Liu Zhuang stood on the stage, looking at Gongsun Zan, who was now his senior sister, Liu Bei, and then looking at the five battalions of the Northern Army, the Henan soldiers, and the Hebei noble families who were cheering in the audience, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His reputation in the entire Han Dynasty had already been initially established. After winning the position of Sima of the Separate Department, he also gained the title of Lu Zhi's disciple.
That night, Lu Zhi even made weapons for several people. Liu Bei's double-edged sword and Gongsun Zan's ice and fire double-headed spear were all top-quality weapons that he had enchanted himself. Zhang Fei's Zhangba Snake Spear and Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade were also top-quality weapons that Liu Bei had personally requested him to make, but no one knew who she had asked him to make for at the time.
And now, Lu Zhi began to think about how to arrange a very strong career structure for Lu Bu, Zhang Liao and Liu Zhuang, and create a suitable weapon. After all, a teacher is a father for life. Since they are sincere in becoming his disciples, he must do his best to train them into heroes of the time.
Chapter 86: Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude
When Lu Zhi was thinking about how to teach his three new disciples to become stronger based on their talents, several Confucian scholars from aristocratic families hurried up to him and whispered.
"My lord, this is bad! Last night the emperor issued an order to send the eunuch Zuo Feng to supervise the troops. He is expected to set out from Luoyang in the next few days. I don't know what your majesty and these eunuchs are planning to do, but Zuo Feng's trip is obviously aimed at you, my lord. Please be careful."
Lu Zhi nodded with an unchanged expression, but he sighed in his heart. The current emperor was young and the power was controlled by the aristocratic families, so he employed eunuchs and relatives on a large scale to seize the power of the emperor. This also led to the fact that Your Majesty never trusted himself in his heart.
My own fate is already predictable, but at least before I leave, I can spread the spark of hope.
Lu Zhi forced himself to teach his students the values of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and filial piety at night and practiced martial arts during the day. After a day, he had a very clear understanding of the strengths and characteristics of new students like Lu Bu. That night, he wrote a teaching plan and ordered the logistics blacksmiths of the fifth battalion of the Northern Army to forge top-grade weapons for the three of them, and he personally enchanted and empowered them.
First of all, let’s talk about Lu Bu. There’s nothing much to say about this guy. His intelligence, perception, and charisma are extremely low. The best way to strengthen him is to use the Nine Swords.
But the problem is, her strength, agility and physique are breathtakingly high. Liu Bei and others learned Mo Fengliu to make up for the lack of damage, while Lu Bu's damage has been seriously overflowed.
It doesn't matter. After a night of thinking, Lu Zhi has come up with a solution: teach Lu Bu the Iron Heart Style, one of the Nine Swords! This style is not good at attacking, but is extremely good at defense.
The two most crucial moves are [Strength of Iron Heart], which forcibly gets rid of all abnormal states imposed on you by the caster, and makes the next attack hit +2 and damage +2.
This technique is a magical skill used by barbarians who cannot cast spells to fight against spellcasters and turn the tables.
The second one is [Blade Barrier], a hardcore tactic that uses offense instead of defense, using attack hits instead of defense dodges to block enemy attacks.
In addition to the Iron Heart Style Ancient Martial Arts techniques, Lu Zhi also taught the most suitable specialty for Lu Bu, [Assault Vanguard]
This feat is unremarkable. The original Power Attack gives +1 damage for every -2 hit.
Assault Vanguard replaces hit rate with defense, with -1 defense and +2 damage. When charging, you only attack and don't defend, and move forward fearlessly. While ensuring a high hit rate, you greatly increase the damage. The only problem is that when you play like this, you are almost in an unguarded state and it is easy to die on the way to charge.
Throughout history, soldiers who died on the way to charge could circle around the big man.
But didn't I teach you how to use Blade Barrier? I taught you how to use attack instead of defense! Assault Sniper and Blade Barrier are a perfect match, and are most suitable for charging barbarians like Lu Bu.
After determining Lu Bu's training path, Lu Zhi came to teach Zhang Liao.
The girl Zhang Liao is easy to deal with. She is a combination of Confucian General and Dusk Blade. It is good for her to continue on this path. Although the Confucian General, a battle mage, has a rather incomplete spell table, she will be able to touch the Nine-ring Confucianism in the future. Lu Zhi wrote the method of using the Supreme Confucian Fire on a scroll of bamboo slips and told Zhang Liao to study it slowly without rushing. He then taught her the [Arcane Strike] in addition.
This thing is a bit like the spell version of powerful attack. For every 1 mana consumed, you will get +1 attack and +1~4 physical damage within six seconds.
If 2 mana is consumed, +2 attack within six seconds, +2~8 physical damage, and so on.
This thing is so powerful that it makes Zhang Liao fall into sweet distress. It is not enough, and the mana is not enough! Maintaining the thunder tribulation consumes mana, using arcane strikes also consumes mana, and using the spells of Confucian Generals and Dusk Blades consumes even more mana!
Lu Zhi smiled slightly and told her to practice first. There was no rush. She would not lack magic power when her level reached a higher level.
Finally, there was Liu Zhuang. This person made Lu Zhi a little confused. Level 3 Hunter + Level 2 Classical Literature Scholar? What kind of weird combination is this?
"Liu Zhuang, you can't chew too much. I admit that how much water a barrel can hold depends on its shortest plank."
But life is not just a wooden barrel. How high you can reach depends on your longest plank. I advise you to make a primary and secondary choice between the two professions of ancient literature and hunter. Major in one and minor in the other. The result of practicing both of them is that you will not be able to practice either well.
"Then, I am willing to study ancient Chinese."
It was difficult for Liu Zhuang to say that he was a blasphemous priest. Lu Zhi was a great scholar of the time, and he was unable to judge the world's specific attitude towards blasphemous priests.
"Very good, then I will teach you the magic of the art of super magic, as well as the sacred super magic of the ancient scholar."
Lu Zhi stroked his beard with satisfaction and taught Liu Zhuang how to cast spells, starting with the simplest [Super Magic Power] and [Super Magic Durability].
[Super Magic Power]: When casting a spell, an additional 2 mana points are consumed, increasing the power of the spell by times.
[Super Magic Duration]: When casting a spell, an additional 2 mana points are consumed to double the duration of the spell.
Both of these are simple and straightforward super-magic means of enhancing spells, and are quite common.
But the truly terrifying thing is the [Holy Super Demon].
Liu Zhuang now has 6 mana points and can cast 6 first-level spells, but as long as a super magic is added, the spell consumption will immediately increase from 1 to 3. A super magic spell will use up half of the mana.
But it doesn't matter, Holy Super Magic can solve this drawback. The mana consumed by Super Magic can be borrowed from the number of times the demon is rebuked/commanded. Liu Zhuang is now a level 2 blasphemous priest and can command demons three times a day. These three times can replace 3 points of mana and solve the huge consumption of Super Magic.
As for Zhang Fei, Lu Zhi had no way to teach him more. Liu Bei had become a promising kid. He knew everything he gave him, or was already learning it. There was no need for Lu Zhi to teach him anything anymore.
In this way, several people spent a rare peaceful time in the camp outside Guangzong City. During the day, they practiced the martial arts techniques tailored for them by Lu Zhi, and at night they studied together the ideas of salvation summarized by Lu Zhi. The Confucian benevolence, righteousness, and morality also made Liu Zhuang admire him very much.
As a time traveler and an outsider, I have read the summaries of the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms by great scholars and famous teachers for thousands of years. Naturally, I have a very deep understanding of the situation at the end of the Han Dynasty, and I also have a general direction for progress.
As an insider, Lu Zhi's understanding of the situation at the end of the Han Dynasty was not inferior to his own. He even pointed out the irreconcilable power conflicts among the imperial power, eunuchs and aristocratic families, and analyzed in detail the terrible consequences of land annexation to the limit. He pessimistically predicted a future of chaos and separatist rule by aristocratic families. He also taught everyone how to raise an army in troubled times, comfort the people, raise the banner, unite the aristocratic families, and mend the fragmented empire.
These were all the things he wanted to do, but Lu Zhi was already over sixty years old and was only a General of the Northern Army, not even a general. He knew that he could not realize his ambitions and ideals, so he was trying his best to teach his plans and calculations to all his disciples, making each class as tragic as an old man with unfulfilled ambitions, telling his family his last wish.
Liu Zhuang, the time traveler, was quite shocked after hearing this powerful information. The others were dumbfounded. Teacher, you must be kidding. You beat the Yellow Turban Army into retreating to Guangzong and they are about to be destroyed. Do you think the world is going to be in chaos soon? Let us prepare early? Support the Han Dynasty?
Lu Zhi shook his head tiredly, picked up a wooden stick and knocked on the table to make everyone quiet, and continued the lesson.
Chapter 87: Trouble with Old Qin
A week later, Zuo Feng, the eunuch, rode into the military camp in an extremely luxurious and imposing carriage, accompanied by a large number of servants and maids. Lu Zhi led the generals to welcome him with a dignified manner and held a banquet. Everything seemed normal.
But that night, the other eunuchs immediately told Zuo Feng everything that Lu Zhi had done during this period. This aristocratic family leader was not only proud of his army and bandits, but he even held a military competition for the entire army! Nine winners were selected to build momentum for them! Those who deserved promotion were promoted, and those who deserved to be accepted as apprentices were accepted as apprentices.
What is this? This is forming a clique for personal gain, this is cultivating clique members, not to mention the other extra-camps of the other Sima, he wants to plant his own spies in the five camps of your majesty's northern army! Support his own confidants!
Zuo Feng had just arrived and didn't know the real situation. He was stunned by what his colleagues said. His Majesty the Emperor didn't know whether these impeachment memorials were true or false, so he sent me to take a look. It's so late today, let's take a rest first. I'm too tired after lying in the carriage and shaking all the way. I will see for myself tomorrow to see what's going on.
The next day, Zuo Feng and his attendants began to inspect the military camp, openly asking each soldier what they thought of Lu Zhi, and even posted a notice: anyone who reported or complained about Lu Zhi's malfeasance would be rewarded with a thousand coins. The investigation was carried out in a high-profile manner, without any concealment, and it was put directly on the table, just to cause great psychological pressure on Lu Zhi.
However, all the soldiers didn't care about this eunuch at all. Lu Zhi was a fair and honest person. He didn't withhold military pay and was able to win battles. These three points were enough to win the love of all the soldiers. Zuo Feng's actions, on the contrary, made all the soldiers more disgusted with this damn eunuch. Looking at him, their hands unconsciously grasped the hilt of the knife.
This situation only made the eunuchs more frightened and uneasy, thinking that Lu Zhi really controlled the five battalions of the Northern Army and these soldiers, and wanted to rebel.
After two days of stalemate, the noble families and Confucian scholars of Jizhou came to persuade Lu Zhi, saying, "Why not bribe the eunuch with some money and send him away quickly? It's not shameful to be an official. This matter is becoming more and more troublesome. Zuo Feng is the eunuch. If he says something against you in front of His Majesty, you will be imprisoned or even beheaded!"
"Shabby, damn shabby! I appreciate your kindness, but are you asking me to kowtow to a little eunuch? Am I, Lu Zhi, a person who is afraid of death and pursues wealth and glory? I would rather die with my back straight than live in servitude."
Lu Zhi sneered, his words full of contempt for eunuchs.
"These eunuchs are not well-read, nor do they have any strategic talents. They are just a bunch of villains who rise to prominence by flattering others. It would be good if they can do the work of minor officials. Your Majesty would be courting destruction if you entrust them with important tasks. These people are good for nothing except their loyalty to Your Majesty!
You want me to bow down to these eunuchs? Dream on!"
Seeing that Lu Zhi would not listen, these aristocratic families found disciples such as Liu Bei and Liu Zhuang, hoping that they would persuade their master. However, Lu Zhi's stubborn temper flared up and he would not listen to anyone, and he even cursed the eunuchs in court. His vision was indeed beyond the circle, and he could see clearly the fundamental contradictions between eunuchs, imperial power, and aristocratic families. However, the honor and dignity as a Confucian leader prevented him from bowing his head.
Liu Zhuang had already seen that Lu Zhi was not afraid of death at all, and was even seeking it. When he was in class a few days ago, he really told us students his last wishes. Now his wish has been fulfilled. If he died from the impeachment of the eunuchs and the incompetence of the emperor, then the teacher would really go down in history.
In the eyes of many Confucian scholars and aristocratic families in Guandong, reputation and integrity are more important than life.
The open and secret struggles between the two factions of eunuchs and Jizhou family in the military camp are intensifying. Some soldiers are also standing up for the General of the North and have a tendency to join the Jizhou family, which makes the eunuchs shudder. Damn it, are you all going to rebel?
Zuo Feng also grew resentful in fear, OK! You are noble, you are amazing!
He immediately led his men and fled back to the capital from the angry soldiers, reporting the situation to the emperor. Guangzong City was easy to break, but Lu Zhi wanted to take the opportunity to cultivate his party members, nurture the enemy, and unite the aristocratic families in Jizhou. He was using the five battalions of the Northern Army to squeeze the eunuchs and squeeze Your Majesty! He even conspired with Zhang Jue to rebel and create a perfect world in the hearts of the people. Fortunately, I, the slave, was about to escape, otherwise I would have been hacked to death in the barracks by those soldiers.
"Damn you Lu Zhi! No one in the noble family is a good person! Even Lu Zhi, who claims to be a role model of morality, is like this! If it weren't for the Yellow Turban Rebellion, would I let you lead the five battalions of the Northern Army?! I trust you so much, is this how you repay me?! This is my army! Not your army, Lu Zhi!!!"
Liu Hong believed the words of his trusted eunuch without a doubt, and he became furious on the spot. His body even twisted and deformed in extreme anger, almost turning into the hundred-meter-long Han fire dragon.
But after the anger, a practical problem was also placed before Liu Hong.
I can remove Lu Zhi, but after removing Lu Zhi, who can command the five battalions of the Northern Army? I know the capabilities of these eunuchs, and I only give them high positions because they are loyal.
Apart from those Confucian scholars from aristocratic families who are well-read in poetry and military books, who else is capable of leading the aristocratic families of Hebei and the soldiers of Henan to chop off Zhang Jue's head for me and bring it back to Luoyang???
"Your Majesty, are you worried that after removing Lu Zhi, there will be no one available in the Empire to lead the five battalions of the Northern Army?"
Zhao Zhong seemed to have seen through Liu Hong's concerns. As he spoke, he gently massaged the emperor's back to relieve the soreness in his waist from the intense exercise he had with hundreds of women last night.
"My mother knows me."
Liu Hong knocked on the table in indignation, and naturally called a eunuch "mother".
"These noble families are all wolves that can never be tamed. Mother, do you have any recommendations for someone to lead the fifth battalion of the Northern Army?"
“Your Majesty seems to have forgotten a group of people who, during the time of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wu, were the most glorious military nobles in the entire empire.
But over the past few hundred years, they were gradually forgotten and abandoned by the empire. Like slaves, they were also despised and looked down upon by the aristocratic families. "
Zhao Zhong had given enough hints, so he let Liu Hong speak the answer himself.
"You mean... people from Kansai?"
Liu Hong's eyes lit up.
In the early Han Dynasty, this group of people had very famous names: the Six Counties Good Family Sons, the Guanxi Yulin Lang. These Han people who had lived west of Hangu Pass for generations were once the most valiant and skilled soldiers and the most loyal imperial guards in the entire empire.
If we push the timeline back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, their name would be even more terrifying: Qin people.
However, when the heart of the empire moved from Chang'an west of Hangu Pass to Luoyang east of Hangu Pass, and when the aristocratic families east of Hangu Pass rose one after another and the Confucian scholars took control of the court, these Han people west of Hangu Pass gradually became the epitome of barbarism, vulgarity, poverty and backwardness.
The areas of Guanzhong and the Three Auxiliary Regions were slightly better off and could be accepted by the aristocratic families, but the people of Liangzhou, further west, were directly relegated to the bottom of the empire's contempt chain.
Unlike the aristocratic families in Guandong who studied scriptures in the study since childhood, the Han people in Guanxi, especially the good family children in the six counties, were skilled in archery and horse riding since childhood. They trained and fought on the grasslands and battlefields, and their necks were sunburned red, so they also had a nickname.
The big man has a red neck.
When the emperor was determined to make progress, they were invincible swords on the battlefield.
While the emperor was enjoying himself, they were the dusty and rusty steel knives in the box.
"It is a good idea to use the people from Guanxi to quell the rebellion. These people have always been at odds with the powerful families in Guandong. If we send them to the battlefield in Jizhou, at least we can ensure that the brave men from Guanxi and the Confucian scholars in Jizhou will hate each other and will never unite to rebel against me like Lu Zhi did."
Liu Hong was happy but also a little worried.
"However, the discord between Guanxi and Guandong has become increasingly intense in recent years. I am afraid that before the Yellow Turbans win, these brave men from Guanxi will start fighting with the Confucian scholars from Guandong. The internal friction between the two groups will give the Yellow Turbans a break."
"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry about that."
Zhao Zhong gently advised the emperor.
"Although Lu Zhi's loyalty is questionable, he is indeed a good fighter. He has already trapped Zhang Jue in Guangling and waited for his death. How much combat power does the Yellow Turban Army have now? I have a candidate, the governor of Hedong, Dong Zhuo.
This person was born in a good family in the six counties. She once served as a Yulin Lang. She was kind and generous, had great strength, and could shoot a bow with both hands on horseback. Both the Qiang people in Liangzhou and the Southern Xiongnu in Hetao respected and feared her.
She had at least three battalions of soldiers under her command, who always followed her: the first was the Longxi Battalion, which was composed of Han people from Guanxi.
During the Qiang Rebellion in Pingliang Prefecture, she married her eldest daughter to a Qiang chief, thereby incorporating his entire clan and obtaining a Qiang cavalry battalion.
During the years when she was the governor of Bingzhou, she defeated the Southern Xiongnu rebels in the Hetao area, obtained thousands of Xiongnu surrendered soldiers, and formed a Blood Axe Camp.
Even if those noble families in Jizhou make trouble, Dong Zhuo can capture the three sisters of Zhang Jiao, who are only breathing their last breath, and bring them to Luoyang alive, and let Your Majesty cut them into pieces with just the three battalions of troops in Guanxi!
Not only that, with this great victory of the Guanxi people, Your Majesty also has reason to support some Guanxi warriors to enter the court to help you fight against the Guandong family. This is a plan to kill two birds with one stone. "
Zhao Zhong said with a smile.
"But isn't Dong Zhuo a member of Yuan Wei's family? The Yuan family has three dukes in four generations, making it the largest family in the world, without a doubt."
Emperor Ling of Han still had some concerns.
"She is just a dog that Yuan Wei raised in Guanxi. Because of this, Yuan Wei would never allow this dog to have the opportunity to bite back at its master. Those Guandong noble families would never allow a servant, a vicious dog, to rule over them."
Zhao Zhong smiled and dispelled all the concerns of Emperor Ling of Han.
"In my opinion, Dong Zhuo's attachment to Yuan Kui is only forced by the situation. If Dong Zhuo can make great contributions in this battle, Your Majesty will raise him to the same status as Yuan Kui. Will she still be willing to be the vicious dog of the Yuan family?"
"Okay! Then do as mother wishes. Promote Dong Zhuo to General of the Eastern Army and lead the five battalions of the Northern Army and the soldiers of Henan to kill the traitor!"
Chapter 88: The Divine Soldiers Return to the Lord
On the other hand, after seeing the eunuch leave Guangzong's camp and go to Luoyang, Lu Zhi already understood his fate. He even did not teach the next day and let a few students practice on their own. Then he hurried to write everything he wanted to teach his disciples on silk - carving bamboo slips was too slow, and silk was expensive.
Not only that, he also began to work overtime to carry out the final enchantment infusion on the weapons of the three new disciples.
Seven days later, Lu Zhi finally completed the work. With a look of satisfaction on his face, he called Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, and Liu Zhuang into the room and placed the newly forged and enchanted weapons in the hands of the three.
"Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, I have already forged magic weapons for the four of them. Now, your weapons have also been forged."
"Thank you, master."
The three men took the weapons with gratitude. What Lu Bu got was a ghost longbow. This longbow was translucent, like an illusory ghost that did not completely exist in the world. Lu Bu picked up the longbow curiously, put an arrow on it at random, and pulled it lightly. The ordinary arrow was transformed into an illusory ghost arrow.
"Your close combat ability is unmatched, but you lack the means to fight against mages. Therefore, I will give you a precious bow. I personally added three kinds of enchantments to this bow."
Lu Zhi proudly showed off his craftsmanship.
