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

Most people just wanted to roll their eyes at Liu Chen.

We were having a great time, and you're throwing cold water on our enthusiasm.

They then remembered that Liu Chen had asked Yang Yong to tell stories because Liu Chen enjoyed hearing about the great achievements of his ancestors.

"After hearing about Zhaolie's deeds, who wouldn't feel respect?"

"Having heard the story of the Prime Minister, who could help but sing his praises?"

"Alas. The emperor and his ministers of the Liu Han dynasty were as inseparable as fish and water."

Merchants, soldiers, generals, warriors, and the elderly alike all fondly remember the splendor of Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister during their lifetimes.

Besides the fact that Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister were indeed outstanding, it's also because the world is so dark now. It's like a person in a cold, dark night longing for light and warmth.

If only the Prime Minister were to live forever!

Then someone looked at Liu Chen, and unseen, a power called "Ancestor" fell upon Liu Chen.

It was made tangible. It transformed into a divine light.

So this is the weight of Zhaolie's son, the Prince of Beidi.

It's a very simple truth. When people learn about a hero, they can't help but want to know what's happening to the hero's descendants after his death.

The blessings bestowed by a virtuous person will last for five generations.

But the virtues of Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister are such that they will never be killed. The King of Beidi is only the third generation.

Everyone listened to a good story, and some even cried. It's not the wine that intoxicates, but the atmosphere.

Afterwards, at the banquet, countless people drank until they were completely drunk and staggered.

After the banquet, Liu Chen made sure all the intoxicated people were taken care of. He then returned to the palace to rest in a golden carriage. Chen Xi's attendants were accommodated in guest rooms.

Zhang Sheng and Wang Chong had drunk quite a bit, but they had a high tolerance for alcohol and weren't drunk. They each mounted their horses and led their troops back to the camp.

The soldiers who were drunk immediately went back to the longhouse to rest, while the soldiers who were not drunk gathered together and talked animatedly about the past of Zhaolie and the Prime Minister, which inevitably disturbed the soldiers who had not gone to listen to the lecture.

The group sat together, all lost in thought. They wished they could live in the era when Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister were still alive.

Zhang Sheng and Wang Chong went into a room and sat down.

Zhang Sheng had someone bring him water to help him sober up.

"My Emperor Zhaolie was truly a hero," Wang Chong couldn't help but exclaim.

Zhang Sheng suddenly said, "I know what Your Majesty is going to do!"

"What?" Wang Chong was stunned, then asked in a low voice.

"He's going to kill Qiao Zhou." Zhang Sheng's voice was low, but firm.

With a "bang," Wang Chong's hand trembled, and the water glass fell to the ground. He then gave a wry smile and said, "I call myself a hero, but I'm actually a coward."

Zhang Sheng didn't speak, but his eyes shone brightly.

It wasn't that Wang Chong was cowardly, but rather that Qiao Zhou was too famous. His disciples and followers were all over Sichuan and Chongqing.

Killing Qiao Zhou could shake the foundations of the Liu Han state.

But Zhang Sheng's intuition told him that Liu Chen intended to do this.

His relationship with Liu Chen was built through strategic maneuvering and confrontation. He knew that Liu Chen harbored ambitions to seize the throne.

Liu Chen was concerned with his reputation and enjoyed hearing tales of his ancestors' glory. But was that really all there was to it?

He doesn't believe it.

Liu Chen's current promotion of the magnificent deeds of Emperor Zhaolie and the Prime Minister runs counter to Qiao Zhou's efforts to undermine public morale.

Fire and water are destined to be incompatible.

"Although Qiao Zhou is still alive, he is actually dead," Zhang Sheng thought to himself, clenching his hands with arrogance.

Because the King of the North has a sword named Zhang Sheng.

A surprise attack.

Even a great Confucian scholar like Qiao Zhou had followers all over the Liu Han dynasty.

A single knife severed a person's head.

The entire clan might be killed.

A drinking session allowed Yang Yong to speak his mind freely, but it also brought down the glory of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang once again.

But there was no specific explanation of what happened.

Zhang Sheng and Wang Chong trained their troops day after day. The soldiers grew stronger and more resilient with each passing day. Their martial arts and military formations improved day by day.

It's like a river flowing eastward, never ceasing.

Liu Chen spent his days reading books and, under Zhang Sheng's guidance, practicing spear fighting, swordsmanship, and archery, striving to strengthen his body, which inherited the bloodline of the veteran Liu Bei.

The villagers in Wangzhuang each lived peacefully in their own way.

People do not pick up lost items on the road, and doors are not locked at night.

It is a well-known paradise.

Time flies, and another autumn harvest has arrived.

In Wangzhuang, the crops ripen in large swathes, and everyone on the road, in the fields, and in their homes is all smiles.

Before the farmers harvested their crops, Liu Chen first presented the autumn harvest gifts.

That morning.

Except for the very old, the very young, or the sick and bedridden, all the households in Wangzhuang gathered on a piece of land.

Everyone's face was filled with the joy of the autumn harvest, and they were all looking forward to the king's arrival.

At the height of public anticipation, Liu Chen's golden carriage made a grand entrance, surrounded by a large entourage.

There were vanguards, elite guards, cavalry, and infantry. There were drumsticks, and...

The royal procession of the Northern King was so grand.

Lieutenant Zhang Sheng, brave warrior Wang Chong, Prime Minister Yang Yong, guests, and officials of all ranks were present.

The carriage stopped, and the eunuch announced the arrival of the king.

Menghu bowed deeply and addressed the king as "Your Majesty".

Liu Chen stepped off the golden cart on a small stool, raised his sickle, and said with a smile, "This year, the heavens have been kind to us, and the weather in Sichuan has been favorable. I have come to collect the rice."

He dressed in coarse cloth and carried a sickle, behaving like a commoner. Then he led Yang Yong, Zhang Sheng, and ten guests to harvest the field.

Practicing martial arts and harvesting grain require different levels of physical exertion. Although Liu Chen was strong and robust, he was drenched in sweat while harvesting rice.

After the harvest was completed, Liu Chen came before Meng Hu and loudly announced, "By order of the King, the autumn harvest begins."

"Yes." Menghu was overjoyed. The sight of Wang Shida harvesting rice had greatly motivated them, and they responded with a bang. They then scattered like birds and beasts and went back to their respective homes.

Weaving is suspended during the autumn harvest.

In Menghu households, everyone, regardless of age or gender, has to go to the fields to harvest rice.

After the rice was harvested and dried, each household kept some, and Liu Chen, in return, gave each household some copper coins.

Large quantities of grain were transported, cart after cart, into the granaries of the royal palace and military camps.

Liu Chen sold some of his grain to buy supplies. He then purchased cloth, salt, ironware, oxen, and other goods at the Chengdu official market.

Some of the supplies were then sold to users who needed them.

Although Zhuangzi is short, it forms a complete system. The Menghu were all subjects of the King of the North, and the Zuwu were the King of the North's army.

Officials and stewards are ministers.

Liu Chen held all power.

With ample grain reserves, waterproofing, fire prevention, and rodent control are of paramount importance.

Liu Chen repeatedly ordered his officials to be careful. If any grain was burned or soaked, they would be severely punished.

Under immense pressure, a solemn atmosphere prevailed both inside and outside Wangzhuang.

The autumn harvest is not over yet, though the grain has been harvested. Liu Chen organized a sacrificial ceremony to the local earth god to thank him for the favorable weather this year.

The most important matters concerning the world are war and sacrifice.

Sacrifice is also a form of authority.

It is of utmost importance.

That's why Liu Shan said, "The government is run by the Ge family, but the sacrifices are done by me."

Emperor.

He received the mandate of Heaven and cared for the people.

Its value is beyond words.

The weight of the crown is immeasurable.