Chapter 1778: Composed and Unhurried

Looking at the gradually clearing expressions of Li Ru and Dong Zhuo, Gu Yi felt a sense of relief in his heart; he knew that his plan had initially received the approval of the two. Next, it was to refine this plan to ensure there were no mistakes.

"Mr. Wenhe (Jia Xu's courtesy name), this mission to Hanzhong is a daunting task." Gu Yi turned to Jia Xu, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, but more of it was serious, "Although Zhang Lu has the heart to be independent, he also needs us to give him a sufficient reason and confidence."

Jia Xu gave a bitter smile and shook his head: "Gu Yi, oh Gu Yi, every task you find for me is not so easy. However, since it is like this, I can only do my best. It is just that this wash... oh no, this work of persuading Zhang Lu must give me sufficient bargaining chips."

Dong Zhuo laughed and patted Jia Xu on the shoulder: "Wenhe, rest assured, as long as you can persuade Zhang Lu to become my ally, I will naturally not treat you poorly. The position of Administrator of Hanzhong, the title of Marquis of Bai Shui, plus ten thousand taels of gold—how about that?"

A flash of sharp light passed through Jia Xu's eyes, and he immediately bowed: "Many thanks for Grand Tutor Dong's great kindness; I will certainly do my utmost and not fail the trust."

Li Ru also added from the side: "On this trip, Wenhe, you must also pay attention to the fact that Zhang Lu's mother is in Yizhou. Although Zhang Lu has the intention to be independent, the bond between mother and son is deep; he may not be able to completely disregard his mother's safety."

Jia Xu nodded, having already calculated in his heart: "Mr. Li, rest assured, I know the difficulty of this trip and will certainly act carefully. Zhang Lu's mother might even become a card for us to persuade Zhang Lu."

Seeing this, Gu Yi also interjected: "Also, Mr. Wenhe, do not forget to remind Zhang Lu that Liu Yan's ambition is already clearly revealed. If he continues to rely on Liu Yan, sooner or later he will become a sacrifice to Liu Yan's ambition. And cooperating with us can at least preserve his foundation of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Hanzhong."

Jia Xu smiled slightly, having already formed a comprehensive plan in his heart: "Gu Yi, you are indeed thorough. In this way, I have even more confidence in persuading Zhang Lu."

Seeing this, Dong Zhuo waved his large hand: "Good! Then Wenhe, prepare immediately and set off for Hanzhong tomorrow. Gu Yi, Li Ru, you two assist Wenhe to ensure this trip goes smoothly."

"Understood!" the three responded in unison.

……

Several days later, Jia Xu, carrying Dong Zhuo's imperial edict and generous gifts, embarked on the road to Hanzhong. Along the way, he kept calculating how to persuade Zhang Lu, needing to both demonstrate Dong Zhuo's strength and sincerity, and let Zhang Lu see the future of cooperating with Dong Zhuo.

Finally, Jia Xu arrived in Hanzhong and met Zhang Lu. Zhang Lu felt both surprised and somewhat guarded at the arrival of Dong Zhuo's envoy. He knew Dong Zhuo's ambition deeply and also understood the delicate relationship between himself and Liu Yan.

"Sect Leader Zhang, I have long admired your great name." Jia Xu smiled and bowed, "I am Jia Xu, specifically sent by Grand Tutor Dong to come and discuss important matters with you, Sect Leader."

Zhang Lu looked at Jia Xu indifferently, secretly pondering Jia Xu's intentions: "Mr. Jia has come from afar; I have failed to welcome you properly. I wonder what instruction Grand Tutor Dong has?"

Jia Xu smiled and took the imperial edict from his bosom: "Sect Leader Zhang, Grand Tutor Dong knows deeply of your prestige and strength in Hanzhong, and has specifically appointed you as the Administrator of Hanzhong and Marquis of Bai Shui. This is Grand Tutor Dong's sincerity; I hope you will accept it with a smile."

Zhang Lu took the edict, glanced at it, and secretly pondered. He knew that although this edict was bestowed by Dong Zhuo, the meaning contained within it was far more than just this. He looked up at Jia Xu: "Mr. Jia, Dong Zhuo is ambitious; how could I, Zhang, not know? This edict is likely a means for the Grand Tutor to win me over, right?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu was not flustered, but instead smiled calmly: "Sect Leader Zhang is indeed discerning. However, have you ever thought that Liu Yan's ambition is no less than Dong Zhuo's? If he declares himself Emperor, as his ally, I fear it will be difficult for you to remain unscathed, right?"

Zhang Lu frowned, and after a moment of silence, said: "What does Mr. Jia mean by this? Although I, Liu, have an alliance with Liu Yan, he is after all an old friend of my uncle, and my mother is also in his hands."

Jia Xu shook his head: "Sect Leader Zhang, do you know why Liu Yan kept your mother in Yizhou? He uses this precisely as a threat, forcing you to obey him. But Grand Tutor Dong is different; the Grand Tutor only wishes to form an alliance with you to resist Liu Yan together. As for your mother, the Grand Tutor is willing to send men to negotiate with Liu Yan to ensure her safety."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu's heart stirred. He had indeed been worried about his mother's safety and knew Liu Yan's ambition deeply. If he could form an alliance with Dong Zhuo, he could at least preserve his mother's life and also preserve his foundation in Hanzhong.

"Mr. Jia, is the Grand Tutor truly willing to form an alliance with me? What are his conditions?" Zhang Lu asked in a deep voice.

Seeing this, Jia Xu knew that Zhang Lu was already moved, so he struck while the iron was hot: "Sect Leader Zhang, the Grand Tutor only wishes for you to become his ally in his southward march to resist Liu Yan together. As for conditions, the Grand Tutor does not have many requirements; he only needs you to be able to stand on the Grand Tutor's side at the critical moment."

Zhang Lu pondered for a moment and nodded: "Good! Mr. Jia, I, Zhang, am willing to form an alliance with the Grand Tutor. However, the Grand Tutor must ensure the safety of my mother."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed: "Sect Leader Zhang, rest assured, the Grand Tutor will certainly send men to negotiate with Liu Yan to ensure your mother's safety. From now on, we are allies."

……

Several days later, Jia Xu returned to Chang'an with Zhang Lu's alliance agreement. Upon learning the news, Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and immediately dispatched an envoy to Yizhou to negotiate with Liu Yan regarding Zhang Lu's mother. At the same time, he also began to prepare his plan for the southward march.

And Zhang Lu, after receiving Dong Zhuo's support, also began to reorganize his army and prepare for war in Hanzhong. He knew deeply that forming an alliance with Dong Zhuo meant a complete break with Liu Yan, but he was already prepared. For the sake of the foundation in Hanzhong and the future of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, he was willing to fight side by side with Dong Zhuo.

A contest concerning the fate of Yizhou and Hanzhong had quietly begun...

Chapter 940: Completely Bound

……

Inside Chang'an City, Dong Zhuo's mansion.

"Wenhe, you have worked hard on this trip." Dong Zhuo looked at Jia Xu, who had returned fully loaded, his eyes full of appreciation, "Zhang Lu's agreement to form an alliance is truly the fortune of our Great Han, and also the merit of you and me."

Jia Xu smiled modestly: "Grand Tutor, you overpraise me; this is all due to your wise decision-making. Although Zhang Lu has the intention to be independent, he is not a foolish person; he understands his own situation and knows that forming an alliance with us is the best choice."

Li Ru interjected from the side: "On this trip, Wenhe not only brought back Zhang Lu's alliance agreement but also brought back a situation—a situation of tripartite confrontation between Yizhou, Hanzhong, and our Chang'an. This is of great benefit to our future layout."

Gu Yi also nodded in agreement: "Indeed, with Zhang Lu as an ally, our path southward will be much smoother. However, I fear Liu Yan will not let the matter rest, so we must be prepared to respond."

Dong Zhuo snorted: "That old man Liu Yan, I have long wanted to meet him. Does he think Yizhou is a place of natural barriers and I can do nothing to him? Hmph, now that I have Zhang Lu as an internal contact, let's see how long he can hold on."

Jia Xu reminded: "Grand Tutor, although Liu Yan is ambitious, he also has capable people and strange scholars under his command, so we must not underestimate the enemy. Moreover, Zhang Lu's mother is still in his hands, which is also a major weakness of ours."

After pondering for a moment, Dong Zhuo said: "Wenhe's words are very true. In this way, you immediately arrange for men to go to Yizhou; on one hand, negotiate with Liu Yan regarding Zhang Lu's mother, and on the other hand, probe the reality of Liu Yan."

"Understood." Jia Xu took the order and left.

……

Yizhou, Chengdu Prefecture.

Upon learning that Dong Zhuo had dispatched an envoy, Liu Yan felt secretly vigilant. He knew Dong Zhuo's ambition deeply and also understood the grievances between himself and Dong Zhuo.

"Zijiang (a strategist under Liu Yan), what do you think is the purpose of Dong Zhuo dispatching an envoy this time?" Liu Yan asked the strategist beside him.

After pondering for a moment, Zijiang said: "My Lord, Dong Zhuo is nothing more than wanting to use the matter of Zhang Lu to probe the reality of our army, or wanting to win over Zhang Lu as an ally for his southward march. We need to respond cautiously."

Liu Yan nodded: "I also have this concern. That brat Zhang Lu—I originally thought he would be firmly controlled in my hands; I didn't expect him to collude with Dong Zhuo. It is truly raising a tiger to cause trouble."

Zijiang comforted: "My Lord, do not worry. Although Zhang Lu has formed an alliance with Dong Zhuo, his mother is still in our hands; this is our bargaining chip. We can use this to deal with Dong Zhuo."

Just as they were speaking, Dong Zhuo's envoy had already arrived at Chengdu Prefecture. Liu Yan received the envoy, and the envoy conveyed Dong Zhuo's wish: hoping Liu Yan could release Zhang Lu's mother to show sincerity.

Liu Yan sneered: "That thief Dong Zhuo thinks I will be threatened by him? Zhang Lu's mother is in my hands; if he dares to act rashly, I will make her lose her life."

The envoy responded neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Official Liu, these words are wrong. The Grand Tutor has no intention of threatening you; he only hopes you can see the situation clearly. Zhang Lu has already formed an alliance with the Grand Tutor; if you continue to be obsessed and unrepentant, I fear Yizhou will fall into the flames of war."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan was furious: "Bold madman, how dare you threaten me? Someone, drag the envoy down and behead him!"

Zijiang hurriedly dissuaded: "My Lord, calm your anger; the envoy cannot be killed. Killing the envoy means a complete break with Dong Zhuo, and at that time, I fear it will be difficult for us to clean up the mess."

After listening to Zijiang's words, Liu Yan forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and waved his hand to let the envoy retreat. Seeing this, the envoy also knew his trip was fruitless, so he left Chengdu Prefecture in low spirits.

……

Inside Chang'an City, upon learning that the envoy had been expelled by Liu Yan, Dong Zhuo was not angry but instead laughed.

"That old man Liu Yan really cannot hold his temper." Dong Zhuo said to Jia Xu and the others, "Does he think killing the envoy can show his determination? Hmph, he is wrong. This will only make me more determined to march south."

Li Ru echoed from the side: "Grand Tutor's words are very true. Liu Yan's actions are undoubtedly digging his own grave. We only need to be prepared, and when the time is ripe, we can march south to Yizhou."

Gu Yi also nodded: "Moreover, Zhang Lu reorganizing his army and preparing for war in Hanzhong also provides us with favorable conditions. We can use Zhang Lu's strength to contain Liu Yan's military forces."

Jia Xu reminded: "However, we must not lower our guard. Liu Yan has many capable people and strange scholars under his command, so we need to prepare a foolproof plan."

Dong Zhuo snorted: "Wenhe, rest assured, am I, Dong Zhuo, someone who can be easily defeated? Pass my order to prepare for the southward march immediately; I want to let that old man Liu Yan know that Yizhou is not something in his pocket." ===== CHAPTER 1779 =====