New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

The man, who had closed his eyes in utter despair, shuddered violently upon hearing the words "Ah San," as if he had been pricked with a needle.

He slowly opened his eyes, looked Liu Bei up and down, and after a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a hoarse and bitter sigh: "You've mistaken me for someone else. My name isn't A-San, A-San is dead."

Liu Bei frowned, a doubt arising in his mind.

He examined the man's face carefully once more. The man had naturally rugged features, a square jaw, and high brow bones, but his head was tied up in a bun like Nezha's, which was completely out of place with his weathered and tough face.

Although his face was covered in cigarette ash and bloodstains, his eyebrows and facial features were clearly identical to those of Zhuge Liang's attendant, Ah San, in the drama.

Strange! This person looks exactly like the Indian character in the drama, so why is he so insistent that he is not Indian?

Could it be that after he joined Zhuge Liang's forces, Mr. Wochong disliked his original name and changed it to A-San?

No! When he said "Ah San is dead," the tone of his voice was definitely not casual.

Just then, Gongsun Zan stepped forward from behind. He glanced at the man on the ground, then turned to Liu Bei and said in a low voice:

"Xuande, I've watched the new Three Kingdoms so many times, and I'm absolutely certain that the person in front of me is Zhuge Liang's pageboy, Ah San. I just don't know why he's in the ruins of Luoyang, and why he looks so dejected and lifeless."

He paused, then added.

"Something is definitely amiss. We should take him back to the camp, give him a few bowls of wine to warm him up, and maybe once he's had a few drinks, he'll naturally reveal what he's saying."

Liu Bei nodded. Since the situation was unclear, this was the only option for now.

He walked to Zhang Fei's side, tiptoed, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Zhang Fei's leopard-like eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded as he listened, his bushy beard trembling with laughter.

After hearing this, he burst into loud laughter: "Alright, brother, don't worry about it, leave it to me!"

After saying that, he strode up to Ah San, clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, chuckled, and bent down, looking just like a fierce tiger about to snatch a sheep.

When the Indian man saw the dark-faced giant rubbing his fists and approaching him, he was so frightened that his soul almost flew out of his body.

He frantically scrambled backward, scraping his back against the rubble until it left bloody welts, and his voice trembled.

"What are you going to do? What are you going to do! I'm telling you, even if I die, I will never submit to you!"

Unexpectedly, the more he screamed in agony, the more excited Zhang Fei became.

The burly man pulled out a rope from somewhere at his waist and quickly bound Ah San's hands and feet tightly. Then he scooped him up like a chick and chuckled:

"Young man, don't be afraid, don't be afraid! I, Zhang Fei, am an honest man! Don't force me! Come on, I'll take you back for a drink!"

Liu Bei stood there, watching this scene, a smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.

The Indian man bound up in front of him and Zhang Fei carrying him with great strides seemed to overlap with the figure of Zhuge Liang in the new TV series.

When Liu Bei, the third emperor of the Southern Tang dynasty, crossed the river to marry a woman from Eastern Wu, Zhuge Liang sat in his tent, unable to come up with any strategy. He could only keep fanning himself and sighing, "A dilemma, a dilemma indeed."

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were so anxious that they kept pressing Zhuge Liang for a solution, but he refused to reveal the truth. In the end, they were driven to desperation and launched a military remonstrance, which almost overturned his strategist's chair.

Later, with the blessing of Heaven, Liu Bei finally returned safely from Eastern Wu. When the news reached Zhuge Liang, he was so frightened that he packed his bags and tried to run away overnight. However, he was caught up by Zhang Fei and Guan Yu before he got far. Without saying a word, they picked him up like a piglet and strode back.

The scene of Ah San being tied up and taken back by Zhang Fei today is just a microcosm of that great show from back then.

Before long, the air in Gongsun Zan's camp was thick with the smell of alcohol.

Several people sat around the tent, toasting and drinking, having a great time.

As usual, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei boasted to each other, especially Zhang Fei. Once the alcohol hit his head, he slapped his thigh and spit out his words, exaggerating his battle with Lü Bu, making it sound as if he had almost broken the halberd.

Liu Bei had already ordered someone to take Ah San down to take a bath and change into a clean robe.

When the soot and bloodstains on his face were washed away and he walked back into the tent, he finally looked somewhat alive again.

Liu Bei personally got up, poured him a bowl of warm wine, and placed it in front of him, saying that Zhang Fei had been rude earlier and that he wanted to apologize on his behalf.

At first, Ah San waved his hands repeatedly to refuse, but he couldn't resist Liu Bei's repeated urging to drink, so he had no choice but to take the wine bowl and carefully sip a few mouthfuls.

After a few bowls of warm wine, Ah San's eyes gradually became hazy. His hand holding the wine bowl trembled slightly, and suddenly he knelt down in front of Liu Bei with a thud, tears streaming down his freshly washed face.

"Brother Xuande, I was originally a loyal follower of Dong Zhuo. That day, I was ordered to infiltrate Chenliu to assassinate Yuan Shao, but I never expected to witness a scene I will never forget..."

He raised his hand and forcefully wiped away the tears on his face, his voice hoarse and hurried.

"I saw it with my own eyes; Yuan Shao turned into a monster before me, and he killed all three of my brothers, not one of them was spared!"

He opened his mouth and gasped for breath, as if he had returned to that cold and gloomy general's mansion.

"He ate them... right in front of me, he ate my three brothers... I was so scared my legs went weak, I couldn't even run away."

He took another big gulp of liquor, the strong liquor making him cough repeatedly, but he clung to the bowl tightly as if it were a lifeline.

"After he had eaten his fill, he suddenly stopped, looked at me, and told me to get out and to pass on a message to Dong Zhuo. He told him to wash his neck clean and wait, because Yuan Shao wanted to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin."

"I fled Chenliu in a panic and rushed back to Luoyang after several days and nights. It was already a sea of ​​fire, and Dong Zhuo had long since moved the capital to Chang'an."

As he spoke, his voice lowered, almost becoming a murmur.

"My brothers are all dead, and Dong Zhuo doesn't want me anymore. I have nothing left. I was thinking of just lying here in the ruins and dying."

Liu Bei nodded thoughtfully. He silently calculated the timeline and sequence of events in his mind, and everything that Ah San said should be true.

Although this information is true, it has little value.

He suppressed the growing irritation within him, maintaining his kind expression, and gently patted the back of Ah San's hand, saying softly:

"Brother San, think about it carefully again. Did Yuan Shao say anything else? To be honest, we also have a score to settle with Yuan Shao. If you can provide some useful information, it will be a great help to us, and we will definitely avenge you."

Ah San stared blankly as Liu Bei grasped his hand, the warmth of his palm seeming to pull him a little further out of that scorched ruin.

He lowered his head, rubbed his temples hard, his brows furrowed, as if desperately searching for something in a chaotic memory.

Suddenly, he raised his head, his lips moved slightly, and he said uncertainly:

"I remember... before I left, that monster seemed to say something. He said that he wanted to become incredibly powerful, to protect his younger brother Yuan Shu, and to bring the world into the hands of the Yuan family."

Liu Bei's eyes suddenly lit up.