Zhao Ming works tirelessly to meet the supply deadli by Liu Wen. The tension among the clerks grows—some avoid him entirely, while others secretly offer small hints of support.

  One evening, as Zhao Ming pores over the records, Heng approaches with a quiet sigh. "Zhao Ming, men like Liu Wen thrive not o but on eliminating those who threaten their standing. Be careful."

  The Old Scribe, shuffling through some aged dots, adds, "Numbers do not lie, but men will twist them to their advantage. Make sure you leave no gaps, no discrepancies. If they find fault in you, they will."

  Zhao Ming nods, abs their advice. "Then I shall ensure my records are beyond question. If they wish to py this game, I will not make it easy for them."

  Sun Yi meets with Liu Wen, officially framing the issue as a ‘ for administrative order.’ He maniputes the situation to suggest that Zhao Ming’s rise is too fast and might cause ‘disharmony’ among the older bureaucrats.

  Liu Wen, seeing an opportunity to reassert his authority, agrees to apply more pressure on Zhao Ming. He begins looking for minor faults in the supply , hoping to catch Zhao Ming in a mistake.

  As they discuss their pn in a private chamber, Liu Wen leans ba his seat, swirling a cup of wine in his hand. “Zhao Ming has proven to be a persistent thorn,” he says. “What do you propose?”

  Sun Yi smirks. “A man like him relies on precision and order. If we disrupt his records, even slightly, it will cast doubt on his reliability.”

  Liu Wen nods. “A mispced shipment, a discrepan the logs—”

  “Exactly,” Sun Yi interjects. “We don’t need him to fail spectacurly, just enough to justify an official review. The moment the capital gets involved, his position will bee untenable.”

  Liu Wen taps his fingers oable. “And if he somehow weathers that storm?”

  Sun Yi leans forward, his voice low. “Then we escate. There are always higher authorities willing to listehe right iives are provided.”

  Liu Wen raises his cup. “To Zhao Ming’s downfall.”

  “To the downfall of those who overstep their station,” Sun Yi corrects with a knowing smile, before drinking deeply.

  Zhao Mihodically calcutes supplies and finds a potential shortfall. Upon deeper iigation, he discovers that Liu Wen has been embezzling some of the grain. However, no one dares to help him prove it, as they are afraid of Liu Wen and his political bag.

  Realizing he ot openly accuse Liu Wen without evidence, Zhao Ming instead reaches out to the Murong family and the Qiao family merts for additional resources.

  Through careful maneuvering, Zhao Ming secures additional provisions, leveraging the Murong family’s reputation to shield himself from immediate retaliation. By the time the final shipment arrives, Zhao Ming knows he has bought himself time but not true security. The threat of Liu Wen and Sun Yi looms ever closer.

  The 800-1,000 men arrive, revealing a surprising level of discipline and self-sufficy. Uhe on rabble often seen in hastily formed militias, these men carry themselves with the air of trained soldiers.

  When Zhao Mis the army’s leader, he is stuo realize it is Liu Bei. Reizing the name, he uands the potential implications of this meeting. As he verses with Liu Bei, he soon notices Guan Yu and Zhang Fei by his side. The three men exude an aura of determination and camaraderie.

  Their versation is warm and familiar, aowledging their past enters.

  Liu Bei grins upon seeing Zhao Ming. “Zhao Ming! We meet again. The st time we saw each other, you were with the Murong family.”

  Zhao Ming smiles and csps his hands. “Lord Liu, General Guan, General Zhang—it is good to see you all. I trust the road has not been too harsh?”

  Guan Yu nods solemnly. “The road matters little when duty calls.”

  Zhang Fei lets out a hearty ugh. “And when wine flows! Do you still owe me a drink, Zhao Ming?”

  Zhao Ming chuckles. “If I recall, I saved you from drinking Murong Jiire stock.”

  Liu Bei shakes his head with amusement. “It seems fate tio weave our paths together. But tell me, Zhao Ming, how does a schor like you end up tangled in logistics?”

  Zhao Ming responds with a smirk. “Because without grain and ons, even the bravest men fall.”

  Upon hearing this, he leans bad mutters, “So he truly has found favor among warriors. This plicates things.” and begins preparing his move. He arranges for an army iion and pns to summon an official from the capital to ‘review’ the situation.

  Yang Tianlei, upon learning of this, warns Zhao Ming. “You’ve done well, but be cautious. This isn’t just about supplies anymore. Sun Yi is looking beyond this province. You might bee colteral in his ambitions.”

  Zhao Ming exhales. “Uood.”

  Liu Wen calls Zhao Ming into his office, smugly questioning his ‘misma’ of supplies. He accuses Zhao Ming of failing to properly at for the resources allocated to the volunteer army.

  Zhao Ming remains calm, presentiiculously doted records that prove everything is in order. Every shipment, every allocation, every transfer is ated for down to the st grain. His fidensettles Liu Wen, who was expeg panic or excuses.

  Liu Wen scowls. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

  Zhao Mis his gaze steadily. “Only because I know the rules as well as you do, Administrator.”

  Before Liu Wen press further, Liu Bei steps in, formally verifying that the army has been stationed properly and provided with supplies as designated. His words carry weight, and the clerks present dare not tradict him.

  Liu Wen’s expression stiffens. He had ted on exploiting Zhao Ming’s inexperience, but now he finds himself at a disadvantage. He narrows his eyes and leans forward. “Do not mistake this for victory, Zhao Ming. Bureaucracy is not won with ledgers alone.”

  Alone in his quarters, Zhao Ming reflects on his growing web of allies and ehe battle for survival is no longer just about bureaucracy—it is about power, influence, and the ging tides of history.

  He finally uands: the real battlefield is not in the supply records or the yamen halls—it is in the unseen power struggles that dictate the fate of men like him.

  System Notification: Fame 70+60

  You solve the supply crisis: Fame +25

  You annoy Liu Wen and offend Sun Yi: Fame +25

  You impress your peers by knowing Liu Bei: Fame +10

  As he extinguishes the dle, he murmurs: “It seems I have no choice but to push forward.”