Yuan Xi bid farewell to Wang Yue and left Princess Wannian. He was about to return to the camp when a person near the ministers' tent caught his attention. It was a middle-aged scribe with a strange appearance. He squatted on the ground and used a branch to slowly study in the thin sand.
Yuan Xi asked everyone to stay aside. He walked forward and waited for the middle-aged scribe to stop. Then he sighed: "Mr. Yuan Chang has learned a good calligraphy, but it is a pity that his form cannot reflect his spirit."
It was Zhong Yao who was practicing calligraphy in the thin sand. He stood up and asked: "Marquis of Linzi, please tell me why you can only have its form but not its spirit?"
The two met at the court meeting, and although they didn't speak to each other, they recognized each other. If anyone else said this, Zhong Yao might dismiss it, but the other person was Cai Yong's apprentice and Yuan Xi, known as a talented man of the Han Dynasty, so he would like to hear what Yuan Xi has to say.
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Although he wrote in the sand, it can still be seen that sir, he imitated the marks of the knife and ax too much on the inscriptions. Don't you know that the most important thing in writing is nature, the unity of heaven and man, and the harmony of all things. Only then can creation be created." excellent work."
Zhong Yao frowned and thought hard for a while, then suddenly laughed and said: "What a saying that heaven and man are one, and all things are harmonious. I am worthy of Mr. Cai's disciple. Come with me to look at the ink book and see what shortcomings can be found. I said Why are you still dissatisfied? It turns out that you are going the wrong way."
"I'm really sorry. We still have military affairs to deal with in the lower camp. If sir, if you are free, you can come to my camp in the evening and we can exchange ideas on calligraphy." Yuan Xi declined. He successfully curbed Zhong Yao's book addiction and simply asked Zhong Yao to deliver it to his door.
Zhong Yao couldn't help being addicted to books, but although the other party was young and distinguished, he could only agree to visit him in the evening to ask for advice.
At the same time, a banquet was also held in Cao Cao's military camp in the south of the city. The protagonists were Cao Cao and Comrade Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang was invited to the camp by Cao Cao, and he was accompanied by two counselors, Xun You and Cheng Yu, whom Cao Cao brought with his army. Also following Zhang Yang was the tough and sinister Lu Bu.
Cao Cao was very affectionate to Zhang Yang and Lu Bu and kept entertaining them with banquets. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Zhang Yang and Cao Cao are old acquaintances. He, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao both have good friendships. When they were done eating and drinking, Cao Cao asked: "Uncle Zhi, what do you think of His Majesty's move to Yecheng?"
Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "Although the three of us are old acquaintances, I am not the one who said that this person is so happy with his achievements and easily gets carried away. If His Majesty is handed over to him, there is a chance that things like dictating the government will happen, so I am opposing."
"Uncle Zhi doesn't agree. Your Majesty has moved to Yecheng?" Cao Cao personally poured wine for Zhang Yang and asked.
"That's for sure. Xu County is a good place. Meng De, you have always been dedicated to the court. It would be best to have you guarding His Majesty. After Sili recovers his strength, let His Majesty return to Luoyang. In this way, you will be Sheji What a great hero!" Zhang Yang didn't expect him and replied sincerely.
"That's what I have in mind, but I still need your help, Uncle Zhi, otherwise I might be interfered by villains." Cao Cao said kindly.
In the north of Luoyang City, Yuan Xi's army camp is located.
As soon as the sky became dusk, Zhong Yao came here eagerly to visit Yuan Xi, and Yuan Xi and Guo Jia also entertained him warmly.
"Actually, what I have learned is not as good as Teacher Cai's. Miss Cai is now in Qingzhou, and she has the teacher's classics and handwriting. She is the one who has completely inherited the teacher's mantle. If Mr. Yuan Chang has the opportunity, he might as well ask her for advice." Yuan Xi said humbly.
"Who doesn't know that the Marquis of Linzi is a talented man of the Han Dynasty. He is unique in poetry, calligraphy and calligraphy and has extremely high attainments." Zhong Yao said reluctantly.
Yuan Xi smiled and first talked about some theories he knew, such as the "twists and turns" and "three mistakes in one stroke" that later generations paid attention to. Among them are Cai Yong's unique skills and later calligraphy theories, which Zhong Yao found extremely useful.
Then Yuan Xi took a pen and paper and demonstrated it himself, and also demonstrated some running script and regular script techniques of later generations. Zhong Yao was fascinated by it. At the same time, Yuan Xi deliberately retained some techniques, which also made Zhong Yao feel anxious and unbearable.
Zhong Yao and Yuan Xi chatted happily, and they didn't realize that two hours had passed. When a person is too focused on one thing, time flies quickly, which is also his own weakness.
"Mr. Yuanchang, can my young master bear the title of a talented man?" Guo Jia looked at the obsessed Zhong Yao and asked with a smile.
"Haha, I live up to my expectations." Zhong Yao said happily, "Thank you, Master, for teaching me such a valuable skill. I will go back and record it now, and I will come back tomorrow for advice."
"Mr. Yuan Chang, don't be anxious. This private matter is over, but I still have business matters to ask for advice." Yuan Xi stopped him and said, "I wonder what you think of Your Majesty's move to Xu County?"
Zhong Yao hesitated for a while and said: "Xuxian County is located in Yingchuan. It is said to be a prosperous place with plenty of money and food. The food tax collected is enough for the court's expenses. But an important minister needs to stay in Luoyang as a guard. And Yingchuan In the land of hundreds of battles, a strong army is needed to protect the imperial court, otherwise if another traitor like Dong Zhuo or Guo Si appears, Your Majesty will be in danger."
This is the situation now. Yuan Xi cannot take away Liu Xie, but he cannot let Cao Cao easily take him hostage. The best result is to have several generals to restrain and protect Liu Xie. If Cao Cao wanted to control the emperor, he would not be able to do it in a short time.
During the morning meeting, Yuan Xi suggested that Liu Xie and Yang Biao integrate the two smaller forces, Bai Bojun and Xu Rong, and then recruit Zhang Ji to defend Nanyang. In addition, Yang Feng, Fan Chou and others restrained each other. At least it can ensure balance for a while.
"I wonder if Mr. Yuan Chang would like to hold an official position in a prefecture or county to protect the imperial court?" Yuan Xi half asked tentatively.
Zhong Yao put away his smile. He said solemnly: "I am an official appointed by the imperial court. It is not up to you whether you want to stay or hold the position. If the imperial court and your majesty need it, I will make the decision without any hesitation."
"Mr. Yuan Chang, who is not greedy for the glory of the court, is the pillar of the country." Yuan Xi praised, thinking that as long as Zhong Yao stayed by the emperor's side. He would try to get General Liu Xie to come over. After all, Zhong Yao was a great political talent.
As soon as Yuan Xi saw Zhong Yao off, Xu Chu reported that Wang Yue's disciples had been waiting outside for a long time. Yuan Xi can't do anything else. Take Guo Jia to meet them.
This time Wang Yue sent a total of fifteen disciples to Yuan Xi, led by his eldest disciple Shi A. Yuan Xi knew Shi A when he was in Luoyang five years ago. Shi A was only in his twenties at that time, but compared to the ignorant boy five years ago, his whole temperament had completely changed. From being competitive and sharp to Be exposed, become broad and restrained.
"Second Young Master, please be polite, Shi'a." Shi'a led his junior brothers forward and saluted.
Yuan Xi smiled and asked them to sit down on both sides and said, "Sorry, an adult just came to visit. I have kept you waiting for so long."
"Young Master is an important minister of the imperial court. His official duties are naturally very busy, so it doesn't matter if I wait for a while." Shi A said.
"You will be my guards from now on. Brother Shi, you don't have to be so cautious." Yuan Xi said earnestly: "Master Wang entrusted you to me because he wanted to find a good life for you. But I often go to the battlefield. You are always worried about your life around me, are you willing to take this risk? If you don't want to go elsewhere now, that's fine."
"A good man should be like a young master, killing enemies and making meritorious deeds!" said a disciple below.
"Yes, if we were afraid of death, we wouldn't come to the young master." Others agreed.
"Good! You are indeed a disciple of Master Wang." Yuan Xi asked his soldiers to bring drinks to everyone and said, "I just wonder if you have any other skills besides sword skills?"
"Sir, these juniors of mine are all from the market. In addition to being good at swordsmanship, they are also good at other heretical techniques such as flying over walls and walking in disguise, and detecting through transformation." Shi A helped them say. Originally, Wang Yue asked these disciples from the market to join Yuan Xi just to become his disciples.
Yuan Xi refused to listen and was very happy when he heard it. Such strange people and strangers were exactly what he lacked. For example, Yuan Shao also had many retainers, including many strange people and strangers. They helped Yuan Shao do many things that were not visible on the stage, but those were Yuan Shao's resources. For example, the dead soldiers of the Sima family, and the Jin Yiwei of the Ming Dynasty are such people.
Now Hua Xu in Jizhou and Zhu Ao in Yanzhou are the ones responsible for helping Yuan Xi to find out information. They are both under the jurisdiction of the teacher Zhang Hong's secret guard system. They also bribed some people from the market to serve as eyes and ears, but it cost a lot of money. Secondly, the efficiency is not high.
It would be great if brothers like Shi A could be built into a secret force responsible for assassinations, espionage and the like.
"Sir, is it true that what we have learned cannot be put on the stage?" Seeing Yuan Xi pondering for a long time, Shi A thought that he had said the wrong thing. After all, they used to follow Wang Yue and worked as low-status guards.
"No, what you have learned is something that can be applied in the world. Now that the world is in chaos, it is your opportunity to display your talents!" Yuan Xi affirmed. Then he will form a more elite force than the secret guards, but he will tell everyone about his secret thoughts and promise generous rewards.
"Previously I just wanted to be the Young Master's personal guard, and then accumulate some military merits and then lead the army in battle. But the Young Master has entrusted me with such an important task, and I am willing to accept this appointment." Shi A was a little excited. After all, Yuan Xi regarded them as his confidants. .
"We are willing to follow the young master!" Seeing Shi'a taking the lead, the others also agreed.
"Okay, Shi A, you will take the title of Cavalry Commander. Everyone else will take the title of Yamen General. When I return to Qingzhou, I will select a group of elite subordinates for you, and you will be rewarded for your merits in the future. You will be called Shadows. Wei is ready, just like the Qin Dynasty's intelligence agency Black Ice Platform, which appears and disappears but is extremely sharp."
"Thank you, Master!" Everyone thanked in unison.
Guo Jia has been watching from the sidelines, and he can also think of the benefits of having such an armed force. After Shi'a and others had retreated, he said: "Congratulations, lord, on getting another elite soldier!"
"It's just beginning to take shape. It will take some time to hammer it into a deadly hidden arrow." Yuan Xi also said cheerfully.
In his heart. There are currently several core forces, and the Tiger Guard, whose size remains at 600, is small in number, but it is his most caring personal guard. In critical moments, it is also a sharp knife that can defeat the enemy. In addition, there are more than 2,000 guards and cavalry under Xu Chu's command. It's still a sharp blade that can be used at critical moments.
Coupled with the teacher's secret guard espionage system and Shi'a's shadow guard spying and assassination system. The direct lineage that Yuan Xi used to defend his power became more and more complete. It's just that some teams need to adjust and improve.
Before Yuan Xi could be happy, news came from the scouts that the coalition forces of Guo Si and Li were approaching Luoyang. Liu Xie urgently summoned a group of ministers and generals to discuss strategies to destroy the enemy.
Among them, the courtiers headed by Taiwei Yang Biao and Situ Zhao Wen unanimously requested to send troops to meet the enemy, and then completely wipe out Guo Si and Li Que. However, Fan Chou and Yang Feng advocated building fences and earthen walls to defend Luoyang and wait for Guo Si to run out of supplies before pursuing him. This way they could avoid heavy casualties compared to a decisive battle.
The few remaining small forces don't have much say. I had to be non-committal. Cao Cao and Zhang Yang also watched their argument with cold eyes. Yuan Xi, on the other hand, was thinking about the overall layout and how to recruit those talents. And how to trip up Cao Cao.
"Marquis of Linzi, can you tell me whether we should fight or defend?" Liu Xie suddenly asked as he looked at Yuan Xi below.
"Ah?" Yuan Xi came back to his senses and said, "Our coalition forces combined are comparable to Guo Bang, Li Que and other rebels. If we work together to defeat them, it will be a big deal. The strategy of sticking to the defense mentioned by General Yang is certainly good, but we There is not much food left, and who can guarantee that we will not run out of food before the rebels do? So I think we should fight with all our strength."
Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction and asked again: "General Cao, do you think we should fight or defend?"
This is the brilliance of Liu Xie. When the two parties under his command are in a deadlock game, a third party must be introduced to break the balance and make the final decision. This is the art of imperial power.
"I also think it's time to fight!" Cao Cao said loudly, "Guo Si and Li Que are just rebels, so their military morale must be low. And our army is the emperor's royal division. In order to defend His Majesty, the soldiers will fight hard. , so our army will be able to defeat the enemy and win."
"Okay! Since all the generals are in charge of the battle, then I will prepare it!" Liu Xie said happily. If this battle can be won, his prestige will undoubtedly increase.
Although Yang Feng and Fan Chou were unwilling, they had to acquiesce to this fact. Then everyone started discussing the choice of coach, after all, Long Wutou was not good enough.
As a result, the old Xiliang army elected Yang Feng and Fan Chou, while Zhang Yang and Qubei elected Cao Cao. The people on both sides who were recommended rejected each other, and the people below pushed harder. An hour later, the big tent became a mess, but there was no result from the discussion. This was the party struggle in the court, which was the case in the Han and Tang Dynasties in history. Died in endless partisanship.
"Your Majesty, gentlemen, I would like to recommend someone." Yuan Xi finally said. He not only wanted to destroy Guo Si and Li Que, but he also did not want to let Cao Cao establish his power. Besides, the various parties are not convinced now. If they cannot coordinate together, how can they win the war?
The ministers and generals present fell silent instantly. They were also curious about who Yuan Xi could recommend, not to mention that Yuan Xi represented the Yuan family, so this face had to be given.
"General Huangfu Song has high moral character and is a famous general of our Han Dynasty. He is the best choice to ask him to come out to command the armies!" Yuan Xi said. In this way, he can repay Huangfu Li's kindness to Luoyang for saving him, and he can also make good friends with the Huangfu family. Moreover, with Huangfu Li's relationship, Huangfu Li will definitely be his master of the West Road and his Dou in the stable area of Guanxi in the future. Rong also couldn't say for sure.
"Ah! Huangfu Song." Everyone commented one after another. Of those truly capable veterans from the late Han Dynasty, only Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were left. The two also fled Chang'an with the ministers, but they resigned from their official positions in old age. Among them, Zhu Jiu was ill, but Huangfu Song was the only one who was still in good health.
"I'm afraid this won't work. General Huangfu is already old. If something happens on the battlefield, it would be terrible!" Someone immediately objected.
"Your Majesty, Lian Po is old. Is he still able to make a living? In the past, King Zhao believed in slander and did not use the veteran general Lian Po, which led to the country's destruction. Whether General Huangfu can fight again, I will tell him to come up and ask him personally. Besides, it is still okay. Appoint a deputy commander, if there is an unexpected deputy commander, he will take over the command." Yuan Xi said loudly.
"Your Majesty, I also second the proposal to recommend General Huangfu together with the Marquis of Linzi!" Cao Cao agreed in due course. He also wanted to get rid of Guo Si and Li, but Huangfusong was qualified for the position of coach, both in terms of reputation and general talent, and he could also hold down the position.
With Cao Cao seconding the proposal, Zhang Yang also seconded it, and the ministers who had friendship with Huangfu Song naturally also agreed. Two quarters of an hour later, Huangfu Song was summoned to discuss matters.
At this time, although Huangfu Song's beard and hair were white, he was physically strong. I don't know if he had received the news. His spirit also seemed strong, and he really had the demeanor of a veteran general.
Liu Xie told Huangfu Song about Yuan Xi's recommendation, and then asked for his opinion.
Huangfu Song laughed heartily: "Your Majesty has found the right person. Although my old bones are useless, I can still fight for your Majesty to kill the enemy. I, my veteran, will work tirelessly and I will wait for this day!"
Yang Biao and Zhao Wen looked at each other and felt that Huangfu Song was worthy of their trust. Next, Cao Cao was elected deputy commander. Yang Feng and Fan Chou were the first to focus on defense, so after everyone discussed, they were allowed to lead their troops and stay in Luoyang City to protect Minister Liu Xiehe.
Henan Yin, Gucheng.
The Xiliang coalition forces of Guo Si and Li were stationed here. More than 20 miles east of here is the suburb of Luoyang. The Xiliang Allied Forces are here, making final rest and preparations.
Li Que and Guo Si led a team to inspect outside the camp. The two middle-aged men following them were Jia Xu and Li Ru.
"Old Li, look, we have taken over the emperor this time. What should we do with him? Why don't we follow the example of Grand Master Dong and try the taste of a royal concubine?" Guo Bang said with a wild smile.
Jia Xu behind him frowned. He had to follow Li Que in order to find a way to survive, but now he had to follow Que Li in order to secretly help Liu Xie escape. He originally wanted to take the opportunity to leave, but the situation forced him. If Li Que really took back Liu Xie, he would do anything to help him and prevent Li Que from acting too recklessly.
"Hmph, put away those thoughts and focus on the war first, otherwise everything will be just a fantasy." Li Que said coldly. He suffered a loss when the last sneak attack failed. After losing some troops and horses, Guo Bang became his equal, which made him very angry.
"With Mr. Jia and Mr. Li's plan, do we still have to worry about the emperor's son's tens of thousands of troops? I'm afraid that if it's not our turn to take action then, they will be able to flee without a trace!" Guo Bang said with a smile.
"No strategy is perfect. The emperor has many capable people. Cao Cao, Yuan Xi and others are all generals who have fought in hundreds of battles. There is no guarantee that our scheme will be seen through, so the general still needs to be prepared for a hard battle." Li Ru spoke up. advised.
"So what if we see through it? We have gained the upper hand in the past ten days. What can they do now even if they see through it? Even if they can escape the first plan, there is still a second plan waiting! As long as we give the order , those tens of thousands of people don’t have to go feed the fish!” Guo Bang smiled and suddenly his face changed drastically, and said, “Oh, no! If the emperor and those concubines also drowned, then wouldn’t we all be in vain? A busy day?"
"That's not possible! Emperor, how could the right one die so easily?" Li Ru said gloomily, "This Luoshui has been hoarded for a day. It's time for us to set off to seize the high ground and form an array."
