Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 83: Sun Wentai’s Gratitude (Please read on!)
A few days before leaving Luoyang, Zhang Yu almost visited all the people he could win over, even Xun You, who had just arrived in Luoyang, and the ministers he had met at the Secretariat.

By the end of February, all matters in Luoyang were completed. Zhang Yu said goodbye to everyone and headed west, preparing to pass through Guanzhong, take Hedong County and enter Bingzhou.

When he arrived in Zheng County, word of Zhang Yu's deeds in Luoyang had already spread throughout the county. Many people came to visit Zhang Yu in Zheng County, and the gifts they brought were all very valuable.

In order not to disappoint the visitors, Zhang Yu accepted all the gifts, but ordered Li Song to mark the name of each family on each gift.

Zhang Yu paid close attention to the progress of the terraced fields in Longwei Dam and even went to see it. Seeing that the progress was smooth and all the refugees were settled, Zhang Yu felt relieved and expressed that he would commend Liang Mi.

That night, Liang Mi sent another gift to thank Zhang Yu for his contribution. Zhang Yu accepted it as usual and had the names of the families on the gift marked.

As for Du Ji, Zhang Yu was particularly grateful. Without Du Ji as his deputy to help him solve various issues in Zheng County, Zhang Yu would not have achieved such good results in Zheng County, nor would he have been able to travel to Luoyang for a long time.

In order to thank and win over Du Ji, Zhang Yu invited Du Ji to banquets many times, and to show his intimacy, he slept on the same bed with Du Ji many times. Because they were of the same age, the two had a lot in common.

In order to improve the relationship, Zhang Yu also visited Du Ji's stepmother. Du Ji's stepmother saw that Zhang Yu held a high position, so she was particularly enthusiastic and flattering. After Zhang Yu left, she treated Du Ji with much more respect.

When Zhang Yu heard about the changes and thought about what Du Ji had experienced in his youth, he couldn't help but sigh for Du Ji. It was Du Ji's misfortune to meet such a stepmother.

At the same time, upon learning that Du Ji was going to Hanzhong to take up his post, Zhang Yu, on the grounds that the Qiang rebellion had produced many bandits, asked Hao Zhao to lead several of his personal cavalrymen to escort Du Ji to his post.

Although Du Ji tried to refuse, he could not resist Zhang Yu's enthusiasm and the possibility of bandits appearing on the road, so he agreed.

After staying in Zheng County for a few days, Zhang Yu and Du Ji went to Chang'an together.

Before leaving, Zhang Yu sorted the gifts he had received according to name, left them all in the county hall, and let people take them back.

His act of walking away without leaving any credit or fame made the officials of Zheng County admire him endlessly!
The officials in the county praised Zhang Yu, and a good person composed a song: "The government is in chaos, the prison is full of people, the refugees are suffering and have no place to live. Thanks to Mr. Zhang, the country is clear and bright again."

Liang Mi was also very considerate and had the pond on Longwei Pond named Yugongtang to thank Zhang Yu for his contribution to the county's governance.

As the saying goes, "When a wild goose passes by, it leaves its voice behind; when an official passes by, he leaves his traces behind. The praise from the county residents is undoubtedly a compliment to Zhang Yu for his tenure as an official for more than half a year.

After leaving Zheng County, Zhang Yu, Du Ji and others went to Chang'an and met Yin Shou Chang Qia.

Du Ji visited Chang Qia to thank him for recommending him as a filial and honest official and to report on the governance of Zheng County. Zhang Yu visited Chang Qia purely to pass by and maintain a friendship.

During his stay in Chang'an, Zhang Yu learned the news about Sun Jian and decided not to visit Zhong Yao for the time being. Instead, he went west to Mei County to visit Sun Jian, who had been in the army for a long time.

Before leaving, Du Ji had to go south to Hanzhong to take up a post, so he parted ways with Zhang Yu. Hao Zhao, in accordance with Zhang Yu's previous instructions, led his cavalry to escort Du Ji south.

In order to avoid being out of contact, Zhang Yu and Hao Zhao agreed to meet in Yangling County where Zhong Yao was working.

Zhang Yu went west to Mei County and contacted Sun Jian, who was serving in the army, through the gatekeeper.

When Sun Jian learned that Zhang Yu was coming, he was overjoyed. He asked Zhang Wen for leave and invited Zhang Yu to the county tavern for a drink.

In the wine club, Sun Jian and Zhang Yu sat arm in arm, and there were six or seven people present including Wu Jing, Han Dang, Li Song, Meng Ningzhi, etc.

Sun Jian poured a bottle of wine for Zhang Yu and said with a smile, "Ji'an is working in Zheng County. How can you have time to visit me in Mei County now?"

"It's a long story!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Because Envoy Wang was imprisoned, I sneaked into Luoyang to help him. ... After Envoy Wang was released from prison, I heard that Bingzhou was invaded by the Xianbei, so I wrote a petition to guard the border. Your Majesty encouraged my ambition, so I was promoted to the deputy lieutenant of the Xiongnu Guard to assist the General of the Central Army."

Hearing what had happened to Zhang Yu recently, even Sun Jian couldn't help but be amazed.

"Ji'an, you are a righteous man!"

Sun Jian raised his wine jar and said, "Ji'an never forgot his former master and sacrificed his life to protect the law. This is admirable."

"Brother Wentai led the army to garrison far away on the border, fought on the battlefield, and protected the peace of the three prefectures. I would like to offer you a bottle of wine!" Zhang Yu replied in praise.

The sedan chair is carried by people, and the relationship between people needs to be maintained. Now that Sun Jian praised Zhang Yu, how could Zhang Yu not praise him in return?

After some pleasantries, Sun Jian said with emotion: "Fortunately, Ji'an went to Zheng County to serve as the county magistrate instead of serving in the army. If he had served in the army, I'm afraid we wouldn't have achieved what we have today."

"Brother, are you not successful in the army?" Zhang Yu asked.

"I have been highly regarded by the General of Chariots and Cavalry, so I cannot say that I have no ambition to join the army."

Sun Jian hesitated and said, "The army has been fighting for more than a year, with few victories and many defeats. Although we are withdrawing to Longxi now, our army is unable to recover the lost territory. We can only temporarily station troops in Guanzhong. It is really frustrating!"

Since Sun Jian started his military career, he had rarely suffered defeat. The fact that Sun Jian said he felt aggrieved shows how difficult it was to fight against the rebels. Although the court did not reveal detailed military information, Zhang Yu could guess a little from the rewards given by the court to the generals. Zhang Wen, the commander-in-chief, had not received any reward, and only his deputy general Dong Zhuo had received some reward. This shows that Zhang Wen had not achieved good results since he took charge of the army.

Zhang Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Does the army have any strategy for recovering lost territory in the future?"

Sun Jian shook his head and said, "To be honest, the terrain in Longyou is complicated. When the rebels were defeated, the six armies advanced together in the deep winter. Because the roads were difficult to travel and the food and grass were cut off, they were defeated by the Qiang rebels again."

"As for the recovery of Jincheng and Longxi counties, the General of Chariots and Cavalry has no plan for the time being. He wants to rectify the morale of the army first. Moreover, the expedition to the two counties is nearly 2,000 miles away. The army will have difficulty in maintaining food and grass, and will not be able to go on the expedition in the short term."

The northwestern rebels were mainly based in Longxi and Jincheng counties, and most of the rebels were former officials of the Han army and Qiang and Hu tribes.

It was easy for the rebels to attack the wealthy Guanzhong area by climbing over the Long Mountains. However, the Han army had to cross the Long Mountains and travel through various river valleys to conquer the two counties of Longxi and Jincheng.

"What plans does Brother Wen Tai have recently?" Zhang Yu asked again.

Sun Jian held the wine bottle in his hand, his face showing deep thought, and said: "The general of the chariot and cavalry sympathized with my hard work and recommended me to the court to be a counselor. Perhaps I should join the Western Army in the near future. But if there is any other appointment, I would rather serve outside, such as going to the Central Plains to suppress the bandits."

"Since Wen Tai said this, it seems that the rebels are really difficult to deal with?" Zhang Yu said with a smile.

Sun Jian smiled bitterly but said nothing. Before he was ordered to go to war, he thought the Northwestern rebels would be at most more difficult to deal with than the Yellow Turban Army. However, after fighting a few battles with the rebels, he suddenly realized that the difficulty of the two was not on the same level.

If he continued to fight the rebels in the northwest, he would lose many of his men. If he wanted to gain military merit and promotion, the best target would be the rebels in the inland.

Seeing that Sun Jian had no way out, Zhang Yu understood and said with a smile, "I wonder if Brother Wen Tai knows the road between Yin and Yuan in Henan?"

"Heard something!"

Sun Jian nodded and said, "Yuan Henan is a chivalrous man who is willing to accept heroes. I heard a little about him when I was in Luoyang, but I have no way to visit him."

Zhang Yu took a sip of wine and said slowly, "Yuan Henan and I are old friends. Since you are going to be appointed as a councilor, why don't you go to Luoyang to pay a visit to Yuan Henan? With your bravery, Yuan Henan will surely be happy to accept you."

Seeing that Sun Jian had not yet met Yuan Shu, Zhang Yu did not mind doing a favor and introduced Yuan Shu to Sun Jian. Sun Jian's rapid development in history was probably largely due to Yuan Shu's help.

"Is what Ji An said true?"

Hearing this, Sun Jian suddenly became excited, his eyes widened, and he asked, "Is what Ji An said true?"

"It's true!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "When I took office as the deputy lieutenant, Yuan Henan gave me a large spear. If the secretary is willing, Yu can write a letter to introduce you to Yuan Henan."

"How dare you not want to!"

Sun Jian's eyes narrowed with smiles. He had finally gotten close to Zhang Wen, and wanted to fight the rebels in the northwest to get a promotion. Unexpectedly, the rebels were too difficult to fight, and he had to work hard to get a six-hundred-stone official, while Zhang Yu was now easily promoted to a thousand-stone official. Now Zhang Yu was willing to introduce him to Yuan Shu, how could he refuse!
To be honest, Sun Jian had to sigh at Zhang Yu's change. When he first met Zhang Yu, he was still fighting against the Yellow Turbans.

At that time, Zhang Yu was only a state official, who had made his way forward thanks to Wang's son-in-law, and he recognized Zhang Yu's martial arts. Later, Zhang Yu saved his life, which was considered a favor owed to him, and the two sides had more interactions, but that was all.

When they met in Luoyang, Zhang Yu was selected as a filial and incorrupt official and was appointed as a palace official. Sun Jian did not feel much about it. At that time, he had more than a thousand soldiers under his command and was appointed as a military commander. He had a bright future. He was more happy to meet him as a friend.

When they met again today, Sun Jian suddenly discovered that Zhang Yu had surpassed him in official position and was doing very well in Luoyang. This made Sun Jian feel that his younger brother was quite capable and secretly a little envious.

When Zhang Yu said he could introduce Yuan Shu to him, Sun Jian changed his mindset. He was not only envious, but also admired and had feelings for him. This was not something that could be done by Wang's son-in-law alone, but Zhang Yu's unique ability won Yuan Shu's recognition.

"Thank you, Ji'an, for the recommendation!"

Sun Jian raised his wine jar and said sincerely: "During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Ji'an saved my life. When I was hesitating, Ji'an introduced me to a noble man. I will never forget your kindness."

"Brother, you are too kind!"

Zhang Yu smiled and helped Sun Jian up, saying: "I call you brother, and you call me your younger brother. There is no need to talk about repaying a favor between brothers."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu raised the wine jar and said with a smile: "Everyone, drink this wine together!"

"please!"

Zhang Yu helped Sun Jian twice, both times unintentionally. But no matter what, because Sun Jian owed him a favor, the relationship between the Sun and Zhang families became closer, and there would always be opportunities to use him in the future.

"Book of Tang, Biography 2": "Sun Jian, courtesy name Wentai, was from Fuchun, Wujun. ... Jian took advantage of the victory to advance deep into the enemy's territory, was wounded and fell off his horse, lying in the grass. The troops were scattered, and Taizu found Jian in the grass while following his horse, and saved Jian's life."

(End of this chapter)