Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chapter 145 Almost God-given (two in one)

Hanzhong, Nanzheng.

In the bright hall of the county temple, Zhang Lu was sitting at the top, reading the documents in his hands intently.

This is a document sent back from the south, that is, Chengdu, by his detailed work in Chengdu.

There has been no conflict between Chengdu and Hanzhong on the surface, and the two families have maintained a harmonious state. However, privately, the two families have long been on the same side, with undercurrents surging. However, Liu Zhang gave priority to pacifying Nanzhong, while Zhang Lu They also have concerns and want to build Hanzhong into an indestructible fortress, so the two families have not yet broken up.

During this period, Zhang Lu sent many agents south to Chengdu, trying his best to collect information on the trends in Chengdu and the ongoing war in South China.

Reading the document in his hand one by one, Zhang Lu's face became more and more solemn, and a layer of gloom formed between his eyebrows. His eyes were completely focused on this document, and he couldn't even breathe. A little lighter.

"Huhu." After reading this document, Zhang Lu exhaled heavily from his nostrils. It was already late autumn, and the clothes on his body were not very thick, but because of the words on this document, he felt He felt a hot breath rising from his Dantian, traveling all over his body, and heading straight for the Lumen above his head, making him feel unbearably hot all over and worried in his heart.

Zhang Lu handed the document to the attendant at his side and asked him to pass it on to the meritorious Cao Yan Pu who was sitting at the table.

When Yan Pu saw Zhang Lu's appearance, he probably guessed that this document from Chengdu was conveying some bad news, so he made Zhang Lu look gloomy and his whole face pulled down. He took the attendant Holding the document handed over respectfully with both hands, he read it carefully.

While Yan Pu was looking at the documents, Zhang Lu picked up the wine glass placed on the table in front of him. The attendant had served Zhang Lu for many years and his eyesight was extraordinary. When Zhang Lu reached for the wine glass, he picked it up. The wine jug was placed on the table. When Zhang Lu held the wine glass, he tilted the wine jug accurately and appropriately, poured wine into the wine glass, and when he was righting the wine jug, he poured the wine glass in Zhang Lu's hand just in time. A glass of wine was poured into it, no more, no less, just enough to fill the glass.

After Zhang Lu waited for the waiter to refill the wine, he drank the wine in the glass without hesitation. With the cool wine in his throat, from his esophagus to his abdomen, he suppressed the manic depression in his heart a little.

Tianshi Dao was not allowed to drink alcohol. He did not set up official positions in Hanzhong. Instead, he established positions such as "jiujiu" and "zhitou big sacrificial wine". Jijiu led the tribes and managed local government affairs. The word "jiujiu" comes from the Shang Dynasty. During the Zhou Dynasty, only those with high moral character could serve as elders to serve the gods during banquets, and he adopted this role.

Zhang Lu drank one drink after another. After five or six drinks, although the fire in his heart had not been extinguished, he still put down the glass because although the Tao of Heavenly Masters allowed drinking, one should not get drunk or indulge in reckless behavior.

As the saying goes, Zhang Lu, as a master, will naturally not violate the rules set by his family.

At this time, Yan Pu read the document from Chengdu at a glance and spread it out on the table in front of him. He half-squinted his eyes and thought rapidly about the impact of the document in front of him. .

This document from Chengdu, just as Yan Pu had guessed, did not record good news. The document said that Liu Zhang's army was divided into three groups. Xu Meng and other captains attacked the Yong family in Yizhou County, and Gan Ning went to Zangda County to attack Zhu Bao, the county magistrate.

Liu Zhang's troops were divided into three groups, and all three groups reported frequent successes. Liu Zhang defeated the Niuwanglangtan in Anshang County, Wu Yi captured Zhuti County, and Gan Ning defeated the enemy in a night attack on the Yachi River. They all had the momentum to destroy the enemy.

Based on the information in the document, Yan Pu expected that if nothing unexpected happened, Liu Zhang would be able to pacify Nanzhong by the end of this year, lead the conquest army back north, and then repair the army for a few months before he could consider dealing with them in Hanzhong.

Yan Pu sighed silently in his heart. It is no wonder that Zhang Lu looked sad after seeing this document, and his corrupt mood was almost revealed on his face. His ability to cultivate Taoism and Qi for many years almost broke down today.

Having known Zhang Lu for many years, Yan Pu knew Zhang Lu's ambitions. Zhang Lu had no idea of ​​dominating the world or ruling the roost within his own country. His master only wanted to separate Hanzhong, dominate Hanzhong, and implement the It’s just the orthodoxy of Tianshi Dao.

But judging from the current situation, Zhang Lu is afraid that it will be difficult for him to settle down in Hanzhong. The newly appointed Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang is like a tiger down the mountain. In the last ten months, he suppressed the rebellion of Ba County caused by Jingzhou Biejia Liu He. This time Nanzhong Sou The Yi and Han tribes revolted one after another with great momentum. Yan Pu and others heard about it as far away as Hanzhong. However, the Nanzhong rebellion was so huge that Liu Zhang led his troops to attack it. It was like ice and snow under the scorching sun, visible to the naked eye. The speed melted away.

The two nails of Bajun and Nanzhong were hammered down by Liu Zhang one after another. The next one was undoubtedly their Hanzhong nail.

Seeing that Yan Pu had finished reading the document, Zhang Lu spoke, he was a little confused: "Meritors, King Gaoyuan of Yi, the Yong family of Yizhou County, and the Zhu family of Xianggao County, you said that these people have deep roots in the land of Nanzhong, and their roots have been intertwined for many years. How come that in just over a month, he suffered successive defeats without causing any small setbacks to Liu Zhang?"

"Hmm..." Yan Pu thought for a moment and answered Zhang Lu's question: "Master, although Gao Yuan, Yong and others have been rooted in Nanzhong for many years, their people are not united and scattered in various counties. They are just a bunch of rabble." , it is difficult to accomplish anything big. The people in front of us can do whatever they want and make noise in the south because Liu Zhang is fighting against the rebellion in Bajun. Now that Liu Zhang has led his troops southward, there is nothing they can do."

Yan Pu pointed out the biggest problem of the bandits in Nanzhong. Each one fought in his own way and rebelled in his own way. They did not unite. He continued.

"Secondly, Gao Yi, the prefect of Yizhou County, Jing Yi, the prefect of Xianggou County, and others have never joined forces with Gao Yuan and the Yong family, but competed with Gao Yuan, Yong family, etc. This has caused internal and external worries. , so it is not surprising that Liu Zhang’s army is currently in a state of overwhelming power.”

After answering Zhang Lu's question, Yan Pu gave a passage to encourage Zhang Lu, who looked a little depressed. He picked up Hanzhong and Nanzhong to compare.

"Unlike Nanzhong, Hanzhong is under the benevolent governance of Master Shijun, and everyone has taken it seriously. Most of the people in Guizhou believe in the Tao of our Heavenly Master, and they are willing to serve their lives. With everyone united as one, Master Shijun has won people's support. If Liu Zhang leads his troops, he will be There is nothing you can do." What Yan Pu said was not flattery, but a fact. Although Zhang Lu believed in ghost ways and was not popular with the scholar-bureaucrats, Zhang Lu was very lenient in governing Hanzhong, so he won the hearts of the leaders of Hanzhong and Guizhou. Du Yi, Pu Hu, and Yuan Yue, the commander-in-chief of Quren, all fell in love with Zhang Lu. They led their tribesmen to attach themselves to Zhang Lu and fought for Zhang Lu in front of the battle line, through life and death.

Zhang Lu nodded and his expression became slightly better, but he was really feeling a little emotional in his heart. He patted his thigh and sighed to Yan Pu.

"In the second year of Chuping (the second year of Chuping), Liu Yanzao rode in a chariot and subdued more than a thousand people. He was the supreme leader. When the emperor sent Liu Zhang to Shu to persuade him, he passed by Hanzhong. You and I had seen him. At that time, I observed Liu Zhang's character and temperament. Cowardice does not mean that he has military skills, but he is just a mediocre person. However, he did not expect that as soon as he became the shepherd of Yizhou, his temperament changed drastically. He was brave enough to take on tasks and had extraordinary courage. He dared to personally lead the army to conquer Bajun and pacified Bajun in the battle of Liangping. , Now going south, the army is sweeping across the land in the south like a strong wind. Ruosun and Wu are still alive, and the soldiers are not right. Is this a message from God?"

Yan Pu was silent when he heard Zhang Lu's words. When Liu Zhang entered Shu and passed by Hanzhong, he accompanied Zhang Lu and met Liu Zhang several times. Liu Zhang gave him the impression that he was just a talented person with nothing outstanding. Where he is, he is just an ordinary clan member.

But looking at what Liu Zhang is doing now, after Liu Yan suddenly died of illness and Liu Zhang hurriedly came to power, he did not make any inappropriate moves. Outside, he was a group of thieves, but inside, he was in peace and settled down as a shepherd in Yizhou. Only extraordinary people can do such things.

Yan Pu also had some doubts. He suspected that as Zhang Lu said, Liu Zhang had been taught by God, but naturally he could not say that. As a counselor, in addition to making suggestions, he also needed to consider Zhang Lu's state of mind and not make Zhang Lu feel downcast. You have to use words to give Zhang Lu confidence.

"Master, Liu Zhang has undergone great changes during this period. His father Liu Yan died, and his two eldest brothers Liu Fan and Liu Dan died at the hands of Li Guan and Guo Bang in Guanzhong. The family was brutally poisoned, and he hastily When I became the shepherd of Yizhou, it is not surprising that people will have some changes in their mentality when encountering major changes."

"If Liu Zhang's military strategy is comparable to that of Sun and Wu, it is absolutely incomparable. The people who started the uprising in Bajun and Nanzhong were all hesitant and a mob, so they were defeated by Liu Zhang. In his hands, in my opinion, Liu Zhang's generals are only average."

Yan Pu's words made Zhang Lu feel better and alleviated his suspicion that God had given Liu Zhang some enlightenment or something.

Yan Pu then gave Zhang Lu a plan: "Master, in addition to building Xinyang Ping Pass, we should do something to encourage Zhao Wei, so that Zhao Wei can raise his troops as soon as possible while Liu Zhang is still in Nanzhong. Otherwise, wait until When Liu Zhang pacifies the south, central and north, it will be difficult for Zhao Wei to make any moves, and he cannot disturb the situation in Shu and delay Liu Zhang's plan to attack Hanzhong."

Hearing this, Zhang Lu looked hesitant. He had always been worried about joining forces with Zhao Wei.

One is that when he was in Chengdu, he often put his hot face on Zhao Wei, Liu Yan's important minister, in order to seek to get out of Hanzhong, so he was very unhappy with Zhao Wei.

Secondly, he attacked and killed Zhao Wei's cronies Pang Le and Li Yi, and even killed Pang Le. Now Zhao Wei wants to join forces with him. It can be seen that Zhao Wei has scales on his belly and his thoughts are difficult to figure out. By joining forces with Zhao Wei, he felt that he was seeking skin from a tiger.

However, Zhang Lu thought about it again and again, and finally agreed. Liu Zhang put too much pressure on him, and he joined forces with Zhao Wei. Although drinking poison to quench his thirst, it can also quench his temporary thirst. He nodded and agreed to Yan Pu's plan, and spoke at the same time. Asked: "According to Gong Cao's wishes, what should we do?"

Yan Pu considered his words, squinted his eyes and said slowly: "Zhao Wei is a man with scales on his belly, and he is also cunning. If we do nothing, Zhao Wei will definitely stand still, so we have to do something. The number of troops can be smaller, but the momentum should be louder and flags widely spread in order to shock Bashu."

"Most of Shijun's subordinates are Ba people, and there are also Du Yi, Pu Hu and Yuan Yue who are from Ba County. We have little chance to go from Jinniu Road to Baishui Pass, so we should send troops to Mi Cang Road. Signaling our generals to approach their destination."

"It just so happens that Zhao Wei is a native of Anhan in Ba County, and most of his family members are in Badi. If he raises an army, he will rush to Anhan, recruit people from the countryside, and seduce the wealthy families of Anhan. We just pretended to open up the rice warehouse road and strengthen Zhao Wei's The rebelliousness made him feel that even if he failed, he could escape to Hanzhong through Micang Road and have a way out."

"Of course, Zhao Wei is not trustworthy. We don't need to go to war for Zhao Wei. We just need to make a show to induce Zhao Wei to raise troops, cause some trouble to Liu Zhang, delay Liu Zhang's schedule to attack Hanzhong, and ask us to do more in Hanzhong. Prepare."

"Good, great good." After listening to Yan Pu's words, Zhang Lu praised Yan Pu and said, "With merit, I have nothing to worry about."

After discussing the affairs of Nanzhong and Zhao Wei, Zhang Lu mentioned something that made him unhappy: "Gong Cao, you made a plan to prevent people from Guanzhong and Liangzhou from going south to Chengdu for my use, but although these people I stayed in Hanzhong, but many people refused to serve and work for me, so there was nothing I could do."

Yan Pu knew about this. On his advice, Zhang Lu stopped the refugees from Guanzhong and Liangzhou going to Chengdu and left these Yongliang people in Hanzhong. However, these people stayed, but they did not Attached to Zhang Lu's command.

There is a reason for this. His master, Zhang Lu, believed in the Tao of Heavenly Masters. Although he was different from the Yellow Turban Thief, it did not prevent the scholar-bureaucrats from treating Zhang Lu as a scourge like the Yellow Turban Thief. All the serious scholars were against Zhang Lu. Lu sneered. One look at Zhang Lu felt like it was dirty to his own eyes, let alone serving as an official under Zhang Lu's account.

Yan Pu was born in the Yan family of Anhan in Ba County, and he was considered to be from a noble family. Logically, he should not work under Zhang Lu. On the one hand, Yan Pu was a distant branch of the Yan family in Anhan, and he was not a descendant of a serious family. On the other hand, Zhang Lu He is a close relative and trusts him, follows his plans and listens to his words.He felt Zhang Lu's kindness, so he committed himself to Zhang Lu's tent.

But at the moment, Zhang Lu didn’t have much faith in the Yongliang people who were staying in Hanzhong. The scholars in this group naturally rejected the Tao of Heavenly Masters, so even though these Yongliang people were physically in Hanzhong, But my heart flew south to Chengdu.

Yan Pu thought for a while and came up with a way to deal with it: "Master, these people are all refugees, and there is a shortage of materials in their lives. Master, you can give them clothes and food as a kindness, so that they feel grateful to them." Master, if you are kind to me, I will definitely repay you."

"Secondly, if we want to recruit this group of Yongliang scholars for our use, we should not recruit them based on the positions of Jitou Jijiu and Zhitou Jijijiu in the past. We should appoint them with Han official positions, so that they will be easier to accept. "

(End of this chapter)