Chapter 504

"Kongming, you are being modest again. Do you already have a way to take Nanzheng without a bloodless battle? Are you just waiting for me, this east wind?"

Zhuge Liang also smiled,

"My lord is truly wise. Zhang Lu is defending Nanzheng stubbornly because he still has a glimmer of hope. Now that you have taken the entire Yizhou and arrived in Hanzhong in person, 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 besieging without attacking; it turns out you wanted to take Nanzheng without a bloodless battle."

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 Liang hurriedly expressed his modesty.

Back at the camp, everyone gathered together,

Zhuge Liang also met Liu Bei's newly wed wives, Lady Wu and Zhu Rong,

Hearing Liu Bei say that both were already pregnant, Zhuge Liang's eyes teared up again,

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

Zhuge Liang cupped his hands,

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

Apparently, Zhuge Liang was still thinking about Huang Yueying.

Liu Bei was defeated by Zhuge Liang; does he need to hurry and let Huang Yueying give birth to one so he can be at ease?

But if Huang Yueying gives birth to one, will Zhuge Liang think Liu Bei has suffered a loss again? Liu Bei really doesn't know how to solve this problem.

Zhuge Liang wiped his tears,

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

Liu Bei?

"My lord, Zhang Lu has a daughter named Zhang Qiying, who is as beautiful as a flower. If you take her, you 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 didn't defect to Zhang Lu, so he wasn't rejected by Zhang Lu when he asked to marry his daughter.

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

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

He cupped his hands and said,

"My lord, Zhang Lu's mother is very beautiful and has eternal youth. It is rumored that this 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 bring people closer.

Liu Bei nodded,

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

"Yes!"

On the city walls of Nanzheng,

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 whispered,

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

Zhang Lu sighed deeply 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 collected refugees, bullied Liu Zhang, and spread the Five Pecks of Rice Sect; life was very comfortable.

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 came to Nanzheng in person; Zhang Lu knew he couldn't stop him.

Zhang Wei added,

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

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

"Report~!"

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

"Bring him up."

Soon, Sun Qian was brought up,

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

Zhang Lu nodded,

"Why have you come?"

Sun Qian smiled,

"Congratulations, Heavenly 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 Qian cupped his hands,

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

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

Zhang Wei was overjoyed,

"Eldest brother, this is feasible!"

Zhang Lu glared at him,

Zhang Wei hurriedly straightened his expression and asked,

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

Sun Qian stated the conditions: agreeing to allow the Five Pecks of Rice Sect to preach appropriately in Guanzhong and other places, and also being able 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 preach freely.

Far away from the disputes of the Central Plains, and with Liu Bei as a backer.

"Good, reply to Lord 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 Taoist 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 goodwill toward Liu Bei arose in his heart.

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

Zhang Lu presented the household register of Hanzhong,

Liu Bei exclaimed,

"Gongqi is truly a great talent; Hanzhong actually has more than one hundred thousand households (over six hundred thousand people) 640, and the government granaries are also extremely well-stocked!"

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

Zhang Lu laughed,

"Lord Xuande is too kind."

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

In the backyard of Zhang Lu's residence, Zhang Qiying was full of happiness,

Originally she was still worried about being besieged in Nanzheng this time,