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

On the ninth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of Jian'an, in Xuchang.

Just as dawn was breaking, the inner city gates opened. Not because they were breached, but because they were opened from the inside.

Xiahou Dun stood at the city gate, behind him eight thousand soldiers who had laid down their weapons. They all bowed their heads, no one spoke, only the sound of the wind rustling the banners. Zhao Yun reined in his horse outside the city and watched this scene.

"General Xiahou," he said.

Xiahou Dun raised his head. His eyes were red and swollen, he hadn't slept all night, and his face was covered with obvious tear stains.

"General Zhao," he said, "the Prime Minister has ordered the soldiers to disperse. We... will stop fighting."

Zhao Yun was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where is Cao Cao?"

Xiahou Dun's throat bobbed: "The Prime Minister... is inside. He wants to see Liu Bei."

---

At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), in the Prime Minister's residence within the inner city.

Liu Bei stood at the door of the study, looking at the person inside. Cao Cao leaned against the couch, his face as white as paper, with traces of blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth. When he saw Liu Bei enter, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You're here?"

Liu Bei walked in and sat down opposite him: "You've arrived."

The two men looked at each other. The last time they sat and talked like this was ten years ago. Back then, they met in Xuzhou, drank together, and cursed the corrupt feudal lords who did nothing right. Ten years later, one was lying down, the other sitting. One had lost, the other had won.

"The battle on Xiahou Yuan's side is still undecided, but it will be soon." Cao Cao suddenly spoke up, "but it will be soon."

Liu Bei remained silent.

Cao Cao continued, "That old bastard Ma Teng is quite a fighter. Xiahou Yuan won't be able to take him down anytime soon."

Liu Bei looked at him and said, "You're about to die, and you're still thinking about these things?"

Cao Cao smiled. That smile was exactly the same as when he was young: "Before I die, I have to say something." He looked at Liu Bei, "You won. I lost. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Liu Bei was silent for a moment: "Have you read Xun Yu's last letter?"

Cao Cao paused for a moment, then shook his head: "No. That old bastard Afu ran away with the letter. I couldn't find it." He took something from beside his pillow and handed it to Liu Bei. It was a jade pendant.

"This, please return it to Xun Yu's people for me," he said. "It was given to me by him back then, and now... it's time to return it."

Liu Bei took the jade pendant and glanced at it. It was engraved with a single character: "Xun". He put the pendant into his robes.

"Anything else?"

Cao Cao thought for a moment: "My sons... Pi'er has some ambition, but no ability. Zhi'er loves writing poetry, but can't be emperor. Zhang'er is a military general, good at fighting, but that's all he can do." He looked at Liu Bei, "You decide what to do. Just spare his life."

Liu Bei remained silent. Cao Cao waited a while, and seeing that he didn't answer, he laughed again: "What? Do you think I talk too much nonsense?"

Liu Bei shook his head: "No. I was thinking, if we had drunk a few more jars of wine at that party ten years ago, would things have been different?"

Cao Cao paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Halfway through his laughter, he coughed up blood. Liu Bei reached out to support him. Cao Cao waved his hand: "It's nothing. This is the last time." He leaned back on the couch and slowly closed his eyes.

"Liu Xuande".

"Um?"

"You defeated me, and I'm not convinced. But if you give me the world, I'll accept it."

Liu Bei remained silent. Cao Cao did not open his eyes again.

---

Noon, in the main hall of the imperial palace.

Liu Xie sat on his throne, holding the newly delivered report in his hand.

"Cao Cao died in the Prime Minister's residence within the inner city. Xiahou Dun led his troops to surrender. Xuchang was completely pacified."

He stared at those words for a long time. Twenty years. The person who kept him up at night was finally dead. But he didn't feel particularly happy. He just felt empty. Utterly empty.

"Your Majesty," Zhao Yun's voice came from outside the palace.

Liu Xie raised his head: "General Zhao, come in."

Zhao Yun entered and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, Lord Liu has sent me to report on Cao Cao's funeral arrangements..."

Liu Xie interrupted him: "What did he say?"

Zhao Yun raised his head: "My lord said that he should be buried with the rites due to a duke or marquis."

Liu Xie was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Granted."

---

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), in a residential house in the west of the city.

Zhao Yan sat inside, two jade pendants in front of him. Footsteps sounded outside the door. Zhou Yuan pushed the door open and entered.

"Mr. Zhao, Magistrate Liu has arrived."

Zhao Yan paused slightly. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked to the door.

Liu Bei stood outside the door, dressed in ordinary cloth, looking no different from the common people on the street.

"Zhao Yan?" he asked.

Zhao Yan knelt down: "This humble subject, Zhao Yan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Liu Bei bent down and helped him up: "Get up. Xun Qu's men don't need to kneel."

Zhao Yan's eyes reddened. He took out the two jade pendants from his pocket, held them in both hands, and handed them to Liu Bei.

"This was left behind by Master Xun Qu." His voice was a little hoarse. "He asked me to give it to the magistrate."

Liu Bei took the jade pendant and looked at the character "Xun" on it: "What did he say when he left?"

Zhao Yan was silent for a moment: "He said... the Xun family did not disgrace the magistrate."

Liu Bei held the jade pendant in his hand, remaining silent for a long time. After a while, he put the jade pendant into his robes.

"What are your plans next?"

Zhao Yan looked at him: "This humble subject will obey Your Majesty's arrangements."

Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "You continue to lead Xun Qu's group. Xuchang has just been pacified, and someone needs to keep an eye on it."

Zhao Yan knelt down: "This humble subject obeys."

Liu Bei helped him up again: "Don't kneel anymore. You don't need to kneel anymore."

---

At 5 PM, in the Prime Minister's residence within the inner city.

Xiahou Dun knelt before Cao Cao's body, motionless. He had been kneeling for an hour. Cao Ren stood behind him, his eyes also red. Cheng Yu stood at the door, saying nothing.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Zheng, the steward, entered, his expression complex: "General Xiahou, Liu Bei has sent someone."

Xiahou Dun didn't turn around: "Who?"

"A man named Zhao Yan," said Zheng, the steward. "He said he was sent by the magistrate to retrieve something."

Xiahou Dun finally raised his head: "What is it?"

Zheng hesitated for a moment: "He said... Xun Yu's letter."

Xiahou Dun was stunned. He looked at Cao Ren, who shook his head. He looked at Cheng Yu, who also shook his head. No one knew about the letter.

"Let him in."

A moment later, Zhao Yan entered. He first bowed to Cao Cao's body, then walked to Xiahou Dun.

"General Xiahou," he said, pulling a piece of paper from his robes, "this is a letter that Master Xun Yu wrote to the Prime Minister before his death. Afu has never handed it over. Now, Afu has given the letter to the magistrate, who asked me to deliver it."

Xiahou Dun took the letter and looked at the familiar handwriting.

"A letter from the Prime Minister: After twenty years of serving as your subject, we are now at peace. After my death, I hope you will take good care of yourself."

His hands trembled slightly. Zhao Yan stood there, saying nothing.

After a long while, Xiahou Dun folded the letter and put it back in his hand: "This letter is not something I should accept. It should be burned for the Prime Minister."

Zhao Yan nodded. He walked to the altar and placed the letter on the candle flame. The flame flickered and engulfed the paper. Ashes rose and settled before Cao Cao's memorial tablet.

---

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), on the official road outside Xiapi City.

A procession was slowly making its way north. Liu Bei rode at the head of the procession, with Pang Tong beside him, a wine gourd in hand, sipping his wine one sip at a time.

"My lord," Pang Tong said.

Liu Bei didn't turn around: "Hmm?"

"Cao Cao is dead, Xuchang is pacified, what's next?"

Liu Bei was silent for a moment. "What's next? There's still a lot to do." He looked north. There was the war in Xiliang, the observation from Jiangdong, the undercurrents in Jingzhou, and the people in Yizhou.

"We'll take it one step at a time," he said, "but the direction won't change."

Pang Tong took a swig of wine: "Which direction?"

Liu Bei turned his head and looked at him, "The world."