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

Chapter 79 Different ways

When Liu Bei received the news and rushed back, his mother was already unconscious.

The crossbow bolt pierced his side, penetrating under his ribs and injuring his internal organs. He has been treated by a physician, and the bleeding has now stopped.

The doctor was very skilled and treated the wound properly. Even all the instruments and gauze had been boiled beforehand—medical skills in the Han Dynasty were not bad, and the procedures were quite professional.

However, after being shot by an arrow, Liu's mother lost too much blood, suffered internal injuries, and went into shock. Even the best doctors had no other choice, and whether she could survive depended on fate.

"Lord Bo'an...who were those assassins? Who wanted to kill you?"

Liu Bei looked at Liu Yu with a very bad expression. He did not dislike Liu Yu, but his mother had been implicated, and anyone would have feelings about that.

“I don’t know either, but since your mother suffered because of me, I will definitely investigate to the end and give Xuande an explanation.”

Liu Yu's face was also very ugly. Those assassins were indeed after him, and he felt very uncomfortable facing Liu Bei.

But this 'ignorance'... seems very dishonest.

"Don't know? Liu Bo'an, you should know who least wants you to serve as an official in Youzhou, and who most wants you dead!"

Liu Bei stopped referring to himself as "Duke" and his tone became much firmer: "If you don't even know who the enemy is, how can you be a governor?"

"Suspicion? I can't determine the murderer based on suspicion... I haven't made any enemies before!"

Liu Yu said with a frown.

"No enemies? The assassins are after you! Liu Bo'an, they want your life! Do you really think you can still be benevolent now?!"

Liu Bei's face turned cold. He disliked Liu Yu's secretive manner—how could an inspector not have enemies?
If you had no enemies, only a madman would have put you in the position of Governor of Youzhou.

If you're so stupid that you don't even know who your enemy is... how long can you live?
Liu Yu couldn't possibly be unaware of where the assassins came from.

But now, the innocent Liu Bei's mother has been implicated in this disaster. Liu Yu and Liu Bei are already allies, yet Liu Yu still doesn't treat Liu Bei as one of his own...

If you want to recruit Liu Bei but are unwilling to open your heart to him, what was the point of your previous attempts to recruit him?
“I have always been kind to others... I really don’t know who would do this to me.”

Liu Yu continued to shake his head: "Xuande, I know you are saddened, but this matter needs to be considered carefully..."

"My mother's fate is unknown, how can I make a long-term plan? Lord Bo'an, why have you come to Youzhou to serve as governor?"

Liu Bei interrupted Liu Yu and asked directly, "Is it to amass wealth for the emperor, to seek profit for the powerful and wealthy, or... to gain fame for yourself?!"

"...I am doing this to quell the border troubles!"

Liu Yu remained silent for a while, seemingly not expecting Liu Bei to ask so directly, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

"Do you believe this yourself?"

Liu Bei was indeed getting impatient. You only have a few dozen followers, and you've never been to Youzhou before. You have neither military power nor civil power. What kind of border trouble are you trying to pacify? You're more likely to reap the rewards by relying on your status as governor!
"Liu Xuande, your mother's injury is my fault, and I will certainly give you an explanation, but you cannot tarnish my reputation!"

Liu Yu's expression changed: "I was also injured!"

Liu Bei glanced at Liu Yu's fair hand, noticing the small, exposed wound, and then at his patched clothes and hat. His eyes turned cold: "If you're injured, go get it bandaged! The doctor is right here! You deliberately left your wound for me to see, thinking I'm a naive child?"

"...What makes you say that!"

Liu Yu was stunned, but then forced a gentle expression: "Xuande is anxious for his mother and may have said something harsh. I will not linger here any longer. I will go and find the real culprit!"

"Liu Bo'an, I haven't been too harsh... Since you don't believe me, then this matter will be considered my family's revenge. I will avenge my mother, and you can't stop me!" Liu Bei exhaled a breath of stale air and pointed to the door: "Show him out!"

It's understandable that Liu Bei was furious, as Liu Yu was the one who caused this trouble. Liu Yu didn't say anything more and left with his entourage.

Liu Bei knew that Liu Yu was not a bad person, and he also knew that Liu Yu had no ill intentions towards him, but they were simply incompatible and their paths were different, so they could not work together.

When Zou Jing returned from Luoyang, he mentioned Liu Yu to Liu Bei.

Before becoming the governor of Youzhou, Liu Yu was the magistrate of Boping in Dongjun. He was said to be honest and frugal, which made the area free of thieves and disasters.

Last year, a locust plague struck the area near Boping County. However, it is said that when the locusts reached the border of Boping, they flew over without entering. As a result, Liu Yu gained a miraculous reputation for being honest, simple, benevolent, and able to avoid disasters, and was thus promoted to Governor of Youzhou.

But under what circumstances would locusts fly by without entering?
There are only two possibilities—either the county was already a barren wasteland, with locusts having no fields to eat; or many gentry families were deliberately seeking fame for it… or perhaps both.

Zou Jing also mentioned that when Emperor Liu Hong appointed Liu Yu as the governor of Youzhou, he even publicly exempted Liu Yu from the "palace maintenance" fee for his promotion.

The money for governing the palace was the money for buying official positions. The emperor set a price for everyone, but he made an exception for Liu Yu.

The obvious reason was that Liu Yu's clothes and hat were patched, which showed that he was honest, frugal, and penniless.

But is that really the case?

Liu Yu was born into the royal family of Donghai. His grandfather was the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and his father was the Prefect of Danyang.

He was appointed as the Registrar of the Household Department of Donghai County as soon as he came of age. After being recommended as a filial and incorruptible official, he first became a Gentleman of the Palace and then was transferred to Boping County of Dongjun County. Now, at the age of thirty, he has been promoted to Governor of Youzhou. His career has been smooth sailing. How could he be short of money?

Moreover, Liu Yu brought quite a few followers to Youzhou, including several elegantly dressed concubines, and the gifts he gave to Liu Bei's mother were not cheap either... His so-called frugality probably only meant that his own clothes were patched.

Liu Bei also sought fame for Jian Yong, and he himself resigned from his official post in Anxi to gain fame. He understood the purpose of seeking fame and did not reject the pursuit of it.

That is probably why Liu Yu came to recruit Liu Bei, presumably because he thought Liu Bei was an 'expert'.

Unfortunately, while Liu Bei was indeed an expert, he was not a fellow professional.

At least Liu Bei did not seek fame through lies, and he was always honest and upright in his dealings with others.

After Liu Yu left, Zuo Yuan came to Liu Bei and whispered, "My lord, those few assassins... might not have been there to kill Liu Yu."

"How to say?"

Liu Bei glanced at Zuo Yuan in surprise.

Zuo Yuan described the scene: "...Even I was able to injure that assassin. His martial arts skills were not outstanding, and there were only three of them. They deliberately attacked when there were many people around, and the crossbow bolts were probably not aimed at Liu Yu's vitals..."

Indeed, Liu Bei's mother was shot in the side of her waist, which was fatal for her, but not for Liu Yu—Liu Yu was much taller than his mother, so the arrow was probably aimed at his buttocks.

"Three lives were taken... but not for the purpose of killing..."

Liu Bei frowned, thinking of the soldiers under Zhang Sheng who had committed suicide.

“My lord, I have seen this situation before.”

Zuo Yuan said softly, "Sometimes, assassins don't kill people, but rather to make others obey... When I was eleven, my father encountered the same assassination attempt. The assassin also used a crossbow, was also unskilled in martial arts, and after the first strike, unable to escape, he committed suicide..."

(End of this chapter)