The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 122: The King and His Ministers Get Along, and the Universal Tactics Work Time and Time Again

In fact, Zhang Liao was not blindly loyal.

He had long seen that Lu Bu was not a man who could accomplish anything, but he had no reason to leave him.

Just waste time like this.

Later, in order to deal with Lu Bu, Cao Cao split the military groups under his command.

Through a false imperial decree, he conferred titles on many of Lu Bu's subordinates.

Among them, Zhang Liao was appointed as the governor of Beidi.

The north is in Liangzhou, and it is impossible for Zhang Liao to leave Lu Bu and go to such a far place to take up his post.

But this did have an impact on Zhang Liao's mentality.

Because in the Battle of Xia Pi, which was related to the life and death of Lu Bu, there is no record of Zhang Liao's participation in the battle.

According to Chen Lin's "Exhortation to Wu's Generals and Officers",
As soon as Cao Cao arrived at Xia Pi, Zhang Liao led his troops to surrender before Lu Bu was defeated.

Even according to the records in "Records of the Three Kingdoms", Zhang Liao surrendered with his troops as soon as Lu Bu was captured.

No historical material records Zhang Liao's direct participation in the war.

At least he certainly didn't have the strength to fight.

For example, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Liao was captured alive by Cao Cao and even scolded Cao Cao. Of course, this is also fictional.

Because Zhang Liao joined the group with money.

He surrendered to Cao Cao voluntarily with his own troops.

As we all know, Cao Cao has no resistance to people who bring money into the group.

Therefore, Cao Cao also attached great importance to Zhang Liao. He immediately appointed Zhang Liao as the General of the Central Army and granted him the title of Guannei Hou.

From this we can infer that Zhang Liao actually wanted to leave Lu Bu a long time ago and was just waiting for an opportunity.

He did not fight hard in order to preserve his own army as a bargaining chip for surrendering to Cao Cao.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for Cao Cao to directly appoint a surrendered general as a general and grant him a title.

"I see that Wenyuan has a good appearance, why did he lose his virginity to a thief?"

Guan Yu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and began to persuade Zhang Liao.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao lowered his head and remained silent.

But Guan Yu couldn't help but say a few more words.

"Wenyuan, please listen to me."

"I think Lu Bu is a treacherous and dishonest person."

"To be fierce and violent without knowing righteousness is a great evil."

He paused for a moment, and then recalled the battle between Lü Bu and Cao Cao in Yanzhou the day before yesterday. He stroked his long beard and continued:
"In the defeat at Yanzhou the day before yesterday, Lü Bu's bravery was enough to defeat Cao Cao, but his wisdom and strategy were far inferior to Cao's."

"Courage without strategy, a hero with a weak spirit, is not enough to accomplish anything."

"Wenyuan is with him, and his life is wasted."

General Guan...

Zhang Liao hesitated for a moment, feeling a little shaken.

If it is said that the kindness shown by Li Yi and Liu Bei before had planted a seed in Zhang Liao's heart.

Then Guan Yu was the key person who made this seed take root and sprout.

Historically, Zhang Liao and Guan Yu had a very good relationship.

According to the records in "Fu Zi", Zhang Liao claimed that he and Guan Yu were as close as brothers and they had a very close personal relationship.

One year after Zhang Liao defected to Cao Cao, Cao Cao got another powerful general, Guan Yu.

Cao Cao treated Guan Yu very well and was afraid that he would leave, but he did not dare to ask.

So he asked Zhang Liao to test Guan Yu's intentions.

Zhang Liao went up and asked directly, "Brother, do you really want to follow Cao Gong?"

This kind of question is a death question in the workplace.

When a colleague asks you a question out of the blue, you don’t even know if it was your boss who asked you to do so.

But Guan Yu is an upright man and doesn't understand the twists and turns in the workplace.

He expressed his feelings very directly.

The original words are:
——"I know that Lord Cao treats me well, but I have received great kindness from General Liu and sworn to die with him. I cannot betray him. I will not stay. I will repay Lord Cao with my service and leave."

I know Cao Cao treats me well, but General Liu and I have been inseparable and I cannot break my oath.

But I will not leave until I have accomplished military merit and repaid Cao Gong’s kindness.

When faced with the question of death, Guan Yu was not at all tactful.

He gave the most straightforward answer, which was also the one Cao Cao was most reluctant to hear.

Zhang Liao wanted to report the truth to Cao Cao at that time, but he was afraid that Cao Cao would be angry and kill Guan Yu after knowing it.

It would not be the behavior of a loyal minister to conceal the truth, so he was in a dilemma.

In the end, I could only sigh helplessly. Cao Gong was the king and father, and Guan Yu was a brother.

Between leadership and brotherhood, Zhang Liao chose the former.

So he chose to tell the truth to Cao Cao.

At least two points can be seen from this incident.

First, Zhang Liao is indeed upright and a typical professional who will not put personal interests above public interest.

Second, Zhang Liao and Guan Yu had a very good relationship and their personalities were very compatible.

The only difference between the two is that Zhang Liao is a working person.

Guan Yu remained a man of the world until his death, a knight-errant who did not understand the workplace or the ways of the world.

Because he was supported by Cao Cao, spoiled by Liu Bei, coaxed by Zhuge Liang, and tolerated by his colleagues.

However, Zhang Liao was very tactful in his handling of matters. He knew how difficult it was to survive in the workplace, so he took every step very carefully.

Recruiting such a professional is really neither difficult nor easy.

We must offer generous conditions while maintaining sufficient dignity.

Guan Yu was very patient with the people he liked, and continued to persuade Zhang Liao:

"Wenyuan's courage and strategy are rare in the world."

"My lord is a hero of the time. His courtesy and respect for the virtuous and humble are well known to the world."

"Before the banquet, I saw Wenyuan's appearance and I admired him very much."

"So I asked the military advisor to select Wen Yuan to go to rescue the State of Chen, and I only beg you to work with me."

This……

Zhang Liao couldn't believe that Liu Bei respected him so much, and felt a little timid for a moment.

Guan Yu continued:

"My Lord respects Wenyuan's talent so much, why doesn't Wenyuan abandon his evil ways and join us in supporting the Han Dynasty and accomplishing great things together?"

“Have you not heard that a wise bird chooses the tree to roost in, and a wise minister chooses the master to serve?”

"If you meet a worthy lord but miss him, you are not a real man."

Zhang Liao lowered his head and fell silent again.

Li Yi knew it was his turn to step out, so he stepped out to ease the awkward atmosphere:
"We are calling Wenyuan to the back hall today, not to embarrass him."

"However, tomorrow I will ask my Lord to borrow Wen Yuan from Lu Bu."

"I just want to work together. What do you think, Mr. Wenyuan?"

Li Yi gave Lu Bu a way out and said he would ask Lu Bu to borrow Zhang Liao for use.

Borrowing manpower was still very common in the late Han Dynasty.

Just like Zhang Liao himself, who served as an official under Ding Yuan in his early years.

He was sent to the capital by Ding Yuan to obey the orders of General He Jin and help him recruit soldiers.

However, he did not expect that He Jin would be killed just after he returned, and Dong Zhuo took over the power in the court.

As one of He Jin's direct subordinates, Zhang Liao, like He Jin's other subordinates, commanded troops and was subordinate to Dong Zhuo.

After Dong Zhuo's death, he became a subordinate of Lu Bu, just like last time.

So it can be said that Zhang Liao has no feelings for Lu Bu, he is just a typical workplace worker.

Where is the loyalty between ruler and subject?

But now Liu Bei respects me so much that a gentleman will die for his friend.

Now Liu Bei hopes to borrow Zhang Liao for a job, just hoping that the two of them can work together.

How romantic this is! How could Zhang Liao not follow it?

Zhang Liao immediately bowed deeply to Liu Bei.

"How could Liao be so virtuous and capable that he was so highly regarded by you, Lord Ming."

"Liao is not talented, but I am willing to serve the public!"

Liu Bei was immediately overjoyed and glanced at Li Yi, thinking that the military advisor had more ideas.

Li Yi nodded at him. The two of them had the same plan and cooperated very well.

This trick works every time.

We are borrowing, we just don't return it.

In other words, we can pay you back, as long as you can live to see the day we pay you back.

After all, in this world, swords and knives are blind, and who can guarantee that there will be no accidents in the future...

The task of winning over Zhang Liao was successfully accomplished.

Next, Li Yi had a private chat with Zhang Liao.

The main purpose was to tell him about the current situation in Yuzhou, so that he could understand the situation and make correct judgments when he went to Chen State for rescue later.

……

……

"Now that we have escaped from Yanzhou, we finally have a place to rest."

"Why is Mr. Gongtai so unhappy?"

In the room, Lu Bu stood behind Chen Gong and asked.

Chen Gong put his hands behind his back, frowned, and sighed:

"Now I am living under someone else's roof, and I don't know when I can fight back to Yanzhou. How can I be happy?"

Lu Bu was in a better mood than Chen Gong, and consoled him:

"Victory and defeat are common in the military. If we lose this time, we will seek revenge on Cao next time."

"Why should Mr. Gongtai be in such a hurry?"

Lu Bu lay lazily on the couch, looking contented.

It seems like he doesn't care about it, since he has been drifting for so long anyway.

But Chen Gong was different, Yanzhou was his hometown.

He joined forces with the Yanzhou scholars to rebel against Cao Cao, but he could not afford to lose.

The winner is the king and the loser is the villain. There can only be one winner between him and Cao Cao.

"Does Wenhou really think Liu Bei can tolerate us?"

Chen Gong closed his eyes and asked in a deep voice.

Hearing this, Lu Bu stood up from the couch and said with a glare:

"What do you mean, sir?" "Could it be that my brother..."

"My brother? Huh."

Chen Gong sneered and interrupted Lu Bu, saying angrily and amusedly:

"Marquis Wen, don't you know that Liu Bei is the governor of Xuzhou and we are the defeated generals?"

"Now that Liu Bei has come to take us in, how dare Wen Hou call Fang Bo his brother?"

"Don't you think that at today's banquet, all the generals in Xuzhou want to eat us alive?!"

Chen Gong almost screamed out his last sentence.

I am really disappointed with Lu Bu.

This guy is just a social bull with low emotional intelligence. Is Liu Bei very familiar with you?
You came up and tried to get close to me, saying we were from the same hometown and that we were brothers.

Chen Gong was standing nearby at the time, and he almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Well……"

After hearing what Chen Gong said, Lu Bu also realized that the atmosphere at today's banquet seemed to be a little wrong.

He didn't notice it at first and thought everyone welcomed him.

Otherwise, how could Liu Bei personally lead civil and military officials out of the city to welcome him and even hold such a grand banquet?

"But I see that Liu Bei treats me very well, it doesn't seem like he is unwilling to tolerate me."

Lu Bu scratched his head and said in disbelief.

"Humph, even if Liu Bei can tolerate you, do you think his men can tolerate you?"

Chen Gong raised his eyebrows slightly, "Besides, I've seen Liu Bei never show his emotions."

"How do you know that even though he treats you kindly on the outside, what he thinks of you on the inside?"

"In the eyes of Xuzhou scholars, Wenhou is just a local warrior."

"And we, the scholars of Yanzhou, have a deep blood feud with the people of Xuzhou."

"Does Wenhou really think that Xuzhou can accommodate us?"

Apart from the group of veteran generals under his command, the rest of Lu Bu's troops were all from the Yanzhou faction headed by Chen Gong.

After listening to Chen Gong's analysis, Lu Bu suddenly felt a little scared.

"Could it be that they will murder us?"

"Humph, Liu Xuande is known for his benevolence and righteousness. Now that we are desperate and have come to surrender, I don't think he will harm us openly."

Chen Gong narrowed his eyes, "But I don't know what he is planning in secret..."

After saying this, Chen Gong also sat down and rubbed his temples.

He is under too much pressure these days.

"I don't know why, but after arriving in Xuzhou, I always feel a little uneasy."

Chen Gong let out a breath and was so tired that sweat started to flow down his face.

Lu Bu laughed and said:
"Why are you laughing, sir?"

"Before in Yanzhou, I fought hard and survived a near-death experience. The situation is even more critical than this."

"Mr. Gongtai, do you think it's more dangerous in Xuzhou than in Yanzhou?"

Chen Gong was silent for a while, then replied:
"It's hard to tell!"

After a slight pause, he added:
"Did Lord Wen see Liu Bei's military advisor Li Yi today?"

Lu Bu nodded, "He is a young man, indeed handsome and charming, no wonder Liu Bei likes him."

"If this boy can win Liu Bei's respect just by his appearance, then Liu Bei has nothing to worry about."

Chen Gong waved his hand and said, "Since Liu Bei got Li Yi, his power in Xuzhou has greatly increased."

"I still had some doubts in my heart at first, but until today when I met that young man."

"I realized that this boy is very strategic and his mind is hard to predict."

"He is an opponent ten times more formidable than Cao Cao. You and I must not be careless."

Lu Bu raised his eyebrows and waved his hand:
"Forget it. I'll go see Liu Bei tomorrow and ask him for the land he promised me."

"I've been away from Xia Pi, so this should be safe, right?"

In Lu Bu's opinion, Liu Bei was a loyal man and it was impossible for him to go back on his word and not give him the territory he promised.

After gaining the territory, he recruited soldiers, regrouped and restored his strength.

He is also a local lord.

As long as his strength is restored, what can Liu Bei do to him?
Whether to give the territory or not is up to Lu Bu himself, not Liu Bei.

The corners of Lu Bu's mouth curled up slightly, and he felt happy just thinking about it.

dong dong dong...

There was suddenly a knock on the door.

A waiter walked in from outside and bowed to Lu Bu and Chen Gong.

"Mr. Gongtai, a guest from afar has arrived."

"He said he wanted to see you."

Find me?

Chen Gong frowned, thinking to himself that he had already been defeated in Xuzhou, who would go all the way to Xuzhou to find him?
"Lead the way."

Chen Gong ordered the waiter to lead the way. Before leaving, he also reminded Lü Bu:

"Marquis Wen, have a good rest. You will meet Liu Bei tomorrow."

"You must remember not to lose your gentlemanly manners again!"

Chen Gong wanted to give a few more instructions, but he saw that Lu Bu was already very impatient.

He could only shake his head helplessly and followed the waiter.

"……Ugh."

After seeing Chen Gong leave, Lu Bu sighed.

Speaking of pressure, does Lu Bu have less pressure?
The huge Yanzhou was lost in an instant, and Lu Bu felt more upset than anyone else.

I just don't want to show my vulnerable side in front of my subordinates.

"Husband, does your head still hurt?"

"Let's drink a cup of sobering soup first."

A beautiful young woman came out from the back hall, holding a bowl of sobering soup in her hand.

When Lu Bu saw his beloved wife, he immediately put his worries behind him and said with a smile:

"Madam, you must have been exhausted from the journey. Why are you here instead of taking a rest?"

Although Lu Bu did not have deep feelings for his father, he was indeed deeply in love with his wife and children.

Take it with you wherever you go.

It’s a pity that he has been homeless, causing his wife and children to be displaced as well.

Wei handed Lu Bu the sobering soup, then sat next to him and massaged his shoulders with both hands.

"Seeing that my husband is so worried, how can I sleep peacefully?"

Lu Bu immediately held Wei's hand with joy and said affectionately:

"I have a virtuous wife, and though I have a thousand worries, they do not enter my heart."

"Just talk."

Wei pursed her lips and smiled, feeding Lu Bu some sobering soup.

Lu Bu drank several mouthfuls before speaking:

"My dear wife, it seems that you have something to discuss with me?"

When asked by Lu Bu, Wei simply put down the bowl of soup and smiled at Lu Bu:

"I heard everything that happened between my husband and Mr. Gongtai just now."

Wei couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips and smiled:
"I just heard that Xuzhou's military advisor Li Yi is deeply trusted by Liu Xuzhou."

"I think this person must have a very important position in Xuzhou."

"Since my husband is worried that the people of Xuzhou are incompatible, why not make friends with this military advisor?"

Lu Bu was stunned for a moment, then said:

"I have no relationship with this young man, and we don't get along well."

“How can he associate with me?”

When Wei heard this, her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up.

"My dear husband, have you forgotten that Qi'er has reached the age of marriage this year and is still young?"

"As parents, we should also make some plans for her."

Ok?
Lu Bu raised his eyebrows, "Madam, are you thinking?!"

Wei simply broke it directly:
"Since we are now living in Xuzhou without anyone to rely on, if we can marry into a local clan, we will be able to establish ourselves here."

"After thinking about it, Mr. Li and Qi'er are a perfect match in age. It would be great if the two families could get married."

"Why worry that the people of Xuzhou can't get along?"

There is another reason that Wei never revealed.

That is, Lu Bu was displaced for a long time, and the poor mother and daughter also had to live on the edge of death.

Wei is already middle-aged, so naturally she doesn't care about these things.

But she was the one who raised her daughter, and she couldn't bear to see her continue to suffer with her parents.

Especially when the two families were at war, one could imagine how miserable the fate of the women would be if they fell into the hands of the enemy.

It would be better to find a good family for my daughter to marry so that she can avoid suffering in the army.

By chance, she came to Xuzhou and met a young and promising man who had real power and ability, and was not much older than her daughter.

In Wei's opinion, this is simply a match made in heaven!

"How can I, Lu Bu's tiger daughter, marry a country bumpkin?"

Lu Bu felt somewhat unwilling.

Even though Lu Bu is living a miserable life now, he has just entered the troubled times.

Warlords from all over the country still held positions appointed by the central government, and everyone regarded them as orthodox.

However, Lu Bu was a serious general who was appointed by the imperial court as General Fenwei and Marquis Wen of the Han Dynasty.

In particular, Lu Bu’s Wenhou was the highest-ranking county marquis among the marquises.

It was two levels higher than the Han Shou Ting Hou that Guan Erye later held.

Even Liu Bei looked down on Lu Bu because of his status, let alone Li Yi, a country bumpkin.

This is also the reason why Lu Bu dared to call Liu Bei "brother" when he first met him.

Because he really didn't think there was anything wrong with this title.

I, Lu Bu, am the Marquis Wen of the Han Dynasty, but you, Liu Bei, don’t even have the lowest rank of Marquis Guannei.

I'm calling you my dear brother, is that condescending?

You are so unhappy.

This made Lu Bu feel very puzzled.

……

(End of this chapter)