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

Chapter 240 I hate them
Liu Bei nodded and looked at Guan Hai: "Is your son in the hands of the Kong family?"

Guan Hai nodded: "This is the usual practice... I have no grudge against you, my lord, but I have to bring my troops here. If you want to take my life, I will have no complaints. I only hope that you will spare my family and brothers, who are just following orders."

"You didn't become a retainer of the Kong family, did you?"

Liu Bei asked a question, then shook his head self-deprecatingly: "Ha, how could the Kong family dare to make you a retainer... They wouldn't even dare to legitimize the Guan family's school of thought."

Guan Hai did not serve as anyone's retainer; he only had a deal with Kong Zan.

Kong Zan needed to rely on Guan Hai's military strength, while Guan Hai wanted to rely on Kong Zan to legitimize the school of thought passed down through his family.

Indeed, only a direct descendant of Confucianism like the Confucius family could legitimize the Guanzi school of thought—and even if the Confucius family wanted to do so, it would be extremely difficult.

However, even now, Kong Zan has not actually done this, nor has he recommended anyone from Guan Hai's clan for official positions.

This was inevitable, as Kong Zan was not some great hero who served the country and its people. He dared not become the leader of heretics, nor did he dare to take pirates as his retainers.

Kong Zan was essentially getting the Guan family's troops for free.

Guan Hai looked bitter: "How could I not know... but our sect has been wholeheartedly devoted to restoring the orthodox teachings of our sect for hundreds of years. As long as there is any hope, our sect cannot give up."

"It's better to rely on yourself than on others... If your Guan family can use your family's learning to benefit the people, enrich the nation, and earn the praise of all, how could the world dare not recognize the teachings of Guanzi?"

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "Confucius gathered three thousand disciples to pass on his teachings and became the master of the world. But your Guan family gathered the wealth of three thousand pirates. How can you gain the world's approval? Your ancestor, Guan Xiang, enriched the people and made Qi prosperous and even dominated the world. When did he ever do anything like a pirate?"

Guan Hai lowered his head and remained silent, his face showing shame.

“It’s alright… I’ve been a thief too, and I understand your difficulties… But being a wicked thief only leads to the extermination of one’s clan. Even if you’re going to be a thief, you should be a righteous one.”

Liu Bei waved his hand, signaling Taishi Ci to untie Guan Hai's ropes: "Your son has been kidnapped, I can help you rescue him. Qingzhou is in dire need of reconstruction, and there are plenty of opportunities for your clan to serve."

"But that depends on how the descendants of the Guan family act. If you don't let the world see that the Guan family is virtuous, how can you restore the name of your ancestors?"

Guan Hai bowed his head and knelt down: "I am but a mediocre man, only knowing how to be fierce, but I have never devoted myself to learning, nor have I ever pondered the meaning of the Way... Your Excellency's words of advice have earned me my deepest gratitude. However... I have only one son. Now that Your Excellency has released me, I wonder what you will offer as a hostage?"

"Using hostages as leverage is not my way. Guan Hai, I will teach you how to put Guanzi's teachings into practice—there are many people in your clan who are proficient in maritime affairs, naval warfare, and shipbuilding. Why not first establish a maritime academy to teach naval matters? I will appoint maritime students as officials, and even form the North Sea Fleet..."

Liu Bei smiled and said, "Teaching by division of labor and learning by practical experience was originally advocated by Guan Zhong. If you know about maritime affairs, you can be a maritime professor; if others know about agriculture, they can be agricultural professors... When all schools of thought flourish, Guan Zhong's teachings will naturally become the most prominent in the world, and your Guan family will surely become my disciples... Tell me, why would I need hostages?"

Guan Hai knelt down and kowtowed deeply: "I have heard of the Way... but this Way will surely be hated by scholars throughout the world, Your Majesty..."

"There are scholars among the hundred schools of thought. Truly learned and talented scholars know that the rise of Confucianism alone is not a good thing. As long as it helps to enrich the people and strengthen the country, it is a good school of thought. Even if there are errors in various schools of thought, we should discard the dross and retain the essence, taking what is useful."

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "As for those fools who only know how to study the classics but don't know how to apply them to practical use... it's not that they hate me, but that I hate them."

……

Because Taishi Ci was more familiar with the situation in Donglai, Liu Bei left Taishi Ci in Donglai as a military commander and transferred Jian Yong to Donglai to take charge of the administration.

Zu Mao fought bravely and was promoted to Marquis of the Imperial Guard for his meritorious service.

Guan Hai did not hold an official position, but he did build a maritime academy in Penglai with Guan Shen, and he served as its headmaster.

The academy's address was the transfer point where Zhao Yun had set up an ambush.

Some of the pirates under Guan Hai's command were incorporated into the Donglai County army.

In reality, most of the pirates were not Guan Hai's men, but rather Guan Shen's. Guan Shen was the true pirate leader. Guan Hai was more like Mi Fang, a leader who commanded his family's retainers and private soldiers, only with more responsibilities.

As for Guan Hai's youngest son, Liu Bei sent a letter to the Kong family of Lu State, using a very impolite tone, directly calling Kong Zan a thief and demanding that the Kong family send him back.

Moreover, the person Liu Bei sent to deliver this letter was Sun Qian, a student of Zheng Xuan.

He also sent a letter to Guan Ning, a renowned scholar from Beihai, stating that although Guan Hai's son was not of the same clan as you, they were of the same lineage. Now that the Kong family had abducted your Guan family members, he asked Guan Ning if he would take action in this matter.

No matter what Guan Ning does, this matter will become known to many famous figures.

If the Kong family returns the child, it will confirm their robbery and kidnapping of a young child.

If the Kong family doesn't give them face, that would be even better. Liu Bei could then incite Zheng Xuan and even a bunch of famous scholars from Qingzhou to cause trouble for the Kong family. If these famous scholars refuse to help, then they are not worthy of being called famous scholars. Benevolence and morality can elevate people, but they can also shatter them.

Although Zheng Xuan and others did not intend to work for Liu Bei, a junior, Liu Bei had plenty of ways to get people to do things.

After settling matters in Donglai, Liu Bei returned to Pingyuan.

The capital of the state was Linzi in the State of Qi, but the main base was in Pingyuan, and the hundreds of thousands of people resettled there were also in the surrounding area. Liu Bei naturally had to govern in Pingyuan.

When we returned to the plains, it was spring planting season again.

Liu Bei planned to cultivate the land in the plains, stockpile grain and fodder, and appointed Zhuge Xuan and Guo Yuan to be in charge of the land reclamation affairs.

It was at this time that Xianyu Fu and Tian Yu wrote to Liu Bei, asking whether he should hand over Lulong Pass and the copper mine to Liu Yu.

Liu Yu had already taken over the affairs of Youzhou. He actually knew that Liu Bei was mining and minting coins privately, but he didn't say anything. He just issued a letter of appointment to Xianyu Fu, appointing him as the Agricultural Commandant to cultivate land in Guangyang and other places.

Tian Yu, the actual person in charge, was overlooked by Liu Yu because he was too young...

Xianyu Fu asked Liu Bei if he would allow him to be appointed as the Agricultural Commandant.

Liu Bei agreed—if Xianyu Fu didn't want the position, he wouldn't have asked; Xianyu Fu clearly wanted to stay in his hometown.

Liu Bei also instructed Tian Yu to hand over the copper mine and smelting plant to Liu Yu, and to simply transport the existing copper ingots and the already minted coins to Pingyuan.

Tian Yu then led the brothers who had originally stayed in Xiyang County to transport copper south.

Liu Yu got a great deal, but it's much better to leave Youzhou, this important rear area, to Liu Yu than to someone else. It's better to have Liu Yu be more capable, so that there won't be any trouble in the rear.

Meanwhile, Wang Zheng, who had originally belonged to Heishan, found his old employer Zhang Chun in the border region.

Wang Zheng took Zhang Chun's head, but did not take the 100 million reward—he could have gotten the money directly from Tian Yu, but it was all cash.

Wang Zheng presented Zhang Chun's head to Liu Yu, who then submitted a memorial to the court requesting that Wang Zheng be granted the title of Marquis.

Wang Zheng went to Luoyang to serve as an advisor, and from then on he was completely exonerated and freed from his identity as a traitor.

Zhang Ju is also dead, supposedly killed by Zhang Chun.

As for why the brothers killed each other, Wang Zheng didn't know either. That's what Zhang Chun's attendants all said, but no one knew the real reason.

(End of this chapter)