Chapter 6: A Discussion on Heroes over Wine

Upon arriving in Han Fu's large tent, Pan Feng had already returned from battle, thus adding one more person to the gathering. Although Han Fu may not have been particularly skilled in warfare, he placed great emphasis on personal enjoyment, and soon the banquet within the tent was arranged perfectly. Unfortunately, the season was not right, and the servants under Li You were unable to procure any green plums for him, which left him feeling somewhat disappointed.

The "Four Sorrows Poem" is one of his works and can be considered one of the earliest seven-character poems; during the Han Dynasty, poetry primarily consisted of four-character and five-character forms, and seven-character poetry officially emerged on the literary scene after Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi, wrote the "Song of the Swallow." This is why he was so curious about these two lines of poetry by Li You

Who composed this poem, Wenjie? It seems somewhat similar to Zhang Pingzi's "Four Sorrows Poem" from the past in Nanyang!" Cao Cao, who was quite sensitive to poetry, inquired. Li You also highly agreed with the evaluation of the Eight Steeds of Jiangxia, stating, "This poem by Wenjie is perfectly suitable for evaluating those corrupt Confucians! However, I fear that among the Eight Steeds, there may be some who would be incapable of even sacrificing their lives for their sovereign in times of crisis"

After filling the cup with wine, Li You raised his glass once more, "This second cup is to honor General Pan Feng, who broke through the Sishui Pass and cleared the path for our advance! General Pan Feng is truly my unparalleled general!" In the end, Li You couldn't help but make a playful remark!

Yuan Gonglu is merely a withered bone in the tomb, and sooner or later, he will fall to the hands of Meng De!" Li You was momentarily taken aback.

Li You was the first to raise his cup, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to toast this first cup of wine to General Guan Sheng, who has made the foremost contribution today by defeating Hua Xiong and breaking the power of Dong Zhuo!"

In my view, among the heroes of today, there are only the Emperor's uncle and Lord Mengde!" Li You exclaimed, clapping his hands in approval

Someone is also a person of the He Dong region, perhaps they share the same lineage as General Guan! Guan Sheng's voice trembled slightly, as if he was excited to meet his ancestor

"A toast to General Guan Sheng!" Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and others raised their cups in unison, and everyone drank it all in one go

Cao Cao pondered for a moment; he understood that the hero Han Fu was referring to was not the same as the hero he had just mentioned. His earlier reference was merely to those who had achieved some distinction, while Han Fu was now speaking of a figure capable of bringing an end to the chaotic times. This left him somewhat at a loss for words, so he turned his gaze to Liu Bei, asking, "I wonder what Lord Xuande has to say on this matter"

Today, we shall only discuss heroes and not poetry. Li You diverted the topic, and then Liu Bei and Cao Cao brought up other lords such as Sun Jian of Jiangdong, Liu Zhang of Yizhou, and Ma Teng of Xiliang.

"Brother Mengde is indeed a hero of our time. I wish to invite him, but it seems impossible; how can I blame anyone for that?" At this point, Li You's playful spirit was ignited, and he turned to ask, "I wonder, who does Brother Mengde think can truly be called a hero in today's world?"

Tsk, you call him Brother Guan Sheng, this seems to have disrupted the hierarchy! The one sitting above, Li You, not only broke a sweat but also turned to look at Guan Sheng.

The Zhang Pingzi mentioned by Cao Cao refers to the renowned Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng made outstanding contributions in various fields such as mathematics and astronomy, and he also possessed remarkable political and literary talents. He once held the position of Xiang of Hejian, achieving notable political accomplishments. He is also recognized as one of the Four Masters of Han Fu alongside Sima Xiangru, Yang Xiong, and Ban Gu. Additionally, it is said that his skills in swordsmanship were exceptional, as he single-handedly defeated more than ten assassins who came to kill him. He is truly a polymath.

"Is this the third cup? I must express my gratitude to Yide. After General Guan Sheng returned from slaying Hua Xiong, there was no one in the tent who cheered, except for Yide, who spoke out with righteousness! On behalf of Guan Sheng, I thank Yide!" After saying this, Li You raised his cup to Zhang Fei and drank it all in one go for the third time

Lord Xuande, do not be overly modest! Li You also wishes to know what he will say, and whether it is the same as what he has read in books.

"Oh? May I ask who is capable of such a feat?" Li You's words about heroes made the two of them feel a surge of blood, and they could not help but ask.

"Yuan Shu of Huainan has ample provisions and troops; could he be considered a hero?" Upon hearing Li You's evaluation of his childhood friend, Cao Cao felt somewhat dissatisfied and interjected.

When Liu Bei entered the tent, Cao Cao did not treat him with the same rudeness as Yuan Shao and others. Liu Bei took note of this in his heart. Upon hearing Li You speak in such a manner, he hurried out to mediate, saying, "There is a person named Ba Jun, who commands great authority across the nine provinces. Can Liu Jing Sheng be considered a hero?"

Liu Bei habitually downplays his own abilities, saying that one must rely on the naked eye to recognize a hero

Thank you, my lord! The words "Peerless General" made Pan Feng extremely excited, and he quickly raised his cup in gratitude

"This generation possesses only a hollow reputation, not true heroes!" Li You recalled the members of the Eight Heroes of Jiangxia, noting that most of them seemed to have only a clean name, yet left behind no significant deeds. He then added, "The Eight Heroes of Jiangxia are literarily lacking the talent of a county scholar and martial-wise, they have the strength of a chicken! In this chaotic era, these individuals do not think of contributing to the country, but only know how to engage in empty talk! As the poem goes: 'In times of peace, they stand by with folded arms discussing their true nature; in times of crisis, they die for their sovereign.' This precisely describes this generation!"

At that moment, he did not think too much; he simply felt a sense of familiarity as he looked at the brothers Guan Sheng and Er Ge, who were so alike. Zhang Fei's dark face flushed slightly, as if he felt a bit embarrassed

Ah! Cao Cao and Liu Bei were immediately taken aback and turned pale upon hearing this

Oh? I wonder from which branch of the Guan family Brother Guan Sheng hails?" After hearing this, Guan Yu became serious, "I have been away from home for a long time and am not aware of how my family members are doing now. I hope Brother Guan Sheng can inform me!

Well, it seems that the hierarchy is even more chaotic! Upon seeing Guan Sheng's expression, Li You suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, "I have also been away from home since childhood and truly do not know about the matters at home"

Haha, such insignificant people are hardly worth mentioning! A true hero possesses great ambitions, has profound strategies, and harbors the schemes of the universe, with aspirations that encompass heaven and earth. What Xuan De and Meng De have just mentioned are merely the words of mediocre individuals, unworthy of the title of hero!

Alright, we cannot let you continue this discussion any longer; let us change the topic. If we keep chatting like this, it might lead to trouble! Li You quickly interrupted their conversation and once again raised his wine cup, saying, "For this fourth cup, I would like to toast to Brother Mengde. Brother Mengde, instead of entering the Sishui Pass at this moment, has come to my tent. I suspect you have something to say, don't you?"

Congratulations to General Pan Feng! Congratulations to General Wushuang! Cao Cao and Liu Bei are once again following suit, it seems that for a long time to come, Pan Feng will be bearing the title of General Wushuang!

It is indeed difficult to prepare for this! Liu Bei once again clasped his hands and then said, "Yuan Shao of Hebei, a descendant of four generations of three dukes, has many former officials in his household; now he is the leader of the eighteen warlords, and he has many capable subordinates. Can he be considered a hero?"

Yuan Shao was blusterous yet timid, good at strategizing but lacking decisiveness; he was reluctant to risk himself in great undertakings and would forget his life for small gains; he was not a hero! Li You imitated the tone of Bao Guoan from the television series and said with a chuckle

Haha! There is no other reason; I, Cao, have always had a fondness for heroes. Today, upon seeing such heroic figures under the command of Wenjie and Xuande, I shamelessly took the liberty of being a villainous guest! Brother Wenjie, please do not take offense!" Cao Cao said with a hearty laugh, showing no concern for Li You's teasing.