xymnovel Chapter 34 The world is about to fall into chaos; the one who can bring peace lies with you, my lord
Chapter 34 The world is about to fall into chaos; the one who can bring peace lies with you, my lord
Liu Bei dared not delay, so he quickly tidied his clothes and followed Hou Chong and Shan Jing, riding swiftly out of the city.
On the official road ten miles outside the city, Qiao Xuan's carriage had already stopped by the roadside.
Beside the black carriage of the governor, hundreds of soldiers from the prefecture and county followed, their armor gleaming, their ranks orderly, and there was not a sound of their presence, displaying the majesty of a renowned minister's rule.
Hou Chong and his entourage dismounted and strode forward, bowing respectfully to the carriage: "Hou Chong, Prefect of Liaoxi, along with his officials, respectfully welcomes the Governor!"
"I am deeply sorry that I failed to properly welcome Lord Qiao to Liaoxi!"
The carriage curtain was lifted by the accompanying attendant, and an elderly man nearing fifty, with a lean face and sharp, eagle-like eyes, stepped out.
He was dressed in the official robes of a governor, with a tall and straight figure. Although his face was weathered, he had a dignified air. He was none other than Qiao Xuan, the governor of Youzhou.
Qiao Xuan glanced at the bowing crowd, his gaze not lingering on Hou Chong for long, and calmly said, "Rise, all of you! No need for such formalities!"
Then, his gaze passed over Hou Chong and landed on Liu Bei behind him. His first words stunned everyone.
"Which one of you is Magistrate Liu?"
Hou Chong's heart skipped a beat.
Addressing someone as "Lord" in front of Qiao Xuan was not a good thing, so he quickly replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, this is Liu Bei, the Military Clerk of the Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei stepped forward, bowed deeply to Qiao Xuan, and respectfully said, "This humble servant, Liu Bei, greets Your Excellency, Governor."
"I am but a humble commoner, and dare not dishonor the title of 'Lord'."
Qiao Xuan's gaze fell on him, and he looked him up and down.
The boy before me was seven feet tall, with arms that reached below his knees. I could see his ears, and his appearance was quite imposing.
Despite his young age, he remained calm and composed, showing no sign of nervousness or panic in the face of a prefectural governor.
His brows conveyed a humble yet unwavering demeanor, neither arrogant nor servile, and he never showed his emotions.
Qiao Xuan looked at him, his eyes flashing with undisguised admiration, nodded, and slowly spoke.
"It's rare to see someone so calm and collected."
"Xuande's talent reminds me of an old friend."
"Several years ago, when I met him in Luoyang, I said to him: 'The world is about to fall into chaos, and only a man of extraordinary talent can save it. The one who can bring peace is you!'"
These words caused an uproar among the crowd, who all gasped in shock.
Qiao Xuan's words were extremely high praise.
Some of those present knew about the opportunity, but many more were unaware of who had such a chance.
Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Qiao Xuan looked at Liu Bei and spoke slowly.
"Today, I also pass on these words to you, Liu Xuande."
"The world is about to descend into chaos; the one who can bring peace lies with you, my lord!"
The entire room was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Hou Chong stood there, stunned, his face filled with disbelief, which was then replaced by immense joy.
Yan Gang, Zou Dan, Shan Jing, and the others looked at Liu Bei with eyes full of shock and envy.
Who is Qiao Xuan?
He was a renowned minister, famous throughout the country. With just one word from him, he could make an unknown nobody famous!
If Liu Bei can receive such praise today, why should he worry about not rising to prominence in the future?
Xu Rong gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, straightening his back even more, and looked at Liu Bei with eyes full of pride and joy.
Tian Yu stood to the side, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he had long expected that his lord's talent would eventually be recognized.
Only Liu Bei was slightly taken aback.
He immediately came to his senses and bowed deeply to Qiao Xuan.
His tone remained humble, without a trace of elation or arrogance: "You flatter me, Lord Qiao. I am unworthy of such praise."
"I have only done my duty, guarding the land and protecting the people. I dare not accept the praise of 'pacifying the world'."
Seeing that he remained calm and composed despite such high praise, Qiao Xuan's admiration deepened.
He laughed heartily and patted Liu Bei on the shoulder: "Good! What a remarkable composure in the face of both honor and disgrace!"
"Such poise at such a young age, truly not disappointing this old man!"
He paused, looked at Liu Bei, and asked with interest, "Xuande, what do you plan to do next?"
All eyes were on Liu Bei, awaiting his answer.
Some guessed he would say he would talk about training troops to secure the border.
Some people guessed that he would say he would write a memorial to the imperial court.
Some guessed he would say he would establish friendly relations with the Wuhuan to jointly resist the Xianbei.
Even Hou Chong was secretly wondering what grand ambitions Liu Bei would reveal.
But Liu Bei raised his head, looked at Qiao Xuan, and without hesitation uttered only two words: "Change the oxen!"
The moment those two words were uttered, the entire audience was stunned once again.
Everyone was stunned. Even Qiao Xuan frowned, asking with a puzzled expression, "Exchange cattle?"
"What kind of cow should we get?"
"What does Xuande mean by this?"
Liu Bei bowed and explained, his tone still calm: "Reporting to Lord Qiao, when I went to Liucheng this time, Qiu Liju, to thank me for treating the epidemic, gifted me over a hundred fine grassland warhorses."
"This humble servant intends to replace all these warhorses with oxen."
He paused, then continued, "Liaoxi has just suffered a major epidemic, and the people's vitality has been greatly weakened. In addition, refugees from various counties of Youzhou are pouring into Liaoxi, and there are now tens of thousands of them."
"These refugees have no home and no land to cultivate. Even if the government allocates land to them, they have no oxen to plough and cannot cultivate it."
"Without a harvest, people will eventually leave, and may even turn into bandits and disrupt the local area."
"Warhorses are good, but they can only be used for fighting; they can't protect the people's stomachs."
"Although oxen are slow, they enable people to grow grain, allow displaced people to settle down, and fill the granaries in western Liaoning."
"If the people are at peace, then Liaoxi is safe and sound."
"If Liaoxi is safe, then Youzhou is safe."
"This is what I will do next."
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Qiao Xuan stood there, stunned, looking at the young man in front of him. His eyes were first filled with astonishment, but then gradually replaced by deep admiration and praise.
He originally thought that Liu Bei would talk about training troops, expanding territory, and seeking official positions, but he never expected that what he really cared about was to exchange oxen for farm oxen and let displaced people settle down.
He suddenly understood why this lowly military clerk was able to stabilize a prefecture in Liaoxi during a pandemic that swept the country.
He was able to command the respect of the unruly Wuhuan leader.
He could make the people of western Liaoning feel grateful to him.
Because what he cared about was never his own future or his own power, but the people under his rule and the land beneath his feet.
"Excellent! Excellent! Well done, Liu Bei!"
Qiao Xuan laughed loudly, nodding repeatedly, "I originally thought that it was already remarkable that you could write such a comprehensive book on epidemic prevention, but I never expected that you would have such a compassionate heart and such a broad vision!"
"What this world lacks is not generals who can fight bravely, nor strategists who can speak eloquently, but people like you who have the people in their hearts!"
"You're right, only when the people are at peace can the world be at peace!"
Yan Gang and the others also came to their senses, and their eyes were full of admiration as they looked at Liu Bei.
They previously only thought Liu Bei was capable and resourceful.
Only now do I understand that what Liu Bei valued most was never his strategies, but his benevolent heart that always put the people first.