“That’s right. He was an incomparably ugly person like you. We in Jingzhou would not have someone like that.” Before the captain of the guards could speak, some of his men taunted again.

“You guys are seeking death! How dare you humiliate our Military Advisor!” Pang Tong’s men had already put down their weapons and were tied up. They glared murderously as they struggled in futile.

Pang Tong took a deep breath after hearing those words. Normally, the offender would have died several times. However, as he was the one seeking help, he had no choice but to restrain himself.

“So you don’t want to report my arrival?” Pang Tong asked as he raised his head to look at the face of the bodyguard’s captain. He had to do that as he was short, only reaching the man’s chest. His face may look dark and disgusting but his eyes shone with a cold light.

“Hmph!” The captain felt humiliated as he subconsciously looked away when he looked at Pang Tong face to face. It was a different matter if the man was a handsome and tall person. However, the opponent was a short and ugly fatty. “Get lost!” Naturally, the man could only dare to do this because he had already been instructed so.

“Being a Military Advisor of the Left General Liu Bei Liu Xuande may not mean anything to you but can you afford to offend the Lumen Academy?”

“The Lumen Academy!” The man froze. To them, Liu Bei’s position as Imperial Uncle meant nothing. If he was so great, he wouldn’t need help from Jingzhou. However, the Lumen Academy was a different matter. The Lumen Academy was a sacred place to scholars. Even if the scholars cannot kill him directly, they have many other ways to make sure he dies. That was why the captain of the guards felt threatened.

“Wait here!” The captain glared at Pang Tong fiercely and unwillingly went in to give his report.

At that moment, Liu Biao was enjoying himself bathing in the sunlight. Old people liked to relax more and the sunlight felt pleasant. Accompanying him was a beautiful and dignified young woman.

“Milady. Look at that scarlet kafir lily (Clivia Miniata) swaying in the wind. Doesn’t it look an elegant nobleman?” Liu Biao pointed at the flower as he said to his wife.

Lady Liu was thirty while Liu Biao was twice her age. Yet, Lady Liu was still able to deal with Liu Biao’s backyard. This was not only because of her beauty but also her identity. Lady Liu was also the Cai Family’s eldest daughter. Although she had already been married off, she still had a good relationship with her brother. It was because of them that she was the First Lady.

“An elegant and nobleman?” Lady Cai lowered her head and looked at the flower. It was gorgeous but it looked as though it had no intentions of competing with the other flowers. On the contrary, it droops downwards.

“It is not good.” Lady Cai shook her head. She did not like these flowers. The flowers are like people who need to eat for a living. For flowers, they would also need sunlight. If the scarlet kafir lily had raised itself more, it would be able to obtain more sunlight. If Liu Biao had not purposely go and raise the flowers, they would have already perished.

How could it be like an elegant nobleman when it could not even achieve survival on its own?

“Milady. How about that cactus? It looks thorny but it is extremely persistant. It could still grow even if you did not water it for a few days.”

“Persistent?” Lady Cai looked at the cactus with a frown. It looks too ugly. Women are people who loved beauty. How could they appreciate a cactus?

“Not good!” So what if it was persistent? It was covered in thorns and was extremely ugly. It was like staying alive without a purpose. How could that be considered living? Lady Cai would definitely not like such flowers.

“Then what kind of flowers do Milady like?” Liu Biao initially wanted to get his wife’s favor with these two flowers and appealed to their charm but he failed. He gave up and decided to ask for his wife’s preferences instead.

“What kind of flowers I like?” Lady Cai mumbled to herself as she surveyed the garden. There were a lot of different flowers there, some of which were blooming out of season. In the end, only one flower caught her attention. “Lord Husband. What is that flower called?” Lady Cai pointed at a large flower that gave off a delicate fragrance.

“That peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)”?

“Is it called a peony?” Lady Cai mumbled. She felt the most moved by this flower as it was large and beautiful. Especially to women, being a person was like being a flower. Lady Cai had married an old man for the sake of her family and lost her innocence, becoming a more calculative and competitive person. She had planned to absorb all the nutrients and bloom, covering all the other flowers around her. That was how she was going to reign supreme.

Liu Biao shook his head. The peony may be beautiful but Liu Biao did not truly like it. Scholars of that era preferred modesty. Yet, Liu Biao decided to praise it anyway because it would make his wife happy.

The two conversed until one of the guards in charge of defending the backyard came and made a report. Liu Biao heard this report and nodded. He then allowed the captain of the guards from earlier enter.

With someone appearing here, Liu Biao and Lady Cai were no longer in the mood to talk to each other. Regardless of who it is, they would feel annoyed when their time with their spouse was interrupted.

“What’s the matter?”

The captain cursed Pang Tong in his heart when he heard the unhappy voice of Liu Biao. Even then, he still had to make his report for Pang Tong. “Report Milord. Liu Bei’s subordinate, Pang Tong, is here to see you.”

“Pang Tong?” Liu Biao’s mood became even worse when he heard this name. This person almost started a war between Yangzhou and Jingzhou by distorting the truth. Pang Tong planned to make use of Jingzhou for his own benefits. If it was not because of the Pang Family, Liu Biao would have already chased him out. Liu Biao immediately decided to reject the request for an audience. “I will not meet him. Tell him I am busy!”

While Lady Cai said nothing, she also thought about this Pang Tong.

“Understood.” The captain nodded and left. The boss have already spoken.

Pang Tong waited patiently. He was not worried even though his guards had been arrested. After waiting for some time, the captain returned and said, “Milord is busy and has no time to meet you. Leave immediately.” The captain also no longer said any offensive words. He could not afford to offend the Pang Family.

“Leave?” How could Pang Tong leave? He needed to see Liu Biao so he cupped his fist towards the captain and said, “Please go back and notify him again.”

“What is there to notify him about? Milord said he doesn’t want to see you!” The captain impatiently replied.

“Please go back and notify him again!” Pang Tong remained persistently.

“Give you an inch and you want a mile! I have already notified Milord about you but he doesn’t want to see you! There is nothing I can do about it!” The captain said disgustedly. He definitely would not go in again as it would meant Liu Biao getting angry at him. It would not be a good sign for his job. Besides that, he had already given the Pang Family enough face with his actions earlier. Whether or not Pang Tong could actually meet with Liu Biao was not his problem.

Seeing that his words is useless, Pang Tong changed his approach. “General. Do you have a son?”

“I have a son and a daughter! Why are you even asking?”

“Oh, no reason. I simply wanted to tell you that your son could only be a lower class person for his entire life. As for your daughter, she can only marry a solitary old man!” Pang Tong laughed.

“What do you mean?”

“There is no other meaning to it. Your son is smart and the Lumen Academy fancies him.”

“The Lumen Academy fancies him?” This is supposed to be a good news. It was an honor to have a good opinion from the Lumen Academy. Right now, his son was at the age for studying but commoners don’t plan for long term. While the being a guard captain was good, he would never amount to anything more than a commoner. If he wanted to become a noble, he needed to study.

Unfortunately, he was already too old for that. Naturally, he would pin his hopes on his son to study, become a government official, and then a noble.

While being fancied by the Lumen Academy was good, it was unlikely that Pang Tong had good intentions. The captain thought for a moment and started to have cold sweat. If the Lumen Academy fancied his son, the other academies wouldn’t accept his son. If the Lumen Academy then doesn’t take his son in, his son would be finished. His son would forever remain a lower class citizen and if his son is unlucky, end up on the battlefield.

An even worse fate would also fall on his daughter. Pang Tong would make it such that his daughter would never be able to marry anyone.

“Young Master Pang! Military Advisor Pang! Please spare me! I am just a messenger!” The captain panicked. His legs turned weak and he almost knelt down to Pang Tong. Pang Tong was too cruel for cutting off his family’s future.

“Spare you? Is something wrong? I am simply recommending your two children.” Pang Tong pulled the captain up, preventing the captain from kneeling. If the captain knelt down, what would others think?

“Young Master Pang! All of this is this lowly one’s fault. Please treat it as this lowly one speaking nonsense!”

“Haha. It is not impossible for your son to enter the Lumen Academy. I can also help your daughter find a wife. However, that depends on you!” Pang Tong threatened and bribed the captain at the same time. This tactic gave the opponent a simple choice of benefiting or perishing.

“Young Master Pang is wise!” The captain changed his attitude when he heard of the benefits. Everyone who entered Lumen Academy all got important jobs in JIngzhou. His daughter was also likely to marry a noble in this case.

“Go in and report again. Say that I want to discuss an important matter regarding the survival of Jingzhou.”

“Understood!” The captain still felt awkward but he went back towards the governor’s residence again.

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