Yecheng.
The general's residence.
in the garden.
Yuan Shao was lying on the bamboo bed, looking up at his head in a daze.
Since Xu Du fled back, he has been recuperating at home.
He also learned that the roar he heard when he escaped from Xudu was not the sound of the soldiers defending the city at all, but the cheers of Jiangdong's army as they breached the city.
Thinking that after being the fourth generation and the third prince, he originally controlled the four states of Qing, You, Ji, and Bing, hundreds of thousands of troops, millions of people, and countless fertile fields.
In the end, he lost to a boy as young as Jiang Dong.
Yuan Shao felt extremely depressed, as if something was stuck in his throat, making him unable to breathe.
Especially when the other party introduced a new emperor, consecrated the so-called King of Wu, and was allowed to establish the Kingdom of Wu, it made him even more uncomfortable.
At this moment, someone walked in from the entrance of the garden and said, "Master, Mr. Xun wants to see you!"
Yuan Shao then sat up a little, looked at the entrance of the garden and said, "Let him come in."
The servants retreated.
After a while, a figure wearing a green shirt walked in.
It was Xun Chen.
When Yuan Shao saw Xun Chen, his face looked much better. He squeezed out a smile and said, "Youruo, what brought you here? Haven't you been feeling unwell recently and need to rest?"
It turned out that Xun Chen also fell ill after Xu Du came back.
To be more precise, I was depressed.
Since Xun Chen moved from Yingchuan to Jizhou with his brother Xun Yu, it has been a smooth journey.
But this year, not only his brother and sister-in-law were killed by the late emperor, but now he assisted Yuan Shao in a great defeat. Now not one of the four famous Hebei pillars was left.
Two had already died in the battle.
Two sworn enemies surrendered.
Xinpi, one of the Four Heroes of Yingchuan, also voted.
As the leader of the Yuzhou faction and the boss of the Yingchuan Four, he felt a complete failure.
Especially when he went out to relax recently, passers-by pointed at him and felt that he was not worthy of his name. In the past, he relied entirely on Tian Feng and Jushou. Now that Tian Feng is dead and Ju Shou has retired to seclusion, his incompetence has been exposed.
Xun Chen's hair has turned mostly gray this month.
Therefore, he has been resting at home, citing physical illness.
Seeing Yuan Shao looking over, Xun Chen quickened his pace and walked over, bowed to Yuan Shao and said, "Ming Gong."
Yuan Shao hurriedly helped Xun Chen up, pointed to the futon next to him and said, "Sit down! Tell me, why did you find him today?"
Xun Chen didn't hesitate, he knelt down on the futon next to Yuan Shao, looked at Yuan Shao, squeezed out a wry smile, then took out a scroll from his sleeve, handed it to Yuan Shao and said: "Ming Gong, this is what I'm going to do when I retire and return home. Document, please approve it."
Yuan Shao sat upright and said angrily: "You want to leave me?"
Xun Chen sighed and said quietly: "Recently, I invited a medical worker to go to my mansion and take a look at it for me."
"The medical doctor said that my life is not long, a year at most, so I was asked to prepare for my funeral."
The anger on Yuan Shao's face instantly turned into shock and he said, "How is that possible! How old are you? Your health has always been good! Isn't it just that you have been feeling a little unwell recently? Why do you say you are not going to die soon?"
Xun Chen shook his head and said seriously: "Actually, I was not in good health before. The doctor reminded me that it was diabetes mellitus."
"In the past, I followed the doctor's instructions and slowly nursed back to health, so my body was just like that. I just occasionally felt dizzy and my limbs were cold."
"I also always maintain a comfortable mood."
"In the past year, I have been fighting on the battlefield, eating and drinking irregularly, and experiencing disastrous defeats one after another."
"A few years ago, I could sleep three to four hours a day."
"And now, I can't even sleep for an hour every day."
"Lying in bed, I couldn't help but picture the soldiers dying tragically before my eyes."
"Also, there was a scratch on my back, but it never healed. Now, it's so deep into the flesh that you can see the bones."
The look on Yuan Shao's face gradually turned sad and remorseful, and he fell silent.
When Xun Chen saw this, he laughed and said, "Ming Gong, there is no need to be sad. Birth, old age, illness and death are human nature and no one can avoid it."
"I don't have much time."
"After fighting for most of my life, it's time for me to stop and enjoy my last time."
Yuan Shao then took the scroll from Xun Chen's hand and said with a trembling voice: "When are you leaving?"
Xun Chen said: "Tomorrow morning."
Yuan Shao said in shock: "So urgent? At least allow me to give you a farewell banquet!"
Xun Chen shook his head and said, "I don't deserve it."
"If we start a war with Jiangdong this time, and Tian Feng and Jushu are both here, maybe we won't lose. We have such a huge advantage, and I still can't understand why we lost?"
"People like me can't even figure this out. As the mastermind of these years, I really feel unworthy of the great love I have shown to Duke Ming."
Yuan Shao slowly lay back on the bamboo bed and said, "They're all gone!"
"Tian Feng is gone."
"Jushou has gone into seclusion."
"Now, even you are leaving me."
"Remember how high-spirited we were when we fought against Gongsun Zan together?"
"At that time, Yan Liangwen was still ugly."
"I really feel like I have the world in my hands."
Xun Chen sighed, and then comforted him: "Ming Gong, there are talents in the country, so there is no need to worry."
"Although we are not here, those who come after us will be even better than us."
"Although we lost to Wu State this time, Wu State did not take advantage of the situation to pursue us. This shows that they do not dare to confront us head-on."
"Our foundation is still there."
"The plan for now is to pacify the existing territory and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation to cause chaos."
"The eldest and second young masters are talented enough to do these things."
"Let them lead troops to pacify everywhere and accumulate some combat experience."
Yuan Shao nodded.
After Xun Chen finished speaking, he stood up, saluted Yuan Shao again and said, "Then, Ming Gong, I am resigning."
Yuan Shao stood up hurriedly and said, "I'll see you off tomorrow morning."
Xun Chen laughed and refused: "No, Ming Gong, I said, I am not worthy."
Yuan Shao watched Xun Chen walk away and said again: "I will take you out."
Xun Chen stopped again, looked back at Yuan Shao, and shed tears.
Xun Chen wiped his face haphazardly with both hands, and said: "No, Ming Gong, don't say anything. If you send me away again, I won't be able to leave."
Yuan Shao begged: "I will send you out of this gate."
Xun Chen shook his head and still refused.
The next moment, Xun Chen lifted up the hem of his clothes with both hands, slowly knelt down, kowtowed a few times, and said in a trembling voice: "Ming Gong, I, Xun Chen, am lucky enough to meet a lord like you in my life."
"It's just that I can no longer serve you."
"When I leave, it should be a farewell forever."
"I hope God will bless Duke Ming to be able to unify the world and realize his long-cherished wish."
After saying that, he stood up tremblingly and left.
Yuan Shao stayed in place in a daze, watching Xun Chen leave, tears rolling down like broken beads.
Early the next morning.
Yuan Shao still got up early.
After asking Mrs. Liu to help him disguise himself and look like an ordinary person, Yuan Shao, escorted by two guards, went straight to an alleyway not far from Xun Chen's mansion.
At this time, a group of people came out of Xun Chen's mansion surrounded by Xun Chen.
Even Shen Pei and Feng Ji came.
Shen Pei, one of the original leaders of the Jizhou faction, is now the order of Yecheng.
Since Tian Feng and Jushu left, Shenpei has become the sole leader of the Jizhou faction.
Feng Ji, a native of Nanyang, was also one of the first people to follow Yuan Shao, but he integrated into the Jizhou sect very early.
Guo Tu and others helped Xun Chen get into the carriage.
Xun Chen stood on the carriage shaft and looked around.
This is the land where he was once glorious.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on the entrance of the alleyway in the distance.
There, Yuan Shao was looking at him with amusement.
Xun Chen was stunned for a moment.
Then, another smile appeared on his face.
Xun Chen nodded to Yuan Shao and got into the carriage.
The rest of the Xun family also got on the carriage or rode horses.
With the sound of "departure", the convoy slowly drove towards the city gate.
Yuan Shao chased after him and murmured: "Youruo! Youruo——"
But he didn't chase him very far before he stopped.
Xun Chen left.
Yuan Shao, who had never recovered, fell ill again.
After lying in bed for four days, Yuan Shao went to the ground and sent for his eldest son Yuan Tan and his second son Yuan Xi, asking them to each lead an army of 30,000 to quell rebellions in various areas of the territory.
As for their family members, they still stay in Yecheng.
Because Yuan Tan made a big mistake before, letting Yan Liang and Wen Chou die in battle and losing Qingzhou, there was no reward this time.
Yuan Xi had never made a big mistake before, and this time he assisted his eldest son Yuan Tan to contain the Jiangdong Army in Xuzhou. Therefore, Yuan Shao appointed Yuan Xi as the Mu of Youzhou.
However, Yuan Shao called his youngest son Yuan Shang over before the two brothers went off to the expedition and told them that in the next five years, who of the three would perform better.
He will not follow the ancient law: establish a leader.
On the contrary, he will ultimately decide who to make as his son based on the performance of the three brothers in the next five years.
On the second day after Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi went on the expedition, Yuan Shao discussed with the civil and military officials in the general hall to establish a new emperor.
They will never recognize the new emperor in Xudu!
They're coming out with another proper Cintiq.
This person's name is Liu He, the only son of Liu Yu, the former governor of Youzhou, and currently serves as a servant under Yuan Shao's account.
Liu He is the descendant of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu and his deposed crown prince Liu Qiang, Prince Gong of Donghai.
While everyone was discussing the matter of recommending Liu and ascending the throne, a small official hurried over and said outside the threshold of the hall: "My lord, there is an urgent situation coming from Liangzhou."
In the hall, all civil and military officials fell silent.
When Yuan Shao's youngest son Yuan Shang saw this, he quickly went out, took the bamboo tube from the clerk's hand, walked to Yuan Shao, and handed it to Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao took the bamboo tube, opened it, took out the strip of cloth, opened it, took a look, looked at the civil and military officials and said, "Cao Cao gave me this hundred thousand urgent matters."
"Cao Cao has defeated Xiliang Ma Chao and is settling down."
"He is confident that he will take over the entire Liangzhou within the next one to two years."
"Cao Cao, in this desperate situation, asked me to immediately lead his army southward again, and drag Jiangdong to death in the battle while Jiangdong is still recuperating."
"According to Cao Cao, we only have this chance to defeat Jiangdong."
“And, he allowed us to attack first.”
"After he captures Liangzhou, he will join our alliance and attack together."
"Gentlemen, tell me what you think?"
(End of chapter)
