Gan Ning did not hesitate to give the merit to Su Fei. Su Fei had already died in battle, so Lü Bu did not know what to give! In the end, under the suggestion of Liu Mang and Chen Gong, Lü Bu and Liu Mang wrote a letter in the name of General Who Conquered the South and General Who Pacified the East to give Su Fei the title of Marquis. For tens of thousands of years, the title of Marquis from three thousand miles away had always been worshipped by the civil and military officials in history. Liu Mang and Lü Bu were just two ordinary letters, but they unknowingly took away Gan Ning's heart.
This was because Gan Ning was a very unruly person. He joined the Lvbu's Army for a better stage so that he could meet the heroes of the world. If the Lvbu's Army did not give him this stage, then Gan Ning would not hesitate to leave. Now, these two letters made Gan Ning very moved. This was because the ancient people cared too much about the title of Marquis. Although it was only a small title of Marquis of Hanzhong, it made Gan Ning begin to submit to the Lvbu's Army!
Although Gan Ning declined the merit, Lü Bu did not treat Gan Ning unfairly. He gave Gan Ning the title of Heng Jiang Commandant, which was a general. Originally, Lü Bu's title of General Who Pacifies the East could not be given the title of General. However, with Liu Mang's title of King Of Shu and General Who Conquered the South, Liu Mang could open a government. Naturally, the title of General was not a problem.
In the battle at Wancheng Citadel, Lu Bu's Army not only destroyed Wancheng Citadel's navy but also captured a lot of people. Lu Bu's Army selected 5,000 people from those captives to join Gan Ning's navy. Now, Gan Ning's navy has 12,000 people. It had formed an army.
As for Huang Zhong, Lü Bu gave Huang Zhong the title of Valiant Shooting General. Lü Bu let Huang Zhong recruit three thousand people to lead his own army. However, Huang Zhong refused. He only wanted to follow Liu Mang as a personal guard. Lü Bu was also worried about Liu Mang's safety, so he agreed.
Xu Sheng was given the title of General Wei Lie. Only half of the Black Flag Army was left. Lü Bu was not stingy and gave Xu Sheng two thousand people to rebuild his army. Although the Black Flag Army had died, their heavy armor was still there. As long as someone went through half a year of training, they would be able to form an army.
As for the City Guard, Liu Mang pulled in the two thousand Danyang soldiers. These two thousand Danyang soldiers had amazing fighting strength. However, they did not have any military discipline. It should be said that it was very difficult to restrain them. Now that the Third Master was there, the Chu Barracks did not dare to do anything. If the other Danyang soldiers dared to do anything, they would have to see if they could beat the Chu Barracks. With the City Guard's heavy armor and huge shield, these Danyang soldiers had a different kind of prestige.
Chengyu's position also rose. Although he did not participate in the siege of Wan Cheng, he still reported to Lü Bu's Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. In addition, Chengyu had a certain level of military ability. Liu Mang simply threw the City Guard to him. Chengyu was no longer a military commander, but a deputy general.
Although the number of soldiers under Zhang Fan and Gao Shun did not change, they were both promoted. Gao Shun was promoted to General Houde, while Zhang Fan was promoted to General Suiyuan.
It was Liu Kai and his son. Liu Kai was appointed as the Wan Cheng City Magistrate. Liu Neng was originally going to be demoted, but Liu Neng insisted on following Liu Mang.
Huang Xu replaced Chengyu's original position and became Chengyu's deputy general, commanding the City Guard.
Although Chen Deng lost his righteousness and was almost killed in Shucheng, Lü Bu still gave Chen Deng the title of General Suinan in order to appease Chen Deng.
Zhang Liao and Zang Ba, who were far away in Shucheng, were also given the title of General Taishan.
Chen Gong's official position did not change. He was still the entire Lvbu's Army's military adviser. He did not need a high official position. His existence in the Lvbu's Army was irreplaceable.
As for Liu Mang, his official position could only be rewarded by the one in Xu Du. The only reward that Lü Bu could give to Liu Mang was that he would marry Lu Dajie in ten days in Wan Cheng.
After rewarding the generals, the remaining problem was how to deal with the captives. Gan Ning had caught a big fish this time. The Jiangdong Army's military adviser, Lu Su, Lu Zijing. Jiang Qin had been directly chopped into meat paste by Gan Ning to vent his anger, but Lu Su was captured by Gan Ning and was put in prison. Persuade Lu Su to surrender? That was simply impossible. Not to mention that Lu Su and the Lvbu's Army's ideas were different. With Lü Bu's reputation as a slave of three surnames, it was impossible for Lu Su to stay and be the Lvbu's Army's military adviser. In this world, only Chen Gong could ignore the eyes of the world.
Lu Su was now a big bargaining chip in the Lvbu's Army. Sun Cejun had nothing to say. He had already sent out the emissary.
"Old man Chen, this Yang Hong is really reliable!" Liu Mang was a little puzzled. This was because the emissary sent by Sun Cejun was Zhang Zhao. Zhang Zi Bu was not a small person, but a real strategist. He was also a person who could see the world's general situation clearly. He was not inferior to top strategists like Chen Gong, Guo Jia, and Xu Shu.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhao went south to Yangzhou to avoid war. When Sun Cejun started his business, he appointed him as the Chief Historian and General of the Fujun. If it was only this, Liu Mang would not be worried. The key was that Liu Mang had seen the Three Kingdoms and knew a little about Zhang Zhao. Before Sun Cejun died, he entrusted his brother Sun Quan to Zhang Zhao. He even said that if Sun Quan was not able to do anything, the Emperor would take his own life. If the Emperor could not overcome the Emperor, he would slowly return to the West without any worries.
What did this mean? If Sun Quan was not able to do anything, he would take charge of Jiangdong's affairs himself. Liu Big-eared had said this before. At that time, Big-eared Liu was already the Emperor of Shu. He also said this to Zhuge Liang in Baidi City.
Zhang Zhao in Jiangdong was like Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei to Sun Cejun. The only thing that Zhang Zhao was criticized for was the Battle of Red Cliffs. He urged Sun Quan to seek peace, but in the end, Zhuge Liang made him speechless. However, that was really Zhang Zhao's idea.
One must know that the entire Three Kingdoms was praising Liu Bei. Big-eared Liu would naturally beautify Zhuge Liang. Zhang Zhao knew that Sun Quan was actually a patient person. In other words, he was a person who sought stability. He was ambitious but did not want to take risks. This could be seen from Sun Quan's proclamation as the Emperor of Wei several times. However, Zhang Zhao could not see what kind of person his lord was. Instead of persuading him himself, it was better to do the opposite. He asked for peace and used others to persuade Sun Quan. The result was very successful. Sun Cejun and Liu Bei's army were able to defeat Cao Cao at Red Cliffs. This had a lot to do with Zhang Zhao's planning. For Sun Ce, Zhang Zhao was like Zhang Liang and Guan Zhong. For Zhang Zhao, Liu Mang's most recent influence was when he attended Sun Ce's wedding in Wancheng City. Zhang Zhao raised his hand and broke his plan to deal with Jiangdong's nobles.
If it was Liu Mang, then Liu Mang would definitely pull Old Chen to fight with Zhang Zhao. These two were equal opponents, not Yang Hong. Yang Hong almost did not say a word in the Lvbu's Army. It was not that he was pretending to be profound, but he really was not made to be a strategist. Some of the suggestions he gave to Yuan Shu were good, some were even superfluous. For example, attacking Liu Bei. At that time, Lü Bu had already occupied Xu Province and Liu Bei only had a few cities left. A strategist should know that at this time, they should cooperate with Liu Bei to deal with Lü Bu. But Yuan Shu went to attack Liu Bei. Liu Bei was getting weaker and weaker, and Lü Bu was getting more and more stable in Xu Province.
"Don't worry, that retainer of yours isn't just a little capable!" Chen Gong smiled as he stroked his beard. Yang Hong wasn't a good strategist, but don't forget that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Yang Hong might be inferior in terms of strategy, but in terms of diplomacy, Chen Gong had to admit that he wasn't as good as Yang Hong!
How do you think Chen Gong knew of Yang Hong's capabilities? That was because Yang Hong was once Yuan Shu's official secretary. At that time, Yuan Shu and Lü Bu were still in their honeymoon phase! Yang Hong was Yuan Shu's chief diplomat. How do you think Lü Bu had a marriage agreement with Yuan Shu's son, Yuan Yao? It was not proposed by Lü Bu himself, but it was "forced" by Yang Hong. Yang Hong gave the Lvbu's Army a bargaining chip that if they wanted to form an alliance with the Yuan Shu's Army, they would have to hand over their precious daughter. Who didn't know that Lü Bu only had one daughter? Obtaining Lü Bu's daughter was equivalent to obtaining Lü Bu's empire. Similarly, Chen Rui was directly killed by Lü Bu in front of Lü Bu, but this Chen Rui was directly killed by Lü Bu.
When the same words were spoken by different people, the results were directly different. When Yang Hong spoke, Lü Bu was even prepared to personally send his daughter to Shouchun, but when Chen Rui spoke, he was directly killed by Lü Bu! Lü Bu was even angry with Sun Ce because of Chen Rui, which led to the battle of Lujiang.
"Is that Fatty Yang really so powerful?" Liu Mang really didn't understand. That fatty didn't speak all day long, so he either stayed in his mansion or read in his study room. He didn't expect that his position in Chen Gong's heart was so big!
"Let's wait for the good news!" Chen Gong smiled and left.
In Wancheng city, in a large courtyard, two middle-aged scholars were drinking water.
One of them was a middle-aged scribe with very regular facial features. His every move made him look like a virtuous person. The other chubby scribe was very casual, as if this was his own home.
These two people were Zhang Zhao and Yang Hong. Originally, when Zhang Zhao came to Wancheng city, the first person he should have been received by Lü Bu. However, because of Yang Hong's suggestion, not only was Zhang Zhao not received by Lü Bu, he was also not allowed to enter the governor's mansion. Instead, he was pulled into the mansion by Yang Hong to drink tea.
Zhang Zhao was very indifferent on the surface, but his heart was surging. "For the first time, I, Zhang Zhao, could not guess another person's thoughts. For the first time, I, Zhang Zhao, unintentionally suffered a loss!"
His purpose of coming here was to negotiate with the Lvbu's Army. He did not expect that the Lord's army of 100,000 would be reduced to only 5,000 soldiers. Even the most elite Jiangdong Navy and 5,000 Yuzhou Cavalry were lost. General Taishi Ci fled back. General Zhou Tai, General Chen Wu, General Dong Xi, and General Jiang Qin all died in this land. These people were just a few months ago, but now they were separated by heaven and earth.
The reason why Zhang Zhao came here is because Lu Bu's army has Lu Su, those nobles from Jiangdong, and even those nobles' young lords and clan lords. Zhang Zhao came here because Lu Bu's army has Lu Su and those nobles' leaders. These people were the first reason for Zhang Zhao's visit. The second reason was because the Lvbu's Army's navy was still in the Yangtze River. Moreover, they had been moving along the river for the past few days. Of the three elite navy units, one had been destroyed by Lü Bu's navy, one was near Kuaiji under the control of Sun Ce's younger brother, Zhou Yu. If the Lvbu's Army that destroyed the Jiangdong Navy went to Jiang Xia to reach an agreement with Liu Biao, then the Jiangdong Navy would be in big trouble. Even if Zhou Yu was brave and intelligent, he would not be able to withstand attacks from both sides. Even if the Lü Bu's Navy did not cooperate with Liu Biao, it would still affect the morale of the Jiangdong Navy. Zhang Zhao's third purpose was to test the new weapon that destroyed the Jiangdong Navy. According to the soldiers who escaped, this weapon could be fired from hundreds of paces away and could destroy a warship with one shot. It could even be fired continuously without the need to draw the bowstring.
The two of them didn't speak to each other. Zhang Zhao looked at Yang Hong indifferently, while Yang Hong squinted his eyes and smiled. The cup of tea in his hand had been tasted by Yang Hong again and again. Every time he drank it, there was a look of enjoyment on his face. It was as delicious as eating dragon liver and phoenix marrow. But the two of them were just drinking a cup of clear water!
Zhang Zhao and Yang Hong did not speak because both of them knew that whoever spoke first would lose half the battle. Because once you opened your mouth, you might reveal your anxiety and unknowingly be led by the nose by the enemy.
Two hours, four hours, six hours, half a day had passed. The two of them still did not speak a word. The guards standing on the side felt tired, and the tea on the table was changed again and again.
The sun gradually set, and the light of the setting sun sprinkled in the courtyard. Just when Zhang Zhao was getting impatient, Yang Hong suddenly stood up.
"There is a door!" Zhang Zhao's heart was happy. Yang Hong finally could not endure and wanted to talk! Before Zhang Zhao had time to be happy, Yang Hong squinted his small eyes and cupped his fists towards Zhang Zhao. He bowed and said, "It's getting late. Brother Zibu, I won't disturb your rest. I'll take my leave now!" Yang Hong didn't wait for Zhang Zhao to respond, he turned around and left.
"What's the situation?" Zhang Zhao was surprised. Didn't they agree on what to talk about? Didn't they agree that Yang Hong would speak first? Now, looking at Yang Hong's fat figure walking further and further away, Zhang Zhao could only smile bitterly. Originally, he was sent to Wan Cheng to negotiate with the Lvbu's Army's number one strategist, Chen Gong. However, Chen Gong did not appear. Instead, a person called Yang Hong came. Yang Hong was Yuan Shu's chief official. This was the most information Zhang Zhao could get. Yuan Shu was already defeated, so how could his chief official have any ability? Therefore, Zhang Zhao was very happy at the beginning. Because such a person represented the Lvbu's Army to negotiate with him. This meant that he had the upper hand. Although they lost on the battlefield, Zhang Zhao wanted to humiliate Yang Hong in this battle of words. At the same time, he also wanted to maximize the benefits of the Jiangdong Army!
But after the two of them met and introduced each other, there was no follow-up. This courtyard was also arranged by Yang Hong. The two of them drank tea in this courtyard for the entire afternoon.
Zhang Zhao really underestimated him! "Yang Hong, Yang Hong!" Zhang Zhao could not remember this person. Just as Zhang Zhao was at his wit's end, a guard beside him spoke. "Mister, do you want to know about Chief Yang?"
"Chief Yang!" Zhang Zhao turned his head and looked at the guard who spoke. "Do you know him? Yang Hong? "
"Yes!" The bodyguard nodded. He was sent by Sun Ce to be Zhang Zhao's bodyguard to protect Zhang Zhao. Zhang Zhao was like Guan Zhong or Zhang Liang in Jiangdong. That's why Sun Ce was very concerned about Zhang Zhao's safety. The bodyguards he sent were all Sun Ce's bodyguards. These people had followed Sun Ce for a long time, even when Sun Jian was still alive. The guard in front of him was the one who followed Sun Ce when he was still serving Yuan Shu. He knew Yang Hong and had a general understanding of Yang Hong.
"Come, come, come, tell me what kind of person this Yang Hong is!" Zhang Zhao did not care about seniority or etiquette. He directly asked his personal guard to sit down. He even personally poured a cup of tea for his personal guard. Only by knowing the skin of a friend can one be victorious in a hundred battles. If he wanted to pull a tooth out of Yang Hong's mouth, no, it should be said that he wanted to pull a tooth out of Lu Bu's army's mouth, then he must know when Lu Bu's army opened their mouth!
"Mister Yang Hong used to be the Old Lord, no, no!" The guard subconsciously regarded Yuan Shu as his Lord. "He used to be the Chief Secretary of Yuan Gonglu. Yuan Gonglu used Mister Yang Hong very much!"
"Used?" Zhang Shao was deep in thought. Yang Hong was really a person. Although Yuan Shu was defeated, he could not dismiss a group of people. Perhaps Yang Hong was a talent. Otherwise, why would Yuan Shu value him? The position of Chief Secretary was not something that could be achieved just because one wanted to. Zhang Zhao himself had been a Chief Secretary before and naturally knew the importance of the position. Yuan Shu was dead, but Yang Hong was still alive. Not simple, not simple!
"Haha, Mister Zhang Zhao, you guessed wrong!" The guard looked at Zhang Shao's dignified eyes and said with a smile. "The reason Mister Yang Hong was used by Yuan Gonglu was because Mister Yang Hong could speak!" The guard remembered that at that time, Yang Hong was Yuan Shu's favorite person. If anyone wanted to be promoted, they would have to look for Yang Hong first. This was because only Yang Hong's words would be listened to by the lord. At that time, Yang Hong was very popular. At that time, the guard still remembered that when he followed Sun Ce, Sun Ce would send gifts to Yang Hong's house during the New Year.
"Can speak?" What does this mean? Zhang Zhao looked at the guard in confusion. Being able to speak had several meanings! What kind was the Personal Guard talking about? Was it the same as what he thought?
"Yes, he can speak!" The guard continued, "Mister Yang Hong was very good at pleasing Yuan Gonglu. Yuan Gonglu liked to listen to whatever he said. Even when Yuan Gonglu was angry, he would summon Mister Yang Hong to his tent. After a while, Yuan Gonglu's anger would dissipate." The guard clearly remembered that there was a Mister Yan Xiang in Yuan Gonglu's tent. Every time Mister Yan Xiang spoke, Yuan Gonglu would be very unhappy and angry. Sometimes, he would even pull out his sword. But when Mister Yang Hong spoke, it was as if his mouth was smeared with honey. "So at that time, at that time …" The guard stopped talking.
"Continue!" If Zhang Zhao wanted to understand, he had to listen to everything. Not a single detail could be left out. This would determine the outcome of the confrontation in the future.
The personal guard calmed himself down and took a sip of the water Zhang Zhao gave him. In any case, he was no longer Yuan Shu's subordinate. What was there to be afraid of? "At that time, those generals privately said that Mister Yang Hong was a bootlicker. Even Milord also called Mister Yang Hong that way!"
"Bootlicker?!" Zhang Zhao now understood the meaning of Mister Yang Hong's words! He knew how to bootlick, how to flatter! Could it be that he was mistaken? This Yang Hong was actually a smokescreen? In fact, he was just an idiot! But today, he was so calm!
"It should be a bluff!" Zhang Zhao finally laughed. If it was a bluff, if what the guard said was true and Yang Hong was just a bootlicker, then it would be really easy to deal with! Zhang Zhao regained his confidence. Yang Hong, just you wait. Tomorrow, I will make you lose even your pants!
Similarly, in another courtyard of Wancheng city, a fat middle-aged scholar looked at the lonely and lonely figure of a beautiful woman. Yang Hong couldn't help but feel distressed. This was the kind of distressed one would feel for one's own child.
"Just you wait! Child! I promised the lord that I will hold up the sky for you! " If she wanted him to treat her well, if she wanted to increase her position in his heart, then she must win this bet first.
Zhang Zhao! Wait for me!
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