Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 282 Liu Bian: General Anxi is ill, he's dying! (Bonus chapter, please vote!)

"Lord Wu'an fell ill and was unable to travel. After three months, the allied states launched a fierce attack on the Qin army, which was repeatedly repelled, and messengers arrived daily. The King of Qin then sent someone to dismiss Bai Qi, who was not allowed to remain in Xianyang."

After Lord Wu'an set off, he traveled ten li west of the west gate of Xianyang and arrived at Duyu.

King Zhaoxiang of Qin discussed with Lord Ying and his ministers, saying, "Bai Qi was still resentful and unwilling to submit when he was transferred, and he has much to say." So the King of Qin sent an envoy to give him a sword, and he committed suicide.

Lord Wu'an drew his sword to commit suicide, saying, "What crime have I committed against Heaven to deserve this?"

After a long silence, he said, "I deserve to die. In the Battle of Changping, hundreds of thousands of Zhao soldiers surrendered, and I tricked them and buried them all alive. That is enough to warrant my death." He then committed suicide.

Lord Wu'an died in the eleventh month of the fiftieth year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. He died unjustly, and the people of Qin pitied him, and his villages and towns all offered sacrifices to him.

Liu Bian slowly put down the bamboo slips in his hand and glanced at the group of teenagers sitting around the table.

They were all carefree youths, still immersed in the history in the "Records of the Grand Historian".

Of course, although they are called teenagers, most of them are actually the same age as him.

After hearing Bai Qi's story, the twelve-year-old Sun Ce seemed to be witnessing the cruelty of reality for the first time. His usually spirited face was unusually shrouded in gloom and sadness. He pursed his lips and remained silent for a long while before sighing with the indignation unique to young people: "Alas! Even a peerless general like Lord Wu'an could not escape the suspicion of a foolish emperor and the framing of treacherous officials!"

Sun Ce raised his head and looked at Liu Bian with a hint of confusion and inquiry in his eyes, as if he wanted to ask this young emperor how he would treat Bai Qi if he were in the position of King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

Seeing Sun Ce's hesitant expression, Liu Bian's lips curled into a knowing smile. He said frankly, "This is the disaster caused by the failure of the ruler and his ministers to be open and honest. If the Grand Tutor or the General of the Rear claims to be ill and unable to travel, I will personally lead the imperial physicians to visit them, inquire about their health, and personally serve them medicine. In that case, whether it is feigned illness or real illness will be obvious at a glance. Why be troubled by the slander of Lord Ying (Fan Ju)?"

“Bo Fu, I heard from your father that you don’t like reading? That’s not right.” Liu Bian paused, picked up a persimmon from the lacquer plate in front of him, took a bite, chewed slowly and swallowed. He turned his gaze to Sun Ce, then pointed to the seemingly lazy Guo Jia beside him, and said, “Don’t be fooled by Fengxiao’s obsession with military strategy. He is well-versed in the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. He just has a stronger preference for military strategy. You should learn from him.”

"Bo Fu" was the courtesy name bestowed upon Sun Ce by Liu Bian. He had recently become quite fond of bestowing courtesy names upon the sons of meritorious officials ahead of time, even if they were not yet of age to receive them.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce curled his lip in dissatisfaction, glanced at the slender Guo Jia, and with a hint of youthful contempt, puffed out his chest and shouted: "A man should be like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, leading 100,000 cavalry across the desert, driving out the barbarians, establishing merit and reputation, how can he be a mere scholar?"

Despite Guo Jia being five years older than him, Sun Ce was confident that he could knock Guo Jia off his feet with a single punch.

Hmm... he might not be able to stand up.

Because he had to kneel down and beg Guo Jia not to die.

Looking at the spirited and energetic young man before him, Liu Bian was not annoyed at all. Instead, he reached out and ruffled Sun Ce's hair, then handed him a persimmon cake. With a gentle smile on his lips, he said, "How can someone so young be so ambitious? Do you even know what it takes to be a general?"

Sun Ce was even more indignant at being looked down upon by the emperor. He took the persimmon cake, took a big bite, and said loudly, "A general should be armed and wield weapons, face danger without hesitation, and lead his soldiers; rewards must be given and punishments must be carried out."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall couldn't help but turn their gaze to this spirited young man. Even Dian Wei, who was standing to the side, looked over and nodded slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of approval.

If these words came from a general, it would not be surprising, but Sun Ce was only a twelve-year-old boy.

Liu Bian burst into laughter, turned around, pointed at Sun Ce, and said to Dian Wei, "This is a thoroughbred of the Han dynasty!"

Sun Ce was taken aback, his face showing confusion and even a hint of grievance.

Why did the emperor call me a fast-running animal?
Seeing this, Zhou Yu, both amused and annoyed, raised his hand and slapped him on the back of the head, whispering a reminder: "You idiot, the 'thousand-mile horse' comes from the 'Chu Ci·Bu Ju': 'Would you rather be a thousand-mile horse?'"

Seeing that Sun Ce still looked bewildered, Zhou Yu sighed helplessly, unsure of what to say.

But the Emperor laughed loudly, slapped Sun Ce on the shoulder, and said, "Bo Fu, do you see? This is the consequence of not studying! You can't even understand praise." (From the *Book of Han*, Biography of King Chu Yuan: "Marquis Mu of Chengyang, De, styled Lu Shu, practiced Huang-Lao philosophy and possessed wisdom and strategy. In his youth, he frequently spoke of state affairs and was summoned to the Ganquan Palace. Emperor Wu called him 'a thousand-mile steed.'")

"Do you understand now?"

Sun Ce nodded as if he understood, then suddenly realized what was going on. He scratched his head and grinned somewhat embarrassedly, "So they're praising me! I thought the country was scolding me. But I don't think it matters if I don't understand. The person praising me will naturally say things that I can understand."

Faced with this troublemaker, Liu Bian put away his smile and asked seriously, "People who genuinely praise you might be accommodating, but what if someone's words are veiled in sarcasm, seemingly praising but actually criticizing? If you can't even tell it's an insult, wouldn't you still have to smile foolishly and thank them for their praise?"

Sun Ce's smile froze.

He blinked, seemingly realizing for the first time that reading and writing could be used for self-defense, and his contemptuous attitude subsided somewhat.

Reading is very useful!
However, martial arts training cannot be neglected!

Hmm... If I study literature, I can understand who is talking bad about me; if I study martial arts, I can beat up the guy who is talking bad about me!
"As for your desire to become a famous general," Liu Bian said, his tone softening and guiding, "what you just said is merely the behavior of a charging general or a fighting general, not even worthy of being called a good general. To become a famous general, you must deeply study military strategy and tactics."

Liu Bian was exceptionally patient with this impetuous yet energetic young man. If he hadn't been born into royalty, he might have been like Sun Ce, full of youthful spirit, enjoying the company of his parents instead of worrying about the people every day. "Although the Hegemon-King is known for his bravery and defeating enemies, it's not just about physical strength. Without military strategy and tactics, how could he have defeated the Qin army at Julu with a small force? Even if the Hegemon-King were to be resurrected, would he dare to charge into battle alone against the hundred or so powerful archers before my tent?"

"General, you don't use your brain. You're just a brave but reckless man like Ying Bu. You can capture and kill him in one battle!"

Many people believe that the late Three Kingdoms period did not produce as many fierce generals as the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period, and that a single general might be able to turn the tide of a battle.

However, what many do not realize is that the wars at the end of the Han Dynasty and the early Three Kingdoms period were merely minor skirmishes, and only fierce generals like Lü Bu could determine the outcome of the battles.

In the later stages of the Three Kingdoms period, the army was no longer the weak force it was at the end of the Han Dynasty. Instead, it gradually became more standardized and its training level greatly improved. It was no longer the era when ten thousand able-bodied men could be recruited from the city and equipped with weapons to be considered an army.

Cao Wei even had over 100,000 elite central troops who had undergone full-time training. Individual bravery was no longer enough to guide the course of the war. Only commanders like Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu could become the key to victory or defeat on their own.

Liu Bian did not want Sun Ce to become the "Little Conqueror" in history who only relied on his courage to lead troops into battle.

While the "Little Tyrant" is brave, he lacks strategic acumen and is therefore unfit to be a true "tyrant."

Of course, perhaps he just hasn't matured yet.

Today, Liu Bian, on a whim, summoned a group of sons of meritorious officials who were twelve years of age or older.

General Zhu Jun of Anxi disappointed him somewhat, but Liu Bian suddenly realized that he did not seem to have enough capable people at his disposal.

In order to find suitable candidates, Liu Bian asked Liang Hu, the Minister of Personnel, for the list of officials, only to discover a shadow hidden beneath the trend of revival.

The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of this dynasty are all quite old, and most of the officials with a rank of 2,000 shi or above are around fifty years old.

Fifty years old may be the end of life for many people. What if a large number of court officials with a rank of two thousand piculs or above die of illness in recent years?

The Han Dynasty is now showing signs of fatigue, indicating a generational gap.

Although there are many talented people, there are also many people with practical skills, such as Xun Yu, Xin Pi, and Chen Qun.

However, they have not yet grown up. This is not the cruel and chaotic world where "only one in a hundred survives" and talents are forced to grow up quickly in blood and fire. Without the killing spree and famine driving them like death warrants, those talents grow up very slowly.

Could he really expect Xun Yu to become a "Xiao He" and a strategist of a powerful force at the age of twenty-nine, just like his contemporaries in history?
impossible!

Seedlings need time to grow!
Liu Bian could not possibly put these talented individuals to death to force their growth; all he could do was carefully nurture these seedlings and prevent them from growing crooked.

However, some of the seedlings are just too clever.

Zhou Yu looked timidly at the emperor and asked in a low voice, "Why...why did the state change the title of General Anxi to Marquis of Duyu Pavilion? This...seems somewhat ominous?"

Liu Bian leaned close to Zhou Yu's ear, seemingly mysterious, but his voice was not deliberately lowered, and said, "Because Lord Wu'an is sick but is suspected of faking it, while General Anxi is sick... but pretends to be healthy."

"But General Anxi doesn't seem to be 'sick'."

Zhou Yu recalled that yesterday, this General Anxi seemed to have invited his father, Grand Master of Ceremonies Zhou Yi, to a banquet. His father praised General Anxi for his hearty drinking and said he was a good drinker. How could he possibly be sick?
Liu Bian didn't say anything more, but just smiled and said, "Gongjin, you are still young and don't understand. Some illnesses can't be seen on the surface, but they are already inside."

"It's like a bright and shiny citrus fruit, beautiful as gold and jade, but inside it's a pile of rotten cotton."

"The same goes for General Anxi."

"He is sick, and very sick."

Sun Ce, his large head bulging with curiosity, leaned closer and asked in surprise, "General Anxi is also a famous general of the court. Has the state sent a physician to treat him? How serious is his condition? Will it be life-threatening?"

Liu Bian reached out and tapped Sun Ce's head with his knuckles, but his gaze swept past him and fell on Guo Jia, who looked lazy and carefree, as if nothing was on his mind. He smiled meaningfully and said, "General Anxi is very ill. As for whether it will endanger his life... that depends on whether he is willing to seek treatment and take medicine."

Even the smartest seedling wouldn't ask that question.

(3113 words)
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PS: I'll add a short update of 1600 words as compensation today.

Please forgive me for only updating 2500 words yesterday, considering I added an extra 1600 words QAQ~~~
(End of this chapter)