Zhang Yan was a remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He recognized Zhang Jiao as his master and rebelled together.

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang, Zhang Bao, and a group of Yellow Turban leaders were killed by the three great generals of the Han Dynasty.

Zhang Yan said he had seen this Mozi token with Zhang Jiao, and speculated that the three generals must have defeated Zhang Jiao and then presented the Mozi token to Liu Hong.

However, Liu Hong was also protected by Mohist masters!

The Mohists rebelled against the Han Dynasty on one hand, and protected the Han emperor on the other.

Isn't this contradictory?

Or perhaps, after Dong Zhongru proposed to exclusively honor Confucianism and suppress all other schools of thought, the vanished Mohist school wanted to rise from the ashes and influence the world from behind the scenes?

Liu Wei was a little confused at this moment!

However, since Zhang Yan has already recognized him as a Grand Master, it saves a lot of trouble.

But there's another question: if Zhang Yan knew that he was the current prince, the King of Yunzhong, and the General of Zhenbei, would he be willing to submit to his orders?

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Wei decided to conceal his identity for now and wait until he had completely incorporated Zhang Yan's troops into his own ranks.

As for how to incorporate them?

Liu Wei already had a plan in mind.

Zhang Yan's men were cleaning up the battlefield and burying the corpses, while Zhang Baiqi was also being bandaged and treated.

Zhang Yan stood respectfully beside Liu Wei.

Liu Wei asked, "Aren't you all in the Taihang Mountains? Why have you come all this way to Wuji?"

Upon hearing Liu Wei's question, Zhang Yan almost burst into tears: "Master, you don't know this. In this freezing weather, we are sitting in the Taihang Mountains, and we're just going to starve."

"Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were starving, and that's when they finally came out!"

"So you're short of food? No wonder you had to ask the Zhen family for grain! Is this all there is, just a thousand of you?"

"It's not just a thousand, my entire force numbers thirty-two thousand. Thirty thousand surround Zhengding, while the remaining two thousand cavalrymen scout for provisions. I'd heard the Zhen family is incredibly wealthy in Hebei, with a large granary, but I never expected to run into you, Your Excellency!"

"We urge you, Your Excellency, to guide us on the future direction of the Black Mountain Army."

Zhang Yan looked at Liu Wei with a devout and hopeful expression.

"Isn't your Black Mountain Army supposed to have a million men? How come you only have a little over 30,000?"

Liu Wei frowned.

"I only have a little over 30,000 people directly under my command; the rest are leaders from various places in the Taihang Mountains!"

"However, if the Grand Master wants them to obey, all he needs is enough food and provisions!"

Zhang Yan explained, "There are more than 30 chieftaincies in the Taihang Mountains, each with a population ranging from 5,000 to 20,000."

"My two thousand cavalrymen are enough to intimidate them. If the Grand Master were to raise his voice like the Great Teacher of Virtue, they would surely respond."

“We support the great leader to rely on the Taihang Mountains, occupy Zhongshan, Zhao, Changshan and other places, and become king and hegemon. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Once a person's rebellious gene is activated, they will think about rebelling every day. They will either put a yellow robe on someone else or have someone else put a yellow robe on them!

"What will your rebellion be for?"

Liu Wei asked calmly.

"Of course there's food to eat, women to sleep with, fields to cultivate, and money to spend!" Zhang Yan said with a grin. "If I could get an official position, that wouldn't be so bad either."

"If I could give you food, women to sleep with, land to cultivate, money to spend, and even make you an official, would you still rebel?"

Liu Wei said slowly.

"What's the point of rebelling? It's a life-or-death situation! If we weren't starving and desperate for survival, who would want to rebel?"

"The million Black Mountain Army soldiers in the Taihang Mountains were all honest and simple farmers. Their land was taken over by those lords, and they had no choice but to go up the mountain because they could not survive there."

Upon hearing Liu Wei's words, Zhang Yan immediately became excited.

"Alright, go and gather all the Black Mountain Army troops from the Taihang Mountains, and come with me to Youzhou!"

"I give them food and land to cultivate!"

Liu Wei said firmly.

"Your Excellency, can Youzhou give us land and food?"

Liu Wei immediately said loudly:

"Youzhou is currently suffering from a foreign invasion, and the local people are fleeing in droves, leaving the land barren! The troops of Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, have been forced to retreat to Zhuojun by the Wuhuan and Xianbei people."

"If the Black Mountain Army goes to Youzhou to expel the foreign tribes and recover lost territory, they will surely find a place to survive and make a name for themselves. And your dream of joining the army will also come true."

"With your abilities, you're more than qualified to become a captain!"

What!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan was overjoyed. After hundreds of years of reform and opening up, entering the official system was the ideal of every citizen of the Han Dynasty.

Guan Yu followed Liu Bei through a life of wandering. Liu Bei offered Guan Yu a title of nobility, but Guan Yu refused. However, he regarded the title of Marquis of Hanshou given to him by Cao Cao as his life.

If Zhang Yan were to obtain the official position of Colonel of the Han Dynasty, it would be infinitely better than him being a mere commoner general!

However, he was not swayed by Liu Wei's words: "Your Excellency, is this true?"

Seeing that Zhang Yan had been fooled, Liu Wei said, "If the world were at peace, why would the Great Teacher of Virtue have to be established under the Yellow Heaven and in the year of Jiazi?"

"That's absolutely right!"

Zhang Yan nodded thoughtfully, "Your Excellency, our troops are currently short of food. We need to get the Zhen family to provide supplies first, and then go to Wuji County to request more supplies!"

"There are still 30,000 people waiting for us to deliver grain to them outside Zhen Ding City!"

"We can only set off for Youzhou once everyone has enough to eat!"

"Twenty thousand men besieged the city?" Liu Wei frowned.

This trip is to Changshan Kingdom to find Zhao Zilong of Changshan! Zhending is the capital of Changshan Kingdom.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The prefect of Zhen Ding City, Gao Lan, is exceptionally skilled in martial arts. He and his two brothers, Gao Ping and Gao Huai, command five thousand troops. If Zhen Ding hadn't been besieged, how could my cavalry have been able to rampage around the outskirts!"

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