Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 230 Yuan Xi and Yuan Tan, brothers in love

Yangzhou, Lu Bu’s central military camp.

Lu Bu gulped down half a jar of wine, threw it heavily on the ground, and cursed:
"Zhou Yu, you are the most cunning person in the world!"

These days, he challenges seven or eight times a day.

In order to encourage Zhou Yu to go out of the city to fight, they cursed Zhou Yu and Sun Quan's ancestors for eighteen generations.

But Zhou Yu remained silent and retreated inside the city.

Who would have thought that just this morning, Zhou Yu, who had been hiding in the city, actually attacked the camp.

Even though he quickly quelled the night attack, he still lost hundreds of men.

Chen Gong, who was standing by, said with a face full of fear: "General, I have told you many times that Zhou Yu should not be underestimated. You think he is hiding in the city because he is afraid of you, but in fact he is showing weakness to the enemy so that you can let down your guard."

"Fortunately, the general has not forgotten my words and has arranged patrols. Otherwise, if the food and supplies were burned, the consequences would be disastrous."

Lü Bu shook his head in annoyance, stared at Chen Gong with his bull eyes, and asked:
"Gongtai, Zhou Yu is a cowardly man, what should I do?"

Chen Gong also felt how difficult Zhou Yu was.

If it were Sun Ce, how could he tolerate Lu Bu's provocation and insults? He would have left the city early to fight.

He even had an absurd idea that killing Sun Ce would not weaken Jiangdong, but strengthen it instead!

The Jiangdong army led by Zhou Yu was actually more difficult to deal with than the Jiangdong army led by Sun Ce.

After thinking for a long time, Chen Gong still couldn't think of a way to break the deadlock.

Zhou Yu was defending the city, he really had no other options.

Finally, he could only sigh and say, "We have to attack by force."

"However, the general only has so few troops under his command. Not to mention whether a strong attack is feasible, even if we succeed, we will suffer heavy losses. It is indeed not worth it."

When Lu Bu heard this, he became furious.

"This won't work, and that won't work either. When will this general be able to capture Yangzhou?"

Chen Gong shook his head. Ever since Lu Lingqi entered the palace, Lu Bu has gone crazy.

In the past, all I thought about every day was fine wine and beautiful women.

But now, my mind is full of achieving success and expanding territory.

Just when Lu Bu was about to vent his frustration and anger, Gao Shun walked in holding an imperial edict.

"General, His Majesty's secret order."

Lu Bu quickly calmed down and took the secret order from Gao Shun.

After carefully reading the contents of the secret decree, his face was suddenly filled with worry.

Seeing this, Chen Gong hurriedly asked, "General, what order did His Majesty issue?"

Lu Bu handed the secret order to Chen Gong and said worriedly, "Gongtai, is it because I have been unable to defeat the Jiangdong army that Your Majesty is dissatisfied?

That is why your majesty ordered me to abandon Yangzhou, gather all the troops under my command, station them in Langya, and wait for the right time to capture Qingzhou."

After reading the secret decree, Chen Gong's face showed great joy.

"Your Majesty is truly courageous!"

"But giving up a few counties in Yangzhou in exchange for Qingzhou is a very good deal."

"General, His Majesty is doing this because he values ​​you!"

"If you capture Qingzhou, Xuzhou and Qingzhou will be connected, and you can help Your Majesty recover the entire Jizhou at any time."

"Once Your Majesty recovers Jizhou, you will be able to achieve hegemony and revive the Han Dynasty."

After Chen Gong's analysis, Lu Bu asked expectantly:

"In other words, as long as this general can capture Qingzhou, Your Majesty will be able to unify the world?"

Chen Gong deduced the strategic arrangements in the secret decree in his mind.

The two armies of Xiliang attacked Bingzhou, the troops of Yecheng went out in full force to capture the entire Jizhou, and Lu Bu's troops attacked Qingzhou.

In Youzhou, Yuan Shao also had to face the remnants of Gongsun Xu and the Black Mountain Army hiding in the mountains.

As long as Qingzhou is captured, Yuan Shao will be in a difficult situation.

Chen Gong looked at Lu Bu, who was full of expectation, nodded, and said, "That's right."

After hearing this, Lu Bu's face was cleared of the gloom caused by his fear of Zhou Yu's unfavorable situation, and he said excitedly:

"It just so happens that Zhou Yu is so treacherous and cunning that it will be difficult to defeat him in a short period of time. I will send out 100,000 troops in the future and see how he retreats!"

As Lu Bu spoke, he slammed the table and shouted:

"Pass on my order, reorganize the entire army and deploy them to Langya!"

……

Taihang Mountains, a garrison of the Black Mountain Army.

Zhang Yan jumped up from the table with excitement on his face, looking at his confidant who came to report in disbelief.

"Li Laosan, is he really an angel? Did you hear me right?"

Li Laosan, who was short in stature and had a pointed face, nodded repeatedly.

"You heard it right. He claimed to be an angel from Yecheng, and came here to read the emperor's decree."

After confirming again and again that the visitor was indeed an angel, Zhang Yan was so excited that he could hardly control himself. He ordered Zhang Laosan to bring the angel in and then walked around the table.

He kept muttering to himself: "Why did the emperor give me an imperial decree? Could it be that I burned Yuan Shao's food a few days ago, and the ability of the Black Mountain Army has caught the emperor's attention?"

"Does the emperor want to recruit me?"

"Should I bathe and change my clothes when I meet the Emperor's messenger?"

"No, it's too late. I have to go out and greet them myself. Those assassins are all peasants. It would be bad if they bump into the angels."

Zhang Yan put on armor to make himself look as mighty as possible, then ran out in a hurry.

Not long after walking out of the central army camp, I saw Li Laosan respectfully leading a man in gorgeous clothes towards me.

"Chief, I brought you the angel."

When Li Laosan saw Zhang Yan, he immediately made a face that made Zhang Yan want to chop him to death.

How can you call yourself the leader when you are in front of an angel!

He was the General of the Central Army who was officially appointed by the imperial court to pacify the rebellions, and he deserves to be called a general!
If we had not invaded Hanoi in a fit of rage, we would have been enjoying a peaceful life now. Why would we continue to hide in the Taihang Mountains and become bandits?

Now that the angel has arrived, he dare not be negligent.

He immediately walked forward with a smile on his face.

"I didn't know the angel was coming, and I failed to welcome him from afar."

The angel looked Zhang Yan up and down and asked, "Are you Zhang Yan, the leader of the Black Mountain Army?"

Zhang Yan: “Exactly.”

The angel nodded, took out the imperial edict, and said solemnly: "Zhang Yan, accept the edict!"

Zhang Yan hurriedly called out to the brothers around him, and a group of people paid homage to the imperial edict.

The angel read: "Imperial edict to the Censor: I heard that Zhang Yan rose from the grass roots, but never forgot his ambition to serve his country. I hereby appoint Zhang Yan as General Pingbei, and let him lead the Black Mountain Army to contain the traitor Yuan Shao. If Yuan Shao cannot capture Ji County before winter comes, he will be granted the title of Marquis of Anguoting. If he can defeat the enemy army and kill 10,000 heads, he will be granted the title of Marquis of Anguoxiang. If he kills 30,000 heads, he will be granted the title of Marquis of Zhending County."

After the imperial edict was read, Zhang Yan's breathing suddenly became rapid and his eyes turned bloodshot and red.

More than ten years ago, he first surrendered to the imperial court and then invaded Henei. Ever since he was repelled by Zhu Jun, he wanted to slap himself a few times whenever he thought about it.

He was a good general in charge of the Pingnan Rebellion, but he had to rebel. For more than ten years, he had been hiding in the Taihang Mountains and suffered a lot.

Now that the imperial court has again offered him amnesty, he is overjoyed.

However, what made him even happier was that the emperor not only appointed him as General Pingbei, but even promised him a title!

Behead 30,000 people and become the Marquis of Zhending County!
County Marquis, this is a title he dared not even dream of!
And his fiefdom is still in his hometown Zhending, Changshan!

If I get this title, it will not only bring honor to my family.
The angel smiled at Zhang Yan, who was breathing rapidly and had red eyes, and handed the imperial edict to him, saying, "General Pingbei, why don't you accept the edict?"

"Your servant Zhang Yan, I accept your order and thank you for your grace!"

Zhang Yan took the imperial edict respectfully.

The angel completed his mission, refused Zhang Yan's invitation to a banquet, and rode back directly.

After he went far away, the Black Mountain Army's camp instantly exploded.

Everyone looked at Zhang Yan with burning eyes.

Zhang Yan was recruited, which meant they were also recruited!

Sun Qing and Wang Dang came closer and excitedly touched the imperial edict in Zhang Yan's hand.

The two of them chattered while stroking the imperial edict.

Zhang Yan slapped away Sun Qing and Wang Dang's dirty hands, put the imperial edict in his arms, glared at them and shouted, "Don't dirty this general's imperial edict!"

Sun Qing said in a coy voice: "Boss, bah! General, do we count as being recruited by the emperor? We are no longer bandits from now on, right?"

Wang Dang reluctantly turned his eyes away from the imperial edict and said, "General, do you not have to hide in the mountains and forests in the future?"

Seeing the expectant eyes of the two, Zhang Yan nodded heavily and said, "We are no longer bandits, but soldiers of the imperial court! We don't need to hide in the mountains anymore."

"Your Majesty has issued an order to our Black Mountain Army to contain Yuan Shao. We must do this beautifully!"

Zhang Yan said, facing the Black Mountain Army bandits around him, and said loudly:
"In the fourth year of Chuping, the Yuan bandits killed thousands of our brothers in Changshan. This hatred must be avenged. Now that your majesty has issued an order, it is time for us to kill the bandits and repay our country."

"As the saying goes, if you become rich and powerful, don't forget your friends. If I am promoted to a marquis, I will definitely not forget you brothers."

In response to Zhang Yan, there was a wave of cheers.

All the Montenegrin troops were eager to fight.

They have had enough of hiding in the mountains and forests for more than a decade!

They also want to return to the town with their wives and children and live a normal life.

Zhang Yan's mouth curled up, the army's morale is high!
He is determined to get this Marquisate!

It is very difficult to become a county marquis, but if he is lucky and plans carefully, he may become a pavilion marquis or even a township marquis.

"Pass the order down, order all the troops to gather in Youzhou!"

……

Linzi, Qingzhou, the prefectural government office.

Yuan Tan looked at the intelligence sent by the spy and snorted coldly, "You betrayed your father and courted death. You deserve this fate. It's all your own fault!"

Wang Xiu, his deputy, asked, "General, what is the intelligence? What happened in Yecheng?"

Yuan Tan sneered and said, "My father is about to conquer Youzhou, and it is a foregone conclusion that he will return to Yecheng one day. Zhang Liao saw that the situation was not good, and wanted to take the emperor hostage to Xiapi. Yuan Xi was unwilling to accept this, so he had a falling out with Zhang Liao."

"The spies reported that Yuan Xi was hung on the city gate by Zhang Liao for a day and a night, and was humiliated to the extreme. With the desperate help of the death squad, he escaped from Yecheng like a stray dog."

Wang Xiu's heart moved, knowing that the self-torture trick that Kong Rong had told him about had officially been implemented.

Just as Yuan Tan was gloating over Yuan Xi's misfortune, his personal guard came in to report.

"General, the second young master wants to see you."

Yuan Tan was stunned. Just as he received the information that Yuan Xi had fled Yecheng in a panic, Yuan Xi arrived right after.

But soon, his face turned gloomy.

"He killed his brother and imprisoned his father, yet he dared to come to Qingzhou to see me? Tie him up and send him to Youzhou, and let my father deal with him!"

The personal guard received the order and was about to go down, but was stopped by Wang Xiu.

"General, the Second Young Master is your brother after all. Now he has nowhere else to go and has come to you for help. If you don't take him in, that's fine, but how can you send him to Youzhou?"

"Then the general will be furious and will kill him."

Yuan Tan said unhappily: "Whether he lives or dies, what does it have to do with me?"

Wang Xiu said earnestly, "General, although you didn't kill the second young master, he died because of you! Brothers killing each other will eventually leave a bad reputation. It will also make you a son-killer! Why don't you meet the second young master and see if he has repented before making a decision?"

Yuan Tan didn't want to pay attention to it, but he knew Wang Xiu's character. If he sent Yuan Xi directly to Youzhou, Wang Xiu would definitely keep nagging in his ears.

So he nodded and said to his guards, "Bring him here. I want to see what kind of face he has to come to Qingzhou!"

In less than a cup of tea, Yuan Xi was brought over by the guards.

At this time, he was covered with wounds and looked extremely miserable.

As soon as he saw Yuan Tan, he knelt down before him and burst into tears.

"My younger brother is now desperate, I beg you to take him in!"

Yuan Tan kicked Yuan Xi to the ground and angrily yelled, "You killed my third brother and betrayed my father, how dare you let me take you in?"

Yuan Xi hugged Yuan Tan's thigh and said in great sorrow: "Brother, I have realized my mistake. Please give me a chance to reform for the sake of our close brotherhood."

However, Yuan Tan had no brotherly feelings towards him at all.

He was beaten badly again with fists and kicks.

If Wang Xiu hadn't kept persuading him, he would probably have been beaten to death.

After being severely beaten, Yuan Xi said weakly, "Brother, I have important information that concerns the survival of Qingzhou. I only ask that you take me in."

"Is it related to the survival of Qingzhou?" Yuan Tan frowned and immediately knew that it was related to Zhang Liao and Lu Bu. The anger on his face eased a little and asked, "What is the information?"

Yuan Xi said: "Zhang Liao is worried that he can't defend Yecheng, so for safety reasons, he wants to secretly send the emperor to Xuzhou."

Yuan Tan said expressionlessly: "I already know about this matter, but what does it have to do with the survival of Qingzhou?"

Yuan Xi was stunned, and quickly asked: "Brother, do you know that Lu Bu is going to abandon Yangzhou? Once the emperor arrives in Xuzhou, he will gather all the troops and take the emperor hostage to attack Qingzhou while my father is attacking Ji County?"

Hearing this, Yuan Tan's expression suddenly changed.

He was not afraid of Lu Bu, but if Lu Bu took the emperor hostage and led the army in person, that would be big trouble.

After all, this emperor was supported by his father Yuan Shao.

Forcing the soldiers under your command to point their weapons at the emperor is likely to lead to a mutiny!

Seeing this, Yuan Xi knew that the time had come.

"Brother, I have a plan to resolve the crisis in Qingzhou."

Yuan Tan frowned and asked, "Tell me about it."

Yuan Xi asked, "If Lu Bu cannot force the emperor to lead the army in person, are you still afraid, brother?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tan understood instantly.

Capture the Emperor!

As long as Lu Bu intercepted the emperor before he arrived in Xuzhou, he would have lost his righteousness.

By then, even if he was defeated by Lu Bu, he could hold on until Yuan Shao captured Ji County and led his troops to support him.

-

(PS: I coded two chapters of 9,000 words overnight. It’s late but it’s coming. I will update two more chapters tonight.)
(End of this chapter)