Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 94 Guan Yu and Jia Xu, Liu Bei's army enters Chang'an (Seeking first subscriptions and monthly votes)
It seems that Jia Xu kept a low profile under Dong Zhuo; otherwise, given Dong Zhuo's ambition, he would have certainly made good use of Jia Xu.

Well, given Jia Xu's personality, it's not surprising.

Even if Duan Wei recommends him, he probably won't take the initiative to show his talent.

In Dong Zhuo's eyes, Jia Xu was probably regarded as a person with a false reputation, and because he was recommended by Duan Wei, it was not easy to expel him, so he could only keep him as a clerk in his tent.

What a great opportunity!

Liu Bei's guess, while not entirely correct, was pretty close to the truth. If Jia Xu had been as eager to show off as Li Ru, he would have been entrusted with important responsibilities by Dong Zhuo long ago.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei feigned delight and said, "Since the renowned scholar Yan Zhong has praised Jia Xu as possessing the talents of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, he will surely be able to assist me. But will Dong Bingzhou be willing to part with such a great talent?"

Dong Zhuo laughed loudly: "Why do you say such things, Liu Yongzhou? You have given me a great gift, how could I be stingy? It's settled then."

Liu Bei was secretly pleased.

As long as you swing your hoe well, there's no corner you can't dig down; this saying is absolutely true.

To prevent Dong Zhuo from going back on his word, Liu Bei deliberately returned the favor, saying, "Dong Bingzhou's generosity is something I feel unworthy of. If Dong Bingzhou wishes to achieve great things, he will need the assistance of a great talent. There is a man in Luoyang named Cao Cao, courtesy name Mengde, who was selected by the late emperor as the Commandant of the Western Garden Army. The famous scholar Xu Shao once praised him in his monthly evaluation as a capable minister for governing the world. If we can recruit him as a confidant after Dong Bingzhou goes to Luoyang, he will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Dong Zhuo exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the man who used to beat Jian Shuo's uncle to death with five-colored clubs when he was the Northern Commandant of Luoyang?"

"Dong Bingzhou has also heard of Commandant Cao's name?" Liu Bei feigned surprise.

Dong Zhuo stroked his beard and nodded: "This man is indeed very talented. Governor Liu is very grateful."

Liu Bei also had his own selfish motives in recommending Cao Cao to Dong Zhuo.

While praise such as "a capable minister in times of peace" can enhance one's reputation, it can also increase the suspicion of those in power.

Just as Liu Bei boasted in Luoyang that he was "capable of bringing peace to the world with his pen and conquering the world on horseback," he was employed by Liu Hong for this reason, but also became someone Liu Hong was wary of.

For those in power, people like Liu Bei and Cao Cao are good if they can be used, but must be killed if they cannot.

It's less about recommending Cao Cao to Dong Zhuo and more about using someone else to do the dirty work.

If Dong Zhuo were to kill Cao Cao in a fit of anger, that would be ideal; if Cao Cao were to escape with his life, Liu Bei would not have suffered a loss.

Subsequently.

Dong Zhuo summoned Jia Xu and asked him to temporarily accompany Liu Bei to Yongzhou.

Jia Xu feigned reluctance, but Dong Zhuo, having already made a promise to Liu Bei, was unwilling to break it on the spot. He rebuked him, saying, "This was agreed upon by me and Liu Yongzhou. Do you dare to disobey?"

Under Dong Zhuo's reprimand, Jia Xu weakly agreed.

"I'm sorry to have made Liu Yongzhou laugh like this," Dong Zhuo said with a laugh.

Liu Bei responded with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, General Dong Bingzhou."

After the banquet, neither Liu Bei nor Dong Zhuo lingered in Shan County.

The two had no real relationship to begin with, and their cooperation was merely a matter of mutual benefit. The banquet was just a formality, and it was best to keep it brief.

outside the city.

Liu Bei, beaming with pride, bowed to Jia Xu and said, "I never expected to meet you today, sir. It is my great fortune."

Jia Xu returned the greeting and asked, "I have never met Governor Liu before, how does Governor Liu know me?"

Liu Bei laughed and said, “My master’s surname is Lu, and his given name is Zhi. Master Lu once told me that Jia Xu of Wuwei has the talents of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, but unfortunately there are too many incompetent officials in the court, making it difficult to tolerate such great talents. I originally intended to send someone to look for you after entering Yongzhou, but I never expected to meet you here.”

Using Lu Zhi's name, Liu Bei had already mastered the art.

Anyway, Jia Xu had no way to verify with Lu Zhi, and even if he did, Lu Zhi would most likely cover for Liu Bei.

As Liu Bei had predicted, Jia Xu's doubts gradually dissipated when he heard that Liu Bei was a disciple of Lu Zhi.

"Although I have some talent, I dare not compare myself to Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. I am willing to serve as a clerk under Lord Liu and seek a place to stay." Although his doubts dissipated, Jia Xu remained humble and low-key.

"Of course! Of course!" Liu Bei laughed heartily. With Jia Xu under his command, he would have another wise man to help him fill in any gaps in his plans.

With Jia Xu, a native of Liangzhou, Liu Bei gained a better understanding of the situation in Yong and Liang.

After joining Liu Bei's camp, Jia Xu also saw a different side of Liu Bei and was surprised: Liu Bei actually taught his soldiers to read and write.
"Brother, you are a man of profound learning. Teaching soldiers to read and write is merely a hobby you pursue in your spare time," Guan Yu said with arrogance.

Given that Guan Yu became increasingly arrogant the more he read and the more disdainful he was of ordinary scholars, Liu Bei worried that if Guan Yu continued to grow up in this way, he would cause trouble.

After careful consideration, Liu Bei decided to appoint Jia Xu as his military advisor, who would not only advise on military affairs but also assist Guan Yu in handling military matters.

Firstly, Jia Xu was a low-key person, which was the complete opposite of Xu You's high-profile nature, so he wouldn't make Guan Yu feel that he was an arrogant and difficult scholar to get along with.

Both Jia Xu and Guan Yu possessed exceptional talent and insight, unlike ordinary scholars who merely sought out texts and phrases. Over time, Jia Xu was able to make Guan Yu understand that there are always people more capable than oneself.

Before sending Jia Xu into Guan Yu's camp, Liu Bei privately told Jia Xu about Guan Yu's arrogant and dislike of scholars, hoping that Jia Xu could be more tolerant.

Jia Xu had lived for over forty years and was very knowledgeable. He had seen many people with Guan Yu's personality. Upon hearing Guan Yu's words, Jia Xu sincerely praised him, saying, "Lord Liu is indeed a man of great talent. There are many poor scholars in Liangzhou who have no books to read. If they knew that Lord Liu had such a broad mind, they would surely flock to him."

Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard with satisfaction, and his impression of Jia Xu improved by three points.

"My elder brother said that Military Advisor Jia is a wise and resourceful man, and that I, Guan, should consult him day and night. I dare not disobey my elder brother's order and am willing to listen to Military Advisor Jia's profound insights."

"I am ashamed. I am only slightly talented and not qualified to discuss this, but I would like to have a discussion with Commander Guan."

Although he claimed to be "of meager talent" and "exploring," Jia Xu pointed out all the omissions in Guan Yu's military affairs and offered at least three solutions to improve them, which shocked Guan Yu.

In less than half a day, Guan Yu put away his arrogance and even praised Jia Xu in front of Liu Bei: "Brother, Military Advisor Jia is very capable. It is too much of a waste to only appoint him as a military advisor."

"Oh?" Looking at Guan Yu, who was initially arrogant but later became obsequious, Liu Bei smiled and asked, "Second brother, what position do you think Military Advisor Jia should hold?"

Without hesitation, Guan Yu said, "He can be the governor of Yongzhou."

Liu Bei asked in surprise, "Second brother, you have a high opinion of Military Advisor Jia? I remember you told me this morning that you alone are enough to handle the military affairs in the camp."

Guan Yu blushed slightly and said with shame, "I was prejudiced at first, but now I am convinced."

Liu Bei laughed heartily, then composed himself: "After we arrive in Chang'an, I will make my own arrangements. Military Advisor Jia is always a low-key person who doesn't like to talk much. If you don't listen to his advice, he won't repeat it a second time. From now on, you must listen carefully to his teachings. Even if you think something is inappropriate, you should explain the reasons to Military Advisor Jia. You must not let your arrogance discourage a virtuous man."

Guan Yu's expression hardened, and he said, "I will obey my elder brother's orders."

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Liu Bei, after a long and arduous journey, arrived outside the city of Chang'an.

Gai Xun led the civil and military officials of the prefecture out of the city to welcome him.

Because Jian Yong and Xu Huang visited Gai Xun in Chang'an ahead of time and spread Liu Bei's reputation, Gai Xun did not harbor any prejudice against Liu Bei because Liu Bei replaced him as the governor of Yongzhou.

On the contrary, they were quite enthusiastic about Liu Bei's arrival.

After Liu Hong's death, Gai Xun had always regretted not being able to go to the capital to offer condolences. This time, being summoned to the court as an advisor gave Gai Xun the opportunity to go to Luoyang to offer condolences.

After entering the city.

Gai Xun then hosted a private banquet for Liu Bei and inquired about various matters in Luoyang.

"The late emperor always favored Prince Xie over Prince Bian, but now Prince Bian has ascended the throne. Liu Yongzhou has been stationed in the Western Garden Army for a long time. Does he know if the late emperor left any last instructions?"

Liu Bei considered for a moment and said, "Yes, the late emperor left me a secret edict."

Gai Xun exclaimed in surprise, "Is there really a secret edict from the late emperor? Could you tell me its contents?"

Originally, he was just testing Liu Hong to see if he had any last words, but he didn't expect that Liu Bei actually had Liu Hong's secret edict, which made Gai Xun's heart jump to his throat.

"Telling you won't hurt," Liu Bei said calmly. "The late emperor intended for me to secretly escort Prince Xie to Chang'an after his death, to prepare armor and weapons, gather righteous troops, and wait for the opportune moment to eliminate the villains, support the successor, and secure the Han dynasty. He also granted me the authority to act as I see fit."

Gai Xun was both surprised and delighted: "Is the Crown Prince also in the army?"

As one of Liu Hong's most trusted ministers, Gai Xun only wanted to repay Liu Hong's kindness. Upon learning the contents of the secret edict, Gai Xun even wanted to lead troops directly into Luoyang to support Liu Xie's ascension to the throne.

"Whether he is here or not, what can Gai Yilang do?" Liu Bei asked instead of answering, quietly looking at Gai Xun.

Gai Xun was stunned for a moment, then said solemnly, "I have no way to repay the late emperor's kindness. Since Liu Yongzhou has the late emperor's secret edict, I will help Liu Yongzhou gather the righteous army and eliminate the chief villain. Huangfu Song has 30,000 elite troops in Fufeng County, which can also escort the prince back to Luoyang."

"Unfortunately, the secret edict is no longer in my possession." Liu Bei's words extinguished Gai Xun's enthusiasm like cold water.

Gai Xun stood up in shock: "Liu Yongzhou, what do you mean by this? If the secret edict isn't in your hands, where is it?"

Suddenly realizing a possibility, Gai Xun's expression changed drastically: "Could it be that you handed His Majesty's secret edict over to He Jin?"

"Gai Yilang, please calm down." Liu Bei said slowly, gesturing for Gai Xun to sit down. He continued, "If the secret edict had been given to He Jin, how could I have come to Chang'an alive? There are other hidden reasons for this matter. Let me explain in detail."

Subsequently, Liu Bei selectively recounted to Gai Xun a series of events, from advising Liu Hong to establish Yongzhou to Jian Shuo's failed attempt to assassinate He Jin, and finally sighed:

“If His Majesty and Prince Xie hadn’t been somewhat distrustful of me, given my control over the Western Garden Army at the time, no one could have stopped me from supporting Prince Xie’s ascension to the throne.”

"Left with no other choice, I had to compromise with He Jin, offering to support Prince Bian as emperor in exchange for the opportunity to become the governor of Yongzhou, and taking two thousand Xiyuan soldiers with me; only if I command the troops in Yongzhou can Prince Xie save his life."

After hearing Liu Bei's account, Gai Xun was both angry and regretful: "We've missed such a golden opportunity, alas—"

a long time.

Gai Xun took a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil, and then asked, "Liu Yongzhou just said that the secret edict is not in his possession, and Liu Yongzhou did not give the secret edict to He Jin. So where is the secret edict now?"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei said, "I'll give Bingzhou to Dong Zhuo."

“Dong Zhuo?” Gai Xun jumped up in shock again, both anxious and angry: “Liu Yongzhou has made a mistake! Dong Zhuo is extremely greedy, and a greedy person will inevitably endanger the country. Now that he has a secret edict, it will surely cause disaster.”

“Gai Yilang’s words are too alarmist.” Liu Bei pretended not to know Dong Zhuo and said, “In my opinion, Dong Bingzhou is a very loyal man. With the secret edict in hand, Dong Bingzhou will definitely do his best to support the Crown Prince’s ascension to the throne.”

Was Dong Zhuo a very loyal man?

Gai Xun's eyes widened.

Do you think I'm meeting Dong Zhuo for the first time?

If he were truly loyal, he wouldn't have treated the imperial army as his own private army!

Not only did he refuse to hand over military power to Huangfu Song, but he also took five thousand elite troops to Bingzhou. How could he be called "loyal" for disobeying imperial orders like this?
Seeing Gai Xun lose his composure, Liu Bei pretended to say, "Gai Yilang, don't be prejudiced against Dong Zhuo. Think about what His Majesty's dying wish was: to support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne! Now that Dong Zhuo has this intention, isn't he fulfilling his loyalty to the late Emperor?"

Gai Xun was speechless.

Based on his past understanding of Dong Zhuo, Gai Xun was certain that Dong Zhuo would cause trouble, but Liu Bei's words also made sense.

Dong Zhuo was diligently carrying out the secret edict; if that wasn't loyalty, was he treacherous?

"Since Liu Yongzhou received the secret edict, why didn't he return to Luoyang with Dong Zhuo?" Gai Xun asked again. Although Liu Bei spoke eloquently, his decision to abandon the secret edict and come to Chang'an was still suspicious.

Liu Bei feigned helplessness: "Even the Prince Xie doesn't believe me. What can I do after I go back? To be honest, my ambition is not in Luoyang, but in the Western Regions. If I can emulate Ban Dingyuan and awe the kingdoms of the Western Regions, I will be content."

"Unfortunately, not only is the rebellion in Liangzhou still unquenched and the people still suffering, but the court is also fighting amongst themselves over who should be emperor, which is truly disheartening. If I hadn't refused to tolerate He Jin, I would have given this secret edict to He Jin long ago."

Gai Xun was speechless again.

Yes, even Liu Bei wasn't trusted by the prince, so how could he be willing to risk his life?

After a moment of contemplation, Gai Xun solemnly said, "Prince Xie is young and cannot distinguish between loyalty and treachery, which is understandable. If Prince Xie is to be summoned to the throne, I will certainly advise him to make good use of the virtuous and capable and to trust those he employs. I wonder if Liu Yongzhou will still be willing to serve Prince Xie at that time?"

“Gai Yilang, although I admire your loyalty and righteousness, I cannot answer this question.” Liu Bei also said solemnly, “Whether I am willing to serve Prince Xie is not up to me, but up to Prince Xie. I could have taken the imperial edict to kill the traitor, but now I have to come to this bitter and cold place. My heart is cold.”

"As I just said, my ambition lies not in Luoyang but in the Western Regions. As the governor of Yongzhou, my priority should be eliminating bandits and bringing peace to the people. If Prince Xie can truly make good use of the virtuous and capable and trust his subordinates, then he need not focus his attention on me."

Serving Liu Xie? Unless Liu Bei has gone mad!
From beginning to end, Liu Bei's goal was very clear: to become emperor!
Liu Xie's throne is not secure!
Rather than letting Cao Cao hold the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, Cao Pi usurp the Han dynasty and establish the Wei dynasty, Sima Yi fart in the Luo River, or Sima Zhao kill the emperor in the street, it would be better for Liu Bei to follow the example of Emperor Guangwu and restore the Han dynasty.

Liu Bei wanted to reform and strengthen the country, so he had to become emperor.

When the emperor reforms, it's because the ancestral laws cannot be abolished; when ministers reform, it's because treacherous officials have stepped forward.

Gai Xun knew that Liu had been wronged, so he sighed and said no more.

Subsequently.

Gai Xun handed over the seal and documents of the Governor of Yongzhou to Liu Bei, and then hurriedly headed to Luoyang.

The summons for Gai Xun to return to Luoyang had arrived several days ago, but Gai Xun was delayed in Chang'an only because he needed to make handover with Liu Bei.

Now that the transaction was completed and he learned that Dong Zhuo had obtained the secret edict, Gai Xun was anxious to return to Luoyang to deal with the changing situation and had no intention of staying in Chang'an any longer.

"Congratulations, Xuande, your wish has come true." Jian Yong strode into the governor's mansion.

(End of this chapter)