Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

That night, the Mi family father and son stayed at Liu Bei's house.

The father and son slept in the same room.

"Zhu'er," Mi An suddenly spoke, "how do you feel about being in Lousang Village, in the Liu family's home?"

Mi Zhu turned to the side, thought for a moment, and said, "I feel that... this place gives people a sense of prosperity and flourishing."

"From top to bottom, from Liu Bei and Liu Quan to the craftsmen in the workshops, even the half-grown children in the children's camp, their eyes shone with light."

"It's just that feeling of having hope for the future."

"Indeed!" Mi An nodded, then added, "Back when my Mi family first opened up the maritime trade routes, things were just like this. My father was just a boy then, sailing with your grandfather. The first time he brought back pearls, hawksbill turtles, and spices from the sea, the whole of Qu County was abuzz. Everyone in the family was full of enthusiasm!"

He paused, a hint of bitterness in his voice: "But what about now? The business has grown, life is more comfortable, and the children in the family are all content with enjoying themselves. They want to wear fine silks, eat delicacies, and travel by carriage. They certainly have a grand style, but if you ask them to go out to sea and run ships like they used to, very few of them would be willing."

Mi Zhu felt ashamed, for he was one of the Mi family members who refused to go to sea and run a ship.

Running a boat is too hard and dangerous, so now it's mostly the non-family members recruited by the Mi family who are doing it.

Mi Zhu hurriedly replied, "It is my incompetence."

"Sigh~" Mi An waved his hand and sighed, "That's just how things are. When a family has been developing and becoming wealthy for a long time, it's inevitable that they will become complacent and indulge in pleasure, and slowly lose their spirit. This isn't just your problem; it would be the same for anyone."

He paused for a moment, his voice growing deeper: "The same goes for the nation. When Emperor Guangwu founded the dynasty, which of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai hadn't risen from the ashes of countless battles? But now, look at those sons of high-ranking officials, how many of them can still mount a horse and fight?"

Mi Zhu's heart stirred slightly. He recalled his father's frequent private lamentations about the impending chaos in the Han Dynasty and thought, "Father has spent these years traveling far and wide, giving away a considerable amount of wealth and making friends. Could it be that he is preparing for the coming chaos?"

Mi An continued, "My father has traveled all over the country for decades and has met many heroes and great men. They all have one thing in common—they can inspire those around them to strive for success together."

"The same goes for the Liu brothers. Look at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Han Dang, Yan Liang, and others—they are all heroes, yet they treat Liu Bei with utmost respect, addressing him as 'elder brother.' They also hold Liu Yuangu in the highest esteem..."

"And the craftsmen in the shops, the children in the children's camp, all working with great enthusiasm..."

Mi An's voice rose slightly: "These things cannot be bought with money, nor can they be forced by power. This is... the human heart."

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu already understood most of the meaning and asked, "Father, do you mean to befriend the Liu family?"

Mi An shook his head and said, "No, it's not about being on good terms."

"It's about making friends wholeheartedly."

Mi Zhu was startled.

The phrase "to make friends with them wholeheartedly" means to link the Mi family's reputation, wealth, and connections with the Liu family.

"Why does Father think so highly of the Liu brothers?"

While shocked, Mi Zhu was also somewhat pleased.

He inexplicably found himself very compatible with Liu Bei and was very willing to be close to him.

The next day, early in the morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the Mi family father and son were already up.

The servants of the Liu family brought hot water and a towel, and helped him wipe his face.

Mi Zhu casually asked, "Are your eldest and second sons up yet?"

The servant boy, while wringing out his face towel, replied, "The eldest young master led his troops on patrol before dawn, saying that the nearby counties have been rather unsettled lately and he needs to keep a close watch. The second young master is training his cadets at the east end of the village; as long as he's in Lousang Village, he'll be there every day at dawn, rain or shine."

Mi An nodded, about to say something, when suddenly he heard a loud shout coming from the east of the village, which could still be clearly heard through several rows of houses.

The voice was youthful yet resonant, each word spoken with precision, as clean and precise as if cut by a knife or axe.

"When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong..."

Mi An stopped holding the face towel.

"...The rising sun shines brightly; the river bursts forth from its hidden source, flowing into a vast ocean; the dragon rises from the abyss, its scales and claws flashing; the young tiger roars in the valley, causing all beasts to tremble in fear..."

The sound surged in waves, filling the courtyard, the main room, and people's chests.

Mi Zhu was also stunned. He subconsciously took the face towel handed to him by the servant, but did not move.

"...The eagle tests its wings, stirring up dust and wind; the rare flower begins to bloom, resplendent and magnificent; the sword is sharpened, its edge gleaming..."

Mi An put down his face towel, walked to the door, and listened for a while.

The morning breeze blew from the east, carrying the shouts clearly to our ears.

He listened for a few moments, then suddenly closed his eyes, his lips moving slightly as if he were savoring the moment.

"...The sky is blue above, the earth is yellow below; spanning a thousand ages and encompassing the eight directions; the future is like the sea, and the days to come are long."

As the last sentence fell, its lingering sound drifted away in the morning breeze.

Before long, it started playing again from the beginning.

Mi An opened his eyes and let out a long breath: "Truly a magnificent piece of writing."

He turned to look at the servant boy and asked, "Who did this?"

The servant puffed out his chest, his face full of pride: "This is a text written by my second young master for the children's camp! It must be recited aloud during daily drills!"

Mi An and Mi Zhu exchanged a glance but neither spoke.

at the same time.

Jicheng.

In the study of the governor's mansion, Liu Yu was bent over his desk reading official documents.

Liu Yu was not a workaholic, but the affairs of Youzhou were so complicated that he had to get up early to work.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Liu Hexing, the son, rushed in, holding a piece of paper in his hand, shaking his head and muttering to himself.

Liu Yu didn't even look up: "Making such a racket so early in the morning, what kind of behavior is this?"

Liu He wasn't annoyed. He stood in front of the table with a smile, unfolded the note, cleared his throat, and began to read:

"When the youth are wise, the nation is wise; when the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; when the youth are strong, the nation is strong... As the sun rises, its path shines brightly; as the river emerges from its hidden source, it flows into a vast ocean..."

He read with great intonation, and when he got to the most exciting parts, it was truly a vivid and moving performance.

Liu Yu gradually stopped writing.

When Liu He read the phrase "The future is as vast as the sea, and the days ahead are long," Liu Yu had already straightened up, his gaze fixed on the note, remaining motionless for a long time.

"This is..." he asked.

Liu He handed over the letter: "Father, this was written by Yuan Gu. I overheard him reciting this poem by chance before, and it felt like drinking fine wine. So I shamelessly asked him to copy it for me, and he has finally delivered it today."

Liu Yu took the note, but before he could even read the contents, his gaze was drawn to the neat and upright characters in regular script.

Beautiful handwriting!!!

"It is indeed the regular script calligraphy created by Yuan Gu!" Liu He's voice was full of admiration. "Father, look at it. Each stroke is distinct and upright, yet it is lively. It is not as particular about the undulating strokes as the clerical script, nor as rounded as the seal script, but it looks very crisp and is also quick to write."

He added, "According to Yuan Gu, this script is most suitable for copying books and engraving inscriptions, and it will surely become popular throughout the world in the future."

Liu Yu nodded, brought the note closer, and examined it carefully.

The paper is of the finest quality, its surface as smooth as a membrane, and its texture as firm and pure as jade.

The characters are in neat and upright regular script, with horizontal and vertical strokes, and the strokes are extended. Each character looks as if it has been measured with a ruler, yet it also carries a strong sense of strength.

He looked at it for a long time, then silently read the article from beginning to end again.

"If the youth are wise, the nation is wise; if the youth are wealthy, the nation is wealthy; if the youth are strong, the nation is strong..." Liu Yu murmured, repeating the sentence, then suddenly laughed, "This Liu Yuangu, though young, has quite the big mouth."

Liu He hurriedly asked, "Father, what do you think of this article?"

Liu Yu did not answer directly, but carefully folded the note and placed it on the table.

He picked up his pen and continued reading the official document he hadn't finished, slowly uttering four words:

"Exquisitely written."

Liu He waited a while, and seeing that his father didn't continue, he couldn't help but ask, "That's it?"

Liu Yu paused, raised his eyelids to look at his son, and said, "Your ambition is not small either. A person who can write the eight characters 'Throughout the ages, across the eight directions' is either arrogant or truly has the ambition to swallow the heavens and the earth."

Liu He laughed and said, "Yuan Gu will definitely be the latter."

Liu Yu paused slightly, thinking to himself, "Having too much ambition isn't necessarily a good thing. This world..."