Liu Bei Returns

"Lady Lu, it is clear that you care deeply for Ziyu." Gan Ji looked directly into Lu Lingqi's eyes.

"We are all just friends," Lu Lingqi replied, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"I am very grateful for the help you have given our family, but unfortunately, my Qian'er has married Liu Xuande, and now he and your father are at daggers drawn. It would be best if you and Ziyu saw less of each other. The disparity in our status is too great; there is no future for you two." Gan Ji spoke in a measured, steady tone.

Lu Lingqi suddenly felt her mind go blank. Is Ziyu's foster father trying to oppose us? she wondered.

"If one day Liu Xuande dies under your father's halberd, or if General Lu dies at the hands of Liu Xuande, how would you and Ziyu handle it?" Gan Ji asked again.

Although Gan Ji was merely a simple village farmer, his plain words shattered Lu Lingqi's defenses instantly.

What should she do?

What would become of her and Lan Tian?

"You should go. Ziyu has a tranquil nature; he will likely be a farmer his whole life. Lady Lu, do not delay your own future," Gan Ji advised once more.

Hearing this, tears welled up in Lu Lingqi's eyes, threatening to spill over. She turned away, facing away from Gan Ji, and said softly, "I understand. Please tell Sister Gan and Lan Tian that I had urgent business and had to leave."

Lu Lingqi walked away without looking back. Gan Ji's own eyes were red, but he knew he had done the right thing; there was no need for the two young people to suffer regrets in the future.

After finishing the dishes, Gan Qian stepped out of the house and saw Gan Ji looking forlornly into the distance.

"Father, where is Lady Lu? Did she go to the village to find my brother? Those two are truly a perfect match," Gan Qian said with a smile.

"I told her to go back," Gan Ji sighed.

"But why?" Gan Qian asked, startled.

"Since you have already married Liu Xuande, you cannot have your brother become his enemy in the future, can you?" Gan Ji shook his head.

Gan Qian was stunned. While she felt her father was right, it seemed rather cruel to Lan Tian and Lu Lingqi.

"What will happen when my brother returns in a while?" Gan Qian asked.

"I will speak to him myself," Gan Ji said firmly.

Lu Lingqi, possessing a resolute character, walked through the countryside of Gan Family Village. She recalled many beautiful memories, but Gan Ji's words held much truth. Why should she cause Lan Tian such hardship in the future?

Before she knew it, she had reached the village entrance. Of the two soldiers who had accompanied her, one had gone to Xiaopei, while the other had remained there waiting for her.

"My Lady, shall we rest in Xiaopei for the night and return to Xiapi tomorrow?"

Lu Lingqi shook her head. "I am worried about my father's safety. We shall ride through the night."

The waiting soldier was taken aback, thinking that the Lady's stamina was truly remarkable, but he replied, "Understood. I will leave a mark for my companion."

Lu Lingqi galloped through the night. Although she had not closed her eyes for a day and a night, she did not feel the slightest bit of fatigue.

Upon returning to Xiapi, Lu Lingqi locked herself in her chambers, and her meals were brought in and taken out by her maidservants.

Lu Bu asked in surprise, "What has come over Lingqi these past few days? Why does she not go to the training grounds to practice her martial arts?"

Lady Yan said with a pained heart, "It is because of that rebellion by Hao Meng that night. Lingqi worked hard all night, and the next day she went to Xiaopei to deliver a letter to Zhang Liao. She must be utterly exhausted."

"Lingqi is too stubborn; she insists on doing such things herself. If Gao Boping hadn't sent men to accompany her, no one would have known if she had fallen from her horse due to fatigue on the road," Lu Bu sighed.

"It is only because our daughter cares for you. You should treat her better in the future," Lady Yan said.

Lu Bu nodded and sat in the pavilion, continuing to drink to ease his worries.

Following the incident with Hao Meng's rebellion, the government office where Lu Bu resided was reinforced with many armored guards.

Before long, a guard from the front courtyard reported that a letter had arrived from Xudu.

Lu Bu opened the satchel to find that Cao Cao was interceding on behalf of Liu Bei.

In the letter, Cao Cao stated his intention to appoint Lu Bu as the Governor of Xuzhou. He further noted that Liu Bei had performed meritorious service in the campaign against Yuan Shu, and the imperial court had appointed him as the Governor of Yuzhou, requesting that he be allowed to station his troops temporarily in Xiaopei. He urged Lu Bu to make peace with Liu Bei and join forces to defeat Yuan Shu.

Lu Bu's title as Governor of Xuzhou was self-proclaimed, and Liu Bei's title as Inspector of Yuzhou had been recommended by Tao Qian; neither had received formal recognition from the imperial court. Now that Cao Cao was "holding the Emperor to command the vassals," an official appointment from the court carried a different weight.

Lu Bu was overjoyed upon receiving the letter and immediately sent word to Zhang Liao to expedite the handover with Liu Bei and allow him to station his troops in Xiaopei.

Because of the previous surprise attack on Yanzhou, Lu Bu and Cao Cao had harbored deep resentment, but now that Cao Cao was showing goodwill for the sake of Liu Bei, Lu Bu naturally took the opportunity to step down from his high horse.

After the recent battle at Xiaopei, Lu Bu had re-evaluated Liu Bei's military strength; those newly recruited soldiers, lacking training and the tempering of war, posed little threat to him.

Upon receiving Lu Bu's orders, Zhang Liao took the initiative to send men toward Yuzhou to track Liu Bei's whereabouts.

After fleeing to Xudu, Liu Bei had been warmly received by Cao Cao. Not only was he officially appointed as the Governor of Yuzhou, but he was also granted several thousand soldiers and provisions, allowing him to return to Xiaopei to gather his former troops and assist the imperial court in keeping Lu Bu and Yuan Shu in check.

After completing the handover, Zhang Liao led his troops back to Xiapi to report, and the families captured at Xiaopei were returned to Liu Bei.

"Why is Lady Gan not here?" Liu Bei asked the group in confusion, not seeing Gan Qian among the family members.

Mi Zhen replied, "She was not brought back to Xiaopei after the city fell. She may still be at Gan Family Village."

"My Lord," Mi Zhu began, then hesitated.

"Zizhong, you have suffered much these past days. Pray, speak your mind," Liu Bei said.

"After Lu Bu breached the city, he had no wealth to reward his troops, and Xiaopei had many ties to Chen Hanyu, so he allowed his soldiers to pillage the villages outside the city. I fear Gan Family Village did not escape unscathed. Lady Gan's safety is... uncertain," Mi Zhu said slowly.

Looting goods and grain was one thing, but Lady Gan was as beautiful as a flower; if she had been insulted by those rogue soldiers, he, Liu Xuande, would have no face left.

"Second Brother, you remain in Xiaopei to pacify the officials and the people. Third Brother and I will go to Gan Family Village," Liu Bei said.

"Go, Big Brother. Sister-in-law is a virtuous woman; surely she has come to no harm," Guan Yu comforted him.

The two men rode their horses out of the city at a gallop; compared to his political marriage with Mi Zhen, Liu Bei held a deeper affection for Gan Qian.

At this moment, Gan Qian was also waiting anxiously at home. Today, Zhang Liao had been dispatched to lead troops south, and Lan Tian had predicted that Liu Bei should have already returned to Xiaopei. During this time, Gan Ji had insisted that the two of them hide in the shelter; after their previous ordeal, the old man had become a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

Seeing that her sworn brother was full of confidence, Gan Qian not only refused to go to the shelter but even took the initiative to go out to the estate to reassure the people.

Lan Tian's words were surely true; Gan Qian was now almost superstitious when it came to him.

In less than half an hour, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei arrived at the estate as expected to search for them. Seeing that Gan Qian was in good health, Liu Bei was overjoyed.

"My lady, have you been well lately?" Liu Bei asked, holding Gan Qian's hand.

"The day the city fell, I hid in the shelter with Father and my younger brother, which is how we escaped that disaster," Gan Qian explained immediately, fearing that Liu Bei might harbor doubts.

"A shelter? Sister-in-law, what is a shelter?" Zhang Fei asked with a bewildered look on his face.

"Husband, Brother, please follow me." Gan Qian led the two of them directly toward the back of the house.

Gan Qian knocked on the lid of the shelter and said to Gan Ji below, "Father, don't hide down there anymore; Xuande has come to find us."

With a creaking sound, Gan Ji opened the lid and poked his head out.

"Big Brother, this concealment is far too realistic, isn't it?" Zhang Fei exclaimed in astonishment.