Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Chapter 38: Meeting at the Zhang River on the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month

Inside the main tent, only two figures were present.

Seated in the main seat was a short-bearded old man, clad in a patched scholar's robe that had long been washed pale, yet radiating a mountain-like aura of composure.

Only the Northern Army Commander's seal at his waist proved that this man was indeed the renowned scholar, Lu Zhi.

Standing before Lu Zhi was Zong Yuan, the Protector-General of the Wuhuan, whose face seemed weathered by time, the several scars upon it narrating the numerous battles he had experienced, and who remained fully armored even within the tent.

"Lord Lu, you summoned me; do you have important matters?" Zong Yuan asked, bowing and cupping his hands in salute.

Lu Zhi handed Zong Yuan the bamboo scroll written by Liu Bei and the intelligence compiled by Li Ji, signaling him to read them and then ordering his personal guard, who was protecting the entrance of the tent.

"Bring the scout who brought the bamboo scroll and the seal of the Supervisor of Bandits here."

"Yes."

The personal guard acknowledged the order and departed.

Soon, Zong Yuan carefully read through both bamboo scrolls and asked.

"Lord Lu, the intelligence regarding Julu Commandery is nearly identical to what we have gathered, with only slight discrepancies in some minor details, but this is within the normal range."

The Han army, currently facing the Yellow Turbans in the Guangzong area, would naturally not neglect to gather intelligence on Julu Commandery.

On the contrary, the Han army had dispatched far more scouts to infiltrate Julu Commandery than Liu Bei had, and even more than the report temporarily compiled by Li Ji.

"However, this intelligence doesn't prove anything; the main question is whether Lord Lu can verify the identity of this disciple, Liu Bei?" Zong Yuan asked.

Lu Zhi stroked his beard and smiled.

"Liu Bei is one of my disciples whom I took in when I resided in Zhuo Commandery.

At that time, this child did not love reading but greatly enjoyed dogs, horses, music, and beautiful clothes."

"So, this child is a useless person, wasting the great opportunity to be instructed by Lord Lu," Zong Yuan shook his head, his impression of Liu Bei greatly diminishing.

Lu Zhi reminisced slightly and said.

"Not so, people all have two sides.

Although Xuande found it difficult to focus on studying when he was young, he was already able to keep his emotions hidden at a young age.

Moreover, although his background was only that of a declining Han imperial relative, he successfully befriended a large number of heroes, scholars, and merchants through his love of dogs, horses, music, and beautiful clothes."

"Therefore, Xuande was not as skilled in martial arts as Gongsun Zan, nor as talented in literature as Gao You when he was studying, but I observed that he had great ambitions, and he might be able to achieve something in the future.

I didn't expect that he would seize the opportunity to rise and lead the position of Supervisor of Bandits, leading six thousand soldiers south to Changshan."

Zong Yuan, whose expression seemed stiff, echoed.

"Lord Lu's teachings have undoubtedly contributed to this."

Lu Zhi smiled faintly and continued.

"Xuande is located in Zhuo Commandery, and as a descendant of the Han imperial family with benevolent ambitions, he would never voluntarily join the rebels.

If he were forced to survive as an informant for the Yellow Turbans, it would mean that You Province has been captured by the Yellow Turban rebels.

However, if You Province were captured, it would be impossible for no information to leak out, so this matter is mostly true."

"Lord Lu is wise," Zong Yuan said.

"However, we still need to inquire with the scout who brought the bamboo scroll to know for sure," Lu Zhi said.

Just then, the personal guard led Xiahou Bo, who had been disarmed, into the tent.

Lu Zhi carefully observed Xiahou Bo for a moment before speaking.

"I am Lu Zigan; are you the messenger who is delivering a letter for my disciple, Xuande?"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Bo quickly saluted.

"Xiahou Jichang of Changshan pays respects to the Northern Army Commander."

Lu Zhi, who had a great reputation throughout the entire Han Dynasty, personally rose to help Xiahou Bo up, then led him to a seat and said warmly.

"My soldiers were rude earlier, mistakenly treating Jichang as a Yellow Turban spy.

I apologize on their behalf, and I hope Jichang will not be offended."

Being treated so courteously by Lu Zhi undoubtedly gave Xiahou Bo a feeling of being overwhelmed by favor.

'So Xuande has the demeanor of the Northern Army Commander.'

Xiahou Bo said secretly in his heart, while repeatedly saying he wouldn't dare.

Or rather, Xiahou Bo took the initiative to approach the Han army camp in order to send the letter in this way; otherwise, Xiahou Bo had no channel to formally meet with Lu Zhi.

As for Xiahou Bo sneaking into the Han army camp in black clothes, leaving the bamboo scroll, and drifting away, and the like.

Xiahou Bo was a wanderer, not a great hero.

With the camp that Lu Zhi had set up, Xiahou Bo's left foot probably wouldn't have even stepped into the camp before he was hacked to pieces, leaving only his left foot.

"Jichang is from Changshan; I wonder how you met Xuande, and why you want to send a letter for Xuande?" Lu Zhi asked.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Bo naturally dared not hide anything, and respectfully told the whole story.

When Lu Zhi learned that Xiahou Bo was seeking to repay a debt of gratitude, so he took the initiative to ask to be a guide, and braved the danger to cross Julu Commandery to send a letter to Guangzong, the look in his eyes towards Xiahou Bo had a few more points of appreciation.

"Although Jichang is a wanderer, he understands kindness and righteousness, which is very good."

Lu Zhi praised, causing a few traces of joy to appear on Xiahou Bo's face.

"Lord Lu overpraises me," Xiahou Bo said.

"Jichang has worked hard all the way; please go down and rest first.

I still need to think for a moment, and then I will trouble Jichang to bring a letter back for me," Lu Zhi said.

Immediately, Lu Zhi instructed his personal guard to arrange a separate camp for Xiahou Bo to rest, before turning to Zong Yuan and asking.

"General Zong, what do you think?"

"I have been carefully observing Xiahou Bo's expression, and he did not show any panic in answering Lord Lu's questions, so what he said should be true," Zong Yuan said truthfully.

Lu Zhi nodded, and also made the same judgment as Zong Yuan in his heart, then picked up the two bamboo scrolls again and looked at them carefully.

"Wonderful!"

Suddenly, Lu Zhi clapped his hands and smiled, saying.

"Hmm?" Zong Yuan looked at Lu Zhi with some confusion.

"There must be a talented advisor assisting Xuande," Lu Zhi asserted.

"How do you see that?" Zong Yuan asked.

Immediately, Lu Zhi got up and walked to the Jizhou map hanging in the tent.

Unlike the simple map in Liu Bei's hand, the one in Lu Zhi's hand was actually a military map collected by the imperial court.

Lu Zhi's finger drew a line in the area of Zhongshan, in the northern part of Jizhou bordering Zhuo Commandery, and said.

"Xuande entered Jizhou from Zhuo Commandery, so he must have entered from this area.

However, if Xuande wants to attack Julu Commandery, or support the Guangzong battlefield, then the best choice is to go south from Zhongshan, attacking Quyang in Julu Commandery; or to enter Anping from Zhongshan, heading straight for the Guangzong line at the shortest distance."

"However…"

Lu Zhi's finger slid west from the northeast side of Zhongshan bordering Zhuo Commandery, entering the northern part of Changshan, then went south from the northern part of Changshan, passing through Zhending and reaching Gaoyi, saying.

"General Zong, look at Xuande's marching route; it has taken a big detour, and not to mention the difficulty of marching in it, more importantly, Xuande is now stationed in Gaoyi, and the goal is undoubtedly to head straight for Julu City."

Speaking of this, Lu Zhi couldn't help but smile, saying.

"Xuande probably initially had the idea of ​​attacking Julu by surprise and swallowing Julu in one go, but unfortunately, after Xuande investigated the intelligence of Julu City, he understood the disparity between the enemy and himself, so he had no choice but to give up this idea."

Upon hearing this, Zong Yuan, even as a veteran general who had experienced many battles, couldn't help but be amazed by the marching route pointed out by Lu Zhi.

"If Liu Bei were given five thousand more men, attacking Julu by surprise, catching them off guard, there might have been a chance of success, which would have been a great achievement."

"Exactly."

Lu Zhi nodded, and his tone couldn't help but reveal a bit of regret, saying.

"If Xuande could really capture Julu, then Zhang Jiao on the Guangzong line would become a turtle in a jar, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion would be quelled in less than a month, and the people of the world would no longer have to suffer from this war."

After a pause, Lu Zhi continued.

"Based on my understanding of Xuande, Xuande certainly does not possess such foresight and planning in military strategy, and he must have a talented advisor assisting him, so…"

Lu Zhi weighed the bamboo scroll in his hand containing the intelligence about Julu, saying.

"Whether it is Xiahou Bo, as a messenger, not being deliberately instructed to conceal the marching route of the army led by Xuande, or this conclusion drawn from the investigation of Julu, seemingly only to further gain my trust and confirm his identity, in fact, it is secretly demonstrating ability and…"

When Lu Zhi said this, his voice paused, and his palm unconsciously stroked his beard, falling into deep thought.

Zong Yuan was still observing the general marching route of Liu Bei in the map, and then studying the location of Gaoyi.

Judging from the map, the positions of Gaoyi, Julu, and Guangzong are connected like a triangle, spanning the three commanderies of Changshan, Julu, and Anping.

However, Gaoyi is located on the edge of Changshan, close to Julu Commandery, while Guangzong is located on the edge of Anping, close to Julu Commandery.

Therefore, although Gaoyi is located on the back of the main battlefield between the Yellow Turbans and the Han army, which is overlooked by the Yellow Turbans, it is separated by the vast Dalu Marsh.

If you want to support Guangzong from Gaoyi, you still need to pass around Julu City.

"Difficult!"

Zong Yuan shook his head, saying.

"The number of Yellow Turban rebels in Julu City is immeasurable.

Even if Liu Bei intends to use a surprise attack to strike the rear of Guangzong, how can he overcome the obstruction of Julu?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi, who was in deep thought, spoke.

"Since Xuande is already clear about the general intelligence of Julu Commandery, how could he not know about such important matters?"

"Besides, since Xuande has talented individuals by his side and mentioned in his letter that they could assist me, he must already have a plan to cross Julu City. Perhaps he even has a strategy to defeat the Yellow Turbans, but he's just hesitant to mention it on the bamboo slips, fearing I might be concerned."

Zong Yuan was astonished upon hearing this, staring incredulously at the two bamboo slips in his hand.

Even Zong Yuan, who had served in the military for many years and risen to the rank of Major General, appointed by the court as Lu Zhi's deputy, couldn't discern that those seemingly simple bamboo slips—one stating the garrison at Gaoyi and the other sharing intelligence about Julu Prefecture—contained such hidden information.

"I wonder who this talented individual is, being so cautious. Does he think I lack the capacity to be tolerant?"

Lu Zhi chuckled, then took out a bamboo slip and wrote a sentence on it.

【Zhang River, fifth day of the fifth month, Dragon Boat Festival, the teacher wishes to meet with his disciple.】

Zong Yuan, who witnessed the entire process, asked, "Lord Lu, what does this mean? Do you intend to go to the Zhang River to meet Liu Bei before the fifth day of the fifth month to confirm his identity?"

Lu Zhi smiled without replying, then tied up the bamboo slip and placed it in a cloth bag, securing the bag with red string at both ends before saying,

"Since Xuande's talented aides intend to test me, I should respond accordingly. If Xuande can decipher the meaning, it will be a blessing for the world, and the Yellow Turban rebels should be pacified soon."

Subsequently, Lu Zhi waited for a long time, inquired with his personal guards, and confirmed that Xiahou Bo had finished his meal and rested for a while before personally going to find Xiahou Bo. He then handed the cloth bag and the scroll of military strategy to Xiahou Bo to take back.

… …

When Xiahou Bo brought the cloth bag and the military book back to Gaoyi, Liu Bei looked at the brief sentence on the bamboo slip and was completely dumbfounded.

"Ah?"

Immediately, Liu Bei hurriedly searched for the map of Julu Prefecture for a while, and then realized that the Zhang River was located between Julu Prefecture and Anping State.

Zhang Fei also looked at the content on the bamboo slip and shouted.

"Damn it, the North General still doesn't trust our Big Brother's identity. This means he wants Big Brother to go to the Zhang River to meet him in person."

"The Zhang River is located west of Julu Prefecture. If Big Brother wants to go to the Zhang River, he needs to cross Julu Prefecture…"

Guan Yu slowly said. "If Big Brother goes with a large number of guards, he will definitely be exposed; if only two or three riders accompany him, it will be fraught with danger."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei couldn't help but frown, unsure of what to do for a moment, and could only look at Xiahou Bo and ask.

"Jichang, did Master Lu have any other instructions besides the bamboo slip?"

"No," Xiahou Bo shook his head and replied.

Liu Bei closed his eyes and pondered for a while before saying,

"It seems that only I can make a trip in person to make Master Lu believe in my identity. Very well, on the fifth day of the fifth month, Yide, Jichang, and I will go to the Zhang River to pay our respects to Master Lu."

At this moment, Li Ji, who had glanced at the bamboo slip and was writing something on the desk, put down the writing brush in his hand and said.

"There's no need for that. Just hand this bamboo slip to the North General."

As he spoke, Li Ji handed the newly written bamboo slip to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei took it and saw that the reply on the bamboo slip was also unusually simple:

【Baoluo Ford, after Xu Shi (7-9 PM), the disciple awaits the teacher to arrive with a guest.】

After reading it, Liu Bei's eyes were still full of confusion, and he asked. "Zikun, so are you confirming the specific time for me to go to the meeting?"

Seeing this, Li Ji chuckled and said.

"Brother Xuande, what the North General said is not inviting you to meet. You should know that the Zhang River is located behind Guangzong. Would the North General choose that place to meet with Brother Xuande?"

"If the North General wants to meet with Brother Xuande, since he has arrived at the Zhang River, how much further is it to the Guangzong Han army camp? Why not let Brother Xuande go to the camp to meet him?"

Hearing this, Liu Bei suddenly realized.

Although the two sides who have not confirmed their identities often choose a location between the two sides to meet.

However, the Zhang River is located between Julu City and Guangzong County, which are controlled by the Yellow Turbans, which is dangerous for both Lu Zhi and Liu Bei.

"Then what does Master Lu mean?"