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

Chapter 294 There are plenty of women in the world, why should a great man worry about not having a wife?

After arriving in Jingzhou, Zhuge Liang worked diligently to stabilize the situation and then led his troops to subdue the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou.

The army arrived in Changsha first, and the prefect Han Xuan surrendered the city.

Zhuge Liang then led his troops to capture Lingling.

The prefect of Lingling was named Liu Du. Upon hearing of the arrival of Zhuge Liang's army, he hurriedly discussed countermeasures with his son, Liu Xian.

"Now Zhuge Liang controls Jingbei, and Changsha surrenders without a fight."

“It is of no benefit for us to hold this place; we might as well surrender.”

What does Xian'er think?

Liu Xian quickly stopped him, saying:

“Father, you are mistaken. Lingling is situated by the Xiang River and has never been under the control of the Central Plains.”

"Zhuge Liang was a scholar, and most of the people under his command were from the Central Plains. How could they adapt to the climate of the Xiang River?"

"Furthermore, as far as I know, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and others did not come with Zhuge Liang."

"There is only one old soldier, Huang Zhong, who is not worth mentioning."

Liu Du's thoughts actually represent the thoughts of most people in Jingnan.

As mentioned before, Jingzhou was divided into Jingnan and Jingbei.

It's because the gap between the rich and the poor is too big.

The rich guys in Jingbei mostly look down on the poor guys in Jingnan.

Even after Liu Biao pacified Jingnan and unified Jingzhou, he still granted Jingnan a high degree of autonomy.

Therefore, it doesn't matter to these people from Jingnan who their leader is.

Whether it's Liu Biao, Cao Cao, or Liu Bei, we'll just listen to you.

As long as you don't get in our way, it's fine.

Although they now have a higher-ranking official above them, they are essentially local "tyrants" when that official is not around.

Therefore, when Liu Biao accepted the surrender of the four commanderies in Jingnan, he retained their original official positions.

Jingnan naturally had no reason to oppose Liu Biao.

However, Zhuge Liang's purpose in coming here was to bring the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou under his complete control.

This changes the nature of the situation.

"But for my Lingling region to resist Liu Bei would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

Liu Du said with concern.

“Father is confused. Because Lingling is a poor and remote place, he thought Liu Bei would not send a large army here.”

Liu Xian analyzed it carefully.

It is precisely because we are so poor that Liu Bei would never send a large army to attack us.

That's not even enough to cover the gas money for a round trip.

You see, many unified dynasties preferred to appease and pacify smaller local forces when they were dealing with them.

This is why they didn't directly launch a large-scale military campaign.

"If we surrender the city directly, Zhuge Liang will certainly not treat us well."

"But if we lose two battles first, and then discuss surrender, we will surely be treated well."

Liu Xian analyzed the situation methodically.

hiss……

Liu Du gasped, stroked his chin, and pondered:

"...Zhuge Liang was a student of Li Ziyu, and was by no means an ordinary person."

"How can we defend against it?"

Liu Xian crossed his arms and shouted:

"Father, do not worry. Zhuge Liang only has Huang Zhong by his side."

"I am Xing Daorong, a general of this prefecture, capable of fighting ten thousand men. How could I possibly be no match for him?"

"Although you may appoint them, you can still resist."

Liu Du urgently summoned Xing Daorong to his tent.

The man was eight feet tall with round eyes.

He had broad shoulders and a strong waist, with robust limbs.

Liu Du was very surprised and asked aloud:

“Zhuge Liang led his army to invade Lingling, and my son strongly recommended you to be the vanguard.”

"Do you dare to fight Huang Zhong?"

"How could I not dare!"

Xing Daorong, his voice booming like a bell, bowed to Liu Du:

"...Reporting to the Lord, I rely solely on this great axe in my hand."

"Not to mention Huang Zhong, even if Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and the like came together."

“I will discipline him a thousand times, and he will die a thousand times.”

"It's a pity that Li Yi isn't here. If he were here, we would capture him as well and present him to the Lord."

Liu Du was overjoyed and immediately bestowed upon Dao Rong ten catties of mutton and five bottles of wine to bolster his prestige.

He also said that there would be a great reward after the victory.

Xing Daorong then led three thousand troops out of the city, and the two armies faced each other.

Dao Rong stepped forward, wielding a massive mountain-splitting axe, and shouted in a fierce voice:

"You scoundrel! How dare you invade my territory!"

Then, a cluster of yellow flags appeared in the middle of the formation.

At the starting point, a four-wheeled vehicle was pushed out, with a person sitting inside.

He wore a turban, a crane-feather cloak, and held a feather fan.

He was handsome and had a dignified bearing.

It was Kongming.

Zhuge Liang beckoned Xing Daorong with a feather fan and laughed, saying:
"I am Zhuge Kongming of Langya."

"Cao Cao led an army of 800,000, yet our army still slaughtered them all without leaving a single survivor."

"You small place called Lingling, how could you possibly be worthy to fight me?"

"We have come here today to persuade you to surrender. Why not lay down your arms and surrender with courtesy?"

"To avoid being killed."

Upon hearing this, Xing Daorong threw his head back and laughed loudly:
"Nonsense! Don't try to deceive people here."

"The Battle of Red Cliffs is known to all, and it was Li Yi's scheme. What business is it of yours?"

"Dare to spout nonsense here, and I'll take your dog's head!"

After saying this, Dao Rong swung his mountain-splitting axe and charged towards Kong Ming.

Kongming then turned back into the chariot and walked into the formation, whereupon the gates closed again.

Dao Rong charged in recklessly, leading his troops into the fray, and the enemy forces quickly split into two groups.

Unable to find Zhuge Liang, they looked around.

Seeing a cluster of yellow flags in the center, he guessed it was Kongming himself, so he headed towards the yellow flags.

After passing the foot of the mountain, the yellow flag was tied up, and suddenly the middle part was split apart.

There was no four-wheeled vehicle in sight, only a general standing on horseback with a sword drawn.

With a loud shout, he charged straight at Dao Rong.

It was Huang Hansheng.

Dao Rong roused himself and swung his great axe to meet the attack.

After only a few exchanges, his strength waned, and he turned his horse and fled.

Huang Zhong caught up from behind, and as soon as he shouted, both ambushers came out.

Xing Daorong charged out at the cost of his life, leaving only a dozen or so riders with him.

Before they had gone two miles, they encountered a general ahead who blocked their path and shouted:
"You scoundrel! Do you even recognize Zhao Zilong of Changshan?"

Zhao Zilong?
Xing Daorong raised an eyebrow, shouted, rushed over, and swung his axe to chop Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun dodged to the side, grabbing the axe handle with one hand.

Dao Rong couldn't pull it out, so he gritted his teeth and strained with both hands.

As soon as Zhao Yun let go, Dao Rong cried out "Ah!" and dismounted.

The warriors on either side rushed forward and bound him.

Seeing that Xing Daorong had been captured and had nowhere to run, the rest of the crowd dismounted and surrendered.

Zilong captured Daorong and brought him to the camp to see Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang ordered him to be beheaded, which frightened Dao Rong so much that he repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"Spare your life! Spare your life!"

“It’s not a small matter; it’s all because Liu Du and his son are determined to oppose you, sir.”

"I have always wanted to submit to the King of Qi, but I have no way to do so."

"To see your divine countenance today is truly a blessing from heaven!"

Zhuge Liang then stopped the warrior and asked him:

"Since you wish to surrender, go back and capture Liu Du and his son for me, and I will allow you to surrender."

Are you willing?

Dao Rong bowed repeatedly, "I'm willing, I'm willing."

"It is my greatest honor to serve Mr. Kongming."

Zhuge Liang then asked him what method he would use to capture the father and son.
Xing Daorong thought for a moment and then said:

“If you are willing to let me go back, I will have a clever explanation.”

"Tonight, sir, just send your troops to raid the camp, and I will be your inside man."

"With our two armies working together from the inside and outside, capturing Liu Du and his son alive will be a piece of cake."

Zhuge Liang was overjoyed and immediately ordered Xing Daorong to be released.

They also gave him clothes, food, and wine, and sent someone to escort him home.

None of the generals in the tent believed in Rong's words.

Zhao Yun frowned and advised:
“...Strategist, this man is greedy for life and afraid of death, and has no backbone or integrity.”

"I fear that if they return, they may not truly be willing to act as our internal agents."

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and smiled:
"How could I not know that these people have no intention of surrendering?"

"Now I intend to use their scheme against them and get them to help me take Lingling."

The generals all bowed in submission and said in unison:
"The strategist is a genius, I can't wait."

……

Xing Daorong was released and allowed to return to the village. Liu Xian hurriedly brought him to the city.

"Just now I saw the general fighting Zhuge Liang outside the city. They fought to a great distance and then disappeared from sight."

"What's the situation with the unknown battle? Why are you the only one who returned?"

Faced with Liu Xian's questioning, Xing Daorong explained:
"This Zhuge fellow is indeed quite skilled; he is proficient in formations."

"This humble general has unfortunately fallen into their ambush and is trapped in their formation."

"Thanks to my bravery, I knocked down Zhao Yun and stole Huang Zhong's warhorse."

"I barely escaped with my life."

The father and son didn't bother to investigate Dao Rong's explanation further.

However, the elderly father, Liu Du, said with some worry:

"Since Zhuge Liang is so capable, why not surrender the city as soon as possible and perhaps we can be spared punishment?"

Before Liu Xian could speak, Xing Daorong shouted first:
"My lord, please do not be anxious."

"Zhuge Liang is an arrogant and boastful man. I predict that he will definitely come to raid the camp tonight."

"We might as well have the soldiers lie in ambush outside the camp at night, while the camp itself is left unattended with flags and banners."

"Wait for Kongming to raid the camp, then capture him."

"If we capture Kongming, Liu Bei will surely treat us very well!"

Although Xing Daorong was cunning, he understood Zhuge Liang's political standing within the Qi state.

If we can capture him, that would be a very valuable asset.

Not everyone is like Lü Bu.

They captured Xiahou Dun, the most important member of Cao Cao's royal family, and then went to Cao Cao to demand a ransom for him.

If they capture Zhuge Liang, they'll surely ask Liu Bei for a governorship in Ji Province, Xu Province, or Qing Province, right?

Liu Xian was overjoyed and acted according to his plan.

At the second watch of the night, a troop of soldiers was indeed seen arriving at the entrance of the stockade.

Everyone carried bundles of straw and set them on fire together.

Liu Xian and Dao Rong seized the opportunity and attacked from both sides.

The arsonists weren't greedy for credit; they set off the fire and then retreated.

Liu Xian and Dao Rong then led their troops to pursue the enemy, chasing them for more than ten miles.

The two men were puzzled as to why the Qi army was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly seeing a fire breaking out behind them, the two were greatly alarmed, and Xing Daorong shouted:
"The camp must have been raided by Zhuge Liang."

So they rushed back to their village to fight the fire.

Before the fire had died down, a general suddenly emerged from the camp; it was Huang Hansheng.

They have already captured Liu Xian's stronghold.

Liu Xian said:

"I won't go to save our own stronghold anymore. Let's just go and raid Zhuge Liang's main stronghold."

"Exchange it with him!"

So they returned to their camp, but had not gone more than ten miles.

From the side, Zhao Yun led his troops out to attack.

With a loud shout, he thrust his spear and knocked Xing Daorong off his horse.

Liu Xian was shocked to witness this, never expecting that his proud General of Lingling was no match for Zhao Yun.

Fear gripped him, so he dismounted and surrendered.

Zhao Yun then took away Liu Xian's troops and horses, stripped him of his clothes, bound him, and took him to see Zhuge Liang.

Liu Xian knelt and begged for mercy:

"It was Dao Rong who taught me to do this. It was not my intention to oppose you, sir."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged knowing smiles.

Liu Xian would never have imagined that Xing Daorong, the last one to be captured, said the same thing.

This time, however, Zhuge Liang no longer needed to use Liu Xian's plan against him.

With his general killed in battle and his son captured alive, Liu Du could no longer put up any resistance.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang ordered his men to bind Liu Xian and return his clothes.

They gave him wine and meat to calm his nerves, then sent him back home and persuaded his father to come out and surrender.

Zhuge Liang then sternly rebuked:

"I'm letting you go back now. If you're still dissatisfied, you can regroup your troops and come back again."

"But once I breach the city walls, your entire family will be exterminated."

Liu Xian bowed his head and said in a trembling voice:
"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir, and would never dare to oppose your country again."

Upon returning to Lingling and seeing his father, Liu Du hurriedly asked his son if he was alright.

Liu Xian sighed:

“I am deeply grateful for Mr. Zhuge’s kindness and for not harming me.”

“This man is very virtuous. It would be better to surrender him and prevent the people of the prefecture and county from suffering harm.”

Liu Du complained:

“I told you to lower the price directly, but you wouldn’t listen.”

"Zhuge Liang was a disciple trained by Li Yi. Liu Bei placed high hopes on him and entrusted the entire Jingzhou to him."

How dare you oppose him?

Liu Xian blushed and remained silent.

When he was young, Liu Du ordered his men to raise a surrender flag on the city wall.

Then they opened the city gates wide, carried the official seal and went out of the city, and surrendered to Zhuge Liang's camp.

After entering the city, Zhuge Liang, as was customary, first posted notices to reassure the people.

Liu Du was again appointed as the Prefect of Lingling, temporarily in charge of the affairs of Lingling Commandery.

He simply ordered his son, Liu Xian, to serve in the army.

Finally, a large sum of money was distributed to the three armies, and a banquet was held to celebrate.

Throughout the banquet, Zhuge Liang remained with the high-ranking military officers.

This move was also to improve relationships with colleagues.

Of all the generals, Zhuge Liang liked Zhao Yun the most.

He then held a feather fan in his hand and said to him with a smile:
"Zilong and Li Xiang have fought for many years. Observing our military strategies, what are the similarities and differences?"

Zhao Yunfang immediately lowered his hand, which had been holding the wine bowl.

After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands and said:

"Since it is the strategist who has inquired, then I will dare to speak frankly—"

"Li Xiang's strategy is like Mount Tai crushing an egg."

"First assess your own supplies and equipment, then observe the enemy's strengths and weaknesses."

"Finally, surround one with ten and strike with thunder."

"Although there are ingenious schemes, such as tunneling and using ghost soldiers to travel at night."

"However, the reason for winning nine battles and ten victories is that it all depends on this method."

In Zhao Yun's view, Li Yi's methods of using troops were not without ingenious strategies.

But most of the time they take a steady and methodical approach, making thorough preparations in advance for every war that is about to begin.

This is what enabled it to be invincible on the battlefield.

To sum it up in one sentence,

Li Yi never fought a battle he wasn't confident of winning.

Once we're ready, we'll fight to the death.

As for Mr. Kongming's military strategy...

After working with Zhuge Liang for about half a year, Zhao Yun said:
"The strategies of a military strategist are like flowing water and drifting clouds." "The orthodox and the unorthodox complement each other, and the true and the false are unpredictable."

"However, in the end, he and Prime Minister Li arrived at the same destination by different paths, and both were able to defeat the enemy."

Zhao Yun's last words were brilliant.

Regardless of the differences between your military tactics and those of Prime Minister Li, Mr. Zhuge.

But the final result is the same: to win the battle.

White cat, black cat, a good cat is one that can catch mice.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang laughed heartily, pointed north, and sighed:
"Therefore I often say that using troops is like playing chess."

"Li Gong is good at calculating chess moves, while Liang... just has a few more sets of chess scores."

Zhuge Liang maintained his usual humility in front of his seniors.

Seeing this, Ma Su, who was nearby, quickly seized the opportunity to say:
"When Li Gong uses troops, he is cautious and deliberate before taking action, unlike you, sir, who is more adaptable."

"Although there are often ingenious schemes and strategies, they generally first assess one's own strength and compare it with the opponent's situation."

"Then it is crushed with overwhelming force, thus it is invincible in every battle."

"As for your use of troops, Your Excellency, your strategies are ever-changing and unpredictable, beyond the comprehension of even ghosts and gods."

"Therefore, it is said that he is as prudent as Mr. Li and as resourceful as Mr. [Name]."

"These are all ways to win."

Ma Su never missed an opportunity to curry favor with his superiors.

Clearly, Zhuge Liang, as a junior, could "belittle himself" when mentioning Li Yi.

But as subordinates, we must take advantage of this great victory to save face for our leaders, right?

When a leader is unable to speak up himself, isn't his subordinate the best substitute?

Zhuge Liang nodded and then instructed Zhao Yun to open the Lingling Treasury and distribute the spoils to the local residents.

As a result, the soldiers and civilians in the city were all overjoyed.

After the troops had been rewarded and the city had been pacified, Zhuge Liang asked his generals:

"Lingling has already been taken; who in Guiyang County dares to go and retrieve it?"

Zhao Yun replied, "I am willing to go!"

Huang Zhong also responded, "I am also willing to go!"

Zhao Yun then said, "I'll go first, please let me go."

Huang Zhong replied, "I am the vanguard and familiar with the geography of Jingnan. Why should Zilong argue with me?"

Seeing this, Zhuge Liang instructed the two to draw lots, and whoever drew the lot would go.

The two agreed, and it was Zilong who picked it up again.

Left with no other choice, Huang Zhong had to instruct Zilong to take Guiyang.

He then said to Zhuge Liang:
"Since Zilong has gone to take Guiyang, I will take the remaining Wuling prefecture!"

He paused slightly, as if remembering something, and then added:

"Just now, Zilong went to take Guiyang, taking only three thousand troops with him."

"When I went to take Wuling, I only took three thousand men with me."

Zhuge Liang laughed and said:
“Wuling is different from the other three places. This place is mostly inhabited by Hu people, so it is not necessarily possible for Jin Xuan’s family to have the final say.”

“If we rashly advance our troops, the Hu tribes will only think that we have invaded their territory, which would be undesirable.”

"Let us use the usual strategy: first send someone with gold and pearls to establish good relations with King Shamoke of Hu."

“Once the Hu tribes send troops, Jin Xuan will naturally surrender.”

Huang Zhong had no choice but to give up and returned to camp dejectedly.

In the following days, Zhuge Liang stayed in Lingling with peace of mind.

While awaiting Zilong's report of victory in Guiyang, he also rectified the officialdom in Lingling.

On this day, Zhuge Liang handled government affairs as usual.

Suddenly, it was discovered that the administrative affairs of Zhaoyang County had not been processed for several months.

If it were during Liu Du's reign, it would be one thing if the county officials were lazy and negligent.

Now that I've been here for ten days, even if I don't finish handling all the government affairs that have piled up, I should at least make my stance clear.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang ordered Huang Zhong to take men to Zhaoyang County to find out who the county magistrate was.

I will capture him and interrogate him myself.

After being bored for several days, Huang Zhong finally had something to do and immediately accepted the order to go.

……

Let me talk about two things.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yun led three thousand troops and headed straight for Guiyang.

Scouts had already informed Zhao Fan, the prefect of Guiyang, who immediately gathered his civil and military officials to discuss the matter.

Both military officers Chen Ying and Bao Long were willing to lead troops into battle to defend the territory for Zhao Fan.

Zhao Fan then said:

"Changsha and Lingling have now surrendered to Liu Bei."

"I have no strong reinforcements in front of me, nor enough provisions to carry my troops behind me. How can I possibly fight against Zhuge Liang?"

"Moreover, the commander of the troops is Zhao Yun, and I have heard that he is a man of great courage."

"He moved through a million-strong army as if it were empty."

"I estimate that Guiyang only has a small force, and even including the common people, it's less than 100,000."

"I realize that we cannot fight back; we can only surrender."

Paulon said:

"Zhuge Liang went down to Jingnan precisely to replace the Prefect and promote his own people to the position."

"If we don't strive now, even if we become wealthy in the future, we won't be able to hold our heads high in Jingzhou."

"They will surely be deceived by others."

Wealth can never compare to power.

Even if you have hundreds of millions in assets, it's still just a matter of a word from those in power.

They can take it away from you just like that.

In the eyes of Bao Long and others, we are, after all, a regional lord, and to surrender without a fight is simply too shameful.

Especially after Zhuge Liang stabilizes the situation, he will remove us from our posts.

At least they won't be in such a high position of power as they are now.

Chen Ying immediately chimed in, adding in support:
"General Bao is right. We request permission to go into battle."

"If we cannot capture Zhao Yun, it will not be too late for the Prefect to surrender then."

"If we can capture them, it will make Zhuge Liang not dare to underestimate us."

It turns out that Chen Ying and Bao Long were both hunters from the Guiyang Mountains.

Chen Ying was skilled in using flying forks, wielding a five-pronged fork that once killed two wolves with a single strike.

Bao Long possessed extraordinary strength and wielded a tiger-tendon iron-core bow.

He got his name because he once shot and killed a tiger and used its tendons to make bows and arrows.

The two men, confident in their strength and arrogant in nature, were not afraid of Zhao Yun.

Upon seeing Chen Ying volunteer for battle, Bao Long immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up as well:

"If General Chen goes into battle, I am willing to support him from behind."

"If my tiger sinew bow is released, I'll make him a hedgehog!"

Zhao Fan hesitated, but the two insisted on fighting.

Zhao Fan couldn't refuse, so he had to agree.

They were each given a thousand troops, and the two generals donned their armor and left the city.

The two armies faced each other.

Chen Ying went into battle shirtless, his body covered in wolf head tattoos.

Bao Long carried a tiger skin on his back and had seven armor-piercing arrows hanging from his waist.

Two thousand soldiers beat drums and shouted, their voices echoing through the valley.

Zhao Yun, clad in white robes and wielding a silver spear, spurred his horse and rode out alone.

Upon seeing the two, he shouted angrily:

"My lord Liu Xuande is the younger brother of Liu Jingsheng."

"Now that Liu Qi, the son of the Duke of Fu, is jointly in charge of Jingzhou, I have come here on the orders of the military advisor to pacify the people."

"How dare you all come out to meet the enemy!"

Chen Ying cursed:

"Even when Liu Jing was alive, he might not have been able to mobilize my Guiyang troops, let alone Liu Bei!"

"Liu Bei, who falsely claimed to be a member of the imperial family, was not satisfied with seizing five provinces. How could he possibly covet even the small territory of Jingnan?"

"They're leaving us no way out!"

Enraged, Zhao Yun charged forward with his spear and horse, heading straight for Chen Ying.

Chen Niancha came to greet them, and the two horses crossed paths.

The fork's shadow was like a python spitting its tongue, and the spear's gleam was like pear blossoms fluttering in the air.

Seeing his superb marksmanship, Chen Ying knew he couldn't win the fight and turned his horse to retreat.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Bao Long secretly took out his bow and arrow, ready to fire.

Zhao Yun suddenly feigned an opening, and Chen Ying's spear missed its mark. Instead, Zhao Yun lightly extended his arm and seized the horse.

Bao Long was shocked and furious, and fired three arrows in quick succession, all of which were deflected by Zhao Yun's spear.

Zilong threw Chen Ying to the ground and shouted:

"You rustic country bumpkins, how dare you resist the heavenly army?"

Bao Long then abandoned his bow, took up his sword, and spurred his horse to fight.

Before they had exchanged three blows, Zilong swept him off his horse with the shaft of his spear and captured him alive.

Indeed, the two scoundrels of Guiling acted recklessly, little did they know that Zilong would descend from the heavens.

The tiger-shaped fork was no match for the gleaming silver spear, leaving only a laughingstock in the army.

The two generals were captured and taken back to the camp, while the remaining defeated troops scattered and fled.

Zhao Yun entered the camp and shouted at the two generals:
"How dare you oppose me?"

"I will not kill you today, and I will let you two go back."

"Go quickly and tell Zhao Fan to surrender as soon as possible."

The two generals immediately apologized, covered their heads, and fled back into the city, where they recounted their defeat.

Zhao Fan then rebuked the two of them, saying:
“I told you two long ago, but you didn’t listen.”

"It was because he insisted on fighting that he ended up like this."

He then dismissed the two generals and presented them with the official seal.

They led a dozen or so riders out of the city to surrender to the main camp.

Zhao Yun came out of the camp to greet them and treated them with the courtesy due to a guest.

They shared wine and drank together, exchanged official seals, and made it clear that the people of Qi had no intention of usurping someone else's place.

As long as you cooperate well with Strategist Zhuge, you will be treated well.

Slightly tipsy, Zhao Fan apologized:

"If I had known that the general was so kind, I shouldn't have listened to Chen Ying and Bao Long."

“We share the same surname, Zhao, and five hundred years ago, we were one family.”

"Since we are all family, fighting will only damage our harmony."

"If you don't mind, how about we become sworn brothers?"

Zhao Yun was delighted, and they then recounted their ages.

The two were born in the same year, but Zhao Yun was a few months older, so Zhao Fan recognized him as his elder brother.

When the wine was half-finished, Zhao Fan invited Zhao Yun to the back hall to wash the cups and drink more.

Slightly drunk, Zhao Yun readily agreed.

Suddenly, a woman emerged from behind the screen.

Her hair was adorned with a gold hairpin, and her simple clothes could not conceal her graceful figure.

As she bowed with lowered eyes, a subtle fragrance filled her sleeves.

Seeing that although she was dressed in white mourning clothes, she possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms, Zhao Yun put down his cup and asked:

Who is this person?

Zhao Fan said with a forced smile:

"This is my elder brother's widow, Yu Feng, who has been widowed for three years now."

Zhao Yun then addressed him with a respectful expression, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lady Fan poured Zhao Yun a cup of wine, then took her leave and went to the inner hall.

Zhao Fan then said:

“My late brother has been gone for three years. My sister-in-law is now a widow, and things are not going to end. I often advise her to remarry.”

"But my sister-in-law said that if I wanted to remarry, I had to do three things for her."

"First, one must be proficient in both literature and martial arts, and have a renowned reputation throughout the world."

"Secondly, one must have a dignified appearance and outstanding demeanor."

"Thirdly, he must share the same surname as my elder brother."

“Brother, do you think there’s any such coincidence in the world?”

"Now your brother is handsome and serves under the King of Qi, and his name is known throughout the world."

"And it just so happens that their surname is Zhao!"

"Isn't this exactly what my sister-in-law said?"

"If you do not mind my sister-in-law's plain appearance, I am willing to bring my dowry and become the general's wife."

"How about we establish a long-standing family relationship?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun rose in a rage and shouted angrily:
"Since we have become sworn brothers, your sister-in-law is also my sister-in-law."

"If she were to remarry now, she would have already lost her integrity."

"Do you want me to commit immoral acts?"

Zhao Fan, filled with shame, replied:
"I treated you with kindness, how could you be so rude?"

After speaking, he looked to his left and right, signaling them to capture Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun reacted swiftly, knocking down the approaching warrior with a single punch.

Then he turned around and pressed Zhao Fan down onto the food table.

With no one daring to stop him, Zhao Yun went straight out of the mansion.

They mounted their horses and left the city, mustered their troops, and prepared to launch a strong attack on the city.

Fearing Zhao Yun's retaliation, Zhao Fan hurriedly summoned everyone to discuss the matter.

“This man has gone into a rage. I want to fight him, but I fear I will not be able to win.”

Bao Long and Chen Yingnai said:
"Now that the entire city has surrendered to the King of Qi, Zhao Yun, as his subordinate general, will certainly not kill indiscriminately."

"We can first send someone to Lingling to find Zhuge Liang and ask him for help."

"Only in this way can we survive."

Zhao Fan followed his advice and immediately sent someone to Lingling overnight to report the matter to Zhuge Liang.

Upon receiving Zhao Fan's letter, Zhuge Liang hurriedly dispatched Ma Su to mediate.

When Ma Su arrived, he asked Zhao Yun the reason, and Zhao Yun explained in detail that Zhao Fan had betrothed his sister-in-law to Zhao Fan in marriage.

Ma Su then said:

"This is a wonderful offer, why would the general refuse?"

Zhao Yun straightened his face and said loudly:
“Since Zhao Fan has become sworn brothers with me, if I were to marry his sister-in-law now, I would surely be cursed by everyone. That is the first point.”

"Zhao Fan has just surrendered, and his intentions are difficult to fathom, that is the second point."

"If his wife remarries, he will lose his integrity. He says he is only worried about his reputation, not about not having a wife. This is the third reason."

"Now that we are following Zhuge Liang to pacify Jingnan, how can we abandon the affairs of state because of a woman?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Su sighed:
"General Zhao, you are a true hero!"

"Now Zhao Fan fears your bravery and strength, and is afraid of your retaliation, so he dares not let you into the city."

"Wait until I enter the city, and I will try to persuade you to make peace, shall we?"

Zhao Yun nodded without hesitation:

"This is official business, and it should be done this way."

Ma Su then entered the city and spoke with Zhao Fan, repeatedly reassuring him.

Zhao Fan then surrendered the city and said to Ma Su:

"Now that I have offended him, please allow me to stay under Mr. Zhuge's command for a few days."

Ma Su was eager to get Zhao Fan out of Guiyang, so he readily agreed.

Just then, Zhuge Liang had also finished dealing with the affairs of Lingling.

Apart from the fact that the situation in Zhaoyang County is still unknown, I have no urgent matters at hand.

So he rushed to Guiyang and rewarded Zhao Yun handsomely.

After hearing about Zhao Fan's matter, he said to Zhao Yun:

"The important matter has been settled today, and Zilong has never married."

Even if one prioritizes the greater cause, one cannot neglect family matters.

"How about I act as your matchmaker and help you marry him?"

Zhao Yun then cupped his hands and said:

"There are plenty of women in the world, so why worry about not being able to find a wife?"

The implication was that he was unwilling to marry a widow.

Before Zhuge Liang arrived, he had already met with Lady Fan.

This woman is not very old, only in her early twenties.

She was also incredibly beautiful, sensible, and virtuous.

It is truly a pity that such a good woman has spent the rest of her life as a widow.

What's more...

Seeing that Zhuge Liang looked troubled, Zhao Yun asked:
"Does the strategist have something on his mind?"

Zhuge Liang sighed and looked northward.

……

(End of this chapter)