Ji Han Liu Zhang

Changan.

'Zhang He, the Great Halberd Warrior.'

"The four pillars of Hebei, coupled with the elite soldiers of Hebei, are indeed worthy of their reputation and should not be underestimated."

After reading the military intelligence report handed over by Hedong Prefect Fa Zheng, Liu Zhang sighed.

But the battle report said that Yuan Shao, unable to capture Yubi City for months and having heard that Cao Cao was plotting to attack Ye, led his troops to flee, leaving Yan Liang and Zhang He to cover the rear.

Gan Ning followed in pursuit of the retreating Yuan army and confronted Zhang He who was guarding the rear. The two fought a fierce battle, but neither of them gained anything. As it was getting dark, they both withdrew their troops.

Liu Zhang was well aware of the combat effectiveness of the Jinfan Rangers under Gan Ning's command. With an unparalleled general like Gan Ning as the leader, the combat effectiveness of the Jinfan Army was extraordinary.

However, the elite troops led by Gan Ning and the Jinfan Rangers as soldiers faced off against the Daji soldiers commanded by Zhang He. The two sides were evenly matched and neither side was able to gain any advantage from the other.

"Hebei should not be underestimated."

Liu Zhang handed the battle report to the chief clerk Xun You, and then instructed him: "Xun Qing, please compile a military merit book based on the information reported in the battle report. Once the war is over and Yuan's army retreats, I will reward the ministers who have made contributions."

"Yes." Xun You responded respectfully, smiling and looking somewhat pleased: "After this battle, Yuan Shao will not dare to spy on Hedong and plot against Guanzhong, and Cao Mengde will be worried."

Liu Zhang nodded: "If we cannot go west, Yuan Shao will choose an easier way, go south to the Central Plains and fight Cao Cao. He will not look back at Hedong."

"It's a pity." Liu Zhang sighed softly. "A letter came from Xudu saying that Cao Cao had a plan to attack Yecheng, and Yuan Shao had learned of it... Yuan Shao's retreat was so clean this time, and the siege of Hedong was lifted. It was Yuan Shao's credit for the details in Xudu."

"Otherwise, if Yuan Shao hesitated for a while longer, and waited in front of Yubi City until Cao Cao attacked Liyang and Yecheng, a battle between Yuan and Cao would have been clear."

Xun You had been an official in Luoyang in the past. Knowing the prestige of the Yuan family, he responded, "The Yuan family has three officials in four generations, and their hometowns are all over the world. But now, Yuan Shu is buried in the ocean, and only Yuan Shao survives. Moreover, Yuan Shao occupies four states and is the strongest among the princes in the world. Therefore, all the former officials of the Yuan family are loyal to Yuan Shao."

"And there are many former officials of the Yuan family in Xudu. In this case, every time Cao Cao has a move, before he takes action, I am afraid that the former officials of the Yuan family will privately inform Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao must know everything about Cao Cao's every move."

"Moreover," Xun You chuckled, "Fa Xiaozhi ordered people in Yecheng to spread rumors that Cao Cao had attacked Yecheng. Yuan Shao heard about it early and must have made preparations early, sending people to Xudu to find out whether this was true or not."

"Speaking of which, it was us who gave Yuan Shao a warning, otherwise Yuan Shao would not have been on guard against Cao Cao so early... If Fa Xiaozhi hadn't spread the rumors, Liyang might have been captured by Cao Cao right now."

Liu Zhang laughed out loud when he heard this. It was indeed the case. Fa Zheng spread the rumor that Cao Cao was going to attack Ye, and Cao Cao was planning a conspiracy to attack Ye City. When the rumor and the facts were confirmed, Yuan Shao immediately led his troops away and prevented Cao Cao from succeeding. In fact, it was he who gave Yuan Shao a warning.

"Although I didn't see the battle between Yuan and Cao in Liyang, I didn't let Cao Cao reap the benefits, and I was able to capture Yecheng and cut off Yuan Shao's retreat. It can be said that I have gained and lost."

"Now that the siege of Hedong has been lifted, we will wait for the battle between Yuan and Cao, and then we will act accordingly."

Liu Zhang declared that he had a clear vision of the future situation. Yuan Shao, who had hit a wall in Yubi City, would most likely not lead his troops to attack Yubi City again, but would capture Cao Cao and march into the unobstructed Central Plains.

"Your Excellency can reap the benefits while you are still a fisherman." Xun You said with a smile.

Liu Zhang smiled and shook his head: "It may be that it is not easy to be the fisherman. This time Cao Cao wanted to be the fisherman, but not only did he fail, but he also aroused Yuan Shao's jealousy."

The war in Hedong ended, and it was September of the fifth year of Jian'an. It was late autumn in September. The big trees withered, the grass turned green and yellow, and all natural things were heading towards decay.

However, Chang'an City, the Western Capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which was destroyed by the chaos in the late Western Han Dynasty, is now experiencing a new life. The population in the city is growing, and houses are rising, giving people the feeling of new buds growing on an old tree.

Liu Zhang led Wang Shang, Xun You and others to stand on the top of Chang'an City. Looking at the prosperous Chang'an City, everyone had happy expressions on their faces and were delighted.

It should be noted that not only Chang'an City is prosperous at the moment, but the population of the three prefectures of Guanzhong is also growing more than before due to the migration of aristocratic families, Wudang Qing Qiang, and Hanized Di people to Shu.

With people, we have everything. The barren land has been cultivated, the overgrown roads have been repaired, and the blocked ditches and water conservancy projects have been dredged.

At present, under Liu Zhang's care for several years, Guanzhong has gradually taken on the appearance of the land of abundance during the Qin Dynasty, and can shoulder some of the logistical burden of Liu Zhang's conquest of the world.

'The cause of kingship and hegemony, and the era of peace, all began in Guanzhong.'

into the night.

There was a dim light in the house on the left side of the Chang'an government office, and Liu Zhang was sitting at a desk, holding a document in his hand, handling government affairs day and night.

In troubled times, government affairs were often neglected, and local governance needed careful consideration. Liu Zhang was too busy to spare any time. Although he had a group of advisers to assist him, there were still many things that needed Liu Zhang's approval. He had no choice but to act like Zhu Yuanzhang, working diligently, and burying himself in documents until late at night.

First, there was a document from Dong He, the governor of the Shu army. Dong He said that since the establishment of the dike protection soldiers in Shu County, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System has been regularly maintained and repaired. Shu County has no worries about floods or droughts, and the people have never felt hungry. This year is another good year for Shu County, and the treasury is well-stocked and the warehouses are full of wealth and goods.

Dong He also practiced frugality himself, advised and led the soldiers and civilians, and greatly changed the extravagant and decadent lifestyle of Shu County. Today, the soldiers and civilians of the Shu army are following Dong Fu's example, acting simply and living a simple life.

Liu Zhang put down Dong He's document, his face relaxed. With Dong He as the governor of Shu County, he was very confident about Shu County. In addition, Chengdu was his old nest, and with Dong He watching over it, although he was in Chang'an, he had no worries about Shu.

Picking up another document, Liu Zhang's face was filled with smile again. This document was handed over by Gao Yi, the governor of Beijiang. Under Gao Yi's governance and pacification, there were rarely any major disturbances in Nanzhong, only occasional minor disturbances by barbarians.

There were also words in the document that commended meritorious officials. Gao Yi commended the county magistrates such as Yang Hong and Li Hui, saying that these people had outstanding achievements in local governance and had a good reputation, so they should be praised to show the future generations.

Liu Zhang had no objection to this. He picked up his pen and wrote down the word "prefect". He planned to promote Yang Hong, Li Hui and others to be prefects of Nanzhong, and the original prefects of the Nanzhong counties would be transferred to Chang'an. On the one hand, it would prevent a prefect from controlling government affairs for a long time, which would lead to disasters. On the other hand, it would also reward the merits of the former prefects of the Nanzhong counties and prevent them from staying in the barbarian lands of the border counties for a long time and becoming dissatisfied.

As the night deepened, the night watchman's drum sounded, but Liu Zhang still bowed his head at his desk, silently handling government affairs and working diligently to bring peace.

……

Yecheng, prison.

The jailer, Old Huang, was very happy today because he had heard something from the outside. He hurried to the depths of the prison and said to the prisoners inside: "Tian Biejia, you led your army to Hedong this time, but were blocked by the Shu army in Yubi City for more than a month and failed to capture any city or pond. Now you are on your way back."

"It's all right now." Old Huangtou said with a tone of having survived a disaster, happy for Tian Feng: "Ming Gong did not gain anything from attacking Hedong this time, but he will definitely use you when he comes back. Tian Biejia, your good days are coming."

Old Huang sincerely congratulated Tian Feng. Before Yuan Shao set out for the expedition to Hedong, Tian Feng had predicted that Yuan Shao would gain nothing. Now things had developed just as Tian Feng had expected. Needless to say, Yuan Shao would definitely send someone to take Tian Feng out of prison so that he could always ask for Tian Feng's wise advice.

Behind a wooden fence, Tian Feng was kneeling on the ground. His figure was as tall and straight as a mountain. When he heard what Old Huang said, he did not feel happy as Old Huang had expected, but looked a little sad.

"Biejia Tian, ​​why do you look so unhappy? The fact that you didn't gain anything in Hedong this time shows how smart you are. You will be released soon." Old Huang noticed it and asked Tian Feng.

Tian Feng shook his head and said, "I have always known your temper. Although you appear to be tolerant and kind, you are very jealous and mean inside. You are most concerned about others being better than you or saying something offensive."

"If you win this expedition to Hedong, I might have a chance to get out of prison. If you lose, Feng's life might be in danger. I'll have to trouble you, Old Huang, to collect my body for me."

Old Huang was stunned. He was very convinced of Tian Feng. Otherwise, as a jailer, he would not have been so respectful to the prisoner Tian Feng. So he believed Tian Feng's words.

"Then... what should we do..." Old Huang was a little panicked. He didn't want to see Tian Feng lose his head and his life.

At the same time, Old Huang had a question: "Second Master, even if you knew Ming Gong's temper, why did you still offend Ming Gong's taboos and cause yourself to be thrown into prison by Ming Gong?"

Tian Feng showed a helpless smile. He raised his head slightly and looked into the distance, as if reminiscing about the past: "In the past, I was highly regarded by you, and you made me the deputy governor of the state. I was always by your side, giving you advice and suggestions. I listened to you and followed your advice."

"Since I am the one who eats the emperor's salary, I should be concerned about the emperor's affairs. How can I watch you step into a deep pit just because I am worried about violating your taboos? This is not what a gentleman does, nor is it what a subject should do."

Having said this, Tian Fengnian recalled the time when Yuan Shao first entered Jizhou. At that time, Yuan Shao had Gongsun Zan in the north, the Black Mountain bandits in the west, and the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou in the east. However, Yuan Shao showed no fear. He deployed troops and horses, employed wise and capable people, and wiped out the bandits one by one and finally took over Hebei. What a wise and brilliant man he was.

At that time, Tian Feng was the deputy driver and was very close to Yuan Shao. He was like a fish to water. Yuan Shao followed all his advice and listened to all his strategies. As a minister, those days are still the ones Tian Feng misses the most.

However, with the unification of Hebei, Yuan Shao became the most powerful prince in the world. Gradually, he stopped listening to others' advice and behaved in a dictatorial and domineering manner.

At this point, Tian Feng was disliked by Yuan Shao because of his upright character. Tian Feng knew this, but he was unwilling to keep silent and let Yuan Shao go down his own path. He hoped to use frank words to persuade Yuan Shao's increasingly arbitrary heart.

"What a pity." Tian Feng sighed. His frank admonition did not change Yuan Shao's mind. Yuan Shao finally made the wrong decision - to send troops to Hedong.

"Who will gain control of the world?"

Tian Feng became distressed. Originally, Yuan Shao controlled the four states of Hebei and was invincible among the princes of the world. However, Yuan Shao's current behavior was rebellious and he might be defeated by other princes.

While Tian Feng was worried about Yuan Shao's future, Yuan Shao, who had returned to Yecheng for some time, was pacing back and forth in the courtyard of the government office in Yecheng with an unhappy look on his face. This was because Yuan Shao was unwilling to accept the fact that he had gained nothing from his march into Hedong.

At this moment, Feng Ji strode in. When he saw Yuan Shao's thoughtful look, he stopped in an instant and waited silently for Yuan Shao to wake up from his thoughts and ask questions.

Soon, Yuan Shao noticed Feng Ji's arrival. He asked in a bad tone, "I have gained nothing during my march to Hedong this time. Did Tian Feng say anything in prison?"

When Feng Ji heard this, he instantly felt that his chance had come, a chance to kill Tian Feng, so he tried his best to keep his tone steady and spoke in a calm but confident voice.

"When Tian Biejia heard in prison that you marched into Hedong and returned without taking a single city or pond, he was overjoyed and boasted that he had a foresight. He also said that all major events in the world were under his control. If you hadn't summoned him to inquire about worldly affairs, there would have been another small setback like this next time."

After he finished speaking, Feng Ji's face turned stern, and his slender eyes stared at Yuan Shao's expression. He wanted to see Yuan Shao get furious after hearing what he said, and wanted to hear Yuan Shao ordering someone to go to the prison and sentence Tian Feng to death.

"Heh." Yuan Shao looked angry just as Feng Ji had expected. There was murderous intent in his eyes, as if the next moment he would send someone to the prison to execute Tian Feng just as Feng Ji had expected.

But in the next moment, Yuan Shao seemed to be so angry that he laughed out loud, leaving Feng Ji at the side stunned, not knowing why Yuan Shao had such a strange behavior.

"Did he go crazy because of what he said just now?" Feng Ji guessed, and he became a little worried. If Yuan Shao was angry and fell ill, the eldest son Yuan Tan might take advantage of the fact that the third son Yuan Shang was not yet mature and deprive him of the power in Hebei.

But soon, Yuan Shao stopped laughing, which made Feng Ji breathe a sigh of relief. However, Yuan Shao's next words made Feng Ji's breath choke in his throat.

"Feng Qing, go to the prison and bring Tian Feng here. I want to see him... Forget it, I'll go there myself."

After saying this, while Feng Ji was at a loss, Yuan Shao strode out, left the government office surrounded by guards, and headed towards the prison in Yecheng.

In the prison of Yecheng, Old Huang was standing outside Tian Feng's cell with concern. He was afraid that Yuan Shao, who was furious, would sentence Tian Feng to death as Tian Feng expected.

But when he heard the noise outside, Old Huang's heart was in his throat. And when he saw the person coming, Old Huang was stunned and instantly bowed to the ground.

"Ming Gong." (End of this chapter)