Everyone looked around and saw Yan Rou, Xian Yufu and others also arriving, and it was Yan Rou who spoke.
Yan Rou stepped forward and explained: "This is what one of my subordinates saw. The Second Young Master's subordinates came out to dissuade him, but Master Tadun took action first, and the two sides clashed. If both sides are not wrong, then they should not just pursue punishment. One side.”
As she spoke, a Hu general with a thick beard came out from behind Yan Rou and said, "General Yuan, in the lower section of Pixi, led his troops to attack the remnants of Gongsun Zan, and happened to see them clashing. It was indeed Lord Tadun's subordinates, no. Distinguish between enemy soldiers and civilians, and those who attack the Qingzhou Army first, I hope the general will be aware of it."
"What nonsense are you talking about, a young general!" After being exposed by them, Tadun immediately became angry and said anxiously.
Yuan Xi was furious in his heart, but he knew that now was not the time to fall out. Yuan Shao or the Yuan family would have to rely on Tadun in a short period of time. He could only calm down and said: "General Tadun, I see this The truth is that there is a misunderstanding between the two parties, so it’s better to let it go.”
But Yuan Xi felt that he had been humiliated and humiliated, just like Emperor Taizong Li Shimin faced his ally Jieli Khan. It was not until later that Yuan Xi's general Zhang Liao rode on Wuhuan and captured and killed Tadun that Yuan Xi was considered a shame. Former shame.
Because Yan Rou's subordinates corrected him, Tadun felt that he was in the wrong. He casually said a few words in Wuhuan language, and then accepted Yuan Xi's proposal. The two parties gave up, but Liang Zi was considered to be married.
Yuan Xi was angry and puzzled, but he knew that now was not the time to fall out. Yuan Shao or the Yuan family would have to rely on Tadun in a short period of time, so he could only calm down and humiliate himself. One day I will conquer the grassland like Emperor Taizong Li Shimin did.
Tadun was also furious, but because Yan Rou's subordinates corrected him, Tadun felt that he was wrong and had no choice but to give up. Several people were dismissed by Yuan Shao at once.
Although Yuan Xi and others were holding their breath, they could only endure it. In addition to leaving some troops to clean up the mess, he led his subordinates back to the camp outside the city. When all the men heard what happened, they were filled with indignation. When they heard that Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci speared General Hu, they all burst into cheers.
After a while, Gu Yong returned to the Qingzhou Army tent and reported, "Young General, in order to appease Tadun, Duke Yuan, at the instigation of the eldest son and Guo Tu, really distributed some more money and silk to the Wuhuan people."
Xu Chu yelled angrily and cursed, "Damn it, if I hadn't been late with the Major General, I would have killed a few Wuhuan generals. This breath of anger would be really hard to swallow."
"Our Qingzhou Army has always only robbed other people's goods. How have we ever been overtaken by others?" Zhou Cang also said firmly.
The generals either scolded or remained silent, but Yuan Xi did not stop them. When they finished speaking, Yuan Xicai said: "You guys have finished cursing, let me tell you. The Wuhuan people in the three counties invaded the Han area no longer twice a day. The most recent one was during the Zhongping period. Over the years, Master Liu Yu had comforted and favored them, and the border areas had enjoyed a period of stability. But that stability was not long-lasting. Once Master Liu left, the Wuhuan people in the three counties became vulgar and wild. The xìng will be exposed."
Yuan Xi looked around at his subordinates, and then said, "Emperors Wu and Emperor Guangwu mobilized the strength of the whole country to quell the chaos in the border areas. At this time, the Central Plains was in chaos. After so many years of war, the people of various states and counties were exhausted. Guanzhong and the Central Plains With powerful forces entrenched in one area, can I, Jizhou, send out its troops to wipe out Wuhuan from the three counties?"
Yuan Xi's words silenced everyone. Passion and anger are one thing, but practical ability is another.
"Major General, when do you think we will recover the three counties? Those tens of thousands of Han people are still slaves in Tadun's hands." Zhao Yun asked.
Yuan Xi said resolutely: "As long as the situation in the Central Plains is clear, it will be time to pacify the border areas! Why worry about not being able to make contributions to the defense and Huo forces by then?"
With this, everyone had an achievable target. After some encouragement from Yuan Xi, they all retreated knowingly, leaving only Guo Jia in the tent.
"Young Master, we missed the opportunity. I'm afraid Tadun will fall to the First Young Master's side." Guo Jia said worriedly.
"A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise?" Yuan Xi said, "The Wuhuan people in the three counties are unruly and will surely rebel sooner or later. What can we get from this? As long as my father comforts them more, we will deal with it after we have conquered the Central Plains. They’re not too late!”
Guo Jia nodded. Then he said, "Young master said that a blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. We have made a great enemy, but in exchange we have gained an ally. The attitudes of Yan Rou, Xian Yufu and others are leaning towards our side in this matter!"
"Yan Rou has great prestige among the Hu people and Han people in Shanggu. He is a Han himself, so he seems to be dissatisfied with Tadun's approach. As long as he is brought over, it is equivalent to burying a chess piece in Youzhou." Yuan Xi Say what's on your mind.
"Not only Yan Rou, but also the young master sent people to retrieve Liu Bo'an's head for burial. Is it possible that Xian Yufu, Qi Zhou and others are grateful to the young master for their kindness, so they prefer me?"
"The most difficult thing is favor. Especially for loyal people like them." Yuan Xi then asked, "Gongsun Zan's defeat is only a matter of time. Mr. Zhengnan and the others told me that my father wanted the eldest brother and the three younger brothers to each take over a state. Should we separate Tadun from the adults and let the third brother take charge of Youzhou?"
"No!" Guo Jia objected immediately and said, "How could Guo Tu and Xin Ping let the Third Young Master lead Youzhou to seize military power? Our instigation will only make Mr. Yuan think that you have an agenda. It's better to have the Young Master. Come forward to facilitate the eldest son to take over Youzhou, so that Yuan Gong will become more and more trusted in the eldest son."
Yuan Xi nodded in acceptance. Guo Jia smiled and waved his feather fan and said, "The eldest son and Tadun seem to be close, but Tadun's troops are ruthless. Once the eldest son takes over Youzhou, there is no guarantee that there will be no conflict between the two parties."
Guo Jia further analyzed: "After Youzhou has been leveled, the next step is to Bingzhou. Bingzhou may seem like a poor place, but the road is steep, the people are strong, and it can produce war horses. Ding Yuan's Bingzhou wolf cavalry galloped for a while. Here Being close to Guanzhong and far away from Jizhou, the senior officials are barely able to do anything, so the young master can feel at ease."
In these words of Guo Jia. There are some things that Yuan Xi did not consider. After hearing this, he felt enlightened. At this moment, the commander of the Jizhou Army came. It was said that Yuan Shao summoned Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi knew it was because of Tadun's affairs. It was already dark at this time, and he hurriedly led Xu Chu and other personal guards to the main tent of the Jizhou Army. At this time, Yuan Shao was the only one in the tent.
"Xianyi, please sit down first." Yuan Shao said, "I asked someone to check it out during the day, but it was Tadun's people who started the trouble. But Xianyi, what you did is not right either."
"When I handled that matter, I relied solely on loyalty. Now I know I was wrong." Yuan Xi admitted his mistake.
"Oh! Can you tell me where you made the mistake?" Yuan Shao asked.
"Our army will still rely on Tadun and his Wuhuan soldiers. After annihilating Gongsun Zan, we will also rely on him to maintain the stability of the three northeastern counties of Youzhou. I shouldn't have almost ruined my Yuan family's great cause just for a moment of loyalty." Yuan Xi said sincerely.
Yuan Shao couldn't help stroking his beard and nodded, and said, "It's rare for you to know your mistake immediately. You can't beat a hungry dog. Giving him some meat can drive him to be used by us. But if you push him hard, he will bite."
Yuan Xi disapproved in his heart, Tadun was not a hungry dog, he was clearly a hungry wolf. Only by beating it until it hurts and then taming it will it become a loyal dog for its owner to drive. It can only fight when it is fighting, and it can be used only when it is subdued. Otherwise, it will easily turn against its owner.
Yuan Shao's face showed color, and he analyzed, "Gongsun Zan is going to be finished this time. Except for Liaodong and Liaoxi, most of Youzhou will be in the hands of our Yuan family. If we send troops to the west, we can occupy Bingzhou, and then gather the surrounding troops to go south. If we can pacify the Central Plains in one fell swoop, my Yuan family's career as king will be accomplished in a matter of days!"
At this time, of course Yuan Xi would not be stingy with his words of praise. When Yuan Shao was happy, he was also very happy to be admired by others.
After a while, Yuan Shao calmed down with joy and said, "Although Tadun and Yan Rou have openly joined us, they will not work hard for us without some benefits. According to reports from people below, Tadun That fellow is very ambitious, he has always wanted to unify the Wuhuan tribe in all counties of Youzhou, so we must be careful about this!"
Yuan Xi was shocked. It seemed that Yuan Shao was indeed not a fool. He underestimated his father Yuan Shao. He was still very accurate in grasping some things. Although he didn't care about Tadun. But he also promoted it secretly.
Indeed, in history, it was because of Yuan Shao that the northern border of the Han Dynasty was stabilized. He was a very accomplished monarch who could stabilize one side in troubled times.
"Because of this, the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes in Yanrou Daijun and Shanggu were also on guard against Tadun." Yuan Shao continued with a serious expression, "Back in the court, the general was happy for me and other party members to confront Shi Changshi. He Fortunately, there is profit in the middle. The same goes for Yan Rou and Tadun. They must both feel that we are on their side before they will move closer to us."
Yuan Xi expressed that he had learned the lesson, and he sighed in his heart that Yuan Shao was worthy of being a man who entered the court at a young age and always thought about the balancing technique when he was in trouble. If this was a peaceful time, Cao Cao would not be able to defeat his father Yuan Shao, but in troubled times his father Yuan Shao would probably not be Cao Cao's opponent.
"Xianyi, I want your eldest brother to command Youzhou and let him appease Tadun. And you can go to appease Yan Rou and the others. Don't let those people feel that the Yuan family has neglected them." Yuan Shao opened his mouth and gave instructions, also hinting. the next action.
"I have an eldest brother who is in charge of Youzhou. The north of my Yuan family is as peaceful as Mount Tai, and I have no objections." Yuan Xi quickly agreed, and then said, "I will appease Yan Rou and others. I just ask my father to allow me to go under Yan Rou's subordinates. Recruit some cavalry from the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes."
"I was going to recruit a group of Wuhuan cavalry after the war, but the Jizhou treasury is running out of money and food. You have to raise money and silk by yourself to recruit." Yuan Shao agreed immediately.
"Xianyi, do you have confidence?"
"The child has confidence..."
"Confidence!" Yuan Shao said: "From my father's perspective, you have too much confidence, which is why you have caused so many troubles!"
"You dare to cause trouble just because you have a loving father at home."
Yuan Xi's flattery made Yuan Shao very happy.
"That's it! I'll leave it to you!" Yuan Shao said: "Zhengnan will coordinate this matter. If you are in trouble, you should ask Zhengnan more!"
"I will obey my father's teachings!" Yuan Xi responded, and then said: "In that case, I will leave first!"
"Go!" Yuan Shao waved his hand.
Yuan Xi bowed and resigned. Watching him leave, Yuan Shao said to Shen Pei: "The last time this kid returned to Jizhou after a long journey, he was so anxious that he followed me north to fight for Gongsun Zan. In the past few years, he has followed me south and north to fight. Alas... I have wronged him..."
"My lord, you must be feeling distressed." Shen Pei said with a smile: "Just now, my lord said that we would only speak for the second young master. How can Mr. Yuan not know that the second young master is working hard?"
"The palms and backs of my hands are full of flesh!" Yuan Shao sighed: "Although he is not the eldest son, he has often shared the worries of someone. He rushed back to Yecheng after a long journey, and he followed me on the expedition within a few days. How could a father like me not know Feeling sorry for your son?"
The judge smiled slightly, stood up and said: "My father is kind and his son is filial, I am envious of you! My lord ordered me to cooperate with the second young master, I will retire now and report again when there is progress in this matter!"
"Lao Zhengnan is here!"
Watching the judge leave, Yuan Shao had a slight smile on his lips.
The sentence "father is kind and son is filial" completely eliminated Yuan Shao's previous dissatisfaction with Yuan Xi, which can be said to be a divine assist.
Bingzhou, Shangdang eldest son county.
A fiery red divine horse galloped with a group of cavalry. With his eyebrows flaring and his eyes arrogant, Lu Bu looked up to the sky and roared. It's been a long time since he experienced this feeling of galloping around. The feeling of pleasure of taking off an enemy's head and stepping on it again.
Hundreds of cavalry rushed into the Changzi County town and galloped through the streets without any scruples. They did not stop until they reached the government office. Lu Bu was never a man of leisure.
Lu Bu jumped off the red tug horse, carrying Fang Tian's painted halberd, strode into the government office, and went all the way to the county government hall where the directors were.
"Marquis Wen, these official documents have been piled up for two months. Do you want to take a look?" asked Gao Shun, who was waiting in the lobby of the government office.
Lu Bu snorted disapprovingly and said, "Is this why you asked me to come back? Just find a civil servant to handle it. Why bother me?"
"Marquis Wen. You are now the head of a county after all. These documents cannot be sent out without your approval." Gao Shun replied helplessly.
"If you like it, I'll give it to you. I don't have the leisure time. If there's nothing urgent, I'll lead the troops out for training. Recently, Black Mountain bandits are always coming to the party, so we have to be on guard." Lu Bu said before leaving. Handling government affairs? forget it.
At this time, Gao Shun stopped Lu Bu, who was about to leave, and asked him to give him a confidential document.
"Gongsun Zan?" Lu Bu sneered and said, "When did I become friends with Gongsun Zan? Fortunately, he wanted to come to me for help. Is he about to be destroyed by the Jizhou army?"
"Marquis Wen. He claims to be Gongsun Zan's son. You might as well meet him and ask him for news about Youzhou." Gao Shun persuaded patiently. He was about to become Lu Bu's nanny.
Lu Bu thought for a while, and it seemed to be the reason. So the soldiers were sent to Gongsun Zan's envoy. The so-called envoy of Gongsun Zan was Gongsun Xu who was sent to ask for help.
Gongsun Xu looked at Lu Bu and couldn't help being overwhelmed by his violent killing aura. He said carefully, "Marquis Wen, I am Gongsun Xu. My father is the former Marquis of Yi and the former general Gongsun Bo. I have been entrusted by my father to visit Marquis Wen. of."
After that, Gongsun Xu presented a gift box wrapped with brocade. Lu Bu smiled and said politely, "Long time no see, how are you Gongsun Bogui?"
Gongsun Xu was angry at Lu Bu's arrogance, but he held back his anger and said, "My father is not as good as Marquis Wen. The Jizhou army has besieged Ji County. The reason I came out this time is to ask the world's heroes to come and rescue the siege. Speaking of The most invincible hero in the world is the unparalleled flying general Lu Wenhou."
Lu Bu touched his chin and said humbly, "Oh, everyone in the world is praising this. I, Lu Fengxian, am not as brave as the rumors say. You see, I have been wandering around for the past two years, and I only captured my eldest son three months ago. He has a foothold. If he is as powerful as the rumors say, he will not be so depressed."
"Marquis Wen, don't be humble. You are the invincible general in the world! Although our two families were hostile at Hulao Pass, when my father mentioned that time, what he never forgot the most was how heroic you were, Marquis Wen, fighting against all the heroes alone! " Gongsun Xu continued to compliment.
Lu Bu was happy to hear this, but he still declined: "Young General Gongsun, it's not that I, Lu Bu, don't want to send troops to save my uncle. It's because I am a subordinate of General Zhang Yang. Without his approval, how can I send troops elsewhere? I really have no choice. .”
"Marquis Wen, you are trapped in a diving dragon. How can you still be trapped in this place if you have the chance?" Gongsun Xu persuaded again.
Lu Bu was quite hesitant. Youzhou and Jizhou are rich places. If you can occupy one of them, you can dominate the other. The remnants of the Xiongnu in the north of Bingzhou threatened it, and after years of war, it was now a poor place, if not for its lack of strength. He really didn't want to be trapped in this bitter cold place.
"Marquis Wen, to be honest, I have come out not only to ask for your rescue, but also to invite General Zhang from the Black Mountain Army." Gongsun Xu said, "My father has dragged Yuan Shao's 100,000 men to Jixian. As long as you and General Zhang send troops from Bingzhou , cut off Jizhou's military supply route. Then go north with my father to attack Yuan Shao. How can Jizhou's army be undefeated? By then..."
Lu Bu stood up. He was a little moved, but he was thinking about the benefits of sending troops to Youzhou. If there were no benefits, Lu Bu would not do it.
Gongsun Xu saw that Lu Bu was loose. He continued to encourage: "Once the Jizhou army is defeated, my father will take back the counties in Youzhou, and then raise troops to help Marquis Wen and General Zhang pursue the victory and capture Jizhou in one fell swoop. In this way, Marquis Wen can get half of Jizhou, wouldn't it be wonderful?"
Lu Bu's eyes shone and he asked, "Zhang Yan agreed?"
"General Zhang agreed. It was he who asked me to come down and invite Marquis Wen." Gongsun Xu said.
Lu Bu looked embarrassed. He kept rubbing his hands and said, "This is difficult to handle. I am a subordinate of General Zhang Yang, but Brother Bogui is in trouble, and I have to save him."
Gongsun Xu was also anxious. He said: "I heard that Marquis Wen has a deep hatred for Yuan Xi, the second son of the Yuan family. He also led troops to fight in Jixian. Marquis Wen can take the opportunity to take revenge!"
When Lu Bu heard the word "Yuan Xi", he naturally thought of the night when Dong Zhuo was assassinated, when he was injured by his own prey. Then it turned into overwhelming anger, "Yuan Xianyi! I can't spare him!"
Gongsun Xu and Gao Shun felt as if they had been stabbed by steel needles. They felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, and their whole bodies were stiff. Because Lu Bu was exuding an invisible murderous aura!
One month later. Station troops under the city.
Yuan Shao moved his residence to Ji County. The Jizhou Army, the Qingzhou Army, the Wuhuan Army, and the Yanrou, Hu-Han allied forces, totaling more than 100,000 people from all four sides, surrounded the garrison city.
As for the Jizhou army, there are more and more catapults, ladders, carts, ballistas, and other equipment. However, the walls of the garrison city are tall and strong, and Gongsun Zan's army is fully prepared. Therefore, apart from consuming soldiers and materials, the frontal attack has not made much progress. .
Yuan Xi was in the Qingzhou army formation, and he had been continuously attacking Jixian and Tunbingcheng for more than a month, causing many casualties among his soldiers. The most important thing is that the energy is exhausted. The only thing left to keep them from retreating was the strict military order.
With a "bang", a small area of the wall in the east of the city in the direction of Jizhou Army collapsed.
"Sir, the tunnel has been dug and the city wall there has been destroyed," Guo Jia said.
Yuan Xi nodded, and he watched the Jizhou army swarm into the city wall through the cracks in the collapsed ground. However, there were fierce fighting sounds in the collapsed city section, and Gongsun Zan's soldiers resisted fiercely.
A sudden change occurred after a while. Gongsun Zan's army fired a volley of crossbows and arrows, and then launched a counterattack to drive the Jizhou army out of the city. The soldiers on the wall next to the collapsed gap dropped baskets filled with earth and rocks.
After a while, Gongsun Zan's soldiers filled the gap with baskets filled with earth and rocks. The Jizhou Army's attack fell short.
Yuan Xi shook his head and said, "If you use this method of digging tunnels and destroying city walls too often, it will really be cracked."
Guo Jia didn't take it seriously and said: "Besieging a city is all about soldiers and equipment. We have an absolute advantage in numbers. If we destroy a few more walls, Gongsun Zan's soldiers will not be able to take care of them no matter how brave they are."
"Report! A three-foot tunnel has been dug ahead. Lieutenant Li asked if the wooden pillars can be burned." A soldier came over and asked.
"Send the order!" Yuan Xi ordered loudly, "Once the city wall collapses, Bo Dao, you two thousand Euphorbia soldiers will attack first. Zhongkang, you will follow with one thousand Suwei infantry and help me firmly occupy the city wall."
"Promise, I have the order." Hao Zhao clasped his fists and said, then turned around and paid.
"Promise, I have the order!" Xu Chu went to summon his subordinates excitedly.
Under the city wall, Li Zhi emerged from the tunnel. He spat hard and said, "It was on fire. I almost suffocated to death."
Hao Zhao put away his armor and held a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. Zhang He was away, so Yuan Xi put the Euphorbia soldiers under his command. Xu Chu was also wearing a set of black light armor that Yuan Xi was coming to, and he was eagerly waiting for it.
