[Server Chat Log]
[Ghost_Glaive88: Just seeing the word Chengdu makes me hungry... anyone else instantly thinking of hotpot and mapo tofu?
Steel_Dragon: Bro, Chengdu is not just food! J-20s, J-10s, FC-1 Xiaolong, all born there! The skies are basically Chengdu's playground!
City_Wanderer: Quick question, can I get to Erxian Bridge via Chenghua Avenue without getting stuck in traffic? Asking for a friend who is late for dumplings...
History_Buff: Chengdu to Chang'an is six hours on high-speed rail now. Wild to think the Prime Minister spent his whole life walking that same road, over and over... 🥺
Romance_Fan: The Three Great Regrets of the Three Kingdoms:
1. The Prime Minister never reached Chang'an
2. Sun Quan never took Hefei
3. Cao Cao's black silk stockings?? Wait, hold on, did my own fingers just type that?? Where did THAT come from?? 😳
Scholar_Path: I do not care about trains or planes. I only wish to one day walk the roads of Shu and finish reading The Proclamation on Starting the Expedition with my own eyes.
Northern_Expedition: Prime Minister!! How about THIS YEAR? Grab your feather fan, mount the carriage, command the army! Northward we go!
Li Shimin: ...Is this Heaven or the mortal world?! Why does everyone talk like this?!]
Everyone stared at the Lightscreen like they could not blink, drinking in the jaw-dropping sights.
The people in the footage wore weird clothes and had all kinds of odd habits, but they spoke the same language and wrote characters that clearly came from the same roots. And that city they had built, Chengdu, was something else entirely.
Wide avenues sliced clean through north, south, east, and west. Massive bridges arched over the rivers on both banks like they were nothing. Buildings shot up like towering forests, and the markets were absolutely packed with people. The images flashed by quick, showing hundreds of things they could not begin to wrap their heads around.
But even that single, stunning glimpse was burned permanently into their memories.
It was not just the scenery and architecture that had them stumped. Even the words were hard to make sense of.
Everyone knew the character Jian. Annihilate, strike down, that sort of thing. But what did it mean stuck together with numbers?
And why was it paired with Xiaolong, Fierce Dragon? What on earth did that have to do with Chengdu?
For the first time, Zhuge Liang felt genuinely, deeply confused.
He could figure out the bit about the Prime Minister and Chang'an. He got the joke about Sun Quan and Hefei. But Cao... black silk stockings? What in the name of the Heavens was that supposed to mean?!
The part about the Northern Expedition, though? That made perfect sense.
Since they held Yizhou and Hanzhong, marching north was the only way to restore the Han!
The Lightscreen said it exactly right: The Han and the traitors cannot stand together; the imperial cause can never settle for half a peace!
Off to one side, Ma Liang and Jiang Wan were whispering back and forth while scribbling down the text.
"At least this Li Shimin guy did not say anything annoying this time," Ma Liang muttered.
"Last time he actually had the nerve to act like he was the emperor in his replies!" Jiang Wan huffed. "Completely out of line! Does not know his place at all!"
Zhuge Liang glanced up at the very first line again, and his mind drifted off unbidden to those bright red, oil-drenched crayfish.
Could they really taste that good?
[Lightscreen]
[The Three Kingdoms left quite a few memories in Chengdu. Today we will follow a path from the outskirts to the center. First stop: Huang Zhong Village!]
Huang Zhong raised his head.
He had never expected this.
Even Old Huang had a spot in the future? How did this good fortune fall on him?
He had done little besides helping seize Hanzhong for his lord.
Yet the smile on his face could not be suppressed.
[Lightscreen]
[In 1825, during the fifth year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign, a tombstone attributed to Huang Zhong was discovered in the western outskirts of Chengdu. The discovery gave rise to a local tradition that the old general had been buried there, and the surrounding settlement eventually came to be known as Huangzhong Village in his honor.
Later on, Liu Yuan, founder of the Huaixuan School, had a proper memorial shrine built for the old general. His son Liu Guijiu even composed a couplet to hang there, summing up his life:
"Counting the Northern Expeditions across the Central Plains, tracing the foundation of the King of Hanzhong's enterprise. Your merits stand above all others.
Leaving this tomb in the west, facing the Temple of Zhaolie. This shrine stands tall in remembrance."
For a general who had died more than fifteen centuries earlier, it was an extraordinary posthumous tribute. The words placed Huang Zhong's military achievements among the foremost contributions to Liu Bei's cause. A remarkable testament to how highly the old general was remembered in later generations.]
Huang Zhong tried his best to hold back a smile, but it was no use. The corners of his mouth kept twitching upward no matter how hard he fought them.
Finally, he gave up and let out a big, hearty laugh, cupping his hands to everyone present.
"This old man dares not accept such high praise!" he said, shaking his head, though the grin never left his face. "To think that hundreds of years later, people would still remember this Huang Zhong... and even build a shrine and write such kind words..."
He lifted his head, and for a moment, his eyes glistened.
"Still, this Huang Zhong is grateful. Truly grateful. If these old bones can still stand as a reminder of what we fought for... then I am happy. More than happy."
Liu Bei spoke sincerely.
"The one who built the shrine is also of the Liu clan. Old General, to stand facing my shrine, you are truly a pillar of the state."
For a time, lord and minister shared mutual understanding, all raising their heads to see whether the shrine still flourished with incense.
But within the Lightscreen, there were only green trees and rows of small buildings.
No shrine could be seen.
[Lightscreen]
[The original Huang Zhong Shrine in Chengdu was later destroyed, and much of the historic complex was lost during the upheavals of the twentieth century. Yet Huang Zhong's name did not disappear.
Today, Chengdu's Metro Line 27 has a station named Huangzhong, located near the old cultural sites. The station opened in 2024, carrying the old general's name into the modern city. In a small way, he still remains.
And Chengdu is not the only place that remembers him. In Nanyang, Henan, traditionally regarded as Huang Zhong's hometown, there is another shrine commemorating his origins. There, locals still offer sacrifices and maintain it. His memory has been preserved for later generations.]
Such twists of fate.
Huang Zhong listened without a word, his expression shifting through several emotions at once. Surprise, then loss, then a deep sort of pride that settled heavy in his chest.
"So the shrine is gone..." he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "Gone, yet not forgotten."
He let out a long breath, then straightened his back.
"This old general never asked for a temple. But to know that my name still rides the rails of a future city... that the people of Nanyang still tend a shrine in my honor..."
He shook his head, a smile breaking through despite himself.
"That is more than enough. More than enough."
Liu Bei reached over and clasped Huang Zhong's hand warmly.
"The people remember what matters, Hansheng. A man's deeds outlive stone walls."
Zhang Fei squeezed in as well, clapping the old general on the shoulder.
"Old General, do not look so serious! When my shrine is built, I will make sure there is a place for you right beside me! We will keep watch together!"
Huang Zhong let out a genuine laugh at that.
"Then this old man will hold you to that, Yide."
But Liu Bei had already drifted off, his brow furrowed in thought.
"This metro..." he muttered, tapping a finger against his chin. "It must be connected to the high-speed rail, yes? If both carry people at such impossible speeds, then how deep do these tunnels run? And how do they keep the earth from collapsing above them?"
Zhang Fei blinked.
"Big Brother, you are asking the wrong person."
[Lightscreen]
[Several kilometers from Huangzhong Village lie the remains of the Jiuli Embankment.
Although Dujiangyan had long protected the Chengdu Plain from flooding, the city was never entirely free from the threat of rising water. Local tradition holds that during Zhuge Liang's administration of Shu, the Prime Minister oversaw the construction of a long embankment, nine li in length, giving rise to its name, Jiuli Embankment.
The embankment was repaired and rebuilt many times over the centuries. During the Song dynasty, Chengdu prefect Liu Xigu undertook a major reconstruction, and a shrine was established in his memory. Yet in later generations, local people came to associate the shrine with Zhuge Liang instead, calling it the Zhuge Temple.
The true history of the embankment's origins remains uncertain. Some later records attributed its construction to Zhuge Liang, while other evidence points to major reconstruction during the Tang and Song periods. Perhaps that uncertainty is fitting: in Sichuan, the memory of the Prime Minister has a way of attaching itself to old works of public benefit.
Today, only fragments of the ancient embankment survive, preserved within Jiuli Embankment Park, a public park in modern Chengdu.
Zhuge Liang would probably have found that rather amusing.]
"Thank you, that is both amusing and exasperating."
Zhuge Liang shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself. "So the people of later generations cannot decide whether I built that embankment or not, and rather than argue about it, they simply chose to believe I did."
He let out a soft breath, half sigh, half laugh.
"I do not know whether to feel honored or accused. Still, that Prefect Liu Xigu must have been a capable man. Flood control is real merit. It saves lives and protects the land. No amount of poetry or politics can compare to that."
Liu Bei, on the other hand, looked thoroughly pleased.
"Another descendant of the Liu clan!" he said, his eyes bright. "To think later generations would produce such fine deeds. And they built a shrine for him too. Good. Good."
He paused, watching the people on the screen strolling and resting peacefully in that place called a park. Men and women, young and old, all moving without fear or hurry. No soldiers. No walls. No war.
They live as though peace is simply normal, Liu Bei thought. As though it has always been this way.
A faint warmth stirred in his chest.
This is what a true ruler should give his people. If I am to restore the Han, then this... this is what I must build. Not just a strong state, but a safe one.
[Lightscreen]
[Three kilometers south of Jiuli Embankment lies Wudan Mountain.
Unlike before, this time only a distant view was shown.
According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, in 221, Liu Bei ascended the throne as emperor in Chengdu, south of Wudan Mountain. The ancient landmark therefore provides an important reference point for reconstructing the location of the Shu Han imperial palace.
Wudan Mountain itself still survives today, though the small hill is now located within a military-administered area and is no longer open to the public. For visitors, it can only be viewed from afar.]
Apart from Liu Bei, hardly anyone was looking at the mountain itself.
Everyone's eyes were glued to that massive bridge in the corner of the image instead.
"Why build a bridge that huge on perfectly flat ground?" Zhang Fei scratched his head, completely baffled. "There is not even a river there!"
Zhuge Liang stroked his feather fan thoughtfully.
"I think I understand. The prosperity of that future age probably outshines every dynasty that came before it put together. Those roads must be packed with all kinds of clever vehicles we cannot even picture yet. Broad, elevated bridges like that? Likely to keep everything moving smoothly, so nothing gets stuck or blocked."
The whole hall grew still, everyone deep in thought.
It was hard to wrap their heads around such grandeur. Only a few days ago, they had been celebrating taking Jiangling and daydreaming about building twin fortress cities. But now, seeing the Chengdu of the future, it made their own greatest plans look tiny by comparison.
How could people ever build something like that with just their own hands? someone murmured.
Noticing the mood sinking, Huang Yueying clapped her hands gently to get everyone's attention.
"I may not understand all these future inventions," she said clearly, "but the wise Xunzi once said: Pile up earth to make a mountain, and wind and rain will come together. Gather small streams, and you will have rivers and seas."
"If the future has such marvelous skill, it is only because it is built on the work of countless generations. Including ours. Why be so hard on yourselves?"
"If we restore the Han and keep advancing knowledge and craft, who knows? One day we might get even a fraction of the way there."
"Think about the waterwheel we built at Hudu River," she reminded them. "It helps people every single day now. Just one year ago, who here could have imagined something like that?"
Zhuge Liang smiled warmly at his wife.
Slowly, the others began to nod, the heavy feeling lifting a little. She had a point. Greatness did not just happen overnight.
The Lightscreen did not wait. A street scene appeared.
[Lightscreen]
[Xiaoguanmiao Street takes its name from a small temple once dedicated to Guan Ping, the son of Guan Yu. Built during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty, the temple became known locally as the Xiaoguanmiao, or Small Guan Temple, giving the surrounding street its name.
The temple itself has long since disappeared. Today, little of the original structure remains, but its name survives in the street, and in the memories of Chengdu's older residents.]
Guan Ping blinked, stunned. "Me? I... I get a temple and sacrifices?"
"Ah, my good nephew," Zhang Fei said, his tone suddenly filled with sympathy.
"In ten years, you and your father will both fall at Maicheng. The people were so moved by your loyalty, how could they not build you a temple?"
Guan Ping: ?????