Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

"Mother, I'm going out to take a look."

Fearing things would escalate, Liu Bei hurriedly left the fence gate and ran all the way to the inner gate.

From a distance, he could hear a noisy commotion coming from outside the inner door.

They rushed to the inner gate.

Liu Bei then saw a dozen or so members of the Liu clan, wielding clubs, surrounding Zhang Fei and the Wuhuan man Wutulu, relentlessly stabbing at them.

Meanwhile, some of the tribesmen on the periphery picked up stones and threw them at Wutulu.

Surrounded in the center, Zhang Fei and Wutulu, also holding sticks, stood back to back, blocking the attacks from the Liu clan members while dodging stones flying from mid-air.

But occasionally a few stones would still hit Wutulu.

Wutulu had no choice but to endure it.

"Stop fighting, everyone!"

Liu Bei rushed into the center of the battlefield, raised his hands high, and addressed the assembled clansmen: "My uncles and brothers, please hear what Liu Bei has to say!"

The members of the Liu clan all knew that Liu Bei was a cautious and kind person, so they stopped their insults and waited to see what Liu Bei would say.

"This little boy is from the Zhang family of Taohuawu in Zhuoxian County. His name is Zhang Fei. He is eleven years old this year, four years younger than me. He is a new friend of mine."

After introducing Zhang Fei, Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "A few years ago, the Zhang clan of Zhuo County and our Liu clan of Zhuo County had a fierce clan feud over the Laishui mudflats. Thanks to the mediation of the county magistrate, both clans have maintained their respective boundaries and have lived in peace ever since. It's better to resolve grievances than to perpetuate them; endless cycles of revenge only lead to more trouble. Now that the matter is over and resolved, let's not dwell on it. These days, times are tough, with refugees everywhere and bandits rampant. The Liu and Zhang clans are both from Zhuo County; we should work together to overcome these difficult times."

A member of the tribe shouted:

"Xuande, you don't know, back when the Liu and Zhang clans clashed on the Laishui mudflats, it was this Wuhuan man who seriously injured several of our clansmen. Now, this brat dares to cause trouble in Lousangli, how can we let him off so easily?"

Liu Bei sighed and said:

"Although clan feuds are not actual wars, they are in a similar way to battles. Once on the battlefield, everyone must go all out to defeat the other side. This Wuhuan man was originally a retainer under the Zhang clan. Would he dare not fight with all his might? Besides, our retainers have also injured quite a few members of the Zhang clan."

At this moment, another clansman pulled over the village head of Dashulou Sangli and said to Liu Bei:

"Xuande, let's leave aside the feud between the Liu and Zhang clans for now. This morning, these two men came to Dashulou Sangli, claiming to be your friends and wanting to visit you. As the village head of Dashulou Sangli, I couldn't verify their identities and was afraid they might try to deceive us and cause trouble after entering the village, so I politely asked them to wait outside the inner gate. Who knew this Wuhuan man would be so rude and actually force his way in! I stepped forward to stop him and was punched and pushed to the ground! To this day, my heart still aches."

"It's my fault! It's my fault! It was Liu Bei's oversight. I should have told Uncle Qi in advance yesterday that I had a friend visiting."

Liu Bei felt extremely ashamed. Without saying a word, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the village head, apologizing, "Seventh Uncle, please accept this bow from your nephew Liu Bei. Although I have only met this Wuhuan man once and do not know him well, since he is a retainer brought by my friend Zhang Fei, it is I, Liu Bei, who should apologize. I will also bear the cost of your medicine, Seventh Uncle. I only ask that you, Seventh Uncle, and all my uncles and brothers, let Zhang Fei and his retainers go."

Seeing Liu Bei's reaction, the clansmen knew they couldn't say anything more.

Uncle Qi, who was also the village head, said:

"Xuande, please rise quickly. Your seventh uncle is not that frail. It's just that this Wuhuan man is far too rude and uncouth. The tribesmen have already taught him a lesson with sticks. Let's leave it at that."

"Thank you, Uncle Qi."

Liu Bei then stood up from the ground.

The crowd dispersed.

Liu Bei then turned to Zhang Fei and Wutulu and said:

"It was my mistake to inform Uncle Qi that you were coming to visit me."

"Brother Xuande, after returning home yesterday, I specifically asked my cousin Zhang Jun, who is in charge of the western investigation. He said you are indeed not the murderer, and that you have a very good reputation, being a well-known filial son in the surrounding area. So, this morning I came to Lousangli as agreed, so that we could go to Shiwulipu together to investigate."

Zhang Fei also felt somewhat embarrassed, his eyes filled with remorse. "At first, the village chief wouldn't let us in, but we didn't say anything. We just waited outside the inner gate and had your clansman tell you. Who knew that one of your clansmen would curse Wutulu, saying, 'The Wuhuan people are all wolves and jackals, their hearts are never dead.' That's what provoked Wutulu's fiery temper. He forced his way through the inner gate, pushed down the village chief, and wanted to argue with that man. I'm really sorry to have dragged you into this."

Liu Bei understood immediately upon hearing this.

He lived in the Great Tree Lousangli, so he naturally knew his people very well.

On the one hand, the clansmen still vividly remember and harbor resentment over the clan feud between the Zhang and Liu families in Laishui years ago.

On the other hand, although the Wuhuan people surrendered to the Han Dynasty and were settled in various counties of Youzhou, they were not at peace and frequently launched rebellions, plundering government offices and massacring heroes, clans and powerful families of the prefectures and counties. Therefore, the fickleness of the Wuhuan people was deeply hated by the border people.

The border people often insulted the rebellious Wuhuan people as "jackals" and "raccoons".

Gradually, these insults reached the ears of the Wuhuan people.

The Wuhuan people were naturally very uncomfortable with this, considering "jackals and raccoons" to be the most offensive insult in the world. Upon hearing someone use these words to insult them, they would immediately become enraged and even draw their swords.

Liu Bei also had a good understanding of the Wuhuan people's character.

In fact, not all Wuhuan people were fickle. Some Wuhuan people who accepted Han culture abandoned their nomadic lifestyle, began to learn farming from the Han people, and settled down. They gradually integrated into the Han people and even became no different from them.

Only those who still adhere to the Wuhuan tradition continue to live a nomadic life, moving with the water and grass, and hunting on horseback.

Another group of Wuhuan people lived the lives of both Han and Wuhuan people. They settled in Youzhou to farm, settle their wives, children and elderly parents, and at the same time herded cattle and sheep in the border areas, managing to do both without neglecting either.

They maintained contact with both the Wuhuan people beyond the Great Wall who were unwilling to submit to the Han Dynasty and those who had submitted to the Han Dynasty.

Wutulu was a person who was half Han Chinese and half Hu (non-Han) in nature. He farmed and herded livestock, but not in the border regions. Instead, he lived in the forests and manor of the Zhang family in Zhuo County.

Liu Bei never held much prejudice against the Wuhuan people, believing that they were just like him, only with different lifestyles and cultural backgrounds.

Historically, a group of Wuhuan cavalry did indeed follow Liu Bei in his campaigns. Because of Liu Bei's magnanimity and kindness, they never abandoned him. Although many perished in the wars, some survived and followed him to Sichuan, where they eventually died of old age.

After much thought, Liu Bei realized that his own clansmen had also made mistakes, resorting to sweeping generalizations and making sweeping generalizations. Therefore, the entire blame for this conflict cannot be placed on Wutulu.

Therefore, Liu Bei said to Wutulu:

"I also apologize to you on behalf of my clan. It was indeed wrong of him to insult you. In any case, you have always been loyal and righteous to the Zhang clan and have fulfilled your duty as a subordinate."

At this moment, Wutu Lu's anger subsided, and he sighed:

"Xuande, this matter originally had nothing to do with you, but now you're caught in the middle... Sigh, it's my fault for being too impulsive. After all, they are all your clansmen, I should have at least smiled and let it go for your sake. It's my fault, my fault."

Liu Bei smiled, patted his back, and said in a deep voice:

"You've already given me a lot of face. With your strength as a superhuman, if we really fought, several of my people would probably be seriously injured. I see that you're only defending, so I know you still have good intentions."

"I stopped him from making a move."

Zhang Fei hurriedly said, "Now that we are friends, the Liu and Zhang families should not create new enmity. Besides, we need to cooperate sincerely to investigate the murderer of my cousin. Brother Xuande, let's head to Fifteen Mile Inn to visit Qingxi Manor now."

"No rush, I've already invited a friend to go with me."

Liu Bei said calmly.

Zhang Fei hurriedly asked:

"Who?"

Liu Bei pointed to the dense forest ahead and said, "Hey, he's here."

Zhang Fei looked up and saw a man riding a white horse out of the dense forest, galloping towards Lousangli.

……

They were skilled in riding and archery, and made their living by hunting birds and beasts. They grazed their livestock wherever there was water and grass, and had no fixed abode. They valued the young and despised the old, and were of a fierce and unruly nature. When angry, they would kill their fathers and brothers, but would never harm their mothers.

—From the "Biography of the Wuhuan and Xianbei" in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty