Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 189 Cai Yuan, daughter of the Cai family of Xiangyang!

"Let him in."

Liu Bian's fingertips casually hooked a strand of Liu Qing's hair that was hanging down, and as they intertwined, he gently gathered her soft hand into his palm, his thumb caressing the mutton fat jade bracelet on her wrist.

He naturally had a strong liking for this woman who was a few years older than him, but as a ruler, he could not favor one person exclusively.

As for those who practice monogamy and are devoted to their husbands, they may be good men, but not responsible emperors, especially when their offspring are few.

A nation's stability depends on a lack of male heirs. With the royal family's offspring dwindling, expanding the family and recruiting talented women are crucial to stabilizing the nation's foundation.

"Here."

Gao Wang bowed and slowly withdrew, leading Zhang Wen, the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, and the brother and sister he brought into the hall. When the woman entered the side hall, the hall seemed to brighten up a bit.

This is a graceful woman in the prime of her life. Her figure is outlined in a deep purple, curved-hem robe, making her look like a green bamboo after a spring rain. She is neither as delicate as a young girl nor as plump as a woman. A gossamer shawl hangs from her shoulders, swirling gracefully at her waist, fluttering lightly with her movements.

As the woman raised her eyes, her slightly upturned, beautiful eyes, besides showing curiosity, charm, and a lingering girlish innocence, also contained a hint of majesty. The faintly drawn inscription at the corners of her eyes followed the movement of her gaze, like the lingering mist on the tips of willow branches.

As she moved with light, lotus-like steps, her toes, clad only in silk stockings, lightly touched the floor. Her shawl fluttered, carrying the lingering fragrance of styrax, which, like a wisp of silk, quietly lingered around Liu Bian's nose.

The woman concealed her dignified demeanor with a respectful expression, her head bowed slightly, and the pearls hanging from the hair ornaments trembled gently with her movements, emitting soft tinkling sounds. Her slender hands emerged from the sleeves embroidered with gold thread, slowly crossed in front of her chest, and she bowed gracefully in a greeting.

As the woman moved, the coral earrings beside her earlobes trembled slightly, and her snow-white nape was faintly visible through her flowing black hair. Her voice was melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.

"This concubine greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"No gift."

Liu Bian's eyes flickered slightly as he gently supported Zhang Wen and the siblings. He felt his arms sinking deeper into the soft fabric and couldn't help but smile.

It seems Liu Qing has developed a sense of crisis towards this woman.

Indeed, although the woman's identity is unknown, she is probably around the same age as Liu Qing.

However, the fact that the woman was wearing a girl's hairstyle made Liu Bian quite curious. He wondered which family's daughter was so beloved by her parents that they would rather pay a high fine than marry her off.

However, it's good to have a sense of crisis!
Maintaining consistently high-quality service under a monopoly is inherently difficult.

Even with high-quality service, there is ultimately a lack of motivation to make progress.

I have so many tricks up my sleeve!

“Your Highness, these two are the children of my brother-in-law, Cai Yuan and Cai Mao.” Seeing that the Crown Prince was clearly very interested in his niece, Zhang Wen took the initiative to introduce her to the Crown Prince, and said with a smile, “My wife is the elder sister of the late Prefect of Liaodong, Cai Feng, also known as Cai Yuanjian.”

“In the past, King Goguryeo and more than 8,000 Xianbei from Liaodong plundered Liaodong. Cai Feng, the governor of Liaodong, and others pursued them to Xinchang, but unfortunately died in battle. Feng’s wife died of grief, leaving behind three daughters and one son who were all alone and destitute.”

“My wife took pity on him and brought him into our household to raise him, treating him as her own child.”

Liu Bian nodded slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade belt buckle at his waist, observing the brother and sister and the Grand Master of the Palace with great interest. During the Han Dynasty, the scenario of a family where both parents died and a close relative took over custody and then seized the family property without returning it might still exist in wealthy families, but it was almost extinct in aristocratic families.

It's not that aristocratic families have higher moral standards than wealthy families, but rather that their goal is to become officials, and high-ranking officials at that!

Raising one's own orphaned children is a commendable and admirable act. Instead of seizing the family property, he ruined his reputation and destroyed his future.

Once you become an official, why would you be afraid of not having money?
"Could it be that the Minister of the Imperial Stud has come to recommend worthy men for me?"

Liu Bian rested his left elbow on the armrest, his chin on his knuckles, looking at Zhang Wen with a half-smile, but his peripheral vision was fixed on Cai Yuan, as if he knew the answer already.

Of course, he was also reminding Zhang Wen, "If you have any ulterior motives, just say so. Do you expect me to take the initiative to ask for a concubine?"
“Your Highness is wise. I wish to recommend a worthy person to Your Highness.” Zhang Wen naturally understood the meaning of the Crown Prince’s words, but he went along with the Crown Prince’s words and joked, “My brother-in-law’s daughter is virtuous, kind, and well-mannered. Therefore, I wish to recommend her to Your Highness.”

Liu Bian was amused by Zhang Wen. Pointing at Cai Yuan, he pretended to be dignified and said, "Can this woman govern the country or quell the chaos? Did the Grand Master of the Palace recommend her for beauty or for virtue? If the Grand Master of the Palace cannot give a reason today, then I will punish you severely."

Cai Mao's face turned deathly pale instantly. In a panic, he looked at his uncle Zhang Wen, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his lips moving but no sound coming out.

He was quite puzzled as to why his uncle dared to be so frivolous with the Crown Prince, who would soon be ascending the throne.

Isn't he afraid of being executed for the crime of disrespect?

Cai Yuan, however, remained calm and composed. She even raised her head slightly to exchange a glance with Liu Qing, who was standing next to the Crown Prince. Her lips curved into a charming smile, revealing a friendly expression.

But Liu Qing felt an increasingly strong sense of oppression. As a woman herself, she could naturally sense that Cai Yuan was not ordinary.

Zhang Wen caught a glimpse of Cai Mao's panic out of the corner of his eye, frowned slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. On the contrary, he nodded slightly at Cai Yuan's composure, and his gaze toward Cai Yuan was filled with a mixture of admiration and regret.

The one who will bring prosperity to the Cai family will surely be this woman; it's a pity she wasn't born a man!

After Cai Mao came of age at twenty, Zhang Wen separated from Cai Mao and Cai Yuan to avoid rumors and gossip.

However, Cai Mao's temperament was not suitable for being the head of a family. Cai Mao's elder sister, Cai Ying, married Huang Chengyan of the Jiangxia Huang family. Cai Yuan, who had been involved in the Cai family business since childhood, became the de facto ruler of the Cai family, thus developing this dignified and dignified personality.

Cai Yuan's personality also made her look down on many men who came to propose marriage, and she was also worried about Cai Mao taking over the Cai family business, so she never got married.

To put it bluntly, her temperament and demeanor do indeed have the air of a mother of the nation.

Upon thinking of this, Zhang Wen bowed and slowly explained: "The Book of Rites, Chapter on Marriage, says: 'Only when a wife is obedient and compliant can the household be harmonious and orderly; only when the household is harmonious and orderly can the family last long.'"

"Your Highness's family is the Han Dynasty; the longevity of Your Highness's family is the longevity of the Han Dynasty! How can my recommendation of a virtuous and capable woman for Your Highness not be considered recommending a worthy person?"
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PS: The Book of the Later Han Dynasty seems to have made a mistake regarding the history of the Cai family and Cai Mao's father, Cai Feng, so the novel downplays the timeline issue.

According to the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Cai Feng died in battle in the summer of the first year of Jian Guang, which is the summer of 121 AD, while serving as the governor of Liaodong.

Lady Cai was Cai Mao's second elder sister. Even if they were not born to the same mother, and considering the ten-month pregnancy, they would have been born no later than 122 AD, which would have made them twenty years older than Liu Biao, rather than the so-called second wife in history.

It's impossible to say that Cai Mao and his wife were already over eighty years old when they surrendered to Cao Cao; that would be too far-fetched.

(End of this chapter)