Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Upon approaching Chen Xi, Fa Zheng smelled a strong scent of makeup and even noticed some residue on Fa Zheng’s face. He was startled.

”Hey, Fengxiao, don’t go too far. Xiaozhi is still young; be careful he can’t handle it,” Chen Xi said, raising an eyebrow and looking displeased. He didn’t want Fa Zheng to become a playboy, as he was supposed to be the star student at the Taishan Academy Chen Xi was building. If Guo Jia ruined him, it would be a tragedy. Chen Xi still planned to use Fa Zheng to deal with students like Pang Tong.

Fa Zheng still seemed dazed, looking almost wasted. Guo Jia, with a mischievous smile, bowed and said, ”My lord, please forgive Xiaozhi’s rudeness. He is deeply immersed in thought.”

Liu Bei smiled and didn’t mind such trivial matters. Jian Yong would often eat with him, taking off his shoes and grabbing meat with his hands, so this was nothing.

”Hehe, I took Xiaozhi to a place...” Guo Jia’s face showed a knowing smile. Everyone understood and said nothing. Even Chen Xi occasionally went to such places since Fan Jian could only be admired, not touched, and he didn’t want to keep other women at home.

”Turns out Xiaozhi is still a virgin!” Guo Jia exclaimed with surprise. ”He resisted, but I dragged him along anyway. The resistance was strong, so I had my guard captain, Ruan Yuliang, help drag him in. Hehe.”

”I should ask why you bring guards to such places. What habit is that? Forcing people into it? Don’t you know how people look at you?” Chen Xi covered his face, feeling that Guo Jia’s sense of propriety was quite lacking.

”Huh? Now that you mention it, people do look at me strangely!” Guo Jia suddenly realized.

Liu Ye felt his face twitch, while Lu Su, wrapped in his fur coat, trembled, either from cold or laughter.

”I think I need to reform the government!” Liu Bei felt the blood vessels in his forehead pulsing. These two were turning Taishan’s atmosphere into a mess. ”Boni! Come see me immediately!””Crack!” The government office door was pushed open again, and a dark-faced scholar in black robes, looking like a grim reaper, walked in. ”Greetings, my lord, and all colleagues!”

”Check for me how many infractions Fengxiao has committed since he returned!” Liu Bei demanded.

Initially, Liu Bei just wanted to scare Guo Jia a bit and didn’t expect Man Chong to have collected such information. But Man Chong, being the typical black-faced judge, listed Guo Jia’s infractions without hesitation.

Listening to the list, Liu Bei himself was shocked. In thirty-five days, Guo Jia had arrived late and left early thirty-six times, owed debts at the government office eight times, and had never been seen since Zhao Yun and others returned from Qingzhou. Moreover, he had even been accused of extorting favors. His chosen old soldier guard, Ruan Yuliang, mainly served to block the way, allowing Guo Jia to escape.

”Fengxiao, did Boni make any false accusations?” Liu Bei asked, still appreciating Guo Jia’s abilities and hoping Man Chong might have exaggerated.

”None,” Guo Jia answered solemnly.

Liu Bei had come to understand that Man Chong was indeed an excellent judge, a ruthless but fair adjudicator who wouldn’t slander others. Liu Bei’s question was just to give Guo Jia an out, something to laugh off. Everyone knew what Guo Jia was like; the others were no different, even Chen Xi, who was drinking tea as the county magistrate. This level of seriousness was uncalled for, making it hard for Liu Bei to excuse him.

Chen Xi saw the situation and knew it wasn’t good. Guo Jia had jumped the gun, preparing this while Chen Xi was still planning. Normally, Chen Xi would admit his mistakes, and Guo Jia would defend him, not the other way around. Now Chen Xi had to defend Guo Jia.

At this moment, Chen Xi couldn’t kick Guo Jia out, so he had to follow the script. ”Cough, Lord Xuande, why not look at Fengxiao’s work first?” he said, handing Liu Bei a stack of documents.

Liu Bei eagerly took the documents, hoping to find an excuse to let Guo Jia off. Apart from the military, the entire Taishan government was as lazy as Guo Jia, especially in winter. Even Liu Bei himself had planned to move the government office to his warmer sitting room.

Reviewing Guo Jia’s work, Liu Bei nodded in approval. Despite his unreliability, Guo Jia’s capabilities were undeniable. At the last document, Liu Bei paused, looked Guo Jia over, and sighed, handing it to Man Chong. ”Boni, what do you think of this proposal? Zichuan, you look too. This is your forte.”

Chen Xi quickly read the document and realized today was all Guo Jia’s plan. During their discussion, Guo Jia must have already decided to act, with Chen Xi as a backup.

”This proposal fits us well. Our plans for Taishan are laid out until next year, but strategies need to adapt to reality. Our discussions might be obsolete by then,” Chen Xi said after some thought. He had long wanted to slack off, and now, with the opportunity, he had to support Guo Jia. He nudged Lu Su with his foot and signaled to Liu Ye, indicating they should all support this.

Liu Bei smiled wryly. They wanted to slack off but found such a formal excuse. Still, considering the talents present, it made sense. Managing a county, or even a state, was within their capabilities. Locking them in the government office seemed pointless.

”If you want to skip work, just say it! No need for formalities. I approve,” Liu Bei said after a long silence, his expression changing from stern to amused. ”But only for you lot, and only if the work is done!”

”Thank you, my lord (Lord Xuande, cousin)!” they all replied in unison, including Man Chong. The county’s judicial officer was used to handling judicial matters across ten states at his peak. A single county was beneath him!