Three Kingdoms, Myth

Liu Bei, unaware of Chen Zichuan's intentions, continued to greet Qu Qi with a smile. Hua Xiong's letter had already reached Liu Bei's hands, and naturally, Liu Xuande, who came from a humble background, understood the importance of grain to the people of the world.

Reaching out to help Qu Qi down from the carriage, Liu Bei treated him with almost the same respect he showed to Jia Xu and Li Ru. What was surprising was that Qu Qi's demeanor was almost identical to theirs—he bowed respectfully, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor without showing any trace of excitement. "Qu Hanmou greets Lord Xuande."

Although Qu Qi lacked the kind of calm that came from holding a high position, as Jia Xu and Li Ru did, his composure as an aristocrat was fully evident in this moment. It was clear that Qu Qi was a direct descendant of a well-established family.

Chen Xi frowned slightly, not because of Qu Qi, but because of Liu Bei's behavior. While being warm and kind-hearted could be a good thing, it was clear that this should depend on the person being addressed.

Qu Qi was evidently a member of a noble family, and a prestigious one at that. The thorough aristocratic education Qu Qi had received was displayed fully in his exchange with Liu Bei, making it clear that Qu Qi was undoubtedly from the direct line of his family.

"Is he from the Qu family of Yizhou?" Chen Xi mused silently. With his enhanced mental acuity, he could recall many details, and soon, combining historical records from his previous life and current circumstances, he speculated that this Qu family might very well be the predecessor of the Qu family that would establish a regime a few centuries later—a low-profile family that had inherited the lineage of the Hundred Schools of thought from the Qin Dynasty.

[This guy might actually be the head of the Qu family and possibly the one who is often referred to as the contemporary Shen Nong—a figure who experimented with new crop varieties in Chang'an without leaving a name.] Chen Xi thought with a frown. It seemed they had caught a big fish this time. Even if some aristocrats were testing the waters with Liu Bei, it was unlikely that any family would send out their family head directly—such a move would be ridiculous! Of course, someone like Gan Ning was an exception; he was just there for amusement.

Liu Bei asked Qu Qi a few questions, and to his surprise, Qu Qi, who had been quite brash earlier, responded in a composed and measured manner. This shocked Hua Xiong, who had been tormented by Qu Qi's antics during the journey. He had been worried that Qu Qi might act foolishly, but the calm and steady responses now made him wonder if Qu Qi had been toying with him all along.

However, when Liu Bei subtly hinted at wanting him to join their cause, Qu Qi simply responded, "My ambition lies with the common people of the world. I only hope for a day when every household has full granaries. Instead of hoping for a saint to descend from the heavens to teach the people, I would rather rely on myself to instill in them the knowledge of etiquette and the sense of honor and shame. Therefore, I wish to travel across the land to spread my knowledge and ideals."

Liu Bei was left speechless. Was this man feverish? How could it be possible to teach every commoner in the world to know proper etiquette? Throughout history, countless sages had pursued this goal, yet who among them had succeeded?

[So that's what it is…] Chen Xi finally understood why such a figure was remembered only in a small region. Most likely, he died before he could spread his wisdom. But thinking about it, this made sense—there were very few people in ancient times who could travel extensively and not end up dead. In this era, there were probably more wolves than humans...

Such grand ambitions could not go unsupported. Liu Bei immediately expressed his willingness to support Qu Qi's research, providing funds, land, and whatever else was needed. He suggested that Qu Qi could start with a pilot project and then gradually expand. As for further attempts to recruit him, Liu Bei refrained from pressing the issue—he had shown enough sincerity, and now it was up to Qu Qi to make his choice.

Having impulsively made such bold statements not long ago, Liu Bei was well aware that anyone who could calmly state such world-shaking ambitions would not be easily swayed by words alone. Only reality could teach him otherwise, and in all likelihood, even hitting a wall would not make him turn back.

When it was Cai Yan's turn to meet Liu Bei, he was much calmer. Compared to those whose influence could sway the entire world, a woman like Cai Yan, who was more suited to the realm of poetry and romance, held less attraction for Liu Bei. However, since they had taken the Cai family's collection of books from Luoyang, Liu Bei still invited Cai Wenji down with respect.

"Lady Cai, please." Liu Bei said as calmly as possible. Cai Yan's beauty was indeed stunning, and coupled with her scholarly aura, Liu Bei, who had seen few such beauties, found himself momentarily tempted.

"Greetings, Marquis of Fanyang." Cai Yan curtsied gracefully, her refined demeanor further endearing her to Liu Bei.

"Lord Xuande," Chen Xi quickly intervened when he saw Liu Bei becoming infatuated. "Please host a banquet to entertain our guests."

[Damn, I forgot that Liu Bei has never experienced luxury before!] Chen Xi cursed inwardly. Fortunately, Liu Bei was a man of strong will, and after being snapped out of his daze by Chen Xi, he quickly regained his composure and no longer fixated on Cai Yan.

"Everyone, please follow me. The banquet has already been prepared," Liu Bei said, smiling warmly.

Naturally, Cai Yan was left in the care of Chen Xi's wife, Fan Jian. After all, in the entire Fenggao, only Fan Jian had the status to host her; the others were either concubines or of humble origin, and thus not qualified.

As for the banquet, Chen Xi was now somewhat distracted. He had only considered Liu Bei's ambitions but had overlooked an important point—Liu Bei was different from him. Liu Bei had risen from humble beginnings and had never experienced wealth or luxury, nor had he ever encountered truly stunning beauties. Thus, someone like Cai Yan, renowned for her talent and beauty, had a particularly strong allure for someone like Liu Bei.

[Sigh, he might even let beauty lead him astray. I was too careless. I'll need to discuss this with Liu Ye and the others later. I'll have to resort to some unconventional methods.] Chen Xi thought as he sipped his wine, uninterested in the dishes before him. The best course of action was to eliminate potential problems early.

Chen Xi himself had no concept of being led astray by beauty or indulging in luxury. The reason was simple—such temptations held no sway over him, or rather, they did not exist for any properly educated scion of an aristocratic family.

Think about it—when have top-tier aristocrats like Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Xun Yu, Xun You, or Chen Qun ever been bewitched by women to the point of losing their minds? Ever since the story of King You of Zhou lighting warning beacons for a smile from Bao Si, all the great families had intensified the education of their heirs in this regard. Though this comprehensive education was costly, it was well worth it. After such training, most of the world's temptations were nothing.

Chen Xi himself had received this education in his previous life. Though he had to interrupt it due to certain circumstances, he had completed a significant portion of it. This life's Chen Xi had also received parts of this education when his family became wealthy, and together, the two lifetimes had provided him with almost a complete aristocratic education.

As for the next level of training intended for grooming certain individuals, Chen Xi had undergone it before being sidelined in his previous life. Later, he had to settle for the standard aristocratic education before forcibly ending that as well—because it was no longer necessary.

What he had once considered unnecessary, Chen Xi now realized was actually quite useful. In his opinion, Liu Bei was in dire need of some of this education. Splendid mansions, luxurious carriages, stunning beauties, gold and silver treasures—Liu Bei needed to have these until he could remain indifferent to them!