Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 244 Everything is ready
"Cheers!"

The crowd closest to the stage suddenly erupted in cheers. The sound waves spread outwards, quickly reaching the entire venue.

After Yan Yi finished his congratulatory remarks, he returned to the row of mats on the Taipei side and sat down in the middle position.

Sitting to his left was Sheng Xian, and to his right was Kuai Yue.

Recently, Sheng Xian and Yan Yi have presented a beautiful story of teacher-student harmony and brotherly love to the world, earning them countless praises.

Sheng Xian's reputation and status among the Jiangdong gentry were further enhanced, and Yan Yi benefited greatly, completely shedding the stigma of being a bandit and gradually gaining widespread recognition from the scholars.

Kuai Yue came to offer congratulations on behalf of Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou. With him present, the many famous scholars around him paled in comparison.

In terms of family background, the Kuai clan, descendants of Kuai Tong, was already a prominent family in Jingzhou; in terms of reputation and learning, Kuai Yue, well-versed in classics and exceptionally intelligent, was one of the leaders of the Jingzhou gentry; in terms of official rank and title, Kuai Yue served as the Prefect of Zhangling and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Fanting, a rank even higher than Yan Yi's Marquis within the Passes. In terms of appearance and demeanor, Kuai Yue was also a very handsome man.

The fact that such a person was sent as an envoy to Qiantang demonstrates Liu Biao's high regard for Yan Yi and the increasingly tense situation.

Besides political factors, Liu Biao and Kuai Yue also had a strong interest in the Qian Yuan Society and planned to learn from Yan Yi and hold a similar event in Jingzhou.

Looking around the hall, there were many envoys like Kuai Yue. For example, Yuan Huan, representing Yuan Shu; Mi Fang and Jian Yong, representing Tao Qian and Liu Bei; and Xu You, representing Yuan Shao, were all sitting beside Kuai Yue.

As for those famous scholars who had not yet entered officialdom, most of them sat next to Sheng Xian, including Zhou Chong, Zhou Yu's uncle, and Zhang Zhao, the leader of the exiled gentry in Xuzhou.

Such a grand gathering of so many distinguished figures and dignitaries is a sight that Jiangdong has not witnessed for many years.

Due to the limited seating on the stage, most celebrities and dignitaries, who were less senior, had to stay below the stage.

These people from all over the country, who usually have high aspirations, did not complain about this arrangement; on the contrary, they were quite pleased.

According to the Qian Yuan Hui's event schedule, they will represent their hometowns, and enter the venue carrying flags as a unit of county during the opening ceremony.

Over the next five days, they will compete fiercely in various events to win a variety of generous rewards for their hometown.

People of this era have an extremely strong sense of local identity. They are generally attached to their homeland and have a strong sense of clan and hometown, which has formed a social trend of "valuing one's roots and loving one's hometown".

Under the influence of this social trend, people often used their place of origin before their surname when interacting with each other. Names such as "Xun Clan of Yingchuan" and "Yuan Clan of Runan" not only became identifiers of identity but also important symbols of family status and prestige, admired by scholars throughout the land.

In addition, the "three mutuals" system was implemented for officials to take office, strictly avoiding those from their hometowns; tombs often had inscriptions such as "the soul returns to its hometown"; and the concept of "returning home in glory" was popular. All of these reflect the importance of "valuing one's roots and loving one's hometown".

The Qian Yuan Association organizes competitions in the form of tournaments among various counties and townships, which is exactly what all the participants want to achieve.

Who wouldn't yearn to stand out at the meeting, leverage the influence of the Qian Yuan Association, make a name for themselves, and bring glory to their hometown?
Moreover, all participating counties and townships can receive substantial rewards based on the competition results. The county that ranks first will receive a reward of 10,000 shi of rice and 3,000 bolts of cloth. Such a combination of fame and fortune is truly enticing.

Stimulated by these novel, challenging, and refreshing rules, all participants were eager to show their skills and make a name for themselves.

At this moment, Zhou Jun, who was representing the Zhou family of Lujiang and carrying the flag into the arena, was so nervous that his palms were sweating profusely. The large Zhou-character flag in his hand, fluttering in the wind, felt like a mountain, weighing heavily on his heart.

"Stay calm, don't panic!"

'Why am I doing this? Shouldn't this be Gongjin's job?'

Zhou Jun's face was tense, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his lips were pressed together so tightly they were almost white. He was even more nervous than if he were going into battle.

Previously, Zhou Yu was responsible for handling such matters. However, now that Zhou Yu holds a high position, it is clearly inappropriate for him to do so anymore.

Thus, Zhou Jun, who had never experienced such a situation before, was forced into it.

"Stand up straight! Cheer up!" He turned his head anxiously and shouted in a low voice.

Not far behind him was a square formation of more than two hundred people. Each of them wore a uniform indigo robe. Some held banners embroidered with the characters "Zhou" or "Lujiang," while others held halberds, standing in neat rows.

These are all young men from various ethnic groups and surnames in Lujiang who came to participate in the Qianyuan Gathering; they are all quite knowledgeable.

But in this situation, they seemed like rookies new to battle, appearing somewhat lost and helpless. They were relying entirely on the physical inertia developed through training to maintain the discipline of their ranks.

dong dong!

Suddenly, dozens of war drums sounded simultaneously. The stirring drumbeats instantly spread to every corner of the venue.

The crowd on and off the stage fell silent, and countless curious eyes turned toward the entrance of the venue.

Zhou Jun's tall and straight body tensed up the moment the war drums sounded. He gripped the flagpole tightly with both hands and strode forward along the five-zhang-wide rammed earth path in front of the platform.

Behind him stood more than two hundred young men from Lujiang, each with a straight back and solemn expression. Under the gaze of tens of thousands of people, they marched past the stage in unison.

They were full of vigor and attracted attention, but the expressions on their faces were so tense and stiff that it was hard not to laugh.

The second group to appear was the Gu family of Wu County.

Based on their close relationship with Xu Gong, the Gu family only sent a few ordinary clansmen and a few dozen guests to the meeting. The procession seemed to have been poorly trained, walking unsteadily, which drew laughter from the crowd.

Gu Dian, the leader, turned red and white in turns, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

If he had known the Qian Yuan Festival would be such a grand affair, he would have made meticulous preparations no matter what. Now, the Gu family has lost face big time.

The third to appear was the Yu family of Shanyin.

The Yu family was the most prominent family in Kuaiji, renowned far and wide. But like the Gu family, they were clearly hampered by the political climate and lacked adequate preparation, resulting in numerous embarrassing blunders.

Fu Chun Sun, who was deeply favored by Yan Yi, did not appear until the eighth formation.

Judging from the order of appearance of people from different counties and surnames, the Qian Yuan Association's arrangement was relatively fair and did not discriminate based on any external factors.

As each distinct formation circled the arena and returned to the center, the atmosphere of the Qian Yuan Assembly quickly reached its climax.

After the entrance ceremony, the opening performance began.

This type of performance is a novelty in this era; few people have ever held such a grand performance outdoors.

Everyone who saw the performance felt that the trip was worthwhile.

What's even more interesting is that, in order to save costs, Yan Yi distributed some of the performance tasks to different counties and families. He didn't have high expectations, but the effect was surprisingly good, filling the venue with laughter and joy.

After the opening performance, there will be five days of various competitions.

Hunting, archery, poetry, music and dance, horse racing, and pitch-pot.
The area around each of the sub-venues where the competition was being held was packed with people, and cheers and shouts of encouragement rose and fell.

The judges, known as "Sizheng," were recording data from each competition according to standardized scoring criteria. This data, after being compiled by the Qiantang Official Bureau, would eventually form concise and objective "character biographies," which would be submitted to Yan Yi as the basis for his talent selection.

"Dong Xi, courtesy name Yuandai, was a native of Yuyao, Kuaiji. He had participated in six competitions: archery, hunting, dragon boat racing, horse racing, hand-to-hand combat, and halberd fighting, and had successfully advanced to the second round in all of them."

A newly delivered bamboo slip was slowly unfolded on the table in front of Yan Yi.

According to the rules of the Qian Yuan Society, each competition must go through at least six rounds before a final winner is determined.

Therefore, it is difficult to fully judge a person's talent by only looking at the data from the first or second round.

However, for Yan Yi, the name Dong Xi alone was enough.

"Where is Dong Xi living now?" He closed the bamboo slips and walked towards the camp near the meeting place.

A close attendant following behind him respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, Dong Xi arrived ten days ago and is still staying at the Seventh Village."

The Seventh Stronghold was one of the ten camps established by Yan Yi to solve the accommodation problem for the Qian Yuan Society. The people living here were usually of low status and were relatively poor.

Clearly, Dong Xi, one of the "Twelve Tiger Generals of Eastern Wu" in history, is currently experiencing a low point in his life.

Yan Yi was very satisfied with Dong Xi's current situation; the more down on his luck he was, the easier it was to recruit him.

He immediately ordered: "Select one of the houses I have prepared and give it to Dong Xi. The one in Wuliu Lane is quite good. Provide him with carriages, servants, and living necessities according to the standards of a military commander."

The attendant bowed, accepted the order, and withdrew.

Yan Yi sat down on the mat inside the tent, pouring himself a drink while flipping through the endless stream of biographical sketches that were being sent to him.

Soon, he discovered another familiar name.

"Lu Meng, courtesy name Ziming, was a native of Fupi, Runan, and currently resides in Ping'a, Jiujiang. Lu Meng's elder sister married Zheng Dang, who served as a Sima under Yuan Shu. Lu Meng participated in four competitions: archery, hunting, horse racing, and swordsmanship, and has successfully entered the second round."

Yan Yi's pupils contracted slightly; the appearance of the name Lü Meng was somewhat unexpected.

Since Sun Quan joined the army, he had been searching for Lü Meng's whereabouts.

According to his memories from his previous life, Lü Meng's brother-in-law, Zheng Dang, should have been a general under Sun Ce. However, after some investigation, he discovered that there was no such person under Sun Ce.

Clearly, as his influence on the world grew, many things gradually began to deviate subtly from his memories of his past life.

They thought that with so many people around, it would be difficult to find any clues about Lü Meng in a short time, but unexpectedly, he came to them on his own initiative.

Compared to Dong Xi, who had already come of age, Lü Meng, who was only fifteen, was still a blank slate. In terms of values, temperament, and talent, he deviated from the historical Lü Meng who "crossed the river in plain clothes."

This situation has both advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that it will be difficult to entrust Lü Meng with important responsibilities for several years. The advantage is that Lü Meng can be trained and shaped before he matures and becomes more established.

Lü Meng's military talent is beyond doubt. With proper guidance on his style of conduct, he will undoubtedly become a brilliant and outstanding general in the future.

"Bring this Lü Meng to my camp."

Yan Yi picked up the bamboo slips and handed them to Yin Li, who had just entered the tent.

Recruiting Lü Meng at this stage is quite easy. Lü Meng's current situation is worse than Dong Xi's. Dong Xi is at least a local hero with considerable prestige in his hometown, but his talents have not yet been put to use.

Lü Meng lived a life of poverty; his father had died early, and he was raised entirely by his mother, who wove and sold mats. His brother-in-law, Zheng Dang, was only a minor military officer and could not offer him much help. Lü Meng was now eager to change his situation.

Yan Yi had no doubt that as long as he slightly expressed his intention to recruit him, he could easily bring this controversial Marquis of Chanling of Eastern Wu, who had killed Guan Yu in history, under his command.

As he expected, when Lü Meng, led by Yin Li, nervously entered the commander's tent, his eyes widened instantly, almost as if he were dreaming.

He pinched his cheek, then knelt on the ground with a thud, his face full of disbelief: "My lord, are you really willing to take me under your command?"

Yan Yi helped him up, pulled him to sit beside him, and handed him a cup of wine that had just been warmed: "It's cold, warm yourself up first."

Lu Meng wiped the snot running down his nose with his sleeve, his face full of flattery and surprise. He carefully took the wine cup and sipped it slowly, as if he were savoring a precious elixir.

Looking at his disheveled appearance, Yan Yi couldn't believe that this seemingly lowly beggar was actually Lü Meng, the man who could kill Guan Yu. It truly proved the saying: "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence."

"Don't rush, drink slowly." He handed the whole jug of wine to Lü Meng, his tone full of temptation: "Ziming, I'll give you three choices. First, join the Tiger Warriors; second, join the Dragon Cavalry; third, join my personal guard. But no matter which branch you join, you can only start as an ordinary soldier."

"I will bring your mother to Qiantang, and give her a house, fertile land, and three million coins. I will also arrange for two maids to serve her attentively. As for your sister and brother-in-law, if they wish, they can also come to Qiantang to settle down. At that time, I will promote your brother-in-law to the position of Separate Division Commander. What do you think?"

Cough!

Lu Meng seemed to have heard something extremely shocking, and stood there stunned until he choked on his drink, which brought him back to his senses.

Two months ago, he went to great lengths to infiltrate Yuan Shu's army, intending to become a lowly soldier who could be cannon fodder at any moment. Who would have thought that in just a few dozen days, his life would undergo such a dramatic change?

“I am willing to stay by your side and serve you to the death! My mother will surely be willing to come too! My sister and brother-in-law should be willing as well.”

Happiness came too suddenly, catching Lü Meng off guard. After a moment of stunned silence, he knelt on the ground, choking back sobs.

All the past hardships and grievances seemed to be released with this cry.

“In that case, starting tomorrow, you will stay by my side and serve me.” Yan Yi took a piece of silk for writing from the table and handed it to him: “I will bring your mother here first. As for your sister and brother-in-law, do not tell them your plans yet. After your mother arrives in Qiantang, you can ask them about their attitude.”

Lu Meng took the silk cloth, wiped his face, nodded emphatically, and smiled through his tears.

"Still a child."

Yan Yi ruffled his hair and sighed softly. Compared to Liu Ye, Lü Meng, though both fifteen, seemed far too immature.

For the next few days, he stayed in a tent outside the city, devoting all his energy to recruiting talent.

The results are undoubtedly very encouraging.

In just five days, he not only recruited generals Dong Xi and Lü Meng, but also won the widespread recognition of the Jiangdong gentry.

Scholars and heroes flocked to serve the government, their numbers already exceeding two hundred. These individuals were quickly assigned to various counties and departments under the government's jurisdiction, effectively alleviating the shortage of officials in each county.

It can be said that the help that Qian Yuanhui provided to Yan Yi was extremely significant. Not only did it completely reverse his image in the eyes of the gentry and resolve his personnel difficulties, but it also allowed him to complete the pre-war preparations in an ideal state.

Now, everything is ready except for the east wind. This east wind is warm weather; once this cold winter is over, the sharp sword at his waist will be drawn and used to drink blood.

(End of this chapter)