Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Even a genius like Zhuge Liang had moments of ignorance, so it was no surprise that Chen Xi didn’t fully understand Liu Bei’s thoughts. However, since Liu Bei had said not to worry about it, Chen Xi wouldn’t interfere. As long as Liu Bei wasn’t acting irrationally, he generally knew what he was doing and what he was good at.

With Liu Bei’s assurance, Chen Xi didn’t linger. After exchanging a few casual words, Chen Xi left before Liu Bei could even offer him tea to see him off. Despite his seemingly idle wandering, Chen Xi had plenty of tasks on his plate.

After Chen Xi left, Li You entered the room and noticed Liu Bei happily sipping tea. ”Xuande, do you have some good news you’d like to share with me?”

”Please, sit here,” Liu Bei said, pointing to the seat opposite him. ”What do you think of Lady Zhang?”

Li You immediately understood what Liu Bei was getting at and naturally responded with praise. ”Lady Zhang is a woman of noble birth, capable and graceful—a perfect match.”

Li You wasn’t just flattering; given Liu Bei’s current status, taking a concubine was one thing—he could choose anyone he wanted. But when it came to marriage, it required careful consideration. The woman had to come from a prominent family, be well-educated, and be of equal social standing. Lady Zhang met all these criteria.

”I heard that Zichuan, who is usually indifferent to women, once had a fondness for the Zhen family’s youngest daughter. Is this true?” Liu Bei asked, bringing up an unrelated matter. But Li You, unlike the inexperienced Chen Xi, quickly grasped Liu Bei’s underlying intent and real thoughts.

”Indeed, it’s true. I recall Mi Zizhong once joking about it while drunk, mentioning that Zichuan was indeed moved by the Zhen family,” Li You confirmed.

”That’s good,” Liu Bei said with a satisfied smile. As long as Chen Xi was interested, Liu Bei was reassured. The matter of social standing wasn’t something Liu Bei cared about; he knew Chen Xi’s potential was enormous, something Lady Zhang also recognized.

If Li You had been 80% confident before, he was now certain—Liu Bei wanted to strengthen his bond with Chen Xi. Marrying Lady Zhang wasn’t something Liu Bei objected to, and if it also brought him closer to Chen Xi, all the better.”However, Xuande, this isn’t the right time,” Li You cautioned, pointing out that the current circumstances weren’t suitable for a marriage with Lady Zhang.

”I know, but some things should be planned ahead, just like Zichuan, who always looks three steps ahead. Occasionally, I should learn from him. By the way, Wenru, have you prepared the gift for Zichuan?” Liu Bei nodded, not wanting to dwell on the matter, and changed the subject.

”It’s ready,” Li You replied, not probing further into Liu Bei’s plans to marry Lady Zhang. After all, the benefits to Liu Bei were too great to ignore. Just thinking about Chen Xi’s abilities made Li You see the value in such a marriage.

”Is the golden cauldron prepared?” Liu Bei asked, somewhat obscurely.

”It’s been made,” Li You answered. In fact, what he wanted to say was that the two cauldrons, representing the Heaven and Earth, that Chen Xi had ordered to be forged as replicas of the legendary cauldrons of Emperor Xuanyuan, were now completed. As for where the copper came from, that was something he couldn’t reveal. In fact, Li You knew that this secret would have to stay buried with him forever. Even if Chen Xi asked, he would feign ignorance.

Legend had it that after defeating Chiyou, Emperor Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor) had forged three cauldrons to worship Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, which later became the nine cauldrons of Emperor Yu. When Emperor Wu of Han found one of these cauldrons, it became a symbol of his authority. The other two, however, had disappeared. Chen Xi had subtly hinted to Li You to create forgeries of these two missing cauldrons and bury them. Later, they could be ”discovered” by accident, along with the very spot where they should be unearthed!

Li You had been shocked by this audacious plan, and since then, he’d regarded Chen Xi with a certain wariness. Anyone capable of suggesting such a scheme clearly had a devious mind!

But whether Chen Xi was devious didn’t matter. Li You recognized that this plan was indeed brilliant. After burying the cauldrons for a few years, they’d be unearthed, and whoever possessed them would be seen as the rightful ruler, blessed by Heaven itself.

If these cauldrons were genuinely believed to be authentic, their significance would surpass even that of the Imperial Seal. When the nine cauldrons were whole, there was no need for an Imperial Seal. It was only after the nine cauldrons were lost that the first Emperor created the seal. Thus, in terms of authority, the nine cauldrons surpassed the Imperial Seal, and the three cauldrons of Emperor Xuanyuan were even more revered than the nine cauldrons of Emperor Yu! Holding these cauldrons would give their possessor the confidence to challenge even the Emperor himself.

Chen Xi had suggested that these two cauldrons be buried somewhere in Jizhou. Then, by some ”accident,” one cauldron would be found by Yuan Shao and the other by Liu Bei. A grand battle between these two Heaven-ordained kings would ensue, with the victor claiming all of Heaven’s mandate.

Li You hadn’t needed much convincing to agree with this plan. Despite Chen Xi’s subtle hints, he understood the implications. While there were risks, the potential benefits were enormous.

If this plan did spark a war between the two major warlords, with the contest centered around these Heaven-mandated cauldrons, no one would question their authenticity. By that point, the victor would gain immense morale and popular support. After all, when Emperor Wu of Han found the middle cauldron, he immediately renamed his reign to reflect this auspicious event. The importance of these cauldrons in the eyes of the ancients couldn’t be overstated!

Li You wasn’t a virtuous man, and he knew how to keep a secret. This kind of low-cost but high-reward strategy was exactly his kind of plan. So, he accepted the task. The two cauldrons had already been forged. Now, he just needed to age them convincingly—a process that would take some time, but he had plenty of that. Once the cauldrons were ready, he would bury them in the right locations and stage a balanced battle between Liu Bei’s and Yuan Shao’s forces, during which these cauldrons would be ”discovered.”

For Li You, this part of the plan was easy. The real challenge was making sure the cauldrons ended up in credible locations, ones that could withstand historical scrutiny. That meant he had to juggle his duties as Liu Bei’s advisor while researching ancient texts and maps to find the perfect burial sites. Then, he’d quietly bury the cauldrons in those spots.

From the moment Li You took on this task, Chen Xi had nothing more to do with it. How the cauldrons were created, where they were buried, and how to keep everything secret—that was all up to Li You.

Thinking about this, Li You couldn’t help but smile. Chen Xi’s schemes always seemed audacious, forcing him to think outside the box. It was enlightening and refreshing for someone like Li You, who was used to conventional strategies.