It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 49. Heavenly Extreme Linked Illusion Sword Technique (5)

Just like Gongsun Zan, it was a sudden proposal.

And it was Liu Bei asking me to join her.

“Hold on a second.”

While I was still in a daze, Sima Yi spoke up first.

“My name is Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda. I don’t intend to intrude on your conversation, but I’m currently serving as this gentleman’s strategist.”

“I’m Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande. There’s no need to be so cautious.”

Liu Bei responded with a gentle smile, and Sima Yi smirked. Her smile was so cold that I flinched.

“Are you suggesting that we come under your command, Magistrate? As you may have heard, we plan to formally establish an army, and our forces will continue to grow.”

Sima Yi tapped the table with her index finger.

“I don’t doubt your loyalty, but from our standpoint, it’s not a particularly attractive offer. We haven’t even decided on our next destination, so we can’t afford to burden ourselves with any unnecessary entanglements.”

In other words, Sima Yi was implying that Liu Bei might be trying to absorb our forces into hers.

Liu Bei chuckled and looked between me and Sima Yi before replying.

“I’m not asking you to come under my command. How could I? I have no intention of making a cheap attempt to absorb your forces. I simply hope you will consider aligning our goals.”

“This is too sudden; I can’t wrap my head around it.”

I scratched the back of my head.

It really was unexpected—so much so that my mind was spinning.

I had come here to learn more about the Governor of You Province, not to hear this.

At that moment, Zhang Fei jumped in with an enthusiastic grin.

“That’s right, brother! Let’s pursue the righteousness and brotherhood you mentioned together! It’ll be better for both of us. Didn’t Confucius say not to hesitate when doing the right thing?”

“Yide, don’t push too hard. However, I, Guan Yu, also believe that having you join our army would be a great advantage. If our interests align, this could be a beneficial partnership.”

They were strangely eager to have me on their side. It made me wonder what they saw in me.

I rested my chin on my hand for a moment, feeling Sima Yi’s intense gaze.

She clearly didn’t like Liu Bei very much.

There wasn’t really a reason for Sima Yi to dislike Liu Bei, though.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun appeared indifferent, calmly standing by with her eyes closed.

Eventually, I sighed and spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Hmm?”

Zhang Fei was the first to react, leaning back against her chair with her pigtails swaying.

“Why?”

“I actually like the ideals you all hold.”

“Then why not join us? Do we look like the type who’d stab you in the back? If you want, we can even swear brotherhood!”

“Yide, I’ve decided to live the way I want from now on. But let me make one promise to you: Yide, we’ve shared drinks and become friends, haven’t we?”

I continued.

“If you’re ever in trouble and need my help, I’ll come running. The same goes for the others. If I believe it’s the right thing to do, I won’t hesitate to help, no matter the danger.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better for us to work together, then?”

Liu Bei still smiled as she spoke.

This time, I answered in a more serious tone.

“Then, let me be completely honest.”

“What do you mean?”

“Magistrate, to be frank, I don’t trust you.”

“…Pardon?”

“Bro, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Liu Bei’s face went blank, while Zhang Fei stood up in shock.

In truth, I had never shaken off this feeling from the first time I met Liu Bei.

“Why are you always smiling?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve never seen you without a smile.”

Humans have emotions—that’s what makes them human.

People feel sadness, pain, and sometimes get angry.

That’s what it means to be alive.

But Liu Bei never did.

She always wore a smile.

Even in situations where anyone would normally feel anger, sadness, or pain, she never let that smile falter.

And she lowered herself, always elevating the people, her brothers, and everyone around her.

“Smiling is good. It spreads happiness and can comfort others. But what are you really feeling, Magistrate?”

“…”

“I can’t figure out what’s going on in your head. That’s why I can’t follow you. I’m too simple-minded to align myself with someone like you.”

I was nervous about speaking so frankly.

Liu Bei’s impenetrable smile was like an iron fortress.

It was as if she had no other expression.

Liu Bei laughed.

“You really do say the most interesting things. No one has ever told me I was suspicious before.”

“Bro, that was a bit rude, don’t you think?”

Zhang Fei, flustered, looked back and forth between me and Liu Bei.

“It’s fine.”

“But, sister…”

“Really, it’s fine.”

Liu Bei pressed Zhang Fei’s shoulders, guiding her back into her seat.

“I understand your thoughts, completely. So, you look down on me, don’t you?”

“I’m not looking down on you—if anything, I find you terrifying. The truly scary people aren’t those who live by the sword, but those who hide their true intentions.”

“I don’t intentionally hide my thoughts, but if that’s how you see me, I can’t change that.”

Liu Bei sighed deeply.

“Perhaps we need more time to build trust.”

“Well, trust doesn’t grow overnight. If my words were rude, I apologize.”

“No need. In fact, I’m grateful for your honesty.”

Liu Bei gave a polite nod.

“Haa… My first plan has already fallen apart.”

Her shoulders slumped, causing her long hair to cascade down like a waterfall.

“Well, there’s always tomorrow. Maybe we should put this conversation on hold for now.”

“Honestly, I think that’s for the best.”

“…Even I get a little hurt sometimes. A little flattery wouldn’t kill you, you know.”

“I’m just the honest type.”

“Back to the matter at hand.”

Sima Yi tapped the table as she spoke.

“We didn’t come here to hear this, Magistrate.”

“Ah, right.”

Liu Bei quickly wiped the dejected look from her face and raised her head.

“As I mentioned in the letter, I wanted to discuss what we talked about at the banquet.”

There was no need to waste words on this.

The Governor of You Province.

Without a doubt, he was one of the most important figures in play.

Frankly, as someone unfamiliar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I hadn’t even known such a person existed. But even someone as politically clueless as me understood that his position was critical.

“What kind of person is the Governor of You Province?”

I asked directly, and Liu Bei smiled quietly.

“He is a man who practices the four virtues as taught by Mencius.”

“The four virtues?”

“Bro, you don’t know that?”

Zhang Fei widened her crescent-shaped eyes in disbelief.

“Compassion for those in distress is benevolence (仁). To act without hesitation when faced with injustice is righteousness (義). To possess the virtue of humility is propriety (禮). And to discern right from wrong is wisdom (智). The Governor of You Province excels in all these virtues. Some even call him a saint.”

“…He’s that remarkable of a person?”

“Well, he’s technically part of the royal family, but his bloodline is quite distant. Still, the fact that the Governor of Bohai and the Governor of Ji Province are trying to make him emperor should tell you something.”

Sima Yi interjected.

“The people’s will.”

“You’re sharp as ever, Miss.”

“I’ve heard much about the Governor of You Province as well. Even though You Province is a harsh land, many people have moved here just to be under his governance.”

Liu Bei nodded and continued.

“Yes. The lords want to crown him as emperor to gain the people’s favor. They are already making moves. That’s why my brother is so anxious.”

“I’ve been wondering: why does the Governor of Beiping hate the Governor of You Province so much?”

When I saw Gongsun Zan at the banquet, he had practically had a fit at the mere mention of the Governor of You Province.

It was almost as if he despised him.

“If the people love him that much, why does he hate him so?”

“It’s simple. You Province is known for its large population of nomads. The two of them have drastically different policies when it comes to dealing with them.”

“The Governor of Beiping… well, let’s just say he used a more aggressive approach, eliminating the nomads while absorbing their forces into his army. Meanwhile, the Governor of You Province pursued a policy of harmony, bringing about peace between the nomads and his people.”

Zhang Fei crossed her arms and sighed.

“They’re both too extreme. To put it simply, the Governor of You Province is an idealist, while the Governor of Beiping is more of a harsh realist.”

“So the question is, which side should we align with?”

Sima Yi chimed in.

“This is shaping up to be a major conflict between two factions. If one side falls, the other will likely be destroyed.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right,” Liu Bei agreed.

“The battle over Hebei will be unavoidable. The question is how to navigate this situation.”

Ugh, it’s complicated.

Basically, it boils down to which side we should support.

Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to me. Why are we worrying about fighting each other when that pig Dong Zhuo is still alive?

“If the magistrate wants to achieve her ideal, shouldn’t we deal with Dong Zhuo first? The people are suffering; shouldn’t we focus on that?”

“We can’t ignore this, either. After all, I’m still under my brother’s command.”

I sighed.

This is why I hate politics.

Everything is tangled, you need good justifications, and you have to talk a lot.

It’s nothing but a game to them.

Of course, Dong Zhuo will die.

As someone familiar with Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I can say that for sure.

But for now…

Suddenly, Lü Bu came to mind.

I remembered the last moment I saw her, trembling with fear.

Dong Zhuo’s death comes from Lü Bu’s betrayal, thanks to Diao Chan.

But now?

I don’t know.

I’ve never seen Lü Bu in love with Diao Chan.

The one thing I know for sure is that Dong Zhuo must die.

I had witnessed the burning of Luoyang.

People hanging like ornaments.

I clenched my fists.

That kind of animal deserves to be skewered and left to rot.

But I hadn’t gathered my private soldiers yet.

If I charged in recklessly, I’d only die in vain.

“Damn, this is giving me a headache.”

“Yuan Shao and Han Fu will be here soon.”

Liu Bei’s tone grew more urgent as she dropped the honorifics.

“We need to seek the counsel of the Governor of You Province.”

“Tch, I was just planning to kill Dong Zhuo.”

“No, uncle.”

Sima Yi shook her head at my words.

“If you want to defeat Dong Zhuo, it might be better to support the Governor of You Province as emperor.”

“Huh?”

“We can establish a perfect opposition. Plus, if we join forces with them, it will increase our political standing. We should focus on the upcoming meeting.”

“Yes, my brother won’t be able to ignore this. I’ll be attending the meeting between Yuan Shao, Han Fu, and the Governor of You Province.”

In other words…

“So, here’s my second proposal. Will you join us?”

Liu Bei extended her hand once again.

This time, Sima Yi turned her head away, offering no opinion.

“Well, that’s not a bad offer.”

“Is it?”

If she says it’s worth considering… I can trust that.

I ruffled Sima Yi’s hair as she made her comment.

She flailed around in protest, but I held her head down with one hand.

Then, I extended my remaining hand to Liu Bei.

“Well, let’s see how remarkable this woman really is.”