Liu Bei: "......"
Good heavens.
Farming tools are more important, aren't they?
"Report! County Governor, there's a man named Zhūgě Xuán asking to see you at the yamen."
Zhūgě Xuán!
Isn't that Zhuge Liang's uncle?
Oh, I remember now.
Zhūgě Xuán initially worked under Liu Biao.
Later, when Zhuge Liang's father passed away, Zhūgě Xuán returned to Langya in Xuzhou to look after the Zhuge brothers.
Xun Yan's eyes lit up; he had also heard a little of Zhūgě Xuán's reputation.
He didn't know how capable he was, but as long as he could read and write.
As long as he could read and write, he could help him share some of the administrative duties.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.
But spring plowing only lasts for this short period.
If he didn't hurry to organize manpower, once they missed it, the harvest in June would be much less.
Liu Bei said happily, "Let's go and meet them!"
Xun Yan gladly went along.
So he accompanied Liu Bei back to the yamen.
"Are you Zhūgě Yìn Yí?"
"And you are?"
"I am the new County Governor of Donghai, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande."
"Greetings, County Governor Liu."
Liu Bei is so handsome?
Not as sleazy as the rumors said.
"This is the County Deputy, Xun Yan of Yingchuan, Xun Xiuruo."
Zhūgě Xuán exclaimed, "It's Xun Xiuruo! I've long admired your name!"
This was genuine admiration, not just politeness.
Xun Xiuruo was a young genius of their generation, his fame spread throughout the Nine Provinces.
It was just that later his reputation was overshadowed by Xun Yu and Xun You.
He didn't expect that after being idle for more than ten years, he would come to assist Liu Bei.
Liu Bei patted Zhūgě Xuán's shoulder, "Come in quickly, I'll make tea for you myself."
"Thank you, County Governor...."
"Are you Zhuge Liang?"
Zhuge Liang bowed, "I am Zhuge Liang."
Liu Bei was very fond of the young Zhuge Liang's well-behaved demeanor.
"Come, let's go inside and talk."
Liu Bei indeed personally brewed tea for Zhūgě Xuán, making Zhūgě Xuán feel that Liu Bei was a person who respected the worthy and sought talented individuals.
Not as bad as the rumors suggested.
Zhūgě Xuán said, "I received the County Governor's letter and immediately set off. I think this is a rare opportunity to learn."
"But I have a question, why did the County Governor invite my nephew to study?"
Liu Bei said directly, "In fact, I not only invited Zhuge Liang, but also other talented youths."
"My purpose is very simple: I hope that after these young people learn skills from me, they can work for me in the future."
"Of course, I won't force these young people to work for me in the future."
"After they have learned, if they feel that our aspirations do not align, they can seek other employers."
Liu Bei pointed to Xun Yan beside him:
"Zhuge Liang can learn administrative affairs by his side, and when he has learned, he can directly work for the County Deputy."
Zhūgě Xuán was quite tempted.
Excellent!
If Zhuge Liang could learn from Xun Yan, his future would be very bright.
However, he was a little worried about Zhuge Liang's safety here, as Zhuge Liang was only 11 years old.
Liu Bei said, "If Mr. Zhuge is worried, you can also come to work at my county office, and I will be very welcome."
"First, Mr. Zhuge can look after Zhuge Liang, and second, you can help me with my work."
"If there are other male members of the Zhuge family, they can come along too."
With such generous conditions, Zhūgě Xuán had no reason to refuse.
Zhūgě Xuán immediately stood up and bowed, "The County Governor's kindness, I, Xuan, am deeply grateful!"
This was considered an agreement.
Liu Bei was in a great mood.
Now he had truly taken the entire Zhuge family.
Although the Zhuge family was rich and Zhūgě Xuán could afford to support several children even if he didn't work, in this chaotic world, an official position was much safer than being idle at home.
Moreover, since much of Langya had been occupied by the Yellow Turban rebels, Zhūgě Xuán had already planned to take the children to Liu Biao.
Since Liu Bei's place was so close, he might as well join Liu Bei's banner.
Even Xun Yan assisted Liu Bei, which indicated that Liu Bei was not too bad.
Since the matter was settled, Zhūgě Xuán no longer wanted to waste Liu Bei and Xun Yan's time. They agreed to move the whole family to Tancheng after tidying up their belongings.
Back in the carriage.
Zhūgě Xuán asked Zhuge Liang, "What do you think of County Governor Liu?"
Zhuge Liang said, "When he was in Pingyuan County before, I heard about him. Everyone said he was a gentle and humble gentleman."
"Having met him today, I think he is a straightforward person."
"From the fact that he personally brought the County Deputy to welcome his uncle, one can see that this person respects the worthy and is eager for talented people."
Zhuge Liang looked out at the people working diligently outside the window:
"Moreover, he implements benevolent governance, builds water conservancy, and opens up wasteland. This road is full of people working, a scene of prosperity."
"Compared to the positive atmosphere in Donghai County, Langya seems much more subdued."
"I like the atmosphere of Donghai County very much. I believe Liu Bei can achieve great things."
Zhūgě Xuán laughed heartily, "Well said, Liu Bei is indeed special."
"Many other county governors are lazy, and engaged in petty struggles."
"Or they once had a full of passion, and the political achievements they worked hard to make were destroyed by the Yellow Turban rebels, and then they lost heart and gave up."
"The former Donghai Prefect, Chang Xi, even became a bandit himself, colluding with the Tai Mountain bandits, making life difficult for the people."
"Liu Bei dares to think and act. He has aspirations and strength, and he has three fierce generals with Ultimate Skills under him, as well as top strategists to assist him."
"I heard he has a strategist named Guo Jia."
"Although young, he is exceptionally wise and leads two fierce generals to clear out bandits everywhere."
"They are undefeated in battle and always victorious. The security in Donghai County has improved significantly."
"Only then can the common people work with peace of mind, without worrying about their hard-earned grain being robbed by bandits."
"Liu Bei has some abilities, which is why I am sending you here to study."
Zhuge Liang said earnestly, "I will study diligently."
After sending off Zhuge Liang and Zhūgě Xuán, Liu Bei said,
"This Zhuge Liang is an extremely intelligent person. Don't let his 11 years fool you; he's much more useful than Guan Yu."
"With his help, your administrative efficiency will increase significantly."
Can this Zhuge Liang be more capable than Guan Yu?
Guan Yu got full marks on all his classroom tests.
In the past few days, working with Guan Yu, he found that Guan Yu was also not simple. He could solve many complex problems himself.
Except for his lack of experience, there were no other flaws.
What's more, he was a military officer!
There was just one problem.
He always left work on time to be with his wife and children, never working overtime.
He had no fighting spirit at all!
If he had just a little fighting spirit, the population census of Tancheng would have been completed.
Soon, Guan Yu was summoned by Liu Bei to the administrative office.
"Tomorrow, accompany me to Pengcheng."
Guan Yu's face fell, "Going on a business trip again" Chapter 37: Setting Off! To Find My Future Brother-in-Law!
Liu Bei pouted, "There are bandits on the road, and I need someone to protect my safety."
Guan Yu said, "What about Zǐlóng?"
"He has to stay and operate the agricultural excavator."
Guan Yu's mouth twitched, "Am I worse than an agricultural excavator!? The population census is very important."
Liu Bei wanted to say, you really are worse than an excavator.
Excavators are rare in this era.
Not to mention an AI-powered excavator?
Xun Yan beside him raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, you guys don't even treat Zhao Yun like a human, and you've invented a new term for me, the agricultural excavator?
What a group of geniuses.
Liu Bei waved his hand, "Alright, the amount of work you have is not much. If you worked a bit harder, you would have already finished."
"Zhuge Liang is here today. He can take over your work in the next two days."
Guan Yu's eyes lit up, "Zhuge Liang is here? Isn't he only in his teens? How did his parents agree to let him come?"
Liu Bei said, "His uncle, Zhūgě Xuán, will come to help and bring Zhuge Liang to study administrative affairs."
"What about Zhang Fei? Has he not returned yet?"
"He's been on a business trip for almost half a month, and you've been staying at home."
"That's different, he's a lone dog!"
Liu Bei said in a low voice, "Don't you understand? Pengcheng, Mi Zhu, his sister Mi Zhen."
"Don't you have dating experience? Brother is asking you to be my strategist! To woo girls!"
Guan Yu suddenly realized.
Oh!
Wooing girls!
Be a strategist!
With this, Guan Yu was no longer sleepy.
He couldn't be a battlefield strategist, but he was good at being a love strategist.
After all, he had a wife, so he had experience in this area.
He patted his chest, "I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Only then did Liu Bei nod with satisfaction, "Go and get busy. Bring a squad of soldiers to gather at the county office tomorrow."
Guan Yu nodded and walked away humming a tune.
Xun Yan looked at Guan Yu, wondering what kind of madness had him so excited about a business trip.
The next day.
Liu Bei disguised himself as a merchant and secretly infiltrated Pengcheng.
The advantage of disguising as a merchant was that he didn't have to visit Táo Qiān's pier and Táo Qiān wouldn't know what he was up to.
It was also easier to approach Mi Zhu.
"Master! There's a merchant named Liu Tian at the outer gate asking to see you. He says he has a business deal worth a million coins."
If it weren't for someone dressed in bright clothes, the gatekeeper wouldn't have come to report.
A million coins, not too much, but not too little.
But someone who could do business of this caliber was no ordinary person.
It was always good to make more friends.
So Mi Zhu said, "Please let him in."
What Mi Zhu didn't expect was that the person who walked in was a handsome young man.
He was dressed brightly and had an extraordinary bearing.
Beside him was a burly, red-faced man acting as a bodyguard.
One could imagine that this Liu Tian was quite wealthy.
The first feeling Liu Bei had upon entering was that this Mi Mansion was truly damn big.
It took several minutes to walk from the side door to the main hall.
Liu Bei bowed, "I am Liu Tian, thirty years old, and still unmarried."
Mi Zhu's face turned dark. Who cares if he's married or not.
Liu Bei continued, "I am in the salt trade business. I have a good deal I'd like to cooperate with Manager Mi on."
Oh?
Salt trade?
"Sea salt or well salt?"
"Sea salt."
Mi Zhu immediately lost interest.
Mi Zhu was the richest man in Xuzhou, and 80% of Xuzhou's salt production was related to him.
The remaining 20% was government salt.
What could this Liu Tian offer him to discuss?
Liu Bei took out a packet of salt, "Please try this salt."
Mi Zhu asked doubtfully, "You say this is salt? Why is your salt so white?"
Liu Bei smiled, "Because I have removed the impurities with a secret method, and the taste is more delicious."
"Oh?"
Mi Zhu licked some, his eyes shining, "There's no bitterness?"
Liu Bei smiled, "Precisely."
Mi Zhu, being a businessman for many years, quickly realized the extraordinariness of this salt.
No bitterness, delicious taste, unique in the market!
This was a huge business opportunity!
If it could be mass-produced and distributed, all the salt revenue in the Han Empire would fall into his pocket!
Of course, this would be difficult, but Mi Zhu had been in business for so long, he had his methods.
So he asked, "Can it be manufactured in large quantities?"
Liu Bei said, "Yes! Manager Mi, as many as you want!"
"May I ask who is behind you...?"
This was asking about Liu Bei's backing.
Liu Bei smiled, "Actually, I am the County Governor of Donghai, an Imperial Clan Member Liu Bei, Liu Xuande."
"This is Guan Yu, Captain."
The implication was that his soldiers were his backing.
Mi Zhu was stunned. He was a businessman with good access to information and had long known that the new County Governor of Donghai was named Liu Bei.
His ability was extraordinary, and he implemented benevolent governance as soon as he took office, loving the people as his own children.
He also heard that Liu Bei was a handsome man, with only one drawback: his speech was somewhat crude.
But having met him today, he found Liu Bei to be a refined, gentle, and modest handsome gentleman.
As expected, rumors are not to be believed.
However, since it was the County Governor doing business with him, the issue of salt trading would be guaranteed.
He was afraid that his salt fields would be shut down by local officials while operating, and then be resold to others.
Then he would have to spend a lot of money to bribe the local officials.
Mi Zhu stood up and said, "Captain Guan, I didn't know your identity earlier, and I didn't offer you a seat. Please forgive my rudeness."
Guan Yu bowed, "It's alright."
Then he sat down.
Mi Zhu flattered him further:
"They all say that County Governor Liu has an imposing appearance and is gentle and elegant. Having met you today, it is indeed so."
Liu Bei secretly rejoiced, "Is this what people outside say?"
That's great, it seems the first impression on my future brother-in-law today is not bad.
Mi Zhu said, "County Governor Liu, Captain Guan, if you don't mind, would you grace us with your presence for a meal? We can talk while eating."
Liu Bei immediately agreed, "Good!"
A banquet was laid out.
They talked about the details of the cooperation while eating.
In fact, there were no details.
It was just that Liu Bei's side would operate the salt fields, responsible for drying the salt, and grant Mi Zhu exclusive distribution rights.
He could set the price himself and the operational strategy himself.
Liu Bei was only responsible for production.
Liu Bei mainly talked with Mi Zhu about aspirations, dreams, and then about why he had been single for thirty years.
Mi Zhu's eyes darted around, and he suddenly said,
"Oh dear, I seem to have drunk too much, I can't even hold my wine cup steady. County Governor Liu, please wait a moment, I'll have my sister come out to pour the wine!"
With that, Mi Zhu ran to the backyard and found his sister Mi Zhen.
Mi Zhu excitedly said, "Sister, I've found a good husband for you. He's drinking outside now. Do you want to go and meet him?"
Mi Zhen frowned, "Another old man?"
Mi Zhu frowned, "How can you speak like that? He's only thirty years old! In his prime!"
Mi Zhen rolled her eyes,
"That's an old man then! I'm not going! Chapter 38: Liu Bei's Little Mi Sister
Mi Zhu was very anxious for this girl; she was already twenty and still picky.
It was all his fault for spoiling this sister so much that even her choice of a spouse had to be approved by her.
But his sister was a homebody.
What could he do?
He could only recommend the people who visited his home.
And these people, if they were single, were either too old, too ugly, or had poor character.
After all, those who could come to his mansion to discuss business were people of status. Handsome young men who hadn't even grown a full beard wouldn't usually come.
It was too difficult to find a mate for his sister...
Mi Zhu helplessly said, "Same old rule, you go and take a look secretly first. If you don't like him, just turn around and leave. Big brother will never complain!"
Mi Zhen wrinkled her delicate nose, "Okay! Same old rule!"
So, Mi Zhen tiptoed to a corner of the dining room and peeked through the crack of the door.
Is the red-faced one Liu Bei?
He's really old, looks like he could be a father.
!!!
However, that pale-faced young man is really handsome!
He looks very young.
He must be Liu Bei's attendant?
A gentle gentleman, he looks refined and elegant.
He's simply my ideal type!
Mi Zhu asked, "How is it?"
Mi Zhen said with a blush, "Brother! I won't marry Liu Bei, but that attendant... I... I..."
Mi Zhu was struck by lightning!
That red-faced Guan Yu?
What's so good about a red-faced, bearded, muscular man?
Is my sister blind?
Normal people know Liu Bei is more handsome.
Could it be that my sister likes this kind of person?
Don't mess with me.
Thinking of that red-faced bodyguard as his brother-in-law, Mi Zhu wanted to find someone to get rid of him.
Mi Zhu said pleadingly,
"Sister, my good sister, stop playing games with me. That person already has a family."
Mi Zhen was struck by lightning!
Has... has a family?
As expected!
Someone so handsome couldn't be single!
As expected!
I have no fate with handsome men!
Am I destined to be alone?
Boo hoo!
Mi Zhen's eyes welled up with tears, and she ran back to her boudoir.
Mi Zhu was stunned.
He never expected that after looking for a mate for his sister for so long, she would be interested in that person.
What's so good about that red-faced, green-robed fellow?
He even suspected that his own aesthetic sense was flawed.
But he couldn't help it. Guan Yu already had a family.
Could the sister of the richest man in Xuzhou be a concubine?
That would truly be letting down his deceased parents.
Mi Zhu had no choice but to return to the dining table and explain,
"My sister is not feeling well and cannot come out to pour wine. I apologize, I will punish myself with three cups!"
Liu Bei quickly stopped him, "It's alright, it's alright, it's no big deal."
Liu Bei was a little disappointed that he didn't get to see Little Mi Sister this trip.
Then there was another round of toasts.
But Mi Zhu did not have a good expression towards Guan Yu.
This made Guan Yu a little depressed.
But Guan Yu was just a college student who had just entered society and didn't know if he had violated any taboos at the wine table, so he didn't dare to ask more.
He could only smile honestly.
After eating and drinking, Liu Bei should return to the inn to rest. He had to return to Tancheng early the next morning.
Suddenly, he bumped into a maid at the entrance of Mi Mansion. The maid hastily stuffed a note into Liu Bei's arms.
Liu Bei calmly put the note away.
Mi Zhu was about to scold the maid for being reckless, when he suddenly remembered: Huh? Isn't this my sister's maid?
I can't scold her, I can't scold her...
My sister will scold me later.
"Ahem, be careful next time."
"Yes... Master..."
Alas, this is what they call looking at the master before hitting the dog, right?
Liu Bei bid farewell to Mi Zhu, then took out the letter from his arms.
Guan Yu curiously leaned over to look, "This isn't a love letter from a maid, is it?"
Liu Bei sighed, "It seems that being handsome is also a crime."
"Come on, hurry up and see what it is."
It read:
【Midnight, meet at the back door of Mi Mansion.】
Now Liu Bei was troubled, "Should I go, strategist?"
Guan Yu's depressed mood from the wine table vanished, and he became spirited.
It's about love, I'm good at it!
Guan Yu grabbed Liu Bei's collar and said reproachfully,
"A girl asks you to meet her in the middle of the night, and you don't go! Are you even human!"
Liu Bei worried, "Out of the blue, could this be a trap?"
Guan Yu said with disappointment, "What trap! Why did you bring me here?