Liu Bei was momentarily stunned upon hearing Yuan Shao's words, then began to scrutinize him from head to toe. His gaze carried a new intensity, as though he saw the potential for deeper conversation between them.
"Ah—woo~" Just as Liu Bei was about to inquire further, Chen Xi stretched lazily inappropriately, and then, with even less restraint, yawned audibly.
"Marquis of Yingshang, have my previous words made you so impatient?" Yuan Shao, displeased, glanced at Chen Xi, who looked entirely like someone who hadn't yet awoken.
"Not really. I just don't quite understand what this so-called 'public sentiment' is… Does it refer to the common people of the world, or to nobles like us, the aristocratic families?" Chen Xi remarked casually, completely disregarding Yuan Shao's authority. While Yuan Shao's rhetoric sounded plausible, it diverged sharply from Liu Bei's aspirations.
