Late Han Zhao Tang

Winter of the first year of Shenwu, Wancheng.

"This is the husband I have chosen for Sister Jiang!"

Zhang Yu pointed to the young man, who was over eight feet tall and had a refined and scholarly appearance, and smiled, "I wonder if Uncle is satisfied?"

Zhang Yang looked Zhuge Liang up and down and exclaimed in admiration, "It is truly rare to find such a handsome young man in China!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yang asked, "There are few members of the Zhuge family in Jingzhou. May I ask where Kongming's ancestral home is? How many relatives does he have?"

Zhuge Liang straightened up slightly, his expression respectful, and replied, "I am from Yangdu, Langya Commandery, Xuzhou. My ancestor's original surname was Ge. We moved from various counties to Yangdu, hence the name Zhuge. My ancestor Feng was the Commandant of the Capital Region under Emperor Yuan of the Former Han Dynasty, my grandfather was an official in Langya Commandery, and my father was the Assistant Prefect of Taishan Commandery. As for my family, I have two older sisters and one brother each."

The Zhuge clan was not considered a prominent family during the Han Dynasty, and even in Langya Commandery, they were not as well-known as the Wang clan. They were more or less a gentry family at the commandery level. Furthermore, Zhuge Liang's ancestor, Zhuge Feng, was able to serve as the Commandant of the Capital Region thanks to the support of Wang Ji and Gong Yu, both from Langya.

"Born into a respectable family, with older siblings, he is a good man!"

Zhang Yang offered his comments and, adopting the demeanor of a father-in-law, asked, "How is your talent?"

"Liang studied classics such as Guanzi, Shangjun Shu, and Han Feizi, and browsed various schools of thought on Confucian classics, but he was not good at analyzing the texts. He was proficient in economics, military affairs, criminal law, and politics." Zhuge Liang was not modest and spoke the truth.

Kuai Yue added, “General, although Kongming is young, he enjoys a great reputation in Jingzhou. When Yuan Gonglu was alive, he wanted to recruit Kongming as an official.”

Zhuge Liang's marriage was not up to him. Since Zhang Yu intended to betroth his younger sister to Zhuge Liang, the powerful families of Nan Commandery rushed to express their support. The two great clans of Kuai and Pang, who had kinship ties, took the initiative to offer to pay the bride price and provide housing for Zhuge Liang in order to help him get married.

Huang, needless to say, knew she dared not compete with Zhang for a son-in-law, so she secretly sent someone to tell Zhuge Jin that Huang's daughter was ugly and unworthy of Zhuge Liang. Cai, having previously looked down on Zhuge's daughter, could only regret not having married her earlier.

Therefore, in order to facilitate Zhuge Liang's marriage, Kuai Yue took the initiative to accompany and talk to him, fearing that Zhang Yang would not be interested in Zhuge Liang.

Zhang Yang grinned and said, "I am a crude and uncultured warrior, unfamiliar with Confucian classics. I am just asking casually."

Zhang Yang's requirements for a son-in-law were not high: he needed to be learned, have a decent appearance, and most importantly, not be the descendant of a criminal. Zhuge Liang was indeed outstanding in appearance, and although his family was not a prominent clan in the prefecture or county, they had served as county officials for generations, indicating a family tradition of learning. Therefore, Zhang Yang was very satisfied.

Of course, Zhang Yu's opinion was crucial. After all, almost all royal children were required to marry into political families, and Zhang Yu's daughter was too young, so Zhang Yang's eldest daughter had to be arranged for marriage. Moreover, Zhang Yu had secretly promised Zhang Yang that when he became emperor, his cousin Zhang Jiang would be made a princess.

Then, Zhang Yang looked at Zhang Yu and asked, "What does Your Majesty think?"

Zhang Yu took a sip of tea and asked, "Kongming, what are your plans for the future? Would you be willing to serve as an official?"

Zhuge Liang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, my knowledge is still shallow. I intend to travel and study first, to learn about the affairs of the world, so that I can apply what I have learned."

"You have lofty ambitions!"

Zhang Yu praised him and said, “There are many scholars in China. Now that China is at peace, I wish to collect a wide range of books for the purpose of dissemination. Since Kongming is interested in studying, why not first settle down in Chang’an, and then go to Guandong to study, or travel to Guanxi? In this way, you can not only broaden your horizons, but also find a famous teacher.”

Zhuge Liang pondered for a long time, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your care, Your Majesty."

"Regarding the bride price, my Zhang family has no other requests. I only hope that Kongming can treat my younger sister with sincerity. From now on, the Zhang and Ge families will be one clan. I hope you will do your best!" Zhang Yu said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhuge Liang said gratefully.

The practice of betrothal gifts was not limited to later generations; betrothal gifts in the Han Dynasty were also quite high.

When Zhang Yu married Wang Ji, the bride price and wedding expenses alone consumed the wealth accumulated by the Zhang family over many years. Now, the Zhuge family is marrying a princess, and without the help of their in-laws, they probably don't even have the money to hold a wedding, let alone the bride price.

Zhang Yu's decision to waive the bride price for Zhuge Liang may seem like a small matter, but it was a significant one for Zhuge Liang's family. Therefore, although Zhuge Liang didn't talk much with Zhang Yu, he could feel Zhang Yu's high regard and care for him, which made Zhuge Liang sincerely grateful.

"good!"

After discussing his cousin's marriage, Zhang Yu looked at Lü Bu and smiled, "How about Fengxian becoming my uncle's son-in-law?"

"With his handsome looks and profound learning, Mr. Zhang is delighted to have found a worthy son-in-law!"

Lu Bu said, "Now that Your Majesty is about to unify the world, the future will not be a time for warriors to make their mark, but a time for scholars to shine. Kongming's future is limitless!"

“Fengxian’s son-in-law is rich and carefree, why should he envy me?” Zhang Yang joked.

"rational!"

Lu Bu, being astute, said, "I am able to obtain such a fine son-in-law thanks to Your Majesty's great kindness."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Your daughter is virtuous and intelligent, and has your beauty. My father loves her very much!"

"How is your health, Uncle?" Lü Bu asked.

“I have difficulty walking and have been living in the palace for many years. I miss my hometown and old friends. I would be overjoyed to see Fengxian!” Zhang Yu said. “I haven’t seen my uncle for more than ten years. If I return to the capital now, I must pay him a visit.”

Zhang Yu asked with a smile, "I'm afraid that you, Fengxian, have spent your life fighting and won't have any free time right now!"

"Whether idle or unworthy, all are at Your Majesty's command!" Lü Bu said, his mind racing.

"Fengxian's reputation resounds throughout the Central Plains; how could I not want to give him an important position?"

Zhang Yu pretended to ponder for a moment and said, "Cao Cao's troops have now attacked Xiakou, and I have already sent the famous general Qu Yi to support them, but Cao Cao's troops have not withdrawn. I think that only someone with a distinguished reputation can force Cao Cao to retreat, so I am afraid that I need to lead the troops south on my behalf."

Seeing that Zhang Yu truly needed him urgently, Lü Bu smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I am willing to obey Your Majesty's command."

"good!"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Fengxian, you can lead your troops south. I will send someone to supply you with provisions."

"promise!"

Lü Bu had 10,000 troops. At Zhang Yu's command, he left 5,000 troops at Lisong and led 5,000 troops to Wancheng. Thus, Lü Bu had his own army.

"I have heard that Chen Gong, under Fengxian's command, is a man of great wisdom. I wonder where he is now?" Zhang Yu asked.

"I am here!"

Chen Gong stepped forward from his kneeling seat and bowed to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu sized up the thin Chen Gong and asked, "You were renowned in your youth for your wisdom and resourcefulness. In the past, you allied with Yuan Shu to resist Cao Cao, which was a last resort. Now that you are a subject of Tang, what do you seek?"

Glancing at Zhang Yu's gentle face, Chen Gong felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. Don't be fooled by Zhang Yu's mild tone; he was subtly warning him. Zhang Yu's claim that Yuan Shu was resisting Cao Cao was merely a euphemism; the real message was a veiled reference to Chen Gong's previous allegiance to Yuan Shu.

Chen Gong bent over even more and said, "Since I am a subject of the king, I will obey the king's orders and follow the king's commands!"

Seeing that Chen Gong was sensible, Zhang Yu said, "You have been fighting with Cao Cao for a long time, so I suppose you are good at military strategy. Now that the Right General's camp is without a military advisor, you may take up the position and assist the Right General in guarding Huaibei, and be responsible for military strategy and military affairs."

Upon hearing about the position of Left Military Advisor of the Privy Council, Chen Gong was momentarily confused, but he quickly deduced from the title that this official position must be of high rank.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for entrusting me with this important task!"

Zhang Yu's personnel maneuvering aimed to dismantle the armed groups led by Lü Bu and Chen Gong, so that he could control and govern the counties of Yanzhou.

For example, Lü Bu was an outsider from Yanzhou, so the focus was on military power. Chen Gong, on the other hand, was a local strongman in Yanzhou with a history of achievements. His transfer to the central government was a real thorn in Zhang Yu's side, and it would easily give voice to the powerful clans of Yanzhou. If he remained in Yanzhou, it would likely affect Yang Pei's governance of the prefecture and counties. Therefore, it was quite reasonable to put Chen Gong in charge of military affairs.

As for sending Chen Gong to deal with Cao Cao, it was a decision Zhang Yu made after much deliberation, finding a suitable official position for him. The feud between Chen Gong and Cao Cao is too complex to explain in detail, so it was better to have him assist Zhang Liao and focus on the campaign against Cao Cao.

Due to military and political matters that needed to be dealt with, Lü Bu, Chen Gong, Zhuge Liang, and others tactfully withdrew.

"Your Majesty, Wen Ping has arrived in Nan Commandery and reported to Ma Chao that the Prefect of Nan Commandery, Hui Qu, has done a good job in defending the city and comforting the people; the Chief Clerk, Pang Tong, has offered a strategy to defend against the enemy; Wang Gan has done a good job in advising the enemy; and the Colonels, Huo Du and Gao Xiang, along with their troops, have done a good job in defending the city." Xun You reported, "Your Majesty may need to issue an edict to comfort and appease the people in order to win back the hearts of the loyal men."

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Summon Hui Qu and Pang Tong to Wancheng, and I will personally comfort them. As for the others who have rendered meritorious service, such as Gao Xiang and Huo Du, appoint them as commanders and place them under the command of Bu Luhu Tuli. Order Ma Chao and Pang De to withdraw their troops, and leave Wen Ping to lead the army to guard Jiangling, appointing him as the governor of Nan Commandery, with Bu Luhu Tuli as his deputy."

"Your Majesty, Wen Ping is a newly surrendered official. It may be inappropriate to suddenly promote him to the rank of general and have him stationed in Jiangling!" Xun You said hesitantly.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Few know the geography of Jingzhou, so we have no choice but to use Wen Ping. Besides, Wen Ping is a righteous man of Jingzhou; how could he possibly defect to Liu?"

“But Nanjun is a place with a large and prosperous population, with hundreds of thousands of people under its jurisdiction. Now that Wen Ping has been appointed as the governor, the generals may be dissatisfied!” Xun You said again.

“Nanjun is vast, and it is difficult for one general to take care of everything. Now, Xiangyang Commandery will be separated from Nanjun, with Xiangyang as the capital, and the prefecture seat will be moved to Xiangyang. The governor and the prefect will be appointed later.”

Zhang Yu said, "When Emperor Wu of Han first established Jingzhou, because Jingzhou was vast and sparsely populated, there were only three commanderies north of the Yangtze River: Nanyang, Nan, and Jiangxia, and only four commanderies south of the Yangtze. Now, Jingzhou is prosperous and its population is abundant. Nanyang has been divided into Nanxiang, so how can Nan Commandery not be divided as well?"

Zhang Yu split Ji Province into two provinces. Since both Jing and Yu Provinces had equally prosperous populations, how could Zhang Yu not split them up?
In Zhang Yu's plan, all the prefectures of Jingzhou needed to be split up and reorganized. If necessary, they could be combined with Yi and Yang prefectures to form another prefecture. After all, compared to the four prefectures in the Central Plains, the vast south only had four prefectures, which was neither conducive to the development of the south nor to the central government's ability to deepen its control over the south.

Seeing Zhang Yu's firm resolve to appoint Wen Pin as a general, Xun You said no more, but asked, "His Majesty ordered Han Hao, Huang Zhong, Wang Wei and other generals to select troops. Now that the generals have completed the selection of their old troops, they have submitted a memorial inquiring about where they will be stationed?"

After a pause, Xun You added, "I believe we can choose a riverbank on the Han River to set up camp in order to support the front lines and train the navy."

"I agree with what you say."

Zhang Yu said directly, "And he appointed Xu Huang as the governor of Jingzhou, in charge of all military affairs in Jingzhou."

"Yes, sir!" (End of Chapter)