The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

A rather impressive manor appeared on the horizon.

There were quite a few people standing in front of the door; they must have been Zhang Fei's men coming out to greet them.

The entourage of carriages came to a steady stop outside the manor gate, and as expected, Zhang Fei led his men out to greet them.

There are five households in total, including men and teenagers, totaling more than ten people.

As the procession slowly approached, the crowd showed varying degrees of fear on their faces.

Power is divided into tangible and intangible.

A grand and imposing style signifies power and prestige.

Having a good background also brings prestige.

Liu Chen was now surrounded by imperial guards and rode in a luxurious carriage. As the Prince Chen, he naturally exuded an aura of authority.

Hanging in the field, the human head, now a skull, is also a symbol of power.

They wield great power, hold high status, and are ruthless and decisive.

For ordinary users like them, it was an unshakeable mountain, preventing them from harboring any disrespectful thoughts.

The carriage stopped.

The eunuch brought over a stool and set it up. Liu Chen, wearing last year's clothes, got off the carriage with his sword in hand. He glanced at everyone from left to right, his gaze finally landing on Zhang Fei.

Liu Chen laughed, a stark contrast to his gaunt appearance and tattered clothes when they first met. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, was dressed in relatively decent clothes and seemed to have ballooned in size, becoming much stronger.

Those who do evil deserve to be turned into human heads.

Loyal and honest people deserve a good life.

Ok.

"Greetings, young master." Zhang Fei and the others dared not look directly at Liu Chen. Before Liu Chen could get out of the carriage, they immediately bowed and greeted him.

"No need for formalities. Fei stays, everyone else may leave," Liu Chen said with a slight smile.

"Yes," Zhang Fei and the others bowed in agreement. The others, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, hurriedly entered the manor and returned to their rooms.

Liu Chen, along with Zhang Fei, eunuchs, imperial guards, and others, entered the manor and arrived outside the main hall.

Liu Chen stood outside the door with his hand on his sword hilt, then turned to Zhang Fei and said, "Go and bring the accounts."

"Yes." Zhang Fei bowed in response and turned to leave.

Liu Chen and two eunuchs entered the main hall and sat down cross-legged, while the imperial guards stood watch outside the door, isolating the inside from the outside.

After a while, Zhang Fei walked in from outside carrying a plate. After standing still, he bent down and held it above his head.

Before Liu Chen could give any instructions, the eunuch on the left immediately stepped forward, took the plate, and bent down to place it on the table in front of Liu Chen.

Liu Chen said to Zhang Fei, "Sit down."

"Thank you for offering me a seat, young master." Zhang Fei bowed respectfully, then sat down at the side seat, sitting upright with his head slightly lowered, feeling somewhat uneasy.

He was an upright man, and with the heads hanging in the fields, he wouldn't be greedy, nor would he dare to. But he didn't know if the estate's output would satisfy Liu Chen. He was terrified that if Liu Chen wasn't satisfied, his whole family might be sold off.

Liu Chen ignored the expenses, picked up the account book, and looked at it, a satisfied expression on his face. Compared to last year, this year's harvest from the estate was truly abundant. This was the kind of output a estate with five hundred acres of fertile land should have.

Liu Chen put down the account book, looked up at Zhang Fei, and asked, "Fei, I said before that the output from those twenty mu would be your salary. Did you take it?"

"Without your orders, young master, I dare not take it," Zhang Fei said honestly.

Liu Chen shook his head and said, "Take what I tell you to take. I've said it before. What I'm entitled to, you can't take. What I give you, you can take."

He paused, then continued, "This year's harvest is abundant, all thanks to your hard work. Give appropriate rewards to all the households in the estate, so they can have a prosperous year."

"Thank you, young master." Zhang Fei heard Liu Chen's tone and knew that he had no complaints, so he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and expressed his gratitude.

Liu Chen smiled and nodded.

"Young master, the busy farming season is over, and everyone has some free time. Some of us are skilled at fishing, and some are skilled at hunting. We plan to make dried fish and cured meat from the ingredients we have caught to present to you," Zhang Fei said respectfully.

"That's very kind of you. However, the palace is heavily guarded. You should consume all of this produce yourselves. If you can't finish it all, send it to Chengdu to sell and convert it into cash for the treasury." Liu Chen remembered something and said, "Sell 30% of this year's millet to Chengdu. Store the rest."

Grain can be stored for a long time, but it's best not to store it for more than three years. In the long term, grain will be useful in the future. In the short term, it can save lives in a famine. Sell at most 30%, and store the rest.

We'll see how things go next year.

"Yes," Zhang Fei bowed respectfully.

"Hey, I'm not a man-eating tiger. You don't need to be like this, you can relax a bit," Liu Chen said with a smile, seeing how reserved he was.

"Young master may not eat people, but he does kill them," Zhang Fei thought to himself, but he did relax a little.

After finishing the important business, Liu Chen had the eunuchs bring tea and brought out the palace pastries, which he then distributed to Zhang Fei.

"How's your reading of the Book of Han going?" Liu Chen asked with a smile, holding a teacup.

Zhang Fei immediately perked up, first bowing to Liu Chen and saying, "Thank you for the book, young master." Then, beaming, he said, "I dare not fail your kindness, young master. I read it whenever I have free time, and I have already finished reading it."

"Not bad." Liu Chen nodded with pleasure, then encouraged him, "Some people are content with the status quo, while others are full of ambition. You are literate, can manage the estate, and are willing to spend time and energy reading the Book of Han, which shows you have an ambition. Study hard, and tell me what books you need. I will send someone to deliver them. When I am enfeoffed as a king in the future, I will hire you as an official under my command and promote you as appropriate."

There can never be too many talented people.

Most of the time, a person with morality and loyalty is more important than a person with talent.

Now is the time.

Demons run rampant, the nation is on the verge of collapse. It is in times of crisis that true character is revealed, and in times of hardship that loyalty is recognized.

Liu Chen didn't know about others, but he had personally witnessed Zhang Fei's abilities and considered him a trustworthy person. The greater Zhang Fei's capabilities, the better it would be for him.

Draw a big picture of the future to keep Zhang Fei motivated.

"Thank you, young master." Zhang Fei was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed. Although he feared Liu Chen, he was also grateful. A complete set of the Book of Han was something many poor families would covet. Yet Liu Chen had bestowed it upon him, a mere commoner.

Moreover, without Liu Chen, his whole family might still be freezing and starving. Now Liu Chen is promising him a bright future.

He was a scholar, and he didn't want to be an unregistered resident. If he could become an official through his own abilities, he could change his and his family's fate.

That's wonderful.

Liu Chen smiled and nodded.

Liu Chen and Zhang Fei talked for a long time until noon. They then ate together a large fish and some wild game caught by the villagers.

After the meal, Liu Chen asked Zhang Fei to lead the way to the granary for a visit.

The grain silo is suspended in the air, circular in shape, and waterproofed on both the outside and the top.

Zhang Fei personally took out the millet and turned to hand it to Liu Chen for viewing.

Liu Chen grabbed a handful of millet, felt it with his hand, and bent down to smell it; the aroma of the grain filled the air. A feeling of emotion welled up within him. He said, "Food is the most important thing for the people."