“I went to Miss Mengde’s house today with Brother Benchu and Brother Gonglu…”
Liu Bei softly explained the situation.
But Lu Zhi widened his eyes in surprise after hearing just the beginning.
“Hmm? Wait a second—who did you say you went with, and to whose place?”
“With Brother Benchu and Brother Gonglu, to Miss Mengde’s house.”
“And who exactly are these Brother Benchu and Brother Gonglu?”
“Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.”
“You mean Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu of the Yuan family, the same Yuan family that’s held high office for four generations?”
“That’s right.”
After receiving the answer, Lu Zhi fell silent for a moment before continuing.
“And who is this Miss Mengde?”
“Naturally, she’s the daughter of the current Minister of Works, Cao Song of the Four Noblemen—Cao Cao, also known as Cao Mengde.”
“I see…”
Lu Zhi nodded slowly, his expression complicated.
He never would have imagined that his student could, in just a few months, build ties with the younger generation of both the Yuan and Cao families.
After all, Yuan Feng of the Yuan family and Cao Song of the Cao family were both among the Three Excellencies of the current Han court—men standing at the very peak of imperial power.
Liu Bei, born a commoner, had somehow managed to go from nothing to being connected to the sons and nephews of these powerful houses in mere months.
Such an astounding social ability left Lu Zhi at a loss for words.
“Go on.”
Lu Zhi nodded slightly.
So Liu Bei went on to recount everything that had happened when he and the Yuan brothers visited the Cao residence earlier that day.
After he finished, Liu Bei knelt down and sincerely shared his thoughts.
“Miss Mengde showed us a case from Qing Province. I only guessed the solution thanks to some rural experience I picked up in the past.”
“But how many situations faced by officials can be solved by countryside intuition alone? I may be able to gain a position through connections with powerful families, but I don’t want to become a useless or cruel official. Especially after hearing from Lady Cai about your hopes for me, Teacher, I don’t want to let you down. That’s why I’d like to return to the academy and continue my studies.”
“I see. If you want to return to your studies, of course you can. You’ve always been my student—how could I refuse to teach you?”
Lu Zhi spoke with calm assurance, and Liu Bei’s face immediately lit up with joy upon hearing this.
But then Lu Zhi thoughtfully stroked his beard, and after a long pause, he added: “However, while studying, you mustn’t neglect your talent for social connection either. The Analects says, ‘Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.'”
“Simply burying yourself in books won’t get you far. You need to put your knowledge to the test through interaction with others. Miss Mengde is a young woman of both virtue and talent, and the Yuan brothers are no slouches either. You should spend more time with them.”
“But remember: while you cultivate connections, steer clear of those idle and incompetent scions. Liu Xiang once said, ‘To live among the virtuous is like entering a room filled with orchids and fragrant herbs; stay long, and you become one with the scent. To live among the wicked is like entering a fish market; stay long, and you won’t even notice the stench—but you’ll still be changed by it.’ I do not wish for you to become a mediocre man.”
“Yes, Teacher. I will remember your words.”
Liu Bei pressed his hands together and respectfully bowed to Lu Zhi in the manner of a student greeting his teacher.
Lu Zhi looked at Liu Bei with satisfaction.
Eager to learn, skilled in socializing—if he gave this student a little extra push through his own connections, there would be no problem for Liu Bei to become one of the Nine Ministers someday.
And not just any minister, but one truly capable and competent.
As for himself… if no special opportunity came his way, he would probably remain stuck as a Governor of Two Thousand Bushels for the rest of his life.
Lu Zhi laughed at himself inwardly.
After all, in officialdom, the most important skill was social networking.
Administrative talent came second.
Lu Zhi had often suffered setbacks due to his own shortcomings in this area, so he understood it all too well. In the bureaucracy, someone who excelled at networking would never remain in a low position for long.
Truthfully, Lu Zhi even felt a bit envious of Liu Bei’s terrifying ability to build connections.
As an official, how could he not wish to rise further through the ranks?
The only problem was that networking often came with the risk of moral compromise.
Socializing in the Eastern Han wasn’t that different from how it would be in later times—it mostly meant drinking, feasting, gambling, and similar distractions.
Just look at Liu Bei: during the few months he spent hanging out with people like Yuan Shao, there were dogs, horses, music—all sorts of indulgences.
But Lu Zhi genuinely hated such worldly pleasures from the bottom of his heart.
When he was studying under his former teacher Ma Rong—a powerful member of the imperial in-laws—there were always singing girls performing at the household.
Yet even over those years of studying, Lu Zhi had never once glanced at them.
He was the very picture of self-restraint and austerity.
Expecting someone like Lu Zhi to go out and socialize was simply asking too much.
Still, he continued mapping out Liu Bei’s academic path.
“In order to make sure neither side suffers, you can go out during the day to socialize with people like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. But once you return in the evening, you must focus seriously on your studies. I’ll give you one-on-one lessons at night.”
“When I’m busy at the Eastern Archive, Gongsun Zan can review the day’s lessons with you. You two are close friends, right? However, that means you’ll be studying the same material in only one-third the time. Do you think you can manage that?”
“I cannot promise success,” Liu Bei replied, bowing again, “but I will give it my all.”
Lu Zhi was deeply pleased by Liu Bei’s honest and unboastful attitude.
***
A few days later, Liu Bei once again accompanied Yuan Shao to the Cao residence to visit Mengde.
As soon as they arrived, Yuan Shao turned to Mengde and Liu Bei and made a declaration right in front of them.
“From now on, this kid Liu Bei is your little brother.”
“Huh?” both Mengde and Liu Bei said, clearly confused.
Seeing their expressions, Yuan Shao explained, “You both know I’m turning twenty-one soon. According to my family’s plan, I was to be capped at twenty, then recommended for filial and incorrupt conduct, become a Gentleman of the Palace, gain experience, and then be assigned to a local post as a magistrate to begin my official career.”
“I’ve already completed the first two steps, so I’ll soon be assigned to the provinces. I won’t be able to look after my little brothers anymore.”
“The others aren’t a big concern—after all, they come from noble families, and their families will arrange everything. But Liu Bei is different. I can tell he’s ambitious, yet he’s a commoner. As the eldest among us, I can’t just abandon him after I leave. After thinking it over, I’ve decided you’re the best person to take over.”
Mengde’s expression turned subtle.
“So… you want Liu Bei to be my little brother?”
“Yup.”
“But I don’t want to be some wandering hero. I’m not recruiting little brothers…”
“I seem to recall you already have two underlings—Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan. What’s the harm in adding Liu Bei? Can’t you be flexible just this once?”
“Why not leave him to Yuan Shu?”
Yuan Shao sighed.
“Yuan Shu will be capped soon too. Then he’ll go through the same steps—filial recommendation, palace appointment, local magistrate posting. He’ll only be in Luoyang for another half a year at most. What’s the point of handing Liu Bei over to him?”
“This is…”
Mengde suddenly felt her teeth ache.
Liu Bei, destined to restore the Han, is going to be little brother to me—Cao Mengde, who will overthrow it?
‘Seriously?’