Surviving as Guan Yu in the Three Kingdoms

As we entered the room, Zhang Shiping bowed his head to us as if he was about to prostrate himself.

“Thanks to Lord Liu, I, Zhang Mo, and my family were able to protect our lives and property. You are my lifelong benefactor.”

As Zhang Shiping said, if Liu Bei hadn’t gathered the youth of Xu County to repel the Yellow Turbans…

It’s unpleasant to think about, but this village would have been completely devastated, and countless people would have died needlessly.

All property would have been plundered, and houses and fields would have all turned into wasteland.

Moreover, since Zhang Shiping owns vast areas of land in this Xu County, he must feel even more deeply grateful for gathering the people to protect him.

Liu Bei waved her hand at those words.

“Not at all, Master Zhang. I only did what was natural.”
“When even the government troops were busy fleeing after hearing news of the Yellow Turbans approaching, you encouraged the people and personally led soldiers to fight, didn’t you? This is not something just anyone can do. It’s something only a hero can do.”

At those words, Liu Bei scratched her head as if embarrassed, but Zhang Fei puffed out her chest and smiled confidently upon hearing them.

Even though it wasn’t her but Liu Bei who was being praised, she looked happy as if she herself had been praised, like an immature younger sister.

When I lived in Korea, I was alone, but seeing Zhang Fei makes me think it might have been nice to have had a younger sister.

Then Zhang Fei started boasting about Liu Bei.

“Our sister has always been so kind that she helps people around her without any calculations, but she’s also a hero who acts when needed. Later, she’ll surely become a great figure who commands the world…”

Liu Bei pinched Zhang Fei’s arm lightly to cut off her words.

Seeing this, Zhang Shiping also smiled warmly.

The atmosphere was very good, but I started to have a bad feeling.

‘Until now, there hasn’t been a single mention of how he wants to repay us.’

“Usually, a xia ke who dominates a region either proves their strength by killing many people with their sword to demonstrate their power, or uses money to grip the market… But Lord Liu has always won people over solely through virtue. I’ve always thought that Lord Liu had the qualities of a hero.”
“Your praise is too much, Master Zhang. Now, let’s stop with the pleasantries. I’d like to get to the main point.”

At those words, Zhang Shiping’s face hardened.

Liu Bei looked straight into Zhang Shiping’s eyes and politely requested:

“As the Yellow Turban hordes have risen and the world is in great chaos, I, Liu Xuande, also want to raise a volunteer army to lend a hand for the peace of the world. I need your support, please help us.”

Zhang Fei and I also cupped our hands and pleaded in accordance.

“Please lend your strength to Lady Xuande’s intentions.”
“Please help our sister.”

Hearing those words, Zhang Shiping started to ponder, making a humming sound.

During this time, a silence fell over us where even the sound of swallowing from our throats and our breathing could be heard.

In this process, Zhang Fei had an expectant expression, but Liu Bei, like me, seemed to have sensed something.

She was biting her lips nervously.

After a fairly long period of contemplation, Zhang Shiping looked at Liu Bei and bowed his head.

Although he hadn’t said anything yet, Zhang Shiping’s message was sufficiently conveyed to us.

It was a clear rejection of our request for money.

A sigh mixed with disappointment and lamentation escaped Liu Bei’s lips.

Honestly, until we came here, I too thought we would be able to receive considerable support from Zhang Shiping.

That’s because even though this is that ‘China’ of the late Han period where backstabbing people whenever necessary is a daily occurrence…

Even Chinese people have a culture of absolutely repaying kindness to their friends, family, or benefactors, and those who violate this are absolutely buried in society.

Zhang Shiping, for whom trust is life, should have helped us even to survive in the future.

‘Moreover, in the Three Kingdoms, they originally started by receiving money from Zhang Shiping.’

When the wordless communication was roughly finished, Zhang Shiping looked at us and bowed deeply in apology.

“I, Zhang Mo, have also received great kindness from Lord Liu and have a desperate desire to help. However, the Yellow Turbans have swept through the entire Xu Commandery, and in the process, our merchant group has also suffered enormous damage.”

The merchants gathered in front of Zhang Shiping’s house are like flies.

They swarm in droves if there’s something to gain from Zhang Shiping, and if not, they cut ties and leave without a second thought.

If such people sensed that Zhang Shiping had really suffered a great loss and was in a difficult situation to recover, would they bother coming from far away?

If it were me, I’d rather try to sell even one more mat in that time.

So this is undoubtedly a lie.

“Therefore, we are now fully focused on recovering from the damage and cannot spare even a penny. I’m truly sorry that I can’t be of help, but please go back.”

Hearing those words, Zhang Fei got angry.

“There were so many people lined up outside! How do you explain that…”

I stopped Zhang Fei from arguing like that.

Even though Zhang Shiping owes us a debt, we are in the position of requesting money.

And we’re making a scene here?

Liu Bei’s reputation could plummet.

Then Liu Bei, who already has nothing, would be ruined.

We can’t lose our future by being swayed by hurt feelings.

‘Why can’t we bash our department head or manager’s heads in at the company even though we want to?’

It’s for the exact same reason, because we have to endure to survive.

“Please forgive me for not being able to repay Lord Liu who has helped us.”

Liu Bei also sighed as if there was nothing to be done.

“If your circumstances are so urgent, it can’t be helped. We’ll take our leave now.”

**

As soon as we left Zhang Shiping’s house, Zhang Fei started grumbling.

“Isn’t Master Zhang going too far? It’s obvious he would have suffered a great loss if it weren’t for us. How can he not give even a single penny?”

I agree with Zhang Fei’s words.

Although we didn’t protect Zhang Shiping’s house expecting anything in return, he was able to protect his vast property without damage thanks to me, Liu Bei, and Zhang Fei risking our lives to fight.

Then shouldn’t he humanly give some help when we ask for it?

Liu Bei also agreed with those words.

“As Yide said, I also felt very conflicted at that time. If we risked our lives to help, he could have helped a little. How could he not give even a single penny…”
“Right? So let’s go back even now and tell him that it’s right for a person to help. It’s not like we’re going to do something bad.”

Zhang Fei rolled up her sleeves and walked briskly, exuding an atmosphere like a gangster hired to demolish a house.

I grabbed Zhang Fei’s shoulder.

“It’s no use barging in recklessly again. Master Zhang’s inability to support us is not because he’s being stingy, but because the surrounding situation doesn’t allow it, Yide.”

Liu Bei picked up on my words and continued the explanation.

“Yunchang is right, Master Zhang’s inability to help us is probably because he’s being cautious of the newly appointed Xu County magistrate.”
“Wouldn’t the magistrate be grateful to us? We saved Xu County that was about to become a wasteland by burning down.”

Looking at it very simply, that’s correct.

It would be normal to be grateful since we saved Xu County from the brink of destruction.

But humans are beings who demand your belongings when you save them from drowning in water, and the late Han officials are at the peak of being the most evil among them…

“Thanks to us saving Xu County, all the people of Xu County support us. If the timing is right, I might even become the magistrate of Xu County, like Emperor Gaozu of Han.”

Liu Bang, who founded the Han Dynasty, was able to easily swallow up the collapsing empire because the magistrate made so many blunders and the Qin Dynasty was hated by everyone.

However, he had the support of Xiao He, who controlled the county’s practical affairs at the time, while we receive no support at all from the Xu County officials…

“Although the Han Dynasty is corrupt, its authority is still intact. It’s impossible to take over Xu County like that, but… The Xu County magistrate has completely lost support, so he might be anxious that we might do such a thing. So he’ll want to root us out.”

Of course, if the magistrate points a sword at us right now, there would be great opposition in Xu County, so he won’t act recklessly for a while.

“Master Zhang knows this too, so he’s completely avoiding getting involved with us. We can raise a volunteer army and leave, but Master Zhang has to keep living here. So it can’t be helped, instead let’s look around elsewhere and gather even a little money to raise troops. If we stay in Xu County any longer, we might be killed too.”
“Now that I hear it, Elder Sister Xuande is right. Master Zhang also has his family and dependents…”
“So even if you feel bad, don’t cause trouble, Yide.”

After successfully calming Zhang Fei like that, I asked Liu Bei again.

“But isn’t there no one richer than Master Zhang in Xu County? So I’ll go visit him once more and politely make a request.”
“We just failed, Yunchang. It’s good that you’re thinking of me, but this seems a bit difficult…”

At those words, I shook my head.

“My going now is also because I want to save Master Zhang and his dependents.”

Getting the money is one thing, but from what I’ve seen so far, Zhang Shiping doesn’t seem like a bad person.

Even when he said he couldn’t give us money just now, if he wanted to completely cut ties with us, it would have been best to drive us away while scolding us.

He tried to maintain at least the minimum duty as a human being by bowing and making excuses, pleading for us to leave.

He bought all the spoils that the people of Xu County brought back after suppressing the Yellow Turbans without taking any profit, and even held a feast.

Personally, it’s a bit concerning to me that such a person would suddenly fall into ruin.

“Master Zhang himself is probably trying to plead with the Prefect of Xu Commandery or the Magistrate of Xu County to save him, but even the merchants of Xu County think that if things continue like this, Master Zhang will soon meet with misfortune, so they’re not even approaching him. So even if he keeps bribing and begging like this, the Master won’t be able to avoid disaster.”

If Zhang Shiping meets with misfortune, naturally his dependents will also suffer.

Just like when a company collapses, not only the president’s family but also the employees are thrown out onto the streets.

“If we inform the Master of this fact, we can save Master Zhang and his dependents, and also gain support.”

Liu Bei thought for a moment and then patted my shoulder.

“I’m counting on you, Yunchang.”

And late that night, I immediately went to Zhang Shiping’s house.