"Hey, why are you back?" Chen Xi asked as he prepared to drink some tea before heading out with Jia Xu to see the dogs. He had just taken a couple of sips when he saw Liu Bei, who had left in a hurry earlier, return.
"Can't I come back?" Liu Bei playfully scolded, clearly in high spirits. Today, he was overjoyed, and all his usual decorum had disappeared. His noble demeanor, the mindset of a ruler, and his calm demeanor were all overshadowed by the importance of having a child—or maybe a daughter...
"Alright, alright, you're the boss. Mi Zhen, pour tea for Lord Xuande," Chen Xi quickly agreed, raising both hands in surrender. He then instructed Mi Zhen, who, after seeing Liu Bei, obediently approached with the teapot. She still felt guilty for bumping into Liu Bei earlier, though if it had been Chen Xi, she wouldn't have cared at all.
"It's like this—I wanted to ask how much surplus grain we have. I want to distribute some to the people so they can share in the joy," Liu Bei said, grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, having a child had him so excited that he was losing track of things.
"Oh, that's simple. We could just reduce some of the taxes," Chen Xi replied nonchalantly. The grain tax wasn't that much, so he didn't mind reducing it. After all, their main reliance now was on accumulating grain through their farming reserves.
"Is that so? That would be even better. Let's waive one dou of grain tax for each citizen under our rule," Liu Bei said excitedly, then hesitated as if remembering something. He made a firm decision, "Let this be a blessing for my son in advance. From now on, this one dou of grain tax will be permanently waived."
Chen Xi sipped his tea, pondering the impact of Liu Bei's decision. Before he could finish his thoughts, Liu Bei continued speaking.
"Yes, one dou of grain—let's not collect it anymore," Liu Bei said happily. "Oh, and when my wife was pregnant, she dreamed of the Big Dipper entering her womb. Since the word 'dou' is involved, and I'm waiving a dou of grain tax, why not name the child A'dou?"
"Pfft!" Chen Xi spat out his tea, leaving Liu Bei stunned. "Zichuan, what's wrong?"
"The Big Dipper entering the womb is a very auspicious sign! The Big Dipper is eternally unmoving, surrounded by all the stars. This is a great omen," Li You said, stroking his beard with a hearty laugh. As soon as Liu Bei mentioned the Big Dipper, Li You immediately knew it must be a son.
"The North Star entering the womb—it signifies immense nobility, immense nobility indeed," Jia Xu chimed in, joining in the flattery. Though his skills in face reading, numerology, and dream interpretation were average, Li You was well-versed in these matters. Naturally, Jia Xu backed him up.
The Big Dipper often symbolized the emperor, and Liu Bei hadn't initially connected this. He was simply overjoyed at having a child, excited to no end. But with Li You and Jia Xu's interpretation, Liu Bei began to grasp the deeper meaning.
Suddenly, Liu Bei's high spirits waned. The North Star, the imperial star, entering the womb—this was a sign of future emperorship! But Liu Bei knew himself well. He had no interest in the throne. Years ago, he had sworn to uphold the Han Dynasty, binding himself to a promise, ensuring he would never covet the imperial seat. Yet now, his son was fated to be born under the imperial star. Did this mean he had secretly changed his ambitions?
His initial exuberance now dampened, Liu Bei waved off Li You and Jia Xu's congratulations. "Forget it, forget it. It might still be a girl."
Li You and Jia Xu exchanged glances, seeing the resignation in each other's eyes. Was Liu Bei really not tempted? Could this be a joke?
"Zichuan, accompany me for a walk," Liu Bei said with a hint of melancholy. His excitement had been completely extinguished by Li You's words, and he didn't bother asking Chen Xi why he had spat out his tea earlier.
"Sure," Chen Xi replied, glancing at Liu Bei. He quickly understood what was going on. Liu Bei seemed to have no desire for the throne at all, instead leaning towards the path of the Duke of Zhou. Chen Xi found this hard to believe.
As they walked in silence, they eventually arrived at Chen Xi's home and sat by the stone table. Liu Bei gazed at the falling leaves from a nearby tree and mused, "Zichuan, why do people change?"
"It would be strange if they didn't," Chen Xi replied, feeling a bit helpless. "Everything changes—some quickly, some slowly. Some have limits, while others have none. As long as people have desires, they'll keep changing."
"When I said I wanted to restore the Han Dynasty, I meant it. It wasn't about the throne," Liu Bei said bitterly. "But now, I doubt anyone would believe me. Even Yun Chang and Yi De have grown more conscious of rank and status as my power has increased."
"Well, Second Brother and Third Brother have their own concerns," Chen Xi replied with a wry smile, remembering how back at Hulao Pass, they had all sat casually while drinking. Now, it seemed that no one, apart from himself and Liu Bei, dared to sit down without formalities—always bowing with clasped hands first.
"You don't need to comfort me. I'm aware of it. Sigh, the higher my rank, the more distant people become. Actually, I really like that girl Mi Zhen," Liu Bei said with a lonely smile, then added something that made Chen Xi laugh so hard he nearly choked.
"Hahaha..." Chen Xi laughed heartily. Liu Bei saying he liked Mi Zhen—that was good news. "You should make your move quickly, Lord Xuande. While you still have the chance, you should claim her. After all, you'll eventually be crowned king. Mi Zhen would make a fine queen—just take her already!"
"Zichuan, you rascal..." Liu Bei muttered disapprovingly. "What I meant is that I like her lively personality. She doesn't have that rigid sense of hierarchy that others do. But if I married her, I'd ruin her. Besides, marrying a niece is just shameful."
"Let me laugh a bit more," Chen Xi said, turning away to chuckle, knowing exactly where this was going.
By now, no one in Taishan dared to treat Liu Bei or Chen Xi without respect. Even figures like Lu Su, Jia Xu, and Li You, though high-ranking officials, instinctively bowed their heads when facing Liu Bei and Chen Xi. While Lu Su might dare to drag Chen Xi to work, if Chen Xi issued an order, none of them would dare to defy it—such was the authority Chen Xi had accumulated over time.
Even women like Cai Zhaoji and Cai Zhenji would bow when they saw Chen Xi or Liu Bei. But Mi Zhen, without such clear notions of hierarchy and feeling somewhat spoiled by favor, remained as lively as ever, though she was also kind at heart. As for her mischief or accidents, Chen Xi would just pretend not to see them—otherwise, burning down the study would have been no laughing matter.
"Go ahead and laugh. When you're done, I think I'll arrange a match for Zizhong," Liu Bei said, casting a glance at Chen Xi, who immediately stopped laughing.