"Second-generation rulers?!"
Everyone instinctively turned to look at Liu Bei.
Liu Xuande's face darkened.
"At least A-Dou…"
He trailed off, unable to finish.
He suddenly remembered that in the history shown on the light-screen, the "Liu Bei" of later ages was defeated by Sun Quan.
So in the end, he could only say:
"…It depends on how later generations define a 'second-generation ruler.'"
For a brief moment, Liu Bei felt genuinely uneasy—more nervous than when personally leading troops into battle.
On Cao Wei's side, it would probably be Cao Pi or Cao Rui.
But how should Jiangdong be counted?
"By the way," Zhang Fei asked curiously, glancing around,
"who even said 'Beget sons like Sun Zhongmou'?"
He looked baffled.
"Who would want to adopt someone like Sun Shiwan brothers-in-law?"
"That household would need an army just to survive!"
Zhuge Liang voiced a differing opinion:
"Sun… Quan was indeed lacking in commanding armies," he admitted,
"but in other areas, he still had notable strengths."
Recalling Emperor Yizong's earlier operations, everyone felt a sympathetic chill.
"Then it should be 'Beget sons like Zhuge Liang!'"
Zhang Fei declared indignantly on behalf of the military advisor.
Zhuge Liang's face immediately darkened.
[ Server Chat Log]
ChronicleBreaker: Oh vast heavens, why are you so cruel to me?
To inherit the Chancellor's will and punish the usurping traitors—
Prime Minister, do you see this?
DynastySpectator: As expected of a 'Zhangyu' UP creator—he forcibly drags the topic from the Three Kingdoms to the late Tang.
If not for video length limits, wouldn't he also talk about Yue Fei?
MandateError: Honestly, watching Shu-Han always gives me this feeling:
the strongest fortresses are always destroyed from within.
Lord Guan's northern campaign ran into a trash brother-in-law.
The Chancellor's northern expeditions ran into Ma Su's empty talk and Li Yan's obsession with power.
ScrollLoading: At the core, it was always logistics.
Logistics were prepared, but logistics systems weren't.
Ancient military texts talk endlessly about strategy and command, but barely mention supply chains—
so historical great generals had to figure it out themselves.
DaoAfterPatch: In the Book of Jin, Sima Yi was already an "Emperor-fighter."
He participated in Guandu, commanded the conquest of Shu,
and withdrew victorious after killing tens of thousands at Wuzhang Plains—
truly worthy of the title Sima Xuanwang.
JianghuLag: Speaking of which, Li Yan's brain-dead antics were somehow blamed on A-Dou in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
A-Dou must've been thinking, "What the hell? I dragged down my own prime minister?"
DaoLagSpike: After the Chancellor's death, Cao Rui got cocky.
Then came a single fart at the Luo River—and the realm was taken.
The Sima clan really lived up to their name.
CultivationOffline: Zhuge's ingenious stratagems killed Zhang He,
but they couldn't beat Li Yan sabotaging logistics.
HeavenPing: Honestly, what did Wei have to fear?
As long as Sun Quan started a northern expedition, everything would magically improve.
@Great Wei's King of Wu, Sun"Shiwan" Quan.
EraSkipped: The Sleeping Dragon found his lord, but not his era.
If he were twenty years younger…
If he had emerged ten years earlier…
But history has no "ifs."
The sun of Shu-Han set.
And perhaps the most morally bankrupt dynasty ushered in a long night.
Scrollframe: If you don't know Jin, let me explain:
born in injustice, died in shame.
Ever seen five people AFK at the spawn point flaming each other?
The Jin dynasty did that.
InkAndLatency: Born unjustly isn't a big deal.
Dying in disgrace? That's debatable.
SilentChronicler: Didn't we learn about late Qing treaties in school?
Didn't foreigners just recently ask us to pay the Boxer Indemnity again? Idiots.
CanonIsBugged: Late Qing…
The Declaration of War against all nations?
Forget it—I'll pretend I never said that.
LoreGG: Throughout history, losers always have flaws:
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's temperaments,
Liu Bei's emotional decisions.
In the feudal age, only Zhuge Liang could truly say: "Fate cannot be defied."
My heart and actions are clear as a mirror—all I did was for Shu-Han.
Oh vast heavens, why are you so cruel?
After the Chancellor's death, none could match him.
DaoLagSpike: By the way—at the Martial Marquis Shrine today,
does Zhuge Liang pay rent to Liu Bei, or vice versa?
Whose name is on the property deed?
HeavenPatch: Who wakes first from the great dream?
In life, I knew myself well.
Spring sleep in the thatched cottage was deep; outside, the sun lingered.
Who would've thought that was the last good sleep?
HistoryRespawn: Zhuge Liang nearly won against Heaven itself.
Then Heaven kicked away the chair.
Three horses share one trough—the Wei court darkened from here.
EmpireReplay: Personally, I think Zhang Yichao's ability, achievements, and private virtue truly rival Zhuge Liang's.
LastHistorian.exe: You could even bring Yue Fei into the discussion.
But look at their emperors—continuously worse. Emperor Yizong was such trash that compared to Emperor Gaozong of Song, he almost counts as human.
And A-Dou, among these three, looks abnormally competent.
SwordInT: Honestly, it's precisely because late Tang and Southern Song emperors weren't human
that loyal ministers look even more tragic.
"Palaces open beneath the Nine Heavens;
all nations bow before the crown."
ServerOfRi: Compared to High Tang, what the Guiyi Army restored was only a fraction of its glory.
The Guiyi Army was Zhang Yichao's miracle-a moment of dignity before a former hegemon's final breath.
HistoryNerf: Zhuge Liang launched six northern expeditions.
Zhang Yichao reclaimed eleven prefectures.
When will this UP master upload thirteen episodes in one day?
DynastyLoop: Zhang Yichao feels more like Jiang Wei to me—lonely, loyal, struggling alone, and doomed to fail.
BrokePurse: Looking further back:
Emperor Wu of Han established Zhangye to "extend the nation's arm";
Wuwei for "martial might"; Dunhuang for "great flourishing"—each name marking conquest of the Western Regions.
VoidBrezze: Zhang Yichao's story moves me even more. The Guiyi Army's story is the struggle of Chinese people in the Hexi Corridor returning to the motherland.
PoetNerd : Thanks to High Tang, we had frontier poetry :
After a hundred battles in yellow sands, armor worn through,
If Loulan is not destroyed, we will never return.
By Song times, it became
"So angry I pace the balcony, slapping the railings, powerless."
"Even now, I can still see the war fires along Yangzhou Road."
ErrorPath: Zhang Yichao was also defying Heaven.
Hexi's decline and Tubo's fall were linked to shifting rainfall lines—
the climate window that favored High Tang was closing.
There was no helping it.
Li Shimin: "Family misfortune—lost integrity at the Guiyi Army."
Everyone in the hall began copying furiously.
Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Jian Yong—all recorded what they saw.
"The fortress always falls from within," Guan Yu sighed.
"This accords with Sun Tzu—attacking strategy is supreme."
The generals nodded. If there was any choice, who would want to assault a fortified city?
Huang Zhong especially felt helpless—every time passing Jiangling, he wondered: How do you even fight this?
Zhang Fei muttered, recalling a previous line:
"Attacking cities is worse than attacking hearts."
Guan Yu was delighted.
"Third Brother—you finally spoke like a human."
Then Zhang Fei leaned forward again:
"Brother, Military Advisor—
if the Martial Marquis Shrine has a deed, whose name's on it?"
Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exchanged glances, then simultaneously tapped Zhang Fei's head with their brushes.
"Better worry whether Fan Jiang and Zhang Da are loyal," Liu Bei said.
Zhang Fei instantly shrank back.
Liu Bei sighed instead:
"Ever since asking the Military Advisor to leave seclusion,
it seems he's never had an easy day."
Zhuge Liang smiled serenely.
"Does my lord wish me to enjoy wealth and rank in Xuchang?"
Liu Bei froze—then burst out laughing.
After finishing the transcription, Liu Bei left the hall and retrieved an item long unused from the county office's rear courtyard.
"Husband, are you retrieving this for a great worthy?" Lady Gan asked.
Liu Bei shook his head.
"To save people."
Zhuge Liang wrote instructions, sealed the box, and raised it toward the light-screen.
While awaiting a response, the group chatted idly.
"Is the Sima Jin really that weak?" Jian Yong asked.
"Even Cao Wei fought barbarians and earned Zhang Liao merits!" Zhang Fei scoffed.
"Then the Sima clan usurps Wei and causes barbarian disaster—worse than A-Dou!"
Liu Bei twitched an eyelid and chose not to argue.
Pang Tong felt he was touching the root of later catastrophes.
Internal chaos plus external invasion.
"If later generations group Qing with Jin…" he murmured,
"then late Qing must've ended just as disgracefully."
"The Boxer Indemnity…" Pang Tong frowned.
"Something feels off."
Mi Zhu guessed:
"Could it be Qing declared war on all nations, fought bravely, lost, and paid compensation?"
"If so, that dynasty wasn't lacking in backbone."
The generals frowned—declaring war on everyone and losing didn't sound shameful?
Yet… the tone of the light-screen commentary felt wrong.
Zhuge Liang, however, focused on something else:
"These frontier poems are excellent," he said.
"Bold imagery—very Han-like."
He wondered whether Shu would ever have such spirit.
Wen Mang was wandering Sichuan, filming and traveling.
The day after uploading, he received another delivery call.
"Valuable item—signature required."
After signing, he shook the large box.
Metal clinked.
"Gold coins again?"
Inside was a note:
"Upon hearing of disaster, we are deeply concerned.
Convert gold and jade into relief funds; keep calligraphy as thanks.
—Zhuge, a Villager of Nanyang."
Opening the box, Wen Mang felt his Dao-heart tremble—
about one millimeter.
Gold and jade gleamed quietly.
He scratched his head.
"Why don't these big shots just come themselves?"
With no choice, he called the familiar number.
"Dr. Dong? I need your help…!!