Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

"Oh, I can't let Mother suffer..."

Thinking to himself, Liu Bei put down the long staff in his hand.

With a clang.

The long stick fell to the ground.

Seeing that Liu Bei had given up resisting, the officers and soldiers quickly and easily tied him up.

"take away!"

Cheng Youjiao shouted loudly.

Two officers shoved Liu Bei from behind, shouting, "Let's go!"

Several other officials and soldiers shouted at the onlookers, telling them to make way for them.

Amidst the shoving and jostling between the two officers, Liu Bei turned his head and saw that Geng Yong beside him was pale with fright. He then shouted:

"Xianhe, quickly go and inform my uncle!"

Geng Yong's eyes widened, and he was stunned. After a long while, he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay." He didn't even take the pork he wanted to buy before running away in a panic.

Cheng Youjiao gave a cold laugh, seemingly unconcerned.

The officials and soldiers escorted Liu Bei towards Zhuoxian City in the southwest.

This Shiwulipu is located 15 li northeast of Zhuoxian County, right next to a north-south highway (which was the national highway of the Eastern Han Dynasty). It is a market town similar to the "Happy Forest" occupied by "Golden-Eyed Leopard" Shi En in the novel "Water Margin".

Among them, there were inns, taverns, restaurants, brothels, gambling dens, money exchange shops, butcher shops, salt shops, blacksmith shops, general stores, theaters, herbal medicine shops, clinics, silk shops, warehouses, transit warehouses, and markets—it had everything imaginable.

The reason why there is a place called "Shiwulipu" outside Zhuoxian City is because it guards the main road leading to Youzhou Prefecture (Jixian County) - the Chidao Road, which is located at a crossroads.

Travelers, merchants, and officials, whether from Jizhou in the south or Youzhou in the north, whether heading to Zhuojun in the southwest or Bohaijun in the southeast, would generally pass through this fifteen-mile shop and rest and relax here.

People came and went, bustling about, and gradually Fifteen Mile Shop became prosperous and lively. People from all walks of life mingled there, and people from all over the country came and went in an endless stream. You could hear the local dialects of the thirteen prefectures of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

When Liu Bei was seven or eight years old, he once accompanied his mother, Lady Wu, to this market in Shiwulipu.

As he grew older, he and his childhood friends would often wander around Shiwulipu in groups, watching the wonderful performances on the stage.

Therefore, he was very familiar with the situation around Shiwulipu.

This time, Liu Bei, who was honestly selling straw sandals at Shiwulipu, was identified by the eastern patrol of Zhuoxian County as a key "suspect" in the murder case in the Wild Boar Forest east of the city. He knew he had been wrongly identified.

But this was the late Eastern Han Dynasty, a time of incompetence and corruption in officialdom, with rampant selling of official positions and bribery. Many official posts were even openly priced; a county magistrate with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain measure) only cost 10 million coins, and a prefectural governor with a salary of 2,000 shi only cost 20 million coins. Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, spent 100 million coins to buy the position of "Grand Commandant," the highest of the Three Dukes.

In addition, the intensification of land consolidation led to the wealthy owning vast tracts of land, while the poor had nowhere to stand, resulting in an extremely severe polarization between the rich and poor. Furthermore, frequent outbreaks of epidemics caused widespread suffering and hardship.

Folk songs are sung well:

They enjoy high salaries, ride in luxurious carriages, and wear brocade robes, yet they know nothing of the people's suffering.

A full cup of fine wine, the blood of a thousand families; finely sliced, fatty mutton, the fat of ten thousand households.

The candle wax dripped with tears, and the singing was loud and the complaints were high.

The flock of sheep is entrusted to wolves for tending, and you have failed the court in employing you.

The world is unjust.

Heaven is enraged and people are indignant!

People and gods are outraged!

Iron slurry could erupt from the depths of the earth at any moment, scorching the land.

If there is even one breach in the thousand-mile-long dike, the flood will burst forth and sweep across the land.

After all, the massive Yellow Turban Rebellion was less than ten years away from erupting.

It was the eve of chaos, the darkest and most somber time.

Liu Bei, a mere straw sandal vendor, had no power or influence. Once he entered the government office, he couldn't explain himself even if he was in the right, and he would suffer greatly, if not die.

Because of their family's poverty and lack of money to bribe officials, they were inevitably wronged by the government and forced to confess under torture.

Fortunately, his uncle Liu Yuanqi was skilled in management, had considerable wealth, and enjoyed a certain reputation in Zhuo County.

Furthermore, Liu Jing, the patriarch of the Liu clan in Zhuo County, was a man of great wealth and power, with extensive land and servants, a thriving family, and high moral standing. He also served as the village official of Renyi Township, where Dashulou Sangli was located—the "Three Elders"—making him a powerful local figure and a prominent family in Zhuo County.

Even the magistrate of Zhuo County had to give Liu Jing some face. After all, "governing is not difficult, as long as you don't offend powerful families."

Liu Bei asked his childhood friend Geng Yong to inform his clan uncle Liu Yuanqi, who would then inform the clan chief Liu Jing.

When Cheng Youjiao escorts Liu Bei to the main hall of the Zhuo County government office, his cousin Liu Yuanqi and the others will surely arrive around the same time. They will then speak well of him to the county magistrate and vouch for him.

Having made up his mind, Liu Bei remained calm and composed.

As the group hurried towards Zhuo County, Cheng Youjiao, noticing Liu Bei's calm and composed demeanor, couldn't help but ask:

"Liu Bei, who taught you your swordsmanship?"

"Well……"

As Liu Bei pondered for a moment, he began to ride the wild horse of his thoughts through the past and present.

As a soul that transmigrated from the future, I did indeed practice traditional Chinese martial arts from a young age before transmigrating. I was proficient in both fist and foot techniques and weapons. I was also an active content creator on social media, frequently uploading videos of myself practicing martial arts and interacting with netizens.

Many people admire his videos, while others look down on him.

One of the netizens, nicknamed "Far East Tiger," left a comment in his comment section, saying that he was annoyed to see him showing off online all day long, and wanted to confront him offline to test his abilities.

He knew that this "Far East Tiger" was one of his haters who often made sarcastic remarks in the comments section of his videos, such as "The four basic skills of traditional martial arts - speaking, learning, teasing and singing", "Practitioners of traditional martial arts always use their faces to catch punches, are you scared?" and "Guo Baoguo's personal disciple, lightning five-whip combo", and even said "I can kill you with a shovel".

"If you want to practice, I'll give you a chance. It's reasonable for you to use a shovel and me to use a staff. — Also, whoever calls the police is a coward."

He laughed in anger, then left a message for the hater, wanting to "clash" with them and teach the hater a lesson.

The two sides agreed to meet at Lone Eagle Ridge, a desolate mountain outside the city.

He arrived at the appointment carrying a staff that reached his eyebrows. With just one simple move—an upward sweep of the staff—he directly knocked away the shovel that the anti-fan "Far East Tiger" was swinging, causing the tiger's right hand to ache from the impact.

Immediately afterwards, a stick was thrust into the black powderer's chest, but not with force.

"There's something special about him..."

The hater "Far East Tiger" was immediately impressed.

—That's for sure, he's got some skills, after all, he's had decades of expertise in weaponry.

It should be understood that an ordinary person who practices with a knife for three days can defeat a ten-year combat athlete in a bare-handed attack. This is the fundamental difference between humans and animals: the ability to use tools.

On the way back, they happened to run into the police chasing a drug dealer at the village entrance. The drug dealer, having nowhere to run, took a child hostage.

In the chaos, the child broke free.

He stood in front of the child, urging him to run, but was shot in the back of the heart and killed by the enraged drug dealer.

Before he died, he silently murmured, "No matter how high your martial arts skills are, you can't beat a foreign gun..." and then lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he had already transmigrated to the late Eastern Han Dynasty and become the fifteen-year-old Liu Bei.

After his soul completely merged with that of the fifteen-year-old Liu Bei, a completely new "Liu Bei" appeared in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. — This might be the reward for saving the child.

He quickly grasped the situation around him.

The late Eastern Han Dynasty was the era of cold weapons. For him, who had practiced traditional martial arts since childhood, the hero had a place to use his skills, and his skills were no longer useless "dragon-slaying techniques".

He spent several months familiarizing himself with "Liu Bei's" body, training his muscles and bones every day, especially strengthening his flexibility. He practiced diligently, using a stick instead of a sword, and quickly recovered ninety percent of his strength from the modern world.

There's a saying in boxing: "A fist fears the young and strong, a stick fears the old."

Liu Bei, now with the "mind of an old man" managing the "body of a young man," can be said to be successful in both directions.

At the age of fifteen, Liu Bei was already seven feet five inches tall, which is equivalent to 1.75 or 1.76 meters in modern society.

He recalled that Chen Shou's "Biography of Liu Bei" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms said that Liu Bei "had his hands hanging down to his knees and could see his own ears." Knowing that Liu Bei had a long arm span and big ears, he couldn't help but stretch out his arms, estimating that his arm span was over 1.8 meters.

He had also trained in modern combat sports and knew that fighters with long reach had a significant advantage in actual combat. Especially when throwing straight punches, fighters with long reach could launch a powerful right-handed thrust from outside the opponent's attack range, striking directly at the face and leaving the opponent helpless.

Then, he turned to look at his two ears and indeed could vaguely see the outer edges of them.

"Damn it, the ancients were right. Liu Bei's ears were really huge. No wonder Lü Bu called him 'Big-Eared Thief.' Big ears bring good fortune. No wonder I, Liu Bei, was the chosen emperor. Although I started by selling straw sandals, I was able to become the Great Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han."

He already considered himself to be Liu Bei.

The two souls became one.

Naturally, his martial arts skills in modern society were also fully inherited by this new body.

At this moment, when Cheng Youjiao asked about the origin of his martial arts skills, Liu Bei, after a moment of surprise, immediately replied, "Naturally, I learned it from my father."

Cheng Youjiao then asked, "How long have you been practicing?"

Liu Bei casually replied, "I started practicing martial arts with my father when I was five, and began practicing with swords, spears, and staffs when I was seven. It's been about ten years."

Although Liu Bei is currently fifteen years old, as a time traveler, he has been practicing in modern society for two or three decades and possesses profound skills. What he lacks is only practical combat experience to "determine the winner and decide life and death."

He was well aware of his own abilities.

He knew perfectly well that the patrolman was trying to trick him into revealing information, but he still spoke frankly and without any attempt to conceal his true intentions.

"Then your swordsmanship must be quite superb?"

Cheng You glanced sideways at Liu Bei.

The historical Liu Bei was born in Youbing, a northern region, and was a wandering swordsman. He was a skilled swordsman, though not the best, but enough to dominate a province.

During the Ming Dynasty, some people even fabricated stories, saying that Liu Bei practiced the "Gu Ying Sword Technique".

However, in the early stages of his career, Liu Bei did indeed personally go to the battlefield and kill several people.

It is clear that Liu Bei was skilled in martial arts.

In addition to the soul that traveled through time, carrying a wealth of traditional martial arts knowledge and experience, Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty was indeed a highly skilled martial artist.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei didn't overestimate himself and said calmly, "I don't have much practical experience. To be honest, it's just a bunch of fancy moves."

"oh!?"

Cheng Youjiao clearly didn't believe it. "That corpse in Wild Boar Forest isn't something someone with fancy but ineffective martial arts skills could kill."

"You Jiao, I really didn't kill him."

Liu Bei, somewhat helpless, pondered for a moment, then said, "I cannot prove my innocence right now. After much thought, only by finding the real murderer can I clear my name..."

"How can you be sure you're not the real murderer?"

A gleam of wisdom shone in Cheng Youjiao's eyes.

Liu Bei gave a wry smile: "The patrolman is undoubtedly extremely capable. But even the wisest can make a mistake. I only wish to clear myself of suspicion, therefore, I am willing to assist the patrolman in finding the real culprit."

Cheng Youji sneered, "Why should I believe you?"

"Ugh."

Liu Bei sighed deeply, "My family, the Liu clan of Zhuojun, has always had a good reputation, protecting our community and treating people kindly. As for me, Liu Bei, since losing my father at a young age, I have relied on my mother for survival, never arguing with anyone or making enemies. How could I possibly kill someone without reason?"

At this time, Liu Bei's father, Liu Hong, had died, and only his mother, Wu, was left to support the family, relying on the meager few dozen acres of land they owned to keep the family afloat.

However, various taxes must still be paid on time every year.

To supplement the family income, the mother, Wu, would weave straw sandals and felt hats whenever she had free time.

In addition, Liu Bei had a younger sister who was about ten years old, named Liu Azi.

And a "Chinese rural dog" to guard the house, named "Grey Wolf".

The family of three, along with their dog, lived in Dashulousangli, Renyi Township, fifteen miles southeast of Zhuoxian County. They lived in three thatched houses and a small courtyard, leading a poor and difficult life.

A soldier who recognized Liu Bei also said:

"Cheng Youjiao, this guy named Liu Bei, lives in Dashulousangli. His family is dirt poor. Besides farming, they also make a living by weaving mats and selling shoes. I've known him for a few years and know that he's always been honest, quiet, and I've never seen him argue with anyone. Of course, the only thing I didn't expect was that his martial arts skills are surprisingly good."

"Poor family...orphaned...possessing superb martial arts skills..."

As Cheng Youjiao walked, he pondered for a moment, then silently said, "People like this are very likely to become assassins who work for others..."

After he finished speaking, he gave Liu Bei a meaningful look.

"Becoming an assassin... that's too much to ask..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei gave a wry smile, frowned deeply, and then mustered his courage to ask, "May I ask, patrolman, who is the deceased?"

Cheng Youjiao glared at Liu Bei, his eyes clearly blaming him for "asking a question he already knew the answer to," but after thinking for a moment, he said coldly:

"The deceased was a member of the Zhang family of Zhuo County, a sworn enemy of the Liu family of Zhuo County. His name was Zhang Hun."

"Zhang Hun..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was startled.

……

The emperor was talented and skilled in martial arts from a young age, possessing extraordinary strength. He was fond of combat techniques, excelling in both spear and sword. He carried two quivers and could shoot arrows from either side, hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces away. He roamed the Hebei region and became famous beyond the Great Wall.

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