Three Kingdoms: Daily settlement helps Liu Bei revive the Shu Han dynasty.

Chapter 102 The Emperor's Return to the East: A Shocking Plan!

In the second year of Xingping, in the middle of the seventh month.

Lu Yong and Zhuge Liang were revising the second volume of "Elementary School Mathematics" in their study when the gatekeeper rushed in and reported, "Master, there's someone outside claiming to be Guo Junshi's spy. He has important news to convey to you!"

"This guy hasn't given up yet?" Lu Yong's lips curled slightly. He put down his pen and said, "Let him in."

Soon, the spy followed the gatekeeper to Lu Yong's study.

Lu Yong said to Zhuge Liang, "Kongming, continue your studies. Write down anything you don't understand and ask me later."

""

Zhuge Liang put down his pen, stood up, cupped his hands, and replied, "Yes, strategist."

Afterwards, Lu Yong left the study and gestured for the secret agent to follow him to another place to talk.

Lu Yong left the study, and only then did Zhuge Liang sit down again.

His gaze fell back on the mathematics textbook bound with new paper, and he couldn't help but recall his experience of helping Lu Yong compile the book these past few days.

During this time, he followed Lu Yong in compiling new teaching materials and was exposed to a great deal of knowledge that he had never heard of before.

It seemed as if a door to a new world had opened before our eyes.

It turns out that many of the sages' philosophical thoughts and teachings are not just empty words; they can actually be found in life and can be verified through experiments.

The workings of the world can seemingly be explained by a completely different theory.

And this theory seems to be the true skill of a strategist!

Zhuge Liang had already realized that Lu Yong was grooming him to be his successor.

He couldn't help but murmur softly, "The strategist has passed on his mantle to me; this kindness is something I can never repay in this lifetime."

"Only by focusing on our studies and doing more practical things for the people in the future can we live up to this expectation."

Meanwhile, Lu Yong led his spies to the backyard.

The workshop in the backyard has been dismantled. Zhang Mo, Li Shi, and others have all gone to the Qinggejiang Workshop to contribute to the construction of their future workplace.

"Strategist, a secret letter from Chang'an." The spy took out the secret letter from his pocket and bowed to hand it to Lu Yong.

"A letter from Chang'an?" Lu Yong was taken aback upon hearing this, then quickly took the letter tube.

He peeled off the sealing wax and pulled out a roll of fine silk from the bamboo tube.

The silk scroll contains few characters, but carries a great deal of information.

In March, Li Jue and Guo Si attacked each other in Chang'an, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

The emperor went to Yang Feng's camp and sent envoys to seek help from Li Jue and Guo Si, but the two refused to listen.

In April, the emperor appointed Yang Feng and Dong Cheng as generals, and led all the officials back east.

In May, they arrived at Xinfeng. Guo Si attempted to take the emperor back to Mei, but Yang Feng and Dong Cheng defeated him.

In June, the emperor arrived at Huayin. Li Jue and Guo Si reunited and pursued the emperor to Hongnong, where they decisively defeated Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. Countless officials died in the battle.

Lu Yong's expression turned slightly serious.

He calculated the timeline in his mind according to the actual historical records, and indeed, the emperor broke free from the control of Li Cui and Guo Si during this period and headed east.

The intelligence was sent out in June, and it took a month to get there, so it didn't reach Lu Yong until July.

However, based on historical timelines, the emperor should have arrived in Hedong by July and been protected by Han Xian, Yang Feng, and others.

Lu Yong put the secret letter into his sleeve and said to the spies, "You've worked hard. Fengxiao and I will record your contributions, and we will reward you according to your merits once this matter is resolved."

The spy bowed and said, "Thank you, strategist!"

"Go ahead, rest well for a couple of days, and then head north."

"Yes, sir." The spy bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Lu Yong hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked out of the mansion toward the governor's mansion.

When they arrived at the governor's mansion, Liu Bei was receiving guests in the main hall.

Three middle-aged scholars sat in the living room, dressed elegantly and behaving respectfully.

They were the heads of several small and medium-sized aristocratic families in Wanling. After hearing that Xu Kun had been appointed as the Chancellor of Chongwen Academy, they came together, hoping to get their own sons into Chongwen Academy as well.

However, Liu Bei did not give a clear answer, only saying that to be appointed to a position at the Chongwen Academy, candidates would need to undergo a selection process involving both written and oral examinations.

This was actually paving the way for the imperial examination system.

Upon seeing Lu Yong enter, the three tactfully rose to take their leave.

As they passed by Lu Yong, they all bowed and greeted him, to which Lu Yong responded with a slight nod.

After everyone had gone some distance, Liu Bei laughed and said, "Huai'an, what brings you here today?"

Lu Yong didn't reply, but simply turned around and silently closed the living room door.

Zhou Tai, who was standing guard at the gate, realized the seriousness of the situation immediately.

He kicked away several of his underlings, one after another.

Then, without hesitation, he stood in the center of the doorway, blocking the entire living room entrance.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei also stopped smiling.

He knew that Lu Yong must have something important to say next!

After closing the door, Lu Yong sat down opposite Liu Bei.

Without offering any further explanation, he simply took out a secret letter from his sleeve and handed it over.

Liu Bei took it and began to read it carefully.

After reading it, his fingers gradually tightened, and he gripped the entire silk scroll in his palm.

"The secret letter was sent in June and took nearly a month to arrive."

However, based on the timeline and route, the emperor should have already arrived in Hedong by now.

Liu Bei remained silent.

The emperor broke free from the control of Li Cui and Guo Si and headed east.

He certainly knew what that meant.

He certainly understood that he was the least suitable person to welcome the emperor!

He is nominally the Governor of Yuzhou of the imperial court, but in reality he is a warlord who controls a region.

Regardless of whether the emperor could be successfully welcomed, let's assume that the emperor was indeed welcomed to Wanling.

As someone who established himself on the principles of benevolence and righteousness and claimed kinship with the Han imperial family, Liu Bei had no choice but to hand over everything he had painstakingly built up.

If he doesn't pay, his public image will instantly collapse, and he will become a hypocritical villain despised by everyone.

But if he hands it over, all his hard work and all his brothers will instantly be lost.

Even if they could retain some official positions and power at the beginning, they would eventually be completely devoured by the royalists.

But if they don't welcome him, his status as a member of the Han imperial family will become a joke.

The world will condemn him as hypocritical, and no one will take his identity seriously anymore.

If the emperor were welcomed away by other warlords, such as Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, or Liu Biao, the consequences could be even more dire.

Once they obtained the emperor's favor, they could issue orders in the name of the court.

Will Liu Bei listen or not?

If you listen, you'll be at their mercy.

To disobey is to defy imperial orders and disrespect them.

Liu Bei's heart had already turned cold.

With his limited intelligence, he simply couldn't think of a way to break this deadlock.

Fortunately, he still had Lu Huai'an.

Liu Bei snapped out of his daze and quickly asked, "Huai'an, do you have a way to break this?"

Lu Yong did not answer, but stared intently into Liu Bei's eyes and asked a question: "My lord, I have a question, and I ask you to answer with your most honest thoughts!"

Seeing Lu Yong's unprecedentedly solemn expression, Liu Bei clasped his hands, nodded solemnly, and said in a deep voice, "Ask Huai'an whatever you wish!"

"Do you wish to restore the Han Dynasty, or to restore the Han Emperor?"

"?! ...

But he quickly regained his composure and gritted his teeth, replying, "To restore the Han Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this answer, Lu Yong finally broke into a smile, his previously serious face breaking into a smile.

He understood what Liu Bei meant.

Then all the subsequent plans could proceed smoothly.

"Yong had already foreseen this moment and had already devised a strategy with Fengxiao!"

"!!!!" Liu Bei was so shocked that his mouth could fit a goose egg.

These two guys, who usually hang out with their arms around each other and act all unserious, have secretly been plotting countless earth-shattering schemes!

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