Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 304 Recover the Central Plains and return to the old capital!
"Military situation in Xuzhou?"

Liu Xie's attention was drawn to Lü Bu's words. He was slightly surprised and asked, "Lord Wen, what happened in Xuzhou?"

Since it is military intelligence, it is related to the war.

When it comes to military intelligence, it is naturally closely related to the war.

Since Lu Bu withdrew his troops from Yangzhou, it has become the stage for Cao Cao and Sun Quan to compete. Could it be that they are now eyeing Xuzhou, which is now short of troops?

Lu Bu replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, according to a secret report from Xuzhou, Cao Cao has quietly evacuated Yangzhou, and Sun Quan has assembled a large force on the border of Xuzhou, with a total number of more than 40,000."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers were shocked.

Cao Cao and Sun Quan had been attacking each other for a long time. Now the two sides suddenly stopped fighting, and Cao Cao withdrew his army from Yangzhou. It was obvious that both sides were planning to stop fighting and make peace.

Sun Quan's large-scale deployment of troops on the border of Xuzhou was self-evident in its intention, and he was clearly eyeing Xuzhou covetously.

"When was this news?"

Liu Xie's expression changed slightly and he asked Lu Bu.

Although he is not a military genius, he has experienced the baptism of war and has unique insights into the strategic situation.

The cessation of hostilities between Cao Cao and Sun Quan was not as simple as it seemed.

If the two sides continue to fight and consume each other, it will be beneficial to his cause of moving south.

But now they have chosen to stop the war, and Sun Quan has even ignored Cao Cao and is preparing to attack Xuzhou, which means that there is a deeper understanding and conspiracy between the two sides.

The most important thing is that he only received the news of such a big thing now, and Xu You did not inform him in advance.

"Cao Cao withdrew his troops in the early winter of last year, while Sun Quan quietly deployed his troops on the border of Xuzhou two months ago."

"But they carried out these actions very secretly, and Xuzhou only recently noticed their actions."

Lu Bu reported truthfully that he had just received the news yesterday.

Liu Xie's guess was further confirmed after hearing this, because the early winter of last year was when he captured Hejian County and defeated Yuan Shao.

Cao Cao chose to withdraw his troops after that, probably because he guessed that his next move would be to march south, so he stopped the war with Sun Quan.

The two sides are planning to form an alliance to fight against the imperial court!
Even Liu Xie could see it, let alone the ministers in the court. After hearing what Lu Bu said, everyone was in an uproar.

"Cao Cao and Sun Quan! How dare these two thieves unite to resist the imperial court? This is simply treasonous and audacious!"

"Cao Cao supported the false emperor, and the Sun family secretly kept the imperial seal. They are all rebellious people and should be punished by heaven!"

"Thief! Traitor! Evil thief! Traitor!"

"I beg Your Majesty to reorganize the army and send troops south to destroy these two traitors. We must wipe out their entire clan and not show any mercy!"

"Yes, the whole clan must be exterminated!"

The ministers cursed Cao Cao and Sun Quan.

They all knew what Liu Xie's attitude was towards such rebellious ministers, and the Cao and Sun families had no vested interests with them, so of course they had to quickly take sides and express their stance.

Everyone was even afraid that they wouldn't speak fast enough or would speak too slowly.

Now that the north has been basically pacified, if Cao Cao and Sun Quan continue to fight, the movement of troops southward can be slowed down a bit.

But both sides have stopped fighting and are planning to form an alliance to fight against the imperial court. There is no time to delay and we must send troops to defeat the enemy as soon as possible!
"His Majesty."

When Sima Yi heard that a war was about to be launched, he knew that his chance had come, and he immediately stepped forward and said, "The court now has 80,000 elite soldiers available. We only need to leave 20,000 to guard the Bingzhou Pass, and we can prevent Ma Chao's troops from entering the pass."

"The remaining troops are enough to march south to fight the bandits!"

"I think the 60,000 troops can be divided into two groups."

"We can go down from Qingzhou and go to Xuzhou to attack Sun Quan; we can go in from Yanzhou, passing through Liyang, Baima, Yanjin, Guandu, occupy Yanzhou and go straight to Xu County!"

Since defeating Gao Gan and incorporating all of his troops, the total number of troops available to the court has reached an astonishing 80,000.

It is almost the same as Yuan Shao’s peak period.

Even if we remove the 20,000 troops needed to guard Bingzhou, the remaining number of troops is terrifying enough to support a two-front war!

However, after listening to Sima Yi's words, Cui Yan expressed a different opinion and frowned, saying, "Censor Sima, Yanzhou has the natural barrier of the Yellow River. It may not be appropriate to send troops to Yanzhou."

"Cao Cao dispatched troops to leave Yangzhou, no doubt to guard against the imperial court's troops moving south. He will definitely gather a large number of troops in Yanzhou and rely on the natural barrier of the Yellow River for defense."

"In my opinion, instead of dividing the troops into two groups and advancing simultaneously, it would be better to move all the troops to Xuzhou."

"Xuzhou and Yuzhou are also adjacent to each other. We can then attack Sun Quan on one hand and Yuzhou on the other."

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are natural barriers.

Because of the natural barrier of the Yellow River, it was not easy for troops in the north to move south; because of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, Sun Quan could rely on the land of Jiangdong to resist Lu Bu and Cao Cao.

"No."

Sima Yi was about to explain, but Zhuge Liang shook his head and said to Cui Yan: "I think Sima Yi is right for two reasons."

"First, although Yanzhou has the natural barrier of the Yellow River, it also has many ferry crossings. If Cao Cao intends to defend all the ferry crossings on the Yellow River, it will inevitably disperse his forces. Once one ferry crossing is breached, the entire line will collapse."

"But Guandu is different. Not only is there a dense network of waterways, with the Guandu River as a natural barrier, but the Guandu River also meets the Yingou River in the east, and there is the Putian Lake 200 miles to the southwest. To prevent flooding, many river embankments have been built, making it very difficult to sail or walk."

"If I were Cao Cao, I would only make the Yellow River barrier a secondary line of defense and deploy heavy troops at Guandu."

Cui Yan looked at the young man in surprise and asked curiously, "What about the second reason? What is the second reason?"

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and slowly told his analysis: "Secondly, if we transfer all our troops to Xuzhou, Cao Cao might take the opportunity to go north and take Jizhou directly."

"The imperial court now has more troops than the bandits, so we must not give them any chance to take advantage. We should send two generals to split the troops into two groups, one to attack Cao and the other to attack Sun."

After listening to Zhuge Liang's analysis, Cui Yan nodded silently.

Sima Yi was completely silent.

Because what Zhuge Liang said was exactly what he was thinking, the other party's ideas actually coincided with his!

The focus of this battle was placed on Guandu!

"No wonder His Majesty trusts me so much. I am indeed no ordinary person..."

Sima Yi looked at Zhuge Liang with deep eyes. He felt extremely threatened, but also vaguely happy and excited.

This is his opponent and also his soulmate!
Noticing Sima Yi's gaze, Zhuge Liang also looked at him, gave him a faint smile, and then looked away again.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu on the side also gave their suggestions.

On the basis of dividing the troops into two routes, he had detailed discussions with Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Xie listened to everyone's complete and thorough plan to fight the bandits. With a gleam in his eyes, he stood up and said, "Okay! Then I'll follow your advice and split the troops into two groups and go south to fight the bandits!"

The battle plan was finalized and the generals were excited.

Lu Bu's eyes were shining, and he volunteered to fight: "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to attack Sun Quan and let him know the consequences of defying the imperial court!"

He didn't even take Sun Ce seriously, let alone Sun Quan, who hadn't even grown all his hair yet? And since he had killed Sun Ce, what was the harm in killing Sun Quan as well?

This guy dared to invade Xuzhou while he was away, he is courting death! "Please wait, Lord Wen!"

As soon as Lü Bu finished speaking, Zhang He spoke up to stop him and said sternly, "Why does Lord Wen need to personally take action against Sun Quan?"

After that, he bowed to Liu Xie and asked for permission: "I ask for permission to go to war and attack Sun Quan!"

He is now one of the Nine Ministers, and the situation in the north is stable. He only needs to defend the imperial city and no longer needs to lead troops to fight on the front line himself.

He did not participate in the war in Bingzhou.

But as a military general, he was unwilling to stay behind so early to enjoy wealth and glory. He hoped to kill enemies and achieve great achievements on the battlefield.

"No, you're not."

Liu Xie shook his head and rejected Zhang He's request.

When Zhang He heard this, he thought the emperor did not trust his ability, and he became anxious. He knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty! I am willing to issue a military order to defeat Sun Quan!"

"If you cannot bring Sun Quan's head to me, I will bring my own head to me!"

These words are extremely serious.

Even Lu Bu, who wanted to compete with Zhang He, couldn't help but look sideways and felt a bit of admiration for him.

A real man.

Seeing this, Liu Xie could not help but say helplessly: "Come on, calm down. It's not that I don't trust you, but you are really not suitable to fight against Sun Quan. Besides, I have more important responsibilities for you."

"Your Majesty, do you want me to go and attack Cao Cao?"

Zhang He was delighted because Cao Cao posed a greater threat than Sun Quan, and attacking Yanzhou would be much more difficult than attacking Sun Quan.

"No, it's to guard Bingzhou." Liu Xie gave an answer that surprised Zhang He. "You go to replace Wen Yuan and guard Bingzhou for him. This is the most important thing."

"Let General Wenyuan come to defeat Sun Quan. He is more skilled in this matter. I trust him most."

Do we still need to think about who to use to fight Sun Quan?

Of course, Zhang Liao is a no-brainer!

As the saying goes, "Eight hundred brave warriors marched across the river, and a hundred thousand Wu soldiers returned frightened." Who is more suitable to fight Sun Quan than Zhang Liao?
Natural attribute suppression!

Zhang He was stunned when he heard this. Although he was a little confused, he thought that it was a great blessing from heaven that he could lead an army in Bingzhou alone. How could he dare to ask for more?

"How good is Zhang Liao at fighting Sun Quan?"

"I do not know how?"

Lu Bu was confused. He knew that Zhang Liao was an extraordinary commander of troops, but how could he be good at fighting Sun Quan?

However, Lü Bu was too lazy to think about it and simply put the matter behind him. He said to Liu Xie in high spirits: "Your Majesty, leave the crusade against Cao Cao to me!"

In fact, he was a little dissatisfied with Sun Quan's lack of strength.

But what Cao Cao said was just right.

Let him chew this toughest bone!

"It will be as Lord Wen wishes."

Liu Xie nodded in agreement. This was what he had originally planned. It was safest and most reassuring to let Lu Bu fight Cao Cao.

"The royal army is marching south to defeat the rebels!"

"Recover the Central Plains and return to the old capital!"

Liu Xie's eyes sparkled and he said in a deep voice that he had saved Yuan Shao's life for three more months, and it was time for him to make use of his remaining energy!
"Long live your majesty!"

"The Han Dynasty has been around for ten thousand years——"

All the ministers in the hall bowed down one after another, and cheers came from Tai'an Hall, echoing in the majestic and solemn imperial palace.

……

After the court meeting, Liu Xie returned to Xuanshi.

Then he called Jia Xu over.

"Wenhe, send someone to sneak into Xu County to find out Xu You's current situation and see what happened to him."

This time, when Cao Cao and Sun Quan stopped fighting, negotiated peace, and even formed an alliance, he did not receive any news from beginning to end. This was totally normal.

Because according to past experience, if something like this happened, Xu You would definitely write a letter to report to him as soon as possible.

In addition, he hasn't received a letter from Xu You since the beginning of winter, and now he feels that there is something abnormal about this.

Xu You either betrayed or was exposed, neither of which is good news.

No matter what, we have to send someone to find out.

Jia Xu was a man of quick wit, and naturally guessed the situation on Xu You's side based on today's news, and his eyes couldn't help but flicker slightly.

"Your Majesty, if Xu You rebels..."

"Then kill him." Liu Xie's expression was calm, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.

If Xu You was exposed, he would definitely find a way to rescue him; if he was killed, he would remember Xu You's contribution and treat Xu's family members well.

But if they rebelled, he would never show mercy. At most, he would not implicate Xu You's clansmen because of his previous contributions.

"I understand."

Jia Xu had a clue in his mind, so he bowed and accepted the order, and then said: "Your Majesty, I received an urgent report from the spies in Jingzhou last night. Jingzhou Governor Liu Biao and his son Liu Qi suddenly died of a sudden illness."

"With the support of Cai Mao, Liu Cong was appointed by the false emperor as the new governor of Jingzhou, and he will soon send troops to Yizhou to help Liu Zhang attack Lord Xuande."

Liu Xie's eyes slightly changed, and he frowned and said, "Liu Biao and Liu Qi, father and son, both died of sudden illness? How is that possible?"

In history, Liu Biao lived until the 13th year of Jian'an before he died of illness. Now it is only the 5th year of Jian'an, and there are still eight years before Liu Biao's death!
The key point is that both father and son died of sudden illness at the same time.

There must be something fishy going on here.

Jia Xu said: "According to the information gathered by the spies, the false emperor held a banquet that day and invited Liu Biao and Liu Qi, father and son, to the banquet. Not long after, the father and son died suddenly during the banquet."

"But what's strange is that the death of Liu Biao and his son did not cause much commotion. The next day, the false emperor issued an edict to let Liu Cong take over the title of governor of Jingzhou and Liu Biao's title of Marquis of Weiwu."

"I suspect that this matter is closely related to Cai Mao and others, because not long ago Liu Biao suddenly cancelled the plan to send troops to Yizhou, but after Liu Biao's death, Liu Cong announced the dispatch of troops again."

"This kind of thing is definitely not something Liu Cong can decide on his own."

The situation in Jingzhou was complicated. Liu Biao relied too much on the local powerful families in Jingzhou, which led to the hollowing out of his power. The Cai, Kuai, Huang, Pang and other families dominated everything.

How could Liu Cong, a young son who had just succeeded to the throne, decide whether to send troops to attack Liu Bei?

There is no need to think about it. There must be some aristocratic families behind it, so the death of Liu Biao and his son would be very suspicious.

(End of this chapter)