Chapter 281

"Kongming, you are being modest again; do you already have a way to take Nanzheng without bloodshed? Are you just waiting for me, the east wind?"

Zhuge Zhang Liang also smiled.

"My lord is indeed wise; Zhang Lu defends Nanzheng stubbornly because he still has a glimmer of hope. Now that you have taken the entire territory of Yizhou and arrived in Hanzhong personally, it naturally shatters Zhang Lu's confidence; he is probably already thinking about how to surrender."

Ma Chao suddenly realized.

"No wonder we have been surrounding it without attacking; it turns out you wanted to take Nanzheng without bloodshed."

Liu Bei sighed with emotion.

"Mengqi, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's strategy; you should learn more from Kongming on this point."

Ma Chao cupped his hands.

"Yes, my lord."

Zhuge Zhang Liang hurriedly expressed modesty.

Returning to the camp, everyone gathered together.

Zhuge Zhang Liang also met Liu Bei's newly wed wives, the Wu family and Miss Zhu Rong.

Hearing Liu Bei say that both were already pregnant, Zhuge Zhang Liang was moved to tears again.

Liu Bei?? His own wife was pregnant, why was Kongming crying again?

Zhuge Zhang Liang cupped his hands.

"My lord, you sacrificed too much for me... My Song family has already given birth to a son for me."

Apparently, Zhuge Zhang Liang was still thinking about Huang Yueying.

Liu Bei was defeated by Zhuge Zhang Liang; did he need to quickly let Huang Yueying give birth to one so that he could be at ease?

But if Huang Yueying gave birth to one, would Zhuge Zhang Liang feel that Liu Bei had lost out again? Liu Bei really couldn't solve this problem.

Zhuge Zhang Liang wiped his tears.

"My lord, whether we can take Zhang Lu this time, I fear you will have to work hard."

Liu Bei?

"My lord, Zhang Lu has a daughter named Zhang Zhang Qiying, who is beautiful as a flower; if you take her, my lord, it will surely turn hostility into friendship with Zhang Lu and make him feel at ease to surrender."

Liu Bei looked at Ma Chao and found that he had no reaction at all.

Only then did he realize that in this life, Ma Chao hadn't defected to Zhang Lu, so he hadn't been rejected by Zhang Lu when asking to marry his daughter.

This Zhang Zhang Qiying eventually married Cao Cao's son, but died young.

Guo Jia?? This Kongming actually snatched his job; too competitive!

He cupped his hands.

"My lord, Zhang Lu's mother is very beautiful and has eternal youth; it is rumored that this Zhang Zhang Qiying looks very much like her grandmother."

Fa Zheng cupped his hands.

"My lord, as long as you take Zhang Lu's daughter, you can put Zhang Lu's heart at ease, and even more so, the hearts of the more than one hundred thousand followers of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Hanzhong."

In that era, marriage was the most direct way to get closer.

Liu Bei nodded.

"Alright, Sun Tao Qian, you go on my behalf."

"Yes!"

On the walls of Nanzheng City,

Zhang Lu frowned as he looked at the distant Liu army camp.

"Liu Bei is here? With tens of thousands more troops, and war elephants?"

Zhang Wei said in a low voice,

"Elder brother, I heard Liu Bei has already taken other parts of Yizhou, and even Liu Zhang has surrendered."

Zhang Lu sighed long and looked at the sky, feeling uncomfortable in his heart.

Although he only occupied Hanzhong before, life was good.

The Hanzhong basin had abundant grain production, the people were peaceful, the weather was favorable, and the five grains were abundant.

He gathered refugees on one hand, bullied Liu Zhang on the other, and spread the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, living a very comfortable life.

All of this was broken by Liu Bei.

Not only did he wipe out Liu Zhang, leaving him with no one to bully, but he also besieged Nanzheng and took all other parts of Hanzhong.

This time he even arrived outside Nanzheng City personally; Zhang Lu knew he couldn't stop him.

Zhang Wei added,

"Elder brother, I heard Liu Bei gave Liu Zhang a county as a fief."

Zhang Lu, however, didn't want that; if he really had to choose, he considered going to the Western Regions to conquer a few cities, continue being a local emperor, and spread the Five Pecks of Rice Sect.

"Report~!"

"Celestial Master, there is a person under the city, Liu Bei's envoy Sun Tao Qian requests an audience."

"Bring him up."

Soon, Sun Tao Qian was brought up.

"Envoy of the General of the Flying Cavalry, Sun Tao Qian, greets the Celestial Master."

Zhang Lu nodded.

"Why have you come?"

Sun Tao Qian smiled.

"Congratulations, Celestial Master; I have come for a joyous occasion."

Zhang Lu almost spat out a mouthful of old blood; he had been besieged in Nanzheng for so long, where could there be any joyous occasion? This envoy was too good at talking nonsense!

"I really don't know what joyous occasion there is!"

Sun Tao Qian cupped his hands.

"Celestial Master's daughter, Zhang Zhang Qiying, is virtuous, beautiful as a flower, and helps refugees; she is kind and simple. My lord heard of this and admires her greatly, so he has come specifically to propose marriage to you, Celestial Master."

Zhang Lu?? He really didn't expect that at this critical moment, Liu Bei actually wanted to take his daughter!

Zhang Wei was overjoyed.

"Elder brother, this is feasible!"

Zhang Lu glared at him.

Zhang Wei hurriedly straightened his expression and asked,

"I wonder how Lord Liu Xuande intends to settle us."

Sun Tao Qian stated the conditions: agreeing to the appropriate spread of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Guanzhong and other places, and also allowing him to send troops to help Zhang Lu establish a country in the Western Regions.

Zhang Lu was tempted; in the Western Regions, countries were just a few cities, very weak. If he went there, he could also be a local emperor and spread his sect freely.

Staying away from the disputes of the Central Plains and having Liu Bei as a backer.

"Good, reply to Lord Liu Xuande that I am willing to surrender and also willing to marry off my daughter."

Liu Bei didn't have much ill will toward the Five Pecks of Rice Sect; after all, it was a native Daoist sect of the Xia Kingdom.

Letting Zhang Lu go to the Western Regions to preach could subtly influence the thoughts of the people there, preventing them from being occupied by other foreign religions.

It would be very helpful for his future occupation of the Western Regions.

The matter was settled just like that.

That afternoon, Zhang Lu opened the city gates and left the city to surrender.

Liu Bei naturally helped him up enthusiastically, and the two talked happily!

Zhang Lu found that Liu Bei's attitude toward the Five Pecks of Rice Sect was very good, unlike other feudal lords who hated it deeply, and a sense of favor for Liu Bei arose in his heart.

Everyone entered the city, and naturally, there was more drinking and toasting, and their relationship became much closer.

Zhang Lu presented the household register of Hanzhong.

Liu Bei exclaimed,

"Gongqi is indeed a great talent; Hanzhong actually has more than one hundred thousand households (over six hundred thousand people) 640, and the grain and grass in the treasury are also extremely abundant!"

"I don't even want to let Gongqi go to the Western Regions anymore."

Zhang Lu laughed.

"Lord Liu Xuande is too kind."

The two started drinking again, and the atmosphere was even better.

In the backyard of Zhang Lu's mansion, Zhang Zhang Qiying looked happy.

She was originally worried about being besieged in Nanzheng this time,