That night, chaos erupted in Ding Yuan's camp.
Lü Bu beheaded Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo under the cover of darkness. The majority of Ding Yuan's troops scattered, with only a small portion joining Lü Bu's camp and integrating into Dong Zhuo's forces.
The next day, Lü Bu was appointed as Cavalry Commandant, General of the Household, and enfeoffed as Marquis of Duting. It could be said that he had truly risen to prominence overnight! He had successfully transformed from a poor man who couldn't even afford food into a genuine high-ranking, wealthy, and handsome noble, complete with golden armor and the legendary Red Hare steed...
When Fei Qian learned of this news, he felt a deep sense of urgency. The day of Luoyang's great turmoil was drawing closer with each passing day...
Every time Fei Qian walked the streets of Luoyang, seeing the shopkeepers with their banners, the street vendors, the children playing and laughing, and the old men basking in the sun, he felt an overwhelming urge to rush into the middle of the street and shout, to tell everyone about the tragic events that would soon unfold, to save them from the suffering that awaited them, and to prevent the vibrant beauty before him from turning into ruins...
This feeling tormented Fei Qian. Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, he would recall that strange dream, where the question, "A true man born into this world should live with a clear conscience, unashamed before heaven and earth. How can one cling to life in cowardice? I ask you, what is your ambition?" echoed in his heart. The Three Kingdoms era—in his past life, he had once thought that even if he were to travel back to the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it would be like a game he had played, clicking a mouse, looking at data, and if things got too bad, he could just flee early, relying on his knowledge of history...
But now, Fei Qian felt that if he were to do that, he would be deeply pained. At the very least, his conscience wouldn't allow it. He didn't consider himself a saintly figure, but seeing the living, breathing people around him suffer and die in agony while he did nothing—he simply couldn't be that cold-hearted.
If I don't know them, fine. But if it's within my power, I must at least do something. Otherwise, I won't be able to live with myself!
As Fei Qian walked, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind, "Young Master Fei, please wait!" He turned to see a middle-aged servant in plain hemp clothes, panting as he ran over. When the servant got closer, Fei Qian noticed the character "Cai" embroidered on his chest, and it seemed vaguely familiar...
"My master, Imperial Secretary Cai, wishes to invite you to his residence. This is his calling card." The Cai family servant, after catching his breath, respectfully handed over the card.
Fei Qian took the card and asked, "Do I need to go immediately? Let me inform my family first."
"I've already been to your residence, young master. I met your old steward, who told me you were here."
"In that case, let's go." Fei Qian couldn't figure out why Cai Yong suddenly wanted to see him. After walking a few steps, he turned to the servant and asked, "Why does the Imperial Secretary want to see me?"
"I'm just a gatekeeper, young master. How would I know such things?"
Fei Qian nodded, then suddenly remembered something. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a string of coins, and handed it to the servant. "You've worked hard. Take this and buy yourself a new pair of shoes."
The servant happily accepted the coins and tucked them away. "Thank you, young master... Oh, this morning, Liu Yuanzhuo, the Court Gentleman, came..."
Fei Qian nodded, thanking the servant for the information, but his mind began to race. Who was Liu Yuanzhuo? And a Court Gentleman at that? In the Han Dynasty, a Court Gentleman was a high-ranking official, just below the rank of Imperial Secretary.
Fei Qian recalled that there were many notable figures with the surname Liu during the Three Kingdoms period, but who was this Yuanzhuo? It seemed like a famous name, but who could it be? Liu Ye? Liu Ye was a renowned scholar, but his courtesy name wasn't Yuanzhuo... In this era, anyone with the surname Liu was likely related to the emperor, possibly a descendant of Liu Bang...
Fei Qian pondered for a while but couldn't figure out who Liu Yuanzhuo was. He decided to stop worrying about it. Although he wasn't entirely clear on the situation, it probably wasn't anything troublesome.
Well, I'll find out when I get there.
************
While Fei Qian was on his way to the Cai residence, inside the home of Minister over the Masses Wang Yun, Wang Yun and Yuan Wei were sitting across from each other, drinking tea.
The maids had been sent far away, and Wang Yun personally prepared the tea, rolling up his sleeves and using a ladle to pour a cup for Yuan Wei.
Tea in the Han Dynasty had become a beverage somewhere between a medicinal drink and a luxury item. It had become a social staple among the elite, and its medicinal properties were widely recognized and applied. For example, the Han Dynasty scholar Sima Xiangru, in his work *Fan Jiang Pian*, recorded twenty medicinal substances of the Western Han, among which "chuan cha" referred to tea. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* also stated: "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, encountered seventy-two poisons in a day, and was cured by tea."
Many people in the Han Dynasty believed that tea could detoxify and aid digestion, and that it had preventive and curative effects for various diseases. Some even said, "Drinking tea for a long time strengthens the body and uplifts the spirit."
Wang Yun offered the tea to Yuan Wei and said, "This tea is from the Tiantai Tea House. Please try it, Grand Tutor."
Yuan Wei's eyebrows twitched in surprise. "Could this be the tea of Master Ge?"
Wang Yun nodded with a hint of pride. "Indeed."
No wonder Yuan Wei was impressed. Tea was divided into grades, and the coarse tea bricks made from stems were not worth mentioning. The best tea was grown in specific regions due to geographical and ecological constraints. At this time, the most famous tea was grown by the Han Dynasty scholar Ge Xuan on Tiantai Mountain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It was of exceptional quality and extremely rare.
The rarity of Master Ge's tea at the time was comparable to the tea produced by the mother plants of Da Hong Pao in later generations. Only the very top echelons of society could enjoy it, and it was worth its weight in gold.
By serving this tea to Yuan Wei, Wang Yun was not only showing his respect but also subtly demonstrating the power of the Wang family—suggesting that the Yuan family, despite its size, might not have access to such luxuries.
Yuan Wei slowly raised the tea cup, closed his eyes, and took a sip, savoring it for a long time. "Excellent tea!" For someone of his status and wealth to praise it so highly meant the tea was truly top-tier.
However, the main topic of the day was not tea, but Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo's rapid rise had left both Wang Yun and Yuan Wei feeling uneasy. They always felt like they were just one step behind, no matter how hard they tried to catch up. This feeling frustrated them greatly.
For example, when Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo had a falling out, they had immediately tried to win Ding Yuan over. But before they could make contact, Ding Yuan was killed by his own general, Lü Bu, who then defected to Dong Zhuo...
Just a few days ago, the two sides had been at each other's throats, and now they were sharing a meal together. This sudden shift had caught Wang Yun and Yuan Wei completely off guard.
Today, the two had found an opportunity to meet and discuss how to deal with Dong Zhuo, who had transformed from a local warlord into their greatest adversary.