Emperor Zhaolie of the late Han Dynasty: Rising to power in Liaoxi

Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, helped Wang Lie up with both hands, and said with excitement and respect, "I have heard of Mr. Yanfang's great name!"

"It is my good fortune, Liu Bei's good fortune, and the good fortune of the people of Liaoxi, that you have condescended to come!"

"What virtue or ability do I possess to receive your assistance, sir? It is truly a blessing from our ancestors!"

His actions surprised Wang Lie slightly, but his eyes were filled with emotion.

He had long heard of Liu Bei's deeds, and that he was a benevolent and capable official in the border region.

Unexpectedly, this young county magistrate, who had just been granted a title, treated him with such courtesy and personally came out to greet him.

His words were full of genuine respect, without a trace of arrogance from someone who had achieved early success.

Wang Lie bowed again and said, "Your Excellency is too kind."

"Lie was just a commoner. Even though he was granted titles and honors by the lords, he was still able to treat the virtuous with respect and care for the people. No wonder he was supported by the people of Liaoxi."

"I am willing to follow you, my lord, even unto death."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately led Wang Lie into the main hall of the county government office, served him tea and a seat, and began to chat with him.

The two talked about everything from officialdom and people's livelihood to border defense, from the suffering of the common people to the ills of powerful families, and the more they talked, the more they clicked.

Wang Lie was astonished that Liu Bei, at such a young age, possessed such profound insight and vision, and his views on people's livelihood and governance were incisive and to the point.

Liu Bei also admired Wang Lie's talent and virtue, and many of his ideas on local governance coincided with his own.

What's even more remarkable is that he cares deeply about the people, is upright and honest, and is exactly the kind of talent I need most.

After a long discussion, Liu Bei immediately made a decision to appoint Wang Lie as the registrar of Yangle County.

He was in charge of all the county's clerks and general affairs, assisting him in handling the county's political affairs, and ranked above all other officials and clerks.

This freed Tian Yu up to focus on the rest of the county's affairs.

Wang Lie did not refuse and bowed to accept the order.

He came here because he admired Liu Bei's benevolence and vision, and now he has gained Liu Bei's trust and respect.

He was determined to do his utmost to assist Liu Bei in stabilizing Liaoxi and protecting the people.

The news quickly spread throughout Yangle City, and everyone knew that Wang Yanfang, a renowned scholar from Pingyuan, had actually volunteered to join Magistrate Liu and become the registrar of Yangle County.

Hou Chong was overjoyed upon hearing this and personally came to the county government office to visit Wang Lie.

"Xuande, oh Xuande, you truly possess the bearing of a dragon and a phoenix!"

"Even a renowned scholar like Wang Yanfang has come to seek refuge with you; how can Liaoxi not prosper!"

Hou Chong couldn't help but sigh. During Wang Lie's stay in Youzhou, he was recruited by officials of the prefectural level, but he refused them all.

I never expected that he would value his son-in-law so much.

Yan Gang, Zou Dan, and others also came to visit.

Xu Rong, Tian Yu, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and others were overjoyed.

Under the lord's command, there are a few warriors who charge into battle, and Tian Yu and Wang Lie who manage internal affairs.

With Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping raising funds and supplies, the team has become increasingly stable, and the future looks promising.

As the autumn wind blows, the fields of northern China are tinged with the golden hues of ripeness.

In the fields, the heavy ears of millet bend low, stretching as far as the eye can see.

This is the most bountiful autumn harvest in western Liaoning in recent years.

Liu Bei, accompanied by Tian Yu and Wang Lie, strolled slowly along the ridges of the fields, watching the busy people working in the fields.

The men wielded sickles to harvest millet, while the women bundled the stalks.

Children carried bamboo baskets to pick up the fallen ears of grain, and the sounds of cattle bellowing and laughter rose and fell, everywhere filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The more than 20,000 migrant households that flocked to western Liaoning at the beginning of the year have now settled down in various fortresses and villages, been allocated land, received oxen, and grown their first crop of grain with their own hands.

Upon seeing Liu Bei and his entourage pass by, the people put down their sickles and bowed respectfully to him from afar.

They addressed him as "Lord Liu" or "Lord Liu," their eyes filled with heartfelt respect and gratitude.

"My lord, this year's harvest is nearly three times that of previous years."

Tian Yu's face was full of smiles: "The grain and fodder of each fortress have been registered and recorded one after another, except for the food that the people keep for their own consumption and the grain they grow."

"The county granary is expected to receive about 1.5 million shi of new grain, enough to feed the entire county for more than a year. Even in years of famine, there will be no more worries about running out of food."

In previous years, the entire county had a population of 80,000, but the annual harvest was less than 900,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). After deducting taxes and levies, there was very little left.

This year, due to the reclamation of a large amount of wasteland, although the yield per mu is not high, it is estimated that it will be enough to harvest more than 2.7 million shi.

Wang Lie also bowed and said, "Your Excellency exchanged oxen for warhorses, settled refugees, and encouraged agriculture and sericulture. In just half a year, the granaries in Liaoxi were full and the people were at peace. This is an unparalleled achievement."

Upon hearing this news, Liu Bei was overjoyed and waved his hand, saying, "Grain is the foundation of the people and the basis of Liaoxi."

"With food, people can live in peace, we can stand firm, and we can cope with the storms ahead."

"And this is not enough, far from enough!"

The wind and rain he spoke of were the Xianbei, the Yellow Turbans, and the great drought.

All of this requires a continuous supply of food, enough to feed hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people.

Since the beginning of autumn, urgent reports have been coming from Bingzhou, Dai County of Youzhou and other places.

Taking advantage of the autumn harvest, the Xianbei general Tan Shihuai led his troops south to plunder. Most of the grain that the people of the border region had worked so hard to grow was looted, villages were burned down, people were taken away, and countless people were killed or injured.

Xia Yu, the Protector of the Wuhuan, led his troops out to attack several times, but was defeated by the Xianbei cavalry each time. He could only cower in the fortress and watch helplessly as the Xianbei people roamed freely.

Liaoxi borders the Xianbei Queji tribe, and in previous years, autumn was the peak season for the Queji tribe to raid southward.

Therefore, from the very beginning of the autumn harvest, Liu Bei and Hou Chong devised a defensive strategy.

Yan Gang and Zou Dan led the county troops to garrison various border forts, Xu Rong led elite local militia to patrol the border, and Han Dang led his troops to capture the roaming Xianbei scouts.

Liu Bei, meanwhile, was stationed at the prefectural capital, coordinating supplies and relaying military intelligence. The entire prefecture was on high alert, awaiting the Xianbei invasion.

But now, with the autumn harvest almost over, the Liaoxi border is unusually quiet.

Not to mention the large-scale southward advance of Xianbei cavalry, even the number of scattered scouts has decreased significantly.

"My lord, something is very wrong."

On the way back to the county government office, Wang Lie frowned and said, "The Queji Department was the most ferocious in previous years, and they would come to plunder every autumn."

"This year, however, there has been no movement at all. Bingzhou and Daijun have both started fighting, but Liaoxi is the only place that is calm. There must be something fishy about this."

Liu Bei nodded and exchanged a glance with Tian Yu, both seeing the profound meaning in each other's eyes.

It seems that the underhanded tactics employed by the Wuhuan were indeed effective.

The Xianbei people today, at least the eastern Xianbei, are likely suffering heavy casualties.

This matter must not be known to Wang Lie, as he is a Confucian scholar and a proper gentleman, and would likely find it difficult to accept.

"We should have news from Demou soon."

Liu Bei reined in his horse, looked towards the northern grasslands, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.