xymnovel Chapter 2: The First Regret of the Predecessor
Chapter 2: The First Regret of the Predecessor
Liu Bei's words not only stirred the hearts of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, but also strengthened their own aspirations and integrity.
These past few nights, he tossed and turned, repeatedly comparing his memories of his past life with his current situation, and his understanding of it became increasingly clear.
In this chaotic world on the verge of collapse, and in countless chaotic worlds to come for the next thousand years, for someone of humble origin, without family tradition of learning or lineage to rely on, the fastest, most direct, and almost only way to rise above others is through military merit.
Liu Yu, a man of humble origins, relied on the swords of the Northern Army to eventually replace the Jin dynasty and establish the Song dynasty.
Zhao Kuangyin rose from humble beginnings, relied on the Chenqiao Mutiny, and was crowned emperor.
Zhu Yuanzhang, born a beggar, wielded a three-foot sword, drove out the barbarians, and restored China. His starting point was even lower than that of weaving mats and selling shoes.
What makes them so special? It's their ability to fight their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, their fighting skills, their ability to win, and their ability to wield the strongest weapon!
On the other hand, why was the first half of the life of the original owner of this body, "the First Lord" Liu Bei, so full of hardship?
Liu Bei examined himself and reflected deeply on his mistakes.
The most crucial point is the early stage: insufficient martial arts skills and lack of reputation!
In his youth, he was only interested in "dogs and horses, fine clothes, and music," and made friends with chivalrous heroes. Although he accumulated some local reputation, it was limited to a small corner of Zhuojun.
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out and the world was in chaos, while others rose rapidly through military merit, what did Liu Bei have?
In his youth, he only thought about fine clothes, horses, and music, neglecting his studies. Even under the tutelage of the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, he didn't learn any real skills.
Therefore, Dong Zhuo, who also did not come from a noble background, was able to rise step by step as a fierce general from Liangzhou and eventually depose and install emperors; Sun Jian, the son of a county official, relied on suppressing the Yellow Turbans and pacifying Bian Zhang to be enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wucheng early on, and rose to the position of Prefect of Changsha and General Who Destroys the Enemy.
Even after the warlords began to carve up the land, Liu Bei never had a stable base of his own. One step behind led to another, ultimately wasting half his life and leaving him with only the regret of "three kingdoms".
"Since there's no going back..." After several nights of hesitation and fruitless attempts at returning from the beginning of his journey, Liu Bei hardened his resolve by the candlelight. "Then the only option is to move forward and unify this chaotic world. To reduce the deaths of tens of millions of people and prevent the tragedy of the Five Barbarian Invasions."
To earn military merit, one's personal martial arts skills, especially the art of killing on the battlefield, must be outstanding. Among all military skills, archery is paramount, with mounted archery being the most valued.
The two armies faced off, their bows and crossbows filling the sky; in pursuit of the fleeing enemy, their cavalry and archery displayed their might.
Looking back at the famous generals from my past life, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Li Guang, and even Dou Xian and Geng Gong of this dynasty, which one of them wasn't an expert in horsemanship and archery?
Even Lü Bu was known for his "skill in archery and horsemanship, and his extraordinary strength," earning him the title of "Flying General."
Therefore, for the past two weeks, he has abandoned fine clothes and banquets, spending his days studying military books and strategies, and his nights practicing riding and archery skills.
The two-stone hard bow, which he had acquired from the market, had its bowstring broken countless times, and his ten fingers were covered in thick calluses from being worn down.
The original owner had a good physical foundation, superhuman arm strength, and decent archery skills, but relied entirely on physical strength.
What he needed was stability, precision, and the skill to kill with a single blow even on a bumpy horse. That simply came down to practice.
This is also the first regret he wants to make up for—wasting his youth!
The golden goblets and jade cups of yesteryear at banquets have been replaced by rough hemp clothes soaked with sweat on the training ground; the clear and melodious sounds of stringed instruments used to accompany singing have been transformed into the sharp whistling of bowstrings and the piercing whistle of arrows cutting through the air.
As he was pondering this, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard, and a voice, tinged with a hint of arrogance yet unable to conceal panic, shouted:
"Lord Xuande! Lord Xuande! Disaster has struck!"
The curtain was suddenly flung open, and a young scholar wearing a scholar's cap and a light blue robe stumbled in.
He was about the same age as Liu Bei, with a thin face, but now his face was flushed red from running, and his hat and clothes were askew. He was Jian Yong, Jian Xianhe, Liu Bei's childhood friend and fellow townsman.
"Xianhe? What's the matter?" Liu Bei turned around and asked in a deep voice.
Jian Yong was unrestrained and unconventional, but he rarely lost his composure like this.
"Taiping Road!" Jian Yong gasped for breath, pointing in the direction of Zhuoxian City.
"Hundreds of followers of the Way of Peace gathered from nowhere, a dense, ant-like mass, and surrounded Zhang Shiping's warehouse and stables in the west of the city! They accused Zhang Shiping of being rich but heartless, hoarding goods and profiteering, and demanded that he be punished 'on behalf of Heaven,' plundering his wealth and distributing it to the starving people!"
He took a breath: "Zhang Shiping shut the doors tightly, and with over a hundred henchmen and followers, he held the fortified position against the wall. He sent one of his trusted men, risking his life, to crawl out through the dog hole and come begging for help! He said... he said that if our lord doesn't come to our aid, he will surely be reduced to dust today!"
A cold glint flashed in Guan Yu's phoenix eyes: "I told you long ago that Zhang Shiping's ostentatious behavior would inevitably cause trouble!"
Zhang Fei flew into a rage, grabbed his eighteen-foot spear leaning against the wall, and shouted, "You dog! How dare you touch my fine horse? I'll poke a hundred holes in it right now!"
This eighteen-foot-long spear had a special name at that time, called "shuo", which was later written as "shuo". It was the main long weapon used by cavalry in charge of battle.
Its construction involved a total length of over eighteen feet. Upon closer inspection, one could see the tightly intertwined vine patterns and the warm, lustrous sheen of the lacquered shaft—this was precisely the "bamboo-wood shaft" that elite cavalry were equipped with: a core of hardwood, wrapped with multiple bamboo strips, then glued together with raw lacquer, tightly bound with silk rope, and finally repeatedly coated with lacquer and dried in the shade. The shaft made in this way combined strength and flexibility, making it difficult to break in mounted combat.
The iron blade attached to the head of the spear is more than one foot long than a Han dynasty foot. It is often double or quadruple in shape, sharp and long, and is specifically designed for piercing armor and thrusting.
Whether it's the intricately crafted shaft or the armor-piercing blade that requires hundreds of forgings, both are extremely expensive, far exceeding the cost of ordinary iron spears. Only powerful families can possess them, and only the strongest and most powerful generals can wield them.
Although Zhang Fei's family was wealthy, acquiring such a weapon was not easy. He cherished it greatly and rarely used it except in battle.
Without saying a word, he grabbed the eighteen-foot-long spear, showing that his killing intent was burning. If he were allowed to act recklessly, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause.
"Third brother, wait!" Liu Bei stopped Zhang Fei and looked at Jian Yong. "Xianhe, did they display any banners? Who is the leader? Are they armed?"
Jian Yong thought for a moment and said urgently, "There were no banners, only yellow turbans covering their foreheads. There were several leaders, the loudest of whom was a burly man with a dark face and a thick beard, and another tall, thin man dressed as a Taoist priest. Most of the group carried sticks and plows, but... but the leaders and the dozens of strong men beside them seemed to be carrying sharp weapons, they were definitely not ordinary refugees!"
Liu Bei saw this clearly.
What "punishing the guilty on behalf of Heaven" is nothing more than a low-level leader of the Taiping Dao who, seeing that Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, two wealthy merchants who travel between You and Ji, have no strong support, wants to take advantage of the situation to make a quick buck. He wants to win over the starving people and replenish his "religious funds" to raise money and supplies for the upcoming big event.
And what Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang were deliberately trying to befriend this "hero" who had some reputation in Zhuojun was precisely the kind of protection they were seeking today.
The opportunity is here.
"Prepare the horses," Liu Bei decisively ordered.
He strode to the wall, took down the two-stone hard bow that had been with him for half a month, tested the bowstring, and then carried a whole quiver of birch bark arrows on his back. These arrows, with birch bark shafts, were lightweight and their biggest advantage was their extremely low cost, making them very suitable for a civilian hero like him.
The pair of ancestral swords hung at his waist, one on each side.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were already used to obeying orders. Zhang Fei rushed out of the courtyard gate and roared to gather the servants and followers.
Guan Yu quickly inspected his ring-pommel sword and spear, and then brought Liu Bei a magnificent horse that was entirely black with snow-white hooves—the most spirited of the fifty fine steeds given by Zhang Shiping, which Liu Bei named "Dilu".
Before long, more than thirty able-bodied men from the village had assembled.
Most of these men were local youths who were brave and reckless, or fugitives who came to join Liu Bei because of his reputation. Although they had no military discipline, they were all fierce and valiant, carrying ring-pommel swords, halberds, and clubs. More than ten of them also carried hunting bows.
Liu Bei mounted his horse with practiced ease; the results of his half-month of arduous riding training were already evident. He flicked the reins, and "Dilu" raised its head and neighed loudly, galloping ahead out of the manor.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei each led their troops, following closely behind. The sound of hooves was like the beating of drums, kicking up yellow dust, heading straight for the west of Zhuoxian City.
Zhang's Goods Storehouse, west of Zhuoxian County.
This place was originally a bustling marketplace where merchants gathered, with granaries and inns built on rammed earth foundations and covered with tiles.
In this day and age, warehouses combine warehousing and trading, and are often surrounded by high walls, resembling fortified villages, standing side by side.
But at this moment, it was a complete mess.
Hundreds of men wearing yellow turbans surrounded a particularly tall warehouse, making it impossible to pass through.
Most of them looked pale and sickly, dressed in tattered clothes, waving wooden sticks and plows, shouting "Rob the rich and help the poor, and the world will be at peace!"
The warehouse gates were tightly shut. On the wall, Zhang Shiping, pale as an ashes, was surrounded by dozens of henchmen and apprentices armed with swords, bows, and crossbows.
Beside him was a middle-aged merchant dressed in fine clothes but covered in dust, who was his business partner, Su Shuang.
Beneath the wall, a dozen or so people were carrying a massive tree trunk, found from who-knows-where, and were ramming it fiercely against the heavy oak gate. The hinges groaned painfully, and dust fell in a flurry.
"You all retreat immediately! I have already reported to the authorities! The county magistrate will be here in a moment!" Zhang Shiping shouted hoarsely, but his voice was immediately drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.
"Report to the authorities? Those corrupt officials have long since fled!" A burly man with a dark face and a thick beard stood before the crowd, brandishing a ring-pommel sword. He grinned maliciously, "Zhang Shiping! Su Shuang! You two have amassed a fortune through horse trading and brocade sales, yet you refuse to share a single grain of millet with the starving people! Today, I will use your two heads to offer as a sacrifice to my Yellow Heaven Law Banner!"
"Indeed! Sacrifice the flag!" A tall, thin man dressed as a Taoist priest chimed in, a cold iron ruler gleaming in his hand.
Seeing the door about to collapse, Zhang Shiping closed his eyes in despair.
Su Shuang collapsed to the ground, muttering, "I regret not listening to advice, not believing that chaos was coming, and should have recruited more swordsmen to protect me..."
Just then, a rumbling sound of iron hooves came from the end of the long street, like muffled thunder rolling on the ground.
"Who dares to incite chaos in Zhuo County!" A clear shout instantly silenced the commotion.
The crowd fell silent and turned to look. Even the Taiping Dao believers who were carrying logs to ram the door froze and turned to look back.
Thirty-odd riders swept in like a whirlwind. The first rider, dressed in simple clothes with a wooden hairpin, had a handsome appearance, arms that reached past his knees, and a longbow on his back. Although his attire was simple, the way he sat upright on his horse exuded a profound and majestic air.
Behind him, on his left, was a man nine feet tall, with a face like a red date, a two-foot-long beard, phoenix eyes, and silkworm eyebrows. He wore a ring-pommel sword at his waist and carried a long spear in his hand. He exuded an imposing aura without being angry.
The man on the right has a leopard's head and bulging eyes, a swallow's chin and a tiger's beard. His voice is like thunder, and his momentum is like a galloping horse. He holds an eighteen-foot spear, and his murderous aura is palpable.
It was Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.
"It's Liu Bei!" someone in the crowd recognized him and exclaimed in a low voice.
Liu Bei was quite famous for his chivalry in Zhuojun, and many wandering knights and chivalrous men knew him.
The dark-faced, bearded young leader of the Taiping Dao frowned, but seeing that the other side consisted of only about thirty men, his courage swelled again. He stepped forward, pointing his sword at Liu Bei: "Liu Xuande! This matter has nothing to do with you! Retreat quickly to avoid damaging our harmony!"