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

Chapter 132 Liu Bei and Lü Bu, Xun You, the Prefect of Hedong (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

Looking at Lü Bu's boastful face, Liu Bei couldn't help but fall into deep thought:
I have only known Lü Bu for a few days, yet he has helped me so much. Judging from his words and actions, he seems to be driven by profit. Since he is driven by profit, I can entice him with benefits.

Although both Liu Bei and Liu Xiu followed the path of destruction before construction, their approaches differed.

Liu Xiu ascended the throne mainly with the support of powerful and influential families.

Liu Bei's ambition to become emperor primarily stemmed from his crackdown on powerful and influential families.

However, the powerful clans and aristocratic families were immense, and if Liu Bei wanted to weaken them, he had to cultivate his own loyal forces capable of confronting them.

Border troops became Liu Bei's first choice.

Although the Yongzhou army was based on the Xiyuan army, the Xiyuan army itself came from the fierce warriors of various prefectures and counties.

After Liu Bei reorganized Huangfu Song's 30,000 troops to quell the rebellion, he also made statistics showing that most of the soldiers in Yongzhou came from the border counties.

Border regions were frequently harassed by Rong, Di, Hu and Man tribes, making not only the living environment harsh but also death extremely common.

Therefore, when dealing with the brave warriors of the border regions, we cannot only talk about benevolence and morality without discussing interests.

Although Liu Bei established the core principle of "rather freeze to death than destroy a house, rather starve to death than plunder" for the Yongzhou army, he still needed to give them generous rewards.

This is one of the core reasons why Liu Bei personally went to Luoyang to raise money.

If the warehouse is solid, you will know etiquette; if you have enough food and clothing, you will know honor and disgrace.

Only after material needs are met can one then seek to elevate one's intellectual and moral standards.

Now, in order to establish a relationship with Liu Bei, Lü Bu's behavior is very much in line with the characteristics of a fierce warrior from the border region.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei took out several scrolls and handed them to Lü Bu: "I observe that although Brother Fengxian is skilled in archery and horsemanship, he is not familiar with the art of commanding troops. These are copies of Lu Zhu's Art of War that I made in my spare time. These scrolls mainly cover the organization, training, battle formations, and surprise attack strategies of cavalry. I present them to Brother Fengxian today as a token of my gratitude."

Lu Bu's eyes lit up immediately. He took the scroll without ceremony, flipped through it, and saw that the obscure and difficult-to-understand text had been annotated in colloquial language. He was overjoyed.

Having become Dong Zhuo's adopted son, Lü Bu also wanted to command troops.

However, Lü Bu was originally a subordinate officer recruited by Ding Yuan, and his fighting relied entirely on his martial prowess; he had never learned any proper methods of commanding troops.

Even if he occasionally obtained fragments of Sun Tzu's Art of War, he still couldn't understand them.

"Brother Fengxian, you can go back and read these volumes of military books first. If there is anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me at any time." Now that he had decided to entice Lü Bu with benefits, Liu Bei's attitude towards Lü Bu was no longer as hostile as before.

Although raising a tiger might lead to the tiger devouring its master, if used properly, it can also drive the tiger away and make it devour the wolf.

Although the governors and provincial governors of Guandong, whom Liu Bei helped to appoint, were all capable, it was still difficult for them to deal with the Yuan family.

Raising Lü Bu as a tiger could also help Liu Bei control Yuan Shao.

Unlike Liu Bei, Lü Bu was not as far-sighted as him. At this moment, he was already captivated by the military treatise in front of him and was eager to go back and study it.

He then said, "With Xuande's books on military strategy, my efforts for Xuande have not been in vain. I must return to report to my adoptive father, so I will not trouble you any longer."

Just as Lü Bu turned around, Liu Bei suddenly spoke again: "Brother Fengxian, wait a moment, I have another request to make."

Having received the benefits, Lü Bu was not afraid that Liu Bei would not ask for his help; he was afraid that Liu Bei would not ask for it. He immediately patted his chest and promised, "Xuande, you don't need to be so polite. If there is anything you need from me, I will do my best."

"It's not a big deal," Liu Bei said with a smile. "I have a nephew who is only eleven years old, but he is extremely fond of archery and horsemanship. He recently asked me to buy a good bow in Luoyang. I am not good at archery, and the bows and arrows in the army are not suitable for my nephew to practice. I wonder if Brother Fengxian could help me choose one? If you can find a good bow, I will be extremely grateful."

Lu Bu's eyes lit up immediately: So Xuande has a nephew!

Eleven years old, that's only six years older than my daughter, what a great opportunity!

Moreover, I don't need to get married now. If my godfather wins, I will help him; if he loses, I will help Xuande.

I'm definitely not at a loss!
"Hahaha—" Lü Bu laughed loudly: "Since he is Xuande's nephew, how can I not help him? Xuande, go and discuss the marriage with Lord Cai. I will take care of such a small matter for you."

Watching Lü Bu leave happily, Zhao Yun had already guessed Liu Bei's intention: "Brother, do you want your nephew to form a bond with Lü Bu?"

Of the four brothers, only Guan Yu has a son. The nephew Liu Bei mentioned is Guan Yu's son, Guan Ping.

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Although loyalty is far less important to Lü Bu than interests, if we can win him over with loyalty, it may help me achieve great things in the future."

If Lü Bu's daughter and Guan Yu's son were to actually get together, the combination of these two fierce warriors' genes would surely produce another valiant general.

Although it might not be successful, Liu Bei would do his best to make it happen whenever the opportunity arose.

Putting Lu Bu's matter aside for the time being, Liu Bei lowered his head to consider Cai Yong's attitude.

Huang Wan wrote to Liu Bei, telling him to be prepared. Lu Zhi also said that there were too many suitors and it would be difficult to handle. As a result, Cai Yong decided to send his daughter to Chang'an to live in a separate residence as soon as he arrived in Luoyang, and to choose a date for the wedding.

They seemed afraid that if they agreed too late, they would miss out on this marriage opportunity.

The rollercoaster-like changes caught even Liu Bei somewhat off guard.

"Even Master Huang and my mentor can be unreliable sometimes," Liu Bei sighed, shaking his head, and took out the shaved bamboo strips.

Tomorrow is the day to attend a banquet, and Liu Bei needs to prepare gifts.

Cai Yong liked rare books, especially valuable ones.

These rare copies are hard for others to obtain, but Liu Bei could write them down directly.

After a moment's thought, Liu Bei picked up his pen and wrote "On Jia Yi".

Jia Yi was a famous "talented but unappreciated person" who died in frustration.

Therefore, during the Han Dynasty, many upright officials lamented Jia Yi's talent and criticized Emperor Wen for misusing talent.

However, Su Shi's "On Jia Yi" analyzes the inevitability of the tragedy from Jia Yi's own perspective, criticizing Jia Yi's tragedy as being unable to "use his talents," "not knowing how to handle poverty," and "having great ambitions but small minds." It also blames Jia Yi for not knowing how to befriend ministers in order to gain the trust of the court.

Liu Bei chose "On Jia Yi" because he was worried that Cai Yong would be ostracized in Luoyang and unable to save himself.

For example, a certain man surnamed Wang, in order to establish his authority, bullied the weak and feared the strong, and targeted Cai Yong.

In Liu Bei's view, although Cai Yong was talented and dared to speak frankly, he made the same mistake as Jia Yi.

It's unrealistic to expect a mere scribe in the Eastern Pavilion to persuade Emperor Liu Hong to abandon the old rules and regulations and adopt his new ideas overnight. Someone like Cai Yong should first gain Liu Hong's trust, then the support of the ministers. He should gradually and patiently cultivate relationships with both eunuchs and officials, ensuring the emperor has no doubts and the ministers are not suspicious, only then can the Han Dynasty be governed according to Cai Yong's proposals.

Cai Yong was not Liu Bei, who could not simply flee to the rivers and seas after offending a few powerful figures, and even then, he could only avoid disaster and protect himself.

Liu Bei, on the other hand, was able to directly eliminate powerful figures by force, which not only protected him but also made them wary.

Although Jia Yi's essay was of little use to Liu Bei, it might have saved Cai Yong's life.

After writing it, Liu Bei added a note after "On Jia Yi": Anonymous.

Since it's a unique copy, it's normal for it to be anonymous.

After writing it down, Liu Bei had a stove brought over and carefully heated it over a fire. This would cause cracks and discoloration on the surface of the bamboo slips, mimicking the marks of long-term use.

The way the item was made to look old made Zhao Yun's eyelids twitch: "Brother, you are a man of unparalleled learning and talent, why do you have to use this kind of method? Can't you just show it to people by your name?"

Having followed Liu Bei for a long time, Zhao Yun did not believe that Liu Bei, who had no family tradition of learning, could read more than 10,000 books after only studying under Lu Zhi for half a year. Zhao Yun believed more that the various articles and poems that Liu Bei claimed to have seen while studying under Lu Zhi were written by Liu Bei himself.

"Fourth brother, don't be too superstitious about my talent. I just have a photographic memory. Just because I can remember the contents of a rare book doesn't mean I'm going to plagiarize it and claim it as my own." Liu Bei roasted the bamboo slips, dispelling Zhao Yun's superstitious thoughts.

Liu Bei had his own pride.

One can improve one's wisdom by constantly studying the deeds, articles, and poems of famous figures throughout history, and would never regard such knowledge as a stroke of genius and become a plagiarist to pursue false honors.

Those who achieve great things also need the magnanimity to acknowledge that there are always people better than us and that there is always something beyond our reach, the indomitable spirit to persevere, and the determination to carry out their goals without giving up.

Endure what ordinary people cannot endure, obtain what ordinary people cannot obtain, and achieve what ordinary people cannot achieve.

Zhao Yun sighed and stopped trying to persuade him.

Despite Liu Bei's explanation, in Zhao Yun's mind, Liu Bei was still that peerless genius, a scholar of unparalleled talent throughout history.

The next day.

Liu Bei attended the banquet as agreed.

Since Cai Yong had wholeheartedly accepted Liu Bei, his attendance at the banquet went extremely smoothly.

To avoid any accidents on the way, Liu Bei volunteered to escort Cai Wenji.

The area east of the river is frequently raided by White Wave Bandits, making it far from safe. The White Wave Bandits don't care whose daughter you are; if you are abducted, you'll truly be left with no one to turn to for help.

Cai Yong also understood the danger involved, so he summoned his cousin Cai Gu to discuss with Liu Bei the matter of escorting Cai Wenji to Chang'an.

After everything was ready, Liu Bei returned to the military camp to find Xun You.

Xun You is currently a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate. If Liu Bei wants to return to Chang'an, Xun You cannot go with him.

Leaving Xun You in Luoyang would be another loss for Liu Bei.

Considering the current situation, Liu Bei had a new plan: "With Gongda's talent, he is more than qualified to serve as the governor of a prefecture or county. I intend to recommend Gongda as the governor of Hedong. What do you think, Gongda?"

“Hedong?” Xun You lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying, “It is not that I am belittling myself. Although Hedong County has 100,000 households, it is often harassed by the White Wave bandits and the Xiongnu. Hedong is also home to many powerful and influential families, which are deeply entrenched and entrenched. If I go there alone, I may not be able to control them.”

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Of course I can't let Gongda go alone. I just want a title to intervene in the affairs of Hedong. My second brother Guan Yu and the Right Colonel of the Yongzhou Army are both from Hedong and can assist Gongda in his work."

"As for Zhang Wen, the Commandant of the Capital Region in Hongnong, Dong Zhuo has a past grudge against Zhang Wen and has always wanted to find a reason to transfer Zhang Wen back to Luoyang. At present, my interests do not conflict with Dong Zhuo's. If I recommend Gongda as the Governor of Hedong, Dong Zhuo will definitely agree."

It was clearly not Xun You's ambition to be just a minor official in Luoyang. If he could go to Hedong to be the governor, whether it was to rectify the administration, crack down on powerful bandits, quell the Baibo bandits, or drive out the Xiongnu, it would be far better than staying in Luoyang as a minor official.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Imperial Uncle." Xun You only thought for a moment before agreeing to Liu Bei's arrangement.

After obtaining Xun You's consent, Liu Bei went directly to the Sikong Mansion to find Dong Zhuo.

"Is the Imperial Uncle trying to interfere in Hedong?" Dong Zhuo was not stupid and saw through Liu Bei's intentions directly. He said, "Imperial Uncle is now the Governor of Yongzhou. He already has the three counties of Fufeng, Jingzhao and Fengyi. If he interferes in Hedong, it will make things very difficult for Zhang Wen, the Commandant of the Capital Region."

"As you know, my royal uncle, although I have some personal grudges with Zhang Wen, the Commandant of the Capital Region, I am now the Minister of Works and cannot let personal matters interfere with my official duties. Otherwise, people will mistakenly think that I am seeking revenge for personal reasons."

Seeing Dong Zhuo's feigned protection of Zhang Wen, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel contempt. He said, "It's fine if Xun You doesn't go. Then I'll find someone else. How about Huangfu Song be the governor of Hedong? Huangfu Song is too bored in Chang'an now. It's perfect to send Huangfu Song to Hedong to fight against the White Wave bandits and the Xiongnu."

"Haha! Xuande is joking. How can Huangfu Song, a mere military man, be appointed as the governor of Hedong?" Dong Zhuo's eyes darted around, and he said, "How about this, let Xun You be appointed as the governor of Hedong, and I will appoint Niu Fu to lead troops to accompany him. Xun You is a scholar who is not familiar with military affairs, but with Niu Fu leading troops, it will be enough to suppress the White Wave bandits and the Xiongnu."

Niu Fu?

They were all beaten down by the White Wave Bandits, yet they still wanted to punish them.

Liu Bei didn't want Niu Fu to go to Hedong and cause trouble, so he said, "Let's replace him with Xu Rong. Dong Sikong understands Niu Fu's ability to command troops better than I do. If he fails to suppress the rebels and ends up getting himself killed, Dong Sikong will be heartbroken, and I will also lose a close friend."

"Since Minister Dong knows that my intention is to go to Hedong, he should also understand that you are not as good as me in governing the prefectures and counties. Therefore, you can send someone who is good at commanding troops to Hedong, and I will not need to transfer troops from Yongzhou to assist in the defense of Hedong."

Dong Zhuo didn't actually want Niu Fu to go.

Niu Fu was Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, someone Dong Zhuo could absolutely trust. Even if he was a little incompetent, as long as he was loyal and usable, that was enough.

Leaving Niu Fu in Luoyang to command the Luoyang troops for Dong Zhuo is far more valuable than sending him to Hedong to suppress the rebels. If Niu Fu were to die at the hands of the White Wave rebels by accident, Dong Zhuo would have nowhere to turn for help.

Dong Zhuo no longer objected and said, "As the Imperial Uncle wishes, General Xu Rong will accompany Xun You, the Prefect of Hedong, to garrison Hedong."

Then Dong Zhuo asked, "Imperial Uncle, you're in such a hurry to recommend Xun You as the governor of Hedong. Are you about to leave Luoyang? Won't you stay a few more days?"

Liu Bei chuckled and retorted, "I have already obtained money, power, fame, profit, and beautiful women. What else in Luoyang could possibly attract me? Could it be that Minister Dong wants me to serve as Minister of Works and also oversee the affairs of the Secretariat?"

Dong Zhuo laughed heartily: "Uncle, you are still young and it is the time for you to guard the border and make great achievements. It will not be too late for you to return to Luoyang to serve as Minister of Works in ten years when I am old."

ten years?

What a bold idea!
Forget about ten years. Just be good enough if you can protect Luoyang for me and not burn it down in a moment of madness.

I don't want to waste manpower and financial resources rebuilding Luoyang in the future.

Liu Bei had only stayed in Luoyang because of Cai Wenji's matter, but now that everything was settled, he needed to go back and digest the gains from his trip to Luoyang.

Then they would observe the overall situation and wait for the right opportunity.

(End of this chapter)