I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 576: A thousand pounds of friendship?

In the morning, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei got up without waiting for the servants who had been told to wake them up. After meeting again yesterday, they seemed to have returned to their youth. But now, they both woke up early at the same time. The military life had left an indelible impact on them.

Soon the two men packed up. Before entering the palace, Guan Yu told Zhang Fei, "Today, your majesty is hosting a banquet for the Southern Xiongnu Qiangqu Chanyu and the Xianbei leader Dou Bin. You and I will both go to accompany them. Don't drink too much and don't say anything outrageous."

Seeing that Guan Yu looked down on him, Zhang Fei immediately shouted: "Second brother, don't look down on me. I have made great progress in Liangzhou and the Western Regions over the years. The Yide of today is no longer the Yide of the past!"

Guan Yu was aware of Zhang Fei's change, but he still responded instinctively. Seeing this, Guan Yu said, "After several years of absence, I should have treated you with new eyes! I was too late to see things just now."

Zhang Fei wouldn't care about these things.

But Guan Yu continued, "Your Majesty intends to send me to take charge of the affairs of the two counties of Shuofang and Beidi."

"Ah, second brother, are you leaving now?" Zhang Fei was surprised and reluctant.

"Not in such a hurry, but I will probably go north with Dou Bin." Guan Yu said with a smile, "We shouldn't be separated so soon."

Zhang Fei listened, hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Second brother, my eldest brother is in Nanzhong now, I can't help you, but I know a little about the affairs of Shuofang and Beidi counties, and I can provide assistance to you..."

"I have made considerable military achievements in the Western Regions before... If I can serve you, my second brother, I would be willing to be your vanguard."

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had been separated for a long time, and he missed him very much. After hearing Zhang Fei's heartfelt words, he was also deeply moved.

Guan Yu was so moved that he could not help but ask, "You are already a married man with a career, how can you say such things?"

Zhang Fei said: "I have been in Liangzhou in recent years, and I often miss the early days when I was not yet such a high official. At that time, I was accompanied by brothers..."

Guan Yu said: "You and I, my elder brother, have all led troops in our own areas. Although the emperor has never been suspicious of us since he summoned us to Luoyang, we must be aware of our own shortcomings."

Zhang Fei listened, but was not as cautious as Guan Yu thought, but climbed up the pole: "That's why I am suitable to follow you to the north to help you! After all, you have never managed in two places before. With me here, you can rest assured about one of them!"

Guan Yu heard this and thought it made sense. Indeed, although Shuofang and Beidi counties were connected by the Yellow River, they were two counties, and the two areas of water and grass suitable for grazing and farming were not directly connected. With Zhang Fei around, he could put his heart and soul behind him.

……

"Chanyu, tell me the truth, do you really intend to stay in Luoyang or are you forced to do so because of your remarks in earlier years?" Before entering the palace, Cao Cao also found Qiang Qu.

At this time, several days had passed since Qiang Qu arrived in Luoyang, and he had already met the emperor at the court meeting.

Facing Cao Cao's question, Qiang Qu thought for a moment and replied, "General, how can I lie to you when you are sincere to me? To be honest with you, I had some doubts in my heart before coming to Luoyang. But after coming to Luoyang..."

At this point, Qiang Qu's eyes sparkled: "I now know how big this world is! I enjoy the pleasures here and don't miss the royal court."

"If I can enjoy wealth and honor, I would be willing to stay in Luoyang for the rest of my life."

"Okay, with your words, I know what to do." Cao Cao assured Qiang Qu, "Don't worry, we have been friends for many years, and I will make sure you get what you want."

"When the time comes, you and I will serve in the same court. Wouldn't that be a joy?"

Qiang Qu immediately bowed and said, "In the future, I will need the general's care..."

"You can call me Meng De... But when you settle down in Luoyang in the future, it's better to take a courtesy name like Jin Midi did in the past, so that it's easier to call me." Qiang said: "I heard that the courtesy name must come from ancestors or elders, but I can't find an elder in Luoyang City who can give me a courtesy name! I went to visit Minister Dong before, but Dong was busy and we couldn't meet..."

Cao Cao said: "Then leave this matter to me!"

……

On the other hand, unlike Qiang Qu who was reassured, Dou Bin arrived many days earlier than Qiang Qu, but he was still nervous.

This was the first time the emperor hosted him for a banquet.

However, before he was about to enter the palace as ordered, the Minister of Rites Han Rong suddenly came to see him with a group of people.

He remembered the other person when he met the emperor in the court before. The other person was one of the three solitary sitters of the Han Dynasty, but he did not know the other person's name, nor did he know what the other person meant.

"Li Yan."

These two words are familiar yet unfamiliar. Li Yan is Dou Bin's name, but after his father's death, he hasn't heard anyone call him that for many years.

Hearing his own words coming out of the other person's mouth, Dou Bin felt mixed emotions.

After arriving in Luoyang, in order to separate his present self from his past self implicated by Dou Wu, Dou Bin never revealed his courtesy name to the public. If he had not been worried that calling himself Mei Lu Hui Bin would cause disgust, Dou Bin would not even want a surname. After all, in today's Han Dynasty, Dou Wu's identity was still a traitorous relative.

"My surname is Huang Wan, and my courtesy name is Ziyan. I wonder if your father ever mentioned me to you in his early years?"

Dou Bin seemed to have awakened a long-lost memory after hearing this: "When I was young, I vaguely heard my father mention a Mr. Huang. I wonder if he is Mr. Huang?"

"That should be it!" Huang Wan couldn't help laughing, "I didn't expect he still remembered me?"

After hearing this, Dou Bin was afraid that Huang Wan would ask more questions about "Mr. Huang", because what he just said was just nonsense he made up to agree with Huang Wan.

Fortunately, Huang Wan did not ask any further questions about this, but shared with him some stories about his early friendship with his father Dou Tong. In Dou Bin's judgment, those things were indeed in line with his father's style of doing things.

"I couldn't come to see you in the past, but now I have found a suitable opportunity. The current emperor is very filial. The case of Lord Dou was decided by the previous emperor himself, and the current emperor will never disobey... But Li Yan doesn't need to worry about this."

"...When I saw you, I couldn't help but think of your father...From now on, you will be my nephew..."

"Greetings, uncle!" Dou Bin bowed very straightforwardly.

……

After explaining Dou Bin's loyalty to the emperor and his love for the country, Huang Wan couldn't help but complain, "Don't ask me for this kind of thing in the future... I'm not familiar with his father!"

Han Rong smiled and said, "Among the high-ranking officials in the court, you are the one who knows Dou Tong best, and with Ziyan's reputation, Dou Bin will not doubt anything in the future... But for the sake of state affairs, Ziyan will have to suffer."

Huang Wan could only shake his head and sigh after hearing this: "We should still put state affairs first. My little reputation is nothing."

(End of this chapter)