Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

After relieving the siege of Zhuojun and beheading Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao in battle.

Liu Bei then led his army to cooperate with Zou Jing in Qingzhou, Guangzong, and Yingchuan, engaging in more than thirty battles, large and small, winning every single one and reaping considerable spoils.

The reputation of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei for their bravery, along with Liu Liang's image as a "strategist," began to truly enter the field of vision of some interested people in the imperial court.

When the news of the victory reached Luoyang, although it was not the most dazzling achievement amidst the chaos of war, Liu Bei's deeds of "being a descendant of the imperial clan, spontaneously raising righteous troops, and repeatedly defeating the Yellow Turbans" still attracted some attention.

Soon after, the imperial decree of reward arrived in Youzhou: Liu Bei was appointed as the magistrate of Anxi County and was to take up his post immediately.

The county constable was in charge of maintaining order and apprehending thieves in the county. His salary was not high, and he was subordinate to the county magistrate and the county assistant magistrate. He was a typical assistant official.

But for Liu Bei, who rose from humble beginnings, this was already the first step into the imperial system, a recognition of legitimacy.

Zou Jing and others came to offer their congratulations, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also felt honored.

Liu Bei showed the decree to Liu Liang. Although there was joy in his eyes, he also asked his adoptive father for his opinion.

Liu Liang took the rough copy of the imperial edict and quickly began to calculate in his mind.

Anxi County Commandant?

What's the point of being a lowly official?

You are controlled by others at every turn. Money, grain, and personnel are all in the hands of the county magistrate. If you do well, it is the county magistrate's achievement; if you make a mistake, you are the scapegoat.

Given Liu Bei's current manpower and prestige, accepting a position as a county magistrate would be tantamount to tying his own hands.

More importantly, once he accepted this official position from the imperial court, he would be completely incorporated into the bureaucratic system. So, would Liu Bei listen to the "imperial court" or to his adoptive father?

"Xuande, this post... is not worth accepting," Liu Liang said, putting down the imperial edict.

"You won't accept?" Liu Bei was taken aback. "Father, this is an appointment from the imperial court..."

Liu Liang calmly replied, "It is precisely because of the court's appointment that their disrespect is evident. Xuande, you led your troops to defeat the enemy in over thirty battles, capturing generals and flags—your achievements are considerable. Yet the court only bestowed upon you a mere county lieutenant, not even a county magistrate. This clearly shows their contempt for our humble origins and their casual dismissal. What kind of position is a county lieutenant? He takes orders from the county magistrate, runs errands, and has no money or provisions. How can he support his troops? How can he realize his ambitions? We have worked so hard to build this foundation; are we to be assigned to guard the house and be bossed around by a county magistrate whose background we know nothing about?"

Then he looked at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: "Yunchang, Yide, are you willing to accept this?"

Zhang Fei immediately shouted, "I'm not satisfied! We fought tooth and nail, and all we get is a gatekeeper job? That's incredibly stingy!"

Guan Yu nodded slowly: "What you say makes sense, sir. The position of county magistrate is indeed difficult to fulfill. If you, brother, were to accept it, I fear it would discourage the soldiers."

Liu Bei frowned: "However, refusing the imperial appointment would be tantamount to defying the imperial decree, which might bring disaster upon us."

Liu Liang had already prepared his explanation: "It's not about disobeying the imperial decree, but rather 'declining.' You can submit a memorial, expressing your sincere gratitude for the court's favor, but stating that you are not very talented and may not be able to handle the new position. Moreover, many of your soldiers are from Youzhou and are homesick. You wish to remain in Youzhou to defend the border and quell the remaining bandits, and then consider how to serve the country once the country is more stable. Make the right gesture and pass the buck back to the court. The court is currently overwhelmed with problems; the Yellow Turban Rebellion is still raging and rebellions are breaking out everywhere. How can they have the energy to argue with you over the appointment of a county magistrate in a small border county? It will most likely come to nothing."

Seeing that Liu Bei was still hesitating, Liu Liang continued, "Moreover, with your current strength and reputation in Zhuojun, as long as you don't openly rebel, the imperial court and the prefecture won't easily take action against you. A mere county lieutenant is not worth having. We should wait for a position where we can truly make decisions and have the opportunity to do real work, at least a county magistrate!"

This time, Liu Bei's ambition was ignited.

Compared to the frustrating position of a county constable, he naturally longed to be able to take charge on his own.

Therefore, following Liu Liang's advice, Liu Bei carefully wrote a humble and tactful letter of resignation and sent it to the prefecture to be forwarded to the imperial court.

When the news spread, many officials in Youzhou felt that Liu Bei was ungrateful and arrogant.

Even Zou Jing privately advised Liu Bei to think twice.

But Liu Bei insisted on his own opinion.

Liu Liang predicted that the court would either ignore it or issue a few warnings, and the matter would be over.

He could use this opportunity to allow Liu Bei to maintain his flexibility "outside the system," while also slightly "suppressing" Liu Bei's momentum of gaining official status too quickly.

Two months later.

A new appointment document was delivered to Zhuojun.

It was not a reprimand or an interrogation, but a new appointment: Liu Bei was promoted to magistrate of Anxi County, to take up his post immediately, to reorganize county affairs, pacify the displaced people, and prepare to suppress the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and even Jian Yong were all stunned.

"My godfather was right; the court really did appoint my eldest brother as the magistrate of Anxi!"

Zhang Fei was now completely in awe of Liu Liang and addressed him as his godfather for the first time.

Liu Bei was naturally overjoyed!

Magistrate!

Although it is a small county, it is the master of the county, and can intervene in civil affairs, finance and military affairs. Its autonomy is far greater than that of a county constable!

This is exactly the position they had been hoping for – a position where they could "make their own decisions"!

Guan Yu, Jian Yong, and Pei Yuanshao all offered their congratulations to Liu Bei.

Liu Liang stared at the appointment, speechless for a long time.

This imperial court... they've really lost their minds!

He refused the county constable's request, was not punished, and was instead promoted to county magistrate two months later.

This doesn't make sense in official circles!

Soon, Zou Jing called back with his answer.

In these two months, although the main force of the Yellow Turbans in the Central Plains suffered heavy losses, the aftermath continued, and local bandits became even more rampant.

Anxi County is located in a strategic location, but it is plagued by disorder and a large influx of displaced people. Several officials have been helpless in dealing with the situation, and some may have even died in office.

The imperial court and local governments probably felt that rather than sending a weak or ignorant soldier to his death, it would be better to let Liu Bei, who was capable of fighting tough battles and had the title of "relative of the imperial clan," give it a try.

It's a hot potato anyway; if it works out, great; if it doesn't... the loss won't be too great.

Liu Bei's previous refusal of the county magistrate position might have made some people think he had "some backbone" or "great ambitions," so they simply dumped the more troublesome responsibility of county magistrate on him.

A twist of fate led to a disastrous outcome!

Liu Liang felt a wave of frustration.

He wanted to prevent Liu Bei from entering the system too early, but instead pushed Liu Bei to a starting point with more real power.

Although Anxi County was a mess, the title of "county magistrate" was of great significance for attracting talent, accumulating governance experience, and legitimately expanding his power.

Unable to contain his excitement, Liu Bei grasped Liu Liang's hand and said, "It's all thanks to my adoptive father that I was able to decline the position of county magistrate; I admire your wisdom and foresight!"

Liu Liang awkwardly laughed and said, "This is Xuande's achievement, and the court may have some considerations. My godfather only had a slight understanding of it."

Even so, I sighed in my heart:

This pit they dug has given Liu Bei another rock to climb up.

The task of "assisting Cao Cao" is becoming more and more like a mirage.

Alright, then let him be the magistrate of Anxi County.

Liu Liang barely rekindled a sliver of hope for "sabotage," even though he himself was starting to doubt it.