Chapter 140

"I reckon these noble clans will all be crying once they sober up!"

"Nothing to be done about it; the Big-Eared Thief gave them IOUs. If he didn't, he'd be cursed by everyone under heaven."

"This was definitely borrowed based on pure ability!"

"The Big-Eared Thief doesn't take a single needle or thread from the commoners, only a few tens of thousands of shi of grain from each noble clan!"

"The Big-Eared Thief is an absolute conscience-driven player; he never scams the poor!"

"That's just the noble clans giving a bit of grain to gain a reputation and solve their bandit problems. They’re the ones who got the big bargain."

The entirety of Qing Province was in motion.

Those who needed to assemble, assembled.

Those who needed to transport grain, transported grain.

Those who needed to set up pots and cook, set up pots and cooked!

In the end, Liu Bei recruited 850,000 people to head to Bing Province.

"My Lord, Tao Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, has sent us 150,000 shi of grain, saying he was moved by your high righteousness."

Liu Bei understood in his heart that Tao Tao Qian was expressing goodwill.

Tao Tao Qian saw that Liu Bei was willing to aid Kong Rong, who was a thousand miles away, so he could ask Liu Bei for help if he ever faced trouble in the future.

After all, Ding Yuan Shu of Huainan had been stirring up trouble lately!

Xu Province was a land of four battlegrounds with no natural defenses, yet it was a treasure trove of grain, wealth, and population that every surrounding warlord wanted a bite of!

"Good. I will write a letter back to Tao Tao Qian to thank him for his assistance."

Guo Jia looked over the latest intelligence.

"My Lord, another 100,000-plus Yellow Turbans have invaded Yan Province and killed the Yan Province Inspector, Liu Dai. Now, Cao Cao has been elevated by Bao Xin and others as the Yan Province Governor to deal with those 100,000 Yellow Turbans."

Liu Bei hadn't expected that even after taking in nearly 900,000 Yellow Turban people, 100,000 still went to Yan Province, and even helped Cao Cao kill Liu Dai!

"Forget it. My main priority now is to bring these 850,000 people back."

Liu Bei didn't have such a massive appetite; this was enough!

Sun Jian Yong burst in, full of energy.

"My Lord, the Mi family has sent people to deliver 120,000 shi of grain, plus 3,000 shi of sea salt and various meats, all as a gift to us."

Liu Bei was startled; this Mi family was truly wealthy enough to rival a nation!

They were too rich!

"Who from the Mi family has come?"

"A young master, very delicate in appearance."

"Quick, invite him in."

"Understood!"

Soon,

A delicate 'young master' walked in and cupped his hands.

"This Mi family lad greets Lord Liu Xuande."

She was none other than the Mi family young lady, Mi Zhen, who had seen Liu Bei's army that day!

Liu Bei: ?? Still a tomboy!

Skin so good, big eyes, extremely delicate features, and a lad with developed chest muscles? Are you kidding me?

Mi Zhen observed Liu Bei at close range: his features were sharp and well-defined, his eyes shone with light, and his unique temperament gave one a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze, naturally fostering goodwill.

"So this is Lord Liu Xuande? Truly a heroic figure! So handsome!"

Liu Bei took a few quick steps and grabbed Mi Zhen's hand.

"Young Master, you have truly solved my most urgent need!"

"Are you Zizhong's younger brother, Mi Fang?"

Mi Zhen: ??

Having her small hand grabbed by Liu Bei, her heart fell into chaos. Her face turned bright red, and she stammered,

"Lord Liu Xuande, I am Mi Zhen of the Mi family."

Once Liu Bei was close, he noticed that Mi Zhen had clear brows and bright eyes, phoenix eyes, jade cheeks, and cherry lips; she looked very sweet and even smelled quite fragrant.

He thought to himself,

"This girl still doesn't know how to act."

Mi Zhen pulled her hand away from Liu Bei and cupped her fists.

"Lord Liu Xuande, to resolve the Yellow Turban threat in Qing Province in the snap of a finger—this lad is impressed."

The two began to chat.

Liu Bei discovered that Mi Zhen was actually quite insightful.

"Oh, so you transported grain and goods here so early?"

Mi Zhen smiled.

"Lord Liu Xuande is victorious in every battle; these Yellow Turbans are naturally no match for you. The final problem is these captives. Lord Liu Xuande is benevolent and righteous, so you surely wouldn't kill them, meaning their food and clothing would become a problem."

Mi Zhen’s eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"This time, our Mi family sold quite a bit of grain and seafood to the noble clans nearby. We made a small profit, so naturally, we should give back to Lord Liu Xuande."

Liu Bei sighed with emotion.

"Young Master Mi is truly a commercial genius; I am not your equal."

Mi Zhen giggled. Being praised by Liu Bei, her maidenly demeanor showed through.

"Lord Liu Xuande is too kind."

Guo Jia, standing to the side, had already understood everything and laughed.

"My Lord, this Young Master Mi Zhen has extraordinary insight. Tonight, drinking and chatting, and sleeping foot-to-foot is a must!"

Mi Zhen almost lost her composure—sleeping foot-to-foot!

She hurriedly cupped her fists.

"Lord Liu Xuande, there are still matters at the shop. I must go attend to them; we shall chat again later!"

Chatting with Liu Bei was very pleasant, but did Mi Zhen dare to sleep foot-to-foot?

Mi Zhen fled as if flying!

Liu Bei turned his head and feigned anger.

"Guo Fengxiao, Young Master Mi Zhen and I were chatting happily; aren't you just undermining me!"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter!

Guo Jia cupped his fists.

"My Lord, the Mi family is wealthy enough to rival a nation, and this Young Lady Mi Zhen has excellent business talent. She must absolutely not fall into the hands of others!"

"I invite my Lord to make your move, capture Mi Zhen, and toil a bit more for the great cause!"

Liu Bei: ?? "Flirting with a little rich girl for the sake of the country?"

"It's fine, it doesn't count as toiling. Actually, Mi Zhu had the intention of marrying Mi Zhen to me from the start."

Guo Jia bowed.

"So my Lord had already laid the plans; this subordinate is not your equal!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily.

"Guo Fengxiao, your flattery is quite good. Come, since there is nothing else to do, let's go for a walk in the city."

"Understood!"

The livestream chat exploded.

"The Big-Eared Thief is truly shameless. He saw Mi Zhen was a young girl early on and still held her little hand."

"A little rich girl like Mi Zhen, who is wealthy enough to rival a nation, must absolutely be captured!"

"The key is that she's beautiful and likes cosplay; she's definitely an interesting soul."

"The Big-Eared Thief can run into top-tier girls everywhere; I'm so envious."