Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 164 It’s bad, the emperor has set his sights on my brother Xun Yu and nephew Xun You

"Xun Chen?"

Liu Xie's mind was working rapidly, searching for information about Xun Chen.

Xun Chen was a descendant of the eight dragons of the Xun family, the younger brother of Xun Yu, and the uncle of Xun You.

The most brilliant and glorious moment was persuading Han Fu to offer Jizhou to Yuan Shao.

Before the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao appointed him, Tian Feng and Xu You as his advisers.

After the Battle of Guandu, there was no news.

But from the comment "Xun Wenruo, Gongda, Xiu Ruo, Youruo, Zhongyu, there is no match in the present time", it can be seen that he was regarded as a strategist who could be compared with Xun Yu and Xun You.

"Let him wait for now!"

Liu Xie did not have much good feelings towards these people from aristocratic families.

Even Xun Yu, who was deified in later generations!
From the perspective of Emperor Xian of Han, Xun Yu deserved to be put to death, because it was he who proposed to Cao Cao to use the emperor to control the princes!

Even though many people said that he was loyal to the Han Dynasty in his heart, he was eventually transferred away from the central government because he opposed Cao Cao's title of Duke of Wei, and died of depression in Shouchun.

Leaving Xun Chen alone for the time being, Liu Xie continued to discuss matters with Guo Jia and others.

"Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to prevent Yuan Shao from leading his troops back to attack Yecheng." Guo Jia raised a sharp question.

Although Gongsun Zan launched a fierce attack on Jizhou in the north, no one could say for sure whether Yuan Shao would make the choice of pacifying the country before fighting the enemy.

"I never thought that in such a desperate situation, Yuan Shao could actually escape. Is this the God Yuan who is against the wind?" Liu Xie sighed in his heart. When he thought that Yuan Shao was not dead, he felt deeply uneasy, as if a thorn in his back was left.

Xu You said quickly, "Your Majesty, I think that although Yuan Shao may attack Yecheng at any time, based on my understanding of Yuan Shao, he is arrogant and will definitely think that Yecheng is in Jizhou and cannot be escaped. He will never let Gongsun Zan take any city. Therefore, even if he joins forces with Yan Liang, he will definitely first eliminate the foreign threats and then return to seize Yecheng."

"I think Your Majesty can make good use of this time to completely take control of Yecheng."

Guo Jia nodded and said, "If Yuan Shao does not rush back to Yecheng immediately, then this is indeed a great opportunity. Although Yuan Xi is not very useful, Your Majesty can use him to eliminate the remaining followers of Yuan Shao in the city, and then send an edict to the General of Cavalry to lead the army to station in Yecheng and occupy the counties around Yecheng."

"In this way, we can attack or defend. Whether to attack Yuan Shao with Gongsun Zan or gradually occupy the prefectures and counties of Jizhou is up to your Majesty."

After listening to the analysis of Xu You and Guo Jia, Liu Xie thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense. He slowly stood up from the couch and looked at Xu You.

"Xu You, listen to my orders!"

Xu You immediately knelt up straight and said solemnly, "I am here!"

"I have written a letter and ordered you to deliver it to Yuan Shao. In addition, there are three strategists under Yuan Shao, Ju Su, Tian Feng, and Shen Pei. If you plan to kill one of them, it will be considered as meritorious service. Afterwards, go south to surrender to Cao and act as an internal supporter."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Liu Xie's expression eased slightly, and he said, "When I have defeated Cao Cao and captured the false emperor, you will go to the Secretariat and serve as the Minister of the Secretariat."

The Shangshu Ling had the power to select and appoint officials, could impeach officials and execute punishments, and was also in charge of court ceremonies and memorials of all officials.

It divided the power of the Three Dukes to a certain extent and was a tool for the emperor to confront the powerful officials in the court.

How could Xu You not be overjoyed when the emperor promised him such a high position?

He kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Liu Xie looked at Zhang He and Gao Lan and said, "The Jizhou army followed Yan Liang to fight against Gongsun Zan's invasion, and Yecheng was left with few soldiers. After today, whether Yuan Shao lives or dies, Yecheng will be under my control."

"I will leave this matter to you two. No matter what means you use, I only care about the results."

Zhang He and Gao Lan accepted the order: "We obey your order!"

Liu Xie added: "Also, send a trusted person to Yangzhou with an imperial edict and order Zhang Liao to lead 10,000 troops to Yecheng."

When Yuan Xi suppressed Yuan Shao under the banner of clearing the court of evil officials, and when Yan Liang led his army to resist Gongsun Zan, everything fell into the trap set by him, Jia Xu and Guo Jia, and it was destined that Yecheng would change hands again.

Although the current situation did not develop as well as expected and he failed to kill Yuan Shao, occupying Yecheng was enough for him to move his hands and feet without being controlled by Yuan Shao every day.

Of course, simply occupying Yecheng would be tantamount to isolating Yuan Shao's base camp.

Therefore, it was necessary to urgently transfer 10,000 troops from Lu Bu to occupy all the counties around Yecheng.

Xu You said with a worried look on his face: "Your Majesty, if Xuzhou wants to come to Yecheng, they must either pass through Yanzhou or go through Qingzhou. Ten thousand troops are too powerful and will definitely be discovered. Cao thieves and Yuan Tan will never let them go."

He originally thought that mobilizing more than 5,000 soldiers would be enough to make Yuan Shao hesitate, but he didn't expect that Liu Xie would directly allocate 10,000 troops!
"I have important uses for these 10,000 soldiers."

Liu Xie said calmly, with a sharp look in his eyes, "Having these 10,000 troops stationed in Yecheng and the surrounding counties is like a nail that Yuan Shao can't remove at all, like a thorn in his throat!"

"As for how to get here... I will issue an order to Kong Rong, asking him to start an uprising in Beihai County to attract Yuan Tan's attention and make him have no time to worry about other things. In this way, he will not be able to rush to support Yuan Shao to attack Gongsun Zan, and Zhang Liao can also take the opportunity to pass through Qingzhou!"

It is enough for this 10,000-strong army to just reach Yecheng. What they pursue is the marching speed. There is no need to worry about the lack of food and logistics, because Yecheng is the largest granary!

Xu You was impressed by what he said and said, "Your Majesty has thought it through. I respect you!"

Liu Xie restrained his expression and said, "If you delay, something unexpected will happen. After I summon Xun Chen, you can set out."

"The minister obeys the order!"

……

After finishing the meeting with Guo Jia and Xu You, Liu Xie summoned Xun Chen, who had been waiting outside for a long time, to come and see him.

Although he didn't know what the great gift Xun Chen was talking about was, he could guess it a little.

Given the current situation in Ye City, especially with Yuan Shao being driven away by Yuan Xi, the aristocratic families would certainly be unable to resist investing a little in order to gain the credit of following the dragon. Even if they cannot gain any, they will just lose some money.

Soon, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar entered the Xuanshi Hall.

When he saw Xu You and Guo Jia still standing in the hall, a strange look flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I, Xun Chen, pay my respects to you. I wish you eternal happiness for generations to come!"

Xun Chen's ceremony was different from others, it was unusually solemn and dignified.

For so long, he was the only one who could be compared with Kong Rong in terms of etiquette.

"Get up."

Liu Xie leaned against the couch and spoke in a flat voice.

Xun Chen realized that the emperor was not as enthusiastic as he had imagined, and thought to himself that something was wrong.

He took out a list from his bosom and presented it to you with both hands, "Your Majesty, I have a great gift to present to you."

Gao Lan, who was standing by, handed the list in his hand to Liu Xie.

The Shen family, the Ju family, the Zhen family...

Liu Xie looked at the list of noble families and became more and more frightened.

Almost 80% of the aristocratic families in Jizhou, big and small, are on it, and even the Zhen family has joined in the fun.

Even Yuan Shao could not get the support of so many aristocratic families!

Gradually, Liu Xie's brows began to frown.

He was wondering what Xun Chen wanted.

Given the nature of these noble families, if there is no benefit, they will definitely not help, regardless of whether you are the emperor or not. Xun Chen saw Liu Xie frowning as he looked at the list, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the noble families on the list are all willing to be loyal to Your Majesty and be at Your command."

Liu Xie closed the list and casually threw it to Gao Lan, looking at Xun Chen with a half-smile: "Why is the Xun family not on it?"

Xun Chen was shocked when he heard this.

He gritted his teeth and explained: "Your Majesty, the Xun family has taken root in Yingchuan..."

"Hmph!" Xun Chen was interrupted by Liu Xie's cold snort when he was halfway through his words.

"Your elder brother, Xun Yu, was known as a talent who could assist the king. In the first year of Yonghan, he was selected as a filial and honest official and appointed as the palace guard. When Dong Zhuo was causing chaos in the government, he led his clan to take refuge in Jizhou."

Liu Xie stood up suddenly, the imperial spirit he had nurtured for nearly two years surging, he looked at Xun Chen coldly and scolded: "Xun Youruo, how dare you deceive me in front of me!"

"Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

Xun Chen was filled with panic and fear. He felt an overwhelming pressure coming towards him, making his chest feel stuffy.

"You know, it was your brother who persuaded Cao to welcome me to Xu County, and it was also your brother who advised Cao to hold the emperor hostage to control the princes."

Liu Xie continued to exert pressure.

He knew very well that when facing people from such aristocratic families, if he did not completely uncover their past and force them into a desperate situation, he would never hear a single word of truth.

"I am frightened!"

Xun Chen knelt on the ground with his head buried deeply.

His purpose of entering the palace was to present a great gift to the emperor in order to win his trust and thus assist him in accomplishing an unprecedented cause.

But no one expected that Liu Xie would reveal the truth right from the start.

But these things were indeed done by the Xun family and cannot be refuted.

When Liu Xie saw that Xun Chen only expressed fear and did not mention anything else, he knew that he was an old fox.

Sitting back on the soft couch, he said lazily, "I am very pleased that these Jizhou noble families can serve the Han Dynasty. I am tired, you can leave now."

Xun Chen felt unhappy when he heard this.

This emperor doesn't play by the rules at all.

You have to ask me how to deal with these aristocratic families, you have to ask me how to face the current situation, you have to ask me how to drive Yuan Shao out of Jizhou and make Jizhou return to the Han Dynasty, you have to ask me how to eliminate the rebelliousness and rebuild the Yan Han.

Only if you ask, can I show my talents, be worth the price, and be valued by you.

"Why, do you still have something to do?"

When Liu Xie saw Xun Chen still kneeling on the ground, he sneered in his heart.

After spending a long time with Jia Xu and Guo Jia, he could see through Xun Chen's tricks at a glance.

Xun Chen could no longer sit still, so he could only say honestly: "Your Majesty, I think Your Majesty has five major worries. This time I entered the palace to relieve your worries."

"Oh?"

Liu Xie also wanted to see what kind of words someone who could be ranked alongside Xun Yu and Xun You could say.

"Tell me what are my five biggest worries."

Xun Chen said: "First, although Yuan Shao has fled far away, as long as he leads his troops back, Yecheng will definitely not be able to be defended with the current troops. Yecheng will fall into Yuan Shao's hands again."

"I thought you were going to say something brilliant! Yuan Benchu ​​is nothing but a pile of bones in a grave. Why should I worry about him?"

Liu Xie waved his hands and said disdainfully: "I have Gongsun Zan in the north and Lu Fengxian in the south. If Yuan Shao leads his army to attack Yecheng, many counties in Jizhou will be conquered by Gongsun Zan. If Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan fight each other, Lu Bu's tens of thousands of troops will come from Xuzhou soon. Under the attack from both sides, how can he survive?"

When Xun Chen heard this, his pupils suddenly shrank.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Liu Xie in disbelief.

"Could it be that Gongsun Zan sent out his troops..."

Liu Xie laughed and said, "That's right, Yuan Xi killed his brother and imprisoned his father, and Gongsun Zan's army invaded, it was not accidental."

After receiving the emperor's affirmative answer, Xun Chen felt a chill all over his body.

He instantly connected the two things together and figured out the whole story.

Taking advantage of Gao Gan's expedition against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, and with the help of Xu You, he let Yuan Shang temporarily take over as the governor of Bingzhou, in order to provoke Yuan Xi's dissatisfaction with Yuan Shao.

Later, he asked Jia Xu to instigate Yuan Xi to rebel.

After the plan was accomplished, if Yuan Shao died, the emperor would execute Yuan Xi in the name of "killing his brother and imprisoning his father" to avenge Yuan Shao and thus break free from the shackles.

If Yuan Shao is not dead, let Gongsun Zan send troops to Jizhou to force the Jizhou army outside the city to leave Yecheng.

Then came what just happened.

Yuan Xi led the imperial guards to hunt down Yuan Shao in the name of clearing the court of evil officials.

After sorting out the whole thread, Xun Chen felt his scalp tingling.

The calculations and planning involved are all top-notch.

His control over people's hearts and situations is jaw-dropping.

But what frightened Xun Chen the most was that the emperor before him, whom he originally thought was a puppet, had secretly recruited Jia Xu, Guo Jia and the imperial guards for his own use, and even allowed Yuan Shao's close friend Xu You to be at his mercy.

"I worry too much."

Xun Chen sneered in his heart, ultimately underestimating the heroes of the world.

We can tell from the fact that the emperor stood behind the scenes to drive away Yuan Shao and Long Soared into the sky that both Jia Xu and Guo Jia are top strategists in the world.

In the eyes of the emperor, he was not as important as he thought.

Liu Xie saw that the arrogance in Xun Chen's eyes had disappeared, and asked, "My dear minister, do you think that I can sweep across the nine provinces and rebuild the Yanhan Dynasty?"

Xun Chen was stunned. While he was considering his words, Liu Xie was asking himself questions and answering them.

"General Lu Bu has 30,000 soldiers and is stationed in Xuzhou and the five counties of Yangzhou. I have already taken Yecheng. Once Lu Bu's army arrives, we can join forces with Gongsun Zan to attack Yuan Shao from the north and south. Jizhou is in my hands!"

"After pacifying Jizhou, I will take Xuzhou, Yangzhou, Jizhou, and Youzhou, sweep across Qingzhou and Bingzhou, and unify the north. I will follow the example of Emperor Guangwu, and from north to south, I will first take Yanzhou and Yuzhou, and then Jingzhou and Jiangdong. At this point, the world will return to Han territory!"

"Now is the time to recruit people. My dear minister, why don't you write a letter to persuade your brother Xun Yu and nephew Xun You to abandon the dark and join the light? Why do you have to serve the thieves and be loyal to Cao Cao and the false emperor?"

Xun Chen's eyes kept changing.

At this moment, he finally understood.

The emperor had been targeting his brother and nephew from the very beginning.

The most important thing is that after analyzing what the emperor said just now, he felt that there was indeed great potential for improvement.

As long as he occupies the wealthy Jizhou, with the emperor's current power, he can really sweep the world like Emperor Guangwu.

So...how should he choose?

(End of this chapter)