“Lord Liu Bei~” I was still enjoying my afternoon nap when Mi Zhu came jumping in and barged into my room. “Aiya~ Why are you still asleep huh!”

With a *sou*, my blanket was pulled away from me by her.

“Aiya~ What’s the matter?” Being awakened from my afternoon nap made my head hurt. But just this much won’t be able to fully wake me up–

Wu!

“Eh! Eh! Why have you thrown all the bamboo scrolls onto my bed! So heavy!”

All of a sudden, an entire stack of bamboo scrolls cascaded onto me which hurt my body all over when they landed every which way.

“Shouldn’t Lord Liu Bei get up by now?” Mi Zhu bent down and said with a wide smile, “Recently your att.i.tude toward work has improved but your efficiency has not increased at all.”

I’m really sorry for having no ability at all.

“And so? So that’s why you brought all these bamboo scrolls into my room?” I couldn’t bear to shove all the bamboo scrolls down the bed as they would break so I endured the numbness from my leg and calmly replied Mi Zhu.

At this time, all the sleep had disappeared from me.

“Isn’t it good to save time, however little.” As she said so, she took out a brush and ink stone from her pocket. Looks like she really intends to make me do the work here. “I’ll grind the ink for you so hurry and look at the doc.u.ments.”

It was late afternoon now…

I looked outside and saw that the red rays from the setting sun were still rather glaring.

“Speaking of which, did you see Yun Chang and the rest when you came in?”

Usually they would all be free about this time, why was the courtyard so quiet?

“Ah, I got them to give a lesson to my little brother… For him to learn how to be a good general.”

Mi Zhu had grinded the ink and pa.s.sed me the brush that had been dipped in ink.

… I was still hoping for them to help me with this.

“Little brother? Isn’t Mi Zhen your little sister?” I said as I took the brush.

By the way, Mi Zhen is having an afternoon nap along with Gan Qing.

“I have a little brother as well, called Mi Fang.” I did hear of that name before… “He has been pretty pampered and doesn’t know about virtues and honour so I got everyone to teach him.”

(TL: Mi Fang is a younger brother of Mi Zhu in the original as well, and also good with administrative affairs. He served Liu Bei along with his brother but eventually surrendered to Sun Quan.)

“Is that so, that’s pretty good then.”

As I said so, I opened a bamboo scroll…

“Umm, can you get Gong You here?”

Just then, I thought of Gong You.

I forgot Gong You had always been helping me, and that I can’t actually read these bamboo scrolls.

“She went to Xiapi to settle the refugees.”

“Then… Xiao Yong will do as well.”

I don’t know if she will be willing to help, but I have to try anyway.

“Xian He and Lord Hua Tuo went to Lord Cao Cao’s camp, supposedly to deliver General Xiahou a fresh supply of medicine.”

Ah, deliver medicine huh. In my mind, I recalled the scene as we left and smiled helplessly.

I feel like that lazy nature of her’s will only mess things up… Haha, I hope not.

“Eh, so she’s not around too huh.”

I was down to just myself now.

“Un… Lord Liu Bei.” Mi Zhu thought for a bit before looking at me with suspicion, “Recently you seem to have gotten along with Gong You? Do you 2 interact often?”

“… Ah, yes indeed. The time we spend together isn’t short after all.”

I flipped through the bamboo scrolls haphazardly, and felt that being able to write nicely on these things really was no small feat.

“Un, that’s good. I keep hearing them talk about how they think of Lord Liu Bei these few days. They seem to have taken you as their lord already.”

What they think of me… Huh.

I was a little curious about that.

“Their lord… Huh?” Though that would definitely happen eventually. “But speaking of which, how is Lord Tao Qian’s health recently?”

“…” Mi Zhu shook her head wordlessly. “Lord Hua Tuo went to check on him yesterday and her prognosis is that he probably won’t live past this week.”

“Un…”

“And so, Lord Liu Bei has to really consider the matter of taking over as Governor.” Mi Zhu said happily.

“Un…”

Though it is like that, it doesn’t feel real at all to me~~~

Just then, the door was slammed open with a *dong*!

“Oi! Lord Mi Zhu! Ah, you’re here.” Zhang Liao came rus.h.i.+ng in frantically and made a beeline for Mi Zhu when she saw her. “Your little brother is arguing with Lord Yun Chang.”

Ah?

Arguing?

“I see.”

Though even I was getting nervous, Mi Zhu seemed to be very calm.

“In any case, let us go over first.”

Mi Zhu gave a long sigh as she said so and led the way to the drill grounds while I and Zhang Liao followed behind her.

“Honour? Compa.s.sion? Can they be eaten?”

Just as we reached the drill grounds, we heard the shrill voice of a little boy.

“Oi, brat. Say that again.”

“Yun Chang, calm down.”

From afar, I could see that Yun Chang seemed to be unusually out of control while Feng Xian and Yi De were struggling to hold her back so she wouldn’t end the little boy in front of her.

“Lord Mi Zhu, please pull the little boy away. We couldn’t make him leave no matter what. He said that you had to come.”

Zhang Liao frowned and gave a helpless expression.

“Un? Why?”

Mi Zhu asked casually despite the scene before her.

Why are you asking why…

“Honour is the way of man, why would think that it is useless huh?!”

“Honour and the like is something that can only deter people from achieving things and can’t solve any problems at all!”

Against Yun Chang’s enraged roar, the little boy did not cower in the least.

“That little brat, how dare he say such things.” Zhang Liao was pretty mad herself.

“… Don’t mind what the child says too much.” Mi Zhu sighed once more and raised her hand as she called out, “Zi Fang, it’s time to eat! Come home now! Stop arguing!”

“Oh? Big sister!! Alright, I got it!” Mi Fang’s att.i.tude completely changed the moment he saw Mi Zhu and gave an obedient reply before he ran off.

Before he left, he made a face at Yun Chang.

“You d.a.m.n brat!” Yun Chang’s rage seemed to have erupted.

As we saw Mi Fang run off, we rushed over to Yun Chang as well. As we walked towards Yun Chang, I spied Mi Zhu’s expression and saw that she did not seem unhappy.

We asked them what happened, although we more or less already knew from what we had seen and heard.

“Martial arts is not just about techniques. It has always been the practice to teach morals first before techniques. But I never thought that he wouldn’t pay them any heed whatsoever. It drives me mad!”

Yun Chang said, and grabbed a stool to sit in as she simmered in her anger.

“Haha, if everyone was like you, Yun Chang, there wouldn’t be any bad people anymore.” I said with a helpless smile.

Un…

Yun Chang gave a long exhalation.

“Big brother, to be honest, I don’t think that kid is cut out to be a proper general.” Yi De said angrily.

“I too feel that that child does not pa.s.s as a warrior.” Feng Xian said as she looked at Yi De, before nodding,

Ah~ If these people all say so, then there’s no way.

But, this was probably quite a big blow to Mi Zhu.

“Is that so.”

Eh?

However, Mi Zhu who was beside me merely nodded with raised eyebrows and seemed like she had accepted this quite easily.

“Is Lord Mi Zhu not surprised?”

Zhang Liao seemed to find this strange as well, and asked.

“I’m alright I guess. Actually, I’ve felt that it was like that more or less.” Mi Zhu said as she supported her chin while she pondered a bit before continuing with a helpless smile, “That boy’s personality has already been shaped so he probably can’t change it much.”

So she had felt that way huh…

Mi Zhu said so, but the smile on her face was a smile which was utterly devoid of any amus.e.m.e.nt or happiness.

“In any case, Lord Mi Zhu, I am sorry.” Yun Chang was in a daze for a bit before she lowered her head and said. “I, or rather us, can’t teach Mi Fang. Our ideal of morals are far too different.”

As Yun Chang said so, everyone hesitated for a moment before nodding at Mi Zhu.

“It’s fine it’s fine. I feel that it’s already a good thing if everyone can say where he is lacking.” Mi Zhu hurriedly waved her hands in an elegant manner, “I apologise for wasting everyone’s time. You can do your own thing now. I’ll take care of Mi Fang later.”

As she said so, Mi Zhu exhaled from her nose lightly and her eyes looked downcast for a moment before she blinked and looked at me, returning her usual smile.

“… Lord Liu Bei, let’s return to our work.”

Ah, she still remembered that huh.

“But…”

I asked, but Mi Zhu shook her head before I finished. She doesn’t seem to want to broach the topic. If that’s the case, then I won’t ask.

Everyone else left with Yun Chang to go shopping in the city while I was left behind alone with Mi Zhu to do work.

If I think about it, I’ve never actually had an administrative official with me all this while. The only ones who come to mind are the Xu state 3. Before them, the administrative work seems to have been handled by Yun Chang. I can’t believe everything has worked fine till now with just her alone.

“What does Lord Liu Bei think about this?”

“Un?”

Mi Zhu asked me all of a sudden before I could even take my seat.

She didn’t specify what she was asking but I guess it’s probably about Mi Fang.

“Umm… I think that Mi Fang is still young and probably doesn’t know anything.”

Perhaps in future, he might be able to understand what honour means.

“… That’s not the case.” Mi Zhu said after hearing my words and shook her head. “I feel that my little brother can never be a good general for his whole life.”

“Eh? Why?”

“… Fate.” She found a seat and sat down. “Some people are born brave and strong, like Lord Yun Chang and the rest. Some people are born with a brilliant mind that thinks too much, like Lord Cao Cao. Others are born with a benevolent nature…”

… Is that supposed to be me?

“What you mean is that this is all decided by heaven?”

“Un,” Mi Zhu nodded. “I feel that everything is but a directive by heaven and we can’t disobey it. All we can do is smile as we face what comes.”

Smile as we face what comes… Huh.

“I didn’t think that you were the optimistic type.”

“Please, this is pessimism alright?” Mi Zhu laughed dryly.

Seeing Mi Zhu’s smiling mask, the words from within me flowed out instinctively.

“Though you said it cannot be disobeyed, aren’t you doing it anyway?”

“Am I?” She laughed and bent her head to the side.

“…” You still won’t admit it? “I heard from Gong You that you were a merchant before, and quite the successful one too right?”

When I think about that 2-storey tall building, I can’t imagine that any ordinary merchant could own that.

(TL: Most merchants had it tough in those days. Though wealth was not as controlled by the n.o.ble cla.s.s in ancient China (because of the examination system that allowed commoners to go all the way up to the highest official ranks that the Qin emperor had inst.i.tuted, yeah examinations are truly a Chinese thing), it still wasn’t easy to be a successful merchant.)

When she heard me say this, Mi Zhu let out a small ‘ah’.

“Looking at you, you probably aren’t old. Yet you have attained a fair amount of success as a merchant. This is probably in some way due to your talent.” I stopped for a moment before continuing. “Even though you are a merchant, and a talented one at that, why did you give it all up and join the government?”

“That is…”

Mi Zhu was sweating as she did not know how to reply me. She probably intended to give some ambiguous reply and just leave it hanging.

So, I decided to go on the attack.

“Because you don’t know. You don’t know if your fate, and your life, ends at being a merchant where you can earn a lot of money but not accomplish anything that can change the world.”

“… Ah.” Mi Zhu pondered for a bit before she smiled and nodded.

Indeed, talent does exist and it is difficult to accomplish much without it.

But n.o.body knows what exactly they are talented at, nor what their limits are.

“Though you know that your little brother is not suited to be a general, you still held on to the hope that someday he could become one and tried, no?” I stared right at her for a while before I lowered my head and continued, “… I feel that Mi Zhu is the kind of person who defies fate. Don’t give up. Not now, not ever.”

Don’t give up on yourself, and don’t give up on Mi Fang.

I brought back what I said to the original topic and looked back up to see her reaction.

“… Hai~” Mi Zhu sighed after remaining silent for a bit before she smiled, “I didn’t think that Lord Liu Bei would understand me better than I do. To be honest, I never thought about it that much.”

“Ah, I didn’t really…”

Now that I think about it, I did say a bit too much right?

“Just as Lord Tao Qian said, you are indeed an unfathomable person” Mi Zhu suddenly said.

What does Tao Qian say about me huh.

…

Un?

Wait.

“Don’t you call Lord Tao Qian ‘my lord’?”

On hearing me ask that Mi Zhu stared at me with her big round eyes and flashed me a most charming smile.

“Haha, what are you talking about? My lord is Lord Liu Bei.”

“Eh?”

Mi Zhu saw that I was bewildered and smiled as she explained.

“Actually, before the negotiation with Lord Cao Cao, Lord Tao Qian had already told us to judge Lord Liu Bei for ourselves to see if Lord Liu Bei was worthy of our service.”

“… I never knew this.”

No wonder Gong You and xiao Yong changed how they addressed me. I’d thought it was just a whim of theirs but it was actually because of this earlier arrangement.

“So what you mean is that you recognise me as your lord now? Even though I’ve done nothing?”

“…” Mi Zhu shook her head as she smiled, “Maybe you don’t know it but your thoughts are a lot more moving than your actions.”

Is that so… To hear that is kind of embarra.s.sing though.

“Is, is that so.” I lowered my head and opened a bamboo scroll which I looked into so I wouldn’t see her.

Except that, I couldn’t read it.

I was their lord already huh…

Un…

“Umm, Zi, Zi Zhong. If it’s possible, could you please help me read this?”

Mi Zhu was surprised at hearing me call her that but she then bent her head and replied with a radiant smile–

“It would be a pleasure to do so.”

On the same night–

*Dong* *Dong* *Dong*

“Open up!! Open up quick!”

The guard at the top of the city gates looked down and saw a figure knock on the gates without stopping. That figure seemed to be carrying someone as well.

“Who is it?!” The guard asked irritably.

On hearing an answer, the figure below hurriedly responded.

— Pl, please notify the Governor! Tell him that the Governor of Ji state Han Fu and her subordinate general Zhang He are seeking refuge!