Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 43 Forced Matchmaking

"If Bojie is looking for a son-in-law, this boy is truly a good match."

"Although my disciple is young, his martial arts skills, talent, appearance, and character are all top-notch."

"Actually, Quan also has the title of 'Jade Gentleman' in Youzhou, and countless young ladies are infatuated with him, but he remains unmoved, focusing on martial arts and studying. Isn't such a character admirable?"

Lu Zhi was unaware that his disciple had already taken meat and even made a grand vow to "the more the better."

He continued, "A-Quan also has the title of 'Tiger General of the World' in Youzhou. I have witnessed his martial arts skills; he is the bravest in the army."

"Ah Quan is also exceptionally gifted in his studies, possessing the same photographic memory as you, Bo Jie. He often has unique insights. If you were to ask me which of my disciples could inherit my mantle, besides Gao You, it would be this boy."

"Oh, even Gongsun Zan, whom you always talk about, isn't acceptable?"

Cai Yong had unknowingly loosened Lu Zhi's collar.

It was just a joke; I wasn't really angry.

Cai Yong was a free-spirited and humorous man, sometimes acting like a mischievous child.

Lu Zhi shook his head and said, "Bo Gui is talented, but he is too ambitious and hasty in his actions, so he is not good at scholarship."

Cai Yong nodded. "Continue with Liu Quan. What is his family background?"

Lu Zhi looked surprised. "Bo Jie, you don't really want to find a son-in-law, do you?"

Cai Yong sighed, "Alas, my daughter is growing up and will eventually have to get married. It would be good if she could find someone who suits her taste."

Seeing Lu Zhi smiling, he added, "Zigan, don't be so quick to laugh. I might not even think much of your disciple. Keep talking, keep talking!"

Lu Zhi smiled and shook his head, then continued, "Liu Quan came from the Liu clan of Zhuojun, and was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, a member of the Han imperial family."

"The Prince of Zhongshan of the Former Han Dynasty! He has quite a few descendants, practically scattered throughout the land. Nowadays, only the branch in Zhongshan Commandery is recognized by the world. Moreover, the imperial relatives of the Former Han Dynasty are not recorded in the imperial genealogy of this dynasty, and are no different from ordinary noble families."

Lu Zhi thought for a moment and then told the truth: "We can't be considered a prominent family. No one in the Liu family of Zhuojun has held a high-ranking official position for three generations, nor has the family passed down any classical studies. However, I've heard that the family has a tradition of military strategy."

Cai Yong said, "That's a powerful local tyrant."

Lu Zhi thought to himself, "They only became powerful in the last few years; before that, they were just a large clan in a village."

However, he didn't say it aloud.

Cai Yong didn't ask any further questions, having already ruled Liu Quan out of his list of potential sons-in-law.

Cai Bojie's daughter should at least marry into a prominent family.

Besides, my Wan'er is talented, beautiful, and of good character. Even among noble families, she is highly sought after and will not marry anyone but a talented and handsome man.

Lu Zhi saw through Cai Yong's thoughts.

He thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Bojie, I'm not trying to praise my own disciple, but don't underestimate Liu Quan just because he comes from an ordinary family. If given the opportunity, he will surely soar to great heights. Yes, Liu Quan is not from a prominent family, but he has the potential to become the patriarch of one."

If it weren't for Cai Yong's earlier joking remark, Lu Zhi wouldn't have even considered matchmaking Liu Quan and Cai Wan, but now—

He really thought that the two young people were a good match; they were both talented and beautiful, a perfect couple.

Cai Yong exclaimed in surprise, "You dare to boast about being the ancestor of a prominent family, Zigan?"

Lu Zhi said, "My disciple once said, 'Better to underestimate an old man than a poor young man,' because youth holds more possibilities. Zigan, your eldest daughter is only thirteen years old. Let's wait and see; we might just witness a young man soar to great heights."

"Tsk tsk, it seems you really think highly of this disciple, Zigan!"

"I never lie; this child is indeed outstanding."

Cai Yong couldn't help but feel curious about Liu Quan.

This was the first time he had ever seen Lu Zigan "praise" one of his disciples in such a way.

Even Gao You didn't receive such treatment.

Let's go back to today.

Lu Zhi's gaze fell on Liu Quan, and he stroked his beard and smiled as he looked at his disciple whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

He had been worried that Liu Quan might become arrogant and complacent after suddenly gaining such great fame.

Even now, Liu Quan is still the same Liu Quan. Despite the widespread fame of "Jade Gentleman" outside, he can still calm down and study at home.

"Were you talking about the Qin Dynasty just now?" Lu Zhi asked.

"Yes." Liu Quan nodded.

Where were we?

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

Lu Zhi nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes. "This sentence comes from the 'Ai Gong' chapter of Xunzi, a dialogue between Confucius and Duke Ai of Lu. The fact that you can use it to discuss Qin shows that you didn't just memorize what you read, but truly understood it."

He paused, then asked curiously, "Where did you come from when you said 'use bronze as a mirror, people as a mirror, and history as a mirror'?"

This quote comes from the "Biography of Wei Zheng" in the Old Book of Tang, and was spoken by Li Shimin more than four hundred years ago.

Because the lesson plan was created by Pangu, this artificial intelligence particularly likes to quote famous sayings, and Liu Quan just blurted it out.

But he didn't mince words and calmly replied, "Reporting to Master Lu, these three lines are just my own wild guesses."

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" Lu Zhi's smile widened. "Yuan Gu's name will be remembered in history with just this one sentence."

Gongsun Zan, standing to the side, looked on with envy, thinking, "How wonderful it would be if I were the one saying those words!"

Gongsun Zan, like Liu Bei, loved to show off and wanted to be famous.

However, Liu Bei's love of showing off was due to his youthful nature, while Gongsun Zan's actions were driven by more pragmatic motives.

For example, recently, he used Liu Quan as a matchmaker, and as Yu Langjun's senior brother, he once again became Lai Ying'er's lover.

Because Lai Ying'er, a famous courtesan in Luoyang, was also quite interested in "Jade Gentleman".

Thinking of Ying'er, a smile involuntarily appeared on Gongsun Zan's face.

He married quite young, but because he relied too much on his wife's family, he always unconsciously bowed his head in front of his wife.

But in front of Lai Ying'er, Gongsun Zan was able to rediscover his long-lost manly spirit.

To become a famous courtesan in Luoyang, Lai Ying'er not only knew how to manipulate men, but also had a firm grasp on their feelings.

Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and Gongsun Zan, three future powerful figures, were all her patrons.

When facing Yuan Shu, Lai Ying'er talked to him about interesting anecdotes from the streets, subtly flattering him.

When facing Cao Cao, Lai Ying'er would talk about poetry and prose with him, and occasionally they would argue over a certain point of view, which would only make Cao Cao more and more agitated.

When facing Gongsun Zan, Lai Ying'er acted gentle and charming, displaying the demeanor of a demure young woman.

This perfectly embodies the principle of tailoring solutions to individual circumstances.

Meanwhile, Gongsun Zan looked at Liu Quan and pondered whether he should find an opportunity to bring Yuan Gu to Yingge Tower so that he could meet Ying'er, since Ying'er had been quite curious about his junior brother lately.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Yuan Gu is still young, he should stay home and study...

Just as I was lost in thought, Lu Zhi's voice came, "Bo Gui."

Gongsun Zan was startled and quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your student is here."

"I heard that a few days ago you were jealous of Cao Mengde over a courtesan from Luoyang?" Lu Zhi's tone was indifferent, not particularly stern.

Gongsun Zan broke out in a cold sweat, feeling both anxious and furious.

"Who told Master Lu about this? Yes, it must be that scoundrel Cao Cao. Quite a few of Master Lu's disciples are on good terms with him."

"How old are you this year?" Lu Zhi asked again.

"Twenty...twenty-two," Gongsun Zan stammered.

"Twenty-two, not young anymore. Don't you think it's a waste to squander your best years on courtesans? You've always admired Huo Qubing, who was already a Marquis of Champion at your age."

Gongsun Zan's face flushed red. He was very dissatisfied with Lu Zhi's public criticism of him, but he also felt that what Lu Zhi said made sense.

When did the ambitions I had before coming to Luoyang disappear...?

Cold sweat broke out again.