Chapter 21: The City Gate Meets Three Heroes

  In the 21st century, everything was arranged and some necessary things were prepared, then returned to the Three Kingdoms, which also needed to be arranged.

  People in the Three Kingdoms era were indeed honest and trustworthy, but Li Zhe didn't dare to underestimate heroes like Liu Da'er. These people were all black-hearted and ruthless, and would turn against you without hesitation if you let your guard down. If you weren't prepared, it was irresponsible not only to yourself but also to those under your command. Although Li Zhe had a secret defensive technique for critical moments, necessary preparations were still essential. Otherwise, not only would his own people refuse to follow him, but he might also be ridiculed by someone like Liu Bei or Liu Da'er.

  Li Zhe brought with him fifty personal bodyguards, who were the most valiant and robust men selected from among the refugees. They were extremely loyal to Li Zhe. Each of them was tall and sturdy, wearing light armor and holding steel knives. In secret, each person also had a set of 21st-century crossbows, which could be considered as being well-equipped in this era.

  These bodyguards have good physical quality, and their daily training is three times that of ordinary soldiers. Their treatment is also much better than that of ordinary soldiers. Most importantly, these bodyguards have the most fanatical worship for Li Zhe, this immortal cultivator. When they go into battle, their morale bursts forth, making them the true elite troops under Li Zhe's command, completely prepared for such situations.

  The next day, after handing over family matters, Li Zhe set out on the road with his personal soldiers and Zhao Yun, Ma Chao.

  Dingying and Ancheng are also close, only a hundred miles apart, with Shangcai in between. There are no high mountains or vast rivers along the way, just flat terrain. However, when Li Zhe traveled this route with the refugees before, it took him almost ten days. Now, after just two days, they were almost there.

  Ancheng, indeed worthy of being the county seat of Runan County, from a distance, the city wall is as high as 60-70 feet, all made of large square green bricks, with a solid structure. Such a city, if the enemy does not have specialized siege equipment, can be said to be as strong as gold soup. Unfortunately, the west wall of Pingyang has been badly damaged for many years, and it was already destroyed during the Yellow Turban Rebellion decades ago, and even after so many years, no one has been able to repair it.

  Li Zhe rode his horse, under the gaze of many people, arrived at the city gate, only to find that someone had been waiting there for a long time.

  Among them, there was a man of medium stature and robust build, with distinctive large ears that were over half an inch long, particularly eye-catching on both sides of his face. The man's eyes were urgent, his expression sincere, it was none other than Liu Bei, the hero who had fought a hundred battles and lost a hundred times, also known as Liu Xuande, the first among the three kingdoms' difficulties.

  Standing behind Liu Bei, on the left was a man over 1.9 meters tall with a purple-red complexion, thin eyes and long whiskers, wearing a green robe; on the right was a robust man with round eyes wide open, sporting a thick beard. Both were in their prime, exuding vigor and energy, they were Liu Bei's two sworn brothers, the two superstars of the Three Kingdoms period - Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

  The three of them, with Liu Bei at the forefront, bowed their heads and made a fist in respect towards Li Zhe and his entourage.

  Having met these three men, Li Zhe would never dare to treat them with disrespect. He quickly dismounted his horse and hastily walked a few steps to support Liu Bei, saying:

  "Lord Guan, you absolutely mustn't! What virtue or ability does a humble man like me possess that I dare to be treated by Lord Guan in such a manner?"

  As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhe felt the tense atmosphere around him ease a bit. He glanced sideways and saw Guan Yu standing behind Liu Bei, stroking his long beard and nodding his head slowly, apparently satisfied with Li Zhe's respectful attitude just now.

  Before Liu Bei could respond, Li Zhe hastily spoke again to this visitor:

  "This hero is so extraordinary, he must be the one who killed Yan Liang and Wen Chou, rode alone for a thousand miles to rescue his sister-in-law and join his brother, crossed five passes and killed six generals, the unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang!"

  Look at this remark, Guan Yu has always attached great importance to his reputation. After hearing this, he almost told all the glorious deeds of his life, and most importantly, the four-character evaluation of "loyalty and righteousness unmatched" was exactly to his taste. Overjoyed in his heart, he couldn't help but smile with a tight face.

  "Lord Guan has overpraised me! I am just a humble soldier who only surpassed my elder brother by a hair's breadth, how dare I be compared to Lord Guan in such exaggerated terms!" As he spoke, Guan Yu's sharp eyes looked at Li Zhe with much more favor.

  "Where, where? The deeds of the three heroes are well-known to this young one's ears, and all the common people in the countryside know about them. It can't be considered boasting! This young one Li Zhe Li Xian De is being polite like this."

  These words made the three people's faces bloom with joy, and they hurriedly returned the courtesy.

  After the ceremony, the third tall and dark man suddenly jumped out, stretched out his hand and grabbed Li Zhe's arm, saying:

  "You say that my three brothers' deeds are known by all the common people in the countryside, but is it really true?"

  "Of course it's all true, otherwise, I'm just a humble villager living in the countryside, how would I know? Li Zhe opened his eyes wide and endured the intense pain of Third Master's large hands grasping him, putting on an expression that said 'you can hit me, but you can't doubt my martyrdom'."

  Third Brother indeed didn't suspect anything else, and immediately loosened his grip, turning his head to smile at Liu Bei and Guan Yu:

  "Haha! Big brother! Second brother! I see this young fellow, tender and delicate in appearance, but his character is exceptionally good, everything he says is absolutely right. The loyal and righteous reputation of us three brothers has long been known throughout the Han Dynasty!"

  Third Master was forthright and naive, as soon as he felt happy, he burst out laughing loudly.

  Standing beside the two, unlike the two brothers' lavish praise, Liu Bei Liu Xuande, who was already over 40 years old at that time, had a completely different reaction. He said with deep feeling.

  "We've earned such a great reputation! It wasn't in vain that we, the Han people, have been rushing about and fighting bloody battles for nearly twenty years, enduring all sorts of hardships and sorrows!" As he spoke, Liu Bei's cheeks were already streaming with tears.

  The two brothers were stunned at once, and after a moment's thought, they also had a belly full of bitterness.

  At this time, Liu Bei was 40 years old, Guan Yu was 41 years old, and Zhang Fei was 32 years old. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, when they responded to the emperor's call from their hometown of Zhuo County, they had been rushing about in the continuous battlefield killings for sixteen years. During this period, the three men never returned to their hometown.

  In the late Eastern Han dynasty, regardless of whether they were officials or common people, everyone valued reputation more than life. In the decades of a person's life, all kinds of hardships and struggles were not for wealth, but for the sake of one's own and family's reputation.

  This intangible thing, useless in modern times, was a real and tangible thing during the Eastern Han dynasty and later Wei and Jin dynasties. It could be passed down from generation to generation, creating countless unspoken benefits for one's descendants. For many years, young heroes and great men have exhausted their passion and blood, seeking not gold, silver, or silk, but a glorious name that would last for thousands of years. This is also where the culture of China surpasses that of barbarian nations in terms of civilization.

  Moreover, the three men before us, who have been ambitious since their youth and have a great desire to make a name for themselves, have attached great importance to their family's reputation since they first started out. For decades, they have worked hard to build up their own reputation, enduring countless hardships and setbacks, which ultimately led to Liu Bei's unparalleled reputation for benevolence and righteousness. This laid a solid foundation for him to attract talented individuals and make a comeback time and again.

  That was the value of that era, and it cannot be mentioned in the same breath as today's money-worshipping culture.

  So Li Zhe's deliberate move has grasped the weaknesses of the three to the greatest extent, breaking through their mental defenses at first sight and leaving a great impression on them. PS: I just clicked on a new divine melody by Fahai and now I'm under its spell, my whole body is trembling, foaming at the mouth, please give me an antidote!