Han Ji

It was a registration case, and it was noisy. Soldiers went over to disperse the crowd, and in the shoving, someone fell down.

Liu Bei frowned and walked over.

"What happened?"

The clerk who was registering the people looked up and saw Liu Bei dressed in the robes of a court official, with an extraordinary air about him. He quickly stood up and said, "Young master, these are the people who have no household registration certificate and insist on being registered. According to the rules, we cannot register them without a certificate."

Among the refugees, a man cried out urgently, "We've come here fleeing famine! Our talisman was lost on the road! Sir, please have mercy, our families haven't eaten for three days..."

"Rules are rules." The clerk shook his head.

Liu Bei looked at the man. He was around forty years old, his face weathered, his hands covered in chilblains, and his eyes were full of pleading.

He paused for a moment, then spoke: "Chen Lingshi, I recall the notice didn't require a warrant?"

Chen Lingshi was taken aback: "That's true, but without proof, what if some bad guys sneak in..."

"Repairing the granary is hard work; what would scoundrels want by sneaking in?" Liu Bei turned to the minor official. "Have them register. If there are any problems, I'll take responsibility."

The minor official hesitated.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Lingshi said to the junior official, "Listen to this young man. He is Liu Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel and a disciple of Lu Yilang."

The official then relented and allowed the man and his family to register.

The man knelt down abruptly, wanting to kowtow to Liu Bei. Liu Bei helped him up, saying, "Go and line up to get your rations."

As they left Beicang, Chen Lingshi followed and whispered, "Liu Langzhong is kind and righteous. However, it's best to stay out of such matters in the future. I was here today; if it were someone else, they would surely accuse you of altering the rules without authorization."

"Thank you for the reminder, Xie Lingshi."

Back at the small courtyard in the south of the city, Zhang Wu, upon hearing the news, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Doctor, you're too soft-hearted again! What if someone gets hold of this..."

"So what if we catch them?" Liu Bei sat down, poured himself a bowl of hot water, and said, "At worst, I'll just be dismissed from my post and go back to my hometown. I can then help my mother farm."

Zhang Wu choked, and after a long pause muttered, "You're an official now, you need to watch your words..."

"I know." Liu Bei took a sip of water and looked out the window.

It started snowing again.

By the end of November, the renovation of Beicang was completed.

Li Gong reported to the court, saying that using public works as a form of relief would not only provide for the displaced people but also repair warehouses, saving a considerable amount of money and grain on construction projects. Emperor Ling approved it with a vermilion "Approved," thus finalizing the decision.

The refugees received their last batch of food and gradually dispersed. Some built shacks outside the city, intending to survive the winter; others continued south, searching for a way to make a living.

There were fewer corpses in the corner of the palace wall.

Cao Cao specially invited Liu Bei to have a drink for this reason.

"Well done," Cao Cao said, raising his bowl. "Lord Li has gained fame, the displaced people have found a way to survive, and we... at least our efforts weren't in vain."

"Brother Mengde has made the greatest contribution."

"Me?" Cao Cao shook his head. "I only need to speak. You write the proposal, Lu Gong goes to persuade Xiang Yu, and Li Gong takes the risk. That's how things should be done."

He put down his bowl and looked at Liu Bei seriously: "Xuande, after this incident, do you understand now? In this court, to accomplish something, you need good ideas, someone who can write, someone who dares to speak, and someone who is willing to take responsibility. None of these can be lacking."

"so?"

"So we need to gather people," Cao Cao said in a low voice. "Me, you, and Lu Gong, that makes three. Although Qiao Gong has retired, he still holds prestige. Gu Yuantan is talented and will surely be useful in the future. There are a few others I know who are all courageous. Let's gather them slowly and wait for the right opportunity."

Liu Bei remained silent.

Cao Cao patted him on the shoulder: "No rush, you're still young. I'm still young too. This world... hasn't reached the point where change is absolutely necessary yet."

But Liu Bei knew that Cao Cao's eyes were filled with rage when he said those words.

It's the kind of fire that sees rotten wood and wants to burn it down and start over.

December, the end of the year is approaching.

His colleagues in the office began discussing holidays, time off, and visiting relatives and friends. Someone invited Liu Bei to a banquet at their home, but he declined as usual.

On his day off, he went to the East Gate. As the year drew to a close, it became increasingly quiet, with only a few elderly scholars still proofreading books.

He found a corner and began to peruse the Records of the Grand Historian. When he came across the line "Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born with a special destiny?" in the Biography of Chen She, his finger paused on the bamboo slip.

Lost in thought, I heard footsteps.

Looking up, I saw Xun Cai.

She was dressed in a plain-colored robe with a blue fur coat over it, and carried several scrolls of books in her hands. Upon seeing Liu Bei, she paused, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before she regained her composure.

"Liu Langzhong".

"Miss Xun." Liu Bei stood up.

The two stood two rows of bookshelves apart, speechless for a moment.

It was so quiet in Dongguanli that you could hear your own breathing.

Finally, Xun Cai spoke first: "Is the doctor here to read books?"

"Yes." Liu Bei paused. "Miss Xun as well?"

"I've come to return the books." Xun Cai gently placed the scrolls he was carrying on the table beside him. "My father asked me to borrow a few volumes of agricultural books."

"Agricultural books?"

"Hmm." Xun Cai looked up at him. "Father said that since we have read the books of sages and worthies, we should also know the hardships of the people. Agriculture and sericulture are the foundation of the country and should not be ignored."

Liu Bei nodded: "Master Xun's insight is brilliant."

Silence fell again.

The wind whistled outside the window, swirling a few snowflakes that pelted the window paper.

Xun Cai suddenly asked, "Was it the physician who suggested distributing grain to the northern granary?"

Liu Bei was taken aback: "How did Miss Xun know?"

"I heard it from my father." Xun Cai looked at him. "My father said that although this matter is small, it shows his dedication."

She paused, then spoke even softer: "The doctor is like this in Lujiang, and he is like this in Luoyang... It's truly wonderful."

After saying that, she nodded slightly and turned to leave.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Liu Bei stood there, watching her figure disappear at the end of the bookshelf. On the table, a corner of silk peeked out from the scroll she had put down.

He walked over and picked up the corner of the silk.

A sentence was written on it in tiny, neat characters:

"The road is long and arduous, but if you keep going, you will reach your destination."

The handwriting is elegant, and the ink is still fresh.

Liu Bei stood there for a long time, clutching the silk handkerchief.

Only when dusk had soaked through the window paper did he carefully fold the silk and put it into his bosom.

If you take action, you will arrive.

He repeated those four words in his mind.

The three years of Guanghe passed in this snow.

Around the New Year, the Imperial Secretariat granted a ten-day break. Colleagues went home to reunite with their families, but Liu Bei did not return to Zhuojun. Firstly, the journey was long, and secondly, having only recently taken office, it was inconvenient for him to request leave.

He spent the New Year in a small courtyard in the south of the city.

Zhang Wu prepared a table of dishes: boiled mutton, steamed buns, several kinds of seasonal vegetables, and a pot of wine. The two sat facing each other, listening to the sporadic noises outside, and thus celebrated the New Year.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he went to Lu Zhi's residence to pay his respects. Lu Zhi gave him a red silk package containing several five-zhu coins.

"New Year's money." Lu Zhi rarely smiled. "Even though you've come of age, to me you're still a child."

Liu Bei accepted it, feeling a warmth in his heart.

On the fifth day, Cao Cao arrived, carrying a jar of wine.

"My house is always packed with people, it's so annoying." Cao Cao sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. "It's much quieter here."

The two men drank wine while eating. Cao Cao talked about his relatives, how they schemed and flattered powerful figures, and by the end he laughed himself.

"Sometimes I really want to be like you, find a quiet place to hide away, and get away from seeing it."

"Brother Mengde, you jest." Liu Bei poured him some wine. "Your family relationships are so complicated that you can't escape them."

"Yes, there's no escaping it." Cao Cao tilted his head back and drank. "So we have to find a way to untangle this mess, and if we can't untangle it, we should cut it off with one stroke."