Liu Xuande would never be a succubus of the Eastern Han Dynasty!

Jia Xu saw this and the smile on his lips deepened. She leaned forward, her red lips almost touching his earlobe, her breath as sweet as orchid, and whispered:

"Hmm? Lord Xuande's heart is beating seven times faster—is he afraid the villagers will see you bringing a vixen home?"

These words were spoken boldly and bluntly, with a hint of teasing and temptation.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei turned to look at her, and met her auspicious eyes. Her eyes were as watery as water, with a smile on her face, as if she could see through every thought in his heart.

"This weather makes me feel a little cold."

Jia Xu took advantage of the situation and moved closer. The softness of her chest rubbed against his arm intentionally or unintentionally, and the surprising elasticity through the fabric made Liu Bei's throat tighten and he almost lost his composure.

"Wenhe, don't talk nonsense..."

Liu Bei's voice was low, as if he was blaming someone, but there was a hint of hoarseness in his tone, as if he was suppressing something.

Jia Xu chuckled, leaned back slightly, and the hem of her skirt slid open, revealing half of her white calves. Her skin looked even more delicate against the backdrop of the tung petals.

She raised her hand to adjust her hair, her fingertips twirling a strand of black hair, her movements so slow and seductive, as if she was deliberately catching his attention.

"Nonsense? Perhaps Lord Xuande is just hoping that a vixen like me will get entangled with you."

As she spoke, she rested her other hand on the car railing, her nails tapping lightly on the wood, making a crisp sound with an ambiguous rhythm.

It’s hard to imagine that a person who was so low-key and taciturn before could be so... charming after entering Zhuo County.

"Click——"

"What are you talking about?"

Master Lu silently opened the curtains and saw the disheveled Jia Xu. He narrowed his eyes and said, "As expected, the nature of a fox is to steal fish."

"Master Zigan is joking."

Perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, Jia Xu straightened his clothes and said with a hint of meaning: "If the nature of a fox is to steal fish, then... what is the nature of a big cart driving a small cart?"

"The big cart drives the small cart", such remarks are also recorded in "The Sayings of Emperor Gaozu".

“…still a sharp-tongued fox.”

Master Lu glanced at Jia Xu, who subconsciously shrank his head, not daring to look him in the eye.

In fact, Mrs. Lu's majesty is just like her gradually shrinking body - it is gradually disappearing.

If it was Lu Zhi whom they had just met, not to mention Jia Xu, even Liu Bei would have to behave like a baby in front of him, and no one would dare to offend him.

But now, Mrs. Lu would show her "innocence" from time to time, which undoubtedly reduced her dignity.

Of course, Jia Xu only dared to make a sarcastic remark at most, and he didn't have the courage to say a second word.

Jia Xu turned his head slightly, pretending to be looking at the scenery, but in fact, in front of Master Lu's sight, he stuck out his lips and made a mouth shape towards Liu Bei.

"..."

Although Liu Bei couldn't understand the shape of his mouth, he understood the emotions in Jia Xu's eyes - this guy must be talking nonsense.

"Okay, be normal. We're almost home. You're not going to have to look like this when you see my mother, are you?"

Since it was along the way, Mrs. Lu would first stay overnight at Liu Bei's house and would return to her own home the next day. As for Jia Xu... since the journey home was long, she planned to stay directly at Liu Bei's house and get free food, drink, accommodation and transportation.

"Of course not."

Jia Xu's expression suddenly changed. For some reason, the coquettish charm emanating from him disappeared instantly. He looked like a mature, steady and reliable adult.

"..."

"You're really good at pretending."

Liu Bei just showed a speechless expression when his eyes flashed and he saw a mulberry tree over five meters high on the southeast corner fence of his house. From a distance, it looked like a car hood, covered with snow.

"This tree is definitely not ordinary, it seems to have the aura of an emperor," Jia Xu squinted his eyes. "Interesting, which family lives here?"

Liu Bei bowed and replied, "It is I."

"You two stop pretending to be funny. Get ready to pack up and get started."

After the donkey cart stopped, Mr. Lu opened the window, held a large box in both hands, and signaled them with his eyes to come over and help.

"Ok."

Just when Liu Bei and the other two were tinkering outside, the door of his house was suddenly opened from the inside and heavy footsteps were heard.

"But Xuande is back?"

When Liu Bei heard the voice, he looked and saw that his mother looked exactly like the one he remembered.

He often sits cross-legged on a yellowed reed mat to weave and mend, and the slightly hunched curve of his back fits perfectly with the curved shaft of the loom.

The face of the man in his forties was covered with fine wrinkles, his cheeks were chapped with dark red patches by the cold wind from Youzhou, and there was a deep vertical wrinkle between his eyebrows from years of frowning.

The withered hair was hastily tied into a fallen horse bun with a poplar hairpin, and the gray hair at the temples was always stained with hemp thread.

The joints of his five fingers were as thick as jujube wood knots, and the inside of his thumb was left with two purple-brown callus marks from the hemp rope.

Even in the cold winter, she only wore a single-layer hemp cloth gown with indigo patches on the frayed cuffs. The stitches of the patches were as fine as the mat patterns she wove - they were scraps of cloth cut from the old swaddling clothes that Liu Bei had wet with urine when he was a child.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were filled with hemp dust that could not be washed off, but they made her gaze towards her son appear even clearer, like the unfrozen waters of the Juma River outside Zhuo County, flowing silently under the ice.

She slowly uttered the three words that every mother and child utters when they meet again after a long separation: "You've lost weight."

Brief introduction: New Year: Chapter 3: Guan and Zhang appear (Move the millstone to get the meat) (k)

"Oh, who are these two?"

"This is the current scholar Lu Zhi, Lu Zigan, who is also my son's teacher."

"? Why did you bring him back?"

Mother Liu's hand holding the teacup trembled, and she quickly bowed and saluted: "This humble lady greets Master Lu. My child is good in every way, but she likes to talk nonsense. I hope Master Lu will pay more attention to her..."

"It doesn't matter."

Master Lu glanced at Liu Bei with amusement, then returned the greeting, saying, "Xuan De has been of great assistance to me. Moreover, I am here to stay for one night. I hope Madam will not be too concerned about my status."

"Lord Lu is joking, please."

"Madam, please go first."

"Hey, Master Lu, please go first."

"Then this is..."

Jia Xu seized the opportunity and replied promptly, "I am Jia Xu, also known as Jia Wenhe. I met Xuande in the capital and was deeply impressed by his charisma, so I followed him."

Upon hearing this, although Liu's mother didn't say anything, the look she gave Liu Bei subtly conveyed the meaning of "this brat is hooking up with decent women again."

"Wenhe, please."

"please."

Mother Liu took a sip of tea, then turned to Liu Bei and said, "Two people came looking for you just now. You weren't at home, so I wanted to go to the market to buy some good wine and meat to entertain them, but they said they could just go home and get it..."

"Oh," Liu Bei calmly drank his tea, "Did those two introduce themselves?"

"...I think there are some. One is surnamed Guan and the other is surnamed Zhang. Do you know them?"

"!!!"

Liu Bei immediately put down his teacup. He stood up again just a few seconds after sitting down and said, "I'm going out for a while."

"Hey, Xuande, don't worry, they will come back."

"I can't wait any longer. Please ask mother to take good care of Master and Wenhe. I'm leaving now."

Liu Bei left in a hurry.

Only Lu Fuzi and three others were left at the scene. They stared at each other, as if to say, "Whoever speaks first loses."

Fortunately, Jia Xu was a professional icebreaker and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, we are very interested in Xuande's past. Madam, would you be willing to tell us about it?"

Upon hearing this, Master Lu also showed an interested expression.

“…Alright.”

-

Zhuo County.

Zhang Fei's house was a simple yet sturdy residence. The walls were stained white with a hint of gray by the snow, and long icicles hung from the eaves.

In the center of the courtyard, an ancient well stood alone, with half of its edge buried in snow. On top of it lay a huge stone plate, half a person's height and as thick as a hill.

There was pickled meat hidden in the well, which was the food specially prepared by Zhang Fei's family for the winter. It was usually pressed down with a millstone to prevent wild animals from stealing it and to keep the meat fresh and tender.

There are two figures standing here.

The first person was wearing a green robe, a thick gray fox fur coat, and a bamboo slip with the "Spring and Autumn Annals" written on it tied around his waist. He looked very heroic.

She was not very old, but she was tall and slender, standing out among the women. Her legs were straight, and there was a cold majesty in her steps.

That face was breathtakingly beautiful, with brows like distant mountains, eyes like cold stars, a high nose bridge, lips as pale as cherry petals, and a cold and arrogant temperament emanating from her.

She had long black hair tied up in a high ponytail with a green ribbon tied at the end, swaying gently in the wind. A few strands of hair on her forehead were soaked by snowflakes and stuck to her fair forehead, adding a bit of coolness.

She folded her arms across her chest, her gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of white, finally stopping on the bone well. A hint of thought seemed to flash in her eyes.

Zhang Fei, who follows closely behind, has a different or even completely opposite appearance.

She was a little short, wearing a thick black leather coat with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her sturdy forearms. She had a short knife on her waist, looking like a hero.

That round face, with bright features, had skin that was slightly red from the wind and snow, but it had a healthy glow to it.

Her big eyes were bright as fire, hiding a strong determination that was not inferior to others. Her hair was short and messy, tied into a small braid with a wooden hairpin casually inserted in it. A few strands of hair were caught by snowflakes and stuck to the side of her face, making her look quite wild.

As soon as she entered the yard, she brushed the snow off her hands and shouted to Guan Yu, "Hey, Liu Xuande isn't home, so let's get some food and bring it back home. The meat is in the well, let's get it and eat it!"

Hearing this, Guan Yu glanced at her indifferently and said in a cold tone: "Boy, your parents are not at home, even if you go to get the meat yourself, there should be some rules."

Her voice was clear and deep, yet majestic, like an icy spring in winter.

Zhang Fei didn't take it seriously. He chuckled and suddenly jumped to the edge of the well, pointing at the millstone and saying, "Method? I'm the master here. If you can move this thing, you have the method! But this millstone is not light. No one else can move it. Can you do it, sister?"

She deliberately prolonged the last part of the word "sister", her tone full of provocation, her eyes narrowed into slits, and a smirk hung on the corner of her mouth, obviously trying to test him.

"Humph."

Guan Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, snorted coldly, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

She walked slowly forward, stood beside the millstone, and looked down.

The millstone was rough and heavy, its edges covered with snow, and it felt icy cold to the touch.

Then she stretched out a hand, and pressed her slender fingers on the edge of the grinding wheel. Her nails had a faint luster, which made her hands look dazzlingly white.

Zhang Fei stood aside, arms folded across his chest, watching the show, muttering to himself, "Tsk tsk, this is my family's heirloom. If you get hurt because you can't move it, don't blame me for not warning you!"

Her voice was loud and teasing, and she was as energetic as a little leopard eager to try.

Those big eyes looked at Guan Yu, as if expecting her to make a fool of herself. The canine teeth at the corners of her mouth were faintly visible, adding a bit of playfulness.

"boring."

Guan Yu didn't bother to pay attention to her provocation and glanced at her coldly, as if he was looking at a noisy little bird.

Finally, she took a deep breath, slightly tensed her shoulders under her green robe, and lifted her long arms to exert force.

The hand pressing on the millstone had distinct knuckles and evenly proportioned bones and flesh, exuding a sense of majesty without anger. Her waist was slightly lowered, and her legs were as steady as rocks. Two deep marks were left by her boots in the snow.

His whole aura suddenly changed, and there was a bit more sharpness in his cold arrogance.

Zhang Fei originally wanted to say a few more words to tease her, but when he saw her attitude, the smile on his face froze and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"You actually said I can't move?"

Guan Yu spoke in a low voice with a hint of sarcasm, and exerted force with his hand.

The millstone squeaked under her palm, as if it was pried by an invisible force and slowly moved a few inches.

Guan Yu snorted coldly and continued to exert force with her arms. The blue veins on the back of her fair hands felt a little strange. She actually pushed the millstone away by half an foot. The dull friction sound was extremely harsh in the snow.

Then, as if to deliberately mock Zhang Fei, she even raised the millstone above her head for a full four seconds before throwing it to the ground.

The force caused snowflakes to fly all over the sky.

The well mouth was finally completely exposed, and a cold air with a fishy smell came out from it. Pickled meat could be vaguely seen hanging on the wall of the well, tied with a rope.

"..."