TL: Things are going to significantly diverge from original soon.

Liu Bei POV

As I stepped out of the restaurant, I looked up at the sky and found that the sun was beginning to recede from the horizon. It was getting late and when I thought about how Gong You and Zi Long would yell at me, fear filled my heart and I shuddered as I hurriedly ran back.

Baima, Yan Liang.

Un… Looks like we’re heading there as expected huh.

So if I follow Yan Liang’s troops to Baima, I should be able to meet Yun Chang. If that’s the case, then I really should look for Yuan Shao and make that request later.

But wait… If I remember correctly, the Battle of Baima will end in a loss for Yuan Shao’s side. If I partic.i.p.ate in the battle, then the few hundred men I brought will be in peril.

Is it really alright to doom so many lives for my selfish wish?

Un… Looks like it’s not right as I thought.

“– Ah!” Just then, I stepped on something and fell forward as I lost my balance, “… Ouch!”

I managed to cus.h.i.+on my fall with my hands but I still fell heavily onto the sandy ground. My hands were badly hurt and scratched, and I didn’t need to look to know that my skin was probably torn.

“Who was that?! Running about with your eyes closed~” An elegant voice complained from behind me, “Un? You’re… Liu Bei?”

I turned to look where the voice came from and found a young woman bending over and looking at me. She was beautiful, with smooth white skin, and had her long, wavy hair tied up in twin tails. Her clothing was luxurious and stood at odds with the austere nature of everything else in this military compound. It wasn’t just anyone, it was Yuan Shao herself.

Eh… Was it Yuan Shao who tripped me just now?

No, I can’t say that since I tripped because I wasn’t looking carefully.

“Ah, Lord Yuan Shao. I deeply apologise, I was thinking about something just now… Ugh.”

I tried to use my hands to help myself up but I forgot that my palms were wounded and fell back to the ground as my hands hurt too much.

This was bad, I’m supposed to help with unloading of the wagons later.

“Un? Are your hands injured?” I’d thought that Yuan Shao would have left by now but she actually noticed my strange behaviour, “Really, how can an Imperial Uncle of the Great Han be so clumsy.”

When she finished, she didn’t wait to ask and pulled me up by my wrists with force. From the way her arms trembled as she pulled me up, it seems like Yuan Shao isn’t particularly strong. Or perhaps her const.i.tution is at the level of an ordinary administrative official.

“Ah, thank you Lord Yuan Shao.”

“There’s no need for thanks, it’s not like it’s a big deal anyway.” Yuan Shao said disdainfully and turned her face away as she made to leave. But after a few steps, she turned back, “Right, I forgot. Looks like the medic division will only arrive tomorrow. How is your hand looking?”

Ah, so she’s worried about my hands.

“Un un, it’s fine.” I said as I hurriedly placed my bleeding hands behind my back, “I’ll just get Gong You to help me bandage my hands later.”

“Bandage… But it won’t be good if the wound gets infected.” Yuan Shao muttered and then waved the folding fan in her hand at me, “Come along, I have some medicinal powder in my tent that can help. Come take some and rub it on your hands.”

Eh? Yuan Shao is giving me medicine?

No way. Is Yuan Shao the kind who takes care of people?

“Sit on the bed, I’ll find it for you.”

When I entered Yuan Shao’s personal tent, it seemed like the scenery changed completely. The furnis.h.i.+ngs inside did not just consist of a bed and table. There was a carpet, wall scrolls, a bookshelf filled with books like the Six Secret Teachings and the a.n.a.lects. In short, there was everything that one needed to live comfortably here.

“Ah, found it.” As she said so, Yuan Shao turned and threw it over, “Catch.”

“Un~” I frantically caught it as cold sweat streamed down my back. This medicine was definitely not cheap and if it landed on the ground, it wouldn’t end with monetary compensation, “… Am I going to have to apply it myself?”

When she heard what I said, Yuan Shao showed an expression that looked like she didn’t understand what I was saying.

“Ah? Of course you are…” She stopped when she realised I couldn’t use my hands. She then looked about and saw that there were no servants about before walking over with a frown, “You better be thankful to me, I don’t help people apply medicine.”

That’s what I thought.

She took the medicine and sat beside me as she used a small spoon to scatter the powder over my wound.

“Ouch!”

“Bear with it. How can a man like you be crying out about pain like that.” Yuan Shao said as she kept her eyes on my wound while she spread the powder slowly with the spoon.

(TL: Guys, I was wrong. The MC does have a special power after all. The ability to trigger a maternal instinct in all females…)

I slowly opened my eyes which had scrunched up from the pain and what greeted me was Yuan Shao’s exquisite and elegant looks up close. If only Yuan Shao would treat her subordinates like this.

Just then, I remembered something I’d been meaning to ask. It wasn’t something critical but it could at least break the awkward silence.

“Lord Yuan Shao, were you friends with Cao Cao in your childhood?”

If I remember correctly, there seems to be such a setting.

The moment those words left my mouth, Yuan Shao’s glance seemed to move upwards but they returned to where they were before immediately.

“Friends… Huh. If I had to define our relations.h.i.+p, I guess it would be that.” Yuan Shao’s voice was unusually calm, “Our social circles had a lot of overlap then so we spent quite a bit of time together.”

Is that so, looks like they are friends after all.

“Since you’re friends, why are you both pointing swords at each other?” The moment the words came out, I felt like I had asked a very stupid question.

Wealth, land, glory.

There were myriad answers to my question. But in the next instant, Yuan Shao gave a puzzling answer unhesitantly.

“It’s simple, I just want Meng De to acknowledge my ability.”

“Eh?”

Acknowledge, ability.

“Since young, I’ve always been the good kid. I perfectly memorised all the Court mannerisms and rituals taught and I always completed the homework set by my teachers. But Meng De was the opposite. She was always a naughty la.s.s and would try and make me responsible for bad things and get me in trouble.” Yuan Shao’s voice was agitated as she said so, “But that Meng De would always get better test scores than me and get much better and more praises than me.”

Ouch!

Yuan Shao applied more strength into her hands but I felt like this wasn’t a good time to interrupt her.

“I sometimes wonder if I’m just a toy to Meng De. Perhaps she never thought of me as a friend or a rival. Perhaps all I am in her eyes is just a failure and a trash bun.” Yuan Shao said and stretched her neck, revealing the look of a kid who was about to cry, “But this time, I’ll show Meng De that I’ve gotten this far. And we’ll see who is the stronger of us both.”

Yuan Shao said all she wanted to in one breath. She sighed when she finished and returned the spoon into the medicine bottle.

Honestly, Yuan Shao’s intentions are understandable. Her position in society is high and her intelligence is not low either. But yet, she is continually defeated and seemingly bullied by Meng De, whose position is beneath hers. Thus, it’s not strange for Yuan Shao to be thinking like how she is right now.

But I never expected that Yuan Shao was not as ambitious as I thought. Seems like all she wants is affirmation.

“Ah, thanks.” Though it hurt quite a bit midway, I was really thankful and frankly still bewildered at the fact that Yuan Shao actually applied medicine for me.

“Like I said, no need for thanks,” Yuan Shao’s mood seemed to have recovered and she stood up and continued with her back to me, “Don’t misunderstand anything. I’m only applying medicine for you because of your status as Imperial Uncle.”

As she said so, Yuan Shao began to walk slowly to her seat.

Un?

I didn’t notice just now when we were walking here, but it seems like Yuan Shao is walking a little strangely, and is limping as though her left leg is injured.

Did she also take a fall when she knocked into me just now? I thought as I sat on the bed.

“Why are you still here? Didn’t you say you were going to help your subordinates unload the wagons?”

“Ah? Oh, I’ll be leaving now.”

“I really envy you~” Just as I was about to step out of the tent, I heard a strange lament from Yuan Shao behind me.

“What is it?”

“No, nothing. Go on. I have work to do.”

I looked at Yuan Shao and saw that she was holding the medicine bottle with one hand and rubbing her left knee with the other. I smiled and parted the curtains as I left the tent.

I think Yuan Shao doesn’t want me to see her weak side.

As I thought so, I felt like I understood Yuan Shao better. But I soon remembered the matter of the wagons and stopped thinking as I carefully ran back to my encampment.

(TL: This story is essentially about good people who are forced to do things by circ.u.mstances. Practically no one is evil here.)