New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

(Here I'd like to tell you all that Sun Quan is still normal and hasn't been corrupted by the strange forces, so the plot won't follow the new 3rd completely.)

(And as you all may have noticed, while writing, the author was also correcting some errors in the new version of the third installment, such as the split soul of Lu Bu, resulting in two Lu Bus, which laid the groundwork for later plot developments.)

(These are all details, such details! I wonder if any of you gentlemen noticed the author's ingenuity?)

After laughing for a while, Sun Ce suddenly stopped smiling, held the imperial seal in his hands, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly to Sun Jian, "Congratulations, Father, on becoming emperor!"

Those who came with Sun Jian were his trusted confidants who had followed him for many years, and they were naturally delighted with Sun Ce's words.

Everyone clasped their hands in a fist and palm salute, and chimed in with their own opinions:

"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations!"

"My lord, declare yourself emperor! If you don't seize this opportunity presented by Heaven, you will suffer the consequences!"

Sun Jian stood there, the imperial seal long gone, but his hands still held the same posture as when he held it, his fingers slightly bent, as if he were still firmly grasping that warm treasure in his palms.

His mouth stretched from ear to ear, his eyes were glazed and excited, and he was completely immersed in an uncontrollable ecstasy, ignoring the cheers around him.

His appearance was so eerie that it was hard to describe.

Seeing his uncles joining in the commotion, Sun Quan, his face flushed with anxiety, quickly stepped forward, grabbed Sun Jian's sleeve, and called out in a clear voice:

"Father, you must never declare yourself emperor! Our Sun family is weak and vulnerable, and we even have to rely on Yuan Shu for supplies of food, provisions, and weapons."

"Once you declare yourself emperor, Yuan Shu will immediately cut off our supplies. Then we'll have nothing to eat, and my uncles won't have any wine to drink!"

He took a breath, then turned his gaze to Sun Jian, his speech becoming increasingly rapid, "And Father, have you considered why the Imperial Seal of the State would appear in these ruins of Luoyang?"

"Why did he have to appear, of all times, just as we entered the city, lying all alone in a fire? Father, don't you find that strange?"

Sun Ce stopped smiling, glanced coldly at Sun Quan, and said in a low voice, "Second brother, don't talk nonsense."

Sun Quan completely ignored him, his little face full of anxiety, and continued:

"Brother, have you forgotten? When Qin Shi Huang obtained this jade seal, his kingdom collapsed in less than two generations. This thing is bound to bring disaster; we can't keep it!"

Sun Ce glared at him, gritting his teeth as he squeezed out two words: "Shut up! Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters."

Seeing that persuasion was useless, Sun Quan simply walked past him, tilted his head back, and said urgently:

"Father, you absolutely mustn't declare yourself emperor! Our Sun family doesn't have the strength for that right now. If we rashly declare ourselves emperor, we'll surely be attacked by all the warlords like Dong Zhuo, until we're wiped out!"

Sun Jian slowly recovered from his momentary euphoria. He coughed lightly, his gaze sweeping over Sun Quan's flushed face, but he did not directly respond to his earnest advice.

He merely glanced slowly at everyone present, a smug smile on his face, and said unhurriedly, "My son's ambition is commendable! With Zhongmou in literature and Bofu in military affairs, what great undertaking cannot be accomplished?"

He turned his gaze to Cheng Pu behind him, suddenly raised his voice, and sternly ordered, "Cheng Pu! Order all units to pack their belongings and return to Jiangdong with me first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Yes, sir!"

Just then, a loud announcement came from outside the door. A messenger rushed into the hall, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting to Sun Jian, and said, "My lord, Alliance Leader Yuan is leading the armies of the various lords and is about to enter the city!"

Sun Jian frowned sharply and snorted coldly.

"These good-for-nothings cowered in the back during the battle, refusing to send a single soldier to support me. Especially that Yuan Shu, who withheld my rations and weapons; he's a ruthless scoundrel."

"Now that we've taken Luoyang, they're all running away faster than rabbits."

As he said this, he suddenly chuckled softly, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

"However, the Imperial Seal of the State is already in our hands. Even if they turn Luoyang upside down, they'll only end up with nothing. Fine, come with me to meet them and see what these opportunists have to say."

He strode towards the outside of the hall, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something extremely important.

He didn't turn around, but kept his back to everyone present. His tone suddenly turned cold as he said, word by word, "No one is allowed to leak a single word about what happened here today. Otherwise..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but that meaningful pause was more chilling than any threat. Everyone in the hall lowered their heads, even their breathing became softer.

Meanwhile, in another corner of Luoyang City.

In a temple that had been burned to ruins, incense smoke wafted and rose slowly, lingering among the leaning beams and pillars.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei knelt side by side amidst the ruins, with a portrait before them. The portrait was slightly yellowed by smoke, and the edges were somewhat charred, but the faces of the people in the painting were still clearly discernible.

It is not Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, nor Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, nor Liu Sheng, the Prince Jing of Zhongshan whom Liu Bei often mentioned.

It was Qin Shi Huang, who swept across the land and unified the eight directions!

The First Emperor in the painting wears a crown with tassels, a black robe and a crimson skirt, one hand on his sword and the other raised in a gesture of authority. Even though it is just a portrait, his cold eyes still exude an aura of dominance over the world.

Liu Bei, however, seemed to completely disregard his "former emperor," kneeling respectfully before the portrait, his forehead repeatedly touching the cold, scorched earth, each touch solid and earnest.

"Your subject Liu Bei pays homage to the spirits of the late emperors." His voice was steady and devout, echoing slowly through the empty ruins.

"Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc on the world, defiled the palace, burned down ancestral temples, and desecrated the imperial order. As a descendant of the emperor, I am ashamed that I cannot advance to suppress the bandits and establish merit, nor can I retreat to protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people. I am ashamed. Liu Bei has failed my ancestors and the emperor."

Zhang Fei watched from the side, frowning. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he dusted off his knees and stood up nonchalantly.

He smacked his lips and shouted loudly at Liu Bei's back:

"Brother, why don't you just say a few words? Instead of wasting time muttering to that portrait, you'd be better off drinking a couple more jars of fine wine. Besides, who knows if the late emperor can even hear you?"

Liu Bei neither turned around nor answered.

He remained kneeling, his shoulders trembling slightly.

To onlookers, he appeared to be trembling with anger at Zhang Fei's disrespectful remarks about the late emperor. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that his slightly twitching lips were not a sign of anger, but rather a desperate attempt to suppress laughter.

In his palm, he was secretly clutching a piece of paper with five words written on it: "Strange Tales of Worshipping the Former Emperor".