Don’t Tell Me This Is the True History of the Three Kingdoms! Vol 10 Chapter 56

Chapter 56
VOLUME 10 CHAPTER 56: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS THE SECOND VISIT TO THE THATCHED COTTAGE (5)

Liu Bei POV

“I suppose. The only hermits in the area who haven’t left are just us few.” The woman said somewhat proudly before asking, “So you wouldn’t really be looking for Kong Ming right?”

… It was clear that she meant something else by that, as well as what it meant on the surface. But since she went this far, I really have no way of denying it.

“We are indeed looking for Zhuge Liang.” Yun Chang answered before I did, “May I ask if there is any problem?”

“Ah~ Looking for Kong Ming huh~” The woman hummed as she held her chin, “If that’s the case then you’re really weird.”

“You mean difficult to comprehend.”

These 2 seem to find it very baffling that we are seeking Zhuge Liang but even so, there was no need to pour so much cold water on us.

“Ah!” The woman suddenly yelled out with her eyes wide open and pointed at me as though I were some rare organism with a surprised look, “You, could you be that person?!”

Which person…

“You mean, Liu Bei Liu Xuan De.” The man added, “Or perhaps we should call you Imperial Uncle.”

“Yes, yes, yes! That person!”

She completely forgot my name huh?

“Be softer.” I said as I gestured for them to lower their volume. It’s still a precarious time after all and I ought to be dead. The less attention I draw, the better.

“So you are Liu Bei huh?” The woman seemed to have snapped out of her drunken stupor as she said so and nodded profusely.

“I thought you knew from the very beginning.” The man said. Looks like he recognised me right away huh?

“I am very happy that you were able to recognise me but may I ask how you both came to know of me?”

“It’s as though you knew we would come to Longzhong.” Yun Chang added as she placed her hand on her sword and began looking about.

“Hahaha, relax. I don’t know the other people in the inn.” The woman said as she smiled at Yun Chang, “If I did, they wouldn’t have reacted negatively to the ruckus we made before.”

So they were aware of it huh?

“We just heard about him from Teacher Shuijing, that’s all.”

“Eh? You know Teacher Shuijing?” I was surprised once more.

“Wait, come to think of it, we haven’t announced our names yet.”

“Ah, you’re right.” The woman said and nodded. The both of them then got up and tidied their clothing before bowing and saluting us with actions that were even worse than mine.

“As you see, I am s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan of Yingchuan. And the one beside me is Meng Gong Wei.”

“You mean, Meng Gong Wei of Runan.” The man said before casually nodding at me. I did not feel slighted despite the casual nature of the action and merely nodded in response.

“I’ll forgo with my own introduction then. Behind me are my sworn sisters, Guan Yu Guan Yun Chang and Zhang Fei Zhang Yi De.”

As I said their names in turn, they each bowed and saluted. During the process, I was spying on Yi De and saw that she reacted very naturally when she was introduced as my sister.

“Un un, good, good, good.”

The woman named s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan reacted so casually that I am very sure she has forgotten Yun Chang and Yi De’s names.

“So you’re s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan of Yingchuan and Meng Gong Wei of Runan huh?” I said as I nodded, thinking back to the names Sima Hui had given me, “Teacher Shuijing h

ad mentioned you both, as well as Cui Zhou Ping, to me before.”

I thought that they would have a similar demeanor to Cui Zhou Ping but I did not think that they would be such drunkards. It’s not like there’s anything wrong but the gap between my expectations and reality is giving me a hard time. Naturally, I am not expressing any of this.

“Un un, we were the same as well.” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan said, never moving her eyes away from my face, “To be honest, we too heard about you from Teacher Shuijing and didn’t recognise you until we heard that you were seeking Kong Ming.”

“Teacher Shuijing told you I would seek out Kong Ming?”

“Yes.”

So it was Sima Hui who told them huh? Well, it’s not like I asked him to keep a secret nor is this something that needs to be kept under wraps anyway.

“But… Un~” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan said as she swept her gaze over me in a way that made my hair stand on end, “So you’re Liu Bei huh?”

“U, umm…”

“Ah, sorry about that. I shouldn’t stare at you like that.” She smiled stiffly and apologised when she saw my troubled expression and leaned back against a table, “But Teacher Shuijing has mentioned you a few times to me before so I’ve gained some interest in you.”

It seems like Cui Zhou Ping has said similar things as well when we spoke. And just like the last time, I cannot possibly give in to curiosity and ask them what Sima Hui said about me. But when I look at s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan, it feels like Sima Hui described me as a weirdo.

“Ah, don’t worry too much. Teacher Shuijing gave an exceedingly positive appraisal of you whenever he talked about you.”

Ah… I was completely seen through.

“No…” I muttered as I looked away in embarra.s.sment.

“Haha, you’re too easily seen through.”

“You mean everything is written on his face.”

That correction was unnecessary.

“In any case, we’ve heard about you and mainly 2 things.” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan said as she raised 2 fingers, “Firstly, you fell into the stream and was saved by that Xiang Lang kid. Secondly, you seek Kong Ming.”

Just these 2 things huh… Well that works for me.

“But speaking of which…” Just then, Meng Gong Wei spoke up, “We also heard that after Teacher Shuijing recommended us and Cui Zhou Ping, you rejected all of us and insisted on Kong Ming.”

Wu! He even told them about that huh?

“Ah, no…” I was really at a loss as to what to do and could only look away.

“Un~ About that~” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan drawled meaningfully as she shot a look at Meng Gong Wei, “Since we met Liu Bei in the flesh, why don’t we take this chance to have a chat with him?”

“You mean, have a discussion.”

“Whatever~” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan said as she swung her sleeves and looked down at me, “Umm, Lord Liu Bei, what do you think of the 2 of us?”

She used very meaningful words whilst pointing at the 2 of them.

But how indeed?

I looked at them in turn several times before I nodded, “Apart from the stench of liquor, there’s nothing wrong at all.”

“Un un, that’s not a problem at all.” She nodded, “Well then, since you think we’re both good. Why don’t you give up seeking Kong Ming and recruit the both of us?”

“Eh?” I stood up in surprise, as did the 2 behind me, “Umm, what did you just say?”

“Ah, I’ll repeat myself then.” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan shakily saluted me and repeated what she said in a somewhat serious tone, “We would like to serve you.”

“In short, we would like to leave our seclusion.”

“Ah… Un.”

I think I know what they mean now. I turned back and looked at the my 2 sisters and saw that they were lost as well.

What kind of situation is this? We have not yet been able to meet with Zhuge Liang yet 2 of her friends have come to join us. Did Zhuge Liang join hands with his friends and sing along as they joined Liu Bei?

No matter how I try to imagine it, that scenario seems implausible. Otherwise, why would only Zhuge Liang’s name pa.s.s down in history?

(TL: Because Zhuge Liang was chosen by the guy who wrote the Three Kingdoms novel. Zhuge Liang was excellent as a logistics officer and a genius when it came to administration. In terms of strategy, he was not that outstanding. Moreover, most of the feats attributed to him in the novel were either entirely fictional or feats that were accomplished by others in history.)

“Is there a problem?” s.h.i.+ Guang Yuan asked when I did not reply.

“No, it’s not a problem per se…”

“You think we aren’t capable enough?” She asked again, “Cui Zhou Ping might have said some things to you before but reality is vastly different from what she says it is. You can easily test us, be it me, Meng Gong Wei or that Cui Zhou Ping who has an inferiority complex.”

“No, I don’t doubt your capabilities.” I said as I waved my hands dismissively, “But… Why? There is no reason for you to join me. You only met me once after all. Isn’t it a little frivolous to join me after just one meeting?”

“Frivolous? I think not.” She said as she thanked the waiter who brought her liquor and took a swig before continuing, “Confucius was wise and knowledgeable beyond comparison yet he still had to travel widely to seek the support of kings. Gong Wei and I may be hermits but we still worry for the Great Han which is in peril and in wanting for a benevolent and capable ruler. Now that we have met with Liu Bei Liu Xuan De, and heard of your feats, we wish to join you. It’s true that our reasons for joining you are not particularly lofty or deep but we are sincere. Is that not enough?”