It was almost time to light the lamps when Sun Kuang came hurriedly and said, "Your father has caught a cold and is seeking medical attention. I apologize for my negligence, General."
"It's okay!" Liu Qi asked, "So, I can't visit her today?"
"That's right!" Sun Kuang sighed, "In three days it will be my elder brother's birthday. Every year, our parents would hold a ceremony at Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings. We will set off tomorrow to prepare. I have no choice but to ask you to go to Ganlu Temple."
"Ganlu Temple?" Liu Qi was stunned. The name seemed familiar.
Sun Kuangyan said, "My elder brother's spirit tablet is enshrined in the temple. Your parents will be accompanying you for half a month, so we have to arrange the meeting in the temple."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "That's fine. The guest should follow the host's wishes. I have admired the general for a long time, so I might as well go and burn some incense."
"Thank you for your understanding, General!" Sun Kuang hesitated and said goodbye.
"The Sun family really doesn't know how to do things!" Xi Guan complained, "Sun Quan shouldn't have agreed to let us visit him when he knew we were going to the temple. We waited for so long in vain."
"What is Sun Quan doing again?" Liu Qi frowned.
If Sun Kuang had mentioned some other place, he wouldn't have cared, but the place called Ganlu Temple made him suspicious.
Just now he remembered that Ganlu Temple was the place where Liu Bei had a blind date, and Sun Quan had sent people to ambush swordsmen here in preparation for killing Liu Bei.
Xu Shu said, "I see Sun Kuang looks uncertain, I'm afraid there's something else going on."
A familiar plot, could it be another Hongmen Banquet
Liu Qi shook his head. The current situation is not the same as it was during Liu Bei's time. Jingzhou has enough strength to deal with Jiangdong, and Guan Yu is in Jiangxia to deter others.
What's more, the marriage between the two families had already been made public, and they had helped Sun Quan so much. If they repaid kindness with enmity, they would surely lose popularity. They also had to consider the actions of Cao's army.
After thinking for a long time without any clue, he asked Xi Guan: "You came to Jiangdong to take care of things first. Have you ever visited Qiao Xuan?"
Xi Guan smiled awkwardly: "I have basically met all the people my brother-in-law asked me to meet, except Qiao Xuan. I... I dare not go. He is the current Taiwei and has a very high prestige in Jiangdong. I am afraid I will be turned away."
Although he is now Liu Qi's brother-in-law, he is a businessman after all. He feels ashamed of himself and dares not meet these respected bigwigs.
Liu Qi sighed secretly, this is the natural gap in status. Many people work hard all their lives but cannot reach the level of aristocratic families, and may even be worse than a gatekeeper.
"Have you ever seen Lu Yi?"
"I have met this man!" Xi Guan said with disdain: "He is just a clerk in the Wuhou Mansion, poor and mean, just like you... and me, he is obsessed with money, not worth making friends with."
"Don't underestimate this person!" Liu Qi said solemnly: "The more down and out he is, the more you should pay attention to him. Otherwise, he will become a man you cannot reach in the future."
"Uh... okay!" Although Xi Guan didn't believe it, he obeyed Liu Qi's words and said with a smile: "It's just a matter of spending a little more money!"
Liu Qi ordered, "Go see Lü Yi right away and see if there is any news coming out of Sun Quan's mansion."
After Xi Guan left, Liu Qi ordered Liu Neng to prepare a visiting card and visit Qiao Xuan overnight. At this time, he could only start with the old man.
Xu Shu also stood up and said, "I'm going to visit Mr. Ziyu."
Everyone acted on their own and sought information. Liu Qi brought Zhao Yun to Qiao Xuan's mansion.
A young man of the same age as Liu Qi was waiting at the door. He clasped his fists and said, "My name is Qiao Qiao. My father ordered me to be here to greet you. Please come in, General!"
Liu Qi couldn't believe that Qiao Xuan actually had a son. He followed him into the mansion and saw that the lights were on and the servants were busy packing up. It was obvious that the banquet had just ended.
"So there are distinguished guests in your house. I am sorry for disturbing you by visiting you without any reason."
Qiao Qiao smiled and said, "General, don't worry. My brother-in-law came to pick up my second sister just now. It was just a family dinner."
It turned out that it was Zhou Yu who came to pick up Xiao Qiao. A short separation is better than a new reunion, and it is understandable that Zhou Lang was so anxious.
The two of them arrived at the study. Qiao Xuan was already waiting in the corridor. He stroked his beard and smiled, "It's been more than ten years since we last met. My nephew has grown up. Judging from his appearance and behavior, he is exactly the same as my brother Jingsheng."
"My nephew greets my uncle!" Liu Qi stepped forward and bowed politely.
When in Luoyang, Liu Biao was the Lieutenant Marquis of the Northern Army, in charge of the five battalions of the Northern Army. He had a close relationship with the Grand Marshal, and the two families often had exchanges. Liu Qi had also met Qiao Xuan several times, so this visit was not too presumptuous.
Qiao Xuan hurriedly returned the greeting and said, "You are now a local lord, a noble and a general. How dare I accept such a great gift?"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "My uncle is an elder. Before he left, my father also told me to come and visit him. I missed him very much, so I just came here rashly when I arrived in Jianye."
"Okay, okay!" Qiao Xuan was very satisfied with Liu Qi's humility. He called him "Uncle" a few times to narrow the distance between them. He invited Liu Qi into the room and ordered a banquet to welcome him.
Liu Qi declined, saying that he had already eaten and could not drink alcohol, so he kept things simple, replaced wine with tea, put out some fruits, and sat and chatted.
After a long greeting, Qiao Xuan praised Liu Qi for his promising young age and for saving Jiangdong from danger, and said that his future achievements would surely surpass those of Liu Biao.
Then he sighed again, "If it weren't for the war, my nephew would have been my son-in-law!"
"Really?" Liu Qi was surprised.
Qiao Xuan smiled generously, "When we were in Luoyang, I noticed that my nephew had an extraordinary appearance and was about the same age as my daughter. Jing Sheng and I occasionally talked about this at banquets, and we thought they were a perfect match. It was just a verbal agreement. Later, he retired and returned to his hometown, and your father went to Jingzhou, so we rarely interacted..."
"Marriage is a matter of destiny, how can it be forced?" Liu Qi smiled regretfully, "Gongjin is both civil and military, and is also proficient in music. It is also a good match for the second lady to marry Zhou Lang."
Liu Qi in Luoyang was also a young talent. With his noble birth, he was often praised. Unexpectedly, he almost won Xiao Qiao.
Qiao Xuan stroked his beard and sighed, "Bofu and Gongjin are indeed outstanding men in Jiangdong and heroes of the time, but they attacked Lujiang and robbed my children, which was not what I wanted..."
After a pause, he smiled and said, "But the matter is done, I have already let it go. Xiao Qiao has gotten what she deserves, but it's a pity that Da Qiao has suffered."
Liu Qi was moved and said, "When General Sun was killed, it was only a few months before the capture of Lujiang, and it seems that he has no children. Why not choose another son-in-law for the young lady?"
The requirements for women in the Han Dynasty were not as strict as those after the Song Dynasty. Remarriage was normal, and widows even became tools for marriage alliances.
Not to mention the distant past, Sun Quan's current wife is Lu Kang's granddaughter-in-law, and the daughter of Sun Jian's nephew Xu Kun. She is a generation younger than Sun Quan. The Queen Wu, whom Liu Bei married in Yizhou, is also Liu Zhang's sister-in-law.
Qiao Xuan shook his head and said, "Although Da Qiao had no choice at the beginning, she had long admired Sun Ce's heroism and was impressed by him. She had already returned to him! But God is jealous of talents, so she is willing to keep vigil for him, sweep the dust and chant scriptures in Ganlu Temple, and accompany him by the green lamp. The Little Overlord did not get his reputation in vain. I am afraid that no one in the world can move his heart anymore."
"God is jealous of talents, and beautiful women are doomed to fail!" Liu Qi also sighed and asked, "I heard that the general's death will be in three days, and Madam Wu is going to hold a grand ceremony at Ganlu Temple. Is this true?"
"Setting up a temple?" Qiao Xuan was startled, frowned and said, "In previous years, I just went to the temple alone to burn incense, never making it public, so I have never heard of this."