xymnovel Chapter 81 Jian Yong
Chapter 81 Jian Yong
Liu Bei quickly thanked him, then changed the subject and said, "Uncle, I have another request to make of you this time."
"When Liaoxi was first established, it was in dire need of manpower, lacking both civil and military officials."
"I want to select a group of loyal and reliable young men from the clan to go with me to western Liaoning, either to serve in the army and guard the border, or to manage general affairs."
"To give them a way to make a name for themselves and to cultivate some future generations for our Liu clan."
These words shocked everyone present, and immediately caused an uproar.
Although the Liu clan is descended from Prince Jing of Zhongshan, it has long since declined. Most of the clan members are trapped in the countryside, either farming or doing small businesses, with no chance of getting ahead.
Now that Liu Bei has offered such a path, who wouldn't be tempted?
Immediately, several young men stood up and shouted, "We are willing to follow you to western Liaoning to make contributions and achieve great things!"
Liu Yuanqi was overjoyed and repeatedly said, "Good! Good! Xuande, your kindness is a blessing to the clan!"
"Uncle, I will now take stock of the clan's young men. Those who are of good character, loyal, and reliable, whether they are literate or martial, will be entrusted to you to take to Liaoxi and be at your disposal!"
This was exactly what Liu Bei had anticipated; it was a mutually beneficial arrangement!
In this era, apart from fathers and sons and brothers, the most reliable relationships are those with the same clan, family, or hometown.
As you can see, most of the important positions under Cao Cao were held by his brothers, the Cao brothers and the Xiahou brothers.
Although Liu doesn't have that many capable people, he can still promote some of them to be his confidants.
"By the way, Uncle, where is my cousin Deran?"
"He went on a study tour, and wrote back just a few days ago! He mentioned arriving in Dongjun, Yanzhou, and making a good friend!"
"Now that you're getting married, I'll immediately send someone to summon him back!"
"Uncle, there's no need for that. Your studies are more important!"
"Haha, he's just going on a trip to broaden his horizons, but in terms of gaining knowledge, how can it compare to following you around!"
Both were people with good intentions. Liu Yuanqi hoped that his son would have a bright future by following Liu Bei's side, and Liu Bei also hoped to obtain reliable talents.
Others could only be envious, since they hadn't invested in Liu Bei beforehand and didn't have a son with outstanding talent!
At this moment, his own son naturally wouldn't catch the eye of the rising and powerful Prefect Liu!
In addition, Liu Bei proposed to establish a clan school in the ancestral home of the Liu clan in Zhuo County.
We invite renowned teachers to come and instruct the children of the clan in reading and martial arts. Regardless of age, everyone can enroll.
Liu Yuanqi and his elders had no objections, and they immediately agreed on the charter and location for the clan school.
With all matters concerning the clan settled, Liu Bei's prestige within the clan reached its peak.
Everyone knows that a great figure is about to emerge from the Liu family of Zhuojun.
After leaving Liu Yuanqi's residence, Liu Bei felt relaxed. He dismissed his attendants and went alone to Jian Yong's residence in the south of the city.
Jian Yong, courtesy name Xianhe, was his childhood friend. He was unrestrained and unconventional, disregarded etiquette, was eloquent, and had a keen understanding of the ways of the world.
In my past life, I wandered for half my life, and many people came and went, many betrayed and surrendered.
Only Jian Yong stayed by his side from beginning to end, never leaving him, not coveting power or wealth. He was the only person in the chaotic world who could shed all his scheming and treat him with sincerity.
Jian Yong's residence was located in a small alley in the south of the city, with the gate slightly ajar.
Liu Bei pushed open the door and entered, just in time to see Jian Yongji sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, holding a wine pot in one hand and flipping through a book in the other. His clothes were disheveled and his hair was messy, completely disregarding his appearance and demeanor, and he was very at ease.
Jian Yong looked up and saw him, and was first taken aback, then suddenly put down the wine pot and stood up.
The two looked into each other's eyes, burst into laughter at the same time, strode forward, and embraced each other tightly without any manners, pounding each other's backs, their hearts filled with the sincerity and joy of old friends reuniting.
"You cunning Liu Bei!"
"Back then, when you left Zhuoxian, you said you were going to study. Unexpectedly, you quietly became the Commandant of Liaoxi, holding military power over an entire prefecture. You were quite impressive!"
Jian Yong laughed and scolded him, then pulled him back to sit down and poured him a full bowl of wine.
Liu Bei picked up his wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and laughed heartily, "Xianhe, without you by my side, the wine in Liaoxi tastes bland."
"I came back this time specifically to see you."
"Liaoxi is vast and desperately needs someone of your talent. Why don't you come with me?"
"OK!"
Jian Yong answered readily, as if they weren't discussing anything important, but rather what to do tomorrow.
Liu Bei was not surprised and readily agreed, "Good! With us brothers working together, what great things cannot be accomplished!"
Upon hearing this, Jian Yong's playful expression vanished instantly.
He put down the wine pot, straightened his disheveled clothes, stood up, took a step back, bowed solemnly to Liu Bei, and said loudly.
"Jian Yong is willing to follow his lord, even unto death!"
This address of "My Lord" signifies the distinction between ruler and subject, and represents a lifelong promise.
Liu Bei quickly stood up, helped him up, and shook his head with a smile, saying, "Xianhe, we've known each other since childhood, like brothers. Why be so polite?"
"In public, just follow the proper etiquette. In private, we can still address each other by our courtesy names. There's no need to be bound by any rules of conduct between ruler and subject. Otherwise, I'll feel uncomfortable."
Upon hearing this, Jian Yong looked up at him and saw that his eyes were full of sincerity, without a trace of falsehood. He immediately laughed and sat down again.
The two men refilled their glasses: "Alright! As you wish!"
"In public, I call you my lord; in private, you're still Liu Bei, the one who went fishing with me, and I'm still Jian Xianhe, the one who got into trouble with you!"
The two drank several bowls of wine together and reminisced about their youth, talking about how they used to fight for justice in the village and discuss their ideals under the mulberry tree, as if it were yesterday.
After several rounds of drinks, Jian Yong stopped laughing and joking, his expression turned solemn. He put down his wine bowl and said seriously, "Xuande, your current situation seems to be full of glory, but in reality, it is fraught with danger."
"Now that I've joined your staff, I should be there to advise you!"
"You should keep a low profile and bide your time. You must not show off your talents again for the time being."
Liu Bei put down his wine bowl and listened attentively: "Xianhe, please speak. I am all ears."
Jian Yong counted on his fingers and slowly analyzed the situation, each word hitting the nail on the head: "Firstly, at the age of seventeen, you have risen to the rank of Commandant of a prefecture, wielding military power over a prefecture."
"You also have a glorious reputation for defeating the Xianbei and controlling the epidemic, so the people worship you as a god."
"Throughout history, this has been extremely rare since the founding of the Han Dynasty."
"The tallest tree in the forest will surely be felled by the wind."
"You are too young, your achievements are too great, and your official position is too high. This will inevitably arouse the jealousy of the court, the envy of the military generals in the border regions, and the criticism of the powerful families."
"Xia Yu is currently very powerful in the court and already resents you. If you achieve further military merits, he will surely frame you in the court. At that time, you will be attacked from both sides and will suffer more losses than gains."
Secondly, the political situation in the imperial court was already in a state of utter decay.
"His Majesty favors the Ten Attendants and seeks to sell official positions and titles. The aftermath of the Partisan Proscription has not yet subsided, and the powerful families and eunuchs are fighting to the death."
"You are a member of the Han imperial family and hold military power. No matter which side you stand on, you will be seen as a thorn in the side by the other."
"The best course of action now is to downplay our presence, stay out of it, lie low in Liaoxi, avoid getting involved in court disputes, focus on developing our own strength, and wait for the right opportunity."