Chapter 1503: Cannot Be Underestimated

In the years after Liu Bei unified the world, he would often recall the time spent with Gu Yi; those days seemed to be the most precious wealth in his life. Whenever it was late at night, Liu Bei would walk alone in the palace garden, looking at the stars in the sky, his heart filled with longing for Gu Yi.

However, with the passage of time, Liu Bei also gradually realized that although he had unified the world, governing the country and maintaining peace was a more arduous task. He began to realize that simple military conquest could not truly stabilize the country, and more importantly, it was to win the hearts of the people and let the common people live and work in peace and contentment.

In this process, Liu Bei encountered many challenges and difficulties. Some court officials, although respectful to him on the surface, were actually harboring evil intentions, attempting to secretly destroy the country's stability. There were also some local officials who oppressed the common people and filled their own pockets, making the people complain bitterly.

Liu Bei knew deeply that to govern such a huge country, relying on his own strength alone was not enough. He needed more talented people with wisdom and ability like Gu Yi to assist him. Thus, he began to recruit talents widely, regardless of their background, as long as they had talent, he would give them important positions.

However, even so, Liu Bei still found that some people, although holding high positions, had no real talent or learning, only good at flattery and pointing fingers. These people could not contribute to the country but often failed more than they succeeded.

Liu Bei felt deep disgust for such people. He remembered what Gu Yi once said to him: "Do not doubt the person you use, do not use the person you doubt. A true leader should be able to recognize people with wisdom and put the right person in the right position." Liu Bei knew deeply that Gu Yi's words were right, but he also understood that it was not easy to do this.

Once, Liu Bei met such an official in the court. This official was named Li Dan; he held an important position but often pointed fingers at his subordinates' work, while never doing it himself. Whenever a problem arose, he was always the first to shirk responsibility and never took the initiative to take responsibility.

Liu Bei saw it in his eyes and felt angry in his heart. He knew that keeping such people in the court would only corrupt the court and affect the country's stability. Thus, he decided to teach Li Dan a lesson.

In an important court meeting, Liu Bei deliberately raised a thorny problem and let Li Dan answer it. Li Dan thought this was a good opportunity to show himself, so he talked endlessly. However, what he said were some empty and impractical words, and there was no way to solve the problem at all.

After Liu Bei finished listening, his face sank and he said: "Li Dan, you are a high-ranking official of the court, but you only know how to point fingers and talk empty words that harm the country. Do you know that the country's stability and the safety of the common people are all tied to you officials? If you cannot contribute to the country, then please resign from your post!"

As soon as Li Dan heard this, he was scared pale and knelt on the ground, begging Liu Bei for forgiveness. Liu Bei looked at him, his heart filled with disappointment and helplessness. He knew that there were not a few people like Li Dan in the court. To completely change this situation, more effort and time were needed.

Thus, Liu Bei began to strengthen the assessment and selection system for officials, and for those incompetent people and finger-pointers, they would all be dismissed or demoted. At the same time, he also paid more attention to cultivating young and promising talents, providing them with more opportunities and platforms.

Under Liu Bei's efforts, the atmosphere of the court gradually improved. Those who were truly talented and responsible began to be reused, while those incompetent people were gradually eliminated. The governance of the country also became more orderly and efficient.

However, Liu Bei was not satisfied because of this. He knew deeply that to govern a country, he still needed to constantly learn and progress. Thus, he began to study the knowledge and experience of governing the country even harder, and at the same time paid more attention to listening to the opinions and suggestions of his subordinates and the common people.

Under his leadership, Shu Han's politics, economy, and culture all achieved long-term development. The common people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the country was prosperous. And Liu Bei also won the respect and support of the common people because of his excellent leadership ability and profound people-oriented thought.

Whenever Liu Bei recalled the journey of these years, he would be filled with emotion. He knew that the reason he could achieve today's achievements was inseparable from the support and help of good friends like Gu Yi. Although Gu Yi had passed away for many years, his spirit and wisdom had always been by Liu Bei's side, inspiring him to keep moving forward.

Under Liu Bei's governance, Shu Han gradually stepped into an unprecedented golden age. The country was rich and strong, the people were happy, culture was prosperous, and all directions came to pay tribute. However, behind this prosperity, Liu Bei always maintained a sense of sobriety and vigilance. He knew that crises were often hidden under the golden age, and an excellent leader must always remain vigilant and prevent problems before they happen.

To consolidate the country's stability, Liu Bei began to carry out a series of reforms. He knew deeply that the strength of a country did not only depend on the strength of military force but also on the perfection of the system and the prosperity of culture. Thus, he began to promote the rule of law, strengthen the supervision and assessment of officials, and ensure that they could execute the law impartially and maintain social fairness and justice.

At the same time, Liu Bei also attached great importance to the development of education. He believed that education was the foundation of the country, and only by cultivating more talented people with knowledge and culture could he provide a continuous source of power for the country's development. Thus, he vigorously established schools, promoted education, encouraged the common people to learn cultural knowledge, and improved their quality and ability.

In these reforms, Liu Bei encountered quite a few resistances and difficulties. Some officials secretly resisted the reform because their own interests were damaged; some common people felt unaccustomed to the new system and culture because they were used to the old way of life. However, Liu Bei did not give up because of this. He firmly believed that only by persisting in reform could the country be stronger and the people happier.

To promote the progress of the reform, Liu Bei began to personally inspect various places, understand the needs and demands of the common people, and listen to their opinions and suggestions. He knew deeply that only by truly understanding the hearts of the common people could he formulate policies and measures that were more in line with reality. Under his efforts, the reform gradually won the support and protection of the common people, and the governance of the country also became smoother and more efficient.

However, just when Liu Bei was devoted to domestic reform, external threats also gradually emerged. Cao Wei in the north and Sun Quan in the east had always been eyeing Shu Han, attempting to take the opportunity to annex this prosperous country. Liu Bei knew deeply that to defend the country's safety and stability, he must strengthen national defense construction and improve the army's combat effectiveness.

Thus, he began to strengthen the training and equipment of the army, improving the quality and skills of the soldiers. At the same time, he also paid attention to cultivating military talents, selecting talented generals to command the army. Under his efforts, Shu Han's army gradually became powerful and orderly, becoming a force that could not be underestimated. ===== CHAPTER 1504 =====