Captain Xu Meng now felt that the crow's caw he had heard when leaving the camp this morning had indeed been an ill omen.
As usual, on his day off from military duties, he had wandered into the bustling market of Chengdu, hoping to buy a few things and find some amusement.
Recent events had left him in a sour mood. A native of Guanzhong, he had originally followed Liu Yan, the former Governor of Yizhou. Liu Yan had been a shrewd and ambitious man, and Xu Meng had hoped that under his leadership, he might one day return to his homeland in Guanzhong.
But Liu Yan had suddenly fallen ill and died. The new Governor of Yizhou was his fourth son, Liu Zhang—a man rumored to be weak and incompetent. With this turn of events, Xu Meng feared he might never see Guanzhong again in his lifetime.
Just as he was brooding over this, he spotted two delicate-looking young women in the market. Thinking to amuse himself with a few teasing words before moving on, he was taken aback when first a burly man in green robes, and then a noble-looking young master in embroidered silks, stepped forward to spoil his fun.
Xu Meng was rough in appearance but sharp in mind. The green-robed man didn't concern him much—judging by his official attire, he was likely a minor official in the Shu Commandery's administration, perhaps a county clerk or secretary. But as a military captain, Xu Meng was beyond the jurisdiction of such civil officials, so he paid him little heed.
The real problem was the noble young master in fine silks. He was clearly from a powerful family—perhaps one with high-ranking officials or military officers among its members. His accent wasn't local to Shu, and he was accompanied by a servant and four guards, all of whom looked formidable. Picking a fight with him would be troublesome.
Xu Meng decided to try reasoning with the young master. "Young master, judging by your accent, you're not from Yizhou either. Why stand up for these worm-bellied Shu folk?"
Liu Zhang, the young master in question, found Xu Meng's words both amusing and exasperating. First, he realized how reclusive his predecessor had been—so meek and withdrawn that even after arriving in Yizhou, he had rarely shown his face in public. No one in the market recognized him, not even this captain. This anonymity was precisely why he felt safe traveling incognito.
Second, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at Xu Meng's blatant regional prejudice. The Han Dynasty's regional stereotypes are truly something else. Clearing his throat, Liu Zhang retorted loudly, "The Han Empire unites all under heaven. There are no 'Shu people'—only Han people. I'm not standing up for Shu folk, but for Han folk."
"Well said, young master!" The green-robed official praised before turning to Xu Meng. "You Dongzhou refugees fled to our Yizhou, and we kindly took you in, fed and clothed you. And yet, you dare bully our women and children? Shame on you!"
Xu Meng felt a headache coming on. This young master was stubbornly defending the locals, and the green-robed official was making things worse. Since the young master was a tough opponent, Xu Meng decided to focus on the official first. He couldn't afford to let a mere Shu clerk humiliate him—word would spread, and he'd lose face.
"We Dongzhou people weren't taken in by you Shu folk—it was the late Governor Liu Yan who sheltered us! Our food and clothes came from him, not you. I owe no debt to Shu people—only to Governor Liu. Don't you dare claim credit!"
As he spoke, Xu Meng glanced at the growing crowd of onlookers. The situation was getting out of hand, and backing down now would mean losing face forever.
The green-robed official was momentarily stumped. By the Confucian principle that one should be loyal to the ruler who provides for him, Xu Meng was technically correct—the Dongzhou refugees had been Liu Yan's responsibility.
Unskilled in debate, the official clenched his fists. Had he not promised his aging mother to serve as a peaceful clerk and leave his violent past behind, he would have long since drawn his sword and settled this with steel instead of words.
"Governor Liu provided your food and clothes?" Liu Zhang interjected, seeing the official's struggle. He stepped forward, his voice ringing clear.
"Did Governor Liu till the fields himself? Did he weave the cloth himself? Where do you think those supplies came from?"
Now it was Xu Meng's turn to be speechless. On one hand, he was wary of provoking the nobleman. On the other, as a military man, he was no match in a war of words.
Liu Zhang pressed his advantage, not giving Xu Meng a chance to argue. "Your provisions came from the government granaries. And where did those come from? From the taxes paid by the people of Shu!"
"In other words, the people of Shu are your benefactors—your parents in a way."
His tone turned severe. "Do you know what crime it is to mistreat one's own parents?"
Liu Zhang had just slapped Xu Meng with the gravest accusation in Han law: filial impiety. In the Han Dynasty, disrespecting one's parents was considered "kinslaying," a capital offense punishable by beheading, boiling, or exile.
Worse yet, the law upheld the "Three Generations Rule"—if one person was convicted of filial impiety, their entire family for three generations would be punished.
This was no small charge.
The green-robed official's eyes lit up—this was a law he knew well. "Mistreating one's parents is the crime of great impiety!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Many had suffered under Dongzhou soldiers' arrogance, and though they usually dared not speak up, with someone else leading the charge, they found their voices.
"Well said!"
"Bravo, young master!"
"Well spoken, sir clerk!"
Liu Zhang remained composed, but the green-robed official swelled with pride, relishing the crowd's approval.
Xu Meng, however, was caught between shame and defiance. Part of him recognized the truth in Liu Zhang's words—he had read some books and knew the basics of propriety. But with so many eyes on him, he couldn't back down. A man's pride was his life.
Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Enough nonsense! You're spouting dog shit!"
Seeing no way to win this battle, Xu Meng decided to retreat. Fighting was unwise, and arguing was hopeless. Best to leave while he still could.
But before going, he demanded, "If you're true men, leave your names!"
He wanted to know who these two were—once he had their identities, he could deal with them later.
The green-robed official, still basking in the crowd's cheers, brightened at the request. This was his favorite part—making his name known. Clearing his throat, he announced loudly, "I am from Ba Commandery. My surname is Gan, given name Ning—"
"Gan Xingba!"
Before Gan Ning could finish, Liu Zhang cut in, stunned. This was Gan Xingba? The Tiger of Jiangbiao? The man who raided Cao Cao's camp with a hundred horsemen? The one Sun Quan praised, saying, "Just as Cao Cao has Zhang Liao, I have Xingba—a worthy match!"
Though Liu Zhang had been in this era for over ten days, this was his first encounter with a legendary Three Kingdoms figure.
Gan Ning's grin widened. "You've heard of me, young master?" He was well-known in Ba Commandery, but outside it, few recognized his name. Hearing Liu Zhang call him by his style name filled him with pride.
He studied Liu Zhang—this young master was bold, eloquent, and, most importantly, knew his name. Gan Ning felt an instant kinship, wishing they could swear brotherhood on the spot.
"I've long admired Xingba's reputation, but never had the chance to meet," Liu Zhang said sincerely. This was Gan Ning—the fiercest warrior of Wu, standing right before him.
Just as the two were bonding, an unfriendly voice cut in.
"So this is the famous man? Just a barbarian from Ba."
Xu Meng's tone dripped with disdain, returning to his favorite pastime—regional insults. He'd never heard of any prominent Gan family in Ba Commandery, so he dismissed Gan Ning as a nobody. Turning to Liu Zhang, he asked, "And you, young master? Your name?"
Gan Ning flushed with anger but held back, silently vowing to kill this Dongzhou brute at the first opportunity.
Liu Zhang smiled faintly and clasped his hands in salute. "I am from Jingling, Jiangxia. My surname is Liu, given name Zhang, style name Jiyu."
"Liu Jiyu, eh? I'll remember—" Xu Meng began, intending to brush off the name and leave, but halfway through, something clicked in his mind. His words trailed off.
A dreadful realization dawned on him. His companions, too, exchanged uneasy glances. Swallowing hard, Xu Meng asked in a slightly trembling voice,
"Which… which Liu?"
He clung to a sliver of hope—that this wasn't the Liu family.