Zhao Yun Steals the Show at Jieqiao
During the gloomy retreat operation at Jieqiao, the one who truly became the protagonist was none other than Zhao Zilong.
Suddenly bursting onto the scene clad only in silver armor, she subdued Qu Yi and saved Gongsun Zan. Naturally, all eyes were on her—a female general who had just pulled off such a feat. From Gongsun Zan's perspective, she was his lifesaver. He'd have been beheaded by Qu Yi otherwise.
"What incredible martial prowess! Meeting you now is truly the greatest joy of my life!!"
Gongsun Zan shed his previous demeanor, flashing a dazzling smile and charming words her way. It was the confident attitude of a man who knew his heroic charisma worked wonders. He clearly intended to win her over.
"Ah. Yes."
But Zhao Yun showed barely any reaction. It was a bit robotic, in a way. I'd come to realize that a beauty with a deadpan expression was the scariest thing in the world.
"That guy in the golden armor—is he Yuan Shao?"
She tossed out the question abruptly.
"Ah, he may look like a mighty hero on the surface, but in truth, there's no greater villain."
Gongsun Zan nodded with a smile, emphasizing that he was on the side of justice. He seemed awfully keen on painting himself as the epitome of righteousness.
"Hm."
Zhao Yun watched him for a moment before blurting out,
"He seemed a bit better than you, at least."
Her words were, in a way, utterly nonchalant and rude. Like she didn't like either of them but had to pick the lesser evil.
'No way. She says that right to his face?'
Comparing them to shit and piss made it clear she hated both, and picking the relatively better one still stung, of course.
Especially for someone as prideful as Gongsun Zan.
Crack.
A faint fracture appeared in Gongsun Zan's handsome smile.
"Ahem. Indeed. Your eye for choosing this Gongsun Zan—I'll make sure you never regret it."
Gongsun Zan immediately plastered on another smile and said it. Wow. Even this doesn't crack his facade.
Clop clop.
Gongsun Zan ignored her and turned away, but Zhao Yun wheeled her horse straight toward us.
'Ah, Zhao Yun has great chemistry with Liu Bei.'
This game had a compatibility system of sorts. Commanders whose personalities meshed well or clashed. Zhao Yun had top-tier compatibility with Liu Bei.
It was the moment of a fateful, lifelong bond forming. The Liu Bei-Zhao Yun duo was one of those combos that thrilled Three Kingdoms fans. I couldn't help but watch the scene with a pounding heart.
But Zhao Yun was heading straight here, her path a perfect line—right toward me.
"Kim Gong!! I've long heard of your fame!"
Her eyes sparkled as she approached me, speaking up.
"Ah... Is that so."
It felt awkward to respond, so I just nodded deeply. Wait. She's approaching me first?
"Wandering the world to avenge your parents, ultimately suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion—a hero who joined forces with comrades to finally settle the score! That tale has become the talk of the realm!!"
Zhao Yun's eyes sparkled as she grinned and spoke.
'Ah... Hearing it like that, it does sound like a heartwarming story.'
It was straight out of some popular novel.
I could see why Zhao Yun liked it.
'Benevolence, loyalty, filial piety. That's what gets her going.'
Yeah. From her perspective, it was the kind of tale worth idolizing.
It was definitely heartwarming, but knowing the real story, I couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt.
'That was all bullshit...'
It just happened to fit together perfectly, making it sound like a legend.
"Hm. Kim Gong is a paragon of benevolence and righteousness in my eyes."
Liu Bei chimed in from the side, nodding.
"Ahh... Kim Gong's comrades who became his friends and helped avenge his parents: Lord Liu Xuande, Lord Zhang Yide, and Lady Guan Yunchang!"
Zhao Yun's eyes lit up as she gazed at Liu Bei's group.
Wait. How far has word spread? The Central Plains network is no joke. With such a dense population, rumors fly faster than in telephone games.
Zhao Yun, who had been impassive toward Gongsun Zan, was now beaming brightly and chattering nonstop at us. It was a peculiar sight.
'...'
Gongsun Zan was glaring daggers at us outright. She was ignoring him and being friendlier to us underlings—it clearly grated on him.
Zhao Yun, read the room. That's what I wanted to say.
In his current weakened state, Gongsun Zan might snap and go on a killing spree over this.
'At this point, Gongsun Zan is a total psycho.'
Right around now, Gongsun Zan earns the tyrant infamy reserved for rulers. In this worldview where lords exploiting subordinates is normalized, the era tends to overlook rulers' misdeeds to some degree. So getting the tyrant title isn't easy in-game.
The prime recipients were Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shu, and Dong Zhuo. You needed that level to snag it.
Even Cao Cao had some iffy traits but managed internal affairs well enough to narrowly avoid it. It's a seriously hard title to get.
Once a ruler has the tyrant title, their faction's reputation hits rock bottom.
One reason to cut ties with Gongsun Zan.
At this stage, to build the supply base Yejing Tower against Yuan Shao, he grinds the common folk into dust. He plunders all visible grain and resources, turning You Province into hell. Beheading Liu Yu for opposing him was just icing.
"Excuse me. Kim Gong. Did I commit some rudeness?"
At that moment, Zhao Yun glanced our way with a wary look, as if sensing something.
"Ah, no."
I must've zoned out thinking about Gongsun Zan.
"Ah! Good! No harm done!! A warrior's dream is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with great heroes! I want to be friends with you, Kim Gong, and everyone else!"
Zhao Yun kept her bright smile, giggling innocently.
Zhao Yun's intimacy +14
Zhao Yun's intimacy +6
The sudden barrage of intimacy-up effects popping over the status window was par for the course. What the hell? Why is hers skyrocketing like this? It was climbing at a terrifying rate.
Still, on the bright side, it meant I'd forged a bond with Zhao Yun.
-------
Back at Pingyuan.
Liu Bei had firmly set his stance. Refusing any cooperation with Gongsun Zan's bullshit, he held a neutral position under the pretext of strengthening Pingyuan's defenses.
'The escape flag's coming up soon anyway.'
There was a quest called the Xu Province saga—exclusive to Liu Bei's forces, a grand expedition chain.
It kicked off with a general named Tai Shici delivering a message. Hearing that Beihai's Prime Minister Kong Rong was suffering bandit raids, the first task was to go rescue him.
After dealing with Guan He's bandit gang and snagging the rare item Red Hare as a bonus, Mi Zhu would show up with another plea from Kong Rong, chaining into the Xu Province rescue.
At that point, Liu Bei gathers every soldier in Pingyuan and boldly cuts ties with Gongsun Zan's army. Picking up Zhao Yun along the way, naturally.
Then comes the hellish high-difficulty quest to stop Cao Cao's Xu Province massacre, leading to settling in Xu Province—a tearjerker without the waterworks.
It's a nightmare holding out until Cao Cao retreats from Xu due to Lu Bu's empty-home raid on Xuchang. Defending against elites like Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, He Jin, and Zhen Wei makes it pure hell.
'If we're cutting ties, now's the time...'
The quest difficulty was so brutal, it gave me pause. I love grinding mobs, but even veterans dreaded this one.
As I mulled it over,
"Kim Gong!! I'm here!!"
A clear voice like rolling jade beads rang out, and a beauty in a red casual robe popped up.
"Whoa, Zhao Gong. You came all the way from Beihai?"
I stared at Zhao Yun in surprise.
She'd been visiting Pingyuan almost daily. Beihai to Pingyuan was days away, yet she galloped here like mad.
"Yes!! I hurried because I wanted to get closer to you, Kim Gong!"
Zhao Yun grinned and hefted her spear.
Warrior bonding meant sparring. We'd dueled a few times—I lost, naturally—but she kept requesting more, saying she learned something each time.
'Gongsun Zan must hate this...'
As a filial hero, Gongsun Zan was greedy for talent. He seemed to deliberately keep Zhao Yun away from our members. She ignored it, treating Pingyuan like home.
"Come again."
From my view, it was just her dropping by, but Guan Yu clearly didn't like her.
"Ah, Lady Guan. Hello."
Zhao Yun greeted her warmly with a fist salute.
"...Oh. You've arrived."
Bu Yong-hwa spoke in a lower tone than usual, scanning Zhao Yun.
"Ah! Madam, hello!"
But you can't spit on a smiling face. Zhao Yun beamed innocently at Bu Yong-hwa.
"Ma, madam...?"
Bu Yong-hwa loved the title. Hearing "madam" melted her jealousy away.
"Then let's head to the training grounds! Kim Gong!"
Zhao Yun grabbed my arm with a smile, yanking me along.
Just grabbing was fine, but Zhao Yun didn't get personal space. She hooked her arm in mine like lovers linking arms.
'Whoa... Zhao Yun's physique is insane...!'
I couldn't help feeling the softness of her chest against my arm. On par with Bu Yong-hwa and Guan Yu—or better..!
"W-wait a sec, Zhao Yun? You're too close."
Guan Yu, indignant, hooked her arm into my other side. Wait. Why compete with arm links? I'll split in half.
"Kim is my little brother. And he's a married man. Getting that close is improper. At least keep more distance than his sister here."
Guan Yu stated it flatly, her face tinting apple-red.
"My, my. There's a saying that true heroes share bed and board, no? Arm in arm is nothing."
Zhao Yun giggled, staring Guan Yu right in the eye.
"...?"
Bu Yong-hwa watched silently, then fetched something from the kitchen.
A slightly worn pot and spoon.
"Oh dear. There's soot stuck on."
Bu Yong-hwa said it theatrically, scraping the pot bottom with the spoon.
Scraaape. Scrape. Scraaape.
The distinctive sound of scraping grime sent chills down my spine.
'...'
I sighed, knowing I'd have a tough night soothing my jealous wife's temper again.
-------
About a fortnight later.
A burly man, drenched head to toe in blood, came galloping up.
"P-Pingyuan! Message for Lord Liu Bei...!"
His handsome face matched the game's model perfectly. Tai Shici.
Tai Shici had finally arrived. The start of Liu Bei's long ordeal—or a new opportunity.
"Oh. What a majestic figure."
Zhao Yun, somehow always glued to my side, whispered to me. I'd blink, and there she was orbiting me. Her infiltration was SCP-level. She'd gone back to Beihai because Gongsun Zan's side was acting up, but blink again and she was strolling Pingyuan like it was hers. Zhao Yun, scary kid...!
"What is it? I am Liu Xuande."
Liu Bei approached Tai Shici with a grave expression.
"Prime Minister Kong Rong of Beihai faces a dire crisis!"
Tai Shici exhaled raggedly, prostrating himself to deliver the message.
"Kong Tai Shou...!"
Liu Bei looked moved, gazing skyward.
"Someone who hasn't forgotten Liu Xuande still lives in this world...!"
He had a lot bottled up, it seemed. Nodding deeply with emotion, he celebrated inwardly.
I got it. Treated like dirt under Gongsun Zan, stuck marking time in Pingyuan—now someone needed him. His heart must be overflowing.
'And it's Kong Rong, no less.'
The guy famed as the best writer in the Central Plains. A shoutout from the era's top Confucian scholar. His ears must be buzzing with joy.
"Lord Kong Rong is besieged by bandits led by Guan He!!! He begs your aid!!"
Tai Shici stared at Liu Bei with desperate eyes.
"That's dangerous!!! I owe Lord Kong Rong from the anti-Dong coalition days. We'll go help at once!!"
Liu Bei accepted eagerly, his voice brimming with chivalrous zeal.
"...Ah. Glad it wasn't in vain."
Tai Shici sighed in relief, finally relaxing and slumping down.
Just like that, Liu Bei mustered every available soldier and set off to aid Beihai.
'Finally, time to snag Guan He.'
The bandit chief Guan He, with ambitions to devour Beihai, had solid stats. A must-have subordinate from this Beihai commission.
'Don't let Guan Yu fight him—I'll go ahead and capture him first.'
Recalling the countless game reruns, I prepared for deployment.