Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

I read for more than ten days.

Liu Quan decided to give everyone a break to balance work and rest.

This day.

Liu Quan, Liu Bei, Liu Deran, and Zhang Fei left home early in the morning.

They invited Gongsun Zan and his two cousins ​​to go sightseeing in Luoyang.

The group of seven rode horses along the official road toward Luoyang.

The city of Luoyang is not deserted in winter.

On the contrary, it is even more lively because it is close to the first day of the first lunar month, with New Year's Eve and the New Year just around the corner.

The streets were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. Vendors selling candied hawthorns, paper cuttings, and snacks lined up along the street, their shouts rising and falling.

Several acrobats had marked out a space on the street corner. A boy was spinning on a bamboo pole with a stack of ceramic bowls on his head, and the crowd cheered from time to time.

Liu Quan and his group regretted their decision after less than half an hour of sightseeing.

It's not that I regret coming out to play, but that I regret not bringing more servants to clear the way.

The incident began when the seven men were passing by a cosmetics shop, and one of the female customers at the shop's entrance happened to be watching the football match.

The female guest exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Yu! Young Master Yu from Youzhou!"

That sound was quite something.

"Jade Gentleman" is the most popular name in Luoyang these days.

Before long, more than a dozen women surrounded him, calling out "Jade Gentleman" and "Jade Gentleman," their eyes sparkling and their faces flushed with excitement.

The commotion attracted the attention of tourists on the street, and it looked like even more people were about to gather around.

Without hesitation, Liu Quan raised his arm, covered his face with his sleeve, and shouted to the crowd, "Quick, let's go!"

Gongsun Zan, who loved excitement, couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing this scene, saying between laughs, "I'll clear the way."

He took two steps forward, swung his arms to the left and right, and forcefully cleared a path through the crowd.

Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan protected the flanks, Liu Bei grabbed Liu Quan's sleeve and charged forward, Zhang Fei brought up the rear, still holding onto Liu Deran with one hand.

The seven people darted out of the crowd and ran for two blocks before shaking off the enthusiastic fans behind them.

Gongsun Zan laughed so hard he slapped his thigh, tears welling up in his eyes: "Haha, we almost couldn't get away just now! All those young ladies and wives swarmed around Yuan Gu as soon as they saw him, haha, no wonder he's the Jade Gentleman who can make women's hearts ache with longing!"

Liu Quan lowered his sleeves and shook his head, saying, "Bo Gui, don't make fun of us. Let's find a restaurant to sit down."

Liu Bei laughed and said, "We should find a restaurant, preferably a private room, so that Quan won't be recognized again."

He added, "The women in Luoyang are much more enthusiastic than those in Zhuoxian. In Zhuoxian, women might steal a glance at Ah Quan, but they wouldn't dare to swarm around him like the women in Luoyang do. Ah Quan, your reputation as a 'Jade Gentleman' is now firmly established in Luoyang."

Liu Quan did not respond.

He noticed that his cuff had been torn during the run, and there was rouge smeared on it; he wondered which woman had done it.

Liu Deran looked on with envy, thinking to himself, "Ah Quan doesn't know how lucky he is. I'd rather have women chasing after me."

Just as he was running away, some bold woman pinched him a few times, and his heart was still pounding.

The seven of them found a restaurant, went up to the second floor, and asked for a private room by the window.

Gongsun Zan was quite familiar with the dishes in Luoyang, so he was the one to order.

Gongsun Zan ordered more than a dozen dishes and two jugs of wine.

When the waiter brought the dishes to the table, one of them made Liu Bei and Liu Quan pause for a moment.

It was a plate of white cubes, neatly arranged, sprinkled with chopped green onions and salt, and drizzled with a spoonful of vinegar.

Liu Bei picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. It was soft and tender with a rich bean flavor; it was tofu.

"Tofu? Luoyang has tofu too?"

Gongsun Zan asked curiously, "What is tofu? This dish is called 'bean curd'."

Liu Deran and Zhang Fei also examined it carefully and confirmed that it was tofu.

Seeing that the three Liu brothers and Zhang Fei seemed quite interested in the dish, Gongsun Zan said, "This dish, fermented beans, is said to have been created by Liu An, the King of Huainan, and is a very popular delicacy in Luoyang. However, I find its flavor too bland and not as good as meat, so I didn't really like it. I ordered it for you to try."

Liu Quan put down his chopsticks and asked, "Is this the only way to eat it—cold salad?"

The waiter chimed in, "Sir, because these beans are so fragile and easily crumble, they can only be eaten cold."

Liu Bei proudly replied, "That can't compare to the tofu from our Zhuo County, which can be made into soy milk, tofu pudding, dried tofu, tofu skin, Mapo tofu, and many other dishes."

Liu Quan waved his hand, dismissing the waiter.

Gongsun Zan asked curiously, "Xuande, what is this tofu?"

Liu Bei said, "It's a delicacy invented by A-Quan. Although it looks quite similar to this 'bean curd', it's much more delicious."

He patted Gongsun Zan on the shoulder, "Next time Bo Gui goes to Zhuo County, I'll treat you to a meal."

The group then ate and drank while watching the street scene outside the window, which was quite pleasant.

Just then, a shout came from outside the window: "A monstrous ghost is coming! Everyone run!"

The scene on the street seemed to have been fast-forwarded.

The vendors quickly packed up their stalls and disappeared into the side alleys; pedestrians, no longer leisurely, lowered their heads and hurried along...

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the once bustling street became deserted.

Gongsun Zan put down his wine cup, a slight smirk playing on his lips, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and whispered, "It must be Yuan Shu who has arrived."

Liu Bei exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder Quan received this man's calling card but refused to pay him a visit. This man is so vicious that everyone avoids him just by hearing his name!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan's eyes gleamed even more.

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people appeared from the street corner.

Leading the group were about a dozen men in tight-fitting clothes, each with a short sword at their waist, who looked quite imposing.

Zhang Fei pointed to a man in front of him and said, "A-Quan, this is the fellow who came to our house to inquire the other day."

Liu Quan glanced at it and then stopped paying attention, focusing his gaze on the young man surrounded by men in tight-fitting clothes.

That man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

He was of medium height and quite handsome.

He had a high nose bridge, thin lips, and long, narrow eyes.

His gaze was sinister, and he seemed somewhat hostile.

This is Yuan Shu, Yuan Gonglu, the eldest son of the Yuan family of Runan, and the most notorious scion of a powerful family in Luoyang.

Yuan Shu walked slowly down the middle of the street.

His gaze swept over the empty shops and closed doors and windows on both sides, and his expression grew increasingly gloomy.

"Damn it!" he suddenly cursed, "Your father hasn't done those ridiculous things for a long time. Why are these people running away? Are you going to eat them?"

The men in their tight-fitting clothes lowered their heads, not daring to respond.

Yuan Shu cursed a few more times, then flung his sleeves and left, looking utterly disappointed.

Up in the restaurant.

Zhang Fei asked doubtfully, "This is Luoyang, right under the emperor's nose! Judging from the panicked behavior of those pedestrians, this Yuan Gonglu must be a terrible villain. Is there no one who can deal with him?"

Gongsun Zan said with a sigh, "Who dares to punish him? The Yuan family is a top-tier family with countless disciples and former officials. Even if the emperor has something to do, he can only discuss it. Who dares to offend them?!"

At this point, Gongsun Zan suddenly paused, "However, the Yuan family is not without outstanding members, such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu, who is quite good."

At this time, Gongsun Zan greatly admired Yuan Shao, not only because of Yuan Shao's good reputation, but also because the two had similar backgrounds, which made Gongsun Zan feel that Yuan Shao was like himself at that time.

Unfortunately, Yuan Shao was not in Luoyang, so Gongsun Zan couldn't get in touch with him even if he wanted to, and could only...

Liu Quan, holding his wine cup, turned his gaze away from the direction where Yuan Shu had disappeared, a vague feeling that something was amiss.