Three Kingdoms: I rely on system loopholes to survive

Wu Zhi returned to Jiaozhou to report back, and recounted in detail what he had seen and heard in Yizhou, including Liu Zhang's weakness, Zhang Su's arrogance, Fa Zheng and Zhang Song's depression, and Liu Zhang's final attitude of "agreeing to send troops but refusing to form an alliance," to Liu Bei, Guo Yuan, and Jian Yong.

“Zhang Su is greedy and petty, and Liu Jiyu is hampered by him, like a puppet,” Wu Zhi concluded. “His intention is clear: he wants to use our troops from Jiaojing as his vanguard, deplete our resources, and exhaust our soldiers. Once Zhang Lu retreats, he will close the gates and reap the benefits. The so-called alliance is nothing but empty words. However, Yizhou is not monolithic. People like Fa Xiaozhi and Zhang Yongnian are exceptionally talented but relegated to lower positions, and their resentment is growing. This will surely be the opportunity for our lord to enter Shu.”

Liu Bei listened, seemingly lost in thought. Guo Yuan, unusually silent, exchanged a glance with Wu Zhi before looking away. Jian Yong, stroking the jade pendant at his waist, pondered, "They want to borrow a knife, but I can certainly borrow their power. Since they've allowed my troops into Shu, even in a situation of driving a tiger to devour a wolf, there's still room for maneuver. We can follow their plan, send troops to assist them, show them sincerity, reassure them, and further penetrate their territory to befriend those we can rely on and probe their strengths and weaknesses."

Liu Bei nodded and decided, “Good. To reassure Liu Jiyu and Zhang Su, this army should be sent. It must be elite troops with strong generals, and we must strive for a quick victory to demonstrate the capabilities of the Jiaozhou soldiers and encourage their desires, so as to secure our future plans.”

Guo Yuan then recommended Wei Yan as general, who led 3,000 elite troops from Jiaozhou to join 2,000 troops from Jingzhou under Liu Qi at Guiyang. Under the banner of "assisting the governor of Yizhou in suppressing the rebellion," they entered Shu territory to the west.

After Lingling, Changsha and other counties came under Liu Bei's control, the officials there were also transferred to Liu Bei's command by Liu Qi. Liu Bei carefully investigated the local economy and stability, and retained most of the original officials, only replacing a few. Therefore, these officials had no complaints about their new master.

Among them, generals such as Wei Yan and Huang Zhong were needed by Liu Bei, so they were treated with great courtesy. After Wei Yan was promoted to Yamen General, he was even more eager to serve Liu Bei and intended to connect Huang Zhong with Liu Bei so that he could become Liu Bei's ally.

Huang Zhong's son was sickly, so Wei Yan secretly contacted Guo Yuan. Guo Yuan remembered what Zhong Ping had said and asked Fan A to enter Changsha under the guise of a wandering monk, accompanied by a shaman and precious herbs. Although Huang Zhong guessed Fan A's purpose for the trip, he could not refuse because of his love for his son.

He was now rightfully under Liu Bei's rule. Seeing that his son had been cured by the witchcraft, and with Wei Yan's encouragement and persuasion, he eventually followed Wei Yan into Jiaozhou. Liu Bei naturally treated him very well, and also took good care of their families. As a result, the two became even more convinced of his worth.

Wei Yan was eager to make a name for himself in battle and quickly gain a place in Liu Bei's camp. His troops were brave and skilled in battle, and familiar with the mountainous terrain. Upon arriving at the front lines, they cooperated with Yizhou generals Ling Bao and Deng Xian to ambush and defeat Zhang Lu's detachment outside Jiameng Pass, killing many. The news of the victory quickly reached Chengdu, and Liu Zhang was overjoyed. Under the flattery of Zhang Su and others, he became increasingly arrogant, feeling that the military power of Yizhou was already formidable, and Liu Bei's army was merely icing on the cake.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhang Su seized the opportunity to speak: "Our lord's might is unmatched, and even the cowardly Zhang Lu is utterly defeated! Now that the border troubles have been resolved, Liu Bei's troops remaining in our territory are only wasting our provisions and will inevitably cause trouble in the long run. It would be better to order them to withdraw quickly, firstly to save our resources, and secondly to demonstrate the self-sufficiency of Yizhou, so that they would not dare to harbor any further reckless thoughts!"

Liu Zhang agreed wholeheartedly and immediately ordered Wei Yan's troops to return to Jiaozhou. When Wei Yan entered Yizhou, he visited Zhang Su alone and gave him many gifts of gold and silver. Even when fighting against Zhang Lu, he secretly sent most of the spoils to Zhang Su's residence.

Zhang Su was a greedy and ruthless man. Although he received money and gifts, he still slandered Liu Zhang. As a result, after the victory banquet, Liu Zhang refused to allocate any grain or fodder to replenish Wei Yan's troops.

Wei Yan spoke many disrespectful words, and from then on, he did not offer any bribes. Zhang Su immediately found Wei Yan repulsive and deeply hated his rudeness. He then used his words to persuade Liu Zhang to order Wei Yan and others to return to Jiaozhou the next day.

Upon receiving this order, many soldiers in the Yizhou army who had fought alongside Wei Yan felt a deep sense of regret, secretly sensing the governor's cold-heartedness. When the news reached Jiaozhou, Liu Bei, though having anticipated it, still needed to maintain appearances. To justify his actions, he decided to send another envoy to formally question the alliance and exert pressure by pledging to send troops to assist Wei Yan.

The envoy sent this time was the deputy envoy who had served Wu Zhi on his previous mission. His name was Du Heng, courtesy name Zishen. Du Heng was meticulous and capable, serving as a secretary in Jiaozhou Prefecture. He was known for his tactful speech and neither servile nor arrogant manner. Liu Bei personally bestowed upon him the imperial seal, and Guo Yuan had repeatedly instructed him to make sure to visit important officials in the prefecture who were at odds with Zhang Su, such as Huang Quan and Wang Lei, to win their favor with generous gifts, and to find a way to probe the intentions of Fa Zheng and Zhang Song.

Du Heng recalled Wu Zhi's instructions to him last night, and nodded slightly to Guo Yuan. A hint of reluctance flashed in Guo Yuan's eyes, and he personally poured wine to see him off.

After the farewell banquet, Du Heng, carrying the imperial insignia, entered Chengdu and, according to protocol, met with Liu Zhang, presenting Liu Bei's congratulatory letter and generous gifts. Liu Zhang, brimming with pride after his victory, was already exhausted and harbored considerable contempt for Liu Bei, so he treated Du Heng rather perfunctorily. Du Heng, unperturbed, calmly explained Liu Bei's renewed intention to form an alliance against Cao Cao, subtly mentioning: "General Wei Yan previously led the men of Jiaojing, traversing mountains and rivers, fighting valiantly, to help Your Excellency defeat Zhang Lu. Now, the soldiers of our three families have a bond of camaraderie, but the alliance is not yet finalized, and the hearts of the soldiers are uneasy. I also fear that the heroes of the world will laugh at our three families for wasting our friendship. I hope Your Excellency will remember our interdependent relationship and quickly finalize the alliance to reassure the army and deter the traitor Cao."

Before Liu Zhang could reply, Zhang Su below the steps could no longer contain himself. He had already learned that after Du Heng entered the city, he had not first visited his residence, but instead sent the lavish gifts specially prepared by Liu Bei—the pearl of Jiaozhou, the coral of the South China Sea, and the Shu brocade of Jingzhou—directly to the residences of important ministers such as Huang Quan and Wang Lei, with whom he had a long-standing feud. He had even secretly contacted Fa Zheng and Zhang Song! In Zhang Su's eyes, this was tantamount to open provocation, and it reminded him of Wei Yan's rudeness, which he deeply resented. He secretly believed that Du Heng's actions were a blatant attempt to sow discord and undermine his power.

"My lord!" Zhang Su stepped forward, his voice suddenly rising, "The envoy's words are utterly wrong! Wei Yan's troops, ostensibly to assist, are in fact spying on us! His connections with officials in Chengdu are surely driven by ulterior motives! Liu Bei's repeated dispatches of envoys, ostensibly to form an alliance, are actually to sow discord."

"This scoundrel has entered my Chengdu, showing no respect for the governor and other important officials, yet engaging in underhanded tactics, lavishly bribing the virtuous and capable in the province. What is his true intention? Clearly, he intends to frame loyal and virtuous officials, disrupt the administration of my province, and pave the way for his lord Liu Bei to seize control of my Yi Province in the future! How can the words of such a treacherous and cunning person be trusted? How can his actions be forgiven? I beg my lord to severely punish this scoundrel to set an example! Let Liu Bei know that the laws of Yi Province are strict and that no petty person can deceive him!"

Zhang Su's words were sharp and incisive, each sentence piercing the heart. His followers stepped forward one after another, clamoring and echoing his sentiments, and the hall was filled with turmoil. Liu Zhang, already misled by Zhang Su and relying heavily on him, was displeased to hear that Du Heng had bypassed Zhang Su to befriend others. Zhang Su's "righteous and stern" words further stirred his thoughts, and he felt greatly humiliated, his anger burning fiercely.

"Shut up!" Liu Zhang slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his face turning purple. He pointed at Du Heng and shouted, "You, Du Zishen! Your lord Liu Bei, dares to think that there is no one left in Yizhou... and sends you to carry out this treacherous trick... Guards! Drag this arrogant scoundrel away and give him fifty strokes of the cane! After he's done, expel him from Chengdu immediately... and never let him set foot in Yizhou again..." After his outburst of anger, he was supported by a maid again, looking utterly exhausted. He ignored everyone present and stormed off.

Du Heng, filled with shock and rage, tried to protest, "My lord! I'm innocent! Prefect Zhang framed me..." Before he could finish, soldiers at Zhang Su's behest covered his mouth and nose and roughly dragged him out of the hall. The heavy rods whistled down, striking Du Heng's back hard. Du Heng was a scholar; how could his body withstand such severe punishment? After fifty strokes, he was barely breathing, his back a bloody mess, his bones broken.

Zhang Su deliberately made everyone watch the execution to demonstrate his power. When everyone saw Du Heng's miserable state, they all showed reluctance. However, Liu Zhang had already left, and no one dared to disobey Zhang Su. As a result, fear and disgust grew in their hearts.

Because Liu Zhang had strictly ordered him to be "immediately expelled," the soldiers hastily placed the unconscious, barely alive Du Heng onto a dilapidated oxcart used for transporting filth, and ordered an old soldier to drive it, "escorting" him out of Chengdu. It was deep winter, and the frost was biting. The oxcart bumped along the rugged official road, Du Heng's wounds reopened, leaving him covered in blood and grime, the cold seeping into his bones. Before they had gone far from Chengdu, they reached a desolate mountain valley. Seeing him barely breathing, and fearing for their safety, the old soldier dragged him off the cart, abandoned him in the roadside weeds, and drove off.

Du Heng lay prone amidst the weeds and thorns, his consciousness blurred, yet he still had the strength to call for help. However, remembering Guo Yuan's instructions before his mission, he forcefully suppressed his instinctive will to survive. He held the talisman in his hand and lay motionless until he completely stopped breathing.

Several days later, a woodcutter found the body by the mountain path and reported it to the village head. The village head examined the body and found the Jiaozhou tally in the man's hand. He also opened the man's robe and found the official seal. The village head was horrified and immediately reported to his superiors.

The news that the envoy from Jiaozhou had died within the territory was so shocking that no one dared to conceal it. Official documents were sent to the government office one after another. Zhang Su was beginning to feel worried and tried his best to suppress the news, making sure that the matter did not reach Liu Zhang's ears. He also tried to confuse the truth by spreading rumors that Du Heng had died at the hands of bandits.

Previously, Du Heng had given generous gifts to Huang Quan, Wang Lei, and others. These people had been watching Zhang Su's actions day and night and immediately realized that this was a good opportunity to bring Zhang Su down. So they stirred up trouble and muddied the waters. Within four or five days, the news that Du Heng had died from his injuries outside Chengdu spread like wildfire and even reached Zhang Lu.

Liu Zhang was taking a calming medicine on his bed when he suddenly heard that the dozens of blows had killed the messenger. He had already regretted his decision after calming down, but he was too embarrassed to change the order. Now, it was like a thunderbolt. He smashed the earthenware bowl and was filled with anxiety and fear. He quickly sent someone to summon Zhang Su to discuss the matter of covering up Du Heng's death.

(End of this chapter)