Chương 169: Welcoming Cai Yong to Zhuo County

Liu Ce paused, then added, "However, keep a close eye on the movements in Luoyang and Liangzhou, and report back immediately if there is any news!"

"Yes!" Lu Bing clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Liu Ce walked to the window and looked at the western sky.

The Liangzhou rebellion lasted for about five years in history, costing countless amounts of money and supplies, but it was never completely quelled. Instead, it allowed Dong Zhuo to rise to power.

He knew the course of history, but he couldn't interfere now—Youzhou hadn't developed enough and wasn't strong enough; rashly intervening would only backfire.

"Let's hold out for now," Liu Ce muttered to himself.

"Once the autumn harvest is plentiful and the granaries are full, and the troops are well-trained and well-fed, we can devise a plan for the future."

He turned to Lu Bingdao and said, "Order all battalions to intensify training. Strengthen border patrols to prevent the Wuhuan and Xianbei from taking advantage of the chaos to move south. Spring planting cannot be delayed; food is fundamental."

"Also," he thought for a moment, "we should let the Embroidered Uniform Guard cause some trouble for the rebels when necessary, so that they are not quelled too quickly."

Lu Bing's eyes flickered: "Does my lord mean..."

"Let this rebellion drag on a little longer."

Liu Ce smiled meaningfully, "The longer the fighting goes on, the weaker the court will become, and the more arrogant Dong Zhuo will become... When the time is right, we'll step in and clean up the mess."

"Understood!" Lu Bing understood and withdrew.

Liu Ce returned to the garden, where Cai Yan and Zhen Jiang greeted him.

"Husband, are you alright?" Cai Yan asked with concern.

"It's alright," Liu Ce said with a smile, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"There's a little trouble in Liangzhou, but the imperial court has already sent people to resolve it. Let's continue farming."

"Let's go," he said, taking Cai Yan and Zhen Jiang's hands.

"Let's have the cook make some stir-fried shredded potatoes for us tonight."

"OK!"

......

The Liu family residence in Zhuo County, Youzhou.

Spring has arrived, and the peach trees in the yard are in bloom, their blossoms a lovely pink.

Liu Ce strolled around the backyard of the Liu residence, watching Cai Yan playing the zither in the pavilion. The melodious music, combined with the warm spring sunshine, brought a sense of comfort to the listener.

He walked over and sat down beside Cai Yan. The music stopped, and Cai Yan looked up at him, her eyes filled with a gentle smile: "Husband, are you not busy today?"

"Busy, of course I'm busy."

Liu Ce smiled and said, "But no matter how busy I am, I still have to make time for my wife, right?"

Cai Yan smiled and continued playing the zither. She was playing "High Mountains and Flowing Water," a melodious tune that evoked a sense of homesickness.

Liu Ce moved a deck chair to the yard to sunbathe, with a pot of tea and several plates of snacks on a small table next to him.

As Cai Yan played her instrument, she looked up at Liu Ce, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

Liu Ce was very astute; he saw through it immediately: "Yan'er, is something the matter?"

Cai Yan put down her zither and said softly, "Husband, is Youzhou... more stable now?"

"Yes," Liu Ce nodded, "Spring plowing has begun, the refugees have been resettled, the border is temporarily peaceful, and the training of each battalion is back on track. What's going on?"

Cai Yan bit her lip: "Then... could you bring my father over?"

Liu Ce was taken aback, then slapped his forehead: "Oh dear! What a lapse in judgment!"

He was so busy farming, training soldiers, and recruiting talent that he forgot about his father-in-law!

A great Confucian scholar, a literary giant, a music master, a calligraphy master... this precious father-in-law is still mired in the murky waters of Luoyang!

"Accept! We must accept!"

Liu Ce sprang up from the recliner.

"Not only do we have to pick them up, but we have to do it in a grand and impressive way! Yan'er, write a letter, and I'll have Lu Bing personally lead a group to pick them up!"

Cai Yan's eyes lit up, but then she hesitated and said, "Father holds an official position in Luoyang, I'm afraid..."

"Official rank is nothing."

Liu Ce waved his hand, "What's the point of being a mere advisor in Luoyang, arguing with those eunuchs and powerful families every day? Come to Youzhou, I'll build him an academy, make him the headmaster, let him write books, teach and impart knowledge. Isn't that better than suffering indignities at court?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Yan smiled and said, "Thank you, my husband."

"No need to thank me," Liu Ce put his arm around her shoulder, "we're all family."

He pulled Cai Yan into the study, laid out paper and ground ink: "Come, write a letter and persuade your father-in-law properly. Tell him that Youzhou is now rebuilding from ruins and needs a cultural icon like him. After he arrives, provide the academy, the students, and the funding—we have some money now!"

Cai Yan smiled, picked up her pen, and began to write a letter.

The delicate, small regular script, adorned with delicate flowers, fell line by line onto the paper. It expressed a daughter's longing for her father, the changes in Youzhou, Liu Ce's invitation, and her vision for the future. Finally, it subtly mentioned the unstable situation in Luoyang and asked her father to consider coming to Youzhou.

Liu Ce watched from the side, thinking to himself: Cai Yong has arrived, not only as a father-in-law, but also as a cultural icon. With him here, cultural development in Youzhou can be put on the agenda, establishing schools, printing books, promoting rites and music... This will be of great benefit in winning over the hearts of scholars.

As Cai Yan wrote, tears of longing fell, dripping onto the letter paper and spreading a small patch of ink.

Liu Ce quickly changed the paper for her: "Don't cry, don't cry. If your father-in-law sees this letter, he'll think you've been wronged in Youzhou."

Cai Yan stopped crying and started laughing, then wrote a new letter.

The letter was written, and Cai Yan checked it before handing it to Liu Ce. Liu Ce read it; the contents were sincere and heartfelt…

"Well written."

Liu Ce praised, "My father-in-law will definitely be tempted after seeing this."

Cai Yan said softly, "My father loves me the most, and he will listen to what I say."

"That's good."

Liu Ce put the letter away.

"Go and rest first. I'll arrange for someone to deliver the letter."

Liu Ce summoned Lu Bing.

"Wenfu, I'm giving you a task."

Lu Bing clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please give your orders, my lord."

Liu Ce handed him the letter: "Go to Luoyang and bring my father-in-law, Cai Yong, here. Remember, be polite and respectful, but also ensure his safety. Luoyang is restless right now; don't let anything happen to your father-in-law on the way."

Lu Bing accepted the letter: "My lord, rest assured, I will personally lead a team of Imperial Guards."

"it is good."

Liu Ce patted him on the shoulder, "Spend money on the road if necessary, don't be stingy. Cai Yong is a great scholar who likes to collect books and letters, so he'll definitely be carrying a lot. Prepare several carriages and bring more people to help him transport all the books over. Those books are all treasures, not a single one can be missing."

"promise!"

Lu Bing accepted the order and left.

When Liu Ce returned to the courtyard, the women all gathered around him.

"Husband, is Father really coming?" Cai Yan still couldn't believe it.

"Really," Liu Ce said with a smile, "You and your daughter will be reunited in about a month."

Zhen Jiang smiled and said, "Then we must hurry up and prepare accommodations. Uncle Cai is a renowned scholar, so his place of residence cannot be shabby."

Zhang Ning also said, "Uncle Cai likes music, so we need to prepare some musical instruments."

Ren Hongchang said softly, "Uncle Cai has a large collection of books, so his study needs to be large."

The five Zhen sisters chattered excitedly: "We can help decorate the yard!"

"I know Uncle Cai likes bamboo, let's plant some bamboo in the yard!"

"The tea set must be good..."

Looking at this large family, Liu Ce felt a warm glow in his heart.

This feels more like a home.