Yuan Xi saw Lu Bu immediately. Lu Bu had almost killed himself when he sneaked up on him before, and the other party's cold and unruly eyes also glanced at Yuan Xi.
The new hatred for the Yuan family and Yuan Xi was compounded by the old hatred. Hongnongwai failed to kill Yuan Xi before, but now Lu Bu's eyes became red, as if they were bleeding. However, the time and place were wrong, and Lu Bu could only glare at Yuan Xiqian.
Yuan Xi still had that indifferent look on his face, but he was crying out in pain in his heart. There are already enough opponents, but now that Lu Bu is added, it is still unknown whether Liu Xie can be kidnapped back to Yecheng. This Lu Bu is really a fucking bastard.
Liu Xie greatly praised Zhang Yang, Dong Cheng and others, and promised rewards. The ministers were about to discuss it again. Lang Guan came to report that another general came with troops to escort him. This time it was Cao Cao who arrived belatedly!
The strong, dark and thin Cao Cao walked swiftly. After entering the tent to pay homage to Liu Xie, he nodded to all the ministers. There are also many old acquaintances of Cao Cao among these people.
Yuan Xi's current status is not only Yuan Shao's representative, but also the future brother-in-law of the emperor and a prince of the Han Dynasty, so he still sits very close to the front.
Cao Cao happened to be in bad shape, so he sat next to Yuan Xi. Seeing so many generals coming to escort him, Liu Xie and his veterans became even more excited and asked everyone to continue discussing the court proceedings.
Listening to the long speeches of the ministers, Cao Cao shook his head in his heart. He leaned to Yuan Xi next to him and whispered softly: "My nephew came so quickly. Is he thinking about your highness the princess? My nephew is really charming and graceful." Not inferior to Benchu and I."
"What are you talking about, Uncle Cao Shi? Didn't General Xiahou and General Zihe almost beat their nephew? Speaking of which, it was our two families who worked together to save His Majesty." Yuan Xi laughed and said, this old bastard took advantage of him.
Cao Cao chuckled and said, "When my nephew was in Xuzhou, he left without saying hello to me. Isn't it too boring?"
"No way, some things are beyond my nephew's control. When we were in Xuzhou, our soldiers were exhausted and there was not much food left, so I had to retreat. Please forgive me, Uncle Cao Shishu." Yuan Xi apologized, but there was no way. A hint of apology.
Two foxes, one big and one small, are testing each other and trying to find ways to dig holes for each other. What a touching pair of uncles and nephews.
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and smiled, and said, "As for my nephew, what can we say? Brother Benchu is so lucky to have such a good son like you, and he has made such great achievements at such a young age. How many of my family members are there? I wish I could be half as good as you."
Zhu Wen, Taizu of Liang Dynasty in the Five Dynasties, once lamented that Li Keyong had given birth to a good son, Li Cunxu, Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty. Cao Cao's sigh was not entirely false.
Yuan Xi quickly became humble, "What does Cao Shishu think of their talk about rebuilding Luoyang?" Yuan Xi asked tentatively.
"Oh?" Cao Cao stroked his long beard and said, "Of course that's good, but it seems to be difficult and difficult to handle."
Sure enough, at this time Zhao Wen came out to report: "Cangcao said there is not much food left. There are many people escorting the army, but there is also more food to eat. Your Majesty should first issue an edict to collect food from various places."
Pingnan General Zhang Yang was the first to say: "Your Majesty, I have brought 20,000 hu of grain with the army to contribute to Your Majesty."
Liu Xie nodded and said, "Zhang Aiqing cares deeply about the country and is a role model for ministers. Then Zhao Situ, please tell me how to issue an edict to levy grain?"
"Your Majesty, the tens of thousands of troops can only be sustained for a short time by levying food. Now the people of Sili are on the run, and there is no human habitation within a hundred miles of Luoyang. It is time-consuming and laborious to mobilize food from other places. The consumption on the way is staggering.
Besides, there have been natural disasters and military disasters all over the country year after year, except for wealthy places like Yizhou, Jingzhou, and Xuzhou. How can there be so much food available?" Cao Cao stood up and said, what he said was true.
Zhang Yang's so-called 20,000 hu of grain can only feed more than 10,000 soldiers for a month, which is a drop in the bucket. What Zhao Wen said about requisitioning grain from various places, let alone whether the powerful warlords would buy it. At this time, the roads for fighting everywhere were blocked, and the consumption of transportation land alone was staggering.
"Mengde. Then what do you mean, do you want His Majesty and the soldiers to have an empty stomach?" Zhao Wen asked.
"Your Majesty, forgive me, but I didn't mean that." Cao Cao knelt down in fear, and then said, "My intention is to ask your Majesty to temporarily move to the grain-producing land, so as to avoid the worry of food shortage. Wait until Guanzhong recovers. Then move back after the grain production.”
Ministers and generals all discussed it, and this was indeed a good idea. Although Yang Feng and Fan Chou also wanted to take the emperor hostage. But firstly, now that many forces are protecting them, they have no chance to take advantage of it. Secondly, they have very little food left. Luoyang is just an empty city that cannot produce food. Even if they want to occupy this place, it will not work. After all, they have to serve as soldiers to eat food. no.
"Everything I have is a gift from Your Majesty and the late Emperor. Now that Your Majesty is in trouble, I am willing to return the money and grain to Your Majesty. However, Yanzhou is also very tired and cannot support such a long-distance transportation. I would also like to ask Your Majesty to first move Xuzhou to Yingchuan, which is rich in grain." County." Cao Cao quickly suggested. He did not say to supply Liu Xie, but to return what the emperor had given him. This can be said to cater to Liu Xie's heart.
Yuan Xi was surprised by Cao Cao's swift and precise attack. He didn't know if it was because Cao Cao and his advisers had planned the situation in advance, but he got up immediately.
He raised his voice and said, "Your Majesty, although Xu County produces grain, it is a small city, which is inconsistent with your Majesty's status. Yecheng in Wei County is not far from Sili. If your Majesty does not dislike it, you can move to Yecheng first."
In fact, Wei County is much further away than Xu County, and Cao Cao still has a geographical advantage. And Yuan Xi was not afraid of falling out with Cao Cao, and directly refuted his suggestion to let Liu Xie move to Xu County.
The ministers and generals were in chaos, and everyone was talking. There are those who oppose the transfer, some who oppose going to Yecheng, and some who oppose going to Xu County. Yang Biao, Zhao Wen and other important ministers were also in dire straits. The ZTE they originally hoped for could not even solve basic problems in the end.
Liu Xie was at a loss and couldn't make up his mind. Yang Biao shouted for silence, and then said: "This matter can be discussed later. At this time, Guo Si and Li Que have not been removed, and several large armies happened to come to escort them. When they arrive near Luoyang, they will cut off these two first. If you are a traitor, please do something else. Otherwise, no matter where they go, they will threaten His Majesty's safety!"
With the person in charge, everyone below became quiet and began to discuss the matter of annihilating Guo Si and Li Que. As a result, after a long time, we only discussed the strategy of waiting for the enemy to arrive and concentrating all our forces to fight decisively with them.
You see, it doesn't mean that with Cao Cao and Yuan Xi, they will definitely win. Only when Cao Cao and Yuan Xi are in the decision-making position can they maximize their talents. Otherwise, they can only be trapped in the shallows, otherwise why would Liu Bei be trapped for half his life.
Yuan Xi walked out of the tent exhausted physically and mentally. Being in the court was really tiring. His father, Yuan Shao, was really good at this. He took Xu Chu and Su Wei back to the northern camp of Luoyang City.
Zhang Liao and Tai Shi Ci, who happened to lead the troops to cut off the rear, also led their troops into the city from the north, and there were several other people passing through. Among them, Zhang Ji's is Zhang Xiu, and Cao Cao's is Xiahou Dun.
What made Yuan Xi happy was that Zhang Xiu and Zhang Liao entered the city together, and they seemed to be talking very harmoniously.
"General Wenyuan and Bowei, thank you for your hard work!" Yuan Xi greeted the two men and said enthusiastically.
The two of them quickly dismounted and saluted, and one of them, Zhang Xiu, said cautiously: "I don't dare to say it's hard to protect your majesty, and I don't dare bother the Marquis of Linzi to welcome him personally. It's really a shame for the general."
"Haha, it's okay. I just came back from the court meeting, so this is not the end of it." Yuan Xi walked with the two of them, and then asked, "How is the war in the rear?"
"The rebels' offensive was not fierce. They retreated after being resisted for a while by us. I'm afraid they have some plot." Zhang Liao said cautiously.
"The armies of Guo Si and Li Que are full of skilled counselors. For example, the time they took the Qingni Pass, it was something Li Que could not have imagined." Zhang Xiu said worriedly, "I have heard of Li Que's tent before. There are two very capable strategists who have repeatedly helped Li Que avoid danger."
"But Li Ru and Jia Xu?" Yuan Xi looked at him and asked.
"Huh? The Marquis of Linzi also knows about these two people?" Zhang Xiu nodded and said, "Li Ru is Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. He is a cunning and scheming man who has come up with many ideas for Dong Zhuo and Li Que. Mr. Jia Xu Jia But he is a recognized wise man in the Xiliang army, and Li Que relies heavily on him."
Yuan Xi lowered his head and pondered. It goes without saying that Li Ru hated the Guandong princes, but Jia Xu's attitude was very ambiguous. Historically, he stayed with Li Gu while secretly assisting Emperor Xian. He has a certain orthodox view of good and evil, but he will do whatever it takes to save his own life.
"Why don't you, General Bowei, come to my tent and have a drink together?" Yuan Xi invited warmly.
"Thank you Marquis Linzi for your kindness. I will inform General Zhang Ji and come to visit another day." Zhang Xiu declined. Zhang Xiu needed to communicate with his uncle Zhang Ji about some matters. After all, Yuan Xi represents the Yuan family.
Yuan Xi did not force him to stay. After saying goodbye to Zhang Xiu, he took Zhang Liao back to the camp. Yuan Xi was thoughtful all the way.
"How about this bow?" Yuan Xi looked at Zhang Liao and asked.
"A man with deep knowledge of the army is a great general!" Zhang Liao's answer was brief and powerful. Yuan Xi had previously told him to win over Zhang Xiuduo, and his personality suited his taste.
"Wenyuan, please walk around with him more. It would be best if you can pull him over to our side." Yuan Xi said with a whip.
"It's not like there's no chance." Zhang Liao said with a smile, "Fighting side by side with him these days is like life and death. From his words, it can be seen that he is a person who wants to make a difference, but he also has an uncle Zhang Jiya. Yes, so the time hasn’t come yet.”
Qingzhou Military Camp in the north of Luoyang City.
Yuan Xi asked Zhang Liao and others to lead his troops to rest, and then arranged for Tai Shici and his party to arrive last, and then he came to Guo Jia's camp.
Guo Jia was on a wooden board, using stones and wood chips to practice arranging battle formations. When he saw Yuan Xi coming in, he smiled lightly and asked: "Sir, this is your first time attending a court meeting. You must have a different experience. Let's talk about it." .”
Yuan Xi sat down next to him and sighed, "That's right. There are too many interest entanglements and disputes, court politics, cruelty and ruthlessness, dense reefs, and thorns."
But at the same time, court politics is also the simplest. It's so simple that you can use all the most direct, shameless and despicable methods. Then he recounted what happened at the meeting.
"This time it's even more difficult." Guo Jia suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Cao Cao must have come well prepared, and his attacks were ruthless and accurate. He was focusing on food supply and Xu County's schedule. It hits the mark.”
Cao Cao did indeed do better than Yuan Xi this time, just like Li Cunxu, the fledgling king of Jin in the Five Dynasties, who was a little green when facing Zhu Wen, Taizu of Liang.
"I also proposed that His Majesty move to Yecheng at the right time, and many ministers also supported this suggestion." Yuan Xi continued.
"That's not right. We are at a disadvantage after all." Guo Jia explained, "Your Majesty, Taiwei, and Situ are completely afraid of the situation where the minister is strong and the emperor is weak. Cao Cao and the others also knew this, so they proposed Xu County This is an inconspicuous place close to Sili. This is to show that he has no control over His Majesty and does not want to control him. Yecheng is the seat of Duke Yuan, and the power of the Yuan family is deeply rooted. Your Majesty will not listen to Duke Yuan wherever he goes. of."
"So I did something wrong?" Yuan Xi said suddenly. It's not his fault. Yuan Shao had no intention of taking Emperor Xian to Yecheng. It was impossible for him to treat Liu Xie, who was supported by Dong Zhuo, with all due respect.
After all, Yuan Xi is not experienced enough and sometimes does not think carefully. This is something that his father Yuan Shao has considered more deeply.
"If we only have one or two people to protect us, then things will be easy to handle. At worst, we will defeat the others and become the dominant one. But now these people are all staring at His Majesty. Cao Cao has suffered so much under our hands, and he is trying every possible means to do so. You want to plot against us." Guo Jia said helplessly.
"Fengxiao, what are the consequences if Cao Cao really holds His Majesty hostage?" Yuan Xi asked.
Guo Jia smiled and said, "The Cao and Yuan families will eventually have a battle. If your Majesty comes to Yecheng, then Mr. Yuan will be said to be the second Dong Zhuo. If your Majesty comes to Yanzhou, then Cao Cao will also be the new Han Dynasty." Thief. On the other hand, no matter who welcomes His Majesty back, he can issue all kinds of edicts in the name of the Emperor. But the pros and cons will depend on the situation of all parties."
After speaking, Guo Jia stared at Yuan Xi closely and said, "Young master's so-called great cause. What will be the final result? Assisting the emperor, or..."
"Of course it is to reorganize the country and conquer the chaos in all directions." Yuan Xi said in a flash. It's really not possible to do this, just say it instead.
"Young master and I both know what the Han Dynasty is like now. But different choices have different approaches. You must answer me. Otherwise, how can I plan for you." Guo Jia pressed hard and asked: "Is it Huo or Wang?"
After a long time, Yuan Xi finally sighed. He also stared at Guo Jia closely, but he never spoke.
The two looked at each other, and after a while they breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes there is a tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers. One look is enough to express it.
"If that's the case, it doesn't matter whether we welcome His Majesty back to Yecheng or not." Guo Jia analyzed: "We really want to assist His Majesty in revitalizing the country. Then we must welcome His Majesty back. If you want to start a career on your own, that's right. Young Master, your Majesty is dispensable."
"Isn't this a good strategy to obey the emperor's orders but not to submit to them?" Yuan Xi asked doubtfully.
"This moment, that moment, one person and another person. Your Majesty is very important to Cao Cao, but it is not a burden to the young master." Guo Jia asked Yuan Xi to sit down, and he explained: "The Lord married Princess Wannian, that is If the clan members of the Liu family try to kidnap His Majesty again, wouldn't it be very difficult for the Lord to be caught in the middle? To say the least, if Cao Cao holds His Majesty hostage, will those veterans and His Majesty be willing to do so? We can also describe him as The second Dong Zhuo. As the lord, he ordered the attack on Cao Cao. This is justifiable! Cao Cao will be the emperor when he succeeds, and he will be the emperor when he fails..."
Yuan Xi suddenly became enlightened and said: "The situation is not yet clear at this time. If we blindly hold His Majesty hostage, it will only arouse civil strife. And when we have a decisive battle with Cao Cao in the Central Plains, the overall situation has been decided. Even those who want to stir up trouble will be It becomes impossible.”
Guo Jia waved his fan and smiled, and said, "The most important thing in planning is to worry about gains and losses. If you give up a chess piece, you may be able to find a clear path, and lose it and gain it in the east."
Guo Jia continued: "So it is not appropriate for my lord to discuss moving the capital at this time."
"If the Holy Emperor enters Luoyang, if I don't plan it, won't I lose it to Cao Cao?" Yuan Xi still said unwillingly.
"It was not the emperor's intention to cross north to Hebei. Mr. Zhang Hong also said in his letter that the ministers in the court were very critical of Yuan Gong. If the lord proposed to move the capital to Hebei at this time, he would be accused of robbery by the princes, and he would also be jealous of the courtiers. Framing the lord to fight for the power of the court. In this way, there will be suspicion in the court, the princes will attack, and the lord and Hebei will become the target of public criticism."
"Ah? However, I just received a letter from Mr. Zigang. Banditry is rampant in Luoyang. This is definitely not the time to move the capital. If the emperor is not left in Luoyang, can the emperor be pushed out?"
"Of course not." Old God Guo Jia said.
"How to deal with that?"
Guo Jiadao said: "My lord has the military power in Qingzhou. If he talks too little when meeting the emperor, he will be suspected of neglect and contempt. If he talks too much, it is easy to tell the truth and say that the lord is using his power to interfere in politics. My subordinates suggest that the lord should be cautious and be diligent in welcoming him." Avoid talking about it, whether to go or stay, and obey the orders of heaven. The sixteen words can temporarily stabilize the situation."
Yuan Xi repeated in a low voice the sixteen words Guo Jia said and nodded slightly. Guo Jia added: "It's best for the emperor to stay in Luoyang for a short time and then leave. If he has to stay in Luoyang, we don't want to move the capital to Hebei for the time being. We can also strive for more initiatives for our lord."
"Understood!" Yuan Xi smiled slyly. The Holy Emperor is temporarily stationed in Luoyang. Whether he goes or stays depends entirely on the emperor.
Yuan Xi nodded. King Qin had done enough to act as a loyal minister. If he did not necessarily need to welcome Liu Xie back during this trip, then he had to do something. At least bring Zhang Xiu and Zhong Yao over, and then hand them over to Cao Cao. Cao is causing trouble.
Zhang Xiu was a little easier to handle, but Zhong Yao was a close official of the emperor. What worries Yuan Xi even more is the so-called poisonous soldier in Li Que's army, Jia Xu.
Thinking about it, Yuan Xi asked: "Fengxiao, can you see if you can take advantage of the several groups to join forces to deal with Li Gu and Guo Bang? These two groups of Xiliang troops are notoriously cruel, so stay here." It can only harm the people in the village."
Guo Jia also thought for a while and said, "The six armies, plus Zhang Yang, Bai Bo's army, and Dong Cheng, who is directly related to His Majesty, have at least 50,000 troops. The combined strength of Guo and Li's armies is estimated to be between 60,000 and 70,000." If all the generals work together to fight, it is not difficult to win with good strategies. But those generals may not be willing to work together."
"There are also Li Ru and Jia Xu in Li Que's army who are planning for him. I'm afraid they may have some dirty tricks." Yuan Xi said worriedly.
"If you use a trick, it's just to seize the fact that our hearts are not unified. I'm afraid it will be from within us, Cao Cao, Fan Chou, and that Lu Bu." Guo Jia looked at Yuan Xi with a strange smile.
Thinking of Lu Bu's unruly eyes with deep murderous intent, Yuan Xi couldn't help but frown. It was really not a good thing to cause such trouble.
