Chapter 33: Listening to Song Xuan in Luojing (Part 1)

  Zhou Wenbo and Qing'e were newly enjoying the pleasures of being a couple, naturally affectionate to the point of wanting to merge into one person. Every day, as soon as Zhou Wenbo finished his official duties, he would spend time with Qing'e, their faces close together. Hong Zhuang was also present at the silent consent of the two, although she would cover her eyes and hide under the quilt in shyness every time. However, she would secretly peek through her fingers to observe and learn whenever the couple forgot themselves. In just a few short days, she had matured significantly.

  Zhou Wenbo benefited from the system's gift and Jiaolong bloodline, vigorous and talented, every time Qing'e surrendered first, then was held in his arms, sleeping together.

  On this day, the sky dropped heavy snow, and the house was brightly lit. The two people lying in bed were only wearing single clothes, curled up in the warm quilt and unwilling to get out of bed, still enjoying the rare warmth of winter.

  Suddenly, a commotion was heard outside the door, and then Hong Zhuang came to report that Zhou Wenbo's fourth senior brother, Zhuge Yu, had come to visit.

  Just in time!

  Upon hearing the news, Zhou Wenbo suddenly jumped out of bed and didn't even care about the cold wind brought by his sudden movement. He grabbed his coat from the clothes rack beside his bed, put it on, stuffed his feet into his shoes, and rushed out.

  This series of actions was completed in one breath, taking only a few seconds. It was so fast that even Qing'e on the bed and Hong Zhuang who came to report were stunned, with a look of astonishment on their faces.

  Zhuge Yu was still in his youth, a handsome young man. Today he wore a kerchief on his head and a crane cloak on his body, with an air of calmness and clarity in his eyes. If he held a feather fan in his hand, he would be exactly like the image of Tang Guoqiang from the TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

  Zhou Wenbo had just jumped out of bed, his hair was still disheveled, and the jacket he hastily put on was inside out. He only wore a pair of single pants on the lower body, with both feet bare in his shoes, and one heel exposed outside. The usual handsome and elegant young man's demeanor was completely gone, looking rather comical.

  Zhou Wenbo didn't wait for Zhuge Yu to speak, and burst out laughing loudly. He then walked forward, grasped his arm, and they both entered the study together.

  As soon as he entered the study, he waited for Zhuge Yu to sit down on the mat, and Zhou Wenbo sat down opposite Zhuge Yu, with both hands gesturing, his upper body leaning forward, and first bowed to the ground.

  Note: In ancient times, when sitting on a mat, the formal posture was to kneel and sit with one's buttocks on their heels. "Bowing" referred to leaning forward from this position, with hands clasped in front of the body and head lowered, generally without touching the ground, which is not entirely the same as the kneeling bowing of later generations.

  Zhuge Dan was full of clever ideas, how could he not know that this was the behavior Cao Cao showed when he met Xu You in history books?

  Cao Cao once wrote "Short Song" which contains a line "Zhou Gong spit out his support, the world returns to its heart."

  It means that when Duke Zhou was eating, he heard that a guest had come to visit, so he hastily spat out the food in his mouth and went to entertain the guest. Because he treated talents so well, people all over the world obeyed him and respected him.

  When Cao Cao heard that Xu You came to surrender during the Battle of Guandu, he was so excited that he didn't even wear his shoes and rushed out of the house, holding Xu's hand and entering the room. The two men had a pleasant conversation, and Cao also learned from Xu about Yuan Shao's army storing grain in Wuchao, laying the foundation for the victory of the Battle of Guandu.

  Cao Cao's move, like Liu Bei's three visits to the thatched cottage, has been recorded in historical books and passed down for nearly a thousand years, becoming a classic example of a monarch showing respect for talents and leaving behind a beautiful story.

  Zhou Wenbo's actions at this time were undoubtedly intended to win him over, but through this dramatic and exaggerated action, he showed his appreciation for Zhuge Yu as a person.

  In fact, Zhuge Yu came this time with the intention of testing Zhou Wenbo.

  The Yikuan Zhuge family is a branch of the Langya Zhuge family in the late Han Dynasty. During the great chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Langya Zhuge family was forced to move south due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Later, the younger generation of the clan scattered among the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu. Zhuge Liang eventually became the Prime Minister of Shu Han, with the emperor as his father; Zhuge Jin was also a high-ranking official in the state of Wu, and his son Zhuge Ke even controlled the politics of Wu for many years as a powerful minister; Zhuge Dan held a high position in the Wei kingdom. A later generation praised: "Shu got a dragon, Wu got a tiger, Wei got a dog."

  Note: Here "dog" refers to someone with relatively poor abilities, without any derogatory connotation.

  And the Ikawa Zhuge family is indeed the descendant of Zhuge Dan, Zhuge Yu has been fond of reading history since childhood, and every time he reads the description of his ancestors' achievements in "Records of the Three Kingdoms", he beats his knees and praises, wishing to replace them with himself.

  Today, the world is in chaos and has been for many years. Zhuge Yue naturally also had the intention of choosing a wise lord to assist, to fully utilize his talents and fulfill his lifelong ambitions, to establish achievements that could rival those of his ancestor Zhuge Kongming, and to leave a name that would be remembered in history.

  However, at that time the world valued martial arts over literature, and many emperors and generals were illiterate. Even some wise rulers had a multitude of talented scholars surrounding them.

  A ruler chooses his ministers, and ministers also choose their ruler.

  With Zhuge Liang's great talent, if he had joined Cao Wei, at most he could have been on a par with Guo Jia and Jia Xu in terms of position, how could he compare to his achievements in Shu Han?

  The more there is no help, the more eager to seek talent.

  If there was no clear master, Zhuge Yu could only sit at home, study literature and martial arts, analyze the overall situation of the world, and prepare for his future debut.

  Zhuge Yu did not originally have Zhou Wenbo on his list of potential lords, but after the news of Zhao Guo Gong's father and son's death in Shu came out, Zhuge Yu had a sense of expectation for this humble and polite younger brother.

  The Yikawa Zhuge family, although no longer a prominent clan, still has a deep foundation from years of being a high-ranking family, and can discern the subtleties of every move in the imperial court.

  When he learned that Zhou Wenbo had actually surrendered to the Zhao State, and in the first round of fighting with the eunuchs who had gained power at the same time, he was not at all inferior and had won the favor of Emperor Li Cunxu, Zhuge Yu became somewhat restless.

  Although Zhuge Yu did not know the specific actions of Tian Zhouwen and Bo, he could still infer most of the situation from the messages he received afterwards. The brilliance shown by his younger brother in this crisis moved him deeply.

  Of course, that domineering and elegant "Qin Yuan Chun Xue" which he silently memorized and often thought about also gave him some courage, making his judgment more determined.

  The person who can create such a majestic and passionate poem that soars to the sky is absolutely not someone who is content with being inferior, but must have the courage to change the world, bravery, and ambition!

  However, overnight wealth is the easiest to expose a person's arrogance and ignorance hidden deep in their heart. Zhuge Yu also wants to see if Zhou Wenbo, who was originally perfect as a concubine's son, can still hold his own after inheriting the title of Duke of Zhao.

  If you've just become the Duke of Zhao and are being arrogant beyond control, putting on airs, then you'll truly disappoint yourself.

  So there was today's visit.