Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

Liu Bei was naturally aware of the grudges between the Liu and Zhang clans of Zhuo County, both natives of Zhuo County. In the early years, these two clans had engaged in a fierce battle over a narrow strip of wasteland, several hundred acres, through which the Lai River (today's Juma River) flowed.

Of course, the leaders who directed the clan feuds were all young men from their respective families, while the actual fighting was carried out by their respective retainers and tenant farmers.

Tenant farmers naturally refer to farmers who rent land from landlords to cultivate.

The people who formed the powerful clans' retinues were mainly farmers.

These peasants voluntarily attached themselves to powerful landlords and joined their retinues. In their spare time, they farmed and raised livestock while undergoing some military training. In times of war, they followed their lord into battle, serving as both soldiers and farmers. Therefore, they had a very strong personal dependency relationship with powerful landlords.

Once you become a member of the lord's retinue, you cannot leave your lord at will. You must obey your lord's arrangements in everything and be absolutely loyal to your lord.

Some of the troop members were like loyal followers kept by their lord, while others were like servants of their master.

Their relationship is not simply that of employer and employee; it is a deeper connection that binds their fates together.

However, it is certain that the relationship between these retainers and their lord is completely different from the relationship between officers and soldiers in the army.

The lord has the responsibility to care for and support the families of his retainers, who in turn must obey the lord completely and solely. Once the lord dies, the retainers will still be attached to the lord's family and obey the new lord chosen by that family.

The number of retainers held by powerful landlords varied depending on their strength.

The retainers of powerful families behind figures like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were extremely large, numbering in the tens of thousands.

The clan and retainers of Cao Wei general Li Dian numbered over three thousand, totaling nearly ten thousand people.

As for the number of Liu's retainers in Zhuo County, Liu Bei, as a member of the clan, naturally knew very well that there were about a hundred families and more than three hundred people, of whom more than one hundred were able-bodied young men who could participate in battle.

Naturally, Liu Bei, while in Zhuo County, had also heard that the number of Zhang's retainers in Zhuo County was roughly the same as that of Liu's retainers in Zhuo County.

Therefore, the clan feud between the two families was a back-and-forth affair, with each side winning and losing.

The ownership of that narrow strip of Laishui mudflat remains unresolved. It was only through the mediation of the Zhuoxian magistrate that it was divided into two main areas: one under the actual control of the Liu family of Zhuoxian, and the other under the actual control of the Zhang family of Zhuoxian.

To keep the peace for the time being, the two sides maintained a superficial harmony.

Upon hearing from the patrolmen in eastern Zhuo County that the deceased was Zhang Hun, a member of the Zhang family of Zhuo County, Liu Bei suddenly realized that this matter might not be so simple. There might be many grudges and feuds involved, and it might provoke the two major clans to fall into endless feuds again.

Seeing Liu Bei remain silent, Cheng Youjiao also said coldly:

"Liu Bei, do you dare say you don't know Zhang Hun?"

"I……"

Liu Bei pondered.

According to the original owner's memories, he didn't really know Zhang Hun. He had only vaguely seen Zhang Hun from afar, and at the time he didn't dare to get too close.

However, Liu Bei had heard quite a bit about Zhang Hun's deeds.

Back then, the person who commanded the Zhang family's retainers and tenants in Zhuo County to engage in clan feuds with the Liu family of Zhuo County was Zhang Hun.

Zhang Hun was the eldest son of Zhang Qian, the patriarch of the Zhang clan in Zhuo County. He was twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, brave and warlike, and flamboyant in his actions. He was often followed by six or seven fierce and powerful servants.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei couldn't help but ask, "Was Zhang Hun's body the only one found in Wild Boar Forest? None of his followers were there?"

Cheng Youjiao said in a deep voice, "Judging from the signs of the struggle at the scene, there were indeed only two people. I'm also very curious as to why Zhang Hun would appear alone in the Wild Boar Forest east of Zhuoxian City... I still need to ask you about this!"

He still regarded Liu Bei as the murderer.

Liu Bei was quite helpless about this.

He knew that there were many hidden reasons behind Zhang Hun's murder.

But after thinking it over, it couldn't possibly have been done by the Liu clan of Zhuo County.

The person who led the Liu clan's troops in Zhuo County was Liu Buyi, the eldest son of the clan leader Liu Jing.

Liu Bei knew Liu Buyi very well. He knew that although Liu Buyi liked bravery and martial arts, he was gentle, open-minded, and upright. He would never do something like plotting to kill someone.

Most of the Liu clan members living in Dashulou Sangli were upright and selfless, upholding loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness. They were kind to others, rarely made enemies, and mostly lived honest and dutiful lives. Only when they were unjustly oppressed would they rise up in resistance.

Furthermore, the Liu family of Zhuo County and the Zhang family of Zhuo County have a long-standing feud, making them suspects. Moreover, Wild Boar Forest is close to Dashulou Sangli, making it even less likely that the Liu family would act so blatantly and invite trouble upon themselves.

After much thought, Liu Bei concluded that it seemed as if someone had deliberately assassinated Zhang Hun in the Wild Boar Forest near the Great Tree Sang Village and then framed a member of the Liu family in Zhuo County.

As luck would have it, the poor Liu Bei happened to be passing through that wild boar forest in the early hours of that day.

This case thus falls to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei frowned and pondered deeply: Who would frame the Liu family of Zhuo County?

From what he knew, apart from some disagreements with the Zhang family of Zhuo County over the Laishui mudflats, the Liu family of Zhuo County had almost no grudges with other clans or individuals.

Zhuojun was located in the western part of Youzhou, on the frontier of the Han Empire. It was close to the border and was one of the "Nine Border Commanderies" of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The local people had frequent contact with the Wuhuan people of the ten commanderies that had submitted to the Eastern Han Dynasty. The local people were fierce and martial.

Besides the Liu family and the Zhang family of Zhuoxian County, the most famous aristocratic family here is the Lu family of Zhuojun County.

The Lu family of Zhuojun later became the powerful and influential Fanyang Lu family, one of the five surnames and seven families of the Tang Dynasty, and also the family to which Lu Zhi, Liu Bei's teacher, belonged.

In addition, other prominent families in Zhuojun include the Mao family of Zhuoxian, the Liu family of Fangcheng, and the Sun family of Rongcheng.

These families had no major conflicts of interest with the Liu family of Zhuoxian County, and they even intermarried with each other. They always kept to themselves and maintained friendly relations, and even helped each other.

Who could be so hostile to Zhang Hun that they would even try to kill him?

Liu Bei couldn't figure it out for a moment.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he shouted loudly to Cheng Youjiao:

"Whoever benefits the most from this murder case is the prime suspect."

This statement is a common logic used by police in modern society when analyzing murder cases.

In the absence of clear evidence pointing to a murderer, whoever profits the most from the murder is the most likely suspect.

—Because the person who gains the most benefit has a stronger criminal motive. Therefore, he is the prime suspect.

Hearing Liu Bei's words, Cheng Youjiao also found them intriguing and pondered before asking:

"...So, who benefits the most?"

Liu Bei calmly responded:

"That depends on the investigation by the patrol officers."

"What do you mean?"

Cheng Youjiao looked at Liu Bei's mature and experienced face.

Liu Bei remained calm and said, "Next, the patrol officers only need to investigate who will continue to manage the Fifteen Mile Inn."

Cheng You glanced sideways at him and said silently:

"The Fifteen Mile Shop has always been managed by the city clerk, an official dispatched by the mayor of Zhuo County. The village head and the eastern and northern patrol officers would occasionally help with its management."

—The mayor was a dedicated official in the prefectures and counties during the Eastern Han Dynasty, responsible for market transactions, taxation, and public security. The market clerk was an assistant official under the mayor.

The Township Magistrate was an important official position in the Han Dynasty's basic administrative system (prefecture-county-township-village), mainly responsible for civil affairs, taxation, and judicial matters at the township level, and subordinate to the Magistrate of Zhuo County.

"Lord Yuzuri is absolutely right."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment, then said, "However, these are all things that are out in the open. Secretly, there are still people controlling the Fifteen Mile Outpost. The patrol officer is from the eastern part of the area, responsible for patrolling and apprehending criminals in the area east of Zhuo County. Surely he knows this…"

He believed that Cheng Youjiao was simply pretending to be ignorant.

"oh!"

Cheng Youjiao looked at the fifteen-year-old Liu Bei with interest, a layer of mystery seemingly hidden in his eyes. "Then tell me, who else is secretly in charge of the Fifteen Mile Shop?"

Liu Bei immediately replied, "It's Zhang Hun, who was just murdered!"

"Yeah?"

Cheng Youjiao continued to feign ignorance, "Liu Bei, do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

Liu Bei had no choice but to say, "I sell straw sandals at Shiwuli Shop. Besides paying taxes to the market official, I also have to pay a certain amount of customary money to Zhang Hun. I know the person who came to collect this customary money; he is Zhang Hun's powerful servant. Apart from me, everyone who opens a shop or does business at Shiwuli Shop has to pay this customary money on time. Otherwise, they will be chased and beaten out of Shiwuli Shop by these strong men."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Youjiao let out a heavy, cold snort, and feigned anger, saying:

"Regular fee... Ha! Has Zhang Hun lost his mind, daring to so blatantly collect regular fees at the Fifteen Mile Shop?"

Upon hearing Cheng Youjiao's words, a movie line inexplicably echoed in Liu Bei's mind: "You think you're so great at fighting? What good is fighting? In this world, you need power and connections. Which gang are you from?"

Even a fool would know that Zhang Hun dared to "plant flags" and "establish his base" in Shiwulipu, collecting regular fees (protection money), because he naturally had a protector behind him.

It's good to have a big tree to lean on for shade.

Just like the mountain spirits, monsters, and demons in "Journey to the West," they wreak havoc on the region and kill countless people, but their backers are the heavenly gods revered by all.

The world is often so unpredictable and magical.

……

The clan and its retainers numbered over three thousand households, residing in Chengshi. Later, they voluntarily relocated over thirteen thousand members of their clan and retainers to Ye.

—From the Biography of Li Dian in the Book of Ji Han

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Notes:

Part 1

"Buqu" was originally the name of a military organization during the Western Han Dynasty.

At that time, the general's camp was usually divided into several "departments", whose generals were called "colonels" or "corps generals", and each department had its own clear responsibilities.

The strength of a military unit is not fixed and usually changes according to the needs of the war. Generally speaking, it is around several thousand people.

The character “部” is further divided into “曲”.

One department, overseeing several pieces.

The generals of Qu were called "Junhou".

A single unit has a strength of around a thousand men.

Below the character "曲" are even smaller military units, such as 屯 and 队.

It can be said that in the Western Han army, the Buqu was an extremely important military organizational unit.

However, by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the country was gradually falling apart. Internal conflicts between officials and the people intensified, bandits roamed the border regions, and foreign invasions from other ethnic groups were frequent.

Meanwhile, in the central government of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperors Huan and Ling indulged in pleasure, misled the country and its people, and were incompetent and tyrannical. The two major forces of the empress's relatives and eunuchs took turns to fight each other.

The persecution of the Party Prohibitions further suppressed the scholar-official class, leading to the gradual decline of the Han Empire's regime, the loss of its former authority, and a gradual weakening of its control over local areas.

The problem of the tail becoming too big to handle is becoming increasingly serious.

The signs of the world collapsing and crumbling are faint and indistinct.

Thieves rose up everywhere.

Refugees were everywhere. Among them were bandits who gathered in the mountains.

Signs of great chaos have already appeared.

Those with foresight cannot find peace of mind; they live in constant anxiety.

In response, local powerful families organized private armies and built fortified cities to protect their families, people, and property.

These powerful landlords' private armies gradually came to be known as "retinues".

Thus, a brand-new system of retainers came into being.