Discussing Heroes over Warm Wine and Green Plums

The empire has broken into the hands of a dozen warlords. The strongest of them, Cao Cao (Cáo Cāo), holds the emperor himself and gives his orders in the emperor's name.

Liu Bei (Liú Bèi) is a lord without land, living in Cao Cao's capital as an honoured guest — which is to say a well-fed prisoner. Cao Cao has a habit of killing men he judges dangerous, and he judges accurately.

So Liu Bei spends his days in the back garden, growing vegetables. He waters them carefully. He talks about the weather. He is working very hard at being nobody at all — and this morning Cao Cao has sent for him.