My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Luoyang.

Amidst the grand and imposing procession, the convoy of carriages and horses stretched from the west of Hulao Pass and slowly entered the imposing city gates of Luoyang.

The moment the imperial carriage slowly entered Luoyang, Liu Bei, who had been lying quietly inside, forced himself to sit up despite his weakness.

Those weathered hands gently lifted the beaded curtain, their gaze eagerly sweeping across the city that was both familiar and strange.

In an instant, memories of his time studying in Luoyang flooded his mind and appeared before Liu Bei's eyes.

Looking back, I was in my prime, and Luoyang was so prosperous and bustling back then. The streets were filled with cars and people, shops lined the streets, and crowds thronged the streets, brimming with vitality.

Time flies, and now, revisiting this place, Liu Bei is already very old, with graying temples and a body exhausted from long-term battles.

The former capital city before us is now unrecognizable. Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and tile is no longer what it once was.

It was a heartbreaking catastrophe.

To satisfy his own selfish desires and ambitions, Dong Zhuo took the emperor west to Chang'an. Before leaving Luoyang, he insanely ordered the city to be set on fire, and the raging flames engulfed the entire city.

Countless palaces and pavilions collapsed in the flames, turning into ruins...

The once prosperous scene was reduced to nothing in that fire, leaving only a desolate white wasteland.

After that, Cao Cao unified the north and ambitiously believed that unifying the whole country was a piece of cake.

In his mind, Luoyang, as the former capital of the Han Dynasty, had extremely high political symbolic significance.

Once the world is unified, it is natural to return the capital to Luoyang to prove that one is the chosen one.

Therefore, not long after Cao Cao pacified Hebei, he decisively ordered the mobilization of manpower to begin rebuilding Luoyang.

After Liu Bei declared himself emperor and successfully recaptured Luoyang, he was not satisfied with the foundation laid by Cao Cao. Instead, he continued to invest manpower, material resources, and financial resources to carry out a larger-scale reconstruction of Luoyang.

At this time, Luoyang had gradually regained some of its former vitality.

The palace was beginning to take shape, the population was growing year by year, and the streets were bustling with people again, gradually showing some traces of the former prosperity.

However, Liu Bei's trip to Luoyang was not merely a revisit to reminisce about the past.

He came here with two more important purposes.

one.

At this time, the Battle of Chang'an was still ongoing. As the battle lines continued to move westward and southward, the distance between the front lines and Ye City grew farther and farther. The long distance would not only cause the transmission of information to be delayed, but might also cause the loss of opportunities.

Liu Bei's southern tour to Luoyang was aimed at getting closer to the front lines so that he could learn about the battle situation as quickly as possible and make timely and correct decisions.

Secondly, it was to prepare for the return of the capital to Luoyang.

At that time, Guanzhong had not yet been fully recovered. Luoyang was located in the Central Plains and was close to the border of Wei. It posed certain security risks in terms of defense and was obviously not suitable as the capital.

Therefore, at the suggestion of Xiao He and Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei weighed the pros and cons and then temporarily designated Ye City as the capital.

But Luoyang always held an irreplaceable place in Liu Bei's heart.

It was the center of the world, with a superior geographical location and convenient transportation. As the former capital of the Han Dynasty, it had unparalleled political symbolic significance and enjoyed all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support.

Now that most of Guanzhong has been recovered, the recapture of Chang'an is only a matter of time, and the threat posed by Wei to Luoyang will soon be gone.

Given this, Liu Bei naturally believed there was no reason not to return the capital to Luoyang.

For the long term, returning the capital to Luoyang was an inevitable move.

Therefore, if Liu Bei finds all the conditions suitable during his southern tour of Luoyang, he may take the opportunity to announce that he will return the capital there. The imperial carriage slowly traveled through the streets of Luoyang, eventually entering the solemn and majestic gates of the palace.

Supported by his youngest son Liu Yu, Liu Bei entered the golden hall with slow and heavy steps.

Crown Prince Liu Shan led the army to attack Wei, while his second son Liu Yong stayed behind to guard Yejing and ensure the stability of the rear. The third prince Liu Li was ordered to inspect Huainan and supervise the transport of grain and fodder to the front line.

Therefore, Liu Bei only brought his fourth son, Liu Yu, with him on this southern tour.

"Cough cough cough~~"

As soon as Liu Bei sat down on the dragon throne, he coughed violently, his face turning as pale as paper, appearing weak and powerless.

His thin frame appeared even more frail beneath the wide dragon robe, as if a gentle breeze could blow him over.

Upon seeing this, Hua Tuo felt a pang of anxiety and hurriedly and carefully presented the prepared medicine.

Liu Yu took the medicine and personally served it to Liu Bei.

After drinking a bowl of herbal medicine, Liu Bei's coughing and wheezing subsided, and his complexion returned to normal.

"Your Majesty has had a long and arduous journey and needs to rest properly."

Hua Tuo offered his advice with a concerned expression, his eyes filled with worry.

Liu Bei, however, was unconvinced; a slight, bitter smile appeared on his lips.
"It's only a few hundred miles. Back then, I rode at full speed and didn't need to close my eyes for three days and three nights. It's not because of the long journey, but because my body is failing and my time is coming to an end."

Hua Tuo's expression changed.

Liu Yu and the others were all taken aback. They never expected that Liu Bei would say in front of everyone that his time was coming to an end.

This is bad luck!
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, how could you say such unlucky words? Your son begs Your Majesty to take them back!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Yu immediately gave him a serious rebuke.

Liu Bei gently stroked Liu Yu's forehead, his movement tender and loving, yet accompanied by a faint smile:
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things. Even though Father is the Son of Heaven, he is no exception. Do you think I can live forever if I don't say it out loud?"

"Everyone dies eventually; it is an inescapable fate."

Liu Yu was taken aback, biting his lip, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He wanted to say something but couldn't, and could only silently look at his father.

Then, Liu Bei looked at Hua Tuo and asked:
"Yuanhua, tell me the truth, how much time do I have left?"

Hua Tuo was startled, his expression one of surprise, clearly not expecting Liu Bei to ask such a question.

He knew, of course, how weighty this question was, and that it could not be answered lightly.

After a moment's hesitation, Hua Tuo could only cup his hands and say:

"Regarding matters of life and death, I dare not make any rash judgments. Moreover, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and is protected by Heaven. I really cannot fathom your fate."

Liu Bei knew that Hua Tuo dared not speak frankly, and although he was somewhat disappointed, he did not blame him.

So they settled for second best and asked:

"My lifelong ambition is to rebuild the Han Dynasty and unify the world. This is my lifelong pursuit and the goal I have fought for all my life."

"Now Cao Cao is barely clinging to life, and Hanzhong has been recovered. Only Liu Jiyu remains, holding a corner of Shu. The pacification of these two is just around the corner."

"I just want to know if I can live to see the day when the world is unified?" (End of Chapter)