Chapter 516: Wang Yue's Loyalty
Chapter 516: Wang Yue's Loyalty
September 25, 2017
Lu Haikong was in a hurry to leave for several reasons. Firstly, the Bloodbath Legion had fully recovered, and secondly, after Dong Zhuo's arrival, Ding Yuan had become noticeably untrustworthy. Lu Haikong felt that Wucheng was no longer a safe place for him.
Although Lu Zhi, the old man, was detestable, he still maintained a sense of decency and would not stoop too low. With Lu Zhi keeping an eye on Ding Yuan, he couldn't do anything out of line.
However, after Dong Zhuo's arrival, things became uncertain. As expected, on the very first day Lu Haikong wanted to leave, Dong Zhuo caused trouble for him.
Aside from these reasons, there was another factor. The situation in Bingzhou also required Lu Haikong's presence to maintain control.
At this moment, Gongsun Zan from You Prefecture was marching south, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were heading towards Ji Prefecture, and with Dong Zhuo's recent arrival, a grand battle against the Yellow Turbans seemed imminent. Lu Haikong couldn't just sit in Wucheng while a major confrontation was about to unfold. It was time for him to return to Bingzhou with his army and participate.
Upon Lu Haikong's return to Bingzhou, the forces of Shangdang Army under his command immediately reclaimed Taiyuan Prefecture.
The first thing Lu Haikong did after arriving in Bingzhou was to visit Xi Zhaitai.
Previously, Lu Haikong had obtained a fragment of the Celestial Scripture of Tranquility from Zhang Bao. He couldn't cultivate it yet, and it seemed a bit mysterious, so he wanted to give it to Xi Zhaitai for experimentation.
On one hand, Lu Haikong was genuinely interested in this Taoist method, and on the other hand, this type of cultivation usually focused on health and longevity. Lu Haikong wanted to see if it could benefit Xi Zhaitai's physical condition.
What Lu Haikong didn't expect was to find someone unexpected by Xi Zhaitai's side.
This person was none other than Wang Yue, who had been ambushed and captured by Lu Haikong not long ago.
Speaking of Wang Yue, although Lu Haikong had captured him, he had never treated Wang Yue disrespectfully. Whether it was accommodation, food, or other aspects, Lu Haikong always tried to provide the best for Wang Yue.
After several months, the two had become familiar, but it was just familiarity, and there was still a distance to go before Wang Yue could be truly won over. So, seeing Wang Yue here at this moment, Lu Haikong was a bit puzzled but didn't say anything.
This was because Lu Haikong trusted Xi Zhaitai, and Wang Yue's presence here at this time was likely due to Xi Zhaitai's persuasion.
Indeed, upon seeing Lu Haikong approach, Wang Yue seemed a bit uncomfortable and reluctant, but he still bowed and addressed Lu Haikong as "Lord."
【Congratulations! You have successfully recruited the top historical general, Wang Yue, and obtained a legendary treasure chest.】
Hearing the system prompt, Lu Haikong's eyes narrowed, but he reacted quickly and greeted Wang Yue warmly.
"Mr. Wang, thank you for escorting Zhicai safely!"
Lu Haikong maintained respect for Wang Yue for two reasons. Firstly, Wang Yue possessed strength worthy of respect, and secondly, Wang Yue had a strong sense of pride. Showing him appropriate respect would make him more useful.
It was evident that Lu Haikong had improved in the art of leadership. Initially, Wang Yue had a subtle sense of rejection or discomfort towards Lu Haikong, perhaps due to his recent refusal of Lu Haikong's recruitment.
After not seeing each other for over ten days, Lu Haikong's mere presence made Wang Yue feel a bit embarrassed.
However, Lu Haikong skillfully eased Wang Yue's awkwardness. Within a few minutes of conversation, he accurately gauged Wang Yue's state of mind and slightly increased Wang Yue's loyalty by one or two points.
At this point, Wang Yue's loyalty was only slightly above sixty, which meant he wasn't likely to rebel at any moment, but there were still no guarantees of his loyalty. Lu Haikong estimated that it would take some time to truly win over this old man.
Lu Haikong didn't mind this situation. After chatting with Wang Yue for a while, he went straight to find Xi Zhaitai.
At this time, Xi Zhaitai was busy, and since Lu Haikong could act as a hands-off manager, his subordinates would likely be overworked.
Fortunately, Xi Zhaitai was a clever fellow. While he was busy, he managed to convince Tian Feng, who was hiding in Beifeng, to come over and help with the administrative affairs of Taiyuan Prefecture, greatly reducing Xi Zhaitai's workload.
When Lu Haikong arrived, Xi Zhaitai was organizing intelligence from Ji Prefecture over the past few days.
After Lu Haikong entered, Xi Zhaitai wasted no time and handed him an intelligence report.
The report Xi Zhaitai gave to Lu Haikong contained information gathered by the Fire Camp members who had infiltrated Ji Prefecture.
Lu Haikong took the report and immediately narrowed his eyes as he read it.
Over the past few days, Ji Prefecture had suddenly become quiet. There was no news from Wucheng, and in Zhongshan Prefecture, the Yellow Turbans showed no intention of resisting the advancing Gongsun Zan.
In the 1619th book, there is no mistake!
However, during this period, the Yellow Turbans were not entirely idle. From Xi Zhaitai's intelligence, Lu Haikong discovered anomalies in the outsider territories.
"Several days ago, various places in Ji Prefecture began to experience a concentration of power. Supplies and elite soldiers are being gathered in Julu and Weizhou, indicating that the Yellow Turbans are preparing for a major battle." Xi Zhaitai, who rarely spoke in front of Lu Haikong, shared his analysis.
"This is a wise decision. Currently, Gongsun Zan is in Zhongshan Prefecture, Dong Zhuo is in Wucheng, we are in Changshan Commandery, and Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun should also enter Ji Prefecture from Qinghe Prefecture soon.
Although these forces are scattered, none of them can be easily defeated by the Yellow Turbans in a short time. Therefore, instead of dispersing their main force, it's better to concentrate their strength for a decisive battle. But does Zhang Jiao have the confidence to win this battle?"
Additionally, Lu Haikong was puzzled because, after half a year, outsiders in various places had gradually switched sides, but in Ji Prefecture, he hadn't seen any outsiders changing their allegiance.
Were the outsiders in Ji Prefecture exceptionally loyal to the Yellow Turbans? That was a joke. Outsiders were inherently disloyal, especially the outsider lords, who only cared about their interests. Where was the loyalty?
In that case, the Yellow Turban Sect must have used some means to prevent these outsiders from leaving.
Of course, Lu Haikong didn't feel sympathetic towards these outsiders. He was just pondering that if the Yellow Turban Sect had such a trump card regarding outsiders, what would they do when facing the Han Dynasty's encirclement and suppression?
Lu Haikong had a hunch that Zhang Jiao might have a grand plan for the upcoming battle against the Yellow Turbans.
"If nothing unexpected happens, this battle should be quite interesting," Lu Haikong said as he put down the intelligence report...
Chapter end
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