Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 37: Great Han Achievements
"Whatever you ask, the Liu family will do their best to help you!"

Liu Yuan gritted his teeth secretly.

No matter what request Liu Bei makes, agree to it first.

It's a rare opportunity to build a good relationship with him.

Considering the efforts made to help, maybe I can even help to restore the previous negative impression of the clan.

"Why do you have to do this, Mr. Liu? You should know that you should rely on and support your relatives more when doing things. After all, they are your family."

"What's more, you and I are from the same lineage, both descendants of King Jing of Zhongshan, so we need to support each other even more." Liu Bei patted the other's arm lightly. He could naturally see Liu Yuan's worry.

I'm afraid they thought he was someone who came to settle the score.

In fact, as long as the Liu clan did not get carried away and stand on the wrong side, he would follow the example of Emperor Gaozu and split the talisman as a token of trust, and enfeoff the clan members with meritorious services as county marquises, so that the family would continue to be like this from generation to generation.

Liu Bei was well aware that the demands of each powerful family were different, and that they could not be simply viewed as a whole. Instead, they needed to be divided, and the majority should be won over as much as possible to attack the minority.

The powerful people who had been at odds with him before became trembling with fear, fearing that Liu Bei and the powerful families who were close to him would divide them up.

There are different levels among the powerful people, especially those who are only a step away from the gentry but cannot squeeze in, their ambition is particularly strong.

This is because the power of recommendation is in the hands of scholars, and there are not many vacancies for the gentry to recommend filial and honest people.

The worse-off middle and lower class rural nobles could only watch helplessly.

Liu Bei could give them opportunities and open up a channel for the powerful families to rise.

Then, in places where the power of the gentry and the wealthy families had been weakened by the Yellow Turbans, they used the wealthy families who had come close to them to slowly and gradually infiltrate, quietly creating a new military merit class between the common people and the wealthy families.

Later history has proved that if one relies too much on the gentry and powerful families, backlash can easily occur.

When there is congestion in the middle and emptiness at both ends, only when the upper and lower classes are connected can the middle class be balanced and deterred from acting rashly.

Liu Bei looked at the poor people working in the fields. Many of them had joined the Liu family because they could not make a living.

From time to time he looked up and glanced over here, as if looking at someone.

This was also the norm of the times, especially in times of war, when powerful nobles and wealthy families were easily taken advantage of by the desperate common people.

Most of them were refugees from other places. Although farming was hard work, they could at least eat and barely survive.

The wealthy families would even take the initiative to conceal these people in order to evade taxes. Only when the imperial court became strong could they be forced to release the population.

At present, apart from the powerful families in the plains, who have been recruited less, the rest have been mostly drawn by Liu Bei during the war.

Liu Bei looked at the poor people in the fields and said with a smile: "Even if you are a clan member, you cannot evade taxes. If you are caught, you will be severely punished."

"No, no." Liu Yuan shook his head like a rattle.

Quickly veto it again and again.

Even if there is, I dare not admit it directly at this time. Who dares to be so stubborn?

Liu Bei just mentioned it casually and didn't ask any further questions.

The main purpose of his visit this time was to borrow grain.

Without saying anything more, he raised the whip in his hand, pointed to the east and said with a smile: "Since Mr. Liu is so kind to help me, I will tell you the truth. To be honest, several counties in Le'an are still short of food."

"I heard that Mr. Liu has the most extensive fertile land and a good harvest. We need your help to relieve the hunger of the people in the state."

Liu Yuan licked his lips and said in a deep voice: "Since the people of the state are suffering so much, the Liu family will never turn a blind eye. After I leave some food for my clan members to fill their stomachs, the rest will be transported to Le'an to relieve hunger and disaster!"

Liu Bei was stunned when he heard this, and asked casually, "Is it too much? I heard that the clan has a lot of food stored, but we should always leave some for ourselves."

Liu Yuan rejected the offer with a wave of his hand. Then he bowed and said, "I heard that you are still short of craftsmen. Although our family is weak, we are willing to offer 200 craftsmen."

Liu Bei was surprised when he heard this, as this old guy was usually stingy.

At the critical moment, he was so decisive in making a huge investment.

He couldn't help but look at her with new eyes.

"But... I have a small request, and I hope you can agree to it."

Liu Yuan's true intentions were exposed, but he pretended to smile bitterly and said, "Sir, Liu He is a chivalrous man with integrity, and he can indeed help people out of difficulties."

"But my Liu clan has more outstanding talents waiting for you to lead. A single tree cannot make a forest. Even if you get good trees, you must not forget that there is still a vast sea of ​​forests behind them."

Liu Yuan spread his hands and gestured.

He has already risked his reputation. If he does not recommend himself, when will the clan come forward? As the head of the clan, this is what he must do for the clan. Liu Bei suddenly realized.

Although the old guy is stingy, he still has a sense of responsibility.

So he agreed and said, "Don't worry, Lord Liu. There are many vacancies for clerks in various counties and districts. We will employ them after assessment."

You can accept it, but you can’t break the rules.

You need to follow the process and act in accordance with the established rules and regulations.

Liu Yuan was a cunning and worldly-wise man, and he understood the underlying meaning of Liu Bei's words.

He quickly said solemnly: "It must be so. If jade is not polished, it will not become a useful tool. Please be stricter with the clan."

What a old fox.

Liu Bei found it funny to see him hitting the snake with a stick.

Who will be strict with? Only with your own family will you be stricter.

The meaning is to tell him not to worry and use it with confidence, as they are all our own people.

Liu Bei asked: "How many people will be recruited?"

The old man gritted his teeth, said in silence: "Seventy-three people!"

I'm going all out and putting all my family assets on the line.

Think about the lineage of the King of Changsha. They have benefited a lot from Emperor Guangwu, and it is time for the lineage of King Jing of Zhongshan to benefit as well.

Although the character Liu cannot be written with other strokes, there is a difference between the relatives of the pre-Han Dynasty and the relatives of the post-Han Dynasty.

In Qingzhou alone, there are so many Liu clan princes and nobles, but few of them are relatives of the Han Dynasty. What has become of these distant relatives?

They have all become local wealthy families, and they are no longer as noble as they used to be.

Having missed out on Liu Xuande, the lineage of Prince Jing of Zhongshan will probably never have a chance to turn things around.

Liu Yuan's eyes showed determination.

……

He walked all the way with the help of a cane and personally escorted Liu Bei to his horse and left.

Liu Yuan still stood there, staring for a long time.

His grandson asked in confusion: "Grandfather, why did you gather the strength of the clan to help Liu Qingzhou? Didn't you tell us before that a cunning rabbit with three burrows can avoid worries and admonish us?"

“Isn’t this what a wise man does?”

Liu Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "My father is not a wise man to begin with. Besides, I have offended Envoy Liu before, so it is a good thing to make amends."

"But we don't have to give away all the grain. We have decades of savings. All the young men in our clan are employed in Qingzhou. What about other states and counties?" asked the child.

Liu Yuan was silent for a moment, then leaned over and touched his forehead, saying lovingly, "Grandfather was too calculative in the first half of his life, which is why the clan could not grow stronger."

"You are still young, and you don't understand that if the world really does not belong to the Han Dynasty, how good will it be for us?"

Moreover, he saw something in Liu Bei that his other relatives did not have, called vigor.

I remember when I was a child, I also heard the elders of the tribe reminiscing that the Han people long ago also had this kind of vigor.

At that time, the country was unprecedentedly strong, its achievements were known thousands of miles away, the barbarians were submissive, the people lived in prosperity, and there was no longer any alarm of three generations of dogs barking in the border towns.

It was called by later generations the Reign of Emperor Xiaoxuan.

Liu Yuanxiao held the child on his shoulders and said, "I am old and can no longer hold you. When you grow up, you won't need me to hold you anymore, and I can rest well."

After saying this, he looked into the distance, all the way to the west, as if he had crossed Chang'an, climbed over the Hexi Corridor, passed the Yumen Pass, and reached the Western Regions.

Suddenly thinking of another prophecy that has been circulating among scholars for a long time, Liu Yuan said disdainfully: "Oh, the one who will replace the Han Dynasty is Dangtu Gao, let him surpass our Han achievements first!"

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(End of this chapter)