Chapter 237 – Regaining Consciousness

“Ugh, is it over?” Liu Mang who has just regained consciousness asked a rethorical question. He is beaten 80 times in the ass in Hefei, his head about to split, his ass is burning and his chest also felt uncomfortable.

“Yes, it is already over!!!” Huang Zhong responded from one side. Liu Mang has been unconscious for two days along with Huang Zhong who has been standing for two days on watch, protecting Liu Mang and tending to his meal and drink. That feat cannot be done by average man. Liu Mang was hit 71 times, the last nine is not done because even the lictors are not dare to hit again as Liu Mang’s complexion already purplish. They feared that if they continued, this little lord might return to heaven. But that view is enough to make all people who are around to discern that the punishment has been completed, all 80 hits.

Actually, the number did not matter, what matter that Liu Mang’s reputation had risen up!!! A little lord is actually sharing punishment with his lowly soldier, this is an excellent performance.

No matter how poor that performance, it gives an excellent impression to those poor people that no general that want to take responsibility for his subordinate’s offence except this person. If this general is willing to sacrifice himself for his lowly subordinate, what about them who had talents?

Also, Liu Mang showed impartiality in administering rewards and punishments, preserving people dignity. Is not that kind treatment that those poor people wanted? Dignity as a person, those poor people have longed to have, the one thing that is only reserved for nobles.

The most important thing is, Liu Mang had shouted “Are kings and nobles given their high status by birth?!!!” Those words contained heresy and treason but those of poor family are listening because it planted an idea. In ancient China, why those nobles kept being nobles, it because its office and nobility were inherited by hereditary. As long as during birth, that noble is not developmentally disabled, they can become an official and become a noble. Those who came from poor family (status-less) can study as hard as they can, practice martial arts as hard as they can, but they are still below those nobles as those nobles have the shade of their families!!! So, envy become jealousy, jealousy become hatred. Vicious cycle.

Confucius said “Do not worry about scarcity only worry about uneven distribution. Don’t worry about poor, worry about no peace” The sayings mean if everyone is doing the same struggle, then nobody will comment!!! But IF you have good father who have good name and status then it is different!!! You will be envied by others, and their envy will turn into hatred. (Another redundancy from author)

So one can see, why those poor children who have to struggle really hate nobles. Those nobles have been pampered since childhood and did not have to suffer like them and still they are higher than them. Just because that unfairness, those of poor children is willing to endure capital punishment by flesh cutting if it meant to topple the emperor himself in order for nobility to switch to their side. Those of poor children all want to be nobles, want to bestow titles to their wives and descendants. They want to show to those pompous nobles that they can stand as high as them as well (their body is complete as those nobles = literal translation from Mr. Author) So, readers. You can conclude that poor children has more talented people than nobles as nobles’ population only held than 2% of total China’s population. (Rephrasing has never been so much difficult than this, earlier chapter still better).

So, since 5000 years ago since China’s earliest recorded history, the one who rebelled are those of poor children. Those nobles will not go to war and risk their status just want to maintain their existence. Such poor children who revolted are Zhu Yuanzhang, Li Zicheng and Hong Xiuquan.

Those poor children eyes started to hot with ambition, if Liu Mang were awake at that time, perhaps when Liu Mang shouted that phrase, there will be someone who responded with “The azure sky is dead, and a Yellow Heaven will take its place” (Zhang Jiao’s quote)

But don’t forget!!! If they are rebelling then the one of possibility is death. After all they are grass roots and in the imperial eyes, only nobles are considered a people. Please remember the final result of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’s Dazexiang Uprising!!! They died miserably and they are considered as rebels in history annotation as they did not have any righteous reason, they are simply arousing the desire from people who were impossible to make a living at that time, they also giving themselves and their followers, nobility and title freely. In early battle, this shows efficiency after all, all poor children are seeking the same thing “to share riches and honor”, but it gradually become weaker and weaker and finally it collapsed by itself. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang made themselves kings and they enjoyed it, but all in all, the string that binds them together started to fall apart and with no righteous cause to bind them together and only using conflict of interests, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are defeated finally and both of them were killed by internal rebellion.

However Liu Mang is different, he is one of Han Dynasty’s royal scion and a Prince of Shu. Following him is not a rebel, as he is clearly a good royal and he can replace the current emperor. They are looking at him just like Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, the founder of Eastern Han Dynasty. He also was nowhere to be found until he came out and proclaimed his heritage of one of House of Liu’s scion and was quickly accepted by people. After all, Han had ruled this nation for several hundred of years, so regarding Han Dynasty royalties and relative to the emperor, people still held utmost respect.

This is also The Escapist Liu’s privilege (Literal translation, Running For Your Life Liu, Fuck that translation). Even he has no government position, no domain as well, but he is still recognized as imperial uncle. This is one of the most valuable currency in politics and it is still valued pretty highly in ancient Han Dynasty as the whole nation still thinks that the emperor should be one of House Liu’s clansmen.

Hell, even Old Cao who is one of the strongest warlord knows this very simple thing. If he dethroned Emperor Xian immediately, he will lost support almost ASAP. He will not do that!!! So, the only thing logical to do is by reducing Han’s influence slowly. So when, Old Cao was enfeoffed as Duke of Wei, he slowly turned the common people’s view to recognize that his rule is a much better one than of Han. And when everyone is agreed that Han is already over, his son Cao Pi then forced Liu Xie to abdicate, thus completing his objective.

The Escapist Liu also abdicating Liu Xie with his own way. Although his objective not clear whether to revive Han or continuing Han’s rule, but he can proclaim himself as emperor, just because he is imperial uncle.

And Liu Mang, has been given title as Prince of Shu by the Han Emperor himself. This implies that Liu Mang himself can give nobility to themselves and will be sealed by the emperor himself, therefore their eyes are fiery.

Liu Mang has woken up but his consciousness is a little fuzzy and his body is really hurts. He complained to himself, why the hell he need to practice that kind of action! Injuring himself to almost dead. While complaining, suddenly his eyes widened as he recalled the reason to do this actions. It is to charm those people who came, to charm big fishes.

“Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong!!!” Muttered Liu Mang sadly. “Zhao Yun, general of unparalleled prowess, unparalleled loyalty. Wei Yan Wei Wenchang, Wei Yan Baldy, Wei the poisonous tongue, although his mouth is broken and have no good looks, but he is a great potential!!! A real courageous person!!!! Wang Wei!” Muttered Liu Mang regretfully. Liu Mang remembered that when Wang Wei fought with Huang Zhong, he was quite on par with him although he only assisted Zhao Yun. Regarding Wang Wei, Liu Mang is not too clear but he remembered that this person has a small responsibility to create The Three Kingdoms era.

A strategist can decide the fate of the country, can chat with words as sharp as arrow, and plan everything else in general (Goddamned author, stop making me confused). But they cannot plan until the very little details. That part is determined by ordinary person.

A wrath of a king can kill a man from a great distance and his anger can take down a nation!!! But ordinary man’s wrath, can only kill a man three feet away from him!!! If any of the readers got logic, a king’s wrath is more frightening right? But if the king is three feet away from the ordinary man? Who is in more bigger threat?

When The Escapist Liu comes to Jing Province, Wang Wei and Kuai Yue discussed together about this current affairs and they must kill The Escapist Liu, because they saw The Escapist Liu flashed evil intentions on his eyes and he want to take Jing Province for himself. So, when the “Hongmen” banquet was held, The Escapist Liu were almost killed . (TL: I hate Liu Bei, but not so bad that you gave a person a bad nickname like Running Liu [Literal Translation] or The Escapist Liu AND LITERALLY, WROTE EVERYTHING ABOUT LIU BEI into LIU PAOPAO)

The Escapist Liu managed to escape, so Wang Wei plotted to kill another “Big Bro” (or Uncle Sam, if our reader from USA) which is Old Cao! Wang Wei then suggested to Liu Cong “Since general already surrendered, Xuande already gone, Cao Cao will be not prepared. Please general raise a surprise-attack squad and sets up an ambush, we may achieve victory this way. When victory achieved, you will awe the nation. Although Central Plains is broad and wide, we can make a call-to-arms to end this chaos. This is a very rare opportunity, we cannot lose this!!!” If Wang Wei managed to convince Liu Cong and succeeded in his ambush, perhaps Cao Cao will die and the chaos will not be so bad! At that time, the Battle of Red Cliff has yet to start, Guo Jia has died, Xun Yu and Xun You are in a dispute and the one who are supporting Old Cao is only Cheng Yu as well his Xu Du is not stable. If only at that time, Liu Bei and Sun Quan were already united, Old Cao might perish.

800,000 troops will collapse on itself, Old Cao’s homebase will be on fire. And when that happens, The Escapist Liu and The Sinister Sun Quan will definitely not going to let this opportunity to go away and will definitely send cavalry to destroy him completely and the Central Plains will definitely be in chaos. If Jing Province were a little bit smart on taking on Cao Cao and retrieve the Emperor from Cao Cao, Perhaps Jing Province might or might not become the victor of this war, but it will definitely be one of the biggest warlords and at that time, the 3 Kingdoms structure might become Jiangdong, Jing Province and Liu Bei.

But unfortunately, Cai Mao quickly refused his proposal. Cai Mao’s thought is to lick Old Cao’s foot in order to secure his clan’s survivability. However, Old Cao did not return the same treatment to that dog, he directly stomped that dog. In the historical events, Zhou Yu is the one who gives the idea to Cao Cao to kill Cai Mao. Cao Cao also agreed to kill him and Zhang Yun rather to make them a big threat again in Jing Province. Those two are the local tyrants and their authority in Jing Province is just like a state within a state and must be followed to the letter, much like Chen clan of Guangling, but in this story, Chen Gui was killed by Old Cao directly.

If that is the case, then Wang Wei could only be a capable person. Liu Mang remembered that when Old Cao occupied Jing Province and sending Jing Province’s former ruler to become governor in You Province, all of Jing Province’s nobles agreed with old Cao and stayed in Jing Province. Only Wang Wei is the one who packed up and left with his lord.

This person did not run into a magnificent lord and ended up forgotten instead become famous in this chaos times! Much like Zhao Yun in the hand of Gongsun Zan.

Besides these three generals, there is Xu Shu!

Liu Mang felt really anxious and asked Huang Zhong “Old Man Huang, how many days I have been unconscious?”

Huang Zhong answered “Little lord! You have been unconscious for two days” But over the two days, that young scribe, who was last arguing with his little lord, was the one who quickly manage everything in Hefei. If not for him, everything might be chaotic! Huang Zhong who was anxious at that time, want to send letter to notify Lu Bu in Lujiang, but was stopped by that scribe who reasoned with him that by making Lu Bu knew the affairs, will make Bing Province Wolf Cavalry gone on rampage once they arrive at Hefei.

“Two days!!! It is really pitiful!!!!” Liu Mang really anxious. If those great abilities to get away from him, Liu Mang will truly cry. He is not greedy but that feeling of regret that he cannot obtain something, it is really uncomfortable. Like something that you already see and already touch, but it is out of your reach

Liu Mang’s feelings like now is best described like there is a lottery ticket with 5 million RMB prize on it but he did not buy it!!!! No average person can withstand that feeling of regret, those who of weak heart will die, those who of strong heart, will also become ill.

Liu Mang did this to obtain best men out of poor families and noble families. Currently there are big fishes come to his side, really made Liu Mang felt unworthy to offend noble families.

While Liu Mang is stressed-out suddenly a young scribe walked in, smiling and said “Relax Milord, you have Shu with you! All is taken care of!!!”

Who else could it be if it was not Xu Shu?