Chapter 38: Heroes of Donglai, Mission Accomplished

Lu Su was also a wealthy magnate in Xuzhou, though his family fortune did not quite rival that of the Mi family. It was not that Lu Su lacked business acumen, but rather that he was excessively generous and charitable; compared to him, Mi Zhu’s charity seemed insignificant. Historical records state: "Su did not manage his family estate, but instead distributed his wealth, sold off his lands, and dedicated himself to helping the needy and cultivating friendships with scholars." This was essentially giving money away; no matter how large a fortune one possessed, it could not withstand such squandering.

Of course, this was also related to the havoc wreaked by Cao Cao. At that time, Lu Su was only in his early twenties. When Cao Cao massacred the people of Xuzhou, it forced a massive exodus of Lu Su’s fellow townsmen to Guangling and even Jiangdong. In a sense, Lu Su’s dispersal of his wealth was a form of self-preservation.

"I have heard whispers of his reputation, but do you know where he resides now?" Liu Bei asked curiously.

"He is currently in Dongcheng County, Xiapi State. Even in his youth, he possessed a bold spirit and a penchant for ingenious strategies."

"As the Governor of Xuzhou, you need only issue a formal summons, and Lu Su will surely come."

"Oh, so he is a man of this province!" Liu Bei was overjoyed. He was currently desperate for capable personnel, and since Lu Su was the first talent recommended by Li Yi, his abilities were undoubtedly exceptional.

"Indeed. This man possesses the talent of an advisor to a king, and he has considerable family resources. You should treat him with great care to secure his loyalty."

Do not be misled by Lu Su’s constant dispersal of his wealth; he was also a man who knew how to generate it. He was essentially spending and earning simultaneously. This cycle continued until 198 AD. At that time, Zhou Yu, who was in Lujiang, heard of Lu Su’s reputation for benevolence and charity, and led several hundred men on a journey of two hundred kilometers just to seek sponsorship. Of course, while it was called seeking sponsorship, it was essentially a case of "eating the rich" on someone else’s territory. After all, with the chaos of war in those days, even Brother Yu was feeling the pinch. This, at the very least, proved that Lu Su was truly wealthy and incredibly generous. Otherwise, Zhou Yu would never have traveled such a great distance to find him.

How could such a wealthy, generous, and talented man be left for the Jiangdong "Jerry"? Not to mention that Sun Ce held no regard for Lu Su at all. As a result, Lu Su wasted several years in Jiangdong before returning to his home in Xuzhou in frustration. Had it not been for Sun Ce’s untimely demise and Zhou Yu’s performance of the "Xiao He chasing Han Xin under the moonlight" act—personally recommending Lu Su to Sun Quan—Lu Su might never have been given a chance to prove his worth.

Liu Bei, however, was different. He was truly the most suitable lord for Lu Su. The two of them were quite compatible. In the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, both were depicted as upright and virtuous elders. In history, both were free-spirited knights-errant, possessing the chivalrous spirit of heroes. Furthermore, Lu Su was eager to be put to use and to showcase his talents. If he could serve as an official in his home province of Xuzhou, there would be no reason for him to refuse.

"Very well. Lu Zijing... I shall make a note of him." Liu Bei stroked his beard and continued, "Do you have any other worthy talents to recommend, Advisor?"

Li Yi pondered for a moment and said slowly, "There is also Chen Jiao of Dongyang in Guangling, and Xu Sheng of Ju in Langya. You may issue orders to summon them as well."

These men shared one common trait: they were all locals of Xuzhou. As the Governor of Xuzhou, it would be perfectly legitimate for Liu Bei to summon them, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would almost certainly come.

The talents Li Yi recommended next, however, were those Liu Bei had a chance to recruit, but without absolute certainty.

"Liu Ye of Chengde in Huainan, and Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin of Xiatian in Jiujiang—you should issue orders for them as well."

These locations were not too far from Xuzhou, so there was little risk of the summons arriving to find the men gone. After all, people in this era were fond of traveling far and wide. In games like *San11*, where a summons from Liaodong could reach as far as Yunnan, it was truly absurd. Beyond geographical factors, there were human elements to consider. For instance, Liu Ye, while a member of the Han imperial clan like Liu Bei, did not particularly care for him. On the contrary, he had repeatedly advised Cao Cao to execute Liu Bei to prevent future trouble. It was a classic case of "beans boiled in the same pot, why must they be fried so urgently?" As for Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, it was unclear whether they had already pledged their loyalty to Sun Ce, who was currently fighting on behalf of Yuan Shu—or, more accurately, using the war as a pretext to detach himself from Yuan Shu’s control. It was during this period of Sun Ce’s uprising that Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin had gone to join him.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" Hearing the names of so many talents at once, Liu Bei could not stop grinning. While he might have been a man of average ability in many respects, he was humble in accepting advice and thirsty for talent. His desire for capable men always ensured that extraordinary people gathered at his side. Having already secured the services of a great talent like Li Yi, Liu Bei was already overjoyed, and these subsequent recommendations made him even more exuberant. To govern such a vast province as Xuzhou, the aid of extraordinary men was indispensable.

"In that case, I shall return to draft the formal summons."

"My Lord, wait!" Just as Liu Bei was turning to leave, Li Yi stopped him. "I have just thought of another talent."

"This man is seven feet seven inches tall, with long, beautiful whiskers, arms like an ape, and exceptional archery skills; his arrows never miss, as if Yang Youji or Li Guang had returned to life. Even more admirable is his loyal and righteous heart, his dual mastery of civil and martial arts, and his ability to take sole responsibility for a mission. If you can recruit him, he will surely become your right-hand man!"

Liu Bei’s breath hitched. After hearing Li Yi’s description, he was deeply moved. "I do not know his name, nor his whereabouts. If he is truly as you say, I must recruit him."

Li Yi smiled faintly. "This man is an old acquaintance of yours."

"An old acquaintance?" Liu Bei raised an eyebrow. Having been a knight-errant, he had met countless people. Mentioning an "old acquaintance" left him struggling to recall who Li Yi meant.

"He once had a brief encounter with you—but only once. It is understandable that you do not remember."

Liu Bei gave a sheepish laugh. "Forgive my poor memory. Who is this old acquaintance?"

"It is Taishi Ci of Donglai!" Li Yi said clearly. Taishi Ci was currently a free agent; it was vital to have Liu Bei sign this "two-time All-Star" before the winter transfer window closed. Otherwise, by the second half of the year, Sun Ce would surely beat him to it. By his calculation, Taishi Ci should still be at his home in Donglai. If he did not summon him now, Taishi Ci would head to Jiangdong for a "big contract," and once he went, he would remain in Jiangdong for the rest of his life, never returning to the North. That would be a truly regrettable loss for Liu Bei.

"So it is Taishi Ziyi!" Liu Bei slapped his forehead, finally recalling the man. He had indeed met Taishi Ci once before. It dated back to before he arrived in Xuzhou. At the time, the Yellow Turban Rebellion had broken out in Qingzhou, and Kong Rong, the Chancellor of Beihai, was besieged by the rebel general Guan Hai. Because Kong Rong had often looked after Taishi Ci’s mother, Taishi Ci went to save him. Taishi Ci was a fierce warrior; he single-handedly broke through the encirclement under the cover of night to reach Kong Rong. He immediately asked Kong Rong for troops to sally forth and defeat the rebels, but Kong Rong refused. In Kong Rong’s view, if he had five thousand men and Taishi Ci arrived, it would only be five thousand and one—still insufficient to win. Thus, Kong Rong intended to seek help from Liu Bei, but none of his subordinates dared to break through the lines. Only Taishi Ci was eager to try.

Kong Rong had said, "Everyone says the rebels have surrounded us too tightly to break through, yet you alone say it is no problem. You have courage, but how can you accomplish what others cannot?"

Taishi Ci had replied with heroic spirit: "I came to help you because I have the ability. If everyone says it is impossible and I agree, then why did I come at all?"

Moved by his spirit, Kong Rong agreed. In the end, Taishi Ci took two riders and successfully broke through to meet Liu Bei in Pingyuan. That was their first meeting. Taishi Ci was clever; he used a moral appeal, claiming that although he was a man of Donglai and had no blood relation to Kong Rong, they were kindred spirits, and he was willing to share his hardships. Now that Kong Rong was trapped, he had heard of Liu Bei’s reputation for benevolence and righteousness and knew he would surely help those in need, so he had come to find him.

At that time, Liu Bei was still under the command of Gongsun Zan, assisting Tian Kai in fighting against Yuan Shao’s general, Zang Hong. The military situation was dire, and Liu Bei was swamped with affairs, unable to spare himself. Yet, he immediately handed over three thousand of his elite troops to Taishi Ci. One must realize that Liu Bei himself only had a few thousand men in total. Yet, based on a single request from one man, he handed over three thousand troops without hesitation. This displayed Liu Bei’s chivalrous side. One could argue he was merely trying to curry favor with Kong Rong and squeeze into the circle of the gentry, but as the old saying goes, "Judge a gentleman by his deeds, not his heart." If Liu Bei had not helped, the city of Beihai would have fallen, and the people would have suffered. Regardless of his motives, he had tangibly helped the people of Beihai.

This chivalrous heart resonated with the equally heroic Taishi Ci. For Liu Bei, Taishi Ci was a talent he absolutely had the chance to recruit!