My younger brother Lü Fengxian

Chapter 319 Victory is certain
The Yuyang rebel camp was brightly lit.

The Han people and the Wuhuan people lived together in the same place, singing and dancing constantly, drinking and eating endlessly, and the whole place was filled with joy and eccentricity.

Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun were unaware of Lü Yi's arrival, and were both immersed in the smooth sailing situation.

Now, almost all of Youzhou except Zhuo County has been taken into their pockets. Even Jizhou and Qingzhou have been extended to their control. In just a few months, the two who were originally only county officials of the Han Dynasty did not expect that they would one day transform themselves into the emperor and the general.

Although the emperors and generals of these two people were just self-contained and usurped the throne, as long as they could resist the Han Dynasty's conquest and stabilize the Youzhou base camp, they might be able to get rid of the word "self-proclaimed" on their heads.

You have to know that didn’t Emperor Gaozu of Han also proclaimed himself the emperor?
Your Liu family was able to rule the world for four hundred years, so why can't my Zhang family become the emperor who governs the people of this generation?

The Wuhuan leader Qiuliju, who was toasting with Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, was also very excited about this.

As the biggest supporter of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun's rebellion, Qiuliju and the Wuhuan people also made a fortune from the rebellion of the two Zhangs. Not only did all the women, food, and wealth in the territory conquered by the Wuhuan people become the property of the Wuhuan, but Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun also made various promises to Qiuliju and granted him many privileges.

If Zhang Ju was the emperor and Zhang Chun was the general, then Qiuliju and the Wuhuan people were the emperors riding above their heads.

Before, the Han Dynasty paid the Wuhuan an annual salary of 100 million coins, but the Wuhuan were still restless and often caused trouble in Youzhou and Bingzhou.

Now since the Yellow Turban Rebellion began, Liu Hong had been unable to take care of himself and had no money to give to the Wuhuan people, so the Wuhuan people refused to do it.

We used to live so freely and happily outside the Great Wall. We agreed that you would give us Wuhuan money before we would submit to the interior. Now that we have submitted, you are not giving us money. Isn't this forcing us Wuhuan to plunder ourselves?
Qiuliju and the Wuhuan people don't care about loyalty or righteousness, they only care about interests.

In the past, the Han Dynasty could give them benefits and they could maintain superficial submission.

Now that the Han Dynasty can no longer provide them with benefits, it is a normal choice for them to contact the two Zhangs to rebel together.

"Thanks to the great help of Lord Qiu Liju and the clansmen, I didn't expect that in just a few months, we have become so powerful and many officials around us have also joined us. This is destiny!"

Zhang Ju raised his glass to Qiuliju frequently. Without the military force of the Xianbei people, he would not have been able to achieve his current momentum. Zhang Ju naturally knew this. Therefore, although he now proclaimed himself the emperor, he could not put on airs towards Qiuliju and Wuhuan.

"Yes, Lord Qiuliju and the Wuhuan army are indeed extraordinary. No one in Youzhou can defeat them. As long as we wipe out that annoying Gongsun Zan, we can use Youzhou as a base. We can occupy the entire Hebei Province and even enter the Central Plains. If we retreat, we can also protect ourselves in Youzhou. The future is promising!"

General Zhang Chun also raised his glass to flatter Qiu Liju repeatedly as if to please him, without any trace of the bearing and self-respect of a general.

"Hmph!" Qiu Liju, who had been hugging two singing girls with a smug look on his face, couldn't help but change his expression when he heard Zhang Chun suddenly mentioned Gongsun Zan. He snorted coldly with an angry face, and even pushed away the two originally favored singing girls. It was obvious that he hated Gongsun Zan to the extreme.

"I don't know what's wrong with this Gongsun Zan. We Wuhuan have always respected him and never had conflicts with him. But this Gongsun Zan seems to have a grudge against us Wuhuan. He often leads his troops deep into the desert for thousands of miles to hunt down our Wuhuan people. He enjoys killing us Wuhuan people. My children dare not cry at night when they hear the name of Gongsun Zan."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty and the General. This man is the mortal enemy of the Wuhuan, and a thorn in the side of Qiuliju. Even if you two don't speak up, I will never let this man go and will get rid of him as soon as possible!"

"well said!"

Zhang Ju could not help but be overjoyed when he heard this. In Hebei, he was only afraid of two people. One of them was Bingzhou Mu Lu Yi. This man was extremely powerful, and the Bingzhou cavalry under his command was the strongest army in the world. Zhang Ju was deeply afraid of this man, but Youzhou and Bingzhou were far apart, and he had not received any news of Lu Yi's military movements, so he was not planning to provoke Lu Yi for the time being. Moreover, if conditions allowed in the future, Zhang Ju was even prepared to use the title of king to win over Lu Yi.

The other person is Gongsun Zan.

Although the White Horse Volunteers under Gongsun Zan were not as abnormal as Lü Yi's Bingzhou Iron Cavalry, they were also one of the few strong armies in the world. They were not inferior to the Wuhuan and other foreign tribes, and even won more than they lost. Especially since this person was a battle maniac. Once a war started, he would fight to the death and there was no possibility of peace. He was more troublesome than Lü Yi.

"Gongsun Zan only has a few thousand soldiers. No matter how brave he is, how can he defeat your army and ours with tens of thousands of men?"

"In my opinion, this man is nothing but a pile of bones in a grave."

Zhang Chun also echoed.

Qiu Liju wanted to say something else when suddenly a guard rushed into the tent and reported to several people.

"Report!"

"There is a man outside who claims to be an envoy of Gongsun Zan. I wonder if Your Majesty will meet him?"

"An envoy sent by Gongsun Zan? Does he want to issue a declaration of war?"

Zhang Chun guessed.

"What does Lord Qiuliju mean? Should we summon this envoy?" Zhang Ju did not dare to make a decision and asked Qiuliju who was standing beside him.

"No matter what, let's meet him first and see what Gongsun Zan is up to!"

Qiu Liju said in a deep voice after hesitating for a moment.

"Since Lord Qiuliju has agreed, let's summon this person!" Zhang Ju said to the guard after hearing this.

Soon, a young man came into the tent.

Although this person was not an important figure under Gongsun Zan, he had followed Gongsun Zan since childhood and was a loyal servant of his family. He was not afraid that Zhang Ju and others would detain and kill the envoy, so he was suitable to be an envoy.

"Are you the messenger sent by Gongsun Zan?"

"I am at loggerheads with your master. I wonder why Gongsun Zan sent you here today?"

Zhang Ju asked.

To everyone's surprise, the first words the messenger said made the three people present feel suspicious.

"My lord is loyal to the Han Emperor and has made great contributions, but he was forced by the Han Emperor to attack you. The Han Emperor urged me to do so. If I can't win on time, I will punish you. My lord has only a few thousand soldiers. How could I defeat your army of tens of thousands in such a hurry?"

"So, my Lord sent me here to ask for surrender!"

"What? Are you saying Gongsun Zan is ready to surrender?"

Zhang Chun was shocked when he heard this, and Qiu Liju on the side even suspected that there was something wrong with his ears. How could this desperate Gongsun Zan choose to surrender to the rebels?
"Yes, my lord is ready to surrender Zhuo County and his troops to you, sir." The messenger nodded affirmatively upon hearing this.

"Gongsun Zan surrenders to me, what are the conditions?" Zhang Ju frowned and thought for a moment before asking.

"Yes, my lord has several conditions. My lord has been a soldier in the Han Dynasty for half his life, but he is only a cavalry captain. As long as you can make my lord the governor of Youzhou forever, my lord is willing to surrender the city and charge into battle for you to defeat the violent Han people!"

Upon hearing this, the messenger immediately stated Gongsun Zan's request.

After hearing this, Zhang Ju couldn't help but feel certain in his heart and immediately became excited.

Gongsun Zan is a rare and powerful general in the world, and the White Horse Volunteers under his command are also rare elite soldiers. If he really leads his people to surrender the city, Zhang Ju will not only be able to immediately occupy the entire Youzhou, but also greatly increase his military strength. Even if he meets Lu Yi in the future, he may not be able to fight him.

"If Bogui is truly of the same mind, let alone a mere governor of Youzhou, even if he is made the king of Youzhou, I will not be stingy with my reward."

Although Zhang Ju was excited, Qiu Liju, who had fought against Gongsun Zan for a long time, was full of doubts. He still did not believe Gongsun Zan's surrender. He thought it might be a trick of Gongsun Zan, so he asked the messenger with a fierce face.

"Since you are surrendering sincerely, do you have any written evidence?" "You are joking, my lord. My lord does not know what you are thinking. How could he rashly send a letter to give others an advantage?"

"My master is sincerely surrendering, I hope you will not doubt it. If you do not believe me, you can go to Zhuo County, and my master will lead his people out of the city, take off their armor and surrender!"

The messenger remained calm in the face of danger and immediately told the messenger what Lu Yi had told him to say.

Gongsun Zan naturally did not really surrender. He originally had only a few thousand soldiers and horses but was able to hold his ground against the rebels. Now with Lu Yi's help, how could he surrender and rebel?
Not to mention that among them were the Wuhuan people whom Gongsun Zan hated the most!
"I already know your master's intention, but this matter is of great importance, and I still need to discuss it with the general. Please enter the side tent first to have some wine and meat!"

After Qiuliju's reminder, Zhang Ju's excitement was somewhat diluted. He gave an order outside the tent, and several guards immediately came forward to take the messenger away.

"The Han Emperor is urging us more and more urgently. If you are willing to accept my Lord's surrender, please make a decision as soon as possible!"

The messenger gave a final reminder and then followed the guards to the side tent.

"What do you two think of Gongsun Zan?"

After the messenger left, Zhang Ju asked Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju who were standing beside him.

"Gongsun Zan is a rare and powerful general. I think Your Majesty should accept his surrender!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chun immediately made a suggestion to Zhang Ju.

"Gongsun Zan is definitely not a coward. I think his surrender is just a trick. It's better not to accept it!" Qiu Liju hated Gongsun Zan to the core and naturally didn't want to let him go so easily. Not to mention that Gongsun Zan's surrender was fake, even if Gongsun Zan really wanted to surrender, Qiu Liju would never agree.

"Master Qiu Liju, why do you have to be so fussy? In my opinion, no matter whether the surrender is real or fake, as long as we send troops to the city of Zhuo County, we will know the outcome!"

"If his surrender is fake, we can take advantage of the situation to attack the city. He has only 10,000 soldiers, how can he resist our heavenly soldiers? If he really surrenders, it will be even easier. I know that Lord Qiuliju has a grudge against Gongsun Zan. We will first swallow up his White Horse Volunteers, and then hand him over to Lord Qiuliju for disposal. Isn't this a plan to kill two birds with one stone?"

Zhang Chun smiled and continued to persuade him after hearing this.

"Oh, the general is indeed very intelligent. Now Gongsun Zan will not be able to escape from our grasp!"

Qiu Liju was overjoyed when he heard this and was extremely satisfied with Zhang Chun's plan.

"But Gongsun Zan is a talented person after all. If we kill him rashly, wouldn't it be a bit of a waste?"

However, Zhang Ju was obsessed with Gongsun Zan's bravery and was somewhat hesitant.

"Your Majesty, why do you want to boost others' ambitions and destroy your own prestige?"

Qiu Liju was dissatisfied when he heard this.

"Is it possible that Gongsun Zan is so brave that my 100,000 Wuhuan warriors cannot match him alone?"

After hearing Qiu Liju's threatening words, Zhang Ju no longer dared to care about Gongsun Zan and apologized repeatedly.

"Master Qiu Liju is absolutely right. I have been tricked by Gongsun Zan!"

Are you kidding? No matter how powerful Gongsun Zan is, he is just one man with only a few thousand white horse volunteers under his command. Qiuliju is also a powerful general who is no weaker than Gongsun Zan, with 100,000 Xianbei warriors under his command. Zhang Ju is just greedy, not stupid. How could he not know the trade-offs?

Then, Zhang Ju immediately put on a happy look and summoned the messenger.

"I have received your lord's sincere heart. You go back and report to your lord. The day after tomorrow, I will gather the troops and go to Zhuo County to accept the surrender!"

The messenger was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately bowed before Zhang Ju.

"If this is possible, it will be a great honor for my lord. I would like to pay my respects to His Majesty on behalf of my lord."

"Go, go, don't delay your master's important task, and report back immediately!"

Zhang Ju personally stepped forward to help the messenger up and spoke repeatedly.

……

"Did Zhang Ju really answer you like this?"

After the envoy returned to Zhuo County and immediately reported the results of the mission to Gongsun Zan and Lu Yi, Gongsun Zan could not help but ask in surprise.

"It's true."

The messenger did not know the real plan of Gongsun Zan and Lu Yi, so he replied with a smile.

"Well, you have done a great job, come and claim your reward!"

After Gongsun Zan sent the messenger away, he immediately expressed his admiration for Lu Yi in an excited voice.

"Zhang Ju, Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju have indeed fallen into the trap. Sixiao is very smart and I admire him very much!"

"Haha, if Zhang Ju didn't bring his troops, it means he intended to surrender Bo Gui. But now he said he would gather his troops and come. That's Sima Zhao's intention... ahem... that's really admitting his guilt. He must be pretending to surrender, but in fact he is taking the opportunity to plot against Bo Gui!"

Lu Yi smiled faintly.

"Now that the bandits have come in person, we can defeat them all in one fell swoop."

Gongsun Zan also agreed deeply with what he said and nodded repeatedly.

"Then, we will act according to the plan. I will use myself as bait to attract the rebel army inside Zhuojun City, while Sixiao will lead the Bingzhou cavalry outside and wait for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack."

"Okay! If you and I work together, we will surely achieve great success!"

Lu Yi also nodded and said.

……

"I have already arrived at the city of Zhuojun. Why don't you open the gates and surrender the city as soon as possible?"

Three days later, Zhang Ju personally led 150,000 Han-Wu coalition troops to the city of Zhuojun and shouted loudly at the top of the city wall.

As if hearing Zhang Ju's shout, the tall and heavy south gate of Zhuozhou City slowly lowered with a series of heavy mechanical sounds.

Zhang Ju, Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju looked at each other upon seeing this, and smiles of confidence appeared on their faces.

(End of this chapter)