Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 8: Or Learn from Gaozu

All in all, the county magistrate was relieved.

As long as the soldiers coming are not the vicious Youzhou soldiers, everything will be easier said than done.

What’s more, he is Liu Xuande, who enjoys a high reputation in Qingzhou.

Seeing that his army is well-organized and he controls the troops with ease, there is no need to worry that he will cause harm to the people in the county.

The county magistrate looked at the army in the distance, which seemed to have stopped, and shouted quickly: "Open the city gate quickly!"

He tidied his clothes, walked down the city wall quickly, and wanted to meet the new Prime Minister of Pingyuan, Liu Bei.

Outside the city, Liu Bei's army stopped in formation and sent some auxiliary soldiers to take over the surrendered soldiers in one area. He had no intention of entering the city at all.

This was a small town only seventy miles in area, but there were thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers attacking it.

If they stop and rest for a while, more Yellow Turban troops will gather in other places.

Liu Bei had limited military forces, so the best strategy was to quickly move to various places and defeat the enemy as quickly as possible to prevent them from gaining momentum.

Even if a million Yellow Turbans really appeared, he could only lead his army to temporarily avoid the conflict.

Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh that there were too few horses and he couldn't train too many cavalry, otherwise the attack speed would have been even faster.

The infantry who rely on walking are still slow.

When can we gather several thousand elite cavalrymen, we will be able to roam the world without hindrance and ride our horses to anywhere?

On the other side, the county magistrate came to pay his respects and was surprised to see Liu Bei, saying, "It really is Lord Xuande!"

"Everyone in the city is grateful for Lord Xuande's life. Please follow me into the city. The banquet has been prepared and we are waiting for you to take a seat."

The county magistrate flattered Liu Bei enthusiastically, completely different from the lukewarm attitude he had when he first met Liu Bei a few years ago.

The Guan family, who were born as county magistrates, were also well-known local tyrants.

At that time, Liu Bei was the magistrate of Gaotang County. He passed through Qingzhou from Xuzhou and passed by Zhuocheng.

They met by chance in the inn of the post station. At first, the other party was very interested, but after hearing that Liu Bei came from a poor family and the county magistrate was donated by himself, his face became indifferent and he lost interest.

I didn't expect that today, he would be rude at first and respectful later.

Liu Bei returned the gift, even making him a little flattered.

Feeling it was a little unbelievable, he bowed again hastily.

Liu Bei laughed and said seriously, "Secretary Guan, I will not enter the city. My soldiers have fought hard all the way. If you are sincerely grateful, please ask the county magistrate to allocate more money and food to me and replenish my soldiers. Is that not too much trouble?"

County Magistrate Guan's forehead was covered with sweat and he didn't dare to look the other person in the eye.

He bowed his head and said, "The county magistrate was shot dead, and the extra money and grain in the warehouse have been awarded to the local nobles and their troops as rewards for defending the city."

"It's not that I don't want to transfer the money, Lord Liu, it's just that the granary is empty and there is nothing to transfer."

County Magistrate Guan couldn't help but secretly curse the county magistrate who died an untimely death.

It was clearly you who gave the order to empty the warehouse, but you made me bear the wrath for you.

It hurts me!

He noticed that Liu Bei's gaze was now on him.

He was groaning in his heart. He already had a rift with Liu Xuande. What would he do if Liu Xuande took the opportunity to take revenge on him?

I was already imagining that Liu Bei would suddenly order his men to draw their swords and kill someone, or that a Yellow Turban surrendered soldier would see the county magistrate with his back to him and pick up a spear that was left on the ground and stab himself from behind.

Steady yourself and try not to tremble.

Liu Bei really didn't expect that the county magistrate had so much inner drama.

He was not the kind of person who held grudges. Besides, they had no friendship before. The indifference was not worth him holding a grudge against.

Besides, it is very tiring to hate others and think about revenge because of their attitude and contempt for your background.

However, these officials' sons and nobles seem to have forgotten that Emperor Gaozu conquered the world as a commoner with a three-foot sword. At that time, there were also nobles from the six kingdoms who restored the throne, but unfortunately they all became dust.

Liu Bei lowered his eyelids and said in a deep voice: "I have traveled seventy miles to come and help. The nobles in the city say they are grateful but they are actually looking down on me. Aren't you afraid that the drums and horns will sound again under the city?"

Zhang Fei also glared at him and said, "My soldiers fought and defeated the bandits for your safety. Now that the bandits have been defeated, why are you unwilling to provide food and reward for the troops?"

Having said this, he already held the sword in his hand.

Even Guan Yu stopped stroking his beard and squinted his eyes.

According to the unwritten rules of the imperial court, it is very expensive to deploy the army. In addition to the money and grain requisitioned before the expedition, after arriving at the local area, the local people must also actively cooperate and take out some of the money and grain in the warehouse to reward the army.

Or if the wealthy families all shed some blood, it would be considered as spending money to buy peace and prevent the army from causing harm to the local area.

Moreover, Liu Bei's troops had consumed a lot of food and fodder after marching rapidly for many days to rescue various places in Jinan, and they were in urgent need of replenishment. He did not expect that this request would be rejected.

When Zhang Fei spoke, Liu Bei did not stop him. Instead, he wanted to see how the county magistrate would end up.

County Magistrate Guan was glared at by Zhang Fei. Seeing that the other party's hand had already touched the handle of the ring-handled sword, he could not help swallowing his saliva.

Faced with such a rude soldier, I was afraid that he would draw his sword and attack me immediately.

He stammered and said, "My Lord, although the county government has no money or food, our nobles are willing to donate generously to support the military expenses, which will be delivered to the army tomorrow."

Guan Yu asked, "Are you serious?"

When County Magistrate Guan saw the other long-bearded lieutenant, he seemed easier to talk to and more friendly. He smiled and nodded at Guan Yu, saying, "Please rest assured, General. I will definitely deliver it tomorrow."

Guan Yu nodded and looked away.

County Magistrate Guan felt quite relieved, but was still puzzled.

Seeing that he was sensible, Liu Bei did not make things difficult for him. He told him to go back and prepare, and send him out of the city the next morning.

The county magistrate felt as if he had been pardoned. He bowed to everyone again and again and rode back to the city.

Seeing his behavior, Zhang Fei was puzzled and asked, "Brother, how can you believe what he said so easily? They are in the city and we are outside. If they don't give us the money tomorrow, will we really attack the city?"

"Aren't they no different from the Yellow Turban bandits?"

Liu Bei smiled meaningfully and said, "Yide, don't think about whether the other party will regret it, but whether the other party dares to regret it."

"There are still tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans wreaking havoc in Jinan State, and they have not been pacified yet. After we leave, if another Yellow Turban army attacks us, who will come to save them?"

Liu Bei later figured it out. The wealthy family had no intention of providing food and fodder to reward the army at first, but was actually using the county magistrate to test him.

A gentleman can be deceived, and his reputation for being righteous and kind-hearted spread.

Naturally, some people would want to see if he is truly “kind to others” without expecting anything in return.

If this were true, not only would there be no money or food, but there would also be no replenishment of soldiers. Even Liu Bei would be used as a tool by them and be played around with.

This test is not without cost. The money and food sent out of the city tomorrow should be much more than expected.

This is how the world is. If you take a step back, the other party will think you are weak and can be bullied, and will pounce on you like a hungry wolf to bite your flesh.

It’s just that Confucianism decorates it to make it look better.

If you can see the true nature of the world, you will not be eaten by termites until not even a bone is left.

Liu Bei looked at the auxiliary soldiers who were setting up camp and the soldiers who were warning the surroundings. These were his real assets.

What about being born in a humble family and having three generations of high officials? That’s all bullshit.

A real man should hold up a three-foot sword and follow Emperor Gaozu’s example to perform unparalleled feats!

There were many peach trees outside the city. Liu Bei climbed up a temporary high platform and looked out over the mountains and rivers.

Suddenly I felt that this scene was more beautiful than before.

(End of this chapter)