Ji Han Liu Zhang

Sometimes, the dead are more useful than the living.

If General Zhang Ji were alive, it might be a troublesome thing for Liu Zhang. It would be difficult for him to accommodate this high-ranking general. He couldn't let Zhang Ji, a general of the cavalry, kowtow to him. Even if Zhang Ji was convinced and didn't mind, it would be harmful to the court system if it got out.

However, now that Zhang Ji was dead, Liu Zhang felt happy that his death was a worthy one. He could use the opportunity to commemorate Zhang Ji to win the hearts of Zhang Ji's former subordinates. Zhang Xiu and Hu Che'er, brave generals from Liangzhou, would all be at his disposal.

And observing the emotion and admiration that rose on the faces of Zhang Xiu, Hu Che'er and others after hearing his previous words, we can know that Zhang Xiu, Hu Che'er and others will be willing to serve him wholeheartedly.

"Mr. Jia, General Zhang, no need to be so polite."

After an emotional performance in front of Zhang Ji's head, Liu Zhang helped up Zhang Xiu, who was bowing to him, and Jia Xu, who was bowing to him.

Zhang Xiu was helped up by Liu Zhang himself. He said with a moved look: "I am willing to inherit my uncle's legacy and serve you. In this life, I will die."

"It's settled." Liu Zhang smiled and nodded. He was determined to conquer Yongliang, so he had to recruit heroes from Liangzhou to serve him. Zhang Xiu, a rising star from Liangzhou, could be used as a typical example.

"Zhang knows what General Zhang is thinking."

Since Zhang Xiu showed his loyalty, Jia Xu naturally had to express his opinion. Moreover, as the mastermind behind the surrender to Liu Zhang, he was also happy to see the current situation.

"I am a man of limited talent, and although I am of little use, I am willing to serve you and help you defeat the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si."

Liu Zhang half-squinted his eyes, and only then did he take a good look at Jia Xu, the man in front of him who was known as the poisonous scholar. When Jia Xu was young, he was selected as a filial and incorruptible official, and later served as a palace attendant, so his appearance was naturally good.

But Jia Xu had a tall and straight figure like a pine tree, and a regular face. Although he could not be described as having sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, or being handsome like a jade tree, he had an average appearance. However, after Liu Zhang sensed him a little, he found that Jia Xu did not give him the feeling of gloom and coldness, which was in line with the temperament of a poisonous scholar. Instead, he had the righteousness of a scholar, which could be called noble.

Liu Zhang stepped forward, took Jia Xu's hand and said, "I heard that the famous scholar Yan Zhong thought you were extraordinary, with the wisdom of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, and could be called a genius. I admired you, but I had never met you. It's a blessing to meet you now."

Jia Xu, the strategist of Liangzhou, was quite prestigious among the generals and soldiers of Liangzhou. With Jia Xu's joining, Liu Zhang could, on the one hand, learn the details about Li Jue and Guo Si from Jia Xu, on the other hand, get Jia Xu's strategies and plans, and on the third hand, he could use Jia Xu to recruit and settle the surrendered soldiers of Liangzhou after the war.

Therefore, when treating Jia Xu, Liu Zhang acted as if he was treating a wise man and immediately grabbed Jia Xu's hand.

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu was somewhat surprised. As for Yan Zhong's evaluation of him as having both good and fair plans, firstly, although he had some reputation, it was not very big, so it was not widely known. Secondly, he himself did not want to spread it. After all, he was not a person who valued fame and fortune. But what he did not expect was that Liu Zhang in front of him actually knew about it.

"This spy has gathered a lot of information, and even found out such a small matter." Jia Xu had an idea. He guessed that Liu Zhang sent spies to gather information about the Liangzhou generals in order to conquer Guanzhong.

The military book says: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of danger.

Jia Xu bowed and said modestly: "I am really ashamed of Lord Yan's comments. Zhang Liang and Chen Ping made plans and strategies at the beginning of the country and put in a lot of effort. They can be said to be wise and resourceful. How can Jia Xu compare with them?"

"Sir, you are too modest." Liu Zhang patted Jia Xu's hand and said, others may not know, but he knew it clearly that Jia Xu's wisdom was comparable to Liang and Ping. In addition, Jia Xu's ability to protect himself was unparalleled in the world.

After dealing with Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu, Liu Zhang asked the beautiful woman standing behind them, "Who is your wife?"

"This is my aunt Zou." Zhang Xiu answered for him.

Zou also bowed and said, "My name is Zou, I am honored to meet Liu Yizhou."

Liu Zhang consoled him by saying, "The cavalry has suffered a great loss, and God will not spare his life. Madam, please accept my condolences."

Zou was very beautiful. One could say she was a beauty as beautiful as a fairy. This was the comment Liu Zhang made after taking a glance at Zou. Zou was indeed beautiful, but that was all.

Liu Zhang was not Cao Cao, and he had no special preference for other people's wives. Moreover, Zou was Zhang Ji's wife and Zhang Xiu's aunt, and Zhang Xiu had served him. If he attacked Zou, he would be violating his moral code.

Furthermore, with Cao Cao’s experience as a lesson before him, Liu Zhang would never do such a foolish thing. This was also a flaw in Cao Cao’s character. Cao Cao could often do extraordinary things when the wind was against him, but he could also do amazing things when the wind was with him.

There is clear evidence for all of this. After the Battle of Wancheng, Zhang Xiu surrendered, which should have been a happy thing. However, Cao Cao was complacent and did not want to provoke Zou, which led to Zhang Xiu's rebellion and the death of his eldest son Cao Ang and general Dian Wei. In addition, when he went south to Jingzhou and Liu Cong surrendered, Cao Cao wasted again in a favorable situation and did not listen to Jia Xu's strategy of advancing steadily. As a result, after the Battle of Chibi, the opportunity to unify the world slipped away from Cao Cao.

In response to Liu Zhang's consolation, Zou thanked him and said, "Thank you very much, sir."

Without further ado, Liu Zhang had already thought of a way to deal with Zou. He said to Zhang Xiu, "We are just starting a war, and it would be inconvenient for Madam to stay here. Chencang is a safe place, so why not send Madam to Chencang to stay for a while?"

He spoke to Zhang Xiu in a negotiating tone, saying that he planned to send Zou to the rear. As he said, it would be inconvenient for a woman to stay in the army.

"My lord, you are thoughtful. Of course, I will do so." Zhang Xiu bowed and agreed. He was also worried about his aunt Zou staying in the army. After all, swords and spears are merciless and wars are fierce. No one can guarantee whether they can protect themselves in the army. It would be best to let Zou go to Chencang, the rear base.

After a conversation, Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu both expressed their loyalty, and Zou also had a plan to deal with it.

Originally, Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu had come to Liu Zhang's side, and as the host, Liu Zhang should have held a grand banquet to entertain them. However, taking into account the recent death of Zhang Ji and the fact that the two armies were at war, he only held a small banquet to welcome and entertain Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu.

There were not many people at the banquet, except for the Chief Clerk and Military Advisor Lieutenant General Xun You, Military Advisor Fa Zheng, Military Officer Peng Ying, Assistant Han Lieutenant General Gan Ning, and Cavalry Captain Zhang Ren.

As it was the first banquet, Liu Zhang did not talk about military affairs. He just asked Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu to talk about their lives and past. "I heard that you are the grandson of the late Grand Commandant Duan Xing?" Liu Zhang asked casually, changing the subject.

Jia Xu was a little confused when he heard this. He had no family relationship with the former Grand Marshal Duan Xing, nor was he Duan Xing's grandson. He didn't know why Liu Zhang asked this question, but he soon remembered an old event.

He was selected as a Lang last year because of his filial and incorruptibility, but later resigned due to illness. When he returned westward to his hometown and arrived in Wei, he met the rebellious Di people on the way and was captured by them. In order to protect himself, he brought out Duan Xing, who had been a frontier general for a long time and was feared in the west. He had a very high prestige among the Di people. So he pretended to be the grandson of Taiwei Duan Xing to intimidate the Di people, and the Di people indeed released him.

"No, in the past, Xu encountered the rebellious Di tribe on the road, and had to pretend to be the grandson of General Duan in order to protect himself. I don't know how the news got out and caused some misunderstandings." Jia Xu explained.

"So that's how it is. Sir, you were able to adapt to the crisis and cope with it flexibly. You are indeed as talented as Liang and Ping." Liu Zhang raised his glass and saluted Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu at the same time.

Here, Zhang Xiu's uncle Zhang Ji had just passed away, and filial piety was of the utmost importance, so the cup in his cup contained water instead of any wine.

In fact, according to the customary rules in today's society, as Zhang Ji's nephew, Zhang Xiu should observe three years of mourning when Zhang Ji died. However, Zhang Ji's revenge has not been avenged yet, so Zhang Xiu naturally cannot be pedantic and live in a hut to observe mourning.

"I heard from Gongyi (Zhang Ren) that Zhang Qing is an excellent martial artist. He wields a spear with great power, and is as powerful as Gongyi." Liu Zhang said, "If I have the chance, I will see him for myself."

Zhang Xiu bowed his hands and said modestly: "What Zhang Xiaoqi said is a bit exaggerated. When I fought with Zhang Xiaoqi, I was just struggling... Zhang Xiaoqi is the one with outstanding martial arts. In my opinion, although there are many brave generals in Liangzhou, there are very few who can compare with Zhang Xiaoqi."

As a newly surrendered person, Zhang Xiu adjusted his attitude and had no intention of competing with Zhang Ren. Moreover, he had only one thought at the moment, which was to kill Li Jue and Guo Si with his own hands and avenge his uncle Zhang Ji. As for other thoughts, he did not think too much about them now.

Due to Zhang Ji's death, there was no music at the banquet, and the atmosphere was not very warm. Everyone was just chatting indifferently, with each of them talking a few words until the banquet was over.

However, Jia Xu, the strategist of Liang Province, was retained by Liu Zhang after the banquet and now faced Liu Zhang alone.

Jia Xu's face was calm. He and Liu Zhang greeted each other and drank one or two more cups. Although he didn't understand Liu Zhang's mind of leaving him alone, his heart was as calm as a calm lake and he didn't make any messy guesses or speculations.

"Dong Zhuo plotted to kill the former prime minister Wang Yun, and the country was restored to safety. The sun and the moon dimmed and brightened again. The generals in Liang Province were panicked and planned to flee. If this was true, the Han Dynasty might not have fallen to this point."

Liu Zhang's brows were calm and his tone was indifferent.

"But at that time, the master stood up and gave advice to Li Jue, Guo Si and other Liangzhou generals, saying that if they gathered all the troops and attacked Chang'an, they could achieve great things. But if they fled, a village head could kill them all."

"Then Li Jue, Guo Si and others followed the master's advice, contacted the generals of Liangzhou, gathered an army of 100,000 people, marched day and night, and rushed to Chang'an... As a result, Wang Situ died, the emperor was controlled by Li Jue and Guo Si, and the people of Guanzhong suffered from cruelty. For a time, the government was corrupted, the country was in decline, and it could never be revived."

"Sir, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

Liu Zhang's eyebrows were like swords, stabbing straight at Jia Xu. If Jia Xu hadn't been the mastermind, the situation in Guanzhong wouldn't have deteriorated to its current extent, Li Jue and Guo Si wouldn't have been so powerful, and this Mr. Jia Xu wouldn't have been given the title of a poisonous scholar.

He waited quietly for Jia Xu's answer.

……

Inside Chang'an City.

Guo Si was furious. He yelled at Xia Yu and Gao Shuo, "You bastards, you actually withdrew your troops on your own, allowing Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu to escape."

He was very unhappy. It was obvious that he was leading the crowd behind, and Xia Yu and Gao Shuo only needed to hold back Zhang Xiu and his group, and there was no need to fight to the death. However, Xia Yu and Gao Shuo actually retreated and failed to complete the task he assigned to them, which was to hold back Zhang Xiu.

"Well, it's not their fault." Li Jue calmed the restless Guo Si and said, "The Shu cavalry is close by, and they are leading the troops to encircle them. If we are not careful, not only will we be able to entangle Zhang Xiu, but we may even be killed there."

Listening to Li Jue's excuses for Xia Yu and Gao Shuo, Guo Si's anger subsided a little, but he was still furious: "How can the Shu cavalry be a match for our Liangzhou elite soldiers? Even if the Shu army outflanks us, why not tie them up together and wait for me to lead the crowd forward?"

Xia Yu and Gao Shuo lowered their heads, too timid to refute Guo Si's words. Having served under this hot-tempered coach, they had learned some ways of dealing with things, which was that they could not go against Guo Si, especially when he was furious, as that would only backfire and make him even more angry.

"Forget it, it's too late to say anything now. Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu have escaped, and they must have arrived at the Shu army camp now." Guo Si sighed lightly. Originally, they moved very quickly. After killing Zhang Ji at the banquet, they quickly sent troops to attack Zhang Ji's camp outside the city. They thought that they could catch all of Zhang Ji's troops in one fell swoop and leave no future trouble.

But now Zhang Ji's camp was breached, but the elite cavalry in Zhang Ji's camp were all taken away by Zhang Xiu. They only killed and captured the weak infantry in Zhang Ji's camp, as well as some cavalry who were left behind.

Chopping the grass does not remove the roots, but the spring breeze blows and regenerates.

"Why are you still standing here? You're like a wooden stake." Guo Si waved his hand and dismissed Xia Yu and Gao Shuo.

After Xia Yu and Gao Shuo left, Guo Si sighed and said to Li Jue, "Zhang Xiu is not a big deal, he is just a brave general, but Jia Xu, the old fox, knows everything about our army. I am afraid that when he gets to Liu Zhang's camp, he will reveal everything to Liu Zhang, leaving us with no secrets."

Guo Si was very worried. The military books said that knowing both yourself and your enemy would ensure victory in every battle. However, now they only had a general idea about Liu Zhang's side. But after Jia Xu joined Liu Zhang, Liu Zhang would probably know them very well without missing anything.

There was a trace of worry between Li Jue's eyebrows, but he was very relaxed: "Guo Aduo, don't worry too much. Although Jia Xu is a traitor to Liu Zhang, Liu Zhang may not be able to use Jia Xu..."

"As a member of the royal family, Liu Zhang is under the banner of saving the poor and the common people. Jia Xu used to work with us for Prime Minister Dong, and after Minister Wang harmed Prime Minister Dong, he gave us advice and planned to attack Chang'an. These things are well known. I don't think Liu Zhang will be able to tolerate Jia Xu." (End of this chapter)