Chapter 275: Embarrassed King and Minister
Jiangdong, Kuaiji, Changshan County.

After a heavy rain, the air is particularly humid, but this coolness is short-lived.

It was not even noon yet, but the neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of the county was already feeling a little stuffy.

At the dock outside Luli, Liu Zan was standing with the help of a cane, gazing at the fleet on the river.

More than thirty servants were waiting at the dock. As the fleet approached the dock, these servants came forward and helped the sailors on the ship to unload the food.

Liu Zan smiled as he watched his younger brother jump off the boat and stride towards him. His younger brother, Liu Xian, was Zhou Yu's personal guard.

Liu Xian stepped forward and bowed, "Brother!"

"Just come back!"

Liu Zan looked his brother up and down. Seeing that he was back in good condition, he smiled even more brightly: "I heard that you followed General Zhou to Guanzhong? What did Hei Zhenbei look like?"

"Young hero, only sixteen years old this year, better than the Marquis of Wu!"

Liu Xian helped his brother walk to the wine house near the dock. After Liu Zan sat down, Liu Xian took off his rhinoceros leather helmet, sat down below Liu Zan and continued, "Not long after General Zhou returned, I heard that the golden book left by Duke Cai Bojie was unearthed. It was a pity."

Liu Zan listened and clenched his right fist. He couldn't help but punch his lame leg. He was also full of regret and sighed, "Before and after, Wu Hou and his 3,000 soldiers crossed the river to start a business. Now Hei Zhenbei has started from scratch. This is the time for heroes to make achievements. I hate my leg!"

When he was sixteen years old, he was selected as a county official. When the Yellow Turban bandit Wu Huan saw that Sun Ce was assassinated, he led his troops down the mountain to plunder, and Liu Zan followed the army to intercept them.

Liu Zan killed Wu Huan in battle, but during the fight, Wu Huan also cut Liu Zan's hamstring with a knife before his death.

Although he had made military achievements, he was disabled and could no longer be an official. He could only return home to manage his business in the past two years.

How could Liu Zan remain calm when he heard that the younger Black Bear had created such a great empire all on his own?

Anyone with a little status in Jiangdong knows that Black Bear got his start by robbing Jiangdong merchant ships.

Xuan Liang, an unknown official with a salary of 600 dan, became the general manager of the Dan Shui water transport in Guanzhong.

As for Zhang Ding, Chen Yang and their ilk, they were unknown to the public as errand boys and servants.

The current achievements of Xuan Liang, Zhang Ding and others also indirectly inspired the morale of the Jiangdong army.

If these middle and lower-level military officers, veterans, and slaves could follow Black Bear and create such a great foundation, then could they, the founding fathers and old ministers of Sun Jian and Sun Ce, be worse than these people?

While the morale of the Jiangdong army was generally high, the morale of the Jingzhou army in Jiangxia upstream began to decline.

While Liu Zan was sighing, he couldn't control his emotions and repeatedly hit his lame foot with his fist.

Liu Xian stepped forward and grabbed his right arm, whispering: "Brother, Hei Zhenbei has a miraculous doctor named Li Feng under his command. It is said that his family has served Laozi Temple for three generations and his medical skills are superb. The officers and soldiers under Hei Zhenbei are fearless and brave, all because of his amazing medical skills. Any seriously injured officer or soldier who has been treated by this man can often recover as before."

Liu Zan was stunned when he heard this, stopped and asked, "My brother, tell me in detail."

"Yes, I followed General Zhou and sneaked into Guanzhong. After hearing about Doctor Li, I also did some research. I heard that wherever Hei Zhenbei deployed troops, Doctor Li would be in the army. Whenever Doctor Li was there, the officers and soldiers under Hei Zhenbei's command would sacrifice their lives and go through fire and water. Even if it was a fortified city, they would be able to storm and capture it!"

Liu Xian told a few more stories he had heard, and then said to Liu Zan: "At present, General Zhou has exchanged horses with Guanzhong for Hunan rice, and the Han River has been shipping ships back and forth. If you are interested, you can go to Dongting with me, board a ship and head north into the territory of Nanxiang. When the Dan River shipping is opened, you can go to Guanzhong."

Liu Zan frowned after hearing this: "I haven't done anything yet, how can Divine Doctor Li help me? With my background, I'm afraid I won't be able to see Divine Doctor Li."

"Brother, what if we expose the spy sent by General Zhou?"

"No."

Liu Zan stared at his brother with a stern look, warning him: "Hei Zhenbei is a man of heaven, how could he employ a shameless villain? Don't say such things again, my brother."

"Yes, I understand."

Liu Xian said again: "Then my brother..."

At this time, a guest who was passing by with a cart suddenly stepped forward and bowed: "Sir, I am from Heizhenbei Township. I got separated from Heizhenbei, so I ended up here!"

"Zhang Jun?"

Liu Zan looked him up and down. Zhang Jun had a handsome face and a strong body. There were many exiled scholars like him from Jiangbei in the Jiangdong area.

Although they were called guests of Liu Zan, they actually did the work of hired laborers and servants. After working for a long time and owing many favors, they really became the lifelong servants and retainers of the Liu family.

Zhang Jun was calm and ignored Liu Xian's suspicious look. He said to Liu Zan, "For Mr. Li, your foot injury is just a matter of surgery and two doses of medicine. It is really a trivial matter."

Then he said to Liu Xian: "I am the cousin of Zhang Mengzhuo of Dongping. I was able to escape the disaster of Yongqiu because I followed Marquis Wen. I am sorry that I cannot tell you in detail about Hei Zhenbei's background."

Liu Xian smiled, motioned the surrounding armed troops to step back, stood up, fetched a low cushion and invited Zhang Jun to sit down, and said with a smile: "When I was in Guanzhong, I heard many people say that Hei Zhenbei was the son of Marquis Lu Wen, and I also heard people in Jingzhou say that he was from the royal family. Is this true or false?"

"The idea of ​​Marquis Wen's offspring being a descendant is a fallacy."

Zhang Jun sat down, picked up the cloth around his neck and wiped the sweat off his hands. Although he was wearing short clothes, he sat upright and said to Liu Zan, "Hei Zhenbei was born into a royal family."

"Royal family?"

Seeing Zhang Jun's serious expression, Liu Zan also felt that it was possible. Among the six counties and kingdoms in Yuzhou, there were four kingdoms, which meant four royal families; plus the surrounding kingdoms of Yanzhou, Xuzhou and Qingzhou.

Perhaps only the Kingdom has the strength and background to train a black bear.

After all, starting a business from scratch is too surprising, and there is a high probability that Black Bear will be followed by former royal officials.

The information about Chen Wang Liu Chong surfaced in Liu Zan's mind. Liu Chong and Prime Minister Luo Jun were assassinated, and Chen State was defeated. Under the promotion of Chen State scholars, Chen State's army and supplies all fell into Yuan Shu's hands. Yuan Shu's power was revived, but he soon destroyed the foundation of Chen State.

Except for Prince Chen, the other princes were seriously lacking in military force and did not seem to have any long-term plans.

Only Prince Chen, Liu Chong, had the charm to make many veteran ministers and warriors risk their lives to protect his descendants.

Zhang Jun didn't want to stay in Jiangdong and continue pushing carts, chopping trees and copying account books. He wanted to leave Jiangdong because it was too xenophobic and his identity as Zhang Miao's cousin had no meaning here.

He also couldn't stand the humid climate in Jiangdong. Even in winter, he felt like he was about to mold and grow mushrooms.

The opportunity was right in front of him, and Liu Zan's limp leg injury was really just a small matter of a cut in his eyes.

External injuries are easy to treat, and there are doctors who can treat external injuries everywhere.

The most difficult part was the internal injury, but a peach that flowed out of the hand of the handsome white goose Hei Zhenbei cured his stomach worm disease.

As long as Liu Zan can be brought to Guanzhong, as long as his lameness can be cured... it doesn't matter even if Liu Zan dies, as long as he can return to the north.

I don't seek to be rich or powerful. I just want to be an official, marry a wife, and pass on the family business, which will be enough to repay my ancestors.

Zhang Jun was really confident that he could cure Liu Zan's lameness, and the two Liu Zan brothers were also infected by his confidence.

Liu Zan thought for a moment and said, "Looking at the momentum of Hei Zhenbei's entrepreneurship, it is like thunder and fire. Although my family is a powerful family in the county, it is actually a small family in Jiangdong. I am a disabled person, and the Sun family has betrayed me. Now I have come to Hei Zhenbei in Guanzhong. If I can be cured of my disability and be able to work as an official, it will be a blessing for me and my family."

Liu Xian had already planned in this regard. The brother whom he admired in his youth became disabled and depressed, which made Liu Xian very uncomfortable.

Seeing that his brother had made up his mind, Liu Xian said, "I will take you to the southern village and support you along the way."

"No."

Liu Zan said calmly, "My elder brother is working outside, so we cannot travel together. After I leave, I will resign and return home. I will put my family business first."

Liu Xian looked unwilling, and Zhang Jun also spoke up at this time: "My family is a lesson for us, we must be careful."

Thinking of the fall of Yongqiu City and the deaths of the entire family of Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao, Liu Xian bowed and said, "I understand. When you leave, I will ask for your resignation from Sun Kuaiji."

He was Zhou Yu's bodyguard, but his affiliation was with Sun Quan, the governor of Kuaiji County.

At this moment, Zhou Yu was reading the intelligence sent from Xudu.

Hua Xin was already on the road. This was a revisit to an old place for him, so he stopped along the way and greeted and visited many old friends and former officials' homes.

So Hua Xin placed the relevant information on Sun Quan's desk in three steps.

There was no one else around except his brother-in-law Hong Zi. Given Zhou Yu's relationship with the Sun family, this was actually a family dinner.

Hong Zi will not participate in military affairs, he is just here to keep company today.

After Zhou Yu finished reading and thinking, Sun Quan asked: "Gongjin, our army certainly intends to attack Huang Zu, but Cao Cao ordered us to attack in April, which is underestimated for Jiangdong. According to Gongjin, should our army wait and see when the situation changes and then act, or cooperate with Cao Cao?"

Deliberately mentioning Cao Cao's name in such occasions can give people the feeling that the status of both parties is roughly equal.

"General, you and Cao Cao are both ministers of the Han emperor. Why should you obey his orders?"

Zhou Yu did not expect that Yuan Shang would be so powerful. Although he slapped Cao Cao in the face, he also made Cao Cao focus on the south, which was definitely not a good thing for Jiangdong.

Before, Cao Cao's focus was always in the north, and he needed Jiangdong to contain Jingzhou.

Therefore, when Cao Cao forced Jiangdong to offer its children as hostages last year, Jiangdong's confidence in refusing was that Cao Cao was reluctant to give up Hebei and would not target Jiangdong.

But it is different now. If Cao Cao loses his dominant position, he will never care about long-term strategic planning anymore, and he will just eat whatever he can get.

Seeing Zhou Yu say this, Sun Quan was satisfied, but his expression was still uneasy.

No one knows what Cao Cao wants to do now.

If Cao Cao took Jingzhou in one fell swoop and half-surrounded Jiangdong, Huainan would have Liu Fu, the governor of Yangzhou, who was famous for his benevolence and admired by all... If that really came to that, Jiangdong would immediately collapse.

In this case, Sun Quan really became the General Suppressing the Rebellion and the Governor of Kuaiji County, Sun Quan, a minister of the Han Dynasty.

The county governors, generals, and lieutenant generals around him would also become subjects of the Han Dynasty on the spot, and become subjects of the Han Dynasty together with him, Sun Quan.

As a fellow minister of the Han Dynasty, there was no reason for Sun Quan to listen to Cao Cao; then what reason did the other generals and county governors around him have to listen to him?

The lack of a prestigious weapon to accommodate, support and control his subordinates was Sun Quan’s biggest shortcoming; even military prestige was something Sun Quan was in urgent need of.

Sun Quan didn't even have the title of Guannei Hou or Ting Hou. His brothers Zhou Yu, Xu Kun, and Sun Ben couldn't find a suitable title to address Sun Quan as a subject.

Not only were they embarrassed, everyone else was embarrassed as well.

So now there is only Sun Taolu and Sun Kuaiji. There are also any princes, lords, Marquis of Wu, Supreme, Mu of Yangzhou, and King of Wu of Great Wei.

Seeing Sun Quan's uneasy expression, Zhou Yu explained: "General, you and Huang Zu are sworn enemies. There is no small matter in war. How can you start a military campaign just because Cao Cao gave you an order? You should act according to the weather and defeat the enemy, not to please Cao Cao. Otherwise, if you fight like this, you will have to follow the rules and never make a breakthrough again."

"What Gongjin said is exactly what I was thinking."

Sun Quan nodded, his eyes sparkling: "Our army can attack Huang Zu, not to contain Jingzhou for Cao Cao, but to eliminate the hidden dangers upstream for Jiangdong!"

(End of this chapter)