Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

"Very good."

Fifth Light laughed happily, "Since we parted at the Wu Family Inn yesterday, Xuande's heroic figure has lingered in my heart, unforgettable. To see you today truly makes me very happy. Come! Let me take you to tour Qingxi Manor."

"That's excellent. But..."

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, "Won't this interfere with your important business?"

Fifth Light laughed and said, "I have nothing else to do anyway."

"Wasn't Fifth Lord just elected as the leader of the Fifteen Mile Shop by everyone? There are all sorts of people coming and going from the north and south to the Fifteen Mile Shop, and there must be a lot of things to deal with, many of which require Fifth Lord's intervention," Liu Bei said.

"It's alright, many of Qingxi Manor's retainers can represent me," Fifth Light said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei knew that the retainers of Qingxi Manor, led by Wu Guang, had completely taken control of the entire Shiwulipu area and had replaced Zhang Hun of the Zhang family of Zhuo County overnight, becoming the new front man for Gongsun Hao, the Commandant of Zhuo County.

According to information provided by Wuhuan man Wutulu, Wen Xuancai is the leader of all the retainers of Qingxi Manor.

Liu Bei guessed that Wen Xuan, the steward of Qingxi Manor, was behind the scenes, managing the entire manor while also remotely controlling Wu Guang, using various illegal means to amass wealth in Shiwuli Shop.

When Zhang Hun was the leader, about 70-80% or even 80-90% of the money collected from the fifteen miles shop was handed over to Gongsun Hao, the Commandant of Zhuojun.

Now, Wen Xuan is a retainer of Zhao Xiang, and he has put Fifth Guang in charge of the Fifteen Mile Shop. The money collected may be split 50/50 with the Commandant of Zhuojun.

After all, Zhao Xiang was a cousin of Zhao Zhong, the eunuch in the imperial court.

All the profits Wen Xuan gained from the Fifteen Mile Shop were recorded in the ledger and ultimately handed over to Zhao Xiang. Some of them might even end up in Zhao Zhong's hands.

Although Gongsun Hao was the Commandant of Zhuojun, he naturally did not want to offend Zhao Xiang.

After all, a single word from the eunuch Zhao Zhong in front of the emperor was enough to make Gongsun Hao wish he were dead.

Historically, Lu Zhi, Liu Bei's teacher, was serving as the General of the Northern Army when he led troops to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Because he refused to bribe the eunuch Zuo Feng, who came to supervise the army, Zuo Feng said to him, "If you do not move your troops, you will miss the opportunity to win the battle," which directly ruined his future.

The eunuchs in the central court wielded immense power, and no one dared to disobey them.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei sighed silently, "Since that's the case, then I'll respectfully comply and follow Lord Wu to Qingxi Manor for a tour."

"it is good."

The fifth person was overjoyed.

At this moment, a wandering swordsman standing behind Fifth Light revealed a wary look in his eyes and whispered a few words to Fifth Light.

Upon hearing this, Fifth Light frowned slightly, glanced at Wutulu standing beside Liu Bei, and politely asked:

"Xuande, is this Wuhuan man your friend?"

Liu Bei knew that the retainers of Qingxi Manor had recognized Wutu Lu's identity.

At this moment, when Zhang Fei and Wutulu looked at Fifth Light, their eyes revealed an undisguised anger.

This made Liu Bei somewhat uneasy.

He could only hesitate and say:

"This young man, Zhang Fei, is a friend of mine. He comes from the Zhang clan of Zhuo County. This Wuhuan man is a member of the Zhang clan of Zhuo County and has come to protect Zhang Fei."

"Zhang Fei..."

Seeing that Zhang Fei looked only eleven or twelve years old, Wu Guang didn't think much of it and asked, "What is your relationship with Zhang Hun?"

"He's my cousin," Zhang Fei said in a deep voice.

"I see."

Fifth Light nodded and said, "It's a real pity that your cousin Zhang Hun was killed in Wild Boar Forest."

Zhang Fei calmly replied, "We must not let the murderer go unpunished."

Upon hearing this, Fifth Light looked at Zhang Fei, paused for a moment, and then said:

"Of course. Those who kill shall die; it has always been so."

Zhang Fei was about to speak when Liu Bei reached out and touched him.

This is to keep him from saying anything more.

Zhang Fei could only hesitate, unable to speak further.

Liu Bei hurriedly said:

"Zhang Fei also wanted to see the scenery of Qingxi Manor, so I brought him along."

"It's alright."

On the surface, Wu Guang appeared indifferent, but then asked Liu Bei about the origins of Geng Yong, Qian Zhao, Sun Qing, and Wang Dang.

Liu Bei answered truthfully to each question.

The group then left the tavern.

After passing through the bustling and lively Shiwulipu, we arrived at a huge manor to the east.

The Shiwulipu area runs north-south.

Iron Wall Dock is located north of Fifteen Mile Shop.

Qingxi Manor is located directly east of Shiwulipu, about ten miles away.

Qingxi Manor is divided into a core residential area and surrounding farmland.

Their residential area was built on a hill called Fuluogang.

High walls were built according to the terrain of the hill.

Therefore, the entire fortified village of Qingxi Manor completely covered the entire floating hill.

Fuluogang was already more than ten meters above the ground, and with the addition of high walls, it appeared even more towering. Even if an army came to attack, it would not be able to take it down in a short time.

Following a winding mountain road, the group gradually arrived at the gate of the fortress with the plaque "Qingxi Manor" hanging on it.

Upon entering the fortified village and arriving at the manor, one sees a long street resembling the Shiwulipu (Fifteen Mile Shop).

The streets are lined with houses and shops of almost every kind.

Liu Bei couldn't help but think to himself: The history books say that large manors can become like markets even when they are closed off, and it seems that this is not an exaggeration.

Fifth Guang led Liu Bei and his party up the city wall of the fortified village. From this vantage point, they could see the two or three hundred hectares of land belonging to Qingxi Manor.

Turning to look inside the fortified village, one sees an inner city, which is even more magnificent, with five courtyards.

Clearly, the inner city should be the villa of Zhao Xiang, the owner of Qingxi Manor.

Liu Bei couldn't help but ask:

How many people live in this fortified village?

Fifth Light pondered, "Retainers, guests, followers, tenants, servants, slaves... all of them combined, there are probably one or two thousand people."

Retainers are free individuals who possess certain skills, are supported by their lord, and can decide whether to stay or leave at any time.

Guests are semi-free individuals who are dependent on their lord and work on the land allocated by the lord. They are not registered residents.

"Tufu" is similar to serf, highly dependent on their lord, and not allowed to move freely.

Tenant farmers rented land from their lord through contracts and paid rent.

Retinue, private soldiers who have been dependent on their lord for generations.

A slave is a person who has lost their freedom and is completely dependent on their master. They are supported by their master and are almost equivalent to commodities, which can be bought and sold.

Liu Bei couldn't help but ask:

"Two or three hundred hectares of land is enough for a few hundred tenant farmers to cultivate. Why are so many people living here?"

Fifth Light Smiles:

"Our lord's land in Zhuojun is not just two or three hundred hectares, but two or three thousand hectares. All the harvest must be transported to Qingxi Manor for storage, and there are special people to guard and protect it. When necessary, it can be quickly transported out via the road fifteen li away. If something is expensive, it is sold immediately. If it is cheap, it is stored temporarily. Usually, in the spring, large quantities of grain are sold. In the winter, large quantities of cloth are sold. Therefore, the guards of Qingxi Manor are extremely tight. Some retainers and tenants have simply settled their homes in Qingxi Manor."

Liu Bei listened and nodded silently:

"In short, it boils down to eight words: stockpile goods, buy low and sell high. That's the key to being a traveling merchant."

All the manor owners operate this way.

Including Mi Zhu, the wealthy landowner of the East Sea Manor, who heavily invested in Liu Bei in his previous life.

The group came down from the city wall.

Walk through the long street.

We arrived in the inner city.

Upon entering the city gate, one finds a spacious square.

To the north of the square, facing south, is a five-courtyard complex.

Fifth Guang led Liu Bei and his party into the courtyard, where they sat in the back hall to rest and drink tea.

Wen Xuan, the manager of Qingxi Manor, also came to the flower hall to meet Liu Bei and others.

Seeing that Wen Xuan was about thirty-four or thirty-five years old, wearing a turban and a blue robe, with gentle yet shrewd eyes, and looking like a middle-aged scholar, Liu Bei knew that he was a manor management talent skilled in business and calculation.

Fifth Guang is busy introducing the situation.

"Manager Wen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Liu Bei smiled and bowed to Wen Xuan.

Wen Xuan looked at Liu Bei with admiration:

"You are Liu Bei of Lousang, who single-handedly slew three bandits! Meeting you today, it's truly a case of a young hero emerging! Huo Qubing led eight hundred elite cavalry deep into the Xiongnu territory at the age of eighteen, achieving the greatest merit in the entire army. At twenty-one, he sealed the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain and was appointed Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry. I feel as if I see Huo Qubing's brilliance in you."

Liu Bei hurriedly said:

"Steward Wen, you flatter me. I've heard that among Master Zhao's retainers, there is one who is exceptionally skilled with a sword. I myself have been practicing swordsmanship for several years. Why don't we invite him out to spar with me, to make friends through martial arts and to entertain you all? It would also allow Steward Wen to witness my skills firsthand. That way, Steward Wen's praise of me would not have been in vain."

As soon as he said this, Zhang Fei and Wutulu exchanged a glance and a look.

They thought the same as Liu Bei: this swordsman was very likely the one who killed Zhang Hun.

……

Merchants and traders roamed the four corners of the land; abandoned houses and stockpiled goods filled every city. Rare gifts and precious goods could not be contained in grand mansions; horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs could not be kept in the mountains and valleys. Beautiful boys and concubines filled the brocade chambers; singers and musicians lined the deep halls.

—Zhong Changtong, "Changyan: On Order and Chaos"