Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 52: The Army Arrives at the North Sea
Upon hearing that Liu Bei was approaching, Kong Rong personally went out ten miles outside the city to greet him.

Along with them were more than 200 officials from Ju County, who were standing on both sides of the road, eagerly waiting.

According to Han law, the county magistrate and county deputy chief of a neighboring county could not leave their jurisdiction without a transfer order, otherwise they would be punished.

Even if you want to flatter someone, you can't choose this time.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves was heard from the other end of the road.

"I'm coming!"

"Quickly stand up! Lord Xuande is coming."

Those with better hearing had heard the noise and quickly reminded their colleagues beside them to straighten their clothes and appearance and prepare to go forward to greet them.

The first people to appear on the road were cavalrymen wearing black iron armor, leading the way.

There were red flying feathers on his helmet, he held a meter-long iron spear in his hand, a bow and arrow were tied to his horse's back, and a short-handled ring-handled sword was hung around his waist.

The upright back and waist show a majestic and imposing manner, exuding a brave and warlike aura, and the flag in the hand flutters in the wind.

People with sharp eyes could vaguely see the words "Qingzhou Governor and Conquering the Enemy General Liu" engraved on the silk.

Behind these cavalrymen, there were more armored cavalrymen, some of whom were even fully armored, with only the gaps around the visors showing, staring ahead.

They had much less equipment than the previous cavalry, with only an upright lance.

The color of the black armor is dark in some places and light in others, just like solidified blood stains.

Even in the daytime, the Confucian scholars felt a chill running through their bodies.

The armored cavalry at the back brought more pressure than the cavalry at the front. These dead silent knights made the atmosphere of the officials' welcome freeze invisibly.

If he had not been driving straight along the road and reined in his horse and turned to rush towards them, he would have probably been frightened to death and stood there.

After all the cavalry had passed, some of the officials dared to take out silk and wipe the sweat from their foreheads.

Looking further back at the marching troops, it seemed as if there was no end in sight, with a large number of baggage carts and chariots slowly moving forward.

The well-trained combat soldiers and the auxiliary soldiers who had been training for some time made the nobles and scholars in Beihai feel uncertain and puzzled.

There was no sound of shouting or yelling; everyone was silent and busy on their way.

He is undoubtedly a soldier from a powerful and elite force who would behave in this way.

As the team got closer, they could clearly see the arrows the crossbowmen were drawing.

Some officials couldn't help swallowing, feeling a little unsafe.

I felt like a rabbit entering a tiger's den, with sharp fangs everywhere.

"This...this...is too dangerous. It's just a march, why is it so dangerous?"

Some people looked at the powerful army in front of them excitedly, muttering: "There is no greater wrath than thunder and lightning. Why worry about Qingzhou being unstable and the world being in turmoil?"

Wang Xiu, an acquaintance of Liu Bei, has now become a clerk in the county's warehouse and a chief official in the government office.

Looking at the army under Liu Shijun's command, he became more convinced that only such a powerful army could pacify the world.

The troops passing by in neat order included cavalry, infantry, archers, and scouts, each with their own formation and school flag.

Qian Zhao in the team saw such a big scene, and the Beihai officials were so shocked that they looked at each other in horror.

One cannot help but sigh that Xuande had achieved his goal.

After resting by the river, Liu Bei suddenly ordered all the camps to get ready and put on their armor before setting off again. Qian Zhao asked in confusion, "We are almost at Ju County, why do we have to waste our energy?"
Liu Bei explained: "In ancient times, Shun sent people to hold Ganqi and dance with the Miao people, and the Miao people surrendered. He used the method of not attacking. The situation in Beihai is somewhat similar. Why not follow Shun's example?"

Qian Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed that you, Liu Xuande, treated the Confucian scholars in Beihai as the Sanmiao in the past.

Isn't it bad?

The Sanmiao were barbarians who feared power but not virtue.

Fortunately you told me, because if Mr. Lu heard it, he would have been furious.

The officials, Confucian scholars and nobles in Beihai had been looking forward to it for a long time, and when they finally saw Liu Bei's central army flag, they could not help but feel delighted.

But looking down from the big banner, there were hundreds of broad-shouldered soldiers, about seven or eight feet tall, wearing only a little armor, holding long hammers and long-handled blades in their hands.

It still makes people inexplicably frightened.

When they were about to reach Kong Rong and his men, Liu Bei dismounted his horse and walked forward, and the cavalry guards around him followed him, separating them from the other officials.

Otherwise, even if two hundred people came over, it would be difficult to protect the envoy.

Kong Rong came over and bowed, saying, "My Lord Xuande, how are you? If you hadn't saved the North Sea, I'm afraid all industries would be in decline and people would be suffering."

Kong Rong had a short beard but thick eyebrows, and was neither fat nor thin. His meticulous gesture of saluting showed that he was a serious person.

Liu Bei quickly stopped him from saluting, and pulled him up with his right hand, saying with a smile: "Why should I be so polite, Master Kong? Actually, I should thank you for recommending me as the governor of Qingzhou, and for flatly refusing Zang Hong's request to enter Qingzhou. I owe you a lot!"

To be honest, among the prime ministers of Qingzhou County, Kong Rong was much better than the other corrupt officials who held positions for nothing.

"This is wrong. Lord Xuande is the one who has done the most good to Beihai. How about this: I call you Xuande and you call me Wenju? This will make us less distant from each other." With just a few words, Kong Rong narrowed the distance between him and Liu Bei.

He also became famous at a young age. At first, it was acceptable to call him Lord Xuande a few times, but if he kept calling him Lord Xuande, that would be a bit unacceptable.

People who are not aware of the situation might think that he is also a flatterer, which would ruin the reputation of the Kong family.

Unless Liu Xuande goes one step further and becomes the governor of Qingzhou, no one will gossip about him until he changes his words.

While talking, Kong Rong looked at Liu Bei carefully.

Ever since Wang Xiu returned to Beihai, he has been praising Liu Shijun all the time. Kong Rong was also a little curious, so he sent people to Le'an and Jinan to inquire about the matter.

Hearing that Liu Xuande was improving people's livelihood in various counties and setting up official schools to promote capable officials, he also followed suit in Beihai.

Establish cities, set up official schools, recommend talented people, and promote Confucianism.

This attracted praises from many Confucian scholars, but Kong Rong did not take the credit for himself and said bluntly: "Don't brag, I just learned from Liu Xuande."

Invisibly, Liu Bei's reputation spread again in Beihai.

It also made him believe that Liu Xuande could lead Qingzhou out of the quagmire, so he did not hesitate to go to the court to recommend Liu Bei as the governor of Qingzhou. At that time, Dong Zhuo was still in power.

This made him a little hesitant, not knowing whether the emperor would approve his request or whether Dong Zhuo would stop him.

For some reason, Dong Zhuo did not interfere and the court readily agreed to the memorial.

Kong Rong had no idea that at that time Master Dong was in great trouble because of Yuan Shao and his gang, and he would just not recommend anyone who had any relationship with Yuan Shao to be an official.

Anyone can do favors to win over the other party, even if it is the Liu clan, it would be best if they could fight among themselves.

Kong Rong talked with Liu Bei in the suburbs for a while, then pointed to Ju County and said, "Xuan De, why don't you go into the city first? The suburbs are not the place for conversation."

After the bow, he led the way with the officials.

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(End of this chapter)