Near evening, Zhang Chao withdrew his troops and returned.
When he came to Huangfu Jianchang, he raised his hands in shame and said: "Second Young Master, I am incompetent as a subordinate, so I let Lu Bu run away."
Huangfu Jianchang pressed his hand with a smile and said: "Prefect Zhang, don't worry about it, it's just as expected. The white horse under Lu Bu's crotch is called Red Rabbit. It can travel thousands of miles. It was given to him by Dong Zhuo. It’s normal if you don’t.”
Zhang Chao was in a very embarrassing and dangerous situation because of his brother Zhang Miao's rebellion. Hearing the words of the Second Young Master, he felt somewhat relieved and quickly said: "Second Young Master, Lu Bu is openly treasoning, and everyone will punish him. The officer requested orders to lead the army to attack Xiapi!"
Huangfu Jianchang had a good grasp of Zhang Chao's thoughts. He smiled more and said, "Don't worry, we'll see Tao Shijun first."
Zhang Chao was startled and immediately said: "Yes. Second Young Master is still thoughtful."
Huangfu Jianchang walked forward, suddenly put his arm around Zhang Chao's shoulders, and whispered: "Kaiyang County doesn't know my identity. I will pretend to be your soldier later. Don't let me know."
Zhang Chao knew Huangfu Jianchang's special status and said without hesitation: "Second Young Master, don't worry, it will save you the trouble of lowering your rank."
Seeing that he was so obedient, Huangfu Jianchang's eyes flickered, he came closer and whispered: "Xiapi and Guangling, you can't go back for the time being. How about Donghai County?"
Zhang Chao's Xiapi was seized by Lu Bu, and again by Ding Yuan in Guangling. It can be said that because of Zhang Miao, Zhang Chao's official career has been quite bumpy for more than a year.
Now, he is still the governor of Guangling, but he has left Guangling for more than a year.
"Thank you, Second Young Master!" Zhang Chao raised his hand hurriedly, feeling filled with surprise. At the same time, he was already thinking about how to 'repay' this Second Young Master by hugging the Huangfu family's thigh!
In today's Han Dynasty, the Huangfu family is definitely one of the best in thick legs!
Huangfu Jianchang looked up at the city wall and saw Tao Qian and others already waiting. He turned back and whispered to Cheng Yu: "Sir, why do I feel like I've missed something?"
When Cheng Yu heard this, he looked thoughtful and suddenly stepped forward and said: "Second Young Master, Guan Yunchang."
Huangfu Jianchang was alert, stopped, turned to Shi A, and said urgently: "Old Shi, hurry up, send someone to send a message, inform Guan Yunchang, and order him to return. Don't run into Lu Bu!"
Guan Yu got the order from Huangfu Jianchang and led 3,000 men to come to support him. He should be halfway along the road now. If he encounters Lu Bu with nearly 20,000 men, he will probably be in danger.
Shi A agreed, called for people to come over, and rushed to deliver the message.
Huangfu Jianchang glanced at the tower again, then pretended to be Zhang Chao's personal soldier and followed them into Kaiyang.
Tao Qian greeted him at the door, raised his hand politely, and said with a smile: "Prefect Zhang came in time to relieve me from the siege of Kaiyang. I will definitely write to the court to ask for credit for Prefect Zhang."
Zhang Chao took his time and raised his hand and said: "I came late, and I frightened you. Please forgive me."
Tao Qian glanced at Huangfu Jianchang, Cheng Yu, Shi A and others who were dressed differently and were obviously not ordinary guards. He suppressed his coughs and said with a smile: "It won't be too late. Let's go to the city to talk."
Zhang Chao was polite, but subconsciously wanted to give in to Huangfu Jianchang, but he couldn't help it, and followed Tao Qian calmly to the Kaiyang government office.
Zhao Yu and Zang Ba searched Huangfu Jianchang and others, and they also noticed something unusual about the three of them.
Huangfu Jian's expression remained unchanged, and he sighed in his heart: After all, he couldn't ignore everyone.
Tao Qian led everyone to the backyard of the government office, had tea, and calmed down a little, then asked in confusion: "Prefect Zhang, when did you arrive in Langya County, why didn't I know about it?"
Zhang Chao raised his hand and said: "In mid-July, I received a secret order from the Grand Sima Mansion and headed north along the coast. I have been in Ganyu since the beginning of August."
Tao Qian was startled, and looked at each other with Zang Ba, Zhao Yu and others, quite surprised.
Da Sima Mansion actually transferred Zhang Chao to Langya County in July without notifying them!
Zhao Yu couldn't help it anymore and said to Zhang Chao: "Prefect Zhang, does the Grand Sima Mansion have any other orders?"
Zhao Yu was the former prefect of Guangling. After resisting Wen Chou, he was transferred to Langya County. His replacement was Zhang Chao, both of whom were the prefect of Guangling.
Zhang Chao couldn't help but glance at Huangfu Jianchang behind him with his peripheral vision, and said: "The secret order from the Grand Sima Mansion mentioned that the imperial court will select a new Xuzhou governor, and Tao Shijun will be transferred back to Luoyang to recuperate."
Tao Qian was not surprised. He suppressed his discomfort and said, "Then, what are the plans for Langya County?"
Zhang Chao said: "The incident happened suddenly, and I didn't know the whole situation. By the way, if Lu Bu killed Ding Shijun, the court might take big action."
Tao Qian, Zhao Yu, and Zang Ba knew for the first time that Lu Bu had killed Ding Yuan, and they were all shocked.
Zang Ba couldn't sit still and said: "I knew when I was in Yanzhou that Ding Shijun was Lu Bu's adoptive father. Ding Shijun treated him very well. How could he kill Lu Bu?"
Zhang Chao's expression darkened and he said, "Lü Bu is so ambitious and looks like a beast. He has no feelings at all. How can he care about his foster father?"
Tao Qian shook his head silently, and after a moment, he said with hope: "Prefect Zhang, do you want to garrison troops in Langya County?"
Tao Qian is about to die, and he hopes that the imperial troops will be stationed in Langya County to protect the people.
Zhang Chao said: "Xiaguan is about to take office as the governor of Donghai and cannot garrison troops in Langya County."
"What about Langya County?" Zhao Yu said. Langya County currently has no soldiers, horses, money and food. Let alone Lu Bu, even if there are thousands of bandits, Langya County cannot clear them out and can only defend the city.
Zhang Chao subconsciously wanted to turn his head again, but he held it back and said, "I don't know, I don't know."
Tao Qian suddenly became worried and coughed violently.
After the maid brought the medicinal soup and drank half the bowl, Tao Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Huangfu Song, Cheng Yu and others and said, "Everyone, I must be from Luoyang. Do you have any advice?"
When Huangfu Jian saw that Tao Qian had exposed it, he didn't care, and said: "My news is that the imperial court has not yet decided on the candidate for the governor of Xuzhou. The most likely candidate is Liu Bei. I heard that it was recommended by His Majesty Lu Gong before his death. "
Tao Qian and others looked at Huangfu Jianchang in surprise. How did this person know such a secret? What is his identity?
Tao Qian, Zhao Yu and others were surprised, but Zhang Chao was not surprised at all. As the second son of Duke Huangfu, how could he not know this?
"Liu Xuande?" Zhao Yu looked at Tao Qian and hesitated to speak.
Liu Bei used to be the Prime Minister of Pengcheng. This person was either capable or incompetent. When he was the Prime Minister of Pengcheng, he was beaten by Lu Bu and fled to the sea, and he did nothing.
But he had a good teacher. Instead of being convicted, he was promoted to the prefect of Hanzhong.
Now he is going back to Xuzhou to serve as governor. This promotion has gone too smoothly, too fast, right?
Tao Qian was a little relieved. He admired Liu Bei very much and felt that this man was kind and caring for the people. He was very relieved to entrust Xuzhou to him.
"Very good."
Tao Qian coughed, his face turned red, and he smiled and said, "This way, I can feel at ease even if I die."
Zhao Yu looked at his dying appearance and was speechless.
He always felt that Liu Bei valued reputation too much, but his abilities were limited. Nowadays, Xuzhou is a place of chaos, with treacherous people emerging one after another. Liu Bei may not be able to suppress them with his ability.
But Tao Qian was about to die, Zhao Yu sighed softly in his heart, and was too helpless to say anything.
At this time, Zang Hong came in, raised his hand to signal, and said to Zhang Chao: "Prefect, the basics of cooking are clear."
Zhang Chao nodded and introduced to Tao Qian and others: "This is Zang Hong, a meritorious Cao Cao. He is capable of both literary and military skills. He is a great talent."
Zang Hong quickly raised his hand and said to Tao Qian and others: "The prefect is so complimentary, I don't dare."
Tao Qian and others knew Zhang Chao's intention and nodded politely to Zang Hong.
Seeing that Tao Qian was holding on, Huangfu Jianchang took the initiative to interrupt and said, "It's almost done. Let's rest for a while."
In fact, there were a lot of things to discuss about Langya County, Xuzhou, and the deaths of Lu Bu and Ding Yuan, but they were worried about "talking briefly but talking deeply", so everyone nodded.
Zhao Yu and others helped Tao Qian into the backyard. When Tao Qian lay down, Zang Ba said: "Your Majesty, Liu Bei is far away in Hanzhong. I don't know how long it will take to wait for him to take office. I may not be able to make it in time." "
Tao Qian lay on the bed, his face seemed to be even more haggard, and he breathed a little quickly: "What do you think?"
Zhao Yu looked thoughtful and said: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you whether we should borrow troops from other places to stabilize Langya County."
The biggest problem in Langya County is the lack of soldiers.
"Your Majesty,"
Before Tao Qian could answer, Zang Ba suddenly looked at him strangely and said, "Zhang Chao has fifteen thousand soldiers and horses, and Donghai County has five thousand more. How about we keep his five thousand soldiers and horses?"
Tao Qian looked slightly shocked and said: "No! You must not antagonize Zhang Chao!"
Although Tao Qian is a kind person, it does not mean that he is stupid. He could clearly hear the underlying meaning of Zang Ba’s words!
Zang Ba said decisively: "Your Majesty, today it's Lu Bu. If it's Dong Zhuo or other bandits, who else can come to relieve the siege? You are still the governor of Xuzhou. If you ask him to borrow five thousand troops, can Zhang Chao not borrow them?"
Tao Qian looked at Zang Ba, his expression changed, and he turned to Zhao Yu with a questioning look.
Zhao Yu thought for a while and said: "It's not a bad idea to envoy you, but you must be careful not to anger Zhang Chao. If he doesn't obey, you must be careful to appease him."
The meaning of Zhao Yu's words is very simple. If you can borrow it, borrow it. If you can't borrow it, don't force it. If Zhang Chao is forced, it may be another Lu Bu. They will be the dead souls of the sword!
Tao Qian acknowledged Zhao Yu's words, nodded and said, "I'll sleep for a while, and I'll hold a banquet tonight to test it out."
Zang Ba knew that Tao Qian wouldn't live long, so he wanted to snatch it away, but without Tao Qian's support, he couldn't stand even if he snatched it away, so he couldn't help but feel a little irritated.
Zhao Yu caught a glimpse and was worried that he was doing something bad. He calmly said to Tao Qian: "Your Majesty, I think those people behind Zhang Chao are from Luoyang, and their identities are not simple. They should be related to Da Sima."
Tao Qian coughed and said, "I think so too. That Zhang Chao is obviously an ambush hidden by Da Sima Mansion. You must be cautious in everything."
Seeing Zang Ba's frown, Zhao Yu felt relieved and said, "What the envoy said is that I will go see Zhang Chao later, give him some grain and grass, and inquire about it."
Tao Qian was already a little weak. His eyelids were fighting after holding on for so long. He waved his hands and was about to sleep.
Zhao Yu stepped back silently, staring at Zang Ba quietly.
Zang Ba was unwilling, but had no other choice but to follow him out.
Zhao Yu was worried that Zang Ba would do something bad, so he pointedly said: "Brother Zang, I have some concerns with Cao Ren. Give me some time and borrow five thousand troops. It won't be a problem."
Zang Ba glanced at him, snorted, and strode away.
Although he was born a bandit and many people called him a scoundrel, he was not stupid at all. There was no way he could tell what Zhao Yu was thinking!
Zhao Yu was a little helpless and had nothing to do with Zang Ba.
On the other side, Zhang Chao was reorganizing the army and registering his merits. At the same time, he quietly spread the news about being transferred to the prefect of Donghai County.
On the top of the city, Huangfu Jianchang, Cheng Yu, and Shi A looked at Zhang Chao's movements and talked about various things.
"This Prefect Zhang is not completely scheming," Cheng Yu said.
Huangfu Jianchang didn't pay much attention to Zhang Chao, but said with a frown: "Tao Qian is so ill, I'm afraid he will die of illness on the way before leaving Xuzhou."
According to the original plan, they needed to escort Tao Qian to Luoyang for "treatment" to make room for the new governor of Xuzhou.
Now Tao Qian is too ill to bear the fatigue of traveling and traveling. If he doesn't leave, the new governor of Xuzhou will definitely be tied up.
Cheng Yu turned his head and looked behind him, and said, "I think the official thinks that Commander Tao may not be able to survive the arrival of the new governor."
Huangfu Jianchang blinked, and then thinking about the distance, he couldn't help but touch his chin and said, "I heard what Mr. said, but I'm overly worried. Can we leave Xuzhou and go to Yuzhou?"
Cheng Yu said: "Lü Bu will definitely not give up when he escapes back to Xiapi. Aren't you worried, sir?"
Huangfu Jian gave a long snort and said: "That is a matter of the Grand Sima Mansion, and I have nothing to do with it. Now, the Imperial City Mansion's attention must be on Dong Zhuo."
Seeing this, Cheng Yu nodded and said: "Dong Zhuo, although he is ambitious and has no regard for the court, but to be honest, because of him, he has bought at least two years for the court. I am afraid that Dong Zhuo himself may not be aware of this."
In Yuan Shu's initial rebellion, he was so powerful that there was no opponent. Even the famous Youzhou general Gongsun Zan was completely defeated.
Dong Zhuo, on the other hand, was in a stalemate with Yuan Shu, and then made many maneuvers, buying time for the court to relax and giving Liu Bian space to clean up the northern states.
Although Dong Zhuo also harbored evil intentions and had no intention of conquering Yuan Shu, objectively speaking, he did hinder Yuan Shu and erected a barrier for the court.
"Your Majesty is still wise!"
Huangfu Jianchang couldn't help laughing, turned to Cheng Yu, and said, "I'll tell you a secret. When His Majesty advocated the use of Dong Zhuo, almost everyone in the court opposed it, including my father."
Cheng Yu looked a little solemn and said: "Your Majesty's move requires great courage!"
"It would be nice if it could be delayed for a few more years." Huangfu Jian looked at Zhang Chao and others and couldn't help but muttered to himself.
If we delay for a few more years, the northern states will be more secure and the court will be able to recover more. By then, it will be easier and more powerful to summon a large army and go south to quell the chaos!
Cheng Yu nodded thoughtfully and said: "Of course, the longer the better. However, those rebellious people will not give the court time."
(End of chapter)
