After listening to Chen Deng's secret statement, Liu Bei's heart was filled with turmoil, but his face remained calm, and his only movement was to close his eyes slightly. Then he opened his eyes, leaned over to Chen Deng and said:
"Well, Yuan Long, it's our first time meeting you. How much can I trust you?"
Chen Deng did not show any hesitation when faced with this kind of questioning. Obviously, his experience in the past few years is really suspicious. First he served in Linzi, and then he surrendered to Bai Bo. It would make people laugh if he said that he was loyal to the monarch of Sheji. If it is said that he is still taking orders from Bai Bo and came to Xijing just to deceive Liu Bei and set a trap for him, I am afraid there are many people who believe it. But Chen Deng only said: "Although it is the first time that the general and I have met, the name of the general has been spread throughout Jiuzhou, and I have been admiring him for several years."
Liu Bei laughed heartily when he heard this, and then said: "When I was the captain of Dongping, I also heard of Yuanlong's virtuous name. Speaking of which, you and I have been close friends for a long time." When Chen Deng saw this, his expression changed. He also relaxed a little, but seeing Liu Bei calm down again, he said solemnly: "But I'll give Yuan Long the bottom line. It's only been a month since I withdrew from Youzhou. The army is determined. It's not going to be the new year. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to send troops."
Liu Bei told the truth. This year he sent troops to Hebei, which cost a lot of money. The long confrontation with Yuan Jun also caused the morale of the army to drop. If the soldiers are not allowed to take a break and go thousands of miles away to fight in the winter, if they are unable to win a big victory, it may damage the reputation of the DPRK. Especially under the premise that major changes had just occurred in the DPRK, he had to be cautious. Therefore, what he said was that he hoped that the Xuzhou county magistrates could delay him for a while, so that he could trust them and prepare for the expedition next year.
Chen Deng understood what he meant and knew that this was indispensable sincerity, so he felt embarrassed, but he still agreed with difficulty: "If it is delayed for one month, my family can still do it, but no matter how late it is, it will not be possible. General Wang We can send troops quickly before February next year, otherwise the people will have gone north, and we will have no choice but to die to prove our ambition."
This is considered settled. But Liu Bei was not in a hurry to leave, but ate in Yuanjue Temple. Indeed, he had often heard about Chen Deng's talents in Dongping. When they met this time, he also admired Chen Deng's grace and courage very much, so he couldn't help but want to get to know him better. That night, he had a candle-lit talk with Chen Deng. From the changes in the customs of Xuzhou in recent years to the changes in the political situation of the Linzi court, he found that many of his views and ideas coincided. It can be said that the two sides hit it off. In the end, Liu Bei pulled Chen Deng Holding his hand, he sighed and said: "When the matter in Xuzhou is over, Yuanlong will be my Ganghou!"
The so-called Ganghou refers to Jiafu, the Marquis of Jiaodong at the time of Shizu. He ranked third among the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai. He accompanied Liu Xiu on many campaigns and made many military exploits. Although he did not have the same level of responsibility as Feng Yi and Deng Yu, he could be regarded as the number one general under Liu Xiu. Liu Bei's metaphor was obviously to make Chen Deng his subordinate. Chen Deng also heard the song and knew its elegant meaning, and immediately promised: "I am willing to do the work of dogs and horses!"
Finally, Liu Bei gave Chen Deng a seal of the Guangling Prefect as a token, and made an agreement with him that in January next year, the Han army would definitely send troops to Xuzhou, and he could use this to meet him. Chen Deng put the seal away and bowed to Liu Bei again: "Then Chen Deng will wait quietly in Xiapi for good news." Then he quickly left in the early morning.
As soon as Chen Deng left, Liu Bei was not ready to take a rest and immediately went to discuss the matter with Chen Chong. Chen Chong had also been waiting for news from Liu Bei and stayed up all night. When Liu Bei came, he was still calculating the expenses for the coming year.
Liu Bei told Chen Chong what he had said yesterday. Chen Chong was not surprised at first, but when he heard that Yuan Shu held the national seal, his eyes jumped. After Liu Bei finished speaking, Chen Chong asked: "How did the puppet government react? Yuan Shu Didn’t you say you want to go north with him?”
Chen Deng also talked about this matter. He said that Guan Cheng of Linzi actually had a plan, but Yuan Shao seemed not to want to be accused of secretly liaising with the puppet government, so he did not intend to accept it. But Yuan Shao privately made a promise that once the Han army attacked Qingzhou, he could send troops south to assist. The only condition was to cede all the counties in Pingyuan County and north of the river to Yuan Shao. From this point of view, Yuan Shao was determined to take over Hebei.
"Ting Jian, what do you think? If we go to war in the first month of next year, how many troops should I dispatch?"
Chen Chong thought for a moment and quickly answered: "Not counting Meng De's soldiers, you can mobilize up to 70,000."
When this answer came out, Liu Bei was stunned at first, and then became puzzled. After all, in the past four years, he has led troops ranging from 80,000 to 90,000 to as many as more than 100,000. It stands to reason that now that the imperial court controls the land of four states, the national strength should be more substantial. How can he mobilize fewer troops?
But Chen Chong's words are not fiction, but the truth. At present, Gongsun Zan has had some respite in Hebei, but he is no longer able to defeat Yuan Shao. Since Yuan Shao has spare strength, once he gets the news of Liu Bei's expedition, he will inevitably attack in multiple ways, either taking the opportunity to invade Shangdang from Huguan, or attacking Hanoi to seize the mountainous terrain. Therefore, troops and horses are needed to stay in both places, and considering that Shangdang is the foundation of the hegemony, and Hanoi is the hub between the north and the south. There is no room for failure, so the garrison must be at least 30,000.
As Xianbei becomes more and more rampant, Wuhuan also turns to Yuan Shao, and Yanmen's 20,000 garrison cannot be moved lightly. Once there is a change in Youzhou, more troops and horses may have to be sent to Yanmen. Therefore, among the 100,000 Bafu troops, there may only be two Wan Neng went to war with Liu Bei. The only ones left who can advance with Liu Bei are Guan Yu's 30,000 Henan Army and Zhang Xian's 20,000 Jingnan Army.
Liu Bei was very angry and asked: "I understand that the Northern Army cannot be used, but doesn't Huangfu Li still have 30,000 troops? He can't use them either?"
"There are a lot of bandits in Runan. Thirty-nine cases have been suppressed this year. Chengying (Huangfu Li) is still suppressing bandits. If he is sent to go with him, I'm afraid there will be chaos in Yuzhou." Chen Chong said with a helpless smile, "Last year Yuzhou is in dire straits, and there are still 40,000 Yuan Shu captives to be guarded. Xuande, as you have seen with your own eyes, there is nothing we can do about it."
Liu Bei couldn't refute what he said, so he could only find a mat and sit down, secretly sulking at Yuan Shao. Chen Chong saw it funny, so he provoked him casually and said: "What? After all, you still have an army of 70,000, and even if Bai Bo and Yuan Shu join forces, it will only be 40,000. Xuande, you can't win?"
Liu Bei naturally opened his mouth and replied: "Yuan Shu is blind, Han Yang is a fool, breaking it is as easy as breaking a porcelain tile." He smiled when he said this, and then sighed and said, "It's just that Yuan Shu holds the jade seal passed down to the country. Once He ran into the mountains and forests. The sky and the earth are vast. If there is no army, how can I search? If the country's great treasure is lost because of this, it will be your fault and mine."
Chen Chong suddenly realized that he had already cared about this in his heart. He didn't expect Liu Bei to care so much about the imperial seal, so he didn't tell him. At this time, he said: "It doesn't matter, I just need to give it to Jiangdong." I have written a letter to my uncle, Fu Xiu, to respond to you from the north to the south. Are you afraid where he can escape?" Liu Bei then raised his hands and felt relieved.
By the end of October, Liu Bei and Chen Chong said goodbye and left Xijing, heading east along the Weishui River to between Yi County and Chencang. After the order to summon the Liang people was issued, Dong Yue, Hu Zhen and the more than 40,000 Liang people under their command gathered in front of Liu Bei, waiting anxiously for his trial.
And Liu Bei announced that their labor service was over and that the Liang people would be divided into fields and blocked. The scene was filled with cheers. It is hard to imagine that the Liangren Iron Cavalry, which was so powerful back then, is now happy to work in the fields. But in the end, there were only more than 5,000 Liang people who were still willing to continue fighting and joined Jinyang Bafu, and the list was compiled in one day. Even Dong Yue and Hu Zhen were very moved. They told Liu Bei that if the world could really be peaceful, they hoped that the general would grant them 500 acres of tax-free land, and they would be satisfied.
After taking a short rest, Liu Bei handed over the land allocation matters to Chen Qun, and he led 5,000 Liang people back north to Jinyang. When they set off, the weather suddenly turned cold, and the sky became dark. The Bingzhou Mountains were like waves, and now it was difficult to distinguish them. In the valleys between the mountains, very light snow began to fall, and the large group of people burst out with white steam, making the journey even more cold and cold.
For several days, they camped along the Fen River. The temperature was still dropping sharply. When Liu Bei set out, the waves of the Weishui River were still rolling, but now there was a thin layer of ice crystals above the Fenshui River. As the waves undulated and drifted, there was also a layer of white on the surrounding long grass. Frost and snow, the dead branches on the mountain extend endlessly, passing through the screaming north wind. Liu Bei looked at the cold night and thought: This year's winter seems to be colder than usual.
When Liu Bei arrived at Qixian County, the long-lost sun finally appeared on the mountains in the southwest, emitting a dim and feeble light. The terrain on Liu Bei's right is low and gentle, and there seems to be a big river on the horizon, shining faintly with waves. Liu Bei knew that it was Zhaoyuze, and his first battle after the annexation was fought near here.
Xu Shu learned the news early and had prepared forts and food for the Liang people near Zhaoyuze. Liu Bei asked Hu Zhen to lead the army to rest here. He led Dong Yue and dozens of others all the way north to Jinyang.
After several years of expansion, Jinyang is no longer a lonely giant city, but has north and south markets, and its popularity has exploded. It was night when Liu Bei arrived, and it was already mid-November, and it was one month before the New Year. The night market in the south of the city was particularly lively, with lanterns as red as flowers, the market was full of flowers, and people celebrating in the night market could be seen everywhere. People, the joy is palpable. They saw Liu Bei riding through the market. Many people recognized him and called him like he called his father: "He is the general!" Liu Bei smiled happily in return.
After buying some preserved fruits in the market, Liu Bei finally entered the city. The streets in the city are not that lively. Most people have taken a rest, but there are still a few lights decorating them. Liu Bei was in a very relaxed mood. When he arrived in front of the mansion, he had just dismounted when a short figure suddenly ran out and bumped into his arms.
The person in his arms shouted loudly: "Father!"
Liu Bei rubbed Liu Xie's head, lifted him up, and asked him: "Want to ride a horse? Boy." Five-year-old Liu Xie said loudly: "A real man must ride a big horse!" Liu Bei laughed and held him up. On his neck, he moaned imitating the neighing of a horse. The guards following Liu Xie couldn't help but be a little stunned when they saw this situation.
Looking back, his wife Liu Jia came out again holding her eldest daughter Alu. Alu was born to Liu Jia last year. Now she can speak, but when she saw Liu Bei, she could only say "ha" loudly. Liu Jia put Alu down, dusted Liu Bei off, took the preserved fruit from Liu Bei's saddle, and asked him in a low voice: "How long can you stay at home this year?"
Liu Bei held his wife's hand in public and laughed and said, "I can still celebrate the New Year every year."
After entering the house and washing up, Liu Bei hugged Liu Jia on the couch, and his consciousness soon fell into drowsiness. But before he fell asleep completely, a divine light inexplicably passed through his mind. He thought: Everything gained has a price, and there is no price. I know what it takes to ascend the throne.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
Thanks to 17tn’s Black Cat and Hohhot Teenagers for the tip.
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