Meng De POV
“Does my lord have any further instructions?” She immediately turned around and saluted and bowed to me before waiting for my reply.
However, I did not actually know why I called out to Man Cheng. I had something I wanted to say to her but I felt that it was not too appropriate of me to do so after some thought but…
“Man Cheng, do you think that it’s despicable of me to use her aged mother to coerce Xu Shu into coming to Xuchang?”
“No, not at all.” Man Cheng denied me immediately, “My lord appreciates talented individuals and was just helping that person to join the right side. There is no reason for my lord to feel bad.”
“Un. Yes, I don’t.” I said as I hurriedly shook my head and feigned nonchalance.
…
I had no intention to continue the conversation and remained silent. Man Cheng waited for a while and did not say anything before bowing and leaving. As I looked at her back, I sighed.
— A despicable person.
Tch. No good, Xu Shu’s words continue to echo in my head. The old me would never have used such a method to force Xu Shu into coming to Xuchang. But now that Liu Bei is no longer around, is there really any meaning to letting Xu Shu remain in Xinye? What I did was right, right?
Liu Bei is dead.
I have chosen to not doubt this any longer. After going through everything has happened and personally hearing Xu Shu’s testimony, my faith has been reinforced.
Ah… I keeled over backwards and lay against the bamboo scrolls on the table, sending some falling to the ground.
Did I ask Xu Shu that question knowing what she would say? Was it just to make myself feel better?
Hahaha! The me of now is really despicable.
Yes, I am very despicable. But I am Cao Cao, not Liu Bei, so should I not be like that?
When I thought of this, I began to feel a little happy.
Yes, this is the way I should be.
Liu Bei POV
Haa~~
I lazily yawned as I woke up from the sunlight shining on my face. Looks like it’s the morning already. After sitting on the bed in a daze for a long while, I finally remembered that today was the day to go out again.
Even so, I still felt really tired and fell back into bed once again. Just as I was about to drift back to sleep once more, I realised the urgency of the matter and promptly sat back up.
Ah… Haa~~~
I yawned again before finally leaving the bed and headed over to the basin.
It hurts all over.
After just taking 2 steps, I could feel the muscles in my thighs, neck and waist scream out in pain. This is all thanks to Zi Long. Even though I had pleaded for yesterday’s training to be a little easier because we were going on a long trip today, she did not show mercy at all.
As I came to the basin, I washed my face before kneading my back and stretching my neck.
No matter what, we have to move out today as we cannot delay this at all. If there is any delay, things might go out of hand. We are going to see Zhuge Liang today after all and this is very important to me. Be that as it may, I am a lot more relaxed about things than before thanks to the failure in the last time.
As I made my way to my bags, I found that everything was inside and untouched since I came back, even the dried food. Just 1 look is enough to tell me that it’s enough. The only thing I need to grab is the feather fan.
I put on my clothes and carefully took the feather fan and kept it on my before carrying my bags.
Alright, this is the second time we are going to see Zhuge Liang.
*Giiyaa*
When I opened the door, I found that there was someone waiting in the courtyard.
“Un? Yi De?”
“Xuan De, you’re here.” Yi De said as she turned around and jogged over. I looked at the sky and saw that it was brighter than the last time we met when we went out so it’s still earlier than the agreed time.
“Did Yi De have to wait for long?”
“No, I just came here.” She said as she shook her head seriously. However, her reaction made it even more likely that she had been waiting for a long while.
“Un, let’s get going then.”
“Un.”
“Xuan De, are we going there again?”
“Un, we’ll be going there again.” I nodded, “We didn’t get to speak with her the last time after all and we have to this time.”
But will we really get to see her in the second visit? I feel like there is some idiom or saying to describe this event but I cannot quite remember what it is.
The second time is the charm? No, that’s not it.
But no matter what, I have to keep myself in check here and not get disheartened or frustrated. She is a great sage after all, and even if that were not the case, it’s not strange for someone to leave their house and do something. It was just a coincidence before but this time is different.
*Giiyaa*!
“Yaa~~~~”
“Uwaaa!”
All of a sudden, a weird yell came from the room beside and I got a shock as I instinctively dodged while Yi De stood in front of me.
Eh? In that instant, as I looked at Yi De from the side, the feeling I got from her was the same as that of the old Yi De.
“Un? Big brother is here?”
Just as I was trying to figure out what was going on, and even entertained the notion that there was an assassin, a tender voice came from up ahead.
“Mi Zhen?” Yi De spoke up before me and withdrew her stance.
“It’s elder sister Yi De and Xuan De big brother!” Mi Zhen cried as she flew out from the door and leapt at me. I was not entirely ready for this but managed to go up and catch her.
“Take it easy, will you…”
Mi Zhen was as lively as ever and just seeing her like this made me happy. I have never thought about what kind of children I would like to have before this but I think I prefer more boisterous kids.
“Mi Zhen, why are you in such a rush?”
Another voice came from inside the room and when I looked over, I saw that it was Gan Qing.
“Ah, Xuan De.”
“Good morning.” I nodded, “Are you going to have breakfast.”
“Yes, is Xuan De going as well?”
I smiled stiffly as I shook my head, “I won’t be going. I have business to attend to.”
“Big brother, big brother, I haven’t been able to see you lately.” Mi Zhen said as she looked up at me with an innocent yearning that made me feel terribly guilty.
“I’m sorry, Mi Zhen, but I’ve been really busy of late.” I said as I rubbed her head. I even said I would find some time for them but I have not been able to fulfill this promise at all.
“Where is Liu Feng by the way?”
“Ah, that’s right.” Gan Qing seemed to have just remembered Liu Feng was missing and looked into the room, “Liu Feng, why are you still there? Come along, we’re going to eat now.”
…
Soft footsteps could be heard coming from the room and soon, a small head poked out of the room.
“…”
The big eyes, neat fringe and small braid made it easy for me to recognise Liu Feng. As I looked at her, I remembered the relationship between us and lowered my head as I spoke to her, “Liu Feng, how are you lately? Have you been eating well?”
“… Un.” She nodded ever so slightly before retreating to Gan Qing’s back as she grabbed onto her clothes.
“Haha, she’s probably a little shy.” Gan Qing said as she chuckled but did not pull Liu Feng away. I feel relieved to see them getting along so well.
“Xuan De.”
Un?
I turned around when Yi De called out to me but she did not say anything and merely looked at me. I looked up at the sky and found that the time where we were supposed to meet was near. Looks like we cannot stay for much longer but to leave abruptly when this just happened is a little…
I looked at them in turn and after a moment, I squatted down, “Liu Feng, Mi Zhen, I have some important things to do so I will have to leave now.”
“Eh~” Mi Zhen seemed rather unhappy. I looked at Gan Qing and she nodded understandingly. Be that as it may, I feel like I need to fulfill my duties, “But Liu Feng, Mi Zhen, once I’m back later and have had dinner, I’ll come and play with you both, okay?”
Mi Zhen’s face brightened up immediately, “That’s a promise then.”
“Ah yes, it’s a promise.” I nodded and got up as I made to leave, not forgetting to exchange glances and a nod with Gan Qing. I then looked down at Liu Feng who still seemed rather timid and smiled as I waved.
“Let’s go then.”
“Un.”
“Bye, daddy.”
“Eh?”
A soft voice came from behind and when I turned around, I saw that Liu Feng was now completely hidden behind Gan Qing, who was smiling awkwardly at me.
“Ah! That’s so cunning! I want to call Xuan De daddy too!”
(TL: Well, you can… Eventually…)
“Mi Zhen, stop messing around!”
“Mi Zhen, don’t talk nonsense.”
Gan Qing and I reacted almost immediately. Looks like Liu Feng has indeed ignited some desire to monopolise me or some competitive spirit in her but I have never thought of adopting Mi Zhen. Of course, I know that she is just joking.
As I looked at Mi Zhen’s pouting face, I found it difficult to laugh at this situation. All I could do was to ignore it for now and hope that it passes.
Meng De POV
“Does my lord have any further instructions?” She immediately turned around and saluted and bowed to me before waiting for my reply.
However, I did not actually know why I called out to Man Cheng. I had something I wanted to say to her but I felt that it was not too appropriate of me to do so after some thought but…
“Man Cheng, do you think that it’s despicable of me to use her aged mother to coerce Xu Shu into coming to Xuchang?”
“No, not at all.” Man Cheng denied me immediately, “My lord appreciates talented individuals and was just helping that person to join the right side. There is no reason for my lord to feel bad.”
“Un. Yes, I don’t.” I said as I hurriedly shook my head and feigned nonchalance.
…
I had no intention to continue the conversation and remained silent. Man Cheng waited for a while and did not say anything before bowing and leaving. As I looked at her back, I sighed.
— A despicable person.
Tch. No good, Xu Shu’s words continue to echo in my head. The old me would never have used such a method to force Xu Shu into coming to Xuchang. But now that Liu Bei is no longer around, is there really any meaning to letting Xu Shu remain in Xinye? What I did was right, right?
Liu Bei is dead.
I have chosen to not doubt this any longer. After going through everything has happened and personally hearing Xu Shu’s testimony, my faith has been reinforced.
Ah… I keeled over backwards and lay against the bamboo scrolls on the table, sending some falling to the ground.
Did I ask Xu Shu that question knowing what she would say? Was it just to make myself feel better?
Hahaha! The me of now is really despicable.
Yes, I am very despicable. But I am Cao Cao, not Liu Bei, so should I not be like that?
When I thought of this, I began to feel a little happy.
Yes, this is the way I should be.
Liu Bei POV
Haa~~
I lazily yawned as I woke up from the sunlight shining on my face. Looks like it’s the morning already. After sitting on the bed in a daze for a long while, I finally remembered that today was the day to go out again.
Even so, I still felt really tired and fell back into bed once again. Just as I was about to drift back to sleep once more, I realised the urgency of the matter and promptly sat back up.
Ah… Haa~~~
I yawned again before finally leaving the bed and headed over to the basin.
It hurts all over.
After just taking 2 steps, I could feel the muscles in my thighs, neck and waist scream out in pain. This is all thanks to Zi Long. Even though I had pleaded for yesterday’s training to be a little easier because we were going on a long trip today, she did not show mercy at all.
As I came to the basin, I washed my face before kneading my back and stretching my neck.
No matter what, we have to move out today as we cannot delay this at all. If there is any delay, things might go out of hand. We are going to see Zhuge Liang today after all and this is very important to me. Be that as it may, I am a lot more relaxed about things than before thanks to the failure in the last time.
As I made my way to my bags, I found that everything was inside and untouched since I came back, even the dried food. Just 1 look is enough to tell me that it’s enough. The only thing I need to grab is the feather fan.
I put on my clothes and carefully took the feather fan and kept it on my before carrying my bags.
Alright, this is the second time we are going to see Zhuge Liang.
*Giiyaa*
When I opened the door, I found that there was someone waiting in the courtyard.
“Un? Yi De?”
“Xuan De, you’re here.” Yi De said as she turned around and jogged over. I looked at the sky and saw that it was brighter than the last time we met when we went out so it’s still earlier than the agreed time.
“Did Yi De have to wait for long?”
“No, I just came here.” She said as she shook her head seriously. However, her reaction made it even more likely that she had been waiting for a long while.
“Un, let’s get going then.”
“Un.”
“Xuan De, are we going there again?”
“Un, we’ll be going there again.” I nodded, “We didn’t get to speak with her the last time after all and we have to this time.”
But will we really get to see her in the second visit? I feel like there is some idiom or saying to describe this event but I cannot quite remember what it is.
The second time is the charm? No, that’s not it.
But no matter what, I have to keep myself in check here and not get disheartened or frustrated. She is a great sage after all, and even if that were not the case, it’s not strange for someone to leave their house and do something. It was just a coincidence before but this time is different.
*Giiyaa*!
“Yaa~~~~”
“Uwaaa!”
All of a sudden, a weird yell came from the room beside and I got a shock as I instinctively dodged while Yi De stood in front of me.
Eh? In that instant, as I looked at Yi De from the side, the feeling I got from her was the same as that of the old Yi De.
“Un? Big brother is here?”
Just as I was trying to figure out what was going on, and even entertained the notion that there was an assassin, a tender voice came from up ahead.
“Mi Zhen?” Yi De spoke up before me and withdrew her stance.
“It’s elder sister Yi De and Xuan De big brother!” Mi Zhen cried as she flew out from the door and leapt at me. I was not entirely ready for this but managed to go up and catch her.
“Take it easy, will you…”
Mi Zhen was as lively as ever and just seeing her like this made me happy. I have never thought about what kind of children I would like to have before this but I think I prefer more boisterous kids.
“Mi Zhen, why are you in such a rush?”
Another voice came from inside the room and when I looked over, I saw that it was Gan Qing.
“Ah, Xuan De.”
“Good morning.” I nodded, “Are you going to have breakfast.”
“Yes, is Xuan De going as well?”
I smiled stiffly as I shook my head, “I won’t be going. I have business to attend to.”
“Big brother, big brother, I haven’t been able to see you lately.” Mi Zhen said as she looked up at me with an innocent yearning that made me feel terribly guilty.
“I’m sorry, Mi Zhen, but I’ve been really busy of late.” I said as I rubbed her head. I even said I would find some time for them but I have not been able to fulfill this promise at all.
“Where is Liu Feng by the way?”
“Ah, that’s right.” Gan Qing seemed to have just remembered Liu Feng was missing and looked into the room, “Liu Feng, why are you still there? Come along, we’re going to eat now.”
…
Soft footsteps could be heard coming from the room and soon, a small head poked out of the room.
“…”
The big eyes, neat fringe and small braid made it easy for me to recognise Liu Feng. As I looked at her, I remembered the relationship between us and lowered my head as I spoke to her, “Liu Feng, how are you lately? Have you been eating well?”
“… Un.” She nodded ever so slightly before retreating to Gan Qing’s back as she grabbed onto her clothes.
“Haha, she’s probably a little shy.” Gan Qing said as she chuckled but did not pull Liu Feng away. I feel relieved to see them getting along so well.
“Xuan De.”
Un?
I turned around when Yi De called out to me but she did not say anything and merely looked at me. I looked up at the sky and found that the time where we were supposed to meet was near. Looks like we cannot stay for much longer but to leave abruptly when this just happened is a little…
I looked at them in turn and after a moment, I squatted down, “Liu Feng, Mi Zhen, I have some important things to do so I will have to leave now.”
“Eh~” Mi Zhen seemed rather unhappy. I looked at Gan Qing and she nodded understandingly. Be that as it may, I feel like I need to fulfill my duties, “But Liu Feng, Mi Zhen, once I’m back later and have had dinner, I’ll come and play with you both, okay?”
Mi Zhen’s face brightened up immediately, “That’s a promise then.”
“Ah yes, it’s a promise.” I nodded and got up as I made to leave, not forgetting to exchange glances and a nod with Gan Qing. I then looked down at Liu Feng who still seemed rather timid and smiled as I waved.
“Let’s go then.”
“Un.”
“Bye, daddy.”
“Eh?”
A soft voice came from behind and when I turned around, I saw that Liu Feng was now completely hidden behind Gan Qing, who was smiling awkwardly at me.
“Ah! That’s so cunning! I want to call Xuan De daddy too!”
(TL: Well, you can… Eventually…)
“Mi Zhen, stop messing around!”
“Mi Zhen, don’t talk nonsense.”
Gan Qing and I reacted almost immediately. Looks like Liu Feng has indeed ignited some desire to monopolise me or some competitive spirit in her but I have never thought of adopting Mi Zhen. Of course, I know that she is just joking.
As I looked at Mi Zhen’s pouting face, I found it difficult to laugh at this situation. All I could do was to ignore it for now and hope that it passes.
