Koto.
In late November, Sun Jian led the Jiangdong army. In order to avoid Zhou Ang's pursuit, he deliberately bypassed Jiujiang County, took the official road of Guangling County, Xiapi County, Xuzhou, crossed the Dantu River, and went all the way south to join Wu Jing. Stationed troops in Qu'a County.
The tiger returned to the mountain and the Jiangdong army returned. In an instant, the entire Jiangdong began to surge. Chen Wen, the governor of Yangzhou, as well as the governors of various counties, and some noble families began to feel restless. Among them, Wu Jun was the first to bear the brunt. .
Qu'a, outside the city.
Sun Jian's tens of thousands of Jiangdong troops did not enter Qu'a County, but set up camp not far outside the city.
"Yuan Lu, I, Sun Wentai, have come back!" In the Chinese army's tent, Sun Jian took off his armor. His tall and tall body was covered with a robe. He looked at his wife and brother Wu Jing and said with some high spirits.
Since the army crossed the river, he has become much more at ease. He feels like he has returned home, and he has the courage of a tiger returning to the mountain to kill in all directions.
"Brother!" Wu Jing also looked at Sun Jian with some excitement: "From now on, eldest brother can flex his muscles!"
Sun Jian shook his head and said categorically: "Yuan Lu, come, let's talk about the situation in Wu County. Last time the alliance army attacked the Dong thieves, our Jiangdong Army contributed a lot. We were supposed to be the governor of Yuzhou, but the Yuan brothers Despite the obstruction, I did not get this position. In the end, I was unable to seize the position of governor of Yangzhou. Even the governor of Wu County, Yuan Benchu, was unwilling to let me go. He clearly wanted to embarrass me!"
Yuan Shao's original intention was not to let him establish himself in Jiangdong so quickly, so he created trouble for him.
As the saying goes: If the name is not correct, the words will not be correct. Although the Han Dynasty exists in name only, the Han Dynasty still exists, and the world is still the world of the Han Dynasty.
Although Sun Jian has 30,000 elite soldiers and horses in his hands, with such a strong foundation, it is just a matter of two hands to capture Wu Commandery, but without a suitable name, for him, if he wants to secure Wu Commandery , there will be a problem if we sit firmly in Jiangdong.
Qingzhou, Linzi.
Yuan Xi was lying softly in the bathtub taking a bath, and Diao Xiuer was waiting beside him. To be precise, she also took off her clothes and waited on him in the bathtub, wiping Yuan Xi and massaging Yuan Xi.
The two of them were taking a mandarin duck bath in the tub. The little maid Luzhu was outside the tub, helping to add water and keep it warm. Yuan Xi closed his eyes and enjoyed it, not even bothering to move his fingers. From time to time, Diao Xiuer would feed Yuan Xi food and drink as instructed.
Anyone who sees this scene will call it arrogant and extravagant! If he had been in a larger bathhouse and had a few more women, Yuan Xi would have lived a life like a foolish king!
It's a pity that Yuan Xi is still aggrieved, arrogant and extravagant? Arrogance, luxury and ease are all true, but the most important "yin", Yuan Xi did not enjoy it at all.
Because Yuan Xi is sick, he is really sick, he is not pretending to be sick. I feel weak, have no appetite, and can't even arouse any interest in the things I do.
Otherwise, how could he let Yuan Xi and Diao Xiuer take a mandarin duck bath, and the little maid Lvzhu, who was a real underage girl, watch from the side!
Therefore, this bath was just a bath, and Yuan Xi did nothing else.
"Luzhu, do you know? You were almost in danger this time." Yuan Xi whispered softly. Diao Xiuer stretched out her hand from behind to help Yuan Xi rub her temples. Her face was flushed. She didn't know whether it was from embarrassment or from being beaten. Red with heat.
However, no matter how messy Yuan Xi was in the past, it was just the two of them, but now this was the first time there was a third person next to him.
Not only Diao Xiuer, but also the little maid Luzhu was blushing. Although Yuan Xi and Yuan Xi didn't do anything, just having sex with each other was embarrassing enough. Fortunately, she was outside the tub and could hardly see anything except their heads.
After hearing what Yuan Xi said, Lu Zhu asked strangely, "Isn't it true that you are in danger, Master?"
"Yes." Yuan Xi sighed, "On the battlefield, if some people want you to die, it is really more effective than ordinary conspiracy and tricks."
Dong-dong-dong, there was a knock on the door.
"Xianyi, can Wu Guo come in?"
This is Gao Yue's voice. It can be seen that Gao Yue has always cared about the wedding and status.
Maybe we really need to find time to make up for such a ceremony, Yuan Xi thought silently in his heart, and then ordered Luzhu next to him, "Luzhu, go and open the door."
"But..." Luzhu's little maid hesitated for a moment, meaning you are just going to let people in in your current state?
Indeed, even between husband and wife, if it is not a matter of shame or shame, it is at least a matter of politeness. Under normal circumstances, even if Gao Yue was asked to wait outside, Yuan Xi should get up, dry himself, change clothes, and see people again.
However, now Yuan Xi really doesn't want to move a finger. Besides, as a modern man, he doesn't care much about these problems. "What are you afraid of? There is a screen in front of you. What's the big deal about talking?" Yes, you can't just let people talk about it outside." Yuan Xi said directly. He was also confused. He was tired of being the leader all the time.
"Yes." The little maid Luzhu nodded, and then quickly ran out to open the door for Gao Yue.
Gao Yue walked in and didn't see Yuan Xi. She was slightly startled. She was about to ask Lv Zhu, but she saw the clothes on the screen and knew that Yuan Xi was taking a shower. She hesitated for a moment and walked in anyway, thinking about the relationship between husband and wife. It's no big deal, otherwise Yuan Xi wouldn't have asked Lu Zhu to open the door directly.
But then, Gao Yue suddenly discovered that there were only Yuan Xi's clothes on the screen. There were obviously women's clothes, so now in Yuan's house, except Diao Xiuer, there would be no other woman like this!
Moreover, both of them had taken off their clothes. Gao Yue could imagine what kind of shameful situation there would be behind the screen without even looking. Of course, if you look at it, it may be a little more pure, but if you think about it, you will definitely think wrongly.
Her face suddenly turned red, Gao Yue quickly turned around and exited the room, secretly scolding Yuan Xi as a bastard, and said, "If it's inconvenient, then Wu Gu can come back later."
"It's not inconvenient, isn't Luzhu here too!" Yuan Xi's voice came from behind the screen.
Gao Yue subconsciously looked at Lu Zhu, their faces were flushed, and they were both shy for a moment.
Originally, Gao Yue, as a lady of the family, had to leave the room no matter what, but for some reason, Gao Yue became jealous when she thought of Diao Xiuer in there.
Gritting her teeth, Gao Yue finally entered the room again, and then quickly turned around and closed the door as if she had a guilty conscience. She walked over there and sat down. Although she couldn't see anything through the screen, Gao Yue deliberately turned her back. Only in this way could she feel more calm.
After the little maid Luzhu helped Gao Yue make a cup of tea, Yuan Xi asked from the other side of the screen, "Wugu, what do you want from me?"
"It's not a big deal, it's just about sister Zhaoji." Gao Yue said straight to the point.
Yuan Xi raised his eyebrows, "What? Isn't she used to living there?"
Yuan Xi thought that Cai Yan couldn't think about it anymore. Indeed, if you think about it from his perspective, you can understand that in Cai Yan's heart, she is very confused about the future, so she is also aloof from Yuan Xi, unsure!
Wei Zhongdao is dead, and there is constant ambiguity between Cai Yan and Yuan Xi, but it is not clear. So what else can she expect from her future wife? Are you just going to live under someone else's roof and live in Yuan Xi's house for the rest of your life?
"No." Gao Yue shook her head, "Sister Zhaoji didn't say anything, but she would be sad and shed tears from time to time. It's just that when I get along with her these days, from her words and deeds, I always feel that Sister Zhaoji is hiding something. .”
Yuan Xi's heart skipped a beat. Has Gao Yue already guessed the truth? Some time ago, Yuan Xi and Cai Yan almost had something happen, but in the end Cai Yan refused.
It was obvious that Yuan Xi knew Cai Yan thoroughly and did not bring him back for no reason. Even if Yuan Xi didn't explain it clearly due to some things, she didn't ask Gao Yue to explain it in private. Gao Yue felt that she was really pitiful as a wife.
In vain, all she thought about was for the whole family, but as for Yuan Xi, she didn't trust her at all and hid everything from her. Thinking of this, Gao Yue couldn't help but burst into tears again.
Yuan Xi suddenly had a headache. The situation outside was already very tense, and now his body was in a very bad state. He didn't expect to have to worry about these household chores. Being a man is really tiring.
Yuan Xi suddenly spoke loudly, "Wugu, you will always be the first lady!"
"Ah?" Gao Yue was stunned, wondering why Yuan Xi suddenly got involved here.
Then Yuan Xi continued to say, "Xiu'er, you will always be the number one concubine!"
"Luzhu, you will always be the number one maid!"
"Okay, that's it." Yuan Xi concluded with certainty.
The next day, the meeting hall.
Yuan Xi walked out of the study and went to a small side hall in the front yard where he usually discussed things with Guo Jia and the others. As soon as he stepped in, he saw that everyone was already together.
These are all his future team members. Yuan Xi took a deep breath, walked to the innermost seat and sat down.
Because he said that officials should be frugal in all expenses, Yuan Xi gathered all the family banquets, teachers' banquets, relatives and friends' banquets on December 1, and held them in the Governor's Mansion.
Zheng Xuan, who was still staying in Linzi, also had Tian Feng, Guo Jia, Guo Yuan, Gu Yong, Yi Rong, Zhang He, Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Zhu Gongdao, Hao Zhao, Guo Huai and other civil and military officials, and even Guan Hai and Qin Yuan. The two Yellow Turban generals were also invited.
At the beginning, the respected elders Zheng Xuan and Yuan Xi presided over the official sacrifices to pray to the gods to drive away evil and welcome good luck.
Although frugal, pigs, sheep and other ingredients used for sacrifices and banquets are indispensable. In the evening, there was a lively scene in the governor's mansion. All the civil and military personnel and their families were present. Men and women did not have to sit separately at this time, but Gu Yong and others still specially arranged a banquet for the civil and military family members.
Yuan Xi, his civil and military officials, and Zheng Xuan arranged the main banquet in the front hall.
During the festival banquet, there is no formal etiquette in the past, and everyone can move around among each other, feast and have fun. Popular games such as Tou Hu and Lu Bo are naturally indispensable.
Zhao Yun still looked serious and respectful, and he asked strangely: "My lord, why don't you see Zhong Kang?"
Yuan Xi raised the wine baron and smiled: "Send him to Jizhou to deliver some gifts to my father." Yuan Xi's eyes flashed with slyness.
Guo Jia, who was joking, was slightly stunned when he heard what Yuan Xi said, and then drank a sip of wine thoughtfully.
"Report!" A messenger ran into the lobby while the wine was intoxicating.
Everyone stopped drinking and eating, because it was often an urgent call at this time.
"Reporting to the Major General, my lords. Cao Song, the father of Cao Cao, the shepherd of Yanzhou, was robbed by bandits on the way from Langya to Yanzhou. Together with his family members and more than a hundred Yanzhou soldiers, they were killed!"
Everyone was shocked, the news was too sudden. But none of them imagined how big the turmoil this incident would cause.
Yuan Xi's hands couldn't help shaking, whether he was excited or uneasy. Finally came. The three-party melee planned by myself is about to begin.
■■■
Xuzhou Xiapi.
Although it was the twelfth lunar month, the governor's mansion was in a state of chaos, and Tao Qian was no longer in the mood to prepare for a banquet.
Tao Qian is sixty-two years old this year. He is short in stature, has a white beard, and has a generous face, which makes him look like an elder.
However, after the bad news of Cao Song's murder came, Tao Qian was stimulated to the point of panic. He quickly summoned a group of subordinates to discuss matters urgently, including Liu Bei, who had come to rely on him not long ago.
In the past two years, the situation has changed. Originally, the alliance of Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Yuan Shu was unparalleled in terms of momentum and strength. However, after Gongsun Zan's defeat at Jieqiao, the loss of Qingzhou, and Tao Qian's defeat by Cao Cao and Yuan Shaojia, the strength of the three alliances has been greatly weakened.
What made Tao Qian even more annoyed was that Yuan Shu was arrogant and unreasonable and allowed his nominal subordinates Sun Jian and Sun Ce to come to Guangling, Xuzhou to garrison. Zhang Zhao, a famous scholar in Guangling who could not even be conquered by the three princes in the past,
They were also invited to serve as officials. Tao Qian was furious and drove Sun Jian and Sun Ce back to Qu'a.
While thinking about it, Tao Qian's confidants Cao Hong, Chen Deng, Zuo Rong, Zhizhong Wang Lang, Biejiazeng Mi Zhu, Cao Bao, Zang Ba, Sun Guan, and the newly attached Liu Bei all came to the scene.
Tao Qian looked haggard and weak, and told everyone about Cao Song's murder. All the civil and military personnel were shocked and speechless for a long time.
Chen Deng, a handsome man in his twenties, reacted first, "Mr. Tao, have you sent someone to thoroughly investigate the murderer?"
"Fei Guo County Lieutenant discovered that Cao Song and others were killed, so he went to investigate in person." After a pause, Tao Qian said feebly: "Cao Song's family, men, women, and children, as well as dozens of Yanzhou soldiers, were all killed. Cao Song's hundreds of soldiers were killed. Yu Che’s belongings were also missing.”
Mi Zhu asked in confusion: "There is no trace of more than a hundred carts of property? Obviously the thieves are trying to make money, but the wealth of more than a hundred carts is not a fraction, so how can there be no trace?"
Tao Qian didn't know the details, "At least there were no reports of suspicious convoys passing through Xuzhou."
Speaking of this, Tao Qian said angrily: "After preliminary investigation, more than 400 soldiers stationed in Feixian County left the station without authorization and disappeared. Those soldiers are from Que Xuan Yu's party who surrendered. I'm afraid they are the thieves."
Wang Lang was now under Tao Qian's rule. He complained: "Thieves' nature is hard to change. I have already said before that we must strictly control the troops of Que Xuan Jiang."
Tao Qian patted his head with a headache, "It's too late to regret, please tell me how to remedy this."
Liu Bei's heart moved. He wanted to say something but in the end he had no words. He was newly attached to Tao Qian and lacked qualifications and reputation, so there were some things he couldn't say.
Chen Deng looked at the frightened Tao Qian and couldn't help but shake his head. Tao Qian was very competent in governing the prefectures and counties, but he was not good at making strategic decisions.
"Sir, don't be anxious. We should first send capable people to investigate the matter thoroughly and try our best to find the murderer. Then send people to Yanzhou to apologize to Cao Mengde and explain the reason for the matter."
Cao Hong couldn't stand Chen Deng's perverse and arrogant attitude, and sneered: "Judging from the circumstances of Cao Song's murder, the culprits planned well. After they succeeded, they would definitely wait for an opportunity to escape. Where can they trace them? Cao Cao's father and his family were killed in our Xuzhou area." , Will he believe the report we are waiting for? If one of them does not do well and raises troops to invade, then Xuzhou will be in danger."
The children of the Chen Deng family are young and vigorous, and they have always looked down upon villains like Cao Hong. "We in Xuzhou have many soldiers and sufficient food. We have at least one hundred thousand armored men. Why should we be afraid of Cao Cao!"
"But Yuan Shao's second son has occupied Qingzhou. If he and Cao Cao attack from both sides, Xuzhou will not be safe." Mi Zhu reminded.
Chen Deng frowned. He had just been provoked by Cao Hong, so he said he was not afraid of Cao Cao raising troops. However, if Cao Cao and Yuan Xi really attacked Xuzhou, it would be really dangerous. "It is better to explain the situation to Cao Cao as best as possible. On the other hand, send someone to contact Yuan Highway. Prepare for the worst."
Tao Qian sighed and could only do what Chen Deng said. Then let several generals station troops to take precautions.
■■■
The Dongjun Zhou Mufu is all white, with two coffins placed in the lobby. There are tablets of Cao Song and Cao De standing in front.
Relatives of the Cao family were all dressed in mourning clothes, and civil and military officials also brought white hemp to attend the funeral.
With the support of Cao Ang, Cao Cao knelt in front of the coffin to observe mourning. Cao Cao's eyes were red, and he mechanically threw the paper money into the fire plate and burned it.
Brothers Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xia Hou, Xun Yu, Xun You, Xi Zhong, Cheng Yu, as well as Yu Jin, Le Jin, Li Dian and other civil and military officials came forward to worship in turn, and then stepped aside.
After a while, the herald shouted loudly: "Envoys from Major General Yuan of Qingzhou, come to pay homage!"
All the civil and military officials looked towards the door of the lobby and saw a young scholar in his twenties with a square face and short beard walking in. It was Gu Yong, Yuan Xi's envoy.
Gu Yong quickly came to the spiritual throne and bowed deeply three times. Then he paid homage to Cao Cao and said, "I am a subordinate of Major General Yuan, Gu Yong from Wu County. I have come to express my condolences on behalf of Major General Yuan. Please express my condolences, Lord Cao."
Cao Cao came to his senses and gently raised his hand in return. Xi Zhong came out quickly, took Gu Yong aside, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Gu. My lord understands General Yuan's wishes, but Mr. Cao is currently grieving."
Gu Yong nodded to express understanding.
At this moment, a petty official came to Xun Yu and whispered a few words.
Xun Yu looked ugly and hesitantly came to Cao Cao and reported back, "My lord, Tao Qian sent an envoy to wait outside."
Cao Cao snorted, then suddenly came back to his senses, his red eyes flashed fiercely, and said angrily, "Tao Qian! You dare to send someone here, hurry up and take him forward!"
The soldiers nearby received the order and immediately escorted Tao Qian's envoy to the lobby.
Liu Jian was a well-spoken and well-spoken clerk under Tao Qian, but he looked sad because he was assigned such a hard job.
Cao Cao stood up, walked beside Cao Ren, drew his sword and was about to kill Liu Jian.
Cao Ren and Cao Hong quickly grabbed Cao Cao's hands and advised, "Meng De, don't be impulsive. Listen to what he says."
Cao Cao stared at Liu Jian sadly and said, "Let's see what you have to say!"
Liu Jian wailed in his heart, this time it was more misfortune, "Mr. Cao, listen to me, Tao Xuzhou verified that the murderer of your father was Que Xuan Yu's party. Tao Xuzhou did not know about it, and he also learned that your father came to Yanzhou and sent soldiers Escort, let me ask you how you could harm him!"
Cao Cao stared at Liu Jian coldly and said angrily, "Tao Qian, a common man, previously annexed Yanzhou and was defeated by me. His intention to be an enemy of me was obvious, how could he not do harm! Then he saw me taking his father to Yanzhou. , connivance with the insurgents to loot and kill."
Liu Jian still wanted to argue, but Cao Cao also glared at Cao Ren and Cao Hong and said sternly, "I have made up my mind, let go!"
Cao Ren and Cao Hong were so frightened by his murderous eyes that they unconsciously let go.
Cao Cao took two steps forward, grabbed Liu Jian's clothes with one hand, stared at him with angry and cold eyes, and raised the ring-shou knife with the other hand.
