Followers

Because Liu Bei currently has few subordinates, the scale of the welcome banquet was not large.

Aside from the officials left behind to garrison Xiapi with Guan Yu, those currently in Xiaopei include Mi Zhu, Jian Yong, Sun Qian, and Liu Yan on the civil side, and Zhang Fei, Mi Fang, and Chen Dao on the military side.

Except for being familiar with Zhang Fei and Jian Yong, Lan Ziyu was meeting the others for the first time. They were very polite to him out of respect for Liu Bei, with the sole exception of Mi Fang, who seemed displeased.

Lan Ziyu did not enjoy this meal; he could sense that Liu Bei's enthusiasm was merely perfunctory.

Reflecting on their earlier conversation, Lan Ziyu felt he might have been too impatient. The "strong medicine" he prescribed was something Liu Bei dared not swallow, leading to a lack of trust.

However, Lan Ziyu masked his feelings well. He pretended nothing was amiss, drank with Zhang Fei, and eventually returned to his quarters early.

After the banquet dispersed and the guests left unsteadily, Liu Bei remained in his seat, drinking in sullen silence.

Mi Zhu walked halfway out before turning back to sit beside Liu Bei. "I hear Lan Ziyu is quite talented. Why is the Lord in such low spirits today?"

Liu Bei shook his head and sighed, "Though the lad has minor talents, he is far from what I expected."

"Oh? How so?" Mi Zhu pressed.

"Before the feast, he offered me a strategy, suggesting I abandon Xu Province to seek refuge in Jing Province. Is this not like climbing a tree to catch a fish? Though Xu Province is withered, it is still a full province. How can I easily abandon the foundation I have worked so hard to build?"

After some thought, Mi Zhu said, "Che Zhou is a confidant of Cao Cao. If the Lord kills him to seize Xu Province, you will surely be loathed by Cao Cao. Ziyu may be worried that Cao the Rebel will return."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Ziyu is, after all, a village youth who has not experienced the mountains of blades and seas of blood. He has small cleverness but lacks courage and strategy. As the saying goes, wealth is sought amidst danger. Yuan Benchu has great momentum in Hebei; Cao Cao may not have the strength to march east."

Mi Zhu nodded. "Although Cao Cao is held in check by Yuan Shao, we cannot afford to be unprepared. I intend to head to Donghai tomorrow to persuade the local powerful clans to submit to the Lord."

"Zizhong labors for my sake; I shall never fail you in the future," Liu Bei said, moved.

"The Lord speaks too heavily. This Xu Province is my home as well. We must strive for good governance and prepare for Cao Cao's return," Mi Zhu reminded him again.

Liu Bei affirmed, "I will send Gongyou to Hebei tomorrow. I shall echo Benchu from Xu Province, forcing the Rebel Cao to be unable to attend to both ends."

"That would be excellent," Mi Zhu said.

The next morning, Liu Bei sent Chen Dao to escort Gan Qian, Mi Zhen, and the rest of the family to Xiapi.

As the carriage passed Gan Family Village, Lan Ziyu proposed stopping to pack his belongings.

Gan Qian urged, "Younger brother, we have no surplus wealth at home. Why not give the remaining clothes and grain to the villagers?"

"It is not for food or clothing, but for the crop seeds I have spent two years cultivating; I cannot bear to abandon them. Elder sister, please wait in the carriage; I shall return shortly," Lan Ziyu said.

Gan Qian shook her head, thinking, You are supposed to be helping your brother-in-law, so why are you still preoccupied with things from the mud?

Chen Dao had the carriage stop by the road and sent a few soldiers to accompany Lan Ziyu.

Lan Ziyu returned home, packed some clothes, and bundled up the newly cultivated millet and vegetable seeds. He planned to continue his research once he reached Xiapi.

The accompanying soldiers found it strange, thinking, This brother of the Lady is truly a weirdo. Why is he bringing soil on the road?

The news of Lan Ziyu leaving Gan Family Village had spread long ago. No one in the village was unaware of his abilities; for a man like him to spend his whole life in the woods and springs would have been the real rarity.

As he returned to pack, the tenant farmer Li Yang quietly came to Lan Ziyu's home.

"Is the Young Master of the Village leaving now?" Li Yang asked with reluctance.

"Yes. Since I have decided to assist General Liu, I cannot remain here to plow the fields," Lan Ziyu said.

Li Yang felt dejected. If not for this young man teaching them how to farm and build the Sanctuary, Gan Family Village would never have had its current prosperity. He himself would have either starved to death or died in the chaos of war.

Seeing the man hesitate, Lan Ziyu had the accompanying soldiers carry the bags of seeds and soil to the carriage first.

"Little Li, is there something you wish to say?" Lan Ziyu asked, puzzled.

Li Yang suddenly knelt and bowed, saying, "Young Master, I want to go with you."

"Little Li, I am currently on my own. Going to Xiapi is mainly to protect my sister. What would be the point of you following me?" Lan Ziyu said helplessly.

"I can do anything," Li Yang continued.

"If you wish to join the army, I can provide a recommendation," Lan Ziyu thought, I have nothing; I can't just recruit a group of followers. That would be too conspicuous.

Li Yang shook his head. "I have learned a thing or two about farming from you over the past two years, and I have no desire to return to the battlefield to kill. I only wish to follow the Young Master; it makes me feel at ease. Many in the village share this thought."

Lan Ziyu felt a headache coming on. It seemed that prestige was indeed useful in this era. Although he was not famous among the gentry, his reputation among the farmers of Xiaopei was quite high.

Looking at the sincere Li Yang, Lan Ziyu could not bear to refuse. After some thought, he said, "Xu Province is not a place where I will stay for long. If you truly wish to follow me, you might as well head to Jing Province first. I expect to go there in two or three years, and we shall meet again then."

"Jing Province?"

"Yes, Nanyang Commandery, Xinye County in northern Jing Province."

Li Yang scratched his head. "But we have nothing to our names. What would we do in Xinye County?"

Lan Ziyu laughed, "You know how to farm. Where can you not survive?"

Li Yang grinned. "It is all thanks to your teaching, Young Master. There are forty or fifty people in the village who feel the same way. I will go back and discuss it with them."

"Think it over carefully. After all, it is leaving your home; do not force yourselves. And do not show off these skills in front of others. As the saying goes, the tree that stands above the forest is destroyed by the wind. Avoid bringing trouble upon yourselves," Lan Ziyu cautioned.

"Rest assured, you can trust Little Li's character," Li Yang laughed.

After Li Yang left satisfied, Lan Ziyu walked quickly toward the village entrance, thinking, If these guys really go to Xinye, I won't have to teach them hand-in-hand when I get there.

Lan Ziyu came to join Liu Bei but did not stay in Xiaopei to serve, which left Guan Yu very puzzled.

In their previous interactions, Guan Yu felt that Lan Ziyu was quite talented and that the strategies he offered were very effective. Could it be due to the interference of the Mi Family?

After reading the secret letter brought by Chen Dao, Guan Yu finally understood Liu Bei's true intentions. In the letter, Liu Bei stated that Lan Tian was still young; although he possessed some minor cunning, he was prone to aiming too high and neglecting the practical. He instructed Guan Yu to keep Lan Tian by his side to gain experience and observation, and for the time being, he was not to be entrusted with any important positions.

Guan Yu had a very favorable impression of Lan Tian. After settling the two wives and their family members, he took the initiative to find Lan Tian and said, "It is truly a stroke of fortune that Ziyu is willing to come and assist my elder brother. Now that Xiapi has just been pacified, it is a time when men of talent are needed. I wonder what Ziyu excels at? That way, I can make some arrangements for you."

Lan Tian replied, "It is of no consequence. I once promised my foster father that I would ensure my elder sister's safety. Even if the General were to make me a personal guard, that would suffice."

Guan Yu stroked his long beard and laughed, "Ziyu also knows martial arts? Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance. I know you are quite well-versed in agricultural affairs; how about taking a post at the Household Bureau? It would be just the right place to encourage farming and sericulture."

"That would be fine."