New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Liu Bei already knew how the story would unfold, calculating that Cao Cao would definitely come today with generous gifts to recruit him. So, following the original plot, he gathered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei inside the house and set out a celebratory feast.

"Second brother, let me offer you another bowl!" Liu Bei picked up his wine bowl, a rare display of magnanimity on his face. "You warmed the wine... oh no, you killed Hua Xiong without wine, achieving fame in one battle, making all the lords look at us brothers with new respect!"

Zhang Fei, holding a wine bowl, his dark face flushed red from drinking, shouted at Guan Yu at the top of his lungs.

"Exactly! Second Brother, you slammed Hua Xiong's dog head into the main hall like that, and wow, all those governors, prefects, and generals were dumbfounded! I think they're all just a bunch of good-for-nothings, not a single one of them is any good!"

He shook the bowl in his hand, spilling a few drops of wine. "Second Brother, I, Old Zhang, also toast you with a bowl!"

Guan Yu held the wine bowl, a rare smile of enjoyment appearing on his ruddy face.

"Eldest brother, third brother. I have lived up to your expectations and succeeded by sheer luck. Come!"

Three earthenware bowls clattered together, splashing wine everywhere. After a few bowls of strong liquor, the atmosphere relaxed, and the three began to chat.

After chatting for a while, Liu Bei put down his wine bowl and casually steered the conversation toward the main topic.

"Second and third brothers, do you still remember Cao Cao, Cao Mengde?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's faces. "This man was a man of great talent and insight, and he was also quite righteous. Come to think of it, he treated us rather well."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Fei snorted coldly and slammed the wine bowl heavily on the table.

"Hmph, that kid surnamed Cao? I see he's all hypocrisy and cunning, he's no good either!"

Liu Bei's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and he forced himself to swallow a mouthful of wine to stop himself from laughing out loud.

Zhang Fei truly deserves his top spot on the list of births in the new Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao helped them so much, yet he completely forgot about it the moment he looked at him. If Cao Cao were standing here right now, he'd probably laugh in anger and shout something.

Zhang Yide, if it weren't for me, Cao Cao, would you have been able to enter the gates of Chenliu City?

Zhang Fei grew increasingly angry as he spoke, so he slammed his wine bowl down on the table and added a few more angry words.

"Eldest brother, second brother, you must stay far away from Cao Cao! That scoundrel even tried to poison second brother's wine. If it weren't for eldest brother's quick thinking and escaped danger, second brother would probably have already perished under Hua Xiong's blade!"

Liu Bei remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he rolled his eyes. Back at Cao Cao's victory banquet, who was it that picked up a wine cup and downed it in one gulp, unstoppable? Where was the slightest bit of caution you showed then?

However, to be fair, he also thought Cao Cao's poisoning was indeed despicable. But one thing is one thing: helping them enter the city was true, and poisoning Guan Yu was also true. This Cao Cao was truly unfathomable.

Liu Bei thought for a moment and decided to follow Zhang Fei's lead. He picked up his wine bowl and casually echoed his words.

"Third brother is right. One should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others."

"Come on, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's drink, let's drink!" He raised his wine bowl, changing the subject. "We have nothing else to do today but celebrate my second brother's victory. The three of us will drink until we're completely drunk!"

Upon hearing the words "no drinking until we drop," Zhang Fei's leopard-like eyes lit up. He slapped the table and grinned widely.

"Alright, alright! Let's drink until we drop! Let's drink until we drop!"

Just then, Tang Xiaohu, who was supposed to be standing guard outside the door, suddenly strode in. His face was solemn, and he clasped his hands in greeting.

"My lord, Cao Cao is leading a large army and is heading this way!"

"What?!"

All three were startled. Zhang Fei sprang up from his stool, grabbed the eighteen-foot spear leaning against the table, and roared at Liu Bei.

"Brother! I told you Cao Cao wasn't a good person! Sure enough, he was all hypocrisy!"

"Second Brother just killed Hua Xiong for them, and now they're turning around and trying to kill us!"

He picked up his eighteen-foot spear and stormed out the door, shouting as he went.

"Big brother, second brother, don't stop me! Let me go and poke a thousand holes through that Cao Cao!"

Liu Bei sighed inwardly. This Zhang Fei was truly clueless and displeased. "If I let you go, could you even win?" Though he thought this, he didn't dare delay for a moment, quickly rising with Guan Yu to block Zhang Fei.

"Third brother, don't be anxious." Liu Bei pressed Zhang Fei's shoulder, then turned to Tang Xiaohu and gave him a look. "Cao Cao's arrival with his troops doesn't necessarily mean he wants to kill us. Tell me, what kind of force do they have?"

At the same time, a chill ran through Liu Bei's heart. Had history truly undergone a dramatic change? Had Cao Cao come not to recruit him, but to silence him? If so… his mind raced, and he was already secretly formulating contingency plans.

For example, they could ambush him with five hundred axemen behind the house.

Unexpectedly, Tang Xiaohu scratched his head and said with an embarrassed look.

"My lords, I... I haven't finished speaking yet. Cao Cao's troops are carrying carts and wagons full of supplies; they don't seem to be here to fight. It looks more like they've come specifically to deliver gifts to you!"

Zhang Fei's furious expression froze on his face. He slowly turned his head, glaring at Tang Xiaohu, his hand halfway raised, wishing he could slap him twice right there and then.

"Damn it! Why do you talk like you're squeezing sheep dung? You can't even get a complete sentence out! It's driving me crazy!"

Liu Bei was speechless, secretly cursing in his heart. This Tang Xiaohu spoke like he was squeezing toothpaste, almost scaring him out of his wits.

However, the emergency idea of ​​"ambushing five hundred axemen" had quietly taken root in his mind. If he encountered danger again in the future, it would be a useful backup plan.

Before the four could exchange more than a few words, a hearty and loud voice came from outside the courtyard.

"I am Cao Cao, and I have come to pay a visit to General Liu!"

Cao Cao has really arrived? Liu Bei and Guan Yu quickly exchanged a glance. Zhang Fei and Tang Xiaohu looked at each other in bewilderment. Without giving it much thought, the four of them hurried towards the door to greet him.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw a large number of Cao Cao's soldiers unloading goods from the wagons in an orderly manner. Bags of grain and jars of fine wine were piled up in the courtyard. Liu Bei was delighted; indeed, history was still steadily progressing according to the original timeline.

He strode forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"So it is General Cao who has graced us with his presence. Please forgive me for not being able to greet him properly."

Cao Cao chuckled, casually returned the greeting, and glanced over Liu Bei, his gaze sweeping over the simple thatched hut. A faint smile played on his lips.

"What? Is this the renowned Nineteenth Garrison General's Mansion?"

Liu Bei astutely picked up on the sarcastic tone hidden in those words. It was nothing more than a mockery of his brothers for living in such a shabby, dilapidated hut.

Liu Bei, however, did not take it to heart, for he knew the weight of the word "forbearance." His face remained calm and composed, and he smiled frankly, just like in the original text.

"Exactly."

Seeing that his sharp sarcasm had sunk without a trace and failed to stir the slightest ripple on Liu Bei's face, Cao Cao's evaluation of Liu Bei quietly rose another notch.

"Excellent!" Cao Cao clapped his hands and laughed, then suddenly changed the subject, "In my opinion, it's far more impressive than Yuan Shao's command platform!"

Liu Bei knew perfectly well that Cao Cao was still trying to test him in various ways. He firmly remembered that ironclad rule.

[Rule 2: Please maintain the persona of Liu Bei in the new Three Kingdoms, keep a poker face, even if Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are eating people in front of you, you must maintain a poker face.]

His expression remained unchanged, but he changed the subject and threw the question back at him.

"General Cao, what makes you say that?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao raised an eyebrow slightly and stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard.

He looked around the dilapidated thatched hut again, then at his three brothers standing proudly before him, and suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, proclaiming loudly.

"Because although Yuan Shao's command post was magnificent and imposing, it was surrounded only by a group of mediocre people and sycophants."

"Although this thatched hut is dilapidated, it is inhabited by three righteous and heroic men."

"It is rumored that these three men made a solemn vow: they did not seek to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year."

"Even from a hundred miles away, Cao could feel the soaring heroic spirit emanating from this thatched hut!"

Liu Bei remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he clicked his tongue in disapproval. This Cao Cao, he really knows how to boast.

If this were modern times, with that kind of talk, she could easily earn 100,000 a month in sales!

Also, when the three of them swore brotherhood in the Peach Garden, it seems like there were only the three of them in the courtyard, right?

Cao Cao, did he somehow glimpse the will of Heaven? He even knew about this?