SFS Chapter 501 This Time I'm Playing Openly
Chapter 501 This Time I'm Playing Openly
After exchanging pleasantries outside the city for half an hour, and reassuring all of Guan Yu's generals, including those who had just escaped from Jiangbei, and making sure that no one had been neglected, Liu Bei led everyone back.
The group chatted and laughed along the way, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Xia Tong was the most active among them.
After his second growth spurt, Xia Tong was like a man on drugs. Even the heavy armor weighing dozens of kilograms couldn't hide his boundless energy. As soon as he was out of the adults' sight, he ran up to Guan Xing excitedly and said, "General, I think I've grown taller since we parted ways in Jianye. You don't believe me? Look!"
Guan Xing had been in a low mood and didn't want to talk much these past two days, so he said perfunctorily, "It's true, kid. If you keep growing, you'll probably be taller than my dad. The Duke of Xingguo invited you over to introduce you two to a new friend."
When people see someone who excels in other areas, they feel respect for them, knowing they are no match for them. However, when they see someone who excels in their own professional field, they feel a sense of crisis and thus develop hostility towards that person.
Zhang Bao was recognized by Ji Han as the number one second-generation martial artist, and he was always proud of it. However, after seeing Xia Tong, who was wearing iron armor and looked like an iron mountain, he felt a strong sense of crisis. Hearing Guan Xing's shout, he decisively stepped forward, put his arm around Xia Tong's neck and laughed, "Deputy Battalion Commander Xia Tong, right? My name is Zhang Bao. Let's find an opportunity to spar."
Xia Tong, who had been personally taught by Guan Yu, might feel inferior in other aspects, but he was second to none in martial arts. Hearing this, he grinned and said, "Okay, if you win, I'll give you this armor."
Zhang Bao punched his armor a few times, his face burning with excitement, and said, "Alright, since you're so generous, I can't be stingy either. If you win, I'll marry Anguo's sister to you."
Guan Xing: "..."
You're asking for it, kid. Want to hear what you're saying?
Before Xia Tong could reply, Zhang Bao spoke first, asking with a look of surprise, "An Guo, what's wrong with you these past two days? You seem so absent-minded and listless. In the past, you would have come over and beaten me up long ago."
Guan Xing rolled his eyes and said, "Isn't it better if I don't beat you up? What's wrong with you, you little jerk?"
Guan Xing gave half-hearted replies, and his listless appearance made Zhuge Liang, who had been observing him, feel a little worried.
Unexpectedly, this kid, like Zhang Bao and Jiang Wei, is extremely intelligent but has the temperament of a young man who can't keep secrets.
This won't do. A major battle is imminent. If Guan Xing stays in this state, how will he cope with the upcoming battle?
It seems we can't delay any longer; we have to have an open and honest talk with this kid.
Zhuge Liang squinted and fell into deep thought. As he pondered, he continued to advance with the main force, and before he knew it, they had returned to Jiangling City.
The camp outside the city to receive Guan Yu's army was already prepared. Liu Bei led the army into the camp and personally settled them in before leading Guan Yu into Jiangling.
As soon as Guan Yu entered the city, he showed the same surprised expression as Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang when they entered. Looking at the devastation all over the place, he said with a pained expression, "What happened? Who has ravaged Jiangling City like this?"
Jiangling was rebuilt brick by brick by him, it's like his child, but it's been ruined like this in the blink of an eye. It would be a lie to say he's not heartbroken.
Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "It's alright, out with the old, in with the new. The new city will be built in a few days."
He then led Guan Yu to the commander's tent to host a banquet, with everyone else in attendance.
It was unrealistic to discuss official business with so many people present, and Guan Yu's experiences in Jiangdong couldn't be mentioned in front of Sun Quan. Therefore, the banquet focused on romance and not state affairs, and the conversation lasted until evening.
Guan Xing drank quite a bit. Although the glutinous rice wine of this era had little alcohol content, it still had some effect when exposed to the wind. Guan Xing stumbled back to his tent and fell asleep immediately.
No sooner had he lain down than the tent flap was lifted, and Zhuge Liang walked in, waving his feather fan.
Upon seeing him, Guan Xing's expression changed and he sat up abruptly. Zhuge Liang, however, leisurely lit a candle and placed it by the bedside, then sat down and said, "Anguo, let's talk. I have already instructed your personal guard commander, Zhu Chao, to be on guard. No one will disturb us."
Guan Xing immediately became extremely alert, and asked with a serious expression, "What do you want to know?"
Zhuge Liang carefully considered his words before saying, "I know you are not Guan Xing. Now I just want to know if you are a human or a ghost, a reincarnated soul or a deity descended to earth?"
Zhuge Liang had no concept of time travel in his mind. The only two things he could think of were reincarnation and the descent of a god. Although they were a bit far-fetched, he really couldn't think of any other explanations.
Guan Xing shrugged and said, "I don't know either. Let me give you the simplest example. If you woke up now and suddenly found that you had become Qin Er Shi with Zhuge Liang's memories, how would you feel?"
He could indeed use excuses like being resurrected, a god descending to earth, or even dreaming of an old immortal to fob off Zhuge Liang, but he didn't intend to do so. One lie would require countless more to cover it up, and if he did, he wouldn't know how many more lies he would have to tell. Just thinking about it was exhausting.
So since we've chosen to talk, let's be open and honest about it, and then we can do whatever we want after that.
As I said before, when dealing with someone like Zhuge Liang, you have to play your cards straight. Don't even think about trying to outsmart him; you simply can't win.
Guan Xing's idea was good, but it baffled Zhuge Liang, who stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. He really hadn't thought of it in this way.
Guan Xing continued, "Don't rush to answer me. Think about it first. Imagine you have the ideas and knowledge of the Han Dynasty over four hundred years, but suddenly you become Qin Er Shi from four hundred years ago. How would you react?"
Following his train of thought, Zhuge Liang mentally simulated the scenario of himself becoming Qin Er Shi (the Second Emperor of Qin), simulating it for a full quarter of an hour before finally saying, "It would definitely involve first eliminating Zhao Gao, then stabilizing the court, finding a way to deal with the allied forces of the feudal lords led by Xiang Yu to preserve the Qin dynasty, and then..."
Guan Xing shrugged and said, "That's what I think too."
Zhuge Liang was utterly shocked by this line of thought and asked incredulously, "So you came from the future, how far away are you from the Han Dynasty?"
Guan Xing pondered, "To put it this way, according to the calendar of our time, General Guan was defeated at Maicheng in 219 AD, and I came here in 2025."
Snapped……
Although Zhuge Liang was mentally prepared for Guan Xing's startling words, he was still so shocked that he opened his mouth wide and didn't even notice that his fan had fallen.
After standing there stunned for a good quarter of an hour, Zhuge Liang said incredulously, "Eighteen hundred years is equivalent to me returning to the Shang Dynasty?"
Guan Xing nodded.
Zhuge Liang continued, "So you know everything that happened from now until the next 1,800 years, right? What happened after that? Was the Han Dynasty successfully restored?"
"Also, after Yun Chang was defeated at Maicheng, you dragged him to Jianye, which means you changed history. What was the original history? Did Yun Chang retreat to Linju and get killed by Lü Meng?"
"And there's more..."
No one can foresee the future, not even the wise and cunning Zhuge Liang.
But everyone wants to see into the future, to know what will happen to them after they die, and what will become of their children, family, and country.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang had many questions to ask Guan Xing, a living history book with 1,800 years of history.
He wanted to ask Guan Xing but wasn't in a hurry. He spread his hands and said sarcastically, "I'm a simple person. I hope that all people and things can be straightforward and simple. I don't want to make things too complicated."
"So I want to know, once you know my identity and background, what will you do to me? Will you kill me, put me under house arrest, or dissect me and cut me into a thousand pieces?"
"Let me make it clear beforehand that I didn't kill the original Guan Xing. I woke up one morning and found myself transformed into Guan Xing. I don't know how that happened."
"To be honest, I really didn't want to come. Your era is too backward. Just think about it, if you went back to the Shang Dynasty, could you endure the life of eating raw meat and drinking blood?"
Zhuge Liang: “…”