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

After saying this, Liu Bei turned around and left without showing any attachment to this place.

Shopkeeper Chen looked at the young man's receding figure, his admiration suddenly turning into shock and anger: "Damn it! This bastard drank my wine and didn't even pay!"

-

After Liu Bei left the wine shop, he said goodbye to some friends in Luoyang, and finally carried the wine he had taken from Manager Chen to the residence of Zhou Yi, the new Luoyang magistrate, and played with his little daughter who was not yet one year old.

During this time, he even smiled and asked knowingly: "Lord Luoyang's daughter is so cute, what's her name?"

Zhou Yi was looking at the scene in front of him in surprise.

The little baby who always liked to cry not only stopped crying and making a fuss in Liu Bei's arms, but also stared at him with shining eyes, and even saliva was about to fall from the corners of his mouth.

I really don't know who the real father is.

Zhou Yi smiled, but didn't directly answer Liu Bei's question. He suddenly asked, "Xuan De was born in Zhuo County. I don't know if your family has any marriage plans for you."

"…No."

It seems that Zhou Yi had already read the information about him yesterday and even knew his birthplace.

"Then I wonder... Is my daughter suitable?"

"?"

Liu Bei was so frightened that he almost threw the baby in his arms.

Fortunately, he was a man of great character, and remained calm as he said, "Isn't it too early?"

"Marriage should be decided sooner rather than later. Xuande making a decision sooner will put Zhou, your father, at ease."

Why are you so eager to be my father-in-law...

Liu Bei was a little surprised and asked, "Why is the Luoyang magistrate so anxious?"

"Have it."

Zhou Yi drank the turbid wine in his hand, was silent for a while, and then said meaningfully:

"My dear friend Xuande, your appearance is unusual. He studied under Master Lu Zigan, and his friends include the Jia family of Wuwei, the Gongsun family of Liaoxi, and the Cao family of Qiao County... Oh, when our great-grandfather was humble, he still had a virtuous wife. Now, I would like to emulate the example of Lu Gong, who married our great-grandfather's daughter. What do you think?"

Haha, you are really not an ordinary person.

Jia Xu had never mentioned his real surname to anyone, and Gongsun Zan no longer used the Gongsun family's carriage after entering Cao's mansion. However, Zhou Yi, the Luoyang magistrate who had only been in office for less than a day, had already known all these things.

But think about it, the Lujiang Zhou family prospered for a hundred years without decline, and during that period several of their members were among the Three Dukes. With such a large family, it would be very easy to investigate anyone.

Maybe among the outer guards of Cao’s mansion, there are spies from the Zhou family.

Liu Bei smiled and replied irrelevantly to Zhou Yi's obvious olive branch: "I haven't yet asked the Luoyang magistrate the name of my daughter."

"Is this important?"

"important."

"...My daughter, Zhou Yu."

When Liu Bei heard the name, which matched his memory, his smile widened. He reached out and teased the baby in his arms, then asked, "Zhou Yu, will you be my wife or concubine?"

The baby looked at his smile and actually started to smile as well, then nodded repeatedly, which was extremely weird.

"Heh...Xuan De, you are truly extraordinary."

Seeing this, Zhou Yi further confirmed his guess. For the Zhou family in Lujiang, it was not uncommon for them to identify potential stocks and invest in them in advance, and it was not unique to their family.

It’s just that in the past, they were more likely to come from other families rather than Liu Bei’s background.

But who can blame Liu Bei for being so handsome?

Not to mention Liu Bei's relationship with the Cao family and the Gongsun family, just based on his appearance, Zhou Yi must have wanted to win over one or two of them.

The reason why the Lujiang Zhou family has remained prosperous for a hundred years is due to this sharp vision.

"Luoyang Ling is joking..."

Liu Bei bowed and was about to say a few humble words when a servant from the Zhou family rushed in from outside the door.

"Why are you so impatient?"

"Sir...sir..."

The servant took several deep breaths and then exclaimed, "Northern Commander, Jian Tu was caught last night for violating the night rules. He has just been ordered to be executed with a five-colored stick..."

Interlude: Chapter 76: Where to Go? The World.

Beating Jian Shuo's uncle to death... This is consistent with the records of later generations, but the reason is completely different.

After hearing the news, Zhou Yi did not show any panic, but just looked at Liu Bei meaningfully.

Jian Shuo was beheaded in the palace last night. This news has not yet been spread, but Zhou Yi, the new Luoyang commander, must have known about it.

If one considers it from his perspective, these two things are clearly the same thing - the Cao family has killed the Jian family.

All the high officials and nobles knew that at the beginning of the year, the Cao family and the Jian family had been at odds with each other, fighting openly and secretly countless times, but they had a tacit understanding and did not kill each other.

On the one hand, they were worried that destroying the Cao family would force other families to unite, and on the other hand, even if they destroyed the Jian family, the emperor could still support another one.

I thought this farce would continue or end with one side winning the fight, but I didn't expect it to end early before the next year.

It is easy to destroy the Jian family, but if the emperor is angry, who can bear this wrath?

This Cao Cao...haha, he is really a fierce horse of the Cao family.

Zhou Yi bowed to Liu Bei and said, "Xuan De, our marriage is finalized. The official gift agreement will be delivered early next year. As for the rest of the journey, I'm afraid I have to excuse myself."

"That's all right, Lord Luoyang, please go and do your work. I won't continue to nag you."

Liu Bei returned the greeting and stood up to leave.

Others may not know, but he himself knows very well that Cao Cao's action this time was not a momentary anger... it was more like a statement.

You, Liu Bei, can enter the palace and kill Jian Shuo, and I, Cao Cao, can beat his uncle to death with a stick. We are from the same camp, so if there is any guilt, we should bear it together.

What a stupid idea.

Wouldn't such an impulsive move only humiliate the emperor and make him bear a grudge against the Cao family?

When Liu Bei hurried to the center of the market, he saw a crowd of common people inside and outside, filling the entire street.

Before he had taken a few steps forward, he heard the old man next to him crying: "Heaven has eyes, heaven has eyes! This Jian Tu killed my son and stole my daughter-in-law... He is finally dead..."

"Who killed him?"

"Of course it's Lieutenant Caobei, Cao Mengde!"

Upstairs in the elegant pavilion, several people in luxurious clothes opened the windows and chatted with each other.

"This lady is truly formidable. She's not afraid of power and always upholds the law. Even the nobles would retreat in fear when they see her."

"How could Cao Mengde be so fierce?"

"Yes, but Cao Mengde's hobbies are different from those of ordinary people. I heard that he's been hanging out with a handsome young man recently..."

"An old cow eating young grass, is this?"

Listening to these discussions, Liu Bei stopped and a slight smile appeared on his face.

It seems that Cao Cao's actions were not entirely impulsive. She received rave reviews from the public today, and if she announces her transfer tomorrow... her reputation will be elevated to a higher level.

People are generally interested in stories about people being framed for not fearing the powerful.

Maybe this was a strategy proposed by Jia Xu?

Liu Bei shook his head and laughed, and was no longer in a hurry to find Cao Cao. Just as he was about to turn around and return to Cao's mansion, he saw a small figure in the distance.

He thought for a moment, walked into the shop next door, bought some rice cakes, and then came to the side of the small figure.

"Eat?"

Liu Bei stretched out his hand and handed it over.

"...The master is just sick, not a child."

Mr. Lu glanced at him sideways, but still couldn't help but took it and ate it in small bites.

This so-called "rice cake" is quite interesting. It sounds a bit confusing, but it is actually the original version of rice cake.

"What disease can cause people to have silver hair and red eyes?"

Liu Bei squatted down and ate with his teacher, his tone full of curiosity and no intention of offense.

But Master Lu still flicked him with his hand and snorted, "It has nothing to do with this. You'd better not ask about my affairs. It will do you no good."

Liu Bei blinked his eyes and said, "How can it not be beneficial? As long as I can hear about Master's things, I will feel at ease, and it will be easier to study when I feel at ease."

"loquacious."

Master Lu took a big bite off a piece of meat in a show of defiance and whispered, "You're the only one still studying? For a month, you and that little girl from the Gongsun family either bought clothes or walked the dog, drank, and listened to music..."

Although the silver-haired and red-eyed girl is very cute, it is still a bit scary to see the teacher teaching people, as people are afraid that an arrow will pierce their heads in the next second.

Liu Bei was so frightened that he stuffed the uneaten rice cake in his hand into Master Lu's mouth.

When he realized what he had just done, he laughed awkwardly and said, "Well, Master, how about I go buy a few more?"

"Gulu gulu..."

Master Lu was neither embarrassed nor happy. He calmly chewed the food in his mouth and said calmly, "For those who study, a clear mind and few desires are the best. How can you be greedy?"

…You’re not greedy, but you’ve already eaten everything you bought for me? I haven’t eaten anything yet!

Liu Bei was too tired to complain, so he changed the subject and asked, "Master, how come you have time to come to Luoyang today?"

"When is the day that the Master is not free to come?"

Master Lu glanced at him and continued, "But this daughter of the Cao family is quite interesting. On the surface, she's not afraid of power, but in reality, she's just trying to build a reputation... Oh, and looking at her behavior in the past, she's willing to do anything to achieve her goals. This is definitely not the right path, and it won't last long."

"Xuan De, don't learn from her."

Liu Bei stood in awe and said, "Master, your teaching is correct. But those in power should be broad-minded and choose people not only based on merit but also on ability..."

"If one is capable but not virtuous, what is the point of having virtue? If those in power do not cultivate their moral character, but rely solely on eloquence, even if they possess tremendous power, they will only foster evil thoughts in the world. In the long run, this will inevitably corrupt the world and people's hearts."

Master Lu gave Liu Bei a few words of advice, but Liu Bei didn't take it to heart at all, because he knew better than anyone that Master Lu had a rather serious and old-fashioned personality. To deal with a girl like this, all you have to do is go along with her.

"Master, what you said is absolutely right. I was mistaken. I will definitely follow your teachings."

"Well, so good."

Master Lu nodded with great satisfaction, showing a teachable look, and even the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

She continued, "It seems someone died in the palace last night. It seems the world has become increasingly chaotic lately... I hope this journey can bring peace to the world."

I guess that won't work.

Barbarian rebellions and civilian uprisings are not evil but helpless. The real evil lies with the local tyrants and those in the imperial palace.

Liu Bei did not say this to make himself unhappy, but instead accompanied Mrs. Lu for a walk and listened to her chattering.

There's nothing you can do about it. When old people get old, they just like to talk endlessly to young people. There's no need to argue anyway, just listen obediently.

Liu Bei and his teacher walked towards the distance, facing the sunset.

Until the night began to sprout, Master Lu stopped and said to the sky:

"Xuan De, after you go to Jiujiang County to quell the rebellion, you will take my master's order and go on a journey of study..."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Liu Bei nodded happily. "I wonder where you would like me to study, Master?"

Master Lu lowered his head and stared at him, whispering two words:

"The world."

Jiujiang County: Chapter 1: Yuan Shao: Show me your canvas!

The next day.

As soon as Liu Bei opened his eyes, he saw those narrow eyes staring at him, and the desire that flashed in them was almost as if they were ready to devour someone.

“…Meng De, good morning.”

"Ah."

But Cao Cao finally suppressed his thoughts and simply asked, "I heard from Zhou Yi that you...had secretly engaged to his youngest daughter. Is that true?"