After the two tiger guards escorted several of the Xin family's children away, Zhen Mi saluted Yuan Xi generously and said crisply, "I don't want to see the second young master again. The little girl would like to thank the young master for rescuing the siege."
Yuan Xi couldn't help but smile and said with a faint smile, "It's a small effort. Besides, Yecheng has strict laws under the rule of Master Zhou Mu. Naturally, we cannot tolerate those unruly dandies who do some unruly things to damage my father's reputation."
Zhen Mi came to the young man in colorful clothes and introduced to Yuan Xi, "Master, this is my brother Zhen Yao."
Then she introduced Yuan Xi to Zhen Yao.
"Oh, it turns out that the second young master was the one who rescued my little sister last time. I'm really grateful." Zhen Yao bowed to Yuan Xi again.
Zhen Yao turned around to blame Zhen Mi again, feigning anger and said: "You are really hateful, little sister. Why didn't you tell me and my brother earlier about the second master's help for you, so that we could come and thank you? Now that I know about it, isn't it disrespectful of etiquette? "
Zhen Yao once again thanked Yuan Xi and others, "Thanks to the help of the second young master, Yao would like to express his gratitude to the young master on behalf of my younger sister."
"Hehe...Young Master has already said it. It's a trivial matter and not worth mentioning. Isn't that right, Young Master?" Zhen Mi playfully joked with her brother, looking innocent, and spoke to Yuan Xi with all her might. He was gentle, as if he was flirting with his lover, but it was completely different from the alienation he felt when they first met last time.
"You..." Zhen Yao was confused by her sister's words and didn't know whether to be angry or happy.
"I heard that the extremely wealthy Zhen family in Zhongshan has three sons and five daughters. I wonder where the lady ranks in the family?" Guo Jia didn't have any worries and asked casually.
"The little girl is the last in the family. There are three brothers and four sisters in front of her." Zhen Mi didn't expect him to be there and replied to Guo Jia's doubts with a smile.
"Haha, the second young master has done a great favor to the young lady. Shouldn't the young lady be a host to us? Isn't that right, young master?" Guo Jia joked.
Zhen Mi also smiled faintly and said softly, "I can't repay you for a meal and a meal. I also invite you two to come and visit the shop frequently. I must treat the young master and this gentleman well."
"Second Young Master and I will definitely patronize Heshun Wine Shop more in the future, but I'm afraid we won't be able to come many times because of my meager salary." Guo Jia said eagerly.
Faced with Guo Jia's silence, Zhen Mi still had a luxurious and tranquil smile on her face, and responded with the same wit, "It is the honor of Heshun Winery to invite the second young master who is famous all over the world, and you, this extraordinary gentleman. , as long as you two can bring more talented people to patronize, our store will only count you two at a 50% discount when billing."
"It's a deal, Miss Zhen is not allowed to go back on her word." Guo Jia happily made an agreement with Zhen Mi. It seems that Guo Jia's behavior is too deliberate, and I don't know what he thinks.
Zhen Yao looked on with a faint smile. The younger sister and Guo Jia were talking back and forth without saying a word. In fact, he was also thinking about how to make friends with the Yuan family. After all, the Yuan family is now the overlord of Hebei, and he can get the care of the Yuan family. Fu, the Zhen family's business can be even bigger.
Yuan Xi didn't know why Guo Jia was greedy for such a small profit, but he knew that he had always been dissolute, so he didn't take it seriously. Then Zhen Mi and Zhen Yao greeted the two of them politely for a while, then declined and left.
After Yuan Xi sent Cai Yan and Diao Xiu'er back to their residence, he took Xu Chu and other tiger guards back to the Prefectural Mufu. Guo Jia also followed him at this time.
Yuan Xi was about to discuss some secrets with Guo Jia, so they came to the city wall east of Yecheng. Xu Chu and several tiger guards guarded the two of them one after another.
"Is there any news from Mr. Zhou Mu?" Guo Jia asked. He needed news from the General's Mansion before he could finalize the next relevant plans.
"Not yet. What we can do has been done. Now we can only wait. I hope God will bless us." Yuan Xi said with a sigh. As powerful as Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, he still has to ask the sky at this time. It can be seen that Yuan Xi It was not easy to start a business.
Guo Jia sighed and said: "Tian Yuanhao is actually a great talent. If he wants to govern the world and serve as a minister, but he is upright and strong-willed and not good at flexibility, he may follow in the footsteps of Ji An of the Han Dynasty."
"I have no choice. If I want to get my father's approval and be assigned to Qingzhou, I have no choice but to wrong Mr. Tian. If I have the chance, I can make it up to him." Yuan Xi said helplessly.
"Master, what do you think of the fifth lady of the Zhen family?" Guo Jia suddenly changed the subject and asked.
Yuan Xi was stunned by his question. He didn't know what kind of medicine he was buying.
"You are a lady, exquisite, elegant and luxurious." Yuan Xi expressed his impression of Zhen Mi.
Suddenly, Yuan Xi thought that Guo Jia was still unmarried, and asked nervously: "What does Feng Xiao mean by asking this question? You... shouldn't..."
"Master, where are you thinking? Jia has an engagement in his hometown in Yingchuan. Master, please don't be nervous." Guo Jia looked at Yuan Xi with a smile and seemed to see what he was thinking, so he clarified.
Then Guo Jia asked tentatively: "How do you plan to treat Miss Cai and Miss Wang?"
Yuan Xi's expression flickered and he said vaguely, "I will take Xiu'er with me after I go to Qingzhou to establish myself. Junior sister, she wants to fulfill her teacher's last wish, and I will try my best to assist her." Yuan Xi never gave a direct answer.
"That's good. Young Master, please note that you have reached the age of engagement. With Master Zhou Mu's love for Young Master, he will definitely find another good match for Young Master." Guo Jia said with a faint smile, indicating something.
Yuan Xi was troubled by this matter, so he kept silent. After all, Gao Yue was already his wife. If Zhen Mi came in again, she could only be a concubine, or at best a common wife.
Guo Jia then asked warmly: "Young Master has a good impression of Miss Zhen. Are you willing to marry her?"
Although Yuan Xi admired the legendary Zhen Ji, when he saw Zhen Mi in her prime, she couldn't help but feel that she was too sexy. The Zhen family was very energetic, but they were still embarrassed to speak.
"The power of the Zhen family in Hebei cannot be underestimated, and its financial influence is immeasurable. If we can marry the Zhen family, it will be a great help to the young master's great cause. Besides, haven't you always wanted the Zhen family to support us with money and food? Now, don't you? It is a good opportunity, and you must not let it go. Besides..."
Speaking of this, Guo Jia casually touched his clean sleeve and said sadly: "Besides, this subordinate is really shy about his pocket. If we don't come to the Zhen family quickly, I won't be able to afford to treat the young master to drinks in the future."
Guo Jia looked at Yuan Xi, whose expression remained unchanged, and continued to encourage: "There is a saying in Jizhou city that a few years ago, the Zhen family invited Liu Liang, a famous fortune teller, to read the fortunes of several children of the Zhen family. When Liu Liang saw Zhen When she was the fifth daughter of the family, she was shocked and turned pale. She pointed at her as a toddler and said, 'This little girl will be extremely valuable in the future.'"
"I understand, Fengxiao, you should talk about the preparations for going to Qingzhou, how many soldiers and horses should be taken, who should be taken, and how to arrange it." Yuan Xi understood what Guo Jia meant, so he changed the topic elsewhere.
"Qingzhou not only has Tian Kai, the governor appointed by Gongsun Zan, and Liu Bei, the prime minister of Pingyuan, but also has the recently rampant Yellow Turban remnants, and the popular Beihai prime minister Kong Rong. It can be described as complicated." Guo Jia drew a rough sketch of Qingzhou on the ground and told Yuan Xi reported back.
"Therefore, it is necessary to bring fewer troops, but Yuan Jizhou must allocate elite troops. Although Qingzhou has many hills and mountains, it also needs cavalry. As for the military officials accompanying the army, in addition to the direct descendants of the prince, we can ask for more talents from the governor of the state."
Yuan Xi nodded in approval. In addition to a few direct descendants of the generals, he planned to recruit Zhang Liao and Zhang He. Fortunately, Zhang Liao has some friendship with Yuan Xi, and he is not very important now. His father Yuan Shao should agree.
But Zhang He is a little bit more difficult. He has a good reputation in the Jizhou army and is already a good general. It will take a lot of effort to get him to return. However, in order to ensure the smoothness of the trip to Qingzhou, he can only poach his father Yuan Shao. Anyway, It's a family.
As for the civil servants accompanying the army, they could only select some lower-level civil servants in Jizhou. He found that he really lacked civil servants. Guo Jia is a top military adviser, but he focuses on military affairs and government affairs are his shortcomings. It is a pity that Xun Yu previously defected to Cao Cao.
Therefore, only after taking control of Qingzhou, can he recruit some talents with the name of governor. Now Yuan Xi can only take one step at a time, and what he plans will be determined by people.
Xin's study room.
Xin Ping pushed open the door and went into the study with an ugly expression. Today he got a notice from the government office, saying that several children of the Xin family had committed crimes and were arrested by the second master Yuan. The government office asked him to pick them up.
At this time, in addition to Xin Pi, the younger brother of the Xin Ping clan, there was also Yuan Tan, the eldest son of the Yuan family. Yuan Tan formed an alliance with the Xin family because he married a woman from the Xin family.
Xin Ping bowed his hand to Yuan Tan and asked, "Is the eldest son here because of the second son's affairs?"
"My second brother Yuan Xi has not only become more famous since he assassinated Dong Zhuo, but his father has become even more arrogant towards him. He seems to want to send Qingzhou to Qingzhou this time. I'm thinking about how to stop him." Yuan Tandao said with a cold expression. He has been Consider this second brother as your opponent.
Xinpi thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I don't think so. Eldest Young Master, do you think the Second Young Master would still be so favored if he were far away from Master Zhou Mu? In the past, it was because the Eldest Young Master had been taking care of the affairs of his hometown in Runan. And the second young master has always been by Mr. Zhou Mu’s side, so of course the master will be closer to the second young master.”
"Why didn't I think of this? Wouldn't it be time to encourage my second brother Yuan Xi to go to Qingzhou?" Yuan Tan suddenly said.
In peaceful times, perhaps what Yuan Tan and others did was not wrong. The key is that these are troubled times, and political power comes from the barrel of a gun.
Xin Ping nodded, "That's right. There are Tian Kai and a large number of Yellow Turban remnants in Qingzhou. The second young master is afraid that he won't be able to cope with it. At that time, he will be the one who is embarrassed. The eldest young master should calm down and wait for the opportunity. Brother and friend, are you respectful?" .”
Yuan Tan nodded knowingly, with a vicious cold look in his eyes. He thought it would be best for Yuan Xi to die in Qingzhou.
Yuan Shao is also very troubled these days. After deciding to send a partial division to attack Qingzhou, the choice of coach has become a problem.
Originally, he was very optimistic about Zang Hong, who had a good reputation and good family background, but the different opinions put forward by counselors such as Xu You and Guo Tu forced him to make a trade-off.
Yuan Shao's thinking is not unreasonable. Indeed, in troubled times, it is common for soldiers with foreign surnames to be the last to be left behind. If you don't see Sima Yi, you won't see Wang Dun, and you won't see Huan Wen.
This is the reason why Li Yuan later chose to send Li Shimin to conquer all directions. Although the Xuanwumen Incident happened in the end, after all, the Li family still ruled the world, right?
He was very satisfied with his second son Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi's appearance inherited the advantages of both parents. He was handsome and elegant without losing dignity. This made Yuan Shao, who valued appearance, very fond of him.
This son has been amazingly talented since he was a child, and he can often do some amazing things. When others praise and flatter him, his father also feels bright in his face.
Yuan Shao also secretly thought that after taking control of Hebei, he would let each of his three sons govern a state. But he still had great concerns about letting his second son, whom he valued, to pacify the dangerous Qingzhou.
What surprised him was that Mrs. Liu, who always doted on her son more than herself, also tried her best to encourage Yuan Shao to send his second son to Qingzhou this time. Yuan Shao hesitated and summoned a group of counselors to make the final decision for him.
Xun Chen, a cunning fox, just squinted his eyes, curled his short beard and closed his eyes to rest, trying to figure out Yuan Shao's thoughts.
Tian Feng and Jushou argued hard and suggested again that Zang Hong should be sent to Qingzhou. They believed that Yuan Xi was too young to convince the public. Secondly, they were afraid of laying the foundation for fratricide in the Yuan family in the future.
Xu You, who had received a lot of benefits from Yuan Xi, and Guo Tu, who was not on eye with Tian Feng Jushou, naturally stood on their opposite sides to cause trouble.
When the two sides were arguing, Yuan Shao asked some of the remaining counselors with his eyes.
Xin Ping felt that the time had come, so he went out and said: "My subordinates also feel that although the second young master is young, in terms of talent, reputation and credibility, he is more suitable to be assigned to Qingzhou."
The balance in Yuan Shao's heart was tilted, and he looked at other counselors, hoping that his subordinates would give their opinions and act as the referee. This kind of leadership is everywhere nowadays, so Yuan Shao is not stupid.
Xun Chen was noncommittal, neither nodding nor shaking his head, so neither side could offend.
Feng Jiexuan had a good impression of Yuan Xi. They saw that Yuan Xi seemed to care about this position, and Yuan Shao also intended to let him go to Qingzhou, so the two agreed with Xu You's proposal.
"Assigning children to take charge of prefectures and counties will lead to the dispersion of our power. This is an act that weakens our own strength and lays the foundation for future disaster. I hope my lord will think twice." Tian Feng has always been upright, and he did not shy away when he spoke.
"Mr. Yuan Hao is too alarmist. All gentlemen agree with this matter. I think it is feasible. Sir, there is no need to say anything more." Yuan Shao said with some displeasure. If you say that my son Yuan Xi is not good, don't you mean that I am not good? You are the only one. Tian Fengxing.
Tian Feng snorted and fell silent. At this time, Yuan Tan stood out and said, "Father, I think it is best for Xianyi to go to Qingzhou! Please tell me father."
As soon as the words came out, everyone in the house was shocked! It's okay if others agree. But the eldest son Yuan Tan, who is not dealing with Yuan Xi now, also agrees. It's really strange.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see what it means for Yuan Xi to leave Jizhou! What does it mean to be far away from the center of power?
Without Yuan Shao's side, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang would be at Chenghuan's knees. As time goes by, Hebei will definitely fall into his and Yuan Shang's hands!
Compared to everyone's astonishment, Yuan Tan showed a proud smile and exchanged glances with Yuan Shang. Yuan Tan stepped forward to refute Tian Feng and Ju Sue. Yuan Shao felt much better immediately, and his favorable impression of him also increased. He thought it was a harmonious relationship between brothers. Once upon a time, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin also treated each other like "brothers, friends, and brothers." .
“Show me how to think, but it’s okay to say it!”
After glancing at Tian Feng and Ju Sue, Yuan Shao put on an amiable face.
"The second brother Xianyi has followed his father for many years. Whether he is running the army or the people, he can share his worries for his father!" After receiving Yuan Shao's instructions, Yuan Tan said: "Qingzhou is adjacent to the sea. It is an important road for sea and water transportation, and is related to the exchange of goods in Hebei. . More importantly, although Liu Bei has few soldiers, his ambition is not small! If he slacks off a little, he will take advantage of him. As for Cao Cao..."
Yuan Tan didn't say any more.
No need for him to say it, everyone understood it.
Even Liu Bei dared to covet Qingzhou, let alone Cao Cao who had a large army!
Thinking about it this way, Yuan Xi was not the one who went to Qingzhou, so he was really shocked!
With a smile on his face, Yuan Shao nodded with satisfaction and said: "Xiansi's words are very suitable for a certain purpose. No need for you to say any more, just accept Xianyi's trip to Qingzhou!"
Then Yuan Shao asked the messenger to summon Yuan Xi.
When Yuan Xi came to the meeting hall and saw Xu You who nodded slightly to him, he knew that the matter was done. After saluting the civil servants and Yuan Shao, he stood respectfully with his hands folded.
"Xianyi, this time all the gentlemen recommended you to pacify Qingzhou and remove the threat from our army's flanks. I ask you again, do you dare to accept the order?" Yuan Shao asked seriously.
"I will live up to the expectations of my father and gentlemen. Xianyi dares to guarantee it with his life." Yuan Xi half-knelt down and accepted the order.
"Okay, okay, but the specific arrangements for soldiers and so on need to be discussed in detail." Yuan Shao clapped his hands.
Xin Ping wanted to trip up Yuan Xi, so he said first: "The Qingzhou governor Tian Kai and others appointed by Gongsun Zan are just a ragtag group, and the remaining Yellow Turbans are even more vulnerable. The war in the north of our army is tight and I'm afraid we won't be able to mobilize our troops. We can recruit them separately." Soldiers."
Yuan Xi cursed Xin Ping secretly as he heard that Xu You was short-handed. He had to fight for Yuan Xi again. He stood up and said, "Zhongzhi's words are wrong. Gongsun Zan's military strength is at its peak, and Tian Kai's troops are very powerful. This has nothing to do with the situation." This can be seen from our army’s experience in many battles. As for the remnants of the Yellow Turbans, although they are not strong in combat power, they are outnumbered. If we don’t send more capable soldiers and horses, they may not be able to wipe them out.”
Xin Ping's plan was obviously ill-timed. Yuan Shao cared about his son very much. How could he let him lead the newly recruited troops into danger? Did Li Yuan ever give Li Shimin weak soldiers?
"Xianyi, I believe you also have a strategy to pacify Qingzhou. Please tell me how to do it and how many troops and horses are needed." Yuan Shao looked at Yuan Xi kindly and said.
Yuan Xi nodded. He had discussed this issue with Guo Jia before, so he said loudly, "Xianyi believes that it is better to pacify Qingzhou quickly than slowly. There is a saying in the art of war that 'it is more important to have an army quickly than to stay long'."
Yuan Xi observed the expressions of everyone, and then said, "If the war drags on for a long time, even if our army wins, it will consume a lot of strength, and the originally prosperous Qingzhou towns may also wither, so Xi thinks that we should use the power of thunder to A quick victory."
"Then how to capture the counties of Qingzhou?" Jushou asked.
Although he did not agree with sending Yuan Xi to Qingzhou, once the monarch decided, he would try his best to perfect the plan. This was his principle, and he had no doubts about serving the monarch wholeheartedly.
"Our army should first occupy the foundation of a foothold, and then defeat all forces one by one with ease and then difficulty. Therefore, we should quickly pacify the remaining Yellow Turban Party, which is the most numerous but weakest party, recruit and absorb the elite of the remaining Yellow Turban Party, and allow the rest to return Tian Kai. Then defeat or recruit Kong Rong, who has just arrived in Beihai County, Qingzhou, and finally concentrate on annihilating Tian Kai." Faced with the questioning of everyone, Yuan Xi talked calmly and eloquently.
Jushou Tian Feng and others nodded. This strategy of pacifying Qingzhou was generally feasible, and all forces were involved. Although they opposed the appointment of Yuan Xi to Qingzhou, they had to admit again that the talents of this second young master were indeed outstanding.
Seeing Yuan Shao's approval, Yuan Xi continued: "With this strategy, in addition to the necessary supplies, we will need at least 20,000 cavalry to complete the mission."
Everyone was speechless and just waited for Yuan Shao's decision.
Yuan Shao pondered for a long time, nodded and said: "In addition to your own troops, my father will give you another 20,000 elite troops."
Yuan Xi handed over his hand and said, "We have soldiers, but we still lack a few generals and civil servants to help lead the troops and handle government affairs. I hope my father will fulfill his request." Yuan Xi waited for an opportunity to make a request.
"Do you have anyone to choose from?"
"Generals Zhang He and Zhang Liao are well versed in war and can handle important tasks." After Yuan Xi said this, he looked at Yuan Shao nervously. After all, he was trying to pry his father into a corner.
Yuan Shao thought about it and immediately agreed with Zhang Liao, but Zhang He was a general he valued very much. However, thinking about his son's safety, he quickly agreed to Yuan Xi's request.
As for the civil servants, Yuan Xi really didn't know what to say. It was difficult for people around Yuan Shao to come.
Although Tian Feng and Jushou were talented, they were relied upon by Yuan Shao and were in charge of military and political affairs in Jizhou.
He looked down upon Shen Pei and Feng Ji, and he also wanted to win over the two of them, so he acted as an insider by Yuan Shao's side.
Xin Ping and Xu You didn't want it anymore, and Guo Tu and Xun Chen, two guys who were very adaptable to the situation, couldn't possibly go out with him on an expedition.
"As for the civil service, my father only needs to send some minor officials to help with government affairs." Finally, Yuan Xi said helplessly.
Guo Tu thought about it and said: "My lord, think twice. Although the second son is familiar with military and political affairs, he still needs a highly qualified and capable civil servant to assist him. Otherwise, how can he handle the large and small government affairs of a state."
Yuan Shao also felt that Yuan Xi should be given an assistant, so he asked, "Gongze, do you have someone to choose?"
"Tian Yuanhao is mature and prudent, familiar with government affairs and dares to speak out. He is the best candidate to assist the Third Young Master in pacifying Qingzhou." Guo Tu replied seriously.
After saying this, Guo Tu and Xin Ping both laughed secretly in their hearts. In their opinion, if they could kick Tian Feng out of Yuan Shao's side, they would have one less competitor to compete with. After this incident, Yuan Xi must be disgusted and repelled by Tian Feng. In this way, there must be many constraints on the discord between the two, and the pacification of Qingzhou will not go smoothly.
Of course Yuan Shao didn't know what Guo Tu was up to. He also said that Guo Tu was kind enough to help Yuan Xi. It seemed that he really needed to send a prudent veteran to assist my son. When Emperor Taizong Li Shimin conquered Xue Ju in the west, Li Yuan also sent Dou Gui and other veterans to assist.
Although he valued Tian Feng's fame and talent, Yuan Shao secretly hated his temper. After weighing the pros and cons, Yuan Shao made up his mind and said, "Mr. Yuan Hao, are you willing to assist Xian Yi in pacifying Qingzhou?"
Yuan Xi did not expect that Guo Tu would leave Tian Feng to him. Although he guessed his plan, as long as Tian Feng followed him to Qingzhou, Yuan Xi was still sure to assimilate him over time.
Furthermore, Yuan Xi believed that Tian Feng had a clear distinction between public and private affairs. Even if he opposed him, he would still do his best in major matters, just like Wei Zheng of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin.
Tian Feng had complicated thoughts. He didn't expect Guo Tu to take the opportunity to let him go to Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shao also seemed to agree.
Tian Feng then thought about it, although Yuan Xi had just met people, he was still young. If he had been monitoring and giving advice, the trip to Qingzhou would not have caused any trouble. This was also his dedication to the monarch, so he handed over his hand and said, "Feng is willing to assist the second young master to go there." To pacify Qingzhou."
Yuan Shao smiled and said, "With a great talent like Mr. assisting my son, Qingzhou will definitely be around the corner. By then, Mr. Wang will be a hero. I will personally take care of him."
Yuan Xi also bowed his hands to Tian Feng and said, "For the trip to Qingzhou, please give me your guidance and promotion."
Tian Feng returned the gift with an expressionless expression. He didn't want to have too much friendship with the young masters to avoid party disputes, but some things were not a matter of whether he thought about it or not.
