Three Kingdoms, Myth

Li You had never considered himself a good person, nor did he think that Chen Xi and Jia Xu were saints. However, today, he suddenly felt that he could actually find common ground with Chen Xi and Jia Xu!

Li You knew that, compared to Jia Xu and others, he was lacking in fundamental intelligence. If it hadn't been for his encounter with Zi Xu in his youth, Li You was well aware that his abilities wouldn't have taken him this far.

Originally, with his capabilities, reaching the level of a mid-tier strategist or civil official would have been his limit. But now, his abilities were no less than any top-tier individual, thanks to his well-rounded skills.

When he was younger, he left his hometown and witnessed the helplessness of scholars from humble backgrounds. Boldly, he vowed to carve out a path for them. A middle-aged man mocked him, saying, "How can one person save the world?"

"If I don't try, how will I know? If I don't try, how can I live without regret?" Li You still remembered his words from back then.

The middle-aged man stared at him for a long time before speaking, "If you die and your path fails, the world will curse your name. Will you still have no regrets?"

"Success or failure can only be judged by those who have tried!" Li You had replied solemnly, and the man had been stunned by his conviction.

"You will never succeed if you continue on this path. Your talent is not enough to dominate others. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to improve your knowledge. As a mere strategist, what can you change?" the man had said.

"Please, sir, teach me," Li You had asked, as if guided by fate. From that moment on, he began his journey to becoming one of the most learned men in the world.

For the next ten years, Li You filled the gaps in his political and military knowledge, becoming a well-rounded scholar. And then, his spiritual talent awakened.

If one were to quantify it, Chen Xi's abilities in internal affairs would score a perfect hundred. Jia Xu's strategies would rank around ninety-seven or ninety-eight, his military prowess around ninety-four or ninety-five, and his political insight at ninety-one or ninety-two. In contrast, Li You's abilities were only around eighty-seven in each category.

However, Li You's awakened spiritual talent was balance. When multiple attributes reached a certain height, each would increase by 10%. So while Li You's base level might be eighty-seven, his effective abilities were all around ninety-five or ninety-six—enough to be considered top-tier. His passive, comprehensive thinking talent made Li You incredibly formidable, despite his otherwise average abilities.

A jack-of-all-trades reaching this level was already impressive. But with each skill at a top-tier level, even Jia Xu found Li You challenging to deal with, as he had no weaknesses to exploit. Every plank of Li You's metaphorical barrel was of equal length.

This was why Jia Xu had never heard Li You mention his spiritual talent—it had been active since the moment it awakened, constantly sustaining his strength.

Li You silently reflected on his past. He had grown complacent for a while, but now, he needed to revisit his ambitions. How could he abandon his vows so easily?

"Wenru, what are you thinking? Let's go!" Liu Bei called out after taking a few steps, noticing that Li You was no longer beside him. Liu Bei wasn't used to it and turned around to find Li You, who had been perpetually somber, now wearing a faint smile. For some reason, Liu Bei felt a warm sense of relief and smiled as he asked.

"Coming," Li You replied, quickening his pace to follow Liu Bei. As he stepped out from the shadow of the library, the late autumn sunlight bathed him in warmth.

"It feels like Wenru has changed a lot," Liu Bei murmured as they walked towards another building.

"I've just come to some realizations," Li You replied with a smile. The lifelessness that had once hung over him was gone, replaced by a newfound vigor that seemed to affect those around him. "I plan to live to see that day come!"

"Hahaha! Let me share with you a saying I learned from Chen Xi," Liu Bei laughed heartily, pleased with Li You's change in attitude. After spending so much time together, Liu Bei had grown to greatly appreciate Li You's talents. Whether it was military strategy, governance, mathematics, or even the esoteric arts, Li You had knowledge in all areas Liu Bei could inquire about.

"Please, Lord Xuande, enlighten me!" Li You said with a smile.

"For tomorrow!" Liu Bei stopped in his tracks, turned to Li You, and solemnly said in a deep voice.

"For tomorrow?" Li You repeated, his face lighting up with a sense of pride. He then nodded. "Indeed, it's for tomorrow—not just our tomorrow, but also for..."

"The people, the Han dynasty, the world!" Liu Bei declared, his spirit reaching its peak as he looked at Li You.

"On the path Lord Xuande walks, Li Wenru will fill in the gaps and support you!" Li You vowed solemnly, his expression unwavering.

"Good! If I, Liu Xuande, succeed one day, I will never forget this moment!" Liu Bei extended his right hand, and Li You slowly placed his hand on top. Unlike Chen Xi's fleeting gestures that disrupted the mood, Li You's expression reflected a shared sense of honor and pride.

While Liu Bei and Li You shared a moment of mutual respect and determination, Chen Xi was tucking Chen Lan in, making sure she was comfortable. He instructed the maids to wake her for meals, ensuring she wouldn't sleep through them. After that, he left her courtyard to check on Fan Jian. After all, he had to make an appearance so as not to seem biased.

"Husband..." Chen Xi found Fan Jian lounging lazily on the bed, reading a book, clearly infected by Chen Lan's lethargy.

"Go back to sleep. Have you finished embroidering your wedding dress?" Chen Xi playfully tapped Fan Jian's forehead, causing her to fall back onto the bed, and curiously asked.

"No, my mother said she prepared one for me. Why?" Fan Jian replied, puzzled. Embroidering a wedding dress was a cumbersome task. Since her mother had taken care of it, Fan Jian hadn't wanted to spend too much time on it. After all, it was tiring to make it look nice, and it would take her at least six months to complete it herself.

"Oh, nothing. Who's preparing my clothes?" Chen Xi suddenly remembered a potential problem. It seemed no one was making his wedding outfit. His mother had passed away when he was young, and after falling out with his family, there was no elder to arrange these things. What was he going to wear on the big day?

"..." Fan Jian was stunned. She asked in disbelief, "Husband, haven't you prepared your attire? Black robes with gold embroidery, matching the rank of a marquis..."

Chen Xi was dumbfounded. He had assumed someone would take care of it, but now it seemed he had nothing ready. He had received word from Chang'an about his situation: Liu Biao, Li Jue, Guo Si, and others were planning to grant him titles as a way to ally with Liu Bei. By the time of his wedding, they would be bestowing marriage honors, promoting him to Marquis of Ying, and elevating his wedding ceremony by one rank. He would need to wear clothing befitting a marquis...

With this realization, Chen Xi stopped worrying. He felt no pressure. After all, when they bestowed marriage honors and titles, they would also provide the appropriate attire for the occasion.

"Husband, perhaps you should contact the Chen family. After all, Old Lord Chen was a marquis himself, so they should be able to provide the necessary attire," Fan Jian suggested. Given that there wasn't enough time to prepare everything now, and the Han court had only granted him a seal and ribbon, not the full robes, it might be wise to reach out to his family for help with the ceremonial clothing.