Chapter 20: A White Horse as a Token

"How can you say such a thing?! I am a member of the Zhang clan! It is all written on my travel permits!"

Zhang Shiping was both shocked and furious. "Have you never heard of the Zhang clan of Yuyang? His Excellency Bo Ren, the Administrator of Zhongshan, is a direct member of our lineage!"

He had even stopped calling him "Young Master," and was now using the Zhang family of Yuyang and Zhang Chun, the Administrator of Zhongshan, to intimidate him. It seemed these were Zhang Chun's horses.

"We had war horses stolen from our ranks... Since you claim these horses were acquired from the Wuhuan, let us see if this collection consists entirely of Wuhuan mounts." Liu Bei shook his head and turned to Jiuchi. "Check them one by one. Find our horses."

Jiuchi raised a hand and pointed. "Young Master, no need to check. They are right there. The saddles of the Xianbei raiders haven't even been removed yet."

Sure enough, a Xianbei warhorse was among Zhang Shiping's herd, an empty quiver still hanging from the side of its saddle.

Zhang Shiping looked over, his face full of confusion. "This one... hmm?"

"You claimed these horses were for the private use of the Zhang family. But this is a Xianbei warhorse... If you didn't steal it, are you suggesting the Zhang family is colluding with the Xianbei?" Liu Bei’s face darkened as he waved his hand. "Take all the horses. Bind these men and drag them to the county jail to await the magistrate's judgment!"

The Xianbei invaded every year and were in a state of war with the Great Han; the charge of colluding with the Xianbei was no small matter. The critical point was that there was actual evidence.

"Young Master! Young Master! This is a misunderstanding, a mere misunderstanding..." Zhang Shiping waved his hands and shook his head. "I am seeing this horse for the first time as well. It must have wandered into my herd by accident; it is not stolen property!"

"Go and explain that to the magistrate. I am only here to reclaim the spoils of war that were stolen from me." Liu Bei shook his head, signaling that he had no interest in further discussion.

"But... but aside from that one with an unknown origin, the others really were purchased from the Wuhuan! Young Master, may I ask where you serve? My clan has a modest reputation, and we even have a branch in Zhuo County. You must have heard of us..." Zhang Shiping explained anxiously, trying to establish a connection.

"Young Master, we found another Xianbei warhorse. Look, there is a fresh scrape on its back..." Just as Zhang Shiping was explaining, Jiuchi’s voice rang out again.

"Ah... ah?" Zhang Shiping was stunned.

"Look closely. This is not us framing you... You appear to be a man of letters, so I will not bind you. Go to the county yourself and explain it to the magistrate." Liu Bei said with an air of righteousness.

Having said that, he walked straight to Jiuchi, took the newly discovered Xianbei warhorse, mounted it, and rode away.

Zhang Shiping grabbed Jiuchi’s sleeve from behind. "Good man, good man, may I ask the name of your army’s commander? Good man... please don't take them all away..."

Jiuchi said nothing more. According to the rules of the road, he could not reveal his boss’s name without permission. He simply signaled for the soldiers to lead away every single horse, leaving none behind. In truth, Jiuchi suspected that those two horses might have wandered into Zhang Shiping's herd by accident; horses were social creatures, and Zhang Shiping’s group had likely been trapped in the river and failed to notice them in time.

...

Halfway back, within sight of the county seat, they saw a contingent emerging from the city. They flew a banner inscribed with "Zhuo Magistrate Gongsun." It was Gongsun Zan’s banner. It seemed he had returned.

In this era, when a magistrate traveled, the entourage was never small. Not only were there subordinates and guards, but a large crowd of servants always followed, complete with flags and drums. However, the force Gongsun Zan led this time appeared to be a cavalry unit. It was likely that after Zou Jing arrived in Zhuo County, he had asked him to rescue Liu Bei.

Liu Bei carried no banners and his group had many horses. To avoid being mistaken for northern bandits, he quickly rode forward alone to meet them. As he drew near, Liu Bei saw that Gongsun Zan was followed by a cavalry unit of fifty or sixty men, all of them well-equipped.

"Cavalry" might have been the wrong term, as these men were not dressed like county soldiers, and each person’s equipment differed from the next. Furthermore, they appeared to be of various backgrounds—some were Han Chinese with hair tied up in caps, while others were "Hu" tribesmen with braided hair and golden earrings. This was not a formal army, but a band of followers—or, as they were called, *Yicong* (Volunteers).

"Brother Bo Gui, have you come to rescue me?" Liu Bei looked at the volunteers behind Gongsun Zan with a hint of envy. These men were likely friends Gongsun Zan had made over the years; they were surely skilled, though not all of them rode white horses.

"Indeed. Military Supervisor Zou arrived in the county seeking reinforcements, saying you were locked in a fierce battle with the Hu. As the county had no available troops, I set out with friends to assist you..." Gongsun Zan looked Liu Bei up and down. "However, it seems you were victorious?"

"Yes, the Hu have been driven off, though the spoils were not plentiful." Liu Bei felt it was difficult to boast; given his temperament, he still felt embarrassed to call it a great victory. He decided to change the subject. "Since you have come to my aid, Brother Bo Gui, I would like to offer you some of the spoils..."

"It seems it was a great victory after all... Congratulations, worthy brother!" Gongsun Zan said, his face expressionless. He then shook his head. "I can claim my own honors; you need not do this, brother."

He turned to leave. Liu Bei stepped forward, grabbed Gongsun Zan’s hand, and whispered in his ear, "Brother Bo Gui, the spoils include a hundred fine horses... Do you truly not want them?"

Gongsun Zan paused, his eyes filled with shock and doubt. "A hundred? You managed to wipe out the entire Xianbei raiding party?" He assumed Liu Bei had killed all the Xianbei.

"No, no. Only seven heads were taken from the Xianbei cavalry. Most of the horses were taken from another bandit who claimed to be from the Zhang family of Yuyang, yet was lurking near the battlefield to steal my spoils. I took back all his horses; they were stolen goods anyway..." Liu Bei explained honestly.

There was no need to lie about this. If Gongsun Zan did not want the horses, Liu Bei would not keep them either; he would simply release Zhang Shiping later. But if Gongsun Zan was not afraid of offending the Zhang family, then Liu Bei would certainly give him half.

"The Zhang family... Hmph. Their family does have many horses. It is not wrong for you to take them, brother." Gongsun Zan scoffed upon hearing the name.

"In that case, the horses are spoils of war. Brother Bo Gui recommended me for the post of garrison commander, and it is only right that I reciprocate. Since you have led your troops out, I shall give you half of the horses captured in this battle as a token of my gratitude... Will you accept them?" Liu Bei nodded as he spoke, his tone identical to when Gongsun Zan had once asked him, "Will you accept it?"

Gongsun Zan bowed his head in silence for a moment. He looked at Liu Bei and forced a self-deprecating smile. "Then, I thank you, brother."

It seemed he truly needed the horses.

Liu Bei smiled slightly. "We are brothers; why speak of thanks?" It was as if they were true brothers indeed.

Upon returning to the group, Liu Bei had his men divide the horses into two parts, specifically selecting all the white ones to be taken personally to the official stables within the county. The official stables were the government-run horse facilities.

Liu Bei brought over forty horses to Gongsun Zan, all of them white. He then watched as Gongsun Zan’s personal retainers branded the horses with the "Gongsun" mark, only then feeling satisfied enough to depart.

In this era, a white horse was synonymous with a fine horse, and they were expensive. This was not because they were objectively superior in performance, but because they represented rarity and auspiciousness. It was much like the difference between a luxury car and a standard one—the power and specs might be similar, but the white horse represented status, strength, and good fortune, granting it higher social value.

Liu Bei cared little for the color of the horses. He only cared about when Gongsun Zan would be reassigned. With these white horses, it was unlikely Gongsun Zan would remain in Zhuo County for much longer.