Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

It is unclear when exactly, but a rumor began to circulate in Luoyang.

Where did that rumor come from? When did it begin?

Anyway, the story spread wider and wider, becoming increasingly bizarre, and soon it became the topic of conversation for everyone on the streets.

Its popularity surpassed that of "Yu Langjun".

The details of this rumor are as follows:

Yuan Shao, the so-called model of the world, resigned from his post and returned to Luoyang to observe mourning for his mother, but that was a pretense... He didn't really want to observe mourning at all; he used it as an excuse to return to Luoyang for the sake of prestige and to get closer to the center of power again...

Three days before the first day of the first lunar month, Yuan Shao's carriage arrived in Luoyang.

The weather was sunny that day. Although it was winter, the sun was shining brightly and felt warm on my skin.

A large crowd had gathered early in the morning on the official road outside the east gate of Luoyang.

Among those present were former officials and students of the Yuan family, as well as scions of prominent families in Luoyang. They had come to greet them.

There were also some ordinary people who were just there to watch the spectacle, including the three Liu brothers and Zhang Fei.

At 3:45 AM, a cloud of dust rose from the distant official road.

Someone shouted, "They're here! They're here!"

The crowd stirred and surged forward.

A convoy slowly approached, with more than ten guards at the front and rear, and several carriages in the middle, their curtains drawn low, obscuring the people inside.

A white horse led the way, with a scholar riding on it.

He was in his forties, with a thin face and a short beard.

He was wearing a blue brocade robe with a leather belt around his waist.

He has an extraordinary air about him.

The convoy stopped at the city gate.

The scholar on the white horse reined in his horse, bowed to the welcoming crowd, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, I am Xu You, Xu Ziyuan, a native of Nanyang, and an old friend of Yuan Shao."

Some people in the crowd recognized Xu You and returned the greeting.

Xu You continued, "After resigning from his official post, Yuan Shao returned to his hometown alone to observe mourning for his parents and had no intention of coming to Luoyang. We..."

He pointed to the convoy behind him, "We are merely escorting the Yuan family to Luoyang for resettlement. Yuan himself is currently in his old residence in Ruyang County, observing mourning and living in seclusion, refusing guests. I, Xu You, appreciate your kindness in welcoming us on his behalf."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the crowd.

Some whispered among themselves, some shook their heads and sighed, and many more showed admiration on their faces.

Liu Bei stood on a small slope and saw this scene clearly.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "He truly deserves to be called the 'Model of the World,' Yuan Shao. He doesn't care about the center of power or popularity at all; the rumors simply fall apart on their own. I, Liu Bei, can only look up to him with such a transcendent spirit."

Liu Deran agreed, saying, "Yuan Benchu ​​is truly a role model for us all. I regret that I cannot meet him."

Zhang Fei muttered to himself, "They said they'd come, but they didn't. Aren't they just playing games with us?"

Liu Deran retorted angrily, "That's called high moral character, what do you know?!"

Zhang Fei pursed his lips and stopped talking.

Liu Quan stood beside Liu Bei, gazing at the convoy at the city gate, unmoved by Yuan Shao's so-called "noble character" despite no one having arrived.

He had some guesses in his mind: at first, there were rumors of Yuan Shao returning to Luoyang to observe mourning... then rumors about Yuan Shao spread... and finally, Yuan Shao suddenly returned to Ruyang County to observe mourning...

There are many suspicious points here, and it's likely just another trick played out by the Yuan brothers in their power struggle.

Unfortunately, we had even prepared gifts for Yuan Shao, which we were sure he would like and accept us brothers as a result, but now we don't even have the chance to give them to him.

Liu Quan was speechless.

…………

In Luoyang, at the Yuan residence.

Yuan Shu lay reclining on the couch, holding a bowl of honey water in his hands, drinking it sip by sip.

He was in a very good mood today.

At this moment, a servant hurried in from outside, knelt before the bed, and said in a low voice, "My lord, there is news from the city gate."

"explain."

The servant recounted everything that had happened at the city gate. When he mentioned that "Yuan Shao himself is currently in his old residence in Ruyang County," Yuan Shu suddenly burst out laughing.

The laughter started softly, then grew louder and louder.

Yuan Shu laughed so hard he bent over, almost falling off his feet. He spilled a few drops of honey water onto his brocade robe, but he didn't care at all.

"Good! Good! Good!" Yuan Shu said "good" three times in a row, and his laughter finally stopped, but the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but turn up.

He thought to himself, "Yuan Shao, you little brat. You use rumors to target me? I'll give you a taste of your own medicine."

He placed the bowl of honey water on the table, sat up, and squinted at the view outside the window.

"Didn't you want to be a 'model for all'? Well then, I'll send you to Ruyang to be your 'model.' As for Luoyang—"

He smiled again, a hint of smugness in his smile.

"It's enough that Luoyang has you."

"So what if you have a bad reputation or are unpopular? Once you, Yuan Shao, return to Luoyang after observing mourning in Ruyang, your official position will be far beyond your reach."

"You little brat, you think you can fight with your master? Fight with your mother! Oh, right, you don't have a mother!"

After the excitement subsided, the crowd dispersed.

Xu You escorted the convoy back to Yuan Shao's residence.

Yuan Shao did not live in the Yuan Mansion in Luoyang, but instead built a separate residence.

The motorcade drove directly into the mansion.

Yuan Shao's wife and children left for the inner quarters, which is not mentioned here.

However, a young man emerged from one of the carriages; he was none other than He Yong's trusted servant.

Xu You saw the young man and laughed, "He San, this time it's all thanks to you for delivering the message in time, otherwise I'm afraid I would have been tricked by Yuan Gonglu."

The young man, He San, said, "My master heard the rumors and ordered me to come here immediately to inform him."

Xu You nodded and said, "Bo Qiu is indeed perceptive; he has been a great help this time."

He then sneered, "Does Yuan Gonglu think that he can't get anything done just because Benchu ​​doesn't come to Luoyang? Heh, with us friends running errands for him, even if Benchu ​​himself doesn't come, his reputation in Luoyang will still endure."

…………

On the way back, Liu Bei was still envious of Yuan Shao's reputation.

The sight of the huge crowds welcoming him outside the gates of Luoyang left a deep impression on him.

Liu Bei thought to himself, "Yuan Shao's ability to win the hearts of the people is what brought him to this point. As Quan once said, 'The people can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it.' Only those who love the people can earn their love and respect. I, Liu Bei, must become that kind of person in the future!"

Liu Quan was pondering, "The early backer I prepared for A-Bei isn't coming to Luoyang. We can't just wait idly for Yuan Shao for three years, no, six years, can we?"

He remembered seeing in Pangu's database that Yuan Benchu ​​observed three years of mourning for his mother, and then three years of mourning for his father (Yuan Cheng).

"Looks like I need to find a new backer."

The new patron soon found a target, and it was his teacher, Lu Zhi, who introduced them to each other.

After the third day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhi began to visit friends with his most outstanding disciples.

Well, the so-called favorite disciples were Gongsun Zan and the three Liu brothers.

Who is being visited?

Cai Yong, Ma Ridi, Yang Ci, Liu Kuan, Liu Yu, and others.

They're either celebrities or big shots.

Without Lu Zhi's guidance, these people, given their status as powerful border families like the Gongsun and Liu, probably wouldn't even be able to get through the gates.