Chapter 52: Mutual Pursuit

Liu Bei was a man of sincere character. When he heard that Lu Su intended to give him all these supplies, he immediately felt a deep sense of gratitude and obligation.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Liu Bei declined, saying, "Zijing, to be honest with you, the expenses of the province truly exceed the income. In order to gather funds and resources for the agricultural colonies, I have been trying every possible means. Fortunately, the Mi family in the province generously offered one hundred thousand dan of grain and a million coins worth of supplies to alleviate this urgent need. Your gesture is truly a timely help in desperate times. However, since the agricultural supplies are now sufficient, I gratefully acknowledge your goodwill. You may use these goods to purchase land and establish an estate in Tancheng."

Lu Su sensed that something was amiss today, though he seemed accustomed to waves of surprises. He had originally thought that the supplies he brought—especially the five thousand dan of grain—would greatly ease Liu Bei’s food shortage, a true boon in desperate times. Yet now, Liu Bei refused to accept them.

What was even more astonishing was that the Mi family had outright sponsored Liu Bei with one hundred thousand dan of grain. Previously, Tao Qian, in establishing the agricultural colonies, had only managed to exchange ten thousand dan of grain from the Mi family at the price of a deputy governor’s rank. Judging by that standard, Liu Bei would have to relinquish the provincial governorship to Mi Zhu to be worthy of such a vast amount of grain and wealth.

Lu Su could not help but wonder what madness had possessed Mi Zhu.

Though inwardly troubled, Lu Su maintained a dignified and righteous demeanor, saying, "My lord, these goods are but a humble token of my sincere intentions to contribute in some small way to your cause."

At that moment, Liu Feng spoke up: "Father, agricultural supplies, especially grain, are naturally better in abundance. It is rare that Master Zijing shows such sincere loyalty. If you were to decline his kindness, it might hurt his feelings."

With Liu Feng’s support, Lu Su quickly agreed, "Young master speaks truly; this is the heartfelt wish of Zijing!"

Liu Bei’s face flushed with embarrassment. "If that is so, then I shall accept it with a humble heart."

Seeing Liu Bei willing to accept his gifts, Lu Su breathed a long sigh of relief. Had he failed to deliver them, Lu Zijing would have lost face. But Liu Bei’s hesitant acceptance was expected; Lu Su had simply been overly anxious. In truth, it was Liu Feng’s overenthusiasm that had repeatedly dashed Lu Su’s plans and unsettled his composure.

Then Liu Bei spoke solemnly to Lu Su: "Zijing, I truly wish to employ you fully, but since you have just arrived, a sudden promotion might invite slander and jealousy from petty men."

Liu Bei’s tone was sincere and earnest. Lu Su could not be picky; on the contrary, he was grateful for Liu Bei’s frankness. At least Liu Bei had expressed his admiration and explained that, while circumstances prevented immediate elevation to a high post, once Lu Su achieved merit, promotion would come swiftly.

Such an assurance deeply satisfied Lu Su’s heart.

Yet what followed in Liu Bei’s appointment greatly exceeded Lu Su’s expectations.

"Zijing, I intend to appoint you as Colonel of the Agricultural Colony or as Magistrate of Xiangben County. Which post do you prefer? Would you be willing to accept either?" Liu Bei asked.

Lu Su was utterly stunned. They had agreed no overt promotion, so how did such a generous offer suddenly appear?

Though the Agricultural Colony Colonel only oversaw agricultural affairs, it was still a genuine colonel’s rank. Even the lowest-ranking colonel earned a salary equivalent to two thousand dan.

But Lu Su was not short of money; what he lacked was rank, family prestige, and a chance to demonstrate his talents.

Consider who had last held the post of Agricultural Colony Colonel—it had been Chen Deng, the scion of Xuzhou’s premier Chen family and a leading figure of the younger generation. After serving as Agricultural Colony Colonel, Chen Deng immediately joined Liu Bei’s provincial government as a senior official, holding the power to appoint and remove officials throughout the province.

Lu Su only needed to follow Chen Deng’s footsteps step by step, and great achievements would surely await him. By then, he would secure a thousand-dan official rank in the province, elevating the Lu family’s status significantly. No one would then dare claim the Lu family was in decline.

Moreover, the Magistrate of Xiangben County was also a thousand-dan official position, governing an entire county. In the Han dynasty, county magistrates wielded great authority, comparable to a marquis of a hundred li, managing all local affairs.

In peaceful times, such a magistracy would be a prestigious post beyond the Lu family’s wildest dreams.

In all fairness, either position offered ample room for achievement and influence.

Before coming, Lu Su had only dared to dream of posts like county assistant magistrate or county captain, or perhaps a minor administrative official in the provincial government. He even contemplated striving for a significant post near the Agricultural Colony Colonel, since the agricultural colonies were a major undertaking promising great rewards.

Now, Liu Bei had directly placed the Agricultural Colony Colonel position before him, accompanied by the magistracy of Xiangben County for him to choose.

Lu Su’s eyes reddened with emotion, nearly overwhelmed.

This was not mere lip service but tangible proof of trust.

Either position would have been fiercely contested outside; if it weren’t for the recent massacre of Xuzhou by Cao Cao and the aristocracy’s resulting anxiety, such appointments would have been impossible to pass.

Even in the current situation, appointing Lu Su as Agricultural Colony Colonel would face immense resistance.

Yet Liu Bei showed no concern, exuding complete confidence.

Only now did Lu Su finally confirm that Liu Bei genuinely valued and recognized his talent.

No other reason—this offer was simply too enticing.

This trust made Lu Su abandon his earlier plan to bide his time quietly and accumulate merit before rising. Instead, he would now seize the opportunity to make a decisive impact.

Lu Su bowed deeply and earnestly declared, "I shall devote myself fully to my lord’s cause, pledging to make the agricultural colonies a success and increase grain production for my lord."

Liu Bei was overjoyed, personally helping Lu Su up, and for a moment, both host and guest were elated.

Liu Bei then specially arranged a banquet to welcome and honor Lu Su, inviting Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Mi Zhu, Chen Deng, Jian Yong, Tian Yu, Zhao Yun, Cao Bao, Xu Dan, and others to accompany him, giving Lu Zijing the full respect he deserved.

During the banquet, Liu Bei patted Liu Feng on the back with a sigh, saying, "Thanks to my son, I have gained Zijing."

Liu Feng humbly demurred, but inwardly smiled broadly. This was only the beginning.

Lu Su’s greatest talent was not farming; he had deliberately concealed his abilities upon arrival.

It would not take long—whether in ten days or a month at most—before Lu Su would bring forth a grand strategy to showcase his brilliance.

In the early Three Kingdoms era, Liu Feng reckoned that only three and a half men could be called genuine royal advisors.

Among them, Zhou Yu counted as half, while Lu Su was one.

Who were the other two?

They were Xun Yu, the second-in-command in Cao Cao’s camp, and Ju Shou, the second-in-command in Yuan Shao’s camp.

The reason was simple: each had proposed a grand strategy for their lord, devised detailed, feasible plans for its realization, and successfully implemented at least part of it.

That was true talent worthy of kings and counselors.

Brother Big Ear, just wait—Lu Su will surely bring you new and wonderful surprises.