I have heard that the three brothers made great contributions in defeating the Yellow Turbans, but they were not rewarded. I didn't expect that Liu Xuande and the other three were actually here. But it is also true that they are both students of Lu Zhi. His senior brother is the governor of half a state here. It should be no problem for him to be the Protector General of Nanlelang.
I was moved and wanted to visit Liu Xuande. Although he was of low rank when he was granted the title in Luoyang, Lu Zhi still took him with him. Moreover, he treated people with the style of a great sage and was highly appreciated by everyone. Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song both praised him highly. His second and third brothers were the best military talents among ten thousand. What was rare was the deep love between the three brothers. I thought that as long as I could get one of them, I could make all three return to Jingzhou.
In this chaotic world, no one has too many talented people.
When I got to the city gate, I suddenly hesitated. If I stopped him from attacking the Inspector, he would be fine, and Liu Bei would not be blamed by the higher-ups, but it would be of no benefit to me. If I let him go, He Jin would blame him, forcing him to have no way out, and I would have the opportunity to take advantage of him.
Would this be too despicable, I thought to myself, but it wasn't me who framed him, so why should I feel guilty? But why did I feel so uneasy? To go or not to go, this was really a very troublesome question, but I had to make a decision as soon as possible, otherwise it would be too late. I made up my mind to be stupid for once, and it might be better to let my heart be at peace.
As soon as I entered the city gate and revealed my identity, I immediately asked about Zhang Yide's whereabouts. Fortunately, almost everyone in the city knew this impatient young man. I quickly arrived at the post station. As soon as I got off the horse, I heard a sound like a pig being slaughtered. I vaguely thought that Bai must have screamed so miserably in the past. Then I saw Zhang Fei holding a skinny guy's bun with a hairpin and dragging him out. He took the rope and tied the inspector to a pine tree, picked up the whip and started to beat him. Suddenly, a louder sound like a pig being slaughtered rang out again.
The people outside were divided into two groups, one group advised Zhang Fei not to be so impulsive, and the other group cheered for the three generals' righteous deeds. I immediately realized that I was late and it was useless to regret. It seemed that I had to think of another way. I couldn't help but feel ashamed of my hesitation.
"Brother Yide, please stop first." The most important thing now is to stabilize the situation.
"Who are you?" He stopped and turned to look at me. He obviously couldn't remember who I was, but he still asked me politely. I think I must be very different from the image of Zirui, the scholar in Luoyang at that time. Moreover, we only got to know each other at that time, and I only said a few words to Liu Bei.
"Brother Yide, don't you remember Xie Zirui from Jingzhou when we were in Luoyang?" He dismounted and supported him, indicating that he didn't need to salute. The inspector on the other side immediately shouted as if he saw a savior: "Hou Ye, help me, I was sent by Prince He."
"Lord Ping An Feng Yun Hou has come at the right time." Yide was happy to see the person who could make the decision, but he turned around and glared at the dead pig tied to the tree, which made the man shut up: "This guy came to me and my brother withheld the taxes he paid. We didn't miss a single pound of the taxes we should have collected. You just want my brother to bribe you. My brother only lives on those few buckets of rice, how can he give you money? You want to sue my brother for corruption and abuse of power, but my eldest brother has not committed any crime since he came here, and the people are all moved. The people wanted to stand up for my eldest brother, but he was beaten out by this dog official. I can't stand this arrogance, so I came to find trouble with this inspector."
"How could it be withheld? The tax revenue should belong to me and it is clearly in my hands now. How do you know that it was withheld?" I turned around and asked the Inspector.
The Inspector was tied up and lying at the foot of the tree, hesitating and not knowing how to answer, but he finally said: "Listen, you have never been to the Nanlelong territory of Youzhou. Your Majesty, if you do not come here to take office, the taxes should be paid to the national treasury..."
"I have been in East Youzhou for a long time, but I just went to Xiangping to chat with Lord Gongsun Bogui. Besides, my third uncle's family is in Xiangping, so I stayed there for a few months to fulfill my filial duty, which is in accordance with etiquette and law. In Xiangping, I received the spring and summer taxes sent by Liu Xuande on time. But I never saw you at Lord Gongsun Bogui's place? You should have met Lord Gongsun Bogui once when you went to Youzhou, so why didn't I see you, and Lord Gongsun Bogui never mentioned you to me?"
"I haven't gone to see Lord Gongsun along the way." Hearing this, I was overjoyed and came up with a plan.
"Go and ask your elder and second brothers, I have my own reasons."
"Yes." I don't know if Yi Deming didn't understand what I meant, but he was very happy. He immediately ordered the soldiers stationed at the post station to capture all of the Inspector's entourage, and he immediately mounted his horse.
He turned around and saw me and said, "Your Excellency, my elder and second brothers are here."
Liu Xuande looked anxious, but he still saluted me respectfully. The long-bearded Yunchang also saluted me like his elder brother, and I returned the salute.
"I didn't know you were coming, and I failed to welcome you. Please forgive me, Ping An Fengyun Hou Zirui." Because I was there, he couldn't talk to the inspector. He said to me, "I was rude. My second brother Yunchang and I heard that something had changed, so we came quickly. I didn't expect that something bad would happen. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Brother, we have made great contributions in defeating the Yellow Turbans, and you were able to get the position of Protector General of a prefecture thanks to Lord Bogui. But now you are being bullied by this mean-spirited person. He whips the people at will, but says that we are innocent and are harming them." I sighed and shook my head, knowing that Zhang Fei didn't understand what I meant.
Liu Bei also sighed and shook his head. He took out the official seal from his bosom and handed it to me: "Sorry for offending the Inspector. We can no longer stay here. Now that the noble lord has come, it is just the right time to hand it over to the noble lord. We brothers are really sorry for offending..." He didn't have that name, "so we have to leave first."
I secretly praised Xuande for being a man who truly values friendship and loyalty. But what I didn't expect was that all the Goguryeo and Han people who were watching nearby knelt down and begged Xuande not to abandon them. The three of them immediately knelt down in front of the people, and Xuande cried, "We brothers have offended this evil supervisor. Thank you for your care. If you don't want to bring trouble to Lelang, please... resign!"
It was truly a gathering of the people. I was shocked by this situation for the first time. I was the only one standing on the entire street. The whole city of joy was quietly settled in this autumn evening.
(Author's note: Chapter 5 was originally supposed to end here, but my brother sent me the unfinished manuscript in advance, so I put this paragraph in Chapter 5, with a special note.)
I decided to break this touching but somewhat awkward silence, "Brother Xuande, you don't have to leave, this inspector is fake!"
"Why?" Liu Bei was a little surprised, "But Yinshou and these are all correct."
Of course, they are all correct, and this Supervisor should also be true. This is a frame-up by me, but I feel at ease and have no guilt in framing such a bastard official.
"First, he went to Lelong in Dongyouzhou and didn't even pay his respects to Lord Gongsun Bogui." This reason is far-fetched. I think Liu Bei also understands why the Inspector did not meet Gongsun Zan. This reason is clear to everyone, but no one is willing to say it. But this alone can punish him for disrespect. Of course, neither Gongsun Zan nor He Jin would punish him for this crime.
"Secondly, coming to Lelang to collect taxes is probably the job of the Minister of Rites Dong Zhong, but you used the name of Lord He, which clearly shows that you want to cheat in the name of the Grand Commandant." The second reason is the same as the first one, and it is also a reason that no one can come up with. Liu Bei's eyes began to smile. The Supervisor could not think of any words to refute. Because this is another crime that is not a crime.
"Third, when you get here, you must have passed Xiangping, but I have never heard of you in Xiangping from beginning to end. You should at least go to the official post station, but why didn't you come to see me from beginning to end when I was at the post station?" This dog official must have gone on a business trip, so he looted everywhere and took the opportunity to travel around, especially in Lelang, which is "beautiful with mountains and rivers". He must have wasted a lot of time and didn't take the right route.
"Fourth, we were robbed by Wuhuan thieves when we passed Xuantu, and when we arrived in Lelang, you just happened to come here to collect the taxes I was supposed to receive. Isn't this too much of a coincidence?! Are you a Wuhuan thief who robbed the Inspector and came here to defraud money and property?" I felt that it was so righteous that I felt that it was true. Of course, based on the above charges, it is almost enough to sentence him to death. In addition, now that I belong to the Luàn world, I have the right to make a prompt decision. Looking at the dirt on the Inspector's face, I know that he also understands that the situation is not favorable to him.
"First, we will imprison this man in Ledu and take good care of him. We will send a letter to the capital soon and then make a decision." Liu Bei came out to smooth things over. He understood what was going on. He should also know that I was kind-hearted, but he would not do what I wanted. I also knew that he would not do it. But I felt that I was so bold that I was worried. It seemed that I was the only one who dared to give He Jin a hand. Although I knew in my heart that it might bring bad consequences, I didn't want to keep feeling aggrieved like this.
The matter came to a temporary end. We must admit that this man was definitely a genius. He was able to make the common people so concerned about his affairs in a few months. If he was not deliberately buying people's hearts, then it was his true benevolence.
Li Beihai dragged his sick body to see me to see if I could help him with anything. His wife also rode with him, followed by Nan. However, what surprised the two warriors was the two people behind Liu Bei, while the wife did not notice the other people behind Beihai. I think Longxing and Nan felt the momentum of these two people. In fact, Liu Xuande was definitely a general who could fight. He was eight feet tall. Although he was not very strong, he looked very powerful when he walked and waved his arms. He looked a bit honest and kind, and the two mustaches on his face showed some strength and toughness. His second brother had a ruddy face, was more than nine feet tall, had a tiger body and a wolf waist, a pair of phoenix eyes, and a three-foot long beard. He was born with a proud and indomitable spirit, and looked like a god. I couldn't help but look forward to my appearance with a long beard, and he seemed to be more strategic than his eldest brother. The third brother is four or five years older than his two older brothers. He is about the same age as us, and he is not a fool. He is very elegant and graceful, but he seems to have a very quick temper. Coupled with the aura he exudes, it feels like someone's head may fall to the ground at any time within seven steps.
I will continue to let Liu Xuande govern Lelang. I am a lazy person, and it is rare to find such a talented person like Xuande. I will also let him handle the taxes I brought and do things for the people of Southern Lelang. This can be regarded as my doing things for the people as a Lelang marquis. In addition, I took out some gold and asked them to find a clean house for Beihai on the southern coast.
Xuande and the other two bowed again and then took their leave.
It was a rare occasion for us to have a meal together at the post station, so I called Yan Rou to come and eat with us.
"Brother, didn't anyone invite you to a banquet today?" Nan asked a very correct but difficult question. Liu Bei was an honest official, and the common people knew all about him. Whenever they had something to do, they could go to the government office. The three brothers lived in a room behind the lobby, and could go to the court to handle things at any time. The three of them only relied on their salaries to eat. How could they afford to treat me to a meal? I could only eat by myself in the post station, but this meal was the happiest for me. I felt a sense of security and sincerity. What's more, there were a lot of people who could talk to me about everything.
It's just that I can't answer him for the first question. We in Jingzhou have one duke, one marquis and three earls. When people come from above or even from other towns, we have to take out some money from the treasury to hold a big banquet. When there are some major events, we will also hold some banquets ourselves. Although the teacher still lives in the thatched cottage, he works from sunrise to sunset every day. But it seems that we are still not as thorough as Liu Xuande in being honest and serving the public.
So, I didn't answer this question. Instead, I asked Long Xing how he was doing. He was fine, I think he was tough. However, in front of my brother and sister-in-law, I didn't want to say anything that would hurt him.
"After dinner, you all have a good rest. I have something to ask Xuande."
"You want to recruit them for your service?" Long Xing was a little too direct, but I decided to nod. He also nodded: "As long as there are people willing to use these three people, it is definitely not something that this captain can limit. Originally, I thought there were not many people better than me." Maybe he was sick, he was in a low mood, "I didn't expect to see Zhao Yun in Youzhou first, and now this..."
"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei." I remembered that he didn't know their names yet.
"And they are so young. If they become your enemies in the future, it will be really troublesome. Big brother, it seems that you are not their match?" Po Liu Han Lieya is probably only one level stronger than me in strength. When it comes to immediately responding to the enemy in battle, he is probably much better than me. He is already very polite.
I shook my head, admitting that there was indeed a gap in strength. I suddenly covered my mouth, feeling pain in my chest, not knowing what was going on.
"My Lord, are you injured too?"
No, there is a black iron heart guard protecting this position, so there is no injury.
"My pride is hurt." I couldn't explain it, so I just said it very wittily. Everyone laughed.
In Liu Bei's room, I sat opposite the three brothers. The room was not big and the few furnishings looked very shabby, but the neatly arranged official documents and letters showed their diligence and orderliness, and I felt a surge of respect and admiration in my heart.
I felt that I could not successfully persuade them to go to Jingzhou, but I still told them about the teacher's way of employing people, the situation in Jingzhou, and sincerely hoped that the three brothers would come to Jingzhou. So when I heard Xuande's extremely frank and direct words, I felt very natural, but also very disappointed.
"Your Excellency recently helped my brother out of trouble and took the responsibility for this matter. My brother and I must repay this favor in this life. The world is in chaos today. Youzhou has reached a critical moment. My master and my senior brothers are both the leaders of Youzhou. If something goes wrong, they will be implicated. I cannot abandon them for emotional and logical reasons. Thank you for your kindness. I'm sorry that Xuande cannot fulfill your wishes."
"That's fine. Brother Xuande, you can look at me like this and speak so frankly. You are wise enough. What Xuande said is very true. If things don't go well, the gates of Jingzhou will be open forever for you, my master and my brothers."
On the second day, Liu Xuande found a house for us. But he must have misheard me, because he found a big house close to the North Sea for dozens of us. This house used to belong to a merchant family. The head of the family later encountered a rebellion and died outside. The family soon fell into decline, and the big house has been empty since then. This time, we moved in first. I was still complaining that Xuande didn't listen to my request, but after moving in, I forgot all my requests and the post station. Because the sea is just outside this house, connected to the golden beach, the endless deep blue and the clean blue sky that can be seen through, the warm sea breeze blows from the south sea, bringing a wet and fresh breath that makes the heart drunk. This is the first time I see the sea. I don't know if it's the same for others, but everyone is very excited. Soon, groups of people took off their shoes and socks and ran into the water to play, chasing happily with the sea.
From the next day, everyone went their own way. However, I ordered that when Long Xing was at the beach, others should go far away to avoid disturbing Long Xing from doing "sī". But I didn't care about myself. The window of my room faced south, so I became a scout to observe how he did bad things.
Long Xing would go to the beach every morning to take a bath, and then watch the sea with his wife in the warm sea breeze, chatting about things I couldn't hear, but I knew he was getting better very quickly. Every day he wore shorts and swam around in the water without any image, which reminded me that his name and surname together resembled this scene: "Long Xing Bei Hai." My sister-in-law still paid some attention to her image, and didn't play around in the water with him. Most of the time, she would hold his shoes and socks, constantly take care of her husband by the water, and sometimes play water fights with Long Xing on the shore. But Bei Hai, that's because she can't swim.
During this period, I didn't have the time to spy on others. I had other things to think about. I was thinking about how to send troops to fight Wuhuan. However, I had no reason to send them out. The reason was that we fought too well in the battle against Xuantu. There was only a scratch on the palm and a cut on the leg. It didn't look like they had been fighting against hundreds of people for more than an hour. I once mentioned this to Xuande, but Xuande was unwilling to mobilize troops for a group of bandits in other counties whose existence could not be proved. I understood this and respected this approach, so the matter was put on hold, but it made me very upset.
I told everyone about this and everyone could only laugh. It seems that fighting a war too well can also cause trouble.
I had to keep thinking of ways.
I was bored, so I just waved the Tianlang at the beach. The scenery here is really nice, and the comfortable wind is blowing. It feels very comfortable even if I practice martial arts alone. These made me think of retiring from the world. Although I don't care, and I can enjoy some vanity, I always feel that this kind of life is not suitable for me. But I think the same as Liu Bei, abandoning my teachers and classmates is really not something I can do.
I am always conflicted. I don’t know what’s going on. Only when it’s late at night and everyone is asleep will I put aside so many annoying thoughts, because then I will miss home.
Liu Bei always came here to see if I needed anything, and asked me how much tax I collected in the fall. I told him to do whatever he wanted, and to give me five zhu per household. He was surprised and admired me. The rest was left to Le Làng for his own use. He nodded and understood what he was using.
I'm still trying to find a solution, but there's no way. If I don't get rid of those Wuhuan people, I'll always feel like something's blocking me.
When he got tired of thinking, he went to discuss it with his brothers. It was indeed much happier to think together, but everyone came to the same conclusion. It seemed that there must be an unexpected event as a trigger. Otherwise, it would be difficult for Xuande to take action given his personality.
At this point, I had to calm down. I thought that if nothing happened, I would let Long Xing make trouble when he was well. So, in the next few days, I often practiced martial arts in the sea, and sometimes went to catch fish. It was much slower and more difficult to do a lot of movements in the water than on the road. I always came up with ways to practice this and that in the water. I didn't know what the point of practicing these was, maybe it was just for fun. When I was tired, I dived deep into the water and opened my eyes to look. The view in front of me became blurry, but I still watched the fish swimming by quietly, without thinking about anything.
At night, the sea breeze starts to get colder, but the sea is still quite warm. I often come out to take a breath, and then continue to hold my breath and crawl along the rocks one by one. I seem to like the comfortable feeling underwater. Even at night, even if it is pitch black, there is something to block the cold wind and various attacks. However, in the end, I still have to come out and go through the cold wind before I can go back to sleep.
I suddenly stopped thinking about anything, as if those annoying things had nothing to do with me. Only when it was late at night and everyone was asleep would I fall into a deep homesickness.
In this way, we spent half a month peacefully in Lelang. Beihai was no longer a problem, but I still reminded him not to overindulge himself to avoid further problems.
And I'm still waiting for the opportunity.
That day, Yun Chang came to me and told me that He Jin's imperial edict had arrived. I immediately asked in return, did you really send a letter to He Jin so quickly, otherwise how could it be so fast. Yun Chang's expression did not change much, but now He Jin was in Xiyouzhou. I immediately asked why he was in Xiyouzhou. He replied that the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Yuyang, the Northern Secretary, had started a rebellion, and He Jin ordered the Fubei Gong Lu Zhi to fight against them. After that, he handed me a court report.
I took a quick look at it and thought to myself that God was helping me, but as soon as I thought about it, I immediately understood the purpose of his visit.
"How do you plan to deal with that Inspector?"
"My eldest brother wants to let him go. My third brother doesn't want to, but there is nothing he can do. However, I think it would be better for you to go there. It is not appropriate for us to intervene in this matter now."
I immediately went to Ledu with Yunchang. The situation was very troublesome. Yunchang didn't want this inspector to influence his elder brother, but he also hated the inspector, but he could do nothing about it. But after this incident, it was difficult for the inspector to say anything good to Liu Bei in front of He Jin, so how to shut him up became Yunchang's top priority. They really couldn't come up with anything to bribe this thief, and if they mentioned embezzlement of the official treasury, they would rather resign.
His pride would not let him beg me, or he expected that I would help him even without him asking. I wondered if I should also lose face and do something for my brothers. Because there are too few good officials like Liu Bei, if he was dismissed, it would be a sin for the people here. The road is only a few miles, but I hope it is as long as possible, because I feel uncomfortable going to Qiu to catch the evil thief. But unfortunately, we arrived in the blink of an eye.
When we arrived at the Fu Ya, Zhang Fei came out angrily, followed by Liu Bei. Yide saw us and seemed to have a backer. He turned to his elder brother and said, "This thief is clearly asking for a bribe from us. How can we give him money? Look at the thief's appearance, as if he is He Jin. When we let him out, he immediately became extremely arrogant. If it weren't for my brother stopping me, I would have killed this thief."
"Yide, don't be angry with your brother. There is nothing you can do about it." Guan Yu also advised the young man not to get angry and to calm down.
"Second brother, do you also think that the thief should not die? You two brothers can tolerate this thief, but I cannot tolerate it for a moment. I will go to another place." Zhang Fei turned around and wanted to leave. Suddenly, I had an idea. I felt that this was an opportunity. It depended on how Xuande would act.
Xuande took out the official seal and said to Yide, "My three brothers became sworn brothers in the past, and we are bound together in life and death. If you really want to leave, I will not hesitate to give up my position. Now that my teacher is fighting with others, let us temporarily come to his place and lend a helping hand." The hope that had just ignited in me was immediately extinguished, but I still spoke generously.
"Lord Xuande, this incident is also caused by me. Let me take care of the bribery to get rid of that dog official." I was so blatant and loud that Liu Bei looked around, paused for a moment, and agreed.
"Brother Yide, please be at ease. You don't need to be too angry about this matter. I will help you deal with it." I winked at Yide. Yide was not a stupid person. He smiled, then bowed to me and replied cleverly: "Thank you, Marquis Ping'an Fengyun, for taking good care of my elder brother."
Then, I rode back home and called my brothers together to discuss the matter. After I finished the situation, I asked how to connect this matter with the defeat of Wuhuan. Beihai said to me, "Wait a moment," and turned away. I immediately cursed him for being disloyal.
Yan Rou must have something in mind, but he still doesn't. I usually include him in the discussion when I call everyone together, but he rarely speaks. Nan, I know he tried hard to think, but he probably can't think of anything.
It seems that I still have to figure it out on my own. But at this time, Beihai came back with a red face. When he saw me, he said, "Brother, I have a plan that can punish the thief and pacify Wuhuan."