Liu Qi immediately promoted Wei Yan to General Zhenyuan, made him the prefect of Hanzhong, and governor of the Hanzhong army, and Hu Ji to be the Sima, and transferred some officials from Jingzhou to assist in defending Dongchuan.
Wei Yan bowed to express his gratitude, and Liu Qi smiled and said, "Promotion is just for serving the country. I have a great gift for you, General."
Wei Yan hurriedly said, "My lord, I have been so kind to you that I would never be able to repay you even if I were to die. How can I dare to accept another gift?"
Xu Shu smiled and said, "Only the general can accept this gift."
Liu Qi said, "Zhang Lu has been in Hanzhong for a long time, ruling the people with teachings. People are lax and only know clan laws, not etiquette. If he suddenly changes the government, it will definitely cause a stir. Now Zhang Lu has a daughter. If Wen Chang becomes Zhang Lu's son-in-law, and Yang Song and others assist him, then he can legitimately change the system and pacify the people. What do you think?"
Wei Yan clasped his fists and said, "Marriage is a major matter, and it all depends on the parents' orders. I have been an orphan since I was over ten years old, and the king's orders are more important than my parents'. Since you have agreed to my marriage, I will obey your orders for both public and private reasons."
"It's easy for you to be the matchmaker for these two families," Xu Shu shook his head and laughed, "I wonder who Zhang Lu used as the matchmaker, could it be Yang Song?"
"I almost forgot something important!" When mentioning Yang Song, Liu Qi slapped his forehead and solemnly warned Wei Yan: "Yang Song is a villain who forgets his loyalty when he sees profit. I am using him temporarily to appease the people and build a caravan. If Cao's army marches in the future, you must get rid of him and don't let him stay. Remember!"
Wei Yan was startled, knowing that this was not only a reminder from Liu Qi, but also an order from the general, so he bowed and said, "Yes, sir!"
In the afternoon, Zhang Lu sent a matchmaker from the woman's side to discuss the marriage, but it was not Yang Song, but his old subordinate Yan Pu. It seemed that Zhang Lu was quite dissatisfied with the fact that the Grand Priest Yang Song was unwilling to go to Changsha with him.
Yan Pu was surprised to learn that Wei Yan had been promoted to the prefect of Hanzhong. He thought to himself that Liu Qi was indeed decisive. This move not only promoted his trusted general, but also completely reassured Zhang Lu.
After the betrothal gifts and other matters were discussed, Liu Qi said, "Your Excellency has assisted Zhang Lu in governing Hanzhong, and has made remarkable achievements. You are familiar with the customs of the people in various places. Now that Zhang Lu is determined to practice Taoism, are you willing to continue to stay in Hanzhong?"
Yan Pu was startled, and clasped his fists and said, "I am deeply grateful for the general's kindness. I have had this idea for a long time, but I am afraid that Jingzhou is full of talented people and my talent is not enough for them, so I hesitated."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Your Excellency's suggestion of fortifying the city and clearing the fields is a brilliant plan. If Zhang Lu had used it, we might not have reached the city of Nanzheng today."
Yan Pu sighed, "Everything is up to fate. If the two armies were to fight each other, how could Zhang Gong meet the general to negotiate and embark on the path of cultivation?"
Xu Shu nodded and said, "Sir, you have given advice to Zhang Lu, which shows your loyalty as a minister. Now General Liu is stationed in Hanzhong, which is a place where the dragon rises. If you can assist him, then the matter will surely be accomplished."
Yan Pu stood up and bowed, saying, "I have heard that good birds choose trees to roost in, and good ministers choose masters to serve. General, you are a noble of the Han Dynasty, and you have great plans in your mind. I am willing to follow you."
Liu Qi pulled Yan Pu to sit down and asked, "Sir, you are from Baxi, so you must be familiar with the situation in the country. Now that Zhang Wei and Yang Ren have fled to Bazhong, what is the danger?"
Yan Pu replied, "In Bazhong, there are many Bayi and Qiang people, all of whom worship the witch god Zhang Xiu. He once attacked Hanzhong governor Su Gu together with Zhang Lu. Unfortunately, Zhang Xiu died in the battle, and Zhang Lu took over his position, thus forming the Five Pecks of Rice Sect. Now the people of Bazhong all worship Zhang Lu as a witch god. If Zhang Wei joins forces with Zhang Xiu's former subordinates to start a rebellion, the consequences will be serious."
Liu Qi asked, "If we ask Zhang Lu to issue an imperial decree, can we isolate these two people?"
Yan Pu shook his head and said, "If we offer sacrifices and festivals, and offer rewards, the Ba people will obey, but if we ask them to surrender, I'm afraid their hearts will be divided! The Ba people are all brave and warlike, especially the Seven-surname Yi King Pu Hu and Xiongyi Marquis Du Fu, who have long wanted to establish themselves. If they are bewitched by Zhang Wei, their intentions are hard to predict."
Liu Qi sneered and said, "If these two know how to handle the current situation, they can still be the leaders of the tribe and enjoy wealth and glory. If they dare to provoke and cause trouble, they will regret it."
Yan Pu said: "General, you don't need to worry about this. Hanzhong and Yizhou are closely related, and the three Ba provinces are located between them. If we seize the Ba Prefecture, it will be like cutting off the arm of Shu, and Liu Zhang will have no choice but to surrender."
Liu Qi laughed and said, "If it is according to your words, I should hope that Zhang Wei will succeed."
Xu Shu smiled and said, "A blessing in disguise. Zhang Wei and Yang Ren's departure will not only help you to enter Shu, but also eliminate the hidden dangers in Bazhong and Hanzhong. From now on, the territory will be stable, and you can focus on defending against Cao's army in the north!"
Liu Qi appointed Yan Pu as the county magistrate and military advisor to assist Wei Yan in defending Hanzhong. The two of them complemented each other, and with the addition of a few more generals, Hanzhong would be as solid as a rock.
While preparations were being made for Wei Yan's wedding in the city, Liu Qi ordered Liu Pan to garrison at Yangping Pass first, and also sent Liu Xian and Kou Feng to rush to Jiameng Pass. If they could successfully take over the pass before Liu Zhang received the news, entering Sichuan would be much easier.
After seeing Zhang Lu off, Liu Qi discussed with Xu Shu and others how to send troops to Yizhou. Although a war was inevitable, there had to be a legitimate reason and it had to be justified. It would be best if Liu Zhang could surrender as soon as possible.
Suddenly Liu Pan sent someone to report that Ma Chao had sent three thousand foals, and the horses were now left in front of the pass. The messenger followed the messenger to Nanzheng to see Liu Qi.
Liu Qi was a little surprised. Earlier, scouts reported that Ma Chao and Cao Cao were fighting at the Wei River. Cao's army had been holding out for two months and the Xiliang cavalry was helpless. Could he be coming for help
The man was invited to the study, and he claimed to be Ma Le, the nephew of Ma Teng, who was in charge of managing the Shandan Horse Farm and training war horses.
Ma Teng had previously sent 3,000 foals of this year to Liu Qi as a thank you gift in order to thank him for helping him capture Chang'an. Although Ma Teng was killed, Ma Chao still sent the foals in full according to his father's will.
Liu Qi was on good terms with Zhang Lu, so they transported the supplies from Hanzhong. Unexpectedly, Liu Qi took Hanzhong instead, thus saving the most difficult part of the journey.
Shandan Horse Farm was a large-scale horse farm built by Emperor Wu of Han. Now that it is owned by the Ma family, doesn’t it have all kinds of war horses
Liu Qi was envious in his heart, but his face was full of sadness: "General Ma is really a man of integrity! However, although I helped General Ma to take Chang'an, I ended up killing him. I feel guilty. How can I accept such a generous gift again?"
Ma Le sighed, "Life and death are determined by fate. The old general died for his country, which is a worthy death. This time Mengqi raised an army to take revenge, vowing to destroy Cao Cao and kill Sima Yi to avenge his hatred. However, Cao Cao used the Wei River as a boundary and set up camps along the river for defense. Although our Xiliang cavalry is strong, it is difficult to cross the river and there is no place to use them. Since the general has taken Hanzhong, why don't you send troops to Chencang and Baoxiadao to help Mengqi and defeat Cao Cao together?"
Liu Qi sighed, "Hanzhong has just been conquered, and the people's hearts are not stable. I dare not send troops far away. In addition, Liu Zhang is in Xichuan and has always coveted the land of Hanzhong. It's not that I don't want to send troops, but I have worries and can't do anything."
Ma Le was about to persuade him again when Wei Yan came hurriedly and reported: "The two thieves Zhang Wei and Yang Ren have indeed colluded with the Ba Yi to start a rebellion. They have gathered tens of thousands of troops in Bazhong and proclaimed themselves the King of Hanning."
"You thief, you really don't know how to live or die!" Liu Qi's face darkened, and he looked at Ma Le helplessly, smiling bitterly: "Look, I haven't wiped my butt clean yet!"