Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 85 Rescue of the Prefect's Family

On the city wall, a group of Xianbei soldiers had just passed by, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

A dark figure silently scaled the wall, crouched low, and hid in the shadows.

Liu Quan glanced around to make sure no one was around, then extended his right arm over the wall, fingers dangling.

A thin, silvery-white rope slid down from the cuff, extending silently downwards until it reached the base of the city wall.

Liu Bei reached out in the darkness and gripped the rope tightly.

The rope slowly tightened, effortlessly lifting Liu Bei up.

Once Liu Bei's feet touched the ground, the rope retracted into his sleeve and blended into his inner armor without leaving a trace.

Liu Bei was already used to this and knew that it was a celestial artifact that A Quan had brought down from heaven.

The two descended the city wall and hurried along, hugging the shadows of the houses.

Liu Quan led the way, his steps quick and light, passing through several narrow alleys and around two street corners with firelight, without encountering a single Xianbei person along the way.

Liu Bei secretly envied him, thinking, "It's a pity that Quan said humans can't learn his magic? Wait, if I die, then maybe..."

Little did he know that high above in the darkness, a drone was clearly observing the entire Liucheng's defenses, patrols, and sentries; Liu Quan was simply following the panoramic map before him.

Before long, the house where the Zhao family women were being held came into view.

Two Xianbei warriors stood in front of the door, chatting idly in Xianbei language, their swords hanging at their waists and spears at their sides, their postures quite relaxed.

Liu Quan made a hand gesture to Liu Bei.

The two men approached from the shadows, one on the left and one on the right, and attacked almost simultaneously.

Before the two Xianbei warriors could figure out what was happening, they collapsed to the ground without even uttering a groan.

Inside the house, Zhao's mother was whispering something to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Suddenly, a strange noise came from outside the door, like a heavy object falling to the ground, or like footsteps approaching.

All three were startled and exchanged glances. Zhao's mother instinctively shielded her granddaughter behind her, while her daughter-in-law gripped the hairpin tightly in her hand.

Immediately afterwards, the gate of the house was pulled open from the outside.

The three girls looked over and saw two young men standing at the door.

The man in the lead was handsome, with large ears and long hands, and a face like jade. He was looking into the room with a gentle and steady gaze.

The person half a step behind was hidden in the shadows outside the door, his face obscured, but his figure appeared upright, like a pine tree or a spear.

The young man stepped across the threshold and entered the room, bowing respectfully and saying gently, "I am Liu Bei, from Zhuojun. My brother Liu Quan is outside the door. We have been ordered by Governor Liu to rescue you three. Please follow us and leave this place quickly."

Zhao's mother looked him up and down, her eyes first wary, then suspicious.

Could this person be someone sent by the Xianbei to seduce their wives and daughters?

But then I wondered, where among the Xianbei people could there be such a young man with such a bearing?

He was still hesitant.

Her granddaughter Zhao Rong, standing behind her, suddenly spoke up, "Aren't you Liu Bei, the one from Zhuo County known as 'The Tiger with a Lofty Spirit'? And that Liu Quan outside, could he be 'Jade Gentleman'?"

Liu Bei smiled slightly, a hint of pride in his expression: "Exactly!"

"Grandmother," Zhao Rong tugged at her mother's sleeve and whispered, "these two should be genuine."

Zhao's mother had also heard of the reputation of the Liu brothers from Zhuo County, but she hadn't thought of it that way just now.

At this moment, after his granddaughter mentioned it, he carefully examined Liu Bei—long arms and big ears, a face like jade, just as the rumors described.

She nodded, then looked towards the door: "Rumor has it that Liu Bei of Zhuo County had long arms and large ears, which does resemble you somewhat. And that handsome young man, it is said, has unparalleled beauty; may I come in and meet him?"

"Ah Quan, come in," Liu Bei said towards the door.

A figure slowly walked in.

The lights inside flickered, illuminating the boy's face.

Zhao's mother was stunned, Zhao's wife was stunned, and Zhao Rong's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, forgetting to close it.

All three women were stunned.

The first to come to her senses was Zhao's mother.

She took a deep breath and thought to herself, "Just now, when I saw Liu Bei, I thought he was one in a hundred in terms of appearance and demeanor; now that I've seen this man, I know what true beauty is."

Liu Quan, seemingly oblivious, remained calm and said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, this is not a place to stay any longer; it's time to go."

Suddenly remembering something, Zhao's mother asked, "Is it just the two of you on this trip?"

Liu Quan smiled slightly: "Abei and I are enough."

Zhao's mother and the other two eventually followed Liu Bei and Liu Quan.

The night breeze was slightly cool, and the alley was unusually quiet, with only the sound of a few footsteps and the occasional rustling of clothes.

Liu Quan continued to lead the way, his figure appearing and disappearing in the shadows, making almost no sound.

Liu Bei stood protectively behind the three women, walking at a moderate pace while his eyes darted around warily.

Zhao Rong was protected in the middle by her grandmother and mother, but her eyes kept glancing ahead, secretly watching the boy's back.

After looking at it for a while, he seemed to realize that this was inappropriate, so he quickly lowered his gaze, but after a while he couldn't help but look up again.

Liu Bei, watching from behind, saw everything clearly. He smiled slightly but managed to suppress a laugh.

He recalled a saying Zhang Fei often said: "Women cannot see A-Quan; they will lose their souls at first sight."

In retrospect, although Yide's words were rough, the reasoning behind them was sound.

The little girl barely got a clear look at A-Quan's face; she was already captivated by just his back view.

Little did they know, Liu Quan was secretly plotting how to bring Liu Bei and Zhao Rong together.

"If Zhao Rong could marry A Bei, it would be an excellent match."

"Zhao Bao came from the Zhao clan of Ganling, a prominent local family with deep roots. He himself became the governor of Liaoxi in his thirties, a powerful regional official."

"If Abei becomes his son-in-law, he will have a powerful backer in the court, even more reliable than Cai Yong."

"Because Zhao Bao's cousin was Zhao Zhong, one of the Ten Attendants."

"At this time, the Ten Attendants were at the height of their power."

"Although Zhao Bao always said in public that he was ashamed of Zhao Zhong and tried his best to sever ties with this 'eunuch cousin'."

"But judging from Zhao Bao's career path and the speed of his promotion, ever since his cousin Zhao Zhong, who was sixteen years older than him, entered the palace and gradually gained the emperor's favor, he served in prefectures and counties, was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official, was promoted to magistrate of Guangling, and now, in his thirties, he has been promoted to governor of Liaoxi."

"It's going so smoothly!!!"

Liu Quan suspected that the Zhao family was simply hedging their bets.

On one side, Zhao Bao was pursuing a clean official career outside the palace, while on the other side, Zhao Zhong was serving as the emperor's favorite eunuch inside the palace.

The so-called "deep shame" and "efforts to distance themselves" are all for show.

If A Bei were to marry Zhao Bao's daughter, he would not only be free from worries about damage to his reputation, but would also gain acceptance from the aristocratic circles, Zhao Bao's support in his career, and perhaps even Zhao Zhong's secret assistance, which would greatly benefit his future endeavors...

The more Liu Quan thought about it, the more reliable it seemed. He subconsciously turned around and glanced back, only to meet the girl's eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

No way?!

No, I have to find a way to win this woman's favor.

"Pangu, prepare a guide on how to woo a girl, taking into account A-Bei's personality."

He himself could not marry Zhao Rong, nor could Zhao Rong marry him, since he had already arranged a marriage with Cai Wan, and neither of them would be willing to be a concubine.