave it to me, old Zhang. Isn’t it just a bit of sunbathing? I’ll make sure to take Zichuan out every day from now on," Zhang Fei promised, thumping his chest with such force it sounded like he was beating a drum.
"Thank you, General Zhang. Oh, and we have some drinks at home. I’ll go and bring some for the general," Fan Jian said with a light laugh, then turned and left Zhang Fei to take Chen Xi away.
"Hey, Third Brother, what’s this all about? I was sleeping. Disturbing someone’s dream is not a good thing, you know," Chen Xi lifted the covers, poked his head out, and asked. He wouldn’t give Zhang Fei the excuse to roll him up in his bedding and carry him away, nor would he give him a chance to lift him out, bed and all. He had been caught off guard before when Zhang Fei had hefted him and the bed together, yet still managed to stride with vigor.
"Zijian is back," Zhang Fei said excitedly. The return of Hua Xiong, a man he found to his liking, meant that he had someone to spar with again.
"Ah, he arrived at the borders of Mount Tai ten days ago. I’ve always felt that there’s something not quite right about this ceremony," Chen Xi stated as he got up.
In truth, how could Chen Xi not know what was going on? Liu Bei was just recently fuming, and although Chen Xi had managed to cool him down, he immediately became enraged again upon hearing that an ’Angel’ had arrived. Liu Bei declared that he and all the officials would fast for nine days to honor the mandate of Heaven.
The reality was that Liu Bei felt he couldn’t contain his anger with the arrival of the ’Angel.’ Having not faced many setbacks, Liu Bei was far from mastering the art of concealing his emotions. Rather than showing up with a scowl and letting the whole world know his dissatisfaction with Liu Xie, it was better to pretend to be clever, taking a few extra days to calm down, and then hopefully everyone would be in a better mood.
Yes, that was the so-called fasting—a mere formality. As for Liu Ye, a Han Imperial Kinsman, after learning about Wang Yun’s situation, he was also in a tough spot but understood Liu Bei’s mood perfectly. The more hot-headed a person was at times like this, the more likely they were a loyal minister; the real concern was with those who kept silent, who were either completely disheartened, or had begun to harbor thoughts of rebellion.
Zhang Fei patted Chen Xi’s shoulder. What kind of person was Zhang Fei? Sometimes he was careless, other times he was as attentive as one could be, and clearly, he also understood the current situation. However, he did not inquire further from Liu Bei, because Liu Bei’s choices could represent his own at any time.
"Let’s go, since Zijian has returned, we must welcome him. Are the quarters for Miss Cai and those two friends ready? The furniture and decorations, are there any issues?" Chen Xi asked as he rose to his feet, slipped on his shoes, stood up straight, casually put on his robe, and turned to ask.
"Everything is already prepared," Zhang Fei nodded and replied.
"Good, you go alert the others, and I’ll be there once I’ve fixed my hair. And as for the strong liquor, drink less of it. I’m not joking with you; overindulgence in that stuff could be deadly," Chen Xi gestured for Zhang Fei to leave, indicating that he did not need to be accompanied to Liu Bei to get ready as he would manage just fine at home.
After Zhang Fei left, Chen Lan helped Chen Xi tidy up his hair ornaments. Then, Chen Xi took a carriage to the city’s outskirts to welcome Hua Xiong and his company. It seemed that his official position and title had already been made known to him, and now he just had to show up to receive his seal ribbon.
The proclamation of the Imperial Edict was a brief affair, and besides, no one was particularly focused on their official positions, since the Han Dynasty was unstable and, to put it accurately, couldn’t even afford to distribute stipends. Even if official titles were conferred, you still needed to be capable of assuming the post; otherwise, it was just empty talk.
Liu Bei maintained a respectful facade towards the Imperial Edict, but his true thoughts remained a mystery. It was probably safe to assume that Liu Bei’s loyalty to the Han Dynasty was solid, but his loyalty to the current Emperor was dubious, as even Chen Xi was aware. The new General of the East, Marquis of Fanyang Pavilion Liu Xuande, whose previous words, although filled with a sort of adolescent fervor, had also unabashedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the current Emperor, which was rather hurtful.
It could be said that Liu Bei’s visit this time was not to welcome the ’Angel,’ nor was it to greet Miss Cai, but rather to meet the two friends that Chen Xi always mentioned.
Liu Bei had now realized that to achieve his grand ambitions, he required talented individuals, the more capable the better. With each new acquisition, his vision moved one step closer to reality. Considering how formidable Chen Xi himself was, his friends were unlikely to be weak. So if such talent was available, failing to welcome them would be an insult to his title as the Central Plains Dominator Liu Xuande! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
