Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3929 Time Flies Like a River, Fate Is Hard to Defy (Bonus Chapter)

The night was as dark as spilled ink, deep and viscous, almost swallowing up the entire Sishui Pass.

A biting north wind swept in, raging wildly within the pass, as if trying to tear Sishui Pass to pieces.

Because of the daytime unrest and rebellion, Sishui Pass is now under complete martial law, and there is not a soul to be seen in the roads and alleys. Only Cao Cao and his entourage braved the cold wind to continue their journey.

The narrow alleyway created a whistling effect, the sharp sounds like the wailing of ghosts, as if countless wronged souls were wandering back and forth.

The torches were of no use in the wind; instead, they were forced closer by the darkness.

The darkness was thick with the stench of blood, and carried the lingering panic and chaos of the day. Something seemed to lurk in the shadows, releasing an ominous, silent sneer.

Cao Cao dragged his feet and walked slowly.

Under the close protection of Dian Wei and dozens of personal guards, they crossed the street and arrived at the temporary residence of Emperor Liu Xie.

This place was originally the meticulously built mansion of a powerful local magnate within the Great Wall, one of the few relatively well-organized and spacious buildings in the region. Now, it has been temporarily used as the emperor's temporary residence, with additional imperial guards stationed around it, and simple ceremonial regalia representing imperial power hanging above the gate. However, against the backdrop of the surrounding atmosphere of impending war and desolation, it exudes a false sense of prosperity.

Cao Cao stood at the gate, gazing at the imperial procession representing the emperor and the lights in the courtyard. He then glanced expressionlessly at the wall that had been charred black during the day, before striding in with an air of superiority.

Even with careful planning, a temporary residence is still temporary.

The furnishings inside the hall were rather simple and shabby.

The only thing that could be considered somewhat royal was the bronze tree lamps on both sides of the hall, each with two or three tallow candles burning fiercely, trying their best to fight against the darkness.

Liu Xie sat upright on the throne facing north, his shadow torn to shreds by the tallow candles on either side.

Upon seeing Cao Cao, Liu Xie didn't even wait for Cao Cao to complete the usual courtesies before offering him a seat. Instead, driven almost instinctively, he asked directly, "Prime Minister... you must be tired from your journey... how is the General of the Cavalry's camp now?"

Liu Xie's voice trembled slightly due to his nervousness.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao did not stop bowing, but completed the entire set of rituals before slowly straightening up and looking at the emperor on the throne, who was called the Son of Heaven but was actually a puppet of the Han Dynasty.

The events of the entire day surged through Cao Cao's mind like a tidal wave.

Not everyone has the courage to face death head-on and venture into dangerous territory, especially someone who has aged, to bear that kind of psychological pressure...

Having witnessed firsthand the precise, ruthless, and suffocating war machine of the Flying Cavalry, conducting drills right before their eyes, tearing the simulated Sishui Pass to shreds...

Even though it's a simulation, the spiritual impact of such exercises is no less than that of real combat.

That's not all. Cao Cao also faced Fei Qian directly and heard Fei Qian's insightful and penetrating remarks. Fei Qian's revolutionary ideas about the Han Dynasty shocked Cao Cao and made him feel immense pressure.

Cao Cao could grit his teeth and endure dealing with Fei Qian alone, but what about truly confronting the overwhelming power Fei Qian had wielded over the entire realm...?

A sense of powerlessness arises spontaneously.

Under such circumstances, after Cao Cao returned, he still had to deal with the mess of demoralized troops and the flight of gentry within the pass...

A thousand thoughts and a thousand words weighed on Cao Cao's chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

Liu Xie's urgent inquiry only intensified Cao Cao's inner turmoil.

Cao Cao stood there silently, looking at Liu Xie, as if he were getting to know the emperor he had created with his own hands, and as if through him he saw the final silhouette of the Han Dynasty's four-hundred-year foundation crumbling.

Time passed in an unbearable silence, so long that Liu Xie was almost unable to suppress the growing anxiety burning in his chest and was about to ask again when Cao Cao slowly spoke, "Your Majesty... Your health is crucial to the fate of the nation. If... if at this time Your Majesty intends to leave this perilous place of Sishui and travel east to seek temporary refuge, I... though in a difficult situation, may be able to dispatch some trusted and loyal warriors to escort Your Majesty out of the pass quietly."

These words were like a bucket of mixed ice water, instantly extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in Liu Xie's heart.

That faint light vanished instantly, leaving only a bone-chilling cold.

Liu Xie was stunned at first, then an uncontrollable anger, mixed with long-suppressed humiliation and fear of the desperate situation before him, suddenly surged from the bottom of his heart and rushed straight to the top of his head!
leave?!
Now, at a time like this, you, Cao Mengde, are asking me if I should leave?!
"Cao Mengde—!"

Liu Xie abruptly rose from his wide throne, his body trembling slightly with extreme agitation and rage. His hand trembled as he pointed at Cao Cao below, his voice sharp and shrill, echoing jarringly in the empty hall: "Who was it in the Xuchang court who incited the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, who spoke of the emperor's personal presence at the front lines to show he shared the hardships with the soldiers and thus boost morale?! Who claimed the Sishui River, a natural barrier, held the strategic throat of the Central Plains, enough to defend Your Majesty and the state?! Who forcibly issued edicts, relocating officials, dragging me from the Xuchang palace to this besieged, precarious city?! Ah?!"

Liu Xie's hands trembled, his face trembled, his voice trembled, "Now...now the armies beyond the pass are gathering, pressing in with overwhelming force! Within the pass, the people are filled with panic, fleeing constantly, almost like a pile of eggs! At this critical juncture of life and death, you, Cao Mengde, are leisurely asking me if I want to leave?! What do you take me...what do you take me, the Emperor of Han, for?!"

Years of pent-up resentment erupted.

The fear and resentment that had been lurking in the shadow of the nine-layered palace were now, like a flood whose dam had been breached, finding an outlet and pouring out without restraint!

Liu Xie's cheeks were flushed red with extreme excitement, and veins even bulged on his forehead. His eyes were fixed on Cao Cao.

Liu Xie was interrogating Cao Cao, but it seemed he was also interrogating the entire world...

And that General Fei Qian...

Faced with the emperor's unprecedented angry questioning and accusations, Cao Cao's face remained completely calm.

There was neither the fear and apology that a subject should show when facing the king's wrath, nor any remorse or reflection. Even the most basic, perfunctory, etiquette-based explanation was lacking.

Cao Cao simply lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.

Like a stone statue being weathered by time in the wilderness, silently enduring the raging cold winds and wildfires, perhaps indifferent, or perhaps simply unable to move...

This almost indifferent silence made Liu Xie feel a profound sense of powerlessness, more so than any clever or persuasive explanation.

Liu Xie's burning rage surged towards Cao Cao, but because it had no further fuel, it was quickly consumed and weakened...

Liu Xie was panting heavily, his chest still heaving, but the sharp edge that had supported him to stand up and curse had somehow slipped away. He staggered back onto the wide throne with a dull thud.

The hall fell into an even more stagnant silence than before.

After what seemed like an eternity, or perhaps only a fleeting moment, Liu Xie spoke again, "Prime Minister... tell me... tell me the truth... with this Sishui Pass, with the soldiers within, can... we possibly hold off the cavalry army?"

Cao Cao slowly raised his eyelids, and his gaze finally met Liu Xie's on the throne once again.

Cao Cao's gaze showed no evasion or avoidance, nor did he utter any inspiring words. He simply replied slowly, "Your Majesty... I will lead the remaining soldiers to defend the pass to the death, to fight to the bitter end. We will do our utmost and leave the rest to fate."

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate..." Liu Xie murmured these words unconsciously, then suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.

This was already the answer, but Liu Xie remained unconvinced. He leaned forward slightly, stubbornly pressing on, "What I'm asking is... given the Prime Minister's abilities and the balance of power... can Sishui Pass... or is it... unable to... withstand the advance of the General of the Cavalry?"

This time, Cao Cao remained silent.

Cao Cao knew what Liu Xie wanted to hear, but he didn't say anything. He simply stood there, as if completely frozen, silent, and once again lowered his eyelids slightly, avoiding Liu Xie's gaze.

The last glimmer of struggle in Liu Xie's eyes was completely extinguished in the deathly silence.

Why...why did this happen?

Liu Xie's gaze was unfocused as he stared at the flickering candlelight, muttering to himself in a voice as soft as a dream. He seemed to be questioning the silent, iron-willed Cao Cao below, or perhaps the unknowable heavens, "My ancestor, Gaozu, rose up with his three-foot sword, slaying the white serpent, punishing the tyrannical Qin, destroying the powerful Chu, and establishing this glorious four-hundred-year reign… Why… why has it come to this… this… What… what did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?!"

Faced with the emperor's painful question from the throne, Cao Cao was filled with mixed emotions.

During Cao Cao's countless sleepless nights, he also devoted himself to seeking answers.

Is it simply bad luck, with powerful enemies all around?

Or is it internal strife and endless factional infighting?
Or is it a rigid system with deeply ingrained problems that are difficult to change? Or is it simply an attempt to attribute everything to nothingness, suggesting that Heaven has abandoned the Han dynasty and that its fate has run out?
He wanted to say that it was those greedy and self-serving powerful families that had hollowed out the imperial court...

He meant to say that it was the outdated system that had been in place for hundreds of years that had bound his hands and feet...

He wanted to say that it is the cycle of nature, the constant nature of fortune, and that the nation, like crops, will eventually wither and flourish...

He wanted to say that it was because Fei Qian was cunning and unpredictable, and possessed ingenious and lewd skills, that he was able to gain power for a time...

But when all those words were about to be spoken, not a single one could be uttered.

Fei Qian's remarks, which were beyond the current understanding of the Han Dynasty, continued to churn in Cao Cao's mind.

Those entirely new organizational methods and political ideologies...

Is it possible?
Although Cao Cao was very defiant in front of Fei Qian, he was actually upholding his past beliefs. Because if he acknowledged Fei Qian's claims, then everything Cao Cao had previously clung to, relied on, and fought for—whether it be political maneuvering, military power, or the old order—would seem so pale and powerless, like snow melting rapidly in the sunlight…

In the end, Cao Cao could only manage to utter one sentence with difficulty: "This is beyond human control... It is truly... the inevitable trend of the world, not the fault of Your Majesty alone, nor something we ministers can reverse."

"The inevitable trend? Ha...hahaha..." Liu Xie seemed to be pierced by these words. He sat up abruptly, almost roaring, as if trying to salvage his dignity, "I am the Son of Heaven! I am the Son of Heaven, ordained by Heaven, destined for eternal prosperity! I am the ruler of all people under Heaven, where all land belongs to the King, and all people within the realm are his subjects! I, I am the Mandate of Heaven! I, I am the true force of the trend!"

The roar sounded like a self-affirmation in despair, or a phantom declaration before death.

Empty and powerless.

It even has a touch of madness.

Cao Cao did not respond further.

He slowly and solemnly bowed towards the throne, clasped his hands together, and performed a complete and standard farewell ceremony for a subject.

"Your Majesty... take care. If Your Majesty changes your mind and wishes to leave this place, you may send someone to inform me at any time. I... take my leave."

After Cao Cao finished his salute, he straightened up and looked at Liu Xie, whose face was alternating between pale and flushed. "The Flying Cavalry... will attack the city in three days. At that time, the area inside and outside the gates will be a battlefield... and then, if you want to leave... it will be difficult."

After Cao Cao finished speaking, he turned and left.

A series of footsteps gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing completely into the howling wind without a trace.

Liu Xie sat slumped on the throne, dumbfounded, feeling cold and stiff all over.

"ah--!!"

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Xie suddenly let out a painful and desperate roar, jumping up like a wounded wild beast and kicking over the imperial desk in front of him!
"Clatter, click..."

'Gurgle...'

The white jade pen holder, the blue stone inkstone, and some other odds and ends on the table tumbled and rolled to the ground.

Ink spilled, bamboo slips scattered, a scene of utter chaos.

"I am the true Son of Heaven! The Son of Heaven ordained by Heaven! The one chosen by Heaven! The Lord of all people! You...you traitors! You've all forgotten! You've all betrayed me! Cao Cao! Traitor to the state! You old fool! And that Fei Qian! Usurper! Traitorous ministers! You all deserve to be torn to pieces! Your entire families should be exterminated! You should be killed—! You should be killed—!!"

Liu Xie roared and cursed at the top of his lungs, his voice completely hoarse and broken from the exertion.

His face was contorted, his eyes bloodshot, as if he wanted to unleash all the humiliation, fear, repression, and despair he had endured in his life with a frenzied curse.

He was like a madman, kicking and stomping on the scattered debris on the ground, sending bamboo slips flying, crushing writing brushes and inkstones, completely out of control, no longer befitting a ruler...

After venting his anger for an unknown period of time, Liu Xie's voice became completely hoarse, leaving only hoarse gasps.

He ran out of words to curse, unable to utter any more new words.

Even his hands and feet were exhausted and powerless, like an empty pocket, and he slumped back onto the throne.

After the extreme emotional outburst, what remains is not calm, but a strong sense of emptiness, as if the entire soul has been hollowed out.

"Wine...I want wine! Bring me wine! Quickly!"

Liu Xie, his voice hoarse, roared at the eunuch trembling in the dark corner of the hall.

He needed alcohol to numb himself, to sink his consciousness completely into a dark abyss of confusion, just like when he was in the dilapidated palace of Chang'an, barely surviving under the shadow of those wolf-like warlords like Li Jue and Guo Si, he would occasionally steal some cheap wine to gain a brief period of numbness and forgetfulness.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty..." The young eunuch scrambled over, his head pounding on the ground, his voice thick with sobs, "Kuri...Kuri ran out of wine...not a drop...it's all been...all gone..."

"Useless trash! Useless things! All of you are trash!" Liu Xie roared, as if he had found a target for his anger. "If you don't have it, go ask for it! Go find it! Go find Cao... go find Cao..."

He stopped abruptly, as if something had choked him.

The young eunuch scrambled out, stammering, "Yes...yes, I'll go right away, I'll go right away..."

"Wait...come back."

Liu Xie called out to the eunuch.

The eunuch froze, remaining in a half-crawling, half-kneeling position, terrified and frozen in place, not daring to even breathe.

Liu Xie did not speak again, nor did he look at the eunuch; he simply sat blankly on the throne.

Liu Xie recalled that rotten, foul-smelling cow bone from years ago...

He suddenly felt that all of this had become extremely ridiculous, even somewhat pathetic.

He thought he had escaped, that he had gotten rid of it, but now he realizes that he has actually been deeply trapped in it all along and has never left.

After the extreme anger and fear subsided, clarity gradually emerged from the chaotic foam, like a reef.

So what if you're drunk?

Even if you're completely drunk and unconscious right now, there will always be a moment when you wake up.

When you wake up, the giant wheel that is destined to come will still crash down, and the destruction you are destined to face will still be inescapable!
The world is vast, yet he has nowhere to escape!
"That's enough..." Liu Xie waved his arm weakly, lowered his head, and said, "You may leave... No more wine... No one... is allowed to come in and disturb us..."

The eunuch felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He hurriedly kowtowed twice more, then crawled out of the main hall on his hands and feet, carefully closing the hall door behind him.

A soft click was heard.

It's like putting a lid on a box.

Liu Xie sat alone quietly amidst the mess.

He didn't know what he was thinking; perhaps his mind was a blank, or perhaps countless fragmented images and sounds were flashing through his mind, but he couldn't organize them into a coherent train of thought...

Great Han, Great Han!

My great Han Dynasty...

Before anyone knew it, Liu Xie was already in tears.

Every year on this day, we pour wine and offer prayers in the streets. Today is Renri (Human Day), but instead of offering prayers in the streets, we offer prayers in books. Wishing all book lovers ten thousand volumes of books to benefit their children, and may your life be as enduring as a tree planted for ten years. Great fortune and prosperity!