Chapter 236: Music and Dance

Although Guan Yu could make decisions on all matters in Jingzhou, it would take time to mobilize the navy soldiers and warships.

However, as the orders were issued one by one, even the vendors carrying rattan baskets on the Jiangling dock noticed that the atmosphere was not normal.

"This is the ninth warship that has passed today. Will there be another war?"

For the people in troubled times, it was normal to draw this conclusion.

It was a matter of life and death, and the people on the dock immediately gathered together and chattered:

"Zhou Lang is gone, if Cao thieves come again, how can we stop them?"

"We have to stop them even if we can't stop them, otherwise we have to flee to Jiaozhou?"

"Jiaozhou is full of insects and miasma, I don't want to go to such a miserable place... maybe Cao's army is not that bad?"

This statement immediately attracted the ridicule of the merchants on the dock:

"How can it be good if we can't even use currency?"

Although the north and the south are now forbidden to communicate, merchants often have their own unique ways, just like the silk traded here, nearly half of which will eventually flow into the north through various means in exchange for profits.

Therefore, for merchants, if they were to be governed by Prime Minister Cao, it would not be good news.

The hawker who spoke first whispered:

"Who knows if General Guan can win?"

Someone sneered: "General Guan was not brave enough at the Battle of Red Cliff."

At that time, some people were dissatisfied and jumped out to tell the story of General Guan beheading Yan Liang in Hebei.

Someone immediately refuted that Yuan Shao was said to have led a million troops but was defeated by Prime Minister Cao, which showed that Yuan Shao must be a man of empty reputation, and Yan Liang must be similar.

In the midst of the noise, someone suggested that it would be better to go to Chengdu or Jiangdong in advance to wait and see the situation.

Some people agreed, some people scolded that this was desertion, and some people argued that they were not soldiers.

There was a commotion on the dock, but it immediately calmed down because another warship came over.

"It's so big and so strange!" This was the exclamation in everyone's heart.

Compared with the nine ships that had passed by today, this warship was twice as big, and when it brushed past the dock, their merchant ships seemed to fall apart at the slightest touch.

At the same time, it was strange because the stern was not flat, and there were three huge things like horse wheels installed.

Watching the huge ship sail away, the dock became quiet again.

"General Guan said there would be no war in Jiangling, right?" a peddler asked in a low voice.

So more merchants recalled this red-faced general, who seemed to have never broken his promise in the past two years?

Some people made certain decisions in their hearts, and some people also had a thin ray of confidence in their hearts.

One person in the crowd quietly retreated, and after entering the city, he shuttled along the familiar road and soon got into a back door with the word Liu's mansion written on it.

In the mansion, Liu Zhang was lying on a cushion, peeling a fruit, rolling it twice in sugar powder and putting it into his mouth.

The sweet touch on the tip of his tongue made Liu Zhang's eyes narrowed. He changed to a more comfortable position, and his eyes were attracted by the two female prostitutes twisting their waists in the center of the hall.

In addition to the sleeping Liu Zhang, there were two people dressed as scholars in the hall.

At this time, someone came in from outside the hall, whispered a few words in the ear of a scholar, and then left.

Before he could speak, Liu Zhang had already said lazily:

"Why does Nanhe have to do this? Lying in a strong city, eating sweet fruits, admiring beautiful girls, and being protected from cold and heat, what else do you want?"

Zhang Yu, whose name is Nanhe, did not change his expression, bowed and said:

"The lord humiliates the minister, although there are many people in Yizhou who live in peace, people think of you, and they all look forward to the lord taking control of Yizhou again!"

Liu Zhang did not speak, but only stared at the rings and pendants hanging on the waist of the prostitute. It is said that they are made of glass, and the color is green, and the sound of hitting each other is also crisp. It dances like this...

"Lord!" Zhang Yu's anxious voice interrupted Liu Zhang's thoughts.

So he could only ask perfunctorily:

"But I heard that the common people in Yizhou all praised Uncle Liu, so what about the people's hearts?"

Zhang Yu knelt down and took two steps forward, anxiously saying:

"How can the common people talk about the people's hearts?"

"The Yong family, the Lao Cuan family, the Qiang, Yan, Chen of Hanzhong, the Liang family of Luocheng, the Xu, Qiu, and Tu of Yinping, who are eagerly waiting for the general, are the people's hearts!"

Seeing a hint of disappointment on Liu Zhang's face, he peeled another fruit and dipped it in the cane sugar powder, while Zhang Yu's expression became more anxious and he took two steps forward.

Liu Zhang paused, but asked an irrelevant question:

"When Liu Bei entered Chengdu, he asked you something. What did he ask at that time?"

Zhang Yu also paused, but still said honestly:

"Liu Bei knew that I was good at physiognomy, so he invited me to read the face of his thief general Zhang Fei and ask about his life span."

"What was the result of the Nanhe Xiang?" Liu Zhang was very interested.

"I said that in Dingyou, we might lose our general, but Liu Bei laughed and asked me to leave, not caring about his brother's misfortune."

Dingyou year... Liu Zhang secretly calculated, that is, six years later?

Zhang Yu put aside such sad things. He thought that Liu Bei would definitely ask Zhang Fei in detail about how he suffered misfortune, but he didn't expect him to be so ruthless!

So he said again: "Now Jingxiang seems to be going to war again. Prime Minister Cao is going to attack the south. We should unite with the people of Yizhou and respond from afar..."

Liu Zhang paused again, then thought seriously for a while, nodded and said:

"Then Nanhe will do it, but now it is better to connect secretly and wait for Cao Gong's troops to surround Jiangling, and then find a good opportunity to start a rebellion."

Zhang Yu was overjoyed, bowed heavily, glanced at another scholar next to him like a clay sculpture with contempt, and then strode away.

After Zhang Yu walked away, Liu Zhang said to Zhou Qun who was kneeling on the other side: "Then I'll trouble Zhongzhi to go there."

Zhou Qun nodded, remembered the names just now, stood up and left quietly.

Only Liu Zhang was left in the hall, sighing softly:

"How could these people forget that this general's surname is also Liu?"

Then he shouted to the female entertainer:

"Wear two more jade glass rings on your waist, and call two more musicians to come over, and dance together!"

The creaking sound of stringed instruments sounded, faintly in harmony with the sound of the rings on the female entertainer's waist.

And on the huge wheel ship that just passed Jiangling, Zhao A was standing at the bow and looking at it curiously.

If there is no war while sailing, those who walk around and leave their posts without permission will be flogged five times.

Zhao A was quite familiar with the military manual, so he seemed to be full of curiosity about the new ship, but he could only stretch his neck to look carefully.

He finally left Zigui, holding a jar full of coins, and went down the river to Jiangling City to surrender to General Guan.

Zigui is adjacent to the river, so Zhao A is naturally good at water, so he signed up for the navy without hesitation.

Of course, the monthly salary of the navy is 50 yuan higher, which is why Zhao A made such a choice.

Although military life is boring, he has to memorize drill manuals, medical books, practice boat operation, practice boarding, and is very busy.

But Zhao A enjoys it. After all, it is much more interesting than farming, and there are many people who can talk to him.

"Zhao Wu, don't be silly! Governor Zhao is on the deck!" Someone next to him whispered.

Five people form a group, so naturally they are ranked according to age. Zhao A is the youngest, so he is called Zhao Wu by his group.

Zhao A turned his head and saw that Governor Zhao Lei was pointing and talking to a young general beside him.

Zhao A looked intently and could vaguely see a city through the river fog.

As they got closer, Zhao A showed a little disappointment on his face: "Is this Jiangxia?"

The city wall was a little shorter, the road was a little narrower, there were fewer people, and the city was a little smaller.

The comrade next to him whispered: "Jiangling City is one of the best in the world...Jiangxia is good enough."

Zhao Lei didn't seem to have any intention of coming here, so Zhao A simply continued the conversation in a low voice:

"Then why are we here?"

"To go to Dangyang." The comrade was speechless:

"Did you listen to what the sergeant said? We will set up camp and rest for a few days at Dangyang Wharf, and then we will go to fight Cao's army!"

Zhao A's heart was surging for a while: fight Cao's army.

He still remembered that it was Cao's army that chased Li Gong all the way to Zigui, but it was a pity that Li Gong didn't know, which made Zhao A feel a little regretful.

But, wait, it seems that Liu Huangshu was also chased here by Cao's army?

So should he and Li Gong thank Cao's army for sending Liu Huangshu?

Zhao A on the boat was in a strange trouble for a while.

On the wall of Jiangxia, Lu Su looked at the huge ship.

Before the messenger who hurried over had time to report, he heard Lu Su's indifferent order:

"Let it pass."

So the messenger could only bow and hurried back to convey Lu Su's order.

Bu Zhi, who was standing beside Lu Su, was a little uneasy:

"General, such a large-scale military force passing through the border should be reported to the lord..."

Lu Su looked like he didn't want anyone to come in, and simply said:

"The lord already knows."

Bu Zhi stopped talking.

Shaoqing, Bu Zhi heard Lu Su slowly exhale and sighed:

"What a good warship."

Bu Zhi was a little unconvinced:

"How can it be called a good ship without a naval battle? And after going north, the navy will dominate the land troops, even the boats can be considered good warships."

Lu Su said with a smile:

"How does Zishan's replica of the water power house compare to the one in Gong'an County?"

Bu Zhi was about to say something stubborn, but when he looked up at Lu Su's calm eyes, he could only say discouraged:

"It's slightly inferior."

"I also heard people in Jiangling talk about engineering." Lu Su said slowly:

"Now we are trying to make warships with engineering, even if we lose, we will win."

Bu Zhi was silent. Jiangdong people are most familiar with boats, so he certainly understood what Lu Su meant.

However, thinking that Liu Bei, a vassal who escaped from the north, has now walked ahead of Jiangdong on the modified boat, this made Bu Zhi a little bit unacceptable.

What was even more unacceptable was the way the merchants in Jiangling looked at him, which changed from looking up to him a few years ago to being slightly indifferent now.

The fact was hard for him to accept, but it had only been two years...

"Zishan, go to Angang to take care of it, and don't make any mistakes." Lu Su suddenly ordered.

Bu Zhi also buried his thoughts, bowed to Lu Su, and left quickly.

After Bu Zhi walked away, Lu Su stretched out his fist from his sleeve, and in his palm was a decree from his lord:

Blame Guan Yu for starting a war lightly, and order Lu Meng to lead 20,000 troops to Jiangxia to prepare for any unexpected events.

This decree has been soaked by the sweat in Lu Su's palm, and the ink has spread out and the original appearance can no longer be seen.

He stretched out his hand and watched the decree leave his palm, flying with the strong wind, and finally falling into the river.

Lu Su's heart was full of incomprehensible questions:

"What could go wrong?"

"Why not attack northward, echo each other, and plan for a great cause?"