Yuan Shao's ministers generally fall into three factions. One is from the famous families in Jizhou. This is the most important faction, headed by Ju Shou and Cui Yan. They have a respected position and are deeply relied on.
Er Nai was a confidant who had followed him since Runan. He had a deep friendship with Yuan Shao in his early days and had known each other for many years. They were led by Xu You who joined the army.
The third is a faction of celebrities outside Qinghe, headed by Guo Tu, Tian Feng and others.
In addition, there are Xin Pi, Xin Ping, Shen Pei and others. Civil servants are like stars in the vast sky, all of them are eloquent and resourceful people.
Jushuo, Tian Feng and others also had good ideas and were good at managing domestic affairs and land. They made plans to make the people healthy. They spread Yuan Shao's reputation for benevolence throughout the country and gathered soldiers and horses to follow him.
When he was still in his early days, Yuan Shao was well aware of their talents. After capturing Jizhou, he tried his best to capture Qingzhou, and defeated Gongsun Zan to capture Youzhou.
In a few months, the plan to merge the state will be in hand, so the past few years have gone smoothly, like a wheel going down a mountain, and it is out of control.
Today, the military is at its peak, and he already feels that he has no opponent.
What's more, the letter sent by Yuan Shu said that Yangzhou led an army of 500,000 people and 100 generals, and the civil and military forces were harmonious. They could take care of their own affairs and would not obey the orders of Cao Cao and the traitors.
Yuan Shao was eager and wanted to imitate him, but the hundreds of Confucian officials of the Qinghe Sect under his command were all from the Confucian gentry clan. Once he did this, it would cause chaos in his own territory.
However, he did not order all his advisers to come to discuss this time.
In order to prevent them from quarreling with each other, Yuan Shao thought of a way to call one person from each of the three factions into the hall, and the two would face each other. In this way, the counselors would not know what the other party said and would not have any doubts. Dislike.
The first one to come in was Ju Shou.
Jushou was short and lean, with a decent face and fair skin. His lips were thin and red, giving him an elegant and handsome appearance.
Not only does his appearance and appearance look good, but his voice is also melodious and melodious.
These are all in line with Yuan Shao's wishes.
If we say that Xun Yu is Cao Cao's ovary.
That Ju Shou is equivalent to Yuan Shao's ovary. The talents and mental abilities of the counselors are rare in the world. The only difference is to see who can have the status of a great ancestor.
"Jun Ju, what do you think?" Yuan Shao asked with a soft smile, sitting upright on the main seat, with a majestic appearance and a loud voice.
Jushou first held up his hands, then stood up, expressionless, and said after standing quietly for a long time: "People's hearts are drawn to the Han people, and they cannot follow them. The lord should tell the world in a letter, cut off the Yuan family's kinship with him, and reprimand him severely in the name of the emperor." It can attract the hearts of the scholars and respect the lord, and only then can all the soldiers and horses in the world submit to the general's camp."
"Well, what the supervisor said is absolutely true. I will definitely follow your advice and reject my brother." Yuan Shao nodded with satisfaction and let Jushou go out.
Not long after, the counselor Guo Tu was summoned again and asked the same thing. Guo Tu was twisting his beard and thinking deeply, with an expression that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
He quickly raised his hands and said: "This is a God-given opportunity. The general should know that the royal family of the Han Dynasty has been in decline for a long time. Isn't it as difficult as ascending to heaven to revitalize the royal family at this time?"
Moreover, now heroes are rising at the same time, each occupying states and counties, and jointly gathering disciples, often tens of thousands of people. The so-called "Qin loses its deer, the first to gain the king" can describe the current situation, and Huainan Yuan Shu, this time is inviting everyone Generals, let's compete together, and we no longer need to serve the Emperor Xudu. "
"This can, on the one hand, defeat Cao Cao's treacherous act and attempt to imitate Dong Zhuo; on the other hand, it can inform the world about the end of the Han Dynasty and make the people have no choice but to accept it. After all, I have always believed that the reason why people's hearts turn towards the Han is because This last breath has not been cut off, but fundamentally, the Han Dynasty has long since perished."
Yuan Shao's eyes lit up and his face was filled with anger. He stared at Guo Tu seriously for several times, then cupped his hands and said, "I understand what Gongzhi said. I will keep these words in mind and will never reveal any of them. I hope you can feel at ease."
"Thank you, General."
Guo Tu smiled indifferently, turned around and left the lobby. Not long after, someone came in again, and it was Xu You, the counselor who had followed Yuan Shao for a long time.
This man's appearance is not dignified and elegant, and he has a bit of a businessman's appearance. His beard hangs down from both sides of his lips. His chin beard is thick and soft, reaching to his neck, like a drunkard.
He has round eyes that never meet anyone's gaze, so he looks a little arrogant. Only when Yuan Shao asks questions does Xu You look at him.
Moreover, this habit became more and more deeply rooted as more celebrities and talents gathered around Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao would sometimes feel when his thoughts were extremely clear that Xu You might not be arrogant, but rather he had inferiority complex.
He feels that his background is inferior to others, so he uses arrogance and arrogance to cover up his inner uneasiness.
After saying this, Yuan Shao chuckled and asked, "Ziyuan, what do you think?"
"I don't know," Xu You shook his head bluntly and did not answer Yuan Shao's question at all.
But then, before Yuan Shao could blame him, he immediately said: "But I only know that once Cao Cao and Yuan Shu go to war, Xu Du's defenses will be empty. This is the best time to raise troops to cross the river and welcome the emperor again." Wei County."
"I believe that Chachiqi also understands the importance of the Emperor at this moment. He should not have listened to Guo Tu's words at the beginning. Guo Tu mistook his master and Ju Jun has a long-term vision. He should listen to his words and welcome the Han Emperor as soon as possible."
Xu You was quite dissatisfied with Yuan Shao for welcoming the Han emperor, and was even more contemptuous of Guo Tu's faction.
He still remembers the fierce debate at that time. The counselors cited scriptures and examples, and almost all the pros and cons were laid out in the hall.
There were several disputes, and they actually started to curse each other out of resentment. Yuan Shao, as the master of the house, actually did not use his words to mediate and suppressed them with power.
There are only two reasons for this. One is that Yuan Shao is ignorant and incompetent, and he is a mediocre leader. He does not understand the principle of subordinates following the initiative, or even subordinates following the master's desires.
The second is that Yuan Shao has begun to enjoy this kind of "checks and balances".
This pleasure is not simple. It is a scene that can only be enjoyed by the emperor, the grand duke of a country, and the prince of a country.
Because only with the privilege of "appointing hundreds of officials" can so many ministers be gathered together for discussion, as if they were going to court.
Of course Xu You could tell that it was the latter. Yuan Shao was not a dim-witted person, he was just beginning to lose his way, because now he began to enjoy "checks and balances", which should be the beginning of trouble.
In his opinion, this "disaster" may have started from not welcoming the emperor.
What made Xu You even more stunned was that after Yuan Shao enjoyed the grand occasion of the Baimou dispute, in order to calm the dispute, he came up with another method that he thought was extremely wise.
Welcome the Emperor! But slow march…
Xu You said on the spot that it would be better not to welcome him.
This method will only make the emperor and courtiers more disgusted, and even think that they have evil intentions, but they dare not punish him because of the power of Hebei.
But, he will definitely hold a grudge.
After Yuan Shao heard what he said, he pondered secretly for a long time and said with a smile: "Zi Yuan, that is all in the past. Look at now, Yuan Shu wants to serve the emperor in Huainan. If I do the same in Wei County, wouldn't I do the same? Can you get rid of the difficulty of serving the imperial edict?"
"Absolutely not," Xu You cupped his hands and called out softly: "A charioteer..."
All the counselors in Jizhou have changed their name to "General". Only Xu You still calls Yuan Shao "Chaqi".
This was the official position that Yuan Shao claimed at the beginning, and it was also the one he called Shun when he first followed him.
As for the general...that was what Cao Cao called him under the guise of the emperor to appease Jizhou's anger, which is nothing to say.
Xu You disdains to follow the crowd and call it that.
"You should scold Yuan Shu, scold him for his disobedience, and then immediately prepare your troops and horses. At least seize the Yellow River ferry, take Yanjin, Baimajin, and Guandu into your hands, and seize the opportunity first."
"Alternatively, we can take advantage of Cao Cao's army to conquer Yuan Shu and immediately march to Xudu to welcome back the emperor."
"As for the title of Chu Shi, I heard that within a year, Cao Cao, in addition to Han Xian and Yang Feng, Hanoi Zhang Yang, Wancheng Zhang Xiu, internally deposed Dong Cheng, Fu Wan and others, and firmly controlled the emperor. Such methods are worrying.”
"However, Fu Wan and Dong Cheng both sent letters to Northern Hebei, and many ministers in the court had a close relationship with chariots and cavalry. Taking this name shows that Cao Cao is called the Son of Heaven, but he is actually holding the emperor hostage, and chariots and cavalry scold him. Yuan Shu, go south and clear the obstacles in front of you, that is the right path."
Xu You is not one who strives for fame. He feels that the current opportunity is very good and it is time to take advantage of Yanzhou's weakness to advance aggressively.
"Huh, no, Gongsun Zan has been trapped in Yi Jing. When the spring comes next year, we should speed up the attack on Gongsun Zan. He must not stand up and breathe, otherwise something may happen. You must know that there are people who have returned to Gongsun Zan in the remnants of Heishan, and there are still more than 100,000 thieves. , thousands of war horses, if he is allowed to be ambitious again, it will endanger Youyan."
"That being the case, all the charioteers can do is scold my younger brother. This kind of disloyalty and rebellion are different things. Even if we sit back and watch the success or failure in Jizhou, there are only advantages and no disadvantages." Xu You sighed slightly and said again Got another idea.
He has now understood that Chaqiu is a true mind of checks and balances. He will not use the words of one family. He must brainstorm a strategy on his own that does not lose any money to any family.
And all their advisers can do is tell them all their ideas and let him think about it.
After hearing this, Yuan Shao nodded secretly and invited Tian Feng in again. He also asked about the situation. Tian Feng scolded Yuan Shu unceremoniously until Yuan Shao was a little confused, and then hurriedly kicked him out.
Otherwise, for a moment it would sound like I was being scolded.
In the end, it seemed that except Guo Tu, almost all the advisers denounced Yuan Shu.
Each of his subordinates had their own personalities, and Yuan Shao knew very well that now he had to take the overall situation into consideration and not allow his subordinates to be dissatisfied or secretly resentful.
After a while, Yuan Shao summoned the civil and military officials and informed him of the decision. He wanted to denounce Yuan Shu's usurpation, and asked his subordinates and scholars to attack him with propaganda. He also offered tribute to Xu Du this year to support the rebellion.
Directly in the name of the Yuan family, I cut a clean cut with Yuan Shu and watched from the sidelines.
This has two advantages. First, if Cao Cao wins, he will be severely injured, and it will be easier for Northern Hebei to take it; second, if Yuan Shu wins, he will just finish clearing the Youyan River and take advantage of the opportunity to cross the river in the name of Yuan Shu's rebellion.
Still, I don’t serve the emperor.
Let the emperor fall into the hands of Yuan Shu, while our own side is determined to destroy his relatives and defeat Yuan Shu to avenge the Han Dynasty, and gain the unification of the Han Dynasty.
No matter what the outcome is, Jizhou will only remain invincible.
However, Yuan Shao listened to Xu You's suggestion and made some changes. When sending tribute, he secretly took Guandu Sandu.
Presumably even if Cao Cao knew about it, he would secretly swallow it and even hand it over.
Winning the applause of the whole house, even if the other civil and military officials felt that their interest was waning, there was nothing they could do.
That is, even the talents who have been adopted are not happy. They always feel that there is something missing in this balance of rights and interests.
…
Winter passed and spring came to the earth. When all things revived, Yuan Shu worshiped heaven and ancestors and declared "Zhongshi" to the world.
In the same month, all its borders were raided. Before Xu Du's message came, less than ten days after Shouchun announced the usurpation, the war began.
Within fifteen days, Cao's army descended from the sky, captured the borders of Lujiang and Guangling, broke through more than 30 passes, and occupied many important roads.
The army thundered so fast that it threatened several cities around Shouchun, and even the waterways were about to be lost. The people fled and scattered among the Cao family. Yuan Shu was shocked and turned pale. He had just completed the sacrifice to heaven and ancestors, and announced it to the world.
I am still waiting for letters from the princes to see their attitude. As a result, those letters were not received, and the battle reports were sent out continuously, which made everyone faint.
Even before the Shouchun Palace could be completed, the war was about to break out.
"How could this happen? Why did Cao Jun come so quickly! Who leaked the news before?"
"I, I have just escaped from the control of Cao's thieves and the Han court, and now I am going to fight with the Cao family!"
"Where did Cao Cao get his troops? Aren't they just old enough!? Who will lead these vanguard troops?"
"There is no military report, trash! trash!!"
Yuan Shu cursed loudly and smashed the whole hall. All civil and military officials in the court bowed their heads and remained silent, not daring to say anything.
Only Yan Xiang was still behind the counselors. He straightened his back, looked arrogant, and said loudly: "My lord, I have already said that——"
"Call me Your Majesty!" Yuan Shu shouted loudly, his eyelids covered with bloodshot eyes, and he glared at Yan Xiang. Everyone in the court was civil and military, but you are the only one who still refuses to call me Your Majesty.
"My lord, I have little talent and little knowledge, but I have already said that these situations were deliberately created by Cao Cao," Yan Xiang said loudly, very arrogant and full of resentment, which could be said to have swept away the depression in his heart, "Otherwise, these Cao soldiers will not care about In the severe cold of winter, we march secretly to prevent and control the leakage of information!"
"It's only possible that today, he suddenly rose up, broke through the border, and approached my Shouchun City!"
"Unbridled!!" Yuan Shu was so angry that his whole chest bulged and he couldn't breathe out. He trembled and stared at Yan Xiang below, "Get out, get out immediately!"
He asked the imperial guards to carry Yan Xiang out of the hall. During the process, Yan Xiang was still laughing loudly.
"A rude and arrogant person who thinks highly of himself should be expelled from the government and never hired again!"
"When Sun Ce comes back with his troops, he will immediately raise his army to attack. We will surely defeat Cao Cao!"
"Alas! Your Majesty!!" After hearing this, someone immediately stood up and reported, saying with shame: "Sun Ce, Sun Ce is making a big splash in Jiangdong! Inciting the Jiangdong nobles to rebel..."
"Ah! Presumptuous!! Rebellious thief! Evil thief! Sun Ce's son also wants to rebel against me!!"
"Your Majesty, and Liu Bei have used Qiaojun to invade the border of Jiujiang and captured three passes and two cities."
Another official stood up and reported loudly, but he was also trembling.
"Lujiang, many officials in Lujiang also have different intentions. They either defect to Sun Ce or have contacts with Cao Cao's troops. Your Majesty... now, the situation cannot wait and we should send troops immediately..."
"They are all rebelling, they are all rebelling! They are all incompetent and useless people! They have to rebel against me at such a good opportunity! So what can the Han court have to offer, and what can Cao Cao have to fear!"
"Fight! Order Ji Ling to lead the army and use all his elite troops to repel Cao Cao's army. Why should I be afraid of Cao Cao!"
"Your military intelligence department can find out how many troops Cao Cao has sent to conquer!"
"One hundred thousand, even one hundred thousand elite soldiers, but no other princes came to rescue them."
"It's only 100,000. I have an army of 500,000, which is five times as large as his. Why would Cao Cao dare to bully my border?!" Yuan Shu screamed as if out of anger.
However, the officials still knew that there were probably no more than 500,000 people left. Sun Ce had gained 40,000 to 50,000 people in Jiangdong, and had the support of the Jiangdong nobles. When he announced to the outside world, his troops were also included.
When Sun Ce rebelled, he immediately lost 50,000 elite troops. Although there were still many large armies that could be mobilized, none of them were as brave and capable as Sun Ce.
The loss was not small, however. In short, Cao's army was invaded by many parties. Once this matter spread throughout the world, people's hearts became even more panicked.
The situation is critical.
(End of chapter)
