"Mr. Zitai, it is a pity that a great talent like you is buried in the countryside and does not do anything for the people. If Mr. Liu is still alive, will you apply for an official position?" Yuan Xi asked tentatively.
Tian Chou looked at Yuan Xi and Guo Jia, and flatly refused and said: "Second Young Master, please forgive me for speaking frankly. When I was in Chang'an, I already refused to be conquered by the Three Lords, and I will not serve as an official now."
Yuan Xi had been prepared for Tian Chou's resignation, but when he told him the truth, Yuan Xi was embarrassed and speechless for a moment. He finally realized the feeling of being isolated from Cao Cao.
Corporal Li Xian is not that easy to do, so Liu Bei paid three visits to Zhuge Liang in the thatched cottage. Yuan Xi asked himself that he could not do this kind of persistence and friendship, let alone the snow standing in front of the door.
Guo Jiaxiao asked: "Mr. Zitai, you also made suggestions for revenge for Mr. Liu, but why don't you agree to call in Hu soldiers to help? What can you say?"
"Hu Bing, Wu Wan and Xianbei are all foreigners. They are savage and easy to kill, and do not understand etiquette. If they are allowed to become powerful, they will definitely be a disaster for us Han people in the future!" Tian Chou said flatly.
"Is what Mr. Zitai said excessive? As Mr. Xianyu said, finding a person with high prestige to lead them can restrain them." Guo Jia deliberately retorted.
"With all due respect, Mr. Guo, let me be fair. Although Gongsun Zan was violent and murderous, his military strategy was indeed higher than that of Master Liu." Tian Chou said seriously: "Mr. Guo, you two have also read the history books thoroughly. People, you should know that these barbarians have been harming our borders for a long time. From the Spring and Autumn Period to our dynasty, how many years have there been no barbarians causing trouble? The strong will be humble and the weak will wreak havoc. Now when the Han Dynasty is in turmoil, can they be at peace? point?!."
"Mr. Zitai, what you said is correct, but after I went to Emperor Guangwu, Wuhuan and Xianbei surrendered, and many barbarian soldiers were recruited into the Imperial Forbidden Army. It can be seen that it is not a bad idea to appease and restrain them!" Guo Jia retorted again, he It was intentional.
"Restraint? Haha! Mr. Guo, you have never lived in Youzhou, and you don't know the situation on the border. These barbarians surrender on the surface, but they herd and recruit soldiers on their own, and do not submit to state and county governance. In the famine years, the invaders invaded our Han people. Where is this? Have you ever made an act of surrender? The Kou Lue of Karasuma-sama Qiu Liju during the Zhongping period is an example!" Tian Chou said eloquently.
"Mr. Zitai, tell me how to pacify the border areas and deal with the barbarians?" Guo Jia asked step by step.
Tian Chou paused for a while and said while gesticulating: "In general, we should focus on extermination and pacification as a supplement. It's a pity. If Master Liu and Gongsun Zan had cooperated hard, our Han Dynasty's border would be stable for decades. It's a pity that God failed. People wish.”
Yuan Xi personally poured him a bowl of water. He also asked aloud, "I am in the army, and I may have to fight against the Hu people in the future. Mr. Zitai, please tell me a strategy for defeating the Hu people."
"Second Young Master, do you also pay attention to side affairs?" Tian Chou nodded and said: "Second Young Master, do you think that when the Han Dynasty and this dynasty alternated, can the barbarians submit to my enlightenment? After the Guangwu and Ming Emperors, many times It took a conquest to make them settle down? It can be seen that it is necessary to use a strong military front to make them surrender, and then move the rest inward and disperse them to various places. Let them cultivate the fields and get used to the etiquette and customs of our Han people. In less than three generations, their people will also be conquered by us. Chineseization, for our Han people.”
Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty implemented this kind of reform. The later styles of the Sui and Tang Dynasties were the result of the great integration of ethnic groups. The Confucian culture of the Han Dynasty was combined with the sturdy culture of the northern minorities. In the end, Chinese civilization was once again reborn from the ashes.
After listening to Tian Chou's strategy, Guo Jia and Yuan Xi looked at each other and smiled. This Tian Chou indeed has a way and is a talent.
"Second Young Master, Mr. Guo. Why are you two laughing? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Tian Chou asked doubtfully.
"I laugh because Mr. Zitai and the Second Young Master thought of getting together." Guo Jia explained: "The Second Young Master also discussed Ping Hu's strategy with me. What the Young Master said was roughly the same as what the Master said. It can be seen that the two sides The position is very congenial."
Tian Chou looked at Yuan Xi in surprise, and Yuan Xi raised a glass to him and said, "Since I was a child, I have had the ambition to conquer the four directions and pacify the Han people's country. After joining the army, combined with the previous battles between our dynasty and the Hu people, I came up with the idea This method of stabilizing the border areas, I don’t think the second master has the same idea."
Tian Chou pondered for a long time and said: "Young Master is indeed a heroic young man, and you should not underestimate him. Now Youzhou is about to fight again. It is not known who will finally get Youzhou, but from what I see below, it is more likely that Yuan Cheqi will take over Youzhou. . At that time, please master, please follow this strategy to pacify the border areas, protect the territory and the people, and give our Han people a stable life."
This may be the case with Yun Dingxing at the end of the Sui Dynasty. He sighed with emotion about Emperor Taizong Li Shimin. Do we humans really have past and present lives? !
"Mr. Zitai, are you willing to help me stabilize this Han border and protect my Han people?" Yuan Xi solicited again.
Tian Chou hesitated for a while and said: "If one day, the young master conquers foreign tribes and uses my subordinates, Tian Chou will definitely die without mercy!"
Yuan Xi knew that this might be his last line. For such people, forcibly recruiting them would be counterproductive, but before retreating. He can also do something to win people's hearts.
Soon, Yuan Xi brought Guo Jia and Tian Chou to Xian Yufu's camp.
"Second Young Master!" "Second Young Master!"
Seeing Yuan Xi and others walking in, several people saluted.
Yuan Xi also returned the favor. He said with concern, "How are you living here? Are you still used to it?"
"Master Liu passed away just now, and we are all deeply saddened. What is good or bad to talk about?" Qi Zhou shook his head.
"It's a pity that Mr. Liu has been honest and diligent throughout his life, serving the country and the people, but in the end he ended up with his body and head missing. It's a shame that I can't avenge Mr. Liu immediately, alas." Xian Yufu wiped away his tears with his sleeves and said sadly.
Yuan Xi also had a sad look on his face and said: "You all think about Mr. Liu all the time. His loyalty is really admirable. But don't worry, I think it is still possible to snatch Mr. Liu's body back and bury it. It can be done.”
"Second Young Master, is there any way to get the Lord's body back?" Qi Zhou asked in surprise.
Yuan Xi nodded and analyzed, "According to everyone, Gongsun Zan coerced the imperial envoys to oversee the execution and falsely accused the Lord of treason. Then he must send the Lord's body to the Chang'an court. We only need to send elite soldiers to ambush On the main road leading to Chang'an, we will definitely be able to recover your body."
"We were only focused on Zhang Luo avenging your lord, but we forgot about such an important matter. Damn it!" Qi Zhou said in shame.
"We don't have any soldiers at hand, so I'd like to ask the Second Young Master to borrow someone to help retrieve Mr. Liu's body." Xian Yufu requested.
Yuan Xi repeatedly agreed that he could not let go of this opportunity to show kindness to several people. Even so, Yuan Xi understood that this was why Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty killed Zhao Guanghan, who was highly popular among the people. He would rather make the world shed tears than make the country accept defeat.
The next day, under the overall arrangement of Ju Yi, the three armies withdrew their troops one after another. Yuan Shao's plan to rush to aid Liu Yu failed.
Koto.
Qiantang River was called Zhejiang River in ancient times. Later, Qin Shihuang unified the world and established Qiantang County. This large river spanning Kuaiji and Wu County was called Qiantang River.
During the recent rainy season in Jiangdong, Sun Jian originally wanted to send troops after the heavy rainy season, but he did not expect the changes in Danyang to cause him to send troops in advance.
Tens of thousands of troops marched all the way south with great momentum. As long as they successfully crossed the Qiantang River, they would reach Xiaoshan County in Kuaiji. If Xiaoshan was captured, Kuaiji would lose its defensive gateway and could go straight into Shanyin.
As a result, because of the rainy season, the Qiantang River swelled and the waves surged, making it impossible for ordinary bamboo rafts and boats to cross the river. Tens of thousands of troops were trapped in Qiantang County.
Gaoyang in the river.
Yuan Xi led his army back to Gaoyang with Ju Yi and Han Meng. After settling the soldiers, he took Guo Jia to Yuan Shao's temporary residence to report his duties to him.
Yuan Xi came to the door of the lobby, where Lord Bo Chen Lin was waiting. When he saw Yuan Xi, he whispered: "Second Young Master, as soon as Ju Yi came back, he presented a document to the Lord, explaining the course of the battle in Jixian, but Judging from its contents, I'm afraid it will be detrimental to Young Master and Han Meng. Please be prepared to deal with it. All the officials are here, Young Master, please go in too."
Yuan Xi knew very well that since the last battle of Jieqiao and the battle of Longcuo, Ju Yi had become increasingly arrogant and arrogant. He considered himself the well-deserved number one general in the Jizhou army, and he was also arrogant towards other generals. This was because The most taboo thing for generals and ministers.
However, all three armies were at fault for the failure of this rescue effort. Ju Yi obviously wanted to take the blame on Yuan Xi and Han Meng. It is not difficult to see the shadows of Wei Yan and Hou Junji in Ju Yi. The similar personalities of the three of them resulted in similar endings.
"Sir, take all the blame on yourself." Guo Jia whispered.
"Why?" Yuan Xi asked doubtfully.
"Young Master, bear all the faults. Yuan Gong will not punish you much, but this will get Han Meng's gratitude. Furthermore, can Yuan Gong not guess a thing or two about the faults in this battle? Ju Yi, the more arrogant he is, the more you will The more you have to be humble," Guo Jia explained.
Yuan Xi nodded. Follow Chen Lin into the lobby.
At this time, Ju Yi, Han Meng, Gao Lan, Jiang Qi, Chun Yuqiong, Xun Chen, Ju Shou, Feng Ji, Xu You, Cui Yan, and Yuan Xi were already sitting on both sides. In addition, Guo Guo, who had rushed back from Liaoxi, was sitting on both sides. picture. Yuan Xi bowed to everyone and sat at the end of the banquet. After a while, Yuan Shao also came out of the lobby with a dark face.
Yuan Shao looked around at everyone for a while, patted a document, and said: "Everyone, please tell me why you couldn't attack Gongsun Zan's army with the Youzhou army while watching Liu Bo'an die."
Ju Yi stood out. He said: "My lord, as soon as I received the order, I immediately led my 5,000 cavalry troops from Beiping to Jixian County. But at the border of Jixian County, Han Meng's troops had not yet arrived, and the Major General's troops rashly fought with Gongsun Zan's cavalry. .Besieged."
Ju Yi looked at Yuan Xi and Han Meng, and continued: "After I led my troops to attack with all my might, we finally solved the siege of Gongsun Zan's cavalry. However, General Han Meng's troops underestimated the enemy and took credit for their merits in Liangxiang, and fell into an ambush, which resulted in The middle road collapsed. In this way, Gongsun Zan was on guard. His troops from all over the country returned to support Jixian, but our army missed the opportunity to fight. Gongsun Zan occupied more cities than our army. I saw that the food and fodder were exhausted, so I ordered the withdrawal. I hope your lord will see clearly."
Yuan Shao snorted and slapped the document on the table. He said in a deep voice, "Do you know that it was because of missing this opportunity that Liu Bo'an and Lord Liu lost their lives, allowing Gongsun Zan to take most of Youzhou, and his strength greatly increased! This led to the strategic defeat of our Jizhou Army."
Feng Ji came out and said: "Lord, please calm down. According to what the returning soldiers said, compared with the day when Xu Ziyuan arrived in Peking, General Ju Yi did not send troops immediately after receiving the order, but delayed it for three days. May I ask General Ju, what are these three days? What did you do during the day?"
Fengji has always been upright, so naturally he can't stand Ju Yi's arrogance and arrogance. I shied away from the fault and started to use the topic to play. I remember that in the early Tang Dynasty, Chu Suiliang and others were like this with Hou Junji. After Hou Junji pacified the Gaochang Kingdom, they probably attacked each other.
Ju Yi glared and argued: "It will take some time to mobilize troops, horses and food. Besides, did I wait three days before sending out troops?"
"Father, Mr. Feng, General Ju, please listen to what I have to say." Yuan Xi also stood up and saluted and said, "As far as I know, the good land in the middle road is where Gongsun Zan deployed his troops. General Han Meng lost his love in the middle road. It's excusable. Our troops rushed to Jixian, but they didn't dare to attack the city because the enemy's situation was unknown. As a result, Mr. Liu was captured and died, and he missed the best opportunity for rescue. It's really my fault, please punish me father."
Ju Yi snorted coldly. Since Yuan Xi took the initiative to take the blame, he couldn't say anything else. Han Meng was grateful to Yuan Xi for excusing him. He also knelt down and said: "It is true that most of the enemy troops in the middle are guilty, but the last general also committed the crime of taking merit and underestimating the enemy." If you make any mistakes, please be punished as well."
Yuan Shao looked at Ju Yi with a bad look on his face. He believed Feng Ji to the point that Ju Yi had delayed sending troops. Since the victory at Jieqiao, Ju Yi has been fighting Gongsun Zan in Zhongshan and Hejian. Relying on his merits, he has repeatedly asked for soldiers, money and food, and the request has exceeded what he needs to support his troops.
And there were more than one incident of disobeying orders or delaying orders. Yuan Shao didn't say it on his face, but he was angry and jealous in his heart. Later, Wei Yan made mistakes like Ju Yi's, which caused Yang Yi and others to criticize him repeatedly, and it was a pity that he ended up with his head missing.
But Gongsun Zan was not destroyed, and Youzhou was not stable. Yuan Shao urgently needed a general like Ju Yi who was familiar with cavalry and infantry warfare, so he tolerated Ju Yi in every possible way.
Yuan Shao was indeed angry that Han Meng underestimated his enemy and was greedy for merit, but when he saw Yuan Xi kneeling down to plead guilty, he could not punish them severely, so he asked: "Youruo, Ziyuan, Gongze, what should you say?" How to deal with it?”
Guo Tu rolled his eyes, but he didn't understand Yuan Shao's thoughts and just pretended to be thinking.
Xu You said: "It is not easy to attack Ji County. Which general can say that he will be able to rescue people in the hinterland of Gongsun Zan? General Han Meng and Major General marched day and night regardless of the cold and bitterness, and fought to the death with the enemy. If they were to be severely punished, they would be punished. It chilled the hearts of the soldiers."
"Unknown rewards and punishments are not enough to convince the public. The two generals command our army's elite, but judging from this battle, they are obviously not qualified. We should hand over some of our elite troops and horses to other capable generals." Guo Tu Chu Lie said.
Yuan Xi and Han Meng looked at Guo Tu in shock and anger. Yuan Xi then thought about it. He had a lot of Qingzhou soldiers. Guo Tu was worried that his military power was too strong and threatened the Jizhou Central Committee and Yuan Tan, so he took the opportunity to weaken them. His military power.
Yuan Shao hesitated and asked: "Youruo, Mr. Ju, what do you think of the land? Tell me."
Xun Chen saw that he couldn't escape, but he didn't want to offend Yuan Xi and Han Meng. So he said vaguely: "Xu Ziyuan is right. This battle is indeed like pulling chestnuts from the fire. Gongze is right to hand over the elite soldiers to capable generals. But as I see below, the war is not over yet, and Zhang Yan is still occupying the south. As for me, Wei Commandery, why not let these two people lead the old army and make meritorious service?"
"I second the proposal." "I second the proposal." Jushou, Feng Ji and others said one after another.
Yuan Shaokan saved his son. His suggestion was a good one, and he nodded and said: "Yuan Xi and Han Meng, you two will take charge of the old army for the time being, and you will make meritorious deeds! You will not do this next time!"
"As commanded!" "Thank you Lord for your kindness!"
"My lord, the people who claimed to be the emperor's envoys and sent the imperial edict and the secret letter are still waiting outside. The people below asked how to deal with them?" Chen Lin came to Yuan Shao and asked softly.
Everyone didn't know why, so Yuan Shao sent an edict and a secret letter to Emperor Xian and Yang Biao, asking him to raise troops to serve the king. He also took out letters and edicts and showed them to everyone.
Jushou read it carefully for a while and said: "Yes, this is truly the emperor's edict. It cannot be faked."
Guo Tu sneered and said, "Let's not talk about the truth or falsehood for the moment. This edict asks us to unite Gongsun Zan, Liu Yu, Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Tao Qian and others to form an alliance. It's good now. Liu Bo'an is dead, Gongsun Zan, Yuan Jiujiu and others They are our mortal enemies again. How to get to the alliance?"
"The imperial court has been in turmoil for a long time and the Han Dynasty is weak. This is our opportunity to help the country. However, now that we are surrounded by powerful enemies, our army should defeat them quickly. Then we can send our troops to the west to attack the rebels and welcome the Holy Emperor to Jizhou. ." Jushou said.
Yuan Xi had a thought in his mind. He could hold the emperor hostage, which was a great righteousness. It was justifiable to order the princes and recruit talents. But Yuan Shao obviously didn't care about this matter. He has not recognized Emperor Xian's orthodox status, so how can he save him?
as expected.
"This matter will be discussed after we recapture Wei County." Yuan Shao waved his hand, interrupted the previous discussion, and asked: "What should our army do next? Fight Gongsun Zan or Zhang Yan? Do you have any strategies?"
Regarding the overall strategic planning, Ju Shou had already known about it, and he went out and said: "Mr. Gongze has contacted Master Wuhuan, and Liu Bo'an's old army is also gathering people to resist Gongsun Zan, but we must mobilize these three parties, not in one day or two." If we can do it, it is best to make an appointment to attack Gongsun Zan together in the spring next year. The art of war says that those who are good at fighting should first attack their spare time and then attack those who are strong and good."
Xu You also agreed: "Now Zhang Yan is very rampant in Wei County. The Qingzhou soldiers of the second son are about to go north. When Zhang Yan is annihilated in one fell swoop, all worries about the future will be eliminated. Only then can we deal with our army's great enemy Gongsun Zan with peace of mind. We must not fall into the trap of being attacked from both sides." situation."
Yuan Shao had long hated Zhang Yan for having invaded his lair, and wished he could destroy him as soon as possible. Yuan Shao immediately agreed to Xu You and Jushou's proposal.
It can be seen that Yuan Shao is not indecisive, but he never procrastinates on things that suit his own mind, and puts off opinions that are not in line with his own mind, making him appear hesitant.
Jushou spread out the marching map, pointed at it and said: "Gongsun Zan has swallowed Guangyang County, but there are Liu Bo'an's old troops in Yuyang, Youbeiping, Daijun, Shanggu and other places. He cannot take them for his own use at the moment, so he is not afraid of him. Go south. My lord can leave General Ju Yi to command the military affairs of Hejian and Zhongshan counties and guard against Gongsun Zan."
Yuan Shao asked Ju Yi, who was next in command: "General Ju Yi, is he willing to take over this important task?"
Ju Yi handed over his hands and accepted the order and said, "No, I will accept the order. It's just that we have to leave 10,000 infantry to defend the key points. We must also have enough food reserves to last until spring next year."
Yuan Shao knew that now was not the time to bargain, so he agreed, "You can recruit heroes from Zhongshan and Hejian. I will ask them to take out the grain stored in the granaries in the counties and give it to you first."
"General Ju Yi, your hard work and merits are great. When Gongsun Zan is defeated, you will be rewarded separately. Now, how about you choose a hundred acres of land in Hejian to make a food town?" Yuan Shao said soothingly.
"Then thank you, lord." Ju Yi stepped back.
On the sidelines, Yuan Xi secretly sighed inwardly. Yuan Shao allowed his relatives to invade the fields and take in refugees and landless villagers as tenants. The power of these relatives in Jizhou increased greatly, but the people's livelihood in Jizhou was not as good as it was during Han Fu's rule. If things go on like this, people's hearts will be lost. No wonder there were many rebellious counties in Jizhou after the defeat of Guandu.
Jushu himself advised Yuan Shao many times and suggested implementing policies to cultivate cultivation and benefit the people, but none of them were adopted. This move would offend other colleagues, so it was hard for him to say anything.
"My lord, it is actually not difficult to attack Zhang Yan." Jushou said eloquently: "This battle can also be divided into three armies to advance together. General Wen Chou in Changshan was ordered to lead his troops on the left and go down to Zhao State to attack Wu'an. The army in Anping The young master and the others will form the middle route army and attack Quliang and Handan. The lord can lead the remaining soldiers to form the right route army and attack Wei County."
Yuan Shao shook his head and said, "With such a dispersed force, it is better to concentrate in one place, form a fist, and attack Yecheng directly. As long as Yecheng is recaptured, all places will follow suit."
Jushou smiled and analyzed, "If our army is concentrated in one place, Zhang Yan will also call back his troops to defend Ye City. Since Ye City is well-established, it would be time-consuming and laborious to attack by force. Our army will suffer many casualties. How can we prevent it?"
"Wouldn't it be more time-consuming and laborious to divide the troops in various places and capture them one by one?" Guo Tu retorted with a frown.
"These three groups are just suspicious soldiers to hold back Zhang Yan. To take Yecheng at lightning speed, we need a surprise army." Jushou pointed at Yuan Xi and continued, "We can let the Qingzhou soldiers under the second master's command be sent to us today. Raise troops, go north from Liyang along the Yellow River, penetrate directly behind Yecheng, and catch him by surprise!"
"This is a very good plan. It is the best strategy for a military strategist to catch the enemy unawares." Xu You agreed.
Yuan Shao was also secretly moved, but worried: "Qi Bing's plan is of great importance. Xian Yi, do you dare to accept the order?"
Yuan Xi thought about it and said: "We must go all out to recapture Yecheng. However, there are only more than 30,000 Qingzhou soldiers who can go north after resting. I want General Han Meng to also help."
"Just in time, you two will work together to make up for your previous mistakes." Yuan Shao readily agreed.
