novelSusiti Chapter 1 The Dragon Gets Water
Chapter 1 The Dragon Gets Water
Spring came exceptionally late in the seventh year of Guanghe.
On the outskirts of Zhuo County, in the manor belonging to Liu Bei, the chivalrous hero of Zhuojun, the old mulberry tree still has withered branches. The rammed earth walls in the courtyard are covered with black moss, and the section of earthen wall in the southeast corner, which had collapsed more than a month ago, is haphazardly blocked with a few bundles of thorns, as if the master of the house has no intention of repairing it.
Even the neighbors and relatives living nearby sensed something was amiss.
At this time in the past, the courtyard would have been bustling with activity—the sounds of drinking and singing, the clash of swords and spears, and the boisterous cheers of the patrons could have carried for half a mile.
For the past two weeks, the courtyard has been so quiet it's unsettling. The only sounds are the faint hum of a bowstring or the soft rustling of bamboo slips closing together.
How strange.
Several wandering knights, huddled against the wall basking in the sun, exchanged glances.
"My lord, could it be..." A young swordsman lowered his voice and pointed a finger lightly at his temple.
A booming voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard:
"Brother! I simply cannot bear it any longer!"
Inside the main room, the charcoal brazier crackled and popped as it burned.
Zhang Fei kicked aside the prayer mat blocking his way, his dark robe opening wide to reveal his dark, muscular chest. His leopard-like eyes widened as he stared intently at the man seated below the window: "Brother! How long are you going to keep studying day and night, practicing archery night after night? How long are you going to stop?"
The person under the window put down the bamboo slips.
It was a rather handsome face, with earlobes reaching his shoulders and hands that reached past his knees—it was Liu Bei at the age of twenty-four.
But at this moment, his face lacked its usual carefree and unrestrained expression; instead, his brows exuded a scholarly and refined air. On the low table beside him were piles of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and "Wu Zi's Art of War," as well as a scroll of "Six Secret Teachings" with its edges already worn and frayed.
"Third brother," Liu Bei said in a low voice, but it made Zhang Fei's throat tighten. "Sit down and let's talk."
"I can't sit still!" Zhang Fei said, his neck stiff, but he still sat back down heavily on the mat, causing sparks to fly from the charcoal brazier.
He turned to the person beside him: "Second Brother, why don't you say something!"
Guan Yu stood by the door with his hand on his sword.
He was nine feet tall, with a two-foot-long beard, and his phoenix eyes were slightly closed. Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Yide's words are true. My elder brother fell from his horse a month ago, but he recovered after a couple of days and was otherwise fine. But since that day…"
He paused briefly:
"From that day on, my elder brother no longer rode horses, hunted, feasted, or sang with us. Every morning before dawn, he would rise and practice riding and archery until noon. In the afternoon, he would close the door and read until late at night."
He opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Liu Bei's face. "My third brother and I discussed it privately, and we both suspect that it was Zhang Shiping who gifted us those fifty fine horses, causing you great joy and distress, elder brother. The horse trader is still in Zhuo County. If something truly happens to you, elder brother—"
"I will go and kill him." The last sentence was already filled with murderous intent.
The veins on the back of his hand, which was resting on the hilt of the ring-pommel sword, were bulging.
The room fell into a deathly silence.
A few crows took flight from the old mulberry tree outside the window, flapping their wings and flying away.
Liu Bei slowly stood up.
Today he was only wearing a faded linen robe, his hair hastily tied up with a wooden hairpin—a stark contrast to the Zhuojun chivalrous leader who used to "love dogs and horses, fine clothes, and music."
But when he stood up, both Zhang Fei and Guan Yu unconsciously straightened their backs.
"Yun Chang," Liu Bei walked up to Guan Yu, raised his hand and gently pressed down on Guan Yu's hand holding the sword, "I am at peace, without any worries."
Guan Yu's hand remained motionless, his phoenix eyes still filled with doubt.
Liu Bei withdrew his hand and turned to the charcoal brazier. The firelight danced on his face, casting the swaying shadows of his long, knee-length arms onto the earthen wall, giving him a somewhat lurking, dragon-like appearance.
"In the past, I loved fine clothes and horses, admiring the style of the Four Lords of the Warring States who patronized scholars, and I also valued chivalry." His voice was deep and slow. "But in the past half month, I have been reflecting on myself by candlelight every night, and I have suddenly had an epiphany."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two of them:
The great Confucian scholar Qiao Gong once met Cao Mengde and said, "The world is about to fall into chaos, and only a man of extraordinary talent can save it." The famous scholar He Boqiu (He Yong) also commented on Mengde, "The Han Dynasty is about to perish, and the one who will bring peace to the world is this man."
Zhang Fei frowned: "Why did you bring up that eunuch's descendants, brother?"
"I wasn't referring to him," Liu Bei shook his head. "I was just suddenly thinking, how could renowned figures like Qiao Xuan and He Yong so easily predict that the world would descend into chaos, and then so accurately determine who could bring peace and who couldn't?"
He walked to the window and pushed open the shutter.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept in, carrying the earthy smell of the distant fields, along with a faint, burnt odor—the smell of landless refugees burning weeds outside Zhuoxian County in their quest for meager harvests.
"The world's order or chaos depends on people. If heroes are destined to step forward, they will surely bring peace and prosperity to the world—"
He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpening like a sword, each word clear and distinct:
"Why can't it be me?"
Guan Yu's phoenix eyes suddenly widened, and a sharp light shone from beneath his usually slightly closed eyelids. Even his towering nine-foot-tall body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
He spent years on the run, encountering powerful figures, meeting wandering knights, and even gazing at the officials of prefectures and kingdoms who rode in carriages and wore official hats.
What they talked about was nothing more than the academic lineage and the purity or impurity of their family background. When they occasionally mentioned "the world," it was nothing more than a sigh for the passing of time.
I have never heard such a declaration that so awes the world.
And this came from the mouth of a twenty-four-year-old, penniless wandering swordsman from Zhuojun?
But he was not impressed by this ambition—chaos was approaching, and ambitious heroes were everywhere.
Even in the past, the eldest brother had always been ambitious and principled, which was why he was able to win over many heroes in Zhuojun.
Never before has my elder brother had such lofty and clear aspirations, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, its spirit soaring to the heavens.
Zhang Fei's reaction was much more direct.
He sprang up from his seat with a start, his broad chest heaving violently, his leopard-like eyes wide: "Brother's ambition soars to the heavens!"
But then he scratched his head, looking puzzled, and asked, "But... but I still don't understand! What does such lofty ambition have to do with us abandoning fine clothes and banquets, sitting idly facing books every day, and toiling away with strong bows?"
His voice was loud and clear, with the straightforwardness characteristic of heroes from the Yan and Zhao regions:
"Brother, I understand your desire to save the world and bring peace to the nation! A true man should establish his name in history! But what is needed to achieve great things is the strength of our army, the loyalty of our brothers, the means to pave the way with money, and the reputation to attract followers. Our past actions—befriending heroes, being generous and righteous, and making our name known throughout Zhuojun—were precisely for this purpose."
He became increasingly anxious as he spoke, gesturing in the air with his large, fan-like hand:
"Brother, how majestic you looked in that Shu brocade battle robe you wore back then! Now you discard it like worn-out shoes and sell it in the market! The gold and silk left by those two great merchants, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, are not used to buy wine and meat to feed the followers, but instead they have people scour for these worthless military books, including the Book of Documents and the Spring and Autumn Annals, which I read as if they were heavenly books!"
"Furthermore, those fifty fine steeds from Youzhou should be ridden in the marketplace to show off, so that all the heroes of You and Ji provinces may know that I, Liu Xuande of Zhuojun, possess such sustenance. Wouldn't all the brave men of the four directions follow suit?"
"On this auspicious occasion, we should be drinking fine wine, singing heartily, and swordsmanship, why do we torment ourselves like this?"
Liu Bei shook his head, gazing at the desolate fields outside the window, his voice slow and deliberate: "The Zuo Zhuan says, 'When a state prospers, it regards its people as if they were wounded; when it perishes, it treats its people like dirt.' Now, eunuchs wield power in the court, selling official positions and titles; powerful families in the prefectures and counties annex land, and the people are displaced. Last year, a great plague struck, and corpses lined the roads; this spring, the bitter cold has forced people to burn their own bodies—is this truly a beautiful time?"
He turned around, his gaze sharp as he looked at Zhang Fei:
"Third brother, if one day the Way of Peace gathers like ants, and the world is in chaos, and the imperial court issues a decree allowing prefectures and counties to raise righteous troops to suppress the rebels and pacify the people—at that time, how will you and I respond?"
Zhang Fei was taken aback, but without hesitation replied, "I possess an eighteen-foot spear, my second brother is also exceptionally brave, and my eldest brother's dual-sword technique allows him to attack from both sides, making him invincible. In addition, the followers of my manor and the chivalrous men of the village can all fight with halberds..."
"What happens after that?" Liu Bei interrupted him. "With mere bravado, you charge into battle, capture several enemy soldiers, and earn the titles of military commander and magistrate? And then what? How should you set up camp with a hundred men? How should you transport supplies with a thousand men? How should you advance and retreat with ten thousand men? How should you attack the enemy who occupies the mountains? How should you besiege the enemy who holds a fortified city? How should you pacify and quell the enemy who has scattered in all directions?"
A series of questions left Zhang Fei speechless.
Guan Yu slightly opened his phoenix eyes, and his beard moved without wind.
"This..." Zhang Fei hesitated for a long time, his dark face turning red, "Let's just fight! Why all this fuss!"
"Therefore, Xiang Yu, who was strong enough to lift a tripod, was ultimately defeated by Gaozu." Liu Bei strolled back to his seat, picked up the scroll of "Six Secret Teachings," and said, "Governing the army, managing the people, procuring provisions, using spies, observing the weather, and surveying the geography—the key to these matters is all contained within the chapters and sentences of these bamboo slips. I have been indulging in fine clothes and horses, neglecting my studies."
He gently patted the book in his palm:
"The world is about to descend into chaos, and this is the time for heroes to distinguish themselves through martial arts. I need the two of you to follow me from this day forward—to learn literature, practice martial arts, understand battle formations, and study astronomy."
"You must practice archery and horsemanship, but not just hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces away. You must also practice mounted archery and raids, as well as controlling the bow and forming formations. You must read military books, not just 'Sun Tzu' and 'Wu Zi,' but also 'Sima Fa,' 'Wei Liao Zi,' and even 'Guan Zi' and 'Mo Zi' on the way of governing the world."
Zhang Fei was overwhelmed with anxiety, but seeing Liu Bei's solemn expression, he dared not become agitated any further.
Guan Yu slowly nodded, pondering, and said, "Brother, do you mean... to emulate Emperor Guangwu's deeds, to gather righteous and brave men during this time of chaos, and to bring peace to the world?"
Liu Bei clapped his hands: "Emperor Guangwu rose from humble origins, and half of the generals of Yuntai came from humble backgrounds, yet they all possessed both literary and military talents, and were not merely men of courage and strength."
"In this day and age, classical studies are monopolized by the powerful and wealthy, and the imperial court is dominated by eunuchs. Even those from humble backgrounds, who may possess the talent of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi or the wisdom of Chen Ping, have no way to advance their careers."
"However, with great chaos about to erupt and the world in turmoil, only military merit can break all conventions! Even the lowest of the low, like silk sellers and dog butchers, can wield a three-foot sword and claim the reward of a marquis; heroes from the countryside can ride the wave of opportunity and establish unparalleled achievements. This is precisely the time for us to rise up and spread our wings!"
He paused briefly, then spoke each word with unwavering resolve:
"From this moment on, I, Liu Bei, am no longer ranked among you gentlemen."