Chapter 17: The Scholar

"Wen He, I've long admired your great name!"

Jia Xu felt a sudden shock in his heart; he has always stayed behind the scenes in planning, and he didn't know where Liu Bei's "long admired your great name" originated.

Moreover... from Liu Bei's hungry gaze, it seemed as if he truly knew him, not just a polite remark.

Although Jia Xu was startled and doubtful inside, his expression remained unchanged, and he smiled slightly, saying

"Lord Xuan De, I have come to congratulate you."

Liu Bei grasped Jia Xu's arm and invited him into the residence.

"Sir, please come in; I have just acquired a fine wine. Since you are here today, we should taste it together!"

Liu Bei looked at the dozens of fine horses over seven feet tall behind him, then at the two large crates on the carriage, and realized in his heart that this person had come as Li Jue's envoy.

Since that's the case, why not see what they think!

He also intended to chat with Jia Xu and see if he could recruit this old monster.

Jia Xu, being a lover of good wine, was also quite interested upon hearing that.

"Very well, then I shall not be polite. Servants, bring down the items Grand Marshal sent to Lord Xuan De."

Liu Bei slowly shook his head and sighed,

"Grand Marshal is being overly courteous; such generosity is hard to decline! Yi De, bring people to take the items inside; we must not disappoint Grand Marshal's goodwill!"

Jia Xu

"……"

After Liu Bei and Jia Xu sat down as host and guest, Liu Bei ordered the servants to bring out wine and dishes. Jia Xu was also unabashed; after a maid poured a cup of fine wine, he drank it in one gulp.

The fiery yet slightly sweet aroma lingered in Jia Xu's mouth, as if a voluptuous beauty were gently caressing his cheek.

"Oh, this wine... Lord Xuan De, where did you obtain it? It's truly a masterpiece of the mortal world."

Liu Bei thought to himself, how could it not be good!

It was distilled wine technology and equipment he had exchanged his last bits of merit points for, with a purity of about fifty. Even a modern drinker of average tolerance would be dazzled, let alone Jia Xu or an ancient person.

"Does Wen He like it? Then when Wen He departs, take two jars back. Not to hide from you, this wine is made by my secret method; although I lack a wealthy background, it is no problem to continue offering you this wine."

After two cups, Jia Xu felt a bit dizzy.

"Then thank you, Lord Xuan De... this is already a favor without merit..."

Liu Bei stepped back to the sides and said to Jia Xu,

"Sir, you possess talent that spans heaven and earth; why then submit to bandits? You can see clearly now that the Western Liang Army is not a solid block; sooner or later there will be great chaos."

Jia Xu instantly became much clearer, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Lord Xuan De, be cautious with your words; I am merely a scholar, I have no great talent to stir the clouds."

Liu Bei rolled his eyes in his mind at him, "Damn, you little brat, always smoking with trouble, what are you pretending to be a good kid here?"

"Sir, in these chaotic times, the world's heroes vie for supremacy. I hope you can save the people from fire and water; with your great talent, you should inherit the lost teachings of the sages and bring peace for all ages."

Jia Xu fell silent upon hearing that; indeed no one had ever told him face to face that his abilities could stir the clouds, but what would his reputation be after his death?

In truth, he also longed to realize his ambitions and benefit the people of the world; often it is just fate playing tricks!

Liu Bei's final two sentences could be said to be the ultimate dream of any enlightened person in this era!

A person lives not only in life but also in what follows after death!

The scholar's heart, from ancient times to now, is not merely a set of words but a responsibility etched into the bone that cannot be abandoned.

After a long while, Jia Xu opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of foul air.

He rose from the table, straightened his clothes, and, under Liu Bei's astonished gaze, bowed to Liu Bei.

"Lord Xuan De's words I shall certainly keep in mind. Since the Western Liang uprising, I have been restless night after night; today I am fortunate to receive your guidance. If in the future Lord Xuan De has any summons, I am willing to serve."

This big brother! Must you be so passionate? Those few lines are a bit heavy, but not that much!

Jia Xu has indeed felt uneasy since joining the Western Liang rebellion; his youngest son recently fell ill with a terrible disease, now very severe, so when Jia Xu's thoughts wander he always feels he has harmed Heaven.

Thus Liu Bei's words offered the conflicted, suffering Jia Xu a mental anchor and a suggestion for future action.

Liu Bei quickly helped Jia Xu to his feet and sighed,

"Sir, your wit is swift, far beyond mine; if you are willing to aid me in the future, I could not ask for more. Please rise quickly."

The two opened their hearts and discussed many world affairs; having a godlike perspective, Liu Bei viewed the issues more thoroughly than the sage Jia Xu. Jia Xu gradually came to fully admire Liu Bei, and in his heart recognized Liu Bei as the mastermind he sought.

As for Li Jue's recruitment attempt, both sneered.

While they exchanged cups, they talked a lot, and Liu Bei learned from Jia Xu that Li Jue's subordinates have an intelligence network dedicated to gathering information.

The reason Jia Xu could learn Liu Bei's residence was thanks to this intelligence system of the Dark Net.

And the person who controls this network is none other than Jia Xu himself.

Jia Xu named this intelligence network the Dark Net; the Dark Net was built single‑handedly by him after the Western Liang rebellion, with a complex personnel structure ranging from ordinary townsfolk and soldiers to street beggars and the staff of taverns and brothels.

This made Liu Bei regard Jia Xu even higher; he hadn't expected that a seemingly plain middle‑aged uncle could be an intelligence chief capable of such espionage!

After discussing the court situation, the two formulated the most suitable plan for Liu Bei: for now, Liu Bei should feign allegiance to Li Jue, provoke a conflict between Li Jue and Guo Si, and thereby reap greater benefits from their rivalry.

After bidding farewell to Liu Bei, Jia Xu, upon leaving, took the few remaining jars of stock, causing Zhang Fei to complain incessantly.

Then Jia Xu led his carriage and horse convoy flamboyantly past a sentry post under Guo Si's command, and the news of Li Jue courting Liu Bei reached Guo Si's ears, making Guo Si's teeth itch with anger.

"Li Jue! You crude scoundrel, do you want us both to be destroyed?"

Guo Si at that moment wished he could grab that bastard Li Jue and give him a good questioning.