Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

South of Luoyang City, Zhenguan Well.

Liu Liang squatted by the well, glanced down, and turned to Zhao Yun, saying, "Zilong, send someone down."

Zhao Yun waved his hand, and several soldiers tied ropes and slid into the well.

The well was very deep; the rope had to be lowered more than three zhang (approximately 10 meters) before it reached the bottom.

A muffled sound of water came from below, and someone shouted "Torch!" followed by the sounds of groping and searching.

Liu Liang stood up, patted the dirt off his knees, and looked up at the sky obscured by thick smoke.

The eighteen warlords should all be outside the city by now.

Let them fight, let them rob, let them bite each other like dogs.

What he wants is not on the ground.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, someone suddenly shouted from down in the well, "Sir! There's something there!"

Liu Liang's heart tightened, but he didn't show it on his face. He just said to the people below, "Bring it up."

The rope swayed, and a soldier was pulled up, soaking wet, clutching a brocade pouch in his arms.

The brocade pouch had darkened in color from being soaked in well water, but you could still tell that it was originally bright yellow.

A color reserved for royalty.

Liu Liang took it, his hand steady.

He didn't open it immediately, but instead called Zhao Yun and they went into the room together.

He closed the door, slowly opened the brocade pouch, and revealed a jade seal.

It is four inches square, with five dragons intertwined on the top, and one corner is inlaid with gold.

The Imperial Seal of the State.

Liu Liang held it in his palm and examined it carefully for a moment.

The jade was warm and lustrous, and the seal carving was meticulous; he recognized those eight characters.

"By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

Really.

It is completely different from the imitations of later generations.

It's not a difference in craftsmanship, but rather the unique sense of historical vicissitude that antiques possess.

Zhao Yun simply watched quietly, asking nothing and saying nothing, only cautiously scanning his surroundings.

Liu Liang put the jade seal back into the brocade pouch and tucked it into his bosom.

It was placed against my skin, cool to the touch, and felt rough against my chest.

Having obtained the Imperial Seal of the State, the next step was to make a replica.

Stepping outside, Liu Liang waved his hand, preparing to leave.

Just then, a cry came from the backyard of the Zhen official's residence.

The woman's sobs were muffled, as if her mouth had been forcibly covered.

Liu Liang hesitated for a moment.

It's better to avoid trouble. Once you have the goods, get out of there quickly.

What does that crying have to do with him?

How many pitiful people have I heard crying and seen along the way?

But the crying didn't stop, one after another, like a kitten meowing, which was very annoying.

"Let's go take a look." Liu Liang paused in his steps.

Two soldiers kicked open the backyard door, and the sound of crying suddenly became clear.

The yard was a mess, with withered grass lying flat and half of the water vat broken.

Beside a woodpile in the corner, a woman squatted, wearing a coarse blue robe, her hair disheveled, her face covered in dust.

Seeing someone come in, it desperately tried to shrink back, but its back hit the wall. With nowhere to retreat, it glared at the person with its eyes.

Liu Liang stood at the gate of the courtyard and glanced at her.

The woman was slender, and although her face was dirty, her features were delicate. The part of her wrist that peeked out from under her coarse cloth clothes was so white that it didn't match the clothes at all.

"Who are you?" Liu Liang asked.

The woman didn't speak, she just stared at him.

A soldier nearby said, "Sir, we just searched this area. The woman was hiding in the woodpile, but the brothers didn't notice her."

Liu Liang nodded, then looked at the woman: "I'm asking you a question. If you don't answer, we're leaving, and you'll be left here alone?"

The woman's lips moved, and she finally spoke: "I...I am..."

His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk water for several days.

Liu Liangchong's soldiers said, "Give her saliva."

The soldier took off his water bag and handed it over.

The woman took it, first sipped it slowly, then drank it in large gulps, choking and coughing.

After coughing, she hugged the water pouch and whispered, "I...I am Tang Ji."

Liu Liang didn't react immediately: "Which Tang Ji?"

The woman said, "The young emperor... the young emperor's concubine."

Liu Liang was stunned.

The young emperor? Liu Bian?

The fourteen-year-old boy who was poisoned by Dong Zhuo?

Liu Liang carefully examined the woman in front of him.

She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and her figure hadn't fully developed yet. Calling her a concubine was an underage child.

"You are the young emperor's..." Liu Liang carefully chose his words, "...Imperial Consort?"

The woman shook her head: "Not yet officially appointed."

Liu Liang went through it in his mind.

Emperor Shao, Liu Bian, was deposed and made Prince of Hongnong. Dong Zhuo sent Li Ru to deliver poisoned wine to him. Before his death, Liu Bian bid farewell to his concubine, Tang Ji, and told her to live well.

He vaguely remembered this account.

The one in front of me is Tang Ji.

She was the daughter of Tang Mao, the governor of Kuaiji, and the granddaughter of Tang Zhen, the Grand Minister of Works.

Liu Liang's heart skipped a beat.

Tang Mao was the governor of Kuaiji.

They have territory and military power.

Tang Zhen, Grand Minister of Works.

Although he has passed away, his students and former officials are found throughout the court and the country.

Behind the woman were two very thick lines.

What if we take her back and hand her over to Liu Bei?

Liu Liang dismissed the thought.

He didn't try to build connections for Liu Bei.

That was about building up Cao Cao's network of connections.

But we can't just leave this woman here unattended.

As soon as they left, the rioting troops surged in. It's easy to imagine what a pack of hungry wolves would do to a beautiful woman who was all alone.

"How long have you been hiding here all by yourself?" Liu Liang asked.

Tang Ji said, "Five days. On the day Dong Zhuo retreated, the palace was in chaos. I took advantage of the chaos to escape and hid here. I dare not go out, because there are marauding soldiers outside..."

Liu Liang turned to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, give her a horse and take her away."

Zhao Yun nodded and ordered his soldiers to fetch the horse.

Tang Ji stared blankly at them, then suddenly asked, "Who...who are you?"

Liu Liang said, "The righteous army that is fighting against Dong Zhuo."

Tang Ji's eyes lit up: "Have you come to rescue the emperor?"

Liu Liang paused for a moment.

Save the Emperor? The Emperor is already gone.

The young emperor is dead, and the new emperor has been kidnapped. What are you trying to save?

But he didn't say it.

Liu Liang said, "Let's leave here first. If we don't leave now, we won't be able to leave even if we want to."

Liu Liang helped Tang Ji onto the horse. Her figure was so thin that it looked like a piece of paper. When the wind blew, her clothes clung to her body, revealing her thin spine.

"Zilong".

Zhao Yun urged his horse forward.

Liu Liang said, "Don't reveal this woman's identity for now. Just say she's... a refugee we found in the ruins..."

After saying that, Liu Liang also felt that this reason was a bit far-fetched, so he added, "Just say that she was my maid..."

Zhao Yun nodded: "Understood."

"Also," Liu Liang added, "arrange a separate tent for her, and find two reliable people to guard her. Don't skimp on her food and drink, and..."

Liu Liang thought for a moment, "What kind of treatment? The treatment of an imperial concubine? That's unrealistic; there's no such thing in the army."

"Treat her like one of our own. Keep her clean clothes, give her hot meals, and don't let her suffer any injustice."

Zhao Yun nodded again.

After Liu Liang finished speaking, he found it a little funny himself.

When did he become this kind of person?

Why would someone pick up a woman and keep her as a pet?

Is her father the Prefect of Kuaiji? Is her grandfather the Grand Minister of Works?

Or are you after her face and body?

He glanced at Tang Ji.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, her head bowed, lost in thought.

Liu Liang looked away and cursed himself inwardly.

No prospects!

Go home as soon as possible, enjoy the air conditioning, and have hot pot – that's the most important thing.

Liu Liang stopped thinking about it and spurred his horse forward.

The group left the Zhen official's office, circled around through the gap in the south of the city, and disappeared among the ruins.