Zhen Rong was the fourth daughter of the Zhen family, the younger sister of Zhen Jiang, and the elder sister of Zhen Ji.
From the time before the Battle of Guandu, when the old Madam Zhen sent her five daughters to Luoyang, the Zhen family was destined to be inextricably linked with the Cao clan! Da Feng Novel Network.
This connection began with Zhen Jiang, the eldest daughter of the Zhen family, marrying Guo Jia, a minister highly valued by Lu Yu.
The sublimation of this connection occurred during Lu Yu's last face-to-face conversation with Zhen Rong.
"Stay this time. For you, I have built a Luoshen Hall in this vast Wei palace!"
"Your Majesty, please grant me one request!"
"Whatever you say, I will grant it."
"May this Luoshen Hall remain vacant for a few more years? I wish to do something for Your Majesty's unification."
After this conversation, the Zhen family became the foremost family in Yi Province.
The Zhen family's businesses spanned across Great Wei and, with Lu Yu's tacit approval, extended into Bashu and every corner of this world.
This glory...
Every child of the Zhen family shared in it, and Zhen Rong was one of them.
"Master Gan praises me too highly. How could my meager knowledge capture the attention of His Highness the Crown Prince?" Zhen Rong's voice was gentle and soft, further captivating and moving Liu Chan. It was difficult for a young boy to resist such an "affable elder sister's offensive."
Liu Chan sheepishly touched his head. "My knowledge is not very good; I am forced to learn by my father and the Prime Minister. I am definitely not as good as Elder Sister Zhen."
Zhen Rong picked up her brush. "Then, I shall write a few characters for Your Majesty to correct, if that is alright?"
Liu Chan quickly replied, "Good... good..."
Zhen Rong spread out the paper and wrote four characters: "Crown Prince, Long Live." Upon seeing them, Liu Chan was astonished, "I never imagined Elder Sister Zhen's calligraphy to be so excellent. If Elder Sister Zhen were by my side, I would no longer be troubled by my studies!"
Zhen Rong pursed her lips and smiled. "Does Your Highness, as Crown Prince, also worry about your studies?"
Liu Chan pouted. "Of course. Father and Prime Minister discuss it, wanting me to memorize one chapter of a book daily, write three hundred characters, and even learn to review memorials. I'm exhausted..."
Zhen Rong couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "If Your Highness cannot complete them, will you be spanked like I used to be?"
"Ai..."
Zhen Rong's words turned Liu Chan's face pale. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing his arm, where unhealed bruises and contusions were everywhere. "It's not just spanking; my father beats me everywhere – my arms, my legs, my entire body..."
"What about your Prime Minister?" Zhen Rong continued to ask.
Liu Chan shook his head. "Prime Minister never hits me, but he sighs endlessly and lectures me with many grand principles, talking from Emperor Gaozu of Han to Emperor Wu of Han, then to Emperor Guangwu, and then through all the dynasties. While speaking, he cries until my ears are calloused. I wish I could find a hole to crawl into. It would be better... for my father to just hit me a few times!"
By the end, Liu Chan spoke with great grievance.
Zhen Rong exclaimed in surprise, "Prime Minister is such a capable person, and he cries!"
Seeing that the two were getting along splendidly...
Father Gan signaled to the eunuch Huang Hao...
The two lightly departed, leaving the young people chatting and laughing in the plum grove.
Returning to the inner chamber...
Father Gan said with a smile, "I have also prepared a gift for the Eunuch... My family has some connection with the Zhen family. In the future, when Zhen Rong teaches the Crown Prince in the palace, I will trouble the Eunuch to take good care of her."
Huang Hao smiled and said, "It's easy to say, easy to say. In fact... I understand what Father Gan means!"
Hmm...
Father Gan was stunned for a moment, and Huang Hao continued, "Are there really people who transform into butterflies and fly away? When I first heard this, I thought something was wrong..."
If Father Gan was only slightly stunned earlier, he was now faced with immense astonishment.
"What does Eunuch Huang mean?"
"My aunt serves in the Bronze Bird Terrace, and the Supreme Emperor of Wei also has a Lady Gan." Huang Hao's next sentence made Father Gan instinctively clench his fist; he already harbored murderous intent.
It concerned his daughter...
It concerned his grandson... Anyone who stood in his way, he would eliminate!
Huang Hao quickly explained, "Marquis Gan, I have no ill intentions. I am a local of Yizhou. Because those who migrated... and those from Jing Province have occupied Yizhou, we local Yizhou people are not living very well!"
Father Gan's mood was like a roller coaster; the heavy stone that had been weighing on him instantly lifted.
"So Eunuch Huang is from Yizhou..."
"Unfortunately, His Majesty and the Prime Minister have always disliked Yizhou people!" Huang Hao said with some gritted teeth.
Father Gan shook his head. "Without the people of Yizhou, how can Yizhou be defended? And does our Crown Prince not dislike these outsiders, His Majesty and the Prime Minister?"
As he said this, Father Gan and Huang Hao's eyes flickered; they understood each other without words!
...
...
In Hanzhong, within a luxurious residence.
Candlelight flickered, and a maid was combing Zhen Ji's unbound hair.
For days, Zhen Ji had been compiling and drawing maps of the mountains and rivers, strategic points, and important passes in the Bashu region, particularly along the Pei River line, and submitting them to Wei officials. She appeared somewhat weary.
While her hair was being combed, she fell asleep.
However, her sleep was short-lived.
"Ah!" she cried out, waking suddenly. One of her eyes opened, while the other closed briefly, as if the maid, careless while combing her hair, had pulled a strand and hurt her.
"What's wrong? You've never been like this before..."
With slight annoyance, Zhen Ji did not scold the maid loudly.
But unexpectedly, the maid did not reply.
Puzzled, Zhen Ji turned her head...
Indeed, if she hadn't turned her head, it would have been fine. But as she turned, the one combing her hair was no longer a maid... it was clearly, clearly His Majesty... it was His Majesty Cao Yu!
"I didn't realize it was Your Majesty... Forgive my rudeness."
As she spoke, Zhen Ji was about to curtsy in greeting...
But before she could curtsy, she was stopped by Lu Yu. His expression was intensely focused as he carefully examined the comb and remarked, "I never thought that even the simplest task of combing hair could be so intricate. Too much force causes pain, too little... and it won't be smooth. It seems not just being an emperor, but doing any job is not easy!"
"Your Majesty..." Zhen Ji bit her lip. Lu Yu's sudden appearance made her heart flutter, and she was extremely nervous.
"Sit still, I'll try again..." Lu Yu said with a smile.
Zhen Ji nervously sat down again, her right hand tightly clasped in her left palm... her hands were covered in sweat.
"Are the daughters of the Zhen family, like this combing of hair, also not living easily?" Lu Yu sighed.
"Your Majesty governs the court and handles affairs of state day and night. How can the Zhen family's hardships compare to Your Majesty's?"
Lu Yu sighed. "First your eldest sister, then you, and now... even your fourth sister has been mobilized. Although I have not expressed it, I remember the Zhen family's kindness."
"The Zhen family merely wishes to do what they can for Your Majesty's unification..." Zhen Ji turned her head.
Lu Yu put down the comb and sighed, "This is not something that can be done within one's capacity. I fear that since your fourth sister took the initiative to mention entering the Sparrow Gate and participating in the special forces selection, you all already knew this day would come!"
"Yo-Your Majesty..." Zhen Ji did not know what to say.
Indeed, from a family perspective, the Zhen family women had no men to rely on. The family's prestige had to be fought for and glorified by a few daughters!
Serving Great Wei would undoubtedly bring countless benefits to the Zhen family. But... apart from this objective, wasn't Zhen Ji also doing it for other reasons, such as willingly doing it for Your Majesty?
"Your Majesty, please do not praise me, nor praise the Zhen family. This humble one only feels overwhelmed with awe."
Lu Yu stroked Zhen Ji's face and looked her directly in the eyes. "Luo'er, this time... we have troubled you!"
Zhen Ji smiled. "No matter how much more trouble there is, it's alright!"
"Then," Lu Yu continued, "do you think your fourth sister will succeed?"
"I don't know." Zhen Ji shook her head. "But since fourth sister volunteered, this humble one believes she must have confidence."
Lu Yu nodded.
"Perhaps even heaven would not have imagined that Liu Chan, who is about to become the Emperor of Shu... his very lineage... would depend on the fourth daughter of the Zhen family to reveal it. I thank you on behalf of Great Wei!"
Zhen Ji covered Lu Yu's mouth, looking at him earnestly. "This is not only the honor of being able to serve Your Majesty, but also the excitement of being able to achieve for the Zhen family and fulfill myself."
Lu Yu looked at Zhen Ji gratefully.
Ten years ago, their first meeting in Luoyang.
He had never imagined that these daughters from a scholarly family, whose prestige was upheld by women, would eventually become so resolute...
This truly fulfilled the saying—women are no less capable than men!
...
...
In Chengdu city, within the Eastern Palace of the Imperial Palace.
Zhuge Liang wept profusely, tears streaming from his eyes.
Before him...
Liu Chan held the last words left by his "father," Liu Bei. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have lost his father forever, and the Shu Han had also lost its emperor.
As the words on the will entered Liu Chan's eyes, he subconsciously conceived a bold idea.
Perhaps after his father was gone, no one would spank him anymore?
Would he be able to suffer less physical pain?
Would he be able to do less homework?
No...
He realized that merely his "father's demise" would not change the current situation, because the Prime Minister was still there. The Prime Minister's crying was what caused him the most pain and torment.
"Crown Prince, have you seen His Majesty's will?"
Zhuge Liang asked, weeping. "His Majesty said you have great talent and that with a successor like you, what else does he have to fear?"
"He instructed you to read the Book of Han and the Book of Rites often. In your leisure time, also read the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Six Strategies, and the Book of Shang Yang. These are all essential for an emperor's success. Also, there is this saying: 'Do not do evil, however small, nor neglect good, however small. Only with virtue and integrity can one command respect!'"
Oh!
Liu Chan scratched his head and said sincerely that he also felt pain, but inexplicably, the pain was not strong.
Unknowingly, Liu Chan subconsciously felt that there would no longer be bruises on his arm.
People say... filial piety comes from the rod.
But for Liu Chan, his heart was full of resistance.
This was understandable. Liu Bei had always been strict with him. Ever since he could remember, his father in his memories... had never shown him a good face. Whenever he saw him, it was always a beating or a punishment.
Amidst these repeated punishments and beatings,
With the "guidance" of Huang Hao and Father Gan beside him, Liu Chan increasingly disliked his father... and as he grew older, he felt even less affection for his father.
"Prime Minister..." Liu Chan pointed to a sentence in the will. "Why did father say his virtues were shallow? Why did father say I should not learn from him? Is it related to how father obtained Bashu through not-so-bright means?"
Uh...
This question directly stopped Zhuge Liang's tears. He felt like crying but had no tears to shed.
Among Liu Bei's many instructions to Liu Chan in his will, why did he single out this one?
Did the other words not move him or sadden him?
"Crown Prince, you are about to ascend the throne and become the emperor of Bashu," Zhuge Liang said earnestly. "You should remember your father's will: 'Do not do evil, however small, nor neglect good, however small!' It is... 'Only with virtue and integrity can one command respect!'"
"But," Liu Chan seemed particularly stubborn, "Prime Minister, I just want to know, in what way was my father's virtue shallow? Was it because he felt he had unjustly acquired the state, taking the land from Liu Zhang, the governor of Yi Province, who was the most benevolent, had never committed any atrocities in his city, and was supported and loved by his people in a chaotic world? Did he feel he owed him, that he owed him for his entire life? Otherwise, why would father leave such a will telling me not to learn from him!"
This...
Zhuge Liang paused, and then he exclaimed loudly, "This is a testament to His Majesty's upright life and dignity! His Majesty was kind!"
"He owed Liu Zhang in this life, but if it were someone else... would they express it on their deathbed? How could they repent so frankly? His Majesty was kind!"
"But," Liu Chan still did not believe, "if it's wrong, it's wrong. Father also said, 'Do not do evil, however small, nor neglect good, however small!' Does the Prime Minister mean that father's statement is also wrong!"
"You are presumptuous!" Zhuge Liang was furious. He glared at Liu Chan. "Before you ascend the throne, Crown Prince, kneel here, before the late king's will, contemplate the late king's teachings, and reflect on yourself!"
Zhuge Liang's words were undeniable...
With that, he left in a huff.
As he walked, he asked, "Dismiss all the Crown Prince's tutors. If teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness. From today onwards, I, the Prime Minister, will personally teach the Crown Prince! All of the Crown Prince's assignments will be personally reviewed by me!"
"Yes." All the palace servants in the entire palace responded in unison.
It seemed...
From the eyes of every palace servant, one could see that they dared not speak out of anger!
—Liu Bei has passed away!
—Two hundred and fifty thousand Shu troops have turned to dust?
So many people in Bashu have been harmed by you all?
Now... why should you, a person from Jing Province, still be the leader of Yizhou natives?
They are not convinced!
On the other hand, Liu Chan
When he heard that Prime Minister Zhuge Liang would personally teach him, tears flowed uncontrollably, and he appeared very wronged.
"Your Highness, Your Highness is about to ascend the throne, you cannot cry anymore. After the mourning period, Zhen Rong, who walked out slowly, held Liu Chan in her arms. "Your Highness, Your Highness, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. The Prime Minister is here, and your Elder Sister Zhen is here. Elder Sister Zhen will help you, won't she?"
"Elder Sister Zhen..." Liu Chan clutched as if grasping a rare warmth, like the only ray of light in the darkness. "Elder Sister Zhen is the best to me, the very best..."
Whoosh...
Zhen Rong gently stroked his back, like an elder sister comforting a beloved younger brother.
"Alright, alright. The Prime Minister is also angry. Why didn't you cry when His Majesty passed away?"
Zhen Rong's words were like concerned inquiries.
But hidden within them was a test, a deep test.
She wanted to test whether the time for a confrontation was ripe!
"I... I..." Liu Chan was extremely wronged. "I can't cry, I don't know why I can't cry..."
"I just want to ask, when father threw me to the ground after Changban Slope, did he cry then?"
This...
Upon hearing Liu Chan's words, Zhen Rong sensed the immense resentment in Liu Chan's heart.
This...
It seemed her task would be simpler than she imagined!
...
...