Three Kingdoms: Rebirth of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie

They then traveled about ten miles to the southwest.

We emerged from a dense forest.

In the blink of an eye.

Liu Bei then saw a magnificent city standing on the land of Yan and Zhao.

This city is naturally Zhuoxian County.

He also frequently came to the city to sell straw sandals and mats, and was familiar with the local customs and practices.

Ambitious and with a deep affection for his hometown, Zhuoxian County.

After traveling back to the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he wanted to make Zhuo County his base for starting his business in the future.

Because he knew that Zhuoxian County was of extremely important strategic location and was also a fertile land for agricultural reclamation.

For Liu Bei, who had dreamed of becoming an emperor since childhood, establishing his hometown of Zhuo County as his base, gradually occupying the entire Youzhou region, uniting the various Hu tribes as a stable rear, and then advancing into the neighboring Jizhou to win over the hearts and minds of the people and gain territory was the only way to seize the world.

Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang started his rebellion in Pei County, relying on the elders of his hometown as his base, and eventually seized the world.

Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu rose to power in Youji and, with the help of the northern cavalry, quickly conquered the world. Among the twenty-eight generals under his command, more than half came from his hometown, Nanyang County.

Not to mention Zhu Yuanzhang in later generations.

This demonstrates the importance of hometown communities in the process of ancient emperors establishing their dynasties.

For Liu Bei at this time, Zhuojun was the place he envisioned as his place of origin. — In this life, the land of Sichuan, with its mountains and rivers, was completely outside his plans.

As the gateway between You and Ji, Zhuoxian is bordered by the majestic Taihang Mountains to the west, the capital of the Yuan and Ming dynasties to the north, and the North China Plain to the east and south. It was one of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun during the Tang and Song dynasties and was known as "an unparalleled strategic location on the border of the sun and the most troublesome prefecture in the world".

Having been given a second chance at life, Liu Bei was determined to choose his hometown of Zhuo County as his base, then occupy the entire territory of Youzhou, and eventually seize the whole world.

This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of careful consideration.

Of course, Gongsun Zan of Liaoxi thought the same thing, but although he was exceptionally brave, he lacked great talent and strategy, and ultimately failed, losing to Yuan Shao.

The people of Zhuoxian County are known for their fierce and valiant nature. Located in the Yan and Zhao regions, they are home to many generous and tragic figures, as well as loyal and chivalrous individuals.

Liu Bei grew up in Zhuo County, Zhuojun, and was immersed in the chivalrous spirit of Yan and Zhao, so he was naturally influenced and nurtured by it.

A white horse adorned with golden bridle gallops swiftly northwest. "Whose son is he?" I ask. "A chivalrous youth from You and Bing!" I inquire. "Leaving his hometown young, his fame resounds across the desert." "He sacrifices himself for his country in its time of crisis, regarding death as returning home!"

This kind of chivalrous life was exactly what the fifteen-year-old Liu Bei secretly longed for.

It's just that his family is poor right now.

Once he becomes wealthy, he will definitely want to become a carefree wandering knight-errant in Youbing, and experience the exhilarating life of swift swords and fast horses, and the joy of settling scores.

The reason why Liu Bei "did not enjoy reading much, but preferred dogs, horses, music, and fine clothes" was due to the influence of the surrounding customs of Youyan.

The Han general, Piao Yao, charged into the Xiongnu court. A young man, full of fierce spirit, roared in anger to fight for his lord.

Although born on the frontier of the Han Empire, Liu Bei, who was strictly disciplined from a young age, possessed a heart of loyalty, righteousness, and benevolence that was as firm as a rock and unbreakable.

After a soul from the future inhabited his body, he became even more intolerant of the world turning into a chaotic place where "people eat each other" and "for a thousand miles there is no crowing of roosters, and white bones are exposed in the wild." He could not stand seeing officials and powerful figures oppressing the good and kind. He vowed to change the world, restore order to humanity, and recreate the glory of the Han Dynasty.

"Murderers and arsonists live high positions, while those who build bridges and repair roads are left without a trace. The world shouldn't be like this, and people shouldn't be like this..."

Thinking of this, Liu Bei sighed inwardly.

"Xuande! Xuande..."

Hearing someone call his name, Liu Bei, who was lost in thought, hurriedly turned around and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a person riding a horse galloping from the dense forest in the distance.

He quickly recognized the person who had come.

"Brother..."

Liu Bei murmured to himself, overjoyed.

The visitor was Liu Buyi, the eldest son of Liu Jing, the patriarch of the Liu clan in Dashulou Sangli.

Cheng Youjiao and the others also stopped in their tracks.

The horse galloped close and then came to an abrupt stop.

The burly man Liu Buyi dismounted and landed in front of Liu Bei.

"Is Xuande well?"

Liu Buyi hurriedly asked.

"Thank you for your concern, brother. I am doing well."

This means that although they have been apprehended by patrol officers, there is no immediate danger of further action.

Liu Bei was relaxed and carefree, without any fear.

This put Liu Buyi at ease.

Liu Buyi was around twenty-five years old, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, high cheekbones, a red turban, and a crimson brocade Hu-style outfit. He had a long sword at his waist and a tall, imposing figure.

He had the air of a powerful young master from the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Buyi bowed to Cheng Youjiao and said, "You've worked hard, Youjiao."

Cheng Youjiao clearly recognized Liu Buyi and quickly said, "Young Master Liu, there's no need to be so polite. What brings you here on horseback?"

"My cousin Liu Bei is known throughout the village for his filial piety, righteousness, prudence, and virtue. I never imagined he would cause you so much trouble today, and my father feels deeply apologetic. It is now nearly noon, so I invite you to sit and chat at Wu's Inn outside the east gate of the county town. I wonder if you are busy with official duties, Officer You?"

When Liu Buyi spoke, he was neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone was calm.

The Liu family of Zhuo County was, after all, a powerful and influential family in the area, and even the prefect and magistrate had to give them some respect.

After hearing Liu Buyi's words, Liu Bei knew that his childhood friend Geng Yong had quickly informed his clan uncle Liu Yuanqi. Liu Yuanqi then immediately found the clan chief Liu Jing, who, upon hearing the news, immediately began to make arrangements.

After all, Liu Bei's grandfather Liu Xiong and father Liu Hong were both outstanding members of the Liu family of Zhuo County. They had been recommended for their filial piety and integrity, and had served as county magistrates or assistant officials. They were highly respected in the clan.

Before his death, Liu Hong entrusted Liu Bei, his mother, and his siblings to the clan chief Liu Jing, asking him to take good care of them.

Liu Jing therefore often disciplined the young Liu Bei, teaching him to be careful in his words and deeds and to be filial to his parents.

Upon hearing that Liu Bei was being pursued by the Eastern Border Guard on suspicion of murder, Liu Jing quickly dispatched his eldest son, Liu Buyi, to meet with the Border Guard alone.

Liu Jing had Liu Buyi invite Cheng Youjiao to the Wu family hotel for a chat, hoping to find out what the situation was like and see if there was any room for maneuver.

If Cheng Youjiao accepts the invitation, then the matter of Liu Bei's suspected murder can still be somewhat resolved.

If Cheng Youjiao does not accept, it means the matter is of great importance and very urgent, and other preparations must be made.

However, by this time, Cheng Youjiao had already been persuaded by Liu Bei along the way, and he admired Liu Bei's wisdom and courage. He had begun to change his opinion and no longer insisted that Liu Bei was the murderer of Zhang Hun.

Therefore, he immediately nodded in agreement to Liu Buyi's invitation:

"Alright, we can go to the county government office after lunch."

……

The ancient Xuanyuan clan settled in You, surpassing even the Han dynasty, establishing prefectures and appointing marquises. The constellation Hengwei, the natural barrier Haogou. Extending westward to the inner chambers, northward to the imperial capital. Mount Dulu, the Mangniu River. The ancient sites of Yuan and Fan, the upper reaches of Ying and Mo, countless wells, where the people gathered. In this enlightened era, the customs were both bold and gentle.

—From the "Book of Ji Han: Records of Zhuo County"

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Notes:

1. Zhuoxian County —

Zhuoxian City was the seat of Zhuojun Prefecture, and also the seat of Zhuoxian County.

Therefore, the prefectural government of Zhuojun, also known as the prefectural governor's office, was only a few streets away from the county government of Zhuoxian.

Just like Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, which was under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture, there were Chang'an County and Wannian County within the city, and several other counties under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture outside the city.

Similarly, Zhuoxian County and its surrounding townships are also under the jurisdiction of Zhuoxian County.

Zhuojun was similar to a prefecture-level city in modern society, and was considered a prefecture-level administrative region, but it belonged to the provincial-level administrative region of Youzhou.

Youzhou was one of the thirteen provincial-level administrative regions of the Han Empire, under which were eleven commanderies and kingdoms: Zhuojun, Guangyangjun, Shanggujun, Yuyangjun, Youbeipingjun, Liaoxijun, Liaodongjun, Xuantujun, Lelangjun, Liaodong Dependent Kingdom, and Daijun.

The Liaodong Dependent State, equivalent to a modern-day ethnic autonomous region, was specifically established by the Han Empire to manage nomadic peoples such as the Wuhuan and Xianbei who had submitted to the Han. It held the same administrative level as a prefecture.

Zhuoxian County is named after the Zhuo River. There is a mountain in the county called Dulu Mountain, which also gives Zhuoxian the name "Zhuolu".

In ancient times, the Yanhuang alliance army fought against Chiyou's army of the Dongyi tribe in the fields of Zhuolu.

During the Warring States period, when Jing Ke attempted to assassinate the King of Qin, he presented a map of Dukang in the State of Yan, which led to the name "Dukang" being listed in the ancient book "Records of the Grand Historian," making it famous throughout history.

The Dukang region refers to the Zhuoxian area.

The reason why Prince Dan of Yan had Jing Ke present the map of Dukang to the King of Qin, and why the King of Qin also coveted the land of Dukang, was because it was a rich and fertile region.

Zhuoxian County has a flat terrain and fertile land, making it extremely suitable for farming. It is also rich in products, and salt, iron, timber, and horses are traded here. It has always been known as the "fertile land of Youyan" and the "rich land of Dukang".

—If the Dukang (a strategic location) is lost, Yan (an ancient state) will surely perish.

The Dukang region was the agricultural center of the Yan state, and militarily, it was also its vital strategic location. It was absolutely not to be touched by others.

The character 督 (dū) means to supervise, to be in charge, to be central, or to oversee.

The character 亢 (kàng) refers to the high position, throat, and neck.

The Qin Emperor's unification of the six kingdoms and his occupation of Dukang was an extremely important step.