(All rights reserved. Reproduction is prohibited!) First published in Adventurer's Paradise.ezla.com.tw)
"Hah! Hah! Hah! County Magistrate, let's have another toast. This warrior Guan is indeed outstanding in martial arts. The jewelry that I was robbed by that Yellow Turban survivor was all taken back by him... County Magistrate Liu, you're really lucky to have such a fierce general.”The person who spoke had a fleshy body and a black mole the size of a peanut on the lower side of his left cheek. There was also black hair growing on it, making him look disgusting.
This person was one of the richest men in Pingyuan County. His name was Hu Tong. He was a mean person and valued money as his life. After a batch of jewelry that he had spent tens of thousands of gold to buy was stolen by the Yellow Turban thieves who had just gathered in the mountains, this person had asked the local magistrate for help. The current Pingyuan County Magistrate was Liu Xuande. After joining Gongsun Zan's crusade against the Yellow River, Liu Xuande had repeatedly achieved military exploits and was appointed Pingyuan County Magistrate by Gongsun Zan. From then on, his ambition to conquer the world began.
Liu Xuande felt extremely lucky that this expert, who called himself Guan Yunzhang, could work for him. Although his red skin and his imposing facial features made him afraid, ever since he became his subordinate, Guan Yunzhang had never disappointed him when he encountered a problem that needed to be solved by force. It was the same this time.
In fact, Liu Xuande had always despised Hu Tong's attitude of doing evil just because he was a local tycoon. However, because his relative was said to hold an important position in the court, he could only reluctantly ask Guan Yunzhang to come out in order not to offend this person and could not resist Hu Tong's endless pleas.
He had thought that he would need help to find a time to discuss with Guan Yunzhang, but he did not expect that it would take him less than fifteen minutes to retrieve the jewelry. Therefore, Hu Tong was overjoyed and quickly slaughtered chickens and sheep to entertain Liu Xuande and Guan Yunzhang.
After three rounds of the banquet, everyone was drunk and their cheeks were hot. At this moment, Hu Tong dismissed the servants serving him and said with a strange expression,"Hu Tong has something to say, but I wonder if I should say it?”
"Does Minister Hu still need your help? If it is within your ability, I will do my best to help.”
"County Magistrate Liu is too funny. Hu Tong is merely a rich man from the plains. How can I expect County Magistrate Liu to work for me…"
Hu Tong narrowed his eyes and looked around before saying,"Hu Tong only feels that this Pingyuan County is just a tiny place. After County Magistrate Liu becomes the king of Zhongshan…Are you willing to spend the rest of your life in vain?"
"Ah! This…"
Liu Xuande was shocked. He wondered if Hu Tong was a secret agent of the imperial court and wanted to find out if he had any ulterior motives. However, after thinking about it carefully, Hu Tong was already the richest man in Pingyuan County in the future. There was no need for him to frame him. In short, he had to listen to what he had to say before making any plans.
"County Magistrate Liu is born with the talent to win people's hearts, and he has a hero like Guan Yingxiong beside him. Looking at the chaotic world, don't you want to show your talents?”
"This... Liu Bei also wanted to achieve something, but the current Emperor was Liu Bei's blood relative, and he only had dozens of soldiers under his command. Moreover, he had clean sleeves, so it was difficult for him to have such a great ambition.”
In fact, Liu Xuande had thought about it, but he did not have a prominent family background or geographical connections like Gongsun Zan. Moreover, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the status of the imperial court had plummeted. In addition, when the Emperor of Han rewarded them according to their achievements, many military clans had used this excuse to build up their strength. On the surface, they said that they wanted to prevent the revival of the Yellow Turban Army, but in fact, they were waiting for an opportunity to compete for the throne of the world. They did not have any backing, nor could they take out enough money to build good relations. He could only take one step at a time in this small town!
Hu Tong saw Liu Xuande's frustrated expression and quickly stood up to pour wine into his cup."Although Hu Tong is not talented, his family has quite a lot of gold and wealth. Moreover, he has some experience in battle tactics. If County Magistrate Liu agrees, Hu Tong can lend him a hand with the valuable items in his family.”
Hu Tong had already placed a heavy bet. If Liu Xuande rejected him, he would become a traitor who wanted to betray his country. He did not dare to relax as he looked at Liu Xuande.
In reality, although Hu Tong had relatives working in the court, he also understood that it was impossible for him to have the influence of the Ten Generals to shake the world. Although Liu Xuande was a declining royal family who was temporarily the county magistrate of Pingyuan County, if he were to rise to the top one day, the profits he would make would be called a " rich man ". Therefore, wealth was sought through risk. Seeing that he had the peerless expert Guan Yunzhang beside him, Hu Tong decided to bet all his wealth.
"But…How could I betray my ancestors?”
"Lord, you're wrong!"
Liu Xuande looked at Guan Yunzhang, who had been silent for a long time, in surprise. He continued,"The Imperial Court is now in name only. Dong Zhuo of Liangzhou has already led more than 200,000 troops and is waiting for the right time to enter Luoyang to seize the power of the Ten Attendants of the Imperial Court. If Your Excellency does not take advantage of this moment to strengthen your own strength, then once the time of the Yellow Turban Rebellion arrives, Your Excellency will no longer have the chance to compete with the heroes for the world. Moreover, the lord was from the royal family. When the time came, everyone in the world would think that this was a matter of course.”
"That's right! That's right! It was still the warrior Guan who had seen through it. If he had given the opportunity to others, wouldn't County Magistrate Liu have let down the soul of King Jing of Zhongshan in the sky?”
Seeing Guan Yunzhang agree, Hu Tong tried his best to persuade Liu Xuande.
"Then... What should I do?"
"First, I will take out my family's gold and wealth to recruit soldiers and horses. We will first use the plains as the base of County Magistrate Liu and establish the loyalty of the local people. Then..."
That night, in this small town of Pingyuan County, a formidable figure who could cause chaos in the future of the Three Kingdoms was born.
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