Chapter 15

Liu Bei and his party rose early, performed a quick wash, and set out for Chang'an; along the way they saw refugees traveling together toward Chang'an, and even some families on the roadside were already discussing the buying and selling of children.

So Liu Bei ordered his men to distribute some food along the route; the refugees came in droves at the sound, but they soon realized the rations were merely a drop in the bucket, unable to solve the real problem.

Seeing the nearly a thousand gathered refugees, their disheveled hair and ragged, barely covering clothes made Liu Bei feel compassion, and even the usually carefree San Ye silently took a sack of dry provisions from his horse and handed it to a destitute mother and daughter by the roadside.

The mother and daughter knelt repeatedly before San Ye.

San Ye's eyes grew slightly hot, and he turned to Liu Bei, saying

"Brother, can you find a way to help these people? They can't even get enough to eat now."

Liu Bei sighed,

"Truly, the rich feast on rotting meat while bones freeze on the road; can the world remain orderly under such conditions?"

Because Chang'an is plagued by numerous Western Liang Army rebels, the common folk under the Son of Heaven suffer even more than those in the remote prefectures.

After handing out porridge, Liu Bei told the refugees to head for Xuzhou; if they encounter Xuzhou's checkpoints, they should say they were sent by Lord Liu of Xuzhou. The refugees thanked him profusely, and some even offered to leave their children behind as servants and attendants for Liu Bei.

In fact, it wasn't merely gratitude; many hoped that their children could follow Liu Bei so they wouldn't starve to death.

After seeing the refugees off, Liu Bei stood motionless, silent for a long while.

"In prosperity, the people suffer; in ruin, the people suffer."

Having said that, Liu Bei spurred his horse and galloped toward Chang'an.

San Ye was bewildered, while Xu Huang and Zhao Yun exchanged a glance and then followed Liu Bei closely.

Thanks to Yang Feng's assistance, the caravan entered Chang'an without incident, and even the Western Liang Army that had been eyeing them offered no further obstruction; the group arrived in the city quickly.

The streets of Chang'an were bustling, though this prosperity would soon turn to scorched earth. After Liu Bei completed the handover with the Mi Family merchants' representatives, he and a few attendants strolled through the streets.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei naturally kept right beside Liu Bei, while Xu Huang slipped away with a few men to covertly contact former comrades, planning to bring them along when Liu Bei heads to Xuzhou.

Soon a young clerk from the Mi Family merchant guild caught up, presented Liu Bei with an invitation stating that a senior figure of the Mi Family wished to host a banquet in gratitude for Liu Bei's assistance; Liu Bei, having nothing else to do, accepted.

After experiencing the Han‑late Chang'an atmosphere of over a thousand years past, Liu Bei contemplated whether to seize the opportunity to rescue the Han Emperor Xian now, and noted that among the Western Liang Army's scum there were a few notable figures worth pulling in later.

By evening, Liu Bei and his party went to a large mansion of the Mi Family in Chang'an to attend the banquet.

After Liu Bei and his men dismounted and presented gifts, a group of elderly Mi Family members ushered them into the residence, though it was clear none of them were the true Mi Family leader in Chang'an.

When Liu Bei and his companions took their seats, an elder clapped his hands; maidservants began bringing out exquisite dishes, and charming dancers performed in the hall.

However, Liu Bei noticed the main seat remained empty, as did the table opposite his; just as he was puzzled and turned to ask the elder beside him, a pleasant female voice sounded from the other side.

"My hospitality falls short; I hope Lord Liu will not hold it against me."

Liu Bei turned back and saw a very beautiful woman in an elegant purple gown, about twenty‑something, smiling gently at him.

Liu Bei quickly rose, returned the courtesy, and was momentarily at a loss.

The elder beside him smiled and introduced,

"Lord, this is our family's miss, the head's younger sister, known in the inner chambers as Mi Zhen. She has loved commerce since childhood, travels with caravans north and south, and now oversees the Mi Family's merchant affairs here in Chang'an."

"So you are Miss Mi; I am sorry for my rudeness."

If judged solely on looks, Mi Zhen could be called a beauty that could topple a kingdom, but even more striking was her tall, full figure, which the flowing robe could not conceal.

For a man, the most alluring aspect of Mi Zhen was her gentle, pure temperament, which left a naive old bachelor like Liu Bei...

She is truly the top beauty‑rich‑wealthy woman of the Three Kingdoms!

Mi Zhen lifted a wine cup and first toasted Liu Bei.

"Lord, today I have been impolite, not greeting you at the gate; I hope you will not blame me, little sister."

"Not at all; thanks to my connection with Zi Zhong, you need not be overly formal, miss."

Mi Zhen knew how lethal her looks were to adult men, and as she aged, to avoid unnecessary trouble, she began wearing a veil or a conical hat when conducting business outside.

Liu Bei, though initially surprised by her appearance, soon had a clear gaze, showing he was not a lecherous man.

As for Liu Bei's looks, they were… passable.

So the elder brother's suggestion might be worth considering…

"Miss…"

The elder beside him, seeing his miss drifting off elsewhere, quickly tugged at her sleeve.

"Hmm? Oh… I just wanted to ask what business Lord Liu has in Chang'an, and what..."

Mi Zhen blushed, her face turning pink and even her jade‑like earlobes taking on a rosy hue, which Liu Bei found even more stunning.

Liu Bei fell silent for a moment, then said

"Miss, if you can trust me, please evacuate all of Mi Family's important assets in Chang'an soon; this world is about to change dramatically."

Mi Zhen hesitated slightly and asked

"Lord, what do you mean?"

"Currently Chang'an's forces are a chaotic mix, the Western Liang Army factions are numerous, and the loot division is uneven; how can the world not be in turmoil? Refugees are gathering everywhere, chaos has arisen. Miss, you should arrange everything within ten days."

"Little sister understands; I will arrange it properly in the coming days. Thank you, Lord, for the reminder."

An hour later Liu Bei took his leave from Mi Zhen; she and the Mi Family members escorted him out, and the elderly Mi men wore satisfied expressions, nodding to each other, everything understood without words.

After seeing Liu Bei off, Mi Zhen began arranging the merchant guild's relocation, immediately sending the elder who had spoken with Liu Bei to dispatch messengers to the families.

The Mi Family's great enterprise means that withdrawing from Chang'an within ten days requires much work and early planning.

And Liu Bei's journey to Chang'an is destined to witness a historic upheaval.