Liu Xuande would never be a succubus of the Eastern Han Dynasty!

So, it's a game of cat and mouse.

The cat will deliberately not catch the mouse, but once the mouse crosses the line, it will be caught immediately.

I know you know, but I won't tell you.

I also know that you know what I know, but I won’t say it either.

-

Time passed slowly, and a few days later, Liu Bei received instructions from the court, and he beheaded all the leaders of the Xianbei tribes who had followed Tan Shihuai to attack at the city gate that day.

The city gate of Dingxiang County stands majestically and is one of the most conspicuous symbols of the entire city.

The city gate is made of thick bluestone and is about three meters high. The gate tower is covered with gray-black tiles, which have weathered the weather.

A few tufts of tenacious weeds grew between the tiles. On both sides of the gatehouse, there was an arrow tower. The tower bodies were mottled, and the figures of patrolling archers could be vaguely seen on the arrow emplacements.

A huge plaque hangs right above the city gate, with the words "Dingxiang" inscribed on it. The characters are vigorous and powerful, and painted with vermilion lacquer. Although it is slightly peeling, it still exudes majesty.

Below the gate was a wide cobblestone road with ruts crisscrossing the road. On both sides were several vendors' shelves, but at the moment, there was no one there, making it look deserted and solemn.

Beside the city gate, there are several old locust trees with sparse branches and leaves. When the cold wind blows, the shadows of the trees sway, and their shadows are reflected on the ground, shaking like ghosts.

On this day, the city gate was extremely lively.

The tribal heads (10,000 cavalry) who had followed Tan Shihuai before were escorted to the top of the city wall by the Han army. The clinking sound of iron chains colliding was endless. These tribal heads were once heroes on the grassland, but now they have become prisoners.

They were in tattered clothes and covered in blood. Some of them hung their heads with despair on their faces; some stared with bloodshot eyes and cursed, but were kicked down by the soldiers.

When the news spread, people from all over the city rushed to the city gate. The city gate was crowded with people, and the people were crammed so tightly that no one could get through. They all stretched their necks to watch this rare execution scene.

The vendors left their stalls, women held their children, and the elderly leaned on crutches, all came over to watch the show, and the discussion surged like a tide.

"I heard that these Xianbei dogs killed many of us, and today they finally have to pay with their lives!"

"Hmph, you deserve it! They burned, killed, and looted, and now they've been taken down by the Marquis. It's truly a relief!"

"Look, isn't that Tan Shihuai's uncle? Tsk tsk, look how embarrassed he is!"

"Ready, kill!"

With a command, the executioner raised his long sword high, a cold light flashed, and blood gushed out.

The heads of the family heads were chopped off one by one and rolled in the dust under the city wall, causing the people to exclaim and cheer.

"suspension!"

Then, the soldiers hung the heads on the city gate with ropes. Blood dripped down the ropes, leaving dark red marks on the bluestone.

The headless bodies were thrown carelessly down the city wall, piled up in a pile, emitting a strong smell of blood.

The wind was whistling at the city gate, and the heads were swaying slightly in the wind, and their empty eye sockets seemed to still be staring at the grassland in the distance.

This scene was both a deterrent to the Xianbei and a display of the Han Dynasty's majesty. The common people all applauded and the cheers shook the sky.

At the same time, the atmosphere in the meeting hall of the county town was somewhat solemn.

Liu Bei sat at the head of the long table, his handsome face showing a hint of fatigue as he lowered his head to read a military newspaper.

At this time, the chief secretary Gao Shun walked quickly into the hall. She was dressed in black, and there was a hint of uneasiness on her beautiful face.

"Greetings, my lord."

Gao Shun bowed, his voice steady but tinged with urgency, "Sir, I have something to report—something seems amiss with General Guan's behavior today."

Liu Bei immediately put down the military report, raised his head, and frowned slightly: "Second sister? What did she do?"

Gao Shun replied in a deep voice, "General Guan just arranged for the troops to conduct independent drills, then left the barracks alone and is now missing. I sent people to look for her, but there is no news."

"Leaving alone?" Liu Bei put down the military newspaper, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, "Second sister has always been steady, why would she leave for no reason?" He stood up and pondered for a moment.

"Hezhi, you continue to focus on the military affairs in the city. I will go find her myself."

Gao Shun nodded: "Yes."

As long as Liu Bei didn't leave without saying a word again, she had basically no objection and would just agree with all his instructions.

Gao Shun turned and left in a hurry, leaving Liu Bei alone in the conference room.

He looked out the window. The sun was scorching, and a sense of unease rose in his heart.

-

At the city gate, the noise of the execution had not yet dissipated, but a unique figure appeared in the crowd.

Her hair was no longer the familiar black, but turned silver-white, falling on her shoulders as softly as moonlight.

The original white clothes have been replaced by a black and red Han Dynasty robe with intricate cloud patterns embroidered on the corners. It moves gently in the wind, revealing a temperament that is both solemn and elegant.

Her pupils were no longer deep black, but turned red, as hot as flames, yet with a hint of indifference.

That cold and arrogant face now became calm and composed, as if it had transcended the troubles of the world.

She is Guan Yu - or rather, at this moment, she is no longer Guan Yu.

She walked slowly into the crowd alone, and then scanned the surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze.

I could hear the people praising Liu Bei: "The Marquis is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness!"

"If it weren't for you, my Lord, we would have been killed by the Xianbei!"

She stopped and looked at the Li people whose faces were filled with happy smiles——

There were old men laughing while leaning on a cane, women singing softly while holding their children, and young men waving their hands excitedly.

Then she looked up at the corpses of the Xianbei leaders hanging on the city wall. The wind blew, and the heads swayed slightly, and the blood had long since dried.

She remained silent, a complex light flashing in her red eyes, showing both emotion and inquiry.

"Last year, this place was plagued by war and chaos, discord between officials and the people, and frequent external threats. However, within a few months of Xuande taking office, all these factors have disappeared... Haha, he is indeed worthy of being my disciple."

"Boom boom boom——"

At this moment, a burst of hurried horse hooves sounded from afar, and Liu Bei arrived on horseback.

He dismounted and his eyes fell on "Guan Yu". He was stunned for a moment, then spoke tentatively: "Second sister, you... um? No, you are the master?"

"Yes, Master."

Master Lu turned around, his voice clear but with a hint of familiar tenderness.

"...Xuan De, how are you?"

A flash of shock flashed across Liu Bei's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said, "Master, how could you..."

He was thinking about his second sister, who was so big, how come she became a larger version of Master Lu?

Master Lu smiled slightly, a softness in his red eyes: "I am using the power of Heaven to temporarily borrow Yun Chang's body. Don't worry, I have obtained her consent."

"Then why did you come here this time?"

"…There are two reasons. The first is to answer your question, and the second is to investigate your actions in the north."

She once asked Liu Bei to travel around the world to study, and Bingzhou was one of the destinations. She came here this time to fulfill the duty of a master - to inspect and help her apprentice's achievements.

Master Lu paused, glanced at the people under the city gate, then looked at the hanging Xianbei corpse, and there was a hint of relief in his tone.

"I heard the people's praises, saw their smiling faces, and watched you intimidate the enemy with your ruthless tactics...Xuan De, you have done well. Your teacher is very pleased."

Hearing this, Liu Bei's handsome face revealed a wry smile. "Master, you are too kind. I am simply doing my best to pacify this troubled world. Furthermore, while this place may be a victory, there are still hidden dangers. The affairs of the aristocratic families and Liang Province are all shrouded in mystery."

Master Lu nodded, his silver hair fluttering in the wind. "I know you're worried, but you don't have to feel miserable because I'm here."

This sentence carries great weight. This kind of confidence that can cover everything is a feeling that no one can give you.

"Also, although the power of Heaven is strong, it is not omnipotent. I came here on Yunchang to tell you—"

"The mystery of the black mud is hidden in the hands of the Qiang people; the conspiracy of the aristocratic families is rooted in Luoyang. Then, you can go ahead and do whatever you want. I will ensure your safety."

Liu Bei bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will definitely keep it in mind."

"That's fine, but there's one more thing. Did you preserve Tan Shihuai's body?"

"He's still there. I made an agreement with him before, and I'm planning to find a few people to transport him back to Xianbei..."

"Then you need to wait a moment."

Master Lu said bluntly: "The final purpose of my trip is to retrieve Tan Shihuai's Heavenly Dao fragment."

“…Disciple understands.”

"Yeah."

Master Lu smiled, then turned and gazed into the distance, his crimson eyes reflecting the stars of the night sky. "Xuan De, you still have a long way to go. But I believe that you will eventually achieve your aspirations."

"But before that, you can rely on me a little more. It's okay."

At the foot of the city gate, the cheers of the people were still echoing, and the hanging corpses swayed slightly in the night wind.

"The disciple understands."

Bingzhou: Chapter 34: Fragments

The county seat of Dingxiang County.

Chamber.

After welcoming Master Lu back to the reception room, Liu Bei called Zhang Fei, Lu Bu, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun.

Only Jia Xu did not come. She was currently busy with internal affairs, dealing with all the major and minor events inside and outside the county town, and had no time at all to spare.

If it were anyone else at Riot, no matter how talented they were, faced with working all year round, endless work, low pay, etc., they would have probably been discouraged long ago.

But Jia Xu didn't care about these things. She was happy enough just to be able to share the burden with Liu Bei.

No amount of salary can compare to this feeling.

When Lu Bu and his three companions entered the conference room, the first thing they saw was Liu Bei, who had a gentle expression and a proper sitting posture.

They couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Liu Bei is not a very serious person in his daily life, but at least he is relatively easy-going and calm. It is rare to see him looking so serious.

And the host seems to be... Guan Yu? Oh, no, who is this?

Lu Bu was the first to feel something was wrong. If the threat posed to her by Guan Yu in the past was a light red level, then the one in front of her was a deep skull red.

I feel like if I dare to disobey her, I will be crushed into slag in the next second...

What a terrible woman.

Lu Bu couldn't help but look serious. He sat upright and didn't dare to make any sound.

Zhang Fei on the other side rubbed his eyes, looking at the familiar face, and asked in confusion: "Second sister, why are you dressed so much like Lu... Hmm? You are Mr. Lu Zigan!"

Her intuition enabled her to quickly identify the true identity of the person in front of her.

Lu Zigan.

Could it be that the person with the surname Lu who was personally recruited by Liu Bei be the famous scholar known throughout the world?

Although Lu Bu and others had heard of Lu Zigan's name before, they did not know him very well. It was only after they joined Liu Bei's army that they learned more about his social relationships.

For example, Lu Zhi and Lu Zigan of Zhuo County were his teachers.

Throughout history, the master-disciple relationship in dynasties was often more cherished than the father-son relationship.

After realizing this, Lu Bu and the others hurriedly stood up and saluted, saying, "We pay our respects to Mr. Lu Zigan..."

"No need to be polite."

Master Lu waved his hand in a rather casual manner, "I have come here on borrowing Yun Chang's body just to inspect Xuande's work."

"I originally planned to find the clerks and officials to inquire about the process and verify it carefully, but when I saw you guys, I was completely relieved."

As she spoke, she looked at Lu Bu carefully with her red eyes and revealed a mysterious smile.

"This must be Lü Fengxian, right? I just heard the common people talk about your achievements. You chased Tan Shihuai and his ten thousand cavalrymen all by yourself, right?"

"…Yes."

"Not bad, very good."

"No, no, it's all because the Lord gave Bu a chance..."

"Ah."