Chapter 157

Zhang Zhang Liao cupped his hands.

"Your subordinate understands. If this Fa Zheng doesn't come, I will tie him up and bring him!"

Liu Bei...

"Zhang Wenyuan, hang out less with Zhang Yide and communicate more with Yunchang..."

Zhang Fei?? What does Big Brother mean!

Liu Bei also had people notify Guan Yu to set up pontoon bridges and take the Emperor Hongnong commoners who were willing to come to Bingzhou across the river.

Xun You sighed with emotion.

"The Lord is benevolent and righteous. Li Jue and Guo Si are treacherous and chaotic villains, and Fan Chou is a mediocre person; they will inevitably bring disaster to Jingzhao. The Lord’s move will minimize the losses from Li Jue and Guo Si’s turmoil."

Liu Bei sighed.

"This is also the only way out of a bad situation."

Changancheng,

Li Jue and Guo Si were a bit angry after seeing Liu Bei’s letter.

"Liu Bei actually detained my envoy Jia Wenhe!"

"It’s not easy for us to have someone to plan for us!"

"Liu Bei is also having people move commoners to Bingzhou. Do they think we are easy to bully?!"

They looked toward Li Ru.

"What should we do?"

Li Ru bowed.

"Generals, our main priority now is to appease the warlords. If they form another alliance to attack, we won't be able to resist."

Li Jue and Guo Si were shocked. That would definitely be the end!

Li Ru added,

"Liu Bei sent another one hundred thousand shi of grain, which is exactly what our army needs, solving our urgent need. There is a great disaster in Guanzhong, and the commoners have no surplus grain. Liu Bei taking the commoners away is just right..."

Li Jue nodded.

"That’s fine. Let the commoners go to Bingzhou and eat Liu Bei into poverty! The land and houses are still here; I’m not afraid that these commoners won't come back."

Li Ru shook his head secretly. Li Jue and Guo Si were far worse than Lord Dong.

He would just muddle along now, happy every day; who cares how long he can last!

Emperor Hongnong Commandery,

a routed army of over three thousand people was marching on the road with low morale.

Lu Bu looked haggard, his eye sockets sunken.

"Hateful! Li Jue, Guo Si, if it weren't for the fact that your numbers were several times mine, I wouldn't have been defeated so miserably!"

Lu Bu had just been enfeoffed as a County Marquis and was enjoying the benefits and treatment of the Three Excellencies,

but soon he was beaten into a wandering army. The ups and downs of life made Lu Bu doubt life!

"Father, where are we going now?"

A heroic and beautiful female general rode over; it was Lu Bu’s daughter, Lu Lu Lingqi.

Lu Bu looked into the distance.

"Henei Administrator Zhang Yang and I are old acquaintances. We will go to rely on him first, and then go to Ding Yuan Shao’s place."

Lu Lu Lingqi frowned, very puzzled.

"Father, Lord Liu Xuande is close at hand and is a hero of the world. Why not go to rely on him?"

Lu Bu’s face turned dark instantly, and he drank through gritted teeth,

"I would rather go to rely on that trash Ding Yuan Shu than rely on the big-eared thief!"

Lu Bu lived in Liu Bei’s shadow, and with the hatred of having Diao Chan snatched and the shame of Hulao Pass, Lu Bu would rather die than rely on Liu Bei!

Lu Lu Lingqi tried to persuade him again.

"Father, you are now a hero who killed Dong Zhuo. Lord Liu Xuande is benevolent and righteous; he will certainly treat us well."

Lu Bu roared,

"Stop talking! I have made up my mind!"

He didn't expect that his daughter would think so highly of Liu Bei, and he was nearly exploded with anger.

The little cotton-padded jacket he had raised for over a decade had also been torn open by Liu Bei.

Lu Bu hated Liu Bei even more!

"Report~!"

"Lord, just received news: Liu Bei led his army toward Changancheng, but was persuaded to withdraw halfway by the Emperor’s edict. Because of his merit in rescuing the Emperor, Liu Bei was enfeoffed as General of the Left and Marquis of Zhuo County!"

"What?!"

Lu Bu nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.

"The big-eared thief didn't fire a single arrow or kill a single person, yet he became the General of the Left?!"

Lu Bu thought of how his soldiers had lost more than half, and now he had nothing, nearly giving himself a heart attack; he didn't dare to think anymore.

Lu Lu Lingqi muttered in a low voice,

"Isn't it just that he snatched that fox-like Diao Chan? Lord Liu Xuande is a perfect match for her."

Lu Bu??

The little cotton-padded jacket at home is not only leaking but also poisonous!

Mei County, Fufeng Commandery, a young man exclaimed,

"Lord Liu Xuande, who shakes the nine provinces, actually knows my name, Fa Fa Xiaozhi!"

Zhang Zhang Liao smiled.

"The Lord not only knows, but also knows you have great talent and wants to appoint you as an Assistant in the General of the Left’s office."

Fa Zheng’s eyes lit up, and his body trembled slightly.

"Then I must set out immediately!"

Fa Zheng looked at his friend Meng Da beside him.

"Zidu, Lord Liu Xuande actually knows me! How about coming with me to Jinyang?"

Meng Da felt envious in his heart. He knew Fa Zheng had talent; he had become the head of the Fa family in his teens, but he hadn't expected that the hero of the world, Lord Liu Xuande, would know him.

There was a great disaster in Guanzhong, and Mei County was also suffering from successive disasters, plus the looting by the Qiang people and the extortion by the Xiliang soldiers—the commoners couldn't go on living!

Everyone was looking for a way out.

Fa Zheng and Meng Da had actually planned to go to Bashu to rely on relatives, but now that they had Lord Liu Xuande’s summons,

Fa Zheng was naturally willing to go forward, and Meng Da had the same intention, sticking to his friend’s light.

"Lord Liu Xuande employs scholars of humble origin and does not discriminate against us Guanxi scholars. I am naturally willing to go."

Zhang Zhang Liao smiled.

"As long as you have talent, the Lord will never disgrace you."

With the lead of Fa Zheng and Meng Da, most of the commoners in Mei County were actually persuaded and followed Zhang Zhang Liao majestically toward Hedong.

Hedong Commandery, Anyi City,

the city was bustling with traffic, and the commoners had no panic from the wars of the end of the Han Dynasty.

Commerce was extremely prosperous, and the sound of hawking was endless.

Fa Zheng sighed with emotion.

"Hedong and Fufeng are not far apart, yet the difference is so great!"

"Luoyang a few years ago was probably about the same."

Meng Da whispered,

"I heard that Hedong Commandery Assistant Du Ji just defected to Lord Liu Xuande last year, yet he has governed Hedong so well. He is expected to succeed as the Hedong Administrator this year."

The young Fa Zheng instantly felt pressure. Lord Liu Xuande had many talented people around him; if he wanted to stand out, he had to work hard to perform.

Administrator’s Mansion,

"Lord, Fa Zheng and Meng Da from Mei County have arrived."

— Author's Notes —

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