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Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei felt a sense of frustration as they sat idly in the military camp day after day. One day, unable to contain himself any longer, Zhang Fei said to Liu Bei, "Brother, it’s not a solution to remain cooped up like this! Why don’t we go out into the streets and see what the capital is really like?" Guan Yu nodded in agreement, adding, "Brother, perhaps a walk will help ease your worries and lift your spirits."
After pondering for a moment, Liu Bei agreed. The three of them quickly changed into casual clothes and left the military camp, blending into the bustling streets of the capital. The streets were lively and filled with noise—vendors calling out their wares and carts passing by—so different from the clashing swords and flashing blades of the battlefield. However, as they ventured deeper into the inner city, the gap between the lavish carriages of the wealthy and the common people became increasingly glaring.
As they walked along, they encountered a magnificent carriage approaching them. It was surrounded by numerous guards, but the decorations on the carriage were understated. The curtain was slightly lifted, revealing a middle-aged man with a dignified yet worried expression—it was Zhang Jun, an official in the court.
Upon seeing him, Liu Bei felt a surge of recognition and quickly stepped forward to bow respectfully. "Sir, are you Zhang Jun?" he asked. Zhang Jun frowned slightly at being stopped and glanced at Liu Bei and his companions, noting their simple attire with some suspicion. "Yes, I am. Who are you?" he replied.
Liu Bei remained calm and clasped his fists together with determination in his eyes. "I am Liu Bei, styled Xuan De. I have accompanied General Zhu to fight against the Yellow Turbans and have fought in Nanyang and Wan Cheng, achieving several merits without daring to slack off. Yet I have waited long without receiving an official appointment from the court, which leaves me anxious and uncertain. Today I see you here; I have matters to request."
Zhang Jun was taken aback by Liu Bei's words and dismounted to scrutinize him closely. Despite Liu Bei's simple clothing, his demeanor exuded authority and sincerity that commanded respect. "So you are Mr. Xuan De! I have heard much about your bravery in quelling the Yellow Turbans; seeing you today confirms your reputation. Given your achievements, why have you not yet received any rewards?" he asked.
Liu Bei let out a bitter smile, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Perhaps my contributions are deemed insignificant or perhaps blocked by others; I dare not speak presumptuously. I only hope that you can see clearly on behalf of the people and advocate for us soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun's expression grew serious. He spoke softly, "Mr. Xuan De, please remain calm; this matter concerns the greater situation of the court. Allow me to enter the palace and investigate."
Returning to the palace, Zhang Jun immediately requested an audience with Emperor Ling. Bowing deeply before the emperor, he spoke with a strong voice: "Your Majesty, although the Yellow Turban Rebellion has been quelled, its root causes remain unaddressed. The chaos arose from the Ten Eunuchs' abuse of power—selling positions and punishing those who oppose them—leading to widespread resentment among the people that fueled the rebellion. I believe we must execute the Ten Eunuchs publicly and announce rewards for those who have contributed to restoring order in order to revive our governance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Rang—the most favored among the Ten Eunuchs—immediately grew furious and knelt down to plead: "Your Majesty! Zhang Jun's words are clearly slander against loyal ministers! We serve this court wholeheartedly yet are defamed by such individuals; please see through this!"
Emperor Ling was already displeased with Zhang Jun's candidness; hearing the Ten Eunuchs' accusations only darkened his expression further as he coldly ordered, "Guards! Expel Zhang Jun from the palace; he is not to be allowed back!"
Fuming as he left, Zhang Jun could hear the Ten Eunuchs conspiring together in hushed tones. "Zhang Jun is intent on advocating for those who fought against the Yellow Turbans; it seems he has been preparing for this," Zhang Rang sneered. "Why not send Liu Bei off to Dingzhou for now? Give him a nominal position as a county constable to keep him occupied; we can deal with him later."
Indeed, Liu Bei was appointed as Constable of Anxi County in Zhongshan Prefecture of Dingzhou. Upon receiving the edict, he sighed bitterly as he set down the letter: "I have failed to achieve great deeds for the world yet find myself in such a minor position; it is truly shameful."
"Guan Yu said in a deep voice, 'Brother, this is not the time to seek achievements. We must secure our position and wait for the right moment to act.'
Zhang Fei, however, was filled with indignation. 'These corrupt officials are clearly brushing you off! But as long as we have ambition, we will surely find an opportunity.'
Liu Bei patted Zhang Fei on the shoulder, his tone calm. 'Yi De need not be angry. Although the county magistrate's position may be small, it can still benefit the people. We should first establish ourselves here before pursuing greater matters.'
In Anxi County, Liu Bei had been in office for a month, committing no wrongs against the people and governing with integrity. The citizens held him in high regard. He, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, maintained their close bond; they shared meals at the same table and slept in the same quarters. Liu Bei personally handled all matters, big and small, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei often stayed by his side. To outsiders, the three seemed like one entity, with no distinction between master and servants.
Not long after Liu Bei took office in Anxi County, news arrived that the court had issued an edict: 'All officials appointed based on military merit must undergo re-examination to weed out incompetent and corrupt officials.' Upon hearing this news, anxiety spread among the people of the county, and Liu Bei felt a growing unease within himself, pondering, 'This decree is likely aimed at us military meritocrats.'
At that moment, word came that the Supervisor was coming to Anxi County for an inspection. Liu Bei personally led a group out of the city to welcome him. From a distance, he saw the Supervisor approaching on a grand steed, dressed in fine garments and holding a silver whip, his demeanor haughty. Liu Bei quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, saying respectfully, 'I am Liu Bei, here to welcome you, Superintendent.'
The Supervisor merely glanced up slightly and pointed his whip dismissively as a form of acknowledgment before riding ahead. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei witnessed this scene and were already seething with anger. Zhang Fei muttered under his breath, 'This corrupt official has such an air about him! If it weren't for my brother stopping me, I would have made him dismount and recognize who is truly in charge!' Guan Yu turned to Liu Bei and said solemnly, 'Brother, this man is so arrogant; he is likely not a good person. We must be cautious.'
Upon arriving at Guanyuan Inn, the Supervisor sat high on the dais while Liu Bei stood at the steps below, bowing respectfully. The Supervisor leaned back in his chair and spoke slowly, 'Liu Bei, what is your background?'
Liu Bei clasped his fists and replied, 'I am a descendant of Zhongshan Jing Wang. I rose from Zhuo County after defeating the Yellow Turbans in over thirty battles. Fortunately, I have received the court's favor to hold this position.'
Hearing this, the Supervisor raised an eyebrow and slammed his hand on the table in anger. 'You have quite a nerve! How dare you falsely claim royal lineage and exaggerate your achievements! Officials like you are exactly whom the court intends to purge!' Before Liu Bei could defend himself, he was waved away by the Supervisor.
Returning to the county office, Liu Bei reported the situation to the County Officials, who all looked troubled. An elderly official whispered, 'My lord, this Supervisor is notoriously greedy for money. His words are so rude because he likely failed to extort bribes from you and now seeks to harm you instead. If we can prepare some valuables for him, we might avoid disaster.'
Liu Bei furrowed his brow and spoke somberly: 'I have governed without wrongdoing thus far; where would I find valuables to give him? Such actions would only encourage corruption.'"
The next day, the Supervisor summoned the County Official to Guanyuan Inn, coercing him to testify falsely and accuse Liu Bei of corruption and harming the people. The County Official was tied up on the ground, trembling in fear. Upon hearing the news, Liu Bei made several attempts to plead for him, but each time he was turned away by the Supervisor's gatekeepers, leaving him helpless.
At this moment, Zhang Fei was already burning with rage. After downing a few bowls of strong liquor, he rode past Guanyuan Inn and saw fifty or sixty commoners kneeling on the ground, all with sorrowful faces, hoarsely crying out. Zhang Fei reined in his horse, jumped down, and strode forward, demanding, "What are you crying about here?"
An elderly man wiped his tears and said tremulously, "General Zhang, the Superintendent is forcing the County Official to testify falsely against County Magistrate Liu! We have come to plead desperately, but we can't even get through the door and are being driven away by the guards!"
Upon hearing this, a fierce light flashed in Zhang Fei's eyes as he ground his teeth in anger. He shouted, "This corrupt official dares to humiliate my brother! Let me deal with him!" With that, he brandished his Eighteen-Feet Serpent Spear and marched into Guanyuan Inn. The gatekeepers saw his fierce demeanor and scattered in fear.
Zhang Fei burst into the back hall and saw the Supervisor sitting at the head of the table, wielding a whip and harshly berating the tied-up County Official. With a roar that shook everyone in the hall, Zhang Fei exclaimed, "You villain harming the people! Do you recognize your grandfather Zhang Fei?"
The Supervisor looked up, still stunned by the sudden intrusion when Zhang Fei seized his hair and yanked him from his chair, dragging him to the horse post outside. Zhang Fei raised his Willow Branch and shouted, "Let’s see if you dare harm the people again!" Each lash of his whip echoed sharply as the Supervisor howled in pain while the commoners cheered from the sidelines.
Liu Bei heard the commotion from the front hall and hurried over. Upon seeing the Supervisor tied to the horse post, he was taken aback. "Yi De, how could you do this!"
Zhang Fei pointed his whip at the Supervisor, still seething with anger. "Brother, this corrupt official has humiliated you and harmed countless people! It’s not enough to just beat him; I must kill him to quell my rage!"
At that moment, Guan Yu approached slowly and said solemnly, "Brother, amidst thorns and brambles, there is no place for phoenixes to roost. You have achieved countless merits yet hold only a minor position; now you must endure such humiliation. In my view, it would be better to kill this villain harming the people and abandon your post to seek another path."
Liu Bei pondered for a moment before finally sighing deeply. He personally removed his official seal from his waist and hung it around the Supervisor's neck, coldly stating, "You oppress the people; you deserve execution according to law! However, out of my benevolence, I will spare your life. This seal is here; I Liu Bei resign from my office from this day forth!"
With that, he swept away his sleeves and left. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed closely behind. Only the battered Supervisor remained outside Guanyuan Inn, crawling on the ground in a pitiful state with tears streaming down his face.
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