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

Before he could get angry, Liu Chen cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Sheng, don't be angry. Let me explain in detail."

After a pause, he solemnly said, "Your grandfather, General Zhang, was brave and ambitious from a young age. Later, he became a general under Liu Zhang. During the Battle of Yizhou, many generals in Shu either surrendered to my grandfather, died like weeds, and were not worth mentioning, or could only lock themselves in to protect themselves. Only General Yan Yan, who was beheaded, and your grandfather died heroically."

After taking a breath, he continued, "General Zhang was defeated and captured. My grandfather respected General Zhang's loyalty and bravery and wanted to recruit him. General Zhang left behind the saying, 'A loyal minister does not serve two masters,' and then he was killed."

"He was courageous and principled from a young age. He refused to surrender after his defeat and was killed. Wasn't that a complete act of loyalty from beginning to end? Now, when the people of Yizhou mention General Zhang, don't they hold him in high esteem?"

"Life has its length, but some people live long but accomplish nothing, while others die young but have a magnificent life."

"Now think about it again. My grandfather killed your grandfather, fulfilling his heroic duty. Isn't that something to be celebrated?"

Zhang Sheng opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Upon hearing Liu Chen's words, he flew into a rage.

Upon closer listening, it seemed to contain some fallacies.

Upon closer reflection, it seems to make sense.

He didn't know whether to get angry or something else.

Seeing his expression, Liu Chen knew he had taken it to heart. He was immediately overjoyed and continued, "There are personal feuds and national enemies. Each serves their own lord, and dying in battle is not a personal feud. Moreover, Liu Zhang controls Yizhou, and according to the prevailing sentiments of the time, General Zhang has a duty of loyalty. But I don't think General Zhang's descendants have a responsibility to be loyal to Liu Zhang. If General Zhang's spirit could live on, he wouldn't want his descendants to be loyal to Liu Zhang."

"Furthermore, the Han Dynasty has nurtured scholars for four hundred years. Isn't General Zhang a general of the Han Dynasty? And now the Emperor of the Han Dynasty is my father."

Liu Chen reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, leaving Zhang Sheng speechless. His momentum waned, and his long-held beliefs began to waver.

He was terrified by this wavering and struggled to resist, saying, "Nothing you say can change the fact that my grandfather died at the hands of Zhaolie. If I serve the Liu family, I will be unfilial."

"Stubborn to the end." Liu Chen sighed inwardly, then thought for a moment, his face turning angry as he said sternly, "Sheng, you call yourself 'unfilial.' You are clearly exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, yet you have wasted your life. With your abilities, if you were to go out and work, you wouldn't necessarily be rich and powerful, but at least you wouldn't have to worry about food and clothing. Now your elderly mother is bedridden, and you can't afford to hire a good doctor or give her the best medicine. You have a wife and children, but they live a life of hardship with you. And you still dare to call yourself filial?"

Zhang Shengdun felt as if he had been shot in the knee. His face turned bright red, and he clenched his fists. Overwhelmed with shame, he also wanted to beat Liu Chen up.

That damned young master, he's really tempting me.

Liu Chen, seeing that things were going well, took a deep breath to calm himself down, sat still, and waited for Zhang Sheng to figure things out on his own.

He helped Zhang Sheng unload the burden, but he still needs to get through it on his own.

Zhang Shengfa stared blankly, his posture stiff, as if he were a statue, motionless.

His beliefs were completely shattered, and his resolve had vanished. This was a devastating blow.

After a long silence, Zhang Shengcai finally spoke, "Why are you keeping bothering me? Why do you insist that I can make a name for myself simply by working?"

He then sneered, "What if you've misjudged me and think I'm a complete fool?" He seemed to have regained his confidence, his courage surging, and continued to mock, "Moreover, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang said in his memorial to the throne, 'Be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men.' Now the emperor is doing the opposite, favoring Huang Hao and distancing himself from Jiang Wei. As a result, the government is in chaos, and the court is in turmoil. The Liu Han dynasty is on the verge of collapse, ha ha ha."

Liu Chen already had a plan, and said with a smile, "You're right, the Han Dynasty is currently in a precarious state. Not only you, but many people feel that now is not the time to take action. It would be better to retreat to the mountains and rivers and wait for the right opportunity to emerge."

"But I tell you," Liu Chen said, head held high, sword in hand, "the emperor is old and it's difficult for him to change his ways. But I am still alive, and I guarantee that the Han Dynasty will surely prosper."

He looked down at Zhang Sheng again and said with a smile, "As for why I value you so much, Sheng, it's because I have the blood of my grandfather, Emperor Zhaolie, in my veins. Emperor Zhaolie was good at recognizing and appointing people. I am also good at recognizing people. The moment I saw you, I knew that you were my Guan Yu and Zhang Fei."

He felt that saying this was somewhat unfair to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, but that was the truth. Although Zhang Fei had a grandson who died in battle at Mianzhu, he was a loyal and virtuous descendant.

But Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were indeed not as good as their predecessors.

He thought Zhang Sheng was a brave man, and he would regret it if he didn't accept his help. But he didn't really know just how strong Zhang Sheng was.

They started by saying nice things, insisting that Zhang Sheng was his Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

This is a technique for recruiting people to join.

Liu Chen finished saying what he needed to say, sat down cross-legged with satisfaction, and looked at Zhang Sheng with burning eyes.

Come on, let's do it together.

After killing Deng Ai, I will exert all my strength and resources to launch a northern expedition to the Central Plains.

Not only Eastern Wu and Liu Han, but Cao Wei also declined with each generation. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang had no chance, but now we may have one.

Zhang Sheng was once again dumbfounded.

Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei's ability to judge character was as solid as a rock. He could not refute it.

But let's talk about bloodline inheritance.

Emperor Zhaolie was such a wise man, yet his son was...

And then there was the grandson he had...

Now Liu Chen claims to have inherited the bloodline of Emperor Zhaolie, has the ability to judge people, and is full of contempt for Emperor Liu Shan, practically wearing the label of "dog father" on his face.

Moreover, Liu Chen expressed his intentions quite frankly.

Liu Chen wanted to become emperor, and to become emperor, he needed to appoint the crown prince.

Isn't Liu Chen afraid of having bad intentions because he speaks so recklessly?

Liu Chen sat for a while, noticing that Zhang Sheng's gaze remained vacant. He couldn't help but smile and say, "Sheng, it seems you need some time. And I also need some time. Next year, I will be granted the title of king, with royal officials."

"Think it through before you vote for me."

"I'm leaving you some money, so don't feel burdened. You saved my life. I see your mother's illness won't get better anytime soon, so I'm leaving you a letter. You can take the letter to the imperial physician in the city."

After speaking, Liu Chen left the room and called in a eunuch. He picked up a brush and wrote the contents on a piece of silk, then placed it on the table.

He stood up to leave, but as he reached the door, he told the eunuch to go first, placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword, and turned back to Zhang Sheng, saying, "Sheng, I'll wait for you."

After saying this, he stepped away, went to the courtyard, got into his carriage, and ordered his men to turn back home.

He left behind the wealth he brought.

After Liu Chen left, Zhang Sheng sat for a long time before finally standing up with a bitter smile. He went to the door and looked at the mountain of wealth piled up in the courtyard.

He then turned to look at his anxious wife and son, and then at the three imperial physicians.

Is it worth risking one's life on the battlefield to gain illustrious fame and fortune?