Liu Bei POV

Gucheng was now right before my eyes. As its name implies, the city walls seemed really ancient, as thought they were built when the Eastern Han began.

(TL: Gucheng – 古城 – Literally ancient city.)

We were supposed to have a happy reunion here, I thought, as we made our way to the city gates.

“Big brother, your riding ability has improved.” Yun Chang, who was riding beside me, said to me with an impressed look.

“Ah, yeah. I’ve been involved in a lot of things in this period so I’ve had to ride a lot.”

“Actually, he rode behind me most of those times.”

“Oi… You didn’t need to say that.”

“No way, you have a lot more room for improvement and you need to improve fast.” Zi Long, who rode on my other side, shot me down. When I looked at her with a stiff smile, she laughed.

“What Lord Zhao Yun says is right.” Yun Chang nodded, and then she smiled to me, “But big brother has indeed been working hard.”

Un un, that’s right. I have been working hard, and at all things too no matter if it’s riding, governance or martial arts.

“Here it comes again. You all are pampering Xuan De too much. How will he attain a high standard if you keep this up?”

The reason why I can’t attain a high standard is because your standards are too high.

I turned to look at Yun Chang and saw her looking at me with a relieved smile. Looks like she probably started a conversation to help me relieve some tension.

“Big brother, do you still remember our promise in Xu state?”

Eh? Why are you talking about that all of a sudden?

“… Un. That matter right?”

What we’d promised then in Xu state. That we’d get married when we reunited.

The 3 of us, together.

“About that,” Yun Chang nodded with a serious expression, “I would like to put it aside for now.”

“Put it aside huh?”

I actually thought about the same thing as well. At this moment, Yi De is suffering from amnesia, and though I could marry Yun Chang first, this wouldn’t be fair to Yi De. Even if she has lost her memories.

“Un, I got it.” I expressed my approval at her proposal and placed my hand on Yun Chang’s shoulder, “We’ll talk about this again when Yi De’s memories are back.”

“… Un.” Yun Chang nodded again, and grabbed the hand I placed on her shoulder as she tilted her head and felt the warmth of my hand with her cheek, “I’m really grateful that big brother didn’t lose his memories.”

“Are you– Imperial Uncle Liu Bei?” Yi De asked firmly with a polite smile that you would make when you’re meeting someone for the first time when I met with her 1-on-1.

As she asked, she bowed deeply. This made me feel very off as this sort of thing was what Yi De was bad at doing the most.

“Ah…” I ended up feeling nervous and my mind went blank for a moment before I followed suit and bowed.

When I bowed, I couldn’t resist looking up at the amnesia-struck Yi De. It was clear as day that Yi De has lost her memories. Her actions, speech and even her countenance were all completely different from that of the Zhang Yi De I knew.

Of course, I didn’t come into this meeting with any sort of wishful thinking so it was easier for me to accept the reality before me.

— Big brother, Hua Tuo expressly instructed us not to agitate Yi De.

Before I came to this meeting, the words which Yun Chang told me reverberated in my ears. I understand why of course, and now that I’ve seen how Yi De is like now, it’s clear that trying anything funny will be a dangerous move.

“Come, please sit here, Imperial Uncle.”

“Ah, no need for that. You’re the Administrator of this place so it’s more appropriate for you to sit at the head.” I refused the offer and sat on the second seat.

“In that case, I won’t say any further then.” Yi De smiled and bowed once more before sitting on the second seat opposite me.

She gave me the main seat probably because of my status as a royal relative. I tried not to read too much into it and considered the most likely reason behind her actions.

“The instructions I received then were to let Lord Guan Yu and Imperial Uncle reunite, and now you have indeed reunited. This truly is a cause for celebration.”

“Un, yeah I guess.”

Cause for celebration? Definitely not. What made it worse was that these words came from Yi De. However, I felt neither rage nor sorrow when I heard her say this. All I felt was that fate really has a way of toying with people, and smiled bitterly.

“Well then, where does Imperial Uncle plan to head to next?”

“Probably to Jing state, to seek refuge with its Governor, Liu Biao.”

Though Mi Zhu hasn’t returned yet, this is probably how things will advance next. No other place can easily take us in anyway.

“I see. Well then, you can continue to put up here befoee you decide to set off.”

“Un… Thanks Administrator…” I thanked Yi De. Even now, I still felt that thisYi De was really off-putting.

But before that–

“What plans does the Administrator have?” I asked.

“Me? Well I’m definitely going to continue staying here. The end of the year is near and I have to prepare my accounts and the festivities for the new year, as well as report on the status of Gucheng in Xuchang.”

So it’s like that huh? I’d seen this coming already as she was an Administrator after all so there couldn’t be any other answer.

But whether it was me, Yun Chang, Lu Bu, Gan Qing, or anyone else, our number one priority was to have Yi De come along with us.

Since her memories are lost, what we need to do is to spend as much time with her as we possibly can and hope that she is able to regain her memories somehow.

And that is why I am meeting Yi De now.

I’m not confident of success but everyone felt that I was the only one who could convince Yi De.

“… Won’t the Administrator come along with us?”

“Go with you? Why would I? I’m a Court official of the Great Han.”

What Court official are you huh? I denied her words inside my mind. Yi De was no longer that Yi De but I still felt somehow that there were things inside her that belonged to Yi De.

“Doesn’t the Administrator want to try and do something outside?”

“Un?” Yi De took a sip of tea elegantly, “Why would I?”

“In such troubled times, everyone wants to leave their name in the annals of history. I doubt the Administrator wishes to live a peaceful life in this county city–”

“No, I do indeed want to live a peaceful life here.”

“Eh?” Yi De’s words shocked me greatly. When she saw my expression, she began to giggle uncontrollably.

“You don’t need to be this shocked, no? There are a lot of people like me actually.” Yi De smiled as she took another sip of tea, “In any case, unless the Imperial Court transfers me, I won’t be leaving this place.”

“… I see.”

Impossible. I can’t get her to leave. That Yi De no longer exists.

That lively innocence is gone, that indomitable fighting spirit is gone as well. In front of me was an outstanding Court official who sought to live peacefully in a small county city.

“Well then… Ah–!”

I’ll be leaving then.

I stood up and planned to say these words but because I’d sat for too long, my soles and waist were numb and I cried out as I fell to the ground.

Because of loud cry, Yi De got shocked terribly and spilt tea on herself.

“Ah…” I, the culprit for this mess, lay on the ground, not knowing what to do.

I looked at Yi De and all of a sudden, her eyebrows creased and she yelled at me as she stood up, “What is with this screaming you idiot!!!!”

“Eh?” Her angry roar stunned me. It seemed like the Yi De I knew appeared for an instant just now.

“Eh?” Yi De was similarly stunned and seemed confused as to why she would say such things and hurriedly apologised to me, “Ah, ah, I’m really sorry, I don’t know what was wrong with me just now!”

— What is with this screaming you idiot!!!!

Those words left a very big impression on me then.

When I first transferred to this era, the one whom I met first was Yi De. And those were the first words I heard in this era.

Yi De was still apologising but I was ecstatic.

“Hahaha–” And couldn’t hold back my laughter. Looks like ‘Yi De’ is still there.

“Umm, is Imperial Uncle alright?” She extended her hand to me to help me up.

“Ah, I’m fine, no problem.” I said, and grabbed hold of Yi De’s hand, scaring her and making her let a delicate ‘oya’ cry.

“Administrator– No, Yi De! You must leave this place with me!”

“Eh?! But…”

If I can’t move her with simple methods, then I’ll use even simpler methods and just plead with her outright. I’ve decided after all, that I must take Yi De with me.

“Perhaps you might find these words strange, but I hope you can remember me. If it weren’t for you then, I wouldn’t have been forced onto the route of history. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made a speech to recruit troops nor would I have been able to meet with Yun Chang and the rest. I would have just become an ordinary person that couldn’t be more ordinary! So how could you drop out halfway during my journey? You must take responsibility!”

“U-u-u-umm! This is…”

“In conclusion–” I was almost kneeling by now as I held onto Yi De tightly with both hands, and buried my head into her hands, “I need you!”

“Eh… This…” I raised my head and looked straight into Yi De’s eyes.

Her eyes were filled with doubt and seemed to be devoid of emotion. And I hoped that I would be able to transmit the emotions in me to her.

And then she smiled bitterly, which I took as a sign of my victory.

“Though you are a weirdo, you seem very impressive.”

— Though you are a weirdo, you seem very impressive.

The scene before seemed to overlap with the one in Zhuo county then. I was filled with doubt then, but now it was excitement that filled me.

Yi De’s memories still haven’t come back but I shall thank my blessings for now.

Yi De, welcome back.

(TL: In the original fiction, they reunited in Gucheng where Zhang Fei was there first, and Guan Yu second. Zhang Fei was convinced that Guan Yu betrayed Liu Bei despite the pleas of Liu Bei’s wives and duelled Guan Yu. Some commander of Cao Cao came along and Guan Yu stopped and killed him and thus, Zhang Fei believed in Guan Yu once more.)

“Zi Zhong, xiao Yong, you’re both back huh.” After I returned to the inn, I found that they had settled in nicely.

“It’s been a long time, my lord.” “Xiao Bei, I’m back~”

The 2 of them didn’t seem to have changed. Zi Zhong was focused on doing our accounts while xiao Yong was lazily lying on the table.

“How did it go?”

When they heard me, they looked at each other and then nodded slightly at me.

“Un, I got through to Lord Liu Biao. The only problem is that I had to use a lot of money to do so.” “For my side, I got held up along the way, but Lord Sun Ce gave her word very quickly~”

“… That’s how it is.”

Gong You didn’t forget to wrap up for the other 2. Looks like the Xu state 3 have reunited as well.

“How was it, big brother? Did Yi De agree to coming along?” Yun Chang rushed down and asked about Yi De first.

“Un, she finally agreed.” I nodded at Yun Chang, “She said she’ll need to write a resignation letter and make some preparations and then she’ll be ready to leave.”

“Ah~ That’s great!” Yun Chang exclaimed as she collapsed into a chair nearby out of relief,

This, is probably the true reunion at Gucheng.

“… Well then.” “Has our lord decided on where to go?” “There are 2 paths, Liu Biao and Sun Ce, available after all.”

The Xu state 3 got back into their usual way of speaking once more.

“Un…”

Of course it will be Liu Biao since I can’t go wrong by following the course of history.

But now that I was faced with this problem, I began to reconsider my choice. Many things that shouldn’t have happened, have happened anyway after all, with Yi De being a prime example.

Perhaps I should try and do something for Yi De.

— I’ve decided. We will go and visit Sun Ce in Jiangdong first before heading to Jing state.