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  Lu Zhi looked at the head on the ground, and his face showed boundless joy. Seeing Gao Fei's body stained with blood all over, he walked to Gao Fei's side, grabbed his hand and said loudly: "Ziyu did not disappoint everyone's expectations, and indeed brought back Zhang Jiao's head! I heard that you chased Zhang Jiao northward, so I knew you would definitely achieve this great merit. Having such a brave general as you is truly my greatest fortune. Come, bring 500 catties of gold!"

  The soldiers outside seemed to have already prepared the gold, and as soon as Lu Zhi's voice fell, they came up carrying two large boxes, placed them on the floor of the hall, opened them, revealing glittering gold bars, illuminating the hall with a dazzling golden light, and then the soldiers retreated.

  Gao Fei took a glance at the two boxes of gold, and his heart was filled with joy. He thought to himself that he had started companies and built factories in his past life just to make a lot of money, but in this chaotic world, what did these little bits of gold amount to?

  "It's better to use this gold to buy people's hearts than to swallow it all by oneself!"

  Thinking of this, he didn't dare to take credit for himself. He turned around and bowed to Lu Zhi: "Sir, the fact that I was able to successfully behead Zhang Jiao is largely due to your efforts and those of our fellow officers. The families of the soldiers who died in battle have yet to receive consolation. I humbly request that you use this gold to console them, as a demonstration of your benevolence towards your subordinates!"

  Lu Zhi said: "Zi Yu is a true righteous man! He dwells on his merits without being arrogant. The general did not misjudge you, this was the reward that the general proposed from the beginning, whoever beheads Zhang Jiao will be rewarded with 500 catties of gold, these 500 catties of gold are now your property, as for how to use them it's up to you, there is no need to report back to the general, however what the general promised must be fulfilled, otherwise he would be ridiculed by people all over the world."

  Gao Fei heard Lu Zhi's words and seemed to not understand how to win people over, actually wasting such a good opportunity. Wouldn't that make things easier for him? He cupped his hands and said: "Everyone, during the battle, if it weren't for your assistance, I absolutely wouldn't have achieved this merit. Please report the number of casualties, and these gold coins will serve as a consolation fee for those who died in battle!"

  The various military officers present all showed a look of joy on their faces, and they bowed their hands one after another, saying: "We represent the deceased soldiers to thank General Gao."

  Lu Zhi walked up to his seat and sat down properly, then loudly called out: "Bring the bandits Zhang Chao and Guan Yu here!"

  "Didn't I tell you to send him back?!" Gaofei was shocked, turned his head and saw the soldiers bringing in Zhou Cang and Guan Hai who were tightly bound.

  As soon as he entered the door, he saw Gao Fei, his face expressionless, with a cold and detached look, shouting loudly: "Despicable scoundrel!"

  Zhou Cang let out a cold "hmm" and slowly said, "Guan Yu, my brother, I've told you before that there's not one trustworthy official in the imperial army. You just wouldn't listen! Now that we two can meet again, even on the road to the underworld, it won't be so lonely."

  "Kneel down!" Lu Zhi slammed his hand on the table in front of him and shouted loudly.

  The soldiers pressed Gan Ning and Zhou Cang to the ground, and after struggling for a while, they gave up. Gan Ning's eyes were filled with hostility, staring fiercely at Cao Pi.

  Gao Ying didn't know what had happened, and immediately shouted: "Your Excellency, when I was pursuing Zhang Jue, I had already surrendered Guan Hai and sent someone to escort him back. Why...

  "The lives of the tens of thousands of bandits within the city can be spared, but these two bandit leaders absolutely cannot be tolerated. I have been confronting Zhang Jue for months, and Zhou Cang and Guan Hai have repeatedly led the Yellow Turban rebels to harass our army, causing many of our soldiers to die in battle. These two are Zhang Jue's claws, they must be killed to serve as a warning!"

  "Hmph! If you want to kill, then kill, why bother with idle chatter!" Zhou Cang said with great righteousness.

  "Sir, now is the time to use people. Zhou Cang and Guan Yu have fought each other many times, both of them are not weak in martial arts. Why not leave the two of them behind and let them serve our army, and turn their merits into crimes?" Gao Jia hurriedly said.

  "Zi Yu, you are so muddled! Three days ago at the battle of Jiuli Gou, those two joined forces to surround you and nearly took your life. I was about to kill them both, which would have avenged you, but why do you persist in being obstinate?" asked Lu Zhi.

  Gao said: "Sir, those who achieve great things do not get bogged down in trivialities. Previously, Zhou Cang and Guan Hai were still Yellow Turbans, the reason they wanted to kill me was simply because each had their own master. Now that Zhang Jue is dead and the Yellow Turban's power has waned, if we can let these two serve the imperial court, it will not only show the imperial court's magnanimity but also demonstrate your broad-mindedness, I implore you to consider this carefully, sir!"

  Lu Zhi lowered his eyelids, thought for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "Zhou Cang, Guan Yu, are you two willing to abandon the darkness and turn to the light, surrendering to the imperial court?"

  Guan Yu had already surrendered to Cao Cao, but when he returned to Guangzong, he was seen by Lu Zhi and forcibly arrested. He was furious with Cao Cao in his heart, but when he heard Cao Cao speaking on his behalf, he no longer resented him. When Lu Zhi asked him questions, he hastily replied: "I had already surrendered to General Cao, of course I am willing to surrender to the imperial court, please forgive me!"

  Lu Zhi asked again: "Zhou Cang, what about you?"

  Zhou Cang glanced at Gao Fei and asked: "Gao Fei, can you really let bygones be bygones?"

  Gao Feng nodded and said, "The past is gone, I won't hold it against you, otherwise I wouldn't have pleaded for you. I think you're a good man too, dying at such a young age is really a pity. Moreover, since you followed Zhang Jiao's side, whether the Great Teacher is an immortal or not, you should know better than me. However, now that Zhang Jiao is dead and the Yellow Turban Army has lost its momentum, why bother to throw away your own life?"

  Zhou Cang thought for a moment, then turned his head to Lu Zhi and said: "I can surrender if you want me to, but I was captured by Gao Fei, so I can only surrender to the person who caught me!"

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and Lu Zhi's face showed even more displeasure. However, he soon thought to himself that Gao Fei was his subordinate general, and surrendering to Gao Fei was equivalent to surrendering to him. He immediately smiled and said: "Zhou Cang, you can get up now. From now on, you will be a subordinate of Zi Yu! Release the bonds of Zhou Cang and Guan Yu!"

  The soldiers untied the ropes from Zhou Cang and Guan Yu, who first bowed to Lu Zhi, then together they bowed to Gao Fei, shouting: "Subordinates see you, sir!"

  Gao Fei hastily helped Zhou Cang and Guan Yu to their feet, feeling more delighted than if he had obtained the five hundred catties of gold. He patted them on the shoulders and said slowly, "No need for excessive courtesy."

  Lu Zhi smiled and saw Zhou Cang and Guan Yu slowly retreat to the back of Gao Fei, then loudly said: "Now that Guangzong has fallen, tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans have surrendered, but there is no more food in the city. Our army's remaining grain is not enough for three months, and there are still tens of thousands of Yellow Turban remnants in Xiayang. How to deal with these tens of thousands of surrendered bandits, I'd like to hear your opinions."

  Gao said, "Sir, these Yellow Turbans are just ordinary civilians who were deceived by Zhang Jue and followed him in rebellion. Now that they have surrendered to you, sir, you should make arrangements for them. In my humble opinion, it would be best to divide the tens of thousands of people into batches and send them to other counties to settle down, which will naturally alleviate the pressure on our army."

  Lu Zhi nodded and said, "Yes, you're right, I'll handle it according to your wishes."

  Gao Teng thought to himself that although he had killed Zhang Jiao in this battle of Guangzong, the greatest credit still went to Lu Zhi. After all, Lu Zhi was the commander of this army, and it really didn't feel right for him to always be doing jobs for others. He immediately clasped his fists and said: "Sir, I have a request to make; I don't know if I should mention it or not."

  "You have something to say, why be hesitant?" Lu Zhi said.

  "Gentlemen, now that Guangzong has fallen and Zhang Jiao is dead, but the news will not reach Xichengyang so quickly. I think, since speed is essential in war, our army should rush to Xichengyang with lightning speed, and once we arrive at the city gate, the tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans in Xichengyang will be caught off guard and fall into great chaos. We can capture Xichengyang in one battle and completely pacify the Yellow Turbans in Hebei."

  Lu Zhi listened, his heart racing with excitement, and shouted loudly: "What you said is not wrong, but my army has just captured Guangzong, thousands of soldiers have died or been injured, and the tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans who surrendered have not yet been pacified. I'm afraid I won't be able to leave here for a while..."

  Gao Feng said: "Your Excellency, I am willing to take the lead, as long as you give me 20,000 troops, I will definitely be able to capture Xiquyang within a month!"

  "Excellent! However...the Yellow Turbans are numerous and powerful, aren't 20,000 troops a bit too few?" Lu Zhi said.

  "Your Excellency, the Yellow Turbans are mostly untrained common people, their combat strength cannot be compared to that of the imperial army. I believe that 20,000 troops will suffice, and if Your Excellency is willing to grant me 20,000 elite soldiers, I am certain that I can capture Xingyang in one battle...and make a name for you throughout the land!"

  Lu Zhi heard the last few words and was extremely excited. He immediately clapped his hands happily and shouted loudly: "Good! Zi Yu, when will you set off?"

  "The sooner the better!"

  "Alright then, you can rest in the camp today and I will gather 20,000 troops for you by tomorrow morning. How about we set off tomorrow?"

  "Thank you, sir, for your kindness!"

  "Alright, you can go back to the camp outside the city to rest now!"

  "I will take my leave now!"

  Gao Fei, accompanied by Zhou Cang and Guan Yu, walked to the entrance of the main hall, then stopped and looked back at the two boxes of gold on the ground. He said to Lu Zhi: "Sir, please allocate these two boxes of gold!"

  Lu Zhi nodded and a satisfied smile also appeared on his face.

  Out of the county government office, Gao Fei took Zhou Cang and Guan Yu back to the camp outside the city. However, he saw that Zhou Cang's face was filled with a difficult expression. He then said to Zhou Cang: "Tomorrow we will be attacking Xiayang. I know how you're feeling now. Originally, we were sworn brothers who shared life and death together in battle, but now we have to turn our spears against them. Your heart isn't feeling good about this, is it?"

  Zhou Cang nodded slightly and didn't say anything.

  Zhou Cang said, "Brothers, let's be open-minded. There's nothing to feel bad about. Why did we join the Yellow Turbans? Wasn't it just for a meal? Now that we've surrendered to the lord and the lord is dealing with the bandits, shouldn't we assist him instead of sighing all day?"

  Zhou Cang said: "Although it is so, after all, we are brothers who have been through life and death together. Can you really bring yourself to do this?"

  Although Gao Fei was not deeply acquainted with Zhou Cang and Guan Yu, he could still find the differences between the two men. In comparison, Zhou Cang was a man who valued loyalty, while Guan Yu seemed to prioritize his own interests. Since he had surrendered these two men, it was equivalent to having two more helpers, and he naturally had ways to control them, just like he would manage employees in a modern company.

  He patted Zhou Cang's shoulder and smiled, saying: "There's nothing to worry about. When the time comes, you can make those who have a life-and-death relationship with you turn against each other, making things much simpler."

  "Great insight, sir!"