Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

"I have long admired Dr. Lu's name; it is renowned far and wide. I have long wanted to visit him, but I have had no way to do so. Now that my second uncle is willing to provide me with financial assistance, I am extremely grateful. How could I refuse?"

To be honest, Liu Bei was truly grateful to his cousin Liu Yuanqi from the bottom of his heart.

When Liu Bei was living a poor life weaving mats and selling shoes, only his cousin Liu Yuanqi valued him highly.

Liu Yuanqi praised Liu Bei, saying, "Our clan has such a son; he is no ordinary person."

He believed that Liu Bei was the most outstanding member of the Liu clan in Zhuo County and would surely be no ordinary person in the future.

This exceptional favor moved Liu Bei even more than any material gift.

Everyone was pessimistic about him, except for his cousin Liu Yuanqi.

In Liu Bei's mind, he had long regarded his cousin Liu Yuanqi as a "wise hero" who could recognize and appreciate people, and as a talent scout who could spot a promising individual.

Liu Yuanqi was overjoyed to see that Liu Bei was willing to go to Lu Zhi's hermitage on Mount Goushi in Luoyang with his son Liu Deran.

"Xuande, your father passed away early, leaving you to rely solely on your mother. You also lack a father's guidance. I hope that when you study under Dr. Lu, you will treat him as your father and make him your role model. Dr. Lu is an upright man who never beats around the bush, and he is neither opportunistic nor subservient. He can absolutely guide you and become your mentor. I hope you will study hard and be a good person."

According to the famous historian Chen Shou's "Biography of Liu Bei" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei "did not enjoy reading much, but preferred dogs, horses, music, and fine clothes," which was exactly the behavior of a young knight-errant.

However, in his dying will to his son Liu Shan, Liu Bei earnestly instructed his son to read more books, saying that reading "benefits one's mind and intellect."

It is evident that Liu Bei gradually recognized the importance of education during his campaigns and struggles for supremacy. He even specifically admonished his son Liu Shan in his dying will.

When a person is about to die, his words are also good.

Liu Bei's dying edict was a lesson learned in blood.

He must have some regret about being too frivolous in his youth.

—Without systematically absorbing the wisdom of the ancients through reading.

Therefore, Chen Shou commented that Liu Bei's "strategic thinking and tactics were inferior to those of Cao Cao, the Emperor Wu of Wei, which is why the territory of the Shu Han regime he established was relatively small."

In his previous life, Liu Bei suffered a loss in this regard.

In this life, he will definitely avoid and make up for this mistake.

I thought about it.

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said:

"Second Uncle, to be honest, I didn't like studying when I was around ten years old. But now I'm fifteen, I'm older and more sensible. When I have free time, I often read the classics of ancient sages such as the Book of Han, the Book of Rites, the Analects, Sun Tzu's Art of War, the Six Secret Teachings, and the Book of Lord Shang."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuanqi was overjoyed:

"That's excellent. Reviewing the old helps one understand the new. You should read more to gain a deeper understanding. If there's anything you don't understand, you can go to the Goushi Mountain Hermitage to ask Dr. Lu for guidance. Now that you're proficient in both literature and martial arts, I believe Dr. Lu will definitely teach you his true skills."

Liu Jing, sitting in the main seat, was also very pleased:

"Dr. Lu is a man of profound learning, and with Xuande and Deran following him to study the mysteries of the classics, they will surely achieve great success in the future. Our Liu family of Zhuoxian County may also bring glory to our family."

Liu Jing's ambition was to bring glory to his family.

Liu Bei's vision was far more far-reaching than that of the clan leader Liu Jing.

He followed Lu Zhi not only to study the classics, but more importantly, to learn the military strategies of Lu Zhi, one of the three great generals of the late Han Dynasty, and to befriend the brave and fierce general Gongsun Zan of Liaoxi, so as to make all the necessary preparations for conquering the world in the future.

In modern society, he had already read many military books from various dynasties, from Zhao Rui's "Changduan Jing" in the Tang Dynasty to Qi Jiguang's "Jixiao Xinshu" and "Lianbing Shiji" in the Ming Dynasty, and even General Cai E's "Zeng Hu Zhibing Yulu" in the Republic of China. He had read them all, but he had not put them into practice.

Now, returning to the era of cold weapons, we can integrate the military strategies we have learned into actual combat.

Of course, he first had to follow Lu Zhi, a general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and watch him personally see how he arranged troops, attacked cities, and fought in the field, so that he could learn a lot from him.

"I will certainly live up to the high expectations of my elder brothers. I will definitely follow Dr. Lu to learn real skills and serve the country," Liu Bei said solemnly.

Clan chiefs Liu Jing and Liu Yuanqi looked at Liu Bei with satisfaction and nodded with smiles.

"I'll stay home and prepare for the next few months. Once the summer heat is over, I can set off for Luoyang."

"Yes, ma'am."

Liu Bao, a border herdsman from the south, ate large mouthfuls of roasted meat while saying to Liu Bei:

"Xuande, if you ever become rich and powerful, don't forget me. When you finally achieve great success, don't forget to take your brother with you. Haha."

Liu Bei knew that Liu Bao was brave and impulsive, but also generous and chivalrous, which suited his temperament very well. He immediately said:

"I will never forget the protection my clan has given me."

Liu Bao nodded with great satisfaction and said:

"Hmm. He's a fine man. — Xuande, hurry up and eat some roasted meat. Eat more meat to build up your strength. With strength, you'll have a good spirit."

That's just how straightforward I am.

"Yes."

Liu Bei then began to eat the roasted meat with gusto.

He would occasionally eat a few bites of chives to balance out the greasiness of the pork.

The meal was finished shortly afterward.

Liu Buyi calculated the cost of the meal.

The group left the hotel and headed towards the east gate of Zhuoxian County.

It was already past 1 p.m. in the afternoon.

As they walked, Cheng Xiao, the eastern border patrolman, said:

"Gentlemen, it is now the hour of Wei (1-3 PM). The county magistrate has finished his official duties this morning and is now resting. It will probably be another hour before he begins to adjudicate cases in the main hall. Why don't we all go to the tavern across from the county government office and sit down for a while?"

"Alright."

Liu Jing nodded. "Then let's do it that way."

The group entered the east gate of Zhuoxian County, turned several streets, and arrived at the Zhuoxian County Government Office.

Seeing that the yamen was quiet and there was no one moving around, they knew that they were resting.

So the group went to a tavern across the street to rest for the time being.

Inside the shop stood a burly old man, with sword-like eyebrows, a broad face, bulging eyes, and a menacing expression. He appeared to be around fifty years old. Upon seeing Cheng Youjiao, he immediately stood up from his straw mat and asked with concern:

"Cheng Youjiao, have you caught that murderer named Liu Bei?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao looked embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

Upon seeing the old man with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes, Liu Bei couldn't help but think of an old friend from his previous life—Zhang Fei, also known as Zhang Yide, a man from Yan.

He knew that the old man must be an elder in Zhang Fei's clan.

According to Liu Bei's remaining memories, he knew that Zhang Fei came from the Zhang family of Zhuo County. Although they were not a prominent family, they were still powerful local landlords.

At this time, Zhang Fei should have been around eleven years old.

Liu Bei thought to himself silently, even feeling somewhat excited.

Because he will see Zhang Fei again in this life.

"I would rather die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year than be born on the same day, in the same month, in the same year."

"To be brothers for all eternity."

"Heaven and Earth bear witness to this heart. To betray righteousness and forget kindness is to be condemned by both Heaven and man."

The vows from my past life still echoed in my ears.

Recalling the days when we "slept in the same bed and were as close as brothers (we were not blood brothers, but the affection and kindness between us were just like that of blood brothers)," it feels like it was just yesterday.

Now that he has been given a second chance at life, how could Liu Bei not be filled with excitement?

He stood there, his eyes already moist.

People mocked him as a "crybaby," but they didn't know that a man doesn't easily shed tears, only when he is truly heartbroken.

For a truly great hero to shed tears, the person must be deeply moved and passionate.

Such "sentimentality" is mostly genuine and heartfelt, stemming from deep affection and loyalty.

……

Lu Zhi, courtesy name Zigan, was a native of Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery. He was resolute and principled, and always cherished the ambition to save the world.

—Biography of Lu Zhi, Book of the Later Han Dynasty