Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 486 My Lonely Cen Peng Takes a Daughter from the Yuan Family

On September 25th, the day after Zhang Chao surrendered the prefecture, Zhang Chao, following Zhang Yu's instructions, packed his belongings and valuables overnight. With Zhang Yu's permission, in addition to more than 100 clansmen, he also brought more than 200 servants and retainers, making a total of more than 300 people from his clan migrating westward to Longyou.

Zhang was still well-known in Chenliu, and many people saw him off with tears in their eyes. However, Zhang Chao was afraid of displeasing Zhang Yu, so he dared not accept the farewells and hurriedly set off.

The relocation of the Zhang family from Chenliu Commandery signified that Chenliu Commandery had officially come under Zhang Yu's rule. Commander Yuan Sui, knowing that his opportunity to be appointed as the commander of Chenliu Commandery was hard-won, wisely vacated the commandery office to temporarily serve as the military headquarters, while he himself worked at Zhang Chao's residence. In the course of handling affairs, whenever important matters arose, he consulted Zhang Yu on almost everything, daring not to make decisions on his own.

Yuan Sui's humble and respectful demeanor pleased Zhang Yu, who then entrusted Chenliu Commandery to Yuan Sui with peace of mind.

Inside the government office, as Zhang Yu pondered the selection of a candidate for the governor of Yanzhou, Wen Ping, who had been summoned for a long time, finally came to the government office to pay his respects to Zhang Yu.

"Jiang Wenpin pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Wenping had a square face, giving him a dignified and imposing appearance, but his expression was listless and lacked vitality.

"I have been inviting you for a long time, why have you not come to pay your respects?" Zhang Yu asked.

Wen Ping hesitated for a long time, then sighed and said, "I was unable to assist Lord Yuan in securing the realm before. Although the army was defeated, we still have two prefectures. If we can preserve our territory, we can still make a comeback. I was able to assist the king in protecting the borders while I was alive, and I can die without shame in the afterlife. However, my plan failed, and both I and Lord Yuan were captured by Your Majesty."

"When the army suffered a crushing defeat and the lord was captured alive, and the generals were unable to protect him, I was filled with grief and shame. How could I possibly have the face to meet Your Majesty now?"

After saying this, Wenping's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. The sincerity of his emotions moved Zhang Yu.

"Of all the generals who were defeated and surrendered, only Zhongye felt ashamed and uneasy. You are truly a loyal minister!"

Zhang Yu rose from the couch, gently patted Wen Ping's back, and sighed, "You are a loyal minister and a good general, but it is a pity that your lord is not a wise and virtuous ruler."

"Your Majesty is too kind!"

Wen Ping lightly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, bowed, and asked, "I am but a humble person. May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me?"

Zhang Yu gestured for Wen Ping to sit down and said, "I inquired with the generals and they said that you have military strategy, are meticulous, and know the water conditions. Today, I am here to inquire about naval warfare in order to recruit Zhongye."

Then Zhang Yu asked, "I have lived in Hebei and fought in the Central Plains, but I have never seen the Yangtze River. May I ask you, what is the priority in naval warfare?"

Seeing Zhang Yu's sincere desire to consult, Wen Ping pondered for a moment and said, "Water is gentle and can carry things, and wind and water can be used for their own purposes. Therefore, naval warfare is different from infantry and cavalry warfare. For example, the wind with the current is better than the wind with the current, and the upstream is better than the downstream. If there are large ships and they are located upstream, they can take advantage of the advantages of the ships and the speed of the current, and they will be able to move forward without hindrance."

"How should we respond?"

"Downstream, one can take advantage of the wind speed to attack upstream against the current, and then fight at close range to defeat the enemy!"

"Or, take advantage of the southeast wind, use small boats to carry firewood to meet the large ships, and then set them on fire to defeat the enemy troops."

After a pause, Wen Ping emphasized, "Boats are made of wood and will catch fire when exposed to fire. Therefore, fire attack is the first choice in naval warfare, followed by ramming the ship, then shooting with bows and crossbows, and finally boarding combat. However, all of the above will vary depending on the water conditions, water strength, current, and wind direction. Therefore, the key to naval warfare lies in skillful adaptation."

Zhang Yu seemed lost in thought; he knew very little about naval warfare. Now, after hearing Wen Ping's rough explanation, he was convinced that naval warfare was beyond his command and had to be entrusted to someone else.

Cao Cao's disastrous defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs is the best example. He was ignorant of naval warfare yet overestimated himself, foolishly believing he could win by sheer numbers. It was nothing short of delusional. He should know that the Yangtze River was so vast that even if each of his 200,000 soldiers drank a ton of water, it wouldn't be enough.

"Do you consider yourself well-versed in naval warfare?" Zhang Yu asked.

Wen Ping was taken aback for a moment, then said, "The vastness of the Yangtze River and the intricacies of naval warfare are beyond my comprehension. How dare I claim to be an expert in naval warfare!"

"good!"

Zhang Yu smiled with satisfaction and said, "I hereby appoint you as General Hengjiang. First, select five thousand soldiers skilled in water from among the surrendered people to form an army. When I descend into Hanchuan, you will temporarily command the navy."

"This~"

Wen Ping hesitated for a moment, then said, “Your Majesty is unaware that five thousand soldiers are only enough to maneuver boats, not enough to fight on them. When Emperor Shizu conquered Ba and Shu, Cen Peng raised thirty thousand sailors, thirty thousand infantrymen, and five thousand cavalrymen. If Your Majesty is determined to conquer the Yangtze River, you should at least have ten thousand sailors and recruit local people to maneuver boats.”

"You have long been experienced in military affairs. Do you have any surrendered generals who know about naval warfare?" Zhang Yu asked.

"Qiao Rui!"

Wen Ping said, "Qiao Rui is from Runan in Yuzhou. He grew up on the banks of the Huai River and knows the nature of the river quite well. In the past, Yuan Gong entrusted Qiao Rui with the management of the navy. Although he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sun Jian, he still achieved some success."

"Why did Qiao Rui lose to Sun Jian?" Zhang Yu pressed.

"The elite naval soldiers of Jingzhou all followed Sun Jian into Shu. When Sun Jian attacked Jingzhou, only weak soldiers were available, which led to their crushing defeat," Wen Ping said. "Furthermore, the naval soldiers of Jingzhou are poorly trained, and some boats are often used for personal gain by smuggling salt and engaging in trade, which discourages the soldiers from training." Seeing that Wen Ping knew a great deal, Zhang Yu was pleased and said with a smile, "You and Qiao Rui should each select five thousand skilled naval soldiers to await my orders."

"As ordered!"

Then, Zhang Yu and Wen Ping discussed many things related to naval warfare. Seeing that Wen Ping was knowledgeable, Zhang Yu laughed and said, "You are to me what Cen Peng was to Emperor Shizu. With you consulting me, the navy has nothing to worry about!"

"Your Majesty flatters me!"

After discussing some more matters, Zhang Yu was deeply impressed by Wen Ping's loyalty and righteousness, as well as his rare talent. Therefore, he appointed Wen Ping as the Admiral of the Navy, in charge of the overall training of the navy and the future construction of ships.

After Wen Ping took his leave, Guo Tu asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, Wen Ping said he had a rudimentary understanding of the navy, but was not an expert. Why have you entrusted him with such an important task?"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Only those who truly understand know that they have nothing in their hearts. Those who only have a superficial understanding boast that they possess great strategic acumen. Having spoken with Wen Ping for a long time, I can tell from his words that Wen Ping is a calm and composed person who is well-versed in naval affairs. There may be people in the world who know more about the navy than Wen Ping, but as far as I am concerned, Wen Ping is more than enough to me!"

By the time Zhang Yu launches his southern campaign, he will have already secured the north and will have a significant advantage over regimes that control the south. Therefore, it would be best for Zhang Yu to have a naval genius like Zhou Yu. However, if he does not have a naval genius, he might as well use a veteran naval commander to lead the army. At least he will not suffer the same fate as Cao Cao. He can slowly chip away at his opponent's strength and overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Guo Tu flattered.

Zhang Yu paced back and forth in the hall, saying, "Yanzhou is about to fall. Now, it's a difficult question to decide who to appoint to govern Yanzhou."

"Your Majesty appointed Lü Bu as the Governor of Yan Province, and now you are appointing a new Inspector to govern the province. I fear Lü Bu will be dissatisfied!" Guo Tu said.

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "With the prestige of capturing Yuan Shu, even if Lü Bu is dissatisfied, how could he dare to betray me? Besides, Lü Bu holds military power; how can we allow him to remain in Yan Province for long?"

The victory in capturing Yuan Shu was enough to intimidate everyone, including Lü Bu. Wouldn't it be a waste not to capitalize on this great victory and make some changes?

Moreover, Lü Bu was well aware that Zhang Yu would not tolerate him being the governor of a province. After this battle destroyed Yuan Shu and pacified the Central Plains, Lü Bu would most likely have to go to Chang'an with the army.

"Before Your Majesty went on your campaign, you passed through Shangdang and heard that Prefect Yang Pei had rendered meritorious service. Now, Yanzhou has few registered households, the land is abandoned, and powerful families are everywhere. Yang Pei is not afraid of powerful people. If Yanzhou were to be returned to the central government, why not appoint Yang Pei as governor to crack down on the powerful families, encourage farmers to return to their households, and free up population?" Guo Tu recommended.

Zhang Yu hesitated and said, “Yang Pei is good, but his experience is still limited. Sima Lang has served me for many years. Since becoming the governor of Taiyuan, he has made Taiyuan prosperous and the villagers have a place to live. His achievements are remarkable. Shen Tu Bei followed me in Shangdang and became the governor of Hongnong. He registered the households and managed the military supplies. He has made contributions to the country!”

After considering the situation for a moment, Guo Tu said, “Judging from the current situation, it will not be difficult for Your Majesty to pacify the Central Plains. Once the Central Plains are pacified, there will be no need to leave troops to garrison the two prefectures of Hai and Yin. At that time, Man Chong and Li Song will be entrusted with other duties. Your Majesty can entrust the two prefectures of Hebei to Sima Lang and Shen Tu Bei for governance, and appoint Yang Pei as the governor of Yanzhou. There will be no problem with that.”

"feasible!"

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "In that case, let Yang Pei be appointed as the governor of Yanzhou, and see if he can bring Yanzhou back to life."

"promise!"

Seeing that Zhang Yu was in a good mood, Guo Tu tentatively asked, "Your Majesty captured Yuan Shu, defeated Chen's army, and now controls Hebei, your power shaking the Central Plains. However, there is no emperor in the world today. Since Your Majesty has rendered meritorious service and Heaven has bestowed its favor upon you, I wonder when Your Majesty intends to declare yourself emperor?"

Zhang Yu glanced at Guo Tu and said, "The State of Chen has not yet been destroyed, and the war is not yet over. Why rush? Let's wait until the Central Plains are unified before discussing this matter in depth."

Zhang Yu had already considered the timing of his ascension to the throne. His status and protocol within the country were practically equivalent to that of the emperor; why rush into it? If he were to declare himself emperor now, Zhang Yu would most likely do so after conquering the various warlords of the Central Plains.

As for Guo Tu's urgent urging of Zhang Yu to declare himself emperor, it was simply to leave a good impression on Zhang Yu so that Zhang Yu would remember him when he became emperor.

Seeing that Zhang Yu seemed to have seen through his thoughts, Guo Tu quickly changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that Yuan Shu has a young daughter who is eighteen years old. If Your Majesty wishes to win the hearts of the people of Chen, why not marry Yuan Shu's daughter as a concubine to put people's doubts at ease?"

Although Yuan Shu had many wives and concubines, he only had two sons and two daughters. His eldest son was Yuan Yao, and his second son was Yuan Hu. His eldest daughter was married to Huang Yi, while his second daughter was still unmarried.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, saying, "I am of the same generation as Yuan Shu. If I were to marry Yuan Shu's daughter, wouldn't I be a generation weaker than Yuan Shu? Moreover, the Chen dynasty usurped the Han throne, and if I were to marry a daughter of the Yuan family, I fear I would be subject to criticism."

"No!"

Guo Tu leaned closer and said, "Although Your Majesty has declared to the people that you will not kill Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu was once the emperor and is now vying with Your Majesty for the throne. People are bound to have some doubts. Moreover, Wancheng has not yet surrendered. If the ministers of the Chen dynasty are worried about the future, they may instigate Yuan Hu to raise an army."

"If Your Majesty takes Yuan Shu's daughter as a concubine, everyone will know that Your Majesty intends to treat the Chen dynasty and its officials well. When the envoy promises you benefits and official titles, then Jing and Yu will all surrender!"

As he spoke, Guo Tu's expression turned slightly serious, and he said, "In the past, Shun succeeded Yao and married Ehuang and Nüying. If Your Majesty wishes to unify the world, what is wrong with taking a woman from the Yuan family as your concubine?"

After considering for a long time, Zhang Yu relented and said, "Let it be as you say. You may visit Yuan Shu on my behalf and explain this matter to him."

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)