Liu Bei POV

Eh?

After coming back from my meeting with Liu Biao, I was now looking at troubled looks on all of my companions in the hall, and forgot what just happened as well as what they just said.

My heart began to tighten up, and it felt like the ominous premonition I felt had taken over my mind.

“Eh? What did you all just say?” Because of my selective memory, I could only shamefully ask again as I frowned. It was as if my ears had gone bad at that moment.

Met with this escapist att.i.tude, the ones to deliver the final blow were the Xu state 3.

“… Don’t panic, my lord.” “The Registrar of Jing state came today and told us to get our troops, inventory and armoury ready over the next 2 days. Thereafter, we would be engaging in a large-scale military exercise with the Xiangyang and Jiangling troops. They pretty much strongarmed us into agreeing into it so we are unable to move away in this period.” “That’s the 2nd time we’re repeating this.”

What?! Prepare troops, inventory and armoury? Military exercise?

“Must it be now? Or we could leave half of our troops here to attend to this while I bring the other half to Jiangxia.”

“That won’t work.” Yun Chang shook her head.

“My and Lord Guan Yu’s generals, majors and all key personnel have been named and are scheduled to partic.i.p.ate in the exercise.” Feng Xian calmly said as she caressed Red Hare who was on her chest.

“My lord, these are just things done for show but we can’t back out now. We’re guests after all so we can’t avoid taking part in these activities which are done for diplomatic purposes.” Wen Yuan explained the importance of taking part in the exercise again, making it even more difficult for me to refute.

Wu..

I looked at Yi De but she wasn’t looking at me at all, as though the words she said before were just to comfort me temporarily.

“But at the end of the day, it’s all because my lord has gone and agreed to something without thinking again.” Just then, Zi Long who was sitting toward the back got up and spoke in her sarcastic tone, “Reinforcing Jiangxia isn’t a small matter at all yet my lord did not bother discussing the matter with us, nor did he ask if we were available, before swiftly agreeing to it. Is my lord a little too overconfident in his abilities? Or does my lord not think that we are important at all?”

“No no no, no such thing at all!” I hurriedly denied it as there was no way I could let that accusation stand.

“Alright, I know. I was just joking.” You still have the mood to joke huh, “There’s no way Xuan De would have thought that far given Xuan De’s level of intelligence after all.”

That point reallly hurt.

“Big brother Xuan De! I’ll come with you!”

“Mi Zhen, don’t add in. Big brother Xuan De is talking about serious matters now.”

Mi Zhen cried out at me from the side but Gan Qing hurriedly got the situation under control.

“Mi Zhen, you will have the chance when you grow up.”

I smiled at Mi Zhen while Zi Zhong placated her with a different approach. That said, I feel that even after she grows up, there won’t be such a chance.

“But what do I do then? Do I have to go with Liu Qi alone to Jiangxia?”

“It’s Xuan De’s mess so Xuan De should deal it with it himself.”

Zi Long was still being a bully.

“Alright, alright,” But it was a good thing that Yun Chang is compa.s.sionate, as she spoke up with a bitter smile, “Don’t worry big brother. Though we can’t go, Chen Gong and Zhou Cang are available as they weren’t considered drafted into our divisions yet and weren’t written into the schedule.”

“Chen Gong and Zhou Cang?”

I don’t know why but I feel like these 2 aren’t very dependable. And they probably won’t be very happy about having to leave together and might end up kicking a fuss up.

But… Never mind. It’s still much better than going alone. And I deserve to be taught a lesson and learn not to accept other peoples’ requests so easily. No matter how sincere and real the requester is, no matter how dire their situation is, I must make sure I don’t agree immediately.

“But doesn’t my lord think that all this is strange?” Just then, Liao Hua who was sitting beside Yun Chang and was silent all this while spoke up, “The request made of you and our side’s exercise just happened to come at the same time. Isn’t that a little too much of a coincidence?”

“What do you mean? That Liu Biao has arranged it like that?”

“It may not be Liu Biao. It could be Liu Biao’s subordinates who are not very happy at our presence here.”

“Un… I see.” I had thought about this point as well. And the person who might have done all this is likely that short haired, plain faced woman.

“By the way, someone attacked me yesterday on the way back but that person’s skill was lacking. That person said to tell Xuan De to be careful.”

“Feng Xian, how could you be late by an entire day in reporting such a thing!”

Shouldn’t you be telling me such things immediately?

“When my lord went to see Liu Biao today, did my lord detect anything? Or felt that someone was out to get us?”

Un…

“No, not particularly.”

I didn’t voice out my hypothesis even though an a.s.sa.s.sin had appeared as this was just a guess after all. If there was some misunderstanding, things would be bad.

This is based on my personal experience which has been rife with misunderstandings.

“But no matter what, big brother should be extra careful in this expedition. When I think about it, just 2 generals may not be enough.” Yun Chang seemed to be rather worried about me as she was frowning and the tension was clear on her face.

“Leave that to me. I’ll get someone.”

“Ah–”

Just then, Zi Long raised her hand and proposed to find someone. Before I could agree to it, she left the residence immediately.

But who was Zi Long going to get?

“Uncle! Uncle!” Just as I was trying to play detective about this, Guan Ping came running in from outside, “Uncle, Liu Qi is here!”