Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

Liu Jing had also heard that a band of mountain bandits were entrenched on Baishi Mountain west of Zhuo County, but their power was not great. If these mountain bandits were to launch a sneak attack on Lousangli, the Liu clan's retainers would be able to handle it, not to mention that a martial arts master named Liu Bei had inexplicably emerged from the clan.

Therefore, his worries vanished instantly.

The group then changed hotels.

They still found a private room.

The atmosphere at the dinner was harmonious.

The people looking at Liu Bei all had expressions of envy and admiration.

Liu Bao, a border herdsman from the south, ate a flatbread while saying to Liu Bei:

"Xuande, wait a few more years until you're a bit older, then I'll have your uncle recommend you for the civil service exam. Right now, you've bravely captured the bandits of Baishi Mountain, and your fame has reached the Commandant's Office. Soon you'll be known throughout the prefecture and county. This will greatly benefit your future career. The county magistrate and prefect will definitely recommend you to higher authorities. Once you're recommended, you can go to the Luoyang Imperial Palace to serve as a court official for the emperor. After serving as a court official for a period, you can officially take up a post in the prefecture or county. Throughout this process, our Liu family of Zhuo County will certainly provide our full support. What do you say?"

Liu Bei's grandfather Liu Xiong and father Liu Hong both followed the path described by Liu Bao.

This was also the path taken by the sons of powerful and influential families at the time. For example, Cao Cao, the founder of the Wei dynasty, entered officialdom step by step through the recommendation system of "filial piety and incorruptibility".

However, the reputation of those recommended for filial piety and integrity was already tarnished in society at that time.

A folk song has been passed down among the people:

He was recommended as a scholar, but he was illiterate.

He was recognized as a filial and incorruptible official, but his father lived separately.

Han Su was pure and white, as turbid as mud.

Gao Di, a capable general, was as timid as a chicken.

This shows that the official selection system of the Eastern Han Dynasty during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling had been rejected by the world.

Powerful and influential families blocked the path to advancement for scholars from humble backgrounds.

A large number of mediocre and incompetent people entered officialdom, leading to the gradual solidification of social classes in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

The powerful clans began to rise to prominence.

For example, the Runan Yuan clan, a prominent family in the Eastern Han Dynasty, to which Yuan Shao belonged, had produced four generations of high-ranking officials, and their disciples and former officials were spread throughout the country, making them extremely powerful.

Such powerful families, whose members have held high office for generations, can command heroes, carve out their own territories, and even confront the imperial court to compete for power when the world changes.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, the two powerful forces, Yuan Shao of Hebei and Yuan Shu of Runan, were typical examples of how family clans transformed into warlords in the chaotic world by leveraging their family's reputation and status.

Compared to powerful clans like the Yuan family of Runan, the Liu family of Zhuoxian was relatively small.

The two are not even in the same league.

Therefore, Liu Bei did not want to repeat his father's old path and take the difficult road of recommending people for official positions.

As a martial artist with thousands of years of knowledge, he wanted to rise to prominence on the battlefield through military achievements, fighting with sword and spear.

After all, in chaotic times, strength comes first.

Whoever has the strongest army will have the most say and will not become fish on the dinner table.

At this point, Liu Bei had already completed the first step in building his reputation—becoming well-known throughout the prefectures and counties.

Next, he plans to pull off a big heist and become famous worldwide.

In chaotic times, a person's reputation for bravery and chivalry often attracts the admiration and emulation of heroes from all over the world.

In chaotic times, a person's image of loyalty, righteousness, and benevolence often wins the hearts of the people.

Winning the hearts of the people is equivalent to winning the world.

After making up my mind.

Liu Bei silently took a sip of fermented rice wine before solemnly addressing the crowd:

"Nowadays, the world is corrupt and the path to officialdom is difficult. I really don't want to step into it. Our Liu family of Zhuo County is, after all, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing, a distant relative of the imperial family, and has a clean family background. I have all the skills I need and don't want to disgrace my clan. It would be better to go to the border, fight my way up with swords and spears, and perhaps one day be ennobled and bring honor to my ancestors."

Liu Jing listened and nodded approvingly.

"It's rare to find someone as thoughtful as Xuande. This is truly the spirit of the Liu family. Not following the usual path, but forging their own way through bloodshed. As the saying goes, a good man's ambition lies in all directions. Excellent."

Uncle Liu Yuanqi suddenly said:

"Xuande, it is certainly good to earn a title and rank through hard work and battle. But now, the court takes the Confucian Five Classics as the foundation of governance. Ordinary scholars must be well-versed in the classics in order to cultivate themselves, manage their families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. I have decided to send your cousin Liu Deran to the Goushi Mountain Academy in Luoyang to study the classics under the tutelage of Lu Zhi, a professor at the Imperial Academy. If you are interested, I can sponsor you to go with Deran."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei remained silent in contemplation.

Clan Chief Liu Jing also said:

"I've always heard of the Lu family in Zhuo County, Zhuo Prefecture, who produced a great scholar of the classics named Lu Zhi, who was later summoned by the imperial court and is now a professor at the Imperial Academy. How come he also runs a hermitage on Mount Goushi?"

—In ancient times, Confucian scholars taught students, and their residences were all called "refined houses".

Liu Yuanqi nodded and said:

"Yes. Dr. Lu is a great Confucian scholar. In his youth, he studied under Grand Commandant Chen Qiu and the great Confucian scholar Ma Rong, and was well-versed in Confucianism. The great Confucian scholars of our time, Zheng Xuan, Guan Ning, and Hua Xin, were all Dr. Lu's fellow disciples. Now, he lives on Mount Goushi in Luoyang, and a group of his close disciples always follow him around."

Liu Jing glanced at Liu Bei and said:

"Xuande also studied the Four Books and Five Classics in the clan's private school, and now he can be considered both a scholar and a warrior. However, Xuande doesn't seem to like reading much; he seems to prefer martial arts, hunting, falconry, and hound fighting."

"If we're talking about being both scholarly and martial, Dr. Lu is even better."

Liu Yuanqi said excitedly, "Our fellow townsman from Zhuo County, Dr. Lu, is eight feet tall and has a booming voice. Not only is he well-versed in classical studies, but he has also honed his halberd skills for decades. Whether in foot combat or mounted combat, Dr. Lu wields his halberd with unparalleled skill. Since Xuande is so interested in martial arts, when we go to the hermitage on Mount Goushi, you can ask Dr. Lu for some pointers."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jing couldn't help but applaud:

"Truly worthy of being called a man of great courage and tragic spirit from Yan and Zhao. I never expected Dr. Lu to have such a skill. It would be perfect if Xuande and Deran became Dr. Lu's disciples. When they have mastered both literary and martial arts, they can serve the emperor and surely achieve great things."

"One cannot be called a disciple without receiving the master's true teachings."

Liu Yuanqi corrected, "Xuande and Deran's trip to the Lu Doctor's Abode on Mount Goushi can only be considered as them being introductory disciples within the school, learning from him."

Liu Jing nodded. "Being able to enter the sect is no easy feat. I suppose the Lu family of Zhuo County only accepted Xuande and Deran because they are fellow townsmen and old friends of the Liu family of Zhuo County."

"On the one hand, it was out of consideration for our shared hometown and old friends; on the other hand, Dr. Lu also wanted to select some young men from the border counties of Youzhou, to train them well, so that they could defend the borders of the country and resist the invasion of the Xianbei. He was acting out of a sense of public duty."

Liu Yuanqi sighed, then continued, "Dr. Lu is also well-versed in military strategy and tactics, as well as siege warfare and field battles. He has often expressed to his relatives and friends his ambition to quell border troubles and support the nation. In any case, a sword can only defeat one person, ten people, or at most a hundred. If you want to become a match for ten thousand, you still need to study military strategy."

This was something that really appealed to Liu Bei.

Lu Zhi was skilled in both literature and martial arts. He went to Jiangnan several times to quell rebellions. Later, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, he led the five schools of the Northern Army of the Great Han Dynasty to Jizhou to fight against the Yellow Turban Army.

He, along with Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, were known as the "Three Great Generals of the Late Han Dynasty".

It was extremely rare to be able to learn literary and military strategies from Lu Zhi, one of the three great generals of the late Han Dynasty.

Liu Bei would naturally not let go of this god-given opportunity.

……

Shu Shao studied the Five Classics and then lived in seclusion, establishing a private academy to teach, with hundreds of students at any given time.

—From the "Biography of Liu Shu" in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty