Reborn Liu Bei: I'll lead this Three Kingdoms to victory!

February 28th, the seventh year of Jian'an, Yingchuan.

Five miles outside Yingyin County, there is a secluded manor. With its blue bricks and gray tiles, surrounded by bamboo fences, and a babbling brook flowing in front of the gate, it appears exceptionally peaceful on this early spring night.

When Sima Yi arrived at dusk, the manor gates were already tightly shut.

He didn't knock on the door, but instead retreated to an old locust tree a hundred paces away and waited quietly.

Wang Wu leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"Military Commander, are we just going to wait here like this?"

"Wait."

"What if Xun Chen refuses to see us?"

Sima Yi did not answer.

He simply gazed at the manor, his eyes reflecting the darkening sky.

An hour later, the side gate of the manor opened.

An old servant carrying a lantern came out, looked around, and then walked straight toward the old locust tree.

"May I ask if you are a guest from the north?"

Sima Yi stood up.

"Exactly."

The old servant glanced at him, his gaze lingering on his young face for a moment, before nodding.

"My master requests your presence. Only one person is requested."

Wang Wu's expression changed, and just as he was about to speak, Sima Yi stepped forward.

"Military Commander!"

Sima Yi turned around.

"One hour," he said. "If I don't come out in an hour, you can leave."

Wang Wu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

He simply watched as the eighteen-year-old boy, lifting the hem of his robe, followed the old servant and disappeared through the side gate of the manor.

---

Inside the manor, in the study.

Under the candlelight, a middle-aged man in his forties sat upright. He had a thin face and his eyebrows bore a resemblance to Xun Yu, but his eyes were colder and his lips were tighter.

Xun Chen.

He was once Yuan Shao's strategist. After the Battle of Guandu, he retired to the countryside and never concerned himself with worldly affairs again.

When Sima Yi entered, he did not get up, but merely glanced up at him.

"Are you the one who set up this trap in Hefei?"

Sima Yi stopped.

"Does the gentleman know me?"

Xun Chen gave a very faint smile.

"I need to find out who could make Cao Cao retreat in such a humiliating way." He pointed to the seat opposite him. "Sit."

Sima Yi sat down.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Xun Chen suddenly spoke:

"What are you doing here?"

"You can't guess, sir?"

Xun Chen stared at him, his eyes seeming to see right through him.

"Liu Bei sent you."

"Yes."

"You want me to betray Cao Cao?"

Sima Yi shook his head.

"It wasn't betrayal," he said. "It was a choice."

Xun Chen raised an eyebrow.

"choose?"

"Sir, you once served under Yuan Shao, so you should know what 'a good bird chooses a good tree' means," Sima Yi said calmly. "If Yuan Shao couldn't use you, could Cao Cao?"

Xun Chen did not answer.

"Cao Cao employed your elder brother, sir, because Xun Yu was talented and because the Xun family was renowned," Sima Yi continued. "But what about you, sir? You lived in seclusion in Yingyin for three years; did he ever send anyone to visit you even once?"

Xun Chen's expression changed slightly.

"Sir, you are a wise man; you should be able to see that Cao Cao is no longer the Cao Cao of yesteryear." Sima Yi's voice remained calm. "The Xuchang massacre—how many people did he kill? The tax increase in Ji Province—how many people did he incite to rebellion? The Battle of Hefei—how many did he lose?"

Xun Chen remained silent.

After a long silence, he spoke:

"All you've said is to try and get me to serve Liu Bei."

Sima Yi shook his head.

"Sir, you've misunderstood," he said. "I'm not here to ask you to come out of retirement."

Xun Chen was taken aback.

"Then what are you doing here?"

Sima Yi took out a scroll of silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands.

"This is a letter from my master to you."

Xun Chen took it and unfolded it.

The letter was very short, only a few lines:

"Dear Mr. Chen: You once said that you possess great talent, but unfortunately, you have not met the right time. Now, Cao Cao has lost his way, and the world is disaffected. I am unworthy, but I am willing to treat scholars with sincerity. If you are interested, you may come north at any time. If not, please take care. Although I am thousands of miles away, my heart yearns for you."

Xun Chen finished reading and fell silent.

He folded the letter and placed it on the table.

"What kind of person is your lord?"

Sima Yi thought for a moment.

"A mat weaver and sandal seller," he said. "A man who treated refugees as human beings. A man who made Xun You lock himself in his room for four years to write a book. A..." He paused, "...a man for whom I would be willing to travel a thousand miles to my death."

Xun Chen looked at him.

The eighteen-year-old boy had a light in his eyes when he talked about that person.

That was a light he had never seen in anyone's eyes when he was under Yuan Shao's command.

"What's your name?"

"Sima Yi".

"Sima..." Xun Chen pondered the surname, "The Sima clan of Hanoi?"

"Yes."

"Who is Sima Fang to you?"

"My father."

A strange light flashed in Xun Chen's eyes.

Sima Fang, an old friend of Cao Cao, now holds an important position in Xuchang. His son, however, has come to act as an envoy for Liu Bei?

Does your father know you're here?

"I don't know."

Xun Chen stared at him.

"Aren't you afraid of implicating your father?"

Sima Yi remained silent for a moment.

"I'm afraid," he said, "but I'm even more afraid of missing out."

Xun Chen remained silent.

He simply looked at the boy in front of him, a complex light in his eyes.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled.

That was a smile that hadn't appeared in a long time.

"Alright," he said. "Go back and tell your lord: Xun Chen can't leave for now, but..." He paused, "If there's anything in the Yingchuan area in the future, he can come to me."

Sima Yi rose and bowed deeply to the ground.

"Thank you, sir."

He turned to leave.

"Sima Zhongda," Xun Chen suddenly called out to him.

Sima Yi turned around.

Xun Chen looked at him, his gaze deep.

"You just said you were willing to travel a thousand miles to your death for Liu Bei. Why?"

Sima Yi remained silent for a moment.

"Because he deserves it," he said.

Then he pushed open the door and stepped into the night.

---

At 9:00 PM, in Xuchang.

In the Prime Minister's study, Cao Cao was staring blankly at a map.

On the table lay a newly delivered secret report, containing only one line:

"There is unusual activity in Yingyin. There was a guest at Xun Chen's residence last night."

He stared at that line of text for a long time.

"Have you found out? Who was it?"

Cheng Yu stood to the side, his expression solemn.

"Not yet. That person only stayed for an hour before leaving. Xun Chen personally saw him off, but he didn't stay overnight."

Cao Cao tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Xun Chen... Xun Yu's younger brother..." he murmured, "What is he planning to do?"

Cheng Yu said softly, "Prime Minister, should we summon Xun Chen and question him?"

Cao Cao shook his head.

"Asking him is pointless," he said. "If he's really up to something, he won't admit it. If he's not, asking him will only alert him."

Cheng Yu remained silent.

Cao Cao's gaze returned to the map.

It landed in Yingchuan.

There was the Xun family, countless scholars, and the foundation of his rule.

Now, things are quietly starting to loosen up there.

"Send someone to keep an eye on things," he finally said. "Keep a close watch. Report to me immediately if there's any sign of anything amiss."

"promise."

Cheng Yu stepped down.

Cao Cao sat alone in his study, gazing at the flickering candlelight.

He suddenly recalled the scene many years ago when Xun Yu first came to seek refuge with him.

He was only in his early thirties at the time, just beginning to establish himself. Xun Yu came with the hopes of the scholars of Yingchuan, saying to him, "If Your Excellency wishes to restore the Han Dynasty, you must recruit many talented individuals."

At that moment, he held Xun Yu's hand and said, "He is my Zhang Liang."

Now, this "Zifang" has been staying at home for three months.

Meanwhile, a guest of unknown origin arrived at his brother's residence.

"Wenruo..." he murmured, "What are you thinking?"

The candlelight flickered, but there was no answer.

---

At midnight, in the western part of Xuchang, at Xun Yu's residence.

Xun Yu sat alone under the eaves in the backyard.

A letter lay open in front of him—not one that arrived today, but one written by Xun You three years ago before he left Xudu.

"Greetings, elder brother. I am going to Liaodong and do not know when I will return. However, judging from Liu Bei's actions, he is quite similar to Emperor Guangwu. If one day you find it difficult to continue in Xuchang, you may come to Liaodong. I will prepare a bed and wait for you."

He folded the letter and put it in his sleeve.

"Father."

Xun Yun's voice came from behind.

Xun Yu did not turn around.

"What is it?"

"There are three more people outside the mansion," Xun Yun said in a low voice. "The Prime Minister's men are keeping a closer eye on things."

Xun Yu closed his eyes.

"understood."

Xun Yun did not leave.

"Father..." His voice trembled slightly, "Should we continue waiting?"

Xun Yu opened his eyes.

He gazed at the plum tree that had lost all its leaves, and at the still bright star in the north.

"Wait," he said.

"What are you waiting for?"

Xun Yu remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice very soft, as if he were saying to himself:

"Waiting for an answer."

---

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), at the Governor's Office of Xiapi.

I sat in my study, with the secret letter that Sima Yi had just sent lying in front of me.

"Xun Chen has agreed and can act as an inside agent. Yingchuan is a viable option."

I handed the letter to Pang Tong, who was standing next to me.

He glanced at it and grinned.

"Good lad!" He took a swig of wine. "Eighteen years old, single-handedly, he took down Xun Chen in one night. I didn't have that ability at thirty!"

I didn't laugh.

He just stared at the letter and remained silent for a long time.

"Shiyuan".

"Um?"

Do you think Xun Chen will genuinely help us?

Pang Tong put down his wine gourd and his playful expression vanished.

"Yes," he said, "but not now."

Why?

"Because he's still waiting." Pang Tong looked at the location of Xuchang on the map, "waiting for his elder brother to make a decision."

I remained silent.

Xun Yu.

The man who secluded himself in Xuchang, the man whom Cao Cao called "my Zhang Liang".

How many people's fates will be affected by his decision?

"Shiyuan".

"exist."

Do you think Xun Yu will come?

Pang Tong remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice very soft:

"Yes. But we'll have to wait until he gives up."

---

At dawn.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.

I stood on the city wall, gazing northward.

There is Xuchang, Xun Yu, and Cao Cao.

There are countless people waiting, struggling, and making choices there.

Sima Yi chose to come.

Xun Chen chose to wait.

Xun Yu chose... He's still waiting.

I don't know what he will eventually get.

But I know that whatever he gets, I'm ready.

Because behind me, there is Zhuge Liang implementing commercial tax laws in Qingzhou, Zhao Yun consolidating defenses in Hefei, Zhou Cang training the navy in Shouchun, Guan Yu sharpening his Mo Dao in Xiapi, and Zhang Fei brewing strong liquor in Xiangping.

Gongda is writing his book, Shiyuan is weaving his net, and Zhongda is breaking his scheme.

Each of them is working towards that shared future in their own way.