After the banquet, Zu Mao was wise enough not to interrupt any further, and stood up to leave directly.
Everyone was tired for several days and went to rest early.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zhang Heng invited Xun You and Chen Gong to his room to discuss the next move.
"Ziyi, I have important matters to discuss with you two gentlemen. Could you please stay outside and keep other people away?"
Zhang Heng gave instructions and led Xun You and Chen Gong into the room.
"Captain, I don't know why you called me two?"
Having just finished eating, Xun You happened to be a little sleepy at this time. Just as he was about to take a nap, Zhang Heng sent someone to call him over.
Zhang Heng smiled and said: "I know you two are working hard, but there is an urgent matter right now. I would like to invite you two to come and discuss it."
"Captain, please speak." Chen Gong said.
"No hurry, sit down first."
Zhang Heng waved his sleeves, took down the tea that had been brewed from the stove nearby, and poured a cup for each of them.
This time we invited two people to come over. To put it bluntly, it was just a meeting.
Summarize the gains and losses of the trip to Luoyang, and make plans for the next step.
After drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Heng said slowly: "On this trip to Luoyang, although we have killed the Dong thief's minions, there is something important that we won't have time to do due to the lack of time."
"What's the matter?" Xun You asked with a frown.
"Huangfu Song!"
"General Zuo Huangfu Yizhen?" Xun You asked puzzledly, "Now he is stationed in Fufeng County, and he should have nothing to do with us."
"It's true that it has nothing to do with us, but it can have something to do with Thief Dong..."
Zhang Heng recounted the war situation in Xingyang, and finally concluded: "The war is at a stalemate, and we have made another big move in Luoyang City. Soon, the Dong thieves will inevitably withdraw their troops and return to Beijing. After that... it is time to kidnap the emperor, Fleeed west to Chang'an."
"What, Thief Dong actually wants to move the capital!" Xun You said with shock on his face.
In fact, Dong Zhuo's plan to move the capital had already been revealed at the beginning of the year, but Xun You was in prison at that time, so he naturally didn't know about it.
Chen Gong nodded and said: "This is natural. The princes of Guandong surround Luoyang on all sides. If the stalemate lasts for a long time, the Dong thieves will definitely be defeated. It is better to simply flee to Chang'an. There are thousands of miles of danger in Guanzhong, and there are countless strong passes and fortified cities. The coalition forces want to It’s really not easy to fight through.”
Xun You suddenly thought about it and suddenly realized: "Therefore, General Zuo, who is stationed in Fufeng, has become the biggest trouble for Dong's thieves. He must solve it before escaping westward."
"Yes, Gongda has a sharp eye and what he said hits the mark."
"But Fufeng County has 30,000 elite soldiers, and General Zuo is also a famous general in the world. Even if Dong thief has a heavy army, he may not be able to win in a short time. How can he solve it?" Xun You still couldn't figure it out.
If Sun Jian and Gongsun Zan are the benchmark for bravery in the world, they are the idols of the Mesozoic era.
The three generals Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and Huangfu Song who defeated the Yellow Turbans were truly old artists with both virtue and skill.
Especially Huangfu Song. When he pacified the Yellow Turbans in the past, he gained the most and made the greatest contribution. Today's famous generals are unparalleled.
"If we really have to confront each other head-on, Thief Dong may not necessarily be Huangfu Yizhen's opponent, but the worst thing is that Thief Dong is holding the Emperor hostage in his hands." Zhang Heng said with a bitter smile, "Just imagine Gongda, if Thief Dong issued an edict in the name of the Emperor, the order General Zuo entered Luo alone, did General Zuo obey the imperial edict or not?"
"this……"
Xun You hesitated immediately and even frowned.
He had no friendship with Huangfu Song and didn't understand him as a person, but he could get a glimpse of Huangfu Song from his past deeds.
Huangfu Song was born into a family of generals in Anding County, Liangzhou. His father once served as the governor of Yanmen, and his uncle Huangfu Gui was one of the famous Three Ming Dynasties in Liangzhou. He could be said to be loyal to generations.
Huangfu Song himself also quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion and conquered the rebellion many times. Although he was an extremely popular minister and had great achievements in the world, he had no desire for power. He would always obey the imperial edicts issued by the court.
This kind of person obviously wants to leave his name in history.
It is simply impossible for him to disobey the edict.
Not to mention the imperial edict asking him to return to Beijing, even if the edict ordered him to commit suicide, he would probably do it.
How could he not know that the emperor was controlled by Dong Zhuo, but even so, in order to prevent his career as a minister from being stained, he had to act according to the imperial edict.
Even if it is wrong, it is because the emperor's edict is wrong and the powerful minister Dong Zhuo is unethical.
As for me, Huangfu Song, and the Huangfu family in Guanxi, historians will have a final conclusion in the future, and future generations will comment on their merits and demerits.
It doesn't matter whether he is foolish and loyal or he cherishes his feathers. Huangfu Song, who is nearing his twilight years, is more concerned about his posthumous name and the reputation of his family.
He was not the only one who was like this. In fact, the officials of the aristocratic families in the Eastern Han Dynasty basically had this tone.
Rather than saying that they were loyal to the emperor and the Han Dynasty, it would be better to say that they were pursuing the way of being ministers in their hearts and adhering to the almost perfect image of loyal ministers and good generals in the books of sages.
Even if you pay for it with your life, you will be happy with it.
"It's difficult...Captain, once Thief Dong issues an edict under the guise of the Emperor, General Zuo will probably be captured without mercy." Xun You shook his head and sighed, with only a wry smile on his face.
"It seems that Gongda and I have decided to go together." Zhang Heng said with a smile, "I originally wanted to send people to Fufeng County in advance to warn General Zuo, but now it seems that even if I send people to go, it will be a useless effort."
Xun You shook his head and said: "It depends on people. I think that even if General Zuo doesn't listen, we have to notify him in advance. General Zuo is willing to respond to the Kwantung princes, so the Dong thieves will not dare to flee westward. The day when the princes attacked Luoyang , it’s time for Thief Dong to be crowned!”
Hearing this, Zhang Heng nodded and said: "What Gongda said makes sense. Anyway, let's give it a try. But who wants to go to Fufeng County?"
Zhang Heng had already spoken, and there were only three people in the room, so this task could only fall on Xun You or Chen Gong.
After hesitating for a moment, Chen Gong saw that Xun You didn't respond, so he stood up and volunteered: "Captain, I would like to go to Fufeng County, and with my sharp tongue, persuade General Zuo to join us in attacking the Dong thief!"
"Okay, then it's all thanks to the public." Zhang Heng nodded and smiled.
Chen Gong solemnly raised his hands and said: "To achieve great things, there is no need to talk about hard work. I will set off tomorrow!"
"There is no need to be anxious," Zhang Heng waved his hand and said, "We have just escaped, and now we are exhausted. We need to rest for a few days before starting again. The road is far away, and there are many bandits and bandits along the way. I am going to dispatch 500 elite soldiers to protect you."
Having said this, Zhang Heng looked at Chen Gong solemnly and said with a serious face: "There is no hope in trying to persuade Huangfu Yizhen. There is no need to force the public platform. In everything, self-preservation comes first. No matter whether it succeeds or not. , I will report it to Duke Xuande and ask for credit for Gongtai!"
"Thank you, Captain!" Chen Gong said again.
After talking about Huangfu Song, Zhang Heng brought the topic to the current situation, which was also the focus of this meeting.
"What do you two think about the future situation?" Zhang Heng asked with a smile.
These words were a bit general, and both Xun You and Chen Gong were stunned.
"Captain means..."
Zhang Heng smiled and said, "To be honest, no matter whether the Dong thief can be killed or not this time, after this battle, the world will be divided among the heroes. In such a chaotic situation, where do you think you can settle down?"
After hearing this, the two finally understood.
It turned out that I wanted to find a suitable site!
Xun You thought for a while, raised his hands and asked, "Captain, I dare to ask, does Duke Xuande want to find the land of a county or the land of a state?"
Zhang Heng just wanted to reply, but Chen Gong was the first to say: "Why did Gongda say this? Of course it is the land of a state! The land of a county is so small, how can we let go?"
As a pioneer who has made great achievements, Chen Gong is a person who wants to do big business, so naturally the whole county will look down on him.
Zhang Heng looked at Chen Gong and smiled secretly in his heart.
Based on this guy's character and stance, the next sentence should persuade me to choose Yanzhou, his hometown.
Sure enough, after refuting Xun You's sentence, Chen Gong immediately raised his hand to Zhang Heng and said: "Captain, I think that if you are elected to Yanzhou, you will be able to stand on your own!"
"Oh, why?"
Zhang Heng pretended not to see through his intentions and asked with confusion on his face.
"Captain Mingjian, Yanzhou is thousands of miles away and has countless wealth and population. It is extremely rich and connected in all directions. Xuande Gong chose this place to establish himself. He will be able to achieve great success in less than three to five years. He can help the world and become the five hegemons. . I can guard the territory and bring peace to the people, and I can write on bamboo and silk!
Furthermore, although I have little talent and little knowledge, I still have some friends in Yanzhou. As long as Xuande Gong raises his voice, I can recruit the rich and powerful families of Yanzhou and add glory to Xuande Gong's great cause! "
This speech was so impassioned that if someone who didn't know heard it, they would be led into a ditch.
To be fair, what Chen Gong said is not wrong.
Yanzhou is indeed rich and has a large enough population. Coupled with the influence of Chen Gong, it can indeed become popular as quickly as he said.
But there were only two questions that Chen Gong didn't mention at all, and even deliberately avoided them.
First, Yanzhou borders Xuzhou to the east, Jizhou to the north, Sili to the west, and Yuzhou to the south. It is indeed a good place connected in all directions, but it is also a real place for the Four Wars. If the world is in chaos, this place will bear the brunt.
If the weaker ones are gone, it's hard to say whether they can save their lives, not to mention they will become powerful.
The second and most critical point is. Once in Yanzhou, Yanzhou's powerful people must be reused. This is where Zhang Heng's real conflict lies.
Once you are deeply bound to these aristocratic families, how much help they can provide you now will be how much resistance they will cause in the future.
If you want to dominate the world, cooperation with aristocratic families is inevitable, but the premise is that the initiative must be in your own hands, otherwise the harm will be too great.
If you don’t believe it, look at the later two Jin Dynasties. The imperial power was coerced by the aristocratic families and drifted with the tide, and the people at the bottom could no longer get ahead.
The so-called Wei and Jin Dynasties are just a group of drug addicts.
There are people bragging about this, I really don’t know what to say!
So Zhang Heng did not reply to Chen Gong immediately, but turned his attention to Xun You again.
Chen Gong is from a local noble family, and he has his own position. It is understandable that he proposes to settle with Yanzhou, but you, Xun Gongda, don't let me down.
Zhang Heng swore that if Xun You dared to say anything like taking Yingchuan as a base, he would propose marriage to Xun Shuang, marry Xun Cai, and let this guy call him uncle every day!
After Xun You pondered for a moment, he finally gave his answer.
"Captain, I am not good at watching the situation in the world. However, when the Commander inquires, I dare not refuse to answer..."
"Okay, okay, if you have anything to say, just say it. No need to be so polite."
Zhang Heng directly waved his hand to interrupt Xun You's polite remarks.
Xun You could only smile bitterly and said: "I think that before we can conquer the world, there are two places where we can gain a foothold."
"Which two places?" Zhang Heng asked curiously.
"Jingzhou and Xuzhou!" Xun You slowly gave his answer.
