The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

The desolate wilderness beside the official road.

Liu Zongran led his Liu family followers, and freight wagons loaded with silver coins passed by.

Suddenly, a commotion arose nearby, and the sound of horses clattering across the plain filled the air. The procession slowly came to a stop and looked toward the nearby carriages that were surrounded.

Liu Zongran looked up and frowned, intending to ride his horse forward.

These bandits were numerous, and although they were no match for the dozens of loyal followers, it was unnecessary to engage them head-on to avoid casualties.

As Liu Zongran was riding his horse, he suddenly looked at Zhao Yun in the ranks behind him. Seeing that the young man had no intention of meddling in other people's business, he felt relieved.

After this battle, they arrived at Zhuojun.

His position as garrison commander should be handed over to the other party, and Zhao Yun should be fully responsible for the transportation of goods in the future.

As for Liu Zongran, he would naturally be promoted and given a higher rank.

Even the younger generation, and even that Bo Cai, have become newly appointed soldiers in the government office, and their positions are actually higher than his, the garrison commander.

Liu Hong had previously promised him that once he returned, he would at least be able to buy him the position of Commandant.

Of course, "buying" is just a way of putting it.

In reality, the achievements of the Liu family in suppressing bandits over the years would be reported to the imperial court in a subtle and euphemistic way. The rewards that would come down would naturally be no different from the real military positions that Gongsun Zan had previously held.

Otherwise, no matter how generous Liu Zongran is, he wouldn't easily hand over his position to someone else.

Even within the Liu family, positions were like radishes, each with its own designated spot, waiting for the previous person to step down before the next person could have a chance to take their place.

"Don't meddle in other people's business. The Liu family's money is of utmost importance, and we cannot afford to have any mishaps."

Liu Zongran said in a deep voice.

The volunteers in the group all nodded solemnly. They had earned nearly 100,000 coins from selling goods in Zhuojun this time, and if something went wrong with that money...

Even if they all gave their lives, it wouldn't be enough.

Several veteran soldiers kept a close eye on Zhao Yun's expression, which made Zhao Yun smile wryly. He couldn't explain it to Zhao Yun for a long time, so he could only show his attitude through his actions.

Just as their caravan was about to disappear into the distance, a loud voice suddenly rang out from within the caravan surrounded by bandits: "Is that general ahead Zong Ran?"

"I am Cai Yong. I think I met you when we were teaching together in Zhuo County."

Immediately, the eyes of the righteous men all turned to their general.

Liu Zongran suddenly tightened the reins and looked incredulously in the direction of the sound. He saw an old man in the caravan in the distance, dressed in plain clothes, whose face was seven or eight parts similar to the great scholar he remembered from several years ago.

"Could it really be Master Cai?"

Liu Zongran's heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he immediately shouted, "Stay here! What are you all standing around for? How can you not draw your swords to help when you see injustice?"

"Master Cai, please be at ease. Today, I, Liu Zongran, have come to rescue you from your perilous situation."

Liu Zongran tightened the reins, not to stop them from moving forward, but to lead his band of followers at breakneck speed, spear in hand.

That was Cai Yong, a great Confucian scholar of the time. Although he had been abandoned by the emperor, he was highly respected among scholars. In fact, because he was framed by powerful figures, his reputation among the gentry had been rising even higher in recent years.

If we can save him, not only will we be able to maintain the relationship between teacher and student, but the Liu family will also benefit immensely.

People in the righteous procession followed one after another.

Zhao Yun looked surprised. One of his followers patted him on the shoulder and said with a helpless smile, "After all, he is a great scholar, and he also had a teacher-student relationship with the general. We should still save him."

"Generals are human too; that's only human nature."

Zhao Yun smiled wryly, regained his senses, and followed the righteous men to the rescue.

His previous attempts to blend in with the world seemed to be merely superficial; in the end, he still possessed a benevolent heart.

However, he knew how to prioritize, saving others only after ensuring his own and his team's safety. Such good deeds are worth doing, and being a pushover is absolutely unacceptable.

"Do you know Liu Zongran of Zhuojun? Who dares to harm my Master Cai today?"

Liu Zongran's spear moved like a silver snake, piercing through the bandits like a sharp knife.

With a flick of his spear, he pierced the bandit leader, then hurled his corpse into the air before it crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Liu Zongran's gaze turned icy, and in a moment he rode his horse to the side of Cai Yong's entourage.

In the blink of an eye, the bandits behind them all rushed over. Under Liu Zongran's orders, the group didn't even care about the cargo wagons behind them, leaving only ten bandits to guard the place while the rest of them charged into battle against the bandits.

In a short while, the sounds of metal clashing filled the air.

These bandits were no match for a real army, and after several rounds, the ground was littered with their corpses.

Upon seeing this, the old righteous men dismounted, gathered the corpses, piled them together, and then burned them clean in a large fire.

Seeing the doubt in Cai Yong's eyes, Liu Zongran bowed and stepped forward to pay his respects, then explained, "Master Cai, this is a method of the Liu family of Zhuojun. If the large number of corpses is left unattended, it will easily breed a plague and cause a major disaster when the hot summer arrives."

"Please forgive me, Master Cai."

"So that's how it is."

Cai Yong suddenly understood, and considering the life-saving grace he had just received, he looked at Liu Zongran with frequent nods, his eyes full of admiration.

"Father, we're safe."

Just then, a clear and melodious female voice came from the carriage behind them.

Cai Yan was still dressed as a young girl, wearing a light robe with white cloud patterns embroidered on the sleeves. She was timidly bending down to step out of the carriage, with a trace of fragility and lingering fear still in her eyes.

Even though Cai Yan had been in exile with her father Cai Yong for several years, she rarely faced such a perilous situation.

"So it's Wenji. Thinking back to the past, you don't recognize Brother Zongran anymore?"

Liu Zongran cracked a hearty joke.

Cai Yan frowned in deep thought, then let out a silvery laugh: "So it's Brother Zongran. But back then, Brother Zongran seemed to be only this tall. How come he's grown so tall now, and so impressive."

"I was in the carriage just now, and I saw you displaying your great prowess through the curtains."

Seeing the two chatting happily, Cai Yong's gaze swept between them, and then a smile appeared on his lips, but it also revealed a hint of anxiety. He asked bluntly, "Zongran, I am an elder, so I will take the liberty of asking about a private matter today."

Are you currently married?

As soon as she finished speaking, Cai Yan's face flushed red. She shyly tugged at Cai Yong's robe and whispered, "Father, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Now, Cai Yan is seventeen years old, having lived through years of exile.

During the Han Dynasty, girls were generally considered to be of marriageable age between fourteen and sixteen.

If a woman reached the age of seventeen and was still unmarried, she would be considered a disgrace to her family, even among the most aristocratic and commoner families.

Once a woman reaches a certain age, it becomes difficult to find a suitable match, leaving her with no other option but to marry down.

Liu Zongran looked slightly surprised, then shook his head with a wry smile: "Master Cai, you may not know this, but I got married four years ago in Zhuo County with my uncle Liu Gong as my witness, and now I even have a child."