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

Chapter 197 Li Su's Little Calculation

Lü Bu!

However, within the Western Garden Commandant's ranks, a single man, with his valiant strength, single-handedly suppressed all the clansmen, including Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Liu Bei, who were all from humble backgrounds and were considered fierce generals.

Even within the Western Garden Imperial Guard, its reputation has always been number one.

That is, the powerful backer behind them, the Liu family of Youzhou.

Lu Bu wasn't particularly close to him; otherwise, he would undoubtedly be considered the most outstanding young man in the world in Luoyang.

"What?

Could it be that Brother Li believes I, Lü Bu, am unworthy?

Seeing that Li Su had not replied for a long time, Lü Bu, in a drunken frenzy, slammed his tiger-like claws on the table, as if he were about to crack it open, which startled Li Su back to his senses.

"How is that possible?"

Without a second thought, Li Su shook his head and then personally poured the wine to show his respect.

"Fengxian's name is second to none among the Western Garden Commandants. His bravery on that day is known to all under the Emperor's nose in Luoyang."

Otherwise, why would I have personally come to recruit you so many times?

If one is an unknown or talentless person, it would be the right path for them to have already distanced themselves far away.

Li Su's praise naturally made Lü Bu smile, and then he drank quite a bit more wine.

In the end, Lü Bu was the first to pass out from drinking, while Li Su was also dizzy and felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, he had taken some hangover remedies before coming; otherwise, he would probably have passed out long ago and wouldn't be able to stay so sober.

After leaving the Lü residence, Li Su groggily boarded the carriage.

Upon learning of this earth-shattering event, he did not go directly to Dong Zhuo's mansion, but instead returned to his own residence to get a good night's sleep.

Li Su did not arrive at the General's Mansion until the next day.

"Please, General, make your judgment."

"This humble subject would never dare to deceive the Great General. I truly do not wish to see the Great General kept in the dark by such a treacherous person. That is why I risk my life to inform you today, urging the Great General to see the truth!"

Inside the study, Liu Hong looked down at Li Su, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

What the other party said makes some sense.

Moreover, Liu Hong always viewed Lü Bu as a sharp blade; if he could hurt others, he could naturally hurt himself as well.

Even if Lü Bu were to defect one day, Liu Hong wouldn't be too surprised.

Of course, if the other party is completely loyal, Liu Hong will naturally give him more important responsibilities.

However, judging from the current situation, the former possibility is more likely.

"This matter cannot be judged solely on your side of the story. Therefore, if you can produce more evidence, it will be a great achievement. If not, I will pretend that I never heard of what happened today."

Upon hearing Liu Hong's words, Li Su's heart sank slightly.

However, he immediately realized that this was also an opportunity.

How could Lü Bu possibly remain inactive?

When the other party reveals himself one day, that will be the best time for him to join the general's faction.

Immediately, Li Su expressed his thoughts.

Liu Hong nodded slightly, which was taken as his approval.

Both sides backed down, and Li Su no longer asked for a reward, but instead withdrew first.

As for Lü Bu, will he betray us in the future and do something disloyal, unfilial, and unjust?

Whether Li Su can successfully join Liu Hong's camp depends on his own fate.

If the deal goes through, Liu Hong wouldn't mind having another lobbyist under his command; if not, the General's mansion is full of talented people, so having one more or one less won't make a difference.

"You will be in charge of this matter, Yuanzhi."

No sooner had Li Su left than Liu Hong summoned Xu Shu in and called him by name.

Xu Shu nodded, which was considered an agreement.

"Yes, Father."

Xu Shu happened to have some free time during this period, so this was quite an excellent opportunity.

And what about Lü Bu?

Indeed, there is something wrong with his appearance.

Although he possesses superhuman strength, comparable to the bravery of Xiang Yu in the past, if he is also unwilling to be subservient to others, then the moat outside Luoyang will become his territory.

Anyone who opposes the General's Mansion will one day be a dead man in Xu Shu's eyes.

Having arranged everything, Liu Hong continued his actions, heading directly to Liu Garden.

Nowadays, the Liu family's problems are not limited to this matter of people's livelihood.

Now that he holds power over the world and has the strong support of masters from all over the country, it is time for him to make another major foray into artillery, muskets, and firearms.

If it is ever successfully developed, then it is not impossible for the entire Liu family of Youzhou to fight against the whole world with the strength of one family.

This could be considered Liu Hong's next strategic objective.

Bang bang bang, clang clang clang clang clang.

Inside Liu Garden, iron furnaces, high temperatures, and flames constantly intertwined, accompanied by the loud sound of bellows being pulled in unison.

The craftsmen were bare-armed, with damp towels covering their foreheads, large beads of sweat dripping from their brows. They would wipe their foreheads every now and then, leaving them covered in sweat stains.

Nearby, there were large buckets of cold drinks almost everywhere, not for them to drink at this time.

Excessive heat or cold, with such large differences, can easily damage the spleen and stomach.

This was a privilege they received after working for half a day or even a full day, and they couldn't afford to let it harm their health.

Moreover, their daily diet consisted almost entirely of meat, which is why they were able to endure it.

Otherwise, at this rate, the foundation would be ruined after only a few days of work.

Then one group of people would replace another, and even if all the craftsmen in Liu Garden died, it still wouldn't be enough.

"Master! Master!"

As the voices rang out, Liu Hong nodded slightly, then continued watching them busily working.

Liu Yuanqi arrived quickly, and upon seeing Liu Hong, he spoke with a serious expression about the present moment and current affairs.

"The firearms in Liu Garden today are still far inferior to those of the past."

However, the gunpowder pack was almost extinguished; only the final test was needed.

And indeed, one should be more careful during this period; otherwise, it wouldn't look good if outsiders noticed.

Liu Yuanqi spoke calmly, which showed that he had taken all these various matters into consideration.

It is truly commendable to have achieved this.

Liu Hong smiled at him with satisfaction and nodded with great pleasure.

Then he patted him on the shoulder and told him to continue to be in charge of everything within Liu Garden.

Liu Hong continued to stay with the artisans.

If the mood strikes, even the lord himself will step forward to forge iron.

Although his skills in this area were poor, his strength was immense.