The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 296 Liu Bei hosts a grand banquet at Yulongtai, Li Yi composes poems to express his feelings.
Liu Bei calmly asked the crowd.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment, having worked with Liu Bei for so many years.

Everyone knows his temperament.

Although Liu Bei was a man who rarely showed his emotions, when he was asked about politics, he often displayed a humble attitude and sought advice.

When Liu Bei's face remained calm, it meant that he already had a plan in mind.

Asking for everyone's opinion was just a formality.

Seeing that no one spoke for a long time, Liu Bei finally spoke:
“…Very well. Since none of you gentlemen have a good plan, I shall make the decision alone.”

"Then I will make the decision myself."

"In my view, Li Yi's new policies are truly benevolent measures to increase the population."

"Although Cao Wei implemented this policy, it was too harsh and tyrannical."

"However, it is appropriate to extract the essence and discard the dross."

"Take its essence that benefits the people and eliminate its harmful effects that oppress them."

"As for the specifics of how to implement it..."

Liu Bei paused slightly, then said slowly:
"I will personally go to Hebei to discuss the implementation plan with Prime Minister Li."

Everyone was taken aback. King Qi actually wanted to go to Hebei in person?
Those who did not understand its meaning may offer their advice:
"That is, the Prime Minister proposed the plan, and the King also wanted to implement the new policy."

"Just let the Prime Minister provide the specific procedures."

"Your Majesty is of noble birth; why should you personally travel to Hebei?"

Liu Bei then explained:

"I have been away from Hebei for many years. Today I will take this opportunity to visit the counties and inspect the people's livelihood there, and see how it is in detail."

"Firstly, it allows me to examine Hebei's political achievements; secondly, it allows me to discuss the specifics of the new policies with Prime Minister Li; and thirdly, it allows me to reminisce with Prime Minister Li."

"With these three advantages, I will make this trip."

Historically, Liu Bei was a notorious inspector of counties, particularly fond of personally visiting and evaluating the performance of officials.

As a result, Pang Tong and Jiang Wan were almost buried in obscurity.

This may also be related to Liu Bei's background. He came from the bottom and therefore liked to return to the bottom.

Having made his decision, Liu Bei issued an edict on behalf of the King of Qi, declaring that the royal entourage would travel to Hebei.

Liu Shan, the heir apparent, was appointed to oversee the state.

Of course, Liu Shan was only seven years old at this time.

At the age of seven, he was not capable of overseeing the country, so he was assisted by Grand Tutor Lu Su.

Liu Bei's move was also intended to cultivate Liu Shan's ability to take charge as early as possible.

……

In the spring of the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD), Liu Bei's royal entourage officially set off.

Zhang Fei led 3,000 elite troops from Xuzhou to accompany and protect the emperor.

Chen Dao commanded 1,000 imperial guards to protect the emperor.

Previously, the Imperial Guard was commanded by General Zhao Yun, but after Zhao Yun went to Jingzhou, Chen Dao took over the position.

Xu Chu led three hundred elite guards to protect Liu Bei's safety.

Jian Yong and Wang Lang served as accompanying counselors.

The king's chariot traveled north in a grand procession, passing through Qingzhou along the way.

Liu Bei also took the opportunity to inspect the political achievements of Qingzhou.

With Guan Yu in charge of military preparations, there were naturally no problems.

As for civil administration, Kong Rong was in charge of it.

Kong Rong was originally from Qingzhou, and after returning to Qingzhou, he also worked to repair the city.

They revered schools, established academies, promoted talented individuals, and honored Confucian scholars.

Qingzhou, as an ancient land of Qi and Lu, was transformed by Kong Rong into a land of etiquette and a paradise for scholars and officials.

Liu Bei encouraged them one by one, rewarded officials at all levels handsomely, and continued northward.

Someone had informed Li Yi beforehand, and upon hearing the news, Li Yi immediately notified a group of high-ranking civil and military officials in Hebei.

Military generals included Zhang He, Gao Lan, Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, and others.

Civil officials included Xun You, Xu Shu, Zhen Yao, Xin Ping, and others.

This list of civil and military officials shows a fairly even distribution of power.

Military officers such as Zhang He and Gao Lan were both native generals of Hebei.

Xu Huang and Zhang Liao were former generals of Xuzhou.

Civil officials like Xun You were former officials of Xuzhou, while Xu Shu was a rising star who had been newly promoted.

Zhen Yao came from a local powerful family, while Xin Ping was a former official from Hebei.

Li Yi's personnel appointments in Hebei were largely aimed at balancing the power of various factions, thus facilitating his rule.

Upon learning that the king was about to arrive, Li Yi ordered that the road from Qinghe to Nanpi be paved with yellow earth.

Within a hundred li radius, lanterns and colorful decorations were displayed, and people of all ages were given a "Welcoming Ceremony Manual".

Special officials were appointed to teach these people etiquette.

This will let them know how to welcome the king when Liu Bei arrives.

Many common people secretly complained that Prime Minister Li's actions were far too complicated.

To welcome the king, wouldn't it be enough to just kneel down and kowtow?
Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble?
However, the officials who succeeded to the position all said:
"The Prime Minister's intention is that you should not disturb the King's carriage."

"Therefore, we have been sent to teach you etiquette, and you should cooperate well."

"If you delay the work of the Prime Minister's residence, you will be held accountable."

Everyone nodded in agreement, though they harbored some resentment, they could barely accept it.

About a month later.

When the king arrived at the Qinghe River, Liu Bei couldn't help but get out of the carriage and walk.

"...Since the defeat of Yuan Shao, I have not been to Hebei for a long time."

“The territory governed by Prime Minister Li is indeed incomparable to other prefectures.”

So, we continued forward.

But then I saw a farmer offering up fresh wheat on the left side of the road.

Liu Bei then squatted down, warmly shook the farmer's hand, and asked how the harvest was this year.
The farmer bowed and replied:
"Thanks to the great king's blessing, last year our village's 600 mu of land yielded more than 2,000 shi of millet."

"This year, there will be no more famine in the village!"

The old man was at least sixty years old, but his mental state was excellent.

They were clearly happy about this year's harvest.

Liu Bei was very pleased to hear this and said to his servants:
“Give this old man a string of cash.”

Although a string of cash is not much, Li Yi basically stabilized prices in Hebei.

That's enough to buy a bushel of millet, enough to feed the whole family for a long time.

The old man received the reward and thanked the man repeatedly.

After walking a while longer, they saw Li Yi leading the civil and military officials from Hebei waiting by the river.

Upon seeing Liu Bei's arrival, Li Yi led the group to pay their respects.

Liu Bei, holding Li Yi's hand, smiled and said:

"Your subjects are so devoted to you! I, the ruler, cannot help but admire you."

Liu Bei was also somewhat surprised, as he rarely came to Hebei.

I never expected the people of Hebei to welcome me so warmly.

Things were fine when he passed through Qingzhou before, but Liu Bei had previously served as an official in Qingzhou and had done the people of Qingzhou a favor.

It's understandable that the people there would welcome me.

Even people from Hebei, who live much further away, are like this, which is quite surprising.

During this trip to the counties, the people truly welcomed him wholeheartedly wherever he went.

Li Yi then said:

"Although Your Majesty is not in Hebei, the people of Hebei are all grateful for Your Majesty's kindness."

"The King's presence here today is due to this magnificent sight."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and rewarded Li Yi with a hundred bolts of silk.

Li Yi thanked him and handed the prepared report to Liu Bei.

It contains records of Hebei's income and expenditure last year.

Among them, the more eye-catching ones are:

The granaries were piled high with millet, with an actual reported stock of 800,000 bushels.

Because Hebei controlled the Yan and Dai regions and Liaodong, it also had to provide financial support to Bingzhou.

So the fact that there is still a surplus is already quite impressive.

In addition, 300 new Mongolian museums were added.

Because Li Yi valued education, he hoped to break the monopoly of aristocratic families on scholars.

They then established "primary schools," with the state funding the children's education.

At least it will teach them to read and write.

Due to excessive expenses and fear of completely offending powerful clans, Li Yi only established three hundred offices.

Even so, it is still very difficult to recruit children from ordinary families.

The reason is simple,
Ordinary families would rather have their children help with farm work or herd cattle for landlords than send them to school.

Even if it's free.

In the eyes of the children's parents, even if you have studied and gained knowledge, it is still a problem.

However, if you don't have a powerful background, you won't be recommended for the civil service examination.

If you can't be recommended for the civil service examination based on filial piety and integrity, then you can't become an official.

So why do we need to read books?
Li Yi found it difficult to explain to each of the children's parents that literacy was very useful in this era.

To encourage poor families to study, Li Yi introduced relevant policies.

Families who send their children to the Montessori school can receive a certain amount of compensation each month.

This is how the problem was solved.

After reading Li Yi's work report, Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction.

Holding Li Yi's hand, he praised him:

"You have a good intention!"

Therefore, Li Yi invited Liu Bei to the city for a banquet.

To welcome Liu Bei's arrival, Li Yi spent a huge sum of money to conscript laborers and build two high platforms.

On the left is a platform called Jade Dragon Platform, and on the right is a platform called Golden Phoenix Platform.

Each is ten zhang high, with two bridges connecting them.

Thousands of doors and windows, resplendent in gold and jade.

Liu Bei looked at the two high platforms, his brows furrowed slightly, and asked Li Yi:
"...The world is not yet at peace, yet the Prime Minister has erected this high platform for his own enjoyment?"

Li Yi bowed and replied:

"Since Your Majesty has come here, this high platform has been set up for Your Majesty's enjoyment."

Liu Bei then said:

"Setting up this platform will require a considerable amount of money, food, and manpower."

"Why would the Prime Minister go to such lengths?"

Li Yinai lowered his head and admitted his mistake:
“Your Majesty’s lesson is correct. I am willing to deduct the cost of setting up the stage from my salary.”

At this moment, officials from Hebei and Xuzhou followed behind the two, listening to their back-and-forth banter.

Everyone was impressed, saying that a duel between "masters" was truly something else.

As far as Li Yi is concerned,

Liu Bei may not enjoy this high platform, but Li Yi cannot refuse to use it.

As far as Liu Bei was concerned,

The platform had already been built; he only needed to go up, but he couldn't help asking questions.

This back and forth
Liu Bei not only enjoyed the high platform, but also demonstrated his concern for the people's well-being as a ruler.

Therefore, when faced with Li Yi's request to use his salary to offset the cost of building the high platform, Liu Bei simply said:

"...Considering the Prime Minister's many years of hard work and great achievements..."

"Let's leave it at that for now."

Li Yi quickly expressed his gratitude.

Liu Bei then took Li Yi's hand and invited him to go up on the stage together.

"It's still early, and there's still some time before lunch is ready."

"Now that the generals of Xuzhou and Hebei are all here, I wish to have the two sides compete to add to the merriment."

What do you all think?

Zhang Fei and the other generals of Xuzhou were all eager to fight and shouted in unison:
"Excellent! Excellent! I wonder if the martial arts skills of our brothers from Hebei have declined."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He and the others were all thinking:

What do these people from Xuzhou mean by this?

"Have you come to our land of Hebei now, intending to steal our thunder in front of the King of Qi?"

Xuzhou General, due to his direct contact with Liu Bei, received the most favor from the king.

People from places as far away as Hebei rarely have the opportunity to show their faces on ordinary days.

Today's opportunity is rare, and no one wants to fall behind.

They all bowed before Liu Bei:
"Why don't you dare!"

"We wish to show Your Majesty the martial skills of our Hebei men."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately ordered his attendants to bring a red brocade battle robe from Xichuan and hang it on a weeping willow branch.

A slingshot is placed below, with a boundary of one hundred paces.

The military officers were divided into two teams: the generals from Hebei wore green, while the generals from Xuzhou wore red.

Each carried a carved bow and long arrows, mounted their horses, and awaited orders.

Liu Bei sent a messenger to deliver the order:

"Whoever can hit the bullseye with an arrow will be rewarded with a brocade robe."

"If you miss, you will only be punished with a cup of water."

After saying that, Liu Bei turned around and looked at Li Yi with a leisurely expression.

"Prime Minister, which team do you think will win?"

Li Yi pondered for a long while before answering slowly:

"No matter which team wins, they are all the king's soldiers."

Liu Bei was pleased and continued looking down at the audience.

The first to step forward was a general in a red robe.

Upon closer inspection, it was Zang Ba, the leader of the generals of Mount Tai.

Zang Ba rode his horse back and forth three times.

Nock the arrow, draw the bowstring taut, and shoot the arrow, hitting the bullseye.

In an instant, drums and gongs resounded, and everyone cheered.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"Wow! General Zang's bravery is as good as ever!"

Just as Fang was about to send someone to bestow the brocade robe upon Zang Ba, another general rushed out from the green-robed group.

"The King of Qi's brocade robe should be worn by one of us from Hebei!"

When everyone looked at it, it was a high vantage point.

Gao Lan was one of the Four Pillars of Hebei, and his martial arts skills were remarkable.

He drew his bow, spurred his horse, and fired an arrow, which struck the bullseye.

The crowd cheered, and drums and gongs resounded.

Gao Lan was smug and shouted loudly:
"Hooray! I won."

"Quickly, bring me this robe!"

From within the red-robed ranks, another general rode out on horseback, shouting sharply:
"I told you all to shoot first, now watch me shoot back at you!"

He drew the bowstring taut and shot an arrow, hitting the center of both arrows.

The crowd cheered in unison, and upon looking, they saw it was Chen Dao.

Just as Chen Dao was about to take his robe, another general stepped out from the green-robed group, raised his bow, and shouted:
"You three's shooting skills are nothing special! Watch me shoot!"

Upon closer inspection, it was Zhang He.

Zhang He leaped on his horse, fired an arrow from behind, and it hit the bullseye.

All four arrows struck the red center of the spear. The crowd shouted, "Excellent shooting! Excellent shooting! The lads of Hebei live up to their reputation!"

Among the red-robed generals, Chang Xi, seeing this scene, knew that his archery skills were no match for Zhang He's.

If I were to step in, I would have no chance of defeating him.

But if we admit defeat now, we will lose face in front of Liu Bei.

So he leaned close to Zhang Fei and whispered to him:
"...Third General, these Hebei people are trying to curry favor with the King of Qi."

"As the top military commander of Xuzhou, you mustn't lose face!"

Zhang Fei understood, and immediately leaped onto his horse, shouting:

"What's so amazing about your method of flipping over and shooting from behind?"

"Watch me shoot a bullseye at you all!"

After saying this, he spurred his horse and galloped to the border.

He turned around and shot an arrow, which landed squarely in the middle of the four arrows.

The crowd cheered, and the drums and gongs sounded again.

Zhang Fei reined in his horse and drew his bow, his voice booming like a bell:
"How is it? Are any of you skilled archers like this?"

Even though Liu Bei was in the audience, and they were all his own generals, he still couldn't help but stand up abruptly when he saw Zhang Fei hit the target.

He slapped the table and exclaimed, "My third brother is truly a fierce and powerful general!"

Seeing that Liu Bei had praised him, Zhang Fei became even more pleased and spurred his horse to retrieve the brocade robe.

From within the green-robed ranks, a general stepped forward in response, shouting:
"Leave the brocade robe with me, Xu Huang!"

Zhang Fei reined in his horse, frowned, and asked:
"What other archery skills do you possess that can defeat me and seize my brocade robe?"

Xu Huang shouted:
"It is nothing unusual that you shot the bullseye."

"Watch me take the brocade robe by myself!"

So he nocked an arrow, aimed at the willow branch, and shot it, which broke the branch and caused the brocade robe to fall to the ground.

Xu Huang galloped out on his horse and caught the brocade robe, draping it over his shoulders.

He then rode swiftly to the front of the stage and announced his arrival:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing upon me this robe!"

Hey, these Hebei people are cheating!
Upon seeing this, Xu Chu suddenly leaped out and shouted:
"Where are you taking this brocade robe? Leave it with me as soon as possible!"

Xu Huang then said:

"The robe is already on me, how dare you break the rules and forcibly take it!"

Xu Chu shouted:

"The king only taught us to shoot the bullseye, but you shot the willow branch; you've already broken the rules!"

"Leave the brocade robe to me as soon as possible!"

Regardless of Xu Huang's personality, he was a military general.

No one would agree to being ordered around in public during a martial arts competition.

Especially now, with emotions running high, Xu Huang couldn't help but shout sternly:
"If you can take it, it is yours."

Xu Chu was furious and rode off on horseback to snatch the robe.

As the two horses drew near, Xu Huang drew his bow and shot at Xu Chu.

Xu Chu pressed down on the bow with one hand and dragged Xu Huang away from the saddle.

Xu Huang immediately abandoned his bow and dismounted.

Xu Chu also dismounted, and the two of them grabbed each other and started fighting.

The officials were shocked and dumbfounded.

Liu Bei and Li Yi both stood up at the same time.

Li Yi immediately spat the mouthful of water he had just drunk onto his handkerchief.

Liu Bei hurriedly said:
"Quick! Get someone to stop these two!"

The waiter hurried downstairs.

And it was during this period of time that they were away.

Xu Huang and Xu Chu had already exchanged blows.

Xu Chu tore Xu Huang's armor tattered, and Xu Huang ripped Xu Chu's shirt.

Seeing that the two were fighting more and more fiercely, the generals from Hebei and Xuzhou dismounted and went to break up the fight.

Zhang Liao was the first to step forward, and seeing the two fighting fiercely, he grabbed Xu Chu and put his arm around him.

When Chen arrived late and saw this, he was furious and shoved Zhang Liao aside.

Zhang Liao had gone up to mediate the fight, but this inexplicable push ignited his anger.

He raised his fist to strike Chen Dao.

In Chen Dao's opinion, it was acceptable for Zhang Liao to go and mediate the fight.

But don't try to pull our people in; try to pull your own team in.

If you pull people from our side, that's taking sides.

Seeing Zhang Liao throw a punch, Chen Dao was not afraid at all.

He blocked Zhang Liao's fist and then began to wrestle with him.

What started as a fight between two people became increasingly chaotic after Zhang Liao and Chen Dao joined in.

The two waiters who had just stepped off the stage to break up the fight were stunned and didn't know how to intervene.

He could only stumble forward, still dazed, and call out:
"Generals, please stop fighting!"

As it turns out, fists and feet have no eyes; as soon as he got close, he was hit twice in the eyes.

The waiter who was hit first had a sudden idea and immediately pretended to be seriously injured, falling to the ground and not getting up.

Another waiter, seeing him fall to the ground, couldn't help but curse under his breath:
"You're so slippery!"

It turns out that trying to break up a fight is a thankless and arduous task, and if things go wrong, it's easy to offend both sides.

The generals held high positions and wielded great power in Hebei and Xuzhou, and none of them could be offended.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to be beaten, he pretended to fall to the ground.

In this way, he could not only demonstrate his responsibility, but also suffer a "work injury," and Liu Bei would surely reward him handsomely in the future.

The remaining waiter, seeing this, also turned into the crowd.

Sure enough, he got hit by an iron elbow.

Even worse off than the waiter with the bulging eyelid was that the elbow knocked out two of his front teeth.

The waiter cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"

He then collapsed to the ground and remained asleep for a long time.

Seeing this, Li Yi and Liu Bei could no longer sit still.

They each walked off the stage.

Li Yi stepped forward and grabbed Zhang Liao's hand.

Because they were still wrestling, they almost hit Li Yi.

Li Yi's eyebrows stood on end, and he shouted sternly:
"Damn it!"

"You want to lay a hand on me?"

When Zhang Liao saw that it was Li Yi, he quickly stopped.

When Chen Dao saw Li Yi arrive, he immediately stopped fighting.

Liu Bei also shouted loudly:
"Don't stop yet!"

Liu Bei's words still carry considerable weight.

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang and Xu Chu, who had started fighting, also stopped.

The once bright red Sichuan brocade robe was now torn to shreds.

Liu Bei first summoned the four offenders to the stage.

Seeing that all four men were glaring angrily, gnashing their teeth, and still intent on fighting, he noticed their expressions changed.

Liu Bei simply smiled and said:
"I have come to this platform and ordered the arrow sacks to be set up, merely to test your martial skills."

"Now that you gentlemen are all brave and strong, and are all ministers of the state, why would you be so reluctant to part with a fine robe?"

So he summoned the remaining generals to the platform and gave each of them a brocade robe.

Ten bolts of woolen goods from Youzhou, one hundred strings of cash per person.

Only then were they all happy and expressed their gratitude.

Just then, the cook finished preparing the meal and brought it up.

Liu Bei then invited all the officials to a banquet and ordered them to sit according to their respective ranks.

Music played in competition, and both land and water displays were presented.

Civil and military officials took turns toasting and exchanging gifts.

Liu Bei hadn't gathered so many officials for a banquet in a long time, and in a moment of high spirits, he said:

"When I first started my career, I never imagined things would turn out this way."

"This is all thanks to Prime Minister Li's efforts. I toast you!"

As he spoke, Liu Bei actually toasted Li Yi in front of all the civil and military officials.

Li Yi hurriedly raised his cup in return.

Seeing this, everyone stopped drinking and watched quietly.
When the country's leader and second-in-command clink glasses and drink, who would dare to pick up their chopsticks?

After a round of drinks, Liu Bei turned to the assembled civil officials and said:
“If a military general enjoys riding and archery, it is enough to demonstrate his might and courage.”

"You are all learned men. Now that you have ascended this high platform, why not present your finest writings to commemorate this momentous occasion?"

All the officials bowed and said:
"I am willing to obey your command!"

At that time, there were a group of civil officials, including Wang Lang and Hua Xin, all of whom were outstanding in literary talent.

Taking advantage of Liu Bei's good mood, they each displayed their talents and presented poems.

The poem often praises Liu Bei's great achievements and suggests that he deserves to receive the Mandate of Heaven.

Liu Bei looked through them one by one and laughed:
"Your works are excellent, but the praise is excessive."

"I am a foolish and ignorant man from Zhuojun."

"Later, when the world was in great chaos, he joined forces with Yun Chang, Yi De, Xian He and others to launch an uprising."

"While fighting the Yellow Turbans and attacking Dong Zhuo, I unexpectedly met Minister Li while assisting Tao Gongzu in Xuzhou."

"What happened next is known to all of you."

"My acquisition of the prime minister is like the acquisition of Lü Wang by the Zhou dynasty and the acquisition of Zhang Liang by the Han dynasty."

"In the past twelve years, we have eliminated Yuan Shu, subdued Lü Bu, destroyed Yuan Shao, and pacified Liu Biao, thus bringing peace to the world."

"Thanks to your support and the Emperor's favor, I have been granted the title of King and given the post of Governor of the East."

"I am here to thank you all."

Liu Bei rose again and bowed to the crowd.

Everyone quickly stood up to return the greeting.

A busybody suddenly suggested:
"All the officials have already submitted their articles."

"The Prime Minister is the most esteemed scholar in the land; why not compose an essay to entertain the King?"

This statement immediately drew agreement from the crowd.

"Indeed, indeed, we are all far inferior to the Prime Minister's talent."

"Why don't you compose a poem as well, so that we can broaden our horizons!"

The crowd's cheers grew louder and louder, as if it would be a disappointment if Li Yi didn't compose a poem today.

For Li Yi, composing a poem was not difficult.

After all, he had been in the past for more than ten years, and he read for at least one to two hours every day.

However, all the officials had just composed poems, most of which praised Liu Bei's merits and virtues.

If Li Yi were to continue praising Liu Bei's merits, it would be a poor choice.

But if he doesn't sing praises, then the second-in-command of this country would be too inept at handling things.

“…Excellent. Whenever I read the Prime Minister’s remonstrances, I find them to be exceptionally well-written.”

"It's rare to see the Prime Minister compose poetry. Why not take advantage of the good mood today and compose one for everyone, so that I may also broaden my horizons."

Li Yi had been thinking for a long time, and when Liu Bei brought it up, he cupped his hands and said:

"Since Your Majesty and your colleagues have invited me, then I will make a fool of myself."

As he said this, he stood up.

Walking slowly forward, I could see the clear river water in the distance.

He then pointed to the river and said:
"Since we are having a banquet in Qinghe, I would like to compose a poem entitled 'Ode to Qinghe' to add to the merriment for you gentlemen."

Having said that, he paused to ponder, then slowly began to recite:
"Clear water flows freely, the royal army is glorious."

“The evil forces will be eradicated, and the world will be restored to its former glory.”

"I was once a commoner, now I wear official robes."

"How can I say that I have no clothes? I share the same clothes with you."

"Thousands of acres of farmland were cultivated, and grain was plentiful."

"Craftsmen manage all trades, and weapons are sharp and soldiers are strong."

"Children and the elderly sing, and the alleys are filled with the fragrance of rice."

"This was not my plan, but truly relied on the wise king."

"I wish to follow in the footsteps of Shao Bo, and sail on the Five Lakes."

"Following the example of Zhang Liang, I traveled to all corners of the world."

(This is one of the classical poems and prose that middle school students in later generations are required to memorize in Chinese language classes.)

Li Yi's four-character poem mainly recounts his experiences working with Liu Bei over the years, playing on his emotions.

While listing his various achievements, he also emphasized, "This was not my plan, but truly thanks to the wise king."

They attributed all the credit to Liu Bei.

The last two sentences are truly the finishing touch.

You all say I'm power-hungry and domineering, but I'll use poetry to express my feelings and my desire to leave without a care in the world.

It is:

Ten years of honing skills to bring peace to the world; half a lifetime of wisdom to stabilize the four directions.

I await the day when the land is unblemished, and alone I brave the wind and snow to fish in the cold river.

Liu Bei's eyes flickered, and he seemed about to speak, but he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"...Good, excellent! Prime Minister's poem is truly a gem, beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Only today do I understand what it means to 'cough and spit into pearls'."

"Hahaha."

After Liu Bei offered a few words of praise, he got down to business.

"Alright, the banquet is over, and all the civil and military officials have shown their talents and enjoyed themselves to the fullest."

"Let's talk about Prime Minister Lee's new policies now."

As he spoke, Liu Bei's gaze swept over the people of Xuzhou.

"Among the officials in Xuzhou, there are quite a few who criticize the Prime Minister's policies."

"I originally intended to make decisions unilaterally, but I fear that people will say I cannot accept advice."

"Therefore, I have come to Hebei today specifically to allow you all to meet with Prime Minister Li for discussions."

"If any of you have any objections, you may stand up and debate with Li."

Liu Bei passed the buck to Li Yi, and their years of tacit understanding made Li Yi immediately stand up.

He walked up to the officials of Xuzhou and said loudly:
“When the King of Qi first arrived, I thought the new policies had already been decided.”

"Those who still harbor doubts, well then!"

“I am by no means a stubborn person; only you can persuade me.”

"I will immediately abolish this new policy and never mention it again."

As he spoke, Li Yi's gaze sharpened, and he looked directly at everyone.

"Anyone who objects, stand up and step forward!"

His voice was loud and clear, and his momentum was overwhelming; everyone heard it clearly.

Putting everything else aside, Li Yi already had the upper hand in terms of sheer presence.

The officials in Xuzhou were divided into two factions.

The old officials supported the new policies, while the new officials opposed them.

Faced with Li Yi's "questioning" invitation, the former officials remained silent.

Instead, they looked at the group of new officials with schadenfreude.

After a long while, an official finally stepped forward.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized him as Wang Lang.

……

(End of this chapter)