After Zhang Lu established himself in Hanzhong, he did not serve as the prefect of Hanzhong, but instead called himself the "Master Master". Zhang Lu governed Hanzhong not by relying on the official structure of the Han Dynasty, but by relying on the doctrine of the Five Pecks of Rice to restrain the people and officials.
In the master's mansion, in the study.
Zhang Lu is studying the teachings of the Five Pecks of Rice.
During the years when Zhang Lu was in charge of Hanzhong, he had been revising the teachings so that the teachings of the Five Pecks of Rice were constantly in line with Hanzhong.
Today in Hanzhong, almost all believers in the Five Pecks of Rice Taoism.
People who have just entered the Five Dou Rice Way are called ghost soldiers. On the basis of the Ghost Soldier, people who have joined the Five Dou Rice Way and believe in the Five Dou Rice Way set up sacrificial wine to manage many believers. On the basis of the wine sacrifice, they set up governance
The head of the church is responsible for offering wine and serving as a more responsible person for managing the congregation.
On the surface, the Taoist management method in Hanzhong County is very extensive and not as rigorous as the government's institutions. In fact, the integration of politics and religion, which is mainly based on religious beliefs, is easier to manage if the people have faith.
This is the advantage of a small government. The place is small, the population is small, and the simple political and religious system is easy to implement.
While Zhang Lu was studying the teachings carefully, his attendants came in and reported: "Master, please see me in Yanpu."
"pass!"
Zhang Lu ordered.
Yan Pu was his counselor and had great foresight. Zhang Lu revised the teachings of the Five Dou Rice Way. Yan Pu made many reasonable suggestions, such as educating believers in the Five Dou Rice Way to be honest and not deceitful, prohibiting people from drinking alcohol, and guiding people to be good.
These are all Zhang Lu's praises for Yan Pu.
Not long after, Yan Pu entered the study, bowed and said: "Master."
Zhang Luwen said: "What's the matter?"
Yan Pu looked serious and replied: "Liu Zhang from the south has surrendered to Lu Xuan. Moreover, Lu Xuan's people are in Chengdu and have begun to control the entire Jizhou."
Zhang Lu's pupils widened and his expression changed drastically.
After Lu Xuan captured Chengdu, it meant that Zhang Lu became very dangerous in Hanzhong.
Zhang Lu put down the book in his hand and recovered after a long while.
Zhang Lu said in a deep voice: "Yanpu, what's going on? The south has always been in Liu Zhang's hands. Although Liu Zhang is stupid, Yizhou is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Lu Xuan's army wants to enter Yizhou, but it will not be able to do so.
Come."
Yan Pu sighed and explained: "It is true that Lu Xuan did not launch a large-scale attack, but a small number of people sneaked into Yizhou. According to the news from the south, Lu Xuan arranged for counselor Pang Tong to sneak into Chengdu and instigate Zhang Song, forming a force."
"Then, Lu Xuan personally led his men to sneak into Wuyang County, Jianwei County, and killed He Zong, the prefect of Jianwei County in Wuyang County. At that time, Wuyang County was in turmoil, and Liu Zhang sent Zhang Ren out, and Pang Tong led his men to capture Liu Zhang."
Yan Pu said: "After Liu Zhang was controlled, Lu Xuan took control of Chengdu."
"waste!"
Zhang Lu scolded.
He stood up, looking a little anxious, and said: "A progressive person like Lu Xuan cannot sit idly by and ignore it. He will definitely take action against Hanzhong. We need to consider a strategy to deal with this matter."
Yan Pu continued: "After Lu Xuan captured Chengdu, he sent someone to send a message that he was willing to coexist peacefully with Shijun, would not attack Hanzhong, and let Hanzhong serve as a buffer zone between Wu and Qin. Lu Xuan said that if Shijun
If you fall to Cao Cao, he will send troops north to attack."
Zhang Lu rolled his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Lu Xuan was worried that we would fall to Cao Cao, so he temporarily stabilized us. In fact, it was indeed because of Cao Cao's existence that Lu Xuan did not attack, right?"
Yan Pu said: "Master is wise!"
Zhang Lu chuckled twice and said: "Cao Cao and Lu Xuan are in a stalemate, and it is impossible to break up for the time being. We will maintain neutrality and impartiality for the time being. Please pass down the order and it is forbidden to discuss the matter of surrendering to Cao Cao. Anyone who discusses it will be killed.
amnesty."
"We are now setting a neutral banner as a buffer zone."
"In a small place like Hanzhong, it would be easy for Cao Cao or Lu Xuan to destroy us. Because the huge disparity in strength between the two sides determines that we cannot use small to gain power and the weak to defeat the strong."
"Everything now is just a trick."
"Anyway, it's only a day to delay. We'll talk about the future later. Now we can govern Hanzhong well and work hard to preach."
There was a glimmer of hope in Zhang Lu's eyes.
Preaching is what he looks forward to most as a Heavenly Master of the Five Pecks of Rice. He hopes to spread the Five Pecks of Rice to other places.
Yan Pu smiled and said: "Those who know others are wise, and those who know themselves are wise. It is wise for a teacher to have insight into himself."
Zhang Lu said: "Yan Pu, I have an idea."
Yan Pu asked: "What do you think?"
Zhang Lu said in a deep voice: "If I put forward a condition, whether it is Lu Xuan or Cao Cao, as long as I, the Five Dou Rice Dao, become the state religion and are given the support of the Five Dou Rice Dao, I will submit to whoever it is. Who do you think they will agree to?"
Yan Pu shook his head and said: "Cao Cao and Lu Xuan are both heroes, men who were defeated with swords and guns. It is impossible for such people to bargain, let alone make the Five Pecks of Rice Road become the state religion. With the lessons of Taiping Road, you can
It is definitely impossible to develop the Five Pecks of Rice Dao into a state religion. At most, Cao Cao and Lu Xuan will just ignore it."
Zhang Lu sighed: "You are right."
He paused again and continued: "We are not considering which side to submit to now. However, if it really involves a choice between Cao Cao and Lu Xuan, which side do you prefer?"
Yan Pu looked serious and said solemnly: "Master, my humble position has no bias. If there is a war, let's see who has the greater advantage. If Lu Xuan has the advantage, we will submit to Lu Xuan. If Cao Cao has the advantage, we will submit to Cao Cao."
Zhang Lu suddenly laughed and said, "You are right."
Yan Pu breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Lu further said: "Apart from ourselves, who is more powerful, Cao Cao or Lu Xuan?"
Yan Pu knew that this was Zhang Lu's further inquiry.
Concerning this issue, Yan Pu did not make a fuss anymore and said: "Lu Xuan not only has the sacred land in the south, but also Youzhou and Yizhou. Generally speaking, Lu Xuan is the strongest and more powerful. After all, the battle in Nanyang County
, Cao Cao was beaten by Lu Xuan and lost his armor."
Zhang Lu fell silent after hearing this.
Although he said to take it one step at a time and think about it later, in fact, it was impossible to be so rational. After Lu Xuan captured Yizhou, Hanzhong had been roasted on the fire, so he must be cautious at all times.
Zhang Lu thought about Cao Cao and Lu Xuan, and finally thought that Lu Xuan was stronger. He ordered: "Yan Pu, you start to clean up the people who tend to submit to Cao Cao and deal with a batch."
"In addition, I would like to reiterate Hanzhong's position to the outside world. Hanzhong is impartial and will not favor anyone."
"This is a statement to Lu Xuan and a statement to Cao Cao."
Zhang Lu said: "We must arrange the news within today. When Cao Cao and Lu Xuan get the news, they will know my attitude."
"Here!"
Yan Pu answered immediately.
He turned and left the study to arrange things.
News of the arrangement in Yanpu spread, in a residence in Beicheng, Nanzheng.
This is Guo Jia's residence.
When Guo Jia arrived in Hanzhong, he went directly to see Zhang Lu, intending to use his talents and knowledge to make Zhang Lu his military advisor. As long as Zhang Lu allowed him to make suggestions, everything would be easy to arrange.
Unfortunately, when Zhang Lu and Guo Jia were talking, Zhang Lu was not asking how to govern Hanzhong, nor how to appease the people. He was asking about the teachings of the Five Pecks of Rice and whether it needed to be modified.
Guo Jia knows nothing about five pecks of rice trading.
He never expected that a leader like Zhang Lu would be like this. From Guo Jia's understanding, Zhang Lu controlled the place under the guise of five buckets of rice, and Zhang Lu's religious belief was just a facade, just a means to control the place.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Lu was serious.
Guo Jia was speechless and could only rely on his wit to make some nonsense, finally deceiving Zhang Lu.
In the end, he became an ordinary counselor.
Guo Jia did not become Zhang Lu's confidant, but Yan Pu was still Zhang Lu's confidant.
Afterwards, Guo Jia also planned something to make Zhang Lu's people fake defeat on the front line. However, Liu Zhang also adopted the same method and also faked defeat. Guo Jia knew that Lu Xuan had also arranged for someone to intervene, so he acted more carefully.
cautious.
Guo Jia won over a group of people in Hanzhong, but the people in Hanzhong were religious and respected Zhang Lu as a god, which made many of Guo Jia's arrangements difficult to handle.
Guo Jia finally changed his strategy and planned to arrange for someone to assassinate Zhang Lu. As long as Zhang Lu was killed, Hanzhong would be in turmoil, and the people he had won over would join forces to support him and then turn to Cao Cao.
The problem is that Hanzhong is a political and religious system, and the people and soldiers are fanatical about Zhang Lu. Guo Jia arranged an incident, and Zhang Lu's guards resisted without fear of death and dragged off the assassin arranged by Guo Jia.
As a result, Guo Jia was unable to make progress.
If Wu Guo was not watching, Guo Jia could introduce Cao Cao's army, but now he has no such opportunity.
When Guo Jia was planning to further win over Yan Pu, news suddenly came out that Lu Xuan had captured Yizhou and Liu Zhang had surrendered. Immediately afterwards, Zhang Lu issued an impartial statement and strictly forbade anyone to discuss the matter of surrendering to Cao Cao.
A series of circumstances left Guo Jia helpless.
He is a clever woman who cannot make a meal without rice.
Guo Jia could only write a letter to describe Lu Xuan's capture of Yizhou in the south and Zhang Lu's changes. He arranged for people to leave Hanzhong and go north to Luoyang at an accelerated speed of 800 miles. He reported the news to Cao Cao and asked Cao Cao to make a decision.
