Chương 34: The Zhen Family Invites You

As dawn broke, the military camp outside Wuji County was still shrouded in morning mist.

Liu Ce was sitting in his military tent eating breakfast, staring at the map as he pondered which Yellow Turban stronghold he would advance towards next.

The guard trotted in carrying a letter:

"My lord, this was sent by the Zhen family. It's sealed with sealing wax; it looks quite sophisticated."

Liu Ce raised an eyebrow and opened the letter, muttering to himself, "That old fox Zhen Yi, wasn't he done putting on an act at yesterday's celebration banquet?"

I unfolded it and laughed—wow! The words inside were written neatly and legibly, and the gist was:

"To General Liu, General of the Southern Army, I have prepared a simple meal and wine at my humble abode this afternoon. I hope you will grace me with your presence." The inscription is signed "Zhen Yi, with deepest respect."

Liu Ce slammed the letter on the table, stroked his chin, and chuckled.

The Zhen family was a well-known wealthy household in Zhuojun. Their grain storage was higher than the city walls of the military camp. Judging from their previous behavior, Zhen Yi had always been polite and had never mentioned trying to establish a relationship with them.

Liu Ce picked up the letter again, shaking it loudly in his hand, and smiled at Guan Yu, who had just entered the tent:

"Yun Chang, the Zhen family is setting up a trap! Do you think they want to invest in me, a promising prospect, or are they trying to give me a daughter as a bargaining chip for a marriage alliance?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and pondered, "Brother, the Zhen family is the wealthiest in Hebei. If we sincerely befriend them, it will benefit our military resources."

Liu Ce slapped his thigh:

"Who cares! There's wine to drink, meat to eat, and we can even see the five beauties of the Zhen family. Why not go?"

Then Liu Ce shouted outside the tent, "Tell the messenger that I will arrive on time!"

He asked Guan Yu to pick a decent gift from the army's supplies as a greeting gift!

At this moment, the scene in the backyard of the Zhen residence was quite different. Five girls dressed in fine silks and satins were huddled together in the pavilion, chatting amongst themselves.

The eldest sister, Zhen Jiang, held an embroidery hoop in her hand, her stitches steady and even, clearly the makings of a matriarch. Her appearance, standing there, was like a peony in full bloom, so dignified that no one dared to speak to her casually.

Second Sister Zhen Tuo leaned against a pillar, playing with a maple leaf in her hand. Her eyes were aloof and cold. She wore a moon-white dress and looked just like an autumn chrysanthemum that had been touched by frost. She had an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Third Sister Zhen Dao was holding a riding whip. Don't misunderstand, she wasn't going to ride a horse, she just thought it would be fun. She was wearing a red dress, her face was rosy, like a camellia in full bloom, and she exuded a heroic spirit.

Fourth Sister Zhen Rong was holding a jar of candied fruit, popping one into her mouth every now and then. Her cheeks were bulging. She wore a pink dress and spoke in a soft voice, just like a freshly picked rose, so sweet that you could squeeze water out of it.

The youngest, Zhen Mi, sat on a stone bench, holding a book in her hands. Sunlight shone on her, and she wore a plain white dress. Her skin was as white as porcelain, and her eyes were as clear as spring water. The way she sat there was like a lotus flower just pulled out of the water, ethereal and otherworldly.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? Father's inviting a very important person over for dinner today!"

Zhen Dao slammed his riding whip on the stone table and spoke first.

Zhen Rong chewed on a candied fruit and mumbled his reply:

"I heard it from the maid this morning! She said it's a very powerful official, but she doesn't know who it is."

Zhen Tuo raised his eyelids slightly and said slowly:

"The person who can make Dad take this so seriously must be no ordinary person."

Zhen Jiang put down her embroidery, cleared her throat, and glanced at her four younger sisters:

"Stop guessing, I heard it from outside Father's study. Today we've invited General Liu Ce."

"That's the Southern General who drove off 100, 000 Yellow Turban soldiers with just a few thousand men in Zhuojun, and also the Prefect of Zhuojun who defeated Zhang Niujiao with 800 iron cavalry yesterday."

As soon as he said that, the backyard was silent for two seconds, and then it erupted into chaos.

The jar of candied fruit in Zhen Rong's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, the maple leaves in Zhen Tuo's hand were crumpled, Zhen Mi's book slipped onto her lap, and Zhen Dao even jumped up:

"Is that General Liu Ce, the one who chopped down the Yellow Turbans like they were vegetables?!"

After the gasps subsided, Zhen Dao moved closer to Zhen Jiang and tugged at her sleeve, giving it a shake:

"Big sister! Shall we go take a look this afternoon? Just one glimpse, to see what a general who can win battles looks like!"

Zhen Jiang quickly shook her head: "No, no, Father will definitely not allow us young ladies to show our faces in the front hall."

Zhen Dao's eyes darted around, then he immediately turned to his three younger sisters, his voice softening:

"Second sister, fourth sister, fifth sister, do you want to go see it?"

Zhen Rong was the first to nod, her head bobbing like a rattle drum.

"Yes! I want to see what a great hero looks like!"

Zhen Mi blushed slightly and whispered:

"I... I want to see too."

Although Zhen Tuo didn't speak, he nodded slightly.

Seeing that his three younger sisters were all on his side, Zhen Dao then clung to Zhen Jiang, shaking her arm and acting coquettishly:

"Big sister, look! All four of us want to go! Let's go secretly, just hide behind the screen and take a peek, without saying a word, and without letting Father find out, okay? Please, big sister!"

As she spoke, she winked, looking just like a little fox begging for food.

Seeing that her eldest sister didn't move, Zhen Dao then grabbed her sister Zhen Jiang's arm and shook it:

"Sis~ We'll just peek through the crack in the screen! We promise we won't make a sound!"

The other three sisters immediately surrounded her, acting coquettishly. Zhen Jiang kept a straight face:

"This is outrageous! If people find out that Miss Zhen is spying on other men, where will Father put his face?"

Seeing her sisters' faces fall, she felt a little relieved. In fact, she was also curious about what kind of person the general who could win with fewer troops was.

She coughed lightly and said in a serious tone:

"However... if it's just passing by the front hall corridor on the way to the storeroom to get some fabric, it's not considered impolite."

Then she gave a smile that only she and her sisters understood and whispered:

"We'll go together this afternoon, but it's agreed that you can only take a quick look, you're not allowed to make a sound, and you absolutely cannot let Dad find out, understand?"

The five sisters exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

"Okay! Thank you, big sister!"

The four younger sisters immediately cheered, and Zhen Rong even rushed over to hug Zhen Jiang. After the four younger sisters skipped away, they left.

Zhen Jiang stood there, but her mind was in turmoil. She had just overheard the steward saying that Liu Ce was not only fierce in battle, but also "as handsome as Huo Qubing in a painting drawing his sword."

She thought to herself, "Actually... I also want to see what General Liu Ce looks like."

She continued muttering, "I'm just keeping an eye on things for Dad, I have no other intentions!" But her slightly flushed ears betrayed her true thoughts.

In the afternoon, the Zhen residence was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

Liu Ce rode a horse, wearing a black general's robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a sword still at his waist. He was followed by two guards and slowly walked towards the Zhen residence.

As soon as he arrived at the gate, he saw the Zhen family's steward leading a group of servants waiting there. Upon seeing him, they immediately bowed.

"General Liu, your presence is an honor! My master is already waiting inside!"

Liu Ce dismounted, handed the reins to a guard, and followed the steward inside.

The Zhen family mansion was indeed magnificent, with blue bricks paving the ground, carved beams and painted rafters, and many precious flowers and plants planted in the courtyard. Even the maids who passed by were dressed in clean silk, which showed that the family was wealthy.

(Here, the ages of the five Zhen sisters have been slightly adjusted: Zhen Jiang is 20 years old, Zhen Tuo is 19 years old, Zhen Dao is 19 years old, Zhen Rong is 17 years old, and Zhen Mi is 15 years old.)