Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 204: Sima Yi devoted himself to the cause, Yuan Benchu ​​awakened in the face of adversity

A streak of blood slowly fell into the river, quietly spread out and blended, flowing eastward along with the endless Ye River.

But some people's lives stop here.

Liu Xie looked at Ju Su, who had already died, and stood there for a long time, feeling mixed emotions.

Ju Su was his enemy, but also the one who changed his destiny.

If he had not met Ju Shou, he would have turned into a handful of earth or become someone else's meal.

Perhaps Ju Su did not expect that the humble refugees he brought into Yecheng on a whim would cost him his life two and a half years later.

“Weakness and ignorance are never obstacles to survival.”

"Arrogance is."

Liu Xie was filled with emotions.

The reason he has reached this point is not because of how powerful his methods are, nor because he is so smart.

His methods and strategies are far from being comparable to those of Ju Shou, Shen Pei and others.

But it was because of the arrogance of Yuan Shao and Ju Su that he was given the opportunity.

Yuan Shao never took him seriously from beginning to end, and only sent two surrendered generals, Zhang He and Gao Lan, to monitor him; although Ju Su was wary of him, he did not regard him as a real threat, and in the final analysis, he still despised him.

Liu Xie would not make the same mistake as them. Once he seized the opportunity, he would be ruthless and would not give any chance, even if it meant using any means.

Therefore, before Ju Su died, he had to squeeze out the last bit of value from him and make him write a letter to persuade Yuan Shao to surrender.

This was his greatest respect for his enemy.

Taking his eyes off Ju Shou, Liu Xie instructed Zhang He who was standing beside him: "Give his body a proper burial...by the bank of the Ye River."

Zhang He respectfully agreed.

Liu Xie turned around and strode away, walking towards Guo Jia and others who were waiting a hundred steps away.

His steps were lighter than ever before, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

There is one less person who knows his identity.

Now, the only people who knew clearly that he was pretending to be the emperor were Yuan Shao and Emperor Xian of Han.

"His Majesty."

Guo Jia came forward and looked at Ju Su, who was kneeling and dying not far away. He could not help but ask, "May I ask your Majesty, what did Ju Su write just now, and why did he suddenly commit suicide?"

Not only Guo Jia, but everyone else present had the same doubts.

They did not hear the conversation between Liu Xie and Ju Shou.

All I saw was Liu Xie grilling fish for Ju Shou and saying something, and then Ju Shou became panic-stricken.

He wrote something, ate some grilled fish and then committed suicide.

What could make Ju Shou, a man who was not afraid of death, so frightened?
Liu Xie shook his head and said calmly, "He and Yuan Shao held me hostage for two and a half years. He felt ashamed and had no face to live in this world, so he committed suicide to apologize."

"As for what he just wrote, it was a letter to Yuan Shao persuading him to surrender."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

Ju Su actually...wrote a letter to persuade Yuan Shao to surrender?
How can this be?

You know, Ju Su was still loyal to Yuan Shao on the city gate tower and would rather die than surrender. How could he change his position so quickly?
Liu Xie was in a very good mood at this time and did not want to continue the topic. He smiled and said, "This great victory caused Yuan Shao to lose many soldiers and generals. It is all thanks to you, my dear ministers."

"Today's weather is quite good, and the scenery here is also nice. How about holding a celebration banquet here? I will personally grill fish for you. Who wants to eat?"

Guo Jia frowned and quietly retreated behind the crowd.

The rest of the people were so scared that they kept shaking their heads.

They watched helplessly as Ju Shou committed suicide after eating a grilled fish. How could the fish grilled by the emperor be so easy to eat?

Xun Chen laughed dryly and said, "Um... Your Majesty, although we have won the battle, we still have many things to deal with. Why don't we return to the palace first and celebrate on another day?"

Cui Yan also said quickly: "That's right! Now we still need to resettle the prisoners and calculate the pensions for the soldiers who died in the battle."

The others avoided Liu Xie's grilled fish, but Yang Xiu's eyes lit up.

What an honor it is to be able to eat fish grilled by the emperor himself?

So, under the horrified gazes of the others, he spoke: "Your Majesty, I want to -"

Before he finished speaking, Sima Yi beside him quickly covered his mouth, stared into his eyes and slowly shook his head: "No, you don't want to."

Yang Xiu's face was full of surprise and doubt. He just wanted to eat the fish grilled by the emperor himself?

What's wrong with him?

Is this what my father meant by the infighting in the officialdom?
"Then let's follow what You Ruo and Ji Gui said and celebrate on another day."

Liu Xie felt quite regretful as he had originally wanted to win over the hearts of the people.

After all, it was the fish grilled by the emperor. Wouldn’t they be very moved?

However, what Xun Chen and Cui Yan said made sense. There are still many things to be dealt with, so the celebration banquet should be held later.

The emperor's procession was set out, Liu Xie sat on the dragon chariot, and led everyone back to the palace.

……

Xuanshi.

After the maid served a bowl of plum soup to the ministers, Liu Xie said, "Since you don't want to eat grilled fish, drink some iced plum soup. This is made by Concubine Zhen herself to cool you down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty——"

All the ministers expressed their gratitude one after another.

Liu Xie drank some plum soup to moisten his throat, and then said, "Yuan Shao lost many soldiers and generals in this battle, and only Qu Yi escaped with 2,000 remaining soldiers."

"My dear ministers, what do you think should be done next? Should we send troops to occupy the entire Wei County, or should we reorganize the troops and remain in Yecheng?"

When Sima Yi heard this, he was immediately inspired.

It's time to show his strategy and let His Majesty know his talents!

He was the first to stand up before anyone else could speak.

"Your Majesty, I have some humble opinions."

"My dear, please feel free to speak." Liu Xie turned to look at Sima Yi, looking forward to his advice.

Although his resentment towards Sima Yi did not diminish, he still felt resentful and cautious.

But this kid is indeed a talent, so he still needs to be used.

In terms of talent, there is no need to target him.

Sima Yi seemed to have a good plan in mind, and said in high spirits: "I think we should send troops to Guangping and Yangping counties at this time."

Liu Xie was slightly surprised and said, "Wei County, where Yecheng is located, has not yet been completely restored to Han territory. Isn't it a bit hasty to rush to send troops to Guangping and Yangping now?"

Before finishing the rice in the bowl, he already set his eyes on the food in the pot.

Moreover, Guangping County and Yangping County are far less prosperous than Wei County.

Sima Yi said confidently: "Your Majesty, Wei County is the largest county in Jizhou, with a large population and richness. We must send troops to occupy it all. However, I think it is not necessary to mobilize a large army to occupy Wei County."

"This great victory fully demonstrates your majesty's military prowess. Your majesty only needs to issue an order, and the major cities in Wei County will surely give up resistance and welcome the royal army into the city."

"Compared to Wei County, which is already in our hands, Guangping County and Yangping County are the most important. These two counties are located in the north of Yecheng, supporting each other and are the natural barriers and defense lines of Yecheng."

"If we don't take these two counties, Yuan Shao can send troops to attack again at any time, and Your Majesty will have no strategic location to defend. This is not a long-term solution."

"Therefore, I think we should send troops to Yangping and Guangping at lightning speed before Yuan Shao can come to his senses."

Sima Yi's analysis was well-reasoned and logical.

After listening to this, Liu Xie was convinced in his heart, but to be on the safe side, he still asked for the opinions of others.

He looked at Guo Jia and others and asked, "What do you think of Zhongda's words?"

If you listen to both, it will be bright, and if you listen to one, it will be dark.

He had a clear understanding of himself. Whether he agreed with Sima Yi's advice or not was not important; the key was the approval of the advisers present.

Guo Jia nodded and said, "What Zhongda said coincides with what I said. Guangping County and Yangping County are of vital importance. The most urgent task is to send troops to Quliang and Guantao to occupy these two important cities."

Xun Chen cupped his hands and said, "I second the motion."

Cui Yan also had no other different opinions.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Liu Xie was relieved and said, "Since this is the case, let's quickly reorganize the troops and restore Guangping County and Yangping County to Han territory."

"In addition, I will issue an imperial decree and send it to all cities in Wei County. Anyone who is unwilling to welcome the royal teacher will be treated as a traitor!"

Although he has not yet reached the point where he can pacify the princes with a single imperial edict, it should not be a problem for him to pacify Wei County where Yecheng is located.

If there are stubborn people who choose to follow Yuan Shao to the end, then let Zhang Liao lead the troops to give them a try.

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers praised one after another.

After deciding on the current strategy, Liu Xie looked at Sima Yi and praised him, "Zhongda has a brilliant mind and good strategies. Having Zhongda is like having an extra arm!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xun Chen, Yang Xiu and Cui Yan all looked envious.

He wished he could replace Sima Yi.

Only Guo Jia tried hard to suppress the upward curve of his lips.

He couldn't remember how many times he had heard such compliments.

However, this was the first time for Sima Yi.

The emperor's praise made him tremble with excitement.

He fell to the ground in tears of gratitude: "I will do my utmost to serve Your Majesty!"

"My dear, please get up quickly."

Liu Xie already had a plan for Sima Yi in mind.

No one can underestimate this boy's wisdom. Although I have some grudges, I still have to give him more work to do.

Such a good tool cannot be wasted.

This guy is very durable and has outlived several generations of the Cao family.

Isn't he supposed to devote himself to the cause? Then let him shine during the time he is loyal to the Han Dynasty.

It would be better to die of exhaustion like Zhuge Liang.

In this case, even if he died ten or twenty years earlier, it is not impossible to give him the posthumous title of Wen Zhong.

After the serious business was concluded, the ministers took their leave.

Liu Xie took out Ju Su's last letter from his bosom and read it over and over again in his hand.

Check whether Ju Shou had any smuggled goods in, and secretly tell Yuan Shao about the various deployments on his side.

Fortunately, Ju Shou had no intention of plotting against him, and there was nothing wrong with the content of the letter.

Basically it means that Yuan Shao is bound to fail and he is hoped to surrender, otherwise the entire Yuan family will be implicated.

Liu Xie read the letter more than ten times before he was completely relieved.

Then he wrote a letter himself and sent it to Yuan Shao together with Ju Su's letter of persuasion.

……

Hejian County.

Yuan Shao, who had fled in a hurry, had just returned to Lecheng County when he received another piece of bad news.

Tian Feng handed him a battle report and said solemnly, "My lord, Gongsun Zan somehow learned that Hejian was empty. After you left, he gathered all his troops and launched a strong attack. Now Gongsun Zan's army has entered Jieqiao."

"In addition, General Yan Liang fell into the enemy's trap and was injured by Zhao Yun, losing 3,000 soldiers. If it weren't for the young master leading the Qingzhou army to arrive in time, I'm afraid he would be in great danger."

Yuan Shao shouted angrily: "A plan to lure the enemy, another plan to lure the enemy!"

The troops in Yecheng were severely damaged because of the strategy of luring the enemy, and here in Hejian, they were defeated because of the strategy of luring the enemy.

Don’t these people know any military strategy? This is the only military tactic they know?
When Tian Feng heard this, he immediately realized that the situation in Yecheng was also in great danger.

He asked quickly, "My lord, why didn't Gongyu come back with you?"

Yuan Shao slammed the table in anger, and said with red eyes: "Cui Yan betrayed me, and Yuan Xi, the rebellious son, actually formed an alliance with Zhang Liao, using Yecheng as bait to lure me into the game."

"Chun Yuqiong died in battle, Han Meng died in battle, and we don't know whether Ju Shou and Qu Yi are alive or dead. We don't know how many of the 15,000 troops will be left."

"What!" Such a heavy loss made Tian Feng's eyes suddenly widen, and his face was full of regret:
"My lord, you should have listened to me earlier and not sent out troops so carelessly! Yecheng is just an isolated city, and the surrounding counties are all under your control. After repelling Gongsun Zan, you only need to take your time and return to Yecheng."

Long before Yuan Shao sent out his troops, Tian Feng had repeatedly advised him against it.

But Yuan Shao was blinded by greed and hatred at the time, and only wanted to recapture Ye City as soon as possible and capture the rebellious son.

Fifteen thousand troops, plus Ju Su and several generals. He felt so heartbroken that he couldn't breathe just thinking about this heavy loss.

Now, after hearing Tian Feng's afterthought, he could not help but become even more angry. He glared at him fiercely and asked:
"Since you think Yecheng is not worth taking for the time being, why didn't you stop me in the first place!"

When Tian Feng heard this, he felt numb all over.

Didn't he stop it?

On the day Yuan Shao sent troops to Yecheng, he almost talked himself dry.

Because of this incident, I was almost thrown into jail!

“Forget it!” Seeing Tian Feng’s aggrieved face, Yuan Shao also knew that he was in the wrong, so he waved his hand and said, “If Yuan Hao has any good ideas in the future, I will listen to them.”

Tian Feng sighed again: "Quliang and Guantao are not far from Yecheng. Now that the lord has been defeated, I'm afraid these two cities can't be saved."

Quliang was the seat of Guangping County, and Guantao was the seat of Yangping County. Losing these two great cities meant basically losing both Guangping and Yangping counties.

How could Yuan Shao not see this result?
His expression became increasingly uglier.

The losses in the battle of Yecheng were too great.

No one expected that Cui Yan would betray him. Yuan Xi and Zhang Liao, who were clearly enemies, actually joined forces to set a trap and used Yecheng as bait to lure him into the game.

What they didn’t expect was that three thousand elite cavalry would appear in Yecheng!
If it weren't for these three thousand cavalry, the army could have retreated safely even if they fell into the trap.

Now, not only have 15,000 troops suffered heavy losses, but even Guangping County and Yangping County are on the verge of being lost.

Yuan Shao could not accept this result at all, and felt a sharp pain in his heart.

But in front of his subordinates, he still couldn't lose face and forced himself to be tough: "Guangping and Yangping are not rich. As long as Qinghe County is not lost, these three counties will return to my hands sooner or later!"

When Tian Feng heard this, he thought Yuan Shao was totally wrong and corrected his wrong view without any hesitation.

"The greatest strategic role of Guangping and Yangping is not their population and money, but the fact that the two counties can support each other and protect Yecheng.

If you want to enter Yecheng from the north, you must pass through Guangping and Yangping. These two counties have fallen into the hands of Yuan Xi and Zhang Liao. It will be difficult for the lord to recapture Yecheng! Difficult! Difficult! "

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing Yuan Shao's psychological defenses.

Those three difficult words made him lose his defense and become angry and embarrassed.

"Yuan Hao, don't let others show off their power and destroy your own ambition! In the past, I was able to capture Jizhou without bloodshed, so how can I not take back Yecheng in the future!"

Tian Feng was about to refute, but he saw that Yuan Shao's face was pale and sick.

She forced herself to swallow the words back when they were on the tip of her tongue, fearing that they would upset him enough to make him sick.

But I sighed in my heart.

Han Fu is timid and cowardly, how can he be compared with Zhang Liao and Yuan Xi?
What's more, there is still an emperor in Yecheng.

Zhang Liao is under Lu Bu's command. For the sake of the emperor, he will definitely defend Yecheng to the death and will never be like Han Fu.

If you want to return to Yecheng without 80,000 troops, it would be a pipe dream.

Putting aside the matter in Yecheng for the time being, Tian Feng said:
"My lord, the most urgent task is to repel Gongsun Zan as soon as possible. Gongsun Zan's repeated attacks have delayed your army, which is tantamount to giving Zhang Liao and Yuan Xi the opportunity to gradually erode the counties of Jizhou. If it is delayed for another year or two, I am afraid that the rear of Jizhou will really be lost on a large scale."

The loss of Yecheng was already extremely unfavorable to Yuan Shao.

Once Guangping County and Yangping County were lost, Yecheng would have a solid barrier.

Yuan Shao would face the crisis of being attacked from all sides.

Yuan Shao took a deep breath, cleared away all the negative emotions in his heart, and said confidently with a gleam in his eyes:

"In the battle of Jieqiao, my soldiers were not as numerous as Gongsun Zan's, and my generals were not as numerous as Gongsun Zan's. But in the end, we defeated his Baima Yicong with a smaller force, and it took him several years to recover."

"Now I have many soldiers and generals, how can Gongsun Zan compare to me?"

Seeing that Yuan Shao had cheered up so quickly, Tian Feng was overjoyed and quickly offered a series of suggestions.

At this time, there was no Ju Su, no Shen Pei, no Xun Chen, no Guo Tu, no Feng Ji, no Xu You, and no Cui Yan around Yuan Shao. It was no longer like before when there were five or six different voices whenever a matter was discussed.

So as not to put him in a difficult decision.

After listening to Tian Feng's suggestions, Yuan Shao thought about it and agreed with them. He felt that his ideas became clearer.

Gongsun Zan is just a mere figure, no problem at all.

He stood up, held Tian Feng's hands, and said excitedly: "Fortunately, I still have Yuan Hao. With Yuan Hao's help, the world is nothing to worry about! Gongsun Zan? Humph! I will make sure he never comes back!"

Tian Feng just felt flattered.

Over the years, he had made countless suggestions to Yuan Shao, but without exception, none of them were adopted.

And it's not just his advice, the same is true for the advice of Ju Su and Shen Pei.

Therefore, although they did not want to admit it in their hearts, they also believed that Yuan Shao was a man who was good at making plans but lacked decision-making.

Unexpectedly, after the loss of many soldiers and generals in Yecheng this time, he changed completely!
For a moment, Tian Feng didn't know whether the defeat in Yecheng was a good thing or a bad thing.

(End of this chapter)