Lu Bu, God of War of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 359 Angel Cao Yin
"Continuing the current situation may not be of any benefit. If Gongsun Zan is willing to retreat, given the situation in Jizhou, as long as we can develop for a few years, it will not be difficult to take down Gongsun Zan." After hearing Fan's analysis, Tian Fengruo Said thoughtfully.

"We want this, and Gongsun Zan must also want it. I'm afraid Gongsun Zan won't retreat so easily." Hearing Feng Ji and Tian Feng's words, buying Yuan Shao's heart moved for a while. Reckless fighting is not something Yuan Shao can bear, but to be able to control Jizhou, Yuan Shao believes that his strength will surpass Gongsun Zan in a few years, and naturally he will not be afraid of Gongsun Zan by then.Since there was such a safe way, Yuan Shao didn't want to take any risks, but it was not easy to get Gongsun Zan to give up Jizhou.

"Hehe, don't worry about that. Gongsun Zan lost 15 mercenaries to us in the first battle today. Now Gongsun Zan's strength has been greatly reduced. I don't think Gongsun Zan will use me and us to continue fighting." The opinions were unified, Feng Ji added.

The next day Liu Bei came to Yuan Shao's army, and he really talked with Yuan Shao about the peace talks, and the two hit it off.Just then suddenly a soldier walked in.

"My lord, there is a special envoy from the court asking to see you." The soldier said to Yuan Shao as soon as he entered.

"The imperial court has a special envoy, please." Although Yuan Shao didn't know why the imperial court special envoy came at this time, but with Liu Bei here, Yuan Shao naturally couldn't neglect the imperial court special envoy, so he hurriedly asked someone to come in and talk.

Not long after, I saw soldiers leading a eunuch in.

"Cao Yin of the Xiaohuang Gate, I have met all your lords." The eunuch cupped his hands and introduced himself to the crowd as soon as he entered the gate, with a very respectful expression. .

"What did the angel say? The angel came from thousands of miles away. We were supposed to go out to meet him. It's just that everything is urgent before the army, so we neglected it." Seeing the politeness of the little yellow gate, Yuan Shao got up and said politely, Although Yuan Shaowei must put the court in his eyes, superficial efforts still need to be done.

"This must be Duke Yuan. The Sa family is here to congratulate Duke Yuan. Congratulations to Duke Yuan for being promoted to the post of Jizhou Shepherd." Seeing Yuan Shao, Cao Yin hurried forward and said with a smile on his face.

"The imperial court has decided to let me be the shepherd of Jizhou?" Yuan Shao drove Han Fu away and took over Jizhou as a matter of course.However, Yuan Shao knew that Wang Yun was a person who accepted death, and now he was in charge of the imperial court, so he might not give him this title. He was a little surprised to hear Cao Yin say this today.

It turned out that after Wang Yun knew that Yuan Shao had already taken control of Jizhou, he decided to push the boat along the way, and sent an order for Yuan Shao to take over Jizhou Mu, intending to make friends with Yuan Shao.Now that the imperial court is going to war with Li Jue and Guo Si, it is natural to have a good relationship with other princes.What's more, the current imperial court is weak, and it is simply out of reach for the affairs of Jizhou.It can only engage in long-distance and close-range attacks, not to mention that the Yuan family is a veteran of the court. In the eyes of Wang Yun and others, the Yuan family's control of Jizhou also strengthens the power of the court in a sense. I feel more at ease, although Yuan Shao's crusade against Dong Zhuo had the intention of letting Wang Yun's pigeons go, but Wang Yun still feels that the Zhou army below is controlled by the scholars, and he is happy to see it succeed.

"In this case, I would like to thank the angel for sending me this good news. I will make arrangements immediately to welcome the imperial edict." After hearing this news, Yuan Shao was really encouraged and hurriedly ordered everyone to prepare to receive the imperial edict.

"Hehe, Zajia came all the way, and heard that Jizhou Mu and Lord Gongsun had some conflicts. In fact, you can sit down and discuss any matter as officials in the same dynasty. Why do you have to use swords and guns?" After passing the imperial decree Afterwards, Cao Yin asked tentatively again.In fact, Cao Yin came here this time and brought two imperial decrees, one of which was to promote Yuan Shao to be the shepherd of Jizhou, and the other was to promote Gongsun Zan to be the shepherd of Youzhou.Wang Yun's plan is very simple. Since the imperial court can't take care of Hebei for a while, he should strike a balance in Hebei, promote Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan at the same time, let them check each other, and prevent any one of them from becoming bigger and fighting against the imperial court. present.That is to say, Wang Yun hoped that Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan would maintain a situation of hostility but would not break out into a war. The hostility naturally did not want them to cooperate with each other to fight against the court. Eliminate another family, it seems that one family dominates.This is also the reason why Cao Yin came up to ask questions as soon as he finished his business.

"Hehe, the angel came at the right time. This Liu Bei is here to make peace with Gongsun Zan. We have already agreed on the truce between the two sides. If there is another angel to mediate, the war can be stopped if you want to come. People You can also take a breather, the angel's coming this time is the blessing of the people of Jizhou." Seeing Cao Yin's intention to persuade him to make peace, Yuan Shao also said along the way.

"This is Mr. Liu Bei. You can get the carte blanche of Mr. Gongsun Zan, so you must be a trustworthy person beside Mr. Gongsun Zan." Hearing Yuan Shao's introduction of Liu Bei, Cao Yin quickly got up to show his goodwill to Liu Bei.

"Liu Bei, the county magistrate of Xiapingyuan, has met Lord Angel." Seeing Cao Yin's question, Liu Bei hurriedly got up and said respectfully.

"County magistrate?" Cao Yin heard that Liu Bei came here on behalf of Gongsun Zan. At first he thought he was some kind of extraordinary person, but when he heard that Liu Bei was just a small county magistrate, he was immediately disappointed. The corners of his mouth twitched and he stood up. The body that got up fell back again.

"Hehe, although County Magistrate Liu's official position is not high, he is deeply trusted by Gongsun Zan, and this person is a respected relative of the Han family. An angel should not be underestimated." Looking at Cao Yin's performance, Yuan Shao secretly smiled, but Yuan Shao was concerned about Liu Bei's affairs. But he knew much better than Cao Yin, so he quickly went on to say that although Liu Bei is definitely nothing, the two brothers of Liu Bei are still worthy of Yuan Shao's win over.

"So that's the way it is. Since the county magistrate is a relative of the Han family, why should he stay in this plain to be a county magistrate? Now that Dong Zhuo has been killed, the court is in the midst of employing people. Why doesn't magistrate Liu go to Chang'an to share your majesty's worries? After listening to Yuan Shao's introduction, Cao Yin's thoughts changed. Since he is a clan member of the Han family, it is worthwhile for Cao Yin to win over him. Gongsun Zan drove Liu Yan away and occupied Youzhou. Liu Yan was also a clan member of the Han family. Since Liu Bei is a clan member of the Han family, I believe that the relationship with Gongsun Zan is not much better. As long as Cao Yin can win Liu Bei to Chang'an, maybe the emperor will be with him There will be one more person with real power, which is also a good thing for eunuchs like Cao Yin who have lost power.Although Liu Bei is only a small county magistrate with limited strength, for these eunuchs who are used to domineering and are now relying on others, the so-called meat on the legs of mosquitoes is also meat, and there is no reason to give up casually.

"Liu Bei is in the plains, and he always wants to share the worries of His Majesty. After I go back, Lord Angel, please say that I, Liu Bei, am ready to serve Your Majesty anytime and anywhere." After hearing Cao Yin's words, although Liu Bei was not willing at this time, Go to Chang'an, but the words in his mouth are tight.

"Magistrate Liu has this heart, and I believe His Majesty will be very comforting." Cao Yin traveled all the way to Jizhou and met many local officials. It's just that although Liu Bei is soft-spoken, his words seem to be sincere, which makes Cao Yin appreciate him very much.

"Yuan Gong, since the peace negotiation has been settled, I won't stay any longer, it's just about the withdrawal of troops, please allow some time." Liu Bei was afraid that Cao Yin would be entangled, so he got up and said goodbye.

"Hehe, County Magistrate Liu is leaving, why don't we go together. Miscellaneous family also happens to be going to Lord Gongsun." Seeing Liu Bei get up, Cao Yin also got up and said.

"Why is the angel still going to Gongsun Zan?" Yuan Shao asked in confusion when he heard that Cao Yin was going to Gongsun Zan.

"Hehe, I'm dissatisfied with Lord Jizhou Shepherd. Your Majesty has issued an imperial decree to promote Lord Gongsun Zan to Youzhou Shepherd. I'm so anxious to ask for some reward." Cao Yin got up and said.There is no intention of hiding this matter.

"So that's it. I still have some chores here, so I won't give it away." Hearing the news that Gongsun Zan was going to be the shepherd of Youzhou, Yuan Shao's face turned ugly, and his good mood just now was completely destroyed, and he even gave Cao Yin a gift. The mood is gone.

"My lord, what does the imperial court mean by doing this?" Yan Liang said angrily just as Liu Bei and Cao Yin left the house.

"Hmph, I never imagined that Gongsun Zan would be able to sit on an equal footing with me one day." Yuan Shao was not angry at all, thinking that when he was attacking Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao was the leader of the coalition army, and Gongsun Zan was just a prince under Yuan Shao's command. Sitting on an equal footing, and thinking about Gongsun Zan forcing him to flee not long ago, Yuan Shao was full of resentment. "Gongsun Zan, I will make you disappear from this world sooner or later." Yuan Shao clenched his fists and said viciously.

"My lord, don't be in a hurry. Although Gongsun Zan is now a shepherd in Youzhou, he is on an equal footing with assists. To put it bluntly, it's just that Wang Yun wants to play a balance between the lord and Gongsun Zan. My lord only needs to rest for a few years. With the strength of our Jizhou Sooner or later, Gongsun Zan will be wiped out and Hebei will be ruled, and then he will win the Central Plains, and he will be unstoppable." Although this is a little bit of information, Tian Feng has already guessed Wang Yun's intention.

"Magistrate Liu, what do you think of the current imperial court?" After leaving Yuan Shao's camp with Liu Bei one after the other, Cao Yin came to Liu Bei's side and asked casually.

"I am a vulgar person from the countryside. How can I understand the important affairs of the court, and dare to speculate on the court in front of adults." After hearing Cao Yin's words, Liu Bei was surprised, but he said calmly on the surface, but he didn't care at all. Willing to express their attitude.

"Hey, the imperial court is just superficial now. Although Dong Zhuo was punished, there are many princes in various places, and the court's jurisdiction is actually only a corner of Chang'an. It is really powerless to rejuvenate the big man." Seeing Liu Bei's reluctance to speak, Cao Yin said He said it on his own.In fact, where did Liu Bei not think of this?Since Dong Zhuo's chaos started, all the princes from all walks of life would not want to control the court like Dong Zhuo, but all the princes felt that firstly, they were not strong enough, and secondly, the court was chaotic, even if they wanted to, they might not be able to accomplish anything.This is also the reason why Liu Bei is unwilling to take this muddy water even though he talks about benevolence and righteousness and the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty all day long.Liu Bei must have strength, and if this strength is invested in the maelstrom of the imperial court, he is afraid that he will be called to pieces.

"Although the current situation is difficult, Master Wang Yun is extremely talented. Since he can kill Dong Zhuo, he can turn the tide and rejuvenate me." Although Liu Bei knew that what Cao Yin said was true, he could only persuade him.

"Magistrate Liu, in fact, I came to Hebei this time not only to preach the decree, but I also have a secret mission, which is to recruit righteous men from all over the world to serve the court. I think Magistrate Liu is a loyal man, and Why waste my good years in this small plain county, why don't you come back to Chang'an with me and contribute to the imperial court. Right now, the imperial court needs a loyal person like County Magistrate Liu. He is someone His Majesty can rely on." Seeing Liu Bei's eyes, Cao Yin said meaningfully.

"So, angel, please ask me to think about it for a few days. I have two brothers, and we need to discuss this matter together." Cao Yin's words suddenly made Liu Bei's heart skip a beat. Since Liu Bei made his debut, although he has gained a lot People's respect, and by virtue of their status as respected relatives of the Han Dynasty, they have won the loyalty of famous generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, but Liu Bei's reputation is still not obvious. The identity of respected relatives has always been self-proclaimed. It’s okay to deceive Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and other troubled heroes with this identity, but it is too difficult to get the recognition of scholar-bureaucrats. If the emperor got involved and gilded his status as a respected relative of the Han Dynasty, his status would be very different.Compared with the small fights in Hebei, this is much better. Liu Bei's heart beats when he thinks of this, but of course Liu Bei can't make a decision on this matter, so he still has to discuss it with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although he knows The two will definitely not object.But as brothers, it is also a due courtesy to discuss in advance.

"Hehehe, His Majesty will be very comforted to be supported by County Magistrate Liu." Seeing Liu Bei's emotional state, Cao Yin felt relieved, even though Wang Yun also intended to let Cao Yin win over all parties. The princes are for their own use, but from Cao Yin's original intention, Cao Yin hopes to win over people from the royal family. Since they are people from the royal family, they will definitely go to the emperor, so that they, eunuchs, can rise to the top. Although they also respect the emperor very much, the emperor must not have a team he can trust. Sometimes even the emperor is not very confident when facing Wang Yun, let alone eunuchs like them. It is the Han family who can meet Liu Bei this time Respecting relatives, Cao Yin is really happy in his heart. Although Liu Bei's status is a little lower, he is only a county magistrate, but Cao Yin doesn't care about this. Low status is nothing. , more importantly, now that Liu Bei's status is low, he can appear useful to Cao Yin, can give him Cao Yin the opportunity to be kind to Liu Bei, and can tie Liu Bei to his own warship, and with Liu Bei, Cao Yin believes in his own The status will be different, at least you don't have to live in fear.

"The angel is here, and Gongsun Zan is far away to greet him. Please forgive me." Hearing that there was an envoy from Chang'an, Gongsun Zan hurried out to greet him. Otherwise, they will be called rebellious by others. Although strength is the most important thing these days, a good reputation is also very important.

"Master Gongsun Zan, Your Majesty asked me to ask you, Liu Yan is your superior, why did you raise troops to rebel against Liu Yan?" Gongsun Zan led all the generals out to meet him, but he did not expect Cao Yin to question him with a straight face when he met him.Although Gongsun Zan was depressed in his heart, he had to do superficial tricks.

"I told the angel that the wild nature of the foreign race is difficult to tame. Gongsun Zan believed that we should kill and conquer them in order to achieve long-term peace and stability. However, Lord Liu Yan disagreed, and chose to be friendly to the foreign race, allowing the foreign race to grow and develop, so that they have the ability to destroy our Han people. This is why the subordinates turned against Master Zhou Mu and expelled Master Zhou Mu from Youzhou, not wanting Master Zhou Mu to be murdered by others on the way to defeat, and Gongsun Zan regretting this incident." Seeing Gongsun Zan He bowed to Cao Yin first, and then said righteously.Although there was remorse in the words, but the tone did not feel wronged at all.

"Hehe, Lord Gongsun's thoughts are indeed the same as His Majesty's. It's just that Lord Gongsun's approach is too reckless. Although Liu Yan is wrong, he is a respected relative of the Han family after all. Even if His Majesty sees it today, he still needs to be courteous." Three points, Lord Gongsun Zan let him live and die by accident, which is really embarrassing to His Majesty." Cao Yin first gave Gongsun Zan a blow, and then comforted him with a gentle face.The meaning of concern in the words jumped out.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Long live my emperor." Hearing these words, Gongsun Zan quickly fell to the ground and bowed down with all the generals, showing a very grateful expression to the emperor.

"Gongsun Zan received the decree: Blessed by heaven, the emperor said: Gongsun Zan has guarded the borders of our great man for many years and protected our great Han rivers and mountains. I know his bravery. I hope he will continue to guard one side for our great man and deter foreign people. He is the dragon of our great man. I hereby promote Gongsun Zan to Youzhou Shepherd to be in charge of Youzhou affairs." Seeing Gongsun Zan's grateful face, Cao Yin took out an apricot-yellow imperial decree and began to read it.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Gongsun Zan will go all out to protect Youzhou for Your Majesty." Gongsun Zan said with joy after hearing the imperial decree.

Originally, Gongsun Zan drove away Liu Yan, the shepherd of Youzhou. When Gongsun Zan knew that the court envoy had come, he thought that the court was going to reprimand him. However, Gongsun Zan understood that now that the court was weak, he could only reprimand him, but he didn't care. , just wanted to pretend to be remorseful, and Gongsun Zan must have lost a lot of arrogance now that he had lost the battle. However, when he learned that the court named him Youzhou Shepherd, he couldn't help but feel happy. I still value myself very much.

(End of this chapter)