Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

after many years.

Inside Youzhou, the new capital of the Han Empire, the imperial palace exudes a solemn atmosphere, with all officials standing in reverence.

At this time, the empire's territory extended east to the islands of the East China Sea east of Japan, north beyond the North Sea (now Lake Baikal) to the desolate northern ocean, south to Java in the South China Sea, and west to the Pamir Mountains and Tian Shan Mountains.

The country has also undergone a major infrastructure project, with the Great Han Dynasty's imperial roads extending in all directions and the Grand Canal connecting the north and south.

Youzhou was located at the crossroads of the Han and non-Han peoples, in the heart of the country, and a place where the Han and non-Han peoples gathered. Therefore, the prefecture's capital, Ji County, was renamed "Youzhou City" and designated as the imperial capital.

Wuqing Port (present-day Tianjin), under the empire's rule, became the world's largest port, steadily supplying Youzhou with resources from all over the world. The trade taxes from ports such as Wuqing, Zhenhai (present-day Ningbo), Quanzhou, and Guangzhou accounted for 60-70% of the national tax revenue of the Han Dynasty, becoming an important source of national finance.

The Han Dynasty navy became the world's number one navy, with its treasure ships traversing the five oceans and seven continents. It could not only penetrate deep into the heart of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to strike against rebellions in various places, but also carry out global strike missions.

When Liu Bei, the "Straw Sandal Emperor" who unified China and revived the Han Dynasty three times, sat on the throne as the supreme ruler while wearing straw sandals, he would recall that morning when he sold straw sandals at the Shiwuli Shop, northeast of Zhuoxian County.

……

"I've ridden a dragon!"

"I've even slept with a phoenix! Pshaw!"

"I can control the wind and rain!"

"Wherever I go, there is thunder and lightning."

Before the straw sandal stall, fifteen-year-old Liu Bei stood quietly, as steady as a mountain, his eyes like a deep abyss. He possessed a wisdom and maturity completely different from others his age.

He listened to the two vendors on either side of his straw sandal stall making sarcastic and boastful remarks, and knew that they were mocking him, the so-called "aristocrat"—"a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing"—for his baseless and arrogant boasting, just like them.

However, he didn't care about the disdainful glances they occasionally cast his way.

He even felt a little amused. — These two guys were hilarious, spouting nonsense with such a straight face.

After all, Liu Bei was a hero in the making, a man destined for great things, and he didn't concern himself with trifles. Therefore, he had to "not show his emotions" and not stoop to the level of these petty merchants.

Indeed, after Emperor Wu of Han's famously cunning "Decree of Grace," even Liu Bei's pure Han imperial bloodline gradually became diluted.

By this time, Liu Bei's imperial aura had long since vanished, and he had become no different from an ordinary commoner.

Especially after the "loss of the title of Marquis due to the loss of the gold tribute" incident, Liu Bei's clan completely declined and lost its prestige, becoming no different from any other local powerful clans.

The Liu family of Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery, Youzhou, had become completely commoners.

However, being of royal blood from the Western Han Dynasty, the Liu family of Zhuo County could still become officials through the "recommendation of filial piety and incorruptibility" system, and still held considerable influence in the local area.

The selection process for "filial and incorruptible officials" in the Eastern Han Dynasty was extremely difficult. Only one person was selected from 200,000 applicants per year. In addition, the selection criteria were very strict. The process involved going through layers of officials, from village elders and village heads to county magistrates, prefectural governors, and provincial governors, and finally to the Ministry of Works of the Imperial Court. Only after passing the examination and essay writing test could one be appointed as an attendant to the emperor. After serving as an attendant for a certain period of time, one could then be allowed to serve as a local official at the emperor's discretion—usually as a county magistrate or county commandant.

Therefore, only scions of powerful families with strong social connections could compete for the "recommendation of filial and incorrupt officials" through some "behind-the-scenes manipulation."

—Liu Bei's grandfather Liu Xiong and father Liu Hong were both recommended for their filial piety and integrity, and their families served as officials in the prefectures and counties for generations.

Therefore, it can be seen that the Liu family of Zhuo County could not be considered a "poor family" without power or influence.

The Liu clan did not completely decline, but Liu Bei's family fell into poverty overnight after his father Liu Hong died, never to return to its former glory.

When asked by others, Liu Bei would occasionally say something grand and impressive, such as "a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing of Han," in order to elevate his status and make himself stand out from the crowd.

But the descendants of Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan, were numerous. According to the Book of Han, Liu Sheng indulged in wine and women, and had more than 120 children. By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, his descendants were conservatively estimated to number at least 50,000.

After all, they had been multiplying continuously for hundreds of years from the time of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty to the time of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were spread all over the Han Dynasty.

In his "Longzhong Plan," Zhuge Liang boasted that Liu Bei was a "descendant of the imperial family," which was an overstatement. It was more likely an attempt to use Liu Bei's status as a figurehead to gain power, win over other heroes, and plot his hegemony.

Liu Bei had long since been outside the fifth degree of kinship of the Han imperial family (relatives beyond five generations below Emperor Gaozu), and his blood ties were weaker, so he could only be regarded as a "distant relative" by the Han court.

He also never enjoyed any of the privileges of being a "relative of the Han imperial family".

It can be said that Liu Bei's only advantage was that he was surnamed Liu and had an ancestor named Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were countless "relatives of the Han imperial family" like Liu Bei.

In fact, they are no different from ordinary people.

Therefore, this intimidating trick cannot last long.

"Things are valued for their scarcity, and devalued for their abundance."

After learning about Liu Bei's family background, people might feel a slight, unspoken respect in their hearts, but they would inevitably show contempt on the surface.

In particular, Liu Bei, a "relative of the Han imperial family," actually came to the market town of Shiwulipu outside Zhuoxian City and "condescended" to sell straw sandals, straw mats, and straw hats, which made these common people look down on him even more.

However, what they didn't know was that the Liu Bei in front of them, who was "weaving mats and selling shoes," had a body from the Eastern Han Dynasty, but his soul had merged with that of a modern person, and he had long since become a completely new "Liu Bei."

As a powerful clan and local magnate in Youzhou, the northern border of the Han Empire, the Liu family of Zhuo County was capable of protecting Liu Bei.

But according to Liu Bei's current understanding, the rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. True noble families should bravely stand up for the people when the country is in peril, and do their best to ensure that the people live happily and with dignity in times of peace. Instead, they should not be concerned with "what has become of the Six Dynasties, turning into private schemes for their own benefit."

Throughout history, whenever China has suffered calamities and its people have been in distress, there have always been brave people on this vast land who have stood up to protect them.

Deep down, Liu Bei always wanted to be that kind of person.

In the bustling market, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the crowd:

"How can sparrows know the ambitions of swans! One day, you will realize that being able to stand beside Xuande and sell your wares in the market will be the glory of your entire lives."

Upon hearing the tone of the voice, Liu Bei knew that it was his childhood friend, Geng Yong, who had arrived.

He turned his head and saw a lean, dark-faced boy dressed in light gray coarse linen clothes, wearing a felt hat and straw sandals, walking leisurely with a pigeon-toed gait.

"Xianhe, what brings you to Fifteen Mile Shop?"

Liu Bei asked in a gentle tone.

Xianhe was Geng Yong's courtesy name.

According to the Zhou Rites, "When a man reaches the age of twenty, his family will hold a capping ceremony for him and give him a courtesy name." The so-called "name is to correct one's character, and courtesy name is to express one's virtue."

However, Liu Bei and Geng Yong were only fifteen or sixteen years old. Due to their impoverished families, they couldn't afford the formal ceremonies. Therefore, before their coming-of-age ceremony, they had already received courtesy names so that they could better interact with others in society.

Children from poor families learn to be independent early. Everything should be done expediently. The saying goes, "A child should be given a courtesy name before reaching adulthood; propriety should be based on expediency."

Geng Yong sighed, "My mother woke up early this morning clamoring for meat. I came to buy some. And wouldn't you know it, I ran into these two bastards bullying an honest man."

"Pah!"

The pork vendor, a burly, tall, and fierce-looking man with a menacing face, coldly addressed Geng Yong: "Jian Yong, who are you? What are you talking about, this 'blind man implying something about the red fox,' what are you spouting nonsense about? Show off your pedantic grandson's bullshit! Your father here is known for his swiftness with a knife. If you keep talking nonsense to me, I'll chop you into eight pieces!"

Wang Kongxu brandished the gleaming butcher knife.

"Dongye Ban, you damned butcher, your father is Geng Yong."

Geng Yong was not intimidated at all.

The pork vendor, Dongye Ban, stubbornly insisted, "I'll call you Jian Yong! Jian Yong! Jian Yong!"

Geng Yong couldn't help but laugh at the comical sight of Dongye Ban, who was tilting his head, blowing his beard, and staring with his big, round eyes. "You damned dog! Hurry up and cut me two pounds of the best pork! — It has to be a good mix of fat and lean."

"You're such a troublemaker, you little brat."

Higashino muttered to himself as he cut the pork belly off the pork ribs.

Hearing the two men cursing each other with "your father is me" and "your father is me," Liu Bei secretly rejoiced.

He was well-versed in history and knew that Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty had a favorite curse phrase: "I am your father."

Hearing this in these ordinary streets and alleys today feels especially familiar, and it inevitably brings to mind Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, who was known for his magnanimity, boldness, and chivalry throughout his life.

Liu Bang admired Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States period, and once wanted to become his retainer as a chivalrous knight. However, he was just a local bully in Pei County and only qualified as a village head. Yet, he eventually seized the world and ascended the throne, which can be described as legendary.

As a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, Liu Bei wanted to follow in the footsteps of Emperor Gaozu, become a hero, and achieve great feats in this world, so as to be on par with Emperor Gaozu.

"Never has a single surname ruled the world for long." — Since ancient times, no single surname has ever been able to dominate the world for an extended period. As the saying goes, emperors take turns ruling; next year it might be my turn.

Who knows if Liu Bei will become emperor?

To become emperor and rule the world, one needs the assistance of both civil and military officials.

What is the most expensive thing in this world?

Talent.

The reason why Emperor Taizu was able to succeed was that he was good at managing all kinds of talented people and making the best use of everyone's abilities.

Geng Yong, who stood before Liu Bei, was eloquent, resourceful, and a rare diplomatic talent.

He was someone he could rely on as a confidant.

Moreover, Liu Bei had always known that his childhood friend Geng Yong was unrestrained and unconventional. He knew that Geng Yong had lived a carefree and unconventional life. Except for the one person, Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, he dared not be presumptuous and behaved respectfully. In front of everyone else, he always appeared lazy and casual.

That's just how this guy is!

Liu Bei was used to his words and actions, so he asked:

"Xianhe, are the straw sandals comfortable to wear?"

"Needless to say, it's more comfortable to wear! -- Xuande, I'll come to Dashulou Sangli this afternoon to go hunting with you. The pheasants on Wild Wolf Ridge north of your village are a great snack to go with wine."

"it is good."

Liu Bei glanced at the dozens of straw sandals on the stall. "These are all we have left. We'll sell them all before noon. Let's have some fun this afternoon."

"How much are the straw sandals?"

A deep, gruff voice suddenly rang out.

Liu Bei looked up and saw a burly man with a stubble beard staring intently at him.

Behind the burly man were two fierce-looking youths, giving the impression that they were up to no good.

Seeing business coming to his door, Liu Bei calmly said:

"Twenty coins a pair."

The bearded man scoffed, "Is the hemp rope you're using to weave these straw sandals made of gold, or is the hemp cloth made of silk?"

Liu Bei smiled slightly, "Guest, these aren't ordinary straw sandals. They're specially thickened, stylish, flexible, and extra slip-resistant. — You think they're too expensive? I think they're too expensive too."

The burly man snorted, squatted down, picked out a pair of straw sandals, put them on, took a couple of steps, and asked, "Are these straw sandals under warranty if they wear out?"

"Sir, there's no such rule. If you really want to buy it, I'll give you a discount; you can take it for fifteen coins."

Liu Bei just wanted to close the deal as soon as possible and get rid of the bearded man.

"I asked you if it's under warranty?"

The bearded man was slightly agitated and stared at Liu Bei with wide eyes.

"No warranty. Never."

Liu Bei remained calm.

The burly man sneered, "What if it gets damaged?"

Liu Bei sighed, "If you take good care of it, it won't break anytime soon. But if it does break, you should replace it with a new one."

Geng Yong, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "These straw sandals are in great condition. Look at the pair I'm wearing; I've been wearing them for over a month, and they still look brand new."

"Snapped!"

The bearded man slapped Geng Yong across the face. "Shut up! Did I ask you? You two cunning little thieves, are you in cahoots to deceive me?"

Geng Yong was slapped so hard he fell to the ground, his face burning with pain.

Even Liu Bei, with his exceptional self-control, couldn't help but get angry:

"You didn't come here to buy shoes, you're just here to cause trouble. What right do you have to hit me?!"

The burly man sneered and roared angrily:

"You dare sell straw sandals for twenty coins when they cost five or six?! I'll beat you bunch of unscrupulous merchants!"

Liu Bei said coldly:

"If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to buy it! Hitting someone is wrong of you."

"You son of a bitch! How dare you hit your father?!"

Geng Yong suddenly stood up from the ground and swung his right fist at the bearded man.

A young man behind the bearded man pulled a short stick from his pocket and struck Geng Yong, who was wearing a felt hat, hard on the head.

"Thump!"

The stick struck Geng Yong squarely on the forehead.

Geng Yong immediately clutched his head and squatted on the ground in pain.

Liu Bei was furious. He could tolerate being bullied and humiliated, but he could not tolerate being hurt by his close friend. He suddenly picked up the long stick he had used to pick up straw sandals that morning and struck the boy holding the stick.

Upon seeing this, the bearded man tried to snatch Liu Bei's long staff.

Without any hesitation, Liu Bei flicked his wrist with his left hand, withdrawing the front end of his attacking staff, and at the same time, used the back end of the staff to gently lift and strike the bearded man's right rib.

—As anyone who has been frequently hit with a stick knows, being hit by the tip of the stick is the most painful, it's absolutely excruciating.

The bearded man felt a sharp pain in his liver, so much so that he bent over and curled up, his expression extremely unpleasant.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Bei flicked his wrist with his right hand and struck another charging youth with the tip of his long staff, hitting him on the top of the head and causing him to fall to the ground.

Just as another boy with a stick was about to swing his short stick, Liu Bei, in the midst of that right-hand strike, suddenly blocked it with his left hand!

The stick, hidden beneath the leaves, struck the boy wielding it squarely in the chest.

The boy with the stick cried out in pain, clutching his chest with his left hand and staggering backward.

Geng Yong, the pork vendor Dongye Ban, and another vegetable vendor, Xinyuan Jian, were all stunned.

They never expected that Liu Bei, a young man who was usually as quiet as a gourd, would have such unpredictable skills, knocking down three strong men with a few dazzling blows of his stick.

Unexpectedly, the bearded man, having recovered his strength, straightened up and burst into laughter as if his wicked scheme had succeeded. He pointed at Liu Bei with one hand and shouted:

"I never would have guessed that you, a country boy selling straw sandals, would be so skilled with a stick!"

Seeing the bearded man laughing happily, Liu Bei inexplicably felt a sense of being tricked. On the surface, however, he spoke coldly:

"My stick skills are nothing special. It's just that you guys are bullying me too much; you can't even stand by and watch this long stick."

The crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger.

Suddenly, a loud and authoritative voice rang out from the crowd:

"Who's fighting and causing trouble here?"

The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the speaker was a man in his thirties wearing a black turban, a blue cloth robe and short jacket, with a ring-pommel sword at his waist. He walked over with a cold look and a dignified face.

As he moved, the pouch hanging at his waist jingled.

—The pouch containing official seals, tallies, documents, and other items symbolizes that he is a government law enforcement officer, unlike ordinary people.

So everyone made way for him.

"The patrolmen have arrived."

"How did the eastern patrolmen end up in Fifteen Mile Village?"

"This is Cheng Youjiao..."

Someone in the crowd muttered a few words quietly.

Liu Bei overheard the discussions and learned that this so-called "Youjiao" was similar to a police station chief in modern society, but the area under their jurisdiction covered several townships. They were nominally township-level security officials directly under the county commandant. They were roughly equivalent to the "Dutou" position once held by characters like Wu Song (Wu Erlang) and Lei Heng (Lei Heng) in the novel *Water Margin*.

"Make way, everyone!"

Several officials shouted at the crowd to drive them away.

The patrolman, wearing a black turban and surrounded by four or five soldiers, quickly approached Liu Bei, staring intently at him.

"You're Liu Bei from Lousang Village, the big tree?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was taken aback.

"Does the scout know me?"

"I've never heard of you before. But today I'm truly starting to get to know you."

Cheng Youjiao spoke with a cold laugh, "I just had a few thugs test you out, and they found your staff fighting skills are truly extraordinary... This morning, a corpse was found in the Wild Boar Forest east of Zhuoxian County. The coroner concluded that the deceased was killed with extremely high-level swordsmanship. — Someone saw you enter the Wild Boar Forest early this morning..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was greatly alarmed, realizing that the patrolmen had been watching him for a long time and had even brought in some local ruffians to test his fighting skills.

This spies are truly insidious.

He remained outwardly calm and composed, saying:

"This morning, around dawn, I did indeed take a shortcut from the Wild Boar Forest in the east of the city to Fifteen Mile Shop in the northeast. But I didn't kill the person. I came here to sell straw sandals, and I didn't bring a sword at all."

"Now, you're the prime suspect! Tell the magistrate what you have to say. —Take him down!"

With a loud shout from Cheng Youjiao, several officers and soldiers rushed towards Liu Bei with ropes.

At this moment, Liu Bei held a long staff, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

As a martial artist, he instinctively rehearsed in his mind the moves he would use to kill five burly men wielding ring-pommel swords with a single blow.

The long staff conceals the marksmanship.

A stick is a long spear without a spearhead.

There's a saying in the martial arts world: "A single sword against a spear, nine out of ten will die."

Better to be stabbed three times than to be shot once.

The saying goes: Three blows are not as good as one shot.

Since ancient times, long weapons such as spears, lances, halberds, and lances have been the most practical close-combat weapons on ancient battlefields.

This is why Liu Bei was thinking of using the staff as a spear to directly confront the five ring-pommel swords.

With a weapon in hand, the desire to kill arises spontaneously!

We must be extremely careful and attentive to this matter.

Liu Bei naturally wanted to rebel, but when he thought of his hardworking mother and young sister at home in Dashulou Sangli, he decisively gave up.

First, the people do not fight with the officials.

Secondly, a mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles.

How could he, as a son, let his mother worry and shed tears?

His mother and sister were Liu Bei's weaknesses.

However, it's not so easy for anyone to frame him for murder.

He has his own way of dealing with it.

……

Emperor Zhaolie of the Shu Han Dynasty, surnamed Liu, personal name Bei, courtesy name Xuande, was a native of Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery, Youzhou. He was a descendant of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, son of Emperor Jing of Han. The emperor was orphaned at a young age and made a living selling shoes and weaving mats with his mother. He was a man of few words, kind to his servants, and never showed his emotions.

—From the Annals of Emperor Zhaolie in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty

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Notes:

1. The tribute of gold lost its title.

During ancestral temple sacrifices, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, stripped 106 princes of their titles on the grounds that the gold contributed by the princes to support the emperor's sacrifices was insufficient in quantity or purity.

2. Outposts —

As the lowest-ranking official with a salary during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the patrol officer was only about 100 shi (a unit of grain measure) in rank and was in charge of patrolling, arresting and apprehending criminals.

However, by this time, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the county clerks and county commandants were mostly nominal and had no real power. The county merit officer and his subordinate clerks (such as the merit officer clerk, household officer clerk, bandit officer clerk, decision officer clerk, and field officer clerk) were the actual assistants to the magistrate of Zhuo County.

Zhuo County is the seat of Zhuo Commandery (which administers seven counties and has a population of about 630,000). With a population of 200,000 to 300,000, it is a large county with a total of six outposts. Apart from the Menxia Outpost, the other five outposts—Eastern Outpost, Western Outpost, Northern Outpost, Southern Outpost, and Central Outpost—are responsible for the five major areas of Zhuo County.

Among them, the Central Border Patrol is a county patrol, whose jurisdiction is within the county seat of Zhuoxian County. However, in reality, it often goes beyond the county seat due to changes in circumstances.

The remaining eastern, western, northern, and southern patrol areas belong to the "departmental patrol areas," and their patrol areas cover several townships in their respective directions.

—In the Han Dynasty system, roughly speaking, one hundred households constituted one li, ten li (a unit of length) constituted one ting, ten li (villages) constituted one xiang, and several xiang constituted one county.

Note that during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, patrols were divided into three types: patrols under the jurisdiction of the gate, patrols in counties, and patrols in departments.

Among them, the Menxia Jiao was a "Menxia Li" system (similar to the county magistrate's secretariat) within the county-level administrative system of the Eastern Han Dynasty. They were mainly responsible for security and patrols inside and outside the county government office.

The county patrols belonged to the "various bureaus and officials system" within the county-level administrative system of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The central patrols were of the county patrols.

The "Bu Youjiao" belonged to the "external official system" within the county-level administrative system of the Eastern Han Dynasty. They were personnel dispatched by county officials.

Before the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty, the county patrol officers and the regional patrol officers were subordinate to the county commandant. However, after the county commandant lost power at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, they were subordinate to the merit officer.

However, their status continued to decline, to the point that later, county patrol officers and department patrol officers were also subject to the command of "agricultural thief arrest officers," who were temporarily established for specific purposes and canceled at any time after the purpose was fulfilled.