Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 232 Sincerity is the Ultimate Weapon: Liu Bei Transforms the Assassin (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Zhao Yun did not suspect anything about Zhang Kai's arrival.

This was because Zhang Kai's Yellow Turban Rebellion was not the only one that had joined forces with them along the way.

Unlike Qin Song, the Prime Minister who was unaware of the situation, Zhang Kai learned in advance that Liu Bei was hiding in Zhao Yun's army in disguise.

The reason why Que Xuan sent Zhang Kai to assassinate Liu Bei was because Zhang Kai was extremely good at reading people's expressions and moods.

During his observation over the next few days, Zhang Kai also noticed that the guards around Zhao Yun were quite unusual.

This was because Zhao Yun treated Liu Bei with great respect during their conversation, and the Lingyan Army soldiers around him also showed Liu Bei respect.

If that's all there is to it, Zhang Kai can be certain that this guard is Liu Bei.

However, to Zhang Kai's surprise, this guard often chatted idly with the soldiers, showing no trace of imperial majesty.

In Zhang Kai's mind, even if Liu Bei wanted to hide in the army, he would not be so close to a group of soldiers as if they were best friends.

The emperor is the Son of Heaven, who bears the Mandate of Heaven. How could the Son of Heaven mingle among the commoners?
Filled with deep doubt, Zhang Kai found an opportunity to approach Liu Bei and tentatively started a casual conversation: "Judging from your accent, you must be from the Yan and Zhao region? What's your name?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei said, "I am from Youzhou, my surname is Jian and my given name is Zhao. Brother Zhang, where are you from? Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be from Xuzhou."

Upon hearing Liu Bei claim to be from Youzhou, Zhang Kai became even more cautious and sighed, "I am from Danyang. I lost my livelihood in Danyang, so I followed Tao Qian to Xuzhou. Later, Tao Qian was defeated by His Majesty, and I rented some land in Xiapi to make a living. However, I never expected to be bullied by powerful local tyrants and had no choice but to become a Yellow Turban."

Liu Bei chuckled and reassured him: "I have often heard the Grand Master of Ceremonies say that being born into a humble family is not a disgrace. A true man is one who can bend and stretch. Brother Zhang was bullied and joined the Yellow Turbans, which was not a big mistake. Now that you have realized your mistake, it is a good thing that you can live a peaceful and prosperous life in the future."

Zhang Kai sighed again: "Although I want to live a peaceful and prosperous life, there are too many powerful families in Xuzhou, and the future is unpredictable. I originally wanted to return to Danyang, but I heard from my fellow villagers that Yuan Shu is levying exorbitant taxes in Yangzhou, so it would be difficult to make a living if I went back."

"I heard that His Majesty has established military farms in Luoyang, so I thought about whether I should go to Luoyang to become a farmer. Under the emperor's nose, I will surely no longer be bullied by powerful clans."

The two chatted back and forth, talking about Xuzhou, Liu Bei, and the new policies.

The more they talked, the more Zhang Kai felt that Liu Bei's knowledge was as vast as the ocean.

How could a bodyguard have such broad knowledge?

Subconsciously, Zhang Kai confirmed Liu Bei's identity.

To avoid mistaking him for someone else, Zhang Kai sought out Liu Bei for several days in a row to chat, and Liu Bei was equally patient, as if they had known each other for a long time, chatting about all sorts of things.

Zhang Kai, through the reactions of the crowd, confirmed Liu Bei's identity once again.

However, after confirming Liu Bei's identity, Zhang Kai hesitated again.

It seems absurd that an emperor, after concealing his identity, could chat for several days with a former Yellow Turban rebel leader who had turned to the light.

Thinking deeper, what merit or ability did Zhang Kai possess to warrant the current emperor chatting with him for several days and being addressed as "Brother Zhang"?

Liu Bei's current prestige and reputation are far greater than those of Liu Hong and Liu Xie.

If Liu Hong and Liu Xie were to chat incognito, Zhang Kai, even if he were pretending, would still feel disgusted.

What's there to talk about with an emperor who sells official positions and a child emperor?

But Liu Bei was different.

What Liu Bei talked about was not gossip from high society, but rather things closely related to the daily lives of ordinary people.

For example, to solve the problems of flooding and farmland irrigation in the Danyang area, artificial lakes can be built by taking advantage of the terrain of Danyang, which is surrounded by mountains and low-lying areas.

When Zhang Kai inquired about the corvée labor for water conservancy construction, Liu Bei directly replied, "If we don't pay for water conservancy construction, aren't we treating people like cattle and horses? Your Majesty's prohibition of slavery is precisely to treat people as human beings, not as cattle and horses." He also mentioned that in Guanzhong, "those who participate in the construction of water conservancy projects in the prefectures and counties can receive a thousand coins per month."

Zhang Kai was so shocked that he could hardly believe it.

If you could earn a thousand coins a month by participating in water conservancy construction, who would still want to be a Yellow Turban!
During the few days he spent talking with Liu Bei, Zhang Kai gained a more concrete and deeper understanding of Liu Bei's new policies, and became more hesitant about assassinating Liu Bei.

On the one hand, Zhang Kai recognized the benefits of the new policies for ordinary people like him.

On one hand, the emperor personally explained the new policies in detail to a commoner he had just met.

In every aspect, Zhang Kai felt conflicted, as if he were guilty about assassinating Liu Bei.

Seeing that Zhang Kai was distracted, Liu Bei brought him some wine and said, "Brother Zhang, is something on your mind today? If you ask me, life is all about eating and drinking. Once you've taken care of those two things, what else is there to worry about? This is some of my treasured wine. Brother Zhang, would you like to drink with me?"

Looking at the wine bag Liu Bei handed over, Zhang Kai's feelings became even more complicated.

I'm here to be an assassin!

Why can't I bring myself to do it?

Given the distance between Zhang Kai and Liu Bei, Zhang Kai was confident he could put a knife to Liu Bei's neck.

Of course, this is just Zhang Kai's opinion.

Torn between conflicting emotions, Zhang Kai sullenly accepted the wine flask and drank it, then lied and left, claiming he couldn't hold his liquor.

It was dusk.

Zhang Kai packed up his valuables and prepared to leave the city.

After several days of internal struggle, Zhang Kai finally decided to run away.

However, Zhang Kai, who had just left the city, encountered Liu Bei again.

Seeing Zhang Kai carrying his luggage, Liu Bei couldn't help but laugh and said, "Brother Zhang, are you leaving already? Didn't we agree to go to Luoyang to cultivate land? I'm quite familiar with the military commander in Luoyang who oversees land cultivation."

Zhang Kai glanced warily to his left and right, then at the few riders behind Liu Bei, and said with a forced smile, "I am preoccupied with many things today, and I am homesick. I apologize for leaving without saying goodbye, Brother Jian."

"Everyone has a longing for home, so why would I laugh at you?" Liu Bei laughed and called for someone to bring over a horse, which he gave to Zhang Kai: "This place is quite far from Danyang, so Brother Zhang can ride a horse to get around."

Zhang Kai was greatly surprised and hurriedly refused, saying, "Brother Jian, I appreciate your kindness. This horse is far too valuable; please forgive me for not being able to accept it."

"We've only known each other for a short time, and this is all I've given you—a mere horse. I won't take back what I've given you. You can't refuse." Under Liu Bei's insistence, Zhang Kai had no choice but to accept.

He then forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, bowed to Liu Bei, and rode away.

"Your Majesty, are you really going to let this person leave?" Chen Dao's gaze was cold.

In the past few days, Chen Dao had been keeping a close eye on Zhang Kai, whose ulterior motives were too obvious.

Liu Bei shook his head: "Although you came with ulterior motives, you are leaving quietly now because you feel ashamed to face me. Since you have a repentant heart, why should I force you to stay?"

After talking with Zhang Kai for several days, Liu Bei had already sensed something was wrong from Zhang Kai's tone of voice, but he hadn't exposed it. Now, seeing that Zhang Kai was restless, he guessed that Zhang Kai intended to leave, so he waited for him here.

Survival is difficult in chaotic times.

As long as they are not extremely wicked or have not instigated rebellion or caused serious consequences, Liu Bei would not mind giving them a chance to repent and start anew.

In chaotic times, it is too much to ask everyone to abide by the law and not make mistakes.

Liu Bei did not return to the city immediately, but waited quietly in place.

Sure enough. Not long after, Zhang Kai rode back.

He then knelt and bowed, saying, "This sinner, Zhang Kai, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Looking at Zhang Kai, who had changed his form of address, Liu Bei still smiled gently: "You have abandoned darkness and embraced the light, so why do you need to call yourself a sinner? Since you left, why have you returned?"

Zhang Kai gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty is a benevolent ruler, yet this criminal has attempted to assassinate me. I have come here to face death!"

To Liu Bei's right, Sun Ce's expression changed. He spurred his horse forward, his spear pointing directly at Zhang Kai.

But Zhang Kai remained motionless, letting Sun Ce's spear pierce his neck.

The spear hovered in front of Zhang Kai's neck. Sun Ce withdrew the spear and said, "You have quite the courage."

Seeing Sun Ce retract his spear, Zhang Kai looked at Sun Ce in surprise and asked, "Why didn't you kill me?"

“If you had dodged just now, I would have killed you,” Sun Ce said without hesitation, then turned to Liu Bei: “Master, what should we do with this man?”

Instead of answering, Liu Bei asked, "Bo Fu, what do you think should be done?"

Sun Ce thought for a moment and said, "We can first ask him who instructed him, and then judge according to the law based on the extent of his merit in redeeming himself."

Zhang Kai hesitated, then remained silent.

Liu Bei rejected Sun Ce's suggestion, saying, "Zhang Kai was entrusted to assassinate me. Now that he has abandoned the assassination, he has already violated his integrity. If we let Zhang Kai betray his employer, wouldn't that make him a coward who is greedy for life and forgets righteousness for profit?"

"There are only a few people in Xuzhou who dare to assassinate me. The ones Zhang Kai saw were just pawns of others."

Then Liu Bei rode up to Zhang Kai and said, "I am glad that you are willing to return to face death. If you want to go to Luoyang to cultivate land, my promise will not change. As for other matters, you don't need to run errands for me."

“The common people of Xuzhou live a hard life, and the powerful and wealthy families can’t see the struggles of the common people at the bottom. I’m determined to eliminate these people. You can go back and tell your employer not to become a scapegoat just because of a few nice words from others.”

Zhang Kai was even more moved. He bowed again with his hands clasped, and then rode away once more.

After seeing Zhang Kai off, Liu Bei did not stay in Xiaxiang City any longer.

Having been here for so long, it's time to go to Xiapi.

Zhang Kai then returned to see Que Xuan.

Upon seeing Zhang Kai, Que Xuan was overjoyed and asked, "Did you successfully assassinate Liu Bei?"

Zhang Kai glanced around and, seeing Xiang Kai there, asked, "Mr. Xiang, do you know how to predict good and bad fortune?"

Without hesitation, Xiang Kai stroked his beard and smiled, "Of course I can measure it."

Just then, Zhang Kai suddenly lunged forward and plunged his knife into Xiang Kai. Under Xiang Kai's astonished gaze, he slowly said, "It seems that Mr. Xiang's astronomical and yin-yang arts are not so good after all. You couldn't even foresee that you would die today?"

Que Xuan stared blankly at Zhang Kai, then took several steps back and shouted, "Zhang Kai, what are you doing? Why did you kill Master Xiang?"

Zhang Kai sneered, "Such scoundrels who spread rumors deserve to die. Brother Que, they are just using you, trying to make you a scapegoat. The idea that assassinating His Majesty will grant you the Mandate of Heaven is nothing but empty talk."

Que Xuan was stunned for a moment, then looked at Xiang Kai, who was dead beyond any doubt, and couldn't help but feel confused: Xiang Kai couldn't have foreseen that he would die today, so was what he said about destiny really true?
Que Xuan was so convinced that he was destined for greatness because of the deception of Xiang Kai, a famous sorcerer.

Now that the big liar is dead, Que Xuan has lost confidence in being blessed by fate.

a long time.

Thinking that he had almost been tricked to death by Xiang Kai, Que Xuan was filled with anger again and kicked Xiang Kai's corpse several times.

Seeing that Que Xuan had come to his senses, Zhang Kai told him what he had seen and heard in the past few days, and then said, "Brother Que, His Majesty is invincible. Although you have several thousand men, you are no match for His Majesty's elite cavalry."

"Take my advice and surrender to His Majesty honestly, and you may still be able to save your life. If someone else makes a false accusation first, you will become the scapegoat."

Que Xuan hesitated and said, "But if I surrender, I will have to disband my troops and retainers."

Being a powerful figure with thousands of followers is far better than being an ordinary commoner.

Que Xuan was reluctant to give up the power he held.

“Xiang Kai is already dead. What can we do if we don’t surrender? Do you think the Chen brothers and the Mi brothers will continue to help Brother Que?” Zhang Kai sneered.

Killing Xiang Kai was the best way Zhang Kai could help Liu Bei, in his opinion.

Such renowned sorcerers are incredibly persuasive.

Zhang Kai was initially afraid of Xiang Kai, but later, during a casual conversation with Liu Bei, he learned that Xiang Kai had once instigated Wang Fen to depose the emperor in Hebei, but Liu Bei saw through Xiang Kai's lies and demystified Xiang Kai's identity as a sorcerer who always claimed to be ordained by Heaven.

Just now, Zhang Kai was still thinking that he might as well die together with Xiang Kai, but he didn't expect that Xiang Kai would be killed so easily, which made Zhang Kai even more convinced that Xiang Kai was just a charlatan.

Just like buying an official position, the reputation is bought with money, but there is no real ability involved.

However, Xiang Kai was, after all, a sorcerer sent by the Chen family. Now that he has been killed by Zhang Kai and Zhang Kai did not assassinate Liu Bei, he will surely resent Que Xuan.

Upon hearing Zhang Kai's reminder, Que Xuan was both anxious and angry, yet helpless.

There is no resurrection after death.

Even Que Xuan could not bring Xiang Kai back to life.

There's no point in blaming Zhang Kai now.

Now, if Que Xuan wants to save his life, he has no choice but to rely on Liu Bei.

Thinking of this, Que Xuan finally made up his mind: "The Chen and Mi families want to harm me, but how can I let them have their way?"

Knowing that he had offended the Chen and Mi families, Que Xuan chose to bind himself and surrender to Liu Bei. He also voluntarily disbanded his private army, retainers, and knights-errant, and handed over the land deeds and house deeds that he had seized over the years.

Liu Bei did not hold those who voluntarily surrendered accountable for their past transgressions.

Zhang Kai killed Xiang Kai and then persuaded Que Xuan to surrender, which made Liu Bei appreciate Zhang Kai even more.

Compared to Zhang Chi, a minor powerful figure with only thirty retainers, Que Xuan was one of the few truly powerful figures in Xuzhou.

Que Xuan's initiative to surrender and support the new policies was like a boulder falling into a lake, creating huge waves.

State capital.

When Sun Jian heard that Que Xuan had taken the initiative to respond to the new policies, he did not believe it at first. It was not until Que Xuan handed over all the land deeds and house deeds and disbanded his private army, retainers, and knights that Sun Jian believed that Xiapi, a powerful and arrogant town, had actually chosen to submit.

"Your Majesty is indeed remarkable! You have easily persuaded Que Xuan to accept the new policies. Now it is up to the Chen brothers and the Mi brothers to make their choice." Sun Jian laughed heartily.

Despite being a governor, Sun Jian was outmaneuvered by powerful clans and gentry in Xuzhou, leading him to believe that his position was a complete failure.

Now I finally have the opportunity to truly take charge of Xuzhou.

Although they relied on external assistance, being able to summon powerful figures from various sects was also part of their strength.

(End of this chapter)