Chapter 11: The First Meeting of Mengde and Liu Bei

Liu Bei was born in a village under the jurisdiction of Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery, in You Province.

His grandfather had served as a county magistrate, and his father was a county officer.

By all accounts, Liu Bei should have grown up in a fairly comfortable household.

However, his father died when Liu Bei was still very young.

With no adult men left in the family, the clan seized all of their farmland.

Feudal society was extremely cruel to widows and orphans.

If the only adult male in a household died, the family’s land and property were often taken by the extended family.

This practice was called “eating the inheritance of the childless.”

If only women remained in the household, the clan would typically take everything and leave the mother and children to fend for themselves, as women were considered of little value in that era.

However, if there was still a young boy in the family, the clan would usually take the land but leave behind some personal property.

The justification was that widows and young children could not farm the land, so keeping it was a waste, but the remaining money could be used to raise the child.

Though Liu Bei’s family lost their land, his father and grandfather had both served as officials, so the family still had some wealth.

It wasn’t enough for a life of luxury, but at least his mother was able to raise him with it.

When Liu Bei was around seven or eight years old, the money ran out.

To survive, he and his mother turned to making and selling woven mats and straw sandals.

And so, Liu Bei grew up in a household with nothing to its name.

Despite the hardship, his childhood wasn’t entirely bleak.

Thanks to his father’s background as a minor official and his mother’s upbringing in a powerful local family, he was raised in a cultured and loving environment.

His mother poured all of her care into raising him, and Liu Bei grew up to be gentle and kind in nature.

However, while Liu Bei was soft-spoken and good-natured, a small ambition had taken root in his heart—he wanted to become an official like his grandfather and father.

He dreamed of giving his mother the kind of life she used to describe to him: the elegant lifestyle of a wealthy young lady, which always made him envious.

His mother had sacrificed so much to raise him, and Liu Bei longed to repay her with a good life.

But even such a modest dream was difficult for Liu Bei to achieve.

Becoming an official required resources.

First and foremost, he needed to be literate—and Liu Bei simply didn’t have the means to get an education.

His family was dirt poor and didn’t even own a single mu of land.

How could he possibly afford to study seriously while still providing for his mother?

Though the Han dynasty claimed that education was open to all, Liu Bei knew he couldn’t abandon his mother just to chase that path.

So, he came up with a bold idea.

His mother often said that all great men showed signs of ambition at a young age.

One day, when he was around ten, he was playing with other village children.

He looked at the tall mulberry tree in front of his house and tried to think of something impressive to say.

‘Should I say I want to become an official?’

‘No, that’s too ordinary. Even in our village, there are already several relatives working in the county office. That’s not ambitious enough.’

‘If I’m going to dream, I should dream big!’

‘What’s the highest position in the Han dynasty?’

‘The emperor, of course!’

Liu Bei pointed at the mulberry tree and said, “When I become the Son of Heaven, I will ride in a carriage shaded by this tree.”

His uncle Liu Zijing, who had been watching the children play, was so shocked he nearly fell off his chair.

He rushed over and quickly covered Liu Bei’s mouth.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Saying something like that—if anyone hears, the whole village will be in trouble!”

But another uncle, Liu Yuanqi, was unfazed.

He chuckled and said, “What’s there to be afraid of? The emperor is all the way in Luoyang. It’s not like he can hear what we say in Zhuo County. Besides, for such a young boy to have such grand ambition—I think this child is no ordinary person.”

Liu Bei’s heart swelled with joy when he heard Liu Yuanqi’s praise.

He knew he had taken the right gamble.

From that day forward, Liu Yuanqi began paying close attention to Liu Bei.

He started offering regular support to Liu Bei and his mother, treating Liu Bei as if he were his own son.

Liu Yuanqi’s wife wasn’t pleased and asked, “We’re not even the same family. Why do you keep helping them?”

Liu Yuanqi replied with a smile, “That boy from our clan is no ordinary child. Maybe someday, we’ll gain wealth and honor through him.”

***

In the fourth year of the Xiping era (175 CE), Liu Bei was fifteen years old.

That year, a rebellion broke out among the southern tribes in Jiujiang Commandery.

Lady Mengde recommended Lu Zhi to her father, Cao Song, as a suitable candidate for governor of Jiujiang to handle the situation.

Cao Song then recommended Lu Zhi to the imperial court, and Emperor Liu Hong approved the appointment.

Not long after arriving at his post, Lu Zhi suppressed the rebellion.

However, the humid climate of the south made him ill, so he submitted his resignation, asking for time to recuperate.

The court approved his request.

Lu Zhi then established the Goushi Academy in the Goushi Mountains outside Luoyang.

Since Lu Zhi was also from Zhuo County, Liu Yuanqi managed to get two letters of recommendation from a mutual acquaintance.

He planned to have his son Liu Deran study under Lu Zhi—and he also brought up the idea of sending Liu Bei along.

Liu Bei’s mother agreed to let her son go on this scholarly journey.

Liu Bei and Liu Deran made the long journey to Luoyang, experiencing the hardships and wonders of the road.

At the time, Luoyang had a population of over 500,000, and the surrounding cities were also densely populated.

The entire Henan Commandery had over a million people—an incredibly prosperous region.

Although modern readers like Lady Mengde might consider Luoyang a small city compared to future metropolises with tens of millions of people, it was one of the most flourishing urban centers in the world at that time.

Liu Bei, who had grown up in the remote north of You Province, had never seen such splendor.

He was immediately dazzled by Luoyang’s grandeur.

At first, he managed to control his excitement and presented his letter of recommendation to Lu Zhi.

Seeing that two young men from his hometown had come to study, Lu Zhi agreed to take them on as students.

Around this time, the imperial court had decided to commission a group of Confucian scholars to collate and edit the Confucian classics, which would be engraved in stone and displayed at the gates of the Imperial Academy.

As a leading scholar, Lu Zhi was eager to participate and submitted a formal petition.

Lady Mengde, who was helping her father manage administrative matters, readily approved his request.

Lu Zhi then settled into a peaceful life: when not editing classical texts, he taught his students in the mountains.

***

During this period, Liu Bei became close friends with a man named Gongsun Zan.

Because Gongsun Zan was older and Liu Bei admired his character, he regarded Gongsun Zan as an elder brother.

Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Gongsun Zan was the son-in-law of the Liaoxi Governor and was expected to take up a prestigious post after completing his studies with Lu Zhi.

However, while life in the mountains was peaceful for Lu Zhi, it was torture for Liu Bei.

‘How could a fifteen-year-old boy endure such a dull and isolated existence?’

He managed for the first couple of months, but as time went on, Liu Bei became increasingly restless.

He even started acting up during class.

One day, while Lu Zhi was lecturing, Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan were whispering to each other, sharing funny stories from back home.

Lu Zhi’s brow twitched, and he suddenly called out.

“Liu Bei.”

“Yes, sir!”

Liu Bei jumped up like a startled rabbit.

“What were you and Gongsun Zan talking about?”

“This…”

Liu Bei lowered his head, feeling guilty.

Lu Zhi shook his head helplessly and asked, “Have you memorized the text?”

“I have.”

Liu Bei nodded proudly.

“Then recite Shu Li from the Book of Songs, Airs of the States, Odes of Wang for me.”

“Okay.”

Liu Bei nodded slightly.

His memory was excellent—he could remember the articles Lu Zhi taught after hearing them just once or twice.

Now, swaying his head confidently, he began reciting: “‘The millet is lush, the sprouts of grain grow tall. The journey is long and slow, my heart is troubled. Those who know me say I grieve; those who don’t know me ask what I seek. Vast and boundless is the sky above…'”

He quickly finished reciting the passage Lu Zhi had requested.

Lu Zhi nodded in satisfaction, then asked, “And what does Shu Li mean?”

“Does that really matter?”

“Hmm?”

Lu Zhi raised an eyebrow. “It doesn’t matter?”

“I don’t think it does.”

“Why not?”

“Because studying is just a stepping stone.”

Having stayed in Luoyang for almost two months, Liu Bei had already learned a lot about the current state of affairs in the city.

His response carried the frustration and agitation that had built up during that time.

“In Luoyang right now, how many of those noble sons truly study hard? Yet they all grow up to become officials. And do officials really need to read these texts? The court only claims that studying is needed to become an official. Teacher, you’ve taught how many students by now? At least one or two thousand, I bet. I’m sure many of them are far more learned than I am. But how many of those senior brothers actually ended up becoming officials?”

“In my opinion, the key to becoming an official is earning the favor of those noble sons. If you can get them to like you, then getting promoted to marquis or minister is easy. Studying is just a prerequisite to fool them. And how many of those nobles have even read through the classics, let alone understood them? So if I want to impress them, it’s enough to just read the texts—I don’t need to understand them. Understanding them would just be a waste of time!”

“Is that so?”

Lu Zhi wasn’t angry at Liu Bei’s bold and defiant words.

Stroking his beard, he continued to smile as he asked, “Then tell me, what kind of activity wouldn’t be a waste of your time right now?”

“Making connections with the noble sons, of course!”

Liu Bei didn’t try to hide his desire to cozy up to the elite.

Many students nearby looked at him with disdain, but Lu Zhi’s expression remained unchanged.

“So, you came to me to study because you want to become an official?”

“Of course! Isn’t that why every student here is learning from you?”

“And why do you want to become an official?”

“Well…”

Images began to rise in Liu Bei’s mind—faces of the privileged noble sons he had met in Luoyang.

A feeling of disgust stirred in his heart.

Then he thought back to the starving people he had seen on his journey from Zhuo Commandery to Luoyang.

Those pitiful scenes were still vivid in his memory.

He also remembered being cradled as a child while his mother told him stories, how Uncle Liu Yuanqi had invited him to meals, and how his teacher Lu Zhi had patiently taught him for the past two months.

How fortunate he was to have these people in his life…

And how unfortunate those beggars and refugees were.

Liu Bei’s thoughts grew firm.

He raised his voice and answered Lu Zhi with determination.

“To ensure that the elderly are cared for, the strong are employed, the young are nurtured, and the widowed, orphaned, lonely, and disabled are all supported!”

“That line comes from the Book of Rites, the chapter On the Conveyance of Rites,” Lu Zhi said, gently stroking his beard, his eyes filled with warmth. “Do you truly understand what that means?”

“I do, Teacher.”

“But didn’t you just say that reading is just a stepping stone and understanding the text isn’t necessary?” Lu Zhi teased, a sly glint in his eye.

“So why do you suddenly claim to understand this line?”

“Well…”

Liu Bei was at a loss for words.

Lu Zhi shook his head.

“Never mind. I won’t push you on it. Since you already have a clear plan for your future, I won’t force you to keep studying. Go ahead and do what you think is right.”

“Do what I think is right…?”

“Go network with the noble sons, of course!” Lu Zhi said, with an indulgent yet exasperated tone.

“Wasn’t that your plan?”

“Oh, right…”

Liu Bei nodded in realization.

Lu Zhi continued smiling as he said, “Just remember what you said today. If you can hold on to those words, I’m sure one day you’ll come back to find me.”

“What do you mean?”

Liu Bei looked puzzled again.

But Lu Zhi simply shook his head and began to softly recite the passage Liu Bei had quoted earlier: “‘Those who know me say I grieve; those who don’t know me ask what I seek…'”

Liu Bei’s expression grew even more bewildered.

He didn’t understand why his teacher had suddenly started singing that poem.

But he could feel that, though the words were exactly the same as the ones he had recited, the meaning behind them was completely different.

***

The next day, Lu Zhi went to the palace to help compile the classics.

His colleague Cai Yong saw the smile on his face and couldn’t help but ask, “Zigan, what’s got you in such a good mood?”

“I found a promising student,” Lu Zhi replied with a smile.

“He’s gone a little astray, thanks to Luoyang’s current corrupt atmosphere. But he’s only fifteen. There’s still plenty of time for him to return to the right path—and when he does, I’ll guide him properly.”

“Is that so? Then congratulations on finding a fine student.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Lu Zhi let out a satisfied laugh.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei began using the money his uncle Liu Yuanqi had given him for studying to instead network with the noble sons of Luoyang.

The method was simple—those nobles loved to play.

Liu Bei played along with them, joining in everything from dog racing and horse riding to listening to music and admiring fine clothing.

It didn’t take long for Liu Bei’s terrifying social skills to show.

Within just two or three months, he had worked his way into the inner circle of Luoyang’s elite—specifically, the entourage of the prestigious Yuan family.

Yuan Shao, twenty years old and newly of age, had recently adopted the courtesy name Benchu.

He took a strong liking to Liu Bei, the newest member of his group, and often took him along on his outings.

Ever since he and his younger brother Yuan Shu met Miss Mengde outside Luoyang a year ago, the brothers had clung to her constantly, frequently visiting the Minister of Works’ residence.

Today was no exception.

After all, Miss Mengde was not only the daughter of one of the Four Gentlemen, Cao Song, but also talented and well-matched in temperament with both Yuan brothers.

“Do you two ever stop bothering me?!”

Though she had just turned twelve this year, Mengde had already taken on the responsibilities of running the entire Cao family business and most of the daily operations of the Minister of Works’ residence—and, by extension, a large part of the court.

Facing yet another visit from the Yuan brothers, she couldn’t help but cry out in exasperation.

Yuan Shu scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“We just came to walk the dogs with you…”

“Walk the dogs?” Mengde raised an eyebrow and pointed at the mountain of documents in front of her.

She glanced at Yuan Shu with a sneer.

“If I go walk dogs with you, are you going to handle all this paperwork?”

“Uh… w-we didn’t mean to bother you…”

Yuan Shu swallowed hard and stepped back with an embarrassed smile.

Yuan Shao also had a sheepish look, clearly ready to flee at any moment.

“Fine,” Mengde sighed as she looked at the two pitiful brothers.

“Give me half an hour. I’ll finish this up quickly.”

It would just take her activating her ability.

With the computational power she now possessed, if she went all-out, she could process all this work in an hour at most.

But just as she was about to activate her full mental capacity, she noticed someone new standing behind Yuan Shao.

“You brought a new follower again?”

“Yeah, his name’s Liu Bei. He’s a student of the great scholar and editor Lu Zhi…”

“Oh, Liu… Wait. What did you say his name was?”

Mengde stared, stunned, at the handsome young man standing behind Yuan Shao.