Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 83 deserves much credit.

While Xia Yu, Tian Yan, and Zang Min were sending their battle reports and apologies to Luoyang, Liu Quan had already used a drone to deliver a detailed account of the battle to Cai's residence.

When Cai Yong saw his daughter holding a bird and handing over the letter Liu Quan had sent, his features were distorted with shock.

"Wan'er, are you perhaps joking with your father? You said this bird flew thousands of miles to deliver this letter to you?"

"Father, what Wan'er said is true. Look at the letter. It was written by Quan himself, and Quan trained the bird himself."

"Yuan Gu actually possesses such miraculous abilities?"

Cai Yong took the letter with some skepticism, opened it, and saw rows of pleasing small characters.

"Beautiful handwriting!"

Cai Yong did not read the contents of the letter at first, but instead began to admire the calligraphy.

He himself is a master calligrapher, so he can naturally appreciate the beauty of Liu Quan's regular script.

"This is regular script, created by A-Quan," Cai Wan said proudly.

Cai Yong didn't hear what his daughter was saying at all; he was completely absorbed in calligraphy.

Holding the letter in one hand and suspending the other in the air, the index finger gently traces the strokes, completely absorbed in the moment.

"Wonderful..." he murmured to himself, his eyes almost touching the paper. "This calligraphy... its form is square and upright, like a sage sitting primly and proper; the strokes are straight, as if measured by a jade ruler, with no deviation in degree. The horizontal strokes are like a thousand miles of battle clouds, the vertical strokes like ancient withered vines, the strokes are graceful yet disciplined, the hooks and flicks are subtle yet contain hidden sharpness. It is dignified yet not rigid, rigorous yet full of variation, every stroke has rules, yet it does not lack a lively spirit."

"Tsk tsk tsk, this...this isn't just writing, it's clearly the conduct of a virtuous person standing in the halls of power, their every move measured and measured!"

Cai Yong looked at it with increasing admiration and astonishment. Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes shining, and asked, "Who created this style of calligraphy? What is it called?"

Cai Wan said coquettishly, "Father, you weren't listening to me just now."

Then, raising her fair neck proudly, she said, "This is regular script, created by A-Quan. A-Quan said that this script has a square shape and straight strokes, making it a model for calligraphy, hence the name 'regular script'."

"Regular script...the model of calligraphy..."

Cai Yong repeated it twice, then slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"Excellent! What a fine example of regular script! I have studied calligraphy for decades and have seen clerical script, seal script, cursive script, and running script, but I have never seen such a dignified yet lively style. This young man, Yuan Gu, is exceptionally talented and skilled in martial arts, and now he has even achieved such mastery in calligraphy. I admire him greatly!"

As Cai Wan listened to her father praising her beloved, the corners of her mouth turned up so high she couldn't suppress it.

After a moment of reflection, Cai Yong finally remembered his business, looked down at the contents of the letter, and his brows gradually furrowed.

"All three armies have been routed, this..."

"Huh? This kid actually risked everything, setting fire to Tanhan Mountain? Absolutely audacious, truly audacious!"

As he read on, when he came to the section on "building a mound of skulls and erecting a wooden stele," he gasped and shook his head: "Isn't this going too far...?"

After reading the letter from beginning to end, Cai Yong put it down and closed his eyes to ponder for a long time.

After a while, he opened his eyes and said to Cai Wan, "Father understands Yuan Gu's meaning. Go and write back to him, saying that Father has done his best. I will also speak to Lord Liu. The two of us will submit a petition together, so that Yuan Gu and the others' contributions will not be buried."

After saying that, his gaze fell on the strange bird perched on his daughter's shoulder. He couldn't help but lean closer for a look and asked curiously, "This bird... can it really deliver letters back?"

Cai Wan nodded.

The bird nodded in agreement.

Cai Yong thought he was seeing things and rubbed his eyes.

Let's look back.

The bird was still nodding.

"Strange, strange..."

He muttered a few words, and for no apparent reason, he felt a sense of awe towards the yet-to-be-married son-in-law.

Little did he know that his good son-in-law was controlling the drone in real time from a drone's perspective, and was seeing all of his actions and expressions.

Looking at his future father-in-law's current appearance, Liu Quan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

As it turned out, Liu Quan's decision to have Cai Yong and Liu Kuan submit their memorials in advance was not unnecessary.

Such a major event as the burning of Tanhan Mountain could not be kept secret.

Soon, the messengers of Xia Yu, Tian Yan, and Zang Min arrived at Lousang Village one after another.

Xia Yu's envoy was extremely arrogant. "My master said that you have made contributions in this battle. As long as you do as my master says, you will certainly not be short of benefits."

Liu Quan said calmly, "Is that so? I'm sorry, I've already sent the report on this battle to Luoyang."

The envoy was taken aback, then his face lit up with disdain: "A son of a powerful family has the right to submit a memorial? Do they even know which way the palace gates open?"

Liu Quan said unhurriedly, "I don't know, but my father-in-law and teacher do."

The messenger's eyelids twitched: "Who are your father-in-law and teacher?"

"Cai Yong, Liu Kuan."

"Goodbye!"

Liu Quan used the same words to dismiss Tian Yan's envoy.

Liu Bei was somewhat worried, "We're not afraid of retaliation from Xia Yu and Tian Yan for offending them, but the village..."

Liu Quan laughed and said, "Given the current emperor's temper, Xia Yu, Tian Yan, and Zang Min will definitely be stripped of their titles and dismissed from their posts. They're just three commoners, what are we afraid of!"

Zang Min's messenger was the last to arrive, and he was someone Liu Quan knew.

It is not something we learn in reality, but rather through historical records.

Sun Jian, Sun Wentai.

Sun Jian came here volunteering for the mission.

He desperately wanted to meet the heroes who had burned down Danhan Mountain.

"This must be Brother Liu. I am Sun Jian. It is truly an honor to meet you. Brother Liu may not know, but I arrived here after you left Tanhan Mountain and witnessed your heroic deeds. I am filled with admiration..."

As soon as Sun Jian arrived, he grabbed Liu Bei and started talking non-stop.

It was simply because Liu Bei was the first person to be named on that wooden plaque.

Sun Jian believed that Liu Bei was the one in charge of burning down Tanhan Mountain.

Liu Bei was somewhat embarrassed.

He felt he didn't deserve such praise.

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards Liu Quan, carrying a hint of pleading.

Liu Quan stood to the side, smiled and winked at him, then nodded slightly.

Liu Bei understood, suppressed his shame, straightened his back, and began to chat warmly with Sun Jian.

Given Liu Bei's skill in making friends, and considering that Sun Jian had come specifically because of his reputation, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The two chatted about everything from the customs and scenery of the frontier to martial arts, and the more they talked, the more they clicked. Before long, they were already calling each other brothers.

Sun Jian then learned from Liu Bei that the idea of ​​burning down Danhan Mountain was entirely Liu Quan's, and that the Jingguan (a mound of corpses) and the wooden stele were also Liu Quan's work. Sun Jian immediately began to look at Liu Quan with new respect.

He then grasped Liu Quan's hand and exclaimed repeatedly, "Yuan Gu is accomplished in both literature and martial arts; truly a rare talent of our time! In all my years of traveling north and south, I, Sun Wentai, have rarely seen anyone like you brothers!"

This guy completely forgot about his mission, or rather, he simply didn't care.

He shared Liu Quan's assessment: Zang Min was finished.