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

Zhou Cang stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The door opened a crack, revealing a pair of wary eyes.

The man looked Liu Liang and his two companions up and down. Seeing that they were covered in dust but did not look like a group of soldiers, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still held onto the hilt of his sword.

Liu Liang cupped his hands in greeting: "Please inform the Minister of Works that Liu Liang, Liu Zishan, requests an audience."

The person behind the door paused for a moment, then slammed the door shut.

Zhou Cang stared wide-eyed: "What does this mean?"

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps and the sound of swords being drawn came from behind the door.

Soon, the door reopened, this time not just a crack, but two large doors wide open.

Inside the gate stood a dozen or so private soldiers, armed with knives and spears, fully armored and ready for battle.

A middle-aged scholar stood behind the private soldiers, cupped his hands, and said, "Mr. Liu is renowned throughout the land. Please forgive my rudeness. And who are these two gentlemen behind you?"

Liu Liang stepped aside to let Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang pass: "Zhao Zilong of Changshan and Zhou Yuanfu of Bingzhou are both my brothers."

The middle-aged scholar was Wang Ling, Wang Yun's nephew. Seeing that there were only three people on the other side, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, waved for his private soldiers to leave, and personally came out to greet them.

"My apologies. Chang'an has been in chaos lately, with troops coming and going from all directions. The Situ Mansion has been robbed three times, so we dare not be careless. Please, Mr. Liu, my uncle is already waiting for you in the main hall."

Liu Liang nodded and led Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang into the mansion.

Passing through two courtyards, the main hall was brightly lit.

An elderly man with gray hair and beard stood in front of the hall. He was thin, dressed in a plain robe, and his face showed three parts fatigue and seven parts wariness.

It was none other than Situ Wang Yun.

Liu Liang stepped forward and greeted him, saying, "Junior Liu Liang pays his respects to Minister Situ."

Wang Yun helped him up, looked him over, and suddenly sighed, "Liu Zishan, Liu Zishan. I've heard this name many times before, and today I finally see a living person with him."

Wang Yun waved his hand, inviting the three to sit down, and ordered tea to be served.

Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang did not sit down, but stood on either side of Liu Liang. Wang Yun glanced at them but said nothing.

After several rounds of tea, Wang Yun spoke up: "I've heard that Hulao Pass, Luoyang, and Hangu Pass have all fallen. You sir, assisting Liu Bei and then aiding Cao Cao, maneuvering with remarkable ease. Everyone in the world is wondering whether you are Liu Bei's man or Cao Cao's man?"

Liu Liang smiled and said, "Your Excellency, that's a tricky question. I'm just someone who wants to survive in this chaotic world, and I'll help whoever comes my way. Liu Bei is benevolent, and Cao Cao is a man of great talent; what difference does it make who I help?"

Wang Yun stroked his beard, stared at him for a while, and then suddenly smiled.

"That's a tricky answer, sir."

The two continued their conversation.

From Dong Zhuo's westward retreat to the arrival of the feudal lords in the capital, from disaster relief in Luoyang to the surprise attack at Hangu Pass.

Wang Yun asked detailed questions, while Liu Liang answered calmly.

As the conversation went on, Wang Yun gradually lowered his guard, and his expression became more appreciative.

"In Chang'an, I've met many feudal lords. They're all guests, and their words are always about profit. Some want grain, some want money, and some want me to help them vie for the throne. Only you, sir, come here simply to drink tea, chat, and discuss the affairs of the world. I'm a little confused. What is the purpose of your visit, sir?"

Liu Liang certainly couldn't say, "I don't want to waste my breath on you, old man. I want to see Diao Chan right now, immediately." But he still had to keep quiet and said, "Lord Situ, you're treating me like a persuader. I've come here to visit you. I have no purpose, no demands. I just want to see what kind of person that old Lord Situ, who hid his talents and preserved the last shred of dignity for the Han Dynasty under Dong Zhuo's nose, is."

Wang Yun was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

As she laughed, her eyes reddened.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out.

Then came heavy footsteps, the clash of swords, someone shouting "Get out of the way!", and someone groaning and falling to the ground.

Wang Ling stumbled in, his face deathly pale: "Uncle! Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, has led his troops in!"

Wang Yun's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly stood up.

Immediately afterwards, the hall door was kicked open, and Liu Dai strode in, followed by more than thirty armored soldiers, their swords and spears drawn, exuding a murderous aura.

Liu Dai's gaze swept across the hall and landed on Liu Liang, his expression suddenly changing.

"Is it you?"

Liu Liang sat upright, still holding the teacup in his hand.

Liu Dai stared at him and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Liu Zishan. This governor was just looking for you, and you've delivered yourself right to my doorstep."

At this moment, a captain behind Liu Dai approached, glanced at Zhou Cang, and whispered, "My lord, that man, that big, dark-skinned guy, is Zhou Cang. It was Liu Liang and Zhao Yun who rescued him this morning."

Liu Dai's eyes darkened further.

He glanced at Liu Liang, then at Zhao Yun, then at Zhou Cang, and suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"Liu Zishan, how dare you! You dare to accept someone who wanted to assassinate me?"

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Liang said calmly, "I wonder who it was that broke their promise and killed Prefect Qiao first..."

"shut up!"

Liu Dai flew into a rage, his eyes blazing with fury. He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle and clang.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

On Liu Liang's side,

Zhao Yun stepped forward and placed his hand on the shaft of his spear.

Zhou Cang also gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his muscles tensing.

The armored soldiers behind Liu Dai took a half step forward in unison, pointing their swords and spears at the three men.

Liu Liang put down the teacup, the bottom of which tapped on the table with a very soft sound.

"Lord Liu, you've brought so many people into Lord Situ's residence. Are you trying to kill people, or are you planning a rebellion?"

Liu Dai choked for a moment.

He glanced at Wang Yun.

The old man stood in the hall, his face ashen, but he didn't say a word.

Liu Dai quickly calculated in his mind: "These two men beside Liu Liang are Zhao Yun, who fought Lü Bu for fifty rounds at Hulao Pass, and Zhou Cang, who killed seven or eight of my men in the street this morning. If we really fought, I might not be able to defeat them..."

Thinking of this, Liu Dai suddenly burst into laughter, his demeanor changing completely.

"Mr. Liu is too kind. I came to the residence of the Minister of Works because I heard that he keeps a stunningly beautiful dancer named Diao Chan. I had some free time today and wanted to see her and have a drink with her. Who would have thought that you, Mr. Liu, would be here as well?"

He turned back and waved to the captain: "Go, have Lord Situ invite that Miss Diao Chan out to dance for everyone."

Liu Liang cursed inwardly, "You lecherous bastard," and said, "Lord Liu, the Grand Tutor is one of the Three Dukes; his residence is not a brothel. You led troops in and forced him to make his adopted daughter dance. If this gets out, where will the Governor of Yanzhou put his face?"

Liu Dai chuckled slyly, unconvinced.

Liu Liang continued, "When can't we watch dancing? Tomorrow, the day after, Prefect Liu will prepare a generous gift and pay a proper visit. Would Lord Situ really refuse to let you watch?"

Wang Yun chimed in, "If Lord Liu truly wishes to see it, prepare a letter tomorrow, and I will have Diao Chan perform a song."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Liu Dai gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Liu Zishan, you're quite the smooth talker. This governor will remember that."

Liu Dai turned and walked out, but stopped at the door and looked back at Liu Liang.

"Mr. Liu, Chang'an is not a large city. We'll meet again someday."

After saying that, he led the thirty-odd people out with a clatter.

The hall door closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Wang Yun let out a long breath, leaned on the table and sat down, his hands still trembling slightly.

Liu Liang stood up, walked to the window, opened a crack to look outside, and gave Zhao Yun a wink.

Zhao Yun understood and bowed to Wang Yun, saying, "I need to relieve myself. Please forgive me, Minister of Works."

After exiting the main hall, passing through the side corridor, and going around to the backyard.

Zhao Yun took out three signal flares from his pocket, estimated the direction, and with a flick of his wrist, the first signal flare shot into the sky and exploded in mid-air in a burst of red light.

Then, the remaining two were placed.

Inside the main hall, Wang Yun was talking to Liu Liang when he suddenly heard cannon fire outside. He hurriedly looked up at the window.

"What's that in the sky?!" Wang Yun's expression changed drastically.

Liu Liang leisurely picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"It's nothing. My brother was just worried that someone might get lost in the dark, so he was just shining a light for them."