Chương 176: Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju's Secret Conspiracy

While Youzhou was filled with jubilation, a completely different scene unfolded in the prefectural government office of Lunu City in Zhongshan Commandery.

Zhongshan Prefecture, Lunu City, Prefectural Governor's Study.

Zhang Chun sat cross-legged on the couch, clutching a wine cup in his hand, his face flushed red.

He was the Prefect of Zhongshan, a native of Yuyang Commandery, nearly forty years old, and appeared quite amiable, but in reality, he was very ambitious.

"I can't breathe! It's so suffocating!" He gulped down a mouthful of wine and slammed the glass down on the table, spilling the wine all over the table.

Sitting opposite me was Zhang Ju—the former governor of Mount Tai, also a native of Yuyang, in his forties, lean and shrewd. This fellow had been dismissed from office for poor governance and was now a commoner, slowly sipping his tea.

He raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and asked, "What's wrong? I heard Zhang Wen is conscripting Wuhuan cavalry, and you volunteered to be their commander, but you didn't get the job?"

"you do not say!"

Zhang Chun slapped his thigh and said, "The imperial court conscripted the Wuhuan cavalry to quell the rebellion in Liangzhou, and I volunteered to be their commander, guaranteeing that I could subdue the Wuhuan people completely. And what happened? I'm the Prefect of Zhongshan, after all. In terms of seniority and ability, in what way am I inferior to others? But that Zhang Wen... is blind! He simply didn't choose me!"

He grew increasingly angry as he spoke: "The imperial court is stingy too! They promised to provide military rations, but they only withheld half! Military pay is still outstanding! Those three thousand Wuhuan cavalrymen, upon hearing this situation halfway through their journey, immediately turned back to their tribes! They didn't even leave the territory of Youzhou!"

Zhang Ju narrowed his eyes and said leisurely, "Isn't this a slap in the face to the imperial court?"

"It's more than just a slap in the face!" Zhang Chun gritted his teeth.

"It's like trampling the imperial court's face into the ground! And guess what? The imperial court didn't utter a single word, acting as if nothing ever happened!"

He caught his breath and continued to pour out his grievances: "The Wuhuan people have been conscripted so many times over the years that they're almost extinct, and they've been holding back their anger for a long time. Now they're using this as an excuse to turn against the imperial court!"

Zhang Ju put down his teacup, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "You mean... the Wuhuan are going to rebel?"

"It's not just the Wuhuan who want to rebel!"

Zhang Chun lowered his voice and said, "The bandits in Liangzhou, Bian Zhang and Han Sui, have been fought by the imperial court for over a year, but they haven't been pacified yet. Strange things are also being said in Luoyang, that a child has grown two heads—what's that called? It's called a celestial phenomenon, a sign that the Han Dynasty's fate is sealed!"

He leaned closer to Zhang Ju, his voice even lower: "It's time for the world to change hands; who knows... we might even have two emperors!"

Zhang Ju paused, his hand holding the teacup, and his eyes lit up: "What do you want to do?"

"Let's pull off something big!" Zhang Chun's voice was even lower.

"We'll join forces with the Wuhuan people to raise an army! Think about it, Liangzhou is in complete chaos, and the imperial court is too busy dealing with one problem to solve another. We'll take advantage of this to stir up trouble in Youzhou, seize Jicheng, and establish our own independent regime. If we're lucky, we might even become the new emperor!"

Zhang Ju stroked his chin, pondered for a while, and suddenly slapped his thigh: "Alright! Let's do it! Let's take a gamble!"

"That's great!" Zhang Chun grinned, then frowned and said, "But to start an army, we need to seize grain supplies first. Yuyang County is our hometown, and last year Youzhou had a bumper harvest. Seizing that place will surely make us rich! But there's a problem..."

"What's the problem?"

"Liu Ce." Zhang Chun's face showed lingering fear.

"I've seen his eight hundred black cavalry... they're incredibly strange!"

Zhang Ju asked curiously, "Liu Ce, the Governor of Youzhou, General of the Cavalry, and Marquis of Champion? What happened to his eight hundred black cavalry?"

"What happened? It was terrifying!" Zhang Chun gestured wildly.

"During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, tens of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers attacked Lu Nu City. I saw it clearly from the city wall. Liu Ce led those eight hundred black cavalrymen, charging in like a black whirlwind, and poked around a few times—he really poked around a few times! Tens of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers immediately knelt down and surrendered!"

He swallowed hard and said, "That scene still makes me shudder when I think about it! So we can't fight head-on, we need to find help—the Wuhuan Qiuliju and their cavalry have a lot of men, which is perfect for dealing with Liu Ce's eight hundred black cavalry! Once we've dealt with this tough nut, won't Youzhou be ours to call the shots?"

Zhang Ju's eyes widened in disbelief: "Is it really that incredible? Eight hundred men taking down tens of thousands?"

"I'd be a dog if I lied to you!" Zhang Chun patted his chest and guaranteed, "I saw it with my own eyes! The black cavalry's armor was dazzlingly bright, their horses were incredibly fast, and their swords cut through it like tofu! The Yellow Turban Army was like paper in front of them!"

He had no idea that Liu Ce's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry numbered three thousand. If he knew the truth, he'd probably wet his pants on the spot.

"Okay, how do we contact Qiuliju?" Zhang Ju asked.

"Easy!" Zhang Chun pulled out paper and pen.

"I've always had dealings with the Wuhuan tribe. We'll write a letter saying that if they join our uprising, we'll share half of the grain, women, and money we seize! They'll be happy to come!"

...

The two huddled together, writing a letter, one after the other.

The letter was full of grand pronouncements about "jointly building a great cause," "sharing the world equally," and "the Han dynasty is about to collapse, heroes must rise." It also detailed the timing of the uprising—to be held after the autumn harvest this year, when supplies were plentiful.

After finishing writing, Zhang Chun carefully folded the letter, stuffed it into the envelope, and called out, "Someone come here!"

His confidant pushed open the door and came in.

"Deliver this letter by express horse to Qiuliju, the chieftain of the Wuhuan people in Liaoxi."

Zhang Chun handed over the letter, saying, "Make sure you deliver it to him personally! Remember, be quick and keep it a secret!"

"Yes, sir!" The confidant took the letter and hurriedly left.

Watching the messenger walk away, Zhang Chun picked up his wine cup and downed it in one gulp, his eyes gleaming with ambition: "Just you wait, Liu Ce. Once I unite with the Wuhuan cavalry, let's see how long your eight hundred Black Riders can remain arrogant!"

Zhang Ju also joined in the drinking, secretly pleased with himself—if things went well, he...

...

A few days later, in the backyard of the Liu family mansion in Zhuo County.

Spring has arrived again, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom. The women enjoy the flowers, play the zither, and play chess, having a wonderful time.

Liu Ce lay on the rocking chair, enjoying the peaceful moment.

At this moment, Lu Bing arrived.

Liu Ce opened his eyes and saw Lu Bing's serious expression. Knowing that something was wrong, he got up and followed Lu Bing to the study.

"My lord," Lu Bing said in a low voice, "there's something going on with Zhang Chun, whom you asked me to keep an eye on."

"explain."

"Zhang Chun conspired with Zhang Ju, the former governor of Mount Tai, and wrote a letter inviting Qiuliju of the Wuhuan to join in an uprising. The letter stated... if Qiuliju agreed, they would share half of the grain, women, and money they had seized... the uprising was scheduled for this year's autumn harvest."

Lu Bing paused and said, "The letter was intercepted by our people."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ce smiled.

The uprising started earlier than expected? Historically, Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju's rebellion occurred in 187 AD, the spring of the fourth year of the Zhongping era, while it's only May of the third year of the Zhongping era now... But it doesn't matter, the sooner it comes, the sooner it can be resolved.

"Where's the letter?" Liu Ce asked.

Lu Bing took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Liu Ce.

Liu Ce opened it and looked at it; the contents were consistent with what Lu Bing had said. The writing was crude, but the ambition was considerable.

"My lord, what should we do with this letter?" Lu Bing asked.

Liu Ce handed the letter back, smiling, "I'm delivering it for them."

Lu Bing was taken aback: "Send... over?"