To be fair, Yuan Shao first observed filial piety in his early years, and then secretly made friends with famous people all over the world. Until he became the captain of Xiyuan School, he only met Yuan Xing and his daughter not many times.
After Yuan Shao's family fled Chang'an and settled in Jizhou, he saw his family a little more often, but it was only a little better than before.
During this period, there were several years of military campaigns, and even the city of Ye was not immune to the flames of war. Under such circumstances, everyone in the world, no matter the gentry or the common people, was in danger. Even the governor of Zhou Mu could hardly save his family.
No one knows when this troubled times will end, and no one knows what will happen to a family that is peaceful today, and Yuan Shao is no exception.
In this kind of mentality, Yuan Shao actually has no expectations for Yuan Xing's marriage. As for family marriage, one woman alone will not play a role in turning the tide for the current Yuan family.
After all, the nobles who wanted to join Yuan Shao valued Yuan's own strength, not Yuan's women.
Therefore, as Yuan Xing grew older, Yuan Shao's expectations for Yuan Xing's marriage were gradually lowered. Two years ago, he scoffed at Yuan Xi's proposal. Two years later, he found that his mentality had slowly changed. .
Yuan Shao couldn't help but wonder, was it because he was old?
After all, he is now fifty-one years old.
These days, Yuan Shao feels that his health is not as good as before. He adopted Yuan Cheng, who passed away long ago, and has kept filial piety for Yuan Cheng and his wife for six years. As a result, when he gave birth to his next children, he was already too old.
After all, she was already at the age where she knew her destiny. If Yuan Xing didn't get married, it would probably be unjustifiable.
So when he called Yuan Xing over, he found that Yuan Xing was quite uneasy, so he comforted her a little and asked Yuan Xing what she thought about the marriage. Yuan Xing lowered her head and said, "My daughter is willing to accompany my father to fulfill her filial piety."
Yuan Shao shook his head and laughed: "Don't say such nonsense, you are marrying out of filial piety."
Yuan Xing could only say: "It depends on my father's orders."
Yuan Shao said bluntly: "What do you think of the new Youzhou Shepherd Zhao Zilong?"
Yuan Xing's heart skipped a beat, "I met him once, but I didn't speak to him. I really don't understand him."
Yuan Shao knew that he would get nothing out of this question, so he changed the subject and said, "Who is closer, you or Xian Yi Xianfu?"
Yuan Xing whispered: "Xian Yi and his daughter grew up together."
After hearing this, Yuan Shao nodded slightly and said, "Please step back."
Marrying a daughter was considered a family matter. He originally wanted to call Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang separately for questioning, but Yuan Xi had already met, but Yuan Shang was still fighting in Montenegro and couldn't get away for a while.
Yuan Shao had some doubts. Did Yuan Xi deliberately take this opportunity to propose marriage?
However, Yuan Shang also let himself down. Although the Black Mountain Army was difficult to fight, Yuan Xi led thousands of men before and did not fight vigorously. How come it was Yuan Shang's turn to lead several times more soldiers and it failed?
Thinking of this, Yuan Shao couldn't help but feel a little anxious. In two months, the autumn planting will begin. If the soldiers' baggage is still delayed in the Black Mountains, the situation in Jizhou in the coming year will not be optimistic. How can he plan to merge the state?
He sighed inwardly. Yuan Xi was right. The Montenegro issue was a series of problems. Only by solving each problem step by step could this deadlock be solved.
At this time, in Puyang, where Chen Liu ruled two hundred miles away, south of Ye City, surrounded by soldiers of Cao's army, Kong Rong got on a small boat, with two guards manning the oar, and headed for Puyang City.
The reason for this is that Cao Jun broke the river and flooded Puyang. Now the water is more than ten feet deep, and the only way to get close to the city wall is by boat.
The boat sailed for a full quarter of an hour before gradually approaching the Puyang city wall. When it was approaching the place where the shot was fired, a dozen soldiers came out from the city with a shout, bows and arrows drawn, and they shouted at Kong Rong: "The traitor is brave! Actually provocative!”
When Kong Rong saw these soldiers with sallow faces and thin muscles, he raised the edict in his hands and shouted: "I am not Cao Jun!"
"By order of the Emperor, I am sending an edict to Zhang Mengzhuo (Zhang Miao), the prefect of Chenliu!"
The soldiers on the top of the city looked at each other in shock when they saw it, and one of them shouted: "Who knows whether you are true or false!"
"Aren't you just trying to trick us?"
Kong Rong patted himself and shouted: "I am Kong Rong, a general appointed by the imperial court as a craftsman, and an envoy personally appointed by the emperor. How can I say that I am deceiving?"
"You see, I am defenseless now, are you even afraid of me?"
The soldiers looked at each other for a while, and then a general came up. The general said, "What is the officer here for?"
Kong Rong said solemnly: "According to the emperor's order, we will mediate the dispute between Chen and Liu and put an end to the war!"
After hearing this, the general showed a hint of joy. After all, Puyang was already in danger. How could he not be happy when he heard that things had turned around?
He immediately shouted: "Shangguan, please come closer!"
Kong Rong ordered two guards to row close to the wall. When they arrived at the wall, they saw that the city gate had already been submerged in water, and the water was blocked by silt and sand. The boat was still more than ten feet away from the wall, so he asked, "How to get in?"
The commander threw down a rope and said, "Tie it around your waist and pull you up."
Kong Rong shook his head and had no choice but to let the two guards tie him up tightly. The soldiers at the top of the city worked together to pull Kong Rong up.
Kong Rong was choked so hard that he almost fainted. He lay on the wall for a while, then stood up and complained, saying, "Where is Meng Zhuo?"
The general said: "The prefect is in the mansion, waiting for me to send a boat to send Shangguan there."
Kong Rong couldn't help but said: "There is water in the city too? How deep is it?"
He unconsciously took two steps towards the opposite side of the city wall and looked into the city. Before he reached it, a stench hit his nostrils.
Kong Rong quickly covered his sleeves and looked down, discovering that the city had been completely submerged in water. The filthy muddy water was several feet deep and covered the entire Puyang City.
There were scattered corpses of people and animals floating on the water. They were all swollen and ulcerated, and the foul smell came from this.
When Kong Rong saw that there were many babies among the corpses, he felt sick and almost retched.
The general sighed: "If the angel comes a few days later, I'm afraid we will end up like this."
"This is how we came here this month. There are no clean wells in the city, so all we drink is this water."
Kong Rong felt nauseated again. Before he left, Hua Tuo told him about the situation in the flooded city, saying that if there was water soaked in rotting dead people and livestock, drinking it would easily cause diseases, so Kong Rong must be careful.
Kong Rong looked grave and said to the general: "Take me to see Meng Zhuo quickly."
Not long after, a boat came over, picked up Kong Rong, and headed for Zhang Miao's official residence. Along the way, he saw the soldiers lying on the roof to rest, and he couldn't help but said to the general: "How can we fight like this?"
"Don't you think of giving up Chen Liu and running away?"
The general smiled bitterly and said, "Angels should understand that this attack on the city has made it clear that no one will be left alive."
"Even if we escape from the city, there is waiting for us on the other side, where else can we escape?"
"We can't get out, and the other side can't get in. In the end, all the people in the city will slowly die, and the other side will win."
Kong Rong felt quite uncomfortable after hearing this and sighed: "I had known this. If Meng Zhuo had not resisted Duke Cao that day, why would such a tragic situation have happened?"
After hearing this, the general looked sarcastic and said, "I'll tell you what angels don't like to hear. Those who are left in the city are fighting to the death with Cao Jun."
"On that day Cao Cao moved into Yanzhou, we thought we could live a good life, but he brought hundreds of thousands of refugees and Qingzhou soldiers with him."
"We don't have enough to eat, and Cao Jun allows these people to rob us. We can't survive anymore, so naturally we follow the prefect and rebel!"
Kong Rong gradually understood that the reason why Yanzhou supported Lu Bu and fought against Cao Cao was not just a dispute between noble families. It was not just a sigh, but it was no accident that it led to today's results.
Not long after, the boat arrived at Zhang Miao's official residence and saw that the gate was open. Although Zhang Miao's official residence was on a higher ground, there was water about a foot deep inside. The boat sailed directly in and docked by the steps. There were two soldiers on it. guard.
Xiangjiang said to the soldiers on the steps: "This is the emperor's envoy, and I have an edict to bring to the prefect."
After hearing this, the soldier went in to report. After a while, Kong Rong saw Zhang Miao wearing wooden clogs and holding the hem of his clothes, wading through the water with difficulty.
Kong Rong saw Zhang Miao's cheeks were sunken, his hall turned black, and his complexion was extremely poor. He couldn't help but sigh: "Meng Zhuo, why have you become like this!"
Zhang Miao looked at it carefully for a while, then lost his voice and said, "Wenju, why are you here?"
Zhang Miao is one of the Eight Chefs. He is rarely famous. He is a friend of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Naturally, he also has friendship with Kong Rong. However, compared to the high-spirited Zhang Miao whom Kong Rong met a few years ago, Zhang Miao today is At the end of the road, he is dying.
Kong Rong said: "Now that the emperor has settled in Huaicheng, I will be the envoy to bring the edict to Meng Zhuo and Meng Gao (Zhang Chao)."
"Where is Meng Gao?"
Zhang Miao sighed: "He is sick in bed. Let's go in and talk."
Kong Renwen went inside, let Zhang Miao read the edict, and said: "Cao Cao has gained power by welcoming the emperor. Now the emperor mediates the dispute between the two parties and asks Meng Zhuo to give up Chen Liu and meet the emperor."
After hearing this, Zhang Miao frowned and said, "Isn't this a bias?"
"I won't be executed if I go?"
Kong Rong said hurriedly: "It is absolutely impossible. There are Marquis Wen and others in the Han Dynasty now, and Cao Cao cannot be the only one."
"Besides, as long as I'm here, I will definitely complain about Cao Cao's crimes in Chen Liu before the emperor, and try my best to keep Meng Zhuo and Meng Gao safe."
Zhang Miao read the edict carefully again and sighed: "Anyway, in a few days, we will all die here."
"I believe in Wen Ju, so whatever, I will leave the city and surrender, and follow Wen Ju to see the emperor."
Within half a day, the soldiers and people in Huaicheng all heard the news that Kaicheng was about to surrender, and they couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. After all, the city really couldn't hold on any longer.
Zhang Miao and Kong Rong got on the boat, followed by Zhang Chao who was lying sick. Several boats were lowered from a gap in the collapsed city wall somewhere and rowed to the shore. The family members of the Zhang family also followed behind, supporting the old and the young. on several ships.
When the Huaicheng soldiers and the people saw it, they also took out the bamboo mats for the door, and Fu Shui followed. For a moment, the city was noisy. Although they surrendered, they were able to survive at least, so everyone looked happy.
Kong Rong and others went ashore. Cao Chun and his soldiers were already waiting on the shore. When Kong Rong saw it, he said: "Meng Zhuo and others have been ordered to follow me to meet the emperor. You can get out of the way and let your family members go." Common people have access.”
Unexpectedly, after Cao Chun gave the order, Cao Jun drew his sword one after another. Kong Rong was shocked and shouted: "What, you are going to resist the order?"
Cao Chun sneered and said: "The emperor issued an edict to Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao, but not others!"
"The remaining people, including the two family members, will be executed!"
He gave the order, and Cao's army immediately pounced on the soldiers and civilians who were still ashore. Blood splattered everywhere, and screams resounded across the river bank.
It’s still the fourth update today, and it will be back to normal tomorrow
(End of chapter)
