I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 496 Zhou Yu Comes Out
Yingchuan.

In front of Xun Shuang’s tomb.

There were just over a dozen people living there in huts.

One of them was wearing plain linen clothes and was reading a book attentively.

Xun Wei had just heard a piece of news from a servant, and he immediately looked at the man who was about the same age as his son. He saw that the man had a straight back and a handsome appearance, and was not affected by the cold wind, so he nodded secretly.

After tidying up his clothes, he stood up and walked over: "Gongjin, something happened in Danyang again!"

Zhou Yu first bowed to Xun Wei, and then said: "Brother, please don't persuade me. If I wanted to pursue my future, I would have left a month ago."

"There are many talented people in the court and the counties. Even without me, Lu Annan can still quell the rebellion."

Xun Wei looked at this disciple that his father had accepted in his later years and sighed inwardly.

It has been nearly two years since his father Xunshang passed away. He did not know at first that his father had keenly sensed that there would be a big move in the court before his death, and had asked Zhou Yu not to observe mourning for three years.

Being a teacher and observing filial piety is certainly a good thing, but doing things that benefit the country and the people in accordance with the teacher's last wishes will also bring you a good reputation.

The most crucial thing is that these past two years have been a time of great changes in the country. From the perspective of future development alone, participating in and building achievements is far better than living a life of filial piety.

But even so, Zhou Yu still made his choice.

Therefore, Xun Wei was very fond of Zhou Yu.

But just like his father, because he loved Zhou Yu, he wanted Zhou Yu to take advantage of the situation.

Faced with Zhou Yu's rejection, Xun Wei was not discouraged. He explained again: "Now in Danyang, not only are there Shanyue people causing rebellion, but there are also powerful people who are pretending to be Buddhists and are actually rebelling."

"Yangzhou Jiangbei is hard to support because of the rebellion in Jiujiang. It is difficult to suppress the two rebellions at the same time relying solely on the six counties in the south of Yangzhou! And Lu Annan is old after all..."

"Gongjin is a man of great talent. He followed my father all over Yangzhou and should have helped the country and the people. Do you want to watch the hard work of my father and your teacher in the last few years of his time in Yangzhou go to waste?"

After hearing the last sentence, Zhou Yu hesitated.

He thought of his teacher Xun Shuang's ambitions, and also of his own ambitions.

In fact, when he first learned that there were Shanyue rebellions in Danyang, Kuaiji and Yuzhang, he hesitated, but taking into account the presence of Annan General Lu Kang and several competent prefects, and the fact that the Shanyue rebellion seemed large, it was actually because it was at the junction of the three counties.

Zhou Yu felt that his help was of no use at all. Perhaps the Shanyue Rebellion would be resolved as soon as he arrived in Danyang, so he simply did not leave.

But now...

Feeling Xun Wei's attitude, Zhou Yu suddenly had a question - is he really that important to Yangzhou?

"Go! My father in heaven will support you!"

Xun Wei seemed to have seen through Zhou Yu's thoughts: "Even if the rebellion is suppressed one day earlier, and one family is saved from the disaster of the rebels, it will be enough to comfort my father."

Zhou Yu pondered for a long time, then stood up, bowed to Xun Wei, and said, "I will follow your advice, brother."

Looking at Zhou Yu who was packing his bags, Xun Wei murmured, "There are many talented people in the court nowadays. In recent years, countless people have come to the fore because of their meritorious service. This land survey may be your only chance to make military achievements."

“I hope you can seize this opportunity!”

He didn't want his father's talented disciple to have his talent buried because of mourning.

After Zhou Yu paid his last farewell at Xun Shuang's tomb, Xun Shuang called the servants to see Zhou Yu off.

...In Yangzhou and Kuaiji County, General Lu Kang of Annan has not been idle during this period.

After taking over as General of Annan from Xun Shang, his power was reduced compared to Xun Shang, and only included five counties: Danyang, Yuzhang, Luling, Kuaiji, and Minzhong.

As for his hometown Wu County and the two counties of Jiujiang and Lujiang in the north of the Yangtze River, they were no longer under his jurisdiction.

Lu Kang did not feel that he was being wronged, because as the General of Annan he held military power over several counties and could also relocate people to cultivate land. In his opinion, this power was too great, as he could govern the army and the people, almost the same as a provincial governor.

In fact, Lu Kang had made up his mind that if he could get 70% to 80% of the Shanyue people in Yangzhou to come down the mountain and participate in farming during his lifetime, he would then write a letter requesting that the post of General Annan be abolished and never reinstated.

The Shanyue people who settled in the countryside were both self-sufficient and qualified soldiers.

However, Lu Kang no longer had the mood to discuss these things.

He had just received news that Zuo Rong, after gathering followers and rebelling under the influence of the Buddhist Association, had colluded with the rebellious Shanyue in Danyang and defeated the county troops of Danyang. The life and death of Yuan Zhong, the prefect of Danyang, Runan, was unknown.

Things have already happened, and it is not in Lu Kang's character to put all the responsibility on Yuan Zhong, whose life or death is still unknown.

But the situation in Danyang requires a reliable person to hold the foreground temporarily.

Thinking of this, Lu Kang said to the people around him: "Yuan Tan, now that Zuo Rong has just rebelled, the situations in the counties of Danyang are different. Are you willing to go to Danyang on my behalf and contact the counties to fight against the bandits together?"

In a short period of time, it would be difficult for Danyang County to suppress the rebellion with only the defeated county soldiers. In order to deal with the original Shanyue rebellion, Lu Kang could not spare much military support for a while.

This task was very dangerous, so Lu Kang did not give it to an outsider, but to his son-in-law, Gu Yong.

Gu Yong studied under Cai Yong and had a quick mind.

His current official position is the magistrate of Shangyu County in Kuaiji County, but when the rebellion came, Lu Kang specifically asked him to follow the army. Gu Yong knew that this day would come.

After hearing what Lu Kang said, he agreed without hesitation: "I am willing to go!"

He even had in mind to think that it was better to go to a dangerous place than to be chopped to pieces by his father-in-law to enforce military discipline.

Although his father-in-law has always been kind-hearted, he might not do such a thing.

……

Just when Danyang County was attracting attention from all sides.

As the instigator, Zuo Rong couldn't help but want to curse.

Just because he led his men to attack from both sides together with the Shanyue and defeated the Danyang governor Yuan Zhong, he received news that Hefei County, where he had attracted tens of thousands of troops to suppress the rebellion in Jiujiang County, was easily conquered.

This incident was completely beyond Zuo Rong's expectations. Danyang and Jiujiang were separated by only a large river.

In other words, as long as the Han army in the north is given some time to stabilize Jiujiang County and rest, then the tens of thousands of elite troops who have captured Hefei County so quickly will be the next to attack him!

This completely wiped out the joy that Zuo Rong had originally felt for defeating the prefect who was from the Yuan family of Runan.

That day, he climbed onto the high platform he used to worship Buddha and prayed to the Buddha statue - "Buddha, please let there be a few more rebellions. Give me more time, and I will definitely repay you double the number of believers!"

After making the wish, he called the believers to come and asked them to read Buddhist scriptures.

He sent soldiers to drive over non-Buddhists from nearby villages, and the believers gathered around him and sat in a group to listen to his teachings.

After the sermon was finished, Zuo Rong ordered people to bring out a large amount of cooked food. Of course, only those who believed in Buddhism wholeheartedly could eat it.

(End of this chapter)