Han Ji

Reaching a crowded intersection... Jian Yong suddenly appeared out of nowhere, holding several glistening candies held on lotus leaves, and offered them to Liu Bei's mother and brother: "Auntie, Xuande, try some! They're freshly made, very sweet!"

Liu's mother smiled and waved her hand, "You young people eat, my teeth aren't good anymore."

Liu Bei took one and took a bite.

Jian Yong, while munching on another food, mumbled, "There's a Nuo opera over there, want to go see it?"

Liu Bei looked at his mother, who shook her head: "There are too many people, it's too crowded. Let's just look at the lights here."

So the group stood on the street corner, watching a Nuo opera troupe wearing exaggerated wooden masks and carrying weapons and torches dance and march to the beat of drums and shouts, intending to drive away evil spirits and pray for a peaceful new year. Their movements were simple yet powerful, carrying a primitive and mysterious atmosphere.

The firelight flickered in Liu Bei's eyes. A strange feeling arose in his heart. How much blood of soldiers in the border regions was needed to barely maintain this corner of peace?

"What are you thinking about?" Jian Yong nudged him with his elbow.

Liu Bei snapped out of his reverie and shook his head: "It's nothing."

The Nuo opera troupe had gone far away, and the crowd had gradually followed. Liu's mother looked tired, so Liu Bei helped his mother walk back.

Back home, Liu Bei settled his mother down to sleep. He then went to the courtyard, where Zhang Wu and Qian Zhao were still there. None of the three spoke; they stood silently for a while in the cool moonlight.

"Once the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is over, the year is considered to be over," Qian Zhao suddenly said.

Liu Bei hummed in agreement. With the New Year over, the day he would leave home for the capital was drawing near.

In early February, the season had already entered mid-spring.

Although the chill hadn't completely dissipated, the wind carried a noticeably damp feel, and the sunlight grew longer each day. Liu's mother rose early, observing the gradually warming weather, and muttered that it was time to get people ready to air out the farm tools and select the seeds.

The weather seems to have warmed up a bit; the wind is no longer as biting as it was in the twelfth lunar month, and the icicles under the eaves have started to drip and melt.

Liu Bei was stretching and practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard. He was used to using both hands, and the swift movement of his sword stirred the cool morning air.

Zhang Wu watched from the side, his eyes filled with admiration. The soldier's left-handed sword seemed to be faster and more cunning than his right.

Then, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a soft knock.

Zhang Wu glanced warily, then went to open the door. Standing outside was a young clerk dressed in the uniform of a county official, his face showing a respectful yet somewhat nervous expression.

"Excuse me... does Lord Liu Bei reside here?" the official asked, bowing respectfully.

"That's me." Liu Bei sheathed his sword and walked over.

Upon seeing Liu Bei, the minor official quickly took out an official document from his robes, presented it with both hands, and said respectfully, "Lord Liu, I have come on the orders of the Prefect to deliver this official document to the court."

Liu Bei's heart stirred, and he took the bamboo slip bearing the seal of the Ministry of Personnel. It felt slightly heavy in his hand.

"Thank you for your trouble," he said calmly.

After completing his task, the minor official bowed and hurriedly left.

Liu Bei took the document but didn't open it immediately. He turned and went back into the house. Zhang Wu closed the courtyard gate and followed him in, his face filled with expectation and inquiry.

Hearing the commotion, Liu's mother came out from the inner room. Looking at the official document in her son's hand, she unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

Liu Bei sat down at the table, took a deep breath, removed the seal, and unfolded the bamboo slips.

His gaze quickly swept over the text. It was an official document issued by the Ministry of Personnel, confirming Liu Bei's qualifications as a candidate for the civil service examination in Zhuojun and ordering him to participate in the second examination at the government office on the first day of the third month.

My heart is finally at peace.

He raised his head, looked at his mother and Zhang Wu who were watching him nervously, and smiled slightly: "The imperial document has arrived, ordering me to go to Luoyang for the re-examination on the first day of the third month."

Mother Liu let out a long sigh of relief, clasped her hands together, and murmured, "May our ancestors bless us." Zhang Wu, meanwhile, clenched his fist forcefully, his face beaming with excitement: "That's wonderful!"

The news spread quickly. Jian Yong and Qian Zhao came to offer their congratulations one after the other. Liu Yuanqi also came upon hearing the news, his face beaming with joy. He then gave Liu Yuanqi detailed instructions on what to pay attention to when going to the capital, especially regarding etiquette and speech.

"The re-examination is just a formality. With your talent and your relationship with Lord Lu, there will be no problem," Liu Yuanqi stroked his beard. "The key is how to establish yourself in Luoyang. Although Lord Lu is still here, the connections in the capital are very complex, so you need to be careful at every step."

"I understand, nephew," Liu Bei nodded.

The days that followed suddenly became busy. Liu's mother began preparing her son's luggage, taking out the new clothes she had already sewn and checking them repeatedly, fearing that the spring chill in Luoyang might still linger.

Jian Yong and Qian Zhao ran around busily, helping to prepare provisions and water for the journey and checking the carriages and horses. Zhang Wu even scrubbed Liu Bei's Red Cloud horse until its coat shone, and wiped the saddle and bridle spotless.

Liu Bei himself calmed down and carefully read through the letters left by Lu Zhi, especially the "Records of Officials" and related laws and regulations. Occasionally, he would walk alone outside Zhuoxian City, looking at the fields that were still withered and yellow in the spring breeze, but faintly showing signs of green, and the peach grove in the distance that was about to bloom.

It's hard to leave one's homeland. This time, I don't know when I'll be able to return.

February 10th, early morning.

As dawn broke, the eastern horizon turned a pale white, with a few remaining stars still visible.

Outside the Liu family's courtyard, a blue-covered carriage was already harnessed, with Chi Yun tied to the back, impatiently scratching its hooves. Zhang Wu, dressed in neat short clothes and with a ring-pommel sword at his waist, was doing a final check of the carriage shafts and horse tack.

In the courtyard, Liu's mother held her son's hand, tears finally streaming down her face. She repeatedly straightened Liu Bei's collar, which was already neatly dressed, and choked out, "When you get to Luoyang, remember to write back… Wear warm clothes in the cold, eat on time… Don't argue with anyone, and consult Master Lu when you encounter problems…"

"Mother, rest assured, I have remembered everything." Liu Bei felt a pang of sadness as he grasped his mother's rough hand. "Please take good care of yourself at home. If you need anything, go to your uncle, or Deran, Xianhe, or Zijing."

Liu Yuanqi stood to the side, his expression solemn, and patted Liu Bei on the shoulder: "I'll take care of things at home, so don't worry."

Jian Yong and Qian Zhao also arrived. Jian Yong stuffed a money bag into Liu Bei's arms and whispered, "Use this on the road, don't refuse." Qian Zhao then handed Zhang Wu a leather quiver containing twenty carefully polished arrows.

"I'm leaving." Liu Bei bowed deeply to his mother, uncle, and two brothers.

Without further hesitation, he turned around and nimbly mounted his horse. Zhang Wu also jumped onto the carriage shaft and gripped the reins tightly.

The carriage started slowly, its wheels rolling over the damp morning soil.

Liu Bei reined in his horse and took one last look at the old house where he had lived for several years. At the gate, his mother, supported by his uncle, was still working, her figure appearing particularly small in the faint morning light.

He suddenly pulled on the reins and turned the horse around.

"drive!"

With a long neigh, Chiyun spurred its horse forward. The carriage accelerated, heading towards the official road to the south.

A cold wind swept across the withered grass by the roadside, and tiny sprouts of new green could be faintly seen struggling to emerge from the roots. The official road wound its way into the unknown distance.

Liu Bei did not turn back.

The sounds of carriages and horses, mingled with the chirping of birds in the early morning, gradually faded into the distance until they were no longer heard.

In Liu Bei's view, Zhuo County gradually shrank into a blurry shadow.