He originally intended to surrender to Wei, so why did he end up restoring Han?

Chapter 107 A Young Man Arrives at the Ministry of Justice

Zhang Liao's letter mainly analyzed the local geographical features from a military perspective and designed a defense plan based on his own experience.

To call this a defensive plan is a bit of a stretch. Zhang Liao used all the knowledge he had acquired during this period to design a comprehensive development plan for Huainan, which included multiple projects such as military and water conservancy. It can be said that if Zhang Liao's plan were implemented, it would at least have revitalized Huainan, if not directly lead Liu Bei to great heights.

The geography of Huainan is quite interesting. Divided by the Huai River, Huainan is mainly composed of low mountains and hills, with the main body consisting of the hilly areas formed by the foothills of Shungeng Mountain and Bagong Mountain. The elevation is mostly between 40 and 200 meters, with the highest peak, Zhujia Mountain, reaching 212 meters. Although there are almost no high mountains, there are many hills.

North of the Huai River lies an alluvial plain, flat and open, with an elevation generally between 18 and 22 meters and a slope of only about 1/5000, forming the southern extension of the Huang-Huai Plain.

In any era, the attacking side always suffers a significant disadvantage when fighting the defending side. Modern troops also lack the mobility to support mobile warfare. Therefore, when facing a well-developed defensive system, the attacking side almost always has no choice but to fight with sheer numbers.

Zhang Liao's idea was to resist at different levels and employ flexible defense. He planned to establish beacon towers on key hilltops to create a comprehensive communication network. He stipulated clear signals: smoke signals, flag signals, and drumbeats, to ensure that enemy information could be disseminated throughout the defense area within a day.

Small military camps were established at key transportation routes and dangerous mountain locations, where a small number of elite infantry were stationed. Their mission was not to engage in decisive battles, but to scout, harass, and delay the enemy, ascertaining their strengths and weaknesses and their main attack direction.

Establish 2-3 strong fortified camps on key high ground on the flanks or front of the city. These camps form a distinctive angle with the main city. If the enemy besieges any point, the other strongholds can launch attacks on the enemy's flanks, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from both sides.

In terms of people's livelihood, the main focus is on building a water conservancy system centered around Shaopi, such as diverting several tributaries so that the water from Shaopi can irrigate a larger area of ​​farmland.

However, this plan has a prerequisite: all of the dozen or so cities in Jiujiang County must be occupied to ensure that no unfriendly neighbors will disturb the construction process.

Filled with enthusiasm, Zhang Liao first handed the letter to Zhang Fei, wanting his superior to take a look. After reading it, Zhang Fei was astonished, praising it as brilliant. If Zhang Liao's plan were followed, no one in the northeast of Jiujiang County would be able to invade unless someone surrendered and became a traitor.

With Zhang Fei's approval, Zhang Liao's confidence grew even stronger. He immediately submitted the letter of opinion to Liu Bei, hoping to receive the highest instructions.

Liu Bei naturally approved of this and even wrote a letter to support Zhang Liao. Upon receiving the reply, Zhang Liao was overjoyed, believing that the matter was now secure.

As the days went by, Zhang Liao's anticipation gradually turned into doubt. Why hadn't the logistics department sent any news after so long? His application was as if it had never existed, without causing the slightest ripple.

He wrote another letter, but this time it wasn't to Liu Bei, but to Lu Wan. He first praised Lu Wan's various measures at length, saying they were excellent in every aspect, while subtly inquiring whether Xuzhou's finances were currently unhealthy.

Lu Wan's reply to him began by criticizing him, stating that in principle, a general at the front should not have private correspondence with important officials in the rear. She said that this time it would be assumed that he was unaware of this principle, but he should not violate it again in the future.

He then explained to him that while Xuzhou's finances were somewhat strained, they were not yet in dire straits and there was no need to worry about insufficient supplies at the front.

Since it's not a shortage, why not approve it?

Zhang Liao quickly came to terms with it. After all, he was still an outsider, and being allowed to command troops was already an act of leniency. He had already been given the cold shoulder in Xuzhou, where even looking at documents was met with endless excuses. It would be illogical not to trip him up now.

He was just really unwilling to accept it. If every time he wanted to do something, someone would stop him, and he would give in to their wishes and back down, then what was the point of being an officer? He might as well just be a dog.

With the New Year approaching, Zhang Liao returned to Xiapi. He had no need to visit his family, as his parents had died long ago during a raid by the Wuhuan tribes in the south, when they invaded Yanmen Pass. He was in a situation where he was the only one who needed to feed himself.

He came back specifically to ask the logistics department for supplies. After much deliberation, he felt that he had the support of his lord and leaders, and that since he had made things clear to them in person, they wouldn't cause him any more trouble.

However, he underestimated how stubborn the bureaucrats were; they were truly incorrigible and wouldn't give up until they were completely convinced of their limitations.

When Zhang Liao submitted his application, the logistics officer didn't even open it before saying, "Your application is not in accordance with the regulations. Go and prepare all the materials before you come back."

"What materials are needed? I'll prepare them right away."

However, the person opposite him was just eating snacks and chatting with his colleagues, completely ignoring him.

Zhang Liao sized the man up and down, then left without saying a word.

Just as Zhang Liao finished packing his things and walked dejectedly out of the logistics department, a young man's voice suddenly called out to him: "General Zhang, may I ask what happened?"

"Who are you??" Zhang Liao had no recollection of seeing this person before, and a sense of vigilance arose in his heart.

"This humble servant, Sima Fu, is currently just a minor clerk under Chief Secretary Chen." In fact, this was entirely self-deprecation. He was handsome and capable, and was currently a highly sought-after young talent under Chen Jiao. He had caught the eye of a powerful figure at the tender age of eighteen. Even though he was a very low-ranking official, everyone believed that he would most likely succeed Chen Jiao in the future.

Zhang Liao nodded slightly. It turned out to be just a minor official. He had thought it would be some high-ranking official, who might be able to help him get things done. But now it seemed to be just a young man trying to expand his network.

It's not fair to blame Zhang Liao for being short-sighted. He set off for Huainan in March of the second year of Jian'an, while Sima Fu was only promoted by Chen Jiao in May. The two had no prior interaction, so naturally Zhang Liao was unaware of Sima Fu's reputation and abilities.

Zhang Liao suddenly gleaned some key points from Sima Fu's words: "Sima? What is your relationship with Sima Jian, the Prefect of Jingzhao?"

"It is indeed my father."

Zhang Liao suddenly lost his temper. It turned out he was from a powerful and influential family; someone who had approached him without reason couldn't be up to no good. So he decided to say a few words and leave: "Oh, so you're a talented young man from the Sima clan of Hanoi. My apologies. If you have nothing else to say, please allow me to leave."

Sima Fu had come to him because he had something to discuss: "Please wait a moment, General Zhang. I still have the same question as before. Are you also being given a hard time by the logistics department?"

Zhang Liao instinctively wanted to say no, but the thought of his enthusiasm being ignored made him somewhat dissatisfied as he said, "Yes, but Sima doesn't belong to the logistics department, so why would he want to help a mere warrior like me? He couldn't have come all this way just to listen to my complaints, could he?"

"Because this isn't just your problem. Our Department of Justice has handled many cases where frontline generals have accused logistics officials of maliciously withholding supplies and passively responding to requests for support from the front lines. I wonder if you've also been targeted by the logistics department?"

Zhang Liao was slightly surprised. Sima Fu's words meant that the logistics department was punishing everyone equally, not just him. He suddenly felt that the world was a bit absurd, and his mood relaxed a little: "Actually, they didn't make things particularly difficult for me. They just asked me to go back and complete some paperwork."

"This is their usual tactic. General, believe it or not, next time you bring enough supplies, they'll still find a way to back out. Unless we can resolve this chaos and completely eliminate this despicable behavior."

Zhang Liao began to sense that the conversation was getting a little dangerous. He glanced around, and after confirming that there were no other people nearby, he turned his attention back to the conversation: "What do you mean?"

As a result, Sima Fu's words immediately solidified Zhang Liao's decision to flee: "We hope that you can sign this joint letter to show your firm resistance to these treacherous individuals."

Zhang Liao thought about it for a moment and still felt that this matter was somewhat inappropriate. For someone of his sensitive status, the best way to handle things was to speak less and do more. If he really got involved and failed to win against the people in the logistics department later, it wouldn't be as simple as just being given a hard time.

"I will not get involved in this matter. I understand your eagerness to resolve the issue, but now is not the time for us to fight each other."

Seeing Zhang Liao's resolute attitude, Sima Fu did not continue to promote his plan. He simply bowed to Zhang Liao and watched him leave.

Watching Zhang Liao's retreating figure, Sima Fu smiled and shook his head, silently thinking: General Zhang, the centrists suffer the most. Don't regret it later.

Soon, the annual New Year's court assembly was held at the governor's mansion in Xuzhou. The purpose of this assembly was to look back on the past, comment on the present, and look forward to the future.

The atmosphere was quite relaxed in the first half of the court assembly. Everyone shared what they had accomplished and what achievements they had made in the past year, and everyone's face was beaming with smiles. Among them, Mi Zhu was especially pleased with himself.

The logistics department's work this year was truly remarkable. Liu Bei had construction tasks in various directions, and Mi Zhu, who was in charge of logistics, not only supported all these projects but also ensured a surplus in the treasury. This was indeed an extraordinary achievement.

In contrast, Chen Deng was in a slightly awkward position. His intelligence agency failed to detect Cao Jun's spies' plot in time because he was ill, which led to Lu Wan being attacked and injured.

Then the incident of being thrown out of the window occurred, also because Chen Deng had focused the main force of the intelligence organization on Jiangdong, which resulted in Liu Bei's army losing face in diplomatic situations. Moreover, he still hasn't found out who leaked the news of Cao Cao's envoy's arrival.

Now look what happened! They wanted to show off in front of Liu Bei, but instead they've revealed their war drums.

So, on this rare occasion where he could express himself, Chen Deng, contrary to his usual behavior, did not come out to show himself. Instead, he sat quietly in the crowd, trying his best not to reveal his figure.

According to the agenda, after considering what needs to be done in the third year of Jian'an, the meeting could be concluded. Suddenly, a voice drew everyone's attention: "Wait, my lord, I have something very important to report to you all. Please listen carefully."

Normally, Sima Fu would not have been qualified to attend this meeting, but Chen Jiao considered Sima Fu to be a rare talent and specially brought him to the meeting.

Not only that, he also knew that Sima Fu planned to criticize the logistics department. This was because when many departments and localities asked the logistics department for things, they either took a long time to arrive or delivered less than what they needed. They would only send a portion of the required supplies and then just give an IOU for the rest.

Chen Jiao was extremely dissatisfied with this matter, considering it a serious violation of regulations. As someone who worked in the legal field, he couldn't stand seeing anyone break the rules. Therefore, he was happy to see Sima Fu leading the charge.

Liu Bei had no doubts and said that this meeting was a place for all participants to speak freely, and that criticism was acceptable. In fact, he encouraged everyone to criticize, because only in this way could they discover where things could not be done well enough.

Sima Fu took out a scroll from the pocket inside his sleeve, and with a trembling hand, unfolded it completely. His eyes quickly swept across Liu Bei's face, and seeing that there was no displeasure on his face, he swallowed and began to read: "Your subject Fu is trembling with fear and trepidation, and bows twice to report to Your Majesty and the General Staff:"

"Recently, I visited the army and witnessed some horrifying events, which kept me awake at night. I dared not fail to report this. The most important aspect of military administration lies in the supply of provisions; the army must move its baggage train before it can move its troops. Yet now, our soldiers are shedding their blood on the front lines, while the logistics are being ravaged by weeds. If this continues, I fear that the direction our banners point will not be the path to defeating the enemy, but rather the burial ground for our loyal soldiers!"

The relaxed atmosphere inside the mansion instantly became heavy, and Liu Bei's eyes sharpened instantly. He glanced at Mi Zhu and saw that Mi Zhu also looked astonished. Liu Bei knew that this was probably none of his business.

Although those present began exchanging glances and whispering amongst themselves, Sima Fu ignored them and continued his tirade against the logistics department: "The troops under Zang Ba, the Chancellor of Xiapi, have always been at the forefront since their surrender. They entered Guangling City in the spring and quelled the Huaibei bandits this summer, their battle robes stained with blood yet they have never complained. However, their request for 300 sets of armor has not arrived after two months; and 50 sets of crossbow components have been rejected due to 'strict warehouse regulations.' In contrast, the old troops from Danyang have replaced all their bows and arrows within ten days, and are now fully equipped with swords and shields. We are all soldiers of the Han Dynasty, so why should we discriminate based on personal relationships? If this is not obstruction, then what is it?!"

Sima Fu once again raised the level of seriousness of the matter, and everyone knew that today's events might not end well.