I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

From that day on, Liu Zhao would tell a story every night in the small square.

He sat on the stage, with a fireball hanging above his head for illumination. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it.

"Today, I'm going to tell you about my ancestors."

"His name was Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande. He was a member of the Han imperial family, but his family was extremely poor. In his youth, he made a living by weaving straw sandals and selling straw mats."

The villagers below the stage were stunned for a moment.

Weaving straw sandals?

Selling straw mats?

Isn't that similar to our situation?

Priest Richie was also stunned.

He had seen the extraordinary and legendary spirit on the altar of heroes with his own eyes, and he could never associate that figure with selling straw sandals.

Liu Zhao spoke very slowly, only telling a short segment each day.

On the first day, we talked about the Oath of the Peach Garden.

"Liu Bei encountered a burly man with a red face on the street named Guan Yu, who had fled here after killing a local tyrant in his hometown."

"Then we encountered a rough man selling wine, named Zhang Fei. He was eight feet tall and had a voice like thunder."

The three men got along very well and set out a feast in the peach orchard in Zhang Fei's backyard. They swore an oath to the heavens that they would not ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but only to die on the same day, month, and year.

The young people in the audience were filled with enthusiasm.

"These are true brothers!"

Someone shouted.

The next day, the story of Guan Yu warming wine before beheading Hua Xiong was told.

The story tells of Guan Yu going into battle with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and returning moments later with the head of an enemy general, the wine in his cup still warm.

"Oh My God!"

"This Guan Yu is too fierce!"

The villagers were all speechless.

On the third day, the story of Zhang Fei shouting and breaking the bridge at Dangyang Bridge was told.

The story tells of Zhang Fei riding alone with his spear, letting out a furious roar that terrified the enemy general, causing him to fall from his horse and die on the spot, and even shattering the bridge.

"A divine being!"

"How loud must Master Zhang's voice be!"

The young men slapped their thighs in excitement.

But the story is not just about fighting and killing.

As the plot unfolds, Liu Zhao begins to recount the most moving parts of the story.

The story tells of Liu Bei leading over 100,000 people in a flight, only able to travel a dozen or so miles each day.

Some people advised him to abandon the people and leave first, but Liu Bei said no.

"To achieve great things, one must prioritize people. These people are willing to follow me; how can I abandon them?"

The audience remained silent for a long time.

Priest Rich bowed his head and recited a prayer.

It tells the story of Zhao Yun's seven charges into and out of Changban Slope, fighting until his robes were stained with blood, and risking his life to rescue Liu Bei's young son.

Liu Bei took the child and threw him on the ground—

"For this brat, I almost lost one of my top generals!"

Zhao Yun immediately knelt down, tears streaming down his face.

The villagers were stunned.

"That's my own child!"

"This Liu Bei truly values ​​brotherhood more than his own life..."

Simon couldn't help but wipe away his tears.

The story tells of Liu Bei visiting Zhuge Liang three times to persuade him to join his cause.

On a snowy day, Liu Bei, accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, paid a visit to the man's home.

I didn't see anyone the first time.

I didn't see anyone the second time.

Guan Yu grew impatient, Zhang Fei cursed and threatened to burn down the thatched hut, but Liu Bei insisted on continuing to wait.

On the third time, I finally met him.

Liu Bei said respectfully, "Please teach me, sir."

Zhuge Liang slowly unfolded a map and recited the "Longzhong Plan".

"So this is strategy!"

Rott Lance listened intently, his eyes shining, wishing he could memorize every single word.

When the story of Zhuge Liang borrowing the east wind and using straw boats to borrow arrows was told, the villagers below the stage were dumbfounded.

"Is this Zhuge Liang even human?"

"He seems more like a legendary elven sage!"

From his early days in the military to his death at Wuzhangyuan, a full twenty-seven years passed.

"To devote oneself wholeheartedly to the cause until death."

When Liu Zhao said those words, Christine felt as if something had suddenly struck her heart.

As time went by, the story became more and more profound, and the villagers' emotional investment in it also deepened.

They began to cheer for the hero's victory and weep for the hero's departure.

Priest Richie's notebook was filled with notes.

One day, he closed his notebook and said something to Christine.

"Now I finally understand why His Highness is so kind to the common people."

Christine looked at him.

"His ancestor, Liu Bei, started as a down-on-his-luck member of the royal family selling straw sandals. His life was filled with hardship and displacement, yet he never forgot the concept of 'benevolence.' How could such a person look down on commoners?"

Priest Richie paused.

"Or rather, it is precisely because his family has such a tradition that it has produced such an extraordinary person as His Highness."

Christine did not speak.

She thought of her father, and of the bloodline that the Lance family was so proud of.

noble.

But what is noble?

Rott Lance's feelings were even deeper.

He was an aristocrat, and was taught from a young age that lineage determines everything.

But the heroes Liu Zhao talked about were all different: Guan Yu was a fugitive, Zhang Fei was a butcher, Zhao Yun was a commoner, and Zhuge Liang was a hermit.

Although they all had surnames, they did not possess the various privileges and resources that nobles enjoyed.

They came from humble beginnings, yet they changed the fate of a nation.

"If only my family... could have such loyalty..."

Roth shook his head and didn't continue.

The story continues.

It is said that Liu Bei said to Zhuge Liang before his death.

"If he is not talented, you may take it yourself."

The room fell silent after those words were spoken.

A father, a monarch, entrusts his son and a country to someone with whom he has no blood relation.

This trust is heavier than a mountain.

Priest Richie's eyes reddened.

He hadn't cried over a story in a long time.

Christine did not leave immediately after the evening story time ended.

She sat on a stone bench by the square, looking at the stars in the sky.

Roth came over and sat down next to her.

"Christine, what's wrong?"

Christine remained silent for a long while.

"I was thinking, what if the Lance family also had such loyalty..."

Roth shook his head.

"Stop dreaming, it's impossible."

……

Liu Zhao still gives lectures on time every night.

The villagers listened more and more attentively.

On such days, the new policies of Blackstone Territory were implemented step by step.

Land rent was reduced, poll tax was abolished, and mill tax was abolished.

The villagers' lives are getting better day by day.

The story they heard every night left them with something indescribable and inexplicable.

That was a long-lost... hope.

It's not just about the hope of having enough to eat, but also about pursuing aspirations in life.

"So this is how people can live."

"It turns out that there really are things in this world more important than life."

Priest Richie wrote a note on the last page of his notebook:

"The heroes of the Han Dynasty that Your Highness spoke of may not be the most powerful, but they must be the ones who understood the meaning of benevolence and righteousness the most."

I saw in them the "human radiance" that the doctrine of Holy Light has always described but which I have never truly witnessed.

He closed the notebook and looked at Liu Zhao, who was tidying up his things on the stage in the distance.

"Your Highness, you and your ancestors truly brought the Holy Light here."

Liu Zhao smiled but didn't say anything.

As Blackstone Territory prospered, Liu Zhao did not forget another matter—the blood debt of Whitewater Village.

"York, have you located the bandits' lair?"

"Your Highness, we have found out. They are hiding in an abandoned mine deep in Blackrock Mountain. There are about thirty or forty of them. Their leader is a deserter called 'One-Eyed Jack,' and he has several desperados under his command who were former soldiers."

Liu Zhao nodded:

"Assemble the team, we'll make our move tonight."

"Your Highness, should we send out scouts first...?"

"Need not."

Liu Zhao waved his hand.

"I'll go myself."

That night, deep in the Black Stone Mountain.

Around a campfire outside an abandoned mine, several bandits were drinking and boasting.

Before the words were finished, a long golden dragon of fire roared in from the darkness.

"Boom!"

The campfire exploded, and several bandits were knocked to the ground by the shockwave.

Those who were still alive had no time to react before they were pinned down by the soldiers who rushed up.

A commotion and angry shouts came from deep within the mine. One-Eyed Jack rushed out with a knife, just in time to run into Liu Zhao, who was walking slowly towards him.

"Who the hell are you?!"

His reply was a deep dragon's roar.

The golden flames transformed into the claws of a giant dragon, slapping One-Eyed Jack away, sending him crashing into the cave wall and knocking him unconscious on the spot.

The battle ended faster than expected.

From the perspective of the Blackstone Territory soldiers, this was more like a one-sided crushing defeat.

The lord's magic illuminated the entire mine, leaving the bandits no chance to escape.

While tallying the spoils of war, the Knight of York found several letters in One-Eyed Jack's chest.

He glanced at it briefly, and his expression immediately changed.

"Your Highness, look at this."

Liu Zhao took the letter, and the contents made his pupils shrink.

This is a secret letter from Viscount Kevin to One-Eyed Jack, detailing their collusion with bandits to plunder villages and divide the spoils.

"What a fine Viscount Kevin."

Liu Zhao carefully put the letter away, his voice low, but York could hear the anger in it.

"Your Highness, should we...?"

"It's not the right time yet."

Liu Zhao shook his head.

"Finish what's in front of you first."

The next day, at the entrance of Baishui Village.

The captured bandits knelt in a row, while a few who had participated in the raid on Baishui Village were held separately at the front.

Men, women, and children from the entire village came. Some cried, some cursed, and some stared intently at the murderers who had killed their relatives.

Liu Zhao stood on the platform, his voice not loud, but everyone present could hear him.

"Fellow villagers of Baishui Village, those who stole your grain and killed your people are all here today."

He waved his hand, and the soldiers brought the bandits forward.

"Your Highness, spare us! One-Eyed Jack forced us to do it!"

"Your Highness..."

Liu Zhao ignored the pleas for mercy and turned to look at Link, who had tears in his eyes.

"Old Link, you were the first to step forward back then. Today, you're the first to make a move."

Link paused for a moment, then took the knife and walked up to the robber who had killed his daughter.

His hand was trembling, but the knife still fell steadily.

A head rolled to the ground.

The villagers of Baishui Village were silent at first, then burst into long-suppressed cries and curses.

Some elderly people knelt down on the spot and kowtowed in the direction of Liu Zhao.

"Long live the Lord!"

"Long live the Lord!"

That voice was more heartfelt than ever before.

Priest Richie stood not far away, watching this scene, his eyes slightly reddening.

"Murder is a sin, but upholding justice for the innocent is the most commendable act of the Holy Light."

He said softly.

Christine, who was standing next to her, did not say anything.

She simply watched Liu Zhao's retreating figure, her gaze holding something she couldn't quite explain.

That night, Liu Zhao sat alone in the study of the manor.

He was still processing the emotions of the day when he suddenly felt something was off; the title of blessing above his head seemed to have changed.

He instinctively unfolded the panel.

An up arrow appeared after "Han Dynasty Imperial Clan," which is a sign that the protection ability has been strengthened.

Immediately afterwards, a new ability slowly emerged:

[Guardian Spirit's Blessing: As the only descendant of the Han imperial family, you can consume the power of fire to summon the phantom guardian spirits of heroes from the Shu Han faction to fight.]

Liu Zhao paused for a moment, then looked down carefully.

[Currently available summonable heroes: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei]

[Current Summoning Limitations: Maximum duration of simultaneous summons is three minutes (depending on the amount of Fire Mage Power stored)]

"Guan Yu... Zhang Fei..."

As Liu Zhao silently recited the two names, images of the three bowls of blood wine and three pairs of tightly clasped hands from the time of the Oath of the Peach Garden appeared before his eyes.

"So, you mean I can now call upon Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to help me fight?"

He tried to harness the power of fire, and golden flames rose from his palms, vaguely outlining two blurry human figures.

A man wielded a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, his long beard flowing.

One man held an eighteen-foot spear in his hand, his eyes wide with rage.

Although it was just a phantom, the overwhelming aura it exuded sent a shiver down Liu Zhao's spine.

He extinguished the flames and let out a long breath.

Three minutes... is enough.

He was already invincible among those of the same level in the Silver-level extraordinary battles. With this killing move, killing those of higher levels was no longer a pipe dream.

Liu Zhao also noticed that an up sign appeared after the title of "Civil Servant." The quality remained the same, but he could feel that all his abilities had been enhanced.

Magic power, fire elemental power, physical strength...

Liu Zhao seemed to be deep in thought.

"It seems I'm on the right track. Emperor Zhaolie was known for his 'benevolence,' and what I'm doing is in line with his principles. The core of a civil servant is to serve the people, which is also essentially the same."

"It's no coincidence that the two blessings are amplified together."

The enhanced protection put Liu Zhao in a great mood, but he soon thought of those letters again.

Viscount Kevin.

He frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

It's not time to turn against him yet. There will be plenty of opportunities to deal with that bastard Deng in the future.

Liu Zhao stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the Black Stone Collar under the moonlight.

"My personal combat strength is sufficient now, but the number and quality of my subordinates are still far from enough."

Thinking of this, Liu Zhao suddenly remembered his other blessing: the blessing of the people.

He has never actually used this ability.

"I feel that the time is almost ripe."

The next morning, Liu Zhao had York and Simon summoned.

The two of them were still somewhat confused when they came in.

"Your Highness, you were looking for us?"

Liu Zhao got straight to the point.

"York, you've been with me since the first day I left Greenstone Territory."

The Knight of York was taken aback, then said seriously.

"I owe my success today entirely to Your Highness's guidance and support."

Liu Zhao waved his hand.

"Simon, your father Thor saved my life. Without your family, I might have died in the Monster Forest long ago."

Simon's eyes reddened: "Your Highness..."

Liu Zhao stood up and walked to the two of them.

"I intend to grant you both the status of 'commoners' and bestow upon you new surnames. Are you willing?"

common people?

The two men, who had also heard the story during this period, naturally knew that in Liu Zhao's hometown of "Da Han," "common people" was another name for nobles.

Many of those incredibly legendary heroes called themselves "common people"!

Am I finally able to become a true nobleman?

Upon hearing this, both York, who belonged to the lowest rank of nobility, and Simon, who had only recently become a commoner after being a serf, trembled with excitement.

The Knight of York knelt on one knee.

"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your high regard. I will go through fire and water for you in the future."

Liu Zhao nodded and looked at Simon: "And you?"

Simon's eyes reddened, and he knelt down heavily.

"Your Highness, I...I do!"

Liu Zhao nodded and mobilized the power of the "People's Protection".

Crimson fire energy surged from his palms and landed on York and Simon's heads respectively.

Both of their identities and titles have changed.

[Ordinary People]

Liu Zhao looked at them and smiled slightly.

"York, I bestow upon you the surname Guan, hoping that you will one day be like Guan Yu, upright and loyal beyond compare."

"Simon, I bestow upon you the surname Zhang, hoping that you will be brave and fearless in the future, and never forget your original aspirations."

"From this day forward, you are no longer vassals of others. You are citizens of the Han Dynasty, and the people I, Liu Zhao, trust most."

York looked down at his hands, his eyes reddening.

"The common people..."

Simon burst into tears.

He thought of his father Thor, his sister Lina, and the scene when he first met the prince in that dilapidated wooden hut where even black bread was treasured.

At that time, he was just the son of a serf, who had to be extremely cautious even when leading a nobleman's horse.

Now, he is a person with a surname and a given name.

Liu Zhao patted the two of them on the shoulders.

"Don't be too quick to be moved. A surname represents not only honor, but also responsibility."

"You need to be mentally prepared; our future enemies may be very formidable."

Simon suddenly looked up.

"Your Highness, no matter who the opponent is, I am willing to fight for you."

York clenched his fist: "Your Highness, I am willing to go through fire and water, even unto death, for the Liu family for generations to come!!"