Chapter 6: The Esteemed Lady Liu Xuande

With a chuckle, Liu Bei covered his mouth and said, "I have no desire for fighting and killing; it's just that your second sister enjoys it, so let her be. Now, stop rambling. Eldest sister is going to the back to weave straw sandals. Remember, you are not allowed to display martial skills in the county town, or else eldest sister will get angry"

Sun Yu smiled wryly to himself, thinking that even a beggar on the street in later generations could easily calculate such numbers. How would I know that you couldn't figure it out? Can you blame me for teasing you? He took the pork, patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder, and turned to leave

Just as Sun Yu ran in, Liu Yu said to Sun Yu: "Xun Zhen, you have arrived just in time. Please quickly check how many weapons and provisions are still available in this county and how long they can last. I will immediately sound the gong to gather the local militia in preparation to confront the Wuwan bandits"

At this moment, NM01 analyzed to Sun Yu: "The Wuhuan are a northern ethnic minority, also known as Wuheng, belonging to a branch of the Donghu tribe, skilled in cavalry and proficient in archery. Later, part of them integrated with the Han people, while another part joined the Xianbei."

Zhang Fei nodded obediently and said: "I won't use my general's skills, nor will I provoke my elder sister's anger. However... I have never seen my elder sister angry before, so you must be trying to scare me with this."

Liu Yu was greatly pleased and exclaimed: "To find a true gentleman like Mr. Zhen is a blessing for our county"

She swiftly took out a pair of straw sandals from her bosom and handed them to Zhao Yun, saying: "Sister, these are straw sandals I wove by hand, I give them to you as a token of my apology to Third Sister."

Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun with concern and said gently, "Sir, please do not worry. It was my third sister's fault just now; she will not bother you again. You see, you have frightened this young lady, and I truly apologize for that"

But... how can one elevate their official rank? At this thought, Sun Yu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest and abdomen, a pain that pierced his heart and lungs, as if a thousand fine needles were stabbing at his heart, nearly causing him to faint

Sun Yu's home is located right behind the county office, and naturally, he heard this sentence very clearly. He jumped up with a push from the ground and ran outside.

The day has grown late. In ancient times, people would rise with the sun and rest at sunset. As darkness fell, the entire population of Zhuo County began to prepare for sleep, and the whole county became quiet. Sun Yu, lost in thought, was getting ready to sleep. Zhao Yun had already curled up on the small bed in the outer room, fast asleep.

Sun Yu returned home, prepared the pork, and finally enjoyed a satisfying meal. Zhao Yun, the abandoned cat who had been terrified of poverty, was so excited to eat the pork that he burst into tears

At that moment, a swift horse galloped into the county town, the sound of its hooves echoing sharply in the quiet town.

The pain lasted for less than ten minutes before disappearing, but the stabbing agony had already left him drenched in sweat. Sun Yu thought to himself: "No, I only have ten years to uncover the truth of the world. I must earn money quickly to travel around this world in search of a way to return to my own. If I can't go back in ten years, I will be tormented to death by this illness."

As soon as Sun Yu left, Zhang Fei turned to Liu Bei and said: "Sister, that man just now possesses martial general skills, specifically the intermediate-level skills in red. How interesting! This is the first time I have seen a man use martial general skills"

Zhang Fei muttered: "The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuchs are anxious. What does the Han dynasty have to do with us... uh, no, the elder sister is a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, the elder sister is indeed part of the Han dynasty. The second sister is helping the elder sister, so fine, I will also help the elder sister.

The garrison in Zhuo County originally had fewer than 300 soldiers, all of whom were elderly, weak, ill, or disabled, making them insufficient for battle. During this era, the garrison in county towns typically consisted of only a few hundred troops. When bandits approached, it was common practice to recruit local volunteers to defend the city. This was because bandits often plundered the county town completely, and if the common people did not wish to suffer humiliation from the fall of the city, they would usually join the defending forces, donning makeshift armor and transforming into soldiers.

Sun Yu coughed and said, "Miss Zhang, let us not fight. I am here to take back my maid. I will not buy your pork, and I will leave right away." Just as he steadied himself, Zhao Yun ran up behind him, extending her two pale little hands to grasp Sun Yu's official robe, holding on tightly, her delicate hands turning red from the exertion.

Liu Yu was a civil official. Upon hearing this, her expression changed dramatically. She waved her hand and said, "I understand. You should hurry to Beiping to inform the lord of this matter, and please urge the lord to send troops quickly for rescue. I will fulfill my duties as the county magistrate and will fight to the death to defend the county, not allowing the bandits to enter the city"

Sun Yu felt a chill in his heart; this famous sword had appeared in this world ahead of time, and it was being wielded by Zhang Fei to slaughter pigs. How truly... it was a disservice to the blade. He carried nine catties of pork, which was quite heavy, and did not wish to linger any longer. After taking Zhao Yun for a stroll around the market, he bought some vegetables and seasonings, and then slowly made his way home.

However, after careful calculation, Sun Yu realized that he had spent 135 wen out of his 2080 wen in an instant, which was quite harsh. No wonder ancient people often ate coarse rice with vegetables; meat was truly expensive.

Is war about to break out? Sun Yu was taken aback, but he quickly composed himself. War is a bad thing for this world! However, it may not necessarily be a bad thing for himself. Experiencing more of what happens in this world will help him understand it better and seek a way back to the future. Even if he learns nothing, as long as he can make some money during the chaos, he will have more opportunities, after all, his time is limited.

As soon as Liu Bei arrived, Zhang Fei became as obedient as a little black cat. She picked up a steel knife and swiftly cut down three large pieces of pork, without weighing them, casually stringing them together with a piece of straw rope, and handed them to Sun Yu, saying: "Here, your three types of pork, each three jin. It turns out you weren't deceiving me with that 135 wen. Hmph, taking advantage of my poor arithmetic skills is really boring"

Sun Yu looked at Liu Bei, observing her gentle and fluid movements, as well as her delicate and melodious voice. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder in his heart. This noble young lady was Zhang Fei's third sister, which meant she was Zhang Fei's elder sister. So, was she related to Guan Yu or Liu Bei

Liu Bei, upon hearing Zhang Fei's words, could not help but smile and said: "Your second sister is truly ambitious, unlike you, who enjoys engaging in pointless fights. You should obediently sell all the pork and help your second sister raise some military funds. Recently, the Yellow Turbans have been causing chaos in the south, and our Zhuo County is also about to be affected. Your second sister is extremely anxious right now, recruiting and training local militia every day. Seeing her toil, the eldest sister has also come out to weave straw sandals to earn some money, striving to help her fulfill her wishes as soon as possible"

Ah! Sun Yu let out a soft exclamation, and only then did he remember that he was afflicted with a terminal illness, with only ten years left to live. It was precisely because of this terminal illness that he had been cryogenically preserved, leading him to traverse into this strange world. Clearly, this terminal illness has not yet been cured.

Zhang Fei concealed the steel knife used for cutting pork behind him and whispered, "Elder sister, I won't dare next time. However... what is so good about this knife? It is far inferior to my snake spear. I think it is just right for cutting pork."

The strongest elite force in Youzhou is undoubtedly Gongsun Zan's White Horse Yisong. However, the entire White Horse Yisong is stationed in Beiping. Liu Yu and Sun Yu must hold the county town firmly until Gongsun Zan leads the White Horse Yisong to come to their aid.

Liu Bei said softly: "Hurry and sell the meat, we should head south tonight to find your second sister. I have heard that the Yellow Turban bandits in the south are causing quite a disturbance, and your second sister has urged us to mobilize today."

Sun Yu furrowed his brows as he listened, stepping into the county office hall.

At that moment, Liu Bei raised his head and smiled at Sun Yu, saying: "Sir, my name is Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande. The three types of pork you were about to buy, three jin each, my sister couldn't calculate, so let me do the math." She took out a small abacus from beneath the table, clicked it rapidly, and then softly said: "135 wen."

Zhang Fei pouted and said: "Second Sister loves to make friends with those skilled in martial arts. She talks about restoring the Han dynasty every day, and my ears are getting calloused from hearing it. If she sees someone skilled in martial arts, she will cling to them and talk about lofty ideals, urging them to bravely join the army and restore the Han dynasty. Oh dear!"

Liu Bei smiled and said: "If he is capable, then so be it. What does it have to do with us?"

The messenger responded with a sound and rushed out of the county office in a flurry, changing to a swift horse and galloping straight towards Beijing

I only heard Liu Bei behind him say to Zhang Fei: "Third Sister, you are using the Xinting Marquis's knife to cut pork again, oh, how naughty!"

NM01 hurriedly reported in Sun Yu's ear: "The Xinting Marquis Sword, one of the ten famous swords of ancient China, was forged by a blacksmith using iron from Chizhu Mountain at the command of Zhang Fei when he was first appointed as the Marquis of Xinting. Later, after getting drunk, Zhang Fei whipped his soldiers, and one of his subordinates used the Xinting Marquis Sword to behead Zhang Fei, fleeing to Eastern Wu overnight"

The entire county trembled, and the sound of the gongs echoed throughout the countryside. Residents living outside the county town hurriedly packed their belongings and surged towards the town, causing the small city of Zhuo County to become completely congested within a single day

Sun Yu instructed NM01 to organize the documents in the database and immediately reported to Liu Yu: "Lord Liu, there is no need for a count; I remember very clearly that the grain stored in the county's granary is sufficient to support five thousand troops for half a month. Please, Lord Liu, proceed with the recruitment of local militia; I assure you that I will manage the logistics without any disorder."

The swift horse arrived in front of the county office, and before dismounting, it called out loudly: "County Magistrate, a grave situation has arisen; the Wuwan army is pressing in, and they will soon reach Zhuo County!"

Uh... Sun Yu brought Zhao Yun into the county office, where he saw the white-haired Liu Yu already seated in the main hall. A messenger knelt before the hall and loudly proclaimed: "The Wuhuan rebel leaders Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju, leading tens of thousands of Wuhuan cavalry, are rampaging through Youzhou, Jizhou, and other regions, and will arrive in this county in three days"

Sun Yu's salary is 100 shi of millet per year. If calculated at such prices, his current income is not even sufficient for traveling across the country in search of the truth of the world; it is barely enough to maintain his own livelihood. This is not feasible; it seems he must elevate his official position a little.

He donned his official robes and ran towards the county office. Before he had taken two steps, a pair of small, fair hands grabbed the hem of his clothing. Zhao Yun timidly said, "Take me with you... I don't want to be alone"

So this is Liu Bei, Sun Yu thought to himself: "This Liu Bei is as gentle as a stream of water; I really can't imagine what she would be like if she took up the dual swords to fight in battle... Sigh, it's better not to think about it."

... ...