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Fei Qian examined the young man named Tai Shi Ming, whom his senior brother Xu Yue had brought in. The boy was quite tall, only slightly shorter than himself, with a square face, a prominent nose, and a broad mouth. His frame was sturdy, though he appeared somewhat lanky—likely due to the nutritional deficiencies common during adolescent growth spurts.
Tai Shi Ming's gaze was steady, and his manners were impeccable upon entering the wooden house, indicating that Xu Yue had trained him well in etiquette. Seeing that he was a polite and well-behaved youth, Fei Qian felt somewhat reassured. After exchanging greetings, he instructed Tai Shi Ming to take his belongings and settle into the only remaining room—the "Water" chamber.
With Tai Shi Ming now under Fei Qian's care, Xu Yue seemed visibly relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. After some casual conversation, Fei Qian wrote a letter detailing recent events and entrusted it to Xu Yue to deliver to their master, Liu Hong.
Before taking his leave, Xu Yue summoned Tai Shi Ming once more and sternly admonished him to focus on his studies and respect his elders. Only then did he prepare to return to Xiangyang City.
Naturally, Fei Qian saw him off.
After walking a short distance together, Xu Yue stopped and turned back to gaze at Lushan with a hint of reluctance. As a mere assistant in Shanyang Commandery, he had no excuse to visit the great sage Pang Degong residing on the mountain, making this the biggest regret of his trip.
Moreover, having already asked Fei Qian to shelter Tai Shi Ming, he couldn't bring himself to shamelessly request an introduction to Pang Degong.
'Ah, forget it. Let it be.'
Just as Xu Yue was about to board his carriage, he suddenly remembered something. "Master will be reassigned as the Marquis of Qucheng in March, and I will accompany him. If you wish to send letters."
Fei Qian understood Xu Yue's implication—beneath his stern exterior, Xu Yue cared deeply for his disciple. His words served a dual purpose: first, to ensure letters wouldn't be sent to the wrong place, and second, to remind Tai Shi Ming to write home occasionally.
But if Liu Hong was no longer the Grand Administrator of Shanyang, who would replace him?
Xu Yue replied indifferently, "The new Grand Administrator will be Yuan Yi, courtesy name Boye—a cousin of Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu." With that, he firmly declined further farewells, boarded his carriage, and departed for the Xiangyang post station.
As Fei Qian walked back, he mused to himself, 'Yuan Shao's cousin? It seems Yuan Shao's influence stretches far indeed, even reaching into Yanzhou...'
---
Meanwhile, the three Kuai brothers sat in their family pavilion. Though the pavilion and the tea brewing were the same as always, the atmosphere was markedly heavier.
The youngest brother, Kuai Qi, glanced at his eldest brother, Kuai Liang, then at the second brother, Kuai Yue. Seeing neither speak, and unsure how to break the silence, he lowered his head and stared at the tea simmering over the charcoal stove.
Those who have endured awkward silences know the sensation—an invisible pressure builds with each passing moment, as if an unseen force is pressing down relentlessly.
Kuai Yue, noticing Kuai Liang's closed eyes and unreadable expression, grew uneasy. Just yesterday, Fei Qian had delivered the full 40,000 arrows, and Cai Mao's signed receipt had been filed with the official Deng Xi, marking the official completion of the arrow production task.
The trap Kuai Yue had designed not only failed to trip Fei Qian up but instead propelled him to greater prominence. Now, Fei Qian was not only Pang Degong's unofficial disciple but also allied with the Huang family through marriage, leveraging their craftsmen to effortlessly overcome what Kuai Yue had assumed was an insurmountable challenge. For someone who prided himself on his cleverness, this was a significant blow.
Unable to bear the oppressive silence, Kuai Qi mustered his courage. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother didn't… didn't make a mistake. It's just that Fei Qian, that brat—"
Under Kuai Liang's piercing gaze, Kuai Qi's words faltered, and he swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Kuai Liang then turned to Kuai Yue, who was now sweating slightly, and softened. "Is the tea ready?"
Kuai Qi blurted, "Ah… not yet..."
Kuai Liang shot him a glare before addressing Kuai Yue. "Why isn't it boiling?"
Kuai Yue understood the metaphor—his brother was using the tea to discuss Fei Qian. After a moment's thought, he answered honestly, "...Because the fire isn't strong enough yet."
"Good." Kuai Liang nodded. "Do you understand now why I stopped you from pursuing further action?"
"...The situation has already taken shape. Any further effort would be futile..." Kuai Yue lowered his head, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
Kuai Liang took a deep breath and abruptly changed the subject, as if discussing something entirely unrelated to Fei Qian. "Yesterday, the Inspector summoned me privately to discuss joining the campaign against Dong Zhuo."
"Ag—against Dong Zhuo?!" Kuai Qi exclaimed, nearly knocking over the teapot in his shock.
Without opening his eyes, Kuai Liang said coolly, "Yuantai, your composure still needs work. Tomorrow, copy 'Book of Rites', Chapter 31, ten times."
"Yes..." Kuai Qi replied dejectedly. Chapter 31 of the 'Book of Rites' was nearly 2,000 characters long—ten copies meant 20,000 characters. Moreover, "copying" wasn't a mindless task; Kuai Liang intended for him to reflect deeply on the text to cultivate his temperament. Any sloppiness would likely earn further punishment.
"This matter of campaigning against Dong Zhuo... What is Eldest Brother's opinion?" Kuai Yue ventured cautiously.
"What do 'you' think?" Kuai Liang countered, opening his eyes to stare at him.
Kuai Yue quickly weighed his words. "...We should not participate."
"Why?"
"Liu Jingsheng has only recently taken control of Jingxiang. His foundation is unstable. Acting rashly would bring no benefit and might invite trouble. Thus, we should not join." Kuai Yue's reasoning was clear and precise—what good would it do for Liu Biao to meddle in others' affairs when his own territory wasn't secure?
Kuai Liang nodded. "Good. Yidu, do you understand now what must be done?"
Kuai Yue bowed deeply. "Tomorrow, I will personally apologize to Fei Qian, Fei Ziyuan." His brother's meaning was unmistakable—if Liu Biao's footing was unsteady, how much more precarious was the Kuai family's position in Jingxiang's political arena?
"Good." Though Kuai Liang agreed outwardly, he sighed inwardly. He had never wanted Kuai Yue to suffer such humiliation, but against the combined influence of the Pang, Huang, and Cai families, the Kuai family was still too weak. For now, they had to secure their footing. As for the future...
Kuai Liang closed his eyes and murmured, "There will be time yet..."
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A/N: Does anyone know what 'Book of Rites', Chapter 31 is about? Historically, Liu Biao didn't join the campaign against Dong Zhuo—likely not because he didn't want to, but because he was too busy dealing with bandits and unrest in his own territory. When your own house is overrun with thieves, who has the energy to worry about someone else's fire?
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