Chapter 50

The gentry of Jingzhou are preparing to present a grand gift to Zhang Hao. Not only do they want to welcome the Great Qian army into Jingzhou, but they also plan to present the newly appointed governor, Lu Zhi, as a gift to Zhang Hao. Lu Zhi has not yet taken office, but he will soon arrive in Xiangyang. The major families of Jingzhou, the Cai, Huang, and Jing families, are preparing to capture Lu Zhi as soon as he takes office and hand him over to Zhang Hao. This can be considered a token of their loyalty.

However, there is now a problem. These families have learned that Lu Zhi not only brought a cavalry unit but also that his disciples, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, have joined him. Both Liu Bei and Zhang Fei are skilled, and with the guards around Lu Zhi, the Jingzhou gentry are worried they might not succeed. Therefore, they want Zhang Hao to send experts to help.

Tian Feng, Gu Yong, and others discussed whether this was a trap, but after careful analysis, they determined that the Jingzhou gentry were indeed sincere. Perhaps their request for Zhang Hao to send help is a way to show their loyalty.

Not only are they asking for experts, but they have also indicated that they have control over the commanders in Jiangxia and other areas, allowing the Jing Army to advance unimpeded. They are also inviting Zhang Hao to send troops into Xiangyang, showing a complete willingness to entrust their lives to him. There is no indication that they want Zhang Hao to come personally, so the overall analysis suggests they are very sincere.

Just now, because of the letter left by Guan Yu, Zhang Hao was wondering where Liu Bei had gone. Now he has learned the news. Liu Bei's information is indeed very reliable; he immediately went to Jingzhou upon learning that his teacher had become the governor. It's unknown whether they cried when they discovered Guan Yu's disappearance.

After all, Liu Bei is used to sleeping with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, so suddenly missing one of them must feel different.

Zhang Hao thought about this rather whimsically.

"Han Sheng, E Lai, you two go with Ling Cao and Jiang Qin. Ensure Lu Zhi's safety. Since the Jingzhou gentry are sincere, we cannot let them down. Han Sheng, the military strategy in Jingzhou will be your responsibility. When you arrive at each place, change the city defenses to ensure everything is secure."

Zhang Hao gave the order directly.

"Yes," Huang Zhong responded promptly.

The reason for sending Huang Zhong to Jingzhou is not only because of his capabilities but also because he is from Jingzhou. Assigning him to handle the military strategy in Jingzhou can be seen as a return to his hometown. After all, he left his home with Zhang Hao over a year ago.

"Zi Yi, prepare in advance. Once the news from Jingzhou is confirmed, coordinate with the navy to attack Xuzhou. The Mi family has already surrendered, and with the Yellow Turbans causing trouble there, it shouldn't be too difficult. If the Yellow Turbans refuse to surrender, drive them temporarily to Yuzhou to welcome Governor Zhu."

Zhang Hao gave further instructions, and Taishi Ci, Cheng Yuan, and others all responded. Tian Feng, Man Chong, and Xi Zhicai discussed the specifics of the attack in detail.

After all matters were decided, the ministers left, as there were still many things to handle. Especially if the situation in Jingzhou progresses smoothly, they will immediately plan to attack Xuzhou, which requires a lot of consideration and preparation.

"Your Majesty, Cai Mao of the Cai family in Xiangyang sends his regards through me," Luo An said, standing in front of Zhang Hao, his expression slightly odd. He cleared his throat and continued, "Cai Mao's sister is said to be beautiful and virtuous. Additionally, the Cai family has sent someone to visit Cai Bo. The Huang family has also sent someone to visit General Huang."

Zhang Hao was taken aback. Cai Bo refers to Cai Yong, who is now responsible for education in the Great Qian. Zhang Hao has been vigorously promoting education, not only in the commanderies and counties but also in every village, providing free education to children and subsidies to those in need. This task is managed by Cai Yong and the former governor of Luchang, Lu Kang, both of whom are highly motivated.

Looking at Luo An with a peculiar expression, Zhang Hao said, "Do you mean the Cai family is proposing a marriage, and you are asking for my permission?"

"Of course not," Luo An said, flustered. "I already have a wife and two concubines, and we get along well. Uh, Your Majesty, please don't joke like that. You know what's going on!"

Zhang Hao waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, I won't tease you. Tell me, since the Cai family has this intention, you must have investigated, right?"

Zhang Hao had some recollection of Cai Mao's sister, who historically married Liu Biao. The women of the Cai family were comparable to those of the Yang family of Taishan, and many noble families sought their hands in marriage. This was a rare commodity. These two families were particularly talented in women's education.

Zhang Hao was not at all concerned that this behavior indicated he had a reputation for loving beautiful women.

In this era, loving beautiful women was not considered a flaw, as long as it did not interfere with one's duties. No matter how many women one had, others would only admire one's energy.

"I did have someone investigate, and from multiple sources, it seems they are not exaggerating," Luo An said.

"Alright, let's discuss this after Jingzhou is taken," Zhang Hao waved his hand. The Cai family was a major clan in the late Han dynasty, and even Cai Yong was part of their lineage. Moreover, the Cai family was very pragmatic, and according to Luo An, they played a significant role in the recent events in Jingzhou.

In this case, Zhang Hao could not easily refuse their offer. Besides, he enjoyed such situations. If someone was willing to send beautiful women, why would he refuse? Ah, thinking about it, he was now at the point where others were willing to send money, grain, and women to him, which made him feel quite satisfied.

As for the Cai and Huang families visiting Cai Yong and Huang Zhong, Zhang Hao was not concerned. In this era, clan loyalty was important, and mutual assistance among clans was natural. If the Cai and Huang families were to join the Great Qian, they would naturally not miss the opportunity to connect with Cai Yong and Huang Zhong, who held significant positions in the Great Qian.

With all matters decided, the Great Qian's war machine began to prepare, outwardly relaxed but internally tense.

Without the knowledge of outsiders, ten thousand elite Shenwei troops entered Jingzhou. Since the Yangtze River had become the internal river of the Great Qian, the Jingzhou navy did not dare to intercept and remained hidden in the ports. Thus, through the navy and with the cooperation of the Jingzhou gentry, the ten thousand Shenwei troops quietly integrated into Jingzhou.

Zhang Hao closely monitored the situation in Jingzhou, and the operation went smoothly. The Jingzhou gentry were indeed determined to join Zhang Hao. The key cities in Jiangxia were handed over to the Shenwei troops, ensuring that even in the worst-case scenario, the Shenwei troops would have a safe retreat.

Later, Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and others entered Xiangyang with three thousand troops under the pretext of changing the guard. They arrived even before Lu Zhi and his entourage, as Lu Zhi was inspecting the situation in Jingzhou to quickly integrate the entire state's forces.

The situation in Jingzhou was better than Lu Zhi had expected, which slightly improved his mood, which had been gloomy since receiving intelligence from the Great Qian. However, the situation was still not optimistic. Thinking about the intelligence brought back by his disciples, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, Lu Zhi felt powerless.

The Inspector of Yangzhou, Chen Wen, had already been ordered to prison by the court. Regardless of his innocence, since the Qian army originated from Yangzhou, he could only be considered unfortunate, and his responsibility could not be cleared. Chen Wen, who was already old, died before reaching Luoyang, a tragic end that destroyed his reputation.

Lu Zhi had no confidence in this mission but felt he had to try his best, especially since it was a last request from the previous emperor.

Seeing the officials welcoming him at the gates of Xiangyang, Lu Zhi straightened his expression. Noticing that officials and the Xiangyang gentry had come to welcome him, he felt relieved. He only wanted to unite the entire state to face the Great Qian and did not want internal conflicts.

To achieve this, Lu Zhi did not act rigidly. He was friendly but maintained his authority when facing the officials and gentry.

It must be said that the officials and gentry of Jingzhou were excellent actors, and Lu Zhi did not detect any issues. Thus, he was doomed.

These officials and gentry drugged the food and drink at the welcoming banquet. They were ruthless enough to take the drug themselves. By the time Lu Zhi realized something was wrong, he was already feeling weak. Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, with their strong physical abilities due to their martial arts, could still react, but they were helpless against the combined attack of Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, Jiang Qin, and Ling Cao.

Lu Zhi, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and the cavalry commanders he brought were all captured, and the thousand cavalrymen he brought were disarmed and detained.

As Lu Zhi and Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and others were sent to Linyang, the Jingzhou gentry kept the news under wraps. They began using Lu Zhi's name to reassign troops and commanders, and two ten thousand troops from the Great Qian were brought into Jingzhou from Yangzhou.

Not only the troops but also the officials in the commanderies and counties were being replaced. Some of the more stubborn or loyal ones were summoned to Xiangyang under Lu Zhi's name to report.