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

In the early morning, the morning dew begins to rise.

Guests had already arrived at the Liu family mansion.

The servants did not lead the visitors into the front hall, but instead led them directly to the Qinghu Pavilion in the middle courtyard.

The person who came was none other than Liu Wen, the prefect of Zhuojun.

He looked anxious as he followed the servant leading the way through the front yard and hurried into the attic.

"This humble official greets Your Excellency the Prefect."

Liu Hong spoke up, half-jokingly.

Inside the attic where he was, there was a tea table and a dining table, with exquisite pastries arranged on them, and the pleasant aroma of tea permeated the surroundings.

Upon seeing what he saw, Liu Wen was immediately shocked.

But no one expected that the Liu family mansion in Zhuojun would be so luxurious.

Although this mansion was previously the former residence of Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, it was clear from the surroundings that it had undergone a new round of meticulous renovations, and there were quite a few rare and luxurious items displayed in the mansion.

It is probably even more luxurious than the mansion of Liu Yu, the governor of Guangyang County.

The surrounding scenery was so dazzling that Liu Wen momentarily forgot the purpose of his trip.

After sitting down in front of Liu Hong, he suddenly came to his senses and blurted out, "Brother Ziguang, you're confused. How could you marry that Cai woman?"

"Brother Liu, please tell me."

Liu Hong remained calm and personally washed and brewed the tea, even pouring a cup for Liu Wen in front of him.

Both were relatives of the Han imperial family and had been friends for five years, so they were considered to have a very close relationship. In addition, they also had interests involved, which made the two families as close as one family.

Strictly speaking, the two companies are actually from the same lineage and are essentially one family.

When Liu Hong asked the question, Liu Wen assumed that he was unaware of the implications. He sighed and began to explain the intricacies of the matter: "The great Confucian scholar Cai Yong is a renowned figure of our time. He previously served as an advisor in the imperial court."

Two years ago, strange phenomena occurred frequently throughout the world: hens turned into roosters, earthquakes occurred frequently, and plagues and floods raged.

Cai Gong responded to the imperial edict and submitted a memorial outlining seven important political issues. He first directly pointed out the emperor's faults, then criticized the interference of the empress dowager in politics, and subsequently impeached powerful eunuchs by name.

"The eunuchs were a disaster caused by the emperor's indulgence, and their influence had long spread throughout the court and the country. In addition, the aftermath of the Partisan Prohibitions had not yet subsided, and it was a critical moment, so Cai Gong was unlucky."

"At that time, His Majesty had already issued an edict to execute him and his nephew together. Later, it was only because a few eunuchs, including the Grand Eunuch Lü Qiang, strongly persuaded His Majesty, and some ministers in the court jointly pleaded for leniency, that an edict was issued to reduce his death sentence by one degree and exile him to the Shuofang area. Even a general amnesty could not pardon him."

"It was only because someone in the court was secretly maneuvering that he was able to escape from Shuofang County and flee here."

Seeing that Liu Hong still didn't take it seriously and was only focused on calmly making tea, Liu Wen couldn't help but frown, thinking that what he said wasn't serious enough to sway this clan brother's mind.

He immediately raised his voice and his expression became even more serious: "Brother Ziguang, do you know! Even during this exile, eunuchs and powerful figures have sent assassins to kill us several times."

"This pursuit has never ceased, and even today, the rumors in the court have not stopped. Those people are determined to put Lord Cai to death, to ensure he dies without a burial place, before they will give up!"

"And right at this critical juncture, Ziguang, you still have a family to support, yet you're dragged into this mess. Can this really be considered a good thing?"

Liu Wen's ability to say these words shows that he genuinely cares about Liu Hong.

Liu Hong also suppressed his smile and replied sincerely, "Brother Liu, do you know that this place is Zhuojun in Youzhou? No matter how powerful the eunuchs and nobles are, they are probably too far away to reach us. They cannot harm the Cai family in the slightest here."

In the present world, the thirteen provinces of the Great Han Dynasty are each controlled by a powerful clan.

Those recommended for the civil service examinations and appointed to local official positions were all members of the gentry.

They merely exchanged goods and resources; they were not of the same surname on the surface, but in reality, they had already taken control of local politics. They just lacked the power to command troops; otherwise, they would have long since become a state within a state.

Even so, it's probably only a matter of time.

Within these thirteen provinces, the Han imperial relatives and emperors of past dynasties were not allowed to grow too powerful.

Therefore, various members of the Han imperial family went to different places to take charge.

Liu Hong couldn't yet fathom the situation in other provinces, but he was certain that Youzhou was the ancestral home of the Han imperial family, and not a place where those aristocratic families could do whatever they wanted.

This is also a place where imperial power can still exert a profound influence.

This is why Liu Hong dared to speak out in defense of the Cai family, and it is also the key reason why Cai Yong and his daughter were willing to cooperate with the Liu family of Zhuojun.

But Liu Wen's face still showed disapproval after hearing this.

He frowned and said, "Offending these eunuchs and powerful figures will definitely cause trouble when we arrive in Luoyang later."

"Isn't that perfect?"

Liu Hong raised his eyes and smiled, a glint of light flashing in them. "By leveraging the power of the gentry, I will enhance the reputation of my Liu family."

"Furthermore, given his status as a member of the Han imperial family, the precious land of Youzhou, and Lord Cai's immense reputation, how could His Majesty possibly remain indifferent as before?"

"Besides, this matter has long since passed its peak."

"The calamity of the Party Prohibitions imprisoned the gentry of the entire nation, not you and me, members of the Han imperial family, Brother Liu."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wen narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then reluctantly nodded in agreement. He then picked up the fragrant tea that Liu Hong had handed him with a sense of relief.

The tea had just entered my mouth.

He felt a refreshing sensation wash over his tongue, and the strong bitterness of the tea he usually drank was nowhere to be seen. Although there was a slight bitterness, it spread a long and sweet aftertaste in his throat, and even that little bit of bitterness made the tea soup even more mellow and lingering.

"Good tea."

Liu Wen looked surprised and asked again.

Liu Hong smiled faintly and said casually, "It's just a clever technique devised by my subordinates."

Liu Wen, however, would not think that way.

A meaningful smile appeared on his face as he looked at Liu Hong and said, "I'm afraid that in the future, the Liu family will have another trade route and another business talent."

"It's just a trivial skill."

Liu Hong looked humble.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Liu Wen immediately burst into hearty laughter.

As he traveled, he had already gained a rough estimate of the Liu family's strength, but he had no covetous thoughts whatsoever.

This is because Liu Hong, and the Liu clan of Zhuojun behind him, have risen to prominence.

The title of Marquis of Guannei alone was enough to make Liu Hong untouchable in Zhuojun, not to mention the thousands of elite soldiers in Liu Garden, no one would be foolish enough to try to seize his property.

After finishing the tea, Liu Wen was completely relieved, but he still pondered it again and kindly reminded him once more: "The emperor's mind is not something to be easily fathomed; things are unpredictable."

"I advise Brother Ziguang today that it would be best to make preparations as soon as possible."

Knowing his good intentions, Liu Hong raised an eyebrow and replied patiently.

He reached up and adjusted his sleeves, stretched his arms, straightened up, and paced around the pavilion. Meeting Liu Wen's gaze, he suddenly asked, "Brother Liu, what do you think His Majesty really is?"

"Was he a tyrant or a wise ruler?"