Liu Xuande's First Invitation to Lan Ziyu

Gan Ji came up from the shelter to greet Liu Bei, and after a few pleasantries, he led him down to take a look.

Inside the shelter, grain, water, and cold-weather clothing were stored. Liu Bei sighed, "I never expected such a hidden world beneath our feet. I believe one could hide here for ten days or half a month without any trouble."

"Big Brother, the most brilliant part is that the concealment on top is crafted with such ingenuity; unless one inspects it very closely, it is basically impossible to discover any clues," Zhang Fei said.

"If only this shelter had been built sooner, we wouldn't have suffered so many casualties when Cao Cao carried out his massacres back then," Gan Ji sighed, recalling the past.

"Madam, I find the design of this shelter quite ingenious. May I ask whose idea it was?" Liu Bei asked.

Gan Qian replied, "It was built by my younger brother after Lu Bu lifted the siege by Ji Ling. Now, almost every household in the village is building one, so he has been quite busy lately."

"So it was that farm boy. Big Brother, he really is quite clever," Zhang Fei said with a chuckle.

Liu Bei nodded as well, thinking to himself that this Lan Ziyu was not entirely without merit.

After the group emerged from the shelter, Zhang Fei noticed its extreme stealth and added, "Big Brother, don't you think this method would be quite brilliant if used for ambushes?"

"If the camouflage is good enough, it should be convincing enough to deceive the enemy. However, building such a shelter must take quite a bit of time, right?" Liu Bei asked.

"It took about twenty days in total. If there were more people, I estimate it could be done in ten," Gan Ji replied.

Liu Bei had come to the village to pick up Gan Qian, and Gan Ji insisted they stay for a meal, so he sent someone to summon Lan Tian back.

Gan Qian personally went to the kitchen to prepare a few small dishes, and the four men began to drink in the small courtyard of the Gan household.

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law's cooking is truly excellent. You are certainly in for a treat. Come, come, let us finish three large bowls first!" Zhang Fei said heartily as he raised his wine bowl.

"Third Brother, do not speak nonsense in front of my father-in-law," Liu Bei chided with a frown.

"It is no matter. General Yide is a man of heroic spirit; this old man shall drink a bowl with you," Gan Ji laughed.

"Actually, I learned it all from Ziyu. His culinary skills are several times better than mine," Gan Qian said with a touch of embarrassment.

At this moment, Zhang Fei pushed his wine bowl toward Lan Tian and said crudely, "I couldn't tell, kid. You can farm, you can cook, and you can build shelters. The only thing you can't do is drink as well as I can. Is there anything you don't know?"

"Third Brother, how are you drunk before you've even finished your drink?" Liu Bei reminded him.

Lan Tian smiled and said, "My capacity for alcohol is limited, so naturally, I cannot compare to the Third General. Furthermore, there is no end to learning; how can there be a perfect person in this world? There is much I do not understand—for instance, I am not as skilled as you when it comes to fighting on horseback."

Zhang Fei patted Lan Tian on the shoulder and said, "That is a fair point. You speak quite reasonably, kid."

Throughout the meal, although Lan Tian maintained a smile, he did not speak much.

Seeing that Lan Tian had a steady temperament, Liu Bei decided to recruit him, out of consideration for Gan Qian.

After the meal, Liu Bei and Lan Tian walked out to the courtyard simultaneously. Liu Bei took the initiative to start the conversation: "Have you finished reading the Spring and Autumn Annals that Yunchang gave you?"

"Yes, I finished it some time ago. I dared not keep the scroll that General Guan treasures for too long, so I entrusted my elder sister to return it," Lan Tian replied.

"My Second Brother thinks highly of you. I wonder, what insights did you gain from reading the Spring and Autumn Annals?" Liu Bei asked again.

Lan Tian glanced at Liu Bei, thinking to himself, Are you planning to test me, Imperial Uncle? After a moment of contemplation, he said in a clear voice, "Using copper as a mirror, one can adjust their attire; using people as a mirror, one can understand gains and losses; using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties."

Liu Bei was stunned upon hearing this, thinking that even his second brother might not necessarily have such insight. He then proceeded to test him with several allusions from the Spring and Autumn Annals, and since Lan Tian had an excellent memory, he answered them fluently.

"Lan Ziyu, would you be willing to follow me as a clerk?" Liu Bei personally extended the invitation to Lan Tian.

Liu Bei was a man who had seen the world, and after their conversation, he found this man to have considerable eloquence—at least on par with Jian Yong and Sun Qian.

Lan Tian looked at Liu Bei and finally shook his head, saying, "I appreciate the General's kindness, but I cannot comply. My foster father is currently staying in the countryside to farm, and I must remain by his side to serve him."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "You wish to fulfill your filial duties, and I shall not force you. However, the world is in chaos now. Can your simple shelter truly block all the swords and spears of this world? In any case, take care of yourself."

After Liu Bei finished speaking, he called for Zhang Fei and Gan Qian. They bid farewell to Lan Tian and his father and walked toward the edge of the village.

Watching the three figures recede into the distance, Gan Ji asked Lan Tian, "You just refused Xuande?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought Xuande was very sincere."

"Perhaps I haven't thought it through yet."

"Life is short, Tian'er. Do not ponder for too long."

"I understand."

Lan Tian was also quite conflicted. Although it was not easy to transmigrate, and most people would choose to live a grand and heroic life, he truly had no idea how much weight he carried.

As for leading troops in battle? Aside from reading the Weiliaozi and watching war-themed films and television from later generations, if he were to apply that to a real battlefield, it would likely be nothing more than "talking on paper."

As for governing the state? Lan Tian felt he lacked the necessary means, especially in the Three Kingdoms period, where the clans and powerful families were deeply intertwined. Even Liu Bei, the top figure in Hebei, had suffered setbacks; what kind of waves could he, a man without any background, possibly stir up?

For now, he would lie low, farm, serve Gan Ji, and use small schemes to protect Gan Qian. This was the most certain path Lan Tian had. Being able to pass the postgraduate entrance exam proved his intelligence was not lacking, he had sufficient resilience, and most importantly, his goals were clear.

Walking on the road back to Xiaopei, Liu Bei felt it was quite inconceivable. He thought to himself, Is my reputation as Liu Xuande really so poor? I personally stepped forward and still couldn't recruit a young man? At that moment, he felt a sense of frustration.

"Madam, I just personally recruited Lan Ziyu to be a clerk, but unfortunately, he refused me."

"What? This fellow is actually so rude? Big Brother, do you want me to go and drag him back?"

Zhang Fei looked at Liu Bei, who was staring at him with a dark face, and had to swallow the rest of his words.

"My second uncle mentioned this before as well. It is possible that Ziyu truly wishes to stay behind to fulfill his filial duties," Gan Qian said, keeping her head down.

"Very well. My territory is small right now, and I don't have any good positions to offer him. With his knowledge, being a clerk would indeed be a bit of a grievance," Liu Bei sighed.

"Husband, Ziyu once said that the terrain of Xu Province is flat, and Xiaopei is located at the intersection of the four provinces of Qing, Xu, Yu, and Yan. It is not a good place to establish a foundation," Gan Qian continued.

Liu Bei gave a bitter smile and said, "How could I not know this? It is just that with the various warlords vying for power, having a place to settle like Xiaopei is already a blessing; how can I afford to be picky?"

"It is for the best that this fellow Lan Tian refused; those who only know how to fight on paper are prone to ruining important matters," Zhang Fei chimed in.

"Third Brother, do not underestimate him. Lan Ziyu possesses extraordinary knowledge and has a very keen grasp of the grand situation. In my view, he is destined for greatness sooner or later."

After returning to the city, Liu Bei recounted the insights Lan Tian had shared while reading the Spring and Autumn Annals to Guan Yu. Guan Yu was left speechless for a long while after hearing them, and later said to Liu Bei, "If Lan Ziyu truly possesses such talent, Big Brother, you might as well seek him out again. It is said that sincerity will lead to success."

Although Liu Bei nodded in agreement, the subsequent tasks of training troops and gathering provisions kept him so busy after regaining control of Xiaopei that the idea of recruiting Lan Tian again gradually faded from his mind.

The year 197 AD, the second year of the Jian'an era of the Eastern Han, was destined to be an extraordinary year.

For shortly after the new year had passed, Yuan Shu of Huainan defied the world and declared himself emperor.