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

Visit the Cai residence.

On the day of the trip, Liu Hong drove, and Cui Yan accompanied him.

The Cui family of Qinghe has a more profound heritage than the Liu family of Zhuojun, and it has more say among the gentry at that time.

Although the Liu family of Zhuojun were relatives of the Han imperial family, the Liu family of Zhuojun was not the only one among the Han imperial family.

The gentry valued propriety and, more importantly, the distinction between superiors and inferiors.

Inside the carriage, Cui Yan looked down at Liu Hong with a meaningful gaze.

From the moment they set off, he had maintained that ambiguous, half-smiling expression, which made Liu Hong roll his eyes and ask irritably, "What does Brother Cui mean?"

"We've known each other for years and consider each other confidants. Otherwise, what hidden meanings or unspoken words could we possibly have?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Seeing that Liu Hong had finally asked a question, Cui Yan stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point, resolving Liu Hong's doubts: "Does Lord Liu know that the Cai family currently has a daughter?"

Liu Hong was still puzzled.

"If Lord Liu could bring this woman into his home..."

Cui Yan slowly began to speak, but before she could finish, Liu Hong shook his head and said, "This is absolutely impossible. How could a woman of the dignified Cai family submit to me?"

He also has self-awareness.

If this Cai woman were to enter the palace and become Emperor Liu Hong's woman, or one of the emperor's concubines, it would be acceptable among the aristocratic families.

Moreover, this woman was Cai Yan, daughter of Cai Yong, whose courtesy name was Wenji, and she was a renowned talented woman from Luoyang.

To say that the young men of the Five Mausoleums were vying for her attention would only lower her noble status. How could a mere Liu family member from Zhuojun be worthy of her?

Liu Hong would no longer have such extravagant hopes.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Seeing Liu Hong's words, Cui Yan's laughter did not stop at all. His face was so full of suppressed laughter that it seemed like his stomach was about to hurt. He patted his stomach and then patted Liu Hong's shoulder, and continued to laugh loudly, "If it were in the past, let alone Liu Gong being from the Liu family of Zhuojun today, even if it were the Liu family of Youzhou, even if it were me, Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, I'm afraid that if I wanted to marry this Cai family girl, I would have to stand out from the crowd to have even the slightest chance."

"But things are different now."

"How are they different?"

Liu Hong asked curiously.

"Currently, Lord Cai and his daughter have been in exile for quite some time."

Cui Yan stopped laughing and changed the subject.

"Why does Master Liu think so?"

Cui Yan continued to patiently guide him.

For others, this might be an answer that requires careful analysis, but for Liu Hong, it was a completely public test.

He only needed a moment to think and recall before he knew the inside story.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Hong did not answer, but instead revealed a confident and composed demeanor, which confused Cui Yan in front of him.

Cui Yan was completely bewildered.

"Master Liu, why don't you ask further questions?"

But Liu Hong refused.

As a result, Cui Yan became depressed.

……

The visiting cards had been prepared long ago. Today, Liu Hong and his companion arrived at the Cai residence and presented the visiting cards according to procedure.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, one can hear footsteps approaching, neither hurried nor slow.

"Greetings, Lord Cai."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Liu Hong and Cui Yan bowed deeply in greeting.

Whether in terms of seniority or reputation among the gentry, Cai Yong was undoubtedly superior to the other two.

Cai Yong smiled and gestured for the two to sit down again.

immediately!

His gaze first fell on Liu Hong, one of the two, and he thought to himself: "His appearance is quite remarkable."

Then, he looked at Cui Yan beside him and thought to himself: "Such a dignified and upright character."

But then, a hint of sadness flashed across his eyes.

As far as he knew, both of the men in front of him were already married with children.

However, this was within his expectations. Both of them were approaching thirty years old, and if they did not marry and have children, Cai Yong would suspect that they had some hidden illness or were of questionable character.

After all, Cai Yong was well aware of the tactics used by the aristocratic families to build momentum.

Although he was eager to marry off his daughter, he also wanted to find her a good husband; otherwise, it would be better not to marry her off for the time being.

Cai Yong ultimately wanted to choose a good future for his daughter, rather than actually pushing her into that pit of fire, just to preserve his and his family's reputation.

He was also a very responsible father; otherwise, in the original historical timeline, he wouldn't have waited until Cai Yan was in her twenties before sending her away with heavy gifts to marry into the Wei family of Hedong.

"Today, we will not discuss official business in this residence, but only private matters."

Cai Yong's opening remarks set the tone for the day's events.

He is already in exile. If he continues to misbehave and commit wrongdoings during this journey, his crimes will only worsen, and he will never have any hope of returning to Luoyang.

Therefore, this statement was not directed at Liu Hong alone; it was the same rhetoric used for the many guests who had visited in the past few days.

"Today I will follow Lord Cai's orders completely."

Liu Hong said calmly.

Cui Yan nodded with a smile.

Seeing this, Cai Yong was relieved.

He was an elder, and when the elder bestowed gifts upon him, he dared not refuse; when the elder spoke, he dared not yield.

Cai Yong then took the initiative to ask, "What are your views on the matter of wives and concubines?"

At this moment, Cai Yong was truly grasping at straws in his desperation; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have asked those questions.

Previously, when guests visited the Cai residence, if they were alone, they would only ask about the wife, not the concubine; but if they had families, they would ask that extra question, which would also serve as a topic of conversation among them.

Let's only talk about this private matter, not official business.

They should have a talk eventually, so that the visit wouldn't have been in vain and he could also find some clues about choosing a husband for his daughter from the conversation.

In the past, he might have had some reservations, but now that his daughter is so grown up, why should he care about saving face?

Otherwise, if we wait until our daughter is older, it will be even more difficult to entrust her to a good man.

Is his daughter's remaining life more important, or his own reputation as Cai Yong?

The lesser of two evils.

Cai Yong's question at this moment was the answer.

"A wife is called a wife, and a concubine is called a concubine."

Cui Yan chuckled lightly and answered with just eight words.

The implication is quite clear: a wife is a wife, in charge of household affairs; a concubine is a concubine, merely serving her husband with her looks.

Cui Yan's words have always been like this, and there is nothing wrong with them. This is a rule that has been prevalent in the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years.

Even Cai Yong nodded slightly in approval.

Next, it was Liu Hong's turn.

"A wife is a woman; a concubine can also be a wife."

In this world, men are yang; women are yin.

Yang embracing Yin, Yin embracing Yang; neither can remain solely Yang nor solely Yin for long.

Only when Yin and Yang are in harmony can there be true harmony. Although the sages spoke of the seven grounds for divorce and the precept against lust, I, for one, may not be able to distinguish them so clearly.

There may be a distinction between primary and secondary roles, but I am willing to treat my concubine with the same respect I would show my wife, for we will ultimately be together forever. To insist on ranking them would be to fall short.

Even regarding their future children, despite the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring, they are willing to plan for their long-term future. Parents should consider the long-term implications for their children; only in this way can they repay this divinely bestowed affection.