Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 182 Recovering from Injuries and Awaiting Battle
Wang Yue was indeed deceived.

Not long ago, Wang Yue had just returned to Youzhou from Luoyang.

He was very famous in Luoyang. More than ten years ago, when he was just twenty years old, he was selected as a Tiger Warrior because of his superb swordsmanship.

But for the next ten years or so, he was unable to advance any further and remained just a low-ranking officer...

Last year, Wang Yue used Shi Daoren's connections to be hired as Liu Bian's swordsmanship instructor.

He thought he would rise to prominence from then on, but he did not expect that Liu Bian's attitude towards military men was quite bad—it could even be described as extremely contemptuous.

This prince, who was about ten years old, did not like learning swordsmanship and basically equated warriors with barbarians.

Wang Yue, the swordsmanship teacher, became an outsider. He served as the prince's tutor for more than half a year, but he didn't get to exchange more than a few words with Liu Bian.

Liu Bian was closer to Wang Yun, the Imperial Censor, a cultured man who had entered the court through the highest examinations. Wang Yun came from a prominent family in Taiyuan and was a vanguard in the fight against the eunuchs.

Both surnamed Wang, Wang Yun was able to gain the trust of the prince, so Wang Yue naturally wanted to learn from him.

Wang Yun advised Liu Bian to stay close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men—the virtuous ministers Wang Yun referred to were naturally upright scholars, and the petty men were naturally eunuchs.

Liu Bian was thus taught to adopt the habits of the Qingliu faction.

Therefore, Wang Yue felt that he had to keep his distance from the eunuchs, otherwise his future might not be bright.

Not long after, the emperor ordered Jian Shuo to form a new army and transferred Wang Yue to serve as an instructor for the new recruits.

So Wang Yue quickly resigned to avoid becoming a eunuch's subordinate.

But unexpectedly, after he was no longer Tiger Warrior, he was immediately dismissed by Shi Daoren and laid off.

Wang Yue was very confused... He thought it was because he was not famous enough to be promoted, so he returned to Youzhou to seek refuge with his cousin Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng is Zhang Chun's retainer and is now quite wealthy.

Wang Yue was quite frustrated that a man with exceptional skills who had once served as a swordsmanship instructor for the princes in Luoyang could not even compare to a retainer of a local tycoon in the border region of Yuyang.

He wanted to make a name for himself...

If one wants to become an official, one must be recommended by an official or a famous scholar. Moreover, one cannot become an official solely by swordsmanship. The reputation of a swordsman is only useful in the eyes of wandering knights-errant, but it is useless in officialdom.

So Wang Zheng gave Wang Yue some advice, saying that there was a place in Youzhou called Xihe, where a treacherous villain named Liu Bei was entrenched, bringing disaster to the country and its people.

It is said that when this person served as an official in Jizhou, he bullied the prestigious Cui family, forcibly seized their money and grain, and even sent troops to protect Zhang Rang's son. He was definitely a member of the eunuch faction...

Moreover, Liu Bei colluded with rebels to raise bandits for his own benefit, and now he is enacting evil laws to amass wealth, accepting cattle and sheep to sell military ranks to slaves. His crimes are truly heinous.

Zhang Chun was once forced by Liu Bei to give up his family's mines, had tens of thousands of servants seized, and was even nearly killed...

Xihe remains outside the control of the imperial court to this day, resembling a state within a state, and is a den of thieves. Liu Bei, who colludes with officials and bandits and has connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, is a villain hated by all the scholars of Youzhou!
However, this person is also good at currying fame. Such a wicked person is regarded as a kind and righteous person by many ignorant people, so much so that it is difficult to report him!
Such a distorted and indiscriminate world is truly intolerable!

If this villain can be eliminated, he will surely become famous among scholars, and the Cui family of Anping will surely reward him. Cui Lie is currently serving as the Minister of Works. If he can be appointed as the Assistant Minister of Works, that will be the path to great success.

—Wang Zheng did not tell a single lie. This was the image of Liu Bei in the eyes of many powerful families, and it was not an exaggeration at all. It was also a fact that Cui Lie's son, Cui Zhouping, was coerced by Liu Bei.

Of course, most people in Youzhou didn't know that Liu Bei had done so many evil deeds... Only the enemy knows best.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yue realized that Liu Bei was clearly a wicked and treacherous traitor!
He immediately said he would go to Xihe to see if he could find evidence of the crime, so that Cui Lie could expose this scoundrel.

If it is difficult to find evidence of their crimes, then we should find an opportunity to eliminate traitors for the country!

So Wang Zheng found a group of 'righteous men' who had been miners, saying that these righteous men would cooperate to bring Wang Yue to Xihe and help Wang Yue escape.

Wang Yue was quite confident in his skills, and now with the cooperation of the 'righteous men,' he felt that even if he made a mistake, he could still escape in the chaos.

But who knew that after jumping into the river, you would get stuck in the mud...

As for the assassin who shot the hidden arrow, Wang Yue truly didn't know.

He didn't even know he was a pawn who had been tricked and abandoned. He thought this was both a way to uphold justice and a path to officialdom, and he didn't believe that his cousin Wang Zheng would deceive him.

But in reality, if he could kill Liu Bei, then a hidden arrow would be shot at him... If he could escape Xihe, then he would die silently.

If he were captured in Xihe, the swordsman Wang Yue's reputation would be used to attract attention.

After all, he was once the teacher of Shi Hou, and he assassinated Wang Yue in order to curry favor with Cui Lie. If Liu Bei had not already known Wang Yue's identity, he might have really thought that this was Cui Lie's way of taking revenge on him.

In fact, even now, Wang Yue still thinks Liu Bei is a traitor and a villain.

But if a traitorous official spares my life, then I can be a wise ruler.

If Your Excellency were to recommend me for an official position, then I could also be your benefactor… The criteria for judgment are actually quite flexible.

After listening to Wang Yue's account, Liu Bei had only one thought in his mind—can brain damage be contagious?

With a brain like that, he wants to be an official?

It seems that Wang Yue was able to develop such excellent swordsmanship because he was "free from distractions".

No matter how good one's swordsmanship is, it's useless. Even when hiring bodyguards for his family, Liu Bei didn't need those with good swordsmanship, but rather those who could use their bodies as shields to block swords and arrows at any time.

Of course, Liu Bei would not kill Wang Yue.

Wang Yue is useful right now, but all he needs to do is stay alive—to serve as evidence of an assassination plot and to implicate the person Liu Bei wants him to implicate.

……

A few days later, news spread that Liu Bei had been assassinated by Wang Yue and was seriously injured.

Jian Yong, Zhang Fei, and others began a large-scale manhunt in Zhuojun and Guangyang counties, targeting the "assassin's accomplices."

Liu Bei did not directly reveal who the mastermind was...

After all, the assassination of a general holding imperial authority is no small matter, and anyone suspected should be arrested first.

Upon learning the news, Wen Shu rushed to the Xihe Medical Clinic. After leaving the clinic, he immediately ordered the entire Zhuojun County to cooperate in arresting the suspect.

For a moment, most officials in Youzhou felt a chill run down their spines.

Especially those who had a grudge against Liu Bei...

In just a few days, hundreds of people were arrested, most of whom were followers of Yuan Wei and Zhang Chun, including some low-ranking officials.

Anyway, it was all "Wang Yue's testimony," heaven knows why so many people were involved in this assassination attempt...

Meanwhile, most of the lawbreakers who had previously engaged in pyramid schemes and obtained military ranks but were not very law-abiding were also arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of involvement.

Xianyu Fu and the other two commanders of the Hu cavalry led their troops to Youbeiping, claiming that dozens of the assassins were under the command of Gong Qichou, and "invited" Gong Qichou to go to Xihe to defend himself.

Liu Zheng, the prefect of Youbeiping, did not dare to stop him, and even pretended not to know Gong Qichou.

Gong Qichou certainly felt wronged. Of course, he would not admit that he was involved in the matter, but he did not dare to go to Xihe to "defend himself". Instead, he fled to Guangping Mine.

This man was incredibly agile; even three thousand men couldn't stop him.

But this escape naturally confirmed the suspicion.

The three Hu cavalry commanders did not pursue the mine. Xu Rong stationed his troops at Tuyin, Xianyu Fu stationed his troops at Wuzhong, and Wang Men stationed his troops at Lulong Pass, thus controlling the important passes between Youbeiping and Liaoxi.

Incidentally, they also expanded their pyramid scheme business to western Liaoning and settled Hu people in Youbeiping.

Xu Rong and Liu Zheng discussed a business deal. Liu Zheng, in his capacity as prefect, provided land so that the person who brought back cattle and horses could settle in Youbeiping. Half of the cattle and sheep obtained would be given to Liu Zheng.

But if Liu Zheng doesn't cooperate, then Liu Zheng would be considered an accomplice in the assassination attempt...

Liu Zheng naturally had to agree.

The most problematic groups will be placed in Youbeiping, making Zhuojun and Guangyang less likely to cause trouble.

The Youbeiping area is sparsely populated and has always been inhabited by both Han and non-Han peoples, making it more suitable for settling runaway slaves from the non-Han peoples.

Meanwhile, the bandits in Xihe and Taihang also began to investigate spies.

Zuo Zi ordered each tribe to make recommendations; those without recommendations, or unfamiliar faces, were all arrested and forced into hard labor. Thousands fled the Taihang Mountains; some were certainly wrongly accused, but there were undoubtedly many with ulterior motives as well.

Zuo Yuan also carried out a large-scale rectification in Xihe.

There were indeed no spies within Xihe, since even Bian Ji recognized the faces of the newcomers, and the same was true for the other residents.

It's just that there wasn't strict control before, and the people in the Taihang Mountains were too lax. If the people in the Taihang Mountains were bribed, it would indeed be difficult to detect.

Wang Yue was able to enter Xihe because he was brought in by the assassin from the Taihang Mountains.

To prevent this from happening, Zuo Yuan required that everyone entering or leaving Xihe must have a special pass for Xihe. The pass for Xihe required the signatures of both the residents of Xihe and Liu Bei's army. Those without a pass would not be allowed to enter or leave.

Meanwhile, sentries and patrols were set up at key points in all directions, and any suspicious individuals would be questioned at any time.

Outsiders who wish to enter Xihe for business or to visit relatives must first obtain a temporary pass from Zhangba. Anyone found entering or leaving Xihe without a pass will be considered a spy.

Xihe Medical Clinic remains open to everyone, but entry requires registration with your household registration and real name, and verification of your identity before you can enter.

Everyone is treated equally, whether they are officials or ordinary citizens. Everyone has to register and queue up for security checks, which solves the order problem at the same time.

Zou Jing also left Youzhou for Luoyang at this time.

Zou Jing went to file a complaint, while Wang Yue was taken to Luoyang as a witness.

Of course, there was a reason for filing this complaint. Liu Bei wisely gave the emperor an opportunity—whoever Liu Hong wanted to kill could be the mastermind behind the assassination of Liu Bei.

This is also Wang Yue's only chance to survive; only the emperor can pardon his heinous crime.

Of course, this matter should not be dragged into too much. If one insists on using this to implicate Yuan Wei, it will certainly not be effective and may even be counterproductive.

But Liu Hong is a smart man, and he can still grasp this sense of proportion.

……

Meanwhile, in Yuyang.

"How could you send Wang Yue to assassinate Liu Bei?! Do you think Liu Bei is so easy to kill?! Sending assassins is one thing... but you actually sent Wang Yue?! This is like holding a weapon upside down and handing it over to someone else! Are you blinded by hatred?!"

Zhang Ju was currently furiously cursing Zhang Chun.

"If we don't kill Liu Bei, how can we get out of this predicament?"

Zhang Chun argued, "The assassins were bandits from Taihang, the attackers of Xihe were mining slaves from Gong Qichou's household, and Wang Yue was a guard of Marquis Shi... These people have nothing to do with us!"

"Foolish! Do you think you can just say this matter is unrelated? If Liu Bei were dead, that would be one thing... but he's not dead! Regardless of whether the assassins are unrelated to us, they will all become weapons in Liu Bei's hands!"

Zhang Ju was even angrier: "You've given Liu Bei such leverage; he can now use the assassination attempt to blackmail everyone!"

"Liu Bei is determined to oppose us, and now he has used a treacherous scheme to lure the slaves to his side. If we don't act now, with the balance of power shifting, won't we just be waiting to die?! Once we've exhausted all our resources, how will we control him?!"

Zhang Chun seemed to have gone somewhat mad: "Brother, we can't just sit here and wait to die... Didn't you say that we should get Gong Qichou and Liu Zheng to offer up the mines to lure Liu Bei into a false sense of security? Before, the two of them were unwilling to give up their wealth, but now Gong Qichou is considered to be plotting to assassinate Liu Bei, and he must cooperate with me!"

"Let Gong Qichou use the mines as bait to drive out the mine slaves' rebellion, and lure Xianyu Fu and others to Guangping, so that Guangyang will be left unguarded..."

“My cousin can lead the Xianbei into Guangyang. The Xianbei have also suffered from Liu Bei’s treacherous schemes and lost many slaves and livestock. They will surely respond.”

"If the Xianbei invade, Qiuliju will be attacked from both sides by the Xianbei, and he will have no choice but to cooperate with me!"

"Now that Liu Bei is seriously injured and his troops have split into several routes to search for Youzhou, and are also fighting against the Xianbei, Xihe must be vulnerable... If I take this opportunity to lead my army to attack Xihe, I will surely succeed in one fell swoop!"

"As long as Liu Bei is killed, no one in Youzhou will be able to control the Xianbei, and everyone will have to rely on us! All the previous losses will be returned to our sect! This is the way to victory!"

At this point, Zhang Chun stared at Zhang Ju with bloodshot eyes: "Brother, I am not a reckless person. My assassination attempt on Liu Bei was precisely to force everyone to make this decision!"

Zhang Ju frowned deeply, remained silent for a long time, then squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth with his eyes closed: "...Was it to force me to make this decision?"

Zhang Chun did not answer, but stood up, took the brocade robe from the table and draped it over Zhang Ju: "Brother, you are the Son of Heaven, how can the Emperor hesitate when he should make a decision?"

The brocade robe was dark crimson and embroidered with the twelve symbols.

On the table was a crown, with twelve white jade tassels on the front and back.

"Since you have made up your mind... then first send a message to Minister Cui, asking him to accuse Liu Bei of many illegal acts... It is a fact that Liu Bei colluded with the Yellow Turbans and the Taihang bandits, so the one who colluded with the Xianbei to invade must also be Liu Bei!"

Zhang Ju looked at his younger brother and sighed, "We must have a righteous cause! We are not rebelling against the Han, but rather acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the wicked!"

……

Xihe Medical Clinic.

Liu Bei has been spending the last few days with Bian Ji.

Having been informed of his serious injuries, he naturally cannot leave his home.

These days, there's really no entertainment if you don't go out, so you can only make the most of your time to focus on production.

After all, it was just a puncture wound in the arm, which wouldn't affect production activities... Although it's easy to cause pain at the wound site if you're not careful, it's a bittersweet experience.

During this period, Liu Bei had been traveling around and hadn't had a moment's rest. Now that he finally had a sick leave, he naturally wanted to try out some new things.

Moreover, their ward was heavily guarded. Although the guards wouldn't come in, the two didn't want anyone else to hear them... In addition, Xiu Niang would come to check on them from time to time to change their dressings, which gave them a certain thrill of sneaking around.

Especially since Zuo Yuan would frequently come to report military intelligence, it felt even more like a theft...

"My lord, Commander Zou has sent an urgent message via military courier!"

Before dawn, Zuo Yuan dragged her husband out of bed with intelligence: "Minister Cui Lie has accused you of harboring bandits to enhance your own power, harming (castrating) famous scholars, selling military ranks, and plundering the gentry... a total of ten crimes, each punishable by death..."

"Do I really have so many crimes against me?"

Liu Bei yawned as he dressed, "It seems there really is..."

"My lord, you still have the mind to joke?"

Zuo Yuan said with a serious expression, "Cui Lie is now the Minister of Works, and the young master might lose his position."

Liu Bei scoffed: "If Cui Lie were to accuse me while serving as the Minister of Justice, I might very well lose my position. But he doesn't want to offend people by being the Minister of Justice, so he insists on buying the position of Minister of Works... That would mean he loses real power, and he can't bring anyone down with just words."

"But wouldn't that ruin your reputation, sir?"

Bian Ji put on her robe to cover her slightly exposed body and leaned out from behind.

“Cui Lie was bought from the emperor’s wet nurse, and after Yuan Kui left office, he was bought at a low price of five million coins per quarter. Liu Yu was the one who collected the money for the emperor… Now, in the eyes of the upright officials, Cui Lie is a eunuch. The fact that he has accused me of so many crimes will only make the upright officials think that the eunuch is persecuting me, and I will actually gain a good reputation.”

Liu Bei wasn't worried at all: "The Emperor wouldn't investigate me at this time. At most, he'd send a eunuch to use it as leverage against me... The Emperor is the one who least wants me to lose my position right now. If I lose my position, the Emperor will lose three thousand cavalrymen... Maybe I'll even get promoted. Any other news?"

“A messenger from the royal gate reported that Xianbei people were gathering in the northern part of Lulong Pass… Gong Qichou met with Xianyu Fu once and said that the miners were rioting and that he wanted to give the mines to Xianyu Fu, but Xianyu Fu refused.”

Zuo Yuan nodded and said, "Besides that, many people have come to inquire about the young master's injuries, but I have always dismissed them by saying that the injuries are too severe for him to attend to his duties."

As he spoke, he glanced at Bian Ji behind Liu Bei.

Liu Bei nodded and said, "The Xianbei are gathering in the summer. It seems that someone wants to lure the Xianbei into the pass. Go and summon Zuo Zi, and let the people of Taihang Mountain come to Xihe to protect their own food."

"Is my lord still going to be seriously injured?"

Zuo Yuan pursed her lips and advised, "Now that various tribes are recruiting, it's best if you don't stay injured for too long, otherwise some tribesmen who don't know the truth will inevitably be lured away."

"If they are lured away without confirmation of my death, then such a group is better off not being used."

Liu Bei shook his head: "I can only 'recover' when Zhang Chun leads his troops here."

"But there's been no movement from Yuyang. If Zhang Chun doesn't come, does that mean my lord will never show his face?"

Zuo Yuan glanced at Bian Ji again, the meaning of which was quite clear.

"The Xianbei are all gathering. If Zhang Chunruo doesn't come, how will he explain it to them? Is he going to hand over Yuyang to the Xianbei?"

Liu Bei pretended not to see Zuo Yuan's look, but he also carried Zuo Yuan to the bed...

(End of this chapter)