Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 91 The Female Swordsman's Little Thoughts

Zuo Yuan is now somewhat uneasy.

I felt inexplicably anxious, had a sense of crisis, and was slightly flustered.

She is Liu Bei's chief steward, handling all the affairs of Liu Bei's household.

During the Han Dynasty, many wealthy local families had women in charge of household affairs. For example, if a family was skilled in brocade weaving or sericulture, the female steward could more easily contact the concubines in the inner quarters.

Of course, in most cases, such female housekeepers would also be taken as concubines.

Right now, no one treats Zuo Yuan as a courtesan; everyone knows she is Liu Bei's close assistant, and everyone treats her with respect.

And Jian Yong...

This guy has always treated Zuo Yuan like his sister-in-law.

As Liu's closest friend, Jian Yong was present when Liu's mother passed away, and he knew her last words.

Liu's mother told Liu Bei not to ruin Zuo Yuan's life...

Zuo Yuan was clever and brave, and she accomplished a lot. The brothers all respected her and called her Sister Zuo.

Liu Bei is currently observing mourning and cannot marry, but Jian Yong believes that Zuo Yuan is the rightful sister-in-law in charge of the household, although it is uncertain whether she can become the principal wife.

In Jian Yong's view, Bian Ji would eventually become Liu Bei's concubine, so this matter should definitely be handled by Zuo Yuan.

But Zuo Yuan was at a loss.

It wasn't because of her lowly status. Zuo Yuan never regarded her father as a sinner, nor did she want to use her beauty to please others. In fact, she was very confident and possessed the courage and boldness of a daughter of a martial family.

She had followed Liu Bei through thick and thin for the past two years, and their bond was very strong.

But this feeling is unlike the affection between a man and a woman...

It's more like the bond between comrades-in-arms.

Zuo Yuan always wore a martial arts robe, never parted with her sword, and always wore her hair in a ponytail with her sleeves rolled up. She also regularly sought out Duan Jiong to learn swordsmanship, making her a true swordswoman.

She and Duan Jiong were from the same hometown, and she was one of the few people who knew Duan Jiong's true identity. Duan Jiong rarely heard his native accent here, and it was only because of Zuo Yuan that Duan Jiong did not miss his homeland every day.

Zuo Yuan was exposed to her family's swordsmanship when she was young; her father, Zuo Chong, was very skilled in martial arts.

When Liu Bei had free time, he would practice swordsmanship with Zuo Yuan. He was diligently practicing martial arts during this period, and even when he was busy, the two of them would often discuss things together.

However, Liu Bei seemed to have gotten used to treating Zuo Yuan as a brother and never overstepped his bounds. He never even flirted with her when there was physical contact during martial arts practice.

This shows Liu Bei's respect for his comrades. After all, he had known Zuo Yuan since the beginning and had gone through dangerous battlefields together. He truly regarded Zuo Yuan as a comrade-in-arms. Moreover, Liu Bei really had no time to flirt with beautiful women in the past two years.

"She is a comrade-in-arms."

When Liu Bei said these words to Yang Qiu in Luoyang, Zuo Yuan actually heard them as well.

but……

To say that there was absolutely no romantic relationship between men and women wouldn't be entirely accurate.

Having lived under the same roof for so long, Liu Bei trusted Zuo Yuan greatly, entrusting her with managing household affairs and intelligence matters. He would consult her on any life-or-death matters, and even co-hosted his mother's funeral with her.

This goes far beyond the scope of being a retainer or advisor; Liu Bei wouldn't have done this if there wasn't some mutual affection involved.

At the same time, Zuo Yuan admired Liu Bei's courage in fighting alone and his ability to start from scratch.

Furthermore, Liu Bei always treated her with equality and kindness, and he never fawned over or looked down on anyone else. Whether it was an ordinary mountain bandit or a prefectural governor, Liu Bei treated them all with the same attitude—an attitude in itself that touched this girl who had once been born into a lowly family.

But Liu Bei showed no sign of that, and he was currently observing mourning...

Zuo Yuan isn't the type to actively flirt, even though she's perfectly capable of doing so...

This made Zuo Yuan very uncomfortable, unsure of how to position herself.

She still cared a little about her past as a musician—in her view, she was of humble origin and had no family to rely on, so it would be difficult for her to become a mistress. She was content to have Xinzhong help her husband with some miscellaneous tasks.

Now, a beautiful woman has come to join Liu Bei, and Jian Yong has told him that this Bian Ji was also a musician. Zuo Yuan is even more uneasy now...

"Is Bian Bing here? Come and collect your citizenship documents..."

Upon reaching the other side of the river, Zuo Yuan did not directly ask Bian Ji about the household registration, which was registered under Bian Bing's name. Bian Ji was simply seeking refuge with family.

However, once inside, Zuo Yuan's gaze was fixed entirely on Bian Ji.

"Naturalization?"

Bian Ji looked at Zuo Yuan's female swordsman attire with some confusion: "May I ask who you are, elder sister?"

“I am Zuo Yuan, a retainer of Liu Lang’s household. Sister Bian, please do not address me as such. You are older than me… I have come to deliver household registration documents to your household.”

Zuo Yuan handed over the bamboo slips, looking Bian Ji up and down, but the more he looked, the more disheartened he felt... This vixen... her eyes are really beautiful.

Her face is so fair and plump, she's so white even without makeup.

Her figure is so alluring, so slender and so large...

He can even read documents by himself, so he must be literate.

She's so dignified and quiet, and her hands are so soft...

This appearance was so beautiful that even women would like it. Zuo Yuan couldn't help but look at his hands, which were covered in calluses from practicing swordsmanship.

She bit her lip and let out a sigh of relief.

Hmph, but you're older...

Zuo Yuan thought to herself.

According to her birth date on her household registration, Bian Ji was an "old woman," which gave Zuo Yuan some comfort.

In fact, Bian Ji was born in the same year as Liu Bei, and was only twenty years old at the moment... twenty-one years old in the traditional Chinese age reckoning.

But according to the saying these days, twenty-one years old really means you're an old woman.

In order to increase the population, the law stipulated that women should marry at the age of fifteen. If a woman was not married between the ages of fifteen and thirty, the head tax would be doubled.

This means forced early marriage.

This was only because Wang Mang made the punishment more lenient; if it were during the Western Han Dynasty, the poll tax would have been five times higher.

In fact, Zuo Yuan herself also falls into the category of those subject to double head tax, as she is already nineteen years old (by Chinese reckoning).

Fortunately, no one came to collect taxes in Liu Bei's lawless area.

"Civilian status? Liu Lang actually..."

Bian Ji didn't have as many thoughts as Zuo Yuan. After seeing the words on the household registration, tears almost welled up in her eyes. She hugged the bamboo slips tightly, performed a curtsy, and said with a face full of gratitude, "Thank you, Steward Zuo... Ah Bing! Come and greet Steward Zuo!"

It is much better to be registered as a citizen than to be redeemed from slavery, because even after being redeemed, one still retains the record of being a person of low social status.

However, those whose citizenship was guaranteed by Liu Bei were law-abiding citizens.

Zuo Yuan's heart suddenly softened.

She was just as excited when she received her citizenship.

They were both born into the same family of musicians, and both were people who had suffered hardships and wandered from place to place. They should have helped each other.

"Sister Bian, is there anything I can help you with? My husband has hired me as his subject, and his family should provide him with money, provisions, and household items. What would you like, Sister Bian?"

Zuo Yuan hesitated for a moment, then decided to cultivate a good relationship.

"Thank you for your kindness, Steward. My wish is fulfilled and I have no other desires. Moreover, I should not be rewarded without merit. It was not easy for Liu Lang to start his business. We should save money for him... My wife and I have attached ourselves to Liu Lang, so we should serve the household immediately. We hope you will give us your orders, Steward. We will earn the money ourselves."

Bian Ji's house was practically bare, but she didn't want anything; she only planned to find a job to earn money.

Bian Bing also came over, cupped his hands and bowed to Zuo Yuan: "Sister in charge, shall I go to serve in the army or work in the fields within the manor?"

Bian Bing was only sixteen years old at the time. He was as beautiful as a girl, but he was also very capable and obedient. He did whatever his sister told him to do.

“You can all work with me, I need manpower... But household affairs involve money and supplies, so you must keep quiet about them to everyone except for my husband.”

Zuo Yuan was no longer uneasy.

The brother and sister were well-mannered and respectful, not the seductive women they had imagined.

Since she is so devoted to her husband, then everything is negotiable.

Of course, it's still necessary to take precautions; having someone under your supervision is the safest option.

He came from a musical family, knew the rules, and was cultured. As his family business grew, they never checked the grain harvest, and the household happened to lack a simple person who could organize the money and documents.

It seems unlikely that my husband will marry during his mourning period these next two years...

The paperwork and paperwork are tedious and exhausting; after these two years, she might not be as beautiful anymore…

Zuo Yuan pondered his own thoughts while also glancing at Bian Ji's figure.

How can someone so big have such a tiny waist?

She is truly gifted, a talent that inspires envy.

According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms: Whenever Empress Bian met with her relatives, she would not show them any special treatment. She would often say, “One should live frugally and not expect any rewards. I am content with my lot. I have been frugal for a long time and cannot change my extravagance. If anyone violates the law, I will punish them one degree more severely. Do not expect me to lend you money or rice.”

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(End of this chapter)