Gan Ji came up from the Sanctuary to greet Liu Bei. After a few pleasantries, he led him back down to show him around.
The Sanctuary stored food, water, and warm clothes and bedding. Liu Bei sighed, "I never imagined there'd be a whole other world down here. I'd say this place could shelter people for ten days or half a month without a problem."
"Big brother, the most remarkable part is how cleverly the top is concealed. Unless someone looks closely, they'll hardly notice anything amiss," Zhang Fei said.
"If only we'd built this Sanctuary sooner. Back then, so many people might not have been slaughtered by Cao Cao." Gan Ji sighed, remembering the past.
"Madam, this Sanctuary is so ingeniously designed. Whose idea was it?" Liu Bei asked.
Gan Qian said, "My younger brother built it after Lu Bu lifted Ji Ling's siege. Now almost every household in the manor is copying it, so he's been quite busy lately."
"So it was that farm boy. Big brother, he's pretty clever after all," Zhang Fei said with a hearty laugh.
Liu Bei nodded too, thinking that Lan Ziyu wasn't entirely useless.
After they came out of the Sanctuary, Zhang Fei realized how well concealed it was and said, "Big brother, wouldn't this method be brilliant for setting an ambush?"
"If it's disguised well enough, it should be convincing. But building a Sanctuary like this must take quite a while, right?" Liu Bei asked.
"It took about twenty days from start to finish. With more people, I reckon ten days would be enough," Gan Ji replied.
Liu Bei had come to the manor to fetch Gan Qian. Gan Ji invited them to stay for a meal, then sent someone to call Lan Tian back.
Gan Qian personally cooked several simple dishes, and the four men gathered in the Gan family courtyard to drink.
"Big brother, sister-in-law is an excellent cook. You're a lucky man! Come on, let's down three big bowls to start," Zhang Fei said heartily, lifting his bowl.
"Third brother, don't speak so carelessly in front of our father-in-law," Liu Bei scolded with a frown.
"Think nothing of it. General Yide is a bold man by nature. This old man will gladly join you for a bowl," Gan Ji said with a smile.
"Actually, I learned it all from Ziyu. His cooking is several times better than mine," Gan Qian said shyly.
Zhang Fei pushed his wine bowl toward Lan Tian and said bluntly, "Who'd have thought? You can farm, cook, and build Sanctuaries, but you can't drink as well as I can. Is there anything you can't do?"
"Third brother, how are you drunk before you've even had a drink?" Liu Bei reminded him.
Lan Tian smiled. "My capacity for alcohol is limited, so naturally I can't compare with the Third General. Besides, learning never ends. Is there anyone who knows everything? There's plenty I don't know. For instance, I'm no match for you on horseback in battle."
Zhang Fei patted Lan Tian on the shoulder. "Now that's an honest answer. You've got a knack for speaking plainly."
Though Lan Tian kept smiling throughout the meal, he didn't say much.
Seeing how steady and composed Lan Tian was, Liu Bei decided to recruit him, for Gan Qian's sake.
After the meal, Liu Bei and Lan Tian happened to walk outside the courtyard at the same time. Liu Bei was the first to broach the subject. "Have you finished reading the Spring and Autumn Annals Yunchang gave you?"
"Yes, I finished it some time ago. General Guan treasured that book, so I didn't dare keep it for long. I asked my sister to return it," Lan Tian replied.
"My second brother thinks highly of you. Did reading the Spring and Autumn Annals give you any insights?" Liu Bei asked.
Lan Tian glanced at Liu Bei, thinking, Uncle, are you testing me? After pondering for a moment, he spoke clearly. "Use bronze as a mirror to straighten your clothes and cap; use people as a mirror to understand gain and loss; use history as a mirror to understand the rise and fall of dynasties."
Liu Bei was stunned. Even my second brother might not have reached that insight. He then quizzed Lan Tian on several allusions from the Spring and Autumn Annals, and Lan Tian answered each one fluently thanks to his excellent memory.
"Lan Ziyu, would you be willing to serve as my clerk?" Liu Bei personally invited him.
Liu Bei was a man of experience. From their conversation, he'd realized Lan Tian was eloquent and could at least measure up to Jian Yong and Sun Qian.
Lan Tian looked at Liu Bei, then finally shook his head. "I'm grateful for your kindness, General, but I must decline. My adoptive father is staying in the countryside to farm, so I need to remain by his side and care for him."
Liu Bei nodded. "You wish to fulfill your duty as a son, so I won't press you. But the world is in chaos. How could your simple Sanctuary keep out every sword and blade? In any case, take care of yourself."
Liu Bei finished speaking and called Zhang Fei and Gan Qian over. They took their leave of Lan Tian and his father, then headed out of the manor.
Watching the three of them disappear into the distance, Gan Ji asked Lan Tian, "Did you just turn Xuande down?"
"Yes."
"Why? Xuande seemed sincere."
"Maybe I haven't made up my mind yet."
"Life is short, Tian'er. Don't take too long to decide."
"I understand."
Lan Tian was conflicted. It wasn't easy to get a second chance at life, and most people would choose to make a grand impression. But he truly wasn't sure of his own abilities.
As for commanding troops in battle, apart from reading one book, Weiliaozi, and watching war films and television dramas from his old world, he had nothing to go on. If he tried to apply that knowledge to a real battlefield, he'd probably just be an armchair strategist.
As for governing a state, Lan Tian didn't think he had that kind of skill. Especially during the Three Kingdoms period, when powerful clans were entrenched everywhere. Even Liu Bei, a leading figure in Hebei, had been battered and bruised. How much of a splash could someone with no backing like him make?
For now, his safest course was to keep his head down, farm, care for Gan Ji, and use a few little schemes to protect Gan Qian. That was what Lan Tian felt most capable of doing. Getting into graduate school proved he wasn't stupid, and he had plenty of perseverance. Most importantly, he knew what he wanted.
On the road back to Xiaopei, Liu Bei found the whole thing hard to believe. Could I, Liu Xuande, really have so little face? I went there in person and still couldn't recruit a young man? He felt somewhat defeated.
"Madam, I personally invited Lan Ziyu to serve as a clerk, but unfortunately, he refused."
"What? That brat was so rude? Big brother, shall I have him dragged back here?"
Zhang Fei saw Liu Bei glaring at him with a dark expression and swallowed the rest of his words.
"Second uncle said the same thing before. Perhaps Ziyu truly wants to stay and care for his adoptive father," Gan Qian said with her head bowed.
"Very well. My territory is small, and I don't have any good positions to offer him. Given his learning, serving as a clerk would be beneath him," Liu Bei sighed.
"Husband, Ziyu once said that Xu Province is flat, and Xiaopei lies at the junction of Qing, Xu, Yu, and Yan Provinces. It isn't a good place to build a foundation," Gan Qian continued.
Liu Bei gave a bitter smile. "How could I not know? But the warlords are all vying for supremacy. Having Xiaopei as a place to shelter is already a blessing. How could I choose where I want to go?"
"It's just as well that Lan Tian refused. Armchair strategists can cause trouble when it matters most," Zhang Fei chimed in.
"Third brother, don't underestimate him. Lan Ziyu is learned and has a keen understanding of the larger situation. I believe he'll amount to great things sooner or later."
After returning to the city, Liu Bei told Guan Yu about Lan Tian's insight into the Spring and Autumn Annals. Guan Yu was silent for a long time, then said to Liu Bei, "If Lan Ziyu truly has talent, big brother, you should go and seek him again. As they say, sincerity can move mountains."
Liu Bei nodded in agreement, but the training of troops, gathering of grain, and other matters kept him extremely busy after taking charge of Xiaopei again. Before long, recruiting Lan Tian a second time slipped from his mind.
The year 197 AD, the second year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han, was destined to be extraordinary.
Not long after the New Year, Yuan Shu of Huainan defied all conventions and declared himself emperor.
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