Chapter 236 – Recruitment Order Brings Misfortune (3)

“Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi!” This is really a blessing from heaven!!! Who is Xu Shu? None in this nation who did not know. This man is Zhuge and Fledgling Phoenix’s peer. This young man is similar to Gan Ning. When he was younger, he was like a gangster similar to Gan Ning and like to dispense justice with his own hands being chivalrous people he is, later when he took out an official for avenging his friend, he was hunted down. Later he changed his name into a pseudonym and goes to Confucian school for 10 years. After that 10 years, he went with Liu Bei as his counselor, his talent can be described as magnificent, as Liu Bei with his help, he is able to enlist the young hermit Zhuge’s assistance. His threat toward Old Cao is so big that even he had to trick Xu Shu using his mother to get rid of Xu Shu’s threat! Otherwise, Xu Shu will become another threat of Cao Cao. Also with Xu Shu’s help along with Zhuge and Fledgling Phoenix help, those three strategists, maybe in this whole nation, no one can become an opponent.

Now such a big talented person actually went and join Liu Mang. This made Liu Mang really speechless. Right now Liu Mang really felt so happy that he almost lost himself and almost pinch himself to tell is this reality or not. He really thought he is only able to gather a few grassroot generals and maybe a few low-class officials, but he never ever expected to attract big fishes now. To tell the truth, Liu Mang is not lacking in valiant generals department! After all, he got Old Man Huang, Gan Ning and Xu Sheng. But, alas, he had no counselor! Yang Hong only good as a diplomat, as a counselor, he is no good. Rather than letting Yang Hong advise him, having Gan Ning advise him is much more reasonable. And now with the emergence of Xu Shu, Liu Mang would be able to avoid the big embarassment of having no counselor.

Actually Xu Shu only came here just to see what kind of person this Liu Mang was with his own cognition! He has a very contradictory opinion regarding Liu Mang, with the first one is admiration toward Liu Mang’s deeds from Xiapi, Kaiyang to Wancheng! Those places were flying with Liu Mang’s color everywhere. Even Xu Shu knew about Sun Ce’s banquet and the war of words with Confucian scholars. So, Xu Shu also paid a lot of attention to this person!!! This is also thanks to his best friend and fellow student, Mr. Kongming. From when he returned from Langye, he has been concerned toward Liu Mang, so like it or not, Xu Shu also paid attention to him.

However, Xu Shu was very uncomfortable with Liu Mang because of the treatment Liu Mang gave to those rebelling nobles. Liu Mang exterminate those nobles to the last of the children and even killed their private soldiers who participated in the rebellion. Xu Shu’s opinion is, even though they are breaking the law enough to warrant death, but at least leave some children, let them maintain their surname. In Xu Shu’s eyes, Liu Mang’s worth dropped several level because of his act of killing put him almost the same level as Cao Cao. The reason Xu Shu did not go to Cao Cao to serve him, is because Cao Cao is too fond of killing and Xu Shu is disgusted of him.

But Liu Mang still have a redeeming value that Xu Shu ranked just above Cao Cao. It is because Liu Mang is one of House of Liu, a royal scion. Xu Shu who had learnt Confucianism so many years would naturally know everything about Confucianism!!! It is being a patriot toward one’s own country is the highest of form of virtue and that the sovereign is ought to be put above parents, teachers and other relatives.

So, this time Xu Shu just come as an observer, he had not determined to serve who! From the time, he was here, he already knew that the simple person is Liu Mang also Liu Mang basically gives out his identity away by having a veteran general as his bodyguard and also Xu Shu also asked people around about Liu Mang’s description.

Finally with Liu Mang’s identity exposed, Xu Shu felt he really want to dispense flogging punishment toward him. Originally, Xu Shu and Wei Yan thought that this Prince of Shu is just want to deceive people in order to gain people’s heart. So, Xu Shu want so badly to expose him out of disdain. But who would have imagined, the result is he was confronted by Liu Mang’s killing intent with Liu Mang himself almost stabbed Xu Shu after he demeaned his men.

Xu Shu is not an ordinary scholar (TL: Fuck the author, kept doing redundancy). When he is a teen, he is an expert in swordfight, so we can agree that Xu Shu’s martial arts is not bad and since he had killed people before, naturally he saw that Liu Mang’s angry eyes filled with killing intent but he managed to restrained it at last second. Xu Shu believed that he would not be able to guard his neck if Liu Mang went all out.

From that moment on, Xu Shu knows that he had find the lord he meant to serve, as he has been searching here and there to find the right one. Before reaching this town, Pang Tong that black fatty, has recommended him to go to Runan, to serve Royal Uncle Liu, but Xu Shu persisted to come here, and now his gamble turn out to be a big fortune.

Liu Mang’s emotion currently is very excited while not yet receding his killing intent due to his emotion unstable and said “Teacher Xu Shu, please stand up! Teacher want to help Hanyang, Hanyang is very happy. But please remember, in my army, everyone is equal. We are born naked, die also naked, the same with those nobles’ ancestors!!! Those nobles’ ancestors, aren’t they also from a farmer/ commoner background?!!”

Liu Mang’s voice a bit raspy but his voice volume is very loud so all of them can hear his next words “Are kings and nobles given their high status by birth? I, Liu Mang, held no difference between highborn and lowborn. There is only talented people or not talented people. If you have the talent, this Liu Mang will give you important responsibility!!! You may become nobles next, or even your descendants will enjoy nobility!!!!”

“Are kings and nobles given their high status by birth?!!!” Xu Shu a bit shocked and not only him, all of people around also shocked as well!!! They are all thinking What is this Liu Mang saying? Who was the one that said the phrase “Together, we share life and death, together, we share riches and honor!!!”? It was first said by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang when they tried to overthrow the Qin Dynasty.

The Prince of Shu who said this, is either he have a big ambition, or he is just a fool that he said those words thoughtlessly Thought a lot of people around with their heart in chaos. Such people were Xu Shu, Huang Zhong, Huang Xu, Zhao Yun, Wang Wei and a lot of scholars.

But that phrase made some of them burning with desire, Wei Yan, the poisonous tongue, and those who come to seek refuge with Lu Bu’s army. They are seeking what is exactly written in the advertisement, to get an appreciation for their talents regardless who they are! (TL Note: The google translate for that sentence is “Their eyes are hot, what is the purpose of their coming here! Not just want to find a person who can give them the opportunity to appreciate it! Not just want to find a person who can give them the opportunity to appreciate it!” Anyone who has a better phrase, feel free to give comments) Liu Mang’s message can be interpreted like this “If you have ability then come to me, I am about to rebel, I want to be emperor. All of you will rise into nobles, replacing those old nobles”

Wei Yan then opened his mouth “Oooo, I like it, I like it!!!…Ouch” He not yet laugh, someone slapped him again “Like what, huh?”

Right now, some people are glaring toward Liu Mang with anger, those who do the glaring are those older scholars who are still loyal to Han Dynasty.

Liu Mang then turn to his man and said “Shi Xiang!!! You drank wine, according to the military law, you should be flogged 80 times, but I am the one responsible for not disciplining my men, so I take the blame also. I will receive 80 flogs and you receive half of it, 40 times. EXECUTE NOW!!!!” Liu Mang said those words without procrastination. Earlier Liu Mang poured out his true feelings, especially to Xu Shu regarding his demeaning, and now it is time to act. This very drama cannot be faked, it is to give impression to everyone that Liu Mang made a clear distinction toward reward and punishment, that Liu Mang love his men.

“Milord!!!!” Cheng Yu want to persuade him, but Liu Mang’s eyes only show determination and Cheng Yu sighed and can only tell lictors to prepare big paddle for flogging and to pin down Liu Mang and Shi Xiang to the ground and said “EXECUTE!!!!” and the execution began with Liu Mang who also upholding the law, executed like a prisoner.

“Crash, Crash!!!!” The moment Cheng Yu said his command, big paddle are hitting Liu Mang and Shi Xiang’s body. Their hitting is certainly not false as every time the board were lifted, their body is damaged.

“First hit, second hit, third hit, fourth hit…… ninth hit, tenth hit!!!” Their pants already bloody red, the pain is not any average person can withstand. This kind of hitting is not the kind that parents dishes out to discipline their children, this kind of hit will destroy their internal organ if prolonged.

“Eleventh hit, twelfth hit, thirteenth hit,…..,nineteenth hit, twentieth hit!!!” Twenty hit already, if it is a weak person, now he might be in a coma. Liu Mang and Shi Xiang are quite strong man fortunately, but their pants had been torn.

“Twentieth-first hit, twentieth-second hit, twentieth-third hit,………, twentieth-nine, thirtieth hit!!!!” Liu Mang bit his teeth ferociously, cold sweat running through his forehead. His ass already lost any feeling except pain, let alone being hit, even touching it at this state will cause him pain.

“General!!! General!!!! Let me exchange with you and continue the eighty flogging!!! General, ENOUGH!!!! Shi Xiang knows your kindness!!! Please stop now, general!!!” Shi Xiang and Cheng Yu pleaded to Liu Mang, seeing Liu Mang bled made their heart shocked and ached. Never has seen a lowly soldier plead for their general to be lenient to his own punishment that he is enduring now.

“CONTINUE!!!!!” Liu Mang hissed while biting his teeth. He also did not want to continue but to give up now would be a waste.

“Thirtieth-first hit, thirtieth-second hit,….., thirtieth-ninth hit, fourtieth!!!!” Shi Xiang fainted already but Shi Xiang’s punishment is over and was carried to the side for the army medic to treat him.

Liu Mang also want to be at Shi Xiang position, who is fainted now!!! Already deep asleep and not feeling anymore pain, but Liu Mang still cannot faint.

“HIT!!!!!” Liu Mang hissed again.

“Forty, forty-one … … fifty!”

“Fifty-one, fifty-two ……………………………. sixty!”

“Cough, cough!!!” The damage caused by the hitting now has caused internal injuries. Liu Mang’s mouth now is coughing fresh blood.

“General, STOP!!!! STOP!!!!! CHENG YU, BEG YOU!!!!!” Cheng Yu began to panic, this damage is too severe. Even people brawl with each other, so very rare for them to vomit blood. And now, the hitting caused to vomit blood.

Huang Zhong also quickly kneel down, continued with Huang Xu and all of Urban Army, and then all of poor children in Hefei kneel down as well begging for him to stop. This person is too hard on himself.

“HIT AGAIN!!!!!” Liu Mang hissed again but not clear, as his consciousness began to fade.

“Sixty-one, sixty-two … … sixty-seven!” Liu Mang did not hear the rest of the counting because finally fainted as well.