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

Tiger Warriors.

One of the Imperial Guard units.

The Northern King, the Royal Palace.

In front of the magnificent and imposing South Palace Gate.

Five burly and imposing warriors mounted their horses, and one of them waved his hand, ordering, "Let's go!"

"Yes."

The other four responded loudly, and the five of them rode off along the main road.

On the other side, a distinguished official, with a serious expression, carried an exquisite little box and climbed onto the carriage using a small stool. The wheels rolled on, heading towards Chengdu.

...........

In the afternoon, at Zhang Sheng's house.

Zhang Sheng's powerful career was remarkably successful.

He acquired the houses of his neighbors and built many houses on his own land.

He recruited over a hundred followers.

Drills are conducted every five days.

Today is training day.

Zhang Sheng, wearing a short cap and with his sleeves rolled up, stood on a wooden platform with his left hand on his sword, looking solemnly ahead.

Under Wang Chong's leadership, more than a hundred troops are practicing with spears.

Because they were not officially employed, and swords and bows were very expensive, Zhang Sheng could not afford them, so he practiced with spears and wooden swords first.

In addition to training days, the troop members are also encouraged to practice on their own on a daily basis.

The corps were also happy to oblige.

Zhang Sheng fed and gave them water. They were all in the prime of their lives, full of vigor and boundless energy.

They usually wield stone weights and playfully fight each other with wooden swords.

Zhang Sheng watched his troops training below, a satisfied look on his face. He nodded slightly and said, "A rabble is easy to find, but elite soldiers are hard to come by. It takes at least a year for an infantry unit to be formed and possess a certain level of combat capability. After a year, once they've been deployed to the battlefield and fought a few battles, they'll be elite and formidable soldiers."

"Cavalry, on the other hand, would require at least two years."

"And my troops have been training for half a year."

Zhang Sheng suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves and turned his head to look in the direction from which the sound came.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter." The sound of horses' hooves was crisp and melodious, standing out prominently among the sounds.

The village children watching nearby were all drawn by the sound and turned to look.

But Zhang Sheng's hundred-plus troops, who were practicing, continued their training meticulously, sweating profusely. They were also very curious.

But without orders from the army, they dared not stop.

Zhang Sheng generously raised his strong soldiers, who were willing to serve him. However, Zhang Sheng's military law was also very strict, and they feared him.

They both respected and feared him.

Both kind and authoritative.

The sound of hooves drew closer, and the rider on horseback revealed his true form. Zhang Sheng's heart stirred, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

The newcomers were none other than the Tiger Warriors bestowed upon the King of the North by the Emperor.

The five elite guards reined in their horses and looked up at Zhang Sheng. They didn't recognize him, but they instinctively felt that he was no ordinary man.

Moreover, Zhang Sheng was training his family soldiers here with great enthusiasm.

Tiger General turned to look at Zhang Sheng's troops who were training, all of them deep in thought. He was beginning to understand why the King of the North had sent them here.

The lead tiger-like warrior bowed respectfully to Zhang Sheng on the wooden platform and asked, "Is this the brave warrior Zhang?"

"Indeed. May I ask which army you soldiers are from and what brings you here?" Zhang Sheng asked, standing on the wooden platform without coming down.

"This fellow is a bit arrogant," the Tiger Warriors thought to themselves. The leader of the Tiger Warriors remained expressionless and said, "These are the Tiger Warriors under Prince Chen. Today, the Emperor has enfeoffed his three sons as kings, and Prince Chen Yao is appointed to govern the Northern Commandery, becoming the King of the Northern Lands. The King has sent us to recruit strong men to serve as lieutenants, in charge of the troops. Here are the ceremonial seal and the imperial seal."

After the leading Tiger Warrior finished speaking, he dismounted, took out the seal of the Lieutenant of the King of the North and the jade tablet symbolizing military power from behind his horse, and bowed to Zhang Sheng.

Zhang Sheng's expression changed immediately, becoming respectful. He stepped down from the wooden platform, knelt on one knee before the leading Tiger Guard, accepted the jade tablet and seal, and respectfully said, "Your subject Sheng is deeply grateful for the king's command."

His initial arrogance turned into obsequiousness. The Tiger Warriors once again seemed lost in thought. But their obsequiousness was clearly due to the King of the North.

"We must return immediately to report. Will Lieutenant Zhang come with us, or will he go tomorrow?" The leading Tiger General asked after handing the seal to Zhang Sheng.

"Please inform the King that today's situation is too hasty. Your Majesty, I will lead my troops there tomorrow," Zhang Sheng replied solemnly, glancing at the sky.

"Alright." The lead tiger-like warrior nodded, turned to signal his companions behind him, and together they mounted their horses. The lead tiger-like warrior said, "Lieutenant Zhang, we'll take our leave."

"Please," Zhang Sheng said.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter." Tiger Warrior turned his horse around and rode away. Zhang Sheng watched with his hand on his sword until Tiger Warrior disappeared on the horizon before saying to his attendants, "Order the training to stop."

"Then line up."

"Yes," the attendant replied loudly, then turned and left. Zhang Sheng placed his hand on his sword and ascended the wooden platform, where over a hundred retainers stood in neat rows.

Zhang Sheng smiled and said, "Some of you know this, and some don't. I'll be frank with you today. The one who supports me, Zhang Sheng, is Prince Chen. Today, the Emperor has conferred upon Prince Chen the title of King of Beidi. The King has sent someone to summon me to be the Lieutenant of the Kingdom of Beidi, to command the troops."

"Dismissed. Go home and bid farewell to your families. Gather tomorrow and come with me to pay homage to the King of the North."

Zhang Sheng then set a time and ordered that anyone who was late would be punished with thirty strokes of the cane.

"Yes." The men responded in an uproar, some rubbing their hands together in anticipation, some surprised, and some calm, before unanimously agreeing.

His troops scattered like birds and beasts. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Sheng first sent someone home to inform his family. He then took more than ten close followers and went to pay respects at his grandfather Zhang Ren's grave.

When Zhang Ren was killed, Liu Bei did not keep Zhang Ren's head. Instead, he sent people to stitch up the body and let Zhang Ren's former subordinates take it back.

This is not a cenotaph.

After receiving financial support from Liu Chen, Zhang Sheng also repaired the tomb.

"Grandfather, your last words were that a loyal minister should not serve two masters. I will also do my duty faithfully. I will live up to your reputation and not bring shame to our family." Zhang Sheng kowtowed before the tomb, sprinkled wine on the tombstone, stood up after kowtowing, and led his relatives away.

.............

Chengdu.

In a small, ordinary courtyard in the western corner of the city.

Yang Yong sat on the porch with a worried look on his face, lamenting, "The world is rotten, the world is rotten."

Even if the world gets really bad, he's retired, so what can he do?

He often sat down with a few close friends to drink, and then rant about the government, cursing Huang Hao, Chen Zhi, and Qiao Zhou.

But now the fire has spread to his son.

His eldest son, Yang Yuan, was an honest and upright official in the Shu Commandery. Eventually, he too could not survive in this corrupt world and retired to his home.

Both father and son were innocent; they had served as officials for many years but only received the salary they were entitled to, and their family was poor.

With Yang Yuan's retirement, the Yang family's life will become increasingly difficult.

After calming down a bit, Yang Yong thought about it and sighed, "This old man of mine has no other skills. I'll go and help people copy books to supplement my income."

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded.

Yang Yong looked up and saw his eldest son, Yang Yuan, running towards him.

"What kind of behavior is this, jumping around like that?" Yang Yong scolded.

"Father. The King of the North has sent someone to recruit you as the Prime Minister." Yang Yuan immediately stopped, cupped his hands, and said with a strange expression.

Yang Yong was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively and said, "Tell him to get lost."