Chương 336: Liu Ce Deceives Liu Bei

Liu Ce waved his hand and laughed, "It's not that serious. You know Cao Cao invited me to fight Dong Zhuo, but I don't have time to go. The northern border needs to be guarded, so I can't leave. That's why I wanted to send a few generals to help out."

Then he paused, his gaze sweeping over Fang Yue and Wang Shuang, and said, "But that's perfect, several of my generals are currently unavailable—Xu Da, Xue Rengui, Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin… they all have their own matters to attend to. So…"

He looked at Liu Bei and smiled, saying, "I know that you three brothers are exceptionally skilled in martial arts. How about I send you instead?"

Upon hearing the Prince of Yan praise their "extraordinary martial prowess," Fang Yue and Wang Shuang puffed out their chests several inches, their faces beaming with "That's right, it's us."

Liu Bei's mind raced.

Sending me to confront Dong Zhuo? That's great! I've been hoping for a chance to show my face!

But he still feigned hesitation and said, "Your Highness, I am of limited talent and learning, I'm afraid..."

"Don't be modest," Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "I have a good eye for people. You, Liu Bei, are a man destined for great things."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's hesitation vanished completely.

He immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "I am ready to go!"

Liu Ce smiled, but inwardly he thought: This acting is so convincing, I almost believed it myself.

Liu Ce pretended to be happy and patted Liu Bei on the shoulder, saying, "Good! That was great!"

He paused, then said, "Considering your performance in Anxi County over the past few years, I have decided that Liu Bei will be promoted to Colonel, and Fang Yue and Wang Shuang will be promoted to Military Commandant. You will be assigned to these positions when you go to Suanzao."

Liu Bei was stunned.

Captain?

He served as a county lieutenant for five years, and now he's suddenly become a colonel?

Fang Yue and Wang Shuang were also stunned.

Military Commander?

They went from being a county lieutenant's lackey to becoming officers with ranks all at once.

The three brothers exchanged a glance, then knelt down in unison, thanking their lord, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness!"

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Get up, get up, don't kneel, the ground is cold."

After the three calmed down, Liu Ce said, "Since my forces are limited, when you go to Suanzao, you can lead your main troops in Anxi County. As for provisions, I will provide them without limit."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed.

The main force? The number of people in Anxi County is at most a hundred or so.

But with unlimited supplies? That means he can recruit soldiers on short notice! With the Prince of Yan's support, he can build a decent army!

"Your Majesty, I... I don't know how to thank you for your great kindness!" Liu Bei's voice trembled with excitement.

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, just do a good job and don't embarrass me. Go back and prepare, and set off as soon as possible."

The three thanked him again... and then left the council hall.

After they left, Fang Xuanling spoke up, "My lord, what... does this mean?"

Du Ruhui also asked in bewilderment, "Giving them officers but not soldiers, only allowing them to lead their own troops—is this sending them to fight Dong Zhuo, or to embarrass themselves?"

Xun Yu frowned and said, "My lord, could it be... that you did this on purpose?"

Guo Jia laughed and said, "I think our lord wants to test Liu Bei's mettle. A capable person can make a name for himself even with a few hundred men; an incapable one will be useless even with thirty thousand men."

Liu Ce smiled but offered no explanation.

......

Back at the inn where they were staying, the three brothers went mad as soon as they closed the door.

Fang Yue hugged Wang Shuang tightly, and the two rough men jumped and danced around as if it were New Year's Day, shouting, "Military Commander! Military Commander! We're Military Commanders now!"

Wang Shuang was beaming from ear to ear, saying, "I knew my brother was capable! Following him, we can all become officials too!"

Liu Bei sat in his chair, watching his two brothers fooling around, and a smile spread across his face.

He looked down at his official uniform. The captain's uniform hadn't been delivered yet, but he already felt like he was wearing it.

Captain!

From county lieutenant to colonel, how many ranks did he jump in that one leap? He couldn't count, but it was definitely a lot!

He recalled the suffering he had endured over the years: losing his father at a young age, his family falling into poverty, selling straw sandals to make ends meet, and constantly seeking refuge with others...

When he was studying under Lu Zhi, he was ridiculed by his classmates; when he was fighting desperately on the battlefield, no one respected him.

Now, he is a captain.

A captain personally appointed by the Prince of Yan!

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the street scene of Zhuoxian County outside, and felt a surge of pride in his heart:

"I, Liu Bei, have finally made it!"

Fang Yue and Wang Shuang also came over and stood on either side of him.

Fang Yue said innocently, "Big brother, from now on we'll be able to do great things!"

Wang's eyes darted around, and he said, "Brother, we have to do our best this time we go to fight Dong! If we can achieve a great victory, we might even get a promotion when we get back!"

Liu Bei nodded, his gaze resolute, and said, "That's right! This time in Suanzao, we must make a name for ourselves! Let the world know that I, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, am not to be trifled with!"

Wang Shuang patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, elder brother! With me and second brother here, we'll make sure Dong Zhuo's army is wiped out!"

Fang Yue nodded and said, "That's right! If the three of us brothers join forces, we're invincible!"

The three of them got more and more excited as they talked, and that very night they bought wine and food to celebrate.

later......

"Brother," Fang Yue said, leaning closer, "we really need to thank Prince Yan!"

Wang Shuang nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes! Tomorrow we'll go and deliver gifts to the Prince of Yan!"

Liu Bei glared at them and said, "What gifts are you going to give? Does the Prince of Yan need your little things? Our most important thing right now is to maintain good relations!"

So, in the following days, the three Liu brothers embarked on a frenzied social media spree.

First, we went to visit Fang Xuanling.

Liu Bei presented his visiting card and said humbly, "Prefect Fang, I have long admired your name and have come to pay you a visit."

Fang Xuanling was very polite and offered him a cup of tea, and they chatted for a few minutes.

Before leaving, Liu Bei left behind two pairs of straw sandals that he had woven himself, saying that they were "a small token of his appreciation."

Fang Xuanling looked at the straw sandals, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Then I went to visit Du Ruhui.

I'll say it again, and I'll give you two more pairs of the same straw sandals.

Du Ruhui appreciated Liu Bei's humility and urged him to do a good job.

Then came Xun Yu.

This man, a strategist of great talent, chatted with Liu Bei for a while and discovered that he did indeed possess considerable talent, but...

Xun Yu didn't say what it was.

He then visited Guo Jia.

Guo Jia was drinking when he saw him arrive, and he greeted him with a smile, inviting him to drink with him.

Liu Bei drank a few cups with Guo Jia, cautiously trying to get information out of him, but Guo Jia just rambled on and on, revealing nothing.

He also visited Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others.

Guan Yu was quite polite to him, Zhang Fei patted him on the shoulder in a boisterous manner and said, "Do a good job...", while Zhao Yun offered a few words of gentle encouragement.

What excited Liu Bei the most was meeting Gongsun Zan and Lu Zhi.

The two hadn't seen each other for many years, and upon meeting, they immediately embraced, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Xuande! What brings you here?" Gongsun Zan patted his back.

After Liu Bei explained the situation, Gongsun Zan nodded repeatedly and said, "Good, good! We brothers can fight side by side again!"