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

Chapter 293 Commanding the wind and rain, displaying divine power before the people—no god could surpass this.
Meanwhile, Li Yi and Zuo Ci made a bet, with Li Yi setting the question.

Everyone watched with bated breath, and Li Yi spoke slowly:
"I only compare myself to you in one thing: washing my hands in a frying pan."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present turned pale.

"...washing hands in a hot oil pan?"

Zuo Ci was taken aback at first, then stroked his beard and said slowly:
"I just don't know whether I should wash first or the Prime Minister should wash first."

Li Yi smiled and said:

"Since I brought it up, I should wash it first."

Zuo Ci was relieved and immediately agreed to the contest.

In a moment,

The officials set up a cauldron of oil, lit dry firewood, and ignited a raging fire to bring the oil to a boil.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, sparks flew and the oil in the pot boiled in no time.

Clearly, this is a pot of boiling oil.

The only difference was that a faint sour smell wafted from the oil pan.

Li Yi took out two copper coins, threw them into the oil pot, and said:
“You and I will each take one copper coin. If you take it out, you win.”

Zuo Ci thought to himself:

"...If an ordinary person were to reach into a boiling oil pot, how could they possibly survive?"

"Let's see how Li Yi takes it out."

"……good."

After hesitating for a long time, Zuo Ci finally nodded.

"...Then please go ahead, Prime Minister."

Everyone thought Li Yi was about to throw his hand into the boiling oil, but Li Yi suddenly spoke:

"...How can my teachings be used only for my own benefit?"

"I would like to invite someone to come up on stage and withdraw the money for me."

what?
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.

He wondered why, at the very last moment, Li Yi refused to go and retrieve it himself.

But if we say that Li Yi chickened out, then in the end, losing the competition will only damage his own prestige.

What can be done about it?
Li Yi knew perfectly well that he couldn't hurt anyone by reaching for the copper coins now.

But if he goes to retrieve it himself, others will assume that he has tampered with it.

If audience members were allowed to go up directly, it would surely make them more convinced of the power of the "Taoist method".

After Li Yi asked the question, no one dared to answer.

Upon seeing this, Wei Yan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"...Your Excellency, please allow me to go!"

It would be impossible to say that Wei Yan was completely unafraid.

But he was willing to believe Li Yi, and he understood in his heart.

Making a good impression on your superiors at crucial moments is more important than anything else.

However, Li Yi waved his hand, refusing Wei Yan's offer to volunteer.

He didn't want to go himself, nor did he want his people to go.

I just want to randomly select one lucky audience member to go up.

Just as no one in the crowd dared to respond, a clear and melodious female voice suddenly rang out.

"...I dare to go up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman stepped out from the crowd.

As everyone looked at him, he was wearing red scale armor and had a sword hanging at his waist.

Her almond-shaped eyes held a hint of authority, and her black hair was tied high.

He walked with a brisk pace and exuded a commanding presence.

The people were immediately in uproar:

"It's a woman!"

Xun You recognized this person and introduced him to Li Yi:
"This is Lingqi, the daughter of Marquis Lü Wenhou."

Lü Lingqi walked up to Li Yi and bowed respectfully.

"I have long heard that the Prime Minister is well-versed in the principles of all things, and I am willing to verify the truth of this matter!"

Li Yi carefully observed his appearance and indeed found him to be imposing and dashing. He then smiled and said:
"Marquis Wen guarded Liaodong and made great contributions."

"Now that I see this tiger-woman, she surpasses even the most valiant men."

"But washing hands in a vat of hot oil is no joke."

"With your delicate skin and tender flesh, how dare you go?"

Lu Lingqi's lips curled up slightly, and she hummed:
"But for the sake of the Prime Minister, I am willing to face any danger, even mountains of knives and seas of fire!"

Li Yi was overjoyed and immediately ordered Lü Lingqi to wash her hands.

Before leaving, he pretended to be mysterious and recited immortal magic to protect himself.

Lü Lingqi understood and walked to the oil fryer.

Everyone present held their breath.

It would be such a pity if such a delicate beauty were to lose her limbs.

Lingqi stood by the oil pan, the slowly rising steam reddening her face.

But there was not a trace of fear on that pretty face.

Lingqi only sensed a faint sour smell in the air, like aged vinegar.

He took a deep breath and reached his hand into the oil pan.

In that instant, Lingqi felt that the oil was only slightly hot.

But it wasn't hot enough to burn anyone, which made him overjoyed:
"...Prime Minister Li is truly a god!"

Li Yi, however, was completely focused on the oil in the pan. Seeing the bubbles rising and rolling at the bottom, he urged Lingqi:
"...Young lady, please take the copper coins quickly."

"Do not delay, for my teachings cannot be maintained for long."

Lu Lingqi nodded obediently and reached into the pot.

Everyone below the stage watched the young woman's every move with bated breath.

A moment later, Lingqi's slender, jade-like hand emerged from the oil pan, holding a copper coin.

The onlookers were all amazed, and many applauded and cheered.

"color!"

"color!!"

Everyone exclaimed that it was a great experience and a feast for the eyes.

Even Zuo Ci was dumbfounded, having never seen such a sight before.

"Master Xiang!"

Lingqi walked excitedly to Li Yi, presented the copper coins with both hands, and respectfully handed them to Li Yi.

Li Yi smiled slightly, took the copper coin, and then turned to Zuo Ci, saying coldly:

"...Taoist, it's your turn."

Zuo Ci trembled and could not go in, but forced a smile and said:
"The Prime Minister's divine skills are unmatched; this humble Taoist priest humbly admits defeat..."

"Ok?"

Li Yi raised an eyebrow, his face showing displeasure.

Wei Yan immediately drew his sword and stepped forward, shouting sternly:
"...You old fool, how dare you not go?"

Left with no other choice, Zuo Ci walked tremblingly to the oil cauldron.

Gazing at the bubbling bubbles, I couldn't help but swallow hard.

Then, he shakily reached into the pot.

"Oh!!"

In the instant he reached out, Zuo Ci's withered hand suddenly retracted, his skin and flesh torn open.

In a panic, he staggered backward, knocking over the incense table.

His Taoist hat fell off, and his white hair was disheveled.

Everyone glanced at Zuo Ci's hand and saw that the skin and flesh had indeed been burned by the oil.

"...That oil cauldron was indeed real! The Prime Minister truly possesses such magical power!"

After the crowd confirmed that the oil fryer was real, their emotions were immediately ignited.

Many people began to criticize Zuo Ci, shouting:

"Didn't you say you had an immortal friend? How come you can't even put food in a frying pan?"

"Put it in the oil!"

"Put it in the oil!"

"..."

The crowd started to jeer, clamoring for Zuo Ci to be thrown into the oil cauldron.

Li Yi slammed his fist on the table and roared in anger:

"Those who deceive the masses deserve to die!"

"Guards, throw Zuo Ci into the oil cauldron."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of warriors stepped forward and lifted Zuo Ci up.

At this moment, Zuo Ci's fear of Li Yi had surpassed his fear of the boiling oil.

Because he and Li Yi were boiled in the same oil pot, yet that delicate young lady remained unharmed.

He simply reached out and his skin was burned and rolled back.

It seems that the legendary Master Tian Shu truly received his teachings from the immortals!
"Fellow Taoist, spare your life!"

"Fellow Daoist, spare my life!"

Zuo Ci begged for mercy repeatedly.

He was pushed into the oil pot by the crowd.

"Ahhhhh!!"

A scream of agony came from the oil pan.

The Taoist robe ignited upon contact with oil, and his emaciated body floated up and down three times.

The skin and flesh immediately ruptured, and the white bones floated to the surface.

The stench of burning permeated the city.

Among the common people who had been deceived, wept and cried out:
"Heaven has eyes! It has sent the Prime Minister to punish this wicked man."

Everyone admired Li Yi so much that they all prostrated themselves on the ground.

Only Li Yi knew that this was not a magic technique.

It is actually aged vinegar mixed with oil.

It appears to be boiling, but it is actually as warm as a bath.

This is because vinegar has a boiling point of only 60°C, while oil has a boiling point of approximately 200°C.

Therefore, when the vinegar was boiling, Li Yi first asked Lü Lingqi to fetch it.

After Lü Lingqi finished retrieving the oil, it gradually boiled.

Therefore, Zuo Ci's mortal body could not withstand it.

Subsequently, Li Yi ordered his men to retrieve Zuo Ci's body.

The corpse was displayed in the marketplace as a warning to future generations.

Seeing that the crowd's emotions had been stirred up, he addressed them, saying:
"You all know that my master is a disciple of an enlightened immortal."

“Since I am familiar with Taoist arts, I naturally know how to pray for wind and rain.”

"Have you not remembered how, at the Battle of Red Cliffs, I set up an altar to pray for an east wind?"

Everyone cheered and said they knew.

Li Yi then went along with it and said:
"There is a drought today. Tomorrow I will ask you all to pray for rain and bring you three feet of sweet rain. What do you say?"

Everyone was overjoyed and exclaimed that it was a great blessing.

Lu Lingqi never expected that she would meet Li Yi as soon as she arrived in Jizhou.

To be able to see him praying for wind and rain made the trip truly worthwhile.

So, some straight women asked Li Yi:
"Your Excellency is incredibly powerful, but why pray for rain tomorrow instead of today?"

Why tomorrow, and not today?

This is a good question.

Guess why I chose to pray for rain tomorrow?

As early as the day before yesterday, Li Yi and his research team had calculated that rain would fall around 1:00 PM tomorrow.

Although the exact time may vary.

But it doesn't matter, since Li Yi set up an altar to pray for rain anyway.

There will be a set of rain-praying ritual movements.

You can stop doing it once the rain actually starts.

To ensure absolute safety.

"...Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed; you will know tomorrow."

Li Yi replied indifferently.

He then ordered an altar to be set up in the southern suburbs of Bohai.

The following day, thousands of people gathered to watch.

On the nine-zhang-high platform, blue banners fluttered.

The bronze dragon spews mist, and the jade chime rings out like thunder.

Li Yi wore a crane-feather cloak and held a peach wood sword.

Lu Lingqi watched Li Yi from below the stage and couldn't help but whisper to Xun You:
"Can the Prime Minister really summon wind and rain?"

Xun You stroked his beard and smiled, "Let's observe."

At noon, dark clouds began to appear.

Li Yi seized the opportunity and pointed his sword at the heavens.

Suddenly a strong wind arose, and as the wind passed, dark clouds gradually gathered all around.

"By imperial decree of Taiyi, the Thunder Department shall heed the proclamation."

Suddenly, a flame ignited at the tip of Li Yi's sword.

It was phosphorus powder that Li Yi had prepared in advance, specifically for this moment to ignite spontaneously.

Everyone who saw this gasped in astonishment.

Li Yi pointed again.
Suddenly, the wind rose and the clouds surged, and thunder and lightning struck.

The rain poured down.

In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and rain fell like beans.

The streets were filled with rivers, and the streams were overflowing, with a three-foot-long drop of sweet rain.

The people cheered and knelt in worship:

"Li Gong is truly a divine being!"

Lu Lingqi, her eyes glazed over, sighed as she touched her sword:

"I have long admired the Prime Minister's plan to set up an altar at Chibi to borrow wind."

"Today I actually witnessed the Prime Minister summoning thunder and rain; it was truly an eye-opener."

Li Yi feigned exhaustion and was helped down by a servant.

During the evening banquet, Xun You secretly asked:

"Why, Your Excellency..."

Li Yi pointed to the "Treatise on Astronomy" on his desk and smiled:

"This is not due to my own efforts, but rather the result of half a month of calculations by thirty people from the Institute of Natural Sciences."

“When I governed Hebei, the people believed in ghosts and gods, but did not do anything practical.”

"Therefore, I dealt with Zuo Ci and set up an altar to pray for rain."

"All of this is to stabilize public sentiment and ensure the stability of Hebei."

"These are turbulent times, and you should all be on your guard."

"Do not be lax or negligent, lest treacherous people take advantage of the situation."

Xun You nodded and took advantage of the opportunity.

In this way, the important matters in Hebei were finally resolved one by one.

As for the remaining official duties, Li Yi returned to his long-missed Prime Minister's residence.

He summoned his staff to discuss and handle the matter together.

Throughout the year, many new people join.

Everyone was eager to impress Li Yi, so they buried themselves in their work, working day and night.

Not to be discussed.

……

Jingzhou, Jiangling.

After arriving in Jingzhou, Zhuge Liang took Li Yi as his role model and worked hard day and night.

Thanks to the joint efforts of Yi Ji, Ma Liang, and others, the livelihood of the people in Jingzhou was finally restored to the pre-war level.

Since Zhuge Liang did not immediately try to take away the interests of the powerful clans in Jingzhou, they remained relatively well-behaved.

They basically cooperated with Zhuge Liang's work, each getting what they needed.

That day, Zhuge Liang stood by the river for a long time, waiting for the person he wanted to see to arrive. He frowned and let out a long sigh.

"...Ziqiao has betrayed me."

Zhang Song promised Zhuge Liang that he would return to Jiangling to see him, but in the end he never came back.

Zhuge Liang knew that Zhang Song's failure to return meant that he had seen more than just Cao Cao.

He must have even made some kind of deal with Cao Cao, which is why he didn't dare to come back to see him in the end.

"...Sir, there's no need to worry."

A young man stepped out from behind and draped a crane-feather cloak over Zhuge Liang's shoulders.

"The autumn wind is quite strong outside, sir. You should go back inside."

Zhuge Liang glanced at him, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

This person was none other than Ma Liang's younger brother, Ma Su, the youngest of the five Ma brothers.

After Zhuge Liang arrived in Jingzhou, he recruited local talents extensively, including the five Ma brothers.

This Ma family is no ordinary family; they are natives of Xiangyang.

As mentioned before, Liu Biao transformed Jingzhou into a paradise, attracting a large number of scholars and officials from the north who had come to seek refuge to gather in Xiangyang.

Therefore, Xiangyang was known as the largest prefecture in the world.

So, being born and raised here, and having a Xiangyang household registration, truly makes one a "big shot."

Although the villagers all say, "Of the five members of the Ma family, Bai Mei is the best."

But Zhuge Liang's favorite was still Ma Su, the youngest of the five brothers.

At this time, Ma Su was only eighteen years old.

Don't underestimate Ma Su because he's young.
Even Ma Su in history, when he was only in his early twenties, had already become an official in Jingzhou and the magistrate of Mianzhu County.

Now that he has just turned eighteen, Zhuge Liang has recruited him to be a chief clerk in his staff.

In other words, a secretary who helps with paperwork and often consults with one on important military matters.

Upon seeing his arrival, Zhuge Liang immediately asked:

"...Is Young Master Liu feeling any better?"

Ma Su shook his head and sighed:
"...The situation is not optimistic. Young Master Liu Qi coughed up blood again today."

"The doctor examined you and said that your condition is due to excessive indulgence in wine and women, which has led to spleen and kidney deficiency."

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid I won't live past two years..."

It is highly likely that Liu Qi in history contracted tuberculosis.

This was quite a challenge in ancient times when medical technology was underdeveloped.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but sigh:

"This will allow the doctor to take good care of you."

He paused slightly, then continued:

"Once the young master's health improves, we will send him to Xiangyang to recuperate."

“That’s his homeland. If he stays there, perhaps his illness will heal faster.”

"Sir, we should send Young Master Liu Qi back to Xiangyang, in case..."

Ma Su whispered a reminder to Zhuge Liang.

Xiangyang was the capital of Liu Biao's regime and also the most stubborn force of the Jingzhou faction.

If Liu Qi is sent back to Xiangyang out of thin air now, what if the people of Xiangyang support Liu Qi to take the throne?

Our control over the Han River area is about to weaken.

And if we really think about it from a darker perspective, what if Liu Qi is faking illness in order to escape our control?

Isn't that like letting a tiger return to the mountains?

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and pondered for a moment:
"Although Young Master Liu is timid, he is kind by nature."

“Jingzhou has just experienced the ravages of war, and it will certainly not be able to bear seeing the devastation of war again.”

"Now I am sending him back to Xiangyang to recuperate, precisely to inform the people of Xiangyang."

“I will not only treat Liu Jingsheng’s descendants well, but also the old ministers of Jingzhou well.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Su immediately bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
"...Sir, your foresight is unmatched."

Zhuge Liang smiled helplessly:
"Liang's insight is like a firefly compared to the bright moon compared to Li Xiang's."

Ma Su then said solemnly:
Why should you belittle yourself, sir?

"It is not that Su is disrespectful to Prime Minister Li, but rather that I believe..."

"Prime Minister Li was only a few years older than you, sir."

"If you were the same age as Li, you would have met the King of Qi before him."

"It is not necessarily true that we could not have achieved our current success."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang simply smiled.

Neither refuting nor agreeing.

You should know that he was also a spirited and extremely confident person.

Otherwise, how could he dare to compare himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi?
However, Li Yi's brilliance was too dazzling, and his achievements were basically complete.

To put it bluntly...

Even if Li Yi were to suddenly die before achieving his goal, based on his existing achievements...

This is enough to make him famous throughout history, and to put him on par with his predecessors such as Guan Zhong, Han Xin, and Deng Yu.

"...Youchang, what is your opinion on the matter of Xichuan?"

Zhuge Liang then changed the subject, suddenly shifting the focus to Yizhou.

The reason he liked Ma Su was because the young man was very talented and had a magnanimity far exceeding that of ordinary people.

In particular, he is a military enthusiast, and can be described as a walking military encyclopedia.

Once he starts talking about military affairs, he becomes incredibly eloquent and can talk non-stop for a whole night.

Zhuge Liang was always very concerned about the situation in Xichuan.

Because he was in Jingzhou, Xichuan could be considered Jingzhou's backyard.

At least for Liu Bei's camp at present, the only way to enter Xichuan is through Jingzhou.

This is also the most convenient route.

If you really manage to break through from Hanzhong, then Sichuan will teach you a lesson you won't forget:

"The road to Shu is more difficult than ascending to heaven."

Seeing that Liu Bei had no intention of seizing Xichuan on horseback, Zhuge Liang was extremely anxious and wrote to Liu Bei many times.

He hoped that he would allow him to interfere in the affairs of Xichuan.

However, Liu Bei repeatedly reassured Zhuge Liang, telling him that they should first stabilize Jingzhou before discussing matters concerning Xichuan.

Ma Su then bowed and spoke to Zhuge Liang, saying:
"Reporting to you, sir, I believe this is the intention of the King of Qi."

"Those who wish to conquer Western Sichuan must first secure Jingzhou."

"Now the King of Qi has entrusted the land of Jing to you, sir, and he must ensure peace and stability before taking it."

"If Jingzhou and Xiangyang are not yet secure, then hastily attacking Western Shu would be like building a platform on shifting sands."

"Although Cao Cao coveted the land of Shu, the King of Qi acted in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people."

"If we can conquer the Central Plains, all people will follow us, and who would not believe that the Han Dynasty will rise again?"

"At that time, a proclamation could have pacified Xichuan; why bother with a distant expedition?"

Zhuge Liang's brows relaxed slightly, and he quietly turned and walked into the room.

Ma Su followed cautiously behind, continuing to express his views:
“The four prefectures in southern Jing are easy to capture but difficult to defend. We can transfer officials from northern Jing to govern them.”

"Divide his followers and weaken his foundation."

"In this way, the powerful clans dared not act rashly, and the new policies were able to be implemented."

"Sir, your foundation in Jingzhou will also become increasingly solid."

Finally, there was another deep bow.

"I hope you will consider this."

Zhuge Liang nodded repeatedly after hearing this.

Smiling, he took Ma Su's hand and exclaimed in admiration:

"...Youchang is truly exceptionally quick-witted, exceptionally quick-witted!"

This is why Zhuge Liang liked Ma Su.

To know,
Historically, whenever Zhuge Liang discussed military strategies with Ma Su, they would talk from day to night.

How busy was Prime Minister Zhuge Liang?

That was a position where "no matter how small the political affairs were, they were all decided by Liang," truly a person who managed countless affairs every day.

Despite his busy schedule, Zhuge Liang still made time to talk to Ma Su for so long each time.

This clearly shows that Zhuge Liang really liked Ma Su.

Of course, we all know that.

Before his death, Liu Bei specifically instructed Zhuge Liang:
"Ma Su's words are exaggerated; he should not be given important responsibilities. Your Majesty should carefully consider this!"

Liu Bei not only reminded Zhuge Liang not to give Ma Su important positions, but also specifically said, "If you don't believe me, you can test him."

Zhuge Liang actually went to investigate seriously.

Upon closer inspection, it turns out that's not the case.

Ma Su was actually a man of great military strategy, and the late emperor had made mistakes in judging people.

For example, he once misjudged Pang Tong and Jiang Wan, and misused Peng Yang.

Therefore, I should stick to my own judgment!
Zhuge Liang not only ignored Liu Bei's advice, but also promoted Ma Su to the position of military advisor.

Until the Battle of Jieting broke out, Ma Su was always Zhuge Liang's favorite.

Of course, it wouldn't be fair to say that Ma Su had absolutely no ability.

As mentioned above, Ma Su was able to discuss military matters with Zhuge Liang for an entire night.

This is no simple matter.
Zhuge Liang was a military strategist in himself.

in reality,
If you really want to exchange academic ideas with high-level talents, experts, professors, and even academicians from home and abroad.

You'll run out of words in less than five minutes.

The fact that Ma Su could talk to Zhuge Liang for so long shows that he was quite knowledgeable.

His military knowledge is certainly exceptional in both depth and breadth, rather than that of a mere bookworm who relies on rote memorization.

At present, Ma Su proposed a strategy of first pacifying Jingnan and then looking towards Xichuan, which was highly praised by Zhuge Liang.

He then returned to his residence and discussed with Ma Su the specifics of pacifying Jingnan.

“Jingnan has long refused to submit to Jiangling because of its strategic location and remoteness.”

“Since Youchang has advised me to first pacify Jingnan, may I first share my views?”

Zhuge Liang peeled an orange, put it in his mouth, and discussed it with Ma Su.

Ma Su stroked his beard, pondered for a long time, and then spoke in a voice as deep as a bell:
"...Changsha is the closest, so we can attack Changsha first."

"Prefect Han Xuan was quick-tempered and prone to killing, which was disliked by everyone."

"If they see our army arrive, the people will welcome them wholeheartedly and will not help Han Xuan."

"Moral support from many, scant support."

"Han Xuan has lost his way, and Changsha can fall without a fight."

"Then we took Guiyang and Lingling."

"The prefect of Guiyang, Zhao Fan, was timid by nature and surrendered as soon as he saw the flag."

“Liu Du, the prefect of Lingling, is mediocre and unambitious. Upon seeing our large army, he will surely surrender his official seal.”

"In this way, three of the four prefectures in Jingnan can be pacified."

"As for the Wuling plan..."

Ma Su paused slightly, then spoke slowly:
“We can send someone with gold and pearls to befriend the Five Streams Barbarian King Shamoke.”

"Promise them a hundred carts of salt and iron, and a thousand bolts of fine wool, and invite them to send troops to attack Wuling."

"When Jin Xuan, the prefect of Wuling, sees that there are barbarian soldiers helping him, he will surely be terrified and surrender."

"In this way, the four prefectures of Jingnan can be taken in one fell swoop."

Zhuge Liang stood up and carefully considered Ma Su's opinion.

Ma Su continued to mutter in his ear:
"After the four prefectures are completely pacified and the situation is stabilized."

“Relocate capable officials from northern Jing to govern southern Jing, and transfer gentry from southern Jing to Xiangyang.”

"Divide his followers and weaken his foundation."

"In this way, Jingzhou will be as easy to control as an arm, and the gates of Xichuan will open on their own."

In Ma Su's view, the purpose of pacifying Jingnan was more to reduce the influence of the powerful clans in Jingbei.

By relocating people from northern Jingzhou to southern Jingzhou to serve as officials, it was tantamount to exiling them in disguise.

This approach avoids being too hasty and lest it incite the powerful clans of Jingzhou to rebel.

To put it bluntly, I'm just transferring you to the south to be an official. Are you going to rebel?

Those who are transferred to other posts are unhappy, but they will reluctantly accept it.

Once they leave, their influence in Jingbei will naturally diminish.

“You Chang’s words are very much to my liking, so I will proceed accordingly.”

At Zhuge Liang's command, 15,000 troops were immediately mustered.

The veteran general Huang Zhong was appointed as the vanguard, and Zhao Yun as the commander-in-chief.

Zhuge Liang and Ma Su were appointed as commanders of the central army, while Yi Ji, Gao Shun, and Ma Liang were left to guard Jiangling.

The army headed straight for Changsha.

When Prefect Han Xuan heard of this, he hurriedly went out of the city to see for himself.

Looking into the distance, one could see dust rising; Huang Zhong's army had already arrived.

Because Huang Zhong had previously served as an official in Changsha, he was considered half a Changsha native.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang sent him to persuade the people of Changsha to surrender.

Han Xuan knew Huang Zhong's bravery, and hurriedly asked the crowd who dared to meet him.
One of the generals stepped forward and shouted:

“What’s the harm in a mere old soldier? With my sword, I’ll capture him alive.”

"To diminish his reputation for beheading Xiahou."

Han Xuan looked at him and saw that he was Yang Ling, the military officer in charge of the army.

He was in his early thirties, a time when he was young and strong.

He underestimated Huang Zhong because of his old age and didn't take him seriously.

So Han Xuan then dispatched Yang Ling with a thousand men, who rushed out of the city.

He bumped into Huang Zhong's army and immediately started cursing:
"...Old soldier, how dare you invade my territory?"

Huang Zhong shouted:

"All under heaven belongs to the Han people, and our lord is a relative of the Han emperor."

"Your lord has invaded Han territory, and you still have the audacity to do so?!"

Enraged, Yang Ling charged forward with his spear and spurred his horse, heading straight for Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong didn't answer, but instead spurred his horse and brandished his sword to fight Yang Ling.

Before three exchanges were over, the old general raised his sword and felled Yang Ling from his horse.

He led his men in pursuit of the defeated soldiers, killing them all the way to the city walls.

Han Xuan was greatly alarmed upon hearing this and hurriedly went to the city wall to see what was happening.

Seeing Huang Zhong's powerful and strong army, each soldier was filled with fear.

He looked around and said:

"In ancient times, Lian Po, at the age of eighty, still ate a peck of rice and ten pounds of meat."

"Huang Zhong is not yet seventy years old. How could I be his match?"

"Furthermore, with Zhuge Liang's strategies at their disposal, Changsha will certainly not be able to be defended."

Therefore, he led his people to surrender and presented the great seal to Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong led his army into the city and posted notices to reassure the people.

Later, Zhuge Liang's army arrived and rewarded Huang Zhong handsomely.

He then appeased Han Xuan and reinstated him as the governor of Changsha.

This move was intended to reassure Han Xuan's troops.

Han Xuan nodded and thanked Zhuge Liang profusely, expressing his gratitude for Zhuge Liang's kindness.

"We dare not oppose Master Kongming again."

After Han Xuan surrendered, the remaining counties of Changsha had no power to resist.

They all surrendered to Zhuge Liang's army.

Huang Zhong then approached Zhuge Liang and recommended talented individuals to him:
“I have an old friend who is exceptionally brave and invincible.”

"He and I guarded You County together back then."

"Now is the time when we need capable people. Why don't you summon him, Mr. Kongming?"

Zhuge Liang then asked who it was.

Huang Zhong replied:

"This person is Liu Pan, a nephew of Liu Jingsheng."

Historically, Liu Pan had invaded Sun Ce's territory several times.

Sun Ce was extremely troubled by him, so he sent Taishi Ci to Jianchang to keep watch, which finally calmed Liu Pan down.

Zhuge Liang agreed and immediately sent men to persuade Liu Pan to join his army.

……

(End of this chapter)