Time could not be reversed, but let us turn it back a little.
To before Liu Bei had founded his state.
Filled with grief, he counted his losses, his hands trembling as he growled under his breath.
Cao Thief!
I, Liu Bei, will never coexist with you!
What did it mean to win the people's hearts?
The common people were willing to fight for Liu Bei, and scholars and powerful gentry were willing to open their purses for him. That was winning the people's hearts.
Outside Linzi City.
The sky was gloomy, thick clouds spreading gray across it. Snow slowly fell outside the city, white flakes drifting everywhere, settling on the hills not far from Linzi City and clinging to trees stripped of their leaves. Waves of cold swept through.
The boundless army of Chu State arrived outside the city under Liu Bei's command. Dressed in military attire, he wore an expression of endless emotion.
Liu Bei sat on horseback, the cold wind sweeping past his cheeks. A thick brocade robe covered him, while his face bore the marks of the bitter wind, covered in red veins and cracks.
A carriage stood beside him, its thick curtains lowered, making one wonder who could enjoy a carriage to themselves in the presence of the ruler of Chu State.
Liu Bei held his sword as though he felt no cold at all, or perhaps the fire in his heart simply burned too fiercely.
Amid the snow filling the sky, Zhang Yan walked with measured steps toward Liu Bei. All the ministers of Chu State watched him as he knelt on both knees before Liu Bei's horse, a trace of bitterness flashing in his eyes.
*Young Master Yan, I, Zhang Yan, have held on for so long for the sake of a