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

"Xu Sheng?!"

Lu Yong was startled and suddenly looked up at the burly man in front of him.

Lu Yong was naturally very familiar with the name Xu Sheng.

Historically, he was one of the Twelve Tiger Generals of Jiangdong in Eastern Wu, possessing both wisdom and courage, and achieving numerous military exploits.

Not long after Xu Sheng had joined Sun Quan's forces

With just two hundred men, he wiped out Huang She's several thousand men, leaving Sun Quan utterly astonished.

Later, when Cao Pi launched a major campaign against Wu, Xu Sheng used a small force to set up a decoy city along the river, which frightened Cao Pi so much that he dared not cross the river.

How could such a talented person just happen to come to me like this?

Since we're here, we certainly can't miss it!

Lu Yong pondered as he looked at Xu Sheng.

He was probably in his early twenties, with a robust build, broad shoulders and a thick waist, and bright, piercing eyes.

What's even more remarkable is that,

He possessed a calm and composed demeanor, unlike ordinary people who were timid and hesitant.

Lu Yong suppressed his excitement and proceeded with the formalities with a composed expression, asking, "Have you ever served in the army?"

Xu Sheng shook his head and said frankly, "No. But I have practiced martial arts since I was a child, and I have also gone into the mountains with the hunters in the village to hunt wild boars."

Lu Yong nodded and said, "We need to train an elite force, so those who want to enlist must pass the assessment."

After saying that, Lu Yong pointed to the distance and said, "Since you say you have considerable skill, then go down and try it out."

After saying that, he gave a wink to a soldier beside him.

The soldier understood, took a wooden spear, and handed it to Xu Sheng.

Another soldier stood opposite, holding a shield, acting as a sparring partner.

"Stop when you've hit the mark," Lu Yong advised.

Xu Sheng took the wooden gun, weighed it in his hand, and frowned slightly, saying, "It's too light."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yong's smile deepened, and he said, "Let's begin."

Before he finished speaking, Xu Sheng had already made his move.

He swayed, and his wooden spear shot out like a venomous snake, aiming straight for the face of the soldier opposite him.

The soldier quickly raised his shield to block.

But then a muffled thud was heard, and the soldier was so shaken that he staggered back five or six steps, his shield almost flying out of his hand!

"What incredible strength!"

"What superb marksmanship!"

The onlookers couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Xu Sheng holstered his gun and stood calmly, as if the shot he had just fired was merely a casual remark.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yong stood up and said loudly, "Xu Wenxiang, from this day forward, you will be my adjutant."

Xu Sheng was somewhat puzzled, and cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

"I am General Liu's military advisor and also the training officer of the new army," Lu Yong replied.

"So young, yet Liu Bei values ​​him so highly?" Xu Sheng was also taken aback.

But Lu Yong seemed to appreciate him, which made Xu Sheng feel a little grateful.

However, he remained composed and bowed again, saying, "Thank you, strategist!"

After saying that, Xu Sheng very consciously walked to stand behind Lu Yong.

[System Log: Host has successfully recruited one historical general. Today's achievement +1.]

[Current Achievements Pending Settlement: 1 item.]

Lu Yong was overjoyed to have acquired a famous historical general right away.

"continue!"

The onlookers were astonished to see that Xu Sheng had been appointed as an adjutant upon his arrival.

Moreover, he was Liu Bei's military advisor and the adjutant of the new army commander, which immediately caused a stir!

Some of those who were overconfident in their bravery were now slapping their thighs in regret, wishing they had been the first to challenge, otherwise that position might have been theirs.

A long queue quickly formed in front of the recruitment table.

On the first day, Lu Yong recruited more than 500 people.

The system's reward is 10 charm points and 3 recovery pills that can quickly restore stamina.

The news that Liu Bei was recruiting soldiers and paying them wages spread, and people came to apply in droves.

After five days of recruitment, Lu Yong had recruited a total of five thousand new soldiers!

That evening, after completing all the recruitment work, Lu Yong had someone carry a box of rosters to Liu Bei's tent.

Liu Bei was reviewing data on provisions and supplies when Lu Yong entered. He smiled and asked, "Strategist, how is the recruitment of new soldiers progressing lately?"

After saying this, Liu Bei picked up the water bowl beside him and took a sip of water.

"Reporting to my lord, within five days, I have recruited a total of 5,023 new soldiers."

"puff--"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"How much?!" Liu Bei asked, his eyes wide, not even bothering to wipe his mouth.

"Five thousand and twenty-three people," Lu Yong repeated.

Liu Bei originally thought that it would be good if he could recruit two or three thousand people in Xuzhou.

After all, Liu Bei didn't have much of a foothold in Xuzhou, and his reputation wasn't great, so there probably wouldn't be many people willing to accept the challenge.

Who knew that Lu Yong's move would recruit more than 5,000 people!

In addition to the original two thousand veterans, and the four thousand Danyang soldiers allocated by Tao Qian,

Liu Bei now has more than 11,000 soldiers under his command!

"Huai'an..." Liu Bei raised his head, looked at Lu Yong, and asked, "How did you do that?"

"Nothing special," Lu Yong smiled and said, "It's just that they offered a price they couldn't refuse."

"Price?" Liu Bei asked, puzzled.

"Two bushels of rice per month, plus two hundred coins," Lu Yong said truthfully.

After listening, Liu Bei first did some mental calculations, and then his brows furrowed.

"Huai'an," Liu Bei said bitterly, "where would we find so much money and provisions?"

It's good that Lu Yong was able to recruit soldiers, but the conditions he offered were a bit too outrageous...

Even if you sell him, you probably won't be able to raise that much money.

Seeing Liu Bei's worried expression, Lu Yong calmly said, "My lord, don't worry. I have a way to deal with the money."

"You have a way!" Liu Bei asked, somewhat surprised, "What way?"

Lu Yong, however, kept him in suspense and asked instead, "Does my lord know who is the richest person in Xuzhou City?"

Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Naturally, it's the Mi family. Mi Zizhong has been a merchant for generations, and his family is extremely wealthy. Not to mention Xuzhou, they are among the richest families in the world."

"The Mi family is indeed wealthy." Lu Yong nodded, but then shook his head. "But I was referring to someone else."

Liu Bei immediately became interested. "Who is it?"

"Zuo Rong!" Lu Yong uttered a name.

"Zuo Rong?" Liu Bei thought for a while before replying, "Are you talking about Zuo Rong, the one in charge of grain transport in Xuzhou?"

"That's right, it's him." Lu Yong nodded.

Liu Bei was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Zuo Rong is Tao Qian's confidant, in charge of the grain transport in the three commanderies of Guangling, Xiapi, and Pengcheng. How much money could he possibly have?"

Lu Yong glanced at Liu Bei and shook his head, saying, "My lord, you are still too naive."

"..." Liu Bei.

"Zuo Rong secretly used his position to amass wealth."

He especially liked building Buddhist temples, and built many temples in the Xiapi area to attract believers.

On the Buddha's birthday, he would hold a grand Dharma assembly in the temple, offering vegetarian meals and lighting eternal lamps, attracting countless people to come.

Moved by his "piety," the people donated their wealth to express their sincerity.

But in the end, who pocketed all this money?

"Of course it's from Zuo Rong!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei began to understand.

"You mean, he's using the guise of Buddhist practice to swindle money from ordinary people?"

"It's not just a lie." Lu Yong sneered and replied, "Zuo Rong took advantage of his position overseeing grain transport to embezzle grain and line his own pockets."

Under the pretext of repairing temples, they embezzled most of the funds allocated by the imperial court.

He even colluded with mountain bandits to rob passing merchants, then cried "stop thief!" and kept the "seized" goods for himself.

Liu Bei's expression grew increasingly grim.

If what Lu Yong said is true, then Zuo Rong is the biggest parasite in Xuzhou.

But just as Liu Bei's anger flared up,

What Lu Yong said next sent a chill down his spine.

"Zuo Rong was Tao Gongzu's fellow townsman and also a close confidant."

"He's been lording it over everyone in Xuzhou for so many years, how could Tao Gongzu not know?"

"If you knew this, why was Tao Gongzu able to tolerate Zuo Rong?"