Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 115 Liu Bei is alarmed in Luoyang, the Great Han Yongzhou Bank (Seeking updates and monthly votes)
Hearing Liu Bei's righteous and stern words, He Xian, Pan Yin, Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao all dared not speak out in anger.

Circumstances dictate that one must yield; there is no other option but to comply.

Now that Liu Bei is at the height of his power, no one dares to challenge him.

The border troops, having seen bloodshed, were inherently more imposing than the Western Garden troops, and Liu Bei's reputation among the Western Garden troops had not completely faded.

Even if the four men were willing to fight Liu Bei, these four battalions of the Western Garden Army would be too intimidated to advance because their opponent was Liu Bei.

In particular, the veterans of Xiyuan who had served in the military camp both respected and feared Liu Bei, and dared not show him the slightest disrespect.

Looking at the spirited Liu Bei and the forced smile of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a surge of envy and ambition.

If he one day achieves his lofty ambitions, he will dare to laugh at Yuan Shao for not being a true man.

If I, Cao, ever manage to carve out my own path in the world, I will surely live as freely and unrestrainedly as you!

Although Xu Shao praised him as "a capable minister in times of peace and a ruthless hero in times of chaos," Cao Cao at this time was not the arrogant and domineering Cao Cao who looked down on the world. He was just a military officer following Yuan Shao and trying to get rid of his status as the son of a eunuch.

In terms of ambition, courage, and methods, he has never made a name for himself in the world.

Beneath Yuan Shao's smiling face lay a complex mix of emotions.

It contains both disdain for Liu Bei, who stands out from the crowd and is destined to be felled by the wind, and envy for Liu Bei's willful and unrestrained behavior, which no one dares to disobey.

Sons of noble families often share a common characteristic: they are cautious about their lives when undertaking great tasks, but will risk their lives for small gains.

If you're born into a very noble family, you're unwilling to risk your life.

If you experience too few setbacks, you won't see the danger.

rear.

Seeing Yuan Shao and Cao Cao suffer a setback, Xu You felt a surge of secret satisfaction.

Although Xu You gave Liu Bei the reason that he should not let personal matters interfere with public affairs, in reality, his personal interests outweighed his public interests this time.

Xu You was Yuan Shao's "friend who traveled around for him". He believed Yuan Shao's words of "brother" and "friend" and thought that Xu You was really Yuan Shao's "brother" and "friend".

Over time, Xu You realized that while Yuan Shao could call you "brother" or "friend," you couldn't actually consider yourself Yuan Shao's "brother" or "friend."

The characteristics of scions of aristocratic families are almost always the same: they call each other "brothers" and "friends," but are unwilling to give any of the key resources.

Just like Xiang Yu, who was born into nobility, he always thought that he was second only to the heavens and that others were nothing more than that.

I can offer you small favors, call you "brother," "friend," or "family," and if you are sick, I will personally come to comfort you, and I will even cry my heart out in pain.

You want to be granted land and made a king? That's impossible!

The company is your home, how can you divide up the family property?
However, those with great talent are often arrogant and their demands differ from those of ordinary people. They don't simply become obedient servants just because someone says, "You should treat the company as your home."

Han Xin was like this, Chen Ping was like this, and Xu You was like this as well.

Xu You wanted to be famous throughout the world and become one of the Three Dukes; what he sought for Yuan Shao was money, power, fame, and fortune.

If Yuan Shao hadn't been so stingy, Xu You wouldn't have bothered to join Wang Fen in plotting to depose the emperor and gamble on something big, let alone gamble again after seeing Liu Bei's potential.

If they could live a life of luxury under Yuan Shao, who would choose Wang Fen, who only talked about state affairs, or Liu Bei, who came from humble origins?

As for Cao Cao, Xu You was more resentful, just like he said: Why do I, who am so handsome, lose my hair, while you, who are so ugly, do not lose your hair?
Xu You did not go up to greet Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Seeing Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's humiliation, he could just secretly rejoice. It would be too beneath him to go up and show off.

Since the Xiyuan soldiers had basically been trained by Liu Bei, when He Xian, Pan Yin, Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao agreed to lower their flags and drums and proceed through the formation, these four battalions of Xiyuan soldiers could only obediently follow orders and re-form their ranks according to Liu Bei's method.

It was roughly a hundred-man squad from Yongzhou Army leading two hundred-man squads from Xiyuan Army, slowly making their way towards Luoyang.

From afar, the Yongzhou army appeared vast and imposing!
In order to intimidate Empress Dowager He and the eunuchs, and to make it difficult for Liu Bei to escape after the eunuchs were killed, He Jin did not allow Liu Bei to garrison outside Luoyang, but instead had Liu Bei garrison inside the city.

Liu Bei guessed He Jin's thoughts but didn't expose them.

In Liu Bei's view, with only two thousand men and supplies provided by He Jin, stationing troops outside Luoyang was far more dangerous than stationing them inside the city.

If troops are stationed outside Luoyang, the enemy will not only be He Jin, but also the fierce warriors that He Jin has summoned from all directions.

On the contrary, Liu Bei had more say in Luoyang.

If you don't provoke Liu Bei, he will seek wealth to increase the income of Yongzhou; if you provoke Liu Bei, he will directly raise an army to support Liu Xie.

When we arrived at the west gate of Luoyang, it was already evening.

He Xian originally wanted the Xiyuan soldiers to return to Ping Le Guan first, but Liu Bei disagreed.

If the Xiyuan troops return to Pingguan first, how can they create the impression of the Yongzhou troops forcefully entering the city?
After entering the city and setting up camp, and completing the procedures for allocating provisions for the 6,000 Yongzhou soldiers, Liu Bei then ordered He Xian and the other three to take the Xiyuan soldiers back to Pingguan under cover of darkness.

Although there are only two thousand men and horses, the provisions must be six thousand.

As for whether He Xian and the other three would be berated by He Jin upon their return, that was none of Liu Bei's concern.

Liu Bei has already exceeded He Jin's task of inviting Liu Bei to Luoyang to intimidate Empress Dowager He and the eunuchs. Even if He Jin wants to turn against them, he can only do so after the eunuchs are executed.

As for whether He Jin or the eunuch would die first, that depended on He Jin's luck.

"My lord, it is the Imperial Advisor who requests an audience."

While he was inspecting the camp, someone reported that Gai Xun, a court official, was outside the camp gate requesting an audience.

"Gai Yilang's information network is quite impressive!" Liu Bei was slightly surprised.

After Liu Bei entered Chang'an, Gai Xun was the one who handed over the reins the fastest and left the fastest, unlike Zhang Wen who still wanted to trip up Liu Bei.

Although Liu Bei and Gai Xun had differences in political views, they were far from being adversaries. Liu Bei did not refuse Gai Xun's request to visit him and personally came to the camp gate to welcome him.

"It's been several months since we last met. I hope you're doing well, Lord Gai," Liu Bei greeted him warmly.

After observing Gai Xun, Liu Bei noticed that Gai Xun's demeanor was far less vigorous than it had been in Chang'an, and his hair had turned quite gray, clearly indicating that he had experienced considerable anxiety and worry in Luoyang.

"Ugh--"

Gai Xun sighed, a look of worry on his face.

Seeing this, Liu Bei also composed himself and invited Gai Xun into the main tent.

He added, “Forgive my frankness, but I believe that you, Lord Gai, are better suited to governing a region. I greatly admire your courage in not fearing powerful figures to impeach Yang Dang, the magistrate of Chang’an. As for the affairs of Luoyang, I advise you to stop getting involved. If you are willing, you could resign and go to Yongzhou to help me govern Wudu County.” Yongzhou, which Liu Hong initially established, included the counties of Hanyang, Longxi, and Wudu, in addition to Jingzhao, Fufeng, Fengyi, Beidi, and Anding.

However, Liu Bei can only effectively control five commanderies: Jingzhao, Fufeng, Fengyi, Hanyang, and Beidi. Anding, Longxi, and Wudu are too far away, and there are no suitable people to govern them. At present, he is leaving these three commanderies to their own devices.

By appointing Gai Xun to govern Wudu Commandery, Liu Bei was unwilling to let Gai Xun die in Luoyang in despair, but also hoped to use Gai Xun's influence in Longyou to control Wudu Commandery.

If we establish our base in Yongzhou, we must conquer two regions:

One is Hongnong and Hedong, west of Hangu Pass, and the other is Hanzhong, south of Wudu Commandery.

These three commanderies combined could not only add 200,000 households to Liu Bei's household count, but also allow him to use Hangu Pass and Yangping Pass as natural defenses, thus forming a powerful Qin dynasty.

After that, whether it was taking Xichuan to the south or heading east out of Hangu Pass, Liu Bei had more room for error.

Despite this, Gai Xun couldn't let go of Liu Hong's past kindness and remained concerned about Liu Xie's current predicament. He said, "I appreciate Liu Yongzhou's good intentions. However, the late emperor and I have been fortunate enough to receive his favor. If a subject cannot repay this kindness with his life, what difference is there between him and a beast? I only want to know whether Liu Yongzhou's entry into Luoyang this time is to help the Grand General eliminate the eunuchs or to join Dong Zhuo in supporting Prince Xie to ascend the throne?"

"Has Gai Yilang met with Dong Zhuo in private?" Liu Bei's eyes narrowed slightly.

After Liu Bei handed the secret edict to Dong Zhuo, the waters of Luoyang became murky. This is why Liu Bei concluded that the eunuchs and He Jin were the cicadas, the Yuan family was the mantis, and the generals outside were the orioles.

Having received the secret edict, Dong Zhuo would not obediently follow the arrangements of He Jin and Yuan Shi. Similarly, Wang Kuang, Ding Yuan, Qiao Mao, and others who joined Dong Zhuo in entering Luoyang would also not willingly follow the arrangements of He Jin and Yuan Shi.

It remains to be seen who will win the prize.

Gai Xun nodded, admitting to meeting with Dong Zhuo in private.

Gai Xun originally disliked Dong Zhuo, believing that Dong Zhuo was greedy and would bring disaster to the country if he gained power.

However, after entering Luoyang, Gai Xun discovered that among all the officials in the court, apart from Jian Shuo, not a single one was willing to help Liu Xie.

If Liu Hong hadn't issued the secret edict, Gai Xun would have accepted it; after all, they were all Liu Hong's sons, so it didn't matter who became emperor.

However, Liu Hong had a secret edict, and Gai Xun, who had been favored by Liu Hong, was eager to help Liu Xie ascend the throne.

After Jian Shuo's plans were betrayed by the eunuch, Gai Xun became even more worried and eventually had to abandon his prejudice against Dong Zhuo and meet with Dong Zhuo in private.

With the support of Gai Xun, a highly respected former official of the late emperor, Dong Zhuo was naturally happy to cooperate. In his excitement, he also showed Gai Xun Liu Hong's secret edict.

Upon seeing the contents of the secret edict, Gai Xun could no longer suppress his desire to support Liu Xie as emperor. Therefore, during this period, Gai Xun secretly tried to win over the officials in Luoyang, waiting for the opportune moment.

Unexpectedly, before the time was right, Liu Bei entered Luoyang first.

Since Liu Bei entered Luoyang on the orders of He Jin and his entry into the city was very grand, Gai Xun was unsure of Liu Bei's intentions.

Tonight's private visit to Liu Bei is both a test and an attempt to win him over.

“Gai Yilang, I still maintain that my ambition lies not in Luoyang but in the Western Regions. Therefore, it makes no difference to me who becomes emperor. My purpose in coming to Luoyang this time is neither to help the General-in-Chief eliminate the eunuchs nor to join Dong Zhuo in supporting the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne.”

"My reason for coming here is simple: Yongzhou is too poor. Since the General has issued a summons, I've come to Luoyang to try my luck and see if any of the gentlemen here are willing to contribute money and grain to the construction of Yongzhou. Yongzhou is a good place, with vast land, sparse population, and abundant resources, but it is just too short of money and grain."

Liu Bei's words were half true and half false.

Attracting investment is their true intention; their ambition to enter the Western Regions is a lie.

As the governor of Yongzhou, Liu Bei felt overwhelmed by the need to personally solicit investment, leaving him with no time or inclination to eliminate the eunuchs or support Liu Xie.
Gai Xun was stunned, clearly not expecting that Liu Bei's reason for coming to Luoyang was simply for money and supplies!

After carefully observing Liu Bei's expression, Gai Xun said thoughtfully, "If Liu Yongzhou is willing to assist the prince, the prince will surely agree to whatever amount of money and grain he desires."

“Gai Yilang,” Liu Bei said with a gentle smile, “As the saying goes, officials speak for themselves and merchants speak for themselves. You can’t just make empty promises. Besides, Prince Xie doesn’t trust me. What if he’s afraid that I’ll become too powerful in Yongzhou and not only doesn’t keep his promise but also promotes me in name only? I’ll be at a huge loss.”

Gai Xun frowned, knowing that Liu Bei was not speaking recklessly.

If Liu Xie truly trusted Liu Bei, he would have ascended the throne long ago and wouldn't have allowed the situation to develop to this point.

After a moment's thought, Gai Xun said, "If Liu Yongzhou has any conditions, he might as well bring them up first. If I can fulfill them, it won't be too late for Liu Yongzhou to agree."

"Gai Yilang is so straightforward!" Liu Bei clapped his hands and laughed. "Gai Yilang has been in Luoyang for several months now, and I'm sure he has won over many supporters for the Prince. Since ancient times, those who plan great things must always have a way out, so that they may have a chance to make a comeback."

"Yongzhou is now free of powerful bandits within and rebel armies without. If you are willing to deposit some of your money and grain into the Yongzhou Quanfu, even if you fail in the future, you will not be destitute or homeless. You can even recruit soldiers and horses to help the prince raise an army to seize the world."

Quanzhou was an institution with early banking functions. Originating in the Zhou Dynasty, it formed a market management system with the Sishi (market administration office) during the Han Dynasty. It collected five taxes, including market tax and deed tax, through the Chanren (market people) system, and also undertook the function of storing coins in Quanzhou.

To put it nicely, Liu Bei was paving a way out for Gai Xun and others who were plotting to support Liu Xie; to put it bluntly, Liu Bei wanted to get something for nothing, not only without paying any money or interest, but also by collecting favors and fees.

Most importantly, Liu Bei painted a rosy picture for Gai Xun: a chance to make a comeback!

"Let me think it over carefully."

Gai Xun did not give a definite answer.

"No rush." ​​Liu Bei chuckled. "I've just arrived in Luoyang, and there are certainly more than just Gai Yilang trying to win me over. Gai Yilang has plenty of time to think things through, and I also need enough time to consider who offers more money and who carries less risk."

Gai Xun clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to explode in anger.

This is a battle for the throne, and you're really treating it like a business transaction!
Aren't you afraid of being held accountable later?

Seeing Liu Bei's confident and fearless demeanor, Gai Xun was helpless.

Now that Liu Bei has the power to speak, how could Gai Xun not offer benefits if he wanted to win Liu Bei over?
After seeing Gai Xun off, Liu Bei did not rest, but waited quietly in the main tent.

If Gai Xun has come, then other forces will surely follow.

As a "businessman" who came to Luoyang to attract investment, Liu Bei also had to have the attitude of a "businessman" and could not show favoritism.

No matter who it is, as long as they are willing to provide money and supplies, Liu Bei will selectively cooperate with them.

Yongzhou is desperately short of money and supplies!
As Liu Bei had predicted, within half an hour, someone came to visit him outside the camp gate.

The person who came this time was an old acquaintance of Liu Bei, and also an indispensable key figure in Liu Bei's rise to power. He was the inspector whom Liu Bei had publicly whipped in the past.

Zhang Rang's adopted son, Zhang Feng!

Seeing Zhang Feng, accompanied by several eunuchs, carrying two boxes of money into the main tent, Liu Bei's smile brightened:

"Inspector Zhang, it's been many years since we last met. I hope you're doing well."

(End of this chapter)