Chapter 57

At this moment, Ding Xuan walked over and handed a piece of intelligence to Zhang Hao. After reading it, Zhang Hao was slightly surprised and looked at Sun Jian, saying, "Wentai, they all say your fellow townsman has a fierce temperament, but now it seems he is not lacking in adaptability. This is truly the mark of a great general."

As he spoke, Zhang Hao directly handed the intelligence to Sun Jian, and this gesture of trust made Sun Jian feel a warm sensation in his heart. He took the intelligence and read it carefully.

"Zhu Zhonglang has a grand vision, is brave and skilled in battle, and understands the situation, knowing how to adapt to the times," Sun Jian hesitated for a moment before saying.

"Hmm, Zhu Jun lives up to his reputation, but it's a pity that our positions are different," Zhang Hao was not bothered by Sun Jian's admiration for Zhu Jun. After all, they were fellow townspeople, and Zhu Jun had been Sun Jian's benefactor, under whom Sun Jian had once fought. If Zhang Hao were to denigrate Zhu Jun, it would reflect poorly on his character.

Sun Jian's evaluation of Zhu Jun's ability to adapt to different situations was very accurate. Just like now.

When Zhu Jun was suppressing the Yellow Turbans, he even refused to accept their surrender to warn the world.

But now, with the rise of the Great Qian, and the invasion of Central China, which left various regions struggling to cope, Zhu Jun made a decisive move. After defeating the largest Yellow Turban force in his territory, he began to recruit the Yellow Turbans.

However, due to his past reputation, even when the Yellow Turbans were in a difficult position, they still did not trust Zhu Jun.

It was unknown how Zhu Jun negotiated with the Yellow Turbans in Yuzhou, but although he failed to recruit them, he managed to make them head directly to Xuzhou, where they joined forces with the Yellow Turbans there. Along the way, the Inspector of Xuzhou, Tao Qian, did not stop them, and even abandoned the suppression of the Yellow Turbans within his territory.

Not only did Yuzhou eliminate its internal threat, but in Xuzhou, Tao Qian's forces and the Yellow Turbans seemed to have an unspoken alliance to deal with the Qian army's invasion, though it was not explicitly stated. This was undoubtedly a form of alliance.

Tao Qian's acceptance of this situation was largely due to Zhu Jun. This was a highly effective but reputation-damaging strategy that maximized the unification of forces. Achieving such an effect was not something just anyone could do.

"Pity. Strategy and adaptability are indeed effective, but ultimately, it is strength that decides everything," Zhang Hao commented, without any emotional tone, just a straightforward statement.

Sun Jian was silent.

Zhu Jun was very clear-headed. He knew that this enemy was unprecedentedly powerful, so he was making every effort to unify forces, even if it meant compromising his reputation to reach an understanding with the Yellow Turbans. The sudden brilliance and support from General He Jin in the court gave Zhu Jun a sigh of relief.

Moreover, Huangfu Song and others were his old friends. Zhu Jun responded to the support for Tao Qian and also contacted Huangfu Song.

He personally went to welcome Huangfu Song. After meeting, they spent only one night together before Zhu Jun returned to his base with Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu. Huangfu Song, on the other hand, led his ten thousand troops and the ten thousand new troops Zhu Jun brought, directly heading to Nanyang in Jingzhou.

Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song clearly identified a weakness in the Great Qian, which was that their troops were elite but not numerous, and had to be stationed in various places. The reason they split their forces was clearly part of their plan.

After a thorough study by Man Chong and Xi Zhicai, they had a certain guess about Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song's intentions.

It was not a particularly profound strategy. Zhu Jun's actions were somewhat risky because he had already understood the potential of the Great Qian and knew the terrifying strength of the Qian army. He wanted to defeat the Great Qian as quickly as possible.

By splitting their forces, they forced the Qian army to station their elite troops in various places, especially in newly occupied regions like Jingzhou.

Although this meant they could not fully utilize their numerical advantage, Zhu Jun believed it was worth it.

Based on his understanding from various sources, concentrated use of cannons and other firearms was even more terrifying. In contrast, dispersing them put less pressure on the Han army, as they always had the advantage in numbers.

Speed was of the essence. Zhu Jun only let Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu rest for a short while before leading his entire army straight into Yangzhou, with the target being Lixiang. He knew that part of the Qian army was stationed in Jingzhou, and more Qian troops were engaged in campaigns in Xuzhou, which left Yangzhou somewhat vulnerable.

This was an opportunity for Zhu Jun. With his forces now sufficient and Huangfu Song restraining the Yellow Turbans in Jingzhou, and Tao Qian and the Yellow Turbans restraining the Qian army in Xuzhou, this was a rare chance to face the weakly defended leader of the Qian, Zhang Hao. Capturing or killing Zhang Hao could cause the Great Qian to collapse.

Even if he could not defeat or capture Zhang Hao, just forcing him to retreat would be a victory, boosting the morale of the imperial army and breaking the 'myth' created by Zhang Hao.

This was Zhu Jun's plan, and Huangfu Song trusted his old friend. Zhang Hao's strategists also guessed this possibility.

But the first challenge Zhu Jun had to face was how to pass through the Huai River and break through the Jinghai Army's blockade.

Trusting the Jinghai Army, Zhang Hao was very calm and composed...

"Hey, Big Peng, are you there yet? You're so slow," a somewhat impatient voice from Su Linlang came through the Bluetooth earphone.

"Alright, I'm already at Qin State University campus. Why are you in such a hurry? The dorm isn't going to run away. Poor me, I just got back and you guys called me to do hard labor without even letting me have a drink," Zhang Hao said casually.

"Heh, this is your chance to show your affection, and you should cherish it. You don't know how many guys volunteered to help. This precious opportunity is given to you, and you're not even grateful. Hehe, you might even get a chance to see Xiao Yun's underwear. Xiao Yun's 'chest' is even more impressive than it looks. Besides, you can also see the girls' dormitory. Isn't that enough?"

As Su Linlang spoke, Zhang Hao heard Shu Yun scolding her. Su Linlang was indeed a bit rough, but it seemed to be only in front of close friends. Zhang Hao had seen her act like a refined lady in front of others.

Could it be that she always treated him like a good friend's boyfriend, so she never held back?

Thinking about some of their past interactions, Zhang Hao's lips curled into a strange smile.

Zhang Hao enjoyed spending time with Su Linlang and Shu Yun. After all, they were two beautiful girls, and playing and fooling around together was naturally enjoyable, a kind of yin-yang balance.

When he reached the building where Shu Yun's dormitory was, Zhang Hao noticed that it was more lively than usual. Many girls were moving large pieces of luggage with the help of male classmates, who were sweating profusely but smiling eagerly. The girls were also not stingy with their smiles.

Everything was full of vitality.

Zhang Hao specifically went to one side to check and found the wall cracks that Su Linlang mentioned. The reason they were changing dormitories so late in the semester was that this dormitory building had developed problems. The cracks in the walls had frightened both the girls and the school leadership.

While cursing and holding the construction contractor accountable, they had experts assess the building's structural integrity. Although the results were not disastrous, under the protests and demands of the students, the school still tried to find new dormitories for the girls.

This was the first time Zhang Hao had seen such a shoddy construction project. After condemning it in his heart, he went upstairs directly.

At this time, the dormitory auntie was not as strict as usual about men not entering the dormitory.

When he reached the sixth floor, Zhang Hao heard Su Linlang's voice.

"It's fine, I'll be there with Xiao Yun's boyfriend soon. If we let him come and all the work is done, wouldn't that be too easy for him? Besides, we need to give him a chance to show himself."

"Hey, Linlang, you and Xiao Yun's boyfriend? You two aren't really sharing a man, are you? What kind of guy is he that he can make the two flowers of our Business School so devoted? And he's so mysterious, we've never seen him. Look at the expression on my big Liu's face; you can imagine how the other guys will react."

"Haha, he's Xiao Yun's official boyfriend. I just don't have a boyfriend now, so I occasionally borrow him. Given my relationship with Xiao Yun, it's not a big deal," Su Linlang said without backing down.

"Hey, occasionally borrow him? How do you borrow him?" another girl teased.

"You naughty girl, after you got a free ride, you became so bold," Su Linlang scolded.

"Alright, let's go. Maybe the dormitory is empty, and you'll have time to let off some steam. Your guy is probably waiting downstairs, and after such a hard effort, you should praise him."

While listening to the girls' banter, Zhang Hao turned the corner and saw Su Linlang and two other girls and a boy standing outside a dormitory room.