Yuan Shu, filled with curiosity, followed Zhou Yi to Cai Yong's residence.
He was thinking about how he still had a major extravagant spending task left unfinished.
If the guests he was receiving turned out to be important figures,
then he would go all out, using the full budget of the task to rope them in.
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, two strange people came to our house today!" As soon as Yuan Shu stepped into the Cai residence, little Cai Wenji ran up to him and whispered mysteriously.
Yuan Shu patted Cai Wenji's little head and asked with a smile:
"Oh? What do these two strange people look like?"
Cai Wenji pondered for a moment, then spread out her small hands and vividly described:
"Well, they both look really weird.
One of them is very dark, with rough skin, and his clothes are wrapped in animal fur.
The other one looks fair and refined, but his hands are super long, and his ears are really long too."
What the heck?
Listening to the little girl's description, Yuan Shu couldn't imagine what kind of people they were.
Why did they sound like they weren't even human? How was he supposed to believe this?
Seeing the serious look in little Cai Wenji's eyes, Yuan Shu didn't have the heart to contradict her.
So he gently said to her:
"Then I'll go in now and find out more about these two strange people. I'll share the details with you later, okay?"
The curious little girl nodded excitedly:
"Okay, Senior Brother, make sure you ask them where they're from!"
Yuan Shu thought to himself—he had originally assumed Cai Wenji was a cool and literary girl, but after getting to know her, he realized she was actually just a curious little girl.
Master Cai Yong always entertained guests in the main hall, so Yuan Shu followed Zhou Yi toward it.
Just as they reached the entrance, they could hear people chatting inside, with bursts of joyful laughter in between. It seemed Master and his old friend were having a great conversation.
Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi entered the hall one after the other and saw Master Cai Yong sitting at the head seat, chatting with a white-haired middle-aged man across from him.
This man appeared to be in his forties, yet his hair was completely white.
He wore a grayish-white cloth robe and had a few long strands of beard. He had the demeanor of a scholar but also carried a hint of a warrior's aura.
Seated below him were two young men—one had a strong and resolute face, dark skin, and wore a white warrior's robe with a piece of white fur draped over his shoulder.
Upon closer inspection, the white fur had tiger-like patterns, likely a piece of white tiger pelt.
The pelt of such a fierce beast was a testament to this man's bravery.
The other young man looked much more approachable. He had fair skin, a round face, and sharp, bright eyes that immediately gave off a friendly vibe.
He wore a blue brocade robe, exuding elegance and nobility.
Recalling little Cai Wenji's description, Yuan Shu specifically paid attention to this man's ears and hands.
He had to admit, little Cai Wenji had a sharp eye—this man's earlobes and arms were indeed much longer than those of an average person.
Seeing his two beloved disciples enter, Cai Yong happily introduced them to the white-haired middle-aged man:
"Brother Zigan, these are my two disciples, Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi."
The white-haired middle-aged man, referred to as Brother Zigan, glanced at the two of them and nodded at Cai Yong:
"They indeed have an outstanding appearance, truly worthy of being Brother Bojie's beloved disciples."
Yuan Shu thought to himself, this is just flattery. Even if Zhou Yi and I were pigs, you'd still have to call us outstanding, right?
Cai Yong then introduced the white-haired man to Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi:
"The gentleman beside me is my longtime friend, Lu Zhi, styled Zigan.
He has recently been appointed by the imperial court as the Governor of Jiujiang Commandery and will soon take office.
Brother Zigan's achievements in Confucian studies far surpass mine.
You may address him as Master Lu."
Upon hearing the introduction, Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi immediately stepped forward to pay their respects: "Greetings, Master Lu."
Lu Zhi responded kindly:
"No need for such formalities, my young nephews. I simply wished to see an old friend before assuming my post and did not expect to trouble you both to come here specifically."
Yuan Shu thought to himself, Lu Zhi is indeed a renowned minister of the late Han. I should check his attributes.
He silently commanded in his mind: "System, show me Lu Zhi's attributes."
The system immediately responded:
"Ding! System received the request, retrieving talent data for Lu Zhi!"
"Query successful:
Talent Name: Lu Zhi
Attributes:
Martial Strength: 81, Leadership: 91, Intelligence: 82, Politics: 75, Charisma: 67, Luck: 53"
Lu Zhi's Skills:
Confucian Mastery (Awakened): Lu Zhi has deeply studied Confucianism. While engaged in research, his Intelligence increases by 5 points, and his teaching effectiveness in Confucianism improves by 50%.
Suppressing Bandits (Awakened): As a pillar of the Han Dynasty, Lu Zhi naturally suppresses bandits. When leading an army to quell bandits, his Leadership increases by 5 points."
Yuan Shu could only sigh—Lu Zhi truly deserves his reputation as a capable minister of the Han Dynasty.
A Leadership boost of 5 points when suppressing bandits meant his total Leadership reached 96. No wonder he was able to keep the Yellow Turbans in check.
Next, Cai Yong introduced Lu Zhi's disciples to Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi:
"These two are Brother Zigan's beloved disciples. Since Brother Zigan will be staying at my residence for two days, I'll leave his disciples in your care.
Gonglu, especially you—you should be quite familiar with Luoyang. Take them around properly."
Yuan Shu thought, what do you mean by 'quite familiar'? You could just say I'm the top street wanderer in Luoyang.
Bringing people around for food, drinks, and entertainment is my specialty!
Yuan Shu said to Cai Yong:
"Master, don't worry. Zhou and I will take good care of them."
At this moment, Lu Zhi's two disciples also stood up and greeted Yuan Shu and Zhou Yi.
The dark-skinned young man dressed in animal hides spoke first:
"My name is Gongsun Zan, styled Bogui. I am Master Lu's senior disciple. It is a pleasure to meet you both."
The other young man also cupped his hands and said:
"Greetings, senior brothers. I am Liu Bei, styled Xuande, Master Lu's last disciple."
At that moment, Yuan Shu suddenly remembered—Lu Zhi's two disciples were none other than Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan.
One would become the founding emperor of Shu Han, and the other a warlord of the late Han and Three Kingdoms era.
Lu Zhi was quite impressive, having taught two students who would later vie for dominance over the land.
However, at this time, they were still far from their future achievements, diligently studying under Lu Zhi.
Neither of them could have imagined that one day they would rise as great lords.
Yuan Shu smiled at Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei and said:
"Senior brothers, our masters haven't seen each other in a long time and must have much to talk about. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to disturb them.
How about Zhou and I take you on a tour of Luoyang and then find an excellent inn to host a welcoming banquet for you?"
Gongsun Zan heartily replied:
"If that's the case, then my junior brother and I will gladly accept your hospitality."
Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei understood that this was Cai Yong's arrangement—his old friend needed space to catch up in private.
Thus, they readily agreed to Yuan Shu's proposal.
[Author's Note]:
Lu Zhi, styled Zigan, was from Zhuo County in Zhuo Commandery (also Liu Bei's hometown).
He was a great Confucian scholar of the late Han, a military strategist, and an ancestor of the Fan Yang Lu clan.
Lu Zhi and Cai Yong were close friends in their youth. Later, they worked together at the Dongguan archives to compile and revise Confucian classics, co-authoring the continuation of "Records of the Han."
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Lu Zhi was one of the primary generals leading the imperial forces against the rebels.