With a soft sigh, Kongming set his brush aside and rose to stand by the window, watching the fine rain drifting down, as well as his lord in a straw hat shouting orders in the field.
What increased harvest meant, Kongming naturally understood.
Yet in these past months, whenever he "occasionally reviewing the knowledge shown on the screen" his mind was heavy with too many thoughts.
Setting aside aircraft carriers, high-speed rail, and Tiangong Kaiwu, had the people of that later age already learned the full extent of this world? Had the Han people in that time achieved an era of true great peace?
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he sat back down to resume his work. Everything had to start from the beginning; the first step was still defeating Cao Cao.
---
The Liu Bei that Bu Zhi saw was precisely such a man.
Mud splattered across his body, a straw hat on his head, surrounded by common folk eagerly pressing flatbread and hot soup into his hands, all for the chance to earn a word of praise from him.
"BIG BROTHER!" Zhang Fei's roar from a distance had a predictable effect.
Liu Bei, looking delighted, bid farewell to the villagers and squeezed through the crowd.
Bu Zhi took a subtle step back, trying to avoid getting mud on his own robes.
After whispering briefly with Zhang Fei, Liu Bei smiled warmly.
"Zishan, you have come from afar, yet I failed to receive you properly. Lady Sun, however, is currently hunting in Chanling. Your timing is unfortunate."
"In that case, I shall take my leave…"
Bu Zhi bowed, hoping to escape.
But Liu Bei stepped forward and seized his hands.
"Since you are here, why not stay in Gong'an for a time and renew family ties? When Lady Sun returns, she will surely be delighted."
As expected.
Bu Zhi sighed inwardly. To refuse now would be an insult.
"In that case... I shall trouble you."
---
After settling Bu Zhi's lodging and arranging guards, Zhang Fei reported everything he had seen to Kongming.
After some thought, Kongming nodded slightly.
"In that case, Jiaozhou is secure for the time being."
"What if Jiangdong sends ships straight for Shi Xie?" Zhang Fei asked. He had been considering this possibility all along the return journey.
"Unlikely," Kongming said.
"Shi Xie is exceedingly adept at judging the times. He has governed Jiaozhou for twenty-three years. If Marquis Sun resorts to force, it will only backfire."
"Bu Zhi's plan was merely to exploit Cangwu's weakness, using the rift between Lai Gong and Wu Ju as a pretext to kill Wu Ju. With Cangwu secured and bordering Jiangdong, our lord would be unable to respond in time, and Shi Xie would have no choice but to submit."
"But now that Wu Ju lives, so long as Lai Gong can be brought back, Jiaozhou will remain stable. Even if Marquis Sun repeats this scheme, it will only drive Shi Xie to send troops in support."
"After all, in this unsettled age, Shi Xie has no wish to pledge himself to any side."
"Then I'll make another trip to Lingling," Zhang Fei volunteered.
"That... would be good. Yide, have the Lord write a letter to Lai Gong. I will write one as well, explaining the stakes and, for appearance's sake, scolding Wu Ju in the letter."
---
Before long, Liu Bei arrived and readily agreed, though he worried about sending Zhang Fei.
"Yide handles matters with order and care," Kongming said firmly. "This mission is without risk."
With that assurance, Liu Bei felt at ease.
---
The round trip took no more than five days.
Zhang Fei returned with Lai Gong's reply.
"Administrator Lai said he will place state affairs first!"
Zhang Fei drank a large bowl of water and wiped his mouth.
"He said public duty outweighs private grievance. He hadn't expected his angry departure to nearly cause such disaster. He also wrote a letter to you, Elder Brother. I've brought it back."
"Good." The others finally relaxed.
---
With Zhang Fei's return, it was already late July.
The time of the Light Screen drew near again.
Liu Bei found himself facing a familiar dilemma.
Who should be brought this time?
Jian Yong had not yet returned from mission.
Sun Qian was overseeing construction at Jiangling and couldn't leave.
Mi Zhu had already taken the paper workshop's products downstream to Jiangdong to trade.
Liu Bei looked at his secret list, thought for a moment, and circled a name: You're the one!
---
After journeys to Cangwu and Jiangling, Zhang Fei felt as though he had grown thinner.
At this rate, would his armor soon no longer fit?
Muttering to himself, he stepped into the side hall and immediately saw a young man standing quietly beside Guan Yu.
"Good nephew!"
Zhang Fei clapped Guan Ping heavily on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Third Uncle."
Guan Ping's expression flickered briefly before returning to its usual stern calm as he bowed.
"Do you know why you've been called here?"
"I do not," Guan Ping replied. "Father and Uncle summoned me. I dare not disobey."
Nearby, Guan Yu sat with eyes closed, resting.
Zhang Fei flashed a thumbs-up toward Liu Bei.
He had learned that gesture from the Light Screen. It meant approval.
"Then just wait and see!"
Zhang Fei laughed and sat down, giving Guan Ping another solid pat.
This nephew of his was excellent in every way.
Except perhaps that he imitated his father too much. At barely thirty, he already carried himself with solemn gravity.
Zhang Fei was quite eager to see that expression crack.
And likely, their elder brother thought the same. Otherwise, he would have explained things beforehand.
---
As more people gathered, Guan Ping's confusion deepened.
He could not shake the feeling that his Third Uncle and Eldest Uncle kept glancing at him.
---
Not long after everyone arrived, the air flickered.
The Light Screen appeared as abruptly as before.
Guan Ping's rigid expression shattered.
Zhang Fei grinned. His goal was achieved.
Then, he turned his focus to the screen. What do the future people have for us this time?
---
Moments later, the hall was filled with sharp intakes of breath.
"Is this the power of the gods?"
Outside, Chen Dao, standing guard, felt a pang of curiosity.
What kind of military intelligence could cause such a reaction?
---
[Lightscreen]
[Greetings everyone, still the same name, the same man, Wenmang the Illiterate!
Just like the last preview, today we're looking at the Three Kingdoms memories of Chengdu. We'll keep things light this time and not talk about war.
After all, war is not the sole theme of the Three Kingdoms. What we remember about Shu Han is not only its peerless warriors.
Because the Han and the traitors cannot coexist. Because even knowing defeat is certain, they still give their all.
Because of the Chancellor's total devotion, and the loyalty and brotherhood of the Three in the Peach Orchard.
They are gone, their great enterprise unfinished, yet their legacy endures. Their presence has left a vivid mark upon Chengdu.
Let's begin with an aerial drone view and take a look at this Land of Abundance!]
---
The shaking camera stabilized.
They didn't recognize the modern buildings, but they realized they were looking out from a very high place. Then, the view began to fly.
They saw a short-haired young man holding a control box. Then, the massive towers in the frame began to shrink.
Wide roads turned into thin lines.
The perspective kept rising until it felt like the wind itself was whistling through the hall.
Even as the height reached a level that made Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang's stomachs turn, the entire horizon was filled with buildings!
At a certain altitude, the angle shifted, no longer looking straight down but stretching outward, like a bird soaring through the sky.
Nearby stood towering structures.
Farther away lay sprawling estates.
Rivers wound like jade belts across the land.
Green mountains reclined gracefully in the distance.
---
After only a few breaths, the sky darkened.
The distant mountains turned into shadowy silhouettes.
The view descended once more.
A city of lights, magnificent and fantastical!
The ground shone like day, illuminated in countless colors. Lights flickered and shimmered endlessly.
For the first time, they felt their eyes were not enough.
Jiang Wan and Ma Liang were in shock, unable to look away. But a question formed in their minds: How are we supposed to draw this?
---
Liu Bei had already risen to his feet, utterly captivated.
"So this… is Chengdu?"
"This is truly Chengdu?"