diymy Chapter 14 Liu Bei Bows
Chapter 14 Liu Bei Bows
Liu Bei looked at the large seal, but did not reach out to take it.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"Li Mingting, when I entered the city, I saw that the people all looked worried. Perhaps I've come at the wrong time?"
Li Zhao smiled faintly:
"The common people are ignorant; they only recognize those who feed them. It's understandable that they have doubts when Lord Liu first arrives."
"Give them food..." Liu Bei pondered these words.
He raised his head and stared intently at Li Zhao.
"Throughout my journey, I have witnessed countless deaths from starvation in Qing and Ji provinces, with many resorting to cannibalism. Only in Pingyuan County are the people living in peace, and the fields being cultivated. What brilliant strategy does Li Mingting possess to protect this region in this chaotic world?"
"There is nothing more to it than the three words 'the people are the most important'."
Li Zhao turned and walked to the window, pushing it open. Outside, there were bustling streets and distant farmland with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.
"Why don't you come with me and take a look, Mr. Liu?"
……
Southeast of the city, in the Tuntian District.
The three Liu brothers were stunned by the sight before them.
Tens of thousands of refugees showed no sign of distress here.
Men toiled in the fields, sweating profusely; women spun and wove in the workshops; and children recited their lessons in the school, their innocent voices carrying far and wide.
The most striking sight came from the dozen or so newly built, enormous grain silos.
Li Zhao ordered one of them to be opened.
The golden millet was piled up like a mountain, almost overflowing the warehouse door.
Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and he let out a strange cry:
"My goodness! So much grain! I, Old Zhang, have never seen so much grain in my entire life!"
Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes, paused in stroking his beard, and looked on in disbelief.
Liu Bei took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, and asked, "How many stones would that be?"
"This granary holds 20,000 shi of grain. There are twelve more granaries like this outside the city, and five more government warehouses inside the city."
Li Zhao's voice was flat, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
"Pingyuan County currently has a registered population of over 40,000, consuming 400 shi of grain daily. This grain reserve is enough to feed the entire county for more than two years."
More than 300,000 shi of grain!
Liu Bei felt a wave of dizziness.
Gongsun Zan, with tens of thousands of troops at the Pan River front, was struggling to secure even a few thousand bushels of grain. Yet this small Pingyuan County was incredibly wealthy!
"Where...where did all this come from?" Liu Bei couldn't help but ask, as this was beyond his comprehension.
Li Zhao turned around and looked into Liu Bei's eyes.
"What do you think is the root cause of this chaotic world, Master Liu?"
Liu Bei paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "When eunuchs wielded power, when imperial relatives interfered in politics, when warlords carved up the country..."
"No."
Li Zhao shook his head and pointed to the people working in the fields in the distance.
"The root cause is that the people have no food to eat."
"The court is corrupt and incompetent, taxes are heavy, powerful families are seizing land, and the people are displaced. They have no food, so they rebel and become Yellow Turban rebels."
"All I did was give them food to eat and a piece of land to cultivate."
Li Zhao's voice was not loud, but every word was precious and thought-provoking.
"Some of this grain was seized from powerful families, and some was... a blessing from Heaven."
Li Zhao didn't explain much about the existence of the system; it was his biggest secret.
He looked at Liu Bei, his gaze becoming profound.
"Lord Liu is known for his benevolence and righteousness, and he cherishes the Han Dynasty. But does Lord Liu know that the foundation of the Han Dynasty lies not in the imperial court, but in the people who toil in the fields?"
"If all the people die, for whom will this Han dynasty stand?"
Liu Bei was terrified, as if struck by lightning.
He prided himself on being benevolent and righteous, and spent half his life striving to serve the country and bring peace to the common people.
But now he realizes that what he has done is utterly insignificant compared to what this young county magistrate has done.
He saw how the people here supported Li Zhao.
If he really takes over as the magistrate of Pingyuan, no matter how well he does, can he do better than Li Zhao?
I'm afraid not.
His arrival might even shatter the peace here, plunging the more than 40,000 people back into panic.
Liu Bei closed his eyes, his mind in turmoil.
On one side was Gongsun Zan's military order, an opportunity for a career advancement; on the other side was the livelihood of 40,000 people, and the "benevolence and righteousness" in his heart.
After a long while, Liu Bei opened his eyes, his gaze now clear.
He gave Li Zhao a deep look, then took a step back, straightened his clothes, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply to the ground.
"Big brother!"
"Big brother!"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were shocked and rushed forward to help him up.
My elder brother is a member of the Han imperial family, how could he possibly show such great respect to a mere county magistrate?
Liu Bei pushed the two aside, but maintained his bowing posture, his voice utterly sincere.
"With mortal eyes, I cannot recognize a true person. Only today do I realize that Li Mingting is a man who truly cares for the world."
"I absolutely dare not accept the post of magistrate of Pingyuan."
Li Zhao quickly stepped forward to help Liu Bei up: "Lord Xuande, why do you say such a thing? This is General Gongsun's..."
"When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the emperor's orders."
Liu Bei raised his head, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"Bei reported back to General Gongsun that Li Mingting had governed Pingyuan with remarkable success, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. He was a rare talent. Bei felt ashamed of his own inferiority and wished to stay here as Li Mingting's deputy to assist in governing the region and pacifying the displaced people."
"If General Gongsun blames me, I will take full responsibility!"
Looking into Liu Bei's sincere eyes, Li Zhao couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
As expected of Liu Bei, his magnanimity in taking things on and letting them go, and his courage to disobey military orders for the sake of "benevolence and righteousness," are truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"Lord Xuande is a man of noble character."
Li Zhao no longer declined; he truly needed a talent like Liu Bei.
"In that case, I, Zhao, shamelessly request that Lord Xuande condescend to the position of County Magistrate, in charge of civil administration and land reclamation. You two brave men, Yunchang and Yide, may serve in the army to assist Zilong in training troops."
Liu Bei was overjoyed and clasped his hands in a fist salute again, saying, "That is indeed my wish; I dare not ask!"
Although Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were somewhat unwilling to be subordinate to others, seeing their elder brother's attitude, they had no choice but to clasp their hands in agreement.
At the temple in Pingyuan County, a banquet was held that night.
To welcome Liu Bei and his two brothers, Li Zhao specially sent Sun Fu to the Zhang family's storeroom to find several jars of aged wine and slaughtered two fat pigs to prepare a decent feast.
The hall was brightly lit. Li Zhao sat in the host's seat, Liu Bei sat at the head of the guest seats on the left, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed in order. Zhao Yun sat at the head of the right seat as a guest.
After a few drinks, the atmosphere became more lively.
Li Zhao raised his cup to Liu Bei and said, "Lord Xuande, your noble character is deeply appreciated. Today, your willingness to accept the position of county magistrate is truly a blessing for the people of Pingyuan. From now on, we will rely entirely on you for civil administration and land reclamation."
Liu Bei quickly retorted:
"You flatter me, Your Majesty. Since I have decided to stay, I will do my utmost to assist Your Majesty in stabilizing the region."
His gaze swept across the hall below, and he saw that although Zhao Yun was young, he had a calm demeanor and the air of a great general.
Liu Bei couldn't help but look at Zhao Yun and exclaimed in admiration:
"Upon observing General Zilong, I can see he is truly a tiger general of our time. With such a figure under the Ming court's command, what great undertaking cannot be accomplished?"
Zhao Yun humbly replied:
"Lord Xuande, you flatter me. I am but a mere warrior, and it is only through the kindness of my elder brother and the appreciation of the Ming court that I have achieved what I have today."