My younger brother Lü Fengxian

Chapter 298: Zhen's Refuge
"Lord Lu is going to Jizhou to quell the rebellion. The journey is long and the battle is dangerous. Please take care of yourself!"

"No, no, Lord Liu is in charge of the lifeline of Anyouzhou in Zhuo County, and his responsibility is even greater. Please stay here, Lord Liu!"

After a few days, Lu Yi perfectly resolved all the affairs in Zhuo County and led the people to leave. Zhuo County Prefect Liu Yan even went out of the city to see him off in person.

This time, Lu Yi not only obtained 30,000 Yellow Turban captives, including men, women, old and young, from Zhuo County, but also the captives previously captured outside Dai County City, as well as the defeated soldiers recaptured in the past few days, a total of 40,000 people have been captured.

The Bingzhou army only lost one or two hundred people and could easily get reinforcements from Pingcheng.

In addition to the population gains, Lu Yi gained a greater benefit by making friends with Liu Yan and reaching a private agreement with him.

"Gao Lan, I order you to lead 3,000 Bingzhou cavalry to guard Zhuo County. You must protect the city of Zhuo County and ensure the safety of Lord Liu!"

"If Lord Liu loses even a hair, I will hold you accountable!"

Before leaving, Lu Yi gave Gao Lan one last instruction.

After all, this was part of the agreement between him and Liu Yan.

Lu Yi protected Liu Yan's life and property as well as the city of Zhuojun. Afterwards, Liu Yan had to report to the court on Lu Yi's behalf to try to implement the provincial governor system and do his best to help Lu Yi obtain the position of governor of Bingzhou.

"Please rest assured, Gao Lan will definitely fulfill your mission!"

Gao Lan agreed immediately after hearing this, but then he took two steps closer to Lu Yi and asked in a low voice.

"But in this case, should I obey Liu Yan's orders?"

"No need, you just need to follow my instructions to protect him. Remember, even if Zhuo County can no longer be defended, you must protect Liu Yan's life. This is my bottom line for you!"

Lu Yi thought about it and explained in a low voice.

Although he had brave generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei around him, Zhang Fei had a hot temper and was inexperienced, so he couldn't be left alone. Lu Yi had to be kept with him to prevent him from drinking and causing trouble.

After all, in history, Liu Bei asked Zhang Fei to guard his hometown of Xuzhou, while he and Guan Yu went to fight Yuan Shu. As a result, before he and Yuan Shu even started fighting, his hometown of Xuzhou was lost to Zhang Fei. Lu Yi would never forget this.

Although Guan Yu was safe, there was still a powerful warrior from the late Han Dynasty, Liu Bei, in the city of Zhuojun. This guy was too charming, so Lu Yi was worried about leaving Guan Yu behind.

It’s not that Lu Yi doesn’t trust Guan Yu, but that Lu Yi doesn’t trust Liu Bei.

When it came to Gao Lan, Lu Yi felt much more at ease.

After arranging all matters, Lu Yi took Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and the rest of his troops to Zhongshan to meet Lu Bu.

After two days, Lu Yi's troops safely crossed Youzhou and Bingzhou and arrived at Zhen's manor in Zhongshan County, Jizhou.

Just kidding, after the two great victories, no matter whether it was the officials and common people in the court or the various Yellow Turban leaders, everyone knew that there was a figure like Lu Yi and the Bingzhou Iron Cavalry in Hebei.

The scoundrels were busy hiding from Lu Yi, so how could they have the courage to stroke Lu Yi's tiger whiskers?

"The Lord of the Mansion has arrived in person. The whole Zhen Mansion is honored. Please come into the manor and have a chat. The manor has already prepared wine and food, enough for the Lord of the Mansion and his army to enjoy!"

As soon as he arrived at Zhen's Manor, Lu Yi was warmly received by Zhen's father.

"Haha, since it's Mr. Zhen's order, I'll go!"

Lu Yi and Zhen were old friends, so they were naturally familiar with each other and took their seats without any hesitation.

Since Zhang Jue started the rebellion, the Yellow Turban Army's banner has been clear.

Anyone who had oppressed the people and bullied the villagers in the past, whether they were court officials or local powerful families, would be arrested and killed.

An honest person who has been suppressed for a long time and can only be bullied by others, once he gets a sharp knife in his hand one day, what kind of cruelty he will unleash is something that even God cannot predict.

Although the Zhongshan Zhen family did not have a bad reputation, they were the richest people in Hebei after all, and their treasury was full of money and grain, so they naturally received special attention from the Yellow Turban Army.

If it weren't for Lu Bu and others arranged by Lu Yi in advance to come to the defense, the Zhen family estimated that even if they were not defeated by the Yellow Turbans, more than half of their clansmen and farmhands would probably have been killed or injured.

Now with Lu Bu guarding it and repelling several waves of Yellow Turban attacks, the Zhen family manor finally became stable.

Therefore, the entire Zhen family was naturally extremely grateful to Lu Yi.

At the banquet, Lu Yi and Zhen's father and son sat opposite each other again.

The two sides were in a very happy mood as they toasted each other.

"I heard that within a few months, you defeated the 50,000 troops of Dai and Zhuo counties and killed several of their commanders in battle. With such a great martial arts achievement, you must be the greatest hero in Hebei!"

"I heard that you have made such a great achievement, and I am honored to have done so. I only regret that I cannot accompany you and experience such a great victory in person!"

After a few drinks, everyone became familiar with each other. Zhen Yi immediately raised his glass to toast, his words full of admiration for Lu Yi.

Zhen Yi was indeed very lucky. Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had a minor illness due to his already weak health, so he resigned from his post and returned to his hometown to recuperate.

The position of county magistrate, which is something that ordinary people cannot even dream of, is just a small official position to Zhen, which is not as important as her own heir.

Therefore, Zhen Yi simply resigned from his post and went home to recuperate. Unexpectedly, he escaped the disaster by accident.

You know, although the Central Plains is rich, its combat power is mediocre and many counties were conquered by the Yellow Turbans.

Especially in the Yingchuan area, Bo Cai suppressed the Han army.

Many of Zhen Yi's former colleagues have now fallen into the hands of the Yellow Turbans.

Zhen Yi can be said to have turned a disaster into a blessing.

"Brother Zhen Yi has become estranged!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi pretended to complain.

"You and I have known each other for many years. Although we have different surnames, we are actually brothers!"

"Why are your words so distant? Do you look down on me?"

"Of course not!
Zhen Yi was deeply moved and waved his hands repeatedly to apologize.

"I just spoke out of turn after drinking. Please don't blame me, Brother Lu. I will drink three glasses of wine as punishment!"

Zhen Yi immediately made him drink three glasses of wine as punishment, which drew applause from the whole room.

"Brother Zhen Yi is so heroic, I, Lu, can't be so hypocritical, I should also drink three glasses of wine with him!"

After Zhen Yi finished drinking, Lu Yi immediately toasted him with three glasses of wine, making the atmosphere in the hall even more heated.

"Ugh……"

When Zhen's father saw this, he sighed in his heart.

"I never thought that a poor and unknown scholar from the frontier would become so famous in just a few years. Given the current turbulence, I'm afraid that being a county governor is far from the limit of Lu Yi's future."

"I never thought that a small chess piece that I casually supported back then would play a greater role than the other relationships that I deliberately developed vigorously."

"If it weren't for Lu Yi, my Zhen family would be in danger now!"

After the big banquet, Zhen's father specially invited Lu Yi to his study for tea.

It cannot be said that Zhen's father had never invited anyone to have tea in his study over the years, but these people were either high-ranking officials such as the Nine Ministers of the Imperial Court or patriarchs of local wealthy families.

Lu Yi had been to Zhen's house many times before, but this was the first time he was specially invited to the study.

It is obvious that Zhen's father made such an arrangement in order to further increase his holdings of high-quality assets.

"It has been many years since we last met, Lord. It is truly a cause for celebration that you have acquired such power." Zhen's father said with a smile after pouring a cup of tea for Lu Yi.

"Old sir, please don't address me like that. Just treat me the same as before. If it weren't for the help of the Zhen family, how could I be so successful today?"

However, Lu Yi did not show the arrogance that comes from his sudden wealth. Instead, he still respected Zhen's father as always.

This reflects his gratitude to Zhen's family and his intention to further cooperate with Zhen's family.

"Well, in that case, I will use my old dignity to call you by your courtesy name."

"I wonder what Sixiao thinks of what the child said just now?"

Zhen's father was obviously very satisfied with Lu Yi's performance. He was right about Lu Yi and a smile appeared on his face again.

"Oh? Your son said a lot of things during the banquet. I wonder which one you are referring to?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yi frowned, not understanding what Zhen's father meant.

"Just now, my son expressed his admiration for Sixiao during the banquet and wanted to stay by Sixiao's side. I wonder if this is feasible?"

Father Zhen was not anxious and continued to speak cheerfully.

When Lu Yi heard this, his heart suddenly moved.

Zhen Yi is the eldest son of the Zhen family and the only son of Zhen's father. He is the future heir of the Zhen family.

This old fox is now actually going to hand over my handle to me, what is he planning?
"Haha, with Brother Zhen Yi's talent, he would be useful even if he were placed in the imperial court. Our Yanmen County is just a cold and bitter border county. Father Zhen, you are joking!"

Before understanding Zhen's father's purpose, Lu Yi naturally would not make a decision easily, so he started to test it first.

"If I were young, it would be a smooth road for me to serve in the court. But now, with the chaos of foreign tribes, the rampage of the Yellow Turbans, and the endless natural and man-made disasters, the world is already in chaos. I am afraid that serving in the court at this time is not a blessing for my Zhen family."

Zhen's father, an old fox who had been scheming all his life, knew very well what Lu Yi, a little fox, was thinking. He laughed when he heard what he said, and even openly spoke out treasonous words, denying what Lu Yi said.

"Ok?"

Lu Yi was even more surprised when he heard this, but he did not come out. Instead, he waited for Zhen's father's next words.

"Thinking back to when I first met Sixiao, I could still walk fast. Now, after several years, I have difficulty even walking and have to use crutches."

"It can be seen that time is the most ruthless."

Zhen's father sighed, suddenly picked up the crutch beside him, and began to pace in the study room with the crutch.

"The Zhen family and the Lu family have been connected for a long time, and the two families have a long history, so I will not beat around the bush with Sixiao."

"Now that I am about to die, I don't think it will be possible for me to survive this year."

Lu Yi was shocked by what Zhen's father said. He wanted to stand up and say something but was stopped by Zhen's father.

"Birth, aging, sickness and death are human nature, and they are not something you and I can decide."

"Although Yi'er is filial and hardworking, he is not capable of handling everything on his own. After I die, the Zhen family will be left without anyone and will surely decline."

"If it was a peaceful time, with no external turmoil or internal worries, even the aristocratic families would have to pay attention to their eating manners. Therefore, even though my Zhen family is weak, we are aware of the danger of genocide. In this way, we can still ensure Yier's safety for the rest of his life."

"But in this troubled time, the world is gradually seeing the phenomenon of using force to rule one side."

"The former wealth of our Zhen family is like a child with gold causing trouble in this chaotic world. We will surely perish because of our wealth!"

"After much thought, I think that among all the heroes in the world, only the Lu family can be trusted!"

"Old sir, I, the Lu family, am just from a humble family. How can I deserve your words?"

Lu Yi was shocked when he heard this and stood up quickly.

"Haha, although the Lu family is a poor family, the Lu brothers are extremely powerful. Fengxian's bravery is known throughout Hebei, and Sixiao's strategy is the only one I have ever seen in my life!"

"The Lu brothers are outstanding in both literature and martial arts. They will surely make a career in Hebei in the future. Don't be modest when you think of filial piety!"

But Zhen's father waved his hands again and again.

"If I were thirty years younger, I might have the desire to compete with Sixiao, but things don't always go as planned. Now that I am old and about to die, I only hope that my family and my descendants will be safe!"

"If Sixiao is willing to agree to my request, I am willing to take a big gamble and use the Zhen family's meager wealth to support Sixiao!"

As he said this, Zhen's father threw away his crutches and was about to bow to Lu Yi.

However, Lu Yi refused to accept it and immediately stepped forward to support him, not allowing Zhen's father to bow.

"If it weren't for the help of the Zhen family and the old gentleman, I might still be selling horses in the border counties. One should never forget the well diggers. Supporting the Zhen family is the responsibility of the Lu family. Why do you have to do this, old gentleman?"

"Haha, I was not wrong about him. Sixiao is indeed not one of those ungrateful people. In this case, I will lend a helping hand to Sixiao!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen's father burst into laughter.

"The world is in chaos now, and the Yellow Turbans are rampant!"

"Even if the imperial court suppresses the Yellow Turbans, there will inevitably be days of peace in the future. If the world is full of war, the imperial court will be unable to control the four directions."

"With Sixiao's talent and Zhen's wealth, he may be able to achieve great things in the future."

"This is what I earnestly ask of you. I hope Sixiao will not stop me!"

However, Zhen's father insisted on bowing down despite Lu Yi's obstruction.

What Zhen's father said was very true. Although the Zhen family was wealthy, if they did not have a matching military force to protect their wealth, then in the future not only would their huge fortune be handed over to others, but even the lives of their family members would be difficult to guarantee.

Rather than letting the clan be wiped out and all the wealth gone, it is better to use the wealth in advance to cooperate with powerful forces.

Now in the eyes of Zhen's father, Lu Yi is the best candidate.

"This old fox is worthy of being the head of the richest family in Hebei. His vision is so vicious!"

"If we give him another thirty years as he said, perhaps the ending of the world will be very different!"

Lu Yi was also shocked by Zhen's father's words, and even more surprised by Zhen's father's eyes!

"In this case, I will just obey your orders!"

"I swear to you, old sir, that if I ever become successful, I will never forget the help you gave me today!"

Seeing this, Lu Yi stopped being reserved and accepted the salute from Zhen's father on behalf of the Zhen family.

From now on, the Zhen family and the Lu family are not just simple partners in interests.

But they are allies who share weal and woe.

"Good, good, good!"

"This is what I want!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen's father was also quite excited, and his old face turned slightly red.

In his opinion, as long as the Zhen family can cling to Lu Yi, a force that has begun to show its potential, then in addition to protecting itself, it may be able to go further and become more prosperous.

(End of this chapter)