Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 256 Madam, do you remember the old friend?

The autumn night is slightly cool, at the General's Mansion.

Inside the house, Yin was wearing heavy makeup and gorgeous clothes, kneeling on the mat, with a slightly shy look on her face.

"knock!"

"who?"

Hearing the sound of someone pushing the door open, Yin thought it was Zhang Yu coming in, so she straightened up and asked softly.

"Yes!"

Seeing that it was her maid, Yin breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Is Yan'er asleep?"

The maid stopped behind a screen embroidered with white cranes and reported, "Madam, the young master has fallen asleep!"

"According to the servants, the prince may return home late. Would Madam like to have dinner first?" asked the maid.

Yin hesitated for a moment and said, "No hurry, wait for the Lord. Go get some hot water first, and I'll help the Lord wash up later."

"promise!"

Yin knew that she was a concubine, so in order to gain Zhang Yu's favor, she had to be more attentive, even humble.

Soon after the maid walked away, the door was pushed open again.

Yin thought the maid had returned and asked, "Is the hot water ready?"

"it's me!"

Suddenly, a magnetic and unfamiliar male voice sounded through the screen, which immediately frightened Yin.

Yin covered her chest and asked softly, "But the Lord?"

"There is no one else but me!"

Zhang Yu came out from behind the screen, looked at Yin, who still looked pretty, and said with a smile, "Madam, do you remember my old friend?"

Yin looked at Zhang Yu, who looked familiar, and recalled their meeting in Luoyang several years ago. She said shyly, "How could I forget my old friend when I met him in your house?"

Zhang Yu sniffed the fragrance in the air and said with a smile, "The fragrance is still there, and the lady is more charming than before."

What Zhang Yu said was true. Although he had seen Yin again after five years, Yin had lost her innocence due to the precipitation of time, and was replaced by maturity and charm. For example, the round weapon on her chest was becoming more and more turbulent.

A young girl has her own purity and vitality, while a young woman has her own maturity and intelligence. You need to taste them carefully to understand their beauty!
Yin blushed and lowered her head, saying, "My beauty is not as good as that of a 28-year-old girl. I hope you will have mercy on me from now on!"

"You're welcome, madam!"

Zhang Yu boldly held Yin's slender hand and deliberately said, "The general has been kind to me, I will take good care of you and Yan'er!"

Hearing this, Yin blushed and pleaded, "The old man is gone, please don't mention the past. I and Yan'er will leave it to you!"

"it is good!"

Seeing that Yin still remembered He Xian, Zhang Yu was not displeased, but felt an inexplicable sense of excitement.

"Do you want to eat, my lord?"

Yin made way for Zhang Yu, invited him to sit down, and asked.

"Bring some wine and meat!"

Zhang Yu maintained his courtesy and teased, "The night is long, let me and my wife have fun by candlelight!"

Hearing Zhang Yu's cryptic words, Yin's pretty face became even redder under the orange candlelight, and she dared not reply to Zhang Yu.

Seeing that Yin was shy and silent, Zhang Yu asked, in order to get to know each other better, "May I know your name? And how old are you?"

Yin collected her thoughts and said, "My name is Wen, and my courtesy name is Yaji. I am twenty-four this year, three years younger than you, my lord."

Zhang Yu held the beauty's hand and said with a smile, "Yaji, you won't change your mind now?"

Yin Wen blushed, looked up at Zhang Yu's playful expression, and said in a mosquito-like voice, "My husband is well!"

Seeing Yin Wen was very shy, Zhang Yu laughed a few times and said, "Madam, you married me as a concubine instead of a wife, which is my good fortune. If you can't open your mouth, you can call me Ji'an for now. It's really inappropriate to call your husband a lord!"

"Thank you, Ji'an~"

"Ha ha!"

That night, the joy of the boudoir was difficult to describe in detail to outsiders. It was only after Zhang Yu's struggle throughout the night, through openness and frankness, that he finally made Yin Wen change his words and call him husband.

After marrying Yin Wen, Zhang Yu felt much better. In the past, he could only admire the beauty from afar, but now she is his concubine, and he knows the joy of it. After all, although Zhang Yu has great ambitions, he is still a layman in the end, and cannot get rid of the shortcomings of human nature.

However, after enjoying himself, Zhang Yu did not dare to get too involved. The world was in turmoil, and the heroes were vying for supremacy. The current situation was like sailing against the current. If you don't move forward, you will retreat. If you enjoy yourself for a while, you will be one step closer to defeat. In the flower garden, Zhang Yu led his entourage for a stroll and asked, "I want to let Chang Lin serve as the governor of Shangdang, and transfer Wang Chen to the governor of Henei. I wonder what Yuan Chang thinks?"

Zhong Yao pondered for a moment and asked, "Du Ji has governed Henei for a long time, with remarkable achievements and deep popular support. Now your Excellency has transferred Wang Chen to be the governor of Henei. Where do you want Du Ji to be stationed?"

"Hedong!"

Zhang Yu walked with his hands behind his back and said, "There are many noble families in Hedong, and only those with great talents can take up the post. Bo Hou has the talents of Xiao and Kou, and I want to let him serve as the governor of Hedong and assist you in governing the affairs of Bing and Yong."

"Anyi is the capital city, and the person who can be the governor of Hedong must be a marquis." Zhong Yao commented: "Chang Lin has a solid career and is not afraid of power. He has served as the head of various counties and has outstanding political achievements. He is a person promoted by the prince. Now the prince has chosen him to be the governor of Shangdang, which is a good way to make the best use of his talents."

As the territory expanded, it was no longer possible for Zhang Yu to rule the county remotely by relying on his trusted people. He had to choose his confidants to serve as county governors to govern the area on his behalf.

Chang Lin was one of the first scholars to defect to Zhang Yu during his rule of Shangdang. Now that he needed to select talents to be the prefect, Chang Lin, who had performed outstandingly, naturally could not be ignored. Therefore, after considering the candidates, Zhang Yu decided to promote Chang Lin to be the prefect of Shangdang.

After a pause, Zhong Yao asked, "What about Taiyuan?"

"Taiyuan County has a rich population, and many families in Bingzhou are present. Your Excellency used Jinyang as his base, and the families of soldiers and officials lived in the county. Therefore, if you want to govern Taiyuan, you must have a deep experience and outstanding talents to be competent!"

Thinking of Taiyuan County, Zhang Yu was troubled. As Zhong Yao said, Taiyuan County was home to many noble families and military families, and even Zhang Yu's relatives and wife's family. In terms of the difficulty of governance, Taiyuan County was much more difficult than ordinary counties.

"There are not many candidates for the prefect of Taiyuan County. The only three who are qualified are Sun Zi, Dong Zhao and Yang Zan," said Zhang Yu.

Zhong Yao shook his head and said, "Sun Zi is from Zhongdu, so he is not suitable to be the governor of Taiyuan. Although Dong Zhao can be appointed, he is still inexperienced and should not be given a big responsibility. Yang Zan has made great contributions in governing Yanmen, but because the Hu people have great trust in him, he should not be replaced."

"Do you have any candidate for Yuan Chang?" Zhang Yu asked.

Zhong Yao hesitated for a moment, glanced at Xin Pi who was traveling with him, and said with a smile: "To govern Taiyuan, the first thing is to rule by law, so only fair law enforcers can be competent. Mr. Xin has a straightforward personality, is upright and honest, so why not let Mr. Xin be the governor of Taiyuan."

"George?"

Zhang Yu deeply agreed with what he said. Although Xin Pi's qualifications were not as good as Chang Lin's, he was his confidant, and many confidential matters were handled by Xin Pi. And as for Xin Pi's talents, there was no need to say more. He not only understood the situation, but also knew the government affairs. It was no problem to let Xin Pi be the county governor.

Zhang Yu turned to look at Xin Pi and said with a smile: "With your talent for assisting the government, if you were appointed as the governor of Taiyuan County, you would surely bring peace to Taiyuan. But I wonder if you are willing to assist the government?"

Xin Pi thought for a moment, then quickly bowed and said, "Since you have entrusted me with a great responsibility, how dare I refuse. Besides, governing Taiyuan County is not difficult, but the difficulty lies in human relations. If you don't care about human relations and friends, I will be able to govern Taiyuan for you."

"good!"

Zhang Yu admired and said: "I originally wanted to keep you to assist in the administration, but due to the situation, I need you to serve outside. After you become the master, you can govern the county boldly without worrying about the relationships and ways of the world!"

Zhang Yu then instructed his attendants, "Yang Zan will be appointed as the governor of Yanmen."

"promise!"

"Do you have any candidates for the three prefecture officials in Guanzhong and the governor of Wudu?" Zhong Yao asked.

Zhang Yu stood by the lake and watched the fish, and said, "I have recommended Dong Zhao as Jingzhao Yin, and my father-in-law Wang Gong as Youfengyi, but no one is qualified for Zuofufeng and Wudu Taishou."

It's not that there were no officials to take up the posts of Zuo Fufeng and Wudu governors, but that the officials were not selected by Zhang Yu, but by the court officials who were distant relatives of the Liu clan. In order to control Fufeng and Wudu, Zhang Yu had to select people to replace them.

"Sir, what do you think of letting Sun Zi serve as Zuo Fufeng?" Zhong Yao suggested.

"Yanlong and I have known each other for many years and we are classmates. He has successively governed various counties and served as an envoy to Guandong for our army, summoning the princes to an alliance, which is a great achievement. It is feasible to appoint him as Zuo Fufeng now."

Zhang Yu thought for a while and said, "But who can be appointed as the governor of Wudu?"

"Rebellions have broken out in all directions in Longshan, and Wudu has suffered greatly from them. As a result, the Han people have built forts to protect themselves, and powerful people have emerged in the county. Moreover, the Qiang and Di tribes are very strong in Wudu, and without officials who are familiar with the customs of Guanxi and are good at pacifying the Han and Hu people, I am afraid that they will not be able to do the job." Zhang Yu said worriedly.

"The people of Wudu County have complicated feelings. It may not be easy for you to appoint an old person as the prefect." Zhong Yao said, "Why don't you choose a senior official from Guanzhong as the prefect? He can help you govern Wudu and show that you value the scholars from Guanzhong."

Zhang Yu frowned slightly and said, "I'm afraid that the newcomer chosen to be the governor of Wudu will not be able to serve me wholeheartedly!"

"The situation in Longshang is different from that in Guanzhong!"

Seeing Zhang Yu worried about his loyalty, Zhong Yao explained, "Wudu is close to the Longxi rebels, adjacent to the evil Taoist Zhang Lu, and deep among the Hu people. It can only rely on Guanzhong, so why do you need to worry about Wudu?"

"good!"

Zhang Yu nodded, agreeing with him, and said, "What Yuan Chang said makes sense. We might as well appoint a wise man from Guanzhong as the governor of Wudu."

Recalling the Guanzhong scholars he saw in his mind, Zhang Yu said: "You Yin of Fengyi, You Youqi, was the Gongcao of Fengyi County. He was a heroic man and many Guanzhong scholars were friends with him. Before, when the Liangzhou soldiers plundered Fengyi, You Yin stepped forward to stop them. He was a good official."

"I saw that he was outstanding in talent and virtue, so I recruited him to be a clerk in the Chariot and Cavalry Department. If we were to select someone to be the governor of Wudu, it would be better to select You Yin to take the position."

Zhong Yao stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "If you, my lord, give You Yin the post of governor of Wudu, I wonder how you will honor Gong Da. And after You Yin has made contributions, what will you reward him with?"

After Zhang Yu's letter of recruitment arrived, Xun You thought about it for a while and finally agreed to come to Guanzhong and temporarily serve as an official under Zhang Yu's rule.

Zhang Yu immediately understood what was going on and said with a smile, "In that case, let Gongda be the governor of Wudu, and appoint You Yin as the governor of Wudu. And let Man Chong lead the troops to escort You Yin to Wudu and eliminate the thieves and evil Hu in the county."

"Your Excellency is wise!"

(End of this chapter)