The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 11 Huang Zhong in his prime, a warrior unmatched by ten thousand men.

"Since the general has already prepared a banquet, may we add another table?"

"We came from Jingzhou and encountered many bandits along the way. We were only safe thanks to the protection of Huang Zhong, the General of Jingzhou."

Zhuge Liang did not forget to mention Huang Zhong, who was traveling with him, to Liu Bei.

The Book of Rites says: At ten years old, one is young; at twenty, one is weak; at thirty, one is strong; at forty, one is powerful; and at fifty, one is old.

Although he was nearly fifty years old, Huang Zhong's physique and strength were as good as ever.

Even more than ten years later, Huang Zhong, after following Liu Bei into Sichuan, was still able to frequently charge into battle, displaying unparalleled bravery and determination among the three armies.

If he had emerged more than ten years earlier, his fame might have been even greater.

"Since we are traveling with the strategist, we should invite him as well. The strategist can come with General Huang." Liu Bei did not think much of it.

See this.

Xu Shu whispered a reminder: "General Huang is as brave as ten thousand men, and his martial prowess is no less than that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. If it weren't for the fact that he was short of money to seek medical treatment for his son, General Huang would never have escorted us all the way for money. General, you must not be negligent."

The implication is that Huang Zhong is a very capable fighter and there is an opportunity to recruit him.

Liu Bei had not yet spoken.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were standing nearby, were not convinced.

Zhang Fei bluntly stated, "Yuanzhi, you've never witnessed my true martial prowess, so how can you be certain that Huang Zhong's martial prowess is no less than mine or my second brother's?"

Although Guan Yu didn't speak, the way he stroked his beautiful beard and his half-closed phoenix eyes revealed his dissatisfaction.

Xu Shu chuckled: "Registrar Zhang has been in the north for a long time. Have you ever heard of Taishi Ci of Donglai?"

Upon hearing Xu Shu mention Taishi Ci, Liu Bei couldn't help but think of that fierce warrior who broke through from Beihai to seek reinforcements in Pingyuan.

"Because you are known for your benevolence and righteousness, and for your ability to save people in distress, I, a humble man from the North Sea, have been eagerly relying on you. I have risked my life to break through the encirclement and entrust myself to you from the brink of death, only because you have saved me."

His resounding words still echo in my ears.

At that time, Liu Bei was being praised by famous scholars for the first time. After exclaiming, "Does Kong Rong know that there is a Liu Bei in the world?!" he mobilized all the elite troops from Pingyuan to rescue Kong Rong, in order to repay Kong Rong's kindness in "knowing his name".

Liu Bei treated Taishi Ci, who was brave and righteous, with great courtesy.

pity.

At that time, Taishi Ci had already accepted the invitation from Liu Yao, who was from the same county, which often made Liu Bei regret that he could not work with Taishi Ci.

Upon hearing the name Taishi Ci again, Liu Bei was moved and asked, "Yuanzhi, do you also know Taishi Ziyi?"

Xu Shu shook his head slightly: "Although I have never met Taishi Ci, I have often heard of his bravery while I was in Jingzhou. When General Huang was in Jingzhou, he was ordered to guard You County in Changsha and often fought with Taishi Ci. General Huang also said that Taishi Ci's horsemanship and archery skills were worthy of being matched."

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei exchanged a glance, and their earlier resentment gradually dissipated.

Huang Zhong's ability to rival Taishi Ci and possess the bravery of ten thousand men was not an exaggeration by Xu Shu.

"Brother, you go back to the manor first, I'll go invite General Huang Zhonglang to the banquet." Zhang Fei's words became excited, and although his address changed from "Huang Zhong" to "General Huang Zhonglang," he could no longer suppress his desire to compete.

"Third brother, you mustn't be rude!" Liu Bei said lightly, rejecting Zhang Fei's request.

One of the key reasons why Liu Bei was able to inspire so many righteous people to follow him was his ability to put himself in others' shoes.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were concerned that "Huang Zhong possesses unparalleled bravery, no less than Guan Yu and Zhang Fei," while Liu Bei was concerned that "Huang Zhong was short of money to seek medical treatment for his son."

At this time, Huang Zhong was already under great pressure to treat his son's illness, so he simply couldn't have the mind to compete with Zhang Fei in martial arts.

If Zhang Fei insists on competing, it will only make Huang Zhong dislike him.

"Third brother, you go back to the manor to prepare; second brother, Yuanzhi, come with me to invite him." Liu Bei was not comfortable sending Zhang Fei, so he decided to personally invite Huang Zhong to the banquet.

Huang Zhong initially shared a guesthouse with Zhuge Liang and others. Later, for the convenience of seeking medical treatment, Huang Zhong simply rented a guesthouse on his own near Wu Pu's medical clinic, and thus did not share a guesthouse with Zhuge Liang and others.

"Kongming, you deliberately introduced General Huang to General Zuo, it seems you don't want General Huang to return to Jingzhou?"

After Liu Bei and the others left, Pang Tong went from being "Zhuge Liang's page" back to "the crown jewel of the southern states," revealing Zhuge Liang's intention in a single sentence.

Zhuge Liang chuckled lightly, fanning himself with his fan: "The one who truly understands me is Shiyuan!"

Pang Tong sighed solemnly, "General Huang is over fifty years old. Why should Kongming make him work so hard? If General Huang were to follow General Zuo into Hebei, he might never be able to return to Jingzhou in this lifetime."

Zhuge Liang was eighteen and Pang Tong was twenty; there was no need to worry about their age.

Huang Zhong was nearly fifty years old, and conquering Hebei was not a quick and easy strategy, but rather extremely dangerous. It was uncertain whether Huang Zhong could hold out until the day he could return home in glory.

As a fellow native of Jingzhou, Pang Tong felt a pang of pity.

Looking up at the white clouds in the sky, Zhuge Liang thought of Huang Zhong, who was still fighting for fame and fortune more than a decade later, and said, "The minnows swim leisurely, that is the joy of fish."

Pang Tong raised an eyebrow: "Does Kongming intend to emulate Zhuangzi and Huizi and have a debate with me at the Hao River Bridge?"

Zhuge Liang chuckled: "Shiyuan is eloquent, and I am no match for him. However, I believe that General Huang Zhonglang has been traveling far and wide seeking medical treatment for his son, and his skills have never truly been put to use. He must feel regretful."

"A true man should not worry about old age and a short life, but about not achieving fame and merit. As Zhuangzi said, let us follow the root of the matter. Whether to follow General Zuo into Hebei to achieve fame and merit or to return to Jingzhou to continue being an old soldier in You County, it is up to General Huang Zhonglang to decide."

"Liang only pointed out a new path for General Huang."

Although he was not as eloquent as Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang's rebuttals were deeply insightful in terms of both reason and emotion.

Zhuge Liang would not directly interfere with Huang Zhong's choice, just as he did not directly interfere with Pang Tong's choice of lord.

With 54 years of rich experience, Zhuge Liang was already adept at understanding human relationships and worldly affairs, far surpassing Pang Tong, who only had 20 years of experience.

With just a few words, Pang Tong was rendered speechless.

As Zhuge Liang said: It was just pointing out a new path for General Huang Zhonglang.

Near Wu Pu's clinic.

Cheers and applause rose and fell.

A shirtless, burly man, with bulging veins on his arms, was seen carrying a millstone. He stroking his legs and managed to carry the several-hundred-pound millstone for more than twenty steps!

The shirtless giant was none other than Huang Zhong.

Because Huang Xu's medical treatment was quite expensive, and Huang Zhong had also rented a separate inn, the daily expenses were considerable.

Huang Zhong was unwilling to borrow money from Zhuge Liang and others, so he showed off his strength in the vicinity to earn rewards.

Although showing off his strength to solicit tips was embarrassing, Huang Zhong didn't care in order to raise money for Huang Xu's medical treatment!
in the crowd.

Seeing Huang Zhong, who had just moved the millstone and was now bowing and scraping before everyone, begging for a reward, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Xu Shu fell silent.

Once upon a time, Liu Bei also wove mats and sold shoes to make a living, Guan Yu also sold dates and beans to make a living, and Xu Shu also did odd jobs and ran errands to make a living.

Bowing down to make a living, even a hero can be brought down by a single penny – this has been the case since ancient times.

Liu Bei did not step forward immediately, but waited until everyone around had dispersed before approaching and placing a string of coins into the plate.

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(End of this chapter)