Chapter Thirty-Four: This Object Could Sweep Across the World

Zhang Yu was headed out to retrieve two treasures. The first was the paper copy of the “Spring and Autumn Annals” obtained from a previous mission—after all, who didn’t know about Lord Guan’s three great passions? Smoking, drinking—no, his treasured blade, the Red Hare, and the Annals!

The second was a new marvel Zhang Yu had just had someone make: mahjong!

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—the three brothers—wherever there are three, there must always be one missing.

Statecraft, politics, and scheming were not his strengths; but when it came to vision and amusement, it wasn’t to single anyone out, yet the ancients of this era were all simply hopeless.

Speaking of mahjong, it is an entertainment familiar to every modern person. Its origins, as research suggests, trace back to the Ming Dynasty, after which it spread overseas and became a global pastime. Chairman Mao even counted mahjong as one of China’s three great contributions to the world—its allure is undeniable.

The basic gameplay of mahjong is straightforward, easy for anyone to pick up, but its variations are endless and the combinations depend on the player. Thus, it became one of China’s most captivating forms of gambling, highly addictive and impossible to give up.

The “First Set of Mahjong in History” crafted by Zhang Yu had avoided many detours, made directly in the fashion of later generations: 136 tiles, composed of “Dots,” “Bamboos,” “Characters,” plus the Red Dragon, Green Dragon, White Dragon, and the wind tiles.

To match his own taste, Zhang Yu specially chose a large slab of white stone of unknown origin and had craftsmen cut and polish the tiles with exquisite care. Everything was identical to the mahjong sets of later times—smooth and lustrous as jade, the tiles appeared even more elegant and refined.

He summoned Zhang Si, who carried the wooden box of tiles, and had several house servants bring in a square table and four wooden chairs he had recently acquired. Zhang Yu himself carried the “Spring and Autumn Annals” with flair, and the whole group made a grand procession into the gymnasium.

Upon entering, Zhang Yu was momentarily taken aback—Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were nonchalantly doing pull-ups on the horizontal bars, while Liu Bei… was demonstrating sword moves to Han Long with ease.

Was this some kind of joke? Han Long, though still young, already boasted a martial prowess of 83. Was Liu Bei now the peerless Dugu Qiubai?

Zhang Yu quickly brought up the interface, curiosity piqued at Liu Bei’s stats:

Leadership — 84
Martial Prowess — 83
Intelligence — 86
Political Acumen — 82
Charisma — 92

As one of the three great leaders of Wei, Shu, and Wu, these stats were quite impressive, though perhaps still a bit short of Lord Cao. The question remained: with equal martial prowess, why was there such a disparity in skill?

The others, of course, lacked Zhang Yu’s ability to quantify attributes. As he and his group arrived, Zhang Fei leapt down and said, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. To be able to spar with my elder brother at just ten years old—looks like I’ll have another rival in the future.”

“This level of skill?” Seeing Zhang Yu’s confusion, Zhang Fei added, “Don’t be fooled by my elder brother having the upper hand; that’s only because the kid is learning new moves. Any natural-born sword talent like this, and you, Jade Lad, are lucky enough to scoop him up—you truly have fortune on your side. Just keep watching.”

At this, Zhang Yu continued observing the match. He saw Han Long gradually stabilize his footing, then counterattack, using moves nearly identical to Liu Bei’s. For a time, the two silver blades intertwined and circled, both attacking and defending, perfectly matched. Though each held back somewhat, the duel was still a spectacle.

With a crisp clash of steel, Liu Bei and Han Long drew back their swords in perfect harmony, both faces glowing with satisfaction.

“Han Long, from today, your name is etched in my heart! In no more than half a year, your martial arts will far surpass mine—your future is limitless! Take good care of my precious nephew, and Liu Bei will not forget such a favor!” Liu Bei clapped Han Long’s shoulder with a smile, without a hint of arrogance, as if speaking to a close junior.

Han Long was overwhelmed by the praise, bowing repeatedly in thanks. Even Zhang Yu felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a jolt—darn it, struck again by his uncle’s sincere benevolence.

After the two sat down to rest, Zhang Yu quickly directed the servants to set up the table in an open space, then took out the “Spring and Autumn Annals,” offering it with both hands to Guan Yu.

“As a junior, it’s not my place to present gifts to my elders. But I heard Second Uncle is fond of reading, and this rare paper copy of the Annals was too much for me to keep to myself. I hope you won’t mind accepting this token of my regard.”

“Oh?” Guan Yu glanced at the book. Upon seeing the title, “Spring and Autumn Annals,” his gaze sharpened—the words of refusal caught in his throat, and in the end, he accepted it with a quiet thanks.

“Jade Lad, you’ve given my second brother a book—what do you plan to give me?” Zhang Fei chimed in eagerly. “Is it that box on the table?”

Zhang Yu hadn’t expected this—he hadn’t prepared any gifts, and even the book was a system reward he’d simply passed along.

Smiling and nodding, he improvised, “Of course, it’s also a book. I happened to come across…”

“All right, all right, let’s talk about something else… What’s this box for?”

He ushered Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to the chairs and sat down himself. As the three brothers eyed the seats with surprise, the wooden box was slowly opened.

Neatly arranged inside were the white, jade-like tiles, each one exquisitely crafted. Zhang Yu laid the tiles face up, one by one, and began to explain the rules to the three brothers.

…

As dusk fell and the setting sun cast long shadows, the cawing of crows filled the air.

In the main house of the Zhang residence, Zhang Shiping paced back and forth.

“Not a sign of Jade Girl or the others all day. I wonder what exactly they’re up to.” He debated whether to look for them, but worried he might intrude on some family matter between uncle and nephew.

“You fret so much after just one day without seeing Jade Girl. My brother hasn’t seen her in six years—what’s so strange if they have a lot to say?” Lady Liu, who usually doted on Zhang Yu more, uncharacteristically stood up for her own family.

“But it’s almost time for dinner. The girls arranged lunch, but surely the whole family should sit together for dinner?”

“Eat, eat, eat! Pacing about, if you’re not already anxious, you’ll drive yourself mad.” Lady Liu rose to support him. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

“Hehe, my wife truly knows me best.”

“Oh, enough,” Lady Liu shot him a look. “At your age and still shameless. Do you think you’re my Jade Girl?”

“What’s wrong with your Jade Girl? Isn’t your Jade Girl also my Jade Girl?”

Banter, too, is a way to keep love fresh. Over the years, Zhang Shiping’s steadfast devotion to his wife, never taking a concubine despite his rise from poverty to wealth, had earned him an excellent reputation among both gentry and commoners. The two chatted as they made their way to the gym.

“Jade Girl’s head is always full of novelties—probably all the fascinating things he saw in his past life. You haven’t been in here yet, have you, wife? Today’s a good chance to—”

Suddenly, a burst of laughter like firecrackers startled them both. Before they could cover their ears, the voice rang out again: “North Wind! Sorry, Second Brother, I’ve won again!”

Zhang Shiping and Lady Liu exchanged glances, puzzled by Zhang Fei’s words. As they reached for the door, they heard the usually taciturn Guan Yu protest indignantly, “North Wind… North Wind again? Such flagrant disregard for the rules—outrageous!”

Suppressing a stumble, Zhang Shiping gently knocked. It was Han Yan who opened the door.

“Greetings, Master. Greetings, Madam.”

“What… is going on in here?”

No one replied—Han Yan didn’t know how to explain, and at the table, the four men barely managed a hurried greeting before quickly returned to their game, the tiles clattering together.

“You…” Lady Liu approached, gazing at the strange little stone tiles, both baffled and intrigued. “You’d skip dinner just to play with these?”

“Sister, don’t underestimate these stone tiles Jade Girl made… One day, this game will sweep across the land!”