I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 578 Zhang Fei: Am I a substitute?

"The Gongcao of Beidi County... Logically speaking, this is an official of 100 stones in the county and should be selected from the people of the county, but Beidi County is special after all. Although it is a bit difficult, it can achieve better political achievements than other places." Pang Tong analyzed seriously.

Xu Shu certainly understood this truth, and he was not afraid of the sandstorms in the north. The only thing he was worried about was that the Beidi County where he moved back to his hometown would not be very peaceful, and it would not be suitable for him to bring his mother to live with him to take care of her.

Xu Shu's thoughts were no secret. Shi Tao was about to speak when a servant came to report that a man claiming to be the governor of Beidi had come to the door with a visiting card.

The four people present looked at each other in bewilderment. They already knew that the new governor of Beidi was Zhang Fei. Now Zhang Fei personally sent a visiting card to visit his subordinates, which could definitely be described as condescending.

Pang Tong immediately asked the servant, "Have you invited Governor Zhang to come in and have a seat?"

The servant replied, "Originally, we invited Magistrate Zhang, but Magistrate Zhang said it would be inconvenient to visit him without permission, so he returned to his carriage. That is why I hurried to report this."

Meng Jian said, "The governor is here in person, so we should open the main gate and accompany Yuan Zhi to greet him."

Pang Tong also said: "The governor has come to visit, which shows that he thinks highly of Yuan Zhi. We cannot lose our courtesy."

Immediately, the four of them got up without stopping and went to visit Zhang Fei.

On the way, Xu Shu thought of Zhang Fei's personal visit and felt the obvious respect. In addition to being in charge of the rewards, punishments, appointments and dismissals of county officials, Gongcao, like Menxia Zhubu, also served as an assistant to the prefect. Xu Shu naturally hoped that his boss in Beidi County would be someone who would respect the wise and listen to good advice.

The four people thought that Zhang Fei would return to the car to wait for them, but before they reached the door, they heard a loud laugh.

Xu Shu walked ahead with curiosity, and soon they finally saw the scene outside - a man was sitting in the driver's seat of the carriage, chatting and laughing with the servant guarding the gate of the house. From his clothes and the sash around his waist, it can be seen that this man is the governor of Beidi.

Here, Zhang Fei had just finished congratulating the gatekeeper of the Pang family on the birth of his new son. When he turned around, he saw someone coming in. He immediately left a message saying "Let's talk later" and jumped off the carriage.

As soon as Zhang Fei stood up, Xu Shu and his men took the lead in greeting him, saying, "Greetings, Lord Zhang."

Zhang Fei responded by saying, "I have long heard of the four gentlemen's great names. Seeing you today, I find that you are indeed handsome and talented."

Xu Shu suddenly felt that Zhang Fei seemed too enthusiastic. When you show your courtesy to someone, you must have something to ask for. But he didn't know what Zhang Fei wanted.
Soon, Zhang Fei was invited to the house. Facing the four of them, Zhang Fei treated them equally and kept concerned about their studies, life, etc.

Although Zhang Fei had the experience of interacting with scholars in Luoyang a long time ago, at that time, most of the scholars who were willing to make friends with Zhang Fei had the intention of currying favor with him. They wanted to get to know Liu Bei and Guan Yu, who were valued by Liu Bian, through Zhang Fei, so there was actually no need for Zhang Fei to take the initiative.

As for the time in Liang Province, there were few Han people, and those who were capable and willing to stay in Liang Province were generally officials, and their positions were generally not as high as Zhang Fei's.

Therefore, after taking the initiative for a while, Zhang Fei realized that he didn't know what to talk about for a while.

It was Xu Shu who took the initiative to speak: "May I ask how you plan to govern the North when you come here in the future?"

During this period, Xu Shu also realized that Zhang Fei did not come here just for him. Among the four of them, except for himself who had become an official in Beidi, Zhang Fei actually wanted to take all the other three!
Although Xu Shu thought Zhang Fei's idea was wishful, he still decided to give Zhang Fei a chance.

When Zhang Fei heard Xu Shu ask about this, he immediately answered confidently: "Your Majesty asked me how to govern the country the other day, and I answered that I should employ talented people! I can protect the country, but to keep the people safe, I have to rely on talented people like Yuan Zhi."

Having said that, Zhang Fei did not forget to look at Pang Tong, Shi Tao and Meng Jian respectively.

Xu Shu saw it all.

He felt that it was fortunate that he had a good temper and could sense that Zhang Fei did not look down on him. Otherwise, if it were someone else, he would have had second thoughts even if he didn't have any.

Want it all? My home is almost gone.

Zhang Fei still didn't know this: "Besides, we should manage the Northland and Shuofang together. They are both places with abundant water and grass. When the time comes, we should focus on Shuofang..."

When talking about Shuofang County, Zhang Fei thought of Guan Yu. Speaking of Guan Yu, he had a lot to say.

"...In short, with my second brother here, there is no need to worry about unrest in the north and north."

After hearing this, Xu Shu was even more speechless - Zhang Fei said that Guan Yu was the only one in the world, so they were all going to the northern border. Even if Pang Tong and the others were willing to go, why didn't they go to Guan Yu's mansion?

In the end, Zhang Fei did not dare to make clear his intention to recruit him. After all, they had just met, and he was afraid of being abrupt. He was also worried that if he failed, he would not even be able to be friends with him.

Afterwards, the four of them saw Zhang Fei off, and Pang Tong and the other two even reserved time for Xu Shu to meet Zhang Fei alone.

"Does the Lord intend to recruit Shi Yuan and the others?"

Zhang Fei was shocked when he heard this: "Yuan Zhi actually figured it out?"

Xu Shu listened to Zhang Fei's voice suddenly rising in shock, and said helplessly: "The Lord's behavior is so obvious, it's natural to see it."

"Isn't that possible?" Zhang Fei asked with a little hope, "Yuanzhi, is it possible?"

Xu Shu thought about it and finally chose to tell the truth: "I can't say there is no chance... I can only say that the hope is slim."

"But this is just my personal opinion. It is still unknown what Shi Yuan and the others think."

Zhang Fei replied: "Sincerity is the key to success. I will come again. I hope Yuanzhi can help me then."

Seeing that Zhang Fei was still full of fighting spirit, Xu Shu did not refuse and only said that he would speak well of Zhang Fei.

However, Xu Shu thought, this was the first time he met Zhang Fei, so why was Zhang Fei so willing to believe him and act so sincerely?

Seeing Zhang Fei's direct question, he also asked directly: "I have never met the Lord of the Mansion before, why does the Lord of the Mansion trust me so much?"

Zhang Fei also replied: "Of course it is because Yuanzhi is the deputy appointed by His Majesty! As I said before, I am not good at general affairs, so I need the help of a wise man, and Yuanzhi is such a wise man."

Xu Shu was stunned on the spot - the emperor knew his talent? !

After Zhang Fei left, Pang Tong and the other two saw Xu Shu still standing there in a daze. Shi Tao and Xu Shu were from the same hometown and had the closest relationship, so he was the first to step forward and ask, "Why is Yuan Zhi like this? What did Lord Zhang say to Yuan Zhi just now?"

At this time, Xu Shu came back to his senses and replied to Shi Tao: "The emperor knows me."

Shi Tao didn't understand what was going on, but he saw Xu Shu walking back with a big laugh. Shi Tao was startled, and immediately turned around and caught up with Xu Shu: "Don't even think about sleeping if you don't make it clear today!"

……

Xu Shu discovered that Zhang Fei was indeed an honest man.

The next day, Zhang Fei came again as expected.

But Xu Shu looked at his companions around him… Ever since he had met Zhang Fei yesterday and told Pang Tong, Meng Jian and Shi Tao that the emperor recognized his talent, the three of them inevitably had a question – since the emperor knew Yuan Zhi’s talent, did he know mine?

They didn't know the answer, but there was someone in front of them who might have the answer.

Therefore, when Zhang Fei arrived at the house where the four people lived again on the second day, he was warmly invited just like on the first day. The attitude of the three people was also very proactive, which made Zhang Fei feel that he was still very attractive.

He also did not forget to give Xu Shu an affirmative look, because he felt that the attitudes of these three people could become so proactive overnight, and Xu Shu must have said so many good things.

Thank you so much!

He is indeed a wise man!
Xu Shu saw Zhang Fei's eyes and roughly understood Zhang Fei's intention. He couldn't say it clearly, so he just sighed for Zhang Fei in his heart. Although the changes of the three people were indeed caused by him, it was hard to say for whom.

In the end, one party was completely unaware, while the other party deliberately inquired, and soon the four heard the truth from Zhang Fei: "To manage the two counties in the north of Shuofang, the more talents we need, the better. Although His Majesty did not directly mention your names when he asked me to select talents, my second brother happened to talk about you at that time, so you were the first ones I thought of."

After hearing this, the three of them couldn't help but feel secretly happy.

On the surface, Pang Tong and his men were not the kind of people who would just abandon Zhang Fei after he had done his job. It was just that the more Zhang Fei talked, the more he felt something was wrong. He had thought that today's meeting would have a good start and there would be a lot of progress. But he didn't expect that it would soon be the same as yesterday.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fei suddenly felt a little annoyed, thinking that his performance today must have disappointed Xu Yuanzhi, and all of Xu Yuanzhi's hard work had been in vain.

Then Zhang Fei felt that he could not let Xu Shu’s efforts go to waste, so he took a deep breath and cheered himself up.

Xu Shu quickly combined Zhang Fei's resume and found a new topic for Zhang Fei - the war in the Western Regions. Talking about what he had experienced, Zhang Fei was beaming with joy again, and Xu Shu and the other four were indeed very interested in the Western Regions.

When Zhang Fei went to the toilet, Xu Shu said to the remaining three people, "Today, I have confirmed what I thought from Lord Zhang. If you don't want to accept Lord Zhang's invitation, you can let Lord Zhang know."

All three of them said, "That's right."

Pang Tong said, "However, after listening to what Mr. Zhang said, I do want to go to the north and the north... In the past, Brother Zi Yu was able to lead immigrants from Changsha County to Changsha County, so why can't I go to the north to open up new territories?"

"However... in my opinion, the emperor should make the decision on the management of the two counties, and the executor should be the Lord of Shuofang County."

After hearing Pang Tong's words, Meng Jian and Shi Tao both agreed with him.

To them, Zhang Fei might not be a good sponsor.

When Zhang Fei returned, he found that Pang Tong and the other three began to pay more attention to the emperor's plans for Shuofang and Beidi, and then to Guan Yu's plans.

This made Zhang Fei feel that he was living under the shadow of the emperor and his second brother for the rest of his life.

At a certain moment, Zhang Fei suddenly had an epiphany. Thinking of the people who had asked him about the emperor's order to select talented people, he suddenly realized - Oh no, I have become a substitute.

While both sides were struggling with the way forward, Zhou Yu on the other side was not at all struggling.

The Zhou family had a mansion in Luoyang, but after Zhou Yu's cousin Zhou Zhong was implicated and resigned from his official position, there were only a few servants left to look after the yard.

When Zhou Yu came to Beijing, Lu Kang soon officially became Sikong and moved into a special courtyard of Sikong Mansion with his family. Although Lu Kang also invited Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu returned to his clan's house.

Lu Yi, on the other hand, did not like staying in the Sikong Mansion, and often lived with Zhou Yu, and he also took the young Lu Ji less often. After all, Lu Ji was still at an age where he would be praised for being filial if he brought fruit to his mother at a banquet, and he was not old enough to discuss Taoism with others.

But now, the two did not go out.

The reason is also very obvious - "Congratulations, Brother Gongjin, you are now 600 shi!"

Six hundred stones was a threshold for Han Dynasty bureaucracy. Although Zhou Yu's Chief Clerk was a local official, he had already reached this title and was a true future warrior.

Zhou Yu was still not able to remain calm in the face of Lu Yi's praise. He said with some expectation: "I have heard of Lord Guan's reputation in the past. Lord Guan must be an extraordinary person to have such a reputation. We will work together in the future, and maybe I can know something about him."

But Lu Yi said, "Brother Gongjin, don't think too highly of yourself... I found a few minor officials in Luoyang in the Sikong Mansion to inquire about how Lord Guan behaved when he was in the capital. I found out that Lord Guan has always been rude to the children of wealthy families."

After Lu Yi finished speaking, he did not see the reaction he expected on Zhou Yu's face, and immediately said: "However, Lord Guan is not prejudiced against those who have real talents and knowledge and are not just filling in the gaps. With your talent and knowledge, don't worry."

At this time, Zhou Yu said, "Before you came today, Yuan Zhi sent someone to deliver a letter saying that Lord Zhang from the north, who is a brother to Lord Guan, came to his place and asked me if I wanted to go."

Lu Yi said, "Brother, you must go. After all, seeing is believing. After meeting Lord Zhang, you will know the character of Lord Guan, who is a close friend of Lord Zhang!"

"Yuanzhi also said that Lord Zhang wants to recruit talented people to go to the north to govern. Are you interested?"

"Me?" Lu Yi pointed at himself. Although there were countless examples of children of wealthy families serving as minor officials in the county at the age of twelve or thirteen, and he was already fifteen this year, there was still a difference between a minor official and a county official of a hundred stones. If he was specially recruited, he couldn't be made a minor official with a salary of one hundred stones.

"Wang Zhongxuan is seventeen years old, and he has served as a subordinate of the Three Dukes and a Huangmen Minister. Now he is just a county official. Why is Bo Yan hesitating?"

Lu Yi thought about it. In recent years, Lu Kang always thought that he was too unrestrained, and Lu Kang did not send him to be a county official for training in order to avoid taboos. Thinking about it carefully, it is not impossible for him to be a county official with a salary of 100 stones now.

Seeing Lu Yi's interest, Zhou Yu said, "But Boyan is still young, and the north is cold and harsh. It's not suitable for him to go there for the first time... Let's wait until Boyan gets married and has a career before considering it!"

Lu Yi: ???
He looked at Zhou Yu, who was smiling, and suddenly realized that this was probably Zhou Yu's revenge for him mentioning Guan Yu just now...

Must be!
Moreover, after a brief moment of excitement, Lu Yi also understood that now that Lu Kang is old and Lu Jun is not around, he, as the only one of the younger generation of the Lu family who can stay with Lu Kang and help him, really cannot leave.

(End of this chapter)