My game can make money starting from the Three Kingdoms period.

How could Zhuge Liang not hear this?

Lu Congshan and Lu Congtian praised Liu Bei extensively, making it difficult for Zhuge Liang not to know about him.

Liu Bei was slightly taken aback. He had come to Longzhong to visit Xu Shu because of his words.

Xu Shu praised Zhuge Liang highly, saying that this man's talent was such that he could only be visited, not summoned.

How can you give up immediately just because the other person isn't home?

Liu Bei now has spent half his life wandering, with no territory and no talent. How much is his face worth now?

Having finally managed to recruit Xu Shu, Cao Cao ended up kidnapping his mother and taking him hostage. How could the "Sleeping Dragon" (Zhuge Liang) he recommended before leaving be an incompetent talent?

If you want to recruit talented people, then lower your expectations!

Understanding Lu Congshan's implied meaning, Liu Bei cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, young friend. I will definitely come to visit again in the future."

"please."

Autumn 207

"You two, are you hiding something from me?"

It is autumn harvest time, and farmers have nothing to do. The famous scholar Pang Degong sent someone to invite Zhuge Liang to travel together.

Lu Congtian and Lu Congshan made excuses and delayed for several days.

The two brothers were naturally worried that if Zhuge Liang left, they might miss the opportunity if Liu Bei came to visit again.

To be on the safe side and to allow for a buffer period for the ancestral instruction to visit the thatched cottage three times, they made up an excuse to persuade him to stay.

"I was supposed to leave the day before yesterday to accept the invitation. So, what's the matter?"

Lu Congtian knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he told him.

The two brothers were prepared to be punished by Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang chuckled and said, "Since you all favor Liu Bei so much, then I will discuss the general situation of the world with you."

Two great joys for the brothers! This is a rare opportunity!

Lu Congtian brewed tea, while Lu Congshan played chess with his teacher.

Each player holds a piece.

"Now, Cao Cao has unified the north, Han Sui and Ma Teng reside in Xiliang, Zhang Lu occupies Hanzhong, Liu Zhang guards Yizhou, Liu Biao shrinks Jingzhou, Sun Quan dominates Yangzhou, and Shi Xie of Jiaozhou is not worth mentioning."

"The Liu Bei you admire, Liu Xuande, is now a guest general under Liu Jingsheng, stationed in Xinye, to resist Cao Mengde in the north."

"On the other hand, Cao Mengde holds the power of Sili, Yu, Yan, Xu, Qing, You, Bing, and Ji—eight provinces in his hands. Moreover, he is now the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, and the Emperor is under his control! Why isn't it Cao Mengde who achieves the status of a king and hegemon?"

Lu Congtian, not being as quick-witted as his younger brother Lu Congshan, looked at his brother.

Lu Congshan respectfully placed his piece, saying, "If you think highly of Cao Mengde, why don't you serve him?"

A rhetorical question startled Zhuge Liang slightly.

"I just want to live a carefree life."

"If that's the case, why are you so concerned about the state of the world, sir? And why do you seem to have such a thorough understanding of the situation?"

Zhuge Liang was slightly taken aback. He tapped his feather fan lightly and placed a piece on the board. "You lad, you're truly shrewd."

Zhuge Liang stated frankly, "Cao Mengde is nominally the Prime Minister, but in reality, he is a traitor to the Han! My Zhuge family has received imperial favor for generations, and we would never serve someone who holds the emperor hostage to command the other lords!"

"Then the only options left for you, sir, are Yizhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Xiliang."

Zhuge Liang looked at Lu Congshan seriously and realized that he had underestimated this young man who had followed him for five years.

Lu Congshan continued, "Sir, you live in seclusion in Longzhong, yet you refuse to serve in Jingzhou, which eliminates Liu Biao. Western Liang is constantly embroiled in internal strife and unlikely to gain significant power. The ruler of Yizhou is not a wise ruler. Are you perhaps following the leader of Hanzhong? Or perhaps Liu Zhongmou of Jiangdong?"

"If we go to Hanzhong, we can use the Five Pecks of Rice sect's tens of thousands of followers to first seize Yizhou, then enter the Qin Road, pacify Longyou, and eye Chang'an with hostility..."

Zhuge Liang said again:

"If we go to Jiangdong, the Jiangdong regime has been established for three generations. The country is strategically located and the people are loyal. We can advance through the Huai River into the Central Plains, or retreat to defend the natural barrier of the Yangtze River..."

Zhuge Liang concluded by saying, "Either of them is better than choosing Liu Bei, who is adrift and homeless." This statement seemed to be a plan for their future.

"What you say is absolutely right, sir. If Lord Xuande were to receive your assistance, how would you plan to proceed?"

"Of course, we should first conquer Jing and Yi, secure their natural defenses, make peace with the various Rong tribes in the west, pacify the Yi and Yue tribes in the south, form an alliance with Sun Quan in the east, resist Cao Cao in the north, and improve the internal administration..." Zhuge Liang belatedly stopped speaking.

Lu Congshan bowed deeply, "So it turns out that you had already considered things from Xuande Gong's perspective and devised a plan."

"You little rascal, hahaha." Zhuge Liang covered up his laughter.

Lu Congshan asked casually, but Zhuge Liang gave his answer without hesitation. He said that he had never considered this before and that it was just an impromptu remark. Who would believe that?

"It's all because of you, constantly chanting Liu Bei's name."

"Thank you for your guidance, sir! I have lost this game."

"Alright, I'm going to take a nap. You help me pack my bags, I'll be leaving tomorrow. Then you can go home and see your mother."

Zhuge Liang dismissed the two brothers.

After leaving the thatched hut, Lu Congtian pulled Lu Congshan aside. "What exactly do you mean, sir?"

Lu Congshan said, "Sir, you have long seen that we intend to serve Lord Xuande. Just now, he deliberately took the opportunity to tell us his plan, so that we could pass it on to Lord Xuande when we pledge our allegiance!"

Zhuge Liang was so intelligent that he was almost supernatural; how could Lu Congshan possibly trick him into revealing anything?

He was only giving the two brothers a stepping stone because of their years of service to him.

"Is the gentleman trying to get rid of us?"

"That's one way to understand it."

Lu Xiao, who had taken in everything, hissed as he breathed heavily.

Zhuge Liang directly handed over the Longzhong Plan to the Lu brothers, and history began to deviate from its original course.

He is now very curious whether the story of Zhuge Liang being visited three times to persuade him to come out of his thatched cottage will ever happen again.

at this time

A knock sounded on the wooden door.

"Young friend from the mountain, I'm sorry to bother you again. And who is this...?"

"Don't tell me that Wolong isn't here again!"

"Yide, shut up!"

Lu Congshan was overjoyed. He had delayed for two days and actually got Liu Bei to visit him a second time!

Ignoring Zhang Fei's recklessness, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This is my elder brother, Lu Congtian."

"Lu Congtian greets Lord Xuande."

"The gentleman is still taking a nap at his cottage."

Liu Bei was overjoyed. "That's wonderful!" He nodded politely to Lu Congtian.

Zhang Fei was somewhat satisfied and was about to swagger into the hut, shouting, "I'm dying of thirst! Go get some water!"

"Yide, stop howling, lest you disturb the master!"

"Hmph, he sleeps soundly in the cool air while we're left outside—how outrageous!"

"Yide!"

Zhang Fei wisely kept quiet.

Lu Congshan hurriedly said, "Brother, go fetch some water to receive them. I'll go to the hut to inform the teacher."

"Thank you for your trouble, young friend."

Lu Congshan entered the thatched hut and saw Zhuge Liang with bulging eyes, waving his feather fan much more frequently.

It seems that not many people like Zhang Fei's impatient nature.

"Sir, are you here?"

"not see."

Lu Congshan clasped his hands in a gesture of retreat, intending to dismiss the three men.

After all, our ancestors gave instructions, and it was a matter of visiting Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times, with one more time to come.

"Wait, I've taught you everything. Now that they're here, you brothers should go with them."

"gentlemen……"

Zhuge Liang turned away and ignored him.

They were kicked out like that?

Lu Xiao regretted it a little. His instructions were: visit the thatched cottage three times and come out of seclusion to help.

It doesn't specify whether it was the two brothers who came out of seclusion to help, or Zhuge Liang himself.

Now things are really messed up; Zhuge Liang is starting to drive people away.

If Shu Han had lacked Zhuge Liang, would Lu Xiao's plan for the Lu family to assist Liu Bei have been successful?

"Now, it all depends on these two brothers..."