Early the next morning, Yuan Xi came to Gao Yue's room, where Lu Zhu was waiting for Gao Yue to wash up.
Yuan Xi patted Lu Zhu's butt, pushed Lu Zhu aside, silenced her, and then quietly walked behind Gao Yue.
"Luzhu, my husband just came back yesterday, do you think we should let him go to sister Zhaoji's place today?" Gao Yue rinsed her mouth and washed her face slowly, but very slowly, frowning slightly, as if Think about some questions.
Lu Zhu wanted to laugh but didn't dare. Hearing this, he immediately replied: "If the young lady doesn't want to, she can also let the young master come over tomorrow. Anyway, there is no need to wait for a day or two."
"Although I say that, I am a lady after all. I will not let him go over today and tie him up at home. I guess he is also anxious. If Sister Cai finds out, I guess she will not be happy. Hey My husband is really good at finding so many sisters one after another. If they are all like Sister Tang Ji, it doesn’t matter. I’m afraid if a few more are like Xiu’er, the family won’t be in chaos.”
Luzhu finally couldn't bear it anymore, covered her mouth and laughed sweetly.
Gao Yue was stunned for a moment, and just as he was about to turn around, he realized that he was being hugged from behind. He panicked at first, but then understood.
Her delicate body softened, and the familiar scent came towards her. She knew who the person behind her was. She turned her head slightly, and it turned out that it was not her exhausted husband. Who else could it be? She was annoyed and glared at the person on the side. Lu Zhu knew that this girl was collaborating with Yuan Xi to bully her.
In order to cover up her mistake, Lu Zhu quickly lowered her head and said, "Miss, let me pour the water out for you." After that, Gao Yue hurriedly took the basin out without waiting for Gao Yue to speak.
Gao Yue breathed a sigh of relief, turned around in his arms, and said in a sweet voice: "Wasn't sister Xiu'er very gentle last night?"
"Tenderer than you." Yuan Xi pinched her little face and said speechlessly: "You have been thinking about these things early in the morning. If you want to go, just go. If you don't want to go, just don't go. Everything is so difficult. Are you tired? Tired?"
"I can't help it." Gao Yue stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the face, then smiled and said, "Who made me the big woman? There are so many sisters to take care of now, and I don't know how many there will be in the future. I have to get used to it. "
"It's up to you," Yuan Xi said, "Actually, I came here so early to tell you that I wanted to take you out for some fun today."
Gao Yue's thoughts moved, and she immediately shook her head and said, "Forget it, it's a good thing if you come back without being discovered. If you go out to show off, don't you understand that I won't let you go to Sister Cai's place."
After a pause, Gao Yue said again: "You'd better go to Sister Cai's place today. When you come back, you have to go there first, otherwise you don't know what they will think."
Seeing her say this, Yuan Xi thought for a moment that this was also the case. Women have sensitive minds. If he didn't go there, he might not know what Cai Yan would think about. Cai Yan, this little girl, was his Shangguan Wan'er.
The two were intimate for a while, and Gao Yue took his arm and walked out, saying, "Husband, do you plan to find a day to welcome Sister Cai in first, or do you plan to let her go?"
There are many osmanthus trees in Yuan Xi's house. In the early morning breeze, taking a deep breath will immediately make people feel intoxicated, which is very refreshing.
Yuan Xi took two sips and said intoxicatedly: "When I go to Yecheng in the future, I will definitely plant more osmanthus trees in the yard. Among all flowers, the fragrance of cinnamon is the most refreshing. It smells comfortable."
"What are you talking about? I'm asking you when will you marry sister Zhaoji, don't talk about anything else." Gao Yue hit her angrily.
Yuan Xi smiled and said: "Madam is so smart, why do you need to embarrass your husband and me?"
"Huh," Gao Yue hummed, "I just want to start a conversation. Sister Cai, I don't care about you, but for the remaining sisters, you only need one at most a year. I won't take any more."
Pengcheng.
Guan Yu, a long-bearded man, fought majestically among the enemy formations, while Zhang Feiye, a black-faced man with a short beard, held up his spear and cooperated to intercept Cao Cao's soldiers. More than two thousand soldiers of Liu Bei's army covered more than a thousand refugees pouring into Pengcheng.
"Second brother, let's withdraw too!" Zhang Fei wiped the blood stains on his face. Although Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were enemies of ten thousand people, Liu Bei still had limited troops after all, and was still defeated by Cao Cao's fierce attack.
Although Guan Yu was also covered in blood, Guan Yu still maintained that proud look and said, "Third brother, you take your subordinates and leave first. For my brother, come to the rear!"
Zhang Fei agreed and rushed towards the city gate. He believed in his brother's martial arts, so he was not as hypocritical as Liu Bei.
Guan Yu squinted his eyes and saw an enemy general more than fifty steps away. The horses were galloping, Guan Yu chose a route through the gaps between the enemy soldiers, and within a few seconds he was approaching the general. The Yanyue Sword slashed diagonally from bottom to top, straight towards the enemy general's cheek.
"Bump!" The sword and gun exchanged, and each bounced away.
The horses crossed each other, but Guan Yu did not look back. Instead, he took advantage of the opportunity when the enemy soldiers were attracted to this side and quickly rushed to attack another enemy general.
Cao Cao looked at Guan Yu who was fighting back and forth, and he couldn't help but feel envious. His subordinate Dian Wei, who had recently been recruited, might be able to fight, followed by brothers Xiahou and Le Jin who were the most skilled in martial arts. They were both talented generals who could command troops. .
But in terms of the two armies charging and fighting in front of the formation, they were inferior to Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. There are many generals under his command, but there are too few warriors like Fan Kuai to charge into battle.
"Meng De, be careful!" Xia Houyuan was excited. He drew his bow and shot an arrow at Guan Yu.
Guan Yu was about to hunt Cao Cao in the formation, but Xia Houyuan's arrow interrupted him. Cao Cao also woke up immediately, and he ordered his soldiers to form a dense formation to protect him in front of him. Guan Yu saw that the enemy troops were surrounded, glanced at Cao Cao, and then rode back to the city gate with regret.
The crossbowmen on the city wall fired arrows fiercely, blocking the pursuing soldiers of Cao Cao's army.
"My second brother is injured!" Liu Bei was waiting at the city gate. As soon as Guan Yu returned to the city, he went up to greet Guan Yu with concern.
"Haha, brother, don't worry. Those Cao soldiers can't hurt me!" Guan Yu laughed, and his whole body showed deep self-confidence. He really deserves to be the second master Guan.
Zhang Fei also gathered around. He said angrily: "Thief Cao is so cruel that he drives so many refugees to our place. My brother's heart is too soft. Every time so many people come, how much can we take in?"
There is no difference between the methods used by Cao Cao and those used by Tadun when he attacked Gongsun Zan. However, Cao Cao was called wise, while Tadun was reviled because he was a foreigner. Sometimes we do have double standards.
"Third brother, don't talk nonsense, the people are the foundation of the country. How can you, as an official, sit back and watch the people under your rule be displaced!" Liu Bei scolded sternly.
Regardless of whether Liu Bei is hypocritical or not, his perception is correct. You cannot deny everything because of prejudice. This is unfair.
Zhang Fei pouted and said, "Let me tell you something. The streets and alleys in this city are full of people, and the eldest brother's mansion is also occupied by the refugees. If we take them in again, where can they be placed?"
"I will not let the people under my rule suffer the pain of swordsmanship, but I am powerless and cannot expel Cao Cao!" Liu Bei said firmly with helplessness.
People say Liu Bei is hypocritical, but if Liu Bei has been such a hypocrite all his life, it is extraordinary. No wonder Cao Cao and Liu Bei had a drink and talked about heroes, and Yuan Xi also admired him.
"Boom!" The stones from the trebuchet hit the city wall.
Liu Bei and others who were approaching there clearly felt the vibration. "Boom!" Another stone was thrown into the city, and a hole was punched through a house near the city wall.
"Go and see if someone is injured!" Liu Bei said urgently.
Half a month later. Linzi Governor's Mansion.
Cao Hong traveled non-stop for more than ten days and arrived at Linzi by sea. At this time, Yuan Xi was discussing matters with his subordinates, and Cao Hong was invited to the meeting hall.
"Major General, help me! Cao Cao invaded my Xuzhou, Xuzhou is in danger!" Cao Hong cried as soon as he saw Yuan Xi.
"Mr. Cao, please sit down and speak slowly!" Yuan Xi stood up to greet him and asked Cao Hong to sit aside. He already knew what was going on, but except for him and Guo Jia, others still didn't know that Cao Cao was attacking Xuzhou again.
Cao Hong elaborated on Cao Cao's sneak attack on Xuzhou, and then said, "Tao Shijun said that only the Yuan family and the Major General can bring justice to Xuzhou."
Tian Feng frequently winked at Yuan Xi, indicating that he should not agree immediately, and Yuan Xi understood this.
"Mr. Cao, go down and rest first. I will hold a banquet to cleanse Mr. Cao in the evening. I will give you an answer then." Yuan Xi said.
Cao Hong nodded. He knew that Yuan Xi would still come to him privately, and he also had something to say in private.
After Cao Hong retreated, several civil and military subordinates all looked grave, because the news brought by Cao Hong was not good.
"Young General. This matter is very difficult. Cao Cao is an ally of the Yuan family, and Mr. Yuan has a deep friendship with him. But Cao Cao has risen too fast recently. If we let it go, it will become a serious problem for us! Master, we must do something early. Decide." Tian Feng was also confused.
"Everyone, please tell me how we should handle ourselves. Should we send troops to rescue or sit back and watch the fight between tigers?" Yuan Xi asked.
"Cao Mengde's move was not approved by His Majesty, and what he said was to avenge his father's murder. Tao Qian was the shepherd of the prefecture appointed by His Majesty. Morally, we should send troops to stop this war." Zhong Yao Zhengse said.
Guoyuan, Wang Xiu, and Gu Yong, because they had followed Yuan Xi for a long time, they knew the internal affairs of Qingzhou better, so they each calculated the pros and cons and did not speak immediately.
Guo Jia still looked lazy, just listening to everyone's words. In the next place, Jia Xu was even more silent. Since he agreed to serve as Yuan Xi's assistant, he has not said a word except copying documents. He is indeed an old fox.
"This matter should be explained to Duke Yuan first, and how powerful it is. Let Duke Yuan decide whether we can go to war with Cao Cao." Tian Feng said, after all, Yuan Xi is a minister, and Yuan Shao is the master, right?
"But this trip, plus the gathering of soldiers, will probably take a lot of time. If Xuzhou cannot support it, it will be too late even if my father asks us to send troops." Yuan Xi said, the implication of which was that he was leaning towards send troops.
"You may not know, but I just received news yesterday that Cao Cao has stationed tens of thousands of troops in Taishan County." Yuan Xi then broke the news.
All the civil and military officials below looked angry, and Cao Cao's move was clearly intended to be a warning and a deterrent.
Tian Feng frowned and said, "Mount Tai is located at a strategic location. It is true. We can gather troops and horses first and subordinate them for defense. We can quickly send out troops after Mr. Yuan receives a reply."
"Mr. Yuan Hao, the food in the treasury now is not enough to support our large-scale mobilization of soldiers. I estimate that if we send troops to fight elsewhere, we can only provide 20,000 soldiers with food for one month." Guoyuan said.
"Military food is not a problem. Xuzhou will provide food and fodder once troops are sent out. However, reserve troops from all over Qingzhou must be mobilized quickly. We must be prepared to prevent the Yanzhou army from Taishan from attacking our Qingzhou hinterland." Yuan Xi said decisively, and he was ready to fight with Cao Cao Be prepared to fall out.
Tian Feng immediately drafted a document in the name of Yuan Xi and himself, stating the situation of the war in Xuzhou, and asked Yuan Shao for instructions.
Jia Xu looked at Guo Jia, who was smiling lightly, and Yuan Xi, who was inclined to send troops in words and deeds, and he was thoughtful. Yuan Xi happened to be looking towards him, so he quickly turned away, but Yuan Xi's cunning eyes made him feel uneasy.
After Tian Feng and Yuan Xi drafted the documents, everyone went down to prepare for Cao Cao's army.
"Mr. Wenhe, please stay!" Yuan Xi stopped Jia Xu who was about to leave and said, "Mr. Wenhe is also a man of long-term thinking. Why don't you tell me how I should face the Xuzhou incident."
Guo Jia, who stayed aside, also smiled and echoed, "As the saying goes, one person is short of wisdom, but everyone is wise. Mr. Wenhe, you usually live a more leisurely life than me. Now that something has happened, you can't just take it. You don’t seek your job without a salary.”
"Didn't the young master and Fengxiao already have a plan in mind? Why ask me again?" Jia Xu asked instead without answering.
"Cao Cao suddenly attacked Xuzhou in this year of frequent famines. I am also at a loss. How can I say that I had a plan in advance."
"Young Master, please stop hiding it. When Cao Hong revealed that Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, everyone here was shocked. Only Young Master and Feng Xiao were calm. Doesn't this mean that they already knew about this?" Jia Xu said. Facing two smart people, he doesn't need to hide his clumsiness too much.
Yuan Xi nodded with a smile and said, "I'll tell you the truth, sir. As early as half a month ago, I got news that Cao Cao was secretly gathering soldiers and collecting supplies. After inference with Feng Xiao, I guessed that Cao Cao would use troops in Xuzhou. It's just a matter of fact. I can’t make it public until it’s confirmed, but it’s really a tricky situation at this time, and I’d like to ask your husband how to deal with it.”
Jia Xu was slightly surprised. He didn't expect Yuan Xi's information network to be so fast and accurate. You must know that due to wars and famines at this time, roads in various places were not smooth, and conveying news was even more time-consuming and laborious. It is not easy for Yuan Xi to understand the trends in Yanzhou in a timely manner, and it also shows Yuan Xi's background and strength.
Yuan Xi knew that he couldn't just use force against Jia Xu, so he said sincerely: "Sir, I also understand your helplessness in leading Guo Si and Li Que to invade Guanzhong. How easy is it to survive in these troubled times? I don't want to be reduced to a mere fish. It's my luck. I have taken control of Qingzhou, and I have gathered a group of outstanding talents. If you retreat in this way, you can protect your side, and if you advance, you can achieve great things. If you can get help from me, it will be even more powerful. Great things can be accomplished in a day!"
After saying this, Yuan Xi bowed deeply.
Jia Xu has also been testing the strength of Yuan Xi and Qingzhou. The longer I stay in Qingzhou. The more they come into contact with Yuan Xi and others. The more he was shocked by the strength of Yuan Xi and Qingzhou. This is a place that is on the rise, and both the civil and military officials and the people in the army are full of vitality.
Yuan Xi was right, he could dominate one side if he retreated, and he could assist the Yuan family in bringing peace to the world if he advanced.
Now that he has been taken hostage to Qingzhou, Yuan Xi is another person who can achieve great things. Jia Xu was already a little moved.
