The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 6 Liu Bei's Peach Garden Outside the City

Zhang Shiping felt a surge of heat rush to his head, his ears were ringing, and his heart felt like it was about to break free from his chest.

Liu Bei's words just now were passionate and heartfelt, revealing not only his insight into the general trend of the world but also his unwavering determination about his own path.

That solitary courage of "I will go even if there are thousands of people against me" and the sense of responsibility of "If not me, then who?" shone so brightly in the spring sunshine that even this usually calculating merchant was captivated by it.

For a fleeting moment, he almost blurted out: "I am willing to follow the example of Lü Buwei and give away all my wealth to serve you, my lord!"

But he was, after all, a businessman. Decades of ups and downs in the business world had etched prudence into his very bones. Once his initial passion subsided, the shrewdness and calculation characteristic of a successful businessman would once again take over.

He looked at Liu Bei, his gaze complex, and took a deep breath:

"Lord Xuande's words are like an eye-opener, inspiring awe and wonder. In the past, Lü Buwei was a rare commodity, ultimately achieving high office and being ennobled, leaving a legacy for future generations. Who among those with ambition wouldn't envy such a spirit?"

He then changed the subject: "However, in the art of buying and selling, the most important thing is 'honesty,' followed by 'foresight.' Honesty means keeping one's word and ensuring that goods are genuine and fairly priced; foresight means understanding market changes and predicting profits and losses."

"Lord Xuande has spoken of three things today: First, the Way of Peace will surely be overthrown, and disaster is imminent; second, if you can safely weather the impending calamity of indiscriminate killing, you will even gain fame from it; third, chaos is coming, and heroes can seize the opportunity to rise up."

"If these three things can indeed come true one by one," Zhang Shiping stared intently at Liu Bei, "then it will be enough to prove that Lord Xuande not only has the courage to face the world, but also extraordinary wisdom and strategy. He can see what others cannot see, make decisions that others cannot make, and devise plans that others cannot achieve. His talent and ambition are far superior to those of this mediocre merchant Zhang."

"Although I have some wealth and travel to various prefectures and counties, what I have seen and heard is nothing more than the market for goods and the treacherous nature of people's hearts. As for the great trend of the world's change of dynasties and the mystery of the rise and fall of dynasties, I can only see flowers through the fog and glimpse the leopard through a tube."

His tone was extremely serious and clear-headed: "I know that we merchants, even if we have a fortune and live a life of luxury, are still considered lowly and inferior in the eyes of those noble families and scholars."

"In times of peace, one can rely on money to associate with kings and nobles and seek peace. But once the world is in turmoil and war breaks out, the gold and silver in one's hands will not only fail to protect one's body, but will become the source of disaster. It is like a child carrying gold in a bustling market, only attracting the covetous eyes of powerful people and rebel soldiers."

"At that time, we will be at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board. Doesn't the thought of it send chills down my spine?"

He raised his head, his gaze even carrying a reckless sharpness: "Lord Xuande has ambitions for the world and the bearing of a hero. Lords Guan and Zhang are men of unparalleled strength, and the heroes of the manor are all courageous warriors. Such a 'rare commodity' has already taken shape. What is lacking is nothing more than a gathering of heroes and some supplies to help us."

"Therefore, if everything is as Lord Xuande says, I, Zhang Shiping, am willing to emulate Tao Zhugong's generosity in distributing his wealth, and contribute all my family's assets to help Lord Xuande recruit heroes from all directions, repair armor and weapons, and stockpile provisions and horses! Let's gamble on—'a rare commodity to hoard'!"

This statement is presented in a clear and logical manner, progressing step by step.

It possesses both the shrewd calculations of a businessman and the decisive spirit of a hero.

He was betting not only on Liu Bei's personal bravery and charisma, but also on his ability to judge the general trend and plan for the future.

If Liu Bei's words are all true, then it proves that his wisdom and strategy far surpass those of ordinary people, making him worthy of entrusting one's life to.

If their words prove false, then it's nothing more than maintaining the status quo and finding another way.

In his mind, he had already calculated this deal and was certain that he would make a profit!

Su Shuang, listening from the side, felt his heart surge with emotion and was also deeply moved. He was not as decisive as Zhang Shiping, but he also knew that chaos was coming and wealth was hard to protect.

Seeing that Zhang Shiping had already put it this way, he gritted his teeth, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I, Su, am willing to follow Brother Zhang and ride his coattails!"

Looking at the two merchants who had finally made up their minds, Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief. These two are now in my trap!

He stepped forward, helping Zhang Shiping up with one hand and supporting Su Shuang with the other, and said in a deep voice:

"Brother Zhang and Brother Su are deeply righteous and courageous, and I am deeply grateful to them. Since they have not abandoned me, I am willing to treat them with sincerity. Heaven and earth will bear witness to what I have said today. If I achieve something in the future, I will certainly not fail to appreciate their timely help."

"You two may return to the city for the time being, close the doors tightly, restrain the servants, and observe the situation. The outcome will be clear in a month at most, or half a day at least. At that time, I'm afraid you two will still need to lend a great deal of assistance."

"We will obey Lord Xuande's orders!" Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang replied in unison, as if half of the heavy weight in their hearts had been lifted with this decision.

Liu Bei said no more, and mounted his horse. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed closely behind with their men.

The sound of hooves thundered, raising a cloud of dust. Before long, Liu Bei and his entourage had ridden out of the low city walls of Zhuo County, which were made of rammed earth.

On both sides of the official road were vast fields of mulberry and hemp. It was still early spring, and the mulberry branches had just sprouted tender, pale yellow buds. The hemp fields were littered with withered stalks left over from last year, which had not yet been cleared away. After walking another two or three miles, and rounding a small hill overgrown with weeds, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A manor nestled against the mountains and beside the water came into view. It was the manor that Liu Bei had built several years ago after Zhang Shiping provided him with gold and silver.

The estate covers a large area and is backed by a gentle slope, which is planted with peach and apricot trees.

It was mid-spring, and the apricot blossoms were in full bloom, appearing from afar like a pinkish-white cloud floating on the mountainside; the peach buds were still tightly wrapped in their brown coats, with only a few bright red spots showing on the branches, and they would not fully bloom until March.

During the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty, the manor economy was already highly developed. Powerful landlords established large, self-sufficient estates through land consolidation, engaging in agriculture, handicrafts, animal husbandry, and even commerce, while also providing shelter for a large number of dependent people (called "tufu", "binke", or "buqu").

These manors were mostly located in strategic locations or nestled against mountains and beside water. They were fortified with walls and fences, resembling small castles, and were called "wubi" or "zhuangshu". They had private armed forces and were important local military units and social foundations during the chaotic period at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Conversely, the economy of self-sufficient farmers declined relatively. Therefore, to achieve anything significant in the late Han Dynasty, it was often much more difficult than it was to gain the support of powerful landlords.

Liu Bei's manor was surrounded by a rammed earth wall about ten feet high, with thorns and deer antlers planted on top. At each of the four corners stood a simple watchtower—built of wood and covered with thatch—used for observation and vigilance.

Inside the walls, dozens of houses with rammed earth foundations and thatched or tiled roofs can be seen scattered around. In the center is a rammed earth drill ground where dozens of people are practicing with wooden sticks and bamboo spears, and shouts can be faintly heard.

In the southeast corner of the manor, several houses had their chimneys billowing black smoke. These were iron forging workshops. Although ironware was strictly controlled during the Han Dynasty, it was common for local powerful families to set up small furnaces to forge farm tools and even simple weapons.

The "Monthly Ordinances for the Four Classes of People," written by Cui Shi, a renowned scholar of the time, records the annual arrangements for the estates of powerful families. It includes the following: "In the third month, repair the gates and set up defenses to guard against thieves during the spring famine. In the ninth month, repair the five weapons and practice archery to prepare for thieves during the cold and hardship."

It was early spring, and the time was perfect for Liu Bei to repair his manor and prepare for military operations.

"The peach trees are in full bloom, and the red talisman flutters in the wind. The year of Jiazi has arrived, and the heavens are shaking." Liu Bei reined in his horse at the slope, gazing at the peach grove poised to bloom, and silently recited these four lines of the prophecy he had recently ordered to be spread.

Nowadays, young children in the streets and alleys of Zhuoxian County are singing this folk song.

This was his way of warning this numb world, meaning that when the peach blossoms bloom, the Way of Peace will launch an uprising.

The apricot blossoms have faded, but the peach blossoms are about to bloom.

Historical records state that Zhang Jiao launched an uprising in February, and by March, uprisings had broken out in all directions. When the imperial edict was issued to the local areas, it was the time when peach blossoms were in full bloom.

Now, the flowering season is also a chaotic period, and he really doesn't have much time left.