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

The two burly men with bruised and swollen faces were led outside the tent by the soldiers.

One was in his thirties, and the other in his twenties. They looked around at the military tents and the soldiers in full armor, and both showed fear and unease.

Zhang Sheng also emerged from the tent, first bowing to Liu Chen, then taking over military affairs without hesitation. He asked, "Have they been questioned?"

"We questioned them, but they didn't answer," the soldier replied.

Zhang Sheng nodded, having a general idea of ​​what was going on. He turned to Liu Chen and said, "Your Majesty, they must be unlicensed people from the mountains. Seeing us training troops here, they assumed we were dealing with their government troops and sent people to investigate."

The two burly men's expressions changed drastically, and they looked at Zhang Sheng with fear. We didn't say anything.

Liu Chen nodded.

It's still a matter of heads being thrown away.

Someone became a cute household.

Some people fled to the mountains. Among them were mountain bandits and mountain dwellers.

This area is located in the Longquan Mountains, which lack depth. Moreover, it's situated right on the edge of the Chengdu Plain, making it unsuitable for bandits to entrenched themselves.

They are probably mountain dwellers.

"I am the King of the North, and I have brought my troops here for a hunt. I am not here to annihilate or capture you. You need not be afraid or alarmed."

Liu Chen comforted him.

"Your Majesty!!!!" The two burly men trembled instantly, their knees buckling as they knelt down. A feudal lord! The highest official they had ever seen in their lives was a county magistrate.

"No need for formalities." Liu Chen raised his hand, then dismissed his men, leaving only Zhang Sheng to follow. He invited the two burly men into the tent to warm up and gave them food.

The burly man could hardly believe his eyes and ears. He had offended a feudal lord, yet he was not only alive but also had food to eat?

But they were soon drawn in by the aroma of the food and began to devour it.

Watching them wolf down their food, Liu Chen seemed thoughtful. After they finished eating, Liu Chen asked, "Is life on the mountain very hard?"

"It's bitter!" the older man answered simply.

"There are no good fields on the mountain. Although the children are strong, they can't grow as much as they do down below. When winter comes, all the able-bodied men have to hunt," the young man added.

Liu Chen nodded, wanting to say something, but found the words stuck in his throat. Should he ask, "If life on the mountain is so tough, why do you choose to stay there? Sichuan is the Land of Abundance! Even though Chengdu has no barren land, there are plenty elsewhere."

Asking that question is like slapping yourself in the face.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Chen asked, "If officials didn't exploit you, and if corvée labor and military service weren't so heavy, would you be willing to come down from the mountain?"

The young man was about to speak when the older man immediately stopped him.

"I'm willing," the older man said decisively.

Liu Chen guessed that the young man was wondering if the world would ever get better.

Liu Chen sighed softly. There's a saying that goes, "Once the credit you've built up in your life collapses, it's hard to rebuild it."

The credibility built up by figures like Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Dong Yun has been completely destroyed.

There are two ways to get these mountain people to come down from the mountain.

They followed Cao Cao's example and forcibly sent troops to relocate.

Or to rebuild their prestige.

The former is simple, the latter is troublesome.

Liu Chen asked no further questions and turned to Zhang Sheng, saying, "Sheng, in your name, give them some grain."

"Yes," Zhang Sheng bowed in response.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The two burly men were overjoyed and immediately bowed in gratitude.

Zhang Sheng dispatched a troop of soldiers, carrying provisions, to follow the two strong men to the mountain village.

The next day, the elders of the mountain village sent someone to present Liu Chen with mountain delicacies as a token of their gratitude.

There was some interaction between the military and civilians.

This is the limit that Liu Chen can currently achieve.

After the minor incident, Liu Chen continued his hunt. It was during an unusually cold winter, before his wedding.

Liu Chen's army trudged through the snow and returned to Chengdu.

When they arrived, the soldiers were all very strong; when they returned, they were even stronger, like calves.

When they came, they were just an ordinary army, but when they returned, they carried a strong killing intent and could be considered elite troops.

Upon returning to Wangzhuang, Liu Chen collected the furs he had hunted. He would either sell them or use them to make items.

Then, as agreed, the soldiers were given money and provisions. Some soldiers who performed exceptionally well were given generous rewards.

Liu Chen publicly stated that he enjoyed hunting and was therefore very generous in this regard.

The soldiers were overjoyed to receive their reward and thanked the king repeatedly, expressing their willingness to risk their lives for him.

After appeasing and rewarding the soldiers, Liu Chen began preparations for his wedding.

There's really not much to prepare.

The betrothal ceremony has already taken place.

Next came the wedding and the banquet.

Officials handled everything, and there were established rules and precedents for all sorts of things. Liu Chen only needed to focus on being a groom.

However, there was one thing: his young wife was only fourteen years old, and even if she was exceptionally beautiful, Liu Chen was certain he couldn't bring himself to do it.

..........

morning.

Fan County.

Although the sun hung high in the sky, its rays were thin and weak, and people could hardly feel any warmth. The cold wind was like an invisible blade, gusting in one gust after another, scraping the skin painfully and chilling people to the bone.

There were few pedestrians on the streets.

The Chen family residence.

Outside.

The grand wedding procession is ready. Gold, silver, Shu brocade, silk, and all sorts of precious and exquisite utensils are on display.

Guards, able-bodied men, slaves, etc.

The Chen family may not be the richest in Sichuan, but they certainly provided the largest dowry.

In order to curry favor with the King of the North, he spent half of his family fortune.

Inside the mansion, in a room.

Chen Mingzhen and her brother Chen Xi were saying goodbye to their parents. Their mother, Liu, was crying with tears streaming down her face, and she held her daughter tightly.

Chen Yong was also somewhat saddened, and remained silent while stroking his beard.

Chen Mingzhen, however, remained strong and comforted her mother. "From now on, I will be the Queen of the North, enjoying wealth and honor. Mother, please don't think that way."

Liu couldn't listen to anything; she just kept crying.

Liu Chen, the King of Beidi, is arrogant, greedy, and stingy. He is no good family. This is clearly a pit of fire.

She glared at her husband and eldest son, thinking, "You heartless, ungrateful men! All you ever thought about was marrying up."

Chen Xi lowered his head in shame.

Chen Yong also felt a little awkward and turned his head away.

The mother and daughter embraced for a long time. Only when the old servant came in to urge them did Madam Liu reluctantly let go of her daughter.

Chen Mingzhen bid farewell to her parents and, accompanied by her elder brother, left the room. She then left the mansion with her five concubines who were marrying with her, and they boarded their respective carriages.

To showcase the grandeur of this wedding.

The Chen family was very impressive, with drums, cavalry, flags, and other entourages.

With a command from the escorting officials, the Chen family's large wedding procession slowly headed south of the city.

The drummers played their instruments with great enthusiasm, their voices echoing throughout the city.

This attracted the people of Fanxian County, who were originally hiding at home to avoid the wind and cold, to push open their doors and come out to watch what was probably the most lavish dowry ever given to a commoner woman.