Chapter 10: Why the Brotherly Vigilance?

Perhaps unwilling to reveal anything further in front of others, or perhaps lost in thought, Gongsun Zan remained silent.

Shortly after returning to the county, Gongsun Zan summoned Liu Bei again for a private meeting in his lodging.

Liu Bei had anticipated this and had brought a gift with him.

The gift was a food box containing several large pancakes and two strings of five-zhu coins.

These were the relief provisions Gongsun Zan had once given the former Lang Ge when he had no food to eat.

Seeing the pancakes and coins, Gongsun Zan sighed deeply, looked Liu Bei in the eye, and shook his head as he asked, “You’ve sent fine horses and now this as well. Why, dear brother, do you do this?”

“Brother Bo Gui, I regard you as my elder brother still, so I offer all I have to you... But I wonder, how do you regard me?”

With no one else present, Liu Bei spoke plainly.

“...How did my younger brother Gongsun Yue die?”

Gongsun Zan did not answer directly but asked about the circumstances of Gongsun Yue’s death.

“I killed him. But he was already gravely wounded and surrounded on all sides. He refused to fall into Yuan Shao’s hands, saying that if captured, Yuan Shao and Lu Shi would learn of your involvement behind the scenes, which might bring disaster upon your family...”

Liu Bei knew this was a sore spot for Gongsun Zan, so he admitted straightforwardly, “He asked me to put him out of his misery. Knowing he would die, I granted his wish. I feared death myself and did not dare take my own life, so I accepted the blame as the mastermind and was imprisoned, sparing you from involvement.”

This statement was half-truth and half-false.

It was true that Gongsun Yue was wounded and that Liu Bei took responsibility, but the reasons for the killing and for accepting blame were not as he stated.

Furthermore, even if Gongsun Yue had been captured alive by Yuan Shao, like Liu Bei, he would likely have only been imprisoned, and the family would not have suffered, since Yuan Shao himself had no losses.

Of course, if Yuan Shao had not been cultivating a benevolent image and insisted on strict justice, then banditry and robbery could have warranted a death sentence.

So at the time, it was understandable to want to avoid implicating the family, especially since Gongsun Yue was only sixteen and quite naive.

Nonetheless, Liu Bei had indeed not betrayed Gongsun Zan at the time. Had he done so, Gongsun Zan would have been implicated and lost not only his official post but also his future prospects, though not his life.

“...In that case, it was Yuan Shao who killed my cousin.”

Gongsun Zan considered this for a moment, then nodded in acceptance of this version, though some reluctance lingered in his expression.

He took the box, picked up a pancake, broke it in half, and handed one half to Liu Bei. “Dear brother, the Yuan family’s power is vast; I still need your help.”

Liu Bei did not take the half pancake but stared at Gongsun Zan and said, “Brother Bo Gui, you may not know, but I waited in the Luoyang prison for your rescue, only to hear that you were recommended as a filial candidate and took office...”

It was necessary to turn the tables a bit; otherwise, Gongsun Zan would be even more uneasy.

In fact, when Liu Bei was with Jian Yong and others, he rarely spoke much, never feigned warmth or complained, and showed no emotion on his face. Yet, before Gongsun Zan, he was completely different.

Or rather, before true brothers, Liu Bei would never play such games.

“...At that time, our county’s Governor Liu was punished. I was busy pleading for his pardon and could not spare the time. Later, I was recommended as a filial candidate but was immediately ordered to the Liaodong front to fight, so I truly had no chance to rescue you.”

Gongsun Zan was silent a moment but offered this explanation.

This was also half-truth and half-false.

It was true that Gongsun Zan had pleaded for the pardon of Liu Ji, the Governor of Liaoxi, and that after Liu Ji’s pardon, Gongsun Zan was recommended as a filial candidate.

It was also true that after the recommendation, Gongsun Zan was sent to Liaodong at once.

But the claim of having no time to rescue Liu Bei was quite false—for Gongsun Zan’s plea to Liu Kuan, the Grand Commandant, was enough to easily resolve Liu Bei’s case as well.

Liu Bei smiled and asked again, “Then, Brother Bo Gui... I still regard you as my elder brother. How do you regard me?”

Yes, I was arrested and did not betray you, and you were ‘too busy’ to rescue me. Yet I still see you as my brother and am willing to give you everything valuable I have.

But do you have the heart for it?

Gongsun Zan sighed, lowered his head, and broke the pancake into pieces, eating them one by one.

Only after finishing the half pancake did he look up again and say, “Dear brother, I am ashamed as your elder brother. I caused the death of A Yue and your imprisonment... I wish to make amends. Are you willing to accept it?”

“I still regard Brother Bo Gui as my elder brother. If you have any orders, I will obey.”

Liu Bei reached out and took the other half of the pancake.

Make amends?

It was more likely a mix of amends and entrapment.

“There are many barbarian troubles in this county. It is indeed proper to recruit pardoned criminals as militia...” Gongsun Zan looked at the pancake in Liu Bei’s hand and spoke slowly, “Since you were punished because of me, I will appoint you as the commander of the pardoned criminals. Leading them, you can redeem yourself through merit... With military achievements, you can be promoted to county commander, which will give you a future.”

The commander of pardoned criminals was a position in charge of convict troops, roughly equivalent to a military officer.

Most officials shunned managing convict troops, so border counties formed these militia units separately, appointing a commander specifically for them.

But this commander position was temporary.

Usually, after the war, the convicts’ crimes were considered expunged, the units disbanded, and the commander’s role ceased to exist.

However, forming such militia units required the prefect’s order; the county magistrate could only propose or recommend, not directly appoint.

So generally, county magistrates would not do this.

But Gongsun Zan was no ordinary man...

His forces in Liaodong had just been seized, so he certainly wanted to raise his own private army.

By this means, Gongsun Zan could legitimately obtain authority to organize troops and gradually transform them into his personal retainers.

This was exactly the situation Liu Bei had been subtly guiding toward.

For Gongsun Zan, recruiting troops in Zhuo County under Liu Bei’s name and sending Liu Bei to the battlefield was the most fitting approach.

If Liu Bei survived, then their friendship was repaired, and Liu Bei was given a future.

If Liu Bei died in battle, so much the better...

“Actually, though the county has barbarian troubles, they are not numerous. Brother Bo Gui, where do you intend for me to gain merit and redeem myself?”

Liu Bei broke his pancake piece by piece and ate it, just as Gongsun Zan had.

When Liu Bei finished eating, Gongsun Zan replied, “Since the militia is formed because of the county’s barbarian troubles, naturally, merit must be gained here... There are plenty of barbarians.”

It seemed Gongsun Zan had a way to lure barbarians into Zhuo County.

Could it be that he was always nurturing bandits for his own benefit?

Liu Bei thought quietly and nodded, staring at the box on the table without speaking.

Gongsun Zan also glanced at the box and said, “Raising troops and establishing a unit requires military funds... I am new here and do not know the county elders. The matter of gathering provisions will need your help.”

In other words, he intended to collect protection money from the wealthy families of Zhuo County but did not want to offend the local powers, so he planned to have Liu Bei take the blame.

That was understandable, as Gongsun Zan had given Liu Bei the great opportunity to lead the militia, redeem himself, and earn merit, so the burden of raising funds naturally fell on Liu Bei.