Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 231 Emperor Xian of Han: How is my queen?
In the prefect's mansion, Yuan Tan fell into deep thought.

He knew Yuan Xi's character well.

Compared to his third brother who was naive and unsophisticated, Yuan Xi was more patient, more thoughtful, and more ruthless.

Apart from anything else, he just couldn't do something like killing his brother and imprisoning his father.

Therefore, he felt that there was something strange about Yuan Xi's coming to him and telling him this information.

“How can I believe what you say?”

Yuan Tan narrowed his eyes and looked at Yuan Xi, his eyes full of scrutiny.

"Big brother!"

Yuan Xi's bruised face showed a trace of grief and indignation. "We are brothers whose blood is thicker than water! In my heart, I have always regarded you as my dearest brother! How can you not believe me?"

"The reason why I killed my brother and imprisoned my father was because my father wanted to make my third brother his heir! If my father wanted to make my eldest brother his heir, I would have no complaints and would be willing to serve him as my vanguard!"

Yuan Xi was in tears and looked extremely sincere.

As he spoke, he lifted up his coat, revealing his wounded body. His eyes were fierce and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Zhang Liao is a traitor. He beat me up like this. I wish I could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin!"

"Since I can't monopolize the emperor, I can't let him succeed. I can't let outsiders get away with it!"

The hatred Yuan Xi expressed towards Zhang Liao in his tone did not sound fake.

Or it’s actually true.

Because Zhang Liao really hit him, and the wounds on his body were all real, without any water mixed in. How could he not have any resentment?

When Yuan Tan saw this and combined it with the information sent by the spies, he became more convinced.

Yuan Xi did break with Zhang Liao.

However, compared to the bullshit brotherhood between him and Yuan Xi, or the idea of ​​not wanting to benefit outsiders, he believed that Yuan Xi came to tell him the news out of revenge.

This is consistent with Yuan Xi's vengeful character.

Yuan Tan asked, "When does Zhang Liao plan to take the emperor away from Yecheng? Do you know his specific marching route?"

"Of course I know!" Yuan Xi nodded heavily and said directly: "Brother, you may not guess that Zhang Liao is worried that Yecheng will not be able to be defended, but he is unwilling to give up the three counties he conquered in Jizhou."

"So he did not send a large army to escort the emperor across the border, but instead sent a small team to secretly abduct the emperor and take him to Xia Pi."

"And right now, the team escorting the emperor has arrived in Dongguan County!"

Yuan Xi once again released a bombshell piece of news, which made Yuan Tan unable to remain calm anymore.

"What?" Yuan Tan's face was filled with shock, and he said in disbelief: "The emperor is in Qingzhou? In Dongguan County? Are you kidding me?"

He really couldn't believe it.

The emperor is actually right under his nose?
how can that be!

"How dare I joke with my elder brother?"

Yuan Xi said with a grin, accidentally touching the wound, which made him grimace in pain, but he still endured the pain and spoke sarcastically.

"Zhang Liao thought he had concealed this matter very well, but in fact, I already knew everything through the spy buried beside him!"

"According to the information given to me by my insider, as long as the emperor arrives safely in Xuzhou, Lü Bu, who is stationed at the border of Xuzhou, will immediately respond and launch a large army to attack Qingzhou."

"And by then, Zhang Liao will also raise his troops to respond. The two armies will attack together to seize Qingzhou, and then march north to capture the entire Jizhou!"

Yuan Xi laid out the entire plan.

After hearing this, Yuan Tan was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat.

He originally thought that Zhang Liao would mobilize all his troops to escort the emperor through Qingzhou.

Who would have known that while Zhang Liao was worried about not being able to defend Ye City, he was actually so greedy that he was not only unwilling to give up Yangping County, Guangping County and Wei County, but he was also thinking about the entire Jizhou!
At this time Zhang Liao did the opposite, openly repairing the plank road while secretly passing through Chencang. If he really succeeded and secretly abducted the emperor to Xuzhou, Qingzhou would be in real danger!
Lu Bu held the emperor hostage and led the army into battle in person. The mere thought of this scene is chilling.

Seeing Yuan Tan's panicked expression, Yuan Xi continued to strike while the iron was hot and said, "Brother, the emperor has not left Qingzhou yet. This is the best opportunity to intercept him. We must not miss it!"

"Brother, if you don't believe me, why not send someone to find out about Lu Bu's situation and see if he has deployed troops on the border of Xuzhou."

The self-torture tactic is only the first layer of insurance.

If Yuan Tan wants to truly believe that the emperor is in Dongguan County, Lu Bu's movements are the best evidence.

Yuan Tan's expression changed for a moment. After a moment, he reached out and helped Yuan Xi up from the ground. He said unhappily, "Xianyi, what are you talking about? You and I are brothers. How could I doubt you?"

"Although you have made a big mistake before, don't worry, as long as you successfully capture the emperor this time, I will definitely ask my father to commend you and let you atone for your sins."

"Brother and you are connected in heart!"

Although Yuan Xi didn't care in his heart, he showed a touching expression on his face, and said with tears in his eyes: "Brother, you are so good to me... I really know I was wrong."

As she said this, she lay down in Yuan Tan's arms and burst into tears.

Yuan Tan patted Yuan Xi on the back and sighed, "My foolish brother, why are we talking so differently from each other? It's a good thing to admit your mistakes and correct them."

"Okay, you're seriously injured. Go down and find the doctor to treat your injuries, then have a good rest."

"I'll visit you tomorrow."

Yuan Xi nodded repeatedly and left the hall with his guards.

As soon as he left, Yuan Tan immediately calmed down and said to Wang Xiu, "Shuzhi, send someone to find out the situation in Xuzhou and see if Lü Bu has really deployed troops on the border as Yuan Xi said."

Naturally, he would not completely trust Yuan Xi.

Be sure to verify it yourself.

If Lu Bu really deployed his troops on the border, it would mean that Yuan Xi's words were highly credible, but if not, it would mean that Yuan Xi was lying to him.

"promise."

Wang Xiu bowed and accepted the order.

……

Dongguan County, deep in the mountains.

Cao Xing hid here with five hundred soldiers.

In order to facilitate crossing the border and keep a low profile, they disguised themselves as traveling merchant caravans to avoid the Qingzhou army patrolling back and forth so that they could pass through the major passes.

But with the increasing frequency of troop movements in Qingzhou recently, even merchant caravans would be subject to strict inspections, so they could only temporarily suspend their journey and hide in the mountains.

This hiding lasted for more than half a month.

During this period, Wang Chong, who was sent by Cao Xing to Yecheng to report the situation to the emperor, also returned and conveyed Liu Xie's will.

"General, His Majesty has ordered that if the fake emperor can be escorted to Yecheng, then escort him. If he cannot be escorted or his whereabouts are exposed, then try to attract Yuan Tan to search for him, disperse Yuan Tan's forces, and cooperate with His Majesty to use the fake emperor as bait to recapture Qingzhou."

"During this period, if we find that the false emperor dares to escape, or if the team is besieged by Yuan Tan and cannot escape, the false emperor will be killed immediately!"

Wang Chong relayed Liu Xie's order truthfully.

Cao Xing looked at the imperial edict in his hand with a complicated expression.

He knew in his heart that the bait was not just the fake emperor.

They are also bait.

In Qingzhou, if his whereabouts were exposed and Yuan Tan's army attacked him, it would be tantamount to death.

Regardless of whether the emperor can recapture Qingzhou, these five hundred people will probably die in the end.

“Alas…” Cao Xing couldn’t help but sigh, but soon his expression became resolute, and he said to Wang Chong: “Go gather all the brothers together, I want to say a few words.”

"promise!"

Wang Chong clasped his fists and accepted the order, then hurriedly left the tent.

Soon, all the people in the escort team gathered outside the tent, no more, no less.

"brothers!"

Cao Xing looked at the five hundred people standing solemnly in front of him and said in a deep voice, "We are now trapped in the mountains. It is extremely difficult to safely escort the false emperor to Yecheng."

"I just received an order from His Majesty. I will not hide it from you brothers. We are in a life-or-death situation now!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was some commotion among the soldiers.

But no one raised any questions.

Cao Xing raised the imperial edict in his hand and said to the soldiers: "As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger!"

"Your Majesty's order is here. As long as we can complete the order this time, those who survive will be directly awarded the title of Duke! A reward of 100 gold!"

"If we die, the court will support our families and provide a large amount of pensions, and our descendants can directly join the Yulin Guard!"

The Han Dynasty still followed the system of twenty military merit titles.

Starting from the seventh level Gong Daifu, it is already considered a high title, and Gongcheng is the eighth level of title. Under normal circumstances, one must accumulate a lot of military merits and escape death on the battlefield many times to have the hope of obtaining this title.

But now, as long as you complete the mission and survive, you can be directly granted the title!
And you can also get a reward of 100 gold!
As for the later opportunity of allowing one's offspring to enter the Imperial Guard directly, it is an incomparable honor, even higher than the reward of a title!
Born as a Yulin Lang who served in the Han Dynasty!
Liu Xie knew how dangerous the mission these 500 men were responsible for, so he did not make big promises but gave them the benefits directly.

Title, money, support for family, and future for offspring!
For these soldiers who have risked their lives, no passionate words of encouragement can be as tempting as tangible benefits.

Therefore, after Cao Xing finished talking about the reward, the 500 soldiers present threw all their fears behind them and became ecstatic!

"Done! Done!"

"Your Majesty, do you want us to kill Yuan Tan?"

"Yulin Guards, if my son can get in, it will be worth it even if I die! This will bring honor to our family!"

"Being a soldier means putting your head on your waist. There's nothing to be afraid of!"

Many soldiers were like they were given an injection of chicken blood. They shouted and screamed in excitement to the extreme and couldn't wait to start action.

"quiet!"

Cao Xing frowned and shouted coldly, his face stern, "Your Majesty has entrusted us with an important task and we cannot allow any mistakes. Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be executed!"

"promise!"

All the soldiers responded loudly.

Not far away, Emperor Xian of Han and Dong Cheng were tied to a tree. They could not hear what Cao Xing said to the soldiers, but they could see the soldiers' excitement. They couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Why are they so happy? Could it be that Yuan Tan has let down his guard and they are planning to continue their journey?"

Emperor Xian of Han said with a look of horror.

These days, he learned about their current situation through the soldiers' chatting. Because Yuan Tan was mobilizing troops everywhere, they had to hide in the mountains.

He was happy about this because as long as he didn't reach Yecheng, he could survive.

But now seeing the excitement of the soldiers, he began to doubt whether these people would continue to escort him to Yecheng.

Dong Cheng snorted coldly, "It doesn't matter whether you die early or late. When you dared to pretend to be the emperor, you should have been prepared to die. Why are you afraid only now?"

"If you had listened to me and went to Jingzhou, we wouldn't have ended up like this. Who can be blamed for all this?"

Emperor Xian of Han turned pale and remained silent.

He has actually been regretting this for some time.

If he had gone to Jingzhou at the beginning, even if Liu Biao was not loyal and his throne was taken away, his life would not be harmed and he would not become a prisoner.

But it's too late to regret now.

Thinking of this, Emperor Xian of Han felt a strong sense of grievance in his heart, and at the same time he missed Empress Fu more and more.

"I wonder how the Queen is doing now, whether she has fallen into the hands of Cao... Queen, I am sorry for not taking you with me when I left."

Emperor Xian of Han closed his eyes in pain.

He just hoped that Empress Fu would be safe and sound.

……

Linzi, the prefectural government.

Wang Xiu walked into the hall and reported to Yuan Tan: "Sir, I have investigated clearly. At present, Lu Bu has completely withdrawn from Yangzhou, and 20,000 troops are gradually being transferred to Langya!"

When Yuan Tan heard this, his expression suddenly changed.

At this moment, there was no doubt in his mind.

Because everything is the same as Yuan Xi said!
This also means that it is very likely true that Zhang Liao sent a small team to quietly enter Qingzhou and secretly abducted the emperor to Xuzhou!

"Zhang Liao, what a great Zhang Liao!" Yuan Tan's eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help but sneer, "You took the initiative to send the emperor to my door, so I will accept this great gift!"

Now that it has been confirmed that Yuan Xi did not lie, he naturally would not remain indifferent.

Zhang Liao and Lu Bu attacked Qingzhou from both sides, and he was unable to resist them, but he could still hold on until Yuan Shao came to support him.

But once the emperor arrived in Xuzhou, Lu Bu would hold the emperor hostage and lead the army in person, and even if he had 20,000 troops, he would not be able to resist.

Once the war broke out, it was foreseeable that the army would suffer a crushing defeat and it would be impossible for them to hold out until Yuan Shao came to their rescue.

The only way to break the impasse right now is to capture the emperor.

Yuan Tan immediately ordered Wang Xiu: "Shuzhi, write a letter to my father immediately and ask him to lead troops to rescue Qingzhou as soon as possible!"

"Also notify Jiang Qi and Lu Kuang to lead 10,000 troops to disperse around Dongguan County and search every city and mountain to find the emperor!"

"Yes, General!"

Wang Xiu was secretly delighted and took the order and left.

Yuan Tan ordered the troops to disperse and search everywhere, which made it impossible for the troops to be concentrated. They had already fallen into a trap!
……

Beihai County, a private residence.

Taishi Ci walked quickly into the study and said to Kong Rong, "Grandmaster, Wang Biejia sent a letter saying that Yuan Tan had fallen into a trap and began to mobilize 10,000 troops to gather in Dongguan County to search for the false emperor."

"We can prepare to launch an army response."

Kong Rong has secretly returned to Beihai County under the escort of Taishi Ci. During this period of time, he has been secretly contacting various forces, and used his own reputation and the order given to him by Liu Xie to successfully gather an army.

Although there are only two thousand people, it is completely enough.

Because their purpose was just to create chaos and cooperate with Lu Bu and the troops sent from Yecheng.

Kong Rong nodded and said, "Ziyi, keep an eye on the movements of Yuan Tan's army. If a war breaks out, we will respond immediately."

Taishi Ci said with a resolute look: "Don't worry, Taichang, I will definitely hold back a group of Yuan Tan's troops and create an opportunity for Your Majesty to defeat Yuan Tan's army!"

After saying that, he turned around and strode out of the study.

Kong Rong watched Taishi Ci leave and couldn't help but let out a long breath. He cast his gaze at the letter on the table with a burning look in his eyes.

We will conquer Qingzhou in one battle!
(End of this chapter)