Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”Zichuan, I heard a warrior has arrived and defeated Zijian in ten moves. I plan to go and greet him. Want to join me?” Liu Bei stood up excitedly after receiving the urgent report from his subordinate. He happened to see Chen Xi lazily perusing official documents while sipping tea, and decided to bring him along. In Liu Bei’s view, Chen Xi always managed to complete his work regardless of time, often arriving late and leaving early.

”What?” Chen Xi nearly choked on his tea. He had just sent Hua Xiong away on an assignment and had Zang Ba take Hua Xiong’s place at the recruitment platform. And now, right after Hua Xiong’s departure, another formidable warrior had appeared.

”A mighty warrior, Zijian was defeated in ten moves,” Liu Bei exclaimed loudly.

”Oh, I sent Zijian away. Zang Ba is currently taking his place on the recruitment platform,” Chen Xi said, turning his head with an awkward expression.

”I see. I was wondering how someone could defeat Zijian in ten moves. Even Zilong couldn’t do that in a sparring match. By the way, Zichuan, what task did you assign to Zijian?” Liu Bei nodded, no longer surprised, and curiously asked about Hua Xiong’s assignment.

”After finalizing the tax collection, I informed you that we would offer 100,000 shi of grain to His Majesty. Zijian went to escort the grain. Given the current instability on the roads, I felt reassured having him there,” Chen Xi replied calmly. He had indeed informed Liu Bei of this.

”Oh, I remember now. Yes, with the bountiful harvest in Taishan, it is appropriate to offer tribute to His Majesty. Did Zijian take his elite infantry?” Liu Bei asked, recalling Chen Xi’s prior notification.

”Yes, the grain tribute is one part of it. The other part is that I have two troublesome friends there. I suspect my letter alone won’t be enough. I instructed Zijian to bring them back if they refuse to cooperate,” Chen Xi explained, a hint of frustration in his voice.

”You seem quite resentful. Are you sure they are friends?” Liu Bei inquired curiously, leading Chen Xi outside.”They are friends,” Chen Xi grumbled. 【Friends I’ve admired from afar. They probably feel the same about me.】

”Did they wrong you?” Liu Bei asked, noticing Chen Xi’s unusual irritation.

”They’re too dangerous. You should know, when it comes to friends, they often share similar traits. What do you think of me, Xuande?” Chen Xi turned to Liu Bei with a hopeful expression, almost asking for praise.

Liu Bei chuckled inwardly. He always found Chen Xi’s occasional childlike behavior amusing, contrasting with his usual mature and far-sighted demeanor. Overall, Liu Bei regarded Chen Xi as a genius, except during his rare temper tantrums, which Chen Xi himself would derisively call ’moments of severely lowered IQ.’

After a long pause, Liu Bei finally spoke. ”If Cao Cao compares Xun Wenruo to Zhang Liang, then you, Chen Zichuan, are the heaven-sent Xiao He to assist me, Liu Bei.”

Chen Xi halted his steps, turning to look at Liu Bei. He saw nothing but earnestness on Liu Bei’s face, with no trace of insincerity.

”Xuande, what kind of commotion do you think I could cause if I decided to stir things up?” Chen Xi asked with a bitter smile.

”Likely one that could be described as earth-shattering,” Liu Bei responded with a wry smile. ”You’re not suggesting that your friends think this way, are you?”

”Yes, one of them has a knack for exploiting opportunities to create chaos and cause unforeseen shifts in the situation. The other is less dangerous but excels in everything, from strategy to tactics. For our own sake, I believe we should bring them in. In terms of ability, they are on par with the greatest talents of our time,” Chen Xi explained solemnly.

”So I instructed Zijian to ignore whatever they say and just bag them and bring them back. Then I can persuade them. Better that than having them cause trouble elsewhere,” Chen Xi said vehemently. If Li Ru and Jia Xu ran off, Li Ru might retire, but Jia Xu causing trouble for Cao Cao would be a significant headache, especially if it resulted in Dian Wei’s death.

To be safe, Chen Xi ordered Hua Xiong to bring them back. Considering spring was nearing and Dong Zhuo would soon face his downfall, he estimated the timeline and set instructions accordingly.

Chen Xi tasked Hua Xiong with pacifying bandits and spreading the word as he traveled. When spring was imminent, he was to reach Chang’an, deliver the grain, hide, find Li Ru and Jia Xu, and on the eve of the news of the emperor’s abdication in favor of Dong Zhuo, capture them. Then, regardless of any other tasks, he was to escort them back with good food and drink to keep them content. To ensure they could handle the journey, Chen Xi even prepared a team of ten doctors.

Naturally, Chen Xi also instructed Hua Xiong to continuously remind Li Ru that he was Li You, styled Wenru, implying that Liu Bei only needed a pretext. Historically, founding emperors were known to be exceptionally tolerant of capable individuals. With proper accomplishments, Liu Bei would overlook any past transgressions, allowing Li Ru to eventually become a founding hero, regardless of his true identity.

Given Li Ru’s capabilities in governance, strategy, diplomacy, and more, he was a versatile asset that could fill any vacant position as needed. Such a top-tier all-rounder was indispensable. Liu Bei would come to find him irreplaceable, the perfect secretary who could handle everything except combat.