Three Kingdoms: I rely on system loopholes to survive

Upon entering Yizhou, Wu Zhi kept in mind Zhong Ping's admonition: "Liu Zhang is suspicious by nature, and his strategist Zhang Su is even more so. Remember to speak humbly and avoid showing any sharpness."

He brought only a dozen or so people with him on this trip. As soon as they arrived in Chengdu, two servants arranged for the attendants to rest at the inn, while Wu Zhi was led alone into the government office.

As soon as Wu Zhifu entered the mansion, he immediately sensed the subtle atmosphere in the hall. Liu Zhang sat at the head of the table with a tired look on his face, while his strategist Zhang Su stood to the side. Although his eyes were half-closed, there was a sharp glint in them, revealing his intelligence. It was clear at a glance that he was not a person to be trifled with.

After bowing, the official hurriedly withdrew. Seeing that no one spoke, Wu Zhi knew that this was an attempt to intimidate him. However, having farmed for a long time, he had developed a calm demeanor and pretended not to know anything. He presented the letter and gifts with both hands and said respectfully, "Lord Liu of Jiaozhou has long admired the wealth of Yizhou and wishes to form an alliance with you, my lord, to jointly resist the traitor Cao and secure the Han Dynasty."

Before Liu Zhang could speak, Zhang Su preemptively sneered, "Liu Bei has few soldiers and generals, and is confined to Jiaozhou. He wants to form an alliance against Cao Cao, but I'm afraid his real intention is not what he seems. He wants to take this opportunity to spy on my Yizhou."
Wu Zhi remained calm and replied, “Your Excellency is overthinking this. My lord is renowned for his benevolence and virtue. He received great kindness from Liu Qi in the past, and now he has formed an alliance with Liu Qi, all for the sake of the Han Dynasty. Without the support of Yizhou, Jiaozhou alone cannot withstand the pressure. How could he possibly have any other intentions?”

Liu Zhang hesitated, but Zhang Su pressed on: "Jiaozhou is remote and lacks provisions. If Liu Bei is truly sincere in forming an alliance, why not offer provisions and troops to show his sincerity?"

Wu Zhi calmly replied, “Although Jiaozhou is poor, its people are loyal and our lord is willing to treat it with sincerity. If you agree to the alliance, our two families can work together on important matters. Why should we worry about not destroying Cao Cao? Furthermore, Liu Bei of Jingzhou also intends to promote the alliance. He knew that you were being controlled by Zhang Lu, and therefore he was willing to join forces with my lord to send troops to aid you. This also demonstrates the sincerity of our two families. Consider this: Yizhou, Jingzhou, and Jiaozhou are connected by mountains and rivers, and are as close as lips and teeth. If we can work together with one heart and one mind, the south will be as secure as a rock. Even if Yuan Shao dominates Hebei and Cao Cao is eyeing the Central Plains, what is there to fear?”

These words were clear and logical, combining reason and emotion. Liu Zhang shifted his posture, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly and finally spoke, his voice gentle: "Lord Xuande...you are very thoughtful." He gestured for his attendant to present Liu Bei's letter, which he read carefully. He then casually inquired a few questions about Liu Bei's daily life and governance in Jiaozhou, showing his closeness and concern.

Wu Zhi observed Liu Zhang's expression and brought up the details of the alliance again. Liu Zhang's eyes flickered again, and he returned to his hesitant state. He put down the letter, looked around, and finally said, "The matter of forming an alliance is of great importance, involving the military and political affairs of the prefectures and counties. It cannot be decided hastily. Sir, you have come from afar and have had a hard time. Please go to a side room to rest for a while, and allow me to discuss it with you all in detail."

With the court still undecided, Wu Zhi knew that a conclusion was unlikely today, so he bowed and took his leave as instructed, and was led by a servant to a quiet side room to wait. He knew that Zhang Su, who was in the outer hall at this moment, must be the person Liu Zhang relied on for "careful consideration," and he secretly pondered whether he should bribe him with gold and silver.

In the main room, Liu Zhang's hesitant, weary voice trailed off with a lack of energy: "...Junjiao...Lord Xuande and Liu Qi...are, after all, of the same clan as me...and are willing to send troops to help..."

Zhang Su frowned slightly. He had his own selfish motives. He lowered his voice, his tone slightly instigating: "My lord! Do not be deceived by appearances! Liu Bei is merely a weaver of mats and a seller of shoes. His nature is like an owl; when hungry, he clings to people, and when full, he flies away. Now he has obtained Jiaozhou, how quickly did he do so? He only speaks of benevolence and righteousness, so how can he refuse the position of governor? He is trapped in the desolate Jiaozhou, like a dragon trapped in shallow waters. Once he catches a glimpse of the gateway to our Western Sichuan, he will surely have the ambition to devour an elephant!"

As Zhang Su spoke, he paced around the hall, drawing Liu Zhang's attention and causing Liu Zhang's heart to waver once again.

"The so-called alliance is actually a 'borrowing a path to destroy Guo' strategy. As for Liu Qi, he is a stray dog, dependent on others, and is not worth relying on. His troops are ostensibly here to help, but in reality, they are here to explore our mountains and passes and to occupy our strategic points! This is like inviting a wolf into the house and raising a tiger to cause trouble, my lord!"

As Liu Zhang listened to Zhang Lu's tone, which sometimes softened and sometimes intensified, his mood fluctuated, and his originally weary and drooping brows gradually furrowed.

Seeing this, Zhang Su continued eloquently: "Zhang Lu's antics are nothing more than a minor ailment. My Yizhou has 100,000 armored soldiers, and with the natural defenses of the mountains and rivers, we can defend ourselves. Why should we rely on outsiders? Since Liu Bei and Liu Qi are willing to 'offer' their troops, my lord, why not go with the flow and allow them to come to serve as our vanguard, depleting their resources and exhausting their soldiers? Once Zhang Lu is defeated and retreats, their morale will be low. My lord, you only need to close the passes of Jiange and Jiameng, and you can rest easy. Even if they have the heart of tigers and wolves, what can they do to us?" "This..." Liu Zhang had not expected such a way to recruit troops. His face immediately showed interest, and he wanted to hear more of Zhang Su's plan. However, Zhang Su remained silent, simply standing aside again, seemingly having explained all the advantages and disadvantages, and waiting for Liu Zhang's decision.

After a moment of silence in the hall, Liu Zhang waved for the remaining advisors to enter and listen attentively. After a debate, only a few scattered dissenting voices remained after about half an hour.

Liu Zhang remained silent, even closing his eyes. Then, a few muffled echoes came from below, all in the local Yizhou accent, clearly from Zhang Su's faction. There were no other noises after that.

Zhang Su remained calm and composed, closing his eyes to rest. After a long while, he heard Liu Zhang from the head of the table let out a deep and helpless sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, or as if his spine had been removed: "...Alas...then...I'll just follow your advice."

Wu Zhi waited in the side room for half a day without being summoned, and he already had a guess in his mind. When the official led him into the inn, Wu Zhi did not say anything, but still had a smile on his face, looking like a humble and kind old man.

Although Liu Zhang had made up his mind, this approach was indeed rather despicable and would cause some obstacles on the surface. In the following days, he simply ordered his servants to serve Wu Zhi and the others delicacies, without interfering with their movements.

Although Wu Zhi stayed at the inn temporarily under the pretext of waiting for the governor's official reply, he kept in mind the teaching of "humility" and treated people with gentleness and kindness. He never showed any dissatisfaction with Liu Zhang's delayed arrival. He also respectfully presented the rare and exquisite artifacts brought from Jiaozhou to the various clans, thus earning him much praise for his "gentlemanly demeanor".

Using this pretext, Wu Zhi followed the strategy devised in Jiaozhou and began collecting fragments of ancient books. When asked about them, he would enthusiastically share the paper books he had brought from Jiaozhou, claiming that Liu Bei was promoting elementary education, which had led to a trend of collecting books throughout Jiaozhou, hoping to gain favor with the emperor.

After receiving a few teasing remarks, no one paid any attention to it. In fact, because of Wu Zhi's gifts and Liu Zhang's generous treatment, they even opened the door to convenience.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wu Zhi quietly made contact with several officials and subordinates who were frustrated in their positions in the state government. During their conversations, the names "Fa Zheng, Fa Xiaozhi" and "Zhang Song, Zhang Yongnian" were repeatedly mentioned, with many expressions of regret and injustice. Wu Zhi observed carefully and learned that Fa Zheng was talented but arrogant, and because he was not from a prominent family in Yizhou, he was repeatedly ostracized and suppressed by local powerful families such as Zhang Su; although Zhang Song was from Shu Commandery, he was short and ugly and had an upright character, which also displeased him with Liu Zhang, and because his brother Zhang Su held a prominent position, he was also suspected and suppressed.

Once again marveling at the accuracy of Zhong Ping's information, Wu Zhi then visited the official's home with gifts and books, much like he would visit any official who possessed a collection of classic texts.

From their conversation, Wu Zhi could see that the two men harbored resentment towards Zhang Su's tyranny and Liu Zhang's incompetence. Their insights into the state of the world were also quite profound. Wu Zhi felt enlightened and knew that his trip to Jiaozhou had been worthwhile. As he awaited Liu Zhang's final decision, he felt more confident about the remaining strategies in his mind.

(End of this chapter)