Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 133 Chameleon - Zhang Yu

"I haven't seen you for a few years, but Ji'an has become a man of my generation!"

Yuan Shu poured wine for Zhang Yu and said with a smile: "Although Ji'an was not promoted to General of the Central Army, he was appointed as the Lieutenant of the Western Garden by Your Majesty, and is on the same level as Cao Mengde, Yuan Benchu, Zhao Zhichang (Zhao Rong) and others. His future is immeasurable. He can be said to be very promising at a young age."

After leaving the palace, Zhang Yu was depressed because he could not be promoted to General of the Central Army to fight bandits in the local area. But after Yuan Shu's introduction, Zhang Yu learned that he could be appointed as the Eight Colonels, which was a big leap in terms of official position.

There were eight Xiyuan colonels, but Liu Hong had only appointed five of them, namely Jian Shuo, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Zhao Rong. If Zhang Yu was included, the total number would be exactly five.

The above-mentioned people were either Liu Hong's confidants or people who had served in the rank of two thousand stones for a long time. There is no need to say much about Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Zhao Rong was from Hanyang, Liangzhou, and was now the Guanglu Dafu.

The post of Guanglu Dafu was a close minister to the emperor, responsible for discussion. Most of the Nine Ministers of the Han Dynasty would serve as Guanglu Dafu before being promoted. Liu Hong selected Guanglu Dafu Zhao Rong as one of the Xiyuan School Lieutenants, which shows that the Xiyuan School Lieutenants were not ordinary school lieutenants.

Zhang Yu was able to be appointed as the Xiyuan Colonel at the age of twenty-something. Compared with Cao Cao who was thirty-four years old and Yuan Shao who was nearly forty years old, Zhang Yu was worthy of the title of "young and promising" given by Yuan Shu.

Zhang Yu held the wine cup in both hands and said respectfully: "I am able to hold the position and rank I have today, thanks to Mr. Yuan's efforts in the capital. I will never forget Mr. Yuan's kindness."

Hearing this, the fat on Yuan Shu's cheeks wrinkled up and he smiled, "It's just a small thing, but Ji An remembered it, it's really thoughtful!"

People start to gain weight when they reach middle age. Yuan Shu likes to drink honey water all year round and has never been involved in horse riding, so he naturally cannot escape this law. His cheeks have become fatter and his body has become rounder.

Zhang Yu toasted Yuan Shu and said, "When I first entered Luoyang, Your Majesty appointed me as a lieutenant, waiting for Jian Shuo to lead me. I heard that the general was also under the command of Jian Shuo. I would like to ask Mr. Yuan, how should I act in the future?"

Yuan Shu pondered for a moment and asked, "What does Ji'an mean?"

Zhang Yu lowered his voice and said, "When I met Your Majesty, Your Majesty asked me to meet with Marquis Dong, and I saw that Marquis Dong had a close relationship with Jian Shuo. Although Yu is at the border, he heard about the recent appointment of a crown prince, and Your Majesty is hesitant about this."

Yuan Shu was surprised to hear Zhang Yu say this, and said with a smile: "Ji'an not only understands the military situation, but also understands the current situation. His insight is indeed extraordinary."

After a pause, Yuan Shu asked, "Since Ji'an knows about the prince's affairs, what are Ji'an thinking?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "Yu has received great kindness from Lord Yuan. Now, regarding the matter of appointing a crown prince, I should follow Lord Yuan's opinion and obey Lord Yuan's wishes."

In order to avoid being caught up in the political turmoil, Zhang Yu had to disguise himself as a disciple of the Yuan family. He did not take the initiative to take sides, but chose to stand with the Yuan family.

Yuan Shu showed approval in his eyes. The reason why he helped Zhang Yu was not only because Zhang Yu was outstanding in ability, but also because Zhang Yu was sensible, unambiguous on the issue of taking sides, and always followed Yuan's opinion.

Yuan Shu drank a mouthful of honey water and said, "The He family and the Dong family are because the He family is powerful. There is no need to be suspicious now. We can follow the He family as the leader and make Shi Hou the crown prince. However, our Yuan family does not need to rush to express its position. Let the He family and the Dong family fight for a few more years. When the situation is clear, it will not be too late to make a decision!"

The so-called Dongs were actually Liu Xie and Liu Hong. He Jin was in a high position and Liu Bian's mother, He, was the empress. If the two sides argued over the succession, it would inevitably be a fierce battle.

Among the four clans and three dukes of the Yuan family, not to mention the head of the family Yuan Wei who has now become a general, the three people of the same generation, Yuan Ji, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, are the best in the court, all of them hold high-ranking officials with an official salary of two thousand stones, and the two brothers Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao even hold military power.

Therefore, given Yuan's current power, it would be foolish to rush to take action now. It would be better to wait until the situation becomes clear, and then Yuan can take action to determine the winner, thereby earning rich political rewards.

If Yuan could get Zhang Yu's support now, then Yuan would have one more available troop in Luoyang area, and would not have to rush to the end.

Zhang Yu's current behavior almost disappointed Liu Hong's original idea. Liu Hong introduced Zhang Yu as the Eight Colonels, but actually intended to use Zhang Yu, who had a shallow foundation, to cooperate with Jian Shuo to clamp down on the He family. Zhang Yu attached himself to the Yuan family and immediately sold out Liu Hong.

Zhang Yu poured honey water for Yuan Shu and asked respectfully, "If the general comes to see me, how should I respond?"

Yuan Shu thought for a moment and said, "If the general wants Ji'an to attend the banquet, he can do so. There is no need to say anything else. I will tell the general myself. If Jian Shuo comes to see you, everything will be normal. There is no need to be afraid of the general."

"promise!"

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Yu cupped his hands and said, "I have something else to do now. I wonder if Mr. Yuan can help me?"

"What's the matter?"

Zhang Yu said, "Lord Yuan, I have a thousand cavalrymen under my command. I will transfer three hundred of my former troops to Luo as soldiers. But I am afraid that the court will transfer the rest of the troops to other places. I wonder if Lord Yuan can help me and let the troops under my command stay in this county without changing their location."

"Why?" Yuan Shu asked.

Zhang Yu said distressedly: "The generals and soldiers under Yu's command are brave and brave, and I have trained them for many years. If I let outsiders lead them now, I will be very sad."

"Haha~"

Yuan Shu raised his head and laughed, saying: "My great Han army has hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of cavalry. Ji An is distressed by just a few hundred cavalry. His vision is really shallow!"

Seeing Yuan Shu laughing so happily, Zhang Yu sneered in his heart. If it were a battle for supremacy among many heroes, Yuan Shu would probably be eager for hundreds of elite cavalry.

Of course, Zhang Yu had to admit that the Yuan family had a strong foundation, which he could not compare with. Especially when Yuan Shu fled to Nanyang, he waved his hand and followers came in droves, and there was no shortage of food, grass, and equipment.

In order to get Yuan Shu to help him, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly and said, "I grew up in a wealthy family, so I always care about gains and losses. I can't compare with Yuan Jun in terms of my mind." Seeing Zhang Yu's self-examination of his shortcomings, Yuan Shu smiled a few times and said, "This is not difficult. I'll ask my brother (Yuan Ji) to pay attention to it."

"Thank you, Yuan-jun!"

Zhang Yu bowed and said.

After expressing his loyalty, Zhang Yu chatted with Yuan Shu for a few more words. Seeing that it was getting late, he said goodbye and left.

That night, Zhang Yu returned home to reflect on himself. After analyzing the situation, he decided to visit Liu Yu the next day.

Why did he visit Liu Yu? Not only because Liu Yu had helped Zhang Yu before, but also because Liu Yu was now the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and because of his character, he was highly regarded by Liu Hong.

Of course, Liu Yu is not that simple. Zhang Yu received news from Yuan Shu that Liu Yu will be the supervisor of the Xiyuan Army.

Taking into account Liu Yu's current status and the fact that he does not belong to any faction, and also thinking of the fact that Liu Yu would serve as the governor of Youzhou in history, Zhang Yu felt it necessary to pay a visit to Liu Yu.

The next day, Zhang Yu arrived at Liu Yu's house, where Liu Yu prepared a banquet for him and was quite enthusiastic.

"Ji'an led the defeated army to defeat the Huns, beheaded the Chanyu and returned, and quelled the rebellion in Bingzhou. His contribution is remarkable!" Liu Yu said with a smile.

Zhang Yu held him in the esteem of a disciple and said, "I cannot boast of my small achievements, but I only regret that I was not able to completely pacify the Xiongnu."

Liu Yu waved his hand and said, "There is chaos in the country and the Hu people are disturbing the border. It is not easy to temporarily stabilize the border counties. If we want to pacify the Xiongnu, we must use a large army. Ji'an may wait for a few years. When the world is slightly calm, it will not be too late to use force against the Xiongnu."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu clapped his hands and sighed, saying, "What Liu Gong said is what I have always wished for. However, I have seen that the court is mostly controlled by eunuchs, and now Your Majesty has chosen Jian Shuo as the commander-in-chief of our Xiyuan army. I don't know when the world will be at peace."

Seeing Zhang Yu's indignation, Liu Yu comforted him and said, "Your Majesty is intelligent. If you work hard to govern the country, you will be able to restore our dynasty!"

Zhang Yu disagreed and looked full of resentment.

Seeing this, Liu Yu consoled him and asked, "Ji'an was appointed Xiyuan Commandant and County Marquis, why are you still so unhappy?"

Zhang Yu stood up, drawing his sword, and said indignantly, "Master Liu, don't you think that I am a person who covets official positions and titles?"

"Although Yu had no noble ambitions, he still cared about the country and the people. I am so angry now because Lord Liu is a relative and has been by your side for many years. I think Lord Liu should do what Yi and Lu did, assist the Han Dynasty, and support the world."

"The country is unstable now. Although Your Majesty is intelligent and has the ambition to revive the Han Dynasty, your ears and eyes are mostly controlled by eunuchs, and your honest opinions and good words are often blocked by eunuchs. Lord Liu knows the current disadvantages, but he turns a blind eye to them. This is the reason why Yu is angry."

After that, Zhang Yu bowed to Liu Yu and said, "If Liu Gong has the ambition to revive the Han Dynasty, Yu will be in charge of the imperial army. I am willing to follow Liu Gong and eliminate the eunuchs for the country. Then Liu Gong will be the prime minister and assist Your Majesty to revive the Han Dynasty!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked as if he was concerned about the country, and his words were so passionate that Liu Yu was moved.

Liu Yu took Zhang Yu's hand and said, "Ji'an has just arrived in Luoyang. How can you put yourself in danger?"

Zhang Yu squeezed out his tears and said, "I served in the frontiers, hoping to quell the rebellion of the barbarians. But now that I have accomplished my mission and returned to see you, I feel deeply that the enemy of the Han Dynasty is not in the frontiers but in the court."

Seeing Zhang Yu so sad, Liu Yu sighed, stroked Zhang Yu's back, and said, "With a loyal man like Ji'an, why should we worry about the prosperity of the Han Dynasty?"

As he spoke, Liu Yu used a handkerchief to wipe Zhang Yu's tears and said, "Don't cry now. The situation is difficult. Please bear with it for a while."

"Hmm~"

Zhang Yu reached out to take the handkerchief and wiped his tears, saying with a nasal voice: "I was just angry when I said this. If I have offended Lord Liu, I hope you will understand."

Liu Yu said with emotion: "I already know Ji'an's intention. Ji'an, don't worry about the country. I have already contacted Yuan Benchu. If there is a chance in the future, I will eradicate the eunuchs and restore peace to the country."

When he heard Yuan Shao's name, Zhang Yu's sad expression changed, but fortunately the scarf was covering his face so Liu Yu didn't see it.

While wiping away the tears, Zhang Yu could not help but sigh at Yuan Benchu's interests. Now Yuan Benchu was clinging to He Jin, and was secretly plotting with the neutral relative Liu Yu to get the eunuchs, which showed that Yuan Shao was plotting something big.

Zhang Yu took the towel into his arms, bowed and said, "Yu will wash the towel and return it to Lord Liu later."

Liu Yu waved his hand and said, "The scarf is a minor matter. Ji'an has just entered Luoyang and does not know the situation there. In the future, you should pay more attention to the Xiyuan Army. The matter of removing the eunuchs needs to be discussed later!"

"promise!"

ps: I went to a Chinese medicine hospital for massage today, and my back pain has eased a lot. I can make up for the missing chapter tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)