♂?，，

  Thanks bro for opening up his wallet and giving me a reward, and now I've got another captain, haha.

  ————

  Liu Feng opened his mouth to plead, and Zhao Yun, who didn't drink much wine, also advised: "The young master is right, Chen Shu has been following the lord since he was in Yuzhou, and after so many years, he can be considered loyal. This time the fire was probably an accident, I hope the lord will punish him lightly."

  At this, Liu Bei's anger dissipated somewhat, and he flung off his sleeve, shouting: "Though your death sentence may be commuted, you shall not escape punishment! Take him out and give him fifty strokes of the bastinado!"

  For ordinary people, fifty military sticks would be enough to kill or cripple them. Although Liu Bei spared his life, these fifty sticks were likely to take Chen's life as well.

  "Chen Shu has arrived, it's bad luck. I've done all I can, whether we can get through this or not depends on fate."

  Liu Feng didn't dare to persuade him any more, and watched as Chen was dragged away. As he was about to leave, Chen's eyes turned towards Liu Feng, who saw a hint of gratitude in the silent man's gaze.

  After Chen was dragged away, Liu Bei sat down with a thud. As the drunkenness faded from his face, a few hints of worry surged up, and he couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect Heaven to be so unkind to Zide, actually letting him meet such an untimely fate... how could this happen, how could this happen..."

  "Brother, Zi De is weak and incompetent, indulging in wine and lust all day. Dying early would be a relief for him, so don't grieve too much." Zhang Fei's consolation was quite straightforward, it seems that in the eyes of this man who has many enemies, someone like Liu Qi, a 'coward', might as well be dead.

  In the great hall, there were over a dozen people, but not many of them felt sad about Liu Qi's "death news", only Xu Shu and Zhao Yun had a few words of regret.

  Since Chen arrived at the report that Liu Qi was burned to death, Zhuge Liang's eyes had been fixed on Liu Bei. Apparently, at first, he thought it was Liu Bei who ordered Liu Qi to be burned to death, but after a moment of careful observation, the change in his eyes indicated that he had dispelled this idea.

  After listening to Zhang Fei's words, Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan and said: "Although Zide is mediocre in talent and intelligence, his identity is a banner with great utility value. Lord Liu can use this banner not only to recruit a large number of Liu Biao's former subordinates but also to contend with Eastern Wu for the ownership of Jingzhou from a legal standpoint in the future. Unexpectedly, Zide encountered this unexpected event, which is indeed somewhat unfavorable to Lord Liu's future development."

  Liu Bei's eyebrows rose, and he thought that Zhuge Liang's words had hit the nail on his mind. He hastily said: "The military advisor's words are indeed reasonable, but Zi De is after all my nephew. Now that he has encountered this disaster, I, as his uncle, am heartbroken. Military Advisor, tell me what we should do next."

  Zhuge Liang smiled faintly: "Your Excellency doesn't have to worry too much, the fact that Zidu is in your hands is known to everyone under heaven. Even if Zidu really died, as long as we don't make it public and don't acknowledge any outside speculation, we can naturally minimize the unfavorable impact."

  Zhuge Liang's words struck a chord in Liu Bei's heart, and he was overcome with grief for a moment before sighing: "Now that things have come to this pass, there is nothing we can do but this; you all know what to do."

  Everyone is busy and gets together to follow suit.

  Liu Feng sneered in his heart, but said on the surface: "Father, although we had to conceal Zi De's death out of helplessness, after all, Zi De is our own flesh and blood, so it is reasonable that we should give him a grand burial."

  "This...," Liu Bei's face showed hesitation, and he turned his eyes to Zhuge Liang, seeking his advice.

  Zhuge Liang's face showed a few points of helplessness: "In the identity of Zi De, the lord should have given him a grand funeral, but under the current situation, it is better not to make too much noise. When the lord's great cause is settled, we can re-arrange for him a thick burial ceremony, which will not be late."

  Kongming's words were also what Liu Bei had in mind, so he nodded and said: "The military advisor is right, let's have our son bury Zide quietly instead of us, to avoid drawing attention."

  "I understand, don't worry, Father."

  The banquet that day was disrupted by the sudden big fire and Liu Qi's sudden death, but Liu Qi's death did not disrupt Zhuge Liang's various plans.

  The next day, Xu Shu set out to meet Guan Yu at the upper reaches of the Han River. Zhao Yun led his troops and departed for Lushan in the afternoon. Zhang Fei, who was tasked with leading a southern campaign against the two counties of Xiangxi, hastened his preparations. Meanwhile, Liu Feng sent someone to instruct Ma Su in Lushan to hand over command to Zhao Yun, and bring back 200 men and horses to Xiakou. At the same time, he also found a secluded spot outside the city of Xiakou to bury Liu Qi's ashes.

  The setting sun was like blood, dyeing this chaotic burial mound with an even more desolate cold red hue.

  Among the numerous nameless graves, a newly risen mound lay lonely and asleep. This new grave didn't even have a simple wooden epitaph, only a wooden stick was inserted at the head of the mound as a marker to distinguish it from other graves.

  Liu Feng knelt in front of the grave, pouring a cup of wine on the tomb, and sighed with a sorrowful expression: "Brother Zi De, drink this cup of wine and have a good journey."

  A gust of wind rose, and the bare branches creaked. Above his head, a few crows circled restlessly, occasionally letting out impatient caws, as if urging Liu Feng to hurry up and leave so they could eat the sacrificial fruits.

  After a simple sacrifice, Liu Feng got on the carriage and ordered the coachman to drive back to Xiakou City. The carriage moved slowly on the muddy mountain road, and the few bodyguards following behind gradually fell some distance away.

  At this time, Liu Feng poked his head out of the carriage, patted the driver's shoulder and smiled: "Being alive to see one's own grave, how does it feel? Is there a different flavor?"

  The coachman turned his head, slightly lifted the pressed-down grass hat, revealing a somewhat helpless smile: "A Feng, you knew I wasn't dead, yet you still brought me to this godforsaken place. You wouldn't be doing it just to enjoy the thrill of driving with me, would you?"

  Liu Feng's face calmed down, and his sharp gaze had a deeper meaning: "Being able to let my brother drive me for once is naturally what I've been asking for. However, the reason I brought him here was to make him see that person's true face one last time."

  That charioteer is Liu Qi.

  On the same day, at the meeting of the Taishou Prefecture, Liu Feng received the appointment to conquer Xiangdong and two other counties. Knowing that Pang Tong's opportunity had arrived, he slipped out of the main hall during the evening banquet to arrange for his trusted men to carry out a plan they had been plotting beforehand.

  Liu Bei originally thought that he had Liu Qi under his control, and the house arrest was not very strict. That night, all the civil and military officials gathered at the governor's mansion, and the surveillance of Liu Qi would naturally be more relaxed. It was precisely this that gave Liu Feng an opportunity, and the fire that night was intentionally set by him. The so-called "Liu Qi's remains" were actually someone else's.

  In Liu Qi's mind, that desolate and lonely grave reappeared, his eyes revealing determination and resentment. He gritted his teeth and said: "He was indeed ruthless and cruel, treating me like this when I was 'dead', and still being so heartless and merciless even after I'm gone! Hmph, if I don't avenge this grudge, Liu Qi will not be human!"

  Liu Qi's determination added a few more points to Liu Feng's confidence, he took a deep breath and coldly laughed: "Brother, rest assured, we will soon break free from the cage. I guarantee that it won't take long for me to return tenfold the humiliation I've suffered to them."

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