Inside the side hall of the Gong'an county office, newly renovated for this now-familiar ritual, the air carried a mixture of tension, barely suppressed laughter, and the unmistakable scent of fresh paint.
Under Ma Liang's curious gaze, Mi Fang's stunned expression, and the poorly concealed amusement of everyone who had long since grown accustomed to this spectacle, the familiar light screen slowly unfolded in midair.
The same music began to play.
The same voice followed.
And as always, a chaotic flood of text surged across the surface.
[Lightscreen]
[Gentlemen, elders, brothers, and sisters, this is Wen Mang speaking. No nonsense today. We are diving straight into this episode:
With the Strength of One Commandery Against All Under Heaven: The Day the Land Trembled Before Guan Yu!]
At the same time, dense lines of smaller text drifted across the screen.
There were so many of them that Mi Fang's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Ma Liang froze for half a moment as well, but Jiang Wan quickly nudged him. He hurriedly lowered his head and began copying.
Welcome to the club. Kid.
The comments began scrolling.
[Server Chat Log]
[DeepSea_Gazer_01: Finally! The legendary chapter! When I was a child, I only knew Lord Guan for his loyalty. Now I realize he was completely overpowered.
PitStop_Philosopher: Watch Lord Guan turn Cao Ren, the man of iron and spear, into a turtle son hiding in his shell!
Heartbreak_Hotel_Manager: Someone pass me the tissues! I thought this was the beginning of the Great Han's revival. I did not realize it was actually the death knell of Shu Han.
No_Fly_Zone_Debater: How is this the death knell of Shu? At most, it is the death knell of the Eastern Han!
Karen_From_HumanResources: Honestly, Liu Bei was a terrible teammate during the Xiangyang-Fancheng campaign. If he was not going to help, he could at least have avoided sending people to sabotage Lord Guan, and it was not just one person!
Spicy_Ginger_Cat: Lord Guan had it rough. He was practically living in a nest of traitors.
5_Star_Broom: Exactly. Second Brother had the talent and the vision. Big Brother had the heart, but his strategic vision was lacking!
Li Shimin: This battle has a fraction of my style from the banks of the Ming River!]
As the comments passed by, most of them filled with criticism, Liu Bei's expression changed immediately.
Wait.
Why did it feel as though most of these comments were scolding him?
"If Second Brother were guarding Jingzhou, I would only entrust him with people I knew well!" Liu Bei's face flushed red, and his voice rose with agitation. "How could that be called sabotage? Even if there was a Meng Da, did I not send Feng'er to resolve the situation? And even if Feng'er..."
The words about ordering Liu Feng's execution caught in his throat.
He could only huff angrily and turn his head away.
Still, the text had called him big brother.
For now, Liu Bei decided to let the matter pass.
Zhuge Liang, however, had fixed his gaze on the phrase the beginning of Shu Han.
'What exactly had Yunchang accomplished for later generations to judge it as something close to the founding war of a new dynasty?'
"Big Brother," Mi Fang whispered, cautiously nudging Mi Zhu. "What is this?"
He was completely baffled by the comments casually referring to something called 'Cao Wei', as though such a thing were perfectly ordinary.
"Watch carefully," Mi Zhu replied in a low, stern voice. "Think deeply. Then bury everything you see in your heart."
Every time the light screen appeared, the area around the hall was tightly guarded by Chen Dao and his personal troops. Whatever secrets lay within, they could never be allowed to spread.
Even with his own younger brother, someone he trusted deeply, Mi Zhu still felt compelled to issue a serious warning.
[Lightscreen]
[ As we said earlier, the situation around Xiangyang and Fancheng was extremely complicated.
Zhang Liao's feat of making Jiangdong children stop crying was not merely a military victory. Its effects reached deep into politics.
In the year 213, historical records state that Emperor Xian granted Cao Cao the title of Duke of Wei along with the Nine Bestowments.
But let's be real, we all know the truth. Cao Cqo basically crowned himself.
In 216, the year after Zhang Liao crushed one hundred thousand troops and Zhang Lu surrendered, Cao Cao was elevated to King of Wei.
His rank stood above every other feudal king. He did not need to present himself as a subject or bow before imperial edicts. He could perform sacrifices to Heaven and Earth like the Son of Heaven. His ancestral temples mirrored those of the Han, and all his sons received marquis titles.]
CRACK!
The teacup in Liu Bei's hand shattered.
His eyes reddened, and then he broke into loud, unrestrained grief.
The hall went completely still.
Even the slowest among them understood what this meant.
Cao Cao might still call himself King of Wei, but in everything except name, he was already the Son of Heaven.
The Han court had withered to the point of near collapse.
This was no longer a matter of influence or ambition.
It was the public trampling of the Han dynasty.
"Sun Quan helped doom the Han," Zhuge Liang said, shaking his head. "By then, my lord had secured Yizhou, and Hanzhong had already submitted. Liangzhou posed no immediate threat, while Jiangdong had been shattered by Zhang Wenyuan's eight hundred elite riders."
He looked toward the light screen.
"No wonder Cao Cao dared to look down upon all under Heaven."
"The accumulated prestige Zhou Gongjin built at Red Cliffs? Lost in a single stroke."
Everyone nodded.
The logic was undeniable.
Kongming stepped forward to comfort Liu Bei, though easing such deep grief was no easy task. Yet inwardly, he found the posthumous title Emperor Xian rather suggestive.
Wise and perceptive is called "Xian"... but is that truly all there was to it?
Zifang, witnessing such a scene for the first time, felt completely overwhelmed. He barely understood anything. What was this "year 213"? When had Cao Cao become King of Wei?
Zizhong softly explained things to him in a low voice, keeping it simple.
[Lightscreen]
[It was also because of Zhang Liao's great victory in 215 that, in 217, Cao Cao once again marched on Jiangdong, full of confidence.
Jiangdong was already terrified. This campaign swept forward like a breaking tide, and Sun Quan directly chose to surrender.
The Book of Jin records that Quan sent envoys to plead for surrender. The Records of Wu state that Sun Quan dispatched Xu Xiang to request submission, and Cao Cao responded by restoring relations and sealing them with marriage ties.
Fortunately, Cao Cao had only intended a limited campaign, so he withdrew after achieving his goal.
That same year, he granted himself the twelve-tasseled crown of the Son of Heaven, rode in a golden-root carriage drawn by six horses, and established the full imperial ceremonial retinue. Meanwhile, Cao Pi was named Crown Prince of Wei.
The Eastern Han dynasty had, by this point, existed in name only.]
Liu Bei closed his eyes, unable to bear watching any further.
At this stage, what difference remained between Cao Cao and the actual Son of Heaven? In ceremony, in authority, even in ancestral rites? None.
At the same time, a bitter laugh rose within him. 'The great Xun clan of Yingchuan... is this the Han they chose to serve?'
"I spit on it!" Zhang Fei roared, jumping up. "That shameless traitor! That dog-hearted Cao thief! Deceiving the emperor and throwing the court into chaos! If I ever get my hands on him, I will rip his head off and kick it all the way back to Xuchang!"
The tension in the hall eased slightly, and others followed with their own curses, though their eyes still flickered toward Liu Bei with concern.
My lord, do not be too angry. Was this not all expected eventually?
Liu Bei could only force a wry smile, raising his hand slightly to calm everyone.
"The restoration of the Han rests upon us alone."
Zhuge Liang continued calmly, picking up the strategic thread. "With Cao Cao in such high spirits, and Jiangdong coward into submission, their thoughts of Hefei are likely extinguished for good. If they wish to move north again, they must either take the unstable Zhongdu waterways, or..."
"Or retake Jiangling," Guan Yu said, picking up the thought instantly. "Cutting the link between Jingzhou and Yizhou, while turning north toward Xuchang to contend for the world."
He let out a faint, dry laugh. "But can Jiangdong even take Xiangyang-Fancheng?"
Everyone considered it for a moment, then shook their heads in unison.
Completely impossible.
"Why does Jiangdong not simply advance by land?" Mi Fang finally asked.
Zizhong immediately covered his face with his hand. Oh brother.
His younger brother still had much to learn.
Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong exchanged glances.
In the end, Zhao Yun, the most polite among them, answered gently.
"If Jiangdong abandons the waterways and advances by land, it loses its greatest advantage. Moreover, the Jianghuai region has already been devastated by years of war between Cao Cao and Sun Quan."
He counted off the points on his fingers.
"When Liu Biao chose the younger son over the elder, Jianghuai was already thrown into chaos. Then Cao Cao launched his southern campaign, bringing further disaster."
"In recent years, Cao Cao attacked Jiangdong again. The people of Jianghuai nearly vanished. General Lei Xu led the survivors away from Cao Cao's slaughter."
"After the killing came forced relocation. That land is now nearly empty."
Zifang blinked, still confused. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
Zhang Fei stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to make him stagger.
"Oh boy, you still do not understand? The rulers of Sun Wu are not saints. If they march by land and their grain runs out, they will have to take supplies from the local people."
He spread both hands.
"But there are no people left in Jianghuai! Where are the Wu soldiers supposed to find food? They would starve before reaching the battlefield!"
Mi Fang stared at Zhang Fei.
"See, the point is, if there are no people left, where would they plunder from? Can you win a fight while you starve?"
Mi Zhu sighed and pulled him back into place.
"Zifang, when the opportunity arises, travel with me and see the land for yourself. Do not spend all your days idling in Gong'an."
[Lightscreen]
[After the Xiang River Pact, relations between the two sides hung by a thread.
With barely thirty thousand troops fit for battle, Guan Yu had to guard against Cao Ren in the north while defending against Sun Wu in the east.
Fortunately, Zhang Liao's feat at Hefei had already exposed Jiangdong's greatest weakness.
Their soldiers were truly not up to par.
At last, Guan Yu found his chance to march north without fear.
A stronghold that Jiangdong had failed to conquer even after ten years of effort!]