I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 641: The two Yuans fight for Nanyang, Su Yao flees to Hangu Pass (5K2)

Luoyang City, outside the camp gate.

When Yuan Shao sent Su Yao away and was quietly instructing his subordinates on how to consolidate Hebei, he never expected that the Marquis of Guanjun would come back.

This made Yuan Shao very nervous, fearing that Su Yao would make any excessive demands again.

However, this time he was wrong.

That kid surnamed Su not only did not make any threats or demands, but instead proposed to work with Lord Lu to commend him?

This made Yuan Shao very confused, especially when he heard the position of "Prefect of Nanyang", the look of astonishment on his face was beyond words.

"That's right, Nanyang Governor."

Su Yao smiled and nodded, and continued:
"Mr. Yuan is from a prominent family and has a high prestige in the anti-Dong coalition. The most important thing is that this time Mr. Yuan is willing to put aside past grudges and join hands with me to help me in the Western Expedition."

"Mr. Yuan is so noble, how can I, Su Yao, be stingy?"

"So I have always been thinking about how to repay Mr. Yuan's kindness."

Su Yao spoke very seriously, while Yuan Shao opened his mouth slightly, not knowing what to do.

"Then why Nanyang???"

Nanyang County is a powerful county in the world.

It has a large population, a prosperous economy, and a gathering place of talented people. It is located in the strategic area between the north and the south of the Central Plains. It has a superior geographical location and is the leader of all counties in the Central Plains, a place that is fought over by military strategists.

When Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu started his army in Nanyang and eventually overthrew the Xinmang Dynasty, established the Later Han regime, and started the Guangwu Restoration. Therefore, Nanyang County was also known as the "Emperor's Hometown" at this time.

If Jizhou is the number one province in the world, then Nanyang is the number one county in the world!
When the central government of the Later Han Dynasty was functioning normally, the prefect of Nanyang County was a high-ranking official who was almost equal to the Nine Ministers and had extremely special political significance.

If a person becomes the prefect of Nanyang, as long as he does not make any mistakes in principle, then within a few months at the shortest and one or two years at the longest, this person will surely enter the central government and be appointed as one of the Nine Ministers, which is just a stone's throw away from one of the Three Dukes.

At this moment, the world is in chaos and the imperial court is in decline, so the status of Nanyang County becomes even more important.

Whoever can control Nanyang County will be able to gain the upper hand in this chaotic world and have greater say.

Especially since it is close to the capital Luoyang, it can be said to have a sharp knife in hand.

Yuan Shao never expected that Su Yao would actually propose that he be appointed as the prefect of Nanyang.

He was confused and didn't know what Su Yao was up to.

How confident was Yuan Shao to be the governor of Nanyang? Or was it just his naivety?

Do you sincerely want to win me over and think that we can continue to work together in the future?

Or does he have ulterior motives and is preparing to take action against Yuan Shao first if anything goes wrong in the future?

Yuan Shao couldn't understand it, but he hated the feeling of being out of control.

His roots are in Hebei. He and Xu You, Feng Ji and others have been planning for so long, all for the current opportunity. How could he easily change for a little sweetness?

Therefore, although Yuan Shao did not understand Su Yao's idea, he still directly rejected Su Yao's flattery:

"It is said that no merit is rewarded, but Yuan has not done anything so far, how dare he accept such a high position?"

"Besides, Yuan is now a general of cavalry, so he doesn't need to lead the local area anymore."

"If the Champion Marquis is willing, he may reward the soldiers."

Yuan Shao immediately suggested that some of his men who were quite famous and had made great contributions to this alliance could be given less high positions.

For example, planning to establish a small county in Hebei, etc.

However, Su Yao just smiled slightly and would not let Yuan Shao get his wish.

joke.

As someone who knows the course of history and the development of subsequent plots, Su Yao knows too well how huge a behemoth Yuan Shao will become if he is left alone in the future.

Although the contention between Cao and Yuan ended with Cao Cao's victory, the Battle of Guandu was by no means the decisive blow.

Even though he suffered such a defeat and lost an army of 100,000, Yuan Shao still controlled the four states in Hebei and was far from dying.

After the great victory, Cao Cao was still helpless against this giant in the north.

However, it must be said that things are unpredictable.

A person's lifespan has a huge impact on a politician.

Yuan Shao's early death and his poor choice of successor gave Cao Cao the opportunity to defeat them one by one.

Even so, it still took Cao Cao several years to pacify the separatist Yuan Shao forces in the north.

It was this delay that gave other princes across the world enough opportunity to develop. For several years, various places had been recruiting troops and preparing for war, annexing each other, and engaging in an arms race, which laid the groundwork for the final disastrous defeat in the Battle of Chibi and the situation of the world being divided into three parts.

Yuan Shao's forces were so powerful. Knowing this, how could Su Yao allow him to secretly develop in the wild area?
Brother, you shouldn’t go to Hebei.

Therefore, Su Yao would naturally not let Yuan Shao succeed easily in those little tricks he proposed.

Especially that General of Cavalry, Su Yao knew too well what that was about.

So, Su Yao smiled and said:

"Speaking of which, if we successfully rescue His Majesty this time, it would be inconvenient to mention Yuan Huqi's name when we are rewarding him for his merits."

With just one sentence, Yuan Shao was speechless.

He naturally knew that Su Yao was pointing fingers at him. Your position as General of Cavalry was obtained through a forged imperial edict, and it was not a legitimate position.

Yuan Shao's expression changed slightly, but then he regained his composure.

If he is like this, what about Su Yao's General of Chariots and Cavalry?

The late emperor’s last will?
Who in the world would believe it?

We are obviously the same.

However, just as Yuan Shao was about to refute, Su Yao let the matter go:

"Besides, although the cavalry general is noble, he has no territory under his command. He is just an empty title."

"I know that Lord Yuan's army now relies on Jizhou Mu and others for supplies. Isn't it unworthy of your title as the leader of the alliance to rely on others like this?"

"Since you have rejected Dong Zhuo's offer to be the governor of Bohai, the position of governor of Nanyang must belong to you now."

"Former governor Zhang Zi also made great contributions in defeating Dong Zhuo, and he should be promoted. It is appropriate for Yuan Gong to take over his position and send someone to Nanyang to take over, which will also help us to guard the back door for our great cause of the Western Expedition to defeat Dong Zhuo."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao couldn't help but ponder in his heart.

Every word Su Yao said made sense. Not only did he reveal the embarrassment of his identity as a general of cavalry, he also cleverly used the position of prefect of Nanyang as bait, making it difficult for him to refuse.

That’s right, a ready-made Nanyang County is obviously much more attractive than the Jizhou territory which still requires hard work and effort.

Nanyang County is located in the heart of the Central Plains. It is rich in resources and has a large population. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. If he can serve as the prefect of Nanyang, it will undoubtedly greatly enhance his influence in the Central Plains.

You know, not only is Yuan Shao’s ancestral home county of Runan next to Nanyang, but Yingchuan, where elites gather, is also next to Nanyang.

Taking root in Nanyang can easily gain support from his family and other aristocratic families, which will be of great benefit to his development.

Of course, Nanyang County is located in a place where wars are fought on all sides and is surrounded by powerful enemies. If one is not careful, it may fall into an irretrievable situation. It is obvious that this boy named Su could not have had other intentions when he made this suggestion.

For a moment, Yuan Shao was extremely conflicted.

"Lord Su, this matter is of great importance. Let me consider it carefully." Yuan Shao said after pondering for a moment.

Su Yao smiled slightly, nodded and said:

"Of course, Lord Yuan can take his time to think about it. However, Lord Yuan must also understand that opportunities are fleeting. If you miss this opportunity, you will never have it again."

When Yuan Shao heard this, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

He was also aware of Su Yao's methods and abilities.

This young champion marquis has risen all the way without a single defeat, and now commands a large army and is feared throughout the world. If we fall out with him, the consequences will be disastrous.

What's more, he also knew that what Su Yao said was true.

As the saying goes, opportunities must never come back again.

Now he is going to march west to Guanzhong. He doesn't know how much time it will take before this kid named Su lets him go.

If he missed this opportunity, not only would his influence in the Central Plains be greatly reduced, but if Yuan Tan and his men failed to resolve the issues in Hebei, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?

Taking over Nanyang is more or less a guarantee. Although the upper limit is definitely not as good as Jizhou, it is definitely not a loss for him.

So, after some reluctance, Yuan Shao accepted the position of Nanyang Prefect.

After happily seeing Su Yao off again, he quickly ordered his men to head south as soon as possible and take over Nanyang after he followed Su Yao into the battle.

Recruit brave generals and counselors, train soldiers, and make adequate preparations.

However, Yuan Shao did not know that at almost the same time, his cousin Yuan Shu had also set his sights on Nanyang.

"Hmph, the Cavalry General's Order???"

"That kid surnamed Su is still as arrogant as ever."

"He wants all the heroes in the world to leave just by talking? How could anyone listen to him? What a joke!"

In the east of Nanyang County, General Yuan Shu shook the "General's Order" in his hand and let out bursts of sneering.

Compared to Yuan Shao, who received the "General's Order" on the first day under Luoyang City, Yuan Shu, who was at the junction of Nanyang, Runan and Yingchuan, raising military supplies and recruiting soldiers from the three counties, received the news a few days later. Obviously, he did not take Su Yao's order seriously at all.

This is of course not only because of the bad personal relationship between the two, but also because Yuan Shu has burned a lot of money here in recent days, and it is impossible for him to stop.

Compared to Yuan Shao, who went to Hanoi to wait and see from the beginning and had a complete and detailed plan to raise the banner of fighting Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu's actions were purely based on instinct.

The world is in chaos and heroes are about to rise. This is the time for Yuan Gonglu to show his skills.

Especially after Dong Zhuo slaughtered Yuan Wei, the Grand Tutor in the capital, Yuan Shu knew that his time had come.

He fled back to his hometown as soon as possible, and in the name of being the eldest son and legitimate heir of the Yuan family, he received the full support of his family, recruited troops, and raised the banner of revenge.

Therefore, when Yuan Shao and Su Yao were making a big fuss, Yuan Shu had been quietly developing in Runan, and then gradually spread his influence to Yingchuan and Nanyang.

Based in this place, Yuan Shu eventually set his sights on Nanyang.

If Yuan Gonglu holds the largest county in the world in his hands, then the Central Plains will be under his control.

Since ancient times, whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world. As long as Yuan Gonglu takes over the Central Plains, the whole world will submit to him!

Yuan Shu was filled with lofty ambitions. He glanced at his generals and advisers and said loudly:

"Everyone, that Su Yao kid is just relying on his little bit of military power to show off his power in Luoyang City."

"After all, he just took advantage of Dong Zhuo's escape to seize Luoyang City. What's the big deal? It's not like he took back the emperor."

"That's it. Does he really think he can command the world with just a general's order? That's ridiculous!"

"If he underestimates the heroes of the world like this, he will suffer a lot in the future!"

"General, you are absolutely right!" All the generals under his command echoed him, and their morale was high.

"So, General, what should we do next?"

Yuan Shu's adviser and chief clerk Yan Xiang stepped forward and asked with a bow.

Yuan Shu sneered, ambitious, and asked instead of answering:

"Do you know why he wants us to disband the coalition and return to our respective countries?"

"To put it bluntly, even that idiot with a head full of fat has seen it. The world is in chaos, and the Han family is finished!"

"He has no foundation, so he can only rely on defeating the Dong and making meritorious deeds to find a place to stand on his own."

"And we are a noble family with broad support from the world. We can raise a large army in an instant."

"He is just afraid of us. He wants us to tie our own hands and feet and obey his orders. How can we do what he wants?"

"That's right, General!"

Yang Hong, the chief secretary of the General's Office, was the first to show his support:
"Su Yao's move is undoubtedly intended to weaken our strength so that he can control the situation alone."

"What we have to do now is to do the opposite!"

"Continue to increase your efforts, recruit more soldiers, and even if possible, seize another county."

"What Yang Changshi said is absolutely right."

Yuan Shu stroked his mustache and said proudly:
"As for the place, I have already found it - Nanyang County is the best in the world. This is the only place worthy of my position as the head of the Yuan family."

"What, Nanyang County?!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiang's face changed slightly, and he quickly dissuaded him:
"General, the prefect Zhang Zi was a meritorious official in defeating Dong Zhuo. If we attack rashly, I'm afraid we will be criticized by people all over the world."

"Criticism? So what!"

Yuan Shu waved his hand dismissively:
"In this chaotic world, strength is everything!"

"If Su Yao can rise to power through force, why can't I, Yuan Gonglu?"

"It's just a title. Su Yao and Yuan Benchu ​​had the guts to give themselves the title of super generals. So it's not too much for me, Yuan Gonglu, to give myself the title of Nanyang governor, right?"

"Besides, this Nanyang County is the first step in our hegemony. As long as we take Nanyang, we will be like a sharp knife against his back."

"By then, if he still wants to take revenge on Dong, he will have to accept my actions with a pinch of his nose."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't even have to fight him. I could just cut off the grain supply from Jingxiang and Jiangnan to Luoyang. How would he feed more than a million people with just that little bit of land in Luoyang?"

Yuan Shu's words made everyone in the tent excited and their morale was high.

However, Yan Xiang was still worried:
"It's good that the general has this determination, but Nanyang is the most powerful county in the world!"

"They have many soldiers and generals, and the city walls are high and strong. Even if we attack, I'm afraid we won't be able to take it down in a short time."

"What if we anger the Champion Marquis and make him turn his attention to us first? Wouldn't that be like stealing a chicken but losing the rice?"

"Master Yan is overthinking. How can I, Yuan Gonglu, be a man without strategy?"

Yuan Shu laughed:
"The Nanyang governor Zhang Zi is just a new and incompetent official who hasn't even warmed his ass yet."

"Why would I need to personally take action to deal with him?"

"Didn't we recruit a new captain from the southern barbarians? I think his name is Sun Wentai?"

"Let him do it!"

"If he succeeds, I will make him a general and concurrently the governor of Yuzhou."

"If we can't do it, we'll find another way."

"That Su guy is now eager to fight against Dong. After he leaves, we can do whatever we want with this Central Plains."

Yuan Shu's decision enlightened everyone in the tent, and they all thought it was a good idea.

"The general is wise!"

"Sun Wentai is brave and good at fighting, and he is secretly loyal to me. It is indeed a good idea for him to be my vanguard."

Yan Xiang nodded and said:
"But Yuan Huqi is also in Luoyang now. Should we inform him before we take this action?"

"Yuan Benchu?"

Yuan Shu snorted coldly:
"That's not necessary."

"He is just the son of a maid, but this time he stole the position of leader without my knowledge."

"I am the legitimate son of the Yuan family. How can I go back and inform him if I want to do something?"

Yuan Shu became angry as he spoke and clenched his fists:
"Besides, that guy has always been timid towards Su Yao. Telling him will only get in the way."

"We should do our own things ourselves."

"If he's having a hard time after returning, I wouldn't mind helping him out a little, hahahaha."

After saying this, Yuan Shu laughed loudly, as if he was quite sure that Yuan Benchu ​​would not be able to accomplish anything great.

Seeing this, Yan Xiang shook his head helplessly.

He knew that the conflict between the Yuan brothers had been going on for a long time, especially this time when Yuan Shao, as a bastard's son, surpassed Yuan Shu and became the leader of the alliance, which made Yuan Shu feel resentful.

However, leaving aside the powerful enemy Dong Zhuo, the champion Hou Su Yao is also showing his potential.

At this time, the Yuan brothers did not stick together and coordinate their positions, but instead caused trouble, which was not a good thing.

However, as a subject, there was not much he could do.

What Yuan Shu has decided is extremely difficult to change.

We can only hope that Sun Wentai can capture Nanyang as soon as possible so that we can take the initiative.

"Okay, that's settled then."

Yuan Shu slammed the table and made up his mind:
"Master Yan, go to Sun Wentai right away and ask him to prepare to attack Nanyang immediately."

"At the same time, we must continue to strengthen our armaments, recruit more soldiers, contact more noble families, and make adequate preparations."

"Yes, General!"

Yan Xiang immediately took the order and went personally as an envoy to Sun Jian's camp.

At the same time, Chief Clerk Yang Hong and others also said goodbye and left, stepping up preparations for armaments, recruiting soldiers, etc., to make full preparations for the upcoming war.

Yuan Shu looked at the departing backs of Yan Xiang and Yang Hong, and a smile quietly appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He knew very well that Nanyang Governor Zhang Zi was weak and incompetent, and was simply a fat fish belly given to him by God.

What God does not take, is to be blamed.

If there is anyone who can accomplish great things in this chaotic world, it must be Yuan Gonglu!
Thinking of this, Yuan Shu couldn't help but feel filled with pride. He seemed to have seen himself standing on the city wall of Nanyang County, overlooking the Central Plains.

However, he had no idea that, at almost the same time, his annoying "good brother" Yuan Shao also set his sights on Nanyang, the most important county in the world.

At almost the same time, Dong Zhuo finally led his light cavalry and arrived at Hangu Pass with the emperor at full speed.

At this time, Su Yao had already completed his preparations.

"Target Hangu Pass!"

"set off!"

(End of this chapter)