Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 107 Dilemma
That's life. You'll always encounter difficulties. Living a lifetime is about solving a lifetime of problems.

There is no such thing as a smooth road. After overcoming one obstacle, there is another. Everyone lives a life of stumbling and falling.

It's not just about competing for profit, but also about avoiding harm...

If one must contend with the powerful figures of the land while upholding one's moral principles, this is the path of compassion, and the difficulties one will face will only increase.

Love has always brought many calamities.

If we consider the wishes Liu Fuzi had when choosing a name for Guan Yu, he would have preferred Guan Yu to pursue a life of seclusion and immortality...

But Guan Yu also chose the path of love.

"I heard from Fei Lang that you, my elder brother, risked your life to fight the enemy. It is a matter of righteousness, and I am deeply moved. However, you bear the heavy responsibility of governing the land and protecting the people. Please do not put me in such a dangerous situation. I only ask that you forgive me for returning late."

This is a letter that Guan Yu sent back with Bian Bing. This time, he addressed him as "brother."

He refused Liu Bei's support and wanted to handle things himself.

The reason Bian Bing was specifically sent back to deliver the message was, of course, because the situation he was facing was somewhat troublesome.

"My lord, the Xianbei from Bingzhou have invaded the border, and many mixed barbarian tribes and rebel soldiers have entered Yunzhong County."

"Lord Guan ordered his guards to protect the blacksmith as he returned south, passing through Taiyuan, Jingxing, and Taihang. He sent Bing back to ask the young master to send someone to Changshan to meet the blacksmith's family."

"Upon learning that Sister Xiu Niang had been sent to Yunzhong, General Guan, fearing unrest in Yunzhong, took Bing and the remaining ten riders to Yunzhong..."

Bian Bing explained the situation to Liu Bei. He was an excellent messenger, good at reading people, and could explain the situation in great detail...

……

Jingxing was the official ancient road that crossed the Taihang Mountains, connecting Taiyuan to the west and Changshan to the east, before continuing along the Zhongshan Highway.

With his retainers protecting the blacksmith as he traveled through Jingxing, he was relatively safe as long as he didn't encounter the Taihang bandits... If he used the name of the "Big-Eared Bandit," he might be even safer if he encountered the Taihang bandits.

Those ten riders were brought by Guan Yu for the convenience of sending messages.

Guan Yu was not worried about encountering enemies; he was not afraid of Xianbei people or bandits.

But what Guan Yu encountered was not an enemy...

Guan Yu could easily have found Xiu Niang, but he simply couldn't take her away.

The Du family truly had no intention of harming Xiu Niang; they genuinely hoped that Xiu Niang could find a good home, based on their own understanding.

However, they didn't expect that Yunzhong was not a good place.

Xiuniang was sent to Yunzhong because most of the Du family members went there to do business.

This is a big deal, and the reason why the Du and Qin families are trying to form a marriage alliance is because of this.

This business was naturally border trade, because selling smuggled salt to people from the Hu region was the most profitable.

You can change horses.

The Qin family has connections in the armies of both Yunzhong and Yanmen, so they can do this, but trading with the Xianbei requires a large amount of salt.

The Du family owns salt, and the Du family and the Qin family have had some dealings in the past.

The Qin family then asked Xiuniang for her hand in marriage through their youngest son, Qin Yi, using the engagement as a basis for trust.

So the Du family transported a large amount of salt to the Qin family, hoping for a bountiful harvest after the New Year.

During this time, seeing that the auspicious day was approaching, which was also the day agreed upon for the trade with the Xianbei people, the Du family went to Yunzhong with their entire family, intending to bring back their share of the profits.

The Du family did indeed see the Qin family waiting outside Yunzhong County, and they also saw the Xianbei people who came with a large number of horses.

but……

Just as the deal was about to be completed, another force appeared.

It was a ragtag army, composed of Han Chinese and various Hu and Qiang peoples. They didn't fly any flags, and without saying a word, they started killing people indiscriminately.

The Du family suffered heavy casualties and scattered, but few escaped alive. Xiu Niang and Guan Ping were almost killed.

Fortunately, the Qin family had plenty of manpower at the time, and they protected Xiuniang and two-year-old Guanping back to the Qin family's fortified village.

In the process of rescuing Xiuniang and her child, many members of the Qin family were also injured.

Xiu Niang was unwilling to enter the Qin family's gate. She was a doctor and skilled in treating external injuries, so she stayed at the outpost outside the fort to treat the wounded.

Qin Yi did not stop this matter, and he was quite polite to Xiu Niang, which can be considered enlightened.

Xiu Niang kept insisting that she was a married woman with children and begged Qin Yi not to believe any marriage agreement, but... Qin Yi remained noncommittal about it.

These days, having children isn't a disadvantage... it's an advantage, proof of being able to bear children.

However, due to the large number of deaths, no one mentioned marriage anymore; instead, everyone was busy guarding the fortified village.

Guan Yu arrived at Qin Family Fortress at this moment. The anticipated violent conflict did not occur, because Xiu Niang had been in the fortress's supply depot the whole time, and she spotted Guan Yu immediately—Guan Yu's physique was too conspicuous.

Xiu Niang picked up Guan Ping and ran out.

"Chang Sheng! You... how did you get here? Your sins..."

Xiu Niang had been treating the wounded and was somewhat tired, but she immediately perked up when she saw Guan Yu. However, this energy only lasted for a moment before fading away.

She was still a little hesitant.

“I am now innocent and have found a place to live… I have come to take my wife and children home… My son… call me Father.”

Guan Yu smiled gently, took a small wooden knife from his pocket and placed it in Guan Ping's hand. He then turned to look at Xiu Niang and said, "I have found a place where you can fulfill your heart's desires... There is an elder brother there who says you are a wise man of our time. He is spending fifty million coins to establish a medical institution for you and is waiting for you to go there to serve as the headmaster."

"Chang Sheng, don't lie to me... When did I become worth fifty million coins?"

Xiu Niang didn't believe it at all: "Ping'er and I were saved by the Qin family. It would be unjust for us to leave now... At the very least, I should heal their injuries before I go."

“If it is indeed a matter of righteousness…then I will repay this kindness with you, and after we have fulfilled our obligation, we will go home together.”

Guan Yu also felt that he had to repay the kindness he had received, and he couldn't just leave like that.

“Go home? Go where? This is Xiu Niang’s home…”

As they were talking, a rather effeminate-looking young man stepped forward: "Xiuniang, who is this person?"

This is Qin Yi, courtesy name Yilu, the youngest son of the Qin family.

“This is my husband, Guan Changsheng… Qin Jun, I’ve told you so many times, I am a married woman…”

Xiu Niang was so defiant towards Guan Yu back then, so naturally she wouldn't be bothered by improper etiquette now. Before, she had no choice but to live under someone else's roof for Guan Ping's sake, and she really couldn't do whatever the elders of the Du family wanted her to do. But now that Guan Yu has come, she is completely unafraid.

"Where is your marriage contract? If there is no marriage contract, then you are already divorced... Xiu Niang, our parents have a marriage certificate. If you go with your ex-husband, where will the law and propriety be? Ping Lang can go with Guan Jun, but you really cannot leave."

Qin Yilu glanced at Guan Yu, his expression somewhat uneasy, but he didn't say anything excessive. He simply referred to Guan Yu as his ex-husband and only allowed Guan Yu to take Guan Ping with him.

There was naturally no official marriage certificate... If there had been, Xiu Niang would have been arrested long ago.

“My son is still here, why make things difficult for me… Brother Qin has been kind to my wife and children, and I will surely repay him.”

Guan Yu was actually in a difficult position. He hadn't made things difficult for her, and both the Du and Qin families had been kind to Xiu Niang, so they did have to repay them.

The Qin family didn't do anything wrong. They didn't let Xiuniang leave because of the constraints of etiquette and law, so they can't be blamed.

However, Guan Yu would not agree to take Guan Ping away alone.

If it weren't for Xihe Pavilion, and if Guan Yu were still a wanted criminal, perhaps it wouldn't be bad for Xiu Niang to stay here to treat her injuries; at least she would be fulfilling her ideal.

But now, Xihe Pavilion has spent a fortune to set up a post for Xiu Niang, and Guan Yu feels that this is not the place for Xiu Niang.

We can't resort to violence, and we can't just leave like that... This is a difficult situation.

After much deliberation, Guan Yu decided to avenge the Du and Qin families, repay their debts, and then leave with his wife and children, so that he could at least have a clear conscience.

So Guan Yu led his men to search the surrounding area, trying to find the whereabouts of that mixed barbarian troops, and sent Bian Bing back to deliver a message to Liu Bei.

After hearing this, Liu Bei pondered for a long time and decided that he still had to go and lend a hand.

Although Guan Yu forbade him to help, it wasn't up to Guan Yu to decide this matter.

The murder of the Du family had many flaws in Liu Bei's eyes, but Guan Yu and Xiu Niang, being too caught up in the situation, could hardly see them...

A righteous person...

They're easily bullied by loyalty!

……

a few days later.

"Excuse me, is this Qin Yilu's residence?"

Several young men wearing straw hats and riding fine horses arrived outside Qinjiawu Fortress and inquired.

"...Who are you?"

The doorman became somewhat wary.

“A certain big-eared man from Zhuojun, please inform Brother Qin that I have a horse business to do with him.”

Liu Bei took off his straw hat, revealing his signature large ears to the gatekeeper.

I'm feeling unwell, dizzy, and confused, so I posted this late. Please forgive me.

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(End of this chapter)