Han officials

Chapter 285 Where is Liu Bang now?
The Book of Songs says:

The deer cry out, "Yo-yo!" as they eat the wild apples.

I have guests, playing the zither and the sheng.

Although there is no music tonight, Wei Zhe's heart is the same as that of the ancients.

As for a "guest" like Zhang Zhao, he naturally wouldn't let such a gem be tarnished.

Wei Zhe then invited Zhang Zhao to join his staff and appointed him as a councilor.

Zhang Zhao readily agreed, showing none of the resistance he had shown when facing Tao Qian's offer of a position.

Overjoyed, Wei Zhe simply put Zhang Zhao in charge of drafting the "Order to Suppress Bandits" to incite the Xiapi Kingdom to resist Cao Cao.

If the questioning in the pavilion was the first interview, then this practical experience is the second test.

Zhang Zhao understood the deeper meaning behind this, but still calmly accepted the task.

Furthermore, he offered many practical and feasible insights on how to govern Xuzhou and even the Central Plains.

This made Wei Zhe feel as if they had met too late, and they immediately held a candlelight conversation that night.

As night deepened, Wei Zhe finally let Zhang Zhao go, still feeling unsatisfied, and had Mi Zhu lead him to a side room to stay.

In the dead of night, the hazy moonlight carried a faint chill.

Beneath the corridor, Mi Zhu remained silent for a moment before finally speaking with a complex expression:

"You have repeatedly refused the recruitment offers from the state and local authorities, yet tonight you have taken the initiative to come and recommend yourself. Why were you so arrogant before and so respectful now?"

Logically speaking, Mi Zhu and Zhang Zhao were from the same hometown and naturally shared the same political stance. Given the abundance of talent in the Ye City government, the scholars of Xuzhou should have united against external forces.

But... Mi Zhu just couldn't help it.

Zhang Zhao didn't want his position as the Prefect of Xuzhou, so Tao Qian turned to recruit Mi Zhu instead.

From this perspective, Mi Zhu should be grateful to Zhang Zhao.

But human nature is just that complicated.

Mi Zhu was delighted to be promoted to the position of Prefect, but he still harbored resentment towards Zhang Zhao.

Whether it's jealousy or resentment, it's ultimately difficult to treat him with a calm attitude.

However, Zhang Zhao remained calm and composed in the face of these seemingly sarcastic words.

He simply smiled nonchalantly and said:

"Times have changed. Tao Gongzu was nothing more than a guard dog; how could he compare to the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

"Though there are many heroes in the world today, only Lord Wei can bring peace. Although I am not talented, I am willing to follow in his footsteps!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu immediately fell silent, feeling a mix of emotions.

……

The following day, in the southern suburbs of Pengcheng.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the waning moon had not yet completely disappeared, and a biting chill enveloped the wilderness. Frost flowers clung to the withered grass, giving one a profound understanding of what a late spring cold snap truly meant.

However, in contrast to the desolate wilderness, the Wei army camp was bustling with activity.

The camps stretched out like gray mushrooms. As the sound of the watchtowers abruptly ceased, the officers' deep, urgent shouts of "Break camp!" and "Form ranks!" echoed rapidly through the cold air.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, over ten thousand infantry and cavalry emerged from their tents in quick, orderly fashion. They expertly and silently rolled up their bedding and blankets, and dismantled the tent frames. The supply battalion began inspecting vehicles and securing supplies, the wooden wheels creaking against the ropes.

Downwind of the main camp, the cooks were busy extinguishing the fires in the stoves. Perhaps influenced by the lingering aroma of millet porridge in the iron pots, the restless neighing and snorting of warhorses came from the neighboring stables, their hooves pawing at the frozen ground with muffled thuds.

But don't think you're the first to set off; there are always those who set off earlier.

Just as the Wei army was preparing to set off, several squads of light cavalry, carrying horn bows and short swords at their waists, shot out of the camp like arrows and quickly disappeared into the hazy mist.

They were the outpost scouts, responsible for reconnoitering enemy positions, water sources, and road conditions within dozens of miles ahead.

That's how scouts are; they're always one step ahead of the main army.

Even though Pengcheng Kingdom is now under Wei Zhe's rule, he still dares not let his guard down.

No matter where they are, scouts must advance thirty li (approximately 15 kilometers) – a tactic Wei Zhe learned from Huangfu Song.

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Han army suffered a great loss in this regard. They thought that after recovering the lost territory, the surrounding area would be safe, but they did not expect that it was just a scapegoat sent out by Bo Cai, who actually led his elite troops to hide in the shadows.

As a result, Zhu Jun made a careless move and was defeated by Bo Cai, which greatly boosted the morale of the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan.

If it weren't for Huangfu Song's timely intervention, the Yellow Turban rebels of Yingchuan would probably have attacked Sili.

It can be said that the ten months of experience during the Yellow Turban Rebellion were a practical lesson that benefited Wei Zhe for the rest of his life!

Whether he won or lost, his thirst for knowledge always allowed him to learn something from it.

Whether it was Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, or even the Yellow Turban Army led by Zhang Jiao, they were all his role models.

After all, sometimes failures are more valuable than successes!

It was precisely because of this that, although the Wei soldiers were not wearing armor, they always carried weapons.

This was the limit of Wei Zhe's lightly armed troops.

No matter how much he pursued marching speed, he would not concentrate the transport of swords and weapons in supply wagons.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

As a deep, rhythmic drumbeat sounded, the army finally set off.

Beneath the towering central banner, flags fluttered like a forest, their colors varied, and the individual flags and signal flags of each battalion and unit rolled in the morning breeze, forming a moving "forest of flags" as they slowly made their way toward the State of Pei.

……

Sunrise and sunset, time flies by in a flash. In just one day, the Wei army set foot on the territory of Yuzhou.

"General, Dazexiang is just ahead!"

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Mi Zhu, covered in dust, pointed ahead.

There was no way around it; once a large army set out, it would inevitably create a cloud of dust, especially when marching on dry plains. The footsteps and wheels of thousands of soldiers would raise clouds of yellow dust that could sometimes stretch for dozens of miles, choking the nose and eyes and obscuring vision.

Therefore, for a long time, Han soldiers generally wore a cloth around their necks to cover their faces while marching.

The same applies to Wei Zhe, the head coach; if he doesn't wear a mask, he'll be eating dirt.

Of course, even if you're masked, you still have to eat dirt, just less.

After all, fighting is never a pleasant experience; the hardships of military service are evident in every aspect!

Fortunately, Wei Zhe was already used to this kind of life. After spitting out a few mouthfuls of sand, he took the water bag and drank a couple of mouthfuls.

"Dazexiang...this is quite a nice place!"

He seemed to remember something and couldn't help but chuckle repeatedly.

Upon seeing this, Mi Zhu was immediately puzzled. After a slight hesitation, he continued to report:

"Chen Gui has governed Pei for nearly ten years, and his influence is deeply entrenched, with countless hidden connections. Moreover, he was appointed by the late emperor, while Pei Chancellor Shu Shao is under Yuan Shu's command; the two are completely incomparable."

"Furthermore, Shu Shao has been in office for less than a year, and his foundation is shallow. He is no match for Chen Gui at all."

"After Cao Cao entered Pei, most of the counties in the south of Pei State defected to him. Now this man only has Longkang and Xiang counties left. He is just hiding in a corner of Pei State and waiting to die."

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhe suddenly shook his head slightly upon hearing this.

"It cannot be entirely blamed on Shu Shao's incompetence, for Cao Mengde was originally from Qiao County, Pei State."

"The Cao family has been operating in Pei for generations, and their foundation is far superior to that of other places. Now, with Chen Gui's assistance, it will certainly not be easy for Shu Shao to defend his territory!"

After making a few casual comments, Wei Zhe quickly asked:
"Who is currently in charge of Cao Cao's army in Pei?"

"Cheng Yu!" Mi Zhu immediately reported upon hearing this: "After this man plotted to kill Yuan Shu's generals Qi Ji and Qin Yi in Liang, he led his troops to Pei to defend Cao Cao's rear."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but frown.

"Cheng Yu?"

If it's this person, then being the one attacking the city is really not an easy task.

After all, this person was able to eat anything while defending the city, so there was absolutely no risk of running out of food.

With this in mind, Wei Zhe ordered the camp to be set up while thinking about how to deal with Cheng Yu.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhao, who was stationed in Pengcheng, kept in constant correspondence with the Kingdom of Xiapi, making the already chaotic situation in Xiapi even more turbulent.

……

Xiapi State, Huaiyin County.

Waterways flow like veins, boats weave a net.

In the gentle breeze and drizzle, a manor could be seen looming amidst the picturesque scenery.

The winding corridors draw in the moonlight, and the latticed windows frame bamboo, creating a scene reminiscent of a natural ink painting.

However, Bu Qu paid no heed to this poetic scene. As the sound of rapid hoofbeats grew closer, he leaped down, not even glancing at the servants at the gate, and hurried towards the manor.

He didn't know how many doorways he passed through, until he circled a huge rockery before finally stopping, panting. This was the place where his elder brother used to study – "Zigui Garden".

In the past, Bu Zhi would usually choose this place to hold banquets, lectures, literary gatherings, or elegant events.

Therefore, the reputation of "Zigui Garden" is well known to everyone in Huaiyin.

After all, the Bu family of Huaiyin is far more established than the Chen family of Huaipu.

The Chen family of Xiapi prospered in just four generations, and their ancestor was a poor man with no family lineage to speak of.

However, the Bu family of Huaiyin has a clear genealogy that can be traced back eight hundred years.

His ancestor was Yang Shi, a high-ranking official of the State of Jin during the Western Zhou Dynasty. Because his fief was in Bu, he took Bu as his surname.

The Bu family then enjoyed a life of luxury and prosperity for over a hundred years until the late Spring and Autumn Period when another Bu Shucheng emerged.

This person was born intelligent and greatly admired Confucianism. Therefore, he traveled a long distance to become a disciple of Confucius and became one of the seventy-two disciples of Confucius. The Bu family of Huaiyin were his descendants.

After the chaos of the Warring States period, Bu Shucheng's descendants moved to Huaiyin and were fortunate enough to follow Emperor Gaozu of Han in establishing the country.

In the early years of the Former Han Dynasty, after Han Xin's death, the Bu family was even granted the title of Marquis of Ting and given a pavilion in Huaiyin as their fief.

This is how the Bu family of Huaiyin became a prominent clan in Huaiyin, and has continued to this day despite many ups and downs.

Perhaps it is because of its long history that the Bu family of Huaiyin has fallen into an unprecedented slump.

For three generations, none of them had held official positions.

It is precisely because of this that Bu Zhi has held literary gatherings and literary contests in the past, in an attempt to gain fame and build reputation.

Unfortunately, everyone wants to be a famous scholar; it's not enough to just have a bit of money, you also need a certain amount of luck.

And now, Buqu brings this very luck!
He found his elder brother, who was reading in the pavilion, covered in sweat, and excitedly said:

"Brother, our chance has come!"

After saying that, he stuffed a scroll of notice into Jin Zhi's arms, then sat down on the couch and poured the liquid from the pot into his mouth.

Seeing his younger brother's outburst, Bu Qu became genuinely curious and immediately opened the notice in his hand...

(End of this chapter)