Although Liu Bei has made quite a name for himself in Youzhou, this is only because Youzhou's academic style is not strong and his chivalrous spirit is unrestrained. People in Zhuoxian County regard Liu Bei as a hero, and Liu Bei himself is from Youzhou. Only the disciples of the great scholar Lu Zhi were able to gain a firm foothold in Youzhou.
But Youzhou is Youzhou, and the children from the border counties are aliens after all. Lu Zhi's study tour in Luoyang opened Liu Bei's horizons, but his interactions with the children of famous clans also made Liu Bei deeply understand that these are a group of people who have their eyes above their heads, and they are also a group of rotten people.
Using family background and knowledge as evidence, they looked down upon those who could not enter their circle, which greatly dampened Liu Bei's self-esteem. He was a man with lofty ambitions, even if he didn't know what his "ambition" was now. Therefore, although Liu Bei traveled with Lu Zhi for several years, he became less interested in studying knowledge and instead loved making friends with knights from all walks of life. However, this does not mean that deep down in his heart, he did not desire to be recognized by scholars. After following Lu Zhi for many years, In the end, the teacher gave him a dream of a Confucian scholar, a dream of governing the country and bringing peace to the world.
Liu Bei always had a solemn expression, with no expression of joy or anger, but now he felt his ambition was slightly hot. He suppressed his emotions and asked Chen Chong: "Conversing with Mr. Chen is better than wine. If you don't drink it, you will get drunk." "Liu Bei is not talented. Now I want to have a close relationship with you. I haven't asked you where you came from and where you are going."
Chen Chong gathered his sleeves, sat upright and said: "I am Chen Chong and Chen Tingjian of Yingchuan. I am nineteen this year. I came here from Luoyang. I have always heard that there are many generous and tragic people in the land of Youyan. I want to be my friend. I will live forever after visiting you. Zhao Zhao Friends Yi, I thought I had gained a lot, but I didn’t expect to see Liu Jun again today. Youzhou has so many talents. I’m so lucky, so lucky!”
"Yingchuan Chen Tingjian?" Liu Bei suddenly felt that the name sounded familiar, and silently recited it twice in his heart. Suddenly he thought of some anecdotes from his study tour in Luoyang, and suddenly realized it, and almost couldn't help shouting, but The clan brothers Liu Deran and Zhang Shiping beside him said in unison: "Yingchuan Chen Tingjian? Are you the grandson of Yingchuan Taiqiu Gong, Chen Tingjian, the leader of Xiping Dragon?"
This statement made everyone here confused. Except for Su Shuang, who was also a big businessman in Jizhou with Zhang Shiping, his face also changed. He couldn't help but look at Chen Chong again and again. Chen Chong was sitting upright like a mountain. He only bowed his hands and said calmly: " I am lucky enough to inherit the sky, but I can only win a little reputation by relying on my family ancestors. Unexpectedly, some people in Youzhou know that there is Chen Chong in the world, and Chong is very happy."
This is the case with some things. Just saying a person's name will not make anyone think you are great, but if you use a long and stinky name, others will treat you as a rare treasure. Chen Chong hated this kind of mentality. When he saw everyone The changes in his eyes can only make him smile bitterly in his heart.
But Liu Bei knew the importance of fame in this era, so he quickly lowered his position and said, "Chen Jun, please don't be humble. When I traveled to Luoyang with my teacher the year before last, although I was not lucky enough to see Chen Jun's elegant demeanor in speaking out against all the Confucian scholars, but The debate has already caused a stir in the literary world. There are nearly a thousand students under the teacher's name, and almost all of them talk about Chen Jun's remarks. Liu Bei has accomplished nothing in his studies, but he also knows that the title of Chen Junxi, Ping Longshou, is by no means flattering, but just appropriate. That’s all.”
Then he explained to his confused companions: "You don't know, this Chen Jun is a famous scholar in Beijing! In the sixth year of Xiping, Chen Jun debated with the Five Classics doctors in Taixue. Fourteen Five Classics doctors were dismissed. Chen Jun scolded them all, but no one could surpass Chen Jun in Confucian classics. Because of Chen Jun, the ancient Chinese classics were put to great use by His Majesty, and Zheng Gong was also appointed as a doctor of Confucian classics. Master Lu was really impressed by Chen Jun's knowledge. I can’t stop it.”
Hearing the word "Great Confucian", Chen Chong was already smiling bitterly. Seeing the admiring eyes of all the heroes, Chen Chong felt even more uncomfortable. If he hadn't had a reason to be here, he might have fled long ago. As a last resort, he could only continue to make futile excuses here: "Liu Jun is too generous. I have said before that I am not a Confucian scholar, and I hate Confucianism. I hope Liu Jun will stop saying it."
Everyone couldn't help but be shocked, but Chen Chong didn't want to waste any more time on this, so he turned to Liu Bei and said with a smile: "Liu Jun, come, let me introduce to you these two friends of mine."
"This is Brother Guan Shouguan, whose real name is Changsheng. He was originally a knight from Jieliang, Hedong. The year before last in Jieliang, a wealthy family robbed their wives and daughters and abused their children on the street. Brother Guan saw injustice on the road, so he killed the powerful people and left. Guan met me on the road. Brother Guan has a sense of injustice in his chest, a heart of pity for the weak, and the courage to speak out. From what I see, Brother Guan can be called a national scholar."
Although Guan Shou had a high self-esteem, he felt that he could not bear the title of "Guoshi". After all, it was clearly recorded in history that "Guoshi" was the laudatory name given by Xiao He, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, to Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin. Fortunately, others could not see the change in his expression, and could only continue to express it. Said: "Chen Jun is ridiculous. In Guan's opinion, Chen Jun is a national scholar. Guan is still waiting for sin. How can he deserve such a good reputation?"
Liu Bei didn't care. He said to Guan Shou solemnly: "Brother Guan saw injustice on the road and was not afraid of the powerful. He left his hometown for it and kept his name incognito. You cannot do this unless you are a man. What Mr. Chen said is true. Please accept Xuande's worship."
After saying that, he bowed three times, and then said with a smile: "It was originally one bow, but my main purpose for this trip was to visit Brother Guan. Zhang Shiping and Zhang Jun recommended me to see you. When I talked with Chen Jun, I almost forgot about Brother Guan. It's It's my fault, so I have to worship again, and when I think about Brother Guan being from Sanhe, and living in an important place in the capital, the children from the border counties can't help but worship again, don't be surprised if I go to Brother Guan."
He also invited Zhang Shiping and Guan Shou to meet and talk to each other about the past. It turned out that when Zhang Shiping entered Youzhou from Jizhou, when passing by Hengshan Mountain, the horse team was blocked by two hungry tigers. The horse team in front was frightened and suddenly disrupted the formation. , the two knights were even knocked off their horses. In the critical situation, seeing that there was no way to survive, Guan Shou came out of the forest, cut off the head of a tiger with a knife, and then fought with another tiger, and actually clamped the tiger's bloody mouth, Pulling out the tiger's tongue, the hungry tiger fled in pain. He bled to death before he could escape far.
The tiger's tongue has many barbs, and a slight lick on human skin will cause the skin to break open. But Guan Shou can pull out the tongue from the tiger's mouth, and he is considered a first-class warrior in the world. Everyone originally only thought that Guan Shou was powerful, but after hearing about Guan Shou's deeds, everyone was speechless, so they respected him even more and looked up to him as if he were looking at Mount Tai.
Chen Chong smiled and said nothing, but then he pulled Zhang Hu over and introduced to Liu Bei: "Liu Jun, this is also my good friend, Zhang Hu and Zhang Zhaoyi, who also have the magical power of Mr. Zhang. Don't look at it." He is bohemian and informal, but Zhaoyi is tough on the outside and showy on the inside, with the martial arts of a king and the scheming to change things. He can fight with dragons and tigers, and he can also make flowers on the brocade, but his temper is really a bit grumpy."
Zhang Hu stared at him and said: "Chen Jun, the first few sentences of yours are very helpful to me, but I don't agree with this last sentence. You have been in my house for ten months. I wonder how Zhang Hu has treated you badly?"
"You, you, you." Chen Chong laughed dumbly, and Liu Bei also looked solemn, clasping his fists and bowing: "Extraordinary people should be treated with extraordinary courtesy. Brother Zhang's supernatural power, I can get a glimpse of it in the courtyard outside the room. Unexpectedly, I, Zhuojun, still have such a hero. I, Liu Bei, thought that my horizons were greatly broadened after studying in Luoyang. Today, I realized that I am still short-sighted. I hope that my eldest brother will not hesitate to teach me and travel with me."
Zhang Hun on the side laughed and said: "Liu Jun is so polite, but it seems that I am ignorant. I heard that there is a century-old mulberry tree in Jun's family, which is more than five feet high. Looking at children from a distance, it looks like a small car cover. People who come and go say that this tree is extraordinary. , I said that your family should be a noble person, and today’s opinion is indeed extraordinary. I hope that you will stay at my gate today, and I will host a banquet for you and others."
This sentence touched on the secret in Liu Bei's heart. When he was a child, he had been immersed in the story of Liu Xiu's rise to power in response to a prophecy. Although he was often belittled because of his origin, whenever he thought of this ancient mulberry tree, he felt inspired. He had such a story in his family. If you have a vision, how can you be an ordinary person? Now that someone mentioned it, Liu Bei cheered up and replied generously: "I am often worried about it. I am deeply afraid that my virtue is meager, that I will not be able to achieve great things, and that I will be disappointed by others. As Zhang Gong said, be prepared for everything. Now that I see you, I wish you could Get to know him early!"
So he offered the wild animals he had shot and drank happily with everyone. He drank up the wine Zhang Hun brought out, drank up another jar of good wine Zhang Hun had collected, and then drank up all the new wine brought by the group. Someone Folk songs from the frontier were sung, some people held swords and performed a sword dance like clouds, and some people drank so much that they lost consciousness and vomited all over the floor.
Everyone was so drunk that when Liu Bei woke up again, the night was almost over, the stars in the sky were twinkling, and the sky was gradually glowing with green light. It must be the sunrise soon.
A group of people in the room were staggering around, lying on the floor indifferent postures, their bodies were slovenly, and they were all covered with a thin quilt at some point. I guess Cang Tou put it on after everyone was drunk. Liu Bei felt a little bored, so he straightened his clothes and walked into the courtyard.
Suddenly there was a long whistling sound of "Gu——" "Gu——". This sound was very familiar to Liu Bei. It was the voice of the night owl. However, Liu Bei rarely heard it in civilian houses, because in ancient times, most night owl were heard. Birds that are considered unlucky are often driven away by people. Over time, the night owls themselves also know where to nest.
He searched for the source of the sound, but saw a man squatting by the waterside under a peach tree in the corner of the yard, leaning against the tree and looking at the clouds. There was a gray-white owl perched on his shoulder.
It was none other than Chen Chong.
When he saw Liu Bei, he nodded and smiled, and then softly hummed a wordless tune.
The tune is like a breeze blowing through streams, through pine forests, through rock gaps, around mountain tops, and suddenly reaches the sky. Then it slowed down, and the tune turned into gurgling water, flowing quietly between the sea of clouds. There were birds flying under the water, galloping horses under the water, and a brilliant rising sun under the water.
The journey of the sun and the moon can be seen from within, and the stars can be as brilliant as if they were seen from within. The brilliant rising sun rose slowly and steadily from the stream. There was an invisible force behind it. It was so great and vast that no one seemed to be able to compete with it. They could only watch it rise.
Finally, the sun fully revealed its face! In an instant, the light shines brightly! The flying birds, galloping horses, sea of clouds, and streams all melted away in an instant without a trace. Above the huge sky, there was only a bright tomorrow shining on the earth!
The breeze cheered and sang, and then everything fell silent.
After listening to the song, Liu Bei opened his eyes and saw Chen Chong smiling and caressing the night owl on his shoulder. He suddenly remembered the "Poetry of Seeing Zhi" written by his fellow countryman Li Yan. He was so moved that he couldn't help but chant: :
“The main road is wide and long, but the narrow road is narrow and fast.
There is no base for repairing the wings, and there is no step for the far toes.
Shu Wu Ling Xiao Yu, I have worked hard for a thousand miles.
The super step and the dust are driving away, who can drive away suddenly.
How can wise and foolish people always be alike? Their nature is pure and turbid.
Wealth and honor are recorded by people, but poverty and lowliness are not registered by heaven.
It is up to oneself to pass through the barrier, and people with lofty ideals do not predict.
Chen Ping's Aoli Society, Han Xin's fishing in the meander of the river.
He will live in the world for a long time, and he will eat this ten thousand yuan.
The sound of virtue has lasted for thousands of years, and his fame is high in the mountains. "
When he read the word "mountain", a ray of sunlight pierced the sky. Liu Bei seemed to have a sense of it. Suddenly he looked back and saw Guan Shou and Zhang Hu standing behind him with solemn expressions.
For some reason, Liu Bei naturally asked: "Three of you, Liu Bei is an orphan. His father died early, and he and his mother are dependent on each other. However, my mother passed away four years ago. Although Liu Bei has a clan, he has no direct relatives. How can he be like this in the world?" Lonely and wild ghosts, with great ambitions, but always in fear. Now that I meet the three of them, I feel like old friends at the first sight. Liu Bei does not think that his virtue is shallow, but he dares to become brothers with different surnames with the three of them. How about it?"
"Brother Liu is named Yangzhou County. Although he has no fame yet, he is a clan member of the Han Dynasty. It is only a matter of time before he achieves great things. Only when a dragon lurks in the abyss can he conquer Jiuzhou. Now Guan is a man who is incompetent and treats those who have committed crimes. Liu I will never give up my brother, and I am willing to serve him as my brother." I don't know why he felt it, but Guan Shou's words were sincere. He went on to say: "Guan's family died early, and he was also alone and clear-minded, just like Brother Liu. Don’t refuse, from today onwards, there will be no Hedong Guan Shou in the world, only Liu Xuande’s younger brother Guan Yu Guan Yunchang!”
Zhang Hu blushed at the side. Seeing how ambitious and passionate these people were, he felt very envious in his heart. However, he really couldn’t express himself. He finally choked out four words: “Me too!”
In such a scene, Chen Chong couldn't help but joked: "Zhao Yi, do you also want to change your name?"
Zhang Hu's eyes widened and he said loudly: "Why not? I don't like the name Zhang Hu at all. How many people are named Hu Bao these days? I hope Liu Jun can help me change it."
After pondering for a while, Liu Bei had a flash of inspiration and said with a smile: "In that case, Zhaoyi, why don't you change your name to Zhang Fei, which means Yide, and I hope that the four of us can fly away with prepared feathers."
"Okay!" After hearing the name, Zhang Hu was so happy that he couldn't help but scratch his ears and head, and shouted: "From today on, my Grandpa Zhang will be named Zhang Fei and Zhang Yide!"
Then Liu Bei looked at Chen Chong expectantly, and Chen Chong also looked at him.
This is the three sworn ties that are well-known in the history of celebrities. It is a supreme inheritance that represents friendship. Chen Chong is suddenly a little afraid. He has spent all his energy in this life, but he still doesn’t know whether he can become a person worthy of trust. The road ahead Liu Bei didn't know how difficult it was, but Chen Chong knew that it was a much more painful life than Yancen. It's just that Yancen finally surrendered to fate, and Liu Bei has not surrendered yet.
Will I be defeated by fate? Or will it be destroyed by fate? Many people he had met over the years suddenly flashed through his mind: Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Huangfu Song, Lu Kang, Lu Zhi...
Chen Chong suddenly smiled. He had actually made a choice, and there was no need to deceive himself anymore. The path of the world was meant for the people of the world, and history would not deceive future generations.
He then stepped forward and bowed down: "I would like to regard Brother Liu as my brother."
When everyone woke up slowly, the sun was already shining in the sky, and a few wisps of smoke were lingering. They walked into the courtyard and saw that four people had prepared the black ox and white horse sacrifice and other items. They burned incense, worshiped and said an oath:
"In memory of Liu Bei, Chen Chong, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, although they have different surnames, as brothers, they will work together to rescue the poor and help the people in danger; they will report to the country and make peace for the common people; they do not wish to be born in the same year, the same month and the same day, but they only wish to die in the same year, the same month and the same day. Emperor. Heavenly Empress Tu, learn from this heart. Disloyalty and ungratefulness will lead to the death of both heaven and man!"
