Liu Bei, sitting beside him, saw Liu Jin in the crowd, surrounded like stars by the moon, and a look of envy appeared in his eyes.
In just a few months, he had undergone a transformation from a snake to a dragon.
His hands in his sleeves clenched tightly, and a determined look appeared in his eyes; he wanted to become a man like Liu Jin, or even surpass him.
Just as everyone was chatting, a clear voice resounded!
"The Marquis has arrived!"
The idle chatter inside the hall instantly ceased, and everyone looked towards the gate.
Wen Shu, dressed in a long robe, with a golden seal and purple ribbon at his waist, and a brilliant smile on his face, slowly walked in, surrounded by the people beside him.
Everyone rose with respectful expressions, cupped their fists, and congratulated him!
"Congratulations, Prefect, on being ennobled as a Marquis!"
Wen Shu smiled and waved to those around him, saying softly!
"There is no need for such formality, everyone."
"All who attend this banquet are my close friends and relatives; today, let us simply enjoy a good drink."
After saying this, Wen Shu took his seat at the head of the table, and the several officials accompanying him also took their seats on either side.
Among them was Prefect Zheng Qian, who, although not ennobled as a Marquis, still had a brilliant smile on his face.
Because he had a silver seal and green ribbon on his sleeve, he was clearly a two-thousand-stone official, likely appointed by the imperial court as a regional Prefect.
Liu Jin was not surprised; the two most important figures in the Commandery naturally had to share the credit for their achievements.
However, he was somewhat envious in his heart; at the very least, these two had smooth official careers, both being two-thousand-stone officials of the imperial court.
After everyone was seated, Wen Shu looked at Liu Jin, who was off to the side, and quickly waved to him!
"Wen Yi, you are a hero of our Commandery, how can you sit there?"
"Come, take the seat below mine."
Liu Jin heard this and did not refuse; he immediately stood up and took his seat below Wen Shu.
Opposite him sat Zheng Qian, who also showed him a kind smile, even with a hint of gratitude.
Soon, the banquet began, with meticulously prepared dancing girls, dressed in flowing silk gowns, gracefully dancing in the banquet hall.
On either side, young maidens with slender jade hands gently plucked the strings of zithers, producing beautiful and melodious sounds that filled the entire banquet.
The entire banquet had completely entered a lively and bustling scene.
Everyone chatted, drank, and enjoyed themselves, with hearty laughter occasionally echoing through the hall.
The several people seated at the head of the table exchanged toasts, their faces beaming with brilliant smiles.
After a few cups of wine, Wen Shu looked at Liu Jin beside him and said softly!
"Wen Yi, I heard from the Little Yellow Gate that the imperial court has issued an edict for you to lead your troops to the Jizhou battlefield, to follow Lord Lu and quell the Yellow Turban."
Liu Jin heard this, slowly put down his wine cup, and said seriously!
"Indeed, the imperial court has ordered me to rest for a few days in Zhuo Commandery, and then lead my troops to Jizhou to obey Lord Lu's command."
Wen Shu heard this and could not help but say with concern!
"Wen Yi, I hear that the Jizhou battlefield is not simple."
"The Yellow Turban leaders Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang, the three brothers, command hundreds of thousands of mighty troops, sweeping across several commanderies, causing various Prefects to flee in disarray."
"When you lead your troops there this time, you must be careful and cautious, and not let anything happen."
"I am waiting for news of your renown to arrive, so I can hold a celebratory banquet for you in Zhuo Commandery."
Liu Jin felt somewhat grateful for these words of concern and said with a smile!
"Thank you for your words, Prefect; your humble general will surely bear them in mind and be careful and cautious on the Jizhou battlefield."
Wen Shu nodded, pondered for a moment, and then spoke again!
"Wen Yi, all of this is thanks to you; your bravery and skill in battle outside the city, your valiant killing of tens of thousands of enemies, not only resolved the crisis in Zhuo Commandery but also allowed me to be ennobled as a Marquis."
"I must, of course, return the favor. Currently, there are only a little over a thousand troops in the military camp outside the city, and going to the Jizhou battlefield with so few troops probably won't achieve much."
"So, I will transfer another thousand men from the Commandery to your command, to obey your orders and go to the Jizhou battlefield to quell the Yellow Turban."
"As for official positions below Military Marquis, you may appoint them yourself; this represents my sincerity in being ennobled as a Marquis."
Liu Jin was delighted to hear these words, not expecting Wen Shu to be so generous; this was truly a timely help.
After all, he only had a little over a thousand troops; even if he went to Jizhou, under the command of Lord Lu, who had tens of thousands of troops, he probably wouldn't gain much, nor would he be highly regarded.
If he had twice as many troops, he could at least increase his prestige in the army and might even gain some benefits.
He picked up the wine cup on the table, his eyes filled with excitement, cupped his fists, and said loudly!
"Your humble general thanks the Prefect for his support; if there are any places where you need me in the future, just give the order, Prefect, and your humble general will surely obey unto death."
After saying this, Liu Jin drained the wine in his cup, showing his respect.
Wen Shu heard these words and laughed heartily, feeling very satisfied.
He knew that he was not helping Liu Jin without reason, but rather valued his potential; at such a young age, he had already displayed extraordinary talent, and his future achievements were naturally immeasurable.
Especially in this chaotic era, with beacons of war everywhere, if Liu Jin went to Jizhou to quell the Yellow Turban and had good luck, he might even be ennobled as a Marquis or a general, or even surpass himself.
By that time, trying to befriend Liu Jin would be somewhat counterproductive.
It was better to help him now, while he was still growing, to offer timely assistance, so that even when he grew up, he would not forget his kindness.
Zheng Qian, sitting opposite the table, looked at this scene, paused for a moment, and already understood why Wen Shu was helping Liu Jin.
Clearly, he valued the man's potential and wanted to help him when he was down, hoping to receive a thousandfold return in the future.
Zheng Qian's eyes darted around; he was not a fool.
Although somewhat timid, having been in officialdom for so long, he naturally saw that Liu Jin was no ordinary person.
Even Wen Shu, who had just been ennobled as a Marquis, was willing to support him from behind, so he naturally did not want to miss this opportunity.
With a smile on his face, he said softly!
"Wen Yi, since the Prefect is so generous, I cannot be stingy either. Moreover, I am now able to serve as a two-thousand-stone official, holding power in a region, largely thanks to you."
"Currently, your army consists of ordinary soldiers, and you are going to Jizhou to suppress the Yellow Turban, but that area is mostly vast plains, where cavalry have an advantage."
"I will personally pay for and give you five hundred horses, so you can organize a cavalry unit, hoping that you can achieve meritorious deeds in Jizhou."
Liu Jin trembled all over when he heard this; the joy on his face had not dissipated and now grew even more intense.
Those were five hundred horses, extremely important to him; not to mention the price, it would be very difficult to even purchase them if you wanted to.
He had not expected these two high-ranking officials today to be so generous and righteous.
However, he quickly understood that these two clearly valued his abilities.
Their current support was also an investment, believing that he could grow in the future, and by then, they hoped he would not forget their timely assistance.
