Chapter 21: Delighted to Obtain Talents in Both Civil and Military Affairs

  Guan Yu had been drunk for two days, and today was the third day. During this time, Zhao Xing and Jia Xu both came to visit him, but no matter how they called out to him, he couldn't be woken up, so they could only let him be and left Zhou Cang by his side to take care of him.

  It was as if he had a long, long dream, and it was also as if a lifetime had passed. As Guan Yu slowly opened his eyes when consciousness began to recover, the face floating in front of him was black like charcoal, with copper bell-like eyes and a full beard. Even someone as bold as Guan Yu was stunned for a moment, thinking that the horse-faced Yan Wang had come to claim his life.

  Looking around, Guan Yu asked the big face floating in front of him: "Where am I? And who are you?"

  But then this big fellow suddenly jumped three feet high and rushed to the living room of the central courtyard, shouting loudly: "Master! Guan Yu has woken up! No, it's not him, it's Guan Shengzi who has woken up!"

  What a reckless fellow, that broken gong-like voice shook people's ears buzzing. Zhao Xing and Jia Yu, who were playing chess in the middle courtyard living room, couldn't help but put down their hands and walk towards the front guest room. Looking at the chessboard, it was clearly a chaotic mess of pieces, like the Chu River Han border, with the horses and soldiers all tangled up! It's probably another one of those naughty students' boring creations.

  "Ah, Guan Yu, you're awake! Have you felt any hunger in your belly?" Zhao Xing asked with a mischievous grin.

  "As soon as you mention it, I feel empty in the stomach and hungry enough to eat a whole pig." Guan Yu burst out laughing.

  "Haha, I wonder if you still remember the bet we made before getting drunk that day?" Zhao Xing asked, striking the snake with his stick.

  "Uh, this... " Guan Yu was suddenly left speechless, turned his head to look at Jia Xu beside him, "I wonder who got drunk first that day, sir?"

  "It's exactly Guan Zhongshi!" Jia Yu answered seriously, having already put on a pair of pants with Zhao Xing.

  "I admit defeat in this wager," Guan Yu said with a scowl.

  "Haha, don't be so downcast, Brother Guan. Let me tell you a story!" Zhao Xing then told Guan Yu in detail how he had tricked him into getting drunk that day.

  Zhuo Xing thought it was simple: if a fierce general is to be captured, he must capture the heart. Those who surrender through deception and coercion, how can they be trusted to turn their backs on them in the future? Since Jia Xi could think of the trickery involved, Guan Yu would later become familiar with the inside story of Wotou Village and Xu's Wine Shop, and also come to his senses.

  It's better to just let the mighty Guan Gong call me big brother, it's really awkward! My age is obviously younger than Guan Yu, why not just straightforwardly acknowledge him as an older brother, and instead be able to make him feel my sincere heart!

  After listening to Zhao Xing's words, Guan Yu did not show a hint of anger, but instead burst out laughing: "Really didn't expect that you, though small in stature, are as cunning as a ghost! However, being tricked by you into getting drunk on that excellent Long River Da Qu was also incredibly refreshing! In front of Mr. Wen He, we must make a good impression, if you want to acknowledge me as your elder brother, but I have one condition!"

  "Big brother, it doesn't matter what you say!"

  "I need to have good wine like those days every day!" Guan Yu said with a greedy face.

  "I'm too lazy to care, but history has been turned upside down here. Isn't it said that Zhang Fei was a drunkard who often whipped his subordinates after getting drunk? How come Guan Yu is so good at wine? I reckon the later generations called him 'Red-Faced Lord Guan' because he drank so much every day that his face turned red!" Zhao Xing muttered to himself, but his mouth replied readily: "This is no big deal, Big Brother, just follow me to the wine cellar and take a look!"

  As they spoke, Zhao Xing led Jia Yu and Guan Yu to the ten wine cellars that were being closely guarded by Pei Yuanshao and several strong men. "Open the Jiazi cellar!" Zhao Xing ordered. It turned out that the ten wine cellars had been named by him using the characters "Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui" over a period of ten days. The original wine of Changhe Daqu was hidden in the Tianzi cellar, with an alcohol content of over 70 degrees, making it top-grade Changhe.

  As they entered the wine cellar, both of them were deeply shocked from behind.

  Guan Yu was shocked because he found that the wine hidden inside was enough for him to drink for three lifetimes. Jia Xu, on the other hand, was shocked because the cellar was really big, big enough to hide hundreds of people.

  Then, Zhao Xing took the two to visit the core area of Xu's wine workshop. They saw dozens of people in the workshop working in an orderly manner, each doing their own work. The large wine pot was overflowing with fragrant fine wine. Jia Yu couldn't help but praise: "This construction method is really ingenious, what's it called?"

  "Assembly line operation!" Zhao Xing proudly introduced.

  After visiting the winery, three people followed Zhao Xing to several farming households in the village that raised livestock. They found that the pigs were eating the leftover wine lees from the brewing process. Guan Yu suddenly said: "Your Sleeping Tiger Village is so prosperous that even the pigs can taste the flavor of Changhe Daqu!"

  "Haha! Haha! Haha!" Zhao Xing laughed heartily, with a hint of enlightenment and liberation in his smile. Who says that Guan Yu, the Saint of War, never smiled or spoke carelessly? In his own opinion, no hero would want to put on a solemn face forever!

  From the seemingly high and mighty emperors and generals to the so-called lowly and humble grassroots people, no one is a god. Everyone has seven emotions and six desires, everyone has joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. The truly wise ruler needs to do one thing: follow the will of the people, let the people not have to wear masks to survive, laugh heartily when they want to laugh, cry out loud when they want to cry, scold loudly when they want to scold, rather than letting the people look at the faces of officials every day, being afraid to scold even if they are wronged, and unable to cry even if their wives and children are separated from them.