Chapter 8: Liu Bei's Wrath

  The house wasn't very big, but it was brand new. The newly built earthen walls on all sides were hung with new wall hangings. Four beds were arranged on both sides, and in front of each bed there was a new table and a new mat. The new tables still emitted the smell of fresh paint, probably also newly prepared. In the center of the house there was a fire pit, an iron frame, next to which was placed a large pot, presumably for boiling water.

  Gongsun Zan was tidying up his bed when he heard footsteps and saw Liu Bei and Liu Xun walking in. He smiled at Liu Bei, but his eyes were complex as he looked at Liu Xun. He paused for a moment before standing up and bowing to Liu Xun: "Thanks to your reminder just now, I was able to avoid injury. Thank you, Zan."

  Liu Xiu knew he was talking about the proposal to compare fists and feet, not swordsmanship. He estimated that Gongsun Zan now also knew he wasn't a match for Wu Jun's candidate, but didn't want to admit it. He imitated Gongsun Zan's gesture, cupped his hands and returned a courtesy: "Brother Bo, no need to be polite, from now on, we're not only classmates, but also roommates, so in the future, taking care of each other is a given."

  "It's all right, it's all right." Liu Bei was somewhat displeased that Liu Shao had just stolen the conversation from him. Normally, he was the one who spoke on behalf of others, and Liu Shao only rushed to the front when fighting. Now, he even wanted to steal the show in this kind of situation, speaking so intimately. He quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Brother Gong Sun, please don't be polite, from now on we'll be living together, and I'll be troubling you often, so please don't get tired of me."

  Gongsun Zan had a good impression of Liu Bei, so he laughed and patted Liu Bei's shoulder warmly: "Although Brother Liu is not old, he has a strong sense of justice, his martial arts skills are also quite impressive, and in the future, he will be a hero. It's an honor for me, Gongsun Zan, to be with both Brother Lius... Ah, let's not be so formal, I'm from Liaoxi Commandery, currently working as a clerk in the governor's office, writing documents..."

  He suddenly felt a little surprised and looked up at Liu Xiu: "Brother Liu, how did you know that I am Bo Pu?"

  Liu Xiu was startled, and only then did he recall that he had foreseen this again. He hastily covered it up by saying: "Didn't Bo Hai and the Wu military officer introduce themselves during their martial arts competition earlier? I just remembered."

  "Do I have it?" Gong Sun Zan was also uncertain, looking at Liu Bei with suspicion. Liu Bei hesitated for a moment and also didn't dare to confirm, so he just nodded vaguely. Liu Xiu didn't dare let them think too much, so he hastily interrupted: "My name is Liu Xiu, the 'Xiu' in 'cultivate one's body and regulate one's family', my courtesy name is De Ran, and I am from Zhuo County."

  Liu Bei also said: "I have a single name with one character 'Bei', complete and perfect 'Bei', humble and virtuous 'Xuande'."

  "Well, then we'll just have to address each other by name from now on." Gong Sun said with a loud laugh.

  "Excellent, excellent." Liu Bei echoed in agreement, and the three of them exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter together.

  Just as the three of them had finished packing and sat down to chat, a young man came in from outside, bowed to Liu Xiu and the others, exchanged some pleasantries, and handed each of them a wooden tablet from a large stack he was carrying. "Gentlemen, since you are new here, please follow the rules and write an introduction. It doesn't have to be complicated, just your name, courtesy name, hometown, and what books you've read will do," he said with a smile.

  Gongsun Zan sat still, nodding his head. Liu Bei got up and took the wooden tablet, asking with a smile: "May I ask, sir, which of your esteemed disciples will be teaching us?"

  That young man smiled and glanced at Liu Bei, with a hint of pride in his eyes: "If you have already completed the 'Analects' and 'Classic of Filial Piety', and roughly understand one classic, then Master will personally teach you. The rest will be taught by Master's eldest son. You can rest assured that Master is a true scholar, not some pedantic Confucian who likes to show off his knowledge. As long as you work hard, you'll have the opportunity to hear Master's teachings." After finishing speaking, he clasped his fists together in respect, bid farewell, and withdrew.

  Liu Bei stood by the door until he couldn't see the young man's figure, then returned to his seat with a hint of disappointment on his face. Gongsun Zan glanced at him and took out his pen, ink, and inkstone, smiling playfully: "What, Xuande still wants Mr. Qiu to teach him personally, and later go to Taixue to make a circle, become a Shangshu doctor?"

  Liu Bei smiled wistfully: "I never thought of becoming a doctor, but the master is the first great Confucian scholar in Gaoyang County for centuries. Now that he's so close, I regret not being able to see him in person." As he spoke, he took out his brush and ink, and without looking up, said to Liu Xiu: "Big brother, go fetch some water, we'll write this letter of introduction quickly and send it over."

  Liu Xiu raised an eyebrow, about to lose his temper, but then calmed down and responded with a "yes", picking up the water jug on the iron frame and walking out. Gongsun Zan glanced at Liu Xiu's back and smiled, winking at Liu Bei: "Xuande, you brothers have a good relationship, huh?"

  Liu Bei smiled: "We are not biological brothers, but only share the same surname. De Ran may not like reading books, but he has great physical strength and is good at fighting. Although he was ill a few months ago and still feels dizzy now, I will ask Brother Bo to take care of him in the future."

  Gongsun Zan burst out laughing and nodded silently. From his actions earlier, it was clear that although Liu Bei was young and smaller than Liu Xun by a head, he was the mainstay of the two. Liu Xun, despite being tall and large in stature, seemed to be slightly inferior in intellect and could only follow Liu Bei's orders.

  Liu Xiu went out of the gate and asked two people, only to find that there was no well in this courtyard. To fetch water, one had to go to Yangtou Creek outside the courtyard. Yangtou Creek was originally a tributary of Shengshui River, but because it flowed through Yangtou Hill, it was also called Yangtou Creek. The section flowing from Taolin was called Taocreek by the Mao family, while outsiders still referred to it as Yangtou Creek.

  Liu Xiu didn't say much, following the guide, he left the temple and headed straight to Peach Creek. After fetching water, he didn't immediately return, but sat on a large rock by the shore for a while. He could guess without thinking what Liu Bei was doing now, and along this road, he had already felt Liu Bei's subtle displeasure. However, he didn't care; anyway, he wasn't interested in getting close to these two useless guys. Now he needed to think about how to get along with Lu Zhi, if he couldn't even see Lu Zhi's face, how could he think about leaving Zhuo County with him?

  The creek's water is crystal clear, with many small stones at the bottom that have been washed clean by the water, colorful and very beautiful, like jade stones moistened in the water. From time to time, a few peach blossoms float down with the current, swaying gently as they drift across the surface of the water. The small fish in the water are not afraid of people, darting out from under the water to nibble at the peach blossoms, seemingly savoring the delicious taste.

  Liu Xiu thought for a moment and decided to try his own calligraphy first. When he studied Tang Bohu, he could imitate Tang's calligraphy almost perfectly, and ordinary people who studied calligraphy couldn't tell the difference. He believed that in the Han Dynasty, when regular script and running script were just emerging, this would be considered a stunning talent. As for how Liu Bei would react, it was not within his consideration. When the time came, he would give him an enigmatic smile and remain mysterious.

  With his mind made up, Liu Xiu's mood improved a lot. He picked up several stones from the ground, selected two beautifully colored ones and grasped them in his hand, intending to keep them for later appreciation. Only then did he carry the water bottle back. As soon as he turned around, he stopped and stared at Wu Junhou standing not far away with his hands behind his back, instinctively raising his vigilance.

  "Don't worry." Wu Jun couldn't help but laugh at his tense appearance, waving his hand to signal him to relax a bit: "I just have a question for you, if it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer. However, I hope you'll still answer."