Chapter 97

Ma Yunlu successfully entered the Gu residence.

She became Gu Yi's second concubine.

The pressure on Dong Bai and Diao Chan also lessened with Ma Yunlu's arrival.

However.

Compared to the laughter in the Gu residence.

The Cai residence has been shrouded in gloomy emotions for a period of time recently.

Whether it is Cai Yong, Cai Zhaoji, or Cai Zhenji.

None of the three could be happy.

At this moment.

Hearing the news that Gu Yi had taken Ma Teng's daughter, Ma Yunlu, as a concubine, Cai Zhenji couldn't help but say anxiously:

"Father! If you drag this on, sister will become an old maid!"

"And me, is it possible that if sister doesn't marry, I won't marry either?"

Cai Zhenji's words instantly put pressure on Cai Yong.

Cai Yong had always wanted to make Gu Yi his son-in-law.

But there was no way, he couldn't compete with Old Dong and Dong Bai.

The position of the primary wife could only be Dong Bai's.

If Cai Zhaoji were to be a concubine, Cai Yong was somewhat unwilling.

But besides Gu Yi.

Looking at the entire Guanxi, I am afraid that no better son-in-law could be found.

What gave Cai Yong an even bigger headache was.

Besides his eldest daughter, Cai Zhaoji.

His younger daughter, Cai Zhenji, seemed to have become obsessed with Gu Yi.

There was a strong impulse of "not marrying anyone but Gu Yi"!

Thinking of this.

Cai Yong couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh:

"What a sin!"

.......

Yizhou

Inspector's residence.

At this moment, Liu Yan is playing with a half-broken snake spear that is already slightly covered in patina.

This snake spear was his weapon when he was young.

At that time, the still-young Liu Yan, holding the snake spear, was like entering no-man's land on the battlefield.

But so many years have passed, due to old age and infirmity, as well as living in luxury, Liu Yan's martial power is far inferior to before.

No, to be precise, it is less than one in ten.

And this snake spear, which has followed Liu Yan for many years, also broke into two pieces in an accident three years ago.

But even so, Liu Yan still cherishes this weapon that has followed him for many years.

This is a memory of the old era, a proof that he once fought seven people alone on the battlefield...

Suddenly.

A burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the residence.

Liu Yan temporarily put away the snake spear in his hand.

Soon, the Assistant Zhang Song walked in from outside.

He anxiously reported to Liu Yan:

"Reporting to My Lord."

"General Zhao Chi has been defeated!"

"The rice thieves set up many rolling logs and stones in the valley road; General Zhao Chi was careless and fell into them."

"Losing... more than five thousand troops!"

After listening to Zhang Song's report.

Liu Yan was furious.

He threw the inkstone on the desk with a "bang".

"Rice thieves!!"

"Damn rice thieves!!"

"The reason why this fellow was able to enter Hanzhong was thanks to my support."

"But how did he repay me?"

"Occupying Hanzhong to carve out a territory and blocking my road to the north, he really has his ways!"

"And Zhao Chi, he is also a piece of trash!"

"I gave him forty thousand troops, but he couldn't even walk out of a mere valley road."

"If I were still young at this moment, why would I let this trash lead the army?"

"Relying on the snake spear in my hand, I would definitely kill the rice thieves until they cry for their fathers and mothers!"

Liu Yan was really angry.

It's no wonder he was so angry.

Zhang Lu's mother was Liu Yan's old lover, and Liu Yan had always treated Zhang Lu as an "adopted son".

Letting Zhang Lu enter Hanzhong, Liu Yan's original purpose was to control the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Hanzhong through Zhang Lu.

But now.

Zhang Lu led the Five Pecks of Rice sect to declare independence and cut off the road between Shu and Hanzhong.

This made Liu Yan feel a sense of "all the meat buns were fed to the dogs" in his heart!

And Zhao Chi?

He was the general he valued the most, promoted many times, and now he has become a top general in the army.

As a result?

Once he fought, Zhao Chi revealed his true colors.

Not to mention losing troops and generals, Liu Yan's face was also lost completely.

"No, we cannot continue to let this Zhao Chi be the commander."

"Yongnian, do you think Wu Yi is suitable?"

Liu Yan asked Zhang Song.

Although Zhang Song is young.

But the Zhang family is one of the top noble families in Shu.

Plus Zhang Song possesses the ability of "photographic memory".

With the full support of his family, he was already an Assistant of Yizhou at a young age, which can be considered Liu Yan's important assistant.

At this moment, hearing Liu Yan mention the name Wu Yi.

Zhang Song was stunned for a moment, then replied:

"My Lord, have you forgotten?"

"Wu Yi went home to observe mourning half a month ago because his father passed away."

"That is to say, Wu Yi is not here now!!"

Hearing what Zhang Song said, Liu Yan finally reacted.

In the two Han periods, "filial piety" is the most important virtue.

Wu Yi's father passed away, and he needs to go home to observe mourning.

It is impossible for him to return to Chengdu in the short term, so the matter of commanding the army naturally cannot be handed over to him.

"Yongnian, besides Wu Yi, who do you think is most suitable to lead the army to suppress the rice thieves?"

Liu Yan was somewhat troubled.

Zhao Chi has already lost one battle.

The person leading the army next must be stronger than Zhao Chi, and must also be loyal to ensure he won't be incited to rebel by Zhang Lu.

"My Lord, how about the Administrator of Jiangzhou, Yan Yan?"

"This person is firm and steady, and has a reputation in the province."

"If he leads the army, even if he cannot defeat the rice thieves in one battle, I believe he can stabilize the situation on the front line in time."

Zhang Song thought about it and decided to recommend Yan Yan to Liu Yan.

"Yan Yan?"

"Having him lead the army is indeed acceptable."

"Sigh..."

"If I were ten years younger, why would I be so troubled!"

Liu Yan sighed.

His eyes were full of loneliness.

Now he is just like that broken snake spear.

He has entered his twilight years.

Plus all the illnesses.

Liu Yan feels that perhaps his time is running out.

But what he hopes is that in his lifetime, he can try his best to solve the big trouble of Zhang Lu.

If not.

His sons Liu Mao and Liu Zhang, neither of them is useful.

Counting on them to kill Zhang Lu is probably harder than ascending to heaven.

Looking at the lonely Liu Yan.

Zhang Song lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

The problems Liu Yan can see, with the intelligence of someone like Zhang Song, he can naturally see most of them.

After Liu Yan passes away, I am afraid the safety of Yizhou cannot be guaranteed.

For Zhang Song, it is naturally impossible to be tied to Liu Yan, Liu Mao, Liu Zhang, and others.

He needs to consider his own future and the safety of his family behind him.

Therefore.

Zhang Song believes that after Liu Yan passes away, he should go find a big thick leg that he can rely on!

And now.

In the Guanxi region, besides the old warlord Liu Yan.

The only big thick leg is...

Thinking of this.

In Zhang Song's eyes, some different light gradually appeared.

"This fellow Zhang Lu defeated Zhao Chi under Liu Yan?"

"And beheaded more than five thousand?"

"This kid is capable; I didn't expect him to be so brave and resourceful."

In the Prime Minister's residence.

Old Dong looked at the battle report sent from Hanzhong and praised.

However, just after the voice fell.

Li Ru, who was beside Old Dong, spoke:

"My Lord, rather than saying this Zhang Lu is amazing."

"It is better to say that the special terrain of Hanzhong gave him the opportunity to defeat Zhao Chi."

"The narrow plank road made Liu Yan's side, which had superior forces, unable to unfold at all and had to passively accept Zhang Lu's counterattack."

Old Dong nodded.

This fellow Liu Yan, when he occupied Yizhou, what he plotted was Yizhou's ease of defense and difficulty of attack.

The terrain of Hanzhong has the same effect as Yizhou.

If Liu Yan occupied both Yizhou and Hanzhong at the same time, he would be able to advance and attack, and retreat and defend.

But now.

Zhang Lu carved out a territory in Hanzhong, which is equivalent to the door of Yizhou being directly removed.

The difficulty coefficient for Liu Yan to take down Hanzhong is not generally high.

"By the way, how is the road construction of Baoxie Road and Xiegu Road going?"

Dong Zhuo asked Li Ru.

The latter smiled slightly and replied:

"Originally, thanks to Lin Zhi's wonderful plan, sending Jia Xu to Hanzhong to trick Zhang Lu into agreeing to road construction."

"Otherwise, if we want to invade Hanzhong in the near future, I am afraid the difficulty will not be lower than Liu Yan's."

"Now, more than half of the road to Hanzhong has been built."

"Even if Zhang Lu realizes something is wrong now, it is already too late!"

As the saying goes.

If you want to be rich, build roads first.

By the same token, if you want to take down Hanzhong.

You must also build roads first.

Otherwise.

With the broken road conditions of Xiegu Road and Baoxie Road.

Let alone Dong Zhuo having thirty thousand troops, even if he had sixty thousand troops, it would be difficult to exert one-tenth of his power.

Cao Zhen's southern expedition and Cao Shuang's southern expedition in history have fully proved the importance of road construction.

Cao Zhen, as the highest commander of the western front under the Cao Wei regime, once defeated Zhuge Liang's two northern expeditions.

But even he, when leading one hundred thousand Wei troops to invade Hanzhong, had to spend two months on the broken road of Baoxie Road.

Plus the continuous rainy weather, Cao Zhen's southern expedition plan was forced to end early.

Not long after returning to Luoyang, he died of illness because of this.

Cao Shuang's luck was better than Cao Zhen's; he didn't encounter continuous heavy rain during his southern expedition.

However.

As soon as he led the army out of Xiegu Road, he was immediately blocked by the Hanzhong Administrator Wang Ping of the Shu Kingdom.

One hundred thousand troops lost two or three tens of thousands!

Making Cao Shuang have no prestige in the military from then on.

This also indirectly laid a certain foreshadowing for the Gaopingling Incident later.

It can be seen from this.

Road construction is really too important!

If the road from Changancheng to Hanzhong is not repaired, the army simply cannot pass through.

"By the way, this fellow Liu Yan has not yet established a successor."

"If he suddenly passes away, this Yizhou will definitely be in chaos."

Dong Zhuo put down the battle report in his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and said.

"My Lord, it's not that Liu Yan doesn't want to set a successor, but he has no one to set!"

Li Ru said with a smile.

In fact, Liu Yan has four sons in total.

But very awkwardly.

The eldest son and the second son are both hostages in Luoyang.

After Old Dong moved the capital to Changancheng, the two followed him to Changancheng.

With the terrible diplomatic relationship between Old Dong and Liu Yan now, how could he release Liu Yan's two sons for no reason?

Therefore.