The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 322 A Wise Man Comes from the West
Zhang Zhao then explained to Sun Deng:
"Throughout history, those who were granted the title of king by a different surname were invariably enfeoffed at the very beginning of the dynasty."

"Moreover, the fiefdoms were mostly located in the remote border regions beyond the reach of the Central Plains royal army, in order to serve as a bulwark for the feudal lords in all directions."

"Now that Jiangdong is far from the Central Plains, it has rivers as natural barriers and has not lost its function as a protective barrier."

"But if we only have one screen, we will inevitably be controlled by others. It would be better to connect with our neighbors as soon as possible and become vassal kings together, so that we can stick together for warmth in the future."

Upon hearing this, Sun Deng understood Zhang Zhao's plan.

I also tried to analyze it:

"When Cao Rui moved the capital to Ye City, the main battlefield of the struggle between Han and Wei would shift to Hebei."

"Logically speaking, the area south of the Yellow River and Huai River would not easily start a war, but would instead adopt a policy of appeasement and pacification."

"Among them, I am in Jiangdong, while Zhu, Wang, Zang and others are in Huainan."

"Does Lord Zhang mean that I should form an alliance with these generals in Huainan, so that if things change in Hebei in the future, I can persuade them to submit to Chang'an and preserve my royal title and ancestral temple through this achievement?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao immediately showed a look of relief.

He turned back and gave the astonished Zhuge Ke a cold glance, then scoffed:
"Those who achieve great things must have a broad vision. How can they be like petty children in the marketplace, only knowing how to quarrel with others?"

If Zhuge Ke had heard these words in his younger days, he would have been furious.

But perhaps because of someone, he had lost his temper too many times over the years, so he was able to remain calm and think things through when faced with Zhang Zhao's sarcastic remarks.

Actually, when he guessed Zhang Zhao's plan, his first reaction was admiration.

He already knew about the situation in the north from his father's and uncle's letters.

As Zhang Zhao said, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the flames of war will now be far removed from Huainan and Jiangdong.

Isn't it only natural to plan ahead for the future?

On the other hand, he had doubts about whether the plan could be implemented smoothly.

Not to mention that the generals Cao Pi dispatched to Huainan were veterans who had followed Cao Cao in conquering the world in his early years, and most of them were proud and arrogant. How could they be willing to serve as rafts for the Wu people?

Moreover, Huainan was only temporarily away from the war because Cao Rui went north.

This does not mean that the Wei army in Huainan was weak.

These fierce and ruthless Wei soldiers, once they see Jiangdong showing weakness, who knows if they will develop ambitions?

These are the reasons why Zhuge Ke found it difficult to approve of Zhang Zhao.

But then again.

With the fighting in the north finally over, there will be two or three years of rest and recuperation to follow.

Worrying about Huainan at this time is perhaps a bit like worrying about nothing.

Although Generals Lu and Zhu were exhausted from their northern expedition, it was not difficult for them to defend the river defenses by relying on the city of Wan.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Ke temporarily ceased his efforts.

With spring in full bloom and birds singing, let's not waste this precious time on that old scholar Zhang Zhao!
……

……

"Let us drink and sing, for life is short!"

"Like the morning dew, the days that pass are filled with suffering."

A soft chanting voice came from the carriage.

Occasionally, the sighs of middle-aged men could be heard interspersed among them.

The sounds of chanting and sighing only ceased when the carriage stopped in front of a field.

A Han official in a black hat and deep robe with a blue sash was already standing outside the carriage to greet them.

But the person inside the car did not get out for a long time.

Upon seeing this, the Han official in blue ribbons was not offended; instead, he stepped forward and called out:
"Since Lord Lu has already come from the west, why hesitate?"

"His father's past relationship with Emperor Zhaolie as teacher and student is still acknowledged by the current emperor, who has long intended to recruit Lord Lu to the court."

"Based on this alone, Lord Lu is not in any danger to his life, so why would he be unwilling to come out and see his old friends?"

The middle-aged man sitting in the car was Lu Yu, the son of the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi.

Hearing this, he smiled wryly:
It's not that I don't want to see old friends.

“I know very well that this is Han soil, and once I set foot on it, there is no turning back.”

"But I have served the Wei dynasty for half my life, and when I lament the wasted time, I recite the poems of Emperor Wu of Wei."

"I'm afraid that I'll say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and cause trouble in the future."

The Han official in blue ribbon knew that the key point of Lu Yu's words was actually in the last sentence.

He had been on a meteoric rise, but because he said the wrong thing to Cao Pi, he was sidelined for many years and never received a position of importance. It was a classic case of "once bitten, twice shy."

He dismissed those around him, then approached the car door and whispered:

"If that's the case, then Lord Lu has even less to worry about."

"His Majesty, Prime Minister Zhuge, and even the Marquis of Qu whom I am about to introduce, are not pedantic or conservative people."

"Not to mention reciting Cao's poems, it would be fine to copy down all the laws and military strategies he wrote throughout his life."

"To be honest, Lord Lu, at the beginning of the year, Marquis Qu funded the construction of a village school and a library to store books for the villagers to borrow and read, including Cao Xueqin's commentary on 'The Art of War'."

"It is said that the Prime Minister always keeps this book on his bedside table and reads it from time to time."

“In the past, Cao’s ‘Edict for Seeking Talented Individuals’ was revised and then promulgated throughout the country as an official decree of the imperial court.”

"There are countless examples of people who use other people's stones to improve their own jade. Lu Gong's worries are the mistakes of the man from Qi."

Lu Yu then pushed open the door and got out of the car.

Then they saw Shi Tao and Shi Guangyuan, whose faces were ruddy.

His gaze fell on the blue ribbon around the other person's waist, and he couldn't help but feel a little envious.
"Guangyuan was appointed Prefect of Hedong?"

"The Prefect of Hedong is Xu Miao, also known as Xu Jingshan." Shi Tao shook his head.

"I am the Prefect of Hongnong."

Lu Yu was even more envious.

But who told me I was late?
But then again.

If those two hadn't been driven to desperation, they probably wouldn't have made the decisive move to surrender to the Han, given the circumstances back then.
All I can say is that it’s fate.

After a moment's hesitation, Lu Yu finally got off the carriage.

Looking around.

The salt lake in Hedong is a vast expanse of blue water.

The surrounding area consists of vast fields used for salt production.

Between the fields and the lake, there is an automatic water pump.

The water pump was driven by a windmill with eight canvases hanging from it, which looked quite ingenious.

"That's a Bagua sail carriage, which can adjust itself according to the wind direction."

Shi Tao offered a casual explanation and then led the way.

Along the way, there were many similar ingenious gadgets.

Shi Tao could explain some of the things he knew, while he had never seen them before.

However, it is certain that these devices can save a lot of manpower and resources and increase output.

This means that more people can be supported.

While Lu Yu was amazed by what he saw, he couldn't help but think back to his years as the Agricultural Commissioner in Suiyang, Liang State.

Although they worked diligently, manpower was limited, and military conscription was frequent.

Most people could barely make ends meet.

This is still a large family living in the area surrounding the county town.

Countless people starved to death in the mountains and fields, unseen by the public.

In comparison, in the past few years, the granaries of Hedong alone are probably more abundant than those of the entire Yuzhou.
And the area under the rule of Shu Han was not limited to Hedong.
Lu Yu: "Did Marquis Qu make all of these himself?"

"How could that be?" Shi Tao chuckled.

"The Marquis of Qu must observe mourning; how can he engage in such mundane matters?"

"However, he was a man of extraordinary ideas and was highly regarded throughout the land, with visitors from all over the country coming to visit him year after year."

"Therefore, the Marquis of Qu shared his thoughts and ideas with his guests, and not only about craftsmanship."

“He had a broad knowledge of classical studies, the works of various philosophers, astronomy, and geography.”

"To facilitate communication among the students, he set up an apricot altar next to the thatched cottage and set rules that those who ascend this altar may speak of any school of thought, and as long as their words are reasonable, they shall not attack each other without cause."

Over time, it came to be known as the "Lecture Room of a Hundred Schools of Thought".

"Oh, right!" Shi Tao clapped his hands suddenly, as if he had remembered something.

"Today, the owner of Sanwei Study is giving a lecture. Would you like to come with me to take a look?"

(End of this chapter)