Chapter 129

"Mr. Linzhi, I have a younger sister named Wu Mi. Her beauty is peerless, unrivaled throughout the lands of Shu."

"She has long held Mr. Linzhi in high esteem."

"She wishes to marry Mr. Linzhi as a concubine."

"I hope Mr. Linzhi will not decline."

Hearing this,

Gu Yi blinked slightly.

He naturally knew who this Wu Mi was.

She was none other than the sister of Wu Yi, who in history married Liu Bei.

However,

by the time Wu Mi married Liu Bei, she had already been a widow for many years.

In her youth, Wu Mi had been married to Liu Zhang’s third elder brother, Liu Mao.

But that Liu Mao lacked the fortune to enjoy her, passing away early and leaving Wu Mi to live in solitude.

Now,

Liu Mao had also passed away.

It was perfectly reasonable for Wu Mi to wish to remarry Gu Yi.

Gu Yi smiled faintly and said:

"Since she is the sister of General Ziyuan, I naturally will not refuse this match."

Hearing Gu Yi’s agreement, Wu Yi felt a sudden sense of relief.

With Wu Mi’s beauty, he was certain she would be able to win Gu Yi’s favor.

Furthermore,

when Wu Mi married Liu Mao, Liu Mao had died before they could ever consummate the marriage.

In other words, Wu Mi was still a virgin.

Gu Yi would certainly not refuse a woman who was both "fresh" and yet carried the reputation of being a "married woman."

After all, everyone curses the "Cao Thief," but who doesn't secretly want to be one?

After settling the interests of Wu Yi, Pang Xi, and Yan Yan,

Gu Yi turned his gaze toward Zhang Song.

Compared to the three of them, Zhang Song was undoubtedly the most rational and calm individual.

Yet,

sometimes, the more rational and calm a person is, the easier they are to persuade.

"Yongnian, the lands of Shu are too small; they are insufficient to showcase your full talent."

"Your stage should be the entire world."

"The Prime Minister is currently in a time of need for personnel, and he requires a talent such as you to join us!"

"I do not intend to take it upon myself to grant you an official rank or title on behalf of the Prime Minister."

"Because I believe that with your ability, you will soon earn these things through your own merits."

Zhang Song’s expression remained unchanged.

But within his heart, a storm was raging, and he could not find peace for a long time.

In history, Zhang Song betrayed Liu Zhang and presented the topographical map of Western Shu to Liu Bei.

Beyond family interests, the more important reason was that he desired a higher stage and greater responsibility!

Do not be fooled by the fact that he reached the rank of Inspector of Yizhou under Liu Zhang.

In reality, the historical Liu Zhang was deeply wary of him.

Inspector of Yizhou was the absolute limit of Zhang Song’s life.

Advancing any further was completely impossible.

But Liu Bei had given Zhang Song the hope of advancing further.

Moreover, by Liu Bei’s side, Zhang Song had received great respect and trust.

This gave him the urge to die for one who truly understood him.

Although Zhang Song’s character had its flaws,

his ability was truly excellent.

As one of the only two people in the late Han and Three Kingdoms era to possess a "photographic memory," Zhang Song’s administrative ability was top-tier.

Besides this,

Zhang Song’s eloquence was also quite remarkable.

Whether handling internal affairs or diplomacy, Zhang Song was a master.

Of course, this was on the condition that one could gain Zhang Song’s true loyalty.

If one could not gain that loyalty, Liu Zhang’s fate served as a cautionary tale.

Gu Yi intended to make great use of Zhang Song.

Such a talent was truly wasted in the lands of Shu.

And in his heart, having heard Gu Yi’s words, Zhang Song had gradually reached a decision.

He took a deep breath and smiled:

"Linzhi, everything shall be as you arrange."

Hearing this, Gu Yi knew that the issue of Zhang Song had also been resolved.

Yan Yan, Pang Xi, Wu Yi, and Zhang Song.

These four could be called the representatives of the surrender faction in Yizhou.

The benefits Gu Yi gave each of them were different.

Yan Yan valued the young descendants of his family the most.

So Gu Yi had one of his sons and two of his nephews enfeoffed as Marquises within the Pass, and made them personal guards to the Emperor, Liu Xie.

As for how their future development would go, that was a matter for later.

At least at this stage, Yan Yan saw sufficient sincerity!

Pang Xi was a man obsessed with officialdom.

Transferring him from the position of Administrator of Ba Commandery to Governor of Jingzhao,

would not only reduce the Pang family’s influence in Shu but also serve as a check on the bureaucrats in Chang'an.

After all,

people of this era were particular about forming cliques.

Pang Xi, an outsider from Shu, could never mingle with the locals of Chang'an.

Between the two sides, there existed only a competitive relationship, not collusion.

As for Wu Yi,

setting aside the "often not present" actor factor, Wu Yi was a capable general.

Promoting him to General of the Household was an answer to the various generals of Shu.

At the same time, it could encourage Wu Yi and Wu Ban to actively become Gu Yi’s lackeys.

If Gu Yi were to tell Wu Yi to go east in the future, Wu Yi would absolutely never go west.

As for Zhang Song,

he wanted a larger stage and recognition!

Others could not give him this, but Gu Yi happened to be able to.

In a state of absolute loyalty, Zhang Song, who was dual-skilled in administration and diplomacy, could definitely be called a rare, top-tier talent!

To put it bluntly,

through these means,

Gu Yi gave the four men exactly what they wanted most, while simultaneously achieving the goal of weakening the influence of their four families in Shu!

And after resolving the issues of these four,

Gu Yi shared a lunch with them.

By evening, Gu Yi headed to a residence in the east of the city.

That was where Liu Zhang, Huang Quan, Wang Lei, and others, who had been captured by Huang Zhong, were being held.