Chapter 4

As the sky gradually brightened and sunlight filtered into the forest, Liu Jian, who was hiding in a large tree, slowly opened his eyes. His throat ached, and he couldn't help but recall the events of the previous night.

The fight with the two Cao soldiers was the most thrilling encounter he had experienced since arriving in this era, even surpassing the time he was forced to attack the Yellow Turban Army.

If the two Cao soldiers hadn't been careless and underestimated him at the beginning, he would have been no match for them and would surely have died. Now, as he thought back, he felt a wave of fear.

He then thought of the leather bag. Liu Jian suddenly sat up and took the bag from the tree behind him. It was for this leather bag that he had nearly lost his life, and he wondered if the contents were worth such a risk.

First, he took out a short sword, which was wrapped in a piece of cloth without a scabbard. From the bag, he also pulled out a heavy, small square box. The box was intricately carved from high-quality golden-threaded nanmu wood, adorned with various floral patterns, and was very exquisite. Liu Jian immediately became excited. Could it be that the box contained some precious gold or jewels?

He almost held his breath as he carefully opened the box. Inside, the box was lined with golden-yellow brocade, and the brocade was tied in a knot, wrapping something. When he untied the brocade, he found a bronze official seal, with a turtle as the handle, flat and square, only as big as a fist.

It turned out to be an official seal. Liu Jian felt somewhat disappointed and looked at the other items. There was a letter and a bamboo scroll, but nothing valuable.

He took out the bronze seal again and squinted to look at it in the sunlight. He could勉强 recognize the seal script, which read, "Seal of Jiping Pavilion Marquis."

This was actually the seal of a marquis! Liu Jian drew a sharp breath, realizing that the people killed yesterday were not ordinary.

Liu Jian couldn't help but look down at a large rock under the tree. He saw the man in white sitting on the rock, staring blankly at the rising sun.

It seemed he had been sitting there since dawn, looking deeply troubled. However, Liu Jian could understand; all his companions were dead, and he must be very sad.

Liu Jian jumped down from the tree and slowly walked to him, placing the leather bag on the large rock beside him. "Here, take it back! It's of no use to me."

The man in white sighed. With everyone dead, what was the point of giving it to him?

"Thank you, young man!"

The man in white took out the letter and the bamboo scroll from the leather bag. The letter was written on fine hemp paper. He opened it and read it again, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. He had promised his lord with great confidence that he would bring Young Master Jing back to Xiangyang, but now that the person was dead, how could he go back and face his lord?

"Who is this... Jiping Pavilion Marquis?" Liu Jian asked curiously.

"He is my lord's younger brother, and my lord is the Governor of Jing Province." The man in white did not hide this information, given that Liu Jian had saved him.

"Oh!"

Liu Jian finally understood that the Governor of Jing Province was Liu Biao. However, he was still a bit puzzled. Liu Biao's younger brother should be at least forty or fifty years old, but the person in the ox cart was clearly a young man.

"Was the person who died in the ox cart... your lord's younger brother?"

"No, it was his son, my lord's nephew."

The man in white sighed. "I was ordered by my lord to go to Shanyang Commandery to bring him to Xiangyang. I never expected to encounter Cao's cavalry last night, and they... they killed him. Alas!"

"Nephew!"

Liu Jian suddenly understood. The young man was Liu Biao's nephew, and he had been killed by Cao's army halfway. This was truly unexpected.

Liu Jian sighed and asked, "What do you plan to do now?"

"What can I do? I have no face to see my lord. I can only abandon my wife and children and flee."

The man in white stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Jian. "I am Wu Xiu, a scribe from Jing Province. I am deeply grateful for your rescue. If there is ever an opportunity, I will repay you."

After saying this, he picked up the leather bag and turned to leave, but Liu Jian called out, "Please wait!"

The man in white turned and asked, "Is there anything else, young master?"

Liu Jian glanced at the sword handle sticking out of the leather bag and smiled. "That short sword, if it's of no use, can you give it to me?"

The sharpness of the short sword had left a deep impression on him last night.

"Sure!"

The man in white handed the short sword to him, and Liu Jian took it, saying, "Thank you."

He liked the short sword very much and swung it a few times. Unfortunately, the scabbard was lost last night, and he would need to get a new one.

"Goodbye, young master."

The man in white turned to leave, but after just a few steps, a thought suddenly popped into his head. "Young master! A boy of fourteen or fifteen, could this be heaven's way of saving me?"

He suddenly turned around, eyes wide, and sized up Liu Jian. The build was somewhat similar, and the age was about right.

"What... what is your name? Where are you from?" The man in white asked, his voice trembling.

"My name is Liu Jian, and I am a hunter from the mountains."

"You also have the surname Liu."

The man in white's eyes gradually brightened. This must be heaven's will!

Thinking of his wife and children at home, Wu Xiu gritted his teeth and made a firm decision. He knelt down and bowed. "Wu Xiu, a scribe from Jing Province, humbly requests a favor from young master!"

His eyes were filled with pleading, and Liu Jian's heart stirred. He also had a thought and began to feel excited.

"What do you need? Speak!"

"I humbly request that you pretend to be my young master and go to Xiangyang with me."

...

"You must forget your original name and remember, you are Liu Jing, sixteen years old, from Gaoping County, Shanyang Commandery. You must be cautious and not make any mistakes."

On a mountain path leading north, Wu Xiu was repeatedly teaching Liu Jian some of the most important things. If this boy made a mistake, his life would be in danger.

Liu Jian smiled. "I am Liu Jing, I remember. But I remember that Liu Biao's courtesy name is Jingzheng. Why is my name not taboo?"

"You must not mention your uncle's name, never. Remember this."

Liu Jian saw his serious attitude and put away his playful demeanor, nodding. He also reminded himself that Liu Jian was his former name, now dead, and he would be called Liu Jing in this life.

Wu Xiu's attitude became serious. "Your name was given to you by your uncle. He loves you very much and gave you the character 'Jing' from his courtesy name. You are of the Yu generation, so you are called Jing."

Liu Jian... no! From now on, he would be called Liu Jing. He silently reminded himself to forget Liu Jian, his former name. He wanted to survive in the Three Kingdoms era and needed an identity of this era.

This opportunity to be Liu Biao's nephew, he must seize it.

He repeated his new name in his mind, "Liu Jing, this is your new beginning."

After a moment of deep thought, Liu Jing frowned. "I think there are many loopholes. For example, my parents would recognize me, and what about the clan members? They would expose me as soon as they see me. How should I deal with this?"

Wu Xiu smiled. "You don't need to worry about that. Your father died seven years ago, and your mother passed away last year. That's why your uncle decided to bring you to Jing Province. As for the clan members, they moved to Jing Province years ago and may not recognize you. As long as you look somewhat similar, it should be fine. Children grow up, after all."

He handed the letter to Liu Jing and smiled. "This is a letter from your uncle to your maternal uncle. Your maternal uncle kicked you and your mother out two years ago. I don't know what he was thinking, but the letter was never delivered. Read it yourself."

Liu Jing took the letter and read it carefully. The letter mentioned that his father had died early and his mother passed away last year. He had never met his nephew and felt very guilty. This meant that Liu Biao had never seen this nephew and had not sent anyone to visit him, which was why he felt guilty.

Liu Jing nodded silently and then took the bamboo scroll, which was his birth certificate, equivalent to an identity card in modern times. It contained his birth date and the names of his parents, to prove his identity to Liu Biao.

"What about my accent? I don't know how different it is from my hometown's accent."

"Your accent is a bit like that of Taishan Commandery. Although there are some differences, it shouldn't be a problem. You can say you have been studying in Taishan. I know there are many schools there. With my help, we should be able to get through it."

"I understand! But I have a few more questions."

"No problem, ask away. We need to consider all the details to avoid any issues. By the way, remember the etiquette and titles I taught you last night."

The two continued their journey north. They were still in Runan Commandery. After passing through Rang Mountain, they would need to walk another hundred miles to enter Jing Province.

...

The administrative center of Runan Commandery was Ancheng County. About two hundred miles north of Ancheng County, there was a hilly area with undulating mountains, about a hundred feet high. This area, covering several dozen miles, was called Rang Mountain.

Liu Jing and Wu Xiu had no horses and were walking slowly. They hadn't eaten for a day and a night and were starving. The surrounding area was a vast wilderness, and they couldn't even find a wild rabbit.

It wasn't until dusk that they saw Rang Mountain in the distance. It was almost dark, and they had just entered a hill, planning to find a place to eat and rest for the night, when a whistle flew over their heads, making a sharp sound.

"Capture them!"

Nearly a hundred Yellow Turban soldiers, who had been hiding on both sides of the road, emerged from all directions, surrounding them before they could react. Dozens of bows were drawn and aimed at them.

Wu Xiu, who had some experience, quickly raised his hands and shouted, "We are just ordinary people, please don't harm us."

"Nonsense!"

A troop leader stepped forward, pointing his saber at them and shouting, "You must be Cao's spies. Capture them."

At this moment, Liu Jing calmly said, "Is Lord Liu here? I am his clan nephew, I want to see him!"

The Yellow Turban soldiers who were about to pounce stopped and turned to look at the troop leader. The troop leader was surprised. It was actually a nephew of the Liu clan. He hesitated for a moment and then quietly instructed a soldier, who ran off.

Wu Xiu was surprised. Liu Bei was actually here? He had come from Shanyang Commandery and was just passing through Runan Commandery, not knowing that Liu Bei had returned to Runan. If Liu Bei was here, things would be easier.

Liu Jing, however, secretly sneered. If Liu Bei was really here, things would be complicated. They would be a target for Cao's army. He claimed to be Liu Bei's nephew to avoid being tied up and humiliated.

At this moment, a general on horseback galloped over. He was about seven feet tall, in his forties, with a long beard. His arrival made the soldiers bow respectfully.

This man was Liu Pi, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army in Runan. He and Liu Bei had been scattered by Cao's army and had just led over four thousand surviving soldiers to this place, planning to find Liu Bei again. However, he received news that Liu Bei's nephew had arrived.

He thought it was Guan Ping, sent by Liu Bei to find them, so he galloped over. But to his surprise, it was two strangers. Liu Pi was furious and swung his large saber, the sharp tip pressing against Liu Jing's throat. "Who are you, daring to impersonate the nephew of Lord Liu? Are you tired of living?"

...