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The next day, the Qingzhou Army, under the command of Yuan Xi and others, gradually drove out of Tancheng and prepared for Qu County. Before leaving, Yuan Xi ordered his soldiers to forcibly take away all kinds of craftsmen in the city.
Do you still remember what the United States did after it conquered Germany after World War II, which was to capture scientists first? After all, technology is the primary productive force, right? When Cao Hong and Mi Zhu learned about the situation after taking over Tancheng, they simply ignored it. It's over.
After receiving the order, the Mi family's ships began to load money and grain, and were ordered to go to Donglai. Ships from other places were also ordered to come to Qu County. The Qingzhou Army also rested and reorganized in Qu County.
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Boyang Yanzhou Army Camp.
Cao Cao, with Cao Ang and others, was patrolling around the camp. When they came to a piece of territory in Zuoying, they found that the soldiers were squatting and resting with nothing to do.
Cao Cao suddenly lost his anger and asked angrily: "Whose soldiers are these? It's broad daylight and there is no war. They must practice. Don't you know this simple military regulation?"
The surrounding generals were all terrified and suspicious. After all, Cao Cao's military laws were very strict and this was no joke.
"Replying to my lord, these are General Cao Hong's soldiers. I'm afraid there is some other reason." Xi Zhong replied as he came out to relieve the siege.
When he heard that it was Cao Hong, who was from his clan, Cao Cao felt his face was shameless and became even more angry. He summoned a captain and said angrily, "Where are you, general? Why don't you come to command the drill!"
The captain was so frightened that he knelt down and said, "General, spare your life. General Cao Hong has gone to the rear camp to beg for food. We don't want to practice unless we do it. It's true that there has been no food here for a day, and the soldiers can't use their strength. Please, my lord." Insightful."
Cao Cao's face suddenly turned ugly, and then he turned to Xun You and Xi Zhong and asked: "Is there no food left in the army? Didn't we seize a lot in Yinping? I remember that the day before yesterday, we also escorted a batch from Yanzhou! It's not like that. So fast?"
Xi Zhong helplessly replied: "The war is not progressing. Our army is blocked in Boyang. The army's food consumption is very serious. Some battalions are temporarily unable to supply food and grass. General Cao Hong came yesterday to urge food, but my lord, you lead the troops out to attack Sun Jian, so I don’t know.”
After listening to Xi Zhong's report, Cao Cao felt unwilling to give in. He looked up to the sky and sighed: "Is it possible that Tao Qian's anger is not exhausted yet, and God won't let me avenge this bloody revenge? Why is the sky so unfair!"
Xun You carefully advised: "My Lord, there is news from the East China Sea. Tao Qian sent money and food, and negotiated peace with Yuan Xi. Now the Qingzhou Army has returned to Qu County. And Yuan Xi has also married into the Mi family."
Cao Cao lamented the bad luck in his heart, so he stepped forward to support Xun You and said apologetically, "Gongda, maybe you are right, our army should give up Xuzhou first. It is my fault that it affects the three armies, but I swear that within three years, We will definitely send troops to Xuzhou again!"
Seeing Cao Cao's temporary compromise, Xi Zhong and Xun You felt a little relieved, and Cao Cao finally regained his iron-blooded sanity.
Cao Cao glanced at Cao Ang next to him and sneered: "Yuan Xi has benefited from this expedition to Xuzhou. He is the one who has benefited the most. He is really a powerful enemy in the future! Yuan Benchu has a good son!"
Cao Ang was embarrassed for a while. Didn't this mean that his son was an idiot? However, he could not refute his father. He could only lament that it was unfortunate to be born in the same era as Yuan Xi.
The next day.
Yuan Xi, Xu Chu and Hu Wei secretly sneaked into Xiapi and prepared to meet Mi Zhu's younger brother, Mi Fang, and have a secret meeting. After waiting for a long time, they heard the back door of Mi Mansion open and Mi Fang, dressed in formal clothes, walked out.
"Yuan. Yuan." Mi Fang looked at Yuan Xi's sudden appearance in surprise. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Yuan Xi.
"Brother Mi, why don't you invite me in and sit down?"
Mi Fang glanced at Yuan Xi, as well as Xu Chu and Hu Wei who were holding weapons behind him, and said quickly: "Come on, come on, come in quickly, come in quickly."
He never expected that Yuan Xi would come in person.
For a moment, my heart was full of surprise and confusion, as well as deep joy. This was because I attached great importance to the Mi family.
After entering the mansion and repelling the servants, Mi Fang wiped her sweat and said in surprise: "Sister, brother-in-law, why are you here?"
Yuan Xi smiled knowingly and said, "If I say that I am here to save your Mi family, brother Mi, will you believe me?"
Mi Fang was stunned and said: "Sister | Husband, who are you kidding?"
While talking, the two of them had already walked to a study room.
After sitting down, Yuan Xi took the tea handed over by Mi Fang, took a sip, and asked without answering: "Brother Mi, did you receive the letter that Zhen'er and I wrote last time?"
Mi Fang was a little embarrassed and squeaked: "I got it, I got it, it's just my eldest brother. He..."
Yuan Xi nodded and said: "I understand. I came here this time, firstly, to invite you again, and secondly, to inform you that there will be a big war in Xuzhou in the near future, and Xuzhou is very likely to be replaced in this war. New owner."
Mi Fang was shocked and said in a panic, "There's still going to be a war? Xuzhou is fine and hasn't provoked anyone? Why is there going to be another war?"
Seeing Yuan Xi's half-smiling look, Mi Fang's face turned red. His question was indeed a bit incompetent. Didn't this just end a war that Yuan Xi participated in?
With her brows furrowed together, Mi Fang hesitated for a long time and said, "Will Yuan Cheqi also attack Xuzhou in the future?"
Still somewhat knowledgeable, Yuan Xi smiled and said: "You're half right. Not only Qingzhou will send troops next time, but Cao Cao will also send troops. At that time, Cao Yuan will attack Xuzhou one after another and agree to divide Xuzhou together. Haha, how long do you think Xuzhou can hold on? "
Mi Fang's face suddenly turned ugly. Yes, under the attack of the two major forces in the world, how long can Xuzhou last?
Yuan Xi then deceived and said: "There should be no lie in this matter. As for the specific time, I don't know, but I think it will happen this year or next year."
Mi Fang took a breath of air. He originally hoped that Yuan Xi could save his Mi family, but now after hearing his words, it was obvious that there was nothing he could do, and he suddenly felt panic and uneasiness.
"If this is true, I have to thank my sister-in-law for telling her." Mi Fang suddenly felt at a loss.
The prosperity of their Mi family is based on a stable environment. If Xuzhou falls, the rich families like them will be the first to suffer. After all, what is the war for? In addition to the city's population, it also needs war to support war and wealth.
As the richest man in Xuzhou, their family must seek shelter no matter what. .
Mi Fang sighed bitterly in her heart. Suddenly he raised his head and said, "Sister|husband, just now you said you could save my Mi family? Is it true or not?"
Old God Yuan Xi said: "Brother Mi, please be at ease. This is natural. Otherwise, why would I have traveled thousands of miles to come here?"
Mi Fang was moved in her heart, and was extremely lucky that her sister had married him. Otherwise, the day when Xiapi fell, would have been the day when his Mi family disappeared.
Mi Fang bowed deeply and said: "Second Young Master, on behalf of the entire Mi family, I would like to thank my sister-in-law for your kindness."
Yuan Xi couldn't help but be amused when he saw him opening his mouth and refusing to leave his sister-in-law, but he didn't care. As long as he could make them afraid, make them follow him, and get Mi Zhu, everything would be worth it, and his risk would not be in vain. Come to Xuzhou despite the danger.
Mi Fang did not directly ask how Yuan Xi could help her and others. Instead, she asked someone to entertain him well and left in a hurry.
In the evening, Mi Fang came over with an elegant middle-aged man whom they had met not long ago.
Yuan Xi took a closer look and found that he was very similar to Mi Fang, but he had to say that he was much more handsome than Mi Fang. This person was Mi Zhu who had negotiated peace before.
When the two of them looked at each other, at Yuan Xi's signal, Xu Chu and the other tiger guards slowly walked out after saluting.
This person is not under his own control. Besides, it is still his uncle. Yuan Xi did not make any fuss. He stood up directly and said with brotherly courtesy: "Xianyi has seen the eldest brother. Xianyi came uninvited. Please don't do it. If you are offended, forgive me."
It's not an exaggeration to call the eldest uncle the eldest brother, it makes him appear more intimate. After all, Mi Zhu is very useful.
Mi Zhu's face relaxed and he returned the greeting: "Zizhong didn't know that Xian Yi was here. He has been busy outside. I hope Xian Yi won't take offense to his neglect."
Facing the second young master of the Yuan family who was famous all over the world, he did not dare to trust him.
Yuan Xi smiled and said: "No, no, I'm here uninvited. I hope my brother doesn't find it annoying."
The two of them pretended to be polite, but eventually the upright Mi Fang became impatient, so she brought up the topic.
He frowned and said, "Brother, time waits for no one. Our family is now at a critical point of life and death, but it's all a matter of your words. Brother, you have to make an idea."
Mi Zhu glanced at him indifferently, but ignored him and continued to talk to Yuan Xi about other useless things.
Facing Mi Zhu's calmness, Yuan Xi felt quite anxious. However, the few times he mentioned things about Xuzhou, Mi Zhu diverted them to other topics, making it no longer easy for him to talk about it, so he had to follow him to continue talking about something. The topic of nutrition.
But I already had a bad feeling in my heart.
After talking for a while, Mi Zhu left on the pretext of having something to do and asked Mi Fang to entertain Yuan Xi and entertain him in the hall later.
Mi Fang seemed to be devoted to Yuan Xi. Uncharacteristically, she said in distress: "I told my brother about the matter, but he completely ignored me. I can't figure out what he meant. Brother-in-law, what should I do?"
Yuan Xi also didn't expect that Mi Zhu would be so neither salty nor cool when he first came up, and his heart suddenly became cold. He frowned for a long time, called Mi Fang to his side, and said solemnly: "Do you treat me sincerely?"
Mi Fang was stunned, and immediately patted her chest and said: "My sister's matter was all caused by me. Didn't my brother-in-law's words slap me in the face?" He looked very angry when he said it. Only a ghost would believe it.
Yuan Xi knew what he was thinking and said thoughtfully: "Do you know why your elder brother didn't respond directly to my request?"
Mi Fang is naturally not a fool. He said: "The eldest brother is in Xuzhou, so it is difficult for him to leave. Besides, our Mi family has its roots in Xuzhou. Now that the eldest brother is the head of the Mi family, the things to consider must be complicated. But it’s also difficult for him.”
He carefully peeked at Yuan Xi and saw that his expression was dull, so he couldn't help but continue: "However, although our family has a certain degree of influence in Xuzhou, and my eldest brother has left the official post, he is not Tao Zhoumu's confidant. I The eldest brother is a good person, so maybe my sister-in-law can start from here."
Yuan Xi was stunned and looked at him blankly for a long time. Mi Fang was embarrassed by his look and laughed dryly: "I am also thinking about the long-term stability of our Mi family. Following you, my sister-in-law, is better than following Taozhou Mu, right? After all, , I heard that Mr. Zhou Mu is ill!"
A man who knows the current affairs is a hero. This is what Yuan Xi said to Mi Fang. This kind of person will not be very loyal, but he will not betray easily. If used well, it is very worry-free. However, in the history of the Battle of Jingzhou At that time, Guan Yu did not make good use of him.
"Let's talk about it during the banquet tonight. Brother Mi, please help me more."
Although he said this, Yuan Xi knew in his heart that Xuzhou was not at the point of life and death at this time, so his hope was not too great.
Sure enough, Mi Zhu did not give a positive reply in the next few days, but instead asked Mi Fang to pack up some people in the house and follow Yuan Xi to Qingzhou to "buy a dowry" for her little sister.
However, Yuan Xi was not without gains. At least this planted the seeds for Mi Zhu to seek refuge with Yuan Xi later. When the time comes, it will bear fruit. This is human nature. Just like the Battle of Guandu in history, in less than the last five minutes, Who knew that the weak Cao Cao could defeat Yuan Shao, the first prince who dominated the north.
Gaoyang, northern Hebei Province, Yuan Shaojun's camp.
Han Meng quickly walked into the big tent, threw the iron jacket aside, picked up the water on the table and poured it down. He took a long breath, cupped his hands to Yuan Shao and said, "My lord, Gongsun Zan has put all his main force in Yixian County." , I’m afraid we won’t be able to recover without gathering the strength of the entire army!”
Yuan Shao's eyes were sunken and his face was ugly, and he said angrily, "Gongsun Zan, Yuan Gongliu, Zhang Yan, you bullied me too much, I swear to kill you! You really think that I, Yuan Benchu, am easy to bully."
"My lord, Guo Tu and Feng Ji have split up to contact Wu Huan and Liu Yu. I believe there will be results soon. Our troops are scattered everywhere, so we should stick to our guns and wait for changes." Xu You suggested.
"What did Ju Yi say?" Yuan Shao asked without answering.
"To inform my lord, General Ju Yi said that his side has insufficient troops and is under great pressure. It is recommended that my lord stick to the Gaoyang and Bohai lines first, and use defense as offense." Xu You carefully organized his words and said.
"Ju Yi has won several battles and is becoming more and more wanton. Not only does he urge food and money again and again, but he also bargains with the master's schedule. It's really rude." Chunyu Qiong said angrily, because Ju Yi had made many meritorious deeds, so that His status in the Jizhou army was not as good as before.
Yuan Shao's face was gloomy. Ju Yi's countermeasures may be correct, but as a monarch, he would naturally be suspicious and dislike a general who did not obey his orders. Just like Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty Liu Yilong was suspicious of the general Tan Daoji, in the end those who are close will hate their enemies quickly.
"Report! Mr. Xin Zhongzhi has arrived outside the tent."
Yuan Shao and others stood up and waited for Xin Ping to come in with concern.
Xin Ping was riding fast and looked very tired. He saluted Yuan Shao and said, "My lord, all your lords' families have been settled in Anping. Now the eldest son, Mr. Xun Youruo and Mr. Shen Zhengnan are in charge of the defense in the south."
"How is the situation with the Black Mountain Bandits?" Yuan Shao asked.
Xin Ping hesitated for a while, frowned and said: "It's not good. Almost all of Wei County fell, and General Wen Chou was dragged into Changshan again. General Yan Liang went to Julu to confront Zhang Yan, and barely managed to hold off the Black Mountain bandits. The Lord is needed Rush for help."
Yuan Shao couldn't help but knock on the table and said depressedly, "I don't understand why the war situation became so dangerous overnight."
"My lord, Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan probably spent a lot of time planning this game and caught us off guard, but our army still has the advantage. As long as we resist their attack and gather soldiers from all over, we will definitely defeat them one by one! Xin Ping said.
Yuan Shao felt a little relieved, but his face was still gloomy. He couldn't hold back his anger and said sternly, "Tell me, what do the defenders in various places do for food? Even Zhang Yan is so arrogant! Is it possible that there is no one in our Hebei army?" ?!”
Xin Ping said helplessly: "Our troops are scattered in various places. There are not many defenders in each county, so it is not easy to defend small towns. Besides, many of them are Han Fu's old troops. Seeing Zhang Yan's power, they naturally followed him."
Xu You rolled his eyes and said: "Our army is scattered all over the place and it is true that it is stretched thin, but my lord may have forgotten that there is an extraordinary army that has not been used."
"Oh? Ziyuan, what is the strange weapon you are talking about? Why don't I know? Please tell me." Yuan Shao asked in confusion and curiosity.
Xu You smiled and said, "My Lord, you have forgotten that the Second Young Master is stationed in Qingzhou. Isn't he a vital force?"
Yuan Shao slapped his forehead and said with great joy, "Look at me, why have I forgotten my son Xian Yi? It's just that he went to Xuzhou. Isn't it okay to mobilize the army in a hurry and come back?"
When Xin Ping heard that he was going to suffer from the secret passage, he raised his hands and said, "My lord, the second young master is far away in Qingzhou and Xuzhou. It can be said that water far away cannot relieve the fire close by. Besides, Qingzhou is newly settled and there may be changes if heavy troops are sent here. Please think twice, lord!"
Xin Ping had his own ideas. If he allowed the powerful Yuan Xi to lead his troops back to Jizhou and make a few more great contributions, his reputation would increase. Both the wealthy civil servants and the military generals in Jizhou would definitely be attached to him. . That would be extremely detrimental to Yuan Tan.
Don’t you see that Li Shimin repeatedly made great achievements, and finally endangered Li Jiancheng’s position as the heir apparent? Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi are in such a situation, so they are not happy to see Yuan Xi make new achievements again.
"According to the news from the spies, Cao Cao and the Second Young Master were in Xuzhou and suppressed Tao Qian until he was unable to fight back. It can be said that the south has no worries. Now our army has no less soldiers than Zhang Yan and Gongsun Zan, but it is difficult to assemble. Second Young Master Once the army arrives, it will greatly ease the pressure on our army." Xu You argued.
Yuan Shao nodded in approval and said slowly, "Tian Yuanhao also sent a document, saying that he is raising soldiers and supplies. After recalling Xianyi from Xuzhou, he can rush to help Jizhou."
Xin Ping knew that Yuan Shao was already leaning towards Xu You's plan, so he didn't say anything more. However, he was even more wary of Yuan Xi's power in his heart, so he could only do it. . .
