"Yongnu, I, Old Zhang, know him!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei suddenly shouted. Guan Yu glared at him, thinking, "Third brother is such a show-off!"

"Commander Zhang, what do you know?" Liu Wei asked with great interest.

"I...I grew up in Zhuojun, and all I know is that there is a place called Yongnu."

"Then why are you making such a fuss?" Tian Yu was a little displeased that Zhang Fei had interrupted him, almost breaking his train of thought.

“Didn’t you say that’s the hometown of the rebel leader Zhang Ju? Then let’s raid his hometown, arrest his wife, daughters and children, force Zhang Ju to surrender, and the rebels will be dealt with.”

“Once Zhang Ju surrenders, the Wuhuan and Xianbei people will naturally fall apart, and those left will be easy prey for us to cut down.”

"Suppressing the rebellion in Youzhou is as easy as turning one's hand."

Zhang Fei then started shouting loudly again.

"Third brother, stop fooling around!" Guan Yu shouted.

Guan Yu, a man well-versed in the Spring and Autumn Annals, would never do something like kidnapping someone's family.

Tian Yu merely reminded Liu Wei to be careful around Yongnu.

Since this is Zhang Ju's hometown, and his family is all there, it's likely heavily guarded.

Once the entire army advances westward, it must guard against attacks from behind by Yongnu's garrison.

"Wait!"

However, Liu Wei said softly, "Commander Zhang is right!"

What!

"My lord, if this affair involving other people's families gets out, it will surely be criticized," Guan Yu hurriedly advised.

It’s over!

Liu Wei actually took Zhang Fei's words to heart. Was he really going to go to Yongnu to capture their relatives?

“Zhang Ju was originally an official of the Han Dynasty. He colluded with foreign tribes to kill our officials and people and rebelled against the court. It is only right and proper to execute his entire family and relatives.”

Liu Wei replied expressionlessly, "Moreover, I have no intention of harming his family."

"Then...why not go to Yongnu to arrest Zhang Ju's family? What is the lord's intention?"

Tian Yu and Guan Yu looked puzzled.

“Zhang Ju had a retainer named Wang Zheng! This man was always loyal to the court. When Zhang Ju was instigated to rebel by Zhang Chun, he tried to dissuade him.”

Liu Wei smiled slightly, “According to the intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Wang Zheng is currently the commander of the Yongnu garrison, leading five thousand rebel troops to guard Yongnu.”

"Since Guo Rang and Yi De have both mentioned Yong Nu, why not try to win over Wang Zheng and have him work for us?"

ah!

Everyone was stunned.

They thought Liu Wei was going to arrest Zhang Ju's family, but to their surprise, Liu Wei's target was Wang Zheng, one of Zhang Ju's retainers, who was trying to turn against him.

This sent chills down the spines of Guan Yu, Tian Yu, and the others.

Liu Wei was surprisingly well aware of such confidential information.

The man who reported intelligence to everyone in Yi County that day—how many spies he had under his command, and where his reach extended—remains unknown.

All they knew was that this man named Lu Jianxing was merely a minor leader in Liu Wei's intelligence network.

I heard that the intelligence chief named Shen Lian is currently somewhere in the Central Plains, spying on every move of the Han Dynasty.

What does Liu Wei want to do?

The court and the public alike were saying that he had no intention of vying for the throne and were even making a big show of supporting Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu.

But his arrangement makes one wonder if Liu Wei is playing a bigger game.

Seeing that the men remained silent, Liu Wei smiled slightly: "Commanders Guan and Zhang, I order you to lead your troops to Yongnu, lure Wang Zheng into battle, and convey my intention to let him redeem himself through meritorious service, and promise him the position of governor."

"If this mission is accomplished successfully, I will increase your troop quotas by one thousand each. How does that sound?"

Should we two go to Yongnu to deliver a message?

Isn't that a waste of talent?

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei whispered among themselves for a while, but when they heard that they could each lead a thousand troops, they said in unison without hesitation:

"My lord, my brother and I are willing to go!"

"Is this all the message for Wang Zheng?"

Liu Wei said calmly, "Make him hand over the city, surrender Zhang Ju's family, and flee to Zhang Ju's side in Ji County with his trusted men. Then, when the opportunity arises, bring me Zhang Ju's head!"

"Will he... will he agree to this?"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked on incredulously.

How could a retainer, who eats and drinks at someone else's expense, betray someone so completely after all they've promised him?

"Don't worry, he'll definitely agree!"

Liu Wei was confident.

Historically, Zhang Ju rebelled at the instigation of Zhang Chun. After Liu Yu became the governor of Youzhou, he used a policy of appeasement to persuade the Wuhuan to cease hostilities and offered a large reward for the capture of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun.

The two escaped beyond the Great Wall. Later, Zhang Chun was killed by his retainer Wang Zheng, while Zhang Ju's whereabouts became unknown.

This retainer named Wang Zheng killed his master for a reward.

If he were given the position of prefect, that would be even more remarkable.

Seeing Liu Wei's resolute decision, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei said nothing more.

They immediately accepted the order, took their five hundred followers, bid farewell to Liu Wei, and headed southeast towards Yongnu.

"We should be close to finishing things up on Wen Yuan's side! Let's go closer and take a look; maybe we can catch a few who slipped through the net."

After Guan Yu and Zhang Fei left, Liu Wei spoke to Tian Yu, the Seventeen Riders of Yanyun, and Murong Ping beside him.

"My lord, take your money. I'd feel bad if I didn't kill a few more people!"

Murong Ping immediately said.

"These are Wuhuan cavalry, maybe your loved ones, relatives, or brothers are among them, want to pay more?" Liu Wei joked.

"My lord, this time it's free!"

After speaking, Murong Ping took down the iron-rimmed bow, his eyes filled with the gleam of an eagle.

The faces of the seventeen riders from Yanyun also revealed bloodthirsty expressions.

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