My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 567 Sima Shuo Lu
After being persuaded by Yan Pu and Li Xiu, Zhang Lu, who had been burning with anger, calmed down and realized that Sima Yi should not be killed. Moreover, upon careful reflection on Sima Yi's words, although they were harsh, upon closer examination, he had to admit that they were true.

However, Hanzhong currently has ample food and troops, as well as natural defenses and fortified passes. In addition, the people are willing to submit to its rule, so Zhang Lu does not believe it is time to surrender.

Although he wouldn't surrender easily, Cao Cao was one of the most powerful warlords in the land, and he also held the power of the court and the emperor. If we could take this opportunity to befriend him, then that brat Liu Feng probably wouldn't dare to make trouble for us so easily in the future.
Thinking of this, Zhang Lu slowly raised his hand and said, "Gongze, you must not be rude."

Zhang Wei, courtesy name Gongze.

Hearing Zhang Lu speak, Zhang Wei finally stopped, reluctantly sheathed his sword, and plopped back down on his seat.

Seeing that Zhang Wei had also given up, Li Fu also stopped, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Lu, and sat back down.

The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated, and the tension eased once again.

Just as Zhang Lu was about to speak, a sudden gust of wind arose outside the courtyard, causing the copper bells under the eaves to ring erratically.

Zhang Lu was immediately taken aback. Could this be a warning from Heaven?
It's no wonder Zhang Lu became suspicious. He was a Taoist disciple. His grandfather founded the Five Pecks of Rice sect, which was passed down for three generations. He was not like those charlatans of later generations. He was a true believer in the Five Pecks of Rice sect.

Thinking of this, the words of refusal that were about to be uttered took an unexpected turn.

"Among the warlords of the world today, the Grand Marshal is the most outstanding among them, and Liu Biaoji holds the southeast. Only the General is trapped in the Central Plains, surrounded by enemies on all sides. He can barely protect himself, but has no place to advance."

Zhang Lu considered carefully before saying, "Given such a predicament, you still criticize me? Are you taking advantage of my gullibility?"

Sima Yi's eyes lit up suddenly, and he was overjoyed.

Zhang Lu's words seemed to be mocking Cao Cao for overestimating his abilities, but in reality, they revealed his inner weakness beneath his outward bravado.

If you truly believe Cao Cao is overestimating himself, why say anything more? Just send him back to Luoyang.

Zhang Lu's words only show that he has already wavered, and he just hopes to be given a more reasonable reason so that he will have a chance to persuade the other party.

"Master, your words are wrong."

Sima Yi called out loudly, "Although the General is temporarily trapped in the Central Plains, his foundation is not damaged. The road to Longyou in the west is still there. Soon we will have the help of the Qiang and Hu cavalry. This is a true dragon hiding in the abyss, waiting only for the wind and clouds to rise! In the past, Lü Buwei was a rare commodity. He put Yiren in Handan as a hostage and eventually became the Prime Minister of Qin. Fan Shaobo avenged the humiliation at Kuaiji and assisted Goujian in enduring hardship and humiliation, and eventually became as wealthy as Tao Zhu!"

"Master has held Hanzhong for twelve years, yet he fails to seize this golden opportunity presented by Heaven, instead suspecting the General of being a cunning and deceitful commoner! Moreover, Master did not surrender to the General, but to the court and the Emperor, so how can there be any talk of deception?"

Sima Yi burst into laughter: "The Five Pecks of Rice sect is founded on 'honesty and trustworthiness,' yet our master treats all the heroes of the world with suspicion. How can he not be ashamed to face Zhang Daoling in the afterlife!"

Zhang Lu and the others were dumbfounded. Even Zhang Wei's mouth dropped open, and he forgot to draw his sword to threaten them. Zhang Lu's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Angels, be careful what you say!"

Yan Pu hurriedly stood up, walked to Sima Yi, and loudly rebuked him: "My lord is benevolent and has temporarily forgiven your presumptuous and arrogant words! However, since the envoy has come on the king's orders, he should naturally observe the etiquette of an envoy. If you continue to use your words as weapons and offend the majesty of my lord..."

Yan Pu suddenly drew his sword half an inch, a cold glint flashing in it: "I fear that even the mighty Han River cannot wash away your regret!"

Before Sima Yi could answer, Zhang Lu, who was in the main seat, suddenly stood up, said nothing, and left the people in the hall alone, heading towards the back hall.

Everyone in the hall was astonished, except for Sima Yi, whose lips curled into a smug smile.

**
"How does this work!"

Zhao Wei was shocked and jumped up from his seat, shaking his head repeatedly: "Jiangzhou is my base of operations. How can I welcome General Zuo to take over? In that case, will Jiangzhou be mine or General Zuo's?"

Before Gong Yang returned, Zhao Wei longed for his return day and night.

Gong Yang was gone for more than half a month. When he returned, weary from his journey, he suggested to Zhao Wei that all the important towns in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River be ceded to Liu Feng.

These words provoked Zhao Wei to jump up. If he hadn't spent so much time with Gong Yang, he would have seriously suspected that the other party had betrayed him.

Gong Yang, however, said solemnly, "My lord, I have something to say from the bottom of my heart, but I don't know if I should say it."

Seeing Gong Yang's upright and righteous demeanor, Zhao Wei gradually calmed down, then sat back down at his seat, staring intently at the other man.

Under Zhao Wei's intense gaze, Gong Yang showed no sign of guilt, but instead remained calm and composed.

After a short while, Zhao Wei finally nodded slowly and said, "Alright, please tell me, I am all ears."

"Is our lord raising troops out of personal grudges, or for the sake of the people?"

Gong Yang's words nearly provoked Zhao Wei into losing his composure again.

Zhao Wei knew that the real reason for raising an army was that he felt Liu Zhang could no longer tolerate him and was pressing him step by step, cutting off his power in various ways. First, he used Pang Xi to seize the troops in Dongzhou, then he transferred the salt tax revenue of Ba Commandery, and now he wanted to divide Ba Commandery into three parts, dividing it into Badong Commandery and Baxi Commandery.

This terrified Zhao Wei, who feared that if things went well, he wouldn't even have the ability to raise an army in resistance.

Therefore, he had high hopes for Gong Yangdong's visit to Liu Feng, both to find a strong ally and to leave himself a way out.

If Liu Feng agrees to support him, then even if he suffers defeat and is in dire straits, he can go down the river and seek refuge with Liu Feng.

Although Zhao Wei knew that he had raised an army because of personal grudges, he could not answer like that, otherwise who would be willing to follow him?

Therefore, Zhao Wei suppressed his anger and replied, "Naturally, it's for the sake of the people."

"Liu Zhang, that brat, inherited his father's name and, with the protection of me and Pang Xi, was able to enjoy the fertile lands of Yizhou. Yet, he shows no gratitude, allowing the wolves of Dongzhou to run rampant in the region, seizing and plundering by trickery and force. He also oppresses the people of Bajun, imposing heavy taxes on them. How can a true man, born under heaven, sit idly by and watch his elders cry out in hunger and cold? Today, Zhao Wei is willing to die a beheaded general to seek justice for the people of Bashu! I am willing to raise an army and fight to the death, even if it means dying without regret."

Zhao Wei was impassioned and resentful, but Gong Yang didn't care, because he always knew what Zhao Wei was really thinking.

Gong Yang's question was merely a prelude to what followed.

"My lord has such lofty ambitions, how could I dare disobey?"

Gong Yang first flattered Zhao Wei, then changed the subject, saying, "My lord, your main purpose in raising troops this time is to capture Chengdu. Once Chengdu is captured, everyone will be convinced. If we delay for too long, I fear there will be setbacks."

Zhao Wei agreed with Gong Yang's words. Once he raised an army, his primary goal would be to capture Chengdu, and the success or failure of the matter would depend entirely on Chengdu.

"If we capture Chengdu, our military campaign will be successful; if we fail to capture Chengdu, even Ba County may be in jeopardy." Gong Yang continued, "If our lord were to divert troops from along the river, the towns along the river would be left vulnerable. If something were to happen, at best the army would be terrified, at worst... at worst, Jiangzhou would be in grave danger! What should we do then?"

Zhao Wei was taken aback. He then pondered Gong Yang's words for a moment and found that they were indeed as the other party had said.

After all, Jiangzhou controls the three rivers. If Liu Zhang were to attack Jiangzhou with a detachment from the Bidao Pass, what Gong Yang said might very well come true. Giving it up himself could be considered as cooperating with the Left General, but if it were to be captured by a surprise attack, it would truly shake the entire army and affect morale.

"Since our lord has requested reinforcements from General Zuo, why not send General Zuo's troops to garrison along the river?"

Gong Yang then revealed his true intentions: "At that time, the Left General's army will guard the rear for you, and we can also transport grain and military supplies to Jiangzhou via the Yangtze River. The great cause can be accomplished."

Zhao Wei was speechless with surprise. He had to admit that Gong Yang's words made a lot of sense. Moreover, Zhao Wei also understood the unspoken meaning in Gong Yang's words: your troops will eventually be withdrawn. If you don't let Liu Feng's army enter, will Liu Feng's army really be unmoved by the empty upper reaches of the Yangtze River?
If Liu Feng's army were to take the initiative, then the Left General's staff would no longer be an ally, but an enemy. At that point, not only would Zhao Wei's retreat be cut off, but even if he were to capture Chengdu, he might not be able to maintain his separatist rule in Shu.

After a long while, Zhao Wei, his face flushed, managed to stammer out, "Ziju, you may return home and rest first. Please allow me to think this over."

Gong Yang knew that Zhao Wei really needed to think about this carefully, and might also need to discuss it with other trusted confidants, so he immediately took his leave and went home.

Sure enough, after Gong Yang left, Zhao Wei immediately summoned his son Zhao Sheng, his strategist Cheng Ji, his trusted generals Li Yi and Pang Le, and recounted the whole story of Gong Yang.

Zhao Sheng, son of Zhao Wei, courtesy name Jingyun, was named after Wang Chong's "Lunheng Shuo Ri" from the Eastern Han Dynasty: "The sun rises in the east, and clouds rise from the mountains."

Zhao Sheng is Zhao Wei's only son. He is twenty-three years old this year and works in Zhao Wei's camp. He is well-liked by Zhao Wei and has a kind and benevolent personality.

After entering the hall, everyone sat down and listened to Zhao Wei's account, then fell silent.

For a moment, the hall was quiet, with only the sound of birds chirping outside.

Cheng Ji and the others remained silent not because they didn't know what to say, but because they dared not speak lightly. For them, the question itself wasn't difficult to answer; the difficulty lay in understanding Zhao Wei's thoughts.

If Zhao Wei agrees, they will naturally be happy to have gained a powerful ally.

Zhao Wei raised an army to oppose Liu Zhang. Although everyone in Ba County, from the powerful clans to the common people, strongly supported him, a careful calculation of the strength of both sides revealed that Zhao Wei was at a disadvantage in all aspects except for the size of his army.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yizhou was divided into nine commanderies: Shu, Jianwei, Yuexi, Zangke, Hanzhong, Guanghan, Ba, Yizhou, and Yongchang. It was also divided into three dependent states: Shu Commandery, Jianwei Commandery, and Guanghan Commandery.

Among them, the core area of ​​the Han dynasty, which was also the most prosperous and wealthy area in the entire Yizhou, were Shu Commandery, Guanghan Commandery, and Jianwei Commandery. These three commanderies were collectively known as the "Three Shu of Shu".

These three prefectures had fertile land and were irrigated by the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, with yields reaching three to five shi per mu, almost unmatched by any other prefecture in the Han Dynasty. In addition to grain, other resources were also abundant, commerce was thriving, and the economy was developed. These three prefectures, with an area of ​​less than a quarter of Yizhou, contributed more than 65% of Yizhou's tax revenue.

The next best were Hanzhong Commandery and Ba Commandery, which were also relatively developed areas and contributed the remaining 30% of the money and grain.

As for the remaining four counties in the south, apart from Yizhou County which could contribute half a percent of the money and grain, the other three counties actually needed Chengdu's assistance most of the time.

Now that Hanzhong is in Zhang Lu's hands, the three commanderies of Shu, Guanghan, and Jianwei all support Liu Zhang. Zhao Wei can only gain support from Ba Commandery and the Banshun barbarians. Although the Banshun barbarians are relatively strong, their military discipline is extremely poor, which will inevitably arouse resentment and resistance from the people of Sichuan.

Zhao Wei had slightly fewer troops than Liu Zhang, but the difference wasn't significant. However, he was inferior to his opponent in every other aspect. To make matters worse, this lack of resources forced Zhao Wei, who was the weaker force, to take the initiative in attacking.

If Zhao Wei cannot capture Chengdu as soon as possible, he has no chance of winning.

Cheng Ji, Li Yi, and Pang Le were not fools; they had seen this clearly long ago, which is why they strongly agreed with Zhao Wei's request for help from Liu Feng.

Now Liu Feng has made a request, which is nothing more than the towns along the river. This is not a problem for Cheng Ji, Li Yi, and Pang Le. The only problem is how to persuade Zhao Wei to accept it.

Why are you all silent?

Zhao Wei frowned. He had considered both vehemently opposing it and subtly agreeing to it, but he hadn't expected his confidants to remain silent.

"Bo Jiang, you speak."

Cheng Ji, courtesy name Bojiang.

Zhao Wei's first choice was Cheng Ji's name, which is not surprising, since Cheng Ji was his trusted advisor and strategist.

Cheng Ji hesitated for a long time, but when he saw the impatience and displeasure in Zhao Wei's eyes, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your subject believes that Your Majesty should grant the Left General's request."

"My lord, if we want to defend against Jingzhou, we must not go north. If we do go north, we must concentrate all our strength."

After Cheng Ji spoke, he became decisive and said firmly, "Looking back and forth, and wavering will only lead to total defeat."

Cheng Ji's thoughts were also quite clear. In the original timeline, he was able to betray Zhao Wei and join Liu Zhang, and later betray Liu Zhang and join Liu Bei. This shows that his fundamental nature was self-interest.

Now that he has Liu Feng, an even more powerful patron than Liu Zhang, Cheng Ji is naturally happy to facilitate this matter. Regardless of Zhao Wei's fate, Cheng Ji will have boarded a much larger ship than Zhao Wei had.

Zhao Wei felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this answer.

He wasn't stupid, and he could naturally see that Gong Yang and Cheng Ji both had their own agendas, and that their advice wasn't entirely for their own benefit.

The problem is that what Gong Yang and Cheng Ji said was reasonable and well-founded. If the other party were really just a traitor, Zhao Wei wouldn't be so hesitant.

"Besides..."

At this moment, Cheng Ji continued, "Has my lord forgotten the message we just received a few days ago?"

Upon Cheng Ji's reminder, Zhao Wei's expression suddenly changed, filled with worry and anxiety: "Bo Jiang, are you referring to the letter from Nanzhong?"

"Exactly!"

Unlike Zhao Wei, Cheng Ji was not filled with complicated emotions. Instead, he spoke with high spirits: "Now, the Left General's army has entered Yinan and swept through the heroes of the south. Its vanguard has reached Pingyi and Hanyang. My lord, do you think Zhuti and Bidao can withstand the onslaught of the Left General's army?"

Zhao Wei's face was ashen, his heart filled with both shock and fear.

Just as Cheng Ji said, the Left General has already taken control of the southern region and has penetrated deep into Pingyi and Hanyang.

Is the river defense still as important as I imagined?
(End of this chapter)