The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 227 To show his sincerity, Liu Bei sent a large gift to Ma Chao and Zhong Yao (4th update)
Sun Zi's sincere words made Liu Bei appreciate him even more: "What a wonderful way to relieve the needy! Yanlong is benevolent and righteous, and his kindness extends to his hometown. His words are exactly what I think!"

He then turned to Zhang Fei and said, "Yide, quickly distribute the millet and cloth you brought to Yanlong's neighbors to show Yanlong's benevolence and righteousness; also inform the people that there are people at the four gates of Jiangyi who distribute money and goods. If there are any poor people, they can go and receive them to relieve their urgent needs."

Seeing that Liu Bei readily accepted good advice, and that he was not displeased at all for refusing the generous personal gift, but instead used all his wealth to help the poor and needy, and even sent the poor and needy to the four gates of Jiangyi to collect money, grain and goods, his actions were indeed as benevolent and righteous as rumored.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Sun Zi bowed deeply to the ground, his voice trembling slightly: "General, you are so kind! I am willing to give my life to repay your great kindness!"

This time, the gratitude and willingness to die for the cause contained in his words were even greater than before.

Subsequently.

Sun Zi then turned to Pang Tong, cupped his hands and asked, "Liang Dao just told me that General Pang wants to give me a fortune, and I also want to ask for a fortune to repay the Left General's kindness."

Pang Tong did not answer, but looked at Liu Bei with a questioning look in his eyes.

Liu Bei hurriedly said, "Yanlong has just joined my ranks, so he can take charge of some clerical work for now. There will be opportunities for Yanlong to make contributions in the future!"

Sun Zi gently shook his head and bowed again in gratitude: "General, you cherish my filial piety and righteousness, and you are worried that I might encounter danger and have no one to care for my widowed sister-in-law and nephew. Such kindness and righteousness are too great for me to fear. I believe that my wisdom and virtue are second to none, and I am capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility. As the ancients said, a scholar will die for one who understands him! If something were to happen to me, would General Zuo treat my widowed sister-in-law and nephew harshly?"

Seeing that Liu Bei was reluctant, Jia Kui also said, "If General only lets Yanlong handle some clerical matters, it will not allow Yanlong to fully display his talents, and it will also ruin Pang Fujun's grand plan. I am willing to vouch for Yanlong. If Yanlong ruins Pang Fujun's grand plan, I am willing to share the punishment with Yanlong."

"This," Liu Bei looked at Pang Tong again, sighed, and turned to Pang Tong, gesturing with his eyes.

Pang Tong then slowly spoke: "Ma Teng's son, Ma Chao, possesses the courage of Xin Bu and is well-liked by the Qiang and Hu people. He has come with Zhong Yao this time, and the Left General wishes to win his heart; however, this man has many Qiang customs and is unfamiliar with the etiquette of the Central Plains. He needs the assistance of a bold and capable strategist to transform this rough stone into a beautiful jade and ultimately serve the Left General. I wonder if Yanlong dares to take on this important task?"

Both Jia Kui and Sun Zi were startled by Pang Tong's words.

Someone like Ma Chao, who has many Qiang customs, might kill Sun Zi at the slightest disagreement. Now that Ma Chao has come with Zhong Yao, he will definitely clash with Liu Bei. In the ensuing battle, Sun Zi will need to be bold and strategic in order to save his life.

But this was not the most shocking thing for Jia Kui and Sun Zi. What shocked them the most was Liu Bei's desire to subdue Ma Chao!

It should be noted that Liu Bei himself is currently living under someone else's roof and does not have a formal base of operations.

Ma Chao was the son of Ma Teng, the most powerful warlord in Guanzhong, and also the son who could command Ma Teng's troops independently.

Why did Ma Chao submit to Liu Bei?

Do we have to beat Ma Chao into submission?

After a moment's thought, Sun Zi asked, "Does General Pang want me to act as an inside agent and secretly pass on intelligence?"

Pang Tong shook his head: "No. If you secretly pass on intelligence, you will surely be killed by Ma Chao; if you die at Ma Chao's hands, General Zuo will be unable to win Ma Chao's heart. Your purpose in going there is to sincerely plan for Ma Chao and gain his trust as much as possible. The only thing you need to be careful about is not to directly clash with General Zuo, lest you be accidentally injured by swords. Before you go, I will also tell you some undisclosed military intelligence and the achievements of General Zuo's civil and military officials, to help you gain Ma Chao's trust."

Sun Zi was also intelligent. After listening to Pang Tong's explanation, he grasped the general idea and said, "I understand General Pang's intention. Gaining Ma Chao's trust and devising strategies for him based on the circumstances is very challenging. I will accept this important task! I will certainly not let down General Zuo's trust!"

To minimize the risk of leaks, Sun Zi did not follow Liu Bei down the mountain, but instead sent Jia Kui to take his widowed sister-in-law and nephew to the city to look after them.

The people of Yeshan would not have any dealings with Ma Chao, but it's hard to say about the scholars, officials, and commoners outside Yeshan.

Upon returning to his camp, Liu Bei did not continue his march towards Pishi. Instead, he directly assigned a portion of his soldiers to cultivate land outside Jiangyi City and borrowed oxen from powerful local families in Jiangyi, seemingly indicating his intention to establish a long-term presence in the Fenhe Valley.

And on the other side.

Hu Chuquan caught up with Guo Yuan, who was heading north.

Seeing Hu Chuquan carrying a weapon, Guo Yuan's expression changed drastically: "Hu Chuquan, what do you intend to do?"

Hu Chuquan drew his sword and slowly approached: "Guo Congshi, I am truly sorry. I dare not disobey General Zuo's orders. If you do not die, I cannot live."

"Do you really think that killing me will save your life?" Guo Yuan shouted urgently, "Huchuquan, use your brain! If Liu Bei wanted to kill me, why didn't he do it himself and instead let me go?"

Hu Chuquan stopped in his tracks, a look of hesitation on his face.

Guo Yuan tensed up and shouted again, "Huchuquan, I am an official from Bingzhou and come from the powerful Guo family of Yingchuan. Liu Bei dared not kill me in the camp because he was afraid of arousing the suspicion of the Grand General, so he let me leave. Sending you to kill me is actually a scheme to use someone else to do his dirty work! If you kill me, Liu Bei can use the pretext of avenging me to send troops to Xihe County. Not only will you die, but everyone in the Xihe royal court will die!"

Hu Chuquan lowered his head in thought.

Guo Yuan spoke too hastily, leaving Hu Chuquan somewhat confused. He needed to carefully verify the information with Liu Bei.

a long time.

Hu Chuquan sheathed his sword and laughed loudly: "Officer Guo, it was all a misunderstanding. I have a past relationship with you, so why would I kill you because of General Zuo's orders? But if I let you go, General Zuo will not let me live either. You have to think of a foolproof plan. Besides, General Zuo may not only have sent me to kill you."

Guo Yuan frowned, especially at Hu Chuquan's last words, which made him even more alarmed. But no matter how much he thought about it, Guo Yuan couldn't come up with a foolproof plan to escape.

Seeing this, Hu Chuquan suddenly spoke up: "Guo Congshi, is Zhong Yao really your uncle? Why not seek Zhong Yao's protection for the time being?"

Guo Yuan's eyes lit up. Although he had despised Zhong Yao since childhood, this was the time to save his life. Dignity was not worth mentioning in the face of life!
"Hu Chuquan, you can protect me to Pishi County. After seeing my uncle, I will never forget your kindness." Guo Yuan stared at the ring-pommel sword in Hu Chuquan's hand, weighed it for a moment, and then gave up the idea of ​​fighting for it.

Hu Chuquan frowned and asked suspiciously, "Zhong Yao isn't in Pi County, so what are we going to do there?"

Guo Yuan sneered: "You are ignorant of military strategy. Pishi is a strategic location where military strategists vie for victory. I predict that my uncle will definitely reinforce Pishi and use the natural barrier of the Fen River to confront Liu Bei. Quickly escort me there, otherwise, when Liu Bei's pursuers arrive, neither of us will be able to escape!"

　Update 4 is here!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)