Han Ji

The day of departure has finally arrived.

As dawn broke and snowflakes were still falling, people were already bustling about outside the city gates of Zhuoxian.

The carriage arranged by Liu Yuanqi was parked by the roadside, and two strong servants were doing a final check, securing the trunks tightly.

Despite her illness, Liu's mother stood by the carriage, supported by a neighbor. She was wearing the thick new clothes Liu Bei had made for her, and her hair was neatly combed, but the dark circles under her eyes and her haggard face could not be concealed.

Liu Yuanqi stood slightly forward, his face calm, watching Liu Bei and Liu Deran saying goodbye to Qian Zhao and Jian Yong.

Many neighbors came and gathered around, whispering among themselves, their eyes mostly focused on Liu Bei.

"Xuande, take care on your journey!" Qian Zhao patted Liu Bei's shoulder forcefully, his eyes slightly red. He wanted to say something heroic, but something seemed to be blocking his throat, and in the end he could only manage to choke out, "...Remember to write back!"

"Definitely." Liu Bei nodded emphatically, looked at Qian Zhao, then at Jian Yong, "I'll leave my family and my mother in your care."

Jian Yong's expression was solemn. He cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry. We'll take care of Zhuojun. You're going to Luoyang, where the world is vast and open. Take good care of yourself." He paused, then took out a small cloth bag from his robes and stuffed it into Liu Bei's hand. "This contains some geographical notes I recently copied, as well as some speculations I have about the setup of government offices in Luoyang. You can look through it when you're bored on the road."

Liu Bei took it; it felt slightly heavy in his hand, knowing it was Jian Yong's hard work: "A-Yong, thank you for your trouble."

At this moment, Liu's mother stepped forward.

She looked at her son, her lips moved a few times, but in the end, she only uttered the simplest of instructions: "Bei'er... when you get there, remember... to eat well and dress warmly..."

A thousand words, endless concerns, are all contained in these six simple words.

Seeing his mother struggling to hold back her tears, Liu Bei felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He lifted his robe, knelt down, and solemnly kowtowed three times to his mother and to Liu Yuanqi, who stood behind her.

"Mother, Uncle, take care of yourselves. Your son is leaving."

Liu's mother finally couldn't hold back her tears, which rolled down her cheeks. She quickly turned her face away to wipe them away.

Liu Yuanqi stepped forward, helped Liu Bei up, looked at him deeply, and said only two words: "Go."

Liu Bei stood up and bowed deeply to the villagers who had come to see him off.

Then, his gaze swept over the familiar faces of his relatives and friends, across the familiar outline of the city wall in the distance, and finally fell upon the dusty official road leading into the distance.

My heart was filled with a mixture of heroic sentiments and sorrow at parting, surging forth with emotion.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and recited aloud:

"A thousand miles of yellow clouds darken the daytime; the north wind blows, geese fly amidst falling snow."

His voice was clear and resonant, carrying the unique penetrating power of youth, echoing through the morning air. The previously noisy procession fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at the young man standing beside the carriage, his figure still somewhat slender, yet his spine ramrod straight.

The desolate and magnificent scene of parting depicted in the poem surprisingly resonates with the bleakness of early spring before our eyes.

"Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you!"

The last two lines, especially the earth-shattering final line, "Who in the world does not know you?", resonated like thunder in everyone's heart!

This is not a sorrowful lament, but a bold declaration! It is boundless confidence in the road ahead, and a resolute vow to the future!

As the sound faded, a gust of north wind swept by, whipping up fallen leaves that danced in a desolate rustling.

Everyone present, whether scholars or ordinary people, felt a jolt of electricity run down their spines and their hearts surge with uncontrollable emotion!

"Excellent! Well said, who in the world does not know you!" Jian Yong was the first to clap and cheer, his face flushed with excitement.

Qian Zhao wiped his eyes fiercely and roared, "Well said! Xuande! That's how it should be!"

Liu Deran looked at Liu Bei with eyes full of shock and admiration.

Liu's mother stopped crying, looked at her son, and her eyes were full of pride.

Liu Yuanqi stood with his hands behind his back, watching his nephew recite the poem, and finally a faint but extremely gratified smile appeared on his face.

Even the neighbors who came to see him off were moved by the magnificent atmosphere and cheered, and a great deal of discussion arose.

"Who in the world doesn't know you... My God..."

"This boy...this boy possesses extraordinary spirit!"

"Incredible! Our Zhuojun is about to produce a great talent!"

Jian Yong suddenly shouted, "Xuande, wait! The poem you just recited is exceptionally bold and unrestrained. May I ask what its title is?"

Liu Bei looked back in the brisk wind, his gaze sweeping over his mother's graying temples and the expectant faces of his neighbors, before smiling slightly at Jian Yong: "Let this poem be called 'Farewell to Zhuojun'."

After Liu Bei finished speaking, all the pent-up emotions in his heart were released. He took one last look at everyone, at his mother and uncles, at his close friends, and at the land of Zhuojun, where he was born and raised.

Then, without further hesitation, he turned around and got into the car.

"Brother Deran, let's go."

Liu Deran responded and quickly got into the car.

The coachman cracked his whip, the packhorse strode forward, the wheels turned, and the coachman traveled south along the official road, heading towards Luoyang.

Behind me were the waving arms of relatives and friends, the ancient city walls of Zhuojun, and the twilight of an era.

Ahead lies a long journey, unknown challenges, and an upcoming, magnificent era.

The young Liu Bei embarked on his journey.

As the carriage left Zhuojun, familiar scenery gradually faded behind.

Inside the carriage, Liu Deran was still immersed in the shock of the farewell and couldn't help but ask, "Xuande, that last poem... was it something you had thought of beforehand?"

Liu Bei leaned against the bumpy carriage wall and shook his head: "I just blurted it out because I felt something in my heart."

Liu Deran clicked his tongue in amazement: "Who in the world doesn't know you... Your spirit is too great! Just listening to it makes my blood boil! I'm afraid it won't be long before this poem, like 'The Wanderer's Song,' spreads throughout Zhuojun."

Liu Bei smiled but didn't reply. He lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at the receding fields, villages, and distant mountains.

The land in early spring still appeared somewhat desolate. Trees were bare, fields were empty, and only the hardy wild grass stubbornly retained a touch of withered yellow. There were few travelers and merchants on the official road, most of them with weathered faces and hurrying along.

"Brother Deran, what do you think of the scenery along the way? How does it compare to Zhuojun?" Liu Bei suddenly asked.

Liu Deran peeked out and pondered, "It seems... even more desolate. Many fields are also abandoned."

"Ji Province is a prosperous land, yet it is like this." Liu Bei lowered the carriage curtain, his tone calm. "This journey will give us a good opportunity to see the true face of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Deran seemed to be deep in thought.

The two servants, Liu An and Liu Ping, were both distant relatives of the Liu family, honest and reliable. Liu An was skilled at driving and knew the roads well; Liu Ping was strong, didn't talk much, but had alert eyes and was always paying attention to the surroundings.

The first day's itinerary went smoothly, and in the evening, we found a guesthouse (official inn) in a fairly bustling market town to stay in.

The inn was simple, but it was safe. The four of them asked for two rooms: one for Liu Bei and Liu Deran, and one for their two strong servants.