"It's okay for our army to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. I'm afraid that Liu Yu can't defeat Gongsun Zan, which will be detrimental to the strategic situation of our Jizhou army." Jushou worried, "Liu Yu is kind, weak and indecisive, and the Youzhou soldiers have no After going through battles, I’m afraid I’ll suffer a loss if we have a confrontation.”
After hearing what he said, the civil and military officials' confidence in Liu Yu's ability to expel Gongsun Zan suddenly weakened. After all, they also knew that Gongsun Zan was a veteran on the battlefield, and Liu Yu was a generous elder.
"Report! The spies are here to report that Liu Yu mobilized his troops yesterday to besiege Tucheng where Gongsun Zan was stationed." The herald came to report.
Chen Lin walked down and presented the secret document to Yuan Shao. Everyone was also shocked. They didn't expect Liu Yu to take action in advance.
"Lord, what's going on with Liu Bo'an? It was clearly agreed that on the fifteenth day after three days, we would send troops to attack Gongsun Zan's garrison in various places!" Feng Ji asked anxiously. He was the one who did this. Now there is something wrong. He got out. It doesn't matter.
During the Five Dynasties, Liu Shouqi of Yan State was as indecisive as Liu Yu. He acted benevolently and was captured by his younger brother Liu Shouguang in a surprise attack.
Yuan Shao passed on the letter and regretted: "Liu Yu made too much noise to mobilize troops, and Gongsun Zan noticed it and had to take action first."
"My lord, we should immediately mobilize all available troops and horses to contain Gongsun Zan's troops in Fanyang, Zhuoxian, Fangcheng, Anci and other places so that they cannot return to Jixian to aid, and create an opportunity for Liu Bo'an to wipe out Gongsun Zan in one fell swoop!" Jushou suggested! road.
"Ziyuan!" Yuan Shao ordered: "Go to Ju Yi in Peiping personally and order him to use all his troops and wait for opportunities to attack Gongsun Zan's garrison in various places to relieve Liu Bo'an's pressure."
This was also a helpless move. Liu Yu's non-compliance with the rules completely disrupted the layout of the Jizhou Army.
"Take the order!" Xu You thought for a moment and asked, "My lord, do you also want to order Zang Hong from Bohai to go north as well?"
"Let's go north together. Although he doesn't have many people, it's better than nothing. The other generals are also preparing to send troops to contain Gongsun Zan's troops everywhere!" Yuan Shao ordered. Although Yuan Shao doesn't like Zang Hong very much, he can't keep him in vain. He must squeeze out part of the value, otherwise Yuan Shao will really think that he is taken advantage of.
Yuan Xi thought about it and stepped out of the queue to suggest: "Father, what Mr. Jushu said is right. Although Gongsun Zan doesn't have many soldiers in Jixian, Liu Bo'an may not be his opponent. I request to lead my cavalry to go straight to Jixian to wait for an opportunity." Determine the outcome of the battle!"
During the Five Dynasties, Li Cunxu, the king of Jin, raided Liu Shouguang and directly penetrated the Chinese army. Taking advantage of Liu Shouguang's loss of popular support, he defeated Youzhou in one fell swoop, thereby laying the foundation for the later Tang Dynasty to strive for hegemony in the north.
"Second nephew, you are wrong." Chunyu Qiong objected: "Although Liu Yu is not very good, he still has a hundred thousand soldiers, and there are at least tens of thousands of soldiers in Jixian. And Gongsun Zan's soldiers in Jixian The garrison army can only number ten thousand people at most. Even if Liu Yu can't defeat him, he can still hold him off until we besiege Jixian, right?"
"General Chunyu, think about it. By sending a mobile cavalry forward, you can not only wait for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Gongsun Zan. To say the least, if things don't work out, it's not difficult to retreat unscathed." Yuan Xi said goodbye to Chunyu Qiong. He said.
"Xianyi, don't say more. It's too risky to go deep into Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan's lair." Yuan Shao objected: "We should press forward step by step and hold back his subordinates everywhere."
Yuan Xi was helpless. Once Yuan Shao decided something, even if it was wrong, it was difficult to dissuade him. Blindly dissuading him would only add to the resentment, not to mention that there were two brothers watching eagerly from the side.
After the discussion, everyone retired to prepare for the expedition.
Feng Ji walked up to Yuan Xi and comforted him: "Second Young Master, my lord does not allow you to lead your troops to attack Ji County because I am worried that your trip will be dangerous. My lord, why don't you want to increase your chances of killing Gongsun Zan? I hope you will understand."
"Thank you for your advice, sir." Yuan Xi asked again: "Sir, you went to Youzhou to prepare for the instigation of Liu Yu, Gongsun Zan, and you must have been to Jixian. In your opinion, what do you think of Liu Yu and the Youzhou army?"
Feng Ji smiled and said, "Young Master is too unfounded. Although Liu Yu is a weak scholar, he still controls tens of thousands of soldiers. His Youzhou soldiers are really well-equipped and well-organized! Liu Boan His popularity in Youzhou is really high, and everyone I have come into contact with, whether they are officials, people, Han, or Hu, all praise him, so it should be no problem to sustain him for a period of time."
"Human hope?" Yuan Xi suddenly realized that Liu Yu's destruction of Gongsun Zan would be a good thing for Jizhou. On the other hand, it might not be a bad thing if Gongsun Zan destroyed Liu Yu. Liu Yu was so popular in Youzhou that anyone who wanted to invade Youzhou would have to go through a lot of trouble. If Gongsun Zan killed Liu Yu, he would not be able to gain a foothold in Youzhou. It also gave Yuan Shao an excuse to capture Youzhou.
This was Yuan Xi's private idea. He didn't know whether Yuan Shao had this intention, maybe. . . .
"Young master, please do your best. Mr. Zhengnan and I will prepare you something. I look forward to your triumphant return." Feng Ji said goodbye to Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi went outside the gate of Yuan Shao's temporary residence. Marquis Xu Chuzheng was beside him, and he brought the war horse to Yuan Xi.
"Second Young Master, wait a minute." A servant in green clothes ran in front of Yuan Xi and reported back, "Second Young Master, our Mr. Xu is waiting for you across the street. Please move over."
Yuan Xi thought of Xu You, so he took Xu Chu and the slave through a street and saw Xu You's carriage.
Xu You opened the car curtain and said, "Master, let's get in the car and talk. I'm going to Peking right now, so I don't have a chance to talk in detail."
Yuan Xi agreed, got on Xu You's carriage, and asked Xu Chu and the guards to follow the carriage slowly.
Xu You looked at Yuan Xi and said with a smile: "Young Master is even more charming than before. I believe Qilu is a place with outstanding people and a good place to take care of yourself."
"Uncle Xu Shi, you always like to talk and laugh." Yuan Xi gave a respectful salute, and then said, "Uncle Shi, thank you for your help in urging food last time. The road was blocked and there was some news. It was all thanks to you, Uncle Shi, who sent someone to inform you. , Xianyi, thank you very much for being here."
Xu You waved his hand and smiled, saying indifferently, "What is this? Mr. Yu, it is the duty of a minister to assist you in pacifying Qingzhou. Yu Si, as an uncle, shouldn't I help my nephew? ?”
Yuan Xi shouted, and asked Xu Chu to hand in a sandalwood box from the leather bag of the war horse. He handed it to Xu You and said, "You also have a share of the credit for conquering Tao Qian. This is something captured in Xuzhou. Please express my gratitude." With all my heart, I hope that Uncle Shi will never refuse."
"Oh my god, how can this happen? How can this happen?!" Xu You pushed away, but smiled brightly: "I know that you spend a lot of money in Qingzhou, but why do you still give me things?"
However, Xu Youdao didn't really intend to go back. You should have seen the way He Shen of the Qing Dynasty received gifts.
Yuan Xi smiled, put the box next to him, and said sincerely, "When I return to Jizhou this time, I feel that those personnel have changed a lot. I would like to ask Xu Shishu for advice, what should I do in the future?"
"You have found the right person for this young master." Xu You looked at the sandalwood box and said with twinkling eyes, "I don't know if the master has told the young master, when you talk about establishing the heir, Xin Ping and the others were making a lot of noise some time ago. Good luck, but fortunately I made a stumbling block in secret, so they didn't succeed."
Yuan Xi only believed half of Xu You's words. It was estimated that the reviewers and Fengji were the main force. Xu You could only encourage Yuan Shao a few words, but Yuan Xidao didn't point it out and said immediately. "I heard my father talk about it, and he suppressed this matter. I just don't know how I should deal with myself in the future?"
Xu You snorted, looked deeply at Yuan Xi, and said, "Brother Benchu told you, he is still on your side in that relationship. Young Master, you need to be careful, you may not be the most trustworthy person around you. People will do that to you behind your back, hehe."
Yuan Xi didn't get to the bottom of it. He knew that Xu You was referring to the old guy Tian Feng, and Zhu Di must have been annoyed by Jianning's group of veterans.
"Today, on the surface, Jizhou is in a lot of trouble, but behind the scenes, various families are fighting for power. I'm afraid you don't know it." Xu You came closer and whispered: "Young Master, you look like this outside. The scenery is endless, but when you are far away from Brother Benchu, there are many things that are beyond your reach. You should put more eyes and ears around Brother Benchu, and you should also give more guidance to Madam."
Yuan Xi nodded in agreement, and Xu You continued: "I estimate that this war will not stop in one or two years. Master, you can make more military achievements and win some popularity in the army. When we occupy all of Hebei, we will I suggest that Brother Benchu divide all three of you brothers to take charge of a state. This seems fair, but the eldest son is far less powerful than you."
Yuan Xi shook his head secretly. This move was extremely beneficial to him, but it was a disaster for the Yuan family's foundation and depleted his own strength. Although he had many complaints about Tian Feng, he had to say that Tian Feng was right, but in order to seize that position, he had to do this. He used to laugh at the Yuan brothers, but now that he is in the middle of the situation, he has to do this. , what an irony.
"In these two years of fighting, there should be many opportunities that can be grasped, right?" Yuan Xi looked out the car window. Li Shimin must have been so confused and melancholy once upon a time.
Koto.
Two flowers bloomed, one on each branch. Ever since the Sun family father and son retreated in disgrace from the battlefield in Xuzhou, Tao has not been idle.
After this period of organization and communication with the aristocratic families, Sun Jian finally found his footing and firmly controlled the northern area of Wu County. Naturally, he felt a little restless.
All the senior officials of Jiangdong Army gathered together. In the lobby, Sun Jian was the county guard with a calm expression. He knelt down at the head of the army with dignity. Gao Dai welcomed Jiangdong Army into the city. He had meritorious service and extraordinary ability. He was still the commander of the county. Cheng Pu sat on Sun Jian's left hand side with some excitement. Cheng Pu took over the position of Wu Commandery and sat on Sun Jian's right hand side.
Gu Tan was the Commander-in-Chief of Wu Commandery and Cheng Pu's deputy. He sat under Cheng Pu. Sun Jian obviously did not want to avoid him. Zhang Zhao, the chief historian, was sent by Sun Jian to Moling for official duties, so he did not show up.
Others, Wu Jing, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, and more than a dozen military generals, and officials from the county governor's office knelt on the ground and sat on the left and right. Zhu Zhi, the magistrate of Wu County, also entered the Jiangdong Army. The core, sitting behind Gao Dai.
"You are all the decision-makers of Wu County. A certain family invited you here today just to discuss the current situation in Jiangdong!"
Sun Jian glanced at everyone with sharp eyes, and finally looked at Wu Jing, and said in a deep voice: "Yuan Lu, you have been in Jiangdong and are more familiar with the current situation in Jiangdong. Let me first tell you about the current situation in Jiangdong! "
"promise!"
Wu Jing stood up, walked to the middle, spread a map on the desk in the middle, and began to introduce the current situation in Jiangdong. Then he pointed to the terrain of Wu County on the sand table and began to analyze it, saying: "The thirteen counties of Wu County, Wu County, Lou County, Wuxi, Piling, Qu'a, Dantu, and the seven counties of Yangxian County are all It is already under the control of our Jiangdong Army!"
In the lobby of the Sheriff's Mansion, everyone gathered around the sand table. Listening to Wu Jing's analysis, Sun Ce frowned and said with some confusion: "Fuchun should be added here. Fuchun County is now under the control of his uncle Sun Jing." Among them, doesn’t it count as the territory of our Jiangdong Army?”
"What the eldest son said is true. Fuchun is indeed under the control of Jiangdong Army, but Fuchun only has less than a thousand county soldiers, and it is isolated outside. If others attack, we are beyond our reach, so it is not counted as Jiangdong." The territory of the army." Wu Jing smiled slightly and said analytically.
Fuchun County is in the extreme south of Wu County, separated by the remnant forces of Xu Gong and Yan Baihu. When their lord went north to Xuzhou, they took advantage of Zhu Zhi and Ling Cao's return to defend Wu County to reoccupy Wucheng, so Before repelling them, it was indeed not Jiangdong Army's territory.
"Fuchun is dispensable to us now and has nothing to do with the overall situation, but one day is still under the control of Youtai. Even if it is our territory, Junli, put the flag up!" A flash of light flashed across Sun Jian's eyes, and he said calmly. vocal channel.
"No!" Zhu Zhi nodded, and then placed another golden flag with the word 'Sun' on the sand table.
"Yuan Lu, you continue!" Sun Jian said.
"promise!"
"What about Qiantang County?" Zhou Yu looked at the last county seat in Wu County with some confusion.
"There is no unified force in Qiantang. Since our army returned last time, Wu County's governor's office has no jurisdiction. It is jointly managed by several powerful families in the county. But now the county magistrate is Yu Zhong, who is behind the scenes. The Yu family of Kuaiji should be in control!" Wu Jing pondered for a moment and said.
"The Yu family, one of the four major families in Jiangdong, their hands are so long!" Sun Ce turned his head, looked thoughtfully at Gu Tan, who was standing quietly in the crowd, and sneered.
Gu Tan remained silent and looked calm, as if nothing had happened.
Sun Jian waved his hand, looked at everyone with tiger eyes, and said: "We must take a longer view. We are called Jiangdong Army by the world, so naturally we must live up to our name. What I want is the entire Jiangdong, Yuanlu, you continue, I want to hear The situation in Jiangdong as a whole.”
"promise!"
Sun Jian's heroic ambition made everyone a little excited. Wu Jing looked slightly shocked, then pointed to the sand table and continued: "Guo Yi, the governor of Kuaiji County, Wu County's rear area, is not a kind person. The Yu family in Kuaiji is friendly and has tens of thousands of county soldiers under his command, but he himself is not proficient in military affairs, so I heard that he invited a man named Wang Lang to help him train his troops."
Zhu Zhi gently walked around and placed a small blue flag with the character "Guo" on top of Kuaiji County.
"Training troops? You are going to fight us to the death!" Sun Ce's handsome face was a little cold.
"This is not unexpected, Guo Yi, I have dealt with him before, he is not a person who can be subdued!"
Sun Jian was silent for a moment, smiled, and a solemn light flashed across his eyes, and said: "But it seems that it is not easy for this Wang Lang to actually get his personal invitation."
"Wang Lang, named Jingxing, is from Donghai. He studied under Taiwei Yang Ci. He is a close friend of Guo Yi. He is both civil and military. He was originally engaged in governance under Tao Qian of Xuzhou. However, he was invited by Guo Yi and arrived years ago. We are here in Kuaiji." Gu Tan suddenly stood up and said calmly, in Jiangdong, the news about these aristocratic families is much clearer than that of the Jiangdong Army.
"So, this Wang Lang is really quite capable. I would like to see how capable he is and what kind of elite soldiers he can train." Sun Jian squinted his eyes with a hint of amusement in his expression.
The Yangzhou Governor's Department has jurisdiction over six counties in Yangzhou. Except for Jiujiang, the other five counties are located in Jiangdong. This is the territory that Sun Jian must win. Only by winning Jiangdong can he be able to compete with the world's heroes.
■■■
Zhuojun, north of Fangcheng. The soldiers of Gongsun Zan's army were driven into a hasty march by their generals.
A lieutenant general waved his whip and shouted: "It's too slow. The superiors asked us to rush to Jixian within three days. If we violate military orders, we will be punished according to the law! You all go and urge the infantry to speed up the march."
Several low-level military attachés nearby were also scared and went to supervise their subordinates.
"Report! A small group of Jizhou Army scouts were found behind the right side!" A cavalryman rode forward to report.
The general drew his saber and shouted: "Stop the entire army and set up defenses on the spot! Call the cavalry in front and come back."
The more than 4,000 infantrymen received the order and formed defensive formations one after another. The armor was neatly gathered up and the crossbows were loaded with arrows.
"Report! An unknown number of cavalrymen attacked our army's rear baggage!" A cavalryman reported again.
The general looked tense and asked his soldiers to tighten their formation around him. The infantry in this march are most afraid of the harassment of cavalry. If they are not careful, the whole army will be defeated.
Gongsun Zan's soldiers have just mobilized their formation. Smoke and dust billowed, and bursts of rapid horse hooves came over. The throats of those infantrymen were dry and their heartbeats were beating fast, as if iron hoofs had stepped on their hearts. The cavalry approached and did not attack them directly, but bypassed them in the open.
"Hurry up and put up your shield!" the general shouted urgently.
Sure enough, a heavy rain of arrows flew in, and the soldiers with poor protection were immediately shot down and howled. The generals on the left and right received the most greetings and were filled with arrows. The general also rolled off his horse to escape.
After the cavalry made a circle, they returned, raised their strong bows, and struck the infantry phalanx with their feathered arrows. Such attacks were repeated several times.
Zhang Liao, who was leading the team, tightened the reins and let the horse stop slowly. The cavalry behind also stopped the entire team.
Surrounded by a group of tiger guards, Yuan Xi rode his horse slowly to the front of the formation.
"Major General, the left wing of the enemy's formation is in chaos. If Zhao Zilong's troops are allowed to fire two more volleys, I can lead my troops to attack!" Zhang Liao said on his horse with his hands raised.
Yuan Xi waved his hand and ordered, "Wenyuan, you have the opportunity to seize the opportunity. Send a signal to Zhao Yun to come around and fire!"
"Young Master, there is an urgent report!" Guo Jia, protected by his soldiers, also rode his horse to the front of the battle and reported, "Mr. Yuan sent someone to send an urgent report, and asked the Young Master and General Han Meng to attack Jixian County!"
Yuan Xi frowned, what kind of order did Yuan Shao make? He had rejected this proposal before, and now he was letting them attack again.
But this is the strategy of war, isn't it? Soldiers use deceit to deceive the enemy first and deceive themselves first. But Yuan Shao had an accident here, otherwise it would have been a strange conspiracy.
