Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 43 What is a Loyal Minister?
"This horse is called Jade Bow? That's a nice name."

On the way, Liu Bei and Qian Zhao chatted as they walked: "I remember this horse. It came from the Xianbei cavalry. After we drove away the Xianbei cavalry, this horse ended up in Zhang Shiping's cavalry. I remember the crescent moon on its forehead very clearly."

“Xianbei cavalry? No, not Xianbei. If my father had encountered Xianbei cavalry, he would not have survived.”

Qian Zhao shook his head: "My father also said that the men who robbed him were masked Han Chinese, who looked a lot like county soldiers."

"County soldiers?"

Liu Bei thought for a moment and then offered a hypothetical scenario: "We were robbed by the county soldiers in Shanggu. Could it have been Zhang Sheng's men who did it...?"

Who is Zhang Sheng?

Qian Zhao was greatly encouraged upon hearing this.

"The former military commander of Shanggu committed many serious crimes, including killing innocent people to claim credit, killing prefects and commandants, and even intercepting and killing Zou, the Protector of Wuhuan. However, he must have already fled and his whereabouts are unknown by now."

Liu Bei shook his head: "Zhang Sheng must have a lot of troops, and he's also in league with the Xianbei. Zijing can't go looking for him alone. Come back to Zhuojun with me first. Commander Zou also wants revenge."

Liu Bei led a few men and circled half of Luoyang before finally reaching Mengjin Ferry, north of Luoyang.

This route is indeed shorter, and Duan Jiong also took this route.

……

Not only Zou Jing and Qian Zhao, but Duan Jiong also wanted to skin Zhang Sheng alive.

If we're talking about who understands Zhang Sheng best, it has to be Duan Jiong.

But why did the loyal and brave retainer who had always stood behind him and saved his life turn out like this?
At this time, Duan Jiong had already crossed the Yellow River and arrived in Henan, where he went to a village north of Shanyang.

His clanswoman married into this area.

That was Zhang Sheng's home.

This place was just an ordinary village, and apart from his niece, no one recognized Duan Jiong, so naturally he wouldn't reveal his whereabouts.

However... Duan Jiong felt that his niece was most likely not here either.

Duan Jiong just wanted to see what the Zhang family looked like now, to confirm his own thoughts, and to wait for Liu Bei.

The Qin-Han imperial road passed through Shanyang. As long as the attendants waited at the post station beside the road, they could meet Liu Bei.

Liu Bei rescued him and used himself as bait to lure away the pursuers. Duan Jiong was extremely grateful and naturally worried about Liu Bei's safety.

More than gratitude and worry, there was a sense of lightness, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Although old age does not bring pride in youthful vigor, the cry of "Fire!" from the imperial prison and the ensuing fire reminded Duan Jiong of his youthful, spirited self.

Who hasn't had a youthful chivalrous spirit?

I may have lived a life of luxury during these years in Luoyang... but how can it compare to the days when I fought fearlessly with my sword?
—Once you have the concept of cost in mind, you'll inevitably be thinking about how to recoup your investment. Losing your initial motivation will always leave you with worries, causing you to be anxious and make mistakes…

The cost of Duan Taiwei's position in Luoyang was twenty years of bloody battles, the fame of killing tens of thousands of enemies, the bones of countless comrades, the wealth sent to the West Garden, and the newly rising family... He was burdened with all sorts of worries.

My original aspirations were buried in the tomb of the imperial court the moment I stepped into Luoyang.

Now that Ji Ming is free, he has become a living dead without an identity, and naturally he is free from all constraints and has no more worries.

Perhaps there's one last point—the comrades who once protected him have become the knives in someone else's hands, used to stab him.

Then, naturally, I must take that knife away with my own hands and stab it back.

Regardless of who is holding the hilt of the knife.

The Zhang family's fields looked abandoned, overgrown with weeds, as if no one had tended to them for a long time.

Duan Jiong walked straight into the village but didn't see a single person.

There were dozens of houses and several courtyards, but not even a dog.

The gate to Zhang Sheng's courtyard was ajar. Duan Jiong went straight in and tapped on the door frame with the knife in his hand.

Still, no one came out.

The main room door was tightly closed and locked from the outside, with a faint stench emanating from it.

If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't watch it anymore.

Without a second thought, Duan Jiong raised his sword and slashed down, severing the door latch in one blow. The room was filled with skeletons.

Judging from their attire, there were maids, servants, and tenants, but no master dressed in brocade, nor any tall, strong young men with skeletal remains.

The same applies to the other courtyards.

The remains were dilapidated, mostly gnawed by rats and ants into rotting rags, with broken bones scattered all over the ground, and there wasn't even a strong stench.

He's been dead for a long time.

Duan Jiong sighed.

He had seen far worse things and had expected this to be the case.

These people weren't killed by Zhang Sheng; they were killed by eunuchs... to be precise, by the Imperial Guards.

During the years when Duan Taiwei was burdened with many worries, he personally witnessed Wang Fu leading the Imperial Guards to do this—killing the elderly and frail servants and tenants of someone's household and taking away their family members, wives, children, and able-bodied men.

None of Zhang Sheng's relatives or close clansmen were among the corpses here, not a single one.

These servants and tenants will die simply because they have eyes.

Zhang Sheng's parents, wife, and children are probably somewhere else, perhaps in some cemetery.

If one's parents, wife, and children are all building tombs for the royal family, then whoever they are must become a loyal subject.

But such a loyal minister...

What if he, like Ji Ming, becomes a living dead?

Duan Jiong struck a flint and steel, lit a fire, and burned the corpses along with the Zhang family's residence.

He didn't see any living people.

But his only concern had disappeared, and he knew how to find Zhang Sheng.

……

"This Ji Ming, Mr. Ji, is a cavalry and archery instructor that I specially invited from Liangzhou. If you wish to become his student, you should bring your tuition fee as soon as possible."

Two days later, at the Shanyang post station, Liu Bei met Duan Jiong, who was waiting for him. Duan Jiong was introducing Duan Jiong to Zhang Fei and Qian Zhao: "Oh, Mr. Ji also has a grudge against Zhang Sheng. Zijing, you might as well get to know him better."

"I have no grudge against Zhang Sheng..."

Duan Jiong shook his head: "But I know what he's going to do. If you want revenge, then come with me."

"Oh? Zhang Sheng has probably already changed his name and fled by now, hasn't he?"

Liu Bei was somewhat surprised: "How did you know he would do something?"

"Escape? No way, he'll continue committing crimes. The prefect of Shanggu, Hou Yan, died suddenly because he had powerful clans in Hedong behind him and commanded troops. Zou Jing was intercepted and killed because he had powerful clans in Hebei behind him and commanded troops..."

Duan Jiong smiled slightly, but it was a bitter smile: "Zhang Sheng is the emperor's sword. His whole family is in the hands of the eunuchs. It's just that he failed in his attempt to intercept Zou Jing and revealed his identity. If he hadn't failed, Zou Jing would have been announced as having died in battle, and then someone else who obeyed the imperial edict would have been appointed as the Protector of the Wuhuan."

Duan Jiong did not mention himself.

Duan Taiwei, who commanded troops, was imprisoned and died after being courted by Yuan Feng, a powerful figure from Runan. Only after his death, free from all ties, did he finally understand the situation.

"The emperor actually used such methods to seize military power?"

Qian Zhao was shocked. He had never imagined such a thing would happen: "Just because they didn't want the aristocratic families to control the army, they let the barbarians run rampant and let Zhang Sheng kill innocent people and claim credit while colluding with the barbarians?"

"Zhang Sheng is indeed killing innocent people to claim credit, but at the same time he is eliminating any potential threats... As for the Hu people, in the Emperor's eyes, the common people are probably no different from the Hu people. After all, the common people are rebelling, and the Hu people are rebelling too..."

Liu Bei understood; Duan Jiong was right. Zhang Sheng was the emperor's sword, and perhaps other states also possessed such swords.

But this approach...

This is probably one of the reasons why many powerful families at this time stayed behind the scenes and were unwilling to lead the army; they did not want to become military leaders when the world was not in great chaos.

"So, who will Zhang Sheng target next?"

Qian Zhao asked, eager for revenge, not caring about anything else.

Liu Bei sighed: "It's still Commander Zou... Zhang Sheng hasn't finished his mission, how can he give up?"

(End of this chapter)