Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 967: Chaos and Death
"I'm here to see the Master again."

The servant looked as if he was used to it and curled his lips: "My master likes quietness. On weekdays, except for discussing knowledge with a few friends and going out on his own initiative, he never sees guests. In the past two years, there have been too many scholars who came to see the master. You should go back."

The servant's expression was impatient, but also a bit arrogant, and he obviously felt that his master was so famous, and he, as a servant, was also proud of it. But despite this, his tone was not too harsh, and he seemed to be trying his best to suppress his unhappy emotions.

The more he said this, the more curious Liu Zheng became. "It is said that Zhuge Xuan and Zhuge Jin are both under Liu Bei's command. In this mansion, Zhuge Liang should be the temporary head of the family. It is not easy for him to train his servants to this level. I must meet this legendary genius today."

His eyes rolled, and a plan came to mind. He bowed to the servant again and said, "I have come all the way from the capital because I often heard my teacher comment on famous people in the world. Among them, he highly praised this young man of yours, saying that there are few young talents in the world who can surpass Zhuge Liang. I admire him very much, so I came to visit you. Please consider my sincerity and the face of my teacher and let me have a chat with your young man."

The servant was surprised. "Oh? Are there any great scholars in the capital who know about my son's talent? Who is his teacher?"

Liu Zheng smiled gently: "My master's name is Lu, and his courtesy name is Zigan."

The servant was extremely shocked: "Could it be... that is the Lord Lu, the president of Luoyang Imperial College and the current great master of Confucian classics?"

Seeing the reaction of this servant, Liu Zheng was also expecting it. Lu Zhi was already a world-renowned Confucian scholar, and now that the Imperial College was making a sensation, his reputation and status as the head of the Imperial College naturally rose. Even Cui Lie, Cui Yan, Zhong Yao, Cai Yong and other famous scholars who were once vaguely comparable to him were now clearly left behind by him.

Liu Zheng smiled and said, "Yes, it is Mr. Lu. I also have a copy of official script written by my master, and I want to appreciate it with you, young master."

When the servant heard this, his expression suddenly became extremely attentive: "Sir, please wait in my gatehouse first. I, Qian Tong, will serve my young master. Please wait a moment..."

He took Liu Zheng to a small room behind the mansion gate and then disappeared.

Liu Zheng looked at his back and laughed out loud, Yanran still had the heart of a young boy.

After a while, the servant came over with a young scholar.

Liu Zheng looked at him carefully. Although the man was a Confucian scholar, he had an upright figure and walked briskly. He also had a high nose, big eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes. He was extremely handsome.

Liu Zheng naturally guessed this person's identity and immediately took the initiative to greet him.

When the two were still more than ten steps apart, Zhuge Liang smiled and greeted him with a bow: "You are a distinguished guest. I am sorry for not welcoming you from afar. Please forgive me."

Liu Zheng returned the greeting and said, "I am sorry for coming to your house without your permission."

Zhuge Liang quickly looked at Liu Zheng, especially his belt and boots, where he stayed for a moment. Then he turned sideways and made a "please" gesture.

"In the backyard of my humble residence, a green lotus has just begun to bloom. If you don't mind, please go to the backyard to have some tea."

"Oh? Such a beautiful view, I couldn't ask for more. Please."

The two of them walked all the way to the backyard. As expected, there was a lotus pond here. Above the lotus pond, a covered bridge crossed the sky, winding and twisting. In the middle of the covered bridge, there stood a pavilion, which was very elegant.

"Please." Zhuge Liang pointed to a cushion, and Liu Zheng did not hesitate to sit down with his legs bent.

"I heard that Brother Liu has a copy of Lu Gong's handwritten official script. Can you let me feast my eyes on it?"

Zhuge Liang went straight to the point.

Liu Zheng did not hesitate. He reached out from his arms and took out a folded, palm-sized paper document and handed it over with both hands.

Zhuge Liang took the letter and praised it before even reading it: "It's made of good paper. It's even more flexible and whiter than the paper used in the books I've seen. This letter is worth no less than 100,000 coins just based on its material."

He carefully unfolded the letter and read the words inside. The more he read, the more the light in his eyes flickered.

"Great calligraphy and great writing. This article by Mr. Lu is magnificent and has an extraordinary structure. The characters are also powerful and penetrate the paper by three points. He is worthy of being a great writer of the time."

He praised sincerely for a few words, then refolded the letter and handed it back to Liu Zheng with both hands: "Thank you, Brother Liu, for your generosity in borrowing it. Liang is very satisfied."

Liu Zheng said with a smile: "A sword is given to a hero. This is a good article. Naturally, only a genius in the world can recognize the subtlety of it."

Zhuge Liang said, "Brother Liu, you have come to my house with such a generous gift. As the saying goes, it is impolite not to return the favor. Here is a copy of Three Strategies. I will give it back to Brother Liu."

He reached out and took down the bottom of three paper books from a table between the two of them.

Liu Zheng looked at it and saw that it was the Three Strategies. "The Three Strategies? As far as I know, there are twelve copies of this book in paper version. I didn't expect that Brother Zhuge has one copy."

Zhuge Liang looked at him meaningfully: "Oh? I didn't expect Brother Liu to be well versed in this, that's great. This book was bought by Mi Zhu, the head of the Mi family in Xuzhou, for a high price of three thousand gold when he went to Luoyang for business. He presented it to the governor Liu Bei, and Liu Bei gave it to my uncle. But my uncle and brother were not very interested in this art of war, so they sent someone to send it back to Yangdu, so I was able to take a look. The following book "Six Strategies" is also similar."

As he spoke, he flipped through the Three Strategies, and the book at the bottom was revealed. It was indeed the Six Strategies. As for the top one, it was the Mozi.

Liu Zheng took the book and said directly without flipping through it, "The book "Three Strategies" talks about three things: setting up rewards, distinguishing villains, and recording success and failure. I have been reading it since I was young. I can't say that I have a deep understanding of its essence, but I have a lot of experience. But..."

He looked at Zhuge Liang and asked back: "I disagree with a statement in the book. Today I have the honor of meeting you, my sage, and I would like to ask you to give me some advice."

"Oh? I am not very knowledgeable and may not be able to answer Brother Liu's questions, but please tell me."

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan lightly, motioning Liu Zheng to continue.

Liu Zheng said: "There is a saying in the book: If the army has no money, the soldiers will not come; if the army has no rewards, the soldiers will not go. Where there is a sweet bait, there will be a fish hanging; where there is a big reward, there will be a dead man."

He changed the subject and said, "However, I believe that those who join the army just for money are not true heroes, nor are they true warriors. It is important to clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments in the army, but if we really want to win a battle and capture a city, money alone cannot do it."

Zhuge Liang showed an interested expression: "Yes, Brother Liu has a very deep understanding of this book. Please continue."

Liu Zheng stood up and looked at the lotus pond. "Food, clothing, shelter and transportation are the basic needs for human survival. Humans eat grains, but they are not like gods. Therefore, human power is limited. However, if we want to explore the limited human power to the limit, it is not something that can be achieved by earthly things such as gold, silver and money. Humans are not plants or trees, nor are they walking corpses. They have thoughts, desires and dreams. I think that for these thoughts, desires and dreams, the power that humans can exert is even more powerful."

"Therefore, for those who are good at fighting and know how to be a general, rewards and punishments for merits and demerits are just the basics. Only by integrating the thoughts, desires, and dreams of everyone in the army and guiding them well can we create an invincible iron army and break all illusions."

He spoke with some passion and excitement, but Zhuge Liang, who was standing beside him, covered his mouth with a feather fan and pretended to smile.

"What? Brother Zhuge, do you disagree with this?" Liu Zheng seemed a little displeased.

"No, no, Brother Liu misunderstood." Zhuge Liang hurriedly explained: "I was just happy in my heart and couldn't control myself for a while."

Liu Zheng was stunned: "Happy? Why is Brother Zhuge so happy?"

Zhuge Liang also stood up and walked in front of Liu Zheng, saying respectfully: "Liang is happy for the Han Dynasty and the people of the world."

This sentence made Liu Zheng even more confused: "Where did you get this from?"

Zhuge Liang took a step back and bowed to him. Liu Zheng's face changed and he hurried forward to help him up: "Brother Zhuge, what are you doing?"

"The eldest prince is such a great man. It is a blessing for the Han Dynasty and the people. Liang respectfully bows to the eldest prince on behalf of the people of the world."

"Hooray..." Liu Zheng only felt a violent fluctuation in his mind and looked at Zhuge Liang in shock.

"How...how did you know?"

Zhuge Liang said respectfully, "Although the eldest prince is dressed in plain clothes, the belt he wears is extraordinary. This belt is made of the finest silk from Qixia Pavilion, which is run by the wealthy merchant Zhen family. The jade buckle in the middle is made of the finest jadeite inlaid with pure silver. This belt alone is worth more than a thousand gold coins. How can an ordinary person own it?"

Liu Zheng looked down and patted his forehead, "Oh, what a mistake... However, although this item is valuable, it is not used by the royal family. How can you determine my identity based on this?"

Zhuge Liang smiled and pointed at Liu Zheng's feet: "Your Highness, please take a look at your boots."

Liu Zheng took a closer look and suddenly realized: "Ah...it turns out that this is where the flaw is."

"Haha. The pair of golden cloud shoes your Highness is wearing has eight cloud patterns on the upper. According to court regulations, nine clouds are for the emperor, and eight clouds are for royal relatives. They are definitely not available on the market. In addition, you can easily take out the handwritten letter of Lord Lu. Considering all the above, you can only be a member of the royal family. Although I live in a small county, I know that the current eldest prince has arrived in Yuzhou, and I have heard from merchants and travelers in the city that Shenyang City is in chaos. From General Cheng Liang to the soldiers guarding the city, everyone seems to be looking for something." "Also, your Highness called himself Liu Zhi before. Zhi and Zheng are only different by a horizontal stroke. Considering all these signs, Liang dared to presumptuously determine the identity of the eldest prince. Please don't blame your Highness."

Liu Zheng was surprised at first, but then his face was full of admiration. He supported Zhuge Liang and said, "Oh my, Brother Zhuge is really talented. He is so thoughtful and knows everything in the world without leaving home. His reputation is well-deserved."

"Your Highness, you are overpraising me. Your Highness is so young, yet he is so talented in both civil and military affairs. He has ventured into the world alone, and has made great achievements in Shenyang. This is something that is rarely seen in the world."

The two exchanged some pleasantries and then sat down again.

Zhuge Liang raised his eyebrows and his eyes flashed, as if he could see what was on Liu Zheng's mind: "Your Highness, you suddenly left Shenyang City and traveled around. What doubts do you have in your mind?"

Liu Zheng nodded and said, "That's right. I have something on my mind that I have never been able to resolve. I wonder if Brother Zhuge can help me resolve this issue?"

Zhuge Liang said hurriedly: "Your Highness has such great talent and ambition. If you have any questions, I will tell you everything I know."

"Oh..." Liu Zheng let out a long sigh.

"Sir, what do you think of the current situation in the world? How strong is our Luoyang court compared to the various princes?"

"Of course, the imperial court is far ahead. In terms of financial resources and military strength, I am afraid that the combined strength of the other princes is not as good as that of the imperial court. Otherwise, why would Cao Cao spend so much time and effort, offer generous gifts, and persuade the Qiang people, Wuhuan people, and Goguryeo people to send troops to harass the Central Plains?"

"That's it." Liu Zheng slapped his thigh, with a look of resentment on his face. "If that's the case, why can't the imperial court wipe out Cao thief despite fighting him so many times? Although Cao thief has some skills, he doesn't seem to be able to turn decay into magic. What is the key here?"

Zhuge Liang suddenly stopped waving his feather fan. He glanced at Liu Zheng and asked, "Your Highness, have you ever read the Book of Shangshu?"

Liu Zheng was a little confused, but still replied: "Of course I have seen it."

Zhuge Liang put down the feather fan and said, "There is a saying in the Book of Documents: Zhong Kui's Proclamation: 'Protect the virtuous and support the virtuous, show loyalty and pursue goodness, take advantage of the weak and attack the ignorant, take advantage of chaos and humiliate the enemy'. Although this book is not a military book, the saying 'take advantage of the weak and attack the ignorant, take advantage of chaos and humiliate the enemy' is indeed a famous saying of military strategists."

Liu Zheng seemed to understand: "You mean..."

"Although the imperial court is the only dominant power in the world today, the other princes and the two pseudo-imperial courts either occupy natural strategic locations that are easy to defend and difficult to attack. Or they are strong and can focus on dealing with the imperial court without worrying about anything else. Even if they are not as strong as the imperial court, their political situation is not chaotic, their leaders are not incompetent, and their power is extremely stable. They are not in danger of failure and even seem to be thriving. Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Jian, Liu Yan and others are even more powerful heroes of the time, and they have many talented people to assist them wholeheartedly. If the imperial court wants to wipe them out and unify the world, it will not be able to achieve the desired results through war."

Liu Zheng nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "That's right. I have had this thought since the battle at Shenyang, but it is just that it is hard to express and I can't think of it. I didn't expect Brother Zhuge to speak it out."

Liu Zheng spoke much faster when he met a close friend.

"Then I wonder how we can resolve this situation?" He leaned forward, his upper body almost pressing on the table between the two of them.

Zhuge Liang didn't care and continued, "The so-called 'taking advantage of the chaos and destroying the country' means that we should let them cause chaos and destroy themselves. When the time is right, the imperial court will send troops to conquer them. Not to mention hundreds of thousands of troops, I'm afraid that only tens of thousands of troops will be enough to pacify the world. Liang often communicates with the people in the countryside. There is a saying among the woodcutters in the countryside: If you chop wood without following the grain, you will tire yourself to death. This is also the truth. If you can follow the general trend in everything, you will get twice the result with half the effort."

Liu Zheng pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "My father often taught me that the so-called general trend is actually the support of the people. Brother Zhuge, is this because the people in the territories occupied by these princes have not yet returned to the court, so the general trend is not in my hands?"

Zhuge Liang nodded first, then shook his head: "Yes, but not. To be precise, the people's hearts have not yet completely returned to the court. The court has strictly enforced laws and regulations in the counties under its jurisdiction, cracked down on the powerful, built water conservancy projects, reduced taxes, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, promoted commerce and travel, and developed official schools. In these places, whether scholars, farmers, workers, or merchants, they have all benefited greatly. How can they not be loyal to the court?"

"However, the situation in Yi, Jing, Yu, Yang, Jiao, Xu and other places is different. The people in these states have mostly only heard rumors about the imperial court's policies. Just for a few rumors, how many people are willing to give up their family business and come to the places governed by the imperial court to start a new life?"

Liu Zheng was puzzled again. "But the court does treat the people much better than Cao Cao and his people. Not to mention Luoyang, even in the border areas of Yunhai and Shuofang, the people live in peace and the business is prosperous, no less than the rich places in the Central Plains such as Yu and Xu. Even if the people only hear some rumors, won't they yearn for the court and hate the rebellious princes like Cao Cao?"

Zhuge Liang just smiled bitterly when he heard this: "Your Highness has lived in the palace for many years, so it is not surprising that you would have such thoughts. But the thoughts of ordinary people are different from you and me."

"Oh? How is it different?" Liu Zheng asked.

"Cao, Sun, Liu and others have governed the local area in a methodical way, and the order is stable and the weather is good. Although it is not as prosperous as under the imperial court, and the taxes are higher than under the imperial court, it is still much better than when the two previous emperors Huan and Ling were in power. In the past, the people lived on tree bark, and even became refugees, with no safety at all. Now they can finally live in peace, even if they are not rich, but for the people, it is a rare peaceful and prosperous era. Therefore, Cao Cao and others may be traitors to the country in your eyes, but they may not be so in the eyes of the people. There are many people who are grateful to them."

"In the past, the country was in decline, the world was in turmoil, the people suffered, and the masses suffered. First there was the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and then there were disputes among the princes. Although Your Majesty stepped in to turn the tide, the people were still somewhat alienated from the Han Dynasty. These two points have led to the current situation."

"This... what you said is really unprecedented and quite novel, but..."

Liu Zheng was a little confused, and Zhuge Liang just smiled at him when he saw him.

"Such remarks are not recorded in any books. A few years ago, I had the same idea as Your Highness, but after going in and out of the countryside and getting to know the people, I realized that the lofty ideas we usually say about 'speaking for the people' may not really be what the people think."

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler of all ages. If you can follow this principle and govern the world, within a few years, you will surely win the hearts of the people. At that time, Cao Cao and his people will naturally end up in chaos and destruction. Why worry about not being able to destroy them?"

Liu Zheng stood up and said solemnly: "Brother Zhuge, your words are profound. I am grateful for your advice."

"I dare not. I am just a commoner. Please do not be offended by my arrogant words. I am not worthy of the title of 'brother'."

Zhuge Liang quickly stood up and responded.

Liu Zheng's eyes suddenly rolled, and then he grinned, which made Zhuge Liang stunned.

Liu Zheng suddenly reached out his hand and grasped Zhuge Liang's hand: "Although you are young, you have great talent and ambition. If you don't mind, Liu Zheng is willing to become sworn brothers with you."

"Ah?" Zhuge Liang was so frightened that he almost jumped up.

"No, no, absolutely not..."

"Why? Brother Zhuge, do you look down on me and think that I am not worthy of your friendship because of my knowledge?"

Liu Zheng's face immediately became full of grievance, and Zhuge Liang was secretly shocked by his quick change of expression.

"No, no, Liang has absolutely no such intention..."

The genius who was talking big just now, as if he had the world in his hands, was now frightened by Liu Zheng and became at a loss what to do.

"That's good that you don't mean that. Hehe, come on, let's kneel down here and offer sacrifices to heaven and earth. From today on, you and I are brothers."

Liu Zheng didn't care whether he agreed or not. He just grabbed his hand and dragged him to his knees. Then he knocked his head to the ground.

Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly, but had no choice but to kowtow together.

"Haha, that's great." Liu Zheng was extremely happy: "My father has my second uncle and the other four sworn brothers, and now I also have a brother like you. This is really a great pleasure in life."

"Oh, no, no. Your Highness is a prince, how dare Liang take the lead? Although Liang is two years older, he should respect Your Highness as his elder brother."

"How can this be done..."

Liu Zheng was about to retort when Zhuge Liang said, "As far as I know, your majesty and the other four generals have sworn brotherhood. Your majesty is also the youngest, but the other four generals admire your majesty as a person and still respect him as a brother. Now that you and I are following this example, we should naturally follow suit in this matter as well. Otherwise, I will never accept this brotherhood even if I die."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Liu Zheng could only agree: "Okay, since my brother... oh no, since my dear brother said so, then I will respectfully obey your command."

Zhuge Liang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the eldest prince looked gentle and refined before, and he didn't want to play tricks, but he was also a good hand. However, if he asked himself, he was also a good match for the eldest prince. Putting aside his status, it was indeed a good thing to be able to become brothers with such a person.

"Gugugu..." A strange sound suddenly came. Zhuge Liang looked around and asked curiously, "Eh? At this time of year, are there still toads?"

Liu Zheng pointed at his stomach a little embarrassedly: "Hehe... yes... it's my stomach that's growling..."

"Uh..." Zhuge Liang was speechless for a moment, then he raised his head and laughed.

"Hahaha... It's my fault. Come on, prepare the banquet..."

(End of this chapter)