"Sir, the man who came is Xiahou Dun's eldest son, Zhang Fei's brother-in-law, he is very important."
"What?" Zhang Song sat up suddenly. The Cao family also came to Xiangyang
Zhang Song hurriedly put on his clothes, returned to the guesthouse to wash up, and went straight to see Pang Tong.
Pang Tong was drinking a little wine and said with a smile: "This is newly brewed peach blossom wine, would you like to try it?"
"Last time I drank, you tricked me into giving you the map. Why are you still drinking?" Zhang Song glared at him, sat aside in dissatisfaction, and waved his hand, saying, "I've quit drinking for a long time!"
Pang Tong asked: "So, the deputy driver is determined to go to Xuchang?"
Zhang Songyan said, "I am here to ask for an introduction to General Liu."
Pang Tong shook his head and said, "Sir, you came at an inopportune time. General Liu has already gone to Jiangdong!"
"Jiangdong?" Zhang Song frowned, paused and asked, "What are you doing in Xiangyang, son of Xiahou Dun?"
"How did you know that, sir?" Pang Tong was surprised and looked at him warily: "It seems that Yizhou has many spies in Xiangyang!"
"We just happened to meet in the water and clouds!" Zhang Song snorted. Seeing Pang Tong so alert, he asked, "Could it be that General Liu went to Jiangdong to join forces with Cao Cao to deal with Sun Quan?"
"What you said is wrong!" Pang Tong shook his head and laughed, "General Liu is a descendant of the Han Dynasty. He is irreconcilable with Cao Cao, so how could he join forces with him? This trip to Jiangdong is not only to marry, but also to help in the war, to defeat Cao Cao together."
Zhang Song asked in confusion: "What about the Xiahou family?"
Pang Tong said with a smile: "Zhang Yide is the son-in-law of the Xiahou family. What's wrong with visiting a relative?"
Zhang Song stared at Pang Tong, obviously not believing what he said. Liu Qi and Cao Cao were irreconcilable, so how could he allow his clan members to enter and leave Jingzhou easily
There must be some unspeakable secret!
Pang Tong sighed, "My dear, I'm looking for a wise leader for Yizhou. General Liu is right in front of us. He appoints talented people to positions and is praised by the whole state. Why should we look for something far away? Cao Cao is fighting in Huainan, and Guanzhong is in chaos. How can we save Yizhou?"
Zhang Song snorted coldly, "That's better than you joining forces with Zhang Lu to seize Yizhou. Our two families don't get along well, and Yang Song has already gone to Jingzhou to make friends. Everyone in Yizhou knows about this. How can I explain this to my master?"
Pang Tong laughed and said, "Even if Liu Jiyu is weak and there are no capable people in Shu, with your wisdom, can't you see that this is a strategy of driving a tiger to devour a wolf? Jingzhou has made this matter so public so that Zhang Lu can send troops without worry, and the real intention is to attack Hanzhong!"
"Oh? Hahaha—" Zhang Song was startled, and he also stroked his beard and laughed: "I have long seen that General Liu is not interested in Yizhou, otherwise why would he be so reluctant to mobilize troops? But I never expected that he would actually seek the land of his allies. Is this what a hero does?"
Pang Tong sneered, "What is a hero? A hero is one who knows the current situation and the general trend! Zhang Lu seized Baxi from Zhang Xiu and killed the Han envoy. He had long wanted to establish his own country. General Liu is a relative of the Han Dynasty. What's wrong with raising an uprising to fight against the rebellion and rectify the court?"
Zhang Song pulled his beard and raised his eyebrows, saying, "If that's the case, the siege of Yizhou will be lifted soon, so why should I do this?"
Pang Tong chuckled and said, "My dear driver, you spoke the truth after drinking a few days ago. Do you really think that I don't know the real situation of Shu?"
Zhang Song coughed dryly and waved his hand, saying, "Drunk nonsense, don't take it seriously!"
Pang Tong said sternly: "Yizhou is a land of abundance. It cannot be defended without a ruler who can bring order to chaos. Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent, and everyone is watching and plotting against him. Today Zhang Lu is attacking, and tomorrow Sun Quan is also planning to move westward. If Cao Cao pacifies Guanzhong in the future, won't he want to take over Long and Shu? If this continues, Yizhou will never have peace!"
Zhang Song was silent for a long while, then he sighed, "Don't I know that Liu Jiyu is a weak person and cannot appoint talented people? The people of Yizhou are scattered and will sooner or later belong to someone else? So I took the opportunity to go north and meet the emperor, hoping to pay tribute to Cao and save Yizhou from the disaster of war."
Pang Tong said, "The deputy driver is a wise man. Instead of trying to please Cao Cao and helping Zhou to commit atrocities, why not lend a helping hand to General Liu? If I can get the land of Yizhou, I can easily get Hanzhong. Then I can take over the Central Plains from both sides and revive the Han Dynasty in no time. After the matter is settled, Liu Zhang can also be granted a title and live in peace. Both in public and in private, the deputy driver has made a great contribution. His name will be recorded in history because of this move. What else is there to doubt?"
Zhang Song nodded and said, "What Fengchu said is exactly what I said! General Liu is a young hero, kind and loving. He is indeed a wise leader. His kindness over the past few days shows his sincerity. I am willing to serve him. However, everyone in Yizhou knows that General Liu and Zhang Lu have joined forces to start an uprising. How can I reply to Liu Jiyu and win the trust of the officials?"
"This is easy!" Pang Tong said with a smile, "Liu Jingzhou and Sun Quan had a feud over the murder of their father, but they were able to make peace. What's more, our two families are from the same clan. If we help them for nothing, they won't believe it. Why not offer them benefits?"
"You're inviting me for profit?" Zhang Song had also heard that Liu Qi loved money, so he asked, "How much money and grain do you need?"
"No, no!" Pang Tong waved his hand and said, "General Liu doesn't want money, he only wants land!"
"Important place?"
"Not much!" Pang Tong chuckled, "It's only in Bazhong!"
"Bazhong?" Zhang Song's eyes widened, and he looked at Pang Tong in disbelief. After a while, he shook his head and said, "Bazhong is the gateway to Western Sichuan. How can we cede it?"
Pang Tong chuckled and said, "Since you are unwilling to cede it, how about borrowing it for a year or so, and then returning it after deceiving Zhang Lu and taking Hanzhong?"
Zhang Song asked cautiously: "How do I borrow the method?"
Pang Tong smiled and twirled his beard, saying, "Since Zhang Lu and I have agreed to share West Sichuan, if I don't send any troops, Zhang Lu will be suspicious and hesitate to move forward. Now we can send troops westward from Zigui. As long as the Shu army withdraws from Jiangzhou, Zhang Lu will know that our army has entered Sichuan. He will be worried that General Liu has taken all the land in West Sichuan and will send troops with all his strength. At this time, our army will attack Hanzhong again, and Zhang Lu will not be able to return to help. It will be easy to capture. Once we capture Hanzhong, we can return to Jiangzhou."
Zhang Song squinted at Pang Tong and said, "I'm afraid we'll never get Jiangzhou back!"
"Whether to return or not is up to you, my dear driver." Pang Tong pulled his beard and laughed, "If we really send troops from both the north and south, and General Liu gathers the people of Jingxiang and marches west, how can Yizhou protect itself?"
Zhang Song nodded and said, "This is exactly what everyone in Yizhou is worried about!"
Pang Tong said with a smile: "The deputy driver brought back this condition. Liu Jiyu has no choice. If anyone in Yizhou objects, let him fight the enemy. Then he will have no choice but to cede Jiangzhou to seek peace!"
Zhang Song twirled his beard and sighed, "Fengchu's plan is truly amazing. Without sacrificing a single soldier or clan, he has taken over the northern and southern gateways of Western Sichuan. With the loss of Jiangzhou and Hanzhong, Shuzhong is already a fish on the chopping block."
Pang Tong suddenly laughed softly, "I've heard for a long time that the women in Shu are fair-skinned, beautiful, and charming. When I go to Yizhou one day, you must take me to see them!"
Zhang Song smiled knowingly, knowing that Pang Tong was hinting that he would not use this matter as a threat, and clasped his fists and said, "Sir, I appreciate your hospitality, and I will certainly return the favor and welcome you in Chengdu."
The two looked at each other and laughed. With common hobbies and secrets, their relationship took a step closer.
The two of them brewed tea and discussed the affairs of Shu. Zhang Song then explained the map in detail and told them the important points just in case.
The next day, Pang Tong and a group of officials escorted Zhang Song ten miles out of Xiangyang before returning. Zhuge Liang was already waiting in the government office and said with a smile, "The young phoenix is full of joy, and great things will be accomplished!"
Pang Tong laughed and said, "There is Yang Song in Dongchuan and Zhang Song in Xichuan. With the help of these two Songs, even if Cao Mengde defends Yizhou, it will be in vain."