Chapter Five: Meeting the Lords from All Corners of the Realm

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Chen Xi clearly saw Liu Bei startle for a moment and smiled inwardly. At this time, hardly anyone knew Liu Xuande; he was not yet the Prince of the Imperial Clan, let alone the King of Hanzhong. Just an ordinary man—who would recognize him?

“Since you are a scholar, surely there is something you need help with before coming to my camp,” Liu Bei said with a smile, casually offering Chen Xi a way out.

“I have traveled far and seen smoke in the distance, so I wished to find shelter here for the night. I did not expect this to be the general’s camp,” Chen Xi replied smoothly, handing Liu Bei a flattering compliment. Since he missed the chance to hitch a ride with Cao Mengde, Liu Xuande would do just fine.

Could Chen Xi not understand Liu Bei’s current situation? Clearly, he was blending in with Gongsun Zan’s forces, trying to become known among the warlords. No troops, no followers, no territory, no money—he was an unemployed wanderer with nothing to his name. Honestly, Chen Xi guessed that at this moment Liu Bei probably had no grand ambitions for the world; after all, ambition grows with strength.

“I am not worthy of the title ‘general,’ not worthy, truly not,” Liu Bei said with an embarrassed smile, though a hint of joy was evident on his face.

“I heard that Lord Mengde issued a proclamation, calling upon righteous warriors throughout the land to join in the campaign against the Dong bandits. I wish to witness it myself. For me, traveling the world requires seeing the various figures that command it,” Chen Xi said with a smile.

Liu Bei was a bit confused by Chen Xi’s words. Looking at his two sworn brothers beside him and the two thousand soldiers behind, he thought it unlikely that one scholar could cause trouble. He nodded and said, “If that is so, Zichuan, bring your own provisions and follow me. My soldiers will not trouble the people.”

“Thank you, Lord Xuande,” Chen Xi said with a smile, bowing deeply. “I shall return shortly.” After another bow, Chen Xi stepped back and left.

“Third brother, in the future, don’t cause such a commotion over trivial matters,” Liu Bei said after Chen Xi’s departure, looking at Zhang Fei, who still stood on the edge of the pit.

“Big brother, why even let that kid follow us? The army’s on the move; it’s a miracle we didn’t arrest him. I say we just drive him off. We’re going to the Suanzao alliance meeting anyway; even if he comes along, he won’t be allowed in. Why bother letting him waste his efforts?” Zhang Fei muttered, scratching the back of his head.

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“Nonsense!” Liu Bei retorted. “Few in this world can read or write; why should we offend such people over trifles?”

“I can read and write too…” Zhang Fei mumbled softly after Liu Bei’s reprimand, though everyone heard his words clearly despite the low volume.

“Sigh, Yide, remember, we are currently dependent on others. Brother Bo Gui treats me well because of our shared schooling, but we must not cause him trouble over small matters. That young man was a scholar from the Chen family of Yingchuan, a renowned aristocratic house,” Liu Bei explained quietly to Zhang Fei, seeing that only his personal guards from the Yellow Turban suppression remained nearby.

“Sigh, big brother harbors great ambitions but is constrained by petty men,” Guan Yunchang said with a hint of frustration. In the five or six years since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, their patriotic fervor had been gradually extinguished by the Han dynasty, and even the impulsive Liu Bei had become more cautious—at least enough to restrain himself from striking the inspector.

“Enough, enough. There will be times this world needs us. Second brother, third brother, don’t lose heart,” Liu Bei said with a bittersweet smile, then seemed to regain his fighting spirit.

Meanwhile, when Chen Xi returned, Chen Lan was already worried, but she was startled when Chen Xi suddenly appeared beside her.

“Young master is back,” Steward Chen said, gripping his horsewhip tightly, then quickly hiding his hand behind his back when he saw it was Chen Xi.

“There’s no need to worry so much,” Chen Xi smiled. “We’ve encountered a good man.” He casually pinned a ‘Good Man’ badge behind Liu Bei. “Just follow the troops ahead; they are the forces attending the Suanzao alliance.”

“Is that really wise, young master?” Steward Chen, having seen more of the world, knew the destructive power of armies in this era. When soldiers pass, it’s like a comb through hair; when bandits pass, like a rake through fur. Simply put, armies were only slightly better than bandits back then...

“It’s all right. After all, he is a capable man. Let’s go. Don’t worry about it. Just follow along. If we’re lucky, we might witness the various armies meeting Dong Zhuo. I want to see this warrior from Xiliang. In his youth, he won respect through sheer presence,” Chen Xi said with a strange expression.

Speaking of which, whether it was the young Dong Zhuo, the young Yuan Shao who dared to challenge him, or Cao Mengde in middle age who pacified the Central Plains and defeated Yuan Shao, all possessed the aura of great rulers. Unfortunately, when fate placed the world’s reins in their hands, they seemed to lose their minds and chose the worst possible path.

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If history could have chosen otherwise, had Dong Zhuo retained his youthful ambition and vigor, defeating the eighteen warlords would not have been too difficult. Li Ru’s ruthlessness, the unparalleled might of the greatest general in the land, the fierce Xiliang cavalry, and the elite Bingzhou wolf riders—any unprepared warlord among the eighteen would be lucky to survive.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi felt a surge of excitement. The greatest general, Lü Bu, and the finest steed, the Red Hare—compared to Zhang Fei whom he had seen earlier, Chen Xi thought Lü Bu could well be considered a human missile. He was determined to watch the grand battle at Hulao Pass; it would be a fight unlike any other.

Chen Xi leisurely followed behind Liu Bei’s troops. Aside from the occasional erratic visit from Zhang Fei, he had no further contact with either Liu Bei or Lord Guan.

With this safe environment and relaxed pace, Chen Xi felt it was necessary to contemplate the future. After all, this was a chaotic era; if caught unprepared, not even scraps would remain. Many valued fame in this time, but history had taught Chen Xi one thing: unlike the great Confucian scholar Kong Rong, who was eliminated, one must choose a strong faction to align with. Fame cannot put food on the table; only strength can.

He would follow along. Glancing at the troops ahead, Chen Xi figured that aside from the three powerful families—Cao, Sun, and Liu—the others were not worth considering. These three had stood the test of time, while the rest fell far short.

As Cao Cao once remarked, “Yuan Shu of Huainan is but a corpse in a tomb; Yuan Shao of Jizhou is all bluster but timid inside, cunning without decisiveness, cautious in big matters yet reckless for small gain; Liu Biao of Jingzhou has a reputation unbefitting his reality; Sun Ce rides on his father’s name; Liu Zhang, though royal blood, is merely a territorial hound. The rest are mediocre and insignificant!”

With this one sentence, he dismissed all other warlords. Later, when Sun Quan rose to power, Cao Cao’s assessment became, “A son should be like Sun Zhongmou.” This phrase bore two meanings: a son should emulate Sun Quan, and, more deeply, that Sun Zhongmou was only a son-level figure—somewhat superior to Yuan Shao’s or Liu Biao’s sons but still far behind the predecessors like Cao Cao himself.