Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 94 Lu Zhi: The prince is like his father!

Liu Bian waved his hand, suppressing his inner disgust, a barely perceptible trace of disgust flashed across his face, and signaled them to stand up.

Seeing that the prince had given his permission, several people hurriedly walked to the musician and snatched the instrument from his hands.

"Everything grows in spring, the grass and trees sway with the strong wind. How fluttering they are, how lonely I stand alone in my heart. The four seasons have abandoned me and driven me away, now I have no idea what I want to do."

"What suits your body, why not indulge your taste? In winter, sable and mink are warm; in summer, silk and satin are cool. Traveling is exhausting, so what am I to do? I cannot compare to your youth, riding in a sturdy chariot and riding a fat horse. Above, there are turbulent skies, which I can hardly see for long; below, there are creeping lands, which I can hardly walk on for long. Why not wander freely and follow your wishes?"

"Take my sword, why do you bow down so low now? It is so beautiful and magnificent, white as snow, sharp as autumn frost. Its head is like a rhinoceros horn, its center carved from jade. Worn by the emperor, it wards off evil. At the side of the emperor, how can it bring good fortune? The Pilu of Wu, the Buguang of Yue; the Longquan of Chu, the Moyang of Han. The shank of Miaoshan, the steel of Sheep's Head. Famous in past generations, all praised its beauty, yet none could compare to your sword, so fine and unforgettable."

Liu Bian paced in the courtyard. Every time he finished a verse, he would drink a glass of wine and sing along with the music. He looked at the guests in the courtyard all dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, but he didn't know how many of them were rotten. He happened to think of the next verse and couldn't help shaking his head.

"The crown is as tall as blue clouds, with a tassel of fine silk. It is adorned with emerald green, and is both beautiful and light. It represents the appearance and exudes glory. The Zhangfu of Song and the Gaoguan of Qi also claim to be beautiful, but what is there to behold?"

No one knew what he was thinking, but Liu Bian, who was singing and walking, suddenly put away his anger and walked to the side of a group of dancers who were dancing in the center of the courtyard.

"In the golden shop, in the jade hall. The wind and dust have fallen, the weather is cool. Play the Huan zither, dance the Zhao chang."

Looking at the graceful dance moves and slender figure, his nose tip slightly raised, sniffing the alluring fragrance coming from the dancer's delicate body. A trace of confusion flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a faint smile.

The dancers were not at all nervous. They surrounded Liu Bian, smiled sweetly, and gently pressed their soft, boneless, yet seductive, hot bodies against him.

This was a tough situation for Dian Wei and Xu Chu, who stared at the dancers with vigilant eyes, as if they were facing a great enemy.

Dian Wei's eyes were filled with ferocity, and he held a small halberd in his hand, ready to throw it at any time. Xu Chu leaned forward slightly, holding the ring-handled sword at his waist, ready to rush out and protect his master at any time.

Liu Bian did not notice anything wrong and did not reject the dancers' enthusiasm.

Who doesn't love beauty? It's just that he always restrains his desires in his heart on weekdays.

Perhaps it was because he drank several glasses of wine in a row, Liu Bian became more and more relaxed, and gradually let go. He even loosened his collar and danced with several dancers. His every move was more and more like Emperor Taizu Gao.

The scholars of the Han Dynasty were not averse to beauty, and were especially open about sex. They were even praised for giving concubines to friends, and would even openly ask about the experience.

There was even the practice of "lending wives", where wives and concubines were lent out and sexual and reproductive rights were given away. Compared to these things, a mere "illicit affair" was nothing.

Therefore, the wealthy families in the courtyard did not find the prince's slightly frivolous behavior rude, but instead applauded and laughed at such romantic affairs.

In addition, the prince uttered golden sentences in his poetry and prose. Even people who were not good at poetry and prose could hear the extraordinary nature of this Yuefu poem written by the prince, and they all said that the prince was a "man of temperament."

Guo Zhao's eyes rolled slightly. Most of these dancers were from his family, especially the ones with the most graceful figures, who he had bought at great expense and raised with good food and drink since childhood, and he also hired the best dance instructors in Jizhou to teach them dancing skills.

Although he was a little reluctant, he had already decided to give all these dancers to the prince after the banquet to warm his bed and comfort him from the hardships of the war.

However, Liu Bian was not lost in the song. He pursed his lips and smiled, then returned to the main seat and continued singing: "Nu'e sings long songs, her voice harmonizing with the gong and shang notes. It moves the heart and ears, and stirs the soul. I pour cinnamon wine and cook carp and bream. I promise happiness and health to my beautiful woman. I hold the jade cup in front of me and serve it to me."

Despite the frequent good lines, Lu Zhi's forehead veins bulged. He was so familiar with this scene!
After all, they are father and son!

However, due to the trust between teacher and student, he still believed that the prince would not be as dissolute and licentious as the emperor.

Besides, young people are full of vigor and it is their nature to admire beautiful women.

Moreover, although the prince is only twelve years old, he is as strong as an ordinary young man with tied hair. It is time to summon the daughter of the Xun family into the palace as soon as possible.

It’s okay for a king to like beautiful women, as long as he doesn’t become obsessed with them.

I think the daughter of the Xun family is Xun Shuang's legitimate daughter. She should have persuaded the prince as a virtuous concubine. When she returns to the court this time, she should mention this matter to the empress dowager.

Liu Bian had no idea what Lu Zhi was thinking, but at the moment when the banquet reached its climax, he restrained the smile on his face and pressed his hands down, as if to signal that the conversation and music should stop.

"Today's joy must not be forgotten. The joy is endless, but it is always too late to enjoy it. The years pass by so quickly..." Liu Bian took a ceramic cup from Zhao You's hand, walked slowly to Feng Qi, Pi Qin, Zhao Ji, Guo Zhao and Xin Duyi who had just played music, and raised the ceramic cup.

Just when a few people wiped their sweat and thought that the prince wanted to drink with them in recognition of their hard work in playing music, they did not see the maidservant come forward with wine. They could not help but feel a little confused and looked at each other, wondering what the prince meant.

But the prince drank the wine in the cup in one gulp and then threw the cup heavily out.

The moment the ceramic wine cup slipped out of Liu Bian's hand, the last drop of wine was still hanging on the edge of the cup, reflecting a cold amber light in the sunlight.

As the cup passed through the air, it made an inaudible buzzing sound, and then there was a "crack", a crisp sound like a glacier suddenly cracking, and the broken porcelain flew everywhere, and the courtyard suddenly fell into silence.

"Your Highness?" Feng Qi's Adam's apple rolled, his cloudy eyes turned to the broken porcelain on the ground, his voice trembling with a hint of fear.

However, what responded to him was the clanging sound of iron armor suddenly exploding outside the courtyard wall.

Looking at the soldiers entering one after another, Liu Bian ignored the panic of the wealthy families. He just turned around and looked around at everyone, with a hint of sadness in his slightly gloomy eyes.

Facing the trembling aristocratic families, his voice was so soft that it sounded like a sigh and a laugh as he recited the last line of the poem in a low voice.

“Why do you torment yourself and make my heart sad?”

It was as if Liu Bian was questioning the wealthy families present with his poems, asking why they had such a good life of wealth and chose to commit crimes and bring suffering upon themselves, making him feel sad?

(2096 words)
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PS: There will be another extra update later or tomorrow morning. Dear readers, please don’t wait for the book to be published. I will try my best to add more updates this month!

PPS: The poem is Cao Pi's "Song of Wormwood on the Great Wall". The translation of "Why do you ask for trouble? It makes me sad?" is: Why do you ask for trouble? It makes me feel infinitely sad.

Of course, readers can look up the specific context and meaning on their own, but the literal meaning of this sentence happens to be applicable, so I used it that way.

(End of this chapter)