Chapter 286 Wagging lips and tongues
Duke Zhou was afraid of the day of rumors, but Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp the time. Xiangshi died at the beginning, who knows the authenticity of his life? ---------- "Five Poems" by Tang Bai Juyi
It is said that Liu Bei is a hero, and he is ambitious, but only Cao Cao can see clearly, so there is a saying about heroes by cooking wine with green plums. Those who seek fame and reputation often hide themselves so deeply that they can't even be noticed. No wonder they are always devoted to Liu Bei.
Chen Long, who came from a later generation, naturally saw Liu Bei clearly, and he took a lot of thought to save Guan and Zhang Er from dying. Zhou Buyi came up with a plan to reveal Liu Bei's ambition. He could only connect Liu Bei with the ambitious Yuan Shu.
Yuan Shu held the jade seal in his hand, and he had long wanted to proclaim himself emperor and become independent, and his reputation among the heroes was terrible. Chen Long asked Zhou Buyi: "You mean you can create rumors?"
Zhou Buyi nodded and said: "People's mouths make gold, and bones are destroyed. They waggle their lips and talk, and they are good at making trouble. The power of rumors is huge, which has been proven since ancient times. During the reign of Qin Shihuang, he was always known as "Hu Ye, the one who destroyed Qin" Troubled by rumors, the empire he founded was ruined in the hands of his son. The fuse was also a rumor: "The great Chu was reborn, King Chen Sheng. "
"So, as long as we can spread the news that Liu Bei and Yuan Shu are secretly communicating through the mouths of some people, and at the same time create some vague evidence, the rumors will spread, and finally Liu Bei will be unable to defend himself, and his true thoughts will be exposed. , and also allowed General Guan and Zhang to see Liu Bei’s true ambition.”
Chen Long's eyes narrowed and he high-fived: "Yuan Zhi has a good idea. However, the content of the rumor needs to be slightly modified. Now, Yuan Shu keeps the jade seal privately. Everyone does not think that Yuan Shu wants to proclaim himself emperor. Many people think that Yuan Shu will look for Liu Han clan clan members like Yao and Liu Yan were used as puppets. We framed him and said that Liu Bei secretly colluded with Yuan Shu and was chosen by Yuan Shu to replace Han Xian Emperor."
Zhou Buji patted his thigh and said, "Wonderful! My lord, if Guan Zhang believes that Liu Bei wants to be emperor, he will definitely fall out with him!"
Chen Long told Zhou Buyi: "You secretly go to the mistress's spies in Youzhou. Let them arrange to spread rumors in Jixian, Yuyang, Cangzhou, Yecheng, Luoyang, Chang'an and other places, just say that Yuan Shu and Liu Bei They secretly colluded to take over Han Xian and replace him. Liu Bei had secretly made friends with General Yuan Shu, Ji Ling, in Runan, hoping to establish his own empire."
Zhou Buyi smiled happily and said, "Okay! Leave this matter to me, don't worry!"
After Zhou Buji left, Chen Long was not idle and continued to think about informing Tian Yu and Gongsun Zan to fight Yuan Shao. Liu Bei is the variable here, but he is not the main force in saving Qingzhou. He has to persuade Tian Yu to persuade Gongsun Zan before he can mobilize all his troops and pass through the Cangzhou gate to truly threaten Yecheng, the seat of Jizhou, and force Yuan Shao to send Yan Liang's One hundred thousand troops were transferred back from Qingzhou to rescue him.
Although Tian Yu treated Liu Bei courteously, the master of Yuyang must still be Tian Yu. Early the next morning, Chen Long held Tian Feng's letters and tokens in his arms, and was about to go out to find Tian Yu. Unexpectedly, the door of the inn opened, and the owner of the inn quickly went out to greet him. It turned out to be Tian Feng who Tian Yu had received the report from the gate guard last night. After hearing the news about the arrival of my friend, I went to the inn to see Longzhu in person this morning.
Chen Long was overjoyed when he saw that Tian Yu was in his thirties, with a calm demeanor, a straight figure, and a heroic spirit in his writing. He had the air of a general. He hurriedly introduced Tian Yu into the guest room and brought out Tian Feng's letter first. : "Yuan Hao said to me that Tian Yu is one of the generals he admires most, and he is indeed extraordinary when we meet him today. I am Qiongya Longzhu of Jiaozhou. I am honored to meet you!"
Tian Yu hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Since you are a good friend of Yuan Hao, you are also a member of your family, so you don't have to be polite." After saying that, he opened the letter and read it. At the beginning, it was written that Longzhu was the apprentice of Xu Shao and Xu Jing and should be treated well. Tian Yu Already surprised, he looked down, and the more he looked, the more frightened he became. Tian Feng actually asked Gongsun Zan to send troops to Hebei and give up the Cangzhou Passage. At the end, Tian Yu could no longer sit still. He raised his hips and stood up, cupping his hands and saying: "This matter is of great importance. I didn't expect Yuan Hao and Qu Yi to have such intentions. I must go to Jixian immediately to inform the lord to make a decision. How to support Yuan Hao and attack Jizhou. Farewell!" After saying this, he turned around and left in a hurry.
Chen Long stood up hurriedly and said: "I don't dare to delay General Tian, but I only have one thing to ask for."
Chen Long had given such important information, and now he had something to ask for. Tian Yu could not refuse immediately, so he stopped and nodded: "Mr. Long, please tell me!"
Chen Long said: "What I'm asking for is not a big deal. I heard that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei are all under the general's command. Can you please write me a letter? I want to visit these three people and see if you can give me Give me a recommendation.”
Tian Yu felt strange, but he still found pen, ink and silk. While writing a letter of introduction, he asked: "Liu Guan and Zhang are indeed here with me, but since you don't know them, how do you know them?"
You should know that at that time, Liu Guan and Zhang were not very well-known, and not many senior officials knew them. Chen Long laughed and said: "Have you forgotten what I do as Master Jing? He is an outstanding person who presides over the Moon Festival Review. He has naturally studied the emperor's uncle Liu Bei."
When Tian Yu heard the word "uncle", his eyelids twitched, allowing Chen Long, who had sharp and sensitive eyes, to catch him. Chen Long thought to himself, is Tian Yu already aware of Liu Bei's ambition? He might as well test it with words.
Chen Long continued: "When Uncle Liu Huang took refuge with Yuan Shu before, my Master Jing said that Uncle Huang has great ambitions and is very human. He will definitely have his own territory in the future. If there are powerful generals in the world like Guan and Zhang, if they can help him well, there will be another Two top strategists will definitely accomplish great things."
When Tian Yu heard about it, he couldn't help but said: "Humph, a great achievement? What great achievements can he achieve?"
Chen Long pretended to be stunned and said: "Of course it is a great cause to raise one's arms, follow the clouds, take advantage of the situation, and help the Han Dynasty!"
Tian Yu frowned and said, "Mr. Xu really said that? In my opinion, Xuande is indeed a hero in the world, and he is very kind to the people, but no one has been funding him. However, if he has a large army in his hands, , I'm afraid his opponents are heroes like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. My lord, Sun Zan, has taken him in for a long time, but I heard that he wants to leave again recently."
Chen Long thought that this was the reason why Tian Yu finally left Liu Bei, because Liu Bei relied on many people, but always betrayed his promise, and finally ran away, which made Tian Yu see his emperor's ambition.
Tian Yu waved away the letter of introduction without saying any more. He handed it over and said goodbye again: "My lord, Sun Zan, has never encountered an enemy in western Liaoning and eastern Liaoning. If it is true as Mr. said, Cangzhou's doors will be opened wide. I will teach Yuan Shao that guy." I'm in a hurry. Sir, wait for my good news!" After that, he turned and left.
Gongsun Zan, also known as Bogui, was known as General White Horse because of his handsome appearance and loud voice. In the official history, Gongsun Zan was a son of a nobleman, but because his mother was from a lowly background, he could only serve as a secretary. Because of his good appearance and proficiency in martial arts, he was appreciated by the prefect and was recruited as his son-in-law. With the help of his father-in-law, he studied with Lu Zhi together with Liu Bei and Liu Deran.
After leaving the army, Gongsun Zan served as charioteer under the prefect Liu Qi. When Liu Qi broke the law and was sent to Rinan, the prefecture, Gongsun Zan broke the law and disguised himself as a soldier to escort him along the way. Liu Qi was pardoned on the way. After Gongsun Zan's return, he was praised for his virtues of filial piety and incorruptibility, and was appointed as the chief historian of the Liaodong vassal state. Once, Gongsun Zan went out to patrol the pass with dozens of cavalry. When he saw hundreds of Xianbei cavalry, Gongsun Zan retreated to Kongting and said to the accompanying team: "If you don't take the initiative to attack, you will be killed." So he rode with a spear in hand. The troops rushed into the Xianbei troops, killing and wounding dozens of people. Although they survived, they themselves lost more than half. The Xianbei people took this as a warning and never dared to cross the pass easily again. Gongsun Zan was promoted to the magistrate of Zhuo County.
During the Guanghe period, Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled. The imperial court recruited 3,000 elite cavalry from Youzhou and gave Gongsun Zan the talisman to command these 3,000 cavalry. When Gongsun Zan led his army to Jizhong, Zhang Chun from Yuyang seduced Qiu Liju, leader of Wuhuan in western Liaoning, and others to rebel and captured Youbeiping County. Gongsun Zan used 3,000 cavalry to pursue Zhang Chun and other rebels, made great achievements in battle, and was promoted to Cavalry Commander. At this time, the leader of Wuhuan, King Tanzhi, led his troops to surrender to Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan was promoted to the rank of Zhonglang General, and was granted the title of Dutinghou. He settled in the vassal country. In the next five or six years, he fought continuously with the nomadic peoples in the north.
In the fifth year of Zhongping, Gongsun Zan fought with Zhang Chun, Qiu Liju and others at Shimen, a vassal state in Liaodong. Zhang Chun and others were defeated, so he abandoned his wife and children and fled into Xianbei. Gongsun Zan continued to pursue, but because he went too deep, he was besieged by Qiu Liju in Guanzi City in western Liaoning for more than 200 days. The soldiers ran out of food and collapsed, and most of the soldiers were killed or injured. Qiu Liju's army also ran out of food and was exhausted, so he left Liucheng far away. The imperial court decreed that Gongsun Zan should be appointed as the captain of the army that surrendered to the captives, and he was granted the title of Marquis of Tingting, the capital of the country. He also served as the governor of the country. Gongsun Zan then commanded the troops and horses to guard the border. Every time he heard that the enemy was attacking, Gongsun Zan immediately became fierce and fierce. When fighting, he seemed to be beating his own enemies, even until late at night. From then on, Wuhuan was afraid of Gongsun Zan's bravery and did not dare to invade again. Gongsun Zan often rides white horses with dozens of people around him who are good at riding and shooting. They are each other's left and right wings, and they call themselves "White Horse Yi Cong".
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Qiu Li lived in Qinglue, Xu, You, and Ji. The four states were harmed by it, and Gongsun Zan was unable to resist. The imperial court appointed Zongzheng Liu Yu as the shepherd of Youzhou. After Liu Yu took office, he sent envoys to the nomadic people to inform them of their interests and ordered them to present Zhang Chun's head. When Qiu Liju and others heard that Liu Yu had arrived, they sent envoys to communicate about their surrender. Gongsun Zan was worried about Liu Yu's meritorious service, so he secretly sent people to assassinate these envoys on the way. After the nomads understood this, they took a detour to Liu Yu. Liu Yu reported to the imperial court to withdraw the garrison, leaving only Gongsun Zan commanding more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry stationed in Youbeiping.
In the sixth year of Zhongping, Zhang Chun was killed by his retainer Wang Zheng and his head was given to Liu Yu. Liu Yu was awarded the post of Taiwei for his contribution to pacifying the nomadic people and was named the Marquis of Xiangben. Soon after, Liu Yu was moved to the rank of Grand Sima, Gongsun Zan was made General Fenwu, and was granted the title of Jihou.
In the second year of Chuping, the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army attacked Bohai, gathering 300,000 people, and wanted to join the Black Mountain Army. Gongsun Zan led 20,000 infantry and cavalry to defeat the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army in Dongguangnan, beheading more than 30,000 people. The Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou abandoned their baggage and rushed across the river. Gongsun Zan waited for them to attack when they were halfway through, and defeated the Yellow Turban Army again. Tens of thousands of people were killed, more than 70,000 people were captured, and countless chariots, armor and property were collected. Gongsun Zan became famous.
In the third year of Chuping, Yuan Shao stationed his army in Guangchuan County and fought with Gongsun Zan twenty miles south of Jieqiao. Gongsun Zan had thirty thousand elite soldiers. Yuan Shao ordered his general Qu Yi to lead eight hundred elite troops in front and place thousands of powerful crossbows on both wings. Gongsun Zan despised Yuan Shao's lack of troops and sent his cavalry into battle. Qu Yi ordered his soldiers to lie down under the pillars and wait for Gongsun Zan's army to arrive ten steps in front. They all attacked at the same time, and Gongsun Zan was defeated. Yuan Shaojun captured Yan Gang alive and beheaded him. Qu Yi pursued Gongsun Zan to the boundary bridge. Gongsun Zan led his troops to fight back and was defeated again. So Gongsun Zan fled to Ji County and built a small town in the southeast of the county to defend himself. He got close to Liu Yu and gradually developed a hatred. Yuan Shao sent his general Cui Juye to lead an army to attack Gongsun Zan's Gu'an. He was unable to retreat. When he led his army back south, he was overtaken by Gongsun Zan's army at Juma River and was severely defeated. Seven to eight thousand people were killed. Gongsun Zan wanted to take advantage of the victory and pursue it, but was defeated by Yuan Shao at Longcuo, and the two sides were evenly matched.
In the fourth year of Chuping's reign, Liu Yu believed that Gongsun Zan's lack of troops to redeem his troops and his consecutive battles with Yuan Shao were a serious persecution of the people, so he wanted to control Gongsun Zan's behavior. However, Gongsun Zan was furious when he heard about this, and then intensified his plundering of the people. Such atrocities deepened the conflict with Liu Yu.
In the end, Liu Yu decided to lead 100,000 troops to attack Gongsun Zan in order to stop Gongsun Zan's evil deeds. At that time, Gongsun Zan's troops were scattered outside and wanted to escape from the east city in a hurry. Liu Yu's soldiers were not accustomed to fighting, and they issued military orders not to harass the people or damage their residences, which made it impossible to attack for a long time. Gongsun Zan then recruited hundreds of elite soldiers, set fire to the wind, and took advantage of the situation to rush into Liu Yu's barracks. Liu Yu was defeated. Liu Yu and his men fled north to Juyong. Gongsun Zan captured Juyong City in three days, captured Liu Yu, his wife and children alive and returned to Jixian County. At this time, Dong Zhuo was dead, and Emperor Xian sent an envoy Duan Xun to increase Liu Yu's fiefdom, order him to oversee the six states, promote Gongsun Zan to the rank of former general, and create the title of Marquis of Yi. Gongsun Zan framed Liu Yu and Yuan Shao for plotting to become emperor, and forced Duan Xun to kill Liu Yu, his wife and children in Jishi. Gongsun Zan sent Liu Yu's head to the capital, but was kidnapped and buried on the road by Liu Yu's old subordinate Wei Dun. After Gongsun Zan killed Liu Yu, he took possession of the entire Youzhou. He became increasingly arrogant, disrespectful of the people, forgetful of past mistakes, and sure to retaliate.
In the third year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao sent a letter to Gongsun Zan, hoping to make peace with him. Gongsun Zan did not reply and instead strengthened his defense. Yuan Shao was furious and raised troops to attack Gongsun Zan. First, Gongsun Zan saw the generals being surrounded, but Gongsun Zan refused to rescue him, saying: "Save one person, and then everyone will just wait for reinforcements and refuse to fight. Now if I don't rescue them, the soldiers who will be surrounded will encourage themselves." "When Yuan Shao came to attack, Gongsun Zan's Jieqiao camp was unable to save itself, and Gongsun Zan would definitely refuse to save each other. Everyone either surrendered or fled. Yuan Shao attacked directly in front of the city gate. Gongsun Zan sent his son Gongsun Xu to ask for help from the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army. He also wanted to personally lead his troops out of the siege, occupy the southwest mountain, and rely on the Black Mountain Army to cut off Yuan Shao's army's retreat. The chief officer Guan Jing advised him: "Now your officers and men are all thinking of rebellion and are unable to fight anymore. The reason why they can hold on is that they care about their hometown, old and young, and regard you as their backbone, General. If the general can hold on for a long time, Yuan Shao will naturally retreat, and the four armies will definitely be able to reunite. If the general abandons Yijing now, the army will lose its back town, and the destruction of Yijing is just around the corner. The general has lost his foundation and is living in the wilderness. How can he achieve his career? ?" Gongsun Zan then decided not to leave Yi Jing, waiting for his son to move in to rescue troops, and attacked Yuan Shao from both inside and outside.
In March of the fourth year of Jian'an, Montenegro commanders Zhang Yan and Gongsun Xu led 100,000 troops and divided into three groups to rescue Gongsun Zan. Before the reinforcements arrived, Gongsun Zan secretly sent a message to Gongsun Xu, asking him to lead 5,000 cavalry in Beixi and hold up torches in response. Gongsun Zan went out to fight from the city. Yuan Shaojie got the letter and used his plan to raise the torch. Gongsun Zan thought that reinforcements had arrived and led his troops to attack. Yuan Shao set up an ambush to attack Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan was defeated and returned to defend the city. Yuan Shao then dug tunnels to the bottom of the city tower, destroyed its watchtower, and gradually reached the central mound. Gongsun Zan knew that he would be defeated and was in trouble. Gongsun Zan's head was sent to Xudu where Cao Cao was located by Yuan Shao.
If you want to know what happens next, listen to the explanation next time.
