Chapter 47

Unlike Liu Zhen, who was like she had a built-in cheat system, Song Hong's intelligence was practically an inborn talent.

Centuries later, there would be a child prodigy named Cao Chong, who was "young, perceptive, and exceptionally clever; at the age of five or six, his intelligence reached that of an adult." Cao Cao even considered bypassing Cao Pi and Cao Zhi to pass his position directly to him. Liu Zhen couldn't personally experience just how intelligent Cao Chong was, but seeing Song Hong, she finally understood what it meant for there to be a gap between people.

For the same book, Liu Jin needed to recite it ten or twenty times to barely remember it—which was, of course, the standard for an ordinary child. But Song Hong only needed to read it once before he could close his eyes and recite it fluently.

After Meng Xing explained the material once, Liu Jin still only had a partial understanding, whereas Song Hong could already extrapolate and draw other inferences.

What is an academic ace? This is an academic ace.

After a few rounds of this, Liu Jin became even more dejected. He was already having trouble keeping up, and now the blow was even greater. He nearly buried his head in his book, unable to pull it out.

No teacher dislikes a clever student, and Meng Xing was no exception. Although he usually had Liu Zhen learning alongside them, and she was also very bright, the focus of his teaching was Liu Jin. Moreover, Meng Xing held some chauvinistic views, believing that no matter how well Liu Zhen learned, it would be of no great use in the future, so he didn't feel a great sense of accomplishment. Who would have thought that the even more intelligent Song Hong would arrive and instantly outshine both Liu Zhen and Liu Jin? Now, Meng Xing's sense of accomplishment skyrocketed. Of the two-shichen lesson each day, nearly half a shichen was spent on Q&A interaction between Meng Xing and Song Hong.

Liu Zhen began to suspect that her father had seen how clever Song Hong was and thus came up with the idea of bringing Madam Tao and her son back, so that Madam Tao could also bear him a clever son. In any case, he wasn't particularly satisfied with either Liu Nan or Liu Jin.

Fingers on a hand are of different lengths. Even for children born of the same parents, it's impossible for parents to treat them all equally; there will certainly be some favoritism. The five people in the Liu family now came from two mothers. In the future, as Liu Yuan's concubines grew in number, so too would her younger siblings.

But Liu Zhen did not feel alarmed by this.

Never mind that her father was currently just a Governer; even if he were to achieve the status of a vassal king in the future, so what? The glory and wealth were all things her father had fought for with his own hands. He naturally had the right to decide who the heir would be. Although Liu Nan was the eldest son and held a natural advantage in both public opinion and official status, if he didn't work hard himself, could he truly secure his position?

It was just like Liu Zhen herself. Although she was the eldest daughter, if she weren't clever and resourceful enough to make Liu Yuan see her in a special light, how could she have a status so far above Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang? Have you not seen, throughout history, how few of those eldest sons of principal wives, designated as heirs early on, actually managed to have a good end?

What you want, you must strive to obtain for yourself.

Only what is obtained through your own strength is truly secure. Merely hoping for others to speak on your behalf, or for them to have a crisis of conscience and hand it to you, means it isn't truly yours. Sooner or later, it will be taken away.

Liu Zhen felt that, as a younger sister, she would certainly help her full brother whenever she could. But many things couldn't be achieved by relying on others. If Liu Nan lacked the ability, it would be useless no matter how much she worried for him. Therefore, there was no point in baseless anxiety; it was better to relax and let nature take its course.

As the saying goes, do one's best and leave the rest to Heaven. First, you must have tried your hardest, and then you can entrust the outcome to the heavens.

And as for Liu Nan, to be honest, judging from the incident where he ran away from home to join Liu Yuan's army, he clearly did not yet possess the qualities to inherit Liu Yuan's efforts. If Liu Yuan were to suddenly pass away now, Liu Nan would be absolutely incapable of shouldering the heavy burden. No wonder Liu Yuan was angry and disappointed. If it were Liu Zhen's decision, she certainly wouldn't be considering her eldest brother at this time either.

Since that was the case, no matter what plans her father had, as long as he didn't lose his head and do something unimaginable—like favoring a concubine to the detriment of his wife—it was unlikely. Of course, Liu Zhen felt that unless her father was possessed by a ghost, he would basically never do such a thing. So for now, there was nothing to worry about.

Right now, her father's high regard for Madam Tao clearly had two reasons. One, Song Hong was the son of Song Liu; taking him in was beneficial to Liu Yuan's own reputation. Two, since Song Hong was very clever, having him attend classes with Liu Jin might allow Liu Jin to be influenced by him and gain some inspiration and help. These were the two most basic and important premises. As for Madam Tao being smart and clever, knowing the bigger picture and when to advance or retreat better than Madam Zhang, or even her being good in bed and so on and so forth—those were all just extra, added values.

But unfortunately, Madam Zhang couldn't see this point right now. She saw Madam Tao's added value as the main point and felt that her own status was being threatened.

In truth, she couldn't be blamed. From the moment she married Liu Yuan, he had been just a commoner from the countryside; no one had ever imagined he would one day have such a meteoric rise. Therefore, Madam Zhang was a qualified mistress for an ordinary household. She simply hadn't yet adapted to Liu Yuan's change in status. However, Liu Yuan wouldn't stand still and wait for her to slowly catch up, because there were more important things ahead waiting for him to do.

But while Liu Zhen understood these things clearly, she couldn't advise Madam Zhang in her capacity as a daughter. After all, that was her mother, her elder.

The fact that his companion, a year younger than him, was even more clever and resourceful was a huge blow to Liu Jin. He was a bit listless even after class. Liu Zhen stroked his head and passed a plate of bean cakes before his eyes.

"This is your favorite. How come you haven't touched it today?"

"Elder Sister," Liu Jin called out as he looked up. Then he lowered his head to tidy up the bamboo slips beside him, stacking them neatly. Only then did he get up and say considerately, "I'm not eating, Elder Sister. Don't hold it, your hand will get tired."

In fact, everyone has two sides to their personality. Although Liu Jin was timid, he was also gentle-natured, well-behaved, and obedient, and he wasn't one to argue with others. Despite being thoroughly doted upon by Madam Zhang, when he was with his full sisters, Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang, it was more often him who gave way to them.

Because of this, Liu Zhen felt a bit more pity and affection for this younger brother and was willing to take extra care of him in all matters.

"It's not tired." The sweet and delicate voice brought a smile to Liu Zhen's face. She then asked Song Hong, who was also tidying up his things beside her, "Ah Hong, would you like some? It's still a bit early for the morning meal."

"I'm not hungry. Thank you, Elder Sister of the Liu family." Song Hong thanked her earnestly, his serious, round face provoking a laugh.

Liu Zhen's smile deepened. "Ah Hong, Father has instructed that although your surname is Song, from now on you are also a member of the Liu family. Since that's the case, you should call me Elder Sister, just like Ah Jin does."

Song Hong's little face flushed slightly. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then called out in a small voice, "Elder Sister."

Although Liu Yuan had indeed given this instruction, everyone in the Governer's Mansion knew that Song Hong was not a Liu. For the time being, it was impossible for them to truly regard him as a young master of the mansion. Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang also held some hostility towards this sudden peer. When Song Hong first arrived a few days ago, they hadn't spared him even a single glance. Liu Jin was better, but he didn't know how to get along with this new companion either.

So Liu Zhen said, "Ah Hong, Ah Jin is not as clever as you. I'll have to trouble you to look after him more in the future."

Just today, Liu Jin had been hit on the palm by Meng Xing and punished to copy the lesson twenty times because he couldn't recite the homework assigned yesterday. But what Liu Zhen meant by 'look after' was not, of course, for Song Hong to help Liu Jin cheat, but rather for Song Hong to help supervise and urge Liu Jin to study more diligently, lest he have to copy his homework every day. That would be too pitiful.

Song Hong glanced at Liu Jin and nodded. "Rest assured, Elder Sister."

Liu Jin, remembering that he still hadn't said a single word to Song Hong, felt a little embarrassed. He picked up the plate of bean cakes on the low table and used it to break the ice. "Do you want some?"

Song Hong curled his lip with a hint of disgust. "I don't eat that. It's sticky."

Liu Jin asked, "Then what do you want to eat? I'll go get it for you."

Song Hong lowered his head and didn't speak for a long time.

Liu Jin asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you?"

"I... I miss my father. He used to take me out and buy me chicken and duck cakes to eat." Song Hong's eyes reddened. No matter how clever he was, he was still just a four-year-old child.

Liu Jin was at a loss. "Then... then I'll have the kitchens make chicken and duck cakes for you?"

Song Hong sniffled. "It's not the same!"

Liu Jin didn't understand. "How is it not the same? Are the chicken and duck cakes from outside tastier? But my mother said the cooks in the Governer's Mansion are already the best in all of Yangdi City!"

Song Hong couldn't explain it either, so he just pouted and said nothing.

Liu Jin quickly said, "Alright, don't cry. I'll take you to the kitchen. Just tell them what you want to eat, and I'll have them make it for you, okay?"

Song Hong nodded.

Liu Jin took his hand to leave, then remembered Liu Zhen and turned back. "Elder Sister, will you have some chicken and duck cakes too?"

Liu Zhen smiled. "No, I'm going to find Father. Do you two want to come with me?"

As soon as he heard they were going to see their father, Liu Jin subconsciously shrank his neck back and said hurriedly, "I'm not going, I'm not going!"

Then he took Song Hong's hand and ran off.

It's so easy for children to build friendships. They've gotten close so quickly!

Watching their retreating figures, hand in hand, Liu Zhen sighed with emotion.

But she didn't have much time for such sighs. Though only ten years old, the things she had to do and worry about were far more numerous than those of Liu Jin and Song Hong.

For instance, pleading with her father for her older brother, Liu Nan.

After Liu Nan had snuck away, he had eventually caught up with Liu Yuan's army—of that there was no doubt. However, when Liu Yuan returned, Liu Nan did not come back with him. Upon asking, everyone learned that Liu Nan had been ordered by Liu Yuan to stay in Nan Commandery with Xu Zhongfang.

At this time, Song Liu, who had originally held Nanyang Commandery, was already dead, and Nanyang had fallen back into Qin hands. Liu Yuan had Xu Zhongfang remain in Nan Commandery, partly to act as a garrison, and partly so that, if an opportunity arose, he could conquer Nanyang as well.

Was Nanyang Commandery so easy to conquer? Of course not. Liu Yuan himself had led troops against it for half a month without success. Therefore, in the short term, Liu Nan didn't need to even consider the question of returning.

Liu Zhen understood her brother extremely well. With Liu Nan's personality, since he was determined to run off, he would grit his teeth and endure it, no matter how hard it was. But Liu Yuan's anger towards Liu Nan clearly hadn't subsided, and he was extremely disappointed in him. An estrangement had formed between father and son, and with the passage of time, this gap would surely grow wider. If their birth mother were still alive, she would naturally have mediated between them. But unfortunately, Madam Zhou had passed away early, so the task of being the 'lubricant' could only fall to Liu Zhen.

To Liu Zhen, although Liu Nan was impulsive, hot-headed, and acted without much thought, he was truly a good older brother. Liu Zhen still remembered having nightmares as a child, unable to sleep well for several nights in a row. At the time, Madam Zhang had her own children to care for and naturally couldn't spare much attention for her. After Liu Nan found out, he ran up the mountain to pick a type of herb said to calm the mind and aid sleep. He even took a fall doing so and nearly broke his leg.

Liu Zhen herself was mentally mature and never made any excessive demands of Liu Nan. But Liu Nan always kept his younger sister in mind. Whenever there was something good to eat or fun to play with, he would never forget to give her a share. If anyone outside so much as mocked her, Liu Nan would beat them up tenfold in return.

Liu Zhen remembered every drop of this affection in her heart. The bond between a brother and sister meant sharing both glory and disgrace, a tie thicker than water. This was a point that would never change, not in the past and not in the future.

Liu Yuan's territory had more than doubled, which also meant his workload had more than doubled. The lands of Hengshan and Nan Commandery were now under the jurisdiction of Yingchuan Commandery, but Liu Yuan still held the title of Governer. This meant that Hengshan and Nan Commandery would no longer have their own Governers, only County Magistrates for each county. As for the former officials, some had died in the fires of war, while others had surrendered. Not all who surrendered could be used, as Liu Yuan had to guard against those who harbored ill intentions. A place like Yingchuan Commandery had also gone through several upheavals, including the incident with Dong Yi, before it finally settled down completely.

Therefore, to be able to rest easy, Liu Yuan had to install his own people in both Hengshan and Nan Commandery. With Xu Zhongfang holding down Nan Commandery, there was nothing to worry about. The only concern was Hengshan Commandery...

He tapped the map and yawned, just as he saw Liu Zhen walk in.

She still entered without being announced—throughout the entire Governer's Mansion, only Liu Zhen had this privilege. And Liu Yuan wasn't annoyed; instead, he broke into a smile.

"Ah Zhen, have you had your morning meal yet?"

"I was just thinking of having it with Father!" Liu Zhen said with a grin.

"Come, come!" Liu Yuan beckoned for her to sit down and ordered someone to bring in another low dining table.

The food was quickly served: golden millet rice, vibrant green rue, fragrant and glistening roasted cured venison, char siu tenderloin, mashed taro mixed with malt sugar to make a paste, and chilled sweet wine. It was a sumptuous spread.

Liu Yuan was very fond of material comforts, a fact he never shied away from. In the past, he lacked the means, so even if he wanted to indulge, he couldn't. Now that he had the means, he naturally didn't need to deny himself. As for the spartan and frugal style of those in high positions, Liu Yuan did not possess it—of course, enjoying comforts was not the same as being extravagant and wasteful.

After finishing the morning meal, Liu Zhen asked about many of the things he had seen and heard on his southern campaign. Liu Yuan was happy to use this time for conversation to distract himself and rest. When the topic turned to Xu Zhongfang remaining in Nan Commandery, Liu Zhen asked, "Father, when are you going to let Eldest Brother come back?"

Liu Yuan's expression immediately darkened. He snorted, "Let him come back for what? Since he loves running off so much, he might as well just stay out there!"

Liu Zhen said, "Eldest Brother only wants to achieve great things and share Father's burdens. His actions were reckless, but his heart is commendable."

Liu Yuan sighed and stroked her head. "What's the use of barging around recklessly with nothing but blind passion? When doing things, one must ultimately use one's head more. If he were like you, I wouldn't have to worry!"

His enterprise had now developed to such a scale, and seeing others proclaim themselves kings in their own territories, Liu Yuan also had some secret thoughts that couldn't be voiced to outsiders. Since he didn't want the Liu family's prosperity to be merely temporary, he had to make long-term plans. And Liu Nan was clearly not yet up to shouldering Liu Yuan's expectations.

While her father was lamenting that he didn't have a good son, Liu Zhen took the opportunity to pull on his sleeve coquettishly. "Father, I miss Eldest Brother. Please let him come back. He must know he was wrong and will surely not make the same mistake again. Just forgive him this once!"

This time, however, Liu Yuan did not agree as he had in the past. He only said, "No. He must be taught an unforgettable lesson before he will truly reflect on his actions. You are not to get involved in this matter. I've had him join your Third Uncle to drill at the training grounds every single day. He will even be taken along to battle. Didn't he want to achieve great merits? This time, his wish will be granted!"

Liu Zhen had seen Xu Zhongfang's ruthless demeanor when he drilled soldiers; he would recognize no one, not even family. Forget Liu Nan, even if Liu Yuan himself were present, he would show no mercy. She could already foresee what Liu Nan would be drilled into...

Eldest Brother, you'll have to fend for yourself. I can't help you anymore!