Dong Cheng coming to see him could only mean trouble. Not long ago, he had accepted Emperor Xian of Han Liu Xie's Girdle Edict, which called for finding someone to help the emperor kill the traitor Cao Cao.
Dong Cheng had already contacted Zhong Ji, Colonel of Changshui, General Wu Zilan, Wang Zifu, and others. Seeing how close Liu Bei was to Cao the Rebel, he had approached him as well.
Liu Bei had always cherished the wish to restore the Han dynasty, so he had gladly accepted the edict.
Before accepting it, Liu Bei's days had been miserable, but he hadn't lived in fear. After accepting the Girdle Edict, he felt guilty and was constantly afraid that word would get out. He feared Cao Cao would have him killed.
To hide his unease, Liu Bei turned the soil and planted vegetables in the backyard where he lived. He even watered them himself, believing this was a way to keep a low profile and bide his time.
Zhang Fei asked, puzzled, "Elder Brother, why do you ignore the great matters of the realm and take up this petty business instead?"
"Lan Ziyu also farms in Xiaopei, yet his strategic insight has not diminished. Third Brother, there's no need to doubt him."
After reading Legend of the Condor Heroes, Liu Bei had become fascinated by the Wumu Testament and Genghis Khan's methods of warfare. He guessed that Jin Lao was a genius like Zhang Liang, and could hardly wait to return to Xiaopei and invite the worthy man out of seclusion.
When Guan Yu heard Liu Bei mention Lan Tian, he stroked his fine beard and nodded in approval.
Zhang Fei scoffed. "That kid Lan Tian has strategic insight? He can cook a fine meal, though. Now that you mention it, I'm getting hungry."
Liu Bei shook his head. "Haven't you heard that governing a great state is like cooking a small fish? Third Brother, you mustn't underestimate him."
Seeing Liu Bei put it that way, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stopped trying to persuade him. But Liu Bei remained troubled by how to leave Xudu.
One day, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were away from home, Xu Chu and Zhang Liao suddenly led a dozen men into the garden and said, "By order of the Chancellor, we request that His Excellency come at once."
Liu Bei was startled. Mistaking it for the Girdle Edict affair being exposed, he cautiously asked, "May I ask what urgent matter the Chancellor has?"
Xu Chu's face was covered in coarse features, but he didn't so much as change expression as he said, "I don't know. We were only told to come fetch you."
Liu Bei swallowed, then looked toward Zhang Liao beside him. The other man merely shook his head calmly.
"Generals, please wait a moment while I change." Liu Bei cupped his hands and went inside, his mind racing as he weighed his chances of good or ill fortune.
After changing, Liu Bei followed the two men to the Prime Minister's Office, his heart uneasy.
As soon as they met, Cao Cao pointed at Liu Bei and said, "Ah, Xuande, you've been accomplishing quite a lot at home."
Liu Bei turned pale with fright and froze on the spot. To his surprise, Cao Cao strode over, took his hand, and led him together to the rear garden.
"It can't have been easy, Xuande, planting vegetables and watering the garden at home," Cao Cao said with a smile.
Only then did Liu Bei's pounding heart settle. He smiled and replied, "I had nothing to do at home, so it was merely a way to pass the time."
Cao Cao continued, "Just now, I saw the green plums on the branches and remembered how, last year, we were short of water on the road while campaigning against Zhang Xiu. The soldiers were all thirsty, so I pointed my whip ahead and said there was a plum grove. At the thought of it, the soldiers' mouths watered, and they were no longer thirsty. Seeing these plums today, we must enjoy them. The wine is ready, too, so I invited His Excellency to join me in the pavilion."
Liu Bei was completely at ease now, and praised him. "Your Excellency found a clever solution in a desperate moment. Even the famous generals of old could not match you."
Cao Cao shook his head and laughed, then invited Liu Bei to sit with him in the pavilion.
On the stone table lay freshly picked green plums and a pot of simmering wine.
The two drank together until they were half drunk. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered overhead, and a downpour seemed imminent.
A retainer in the garden pointed toward the clouds, where one shape looked like a flood dragon or a true dragon. Cao Cao and Liu Bei leaned on the railing to watch.
Cao Cao said, "Does His Excellency know how a dragon changes?"
"I'd be glad to hear more."
"A dragon can grow large or small, rise up or hide away. When large, it stirs clouds and breathes out mist; when small, it conceals its scales and hides its form. When it rises, it soars between heaven and earth; when it hides, it lies submerged beneath the waves. Now that spring is deepening, the dragon seizes its moment to change, just as a man, when he has found his opportunity, ranges freely across the four seas."
Liu Bei nodded along. "I didn't expect Your Excellency to see a dragon in the clouds and draw such profound thoughts from it. I'm impressed."
"A dragon can stand for the heroes of the age. Just now, Xuande praised me as greater than the famous generals of old. That was far too generous. Even Genghis Khan from Legend of the Condor Heroes was beyond me," Cao Cao said with a sigh.
"Legend of the Condor Heroes was made up by people. How could Your Excellency take it for fact?" Liu Bei offered.
Cao Cao shook his head. "No, stories can't be invented out of nothing. I believe Genghis Khan must have been a great sage in ancient times. It's just a pity I haven't found the mysterious Jin Lao."
Liu Bei was startled. "Your Excellency has already searched for him?"
Cao Cao nodded. "I couldn't get enough of Legend of the Condor Heroes, so I once sent men to Xiaopei to look for Jin Lao. Unfortunately, they didn't find a single worthy man named Jin. They did discover that Lan Ziyu lives in Gan Family Village, outside Xiaopei, but he's just a farmer."
"Perhaps all those years of warfare in Xu Province have taken their toll, and Jin Lao died in the turmoil? As for Lan Ziyu, did Your Excellency invite him here?" Liu Bei asked.
Cao Cao was taken aback. Could he really have killed the author by ravaging Xu Province so many times?
He continued, "Though I've settled farmers in Xudu, I'm hardly short one farmhand. Why would I invite him? Xuande, you've traveled far and wide and must know the heroes of our age. Tell me who they are."
Only then did Liu Bei relax. "I'm no more than an ignorant man. How could I recognize a hero?"
"Xuande, don't be so modest. Even if you don't know their faces, you must have heard their names," Cao Cao pressed.
Left with no choice, Liu Bei said, "Yuan Shu of Huainan has elite troops and ample provisions. Would he count as a hero?"
"A withered bone in a tomb. I'll capture him sooner or later."
"Yuan Shao of Hebei now rules over Ji Province like a tiger crouching in its lair. He has many capable men under him. Would he count as a hero?"
"Yuan Shao looks fierce but is timid, loves to scheme but can't make decisions. He's too protective of himself to accomplish great things, yet will risk his life over petty gains. He's no hero."
Seeing that Cao Cao thought nothing of the first two men he named, Liu Bei kept guessing, but Cao Cao shook his head each time.
"Sun Bofu?"
"Liu Jingsheng?"
"Lu Bu?"
Liu Bei tried one name after another, but Cao Cao merely smiled in silence. When he heard Lu Bu's name, he laughed aloud. "Lu Bu is already a ghost. How can he be a hero of today? Still, I did hear one amusing story about him."
"What story?" Liu Bei asked.
"I heard that after reading Legend of the Condor Heroes, Lu Bu compared himself to Central Divine Wang Chongyang. What shamelessness!" Cao Cao laughed.
Liu Bei thought for a moment, then said, "Wang Chongyang did die young, after all."
"Hahaha, you make a fair point, Xuande. Why don't we follow Lu Bu's example and match the lords of the realm to characters from the novel?"
Liu Bei looked utterly baffled, wondering how he was supposed to do that. "There are so many characters in Legend of the Condor Heroes. How could we possibly match them all to the lords of the realm?"
"Then let's compare them to the Five Greats. Since Lu Bu has claimed Central Divine, we can assign the eastern, western, southern, and northern places." Cao Cao was in a playful mood.
"Yuan Shao is in Hebei, and he has a great many soldiers and generals under him. Could he be Northern Beggar?" Liu Bei ventured.
"Xuande, you make a good point. The Beggar Sect is a mob of riffraff, and Yuan Benchu would make a fine beggar chief." Cao Cao laughed.
Liu Bei realized he'd spoken carelessly. If Yuan Shao heard about it, he might take offense, so Liu Bei didn't dare say anything more.
When Cao Cao saw that Liu Bei had fallen silent, his expression darkened. "Huang Yaoshi suits my tastes. It wouldn't be too much for me to call myself Eastern Heretic, would it?"
"Not at all, not at all," Liu Bei replied, thinking that Western Venom would suit him better.
Before you continue