New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

"Now that the Prime Minister's plan to relocate the capital has been decided, may I be so bold as to ask, when will the journey begin?"

Dong Zhuo abruptly turned his head, his wide eyes filled with surprise. He raised his hand and pointed at Wang Yun in the distance, shouting at the assembled officials, "Look! Look! This is the question we should be asking!"

He slapped his thigh heavily, leaned towards Wang Yun, and said with a smug tone, "Listen, I'm always decisive and efficient. The relocation of the capital will take place today! We'll set off at noon!"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers in the hall turned ashen-faced with fright.

Grand Commandant Yang Biao suddenly stepped forward from the ranks, knelt down with a thud before Dong Zhuo, and looked up urgently, saying:

"Prime Minister! How will we gather the carriages and horses for this sudden relocation of the capital? How will we settle the officials? How will we care for the common people? I urge you, Prime Minister, to be extremely cautious!"

Dong Zhuo frowned slightly, glanced at Yang Biao sideways, and let out a cold snort.

"Extremely cautious? Why should we be so cautious? We have chariots and soldiers; the officials can simply ride in them. As for the common people in the city..."

He waved his hand casually, as if shooing away a fly, "They're as worthless as weeds, whether they live or die is none of our business. Let them be."

Before he finished speaking, another minister scrambled forward, knelt beside Yang Biao, and repeatedly kowtowed to Dong Zhuo:

"My lord! Since the Golden Rebellion, years of warfare have reduced Chang'an to ruins. If we hastily move west now, we might not even have a place to stay and sleep!"

"Yes, yes, at that time, let alone sleeping, even eating will be a huge problem!"

Yang Biao nodded hastily in agreement, beads of sweat streaming down his face. "This is tantamount to abandoning a palace for rubble, utterly inappropriate! I implore the Prime Minister to consider this carefully!"

"Pah!" Dong Zhuo spat a mouthful of phlegm, mixed with saliva, right onto Yang Biao's face.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light as he glared down at the trembling ministers before him and roared:

"You bunch of selfish fools! All you think about is your own petty gains! What's wrong with a little hardship and toil? Moving the capital to Chang'an is for the revival of the Han Dynasty, a plan for the next century!"

He whirled around, stomped one foot on the steps behind him, raised his arms and shouted, spittle flying everywhere:

"Luoyang is dark, Chang'an is bright! Moving the capital to Chang'an is to abandon darkness and embrace the light!" He took a deep breath, then turned back abruptly, staring at Yang Biao. His tone softened slightly, but became even colder.

"Besides, our family hasn't made you suffer all the time, has it? Chang'an has the natural defenses of Hangu Pass and the protection of the Longshan Mountains; the firewood and bricks needed to build the palace are readily available!"

"Our family only needs half a month, no, three days! Within three days, we can build another palace even more magnificent and comfortable than Luoyang!"

"When the time comes, we'll name it Wanle Palace, and let it be passed down for thousands of generations!"

He threw his head back and laughed wildly, the laughter echoing repeatedly in the empty hall, sending chills down the spines of the kneeling officials.

"Guards! Prepare for the Emperor's departure!"

"Hey!" Two fierce-looking armored soldiers roughly dragged the young emperor from the throne and led him out of the palace gate with Dong Zhuo.

Countless Xiliang soldiers, holding torches, poured out of the palace gates and scattered towards their respective destinations.

"The Prime Minister has decreed: the imperial palace, ancestral temples, imperial tombs, and palaces must all be burned down, leaving not a single brick or tile for the rebel soldiers!"

With each chilling command, torches were thrown into the majestic palaces. The flames, like greedy beasts, rapidly climbed the carved beams and painted rafters, swallowing the magnificent buildings whole.

The fire quickly spread beyond the palace walls and engulfed the surrounding residences.

Those low thatched huts and wooden buildings were burned to the bone in an instant, like paper in the raging fire.

Thick smoke billowed, obscuring the sky and turning the once bustling streets into a sea of ​​fire.

Countless people were awakened from their sleep and rushed out of their homes, their clothes disheveled. Cries, screams, the neighing of horses, and the crackling of the burning fire blended together.

Holding children and supporting the elderly, they stumbled and fled for their lives amidst thick smoke and flames, with their homes collapsing behind them and no way out in sight.

Wang Yun took in this hellish scene. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, almost drawing blood.

His aged face was illuminated by the distant firelight, and a pair of cloudy old eyes raged with a fury even more intense than the sea of ​​fire.

He turned around and called Yang Biao to his side. His voice was extremely low, yet it carried a chilling resolve born of being driven to the brink:

"Dong Zhuo has been completely corrupted by that Imperial Seal of the State, beyond redemption. If we allow him to continue to control it, it won't be long before we both lose our heads."

He paused, his gaze passing over Yang Biao's shoulder to look at the distant sea of ​​fire, and said, word by word:

"I have a plan. Tonight, we will steal the jade seal and throw it into this fire, so that this object of calamity will be reduced to ashes."

........

Above the azure sky, the most sacred deity of the new Three Kingdoms spoke for the second time. His voice, as loud as a bell, pierced through the clouds and resounded throughout the entire world.

However, only Liu Bei could hear this magnificent heavenly sound.

"Dong Zhuo moved the capital west to Chang'an, and Luoyang, the Han capital for hundreds of years, was burned to ashes. The wealthy and powerful were confiscated by the government; the ancestral temples and imperial tombs were almost completely looted."

Liu Bei understood. Dong Zhuo had already begun burning Luoyang, and according to the plot, the Imperial Seal was currently in the palace and would soon be obtained by Sun Jian.

He knew better than anyone the significance of that jade seal in the new Three Kingdoms, but he did not rush to take action.

He simply sent someone to invite Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shu to his thatched cottage. The three of them sat around a table and discussed the general situation of the world, laying the groundwork for future moves.

Liu Bei could finally take off his expressionless mask and smile at his two true allies.

He raised his wine bowl and laughed loudly at Yuan Shu, "Brother Gonglu, how have you been? How are you today?"

Yuan Shu chuckled, raised his bowl and gently tapped it against Yuan Shu's, causing the wine in the bowl to ripple slightly.

"Thanks to Xuande, and with Brother Xiaohu protecting me closely, how could those monsters possibly get close to me?"

He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his bowl, then put it down and leaned forward, his eyes full of curiosity. "By the way, Xuande, I heard you've helped Brother Gongsun regain his senses. You haven't told me the details yet! Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?"

Liu Bei laughed heartily and exchanged a glance with Gongsun Zan beside him. Gongsun Zan nodded slightly, a rare relaxed smile appearing on his lips. Liu Bei then recounted his previous encounter to Yuan Shu in detail.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's face showed a mixture of worry and joy. He was worried because Liu Bei had almost lost his life on the spot, but he was also happy because at the critical moment, fate intervened, allowing Zhang Fei, that reckless man, to awaken his martial arts skills and, with a shout, forcefully immobilize Gongsun Zan on the spot.

He couldn't help but press further, "What exactly is this martial skill? How could it allow Brother Yide to freeze Brother Gongsun in place with just a roar?"

The situation was urgent. The men had just subdued Gongsun Zan when Cao Cao summoned them to fight Lü Bu. Zhang Fei didn't have time to explain in detail.

Later, Liu Bei personally brought fifteen jars of Peiguo wine to Zhang Fei's door, and only then did Zhang Fei pour out all his secrets while being forced to drink.

Liu Bei put down his wine bowl, tapped his fingertip lightly on the table, and explained to Yuan Shu:

"Martial arts skills are a type of combat skill. Once mastered, they can be released by activating the strange power within the body. However, the number of uses is limited and they cannot be used indefinitely."

He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip to moisten his throat, and added, "In contrast to military skills, there are also civil skills. The former are used for battlefield combat, while the latter are used for internal governance."

He put down his wine bowl, held up two fingers, and leaned forward slightly: "It seems that there are only two ways to awaken."

He curled his first finger. "Firstly, it strangely senses that the host is in a life-or-death situation and unleashes extraordinary potential, which can be comprehended on its own in that instant."

Liu Bei then bent his second finger, his gaze sweeping over Yuan Shu and Gongsun Zan, his tone carrying a hint of emotion and relief.

"Secondly, it was a direct gift from Heaven. Zhang Fei's Roar of Changban should have been awakened much later in the story, but when I was in imminent danger, Heaven intervened and allowed him to awaken it ahead of time and save the day."

He shook his head slightly, a rare bitter smile appearing on his lips. "This is something even I didn't expect."

Yuan Shu put down his wine bowl, his face showing shame, and his voice carrying a hint of sincere apology:

"Brother Xuande, I am truly sorry. If you hadn't sent Brother Xiaohu to protect me closely, how could you have ended up in such a dangerous situation? In the end, it wasn't General Gongsun who harmed you, it was me, Yuan Gonglu, who harmed you."

Liu Bei waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "Brother Gonglu, there's no need for that. It's just that my skills are inferior. I originally intended to use those ordinary soldiers to stack the 'Arrogance Buff' on General Gongsun, but it backfired. The more he consumes it, the stronger and more ferocious he becomes."

He changed the subject, a smile playing on his lips, "However, it can also be considered a blessing in disguise. Zhang Fei, who used to only know how to drink and boast, has now awakened his martial arts skills, so he's not entirely useless now."

Zhang Fei, who was sitting to the side drinking heartily from a wine bowl, froze, pursed his lips, and looked displeased.

What do you mean by "all you do is drink and brag"? I only won a picture of fine wine, but when I fought Lu Bu, didn't I withstand several of his halberds?

Guan Yu put down his wine bowl, stroked his long beard, and patted Zhang Fei's shoulder with a smile:

"Third brother, what your elder brother says makes sense. Who told you to neglect your martial arts and only know how to drink? You always try to use those petty tricks when fighting, which won't do."

Zhang Fei was rendered speechless, and he lowered his head sullenly, holding his wine bowl without uttering another word.

He secretly vowed that starting tomorrow, he would practice martial arts diligently and abstain from alcohol completely. Next time he fought, he would make his elder brothers look at him with new respect.

As for why tomorrow, it's because we've already drunk alcohol today, so it doesn't count. Let's drink to our hearts' content today and down three hundred cups.

Gongsun Zan watched this scene from the side, finding it amusing. The camaraderie among these three brothers was truly enviable.

If only he were Liu Bei...

He picked up his wine bowl and smiled at Liu Bei, saying, "Brother Xuande, I was reckless before and killed so many of your men. Today, I apologize with wine, and I will personally select three thousand elite soldiers from my army and assign them to you as my apology."

Liu Bei smiled and clinked wine bowls with him, then drank the remaining wine in one gulp.

Gongsun Zan put down his wine bowl, leaned forward slightly, his smile faded, and said seriously:

"Xuande, we've both watched the new Three Kingdoms series, so I won't go into the rest of the story. I want to ask you one question: what are your plans next?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the tent tensed slightly. Yuan Shu's hand, holding the wine bowl, paused involuntarily for a moment, then he brought the rim of the bowl to his lips and took a sip without making a sound.

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze to Yuan Shu beside him. His eyes softened as he looked at Yuan Shu, as if he were looking at a close relative he couldn't help but worry about.

He turned to Gongsun Zan and said with a smile, "Naturally, I will go back to Nanyang in Jingzhou with Brother Gonglu to conquer cities and expand our power."

Gongsun Zan shook his head, his tone becoming serious:

"Xuande, I suggest you follow the plot and come back to Beiping with me. As you know, Brother Gonglu has the top strategist Yan Xiang by his side. As long as he listens to Yan Xiang's advice, nothing serious will happen. But on my side..."

He sighed, picked up his wine bowl, and took a swig. "They're all mediocre and short-sighted fools. If you hadn't come, I'm afraid I would have disappeared without a trace, just like in the new Three Kingdoms storyline."

Liu Bei fell silent. He lowered his eyes, staring at the slightly rippling wine in the bowl, lost in thought.

He still bears the heavy responsibility of protecting the Yuan brothers. Now that Yuan Shao has been completely corrupted by the strange forces, how can he let Yuan Shu return to Jingzhou alone? What if something happens? How can he explain this to Heaven?

But Gongsun Zan's words were all reasonable.

According to the plot of the new 3rd, Yuan Shu's death was caused by his attempt to declare himself emperor using the Imperial Seal. Yan Xiang had warned him long ago, but Yuan Shu ignored him, which led to his demise. If he hadn't declared himself emperor, he might not have died so soon.

He raised the wine bowl to his lips, but didn't drink it. The decision suddenly became a difficult one.