Han officials

Chapter 328 Brothers in Suffering
When Wei Zhe arrived at Zhongli City, Yuan's army had already fled.

However, Wei Zhe still chose to camp outside the city rather than spend the night inside.

When teaching at the military academy, he often instructed his subordinates that they must set up camps when marching and that they must set up defenses when setting up camps.

And if possible, try not to camp in the city!
After all, whether it's enemy territory or one's own land, cities are not conducive to the deployment of troops.

This is especially disadvantageous for a highly mobile army like the Wei army, which has a large number of cavalry.

Wei Zhe didn't want the Wei cavalry, which he had painstakingly trained, to be slaughtered like pigs and dogs in the streets in the future.

When Zhongli's garrison commander Zang Ba respectfully came to the camp to pay his respects, Wei Zhe smiled and helped him up.

"What a fine Zang Xuangao! I knew I hadn't misjudged him!"

Upon hearing this, the burly Zang Ba quickly clasped his hands in greeting and said:
"I dare not accept Your Highness's praise; these are merely my duty."

Despite saying that, he couldn't help but smile, his face beaming with joy.

In a sense, Zang Ba's life story is a model for warriors in chaotic times.

In his youth, he was a chivalrous young man in the village. His father, Zang Jie, was a prison clerk in the county. However, because he upheld the law and refused to obey the prefect's request to kill a prisoner, he angered the prefect, who ordered Zang Jie to be arrested and brought to the prefectural office to be punished.

When Zang Ba, who was eighteen years old at the time, learned that his father had been imprisoned, he was so impulsive that he gathered more than a dozen of his followers and went to Xishan in Feixian County to rescue his father. Even though there were more than a hundred guards escorting him, they were still overwhelmed by Zang Ba’s bravery.

After that, Zang Ba and his father fled to Xuzhou and settled in Donghai County to make a living.

Furthermore, through this event, Zang Ba's reputation for filial piety, bravery, and courage spread throughout the countryside and the surrounding areas of Mount Tai.

In modern terms, he was somewhat famous in the martial arts world.

It was precisely because of this that Zang Bafang was able to gather a group of brave men to follow Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in Xuzhou. They fought all the way and finally wiped out the Yellow Turbans in Xuzhou.

If not for this achievement, Zang Ba would not have been appointed Cavalry Commandant by Tao Qian and stationed in Langya.

From a criminal who committed murder and kidnapping, to a high-ranking official with a salary equivalent to two thousand shi (a unit of grain), this could probably only be seen in the late Han Dynasty.

This shows that chaotic times are indeed golden ages for warriors.

However, Zang Ba did not immediately seize control of Mount Tai and become a regional overlord after becoming a cavalry captain.

The reason he reached such a position in later generations was actually due to being propelled by the tides of the times.

If Tao Qian had not died, and if Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and Cao Cao had not frequently fought in Xuzhou, Zang Ba would not have gathered troops and established a separatist regime in the Taishan area with generals such as Sun Guan, Wu Dun, and Yin Li.

To put it bluntly, Zang Ba was also frightened by the speed at which Xuzhou changed hands, and could only defend himself by establishing a separatist regime.

Therefore, when Cao Cao unified the Central Plains, he decisively surrendered.

From this perspective, Zang Ba's character is actually quite similar to Jia Xu's; both are adept at self-preservation.

Zang Ba was even better than Jia Xu in this regard.

He was ennobled and appointed general in his prime, becoming a general in Cao Cao's army. He was highly regarded by the emperor, and even his three sons were ennobled.

In his later years, he was surrounded by children and grandchildren, enjoying wealth and honor. After passing away peacefully, he was even honored with a place in the Cao Wei Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Tsk tsk, life's glory and death's sorrow, it's all just like that!
Although Zang Ba is no longer self-reliant like in his previous life, he still knows how to maintain boundaries and knows when to advance and retreat.

For example, after Wei Zhe besieged and killed Cao Cao, and completely brought Xu and Yan provinces under his control, Zang Ba voluntarily handed over his military power, left the military camp and moved to Tancheng, leaving Wei Zhe to arrange things.

Zang Ba even took the initiative to request that his sons, brothers, and relatives be sent to Ye City to settle down.

However, Wei Zhe never really cared about this proton system.

If someone is truly ambitious, they will still betray you even if their entire family is wiped out, just like Ma Chao.

Therefore, after praising him, Wei Zhe refused Zang Ba's request.

However, Zang Ba pleaded again, citing the example of "Xiao He sending his sons and brothers to serve the emperor, and Emperor Gaozu did not refuse them."

To put Zang Ba's mind at ease, Wei Zhe agreed to his request and ordered that all three of Zang Ba's sons be admitted to Zhixing Academy.

However, it was precisely because of Zang Ba's various performances that he became the most valued general among the generals of Xuzhou.

After Wei Zhe was promoted to Duke of Wei, he further promoted Zang Ba to Vanguard General and stationed him in Zhongli City.

Zang Ba did not disappoint Wei Zhe's trust. Even when facing the siege of tens of thousands of Yuan troops, he still firmly defended Zhongli City, guarding this bridgehead on the south bank of the Huai River.

"Yuan Shu has now gone mad, forcibly conscripting young men and women into his army, which has grown to 200,000 men."

Inside the command tent, Zang Ba was reporting the latest military intelligence:
"According to scouts, famine has begun to appear in Jiujiang County. In order to support this large army, Yuan Shu has even started to levy some kind of 'loyalty money' and plunder grain and fodder from the people everywhere, so that the people are starving and many are fleeing."

Wei Zhe didn't say anything upon hearing this, but simply nodded slightly.

After all, this was already considered basic practice for Yuan Shu; he never treated ordinary people as human beings.

After a moment of contemplation, Wei Zhe suddenly asked:
What news is there from other counties and prefectures in Yangzhou?

Upon hearing this, Zang Ba immediately replied in an orderly manner:
"Lu Kang, the prefect of Lujiang, has dispatched the Chaohu naval forces to harass Yuan's troops along the coast."

"Although Zhou Shu, the Prefect of Yuzhang, did not send troops, he did agree to lend grain to Lujiang Commandery. Furthermore, he withdrew the garrison at Chaisang, the gateway to Yuzhang, and also lifted security at Pengli Marsh, where the two commanderies meet, allowing merchants to freely travel and transport goods." "As for Sheng Xian, the Prefect of Wu Commandery..."

Zang Ba paused at this point, unsure of where to begin.

It turns out that after Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, the imperial court issued an edict appointing Liu Yao as the governor of Yangzhou, but that was all.

The Chang'an court had no more means to punish Yuan Shu, who claimed to be the emperor.

However, the imperial decree from Chang'an gave Liu Yao an opportunity, allowing him to intervene in the situation in Yangzhou.

However, fearing Yuan Shu's power, Liu Yao did not dare to go to Huainan. Instead, he secretly traveled through Jingzhou and took the Yangtze River to Wu County.

At that time, Sheng Xian, the governor of Wu Commandery, was ill and unable to perform his duties. Xu Gong, the commandant of Wu Commandery, seized the opportunity to take power, not only stealing Wu Commandery but also trying to eliminate it completely.

If it weren't for Gao Dai, a renowned scholar from Wu Commandery who had been recommended by Sheng Xian as a candidate for the civil service examination, hiding him in the home of the powerful Xu Zhao, Sheng Xian, the governor of Wu Commandery, would probably already be dead by now.

How did Zang Ba know such confidential information?

It all comes down to Liu Yao.

After Liu Yao arrived in Wu County, he took on the role of Governor of Yangzhou and recruited some heroes and bandits.

His generous promises even attracted some powerful local clans to join him.

For example, Gao Dai took Sheng Xian to Liu Yao for protection, and the powerful Xu Zhao also came to seek refuge.

So before Yuan Shu's side even started fighting, Wu Commandery began to fight amongst itself.

Xu Gong occupied Wu County, while Liu Yao occupied Wucheng County. They fought each other, resulting in many deaths and injuries.

The Three Fools of Taihu Lake

After hearing Zang Ba's explanation, Wei Zhe immediately became interested.

If he remembered correctly, the assassin who later killed Sun Ce was a retainer of Xu Gong, the Commandant of Wu Commandery.

These people were willing to die to avenge their former master, a sentiment reminiscent of the ancient Spring and Autumn Period.

With such a group of loyal followers, Xu Gong's power was clearly not to be underestimated.

So Wei Zhe immediately asked out of curiosity:
"What is the current situation in Wu Commandery? Has Liu Yao been defeated and fled?"

Unexpectedly, Zang Ba shook his head.

"Liu Yao has already occupied Wu County. Xu Gong has suffered three consecutive defeats and has lost a great deal of money. He is now retreating to Wuxi!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe was quite surprised.

"Liu Yao actually possesses such ability?"

It's not that Wei Zhe looks down on him... well, he does look down on him.

There's nothing we can do; Liu Yao and his brother Liu Dai are exactly the same.

These two unfortunate brothers were merely mediocre people, lacking any military strategy.

Upon hearing this, Zang Ba immediately smiled and explained:
"Liu Yao certainly didn't have that ability, but his generals were truly formidable."

"When he was in Wucheng County, he recruited the mountain bandit Yan Baihu as his general, which is why Liu Yao won three battles in a row!"

It is said that Yan Baihu was no ordinary bandit; strictly speaking, he should be called "Commander Zong".
The term "Zongshuai" refers to a strong and valiant general!
In other words, Yan Baihu's bandits were a criminal group composed of soldiers and civilians, based on clans.

When they pick up swords and put down hoes, they are bandits; when they put down swords and pick up hoes, they are ordinary people.

For example, Yan Baihu's clan, the Yan family, was a large clan in Wucheng County with many members. They could gather more than 10,000 young men in a short time, a scale comparable to the county army.

Yan Baihu even built a city of stones at the foot of Shicheng Mountain in Wucheng County, thus establishing his own independent regime in Wucheng.

Other powerful clans, lacking leaders as capable as them, could only obediently remain as powerful figures.

Liu Yao was new to Yangzhou and had no foothold there, so he needed a local force like Yan Baihu.

Therefore, when Liu Yao tried to win over Yan Baihu, he generously promised him that he would be appointed as the governor of a prefecture after the matter was settled.

Otherwise, Yan Baihu might not have submitted to Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou. After all, he had some connections with Xu Gong, the commandant of Wu Commandery, and it wouldn't have been difficult for him to get an official position.

Inside the command tent, after Zang Ba explained the whole story, Wei Zhe frowned slightly.

The combination of Liu Yao and Yan Baihu gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

Without external interference, Liu Yao might have been able to replicate Liu Biao's feat of "single-handedly conquering Jingzhou" and "single-handedly pacifying Yangzhou."

Yan Baihu and Xu Zhao are likely Liu Yao's "Kuai Liang and Cai Mao".

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but shake his head.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that Liu Yao, the "official" governor of Yangzhou, seemed to pose a greater threat than Yuan Shu...

(End of this chapter)