To be fair, Yuan Tan is not a fool.
On the contrary, he is also very good at fighting, otherwise Yuan Shao would not let him lead his troops.
During the three years that Yuan Xi guarded the city, Yuan Tan also participated in all battles with Yuan Shao, and was trained as a leading general.
During this period, Yuan Shao was defeated by Gongsun Zan and fought back after the Juma River. The two sides faced off in Pingyuan Kingdom. Yuan Shao's main force was against Gongsun Zan, and Yuan Shao's ally Qingzhou Governor Zang Hong was against Gongsun Zan's ally Liu Bei Tian Kai.
Zang Hong was defeated, and Yuan Shao appointed Yuan Tan as the governor. He led tens of thousands of troops into Pingyuan Kingdom and attacked Liu Bei and Tian Kai. The two sides won each other and occupied Hedong and Hexi respectively.
At this time, Gongsun Zan was defeated by Yuan Shao in Longcuo and fled back to Youzhou, abandoning Liu Bei and Tian Kai. This also laid the groundwork for Liu Bei to leave Gongsun Zan.
Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that Yuan Shao's military advisor at this time was Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei's teacher Lu Zhi, who passed away after the Battle of Longcuo.
Afterwards, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan accepted the mediation of the Han Emperor and temporarily suspended their troops openly, but the two sides continued to make small moves in private.
Gongsun Zan sent Zhao Yun with Liu Bei's private troops to attack Beixin City. This was a dirty trick to kill people with a borrowed knife after breaking with Liu Bei.
This is what happened in the three states of Youji and Qing in the past three years.
Therefore, Yuan Tan is also someone who has experienced great battles. In Yuan Shao's mind, even if there is a problem in Beixin City, Yuan Tan can handle it with a thousand soldiers and horses.
When Gao Lan disappeared, Yuan Tan panicked for a while, but quickly calmed down, took Xun Chen out of the city to appease the soldiers, and took a thousand troops and horses into his hands.
Compared to letting Gao Lan, who had secretly taken refuge with Yuan Shang, to lead the army, Yuan Tan took charge of the army directly, which made him feel more at ease!
As someone who has repeatedly fought against Liu Bei and Neng Tiankai, Yuan Tan does not think that Yuan Xi's ability to lead troops is better than his own. After all, Yuan Xi's record in Beixin City in the past three years is that it seems to be very good recently. A dubious two big wins.
Moreover, Beixin City was not the main attack direction of Gongsun Zan's army. Yuan Xi was said to have been in quite a state of embarrassment in the first year, being beaten to the point where he could not get out, and the city almost ran out of food.
In contrast, Yuan Tan was more worried about Yuan Xi's ability to win people's hearts. After all, when Yuan Xi left, the sight of people all over the city sending him off was shocking.
Yuan Tan was not convinced. He thought that his second brother might go away for at least a few months. He could win a few battles with his own ability. If he treated the people well, wouldn't he do better than Yuan Xi?
So when he heard that there were hundreds of white horse Yi followers harassing them outside the city, he was extremely excited and immediately ordered 500 soldiers and horses out of the city to defeat them.
However, he did not expect that he was unlucky and kicked an iron plate.
Gongsun Zan is now in decline, trapped in Yi Jing, and there are fewer and fewer generals under his command. However, at this time, there is a general who is not yet famous, and leaves Liu Bei and returns to Gongsun Zan.
Before he left, Liu Bei was extremely sad and cried goodbye to him, saying, "I just wish I couldn't build a great cause with you."
Tian Yu, a native of Yuyang County, Youzhou, was the first to defect to Gongsun Zan and has been training under Liu Bei.
Now Liu Bei went to Xuzhou to rescue Tao Qian, which was tantamount to openly breaking away from Gongsun Zan. After Tian Yu hesitated for a long time, he still chose not to betray his master and returned to Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan was overjoyed.
It happened that Tian Yu heard that Zhao Yun had rebelled and that his side had lost many people because of it, so he volunteered to take hundreds of white horses to come to Beixin City to take revenge.
By coincidence, Yuan Xi had just returned to Yecheng, leaving Zhao Yun in charge of the troops in the city, as well as Yuan Tan's thousand troops.
When Zhao Yun heard that Yuan Tan was going to lead an attack, he hurried to the city gate and advised Yuan Tan: "General, be careful. Baima Yi is never so easy to deal with, and you need to plan carefully."
Yuan Tan sneered in his heart, you, Gongsun Zan, are surrendering to the generals, so of course you will brag about your obedience.
Yuan Xi can kill hundreds of white horse followers with a few hundred soldiers. How strong can he be?
What Yuan Tan didn't know was that before he arrived, Yuan Xi had already hidden most of the armor of hundreds of fully armored soldiers.
There is a huge difference whether a soldier wears armor or not.
He said flatly: "General Zhao just waits for my triumphant return!"
Then he led his troops out of the city, and encountered hundreds of white horse Yi Cong brought by Hetian Yu.
As a result, Yuan Tan noticed something was wrong as soon as they met.
Not only was Baima Yi Cong difficult to deal with, but the general on the opposite side was extremely brave, and his command was well-controlled. Baima Yi Cong continued to encroach on both sides of Yuan Tan. Yuan Tan carelessly underestimated the enemy and fell into a disadvantage when he came up. Seeing that the situation was not good, he quickly ordered his troops to fight while fighting. retreat.
When Tian Yu saw this, he immediately bit Yuan Tan and tried to drag him to death.
Yuan Tan struggled to hold on, but saw that his soldiers were constantly being killed and wounded, and was at his wits' end. Just when he was about to cut off the warrior's wrist, Zhao Yun rushed out with a group of soldiers and horses.
Tian Yu and Zhao Yun fought for several times, but they were not willing to fight. He called Baima Yi to retreat, and at the same time shouted: "Zhao Yun! Why did you betray General Gongsun!"
Zhao Yun stopped his horse and said loudly: "Guo Rang (Tian Yu), General Gongsun betrayed Liu Hou first, and also killed the officials and generals of Changshan County under Liu Hou!"
Tian Yu was about to say something but stopped, and left with his white horse.
Zhao Yun escorted Yuan Tan back to the city, counted the number of people, and found that the 500 sergeants brought out had hundreds of casualties, and dozens of Baima Yicong on the opposite side died.
Seeing Yuan Xi's gloomy face, Zhao Yun comforted him: "Tian Yu is a general. The general hastily responded to the battle. It is not easy to survive like this."
Yuan Tan vomited blood in his heart.
What kind of general? Why have I never heard of Tian Yu's name? Is this to comfort myself?
And I lost hundreds of troops and horses in half a day, so I am not as good as my second brother?
Then why should I argue with my third brother?
The reason why so many nobles in Yecheng support Yuan Shang in private is definitely not just because his mother is Mrs. Liu!
And what's going on with Gongsun Zan? The two unknown generals under his command, Zhao Yuntian Yu, seem to be no worse than the generals he has seen!
If every general of Gongsun Zan is like this, why should he fight?
There was a sense of injustice in his heart, and he wanted to become stronger and stronger in the battle array!
Yuan Tan thought of this and bowed to Zhao Yun: "Today, Tan underestimated the enemy!"
"Please give me some advice, General, I will definitely avenge you!"
Zhao Yun agreed, thinking that the Yuan family was indeed not an ordinary person.
Yecheng.
In the city lord's mansion, there is a hall with several people in it. The person sitting at the top is Yuan Shao.
It is said to be the city lord's palace because Yuan Shao was quite embarrassed to have his title banned at this time.
When the Shandong princes returned to the alliance with Suanzao, Yuan Shao took the lead and named himself Chariot General. When other princes saw this, they followed suit.
This is called "ban conferring official titles", that is, privately appointing officials to oneself and subordinates without being appointed by the court, and then directly reporting to the emperor, and the matter is over with a notification.
At this time, the Han Dynasty was in decline, and most of the officials appointed to various places were just for show, in name only, and could not take up their posts at all.
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, Liu Biao, who rode into Jingzhou alone, took office with the Jingzhou Mu title granted by the emperor.
Yuan Shao's previous official position was the Bohai Prefect named by the imperial court. After he was named Chariot General, he wrested Jizhou from Han Fu and became the shepherd of Jizhou.
Cao Cao's Yanzhou Mu came more directly.
"Three Kingdoms·Wei Shuyi·Wudi Ji" records: "(Bao) Xinnai and state officials Wan Qian and others went to Dongjun to welcome Taizu to lead Yanzhou as pastoralist."
This is even more outrageous. The local gentry directly supported him and helped the emperor to handle things.
In today's situation, the inheritance of the position of state pastor appointed by the imperial court has become a family inheritance passed down from father to son, and from brother to brother.
At this time, the Han Dynasty was in name only and had no deterrent. The forces in various places were like the princes of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Who would care about the Emperor of Zhou?
The two disliked each other, and at this time, the Han court was still held hostage by Li Jue and Guo Bang. Naturally, they would not have a good look at Yuan Shao who rebelled against Dong, and they kept suppressing the title of Yuan Shao in the court.
Yuan Shao was a rare handsome man with a dignified appearance and majestic manner. His behavior was extremely charming, and people at that time were eager to imitate him.
At that time, the gentry had a clear reputation, and good looks were also a huge bonus.
The person sitting next to him was a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old, but his appearance was very similar to Yuan Shao.
This is the third son who is most valued by Yuan Shao, Yuan Shang!
Next, there are several subordinate counselors.
Yuan Shao suddenly sighed: "In two years' time, I will be old enough to know my destiny."
He was born in the first year of Benchu (AD 146), and he is forty-eight this year.
Several counselors below said one after another: "My lord is in good health and will live a long life."
Yuan Shao smiled and thought that he didn't need to live a long life, as long as he gave himself another twenty years, no, fifteen years, Beifang could all be pacified.
Yuan Shang cupped his hands and said, "My father is overworked and overthinking. It is a blessing for me, Mr. Yuan, that both the eldest and second brothers can now take charge of their own duties and share my father's worries."
After hearing this, Yuan Shao nodded with a smile, and then shook his head slightly: "It's because of impetuousness and impetuousness that it shows, and it's uprightness and toughness that show off. Neither of them is as thorough as you are in doing things."
Yuan Shang smiled and said: "Brother, let's not care. The second brother is guarding Beixin City. Those nobles are hoarding food and threatening them. It is only human nature for the second brother to kill them."
But his heart became gloomy.
Upright and tough does not seem to be a bad word.
