Chương 24: Surrender

A few days later, Guan Yu and his three companions returned home laden with spoils.

In the courtyard of the prefect's mansion, boxes of all sizes were piled up like a mountain.

Guan Yu wore a smile, Qin Qiong and Zhao Yun remained calm, while Cheng Yaojin was smug, as if this trip wasn't to fight a war, but to buy some goods.

"My lord, I have fulfilled my mission! All the surrounding counties have been 'recovered'!" Cheng Yaojin's voice boomed.

"Guess what? In many counties, the Yellow Turban rebels fled at the mere sight of Cheng Yuanzhi! We took over without shedding a drop of blood!"

Liu Ce's primary concern was money, so he turned to Zhao Yun, whom he considered the most reliable.

"Zilong, did you make it clear?"

Zhao Yun took out a roll of fine silk and gave a meticulous report.

"Brother, a preliminary count shows a total of approximately 60 million coins. There are also 1, 000 taels of gold, 5, 000 taels of silver, over a dozen large boxes of pearls, jade, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings, and 100, 000 shi of grain. And..."

He paused, his expression somewhat strange.

"In a county government warehouse, more than a dozen silk robes with gold trim, which the Yellow Turban rebels had not had time to take away, were found. They were said to be prepared for their 'Heavenly General Zhang Jiao' to use when he ascended the throne."

Liu Ce was stunned for three seconds, then burst into a thunderous laugh.

"Hahaha! Zhang Jiao still wants to ascend the throne? Very well!"

Liu Ce was in high spirits, circling the pile of money with his eyes shining.

"Sixty million coins! Plus gold and silver jewelry! Old Zhao and the others were crying poverty to me, but now they have everything: military pay, city construction, seeds, farm tools... This is what you call venture capital, a sure-fire way to make money!"

That evening, the aroma of hot pot wafted from the prefect's residence once again.

Zhang Fei said sourly as he frantically cooked the beef.

"If I had known that confiscating property would be so profitable, I should have shamelessly volunteered in the first place!"

Dian Wei silently drank his wine, saying, "Exactly! Next time there's something like this, you absolutely have to include me!"

Liu Ce held up his wine glass, full of pride and confidence.

"Everyone gets a share! Everyone gets a share! Once we're powerful enough, most of the world will be our 'plundering'... no, 'reclaiming' targets!"

"By then, you'll all be heroes. Will you still worry about not having enough battles to fight? Will you still worry about not having enough money to spend?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the wine glasses clattered together.

The moonlight outside the window was perfect, and Liu Ce's "Startup Company in Chaotic Times" was moving toward the grand goal of becoming a "unicorn" after successfully completing its "angel round financing" (suppressing the Yellow Turbans) and "Series A financing" (raiding operations).

After all, in this chaotic world, a general who can't make money isn't a good governor!

……

the other side Under the cover of night, the study door of the Zhao family, the county magistrate, was closed tighter than a safe.

Old Zhao personally brewed tea for Commandant Wang and Chief Clerk Zhou, his hands trembling so much that the teapot lid clicked.

He looked out the window at the lingering smell of blood and broke the silence first, his voice trembling slightly.

"You all saw it today, didn't you? One hundred thousand Yellow Turban soldiers! A dark mass of them came, and in such a short time, our prefect and his men wiped them all out like chopping vegetables!"

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Look, with just one charge from those eight hundred Xuanjia soldiers, the Yellow Turban rebels fell like wheat in swathes!"

"Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao were both well-known figures during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, but what happened to them? Zhang Fei with one spear and Cheng Yaojin with three axe blows, they were sent straight to meet their maker!"

Old Wang mumbled an "Mmm" under his breath, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously.

"Those prefects and magistrates in the surrounding area, those who ran fast are lucky to be alive, those who ran slowly, their heads are probably hanging on the Yellow Turban Army's flagpole by now."

"Family assets? Forget about them, they were all wiped out long ago."

(Cheng Yaojin smiled: That's not true, all the family property is here.) He looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Old Zhao, to be honest, if it weren't for our Prefect Liu's ruthless methods and strong army, the three of us and those few thousand soldiers in the city would probably be in the Yellow Turban Army's prisoner-of-war camp right now, or worse."

Old Zhou sighed and continued.

"Who can argue with that? Today, standing atop the city wall, my legs went weak from the sight."

"Our young governor is a brilliant strategist and an efficient administrator; he's truly a man of both literary and military talent!"

"I used to think he was too young and inexperienced to be reliable, but today I'm completely convinced."

He turned to Old Wang.

"Old Wang, of the three of us, you're the only one who truly understands military strategy and tactics. Tell me, what level of skill did the governor demonstrate in today's battle?"

Old Wang took a deep breath.

"What level? Let me put it this way, Lao Zhou."

"I served in the border army when I was young, so I've seen a bit of the world."

"But the way the governor fought today, with such a disparity in troop strength, yet daring to deploy his forces head-on, relying on his fierce generals to kill the enemy leader in one fell swoop, and then crushing the entire army with his iron cavalry, requires immense courage and absolute confidence in his soldiers!"

"His calm and collected demeanor, and his ruthless precision in seizing opportunities, I think he's almost comparable to Huo Qubing, the champion general of yesteryear!"

"Anyway, I, Old Wang, am completely convinced and will follow this guy wholeheartedly from now on!"

Upon hearing this, Lao Zhou quickly expressed his opinion.

"Alright! Since you two have said so, what else do I, Old Zhou, have to hesitate about? Me too! From now on, the three of us will stick together and work hard for the governor!"

The next day, at the Prefect's residence.

The officials had just taken their places in order, and before Liu Ce could even begin to speak, Old Zhao suddenly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly to Liu Ce, who was sitting in the main seat.

"Prefect Zhao Peng greets His Majesty!"

As soon as he knelt down, Lao Wang and Lao Zhou beside him followed suit without hesitation, kneeling down on one knee in unison, their voices booming.

"Commander Wang Xiu greets our lord!"

"Chief Clerk Zhou Yi greets the lord!"

The entire hall fell silent, and the other officials were stunned.

This "paying respects to the lord" is quite different from the ordinary "paying respects to the prefect." It is a clear expression of loyalty, meaning to entrust one's life and fortune to the lord!

Liu Ce was clearly caught off guard by this turn of events, and it took him several seconds to react while sitting in the main seat.

He quickly stood up and rushed down the steps in two strides to help Old Zhao and the other two.

"What are you three doing! Get up, get up! We all serve the court, why perform such a grand ceremony!"

Old Zhao refused to get up, looked up at Liu Ce, and spoke earnestly.

"Prefect, if it weren't for your divine prowess in yesterday's battle, Zhuojun City would have fallen, and our lives would have been in grave danger."

"This address of 'My Lord' is not merely a formality; it represents our sincere desire to follow you in protecting this city and ensuring the well-being of its people! We beg your acceptance, My Lord!"

Looking at the three key local officials (who were also former "local bullies") in front of him, and glancing at the other subordinates in the hall with their various expressions, Liu Ce understood that at this moment, he had truly grasped the hearts of the people of Zhuojun.

He helped Lao Zhao up again, then gestured for Lao Wang and Lao Zhou to stand up. His gaze swept across the room, and his voice was steady and powerful.

"Very well! Since the three lords and all my colleagues trust me so much, I, Liu Ce, hereby swear that I will work together with you all to protect our land and its people, govern Zhuojun well, and never let you down!"

……

That evening, at the Liu family's hotpot banquet, Zhang Fei sat in a chair and started shouting.

"Big brother! Next time you raid someone's house... I mean, reclaim the lost territory, you absolutely have to take me, Old Zhang, with you!"

Dian Wei mumbled, his mouth stuffed with beef.

"Exactly! Staying in the city has become obsolete!"

Liu Ce smiled and said, "Sure, you'll have all of those."

Then he picked up a piece of tripe for Old Zhao and said with a smile.

"Next, we'll rectify official corruption, investigate land ownership, and distribute land... there's a lot of work to do."

The hands of Lao Zhao and the other two holding their wine glasses trembled slightly.