gnovel Chapter 17 No, are you serious?
Chapter 17 No, are you serious?
Seeing Liu Bei's incredulous expression,
Lu Yong couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Old Liu still hasn't had enough of the beatings from the powerful families; he still retains a sliver of naiveté towards them...
So Lu Yong put down his wine bowl and said seriously:
"My lord, have you ever considered this?"
Xuzhou suffered two massacres at the hands of Cao Cao, leaving families broken and people dead, with cries of despair echoing across the land.
If you immediately align yourself with Yuan Shao or Cao Cao after taking over Xuzhou,
So, how will the people of Xuzhou view you?
Liu Bei was stunned.
He hadn't really thought about that question.
Lu Yong continued, "Without a doubt, the Chen family is a prominent family in Xuzhou."
With their help, my lord, your rule over Xuzhou will be much easier.
But if the people develop resistance towards you, do you think you can hold the position for long?
Water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it.
The Han Dynasty has never been the private property of emperors or powerful families, but rather the world of tens of millions of Han people!
If you disregard the demands and interests of the people, even the strongest backer cannot protect your foundation.
Liu Bei remained silent.
Lu Yong looked directly into Liu Bei's eyes and asked, "My lord, could you tell me what Chen Deng told you?"
Liu Bei did not hesitate at all and said, "Yuanlong said that Yuan Shao is powerful and is also the leader of the alliance of Yuan, Cao and Liu."
If we befriend Yuan Shao, he will surely mediate, and Cao Cao will not dare to attack Xuzhou again.
"If we defeat Yuan Shu, Xuzhou will be safe."
Chen Deng's words were nine parts true and one part false, making it very difficult for Liu Bei to discern the truth.
Lu Yong couldn't help but sigh and said, "Chen Deng's words are a mixture of truth and falsehood, and it is indeed difficult to distinguish them."
But my lord, you must know...
Chen Deng never considered you a lord he could entrust his life to; in his eyes, you were merely a transitional figure.
Seeing that Liu Bei seemed somewhat puzzled
Lu Yong continued, "Chen Deng is from a prominent family in Xuzhou,
His first consideration was not you, my lord.
They were not residents of Xuzhou.
Rather, it is the foundation and continuation of the Chen family's legacy!
Who ruled Xuzhou was not important to him.
Yuan Shao is powerful and close to Xuzhou. If our lord sides with Yuan Shao, the Chen family can continue to be the leading gentry family in Xuzhou under Yuan Shao's protection.
The Chen and Yuan families are both prominent clans. Their alliance is a result of the strong clans banding together and has nothing to do with you.
Therefore, in Chen Deng's plan, you were nothing more than a passerby guarding Xuzhou for Yuan Shao.
If anything happens in Xuzhou, he will abandon you first.
Liu Bei's expression finally changed: "Aristocratic families, social class..."
Lu Yong finally sighed, "A person like Chen Deng might be useful before you have a certain reputation and power, but you don't trust him!"
I advised my lord to go south to Jiangdong not to escape, but to establish a true foothold of his own.
Only when your core base is stable
Once you have accumulated enough strength,
Only then will you have the resources to attract the attention of sophisticated egoists!
Lu Yong's words struck Liu Bei like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen in place.
He suddenly realized,
Although he always touted benevolence and righteousness, he subconsciously ignored the thoughts of the people!
If he goes along with Chen Deng's wishes,
Abandoning his elder brother Gongsun Zan,
Instead, they aligned themselves with the alliance of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao.
Then Liu Bei would not only bear the infamy of being treacherous and disloyal, but would also be hated by the people of Xuzhou and completely lose their hearts!
As a result,
Liu Bei will find it increasingly difficult to recruit talented individuals.
They were even less able to truly secure their position in Xuzhou.
Then, sooner or later, he will lose miserably!
In that instant, Liu Bei understood many things.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples and cheeks.
This is the human heart, human nature!
Those scions of powerful and influential families always spoke of benevolence and righteousness, and of loyalty and filial piety.
In the end,
They're only thinking about their own interests!
What a sophisticated egoist!
Liu Bei suddenly felt that the world was so bleak!
After a long period of quiet reflection, Liu Bei finally came to his senses.
He slowly stood up, walked to the side, and then bowed deeply to Lu Yong.
"Huai'an's words were like a wake-up call for Bei!"
"Please accept Liu Bei's bow!"
Lu Yong quickly stood up to let him pass, then stepped forward and took Liu Bei's arms, saying:
"My lord, you flatter me."
"If you can always put the people first, the Han Dynasty will surely regain its former glory under your rule, and may even surpass the reigns of Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Wu!"
"Beyond light, martial arts..." Liu Bei straightened up, muttering to himself in a daze, full of longing.
Suddenly, a surge of heroic emotion welled up in his chest, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter, looking up at the sky.
"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!"
"I, Liu Bei, have finally found my own path!"
Liu Bei's laughter had not yet faded when
Suddenly, Zhang Fei's loud voice rang out.
"Brother! Huai'an! I've been looking for you for so long! Come and join us for a drink!"
"Don't rush! If I don't drink you under the table today, I'm not your big brother!" Liu Bei laughed and replied.
Then he took Lu Yong's hand and strode into the hall.
The reluctance and hesitation in his eyes
It has now been completely swept away, and has become incredibly resolute.
[System Log: The host has successfully guided Liu Bei to find his own path to kingship. Today's achievement +1. Current achievements pending settlement: 1]
.........
The next morning, Tao Qian summoned everyone to the yamen for a meeting.
In the council chamber,
Everyone sat silently, waiting for Liu Bei to arrive.
When Liu Bei led Lu Yong into the hall, everyone spontaneously stood up and bowed to Liu Bei.
Looking at this scene before him, Liu Bei was filled with many emotions.
Think at the beginning,
When Lu Yong said he would defeat Cao Cao and force him to retreat, no one in Xuzhou believed him; some even mocked and ridiculed him to his face.
Now, Cao Cao's army's armor and flags are in the treasury.
Everyone, even those who initially looked down on Liu Bei, couldn't help but admit their admiration at this moment.
Cao Bao's death still caused Tao Qian some heartache.
But that was Cao Bao's own greed for merit and recklessness that led him to his death. He rushed forward and offered himself up for his own demise, so he can't blame anyone else.
Moreover, now that Cao Bao's opposition is gone, it is easier for Liu Bei to take over Xuzhou, and Tao Qian has one less thing to worry about.
With Cao Cao's retreat, the huge weight that had been hanging over Tao Qian's heart finally lifted.
He actually seemed to have become more energetic.
Today, I can walk on my own without anyone's help.
After sizing up Liu Bei, Tao Qian called out, "Brother Xuande, come sit down next to me!"
After a moment of humility, Liu Bei still walked up the steps and sat down first below Tao Qian.
The maid was also very perceptive and arranged another seat for Lu Yong next to Liu Bei.
Tao Qian addressed the crowd, briefly expressing his excitement.
after that,
He then had someone bring out the seal of the governor of Xuzhou.
Then, very decisively, he personally presented both hands to Liu Bei.
Amidst the envious gazes of others,
He spoke earnestly to Liu Bei:
"Xuande, you repelled Cao Cao and saved Xuzhou!"
You will take over Xuzhou and become its ruler.
This is what the people want and what everyone hopes for!
None of the civil and military officials from Xuzhou present voiced their opposition.
However, to everyone's surprise,
Liu Bei stood up and actually pushed the seal of office back into Tao Qian's hand!
"?" Tao Qian was dumbfounded.
"???" The civil and military officials of Xuzhou who filled the hall were also dumbfounded.
The envy in everyone's eyes quickly turned into confusion.
Tao Qian asked in astonishment, "Xuande, what do you mean by this?"
Liu Bei smiled slightly, his voice calm yet firm:
"Lord Tao, I once said that we came to Xuzhou only to assist you in resisting Cao Cao and rescuing the people."
Now that Cao Cao has retreated, we should return to report to Brother Bogui.
"You'll have to be in charge of Xuzhou."
Upon hearing this, Tao Qian immediately became anxious.
Again? Can you please stop messing around!
He now only wishes he could leave this place of trouble immediately; he couldn't bear to stay even one more day!
He thought Liu Bei was upset that his previous attitude hadn't been sincere enough, so he quickly said:
"Xuande, if you have any grievances, feel free to speak them. I, Tao Qian, will certainly uphold justice for you!"
Liu Bei shook his head, his expression calm: "Every word I have said comes from the bottom of my heart. If even half of it is against my conscience, may I be struck by lightning."
Are you fucking serious?!
Tao Qian was struck dumb.
The hand holding the seal of office,
They couldn't help but tremble slightly.