Liu Bei time-travels to become the Heavenly King Chao Gai

Chapter 1

Liu Bei slowly opened his eyes; his vision was initially blurry, but then gradually cleared.

This is not Yong'an Palace.

This is where?

"Master, you're awake?"

A soft female voice sounded from the side, tinged with surprise.

Liu Bei turned his neck with difficulty and saw a maid with her hair in two buns, wearing a light green dress, about fifteen or sixteen years old, carrying a wooden basin containing a bloodstained cloth that had just been changed.

Owner of the estate?

Liu Bei opened his mouth, as if to ask, "Where is this place?"

"Please slow down, Master!"

The maidservant quickly put down the wooden basin, walked briskly to the bedside, carefully helped him up, and then took a soft pillow to place behind him.

"You were unconscious for a day and a night, which terrified us. Wu Xuejiu came to see you several times."

As she spoke, she deftly poured a glass of warm water and brought it to Liu Bei's lips.

Liu Bei drank a few sips from her hand and then felt a little better.

His gaze fell on the maid, then swept over the furnishings in the room, and his doubts grew stronger.

The maid's clothing and the style of the room were completely different from the Han Dynasty style he knew.

More importantly, this body...

He raised his hand, and what came into view was a broad, thick, calloused palm, with an old knife scar at the base of the thumb.

This is not his hand.

"Bring a mirror."

The maid was stunned for a moment. The master of the manor was hunting in the back mountain yesterday and was accidentally thrown off his horse and hit his head. Why did he want a mirror first thing after waking up?

She was puzzled, but she still subconsciously answered "Yes" and ran to fetch a bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror was polished quite smoothly, and the reflected image was fairly clear.

Liu Bei looked at his face in the mirror, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

He had a square face, dark complexion, thick eyebrows that slanted into his temples, and eyes that, though not large, were bright and piercing. A bushy beard, each hair as hard as iron, covered his chin, which, combined with his robust physique, exuded a bold and powerful aura.

This isn't his face either.

Just then, a flood of complex memories rushed into his mind without warning.

This body's real name is Chao Gai.

His nickname is Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

The headman of Dongxi Village in Yuncheng County, Jizhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, was a chivalrous and generous man with a great reputation in the martial arts world.

As for the title "Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King," I recall it being related to how he single-handedly moved a blue stone pagoda from a neighboring village back to his own village a few years ago.

Yesterday, he went hunting in the back mountains and accidentally fell off his horse on his way back, hitting his head.

Liu Bei closed his eyes and continued to organize his memories.

The Han Dynasty... is gone.

The Three Kingdoms were unified under the Jin Dynasty, followed by the chaos of the Five Barbarian Tribes, the North-South confrontation, the Sui and Tang Dynasties... Now, it is the Song Dynasty under the Zhao family.

More than eight hundred years have passed since he died in Baidi City.

The Han dynasty he devoted his entire life to trying to restore was ultimately swallowed up by the long river of history.

A wave of sadness washed over me.

"Master, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"

The maid's worried voice pulled him back from his chaotic thoughts.

Liu Bei slowly opened his eyes, the sorrow in them gone, leaving only a calm expression.

"I'm fine."

He waved his hand, his voice regaining some strength.

"You can go down now. I need to be alone for a while."

"But Mr. Jialiang said to inform him as soon as you wake up..."

"Tell him to wait a moment."

The maid dared not say another word, bowed respectfully, and carried the wooden basin out, considerately closing the door behind her.

Liu Bei slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window was a spacious courtyard, where several farmhands were practicing with sticks, shouting instructions.

Their movements were powerful and vigorous, clearly indicating that they were trained martial artists.

Chao Gai was not only a wealthy man, but also a powerful local tyrant.

This put Liu Bei at ease.

No matter what situation you're in, having troops at your disposal keeps you calm.

However, the difference between being an emperor of Shu Han and a wealthy household in the countryside is quite significant.

But it's acceptable.

Memories continued to flood back.

From Chao Gai's memories, he learned what the "Great Song Dynasty" looked like now.

The emphasis on civil affairs over military matters resulted in weak border defenses, leading to repeated oppression by the Khitans in the north and the Tanguts in the west.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, the former territory of the Han dynasty, fell into the hands of foreign tribes for a century.

Instead of trying to recover lost territory, the imperial court paid "tribute" to the Khitan every year, exchanging money and silk for a ridiculous peace.

Liu Bei shook his head helplessly.

Back then, neither Gongsun Zan nor Cao Cao ever gave foreign tribes a second glance.

Liu Bei rose from humble beginnings, weaving mats and selling shoes, yet he always had the world in his heart and devoted half his life to restoring the Han Dynasty, remaining steadfast even unto death.

This Zhao family official, who possesses a magnificent empire and commands millions of people, lives such a pathetic life.

In recent years, the Jin Dynasty, established by a nomadic people, has been unstoppable, conquering cities and seizing territories with frenzied speed.

Given their temperament, they will probably march south within a few years.

At that time, there will be widespread suffering and death.

"This Great Song Dynasty... is rotten wood."

Liu Bei quickly finished analyzing the current situation of the world. Just then, a voice came from outside the courtyard, growing louder as it approached.

"Brother! Is brother awake?!"

As the voice spoke, a tall, thin, fair-skinned, middle-aged scholar with a goatee strode in, his face full of concern.

Liu Bei found information about this person in Chao Gai's memories.

Wu Yong.

A scholar from the local area taught at the village school. Because of his wisdom and resourcefulness, he was jokingly called "Mr. Jialiang" by the villagers.

However, Liu Bei only glanced at him briefly, and after comparing his actions with those in his memory, he realized that Wu Yong was clever enough but lacked great wisdom and was not fit for important tasks.

"The scholar has arrived."

Liu Bei responded casually, in the same tone as Chao Gai.

Wu Yong walked up to him, carefully examined his complexion and the wound on his head, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Given that you look alright, brother, you're probably out of danger. Yesterday's incident was truly perilous; you must be extra careful when hunting in the future."

Liu Bei looked at him calmly without replying.

Wu Yong felt a little uneasy under Chao Gai's gaze, sensing that Chao Gai was different today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He chuckled twice, leaned closer, and said mysteriously, "Brother, while you were unconscious yesterday, I overheard a story of immense wealth and fortune!"

"Oh?" Liu Bei raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that he had shown interest, Wu Yong perked up and continued, "Liang Zhongshu of Daming Prefecture in Beijing has looted 100,000 strings of gold and jewels to send to Tokyo as a birthday gift for his father-in-law, Cai Jing, known as the 'Birthday Tribute'! Brother, why not seize this opportunity?"

After saying this, he stared intently at Liu Bei, waiting for his reaction.

In his mind, given Chao Gai's temperament, upon hearing such a thing, he would surely fly into a rage and slam his fist on the table.

However, Liu Bei asked a question that Wu Yong never expected.

"After taking these 100,000 strings of cash, what then?"

Wu Yong was stunned.

Then?

Then, of course, the brothers divided the spoils, bought land and farmland, ate meat to their hearts' content, drank wine from large bowls, and lived a carefree life!

But no matter how hard Wu Yong tried, he couldn't bring himself to say these words.

Yeah, and then what?

Liu Bei asked, "Scholar, why are you silent?"

Wu Yong took a deep breath. After all, he was "Mr. Jialiang," and his quick wit far surpassed that of ordinary people.

He realized that he had to give a sufficiently reasonable answer.

"Replying to my brother."

Wu Yong composed himself and carefully chose his words.

"With this 100,000 strings of cash, we'll have capital. With capital, we can..."

Liu Bei remained noncommittal, but continued to ask, "Then what will happen?"

Wu Yong's forehead began to sweat.

What then?

To become king of the mountains?

Or is it a mass rebellion?

"elder brother……"

Wu Yong gave a wry smile, stood up, and bowed deeply to Liu Bei.

"I was too naive. I only thought about this wealth and status, but I didn't think about what would happen afterward. Please enlighten me, brother."

Liu Bei looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

This Wu Yong is indeed quite quick-witted, knows how to assess the situation, and knows when to advance and retreat.

"Please sit down, scholar."

Liu Bei raised his hand, his tone softening somewhat.

"This is no small matter. Once it's done, there's no turning back."

Wu Yong hesitated before speaking, then asked, "What does brother mean?"

Liu Bei did not answer directly.

He walked to the window and looked at the farmhands who were shouting and training in the courtyard.

"Scholar, look at my entire courtyard full of servants, do you think they can fight?"

Wu Yong followed his gaze and saw that the farmhands were all strong and sturdy, wielding sticks and moving with great force.

"Brother's men are all strong and capable men, each one can easily take on ten men," Wu Yong praised sincerely.

This is the truth.

The military strength of Chao Gai's manor was among the best in the entire Yuncheng County.

"One against ten?" Liu Bei shook his head, his tone calm: "If it were against ordinary bandits or country bumpkins, I might be able to put up a fight."

"But what if we face the government troops? Do you, scholar, know how many government troops there are in Jizhou Prefecture? Who is in command? What battle formations do they practice regularly? Are their weapons and equipment of high quality?"

A series of questions left Wu Yong speechless.

He only knew that the birthday tribute was worth 100,000 strings of cash, an immense fortune.

As for the subsequent reaction from Jeju Prefecture...

"This..." Sweat broke out on Wu Yong's forehead again. "I...have not investigated in detail."

Liu Bei stared into Wu Yong's eyes and slowly said, "To fail to investigate is to court death!"

His gaze returned to the window.

"Scholar, do you even know what a military formation is?"

Wu Yong shook his head subconsciously.

"The so-called military formation is not a street brawl or a mass attack."

Liu Bei calmly said, "Long spears in front, bows and crossbows behind, swords and shields protecting the flanks. Advance at the sound of the drum, retreat at the sound of the gong. Orders are obeyed without question, as easily as the fingers of one's own arm. This is the true nature of the imperial army."

"The men in my village can handle a few petty thieves. But if they encounter a squad of government troops who know how to form ranks, a single volley of fire will send them utterly routed."

Liu Bei turned around and looked at Wu Yong.

"Back then, the Yellow Turbans boasted a million strong force, but when the government troops arrived, they crumbled like clay chickens and earthen dogs. Why? Because they were just farmers gathered together, not real soldiers."

Wu Yong remained silent.

He is a smart man.

Once they robbed the birthday tribute, they would become wanted criminals designated by the imperial court.

By then, wanted posters would be everywhere, officials would search for them everywhere, and the army would besiege them all over the world.

Where can they escape to?

"and then?"

Liu Bei asked that question again.

Yeah, and then what?

Wu Yong thought he had thought things through very thoroughly, but now it seems that he was only on the first level, while this "Brother Chao Gai" was already on the fifth level.

He took a deep breath and bowed to Liu Bei again: "Brother is right. I did only see the immediate wealth and honor before, and did not think about the long term. However, I have another place to go."

"Tell me about it," Liu Bei said, gesturing for him to sit down.

Wu Yong whispered, "Brother, have you ever heard of Liangshan Marsh?"

Liangshan Marsh?

Liu Bei searched through Chao Gai's memories for a moment.

It was a vast body of water, spanning eight hundred li in circumference, with crisscrossing harbors, dense reeds, and extremely strategic terrain, making it a truly easy place to defend and difficult to attack.

"I've heard about it," Liu Bei said calmly.

Wu Yong's spirits lifted, and he hurriedly said, "Now, a group of heroes has gathered at Liangshan Marsh. The leader is called Wang Lun, the White-Robed Scholar, a failed scholar. Under him are Du Qian, the Sky-Touching Vajra, Song Wan, and the newly arrived instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, Lin Chong, the Leopard Head."

"Lin Chong?" Liu Bei's eyebrows twitched.

Chao Gai seemed to have a memory of this person.

The head instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards in Tokyo, he was said to be unparalleled in the world when it came to spear and staff fighting.

This is a talented individual.

Seeing Liu Bei's interest in Lin Chong, Wu Yong spoke even more enthusiastically: "It's him! With such a hero and such a natural stronghold, if we take the birthday gifts, we can lead our men and wealth straight up the mountain to join our band! At that time, with well-trained troops and ample provisions, and with the Great Marsh at our backs, what can the authorities do to us?"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Liu Bei expectantly.

However, Liu Bei just smiled dismissively.

"Scholar, I, Chao Gai, am at least the head of Dongxi Village, and am respected by the people here."

"You are the village teacher, and the children all bow to you when they see you."

"Why give up a peaceful life, why not be an upright person, to go to that marshland and associate with a bunch of highway robbers, becoming a bandit who robs and plunders?"

Liu Bei's voice was very soft, but it made Wu Yong's face turn bright red instantly.

Yes.

Mountain bandits.

No matter how nicely they put it, whether it's acting on behalf of Heaven or robbing the rich to help the poor, they are still thieves.

How could a scholar like him become a thief?

Wu Yong remained silent for a long time before cautiously asking in an almost inaudible voice, "Then... according to Brother's meaning, we won't take the birthday gifts?"

Liu Bei's answer once again surprised him.

"Pick."

"And it's a must."

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