Chapter Four: Liu Bei is My Uncle, the Goddess of Luo is My Wife

"Yun'er, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, Mother, you needn’t worry. Didn’t the physician say so himself? Just a few more doses of the restorative medicine and I’ll be perfectly fine."

Looking at her mother, Lady Liu, whose appearance was dignified yet unremarkable, Zhang Yu could not help but wonder if this was the reason she herself looked as she did.

It was a miracle of heredity: a child inheriting all the best features from both parents, then further refined and brightened by Heaven’s own hand...

"Who would have thought... My precious Yun'er would regain her wits, and no less than anyone else’s. Though it came late, it was worth it! Hahaha, my dear wife, all our years of care were not in vain!"

Before his beloved family, Zhang Shiping no longer restrained his emotions. Tears and laughter mingled on his face, while Lady Liu, upon seeing Zhang Yu, could no longer contain herself and wept softly at the bedside.

"Such words! Even if... even if Yun'er remained as she was before, all I have given would still be worth it!"

"Worth it, indeed!"

Thinking of her parents from her previous life, and the ones before her now, Zhang Yu was overwhelmed with bittersweet longing for that lost world. Yet she knew, such parents were a true blessing.

The three of them embraced and wept for a long while. Zhang Yu listened as her parents recounted stories from her childhood, until the sun had set and the three of them went together to the main hall for supper.

The early summer night was cool, and the ice blocks set out during the day had already been put away in the cellar by the servants. Zhang Yu walked in, dressed in a flowing white gauze robe, her bearing ethereal as a banished immortal, to the delight of Zhang Shiping and Lady Liu.

They sat together at the round table. A maid brought in four hot dishes—two meat, two vegetable—and a plate of horse meat to accompany the wine.

In these times, oxen were the lifeblood of the farming folk, and killing one was a capital crime. Horses, though precious, were the Zhang family’s business—they could afford to slaughter one!

Having tasted all manner of fine cuisine in the modern age, Zhang Yu found these simply seasoned dishes uninspiring. If only she were a chef—she thought—she could open a grand tavern and make a fortune.

Little did she know that even these dishes were specially prepared by Zhang Shiping in celebration of her recovery. In times of upheaval, survival took precedence; a single meal was a hard-won thing for most, and the people cared only for making it through another day.

Besides, even a five-star chef cannot cook without ingredients. Many essential seasonings had yet to be discovered or brought to China—chili peppers, for instance, would not arrive for another thousand years.

Zhang Shiping and Lady Liu did not touch their chopsticks, instead watching Zhang Yu eat, their gazes full of love, though the atmosphere grew a bit awkward.

"Father, Mother, please eat before it gets cold—the flavor won’t be as good," Zhang Yu urged.

"Eat! Of course, we’ll eat," her parents replied, finally starting on the vegetable dishes. Perhaps to break the silence, Zhang Shiping spoke, "Yun'er, your recovery came at just the right moment—your brother Zhen came to visit, and from the look in his eyes, he seems quite fond of you. At last, I feel I have kept my promise to my old friend."

"...What do you mean, with... Zhen Yan!?"

"You!" Lady Liu shot Zhang Shiping a reproachful look. "Why are you always so concerned about this, as if the Zhangs are in any way inferior to the Zhens? In terms of wealth, you surpass them in all of Zhongshan. In terms of status, my family—"

"Your family! If it weren’t for me and Brother Su lending a hand to your brother, the one who used to weave mats and sell shoes, he’d still be languishing in Zhuo County."

Lady Liu glared at him, then glanced at Zhang Yu, who was sitting there utterly stunned, and whispered, "We’ll settle this later."

Zhang Yu was utterly bewildered. She had no time to wonder why, in this strictly patriarchal and hierarchical society, her dignified mother spoke with such strength and confidence. Her mind was spinning with one thought:

"That brother who weaves mats and sells shoes."

"The brother who weaves mats and sells shoes."

"Her brother..."

"Liu Bei!?"

"Yun'er, you mustn’t refer to your uncle so casually," Lady Liu frowned, but her tone was gentle. "Though he was idle and aimless in his youth, he has accomplished much now. Never underestimate him."

Underestimate him? That’s a joke. If there’s anyone who truly knows what he’ll achieve, it’s me... The man who would stride across half of China and found the Shu Kingdom—how could I look down on him?

Wait—what if I read people’s fortunes? Now that would be truly cheating the system.

Zhang Yu’s thoughts always moved in leaps and bounds.

"Uncle is of the same blood as you, Mother, and is most dear to me. Besides, heroes are not defined by their origins. With all he’s achieved, I could never look down on him!"

"I’m glad to hear it." Lady Liu’s expression softened. "If Xuande knew that his most beloved nephew had recovered his senses, he would be overjoyed."

Most beloved...

Nephew...

You’ve got to be kidding! I’ve always rather disliked Liu Bei. System, why force this connection? I have no intention of spending my early years trailing after those three brothers all over the land. He can weave shoes—I certainly can’t!

"By the way, Father," Zhang Yu tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, but tonight’s meal was simply too much to take in. "You said just now that Zhen Yan is... fond of me? What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Shiping, still sulking over Lady Liu’s defense of Liu Bei, was eating in silence, but at Zhang Yu’s question, his face quickly cleared.

"After your mother became pregnant with you, I was sitting with Brother Su and my good friend Zhen Yi, and we agreed: if you were a girl, you would be betrothed to Brother Su’s newborn son; if you were a boy, you would be promised to the Zhen family’s daughter."

Zhang Yu felt as if a great beast within her was about to roar awake, her whole body trembling with excitement—however—

She pulled up the data interface in her mind and entered the name Zhen Mi. And there it was.

Zhen Luo (also known as Mi): 183–221.

Sensitive information!

The dates didn’t match! Zhang Yu cursed her ill luck at being born eight years too soon, missing the chance to wed the famed goddess of the Luo River. As she was silently lamenting, she heard her father continue:

"But you fell ill soon after birth. By fortune, your life was spared, but your mind was left clouded. I could hardly bring up the old agreement with Brother Zhen. The rest, I expect you do not remember." Even after so many years, Zhang Shiping’s tone was tinged with regret.

Father, you might as well just say I was left addled... Zhang Yu muttered internally at his delicate phrasing.

"You could not speak at three, nor walk at five. Your mother and I sought out every physician but none could help. At seven, you finally uttered your first full sentence, and that year you fell ill no more. The following year, Brother Zhen visited again and saw you playing in the courtyard. Impressed by your good manners, he recalled our old agreement and offered to betroth his newborn daughter to you. I saw her myself—a lovely, delicate child, not unlike you, Yun’er. She must be seven or eight by now."

"Father, what is her name?"

"I believe it’s Zhen Luo."