Han officials

Chapter 189: Confrontation in the Lake [22]

By the campfire, Ju Su couldn't help but sigh when he saw the nervous expressions of Han Xi and the other two.

To be honest, Ju Su did not have a high opinion of his former master Han Fu.

He was too indecisive, with neither ambition nor means, and only became the governor of Jizhou by chance.

Indeed, the Runan Yuan family had three dukes for four generations, and Yuan Shao could be considered Han Fu's half-sponsor. After all, according to the Han Dynasty's system of recommendation, the relationship between the sponsor and the protégé was hereditary.

But even so, Han Fu still holds a huge advantage.

Just as Ju Su had advised at the beginning, Yuan Shao was a lone enemy with a poor army, and they depended on Yecheng for survival. He was like a baby in the palm of your hand. If you cut off its breast milk, it would starve to death immediately. Why would you need to use any complicated measures?
Even if Han Fu did not want to kill Yuan Shao, it would not be difficult for him to suppress Yuan Shao with his advantages.

However, Han Fu's character flaws were too great to be the leader of a region, which led to his downfall.

But no matter how mediocre Han Fu was, he was still grateful to Ju Su for his help.

It was Han Fu who promoted him from a county magistrate to a provincial governor, and then promoted him to a cavalry commander with a rank equivalent to two thousand stones.

For this reason, Ju Su resolutely refused Yuan Shao's invitation and chose to be his enemy.

To a certain extent, Han Fu's counterattack against Yuan Shao had just begun.

After all, if he had voluntarily given up his throne to Yuan Shao as in the original history, the officials of the prefectures and counties would have had nothing to say, and even Han Fu's later suicide in the toilet out of fear could be barely explained. Therefore, Yuan Shao solved the dispute by killing his lackey Zhu Han.

But the situation is different now. Yuan Shao's hands are indeed stained with Han Fu's blood.

In this situation, some things can no longer be glossed over.

Ju Su was the first person to refuse Yuan Shao's recruitment and become his enemy, but he was definitely not the last.

Ju Su had no doubt about this.

So in front of Han Xi and the other two, he expressed his suggestion: "Go to Pingyuan County!"

Min Chun and Geng Wu were both shocked when they heard this: "Going to Qingzhou?"

"Right!" Ju Su said seriously, "At this moment, Julu is definitely not a good place. Even if we manage to escape into the Continental Marsh, we will only be left with a lingering survival. There will be no chance of revenge. Only by leaving Jizhou can we have a chance."

Hearing this, Min Chun and Geng Wu immediately reacted.

Yes, compared to Jizhou, Qingzhou is indeed a good place now.

Although the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou were already rampant, it was actually a layer of protection for them.

If it really doesn't work, these thousand people can tie a yellow cloth and pretend to be the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou.

However, Geng Wu and the others only thought of the first level, but did not expect that Ju Su had a deeper meaning.

After seeing the two of them react, he drew a diagram on the ground and explained, "After we reach Pingyuan County, we can send a messenger to contact Youzhou. We can sneak through Bohai County, or we can directly cross the coast and reach Guangyang County."

At this point, Ju Su said firmly, "No matter what method is used, as long as we can contact Youzhou, General Zuo will not stand idly by."

Ju Su didn't believe that Wei Zhe would not be interested in Jizhou.

As long as Wei Zhe can help Han Fu get revenge, Ju Su doesn't mind helping him take Jizhou.

Of course, this is not contradictory to Han Fu's former officials.

After all, revenge is one thing, but supporting Han Xi to take the position of Jizhou Mu is another.

Because Han Xi had no reason to serve as the governor of Jizhou, but they had the natural obligation to take revenge.

So, when the sky began to turn pale in the east and the last bonfire flickered in the morning mist, Ju Su led Han Xi and his men to change direction and head towards Qingzhou. By the time Yuan Shao's men realized that Ze Jiuhou had not arrived on the mainland, Han Xi and his men had already passed through Ganling State and entered the territory of Pingyuan County in Qingzhou.

On the other hand, it was ten days later when Wei Zhe, who was in Ji County, received the news.

……

That day, outside Jicheng.

Wei Zhezheng and Xi Zhicai were fishing on the lake when Han Xi's letter for help was delivered here.

After the messenger went down, Wei Zhe couldn't help shaking his head while looking at the letter in his hand.

"What a great family of three dukes for four generations!"

"What a shameless Yuan Benchu...!"

Intellectually speaking, Wei Zhe admired Yuan Shao's decisive approach.

But morally, he must condemn such behavior.

There's nothing we can do about it, it's just that Yuan Shao's work is so rough!
It was like this in Luoyang back then, and it is like this in Yecheng now.

It seems that Yuan Shao really has no talent for mutiny.

In comparison, Xi Zhicai's idea is much simpler.

"Mingsir, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. We should dispatch our troops immediately."

"Oh?" Wei Zhe asked with interest, "What's the plan?"

Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment after hearing this, then said with a sharp gaze:
"The situation in Jizhou is now clear. Gongsun Bogui has led his troops from Baima south to Yecheng, clearly intending to take advantage of Yuan Benchu's unstable position and make a desperate move. This beast is as fiery as fire, determined to fight Yuan Benchu to the death at the Zhang River to determine the fate of Jizhou."

"But Yuan Benchu is also an extraordinary person, and he has the support of talented people from the Central Plains. Gongsun Zan will never be able to achieve his goal."

"However, the battle between these two men in Yecheng was truly a stepping stone for the general to ascend to the clouds."

When he said this, he dipped his finger in water and casually drew a map of the north on the table.

"Jizhou has a population of six million, twice as many as Youzhou. It is impossible to defeat them quickly. It is better to cut off one finger than to injure ten."

"I've observed the world's strategic location. Bohai Sea embraces Youyan, and Hejian locks Qingzhou and Jizhou across the sea. If we capture these two counties, we can attack the heart of Jizhou to the west, and strangle Qingzhou from the south by crossing the Ji River. With Youzhou then attacking from both sides, taking Qingzhou would be a breeze. Once these two states unite, we'll be able to encircle Jizhou on three sides."

Having said this, Xi Zhicai said excitedly:

"The art of war is like playing chess. Now that Shao and Zan are fighting each other in northern Hebei, we should seize the opportunity to gain advantage. With this foundation, we can advance like a tiger over the Central Plains and retreat like a dragon over the sea."

"When both tigers are injured, General, you can lead the Youqing army westward, first taking Jizhou as a base, then attacking Bingzhou and consolidating Henei. By then, with the cavalry of You and Bing, and the food of Qing and Ji, General, you can train your troops and wait for an opportunity to act."

"If there is any change in the world, the general can swallow up Yanyu in the south and spy on Bashu in the west."

"In this way, hegemony can be achieved!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe clapped his hands and sighed, "I have found a talented person, just like Emperor Gaozu found Zhang Liang!"

After saying this, Wei Zhe waved his sleeves and laughed heartily, saying, "Come on, bring some wine. This plan will be made clear soon!"

Hearing this, Xi Zhicai also laughed.

After looking at each other, they immediately raised their glasses and drank them all in tacit understanding...

(End of this chapter)