Three Kingdoms: Starting by Buying the Office of Governor of Bingzhou

At the end of the Han Dynasty, a mere merchant dared to dream of dominating the world? You're blind as a bat!

Merchants were considered the lowest of the low, with no status and looked down upon. Even farmers had a higher status than merchants. Otherwise, why would the Mi family have given up all their wealth to follow Liu Bei? Did they really think Liu Bei was so powerful that everyone would run away with him? It was only because Tao Qian wouldn't give them the official positions and status they wanted.

How could a businessman like you buy his way into an official position? Am I wrong?

Chapter 1, although you yourself say it's an alternate history, you're already calling Liu Hong by his posthumous title while he's still alive? Do you think I'm an idiot?

The governor cannot be bought; I hope the author will change this. Also, officials of the third rank and above are not for sale.

After making meritorious contributions, one had to pay money to be promoted; this was commonly known as "buying an official position." If they had money, why didn't the major merchant families of the Three Kingdoms buy their goods and instead seek refuge with others?

As the title suggests, the position of governor was not established during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Yan recommended to Liu Hong that the position of prefect be changed to governor, since there was no governor in the earlier period, and the prefect did not have much power.

How could a commoner become a powerful regional official like a governor?

Selling official positions was, frankly, a good strategy at the time. It was limited and had a well-established system—you can check these details. This limited the infiltration of eunuchs and imperial relatives, and still made money. Liu Hong was indeed incompetent, but he still had the necessary methods.

Liu Hong is not dead yet, and you're already calling him Emperor Ling of Han? Do you really think my sword, Liu Hong's sword, is useless?