Chương 466: The Banquet, Ambition

He couldn't help but laugh: "Old Cheng, you're quite thoughtful. Okay, I'll accept this gift."

Zhang Fei was not to be outdone. He rushed in carrying a large sack and dumped it on the ground—and there it was, small swords, spears, halberds, and all eighteen kinds of weapons. Although they were small, they were finely crafted and clearly made by a blacksmith.

"Big brother! This is what I, Old Zhang, prepared for my nephews and nieces! They'll practice martial arts from a young age, and when they grow up, they'll all be fierce generals!" Zhang Fei shouted in a loud voice.

Looking at the small weapons scattered on the ground, Liu Ce was both amused and exasperated: "Yide, my daughter was just born, and you're already making them practice martial arts?"

Zhang Fei scratched his head and said, "Martial arts don't discriminate between men and women! My nieces will need to know a few moves when they get married, so they won't be bullied!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and added casually, "Third brother is right."

Liu Ce was completely speechless.

Dian Wei was even more practical, sending over sixteen small wooden animal carvings, each one different.

There are tigers, horses, cows, sheep, rabbits... all carved so lifelike, you can tell a lot of effort went into them.

"Brother, I'm not good at sweet talk, and I don't know how to buy gold or silver locks, so I just carved a few wooden toys for the children to play with." Dian Wei smiled憨厚ly and scratched his head.

Liu Ce picked up a small wooden tiger carving, examined it from all angles, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Fifth Brother, your craftsmanship is far superior to that of the carpenters in Luoyang. Alright, I'll accept this gift; the children will surely love it."

Xu Chu brought in sixteen foals, their coats glossy and lively. When they were led in by his personal guards, the courtyard instantly became lively.

"My lord! I, Xu Chu, don't have much to give, so I'll just give you a few foals. When the children grow up, they can ride them and play with them!" Xu Chu grinned.

Looking at the foals, Liu Ce thought to himself: These brothers give all sorts of gifts: gold locks, weapons, wood carvings, foals... they're just missing an elephant.

To celebrate this joyous occasion, Liu Ce immediately ordered a grand banquet to be held at the Prince's Palace to entertain all civil and military officials.

The palace was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, red silk hung from the eaves, and tables and chairs were set out in the courtyard, with fine wines and delicacies being served in a continuous stream.

Chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all sorts of delicacies were available, and the aroma filled the entire palace. Even the beggars at the gate were drooling over the smell.

The guests took their seats one by one, raised their glasses, and toasted Liu Ce to congratulate him. Laughter and cheers filled the air.

The civil officials chatted about how the country was now at peace, the granaries were full, and the people were living in peace and contentment.

The generals spoke of peace on the border, the submission of barbarians, and the end of war.

Everyone toasted and chatted freely, creating a lively atmosphere.

Cheng Yaojin, clutching the wine jar, shouted, "May our lord have many sons and abundant blessings! May the Han Dynasty be victorious!"

Zhang Fei also shouted his approval, "Brother, I salute you! May all your children be as strong and healthy as I, Old Zhang!"

Dian Wei muttered to himself, "As strong as Third Brother? He'd be a black iron tower!"

Zhang Fei glared at him: "What did you say?"

Dian Wei quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, I was just saying Third Brother is awesome!"

Even the usually composed Guo Jia smiled and frequently raised his cup, his face showing a rare hint of drunkenness.

Liu Ce stood at the table, holding a wine cup. Looking at the loyal ministers before him, and thinking of the ladies who were resting peacefully in the mansion and the sixteen adorable children, he was filled with emotion.

...

A few days later, in the council hall of the Prince of Yan's mansion, there were no maps or account books on display, only a few plates of freshly cut fruits and a pot of new tea.

Liu Ce sat in the main seat with his legs crossed, looking at the three people sitting properly below him, and couldn't help but laugh.

The people sitting below were none other than Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian.

"Alright, everyone, don't be shy, make yourselves at home."

Liu Ce waved his hand and tossed a peach to everyone.

"I called you three over today for nothing major, just a casual chat. I'm just curious, so I'd like to ask you three, now that the world is at peace, what are your ambitions?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them paused for a moment, looked at each other, and were all a little embarrassed.

After all, in the past, their ambition was to "pacify the world and restore the Han Dynasty." Now that Liu Ce has pacified the world and restored the Han Dynasty, it would be superfluous to say such things.

Cao Cao was the first to speak.

He put down the peach in his hand, wiped his mouth, and said with a serious expression:

"My lord, to be honest, my ambitions aren't that great. Back in those chaotic times, my greatest ambition was to become a General Who Conquers the West, lead troops to pacify the borders, and have a tombstone inscribed with 'Tomb of Cao Hou, the Former General Who Conquers the West of the Han Dynasty.' That would have been enough for my life. But then the world descended into chaos, and I was forced into this situation."

He paused, scratched his head, and smiled a little sheepishly:

"Now that the world is at peace, I don't want to fight for anything anymore. It's just that I'm so bored in Luoyang that I'm practically growing mushrooms. I feel restless all over."

"If my lord could give me an army to fight the Xianbei and Xiongnu in the north and guard the borders of the Han Dynasty, I would be content. It's better than staying at home drinking every day and writing self-criticisms with those two bastards, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, in the Gongde Forest."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce couldn't help but laugh, and Liu Bei and Sun Jian also laughed along.

Everyone knows that what Cao Cao hates most right now is people mentioning the Gongdelin Temple, and he hates it even more when people compare him to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

Next was Liu Bei.

He put down his teacup, and with a sincere expression, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Liu Ce, saying:

"My lord, I come from humble origins and have witnessed the misery of people being displaced and starving since I was a child. Therefore, all I seek in my life is to restore the Han Dynasty and enable all the people of the world to have enough to eat, wear warm clothes, and live a peaceful life."

"Now that our lord has pacified the world, restored the might of the Han Dynasty, and enabled the people to live a good life, most of my wishes have been fulfilled."

He paused, his eyes filled with sincerity, without a trace of falsehood:

"The other half is that I hope my lord can give me a small, remote place, so I can be a county magistrate or prefect."

"I don't have any extraordinary abilities, nor can I lead troops into battle. All I know is how to appease the people and govern the local area."

"I want to go to the poorest and most impoverished places, and work hard to help the people reclaim wasteland, build bridges and roads, so that they can live a peaceful life like the people of Luoyang."

"In this way, I will have no regrets in this life."

Liu Ce nodded, secretly agreeing in his heart.

Putting aside everything else, Liu Bei was truly exceptional in his treatment of the people. If he were given the task of governing remote areas, he would be an absolute master.

Finally, there is Sun Jian.

He was the most straightforward and forthright of them all; he slapped his thigh, stood up, and shouted:

"My lord! I, Sun Jian, am a rough man, incapable of speaking in flowery language! All my life, all I've ever done is fight! In the past, I fought to quell rebellions and protect my homeland; now that the world is at peace, I still want to fight!"