[Of course, we can't judge ancient people by modern standards.
After all, the liberation of productive forces was still a very distant dream.
Back in the Three Kingdoms era, the "tech tree" hadn't even been unlocked.
Meanwhile, in our time, humanity has already specced straight into nuclear power.]
Liu Bei snapped out of his thoughts.
That phrase bothered him.
"What exactly does 'liberation of productive forces' mean?"
"It should be split apart," Zhuge Liang said, half-guessing, half-reasoning. "Productive forces… the ability to produce. Likely refers to farmers. Liberation would mean freeing them."
"Freeing them from whom?" Liu Bei asked calmly, eyes sharp.
"…From the great clans and powerful families," he answered himself.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion flashed through his memory.
Once, he had believed that as long as an official was upright and incorruptible, the people would naturally live well.
Reality had beaten that illusion flat.
Whipping a corrupt inspector, resigning office, wandering without land—now, from that single phrase, Liu Bei felt he was glimpsing a deeper truth.
"And what about this 'tech tree'?" Liu Bei pressed. "And what is this 'nuclear power' the future speaks of?"
"Well," Jian Yong jumped in, "we can break it down too. 'Tech' must refer to crafts and skills. 'Tree' is… a tree?"
He trailed off, helpless.
Zhuge Liang stared at the text, eyes slowly lighting up.
"'Ke' can also mean classification or rank," he said thoughtfully. "Perhaps this 'tech tree' refers to techniques growing like a tree—layer by layer, branching upward."
He picked up a sheet of paper.
"Take papermaking. In ancient times, there was no paper. Cai Lun created it and benefited the people."
"Later, Cai Lun paper was rough and uneven. Zuo Bo refined it into this—smoother, finer."
"If papermaking were a tree, Cai Lun's work would be the trunk. Zuo Bo's improvement would be a branch."
"This… may be what they mean by a 'tech tree.'"
Silence filled the hall.
The logic was simple—improve upon what already exists—but hearing it framed this way hit differently.
[By the standards of his era, the Chancellor had already pushed logistics to their absolute limit.
After all, when Liu Bei entered Shu, he made the disastrous promise:
'Once matters are settled, I will take nothing from the treasury.'
The result?
When Zhuge Liang took over Chengdu's stores, they were so empty that even rats would've wept.]
Zhang Fei muttered under his breath, "Big Brother really was generous…"
Liu Bei flushed but straightened his back.
"A man must know when to cut cleanly!"
Zhuge Liang, meanwhile, felt a familiar chill crawl up his spine.
[Before the rats even finished crying—there was the Hanzhong campaign, the loss of Jingzhou, Guan Yu's death, the hasty coronation, Yiling in flames, and finally… Liu Bei's death.
Under these conditions, Zhuge Liang still managed to stabilize the economy and govern Shu so that:
'Fields were reclaimed, granaries filled, equipment sharpened, reserves abundant.
The court was plain, and the roads held no drunkards.'
Frankly speaking—this level of governance was one of a kind.]
Zhuge Liang:
…This praise is unbearable.
If you don't know how to compliment someone, you really shouldn't force it.
Liu Bei, on the other hand, was radiant.
"So… I really get a prime minister like this?"
Jian Yong and Mi Zhu stared at Zhuge Liang as if meeting him for the first time.
They'd always known he was tall, handsome, and sharp-tongued.
They hadn't realized he was this terrifyingly capable.
[One more regret: the Three Kingdoms period seriously undervalued medicine.
Despite losing child after child, Cao Cao still executed the divine physician Hua Tuo.]
"That family had it coming," someone muttered.
Zhang Fei scratched his head. "Hua Tuo… was that the guy who made Chen Deng vomit worms?"
"Yes," Liu Bei said slowly. "And he saved Zhou Tai after he took spears for Zhou Yu."
"A miracle doctor like that—and Cao Cao killed him?"
"Does Cao Cao hate his own sons or something?"
Zhang Fei offered his own theory: "Maybe the Cao clan was cursed by the Han ancestors, and Hua Tuo couldn't cure curses."
[Among Sun Wu's three Grand Commanders, Lu Su lived the longest.
He died at forty-six.]
"Zhou Yu dies next year," everyone nodded grimly.
Zhao Yun, who'd been diligently taking notes, spoke up.
"Didn't it mention before that Lü Meng also died young? Wasn't he one of the Grand Commanders too?"
Consensus was reached quickly.
"That position is cursed."
[As for Shu Han—after Hanzhong, Huang Zhong and Ma Chao died of illness.
Even Fa Zheng, still young, died before Liu Bei.
Zhuge Liang likely worked himself to death.
Among the Four Chancellors he arranged for Liu Shan, Jiang Wan and Dong Yun also died of illness.
And this is despite Jingzhou being the hometown of Zhang Zhongjing.
Truly baffling.]
Everyone glanced at Zhuge Liang.
Then thought about his daily schedule.
"Yeah… that tracks."
"From now on," Liu Bei declared, "an armored escort will personally send Kongming home after work."
"And make sure he doesn't secretly carry documents with him!"
As for Huang Zhong—he was already over seventy during Hanzhong.
Dying at seventy-three?
That was a blessing.
Liu Bei, however, froze on one detail.
"Jingzhou… has Zhang Zhongjing?"
"Kongming," he asked urgently, "is that true?"
"Indeed," Zhuge Liang replied. "He once served as Grand Administrator of Changsha, appointed by Cao Cao."
"But he resigned before Red Cliffs. When you took Jingzhou, he had already returned home."
Liu Bei sighed deeply.
Missing a divine physician… what a loss.
Then a strange thought crept in.
If he really was that good…
Should he maybe check Liu Shan's head?
That phrase—'happy in Shu, forgets his homeland'—had wounded Liu Bei far too deeply.
[Alright, serious talk over. Casual chat done.
By the way—Chengdu is amazing.
Wuhou Shrine, Dujiangyan—both worth visiting.
And most importantly, I finally saw Hua Hua.
Mission complete.
Next episode, you already know what's coming:
The death of
Guan · Beautiful Beard · Marquis of Hanshou · Zhuangmou Marquis · Martial Sage · Saint Guan · Emperor Guan · Protector of Monasteries · Guan Yunlong.]
At the center of the glowing screen appeared an image:
A panda.
Round.
Harmless.
Holding bamboo like a rice ball.
Zhang Fei stared.
"That's a white bear?"
"…Why does it look like it couldn't even take one punch from me?"
"If the glowing screen likes it so much," he said thoughtfully, "should we catch one for it?"