The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 106 You are a descendant of the royal family, so you are definitely not as good as me.
Facing Yuan Shu's refusal to allocate grain, Shu Shao argued:
"There have been wars in the past two years, and the people are restless."

"If this continues for a long time, it might just cause trouble."

Yuan Shu was furious when he heard this:
"I am thinking about the whole world, why should I care about the common people?"

"When I conquer Guangling and recover Xuzhou, I will naturally show favor to the people."

"What's the harm if they just bear with it now?"

While they were arguing, they suddenly heard a commotion outside the hall.

A cavalryman covered in blood stumbled in and fell in front of Yuan Shu.

All the civil and military officials were surprised and speculated which front this cavalryman belonged to.

No matter which way you go, you will definitely lose miserably.

Yuan Shu's face suddenly changed, he stood up and asked:

"Where did you come from, and why are you so embarrassed?"

The cavalryman burst into tears and wept:

"General, Guan Yu launched a surprise attack on Zhongli, and our army was caught off guard!"

"Zhongli, Zhongli... Zhongli has been lost!"

what! ?

There was an immediate uproar in the lobby.

"Hey, what did I say? What did I say at the beginning?"

"Zhongli is an important town in Jiujiang. Once Zhongli is lost, the northern gate of Jiujiang will be wide open."

"At the beginning, I said that you shouldn't be allowed to lead the troops. You are young and have never experienced war. How can you be responsible for such an important task?"

"..."

The civil and military officials were whispering and blaming each other.

They all felt that the loss of Zhongli had nothing to do with them.

Who would that have to do with?
Yuan Shu in the hall had a gloomy face. If the loss of Zhongli has nothing to do with you, then it has something to do with me?

"What about Yao'er!?"

Yuan Shu asked the most crucial question.

As the only son in the family, Yuan Yao’s safety is more important than Zhongli’s defense line.

"Young Master, Young Master...Young Master is fighting bravely in Zhongli."

"But he was ultimately defeated by Guan Yu, and was hit by a stray arrow while fleeing, leaving him seriously injured."

hiss……

Yuan Shu sucked in a breath of cold air and fell to the ground, feeling as if the whole world was frozen in time.

"Yao'er, it's your father who is sorry for you..."

Yuan Shu rubbed his temple in annoyance.

But this is not the end yet, the knight continued to speak.

"After we rescued the young master, we went to Yinling first and asked a local doctor to treat him."

"How about it?"

Yuan Shu asked hurriedly.

The knight spoke in a lower voice, lowered his head, and said:
"People say that the doctor is well-trained and can cure all kinds of diseases."

"But the young master's injury was not treated for a long time. When the doctor came, he was only one breath left."

"…Finally, he died."

boom!
Yuan Shu was struck by lightning, and the muscles on his face froze in astonishment.

"Yao'er!"

Yuan Shu's eyes went dark, he felt dizzy and fell to the ground in a faint.

The civil and military officials cried out in surprise and rushed forward to rescue him.

There was an uproar and chaos in the lobby.

After a while, the doctor came hurriedly and gave Yuan Shu a few injections before waking him up.

"How dare a mat weaver and shoe seller, a country bumpkin, be so rude!"

"...cough cough cough!"

Veins popped up on Yuan Shu's face, he was furious and gritting his teeth.

He wished he could eat Liu Bei and Li Yi, the king and his minister, alive.

All the civil and military officials of the Yuan family in the court were filled with fear.

Originally, the fight between the Yuan and Liu families was nothing more than a fight for territory.

It hasn't reached the point of life and death hatred.

Unexpectedly, Prince Yuan Yao died heroically on the battlefield. He was the only son in Yuan Shu's family.

I'm afraid that the Yuan family and Liu Bei will fight to the death.

Although everyone was saddened by Yuan Yao's death, on the other hand, they also realized that this was a good opportunity to make a contribution.

Ji Ling stepped forward and said loudly:
"General Hou, I am willing to be the vanguard and attack Xuzhou."

"Revenge for the young master!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several generals stepped out from the crowd.

They all volunteered to fight, hoping to avenge Yuan Yao.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

Yuan Shu shouted loudly, and the originally noisy hall suddenly became silent.

call……

Yuan Shu let out a long sigh, widened his eyes, and spoke in a cold and frosty tone:

"Everyone, please be patient. I have a plan to get rid of Liu Bei."

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu behaved very calmly at the moment when he should have been most panicked.

Everyone thought that Yuan Shu wanted to mobilize all the troops in Huainan to seek revenge on Liu Bei.

I didn't expect that he could calm down and think of countermeasures.

"I wonder what clever plan the rear general has?"

Everyone hurriedly asked.

Yuan Shu had a blank expression on his face as he stroked his goatee indifferently.

"Lü Bu and Cao Cao have been fighting in Yanzhou for a year."

"Judging from the current situation, Lü Bu is definitely no match for Cao Cao."

"After his defeat, he has nowhere to go. I want to recommend him as the governor of Runan and order him to station troops in Runan to threaten Liu Bei's flank."

"This is the so-called strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf."

Yuan Shu controlled Yuzhou remotely, and Runan was his subordinate force.

The current Ru'nan prefect, Sun Xiang, was appointed by Yuan Shu.

But this person is actually a relative of Sun Jian and a cousin of Sun Ce.

Although Yuan Shu appointed him as the governor of Runan, he was actually imprisoned in Shouchun.

The purpose was to prevent Sun Ce from leading his troops outside and being out of control.

"No, General Hou."

"Lü Bu is a wicked man with great ambitions. It is difficult to keep him for long. If we keep him in Runan now, I am afraid that we will suffer from his harm."

Many people opposed the proposal to welcome Lu Bu into Runan.

But Yuan Shu waved his hand, looking confident:

"No, although Lu Bu is erratic, he is brave but not wise, and is just a hero."

"I will welcome him to Runan, which will be a good opportunity to threaten Liu Bei's Pei State."

"Lü Bu relies on the various tribes in Yanzhou. If he leaves Yanzhou, he will lose his support."

"Come to Yuzhou, you can only rely on me."

"I will use him to attack Liu Bei, and he will have no choice but to obey."

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu, who was extremely sad, displayed his lifelong talents.

He had a thorough understanding of the Yanzhou issue.

What is Lu Bu’s greatest reliance in Yanzhou?
They are the noble families of Yanzhou!
Zhang Miao and Chen Gong took the initiative to welcome Lu Bu into Yanzhou, and all major counties and prefectures rose up against Cao Cao.

Lu Bu's army was recruited for him by Chen Gong and others in Yanzhou, and the food was provided by all the noble families.

All that Lu Bu relied on came from these aristocratic families.

Once Lu Bu lost, he was driven out of Yanzhou.

Then he would lose his greatest reliance.

By then, when he comes to Runan like a dog, who can he rely on?
Only Yuan Shu!

Runan is Yuan Shu's hometown. Yuan Shu has a great influence and strong control over this place.

Therefore, he was very confident that when he welcomed Lu Bu into Runan, he could keep him firmly under his control.

Immediately, Yuan Shu sent an envoy to Yanzhou overnight.

……

Yangzhou, Yuzhang. At this time, Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou, was looking at the river, feeling uneasy.

"...Huh, what a great guy, Sun Bofu, he really has the style of his father."

Because Sun Ce had boldly bypassed Moling and launched a surprise attack on Qu'a, Liu Yao suffered a disastrous defeat.

They had to withdraw their troops and flee to Yuzhou to rest temporarily.

"Zhengli, it's cold at night. Why are you coming to the river instead of going to sleep?"

A voice came from behind him.

Liu Yao did not turn around, but replied calmly:
“I’m just wondering what’s next.”

"Wang Lang, the governor of Kuaiji, is a close friend of mine. I want to go to Kuaiji. What do you think?"

The person who was talking to Liu Yao was Xu Shao, a famous scholar from Runan.

He was a famous character critic in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and his most famous work was his evaluation of Cao Cao.

——A capable minister in a peaceful era and a treacherous hero in a chaotic era.

Then he founded the famous Yuedanping, which commented on local figures and became popular in the Han Dynasty.

Tao Qian, the former governor of Xuzhou, once treated Xu Shao as a distinguished guest, but Xu Shao believed that Tao Qian could not accomplish anything, so he went to Yangzhou to join Liu Yao.

Liu Yao had a very good relationship with Xu Shao and almost always followed Xu Shao's advice, so Xu Shao was happy to assist him.

However, although Xu Shao was talented, he, like Liu Yao, was mixed in the circle of scholars and had a strong class concept.

Historically, when Taishi Ci joined Liu Yao's army, many people suggested that Liu Yao appoint Taishi Ci as a general.

Liu Yao said:

"If I use Taishi Ci, won't General Xu laugh at me?"

In the eyes of the royal family's children, Taishi Ci was just an errand boy.

If he were used, he would become a laughing stock in the scholar circle.

"Kuaiji is rich and prosperous, which is exactly what Sun Ce covets."

"Besides, it is at the edge of the sea, and it is impossible to go there."

"Now Yuzhang is connected to Yuran in the north and Jingzhou in the west."

"If you can gather the officials and people and send envoys to make peace with Cao Yanzhou, even if Yuan Gonglu is in the way."

"This person is a money-grubber and cannot last long."

Xu Shao strongly recommended Liu Yao to stay in Yuzhang to develop, and suggested that he make friends with Cao Cao.

On the one hand, it was because he had an old relationship with Cao Cao.

Before Cao Cao became successful and famous, he prepared generous gifts and humbly asked Xu Shao to be his advisor.

On the other hand, there are political needs.

Liu Yao was Yuan Shu's mortal enemy. In the so-called dispute between the two Yuans, he made friends with one of them.

Since he had already offended Yuan Shu, the only thing he could do was to make friends with Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao was far away in Hebei, making it inconvenient to travel there.

But he can also find his agent in the Central Plains, Cao Cao.

Making friends with him is equivalent to making friends with Yuan Shao.

"I heard that Cao Mengde was deeply involved in the civil strife in Yanzhou. How could he have the time to care about Yangzhou?"

Xu Shao smiled slightly:
"Zhengli's words are wrong."

Because the two had a close personal relationship, Xu Shao always called Liu Yao by his pen name in private.

"Lü Bu is brave but has no strategy. His defeat is certain. He will be defeated by Cao Yanzhou soon."

Liu Yao frowned but did not respond.

He stared at the river in a trance for a long time before he spoke:
"Right now, Yuan Gonglu and Liu Xuzhou are fighting in Guangling. Whoever wins or loses between the two will definitely not be a good thing for Yangzhou..."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Xu Shao noticed that Liu Yao seemed to have something else in mind, so he asked quickly.

"What I mean is that both of them have the ambition to conquer Jiangnan. We must make a choice before they decide the winner."

It turned out that Liu Yao was considering the issue of taking sides.

If Liu Yao had not suffered a setback in Qu'a before, he would never have been forced into such a predicament.

"What I mean is that Liu Xuande is kind-hearted and wise, and we are from the same royal family."

"Do you think we can form an alliance with him and fight against Yuan Shu together?"

Xu Shao suddenly realized that Liu Yao had set his sights on Liu Bei.

In fact, in addition to Liu Bei, Liu Yao also had a good relationship with Liu Biao.

Liu Yao obviously trusted the royal family members more, and he confided to Xu Shao what was in his heart.

"Liu Jingsheng and Liu Xuande are both relatives of the Han Emperor."

"I am the governor of Yangzhou appointed by the imperial court, and I am under the king's command."

"If there was an emergency in Yangzhou, would Jingsheng and Xuande stand by and watch?"

"Even if we don't send troops to help, we should at least provide financial aid."

Xu Shao was silent for a while, then he slowly opened his mouth and said:
"Liu Jingsheng is a kind man. I expect he will come to help Yangzhou."

"But I have never met Liu Xuzhou. Although I know his name, I don't know who he is."

"Two years ago, I heard that Liu Xuande came to Beihai to help. This was a chivalrous act."

"If he can pacify Xuzhou within a year, I think he will be a great man."

"Since Zhengli thinks so highly of him, why not send an envoy to the front line of Guangling first?"

"Find out what Liu Bei has to say."

Xu Shao agreed with Liu Yao's proposal to make friends with Liu Bei.

The enemy of the enemy is the friend.

The two Liu bosses have a common enemy, Yuan Shu. If the two families can really join forces, they can deal with Yuan Shu together.

Isn’t it a beautiful thing?
In fact, one of the important reasons why Liu Yao dared to form an alliance with Liu Bei was that the two had no conflict of interest.

Although Liu Yao was the governor of Yangzhou, he, like many governors of the same level, was unable to fully control all the territories.

The six counties of Yangzhou: Jiujiang, Lujiang, Danyang, Yuzhang, Kuaiji, and Wujun.

Needless to say, Jiujiang is the most fertile territory in Yangzhou and also the base camp of Yuan Shu.

The former governor of Lujiang had also been conquered by Yuan Shu, although it was done by the fake Sun Ce.

However, Yuan Shu had already appointed his old subordinate Liu Xun as governor of Lujiang, and he had basically become his subordinate force.

leftover,
Xu Gong was the governor of Wu County, and he shared the county with the local tyrant Yan Baihu.

Kuaiji was in the hands of Wang Lang.

Yuzhang was in the hands of Hua Xin.

Liu Yao's territory was actually the Pengze area of Yuzhang.

Of course, Liu Yao was the governor of Yangzhou appointed by the imperial court after all.

The only major threat to Yangzhou was Yuan Shu.

The remaining Wang Lang, Hua Xin, Xu Gong, etc., nominally had to obey Liu Yao.

At least they won't attack each other.

"Since you agree to form an alliance with Liu Xuzhou, how about you go to Guangling in person?"

"You happen to be good at reading people's faces. When you see Liu Xuzhou, please help me look at his face."

Xu Shao readily agreed:

"That's right. I also want to see with my own eyes what kind of person Liu Xuzhou is. He can accomplish so many things in just one year."

……

Xiangyang, Jingzhou.

Lu Su was ordered to come to Jingzhou to find Liu Biao to purchase warships.

When Liu Biao heard that he was an envoy from Xuzhou, he did not neglect him and immediately ordered someone to invite him into the hall.

After the two sides exchanged greetings, Liu Biao spoke first:

"Zi Jing is a hero from Dongcheng. I have also heard of him in Jingzhou."

"Zi Jing followed Xuande, why did you come here to visit my Jingzhou?"

Lu Su bowed and replied seriously:

"My lord Liu Shijun is a hero of the world. Although his army is small and his generals are few, he is determined to support the country."

"Yuan Shu of Huainan was a vicious traitor who created false alliances, deceived the people, and harmed the people and animals, causing great harm."

"Now my lord raises a benevolent and righteous army to comfort the people and punish the criminals."

"But there are many rivers in the south of the Yangtze River, and we have few warships in Xuzhou."

"I heard that Liu Jingzhou is rich in Jiangnan and has thousands of warships."

"You and my lord are both descendants of the Han Dynasty."

"My lord always said that we should not betray our relatives and treat strangers with respect, and he also praised Liu Jingzhou for his courtesy to the wise and his generosity in accepting gifts."

"So I sent Su here, hoping that you would consider our common kinship and sell some warships to my lord."

"In preparation for the war in Guangling."

(End of this chapter)