The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

A chill flashed in Gongsun Zan's cold eyes. He raised his spear lightly and swung it in front of him, producing a heavy whooshing sound.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shiping turned pale with fright, realizing he was in deep trouble.

He has the necessary permits and usually pays his taxes on time, but given the current situation, he probably doesn't need the taxes from the prefectural or county government, but rather the "protection fees" from the local powerful clans.

The imperial court collected one layer of fees, and then another layer within their operating area, euphemistically called "protection fees," but in reality, it was no different from the extortion by all sorts of shady gangs.

If they don't hand it over, they'll be imprisoned at best, and at worst, they might lose their lives on the spot.

Just as Zhang Shiping was about to take the money to avoid trouble, he suddenly remembered the things his lord had instructed him to do, and his heart felt slightly at ease: the Liu family today is not the Liu family of the past. In this land of Youzhou, they should be able to gain some face.

"Please inform you, Commandant, that I, Zhang Shiping, am working for the Liu family of Zhuojun. My patriarch, Lord Liu, is a member of the Han imperial family and a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan. I wonder if you, Commandant, could do me the favor and grant me passage?"

Zhang Shiping slightly cupped his hands, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

Before Gongsun Zan could speak, a young general behind him, whose hair had not yet fully grown in, suddenly spoke up: "What Liu family of Zhuojun? If you are a relative of the governor, my Gongsun family will spare you today. But this Liu family you are talking about, we have never heard of it before."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shiping's heart sank, and he obediently took out the money to hand it over.

But at that moment, Gongsun Zan suddenly spoke up: "Is that Lord Liu from Zhuo County? The place where the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi once lived?"

Zhang Shiping quickly replied, "Exactly."

"Hahaha."

Gongsun Zan immediately burst into laughter, all the coldness in his tone vanishing, replaced by a hint of friendliness. "The flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple, and we don't even recognize our own family anymore. I am Gongsun Zan, and I currently hold the position of Cavalry Commandant of Liaoxi Commandery."

"Your lord, Liu Bei's son, Xuande, is an old friend of mine. In the past, we were both wandering knights, doing things to punish evil and uphold justice."

Zhang Shiping, who was standing in front of him, knew nothing about this. Gongsun Zan was getting into the conversation when he suddenly felt bored, so he waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. Men, let them pass."

"Thank you, Commandant."

Upon seeing this, Zhang Shiping quickly bowed and paid his respects, feeling a strange sense of security and reliability in his heart.

Is this the treatment one gets after having a powerful backer?

Leave the area around the horse market.

He looked back and saw that the group of merchants who had been traveling with him were all trapped inside and had to pay money to be allowed to pass.

"To seek refuge with Lord Liu is truly the luckiest thing in my life, Zhang Shiping."

Zhang Shiping couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to part with the money, nor that he couldn't afford it; it was just that this unique privilege, when experienced firsthand, truly made him feel nostalgic and at ease.

It was as if, in this chaotic world plagued by bandits, my whole body and mind suddenly felt much lighter.

……

"Brother, are we just letting those merchants go?"

Beside Gongsun Zan, the young general who had spoken earlier asked with a frustrated expression.

"hehe."

Gongsun Zan sneered and retorted, "Do you know who Liu Xuande, the son of Liu Gong of Zhuo County, is?"

"Judging from the surname Liu, could he be a member of the Han imperial family?"

The young general, still puzzled, replied, "There are countless descendants of King Jing of Zhongshan in this world; they're practically commonplace!"

He was still unconvinced.

Gongsun Zan spoke coldly, his brows furrowed with disappointment: "That Liu Xuande, son of Liu Gong of Zhuo County, when I first met him, already had a thousand wandering knights under his command. Today, he probably has ten thousand."

"The chivalrous knights of the entire prefecture are under his jurisdiction, and even the chivalrous knights of the entire state are known by name. If he were to issue an order, even though my Gongsun family is a prominent clan in Liaoxi Prefecture and even has a reputation in Liaodong Prefecture, why should we offend the chivalrous knights of this entire state? Is it worth ruining this matter for a mere merchant?"

Gongsun Zan snorted coldly, and the young general was so frightened that he was speechless and his face turned pale.

Those wandering knights were so formidable that even the Gongsun family's White Horse Cavalry dared not underestimate them.

In a direct confrontation, a mere wandering knight is no match for a mere swordsman. However, when it comes to reputation in various prefectures, individual martial arts skills, and even the organizations within each county, the wandering knight is undoubtedly second to none.

During this period, the wandering knights were undoubtedly the largest armed force in every region, second only to the powerful clans.

Otherwise, Yuan Shao, who came from a family that had held high office for four generations, and Cao Mengde, the son of Cao Teng, who was currently one of the Three Dukes, would not have roamed the world as wandering knights in their youth.

It is evident that even among these top-tier clans, wandering knights can catch their eye.

"Is Liu Bei really that powerful?"

The young player muttered.

Gongsun Zan laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Back then, even I, your cousin, who is now a cavalry captain, was nothing more than a subordinate of his."

"Although I have heard that he has not yet entered officialdom, the Liu family and the Han imperial family behind him must have great ambitions. Our Gongsun family must not be enemies with them."

original.

Liu Bei had already achieved the title of the leader of ten thousand wandering knights.

His goal is to become the leader of 100,000 wandering knights, which is truly extraordinary.

While it may seem terrifying, compared to Gongsun Zan's achievements today, it actually seems quite reasonable for the time being.

How could the son of the esteemed Lord Liu, a member of the Han imperial family, be any less capable than the son of Gongsun Pang?

Isn't that the only logical thing to do?

……

"I've made up my mind!"

"Today, I, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei..."

"With Lord Liu above and Heaven and Earth as witnesses, the three of us swore an oath of brotherhood, pledged to work together to restore the Han Dynasty, and took the fate of the nation as our own responsibility. We will never forget this ambition."

Inside the back courtyard of the Liu family private school, peach blossoms bloom in abundance, forming a veritable peach grove. The courtyard is spacious and pleasant, not cramped or confined.

At this moment, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, the three young men, with resolute expressions, bowed to Liu Hong in front of them.

Behind the three of them stood several figures: Xu Shu, Cui Yan, Guan Yu's father Guan Yi, and Zhang Fei's father Zhang Hong.

This move was also approved by the older generation.

The sons of a butcher and a merchant, being able to become sworn brothers with the son of Lord Liu, is, in the eyes of the two elders, a bright future for their offspring, and they should be willing to do so.

Out of respect, Liu Hong will be placed in the upper position today.

Their position is the most appropriate.

After the formalities were completed, the three became sworn brothers, vowing to live and die together and to encourage and inspire each other.

The three boys addressed each other as brothers.

Liu Hong smiled at the two men of similar age before him and said with a faint smile, "Brother Guan, Brother Zhang, can you now rest assured to send these two young men with my Liu family to Zhuojun?"

"Lord Liu is joking. Even without today's events, if the Liu family were willing to bring Yide along, my Zhang family would gladly die for them."

Zhang Hong answered immediately.

Guan Yi was equally assertive, his gaze sincere: "Our Guan family is cautious and prudent, but we have lofty aspirations and a certain amount of backbone. Today, Lord Liu has taken such actions to reassure us; we are truly ashamed."