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

After Liu Bei recruited more soldiers than he was required to, practical problems immediately came to the table.

With two thousand mouths to feed, the daily consumption of food and fodder is an astonishing figure, not to mention the costs of repairing military equipment and providing military pay incentives.

Zhang Fei's earlier estimate of "1,300 shi of grain and 700 guan of cash" might be enough to support the few hundred people he had originally planned for a while, but for the current size of the team, it was nothing short of a drop in the ocean.

"Brother, this is a real problem!" Zhang Fei scratched his head. "The wealth that Xianhe and I sold, plus what we originally planned to get from the 'protection donation,' is barely enough to feed these two thousand people for half a month, and even then, we'll have to live frugally. And there's no way we'll even be able to repair or forge weapons and armor!"

Jian Yong said, "Xuande, the most urgent task is to raise money and provisions as soon as possible. In my opinion, we should follow the 'protection donation' strategy that Mr. Zishan mentioned earlier. We should visit the powerful and gentry families in Zhuojun separately and explain the benefits and risks. With the Yellow Turban Rebellion imminent, they should be willing to contribute funds in order to protect their lives and families."

Liu Bei said, "Xianhe is quite right. We raised an army to protect our territory and its people, and we are not at odds with the local gentry. We should appeal to their emotions and reason, and work together to overcome these difficult times. Yide, you are familiar with the local powerful families, so tomorrow you will go with Xianhe..."

"Wait a minute."

Liu Liang stepped forward and said, “I know you wish to act with benevolence and reason. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. We have suddenly acquired two thousand soldiers, which seems powerful, but in reality, it is weak and unstable, and our funds and provisions are running low. If we continue with our previous strategy of gently negotiating loans, those powerful local gentry are used to being opportunistic and penny-pinching. Seeing that we have suffered heavy losses, they may look down on us, either making excuses or only giving a small amount, which will hardly solve our urgent problem.”

Liu Bei was slightly taken aback and asked, "What does my godfather mean?"

Liu Liang said, "With chaos approaching, sometimes force is more effective than benevolence and righteousness. Rather than pleading humbly, it's better to show our power. We can send elite soldiers directly to the largest and wealthiest family in Zhuojun, explain the situation of recruiting soldiers, and request to 'borrow' grain. It's called borrowing, but in reality, it's levying. If they are sensible, everyone will be happy. If they are stingy and refuse..."

Liu Liang said, "Then we will surround their residence with troops to show that our army is not one that talks empty words of benevolence and righteousness and can be easily dealt with. Killing one to warn a hundred will surely scare the other powerful clans, and then money and provisions will come naturally. Although this method seems domineering, it can raise the necessary funds the fastest and demonstrate Xuande's decisive power, so that the locals will not dare to underestimate us. As for future relations... once we have made meritorious contributions in suppressing bandits and our reputation has risen, there will be room for negotiation."

"This..." Liu Bei hesitated upon hearing this.

He was kind-hearted by nature and knew that to achieve great things, one needed to win over people's hearts, especially the hearts of local powerful figures.

If we forcibly seize it, or even surround the house with soldiers, how are we any different from bandits? Wouldn't that go against our original intention?

Jian Yong shook his head directly: "Sir, your plan may bring us money and grain quickly, but it will have endless troubles in the future! The powerful and influential people in Zhuojun are deeply entrenched and have many connections with the officials of the prefecture and county. If we force them, we may immediately incite a local rebellion, making us an enemy on all sides before we even leave Zhuojun, and unable to move an inch. Even if we succeed temporarily, our reputation will be ruined. How will we attract talented people and gain the trust of the people in the future? It is better to explain the advantages and disadvantages under the guise of 'protecting donations'. That is the way to go in the long run."

Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed and said, "I think Mr. Zishan spoke the truth! It's so unpleasant to argue with those stingy rich people! But... what Brother Yu Xianhe said also makes sense. We are righteous soldiers, not bandits."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "I also believe that forceful seizure is not a righteous act and may cause us to lose the hearts of the people. The policy of constitutional peace, though slow, is the right one."

Seeing the opposition from the crowd, especially since Guan Yu also sided with Renyi, Liu Liang's plan to escalate the conflict failed.

To be honest, in the face of heroes like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, it is extremely dangerous to think that one can surpass Liu Bei simply because of the title of "adoptive father".

Liu Bei's rise from a humble mat weaver and sandal seller to a powerful regional ruler, and ultimately to establish a dynasty and become emperor, was not solely due to his reputation for "benevolence and virtue."

Liu Bei's act of recognizing himself as his adoptive father was also a form of political endorsement, which further confirmed the credibility of his claim to be a "relative of the Han imperial family."

It should be noted that Liu Bei's claim of being a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan lacked solid evidence.

Currently, it all depends on Liu Bei's own words; the imperial court has never officially recognized it.

Later, as Liu Bei's power grew, he was honored as "Uncle Liu," which was merely a political recognition after he had already established his own army and territory.

As for whether the bloodline is pure, who will really care about that at that time?

Ultimately, this is nothing more than a game of identities where everyone gets what they want.

If you really think you can suppress Liu Bei with this title, then you are only courting disaster.

With this in mind, Liu Liang could only give in and sighed, "Since that's the case, then we'll do as Xuande says. But... I hope those powerful figures can truly understand the greater good and consider the overall situation."

The next day,

Zhang Fei and Jian Yong, accompanied by several attendants and carrying a letter personally written by Liu Bei, headed to Li Family Village, the most powerful clan in Zhuojun.

The Li family manor has high walls and an imposing gate tower. The presence of guards patrolling back and forth clearly indicates that it is a large and well-established family with strict defenses.

After the gatekeeper informed them, Li Yu met them in a side hall and did not open the main gate to welcome them.

The hall was lavishly furnished. Li Yu, dressed in silk, was plump and played with a jade thumb ring in his hand, his face full of fake smiles.

Jian Yong stepped forward, handed over Liu Bei's letter, explained his purpose, and spoke earnestly. He analyzed that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was imminent, emphasized that Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial family, and that he had gathered troops only to protect the borders and the people. He hoped that Lord Li Zhuang would understand the greater good, generously help him, and overcome the difficulties together.

Li Yu slowly finished reading the letter, gently placed it on the coffee table, and said, "I have indeed heard of Liu Bei's name recently. As a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, his willingness to serve the country is truly a blessing for Zhuojun. However... Mr. Jian, Mr. Zhang, there are some things I am unsure whether I should say."

"Please speak freely, Master," Jian Yong said, bowing.

"The responsibility of recruiting soldiers to suppress the bandits lies with the prefectural and county officials and the generals of the imperial court. Although Lord Xuande has the title of a member of the imperial clan, he has not received any imperial edict or official document from the prefecture or county government, yet he has privately gathered several thousand men..."

Li Yu drew out his words, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "To put it mildly, this is a matter of local self-defense. To put it more seriously, it's tantamount to arbitrarily raising an army. If I were to provide them with money and provisions, wouldn't that give them ammunition and cause unnecessary trouble? If the governor's office or the prefect's office were to inquire, how would I answer?"

Zhang Fei frowned, and patiently said, "Master Li, the Yellow Turban rebels are powerful right now, and the government can't handle them all! My elder brother stepped forward precisely because he saw the people suffering! Are you doubting my elder brother?"

"I wouldn't dare," Li Yu waved his hand, a half-smile on his face. "Sir Zhang, you flatter me. I admire Lord Xuande's noble character. However, in this world, you can't see into people's hearts. With such a large estate and hundreds of people, I have to be careful in my actions. In recent years, the weather has been unfavorable, the harvest at the estate has been mediocre, and expenses everywhere are high, so the granaries are not exactly full. How about this..."