I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 207 Lu Bu (Just a toy for everyone)

After Lu Su appointed Xu Sheng as his vanguard and captured Junan, he received a supply of provisions and was finally able to relax completely.

Just as they were discussing how to take Langya, a scout reported that a large force of troops was advancing from the north.

"Is it the army Yuan Tan left behind in Qingzhou?"

"Impossible. The nearest Qingzhou troops should be stationed in Beihai. How could they possibly attack at this time?"

When Lu Su and Xu Sheng climbed the city wall, they saw that the army was carrying banners with the character "臧" (Zang).

"It must be Zang Ba!"

Upon hearing that it was Zang Ba, Xu Sheng relaxed.

"Rest assured, Chief Clerk, we have all heard of Zang Ba's reputation before. He is a kind and generous man who values ​​loyalty and has the chivalrous spirit of Ji Bu and Guo Jie. We have no grudge against Zang Ba, so he will not easily come to attack us!"

Lu Su vaguely remembered that Liu Miao had previously advised Liu Bei to make more contact with Zang Ba to form an alliance and control Lü Bu... However, judging from Liu Bei's current predicament, Liu Bei clearly ignored Liu Miao's words.

“A person who can be trusted and entrusted by the lord should not be a treacherous or cunning person. We can go forward and make friends with him.”

Lu Su ordered Xu Sheng to lead the troops, while he himself only carried a long sword at his waist and headed towards Zang Ba's camp.

Lu Su's actions prompted his personal guards to dissuade him from going to the meeting alone and committing a dangerous act.

“We have come from afar by sea, and we have nothing to rely on. Now that Zang Ba has discovered us, either he is friendly and can be our help, in which case he will certainly not kill me; or he is hostile to us, and even if I do not go, we will have nowhere to escape and will be killed by him. In that case, what difference does it make whether I stay here or go to the camp on the other side, whether I go alone or lead the others?”

Lu Su traveled lightly, carrying only a sword, towards Zang Ba's army. The scouts of Zang Ba's army were alarmed when they saw him and hurriedly went to invite Zang Ba out to see what was happening.

Zang Ba rode out and saw that in the vast wilderness, only Lu Su was slowly approaching. He was filled with joy and emotion.

"What a brave warrior!!!"

To go to the meeting alone with such courage, how could it not please someone like Zang Ba who values ​​loyalty and righteousness?

Zang Ba personally went to Lu Su, presented him with a warhorse, and invited him into the camp for a chat!
When Zang Ba learned that Lu Su had actually come to Qingzhou by sea, he was even more impressed!
"A ship at sea can sink with the slightest storm! I truly admire Zijing for leading his army here!"

Lu Su had no intention of explaining that the warships in Jiangdong were different from the flat-bottomed ships in other places and were not afraid of the slight waves at the sea. So he still looked calm and composed, which made Zang Ba look at Lu Su in a new light.

"Did Liu Biaoqi send Zijing here to attack Yuan Tan from both sides?"

"Exactly."

Zang Ba then asked, "What is Liu Biaoji's opinion of Lü Bu?"

Lu Su didn't know how Liu Miao viewed Lü Bu, but he had been an envoy to Lü Bu before and had some understanding of him.

"Although Lü Bu possesses the courage of a fierce tiger, he lacks strategic brilliance. He is fickle and treacherous, driven solely by self-interest. Moreover, he is easily swayed by others. He has great strength but no direction, making him a true threat!"

A reckless person is not scary.

Even a cunning brute is not to be feared.

However, a reckless brute who blindly believes what others say, switching between friend and foe, making it impossible to figure out his intentions, is quite terrifying!

Lu Su still doesn't understand why Lü Bu attacked Liu Bei so easily, shattering the barrier between him and Cao Cao.

Could it be that Lü Bu has forgotten that even when he gained control of the entire Yan Province, he was still overthrown by Cao Cao, who only controlled three counties?

If they couldn't defeat Cao Cao under such a disparate situation of strength, how could they possibly defeat Cao Cao now that he has recovered and become rich and powerful by adopting Liu Miao's policies and implementing the "military agricultural system"?

Even if Lü Bu's attack on Liu Bei forced Cao Cao to retreat from Nanyang and abandon his campaign against Zhang Xiu, did Lü Bu consider what would happen to him in the future?

Without Liu Bei's protection... or rather, without Liu Miao acting as a mediator, how could Lü Bu possibly defeat Cao Cao?

In an attempt to rescue Liu Biao, he ended up sacrificing himself instead?
Faced with Lü Bu, who overestimated his own abilities and believed everything others said, Lu Su truly dared not trust him anymore, which is why he said that Lü Bu was now a scourge.

Upon hearing Lu Su's assessment of Lü Bu, Zang Ba immediately exclaimed with delight: "Exactly! Lü Bu is such a villain, utterly despicable!!!"

Zang Ba then told Lu Su about Lu Bu's accusation that he had embezzled Lu Bu's money and grain. Lu Su checked the accounts in his mind and suddenly discovered the problem.

When he was in Jiangdong, Lu Jun had already told him that he had bribed Xu You to stop Yuan Shao from distributing money and grain.

Since Yuan Shao did not allocate any funds or provisions, the only possible explanation is that Yuan Tan himself provided the money.

The issue is……

Lu Su knew how poor Qingzhou was!
Taishi Ci, Liu Yao, Sun Shao, and Shi Yi—these are all from Qingzhou!

Qingzhou was severely affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, to the point that it was not even one of the worst affected areas!

Although Ji and Yu provinces were also severely affected, they were quickly restored after being occupied and suppressed by powerful rulers like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. However, Kong Rong of Qing province was always weak, and several times the city gates were even besieged by bandits, forcing him to seek help.

Afterwards, the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou headed east and were attacked by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Bao Xin. They fought a battle east of Shouzhang, day and night, and were eventually captured by Cao Cao. Cao Cao gained more than 300,000 surrendered soldiers and more than 1 million people. He almost plundered all the able-bodied men of Qingzhou and took them all to Yanzhou.

Then Gongsun Du from Liaodong crossed the sea to collect the population, making Qingzhou's situation even worse.

Afterwards, Liu Miao's reputation for "equal land distribution" gradually spread to the north, and a large number of displaced people flocked to Jiangdong...

Today, Qingzhou probably has less than 10% of its population compared to its heyday. Where would Yuan Tan get the money and supplies to pay Lü Bu?

Lu Su then told Zang Ba his guess, and Zang Ba was also shocked: "The Yuan family is wealthy and powerful, they shouldn't do such a thing, right?"

"What does Yuan Shao's wealth and status have to do with Yuan Tan?"

"Moreover, I once visited Lü Bu. Although I know he has many faults, he is by no means a petty person who slanders others."

What Lu Su really wanted to say was that with Lü Bu's wisdom, he probably couldn't have come up with such an idea.

If anyone were to do something like this, it would be Liu Miao. How could a brute like Lü Bu possibly do such a thing?
Zang Ba then slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Perhaps that's really the case!!"

"The reason I didn't want to suspect Yuan Tan before was because he was backed by Yuan Shao, and I thought that Yuan Shao wouldn't embezzle even this little bit of money and grain."

"But if Yuan Tan himself were to do it, he might actually do such a despicable thing!"

Zang Ba was furious and gritted his teeth: "You, Yuan Tan, how dare you sow discord like this! No wonder I've been feeling unwell in my back lately, it turns out they made me take the blame for something so big!"

Zang Ba immediately shifted his focus: "In that case, we should make things clear with Lü Bu and tell him to go and settle accounts with Yuan Tan!"

Lu Su replied, "If you just make empty promises, Lü Bu probably won't believe you, General."

"General, why don't we attack Yuan Tan first, capture some of his soldiers, and bring them as witnesses? Only in this way can we gain Lü Bu's trust."

Zang Ba said in a low voice, "That's true! Otherwise, with Lu Bu's brain, he probably wouldn't be able to figure it out!"

With Zang Ba's assistance, Lu Su immediately returned to his camp and ordered Xu Sheng to join forces with Zang Ba, entrusting Zang Ba with the command of the troops to attack Yuan Tan.

When Zang Ba saw that Lu Su was willing to hand over all his military power, he exclaimed, "There is probably no one else in the world as frank as Zijing!"

Lu Su shook his head and said, "If you are facing someone you cannot trust, you should always keep a knife in your bosom to intimidate them; if you are facing someone you can trust, you should expose your chest to gain their trust."

"This is a lesson I learned from my lord, so it can't really be called frank."

Instead of being annoyed, Zang Ba felt a surge of admiration for Liu Miao: "Just what kind of person is Liu Miao, the General of the Cavalry?"

Lu Su: "It's hard to explain in words. If a thousand people see our lord, they will think that our lord is a thousand different people. If you have the opportunity in the future, General, you can go and meet our lord in person."

"Haha, very well! I'm also curious to see what kind of person could come across the sea to Qingzhou!"

Zang Ba didn't stand on ceremony. After reorganizing their troops, they headed south towards the East China Sea.

Yuan Tan was resting with his army here, completely unaware that a force of soldiers would suddenly appear behind him.

Despite their hasty resistance, they were ultimately defeated by Zang Ba and could only gather their troops and head south.

Zang Ba captured some of Yuan Tan's soldiers, and one of the captains, who indeed knew the truth, cried out and told Guo Tu's plan.

"Qingzhou is truly in ruins and cannot raise enough money and grain, so we had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure!"

"This was all Yuan Tan and Guo Tu's idea; it has nothing to do with us!"

After confirming the matter, Zang Ba spat and said, "You dare to falsely accuse me of embezzling money and grain? Hmph! Go tell Lü Bu what you have to say! Then we'll see if he'll spare you!"

Following Lu Su's plan, Zang Ba sent the captured Yuan Tan soldiers to Xiapi, instructing them to truthfully inform Lü Bu of the events.

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's face flushed red and then turned pale.

"General! General Lü! Marquis Wen! This is all a scheme by Yuan Tan and Guo Tu, it has nothing to do with us!"

Yuan's soldiers wanted to beg for mercy, but Lü Bu suddenly attacked them, grabbing a lampstand from the table and hitting them with it!

"Yuan Tan! What a Yuan Tan!"

Lu Bu gritted his teeth, and the terrifying shockwave from his imposing figure almost knocked those around him to the ground!
"Your father, Yuan Shao, wanted to kill me, and you, as his son, are treating me, Lü Bu, like a child to be toyed with. This is utterly outrageous!"

Lu Bu stretched out his long arm, its muscles, as taut as cast steel, bulging like blood-red dragons: "Take my halberd!"

"This time, I will surely kill the traitorous Yuan family!"

(End of this chapter)