Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 43.

Last time, Liu Bei was attending a private dinner party in his host and kinsman Liu Biao's home,

but he committed the no-no of talking politics at the dinner table.

What's more, he got himself tangled up in Liu Biao's family business

when he advised Liu Biao that he should not elevate his younger son to the status of heir

over his older son.

To make things worse, the mother of said younger son to the status of air over his older son. To make things worse, the mother of said younger son and Liu Biao's wife, Lady Cai, was eavesdropping and heard everything,

and she was not amused. For his part, Liu Bei quickly realized that he had unwittingly stepped into a quagmire,

so he excused himself and said he had to go use the bathroom.

As he was freshening up, Liu Bei noticed that his thighs had grown fat

from not having ridden his horse a lot lately.

This depressed him so much that he could not help but shed a few tears.

When he returned to his seat, Liu Biao took note and asked him why he had been crying.

I used to live in the saddle, Liu Bei said, but I have been riding so little for so long

that my thighs have grown fat.

Time is flying by, and I am about to reach old age, and yet I have accomplished nothing.

That is why I am sad.

I heard that when you lived in the capital, you and Cao Cao once discussed heroes of the

realm over wine, Liu

Biao said.

I heard that you named all the famous figures in the land, but that Cao Cao dismissed them

...