Chapter 63, Chapter Eleven: The Rumors of the Beautiful Women

The next day, when Sima Ye got up, he heard that Liu Jun had taken his leave of the palace early in the morning.

He left without saying goodbye, which made Sima Ye slightly unhappy. However, he saw palace servants present him with clothes. Among them, Guan Tong stepped forward with a smile, holding a bamboo slip in his hand. The ink on it was still fresh, but it contained a few lines of unfinished poetry: "There are fine trees in the courtyard, which bear red flowers in the morning. They spread their radiance and shine brightly, as bright as the Milky Way."

Sima Ye was taken aback, only then noticing that a crimson hibiscus was inserted into the beam of the Jinxian crown that Yuan Guang was holding, and it was in full bloom, facing the morning light.

He chuckled softly, letting Yuan Guang place the crown on his head. "Did Attendant Liu pick it himself?"

“Indeed, this branch grows extremely tall. If it weren’t for the fact that you, the Chamberlain, are eight feet tall and have exceptional martial arts skills, you probably wouldn’t have been able to pick it.”

Sima Ye nodded, but then thought that although the hibiscus was beautiful, it was a flower that bloomed in the morning and withered in the evening, which was not a good omen. His face darkened again. He played with the bamboo slip in his hand and suddenly noticed that there were words on the back of the slip: "Although it blooms in the morning and withers in the evening, it blooms in succession, and is ever-renewing. Therefore, this flower is also called Wuji (meaning 'limitless')."

Sima Ye was taken aback. "This flower is indeed a perfect match for Weiyang Palace or Wuji Hall."

"May Your Majesty enjoy boundless happiness!" It's unclear who started it, but the palace maids all bowed down.

Sima Ye was in a good mood, and a blush rose on his fair cheeks, which complemented the hibiscus on his crown. He truly deserved the description of a beautiful face. "In that case, pluck one for me every day."

Liu Jun no longer cared whether flattering the emperor pleased him or not. He was busy all day long. First, he met up with Lu Jing outside the city and settled in an abandoned house left by the Han dynasty imperial family. He also bought some land, set up camp, and settled the soldiers who had come with him.

After finishing all these tasks, it was nearly dusk. After a moment's thought, I decided to go to the Secretariat. Originally, during the Han and Wei dynasties, the Attendant-in-Ordinary did not have a fixed office. It was only after Sima Yan usurped the throne of Wei that the Secretariat was established, responsible for delivering the emperor's edicts to the Ministry of Personnel.

Unfortunately, the emperor's edicts are ignored nowadays, and the Secretariat is also neglected.

When Liu Jun entered, there were only a few scholars chatting in twos and threes. They glanced at him briefly when they saw that he was a young man in his early twenties, and then continued their lively conversation.

"I heard that young master Liu is coming to serve as a court attendant?"

"Indeed, he has known His Majesty since childhood. I heard that His Majesty argued with General Suo for two days before deciding on this candidate."

"Why is he coming to Guanzhong instead of staying in Hanzhong? He really doesn't know his own limitations."

"Speaking of which, even his father, despite his supposedly unparalleled achievements, only relied on the prestige of the Tuoba Xianbei. Now that Tuoba Yilu is dead, would he still dare to be so arrogant?"

"Sigh, even his own parents have been dragged down with him!"

"In any case, Liu Sikong is already a hero of our time for managing Bingzhou. After all, if he wanted to, he could cross the river to the south at any time. Why should he stay in Jinyang and suffer so much?"

"That being said, I simply dislike the way the government and the public worship him!"

"Alright, Brother Ziqi, you had a falling out with the Liu brothers when you were young, but now Liu Qingsun is a skeleton and Liu Yueshi is on the verge of death. Why dwell on the past? Here, take some relaxation pills to feel better..."

"Well said!" Liu Jun stepped out of the shadows and looked at the person who had come to smooth things over. "With the nation in peril, how can a country not perish if it continues to fight over trivial matters from the past?"

Ziqi was a middle-aged scholar in flowing robes and a wide belt. At this moment, his face was full of arrogance, and he seemed to be too lazy to pay any attention to this ignorant young man.

"My name is Xin Bin, a court official, and my ancestral home is Didao in Longxi. I was transferred here because my staff was short of people." The middle-aged man who was trying to smooth things over bowed.

Both the Cao Wei and Jin dynasties inherited the system of the Eastern Han dynasty, where outstanding candidates in the "filial piety and incorruptibility" examination were admitted to the Ministry of Personnel. Upon entering the Ministry, they would first serve as Gentlemen-in-Waiting, then as Gentlemen-in-Waiting after one year, and as Attendants-in-Waiting after three years. Thus, it seems that Xin Bin's official career was not very successful. At a time when most of the elites had migrated south and there was a shortage of talent in the Central Plains, he only managed to become a Gentleman-in-Waiting.

Liu Jun narrowed his eyes, "Is your brother Xin Mian, the Attendant-in-Ordinary?"

Xin Bin asked in surprise, "Who are you, sir? How do you know my elder brother?"

"After the Yongjia Rebellion, Emperor Huai was in exile, and your brother followed him to Pingyang. Even when the Han emperor offered him the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies, he firmly declined. Even when he was tested with poison, he remained unmoved. How virtuous and loyal he was!" Liu Jun asked with concern. "By the way, I heard that your brother was living in seclusion in the western mountains of Pingyang. Now that Pingyang has been pacified, may I ask where he is?"

Xin Bin was not only refined and cultured, but he also spoke like a pedantic scholar. Without asking who Liu Jun was, he wiped away his tears with his sleeve and told the whole story: "After the Yongjia era, there was no news of my elder brother. When the court recaptured Pingyang, I wrote a letter home, but unfortunately, I never heard back. Later, I heard that Pingyang had gone through several major battles, and that Liu Shizhong had held out in Pingyang for more than three months. They lacked food and clothing, and there were corpses everywhere. Now that I think about it, even if my elder brother did not die at the hands of the enemy, I'm afraid he is probably in grave danger!"

Seeing him wailing, Liu Jun couldn't help but say sadly, "Your brother is a loyal and righteous man. Heaven will surely protect him and he will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune."

Seeing that the two were getting along so well, Na Ziqi couldn't help but say sourly, "You seem to be quite well-informed. May I ask your name?"

Liu Jun smiled slightly, “Liu Jun of Zhongshan, courtesy name Yanshi.”

Not only was Ziqi stunned, but even Xinbin forgot his grief and stared at him with his mouth agape.

Liu Jun walked to the hall with his hands behind his back, sat down in front of the central desk, and flipped through the bamboo slips on the desk. Seeing that most of them were unimportant memorials and reports, he brushed them all aside and said with a smile, "I am not talented, but I have been selected by His Majesty to serve as a Chamberlain. However, I am new here and am quite at a loss. I would like to ask you two for guidance."

He nodded to Xinbin, then said to Ziqi, "I've heard that you have a grudge against my father, Brother Ziqi. May I ask which elder brother is it?"

Although Liu Jun was amiable, his years of battle experience revealed a chilling and murderous aura in his eyes. Ziqi trembled violently, his lips shaking, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I have no grudge against the Minister of Works; it's all just hearsay..."

Liu Jun raised an eyebrow. “You did not refute what Doctor Xin said earlier. Actually, there is no need to be so nervous. The son pays for the father’s debts. If my father has done anything wrong, you can tell me and I will make amends.”

He spoke humbly, yet remained seated with an imposing and commanding presence.

"I come from humble origins and have never met Your Excellency before. My previous boasting was merely to enhance my own reputation. I had no intention of offending Your Excellency. Please forgive me!" Ziqi finally bowed deeply to the ground, showing none of the aloofness or arrogance of a scholar.

Xin Bin took a step to the side, drawing a clear line, his face full of contempt.

“It’s alright, I don’t blame you,” Liu Jun said, his expression softening. “I don’t care about family background or reputation. As long as someone is diligent in their work, I will promote them. There’s really no need for this.”

He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, there are still some documents here. Go and organize them, and I'll look at them tomorrow."

As Na Ziqi took the documents and was about to leave, he heard Liu Jun say in a sinister tone, "I never felt that you had any grudge against my father. After all, all those who were at odds with him are no longer alive..."

Xin Bin stared in disbelief as Zi Qi scrambled away, and then saw Liu Jun burst into laughter. He suddenly realized that his disciples were in for a good time.