My younger brother Lü Fengxian

Chapter 8: The Mayi Plan
In the inner hall, Lu Yi and Zhang Shang sat opposite each other.

In addition to the two of them, there were also Lu Bu and Zhang Xun standing behind them respectively.

One of these two men is Lu Yi's younger brother, and the other is Zhang Shang's eldest son, so they are naturally trustworthy people.

Moreover, Lu Yi's next plan also includes two people, and they are needed to sit in.

"Now everyone in this inner hall is trustworthy. Can you tell us the business you just mentioned?" Zhang Shang asked anxiously, rubbing his hands.

As a qualified businessman, making money is the greatest meaning of life. Now, hearing Lu Yi say there is a good money-making deal, his appetite is naturally whetted.

"Haha, the fish has taken the bait!" Lu Yi smiled in his heart, but he put on an appearance of humbly seeking advice, continuing to whet Zhang Shang's appetite: "This deal is indeed a good deal, but before we talk about the deal, Lu Yi has one thing I don't understand, Mr. Zhang, are you willing to give me some advice?"

"I wonder what you are confused about?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Shang couldn't help but look at his eldest son behind him, wondering what Lu Yi was up to.

"I heard that Zhang is not the original surname of the nobles. Is this true?" Lu Yi smiled, with a bright light flashing in his eyes.

"It is true. My clan's original surname was Nie. During the pre-Han period, for some reasons, we had to change our surname to Zhang in order to preserve the family." As the patriarch of the family, Zhang Shang was of course well aware of the historical changes of the family. Therefore, he felt a little emotional when he heard Lu Yi's question.

"Oh? I wonder what happened to the nobles? It was so serious that they had to change their surnames to avoid disaster." Lu Yi did not let Zhang Shang go and kept pressing him with questions.

"This is a private matter of our Zhang family. It is inconvenient to tell outsiders. Besides..." Zhang Shang glanced at the impolite and handsome young man in front of him with dissatisfaction, and said unhappily: "My family's change of surname seems to have nothing to do with the business you are talking about, right?"

"Hahaha, not only is it related, but it's a big deal!" Lu Yi laughed, suddenly sat up from his seat, and paced back and forth.

"I heard that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Han and Xiongnu were at odds with each other, and Emperor Wu adopted the strategy of his minister Wang Hui and planned to lure and kill the Xiongnu Chanyu Junchen in Mayi."

Lu Yi's sudden eloquence aroused the interest of Lu Bu, who was originally a little bored, and he listened attentively. Even Zhang Xun looked surprised, not understanding why Lu Yi, who was also a knight-errant, suddenly became so knowledgeable.

Only Zhang Shang showed a look of panic on his face when he heard this, and as Lu Yi continued to speak, the panic gradually grew into fear.

"However, Junchen Chanyu was always suspicious and cunning, and was not so easily deceived, so Emperor Wu found a big merchant named Nie Yi in Mayi and asked him to take money and goods to travel far outside the Great Wall to lobby Junchen Chanyu."

"Nie Yi has been doing business with the Xiongnu for generations and is known for his credibility among the Xiongnu. Therefore, Junchen Chanyu did not suspect him."

"Moreover, Junchen Chanyu had long coveted the wealth of Mayi. When he saw that an insider had offered his services, he fell into the trap and personally led his army to invade Mayi."

"Emperor Wu had already deployed 300,000 troops in Mayi, setting up a dragnet, waiting for Junchen Chanyu to fall into the trap and capture him in one fell swoop, inflicting heavy damage to the Xiongnu."

"But I didn't expect that man proposes, God disposes. Although the plan of Mayi was brilliant, Junchen Chanyu came from afar and saw cattle and sheep everywhere but no one grazing them a hundred miles away from Mayi, so he became suspicious. Then the Yanmen Weishi who was captured by the Huns revealed the Han army's plan in order to save his life. Junchen Chanyu was shocked and immediately led his army to flee, making the plan of Mayi come to nothing." "Oh! This Yanmen Weishi was greedy for life and afraid of death. He actually wasted countless hard work of the Han Dynasty for his own survival! He deserves to die!" When Lu Yi said this, Lu Bu, who had been listening attentively, couldn't help but shout angrily and cursed.

The people of Bingzhou had been fighting with foreign tribes such as the Xiongnu and Xianbei for generations. Almost every household had people who died from foreign invasions, and the hatred between them and the Xiongnu was endless.

When he heard that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had laid out such a grand strategic plan but it ended regrettably because of a coward, how could Lu Bu, who is still a passionate man, remain calm?

Even Zhang Shang's son Zhang Xun looked regretful when he heard this.

Only Zhang Shang's face had turned pale. Beads of sweat kept oozing out from his back, wetting a large area of ​​his clothes on the back.

After taking a look at Zhang Shang's expression, Lu Yi smiled slightly in his heart and continued to tell his story.

"After the Mayi plot, the Han and Xiongnu completely fell out and fought each other endlessly. Although the Han was powerful, it had no effective solution to the Xiongnu who came and went like the wind on the northern grasslands. The only possible solution, the Mayi plot, did not work at all."

"Later, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, a pair of brilliant uncle and nephew, appeared on the scene and helped Emperor Wu to completely defeat the Xiongnu. They sealed the Wolf's Lair and drank from the vast sea, and the great military achievements of the Han Dynasty were praised by the world as one Han against five barbarians!"

"Unfortunately, many people don't know that if the original Mayi plan had worked, perhaps the Xiongnu could have been severely damaged a dozen years earlier, and Emperor Wu would not have had to rely on the wealth left by Emperor Jing to injure 800 enemies and 1,000 of his own, causing the vitality of the early Han Dynasty to be severely damaged, and even Emperor Wu had to blame himself in Luntai."

"But the more this happened, the more the Xiongnu hated Wang Hui, who proposed the Mayi plot, and Nie Yi, who went out of the border to lure the enemy, and they vowed to take revenge on these two and their families."

"Later, Wang Hui was convicted and died because he was afraid of fighting and held his ground. Therefore, the Xiongnu turned their attention to the only remaining Nie Yi."

"Fearing retaliation from the Xiongnu, Nie Yi not only stopped trading outside the Great Wall, but also changed his surname to Zhang. He cautiously stayed in Mayi and never dared to go out of the Great Wall again."

As he said this, Lu Yi looked at Zhang Shang, who was almost fainted from fright, with a burning gaze, and asked with a smile.

"Since the nobles all have the same surname, Zhang, I wonder if they have any connection with Nie Yi? And if the Xiongnu knew that Nie Yi's descendants were still living safely in Mayi, if the Xiongnu got wind of this news, not only would the Zhang family be in danger, but even Mayi might cease to exist."

"Stop talking, stop talking..." Zhang Shang couldn't sit still anymore after hearing this. He immediately knelt down in front of Lu Yi and pounded his head like garlic.

"Master, do you want money? Or food? Or a shop? As long as you open your mouth, I, the Zhang family, will never bargain. I only ask Master Lu to keep this secret for me!"

"If the Xiongnu learns of this, they will surely attack Mayi in anger. By then, the extermination of my Zhang clan will be a small matter. I am afraid that the people of Mayi will be implicated!"

Upon hearing this, the muscular and smart Lu Bu looked at his brother in confusion, while Zhang Xun, the son of Zhang Shang, thought of a possibility and suddenly looked at his father, who had no dignity and had been begging Lu Yi, with a look of shock.

(End of this chapter)