Ji Han Liu Zhang

With the four major surnames in Tianshui County, Jiang, Yan, Ren and Zhao, all surrendering and serving, although Liu Zhang was unable to mobilize the troops to Longyou for a while due to insufficient food and fodder, he was not a person who did not know how to adapt. So he made some adjustments to the layout of the Shu army in Liangzhou according to the situation.

First, Liu Zhang issued an order, asking Gan Ning, who was stationed in Lueyang, to lead his troops to Ji County, Tianshui County, to control the provincial capital of Liangzhou and guard Ji County, the transportation bottleneck between Guanzhong, Longyou and Yizhou.

Secondly, Wen Pin, who was stationed in Longdi, led his troops to station in Lueyang when Gan Ning, who was stationed in Lueyang, went to Jixian. At the same time, Wu Yi's troops stationed in Chencang sent a small number of troops to guard Longdi in Guanlong Road.

Liu Zhang did this because Longyou was desolate and had a small population. In this situation, dividing the troops to conquer the land was not the best strategy. After all, if the troops were divided too widely, they would be easily defeated one by one. Instead, controlling the large counties with a large population and taking over the transportation bottlenecks was a good strategy to deal with the current situation in Liangzhou.

The plan was set, and Liu Zhang hid in the city of Chang'an, waiting for Xia Shou to arrive and for sufficient food and grass.

Chang'an, government office.

"Some of the shogunate officials in Chengdu have packed their bags and will be heading to Chang'an soon." Chief Clerk Xun You reported to Liu Zhang the latest news he had received.

With Liu Zhang stationed in Chang'an, the shogunate under Liu Zhang would naturally move to Chang'an and be closely tied to his lord. Hence the news that the shogunate officials were setting out from Chengdu to Chang'an came out.

However, due to the desolation of Guanzhong, it was very costly to relocate too many officials of the shogunate at one time. In addition, troops would be sent to Longyou soon, and Shu would be needed to provide troops and food. Some capable officials had to be left in Shu to collect money and food, so that Liu Zhang would not have to worry about food shortage when he conquered Longyou.

Therefore, Liu Zhang only planned to move some of the officials in the shogunate to Chang'an first, and leave the Chief Secretary Wang Shang and some officials in charge of money and grain in Chengdu for another year to collect money and grain and send supplies when Liu Zhang governs Longyou this year.

"Yeah." Liu Zhang nodded in response. The fact that Cao Guan rushed to Chang'an was not a big deal. He was more concerned about Han Sui in Liangzhou. Pulling out this thorn behind him was Liu Zhang's first priority.

"When can Xingba's troops arrive in Ji County?" Liu Zhang asked Jia Xu.

Jia Xu stroked his beard and answered without delay: "According to the date, General Gan will be able to rush to Ji County within one or two days and take charge of this important place."

Liu Zhang nodded and shook the jade ruyi in his hand. "Among all the counties in Longyou, Tianshui is the richest and has the largest population. Other counties have been plagued by Qiang disasters and have few people. Now that we have Tianshui, Han Sui doesn't have to worry about it."

On the strategic level, Liu Zhang thought very low of Han Sui. Although Han Sui was known as a famous scholar in Liangzhou, he could not even get along with his sworn brother Ma Teng. Instead, he harmed Ma Teng and cut off one of his own arms. Although he now had the arrogance to dominate Longyou, in Liu Zhang's eyes, he was just a temporary noise and would eventually be defeated.

As for the tactical level, Liu Zhang still adopted a steady and cautious style and would not give Han Sui any chance. Taking advantage of the surrender of the four surnames of Tianshui, he sent Gan Ning to occupy Tianshui and occupied Tianshui County, the richest county in Longyou, cutting off Han Sui's opportunity to rely on the manpower and material resources of Tianshui County. Now Han Sui could only lure the Qiang, Hu and various rebels, and the waves he could stir up would be weak.

Tianshui, Ji County.

"Cao Gong Jiang." Gan Ning saluted Jiang Jiong, the Cao Gong of Tianshui County.

"General Gan." Jiang Jiong returned the greeting with an upright posture. Both of them had joyful smiles on their faces.

What Gan Ning was happy about was that he obeyed Liu Zhang's order and rushed from Lueyang to Ji County, where he was warmly welcomed by the four surnames of Tianshui. He easily led his troops to occupy Ji County, the county seat of Tianshui County and the provincial seat of Liangzhou.

This was a great achievement, and Gan Ning was so happy that he smiled at Jiang Jiong who came out to greet him into the city.

Jiang Jiong was delighted because Tianshui County was a strategic point on the road. If Han Sui, a hero from Liang Province stationed in Longxi and Jincheng, wanted to hold out against Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu, he would certainly take Tianshui County and cut off the narrow road of Chencang and other roads on Longshang. Otherwise, it would be difficult to stop the Shu army's offensive. Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu wanted to control Longyou, so his troops would definitely pass through Tianshui before heading towards Longxi, Jincheng and other western counties.

Therefore, when the Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu was fighting with Han Sui, Tianshui was located in the middle area and was the fat meat that both forces were eyeing. Under this circumstance, only a large number of troops could be used to preserve the counties of Tianshui. Therefore, the four surnames of Tianshui who were willing to submit to Liu Zhang asked Liu Zhang to allow elite soldiers to be stationed in Tianshui to protect Tianshui so that they could defend themselves in the upcoming war.

Now that Gan Ning has arrived and brought his elite Shu army to Ji County, Ji County will be safe and sound in the future wars. As a man from a wealthy family in Tianshui, Jiang Jiong is naturally very happy.

"General Gan, please come in. A banquet has been set up in the city, waiting for your arrival." Jiang Jiong stretched out his hand and beckoned Gan Ning into the city.

Gan Ning nodded, and he called Gan Jiu and Gan Shisan over: "Inform the entire army, after entering the city, do not leave the military camp lightly. Anyone who dares to offend the common people in the city, rob the common people of their property, or commit other illegal acts in the city will be executed by this general without mercy."

When he first entered Ji County, Gan Ning displayed the style of a king's army and strictly disciplined his soldiers in order to avoid losing the hearts of the people in Ji County. At the same time, it was also to make it clear that the Shu army's behavior was very different from that of the previous Qiang and Hu and Liangzhou armies, and that it was a dignified army.

"Yes." Gan Jiulang agreed in a loud voice, and this voice went straight to the sky.

"Yes." Gan Shisan also responded loudly.

When Tianshui County Gongcao Jiang Jiong saw this, he glanced at the neatly-dressed and strictly guarded Shu soldiers behind Gan Ning. He nodded silently in his heart, with a hint of joy on his face.

You must know that since the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, whether it was the local troops in Liangzhou or the troops from the inner counties who rushed to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion, they often acted illegally when marching or staying there. The military generals had never been strict and it was difficult for them to control their soldiers.

After being accustomed to seeing groups of lawless soldiers and officers, Jiang Jiong felt greatly comforted when he suddenly encountered a strict and awe-inspiring army. With such a style of Shu army, there was no need to worry about Han Sui's defeat or the unrest in Liangzhou.

The joy in Jiang Jiong's heart at this moment was not for himself or his family, but for the people of Liangzhou who had suffered from the Qiang disaster for a hundred years and had no peace for a single day.

With the Grand Marshal here, Liangzhou will be safe!
Lueyang.

Gan Ning, who was stationed in Lueyang before, led his troops to Ji County. Lueyang was not left unguarded. Wen Pin, who was in Longdi, led his troops to Lueyang and took over the garrison from Gan Ning.

"Brother, your decision to stay in Shu was indeed a wise one. If you had stayed in Jingzhou, how could you have achieved the position of General of the Central Army, just like General of the Central Army Cai?" Wen San, Wen Pin's cousin, sighed when he accompanied Wen Pin to inspect the city defenses.

When Wen Pin first joined Liu Zhang's army, he was promoted to a lieutenant. During the military campaign to conquer Guanzhong and occupy Longdi, Wen Pin made great contributions. Recently, he received a promotion document from Chang'an, from a lieutenant to a general of the imperial court. Wen San suddenly felt that his brother Wen Pin's decision to stay under Liu Zhang's command was a turning point in his life. Otherwise, Wen Pin could only be a lieutenant in Jingzhou, and he didn't know when he would be promoted to the position of general of the imperial court.

Wen Pin's face was calm. He continued to examine Lueyang's defense situation, and said with a hint of relief, "I was able to become the General of the Central Army because of your grace..."

After expressing his gratitude to Liu Zhang who was far away in Chang'an, Wen Pin told Wen San: "It is our good fortune to meet a wise master now. You should be loyal and diligent in your work and serve the wise master. Maybe you will become a general in the future."

With expectations for his cousin Wen San, Wen Pin said this solemnly.

"Me, Lieutenant Colonel?!" Wen San was a little surprised when he heard that. He scratched the back of his head with his hand, revealing an unnatural smile: "Brother, don't joke. With my talent, I can barely be a captain now, how can I be a Lieutenant Colonel."

Although he said so, there was a glimmer of hope in Wen San's eyes.

Wen Pin smiled faintly and shook his head: "Not only the Lieutenant General, but also the title of Marquis and the title of Lord in the future, I think you and I will have the chance... You should know that now my Lord is trying to conquer the world, and the thousands of miles of land in Guandong has not yet been conquered. The wars will be twice as many as before. If you sacrifice yourself and make meritorious contributions, you will be rewarded with the title of Marquis."

"Take the present for example, generals like Wu Yi, Huang Quan, Gan Ning, etc., have all been rewarded with the title of Guannei Hou, and Zhang Xiu, who captured and killed Li Jue, has even been rewarded with the title of Wansui Ting Hou. Being rewarded with a title of marquis is not something that is out of reach nowadays."

At this point, Wen Pin's eyes gleamed with a gleam of light, to be awarded a title of nobility for military merit was his goal, and it was also the greatest honor as a military general. He naturally had hopes for this and was thinking about being awarded a title of nobility.

"Zhang Xiu really has a good life. He is just a newly surrendered man, but because of luck he captured and killed Li Jue and received the reward of Tinghou, which is more than all the old men under your command. There is really nothing to say about it." Wen San skipped over Wu Yi, Huang Quan and Gan Ning mentioned by Wen Pin, and he sighed about Zhang Xiu's good life.

Hearing this, Wen Pin was also touched. He said that whoever killed Li Jue and Guo Si would be awarded a title of nobility. This was what his master had promised in the proclamation of the expedition to Guanzhong. At that time, all the generals under his master boasted that they could get such a reward. However, unexpectedly, Guo Si was captured by his generals, and Li Jue was killed by Zhang Xiu. The vision of all the generals was shattered, including Wen Pin himself.

"Everyone has his own destiny, and there is no such thing as a good or bad destiny." Wen Pin smiled calmly, and he taught Wen San: "But if you work diligently and be loyal to your master, good luck will naturally favor you and me in the future."

Longxi County, Fuhan.

Han Sui's trusted adviser Cheng Gongying left Didao and came to Fuhan, where he met Song Jian, a hero who had been rampant in Liangzhou for more than ten years.

"Sir, you have come from afar, please drink this cup first." Song Jian raised his cup and saluted Cheng Gongying.

"Please." Cheng Gongying felt Song Jian's respectful attitude, he smiled back and drank a glass of wine.

Although Song Jian was respectful to Cheng Gongying, his next words made Cheng Gongying frown slightly: "If you are here as a guest, I welcome you. But if you want to persuade me to lead the army eastward to help General Han and be his lobbyist, please don't say anything. Let's drink and have fun. After the banquet, I will send you away."

Song Jian, who had been based in Fuhan for more than ten years, had some strategies. He knew that the purpose of Cheng Gongying's visit, who was Han Sui's confidant, was the same as Han Sui's previous purpose of sending an envoy here, which was to persuade him to send troops to help Han Sui and resist against Liu Jiyu, the great Sima of Guanzhong.

However, Song Jian was a man without long-term ambitions. He only thought about abusing his power and indulging in debauchery in Fuhuan. He had no interest in getting involved in the fight between Han Sui and Liu Zhang. Those things had nothing to do with him, and there was no need for him to get involved in this muddy water.

Cheng Gongying frowned upon hearing this, but then his brows relaxed. He smiled calmly, "I am not here to lobby for General Han and ask the king to send troops, but to clear the fog for the king and make him see the current situation clearly..."

At this point, Cheng Gongying paused and said, "The current situation is a matter of life and death for the king."

"Huh?" Song Jian, who was sitting at the top, showed a puzzled expression. What did the quarrel between Han Sui and Liu Zhang have to do with him? How could he be in danger? "Sir, that's not right. I live alone in Fuhan, where I have endless happiness. How can there be any danger of survival?"

"Let me ask the king, what is the title of your king?" Cheng Gongying did not answer, but asked Song Jian a question instead.

"I live alone in the upper reaches of the river, so I am called the King of Heshou Pinghan." Song Jian replied.

Cheng Gongying's face was calm. He stood up and said, "The problem lies in the king's title. The king calls himself the King of Heshou Pinghan, and the Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu is a relative of the clan. How could they allow the king to claim to be alone in Fuhan and use 'Pinghan' as his title?"

"Now the king is unwilling to help General Han. General Han is alone and will be defeated by Liu Jiyu. Once General Han leaves, Didao will be occupied by the Shu army. At that time, the king will face the Shu army alone. With the king's wisdom and strategy, the king believes that you have a chance of winning. Isn't this a matter of life and death?"

Cheng Gongying said this and sighed: "I came here today just to make a few things clear to the king. Now that I have said everything, please take my leave..."

After saying this, Cheng Gongying took a step forward, as if he was about to leave. However, after taking two steps, he turned back and said to the somewhat bewildered Song Jianyan: "I serve General Han, and I should share weal and woe with him. If we are defeated by the Shu army one day, I will be killed together with General Han. However, on the road to the underworld, I will wait for the king for more than a month, and then we will die together. It is my blessing to have the king accompany me."

After this time, Cheng Gongying had nothing else to say. He strode forward and walked towards the door, while silently counting down to three, two, one in his heart.

'three.'

'two. ’

Before Cheng Gongying could utter the word "one" in his mind, he heard a shout from behind.

"Sir, please stay. Sir, please stay."

Song Jian, the King of Heshou Pinghan, looked somewhat anxious. He shouted several times, trying to stop Cheng Gongying from leaving. He even stood up and commanded the soldiers at the door to intercept Cheng Gongying.

As for Cheng Gongying, he naturally stopped and asked Song Jian a question even though he knew the answer: "Does the king have anything else to say?" (End of this chapter)