Han Ji

After the holidays, everything returned to normal.

Liu Bei continued to serve as the Left Gentleman of the Palace, standing guard, delivering documents, and going to the Eastern Pavilion. Occasionally, he would meet with Cao Cao, listening to his complaints and his analysis of the court situation.

In February, something happened.

An imperial censor impeached Cao Cao for "indiscriminately killing innocent people and enriching himself" in Dunqiu. The memorial was harsh, saying that Cao Cao used the pretext of eliminating powerful clans to confiscate their property and enrich himself, and that all the money he obtained went into his own pocket.

Emperor Ling forwarded the memorial to the Three Offices for deliberation.

When the news reached Liu Bei, Cao Cao had already been suspended from his post pending investigation.

Liu Bei went to find him. Cao Cao was at home, calmly polishing a ring-pommel sword.

"Brother Mengde..."

"Sit down." Cao Cao said without looking up. "You've come at the perfect time. Have a drink with me."

The two sat down in the study. Cao Cao poured two bowls of wine, pushing one towards Liu Bei: "Don't worry, you won't die."

"What happened?"

"The same old tricks," Cao Cao sneered. "I killed seven powerful clansmen in Dunqiu, and now their backers are coming for revenge. They say I'm embezzling? Laughable! I haven't touched a single penny of those confiscated properties. Everything's been meticulously recorded and put into storage. The account books are right there; what can they do to me?"

"Then why bother investigating?"

"Just going through the motions." Cao Cao took a sip of wine. "Give me a lesson, let me know that some people are not to be messed with. Once the investigation is over, those who should be reinstated can be reinstated, and they can go back to what they were doing. But in the future, they'd better be more careful with their actions."

He looked at Liu Bei with sharp eyes: "Xuande, you must remember: in this court, you can do things and offend people, but you must be careful. You must know who you can touch and who you cannot touch."

"I've learned a lot."

The investigation lasted a month. The final result was as Cao Cao had predicted: no evidence was found, and he was reinstated to his original position.

After this incident, Cao Cao became noticeably more restrained. He was no longer as outspoken as before, and he spoke more cautiously.

In March, Liu Bei received a letter from Zhuojun.

It was written by someone through my mother. The letter said that everything was fine at home and that he shouldn't worry. It also mentioned that my uncle, Liu Yuanqi, had been unwell recently, with a persistent cough, and that a doctor had been consulted.

After reading the letter, Liu Bei remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that his expression was off, Zhang Wu asked, "Doctor, is something wrong at home?"

"My uncle is ill." Liu Bei folded the letter carefully. "My mother said she has already called a doctor; I hope it's nothing serious."

He wrote back, urging his mother to take care of her health, and also included some money for his uncle to buy medicine.

After sending the letter, I felt uneasy.

In early April, a spring epidemic broke out in Luoyang.

At first, only a few refugee settlements in the north of the city experienced fever and vomiting, but in less than half a month, the disease spread into the city. Every day, corpses were carried out from various neighborhoods and taken outside the city to be burned.

The staff in the office were filled with fear. Colleagues covered their mouths and noses when they met, and spoke from a great distance. Rumors circulated that the epidemic had been brought by refugees.

Liu Bei went to his duty as usual. As he passed the palace gate, he noticed a group of people gathered at the corner of the wall. They were not refugees, but people who had contracted the plague and had been driven out by their families.

They lay there, waiting to die.

This time, he didn't bring any food.

In early May, the epidemic subsided slightly.

The imperial court ordered the clearing of corpses inside and outside the city. Governor Li of Henan was commended for his effective epidemic prevention measures.

Liu Bei saw a report at the Imperial Secretariat stating that more than 10,000 people had died in Luoyang during the spring epidemic.

More than 10,000 people.

He stared at that number for a long time.

At the end of May, Cao Cao visited him for the first time since being reinstated.

The two met at their usual tavern. Cao Cao had lost some weight, but was in good spirits.

"Just as I predicted," Cao Cao said with a self-deprecating laugh. "But I'll have to be more careful from now on."

"What are your plans for the future, Brother Mengde?"

"What are your plans?" Cao Cao pondered for a moment. "I'll stay in the position of Consultant for now and see how things go. This court... is getting increasingly strange."

He lowered his voice: "I heard that His Majesty recently set up an office in the West Garden to sell official positions. The prices are clearly marked: an official with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain) costs 20 million, and an official with a salary of 400 shi costs 4 million. As long as you have money, you can become an official."

Liu Bei's hand trembled, and some wine spilled.

"real?"

"Absolutely true." Cao Cao sneered. "Moreover, this money doesn't go into the national treasury, but directly into His Majesty's private coffers. Those who bought their way into office, how could they not recoup their losses after taking office? In the end, it's the common people who suffer."

He picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp: "This court is rotten to the core."

Liu Bei did not respond.

As dusk deepened outside the window, the sound of string and wind instruments seemed to drift from the direction of the West Garden. Joyful, decadent, like a pre-apocalyptic revelry.

In June, Liu Bei turned twenty-one.

This time he kept quiet, not even telling Zhang Wu. He got up in the morning, went to his shift as usual, stood guard, and handed out documents.

During his lunch break, he went alone to a secluded corner tower in the South Palace and sat down against the wall.

Sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. In the distance, majestic palaces stood tall, while nearby, lush vegetation thrived.

I'm twenty-one.

Having lived in Luoyang for three years, I've gone from initial trepidation to a state of deep understanding and composure.

He thought of the bloodshed in Lujiang, his relatives and friends in Zhuojun, his mother, and Xun Cai's words: "When you are ready, you will arrive."

The road ahead is long.

Just then, I heard footsteps.

Turning around, I saw Cao Cao.

"I've been looking for you for ages." Cao Cao walked over, sat down beside him, and handed him a small cloth bag. "Happy birthday."

Liu Bei was stunned.

Opening the cloth bag revealed a short sword. The blade was jet black, its edge gleaming coldly, and the hilt was wrapped in cowhide, making it easy to grip.

"this……"

"I got it in Dunqiu, and I've kept it ever since," Cao Cao said. "You're too honest. You need to be firm when necessary. Keep it for self-defense."

Liu Bei gripped the short sword, the hilt still warm from Cao Cao's touch.

"Thank you, Brother Mengde."

"Don't be so polite." Cao Cao looked at the palace in the distance and suddenly said, "Xuande, I may need to ask for leave to go back to my hometown to avoid trouble."

Liu Bei turned to look at him.

"Staying in Luoyang is boring," Cao Cao chuckled. "His Majesty is selling official positions, and the court is in a state of chaos. I want to go back to my hometown, to learn from you, and find some peace and quiet."

"Are you sure?"

"It's not decided yet, it's still underway." Cao Cao stood up, patted his clothes, and said, "Before I leave, there's something I need to remind you of."

"you say."

"After I leave, you must be even more careful in Luoyang." Cao Cao looked at him. "You can keep in touch with Yuan Shao, but don't get too involved. He's too ambitious."

He paused, then added, "And as for the eunuchs, try not to offend them. But if you do, don't be afraid. Your teacher is a great Confucian scholar of our time, and you come from a respectable family with a background of filial piety and integrity; they won't dare to do anything too drastic to you."

Liu Bei nodded: "I'll remember."

"As for the Xun family..." Cao Cao thought for a moment, "I can't see through Xun Ciming. But since he tacitly allowed his daughter to correspond with you, it means he thinks highly of you. Take it slow, don't rush."

He spoke in great detail, as if he were making his final arrangements.

A warm feeling welled up in Liu Bei's heart, but he also felt a little melancholy.

"When will Brother Mengde leave?"

"Soon, in the next few months." Cao Cao grinned. "Don't look at me like that. It's not like I'm not coming back. When I return to Luoyang, I might be one of the Nine Ministers. Then we brothers can join forces and pull off something big."

He spoke casually, but there was a light in his eyes.

It was a light about to break free from its cage.