Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

At this moment, upon the Yi River in the Langya Kingdom, one or two corpses could occasionally be seen floating down the river.

The people along the banks of the Yi River were already accustomed to this sight, each busying themselves at the ferry crossing. They were barely managing to feed themselves, so how could they have the compassion to care for others?

Just then, a boat draped with white silk slowly approached the shore of the Yi River.

A middle-aged scholar led three young boys out of the cabin.

The middle-aged scholar looked grief-stricken and exhausted, while the three boys were dressed in mourning attire. The eldest of the boys was only about ten years old, while the other two were only two or three years old.

Afterward, the middle-aged scholar spent some money to buy two old carriages and hired laborers to move a coffin from the boat onto one of the carriages.

"Cousin, we're almost home."

The middle-aged scholar patted the coffin secured on the carriage, a look of sorrow in his eyes.

Then, the middle-aged scholar settled the other three boys in the other carriage, while he personally drove the first carriage slowly forward.

An old servant who had been traveling with them drove the carriage carrying the coffin. The two carriages, one in front of the other, left the ferry and headed towards Yangdu, the capital of the Langya Kingdom.

Throughout the journey, the ten-year-old boy occasionally showed a sad expression, while the youngest boy, only about two years old, still had a blank look in his eyes.

On the other hand, the boy who was about three years old watched everything around him with bright eyes.

Only after leaving the ferry did the three-year-old boy say,

"Brother, I wonder how many people have died in this disaster like Father..."

The ten-year-old boy hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

"Brother Liang, I am already overwhelmed with grief over Father's death. I really have no heart to argue with you. You are still young and don't know what Father's death means to the three of us brothers, but please, Brother Liang, be quiet for a while."

Upon hearing this, the three-year-old boy turned his gaze to the coffin slowly moving behind them, a flash of sadness quietly passing through his eyes. He tightly hugged his younger brother, who was leaning against him, and obediently replied,

"Yes, Brother."

For a moment, the carriage where the three brothers were became quiet.

The occasional bumps were accompanied by ear-piercing creaks, and the middle-aged scholar driving the carriage uttered a few rough words. Only the faint snores of the less than two-year-old boy, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, could be heard.

The slightly older ten-year-old boy and the three-year-old boy looked at the scenery outside the carriage, seemingly contemplating different things.

Suddenly...

"Boom!"

A loud noise from behind startled both the ten-year-old boy and the three-year-old boy. The middle-aged scholar driving the carriage instinctively pulled on the reins.

Immediately, the three-year-old boy poked his head out of the carriage and looked back, only to see that one of the wheels of the carriage behind them had fallen off to the side, and most of the coffin on the carriage had slid out.

"Father!"

The ten-year-old boy shouted with a hint of grief, jumped straight out of the carriage, and tried to lift the coffin back into the carriage.

However, the coffin was quite heavy, how could a ten-year-old boy possibly move it?

Even with the help of the middle-aged scholar and the old servant, who was still in shock, the coffin remained motionless.

The three-year-old boy, holding his younger brother by the side, looked around the coffin, seemingly trying to find something useful.

However, the three-year-old boy's actions seemed to ignite the accumulated dissatisfaction of the ten-year-old boy, who, while pushing the coffin with all his might, shouted angrily at the three-year-old boy,

"Liang, what are you doing standing there? Why don't you come and help?"

The three-year-old boy opened his mouth, but still didn't say anything. Instead, he told his younger brother, who was still somewhat ignorant, to stand in place, and then trotted over to help.

The middle-aged scholar subconsciously wanted to stop the three-year-old boy.

If the ten-year-old boy still had some strength, what could a mere three-year-old boy do? But after thinking about it, he gave up on the idea.

In any case, this could be considered an expression of filial piety from the three-year-old boy, the intention being greater than the substance.

The father's coffin had fallen to the ground, and some action was ultimately better than indifference.

Immediately, the middle-aged scholar, who was also quite thin, said in a low voice,

"Come, let's all push together, move!"

In the next moment, the four of them pushed together.

However, these four people could be said to completely encompass "the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled," so how could they move this heavy coffin stuck on the carriage?

Among them, the ten-year-old boy and the three-year-old boy were already panting from exhaustion after pushing for a while.

Just then, the sound of rapid hooves rang out.

Before the middle-aged scholar could react, a hundred-man team riding horses appeared in the middle-aged scholar's sight.

However, after the middle-aged scholar saw the official "Liu" flag on the hundred-man team, he breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that they were bandits or mountain robbers.

The hundred-man team was as swift as the wind, galloping past the middle-aged scholar's group.

The leader suddenly pulled on the reins, causing the warhorse under his crotch to raise its front hooves high, transforming from extreme stillness to extreme motion, demonstrating extraordinary horsemanship.

The cavalrymen following behind him also stopped in a very short time, their high quality surprising the middle-aged scholar.

Immediately, the leader dismounted and walked towards the middle-aged scholar.

Only when the leader cupped his hands towards the middle-aged scholar and said something did the middle-aged scholar wake up from his daze.

"I see that this brother seems to have encountered some inconvenience. Do you need help?"

"Then I'll have to trouble you to lend a hand," the middle-aged scholar said quickly.

"Alright."

The leader didn't hesitate, stepped forward, patted the head of the three-year-old boy who still had his hands on the coffin, and said in a gentle voice,

"You've already done very well, your filial piety is commendable. How about letting me help you?"

Feeling the warmth from the warm palm, the three-year-old boy subconsciously stepped aside.

The leader stretched out his arms, and with his extraordinary arms, he combined them. Although he looked like the son of a wealthy family, he showed surprising courage.

Before the middle-aged scholar and the old servant could help, the heavy coffin was directly lifted up by the leader, and then pushed into the carriage with ease.

Then, the leader walked to the side of the carriage where the wheel had fallen off, looked around, and then shouted,

"Ji Chang!"

"Here!"

A burly man with a weathered face and light armor strode to the leader's side and stood at attention.

"Lift up this side of the carriage. The damage to this wheel is not serious, it's just fallen off and can still be repaired."

"Yes, Lord."

Upon hearing this, the man immediately grabbed the edge of the carriage with both hands, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and with a sudden lift.

The carriage carrying the coffin was forcibly lifted up on the fallen side by the man, maintaining a relatively balanced state with the other wheel.

Looking at the man's actions, lifting one side of the carriage didn't seem difficult.

This scene made the middle-aged scholar couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"What a true warrior."

However, what surprised the middle-aged scholar even more was that the leader, who was called Lord by the man and whose attire highlighted his extraordinary status, was actually doing the work of a craftsman with great skill.

In just a moment, the fallen wheel was reattached to the carriage by the leader.

This scene, while making the middle-aged scholar more puzzled, made the three-year-old boy's eyes sparkle.

The leader clapped off the mud and dirt on his hands and said in a gentle voice,

"Alright, the carriage can barely be used. If you drive slowly, it should be able to last another hundred or two hundred li. When you reach the next city, this brother can replace the carriage."

"Thank you for your help. I am Zhuge Xuan from Langya. May I ask how I should address you? I will definitely repay this kindness in the future," Zhuge Xuan said quickly, bowing.

"I am Liu Bei, the Governor of Yangzhou and the Prefect of Wu Commandery. Greetings, Brother Zhuge," Liu Bei said solemnly.

These words undoubtedly shocked Zhuge Xuan, who never expected that the man in front of him with a face like jade and hands that reached past his knees was actually the Governor of a province and the Prefect of a commandery.

What surprised Zhuge Xuan even more was that Liu Bei, despite his status and position, was still humble and even willing to help a stranger with his coffin and repair his carriage.

"It is said that Lord Liu is a benevolent gentleman, and it is indeed true. Meeting you is even better than hearing about you," Zhuge Xuan said with emotion.

"Just an empty name..."

Liu Bei cupped his hands in response, then looked at Zhuge Xuan and the three children and asked, "May I ask who is in the coffin...?"

Zhuge Xuan's tone was somewhat sorrowful as he said,

"That is my cousin, who was originally the Assistant of Taishan Commandery in Yanzhou. During this great drought and plague in the Central Plains, my cousin unfortunately contracted the disease and died in office. Therefore, I, Xuan, went to Taishan to bring my cousin back home for burial. These three are also my nephews whom I brought back from Taishan."

"Please accept my condolences."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh.

As the Assistant of a commandery, he died in office from illness. He was likely a good official, and he left behind three young children, whose future lives would inevitably be difficult.

This couldn't help but remind Liu Bei of Li Ji, who was also an Assistant of a commandery in his family, and a sense of urgency welled up in his heart again. He bowed to Zhuge Xuan and the three children respectively and said,

"I am in a hurry to visit the King of Langya, so I won't stay any longer. Please be careful on your journey."

With that, Liu Bei looked at the three-year-old child whose eyes were bright and full of spirit as he gazed at him. He smiled warmly and encouragingly, then mounted his horse and led his cavalry, quickly disappearing from Zhuge Xuan and the others' sight.

“I wonder why Prefect Liu, so far away in Wu Commandery, would be here?” Zhuge Xuan murmured.

Suddenly, the three-year-old child's gaze seemed to gain a hint of profoundness as he said,

“Perhaps, he has come to save the people.”

Having spoken, the three-year-old child bowed towards the direction Liu Bei had departed, and muttered to himself,

“One day, Zhuge Liang will surely repay Prefect Liu’s kindness.” (End of Chapter)