The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Three days later, in the southwest of Jinyang City, a huge workshop covering 100 acres was officially opened.

There was no fanfare, no banquet.

Only Li Chang, Bi Lan, and a few hundred skilled craftsmen they had found.

Li Chang personally hung a wooden plaque with the three large characters "Bai Gong Fang" (meaning "Hundred Crafts Workshop") on the gate.

He then ordered a large stone tablet to be carved, inscribing the names of the founders and those in charge!

Large areas were also left for the names of the artisans who would invent things in the future and their contributions!

With no shortage of food, clothing, or future prospects, the entire audience erupted in excitement, mobilizing their brute force and their most brilliant minds to invent and create!

"Attendant Bi, from today onwards, this place is in your hands."

Li Chang turned to look at Bi Lan and said solemnly:

"Manpower, money, food, materials, whatever you need, I will provide. I will keep 100,000 coins for one season. The government will never interfere in the internal affairs of the workshop. Even I will only offer a few suggestions."

Your only task is to build everything on the blueprints, one by one, and then distribute it to every county and every village in Bingzhou.

Bi Lan looked at the brand-new workshop in front of her, at the craftsmen whose eyes were full of expectation, and then touched the thick stack of blueprints in her arms. She took a deep breath.

He bowed deeply to Li Chang.

Starting today, the Bi Lan of the past is gone! The Bi Lan from childhood has returned!

"Prefect Li, rest assured."

"From now on, I entrust my life to the Hundred Crafts Workshop."

"Within three years, I will ensure that all the fields in Bingzhou are equipped with curved plows and dragon-bone waterwheels! I will ensure that Bingzhou's grain production increases several times over!"

After saying that, he turned around and rushed into the workshop.

He didn't even have time to say another word to Li Chang.

That afternoon, Bi Lan moved into the workshop.

He threw his bedding roll into the room and then led the craftsmen to disassemble the blueprints and create prototypes.

I get up before dawn every day and work until late at night.

They would just grab a quick bite to eat in the workshop and only sleep for three hours at a time.

He was like a wound-up toy, full of inexhaustible energy.

Back in Luoyang, he was greedy for money because he had nothing but money!

Now, he has something more important than money!

He had ideals, he had pursuits, and he had a career that would make him famous throughout history!

……

Having accomplished his public good deeds, Li Chang began planning his clandestine ventures.

The secret chamber of the governor's mansion.

"Brother, Mr. Wenhe."

Li Chang closed the door:

"Let me say a few words behind closed doors. We now command a large army and govern Bingzhou for His Majesty. But there is one thing we have not done."

"What is it?" Liu Bei asked.

"intelligence!"

Li Chang: "In war, intelligence is life itself. We must grasp the movements of the Luoyang court, the actions of the surrounding barbarians and rebels, the conspiracies of aristocratic families, and even the enemy's troop deployment and food stockpiles as soon as possible."

"In the past, we had few soldiers and generals, and our territory was small. We could barely cope with the situation by relying on scouts and black crows. But now it's different. We control the entire Bingzhou."

Without a dedicated intelligence agency, we're like the blind and deaf; sooner or later we'll suffer a great loss.

Liu Bei frowned, somewhat puzzled. Was all this really necessary? Was this the job of a governor?

He asked in confusion, "Don't we have Xiahou Lan's scout camp?"

"The scout battalion is only responsible for battlefield reconnaissance." Li Chang shook his head. "They can't control the imperial court, the powerful families, or the conspiracies and schemes thousands of miles away."

"I plan to set up a brand new organization that will be directly responsible to you, brother."

Independent of any department, possessing independent powers of arrest, interrogation, and surveillance. Specifically responsible for gathering intelligence nationwide, monitoring internal officials, and eliminating spies from hostile forces.

Liu Bei was still somewhat hesitant: "Wouldn't such an organization... be problematic for Luoyang?"

"Don't worry, brother," Li Chang interrupted him.

"This organization is loyal only to you. All its members are personally appointed by you. That is a better way to be loyal to the Han Dynasty!"

Only by doing better can we live up to His Majesty's trust! How many governors in their early thirties are there in the entire Han Dynasty?

Liu Bei still felt it was somewhat unnecessary, but his fourth brother must have his reasons for doing it!

Just like the past few years, listening to my fourth brother's words, step by step, I have made the lives of nearly 700,000 people in Bingzhou better and better!

Jia Xu remained silent, trying to minimize his presence and even attempting to hide behind the curtain!

Unfortunately, there were only three people here. Li Chang was still holding a lamp and holding sheets of red paper!

Li Chang had already locked onto the target!

Liu Bei nodded: "Alright. Then we'll do as Fourth Brother wishes. What should we name this organization?"

Li Chang was prepared: "Let's call them... the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Liu Bei and Jia Xu exchanged a glance, both feeling that the name exuded a chilling aura.

"Yes." Li Chang nodded. "Traveling in brocade robes at night, to monitor Bingzhou!"

"As for the person in charge, I recommend Shih-Jen."

Shi Ren, courtesy name Junyi, was a native of Zhuojun. He followed Liu Bei in Youzhou in his early years. He was cautious and loyal, and would never betray him unless something unexpected happened.

Li Chang directly suggested keeping this guy by his side and not giving him the opportunity to be sent out.

"Shi Ren is calm and composed, and extremely discreet, making him ideal for this kind of work," Li Chang explained. "Mr. Wen He is insightful and adept at understanding people's hearts and minds, and can help build the framework and establish the rules."

Jia Xu glanced at Li Chang, his expression complex.

He always felt that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was no good. Once its power got out of control, it would surely become a major threat in the future.

But after glancing at Liu Bei, who was sitting in the main seat, and then at Li Chang, who looked sincere, he finally nodded.

Well, since Liu Bei is here, he may not trust Li Chang, but he can trust Liu Bei!

"Okay. I'll do it!"

Three days later, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was officially established.

The headquarters is located in the most remote corner of Jinyang City, with the gate always closed and no signs at the entrance.

Nobody knows what's inside.

Only a few key figures knew that from that day on, Bingzhou secretly had an unseen eye.

In this way, Li Chang completed the construction of the basic framework for all aspects of society, including scholars, farmers, merchants, industry and commerce, economy, military, and supervision.

He stood on the highest city wall of Jinyang, overlooking almost the entire city and its surroundings.

A surge of pride welled up within him! This was the Bingzhou he had designed!

It turns out he wasn't entirely incompetent in either literature or martial arts; perhaps his ability to handle specific matters, even when combining ancient and modern skills, was inferior to that of top strategists.

But when it comes to strategic planning and organizational structure, no one can see further than him!

Now, in the north, Xiahou Lan from Yanmen has become the umbrella-tearing man, taking Zhang Ji with him as her beast of burden.

Xun Chen, Yue Yin, and others were in charge of the overall administration of the state, and Liu Bei was also in charge of the administration of Taiyuan.

In the east, Xu Huang and Qian Zhao trained the Black Mountain bandits. In the south, Cheng Yu was in charge of Shangdang County. In the west, Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping facilitated trade.

Li Changdu exclaimed, "I can't believe I've done so much! I'll treat myself tonight and head back to Xinghan!"

That night, Li Chang toiled tirelessly for the sake of the Han dynasty.

That night, all the cattle and horses toiled tirelessly for the sake of the Han dynasty, as if it were an eternity.

Everyone has a bright future.

……

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had already proven its effectiveness in less than half a month.

A group of talented individuals, nominated by Li Chang and recruited by Liu Bei, were discovered as soon as they arrived in Taiyuan.

Zhuge Xuan originally did not want to come to Bingzhou, but Liu Bei repeatedly recruited him, so Xun Chen went all out and used his connections in Yingchuan to persuade him.

I finally made up my mind, and here I am!

Of course, the main reason is that in the Central Plains or the South, he could only serve as a clerk, while Bingzhou promised to make him directly a prefectural assistant and a state official!

He could easily stay here for a few years as a stepping stone, and then use his connections to become a prefect in another place!