The great victory in the first battle indeed greatly stimulated the morale of Cao Ying, especially when Liu Bei defeated Li Feng's army of ten thousand people with 3,000 soldiers and horses. Cao Ying could not help but regard the Huainan army as idiots.
While everyone in Cao's camp was rejoicing, Liu Bei sat quietly on his knees in his tent with a heavy face.
"Brother."
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei walked into the tent and knelt down directly in front of Liu Bei. "In this battle, our army lost 237 cavalry, 873 infantry, and 88 serious injuries. However, we captured Yuan's army has more than 800 horses, and Cao Cao didn't ask for them from us."
This is a good thing. More than 800 war horses are very precious.
Zhang Fei muttered dissatisfiedly: "Cao Cao gave us military rations according to the cost, and also recorded the eldest brother's gains in the credit book, but he did not replenish our sergeants. The brothers brought from Pei State can't survive I can’t afford to go to such trouble.”
"Brother, do you need to discuss this matter with Cao Cao? After all, there are still battles to come. The troops are all gone. How will we deal with ourselves in the future?" Guan Yu asked.
Liu Bei shook his head and said nothing.
It was obvious that his mood was quite heavy.
After a long time, Liu Bei said in a deep voice: "Second and third brothers, please go to the military camp for a walk. At this time, you should stay with your brothers."
Guan Zhang looked at each other and knew that there was something on his mind. After several hesitations, he finally nodded and left.
After the two left, Liu Bei's eyes were a little moist, his fists were clenched white, and he choked and murmured:
"Forefathers and ancestors, Liu Bei is worthy of being of the ancestor's blood. He couldn't save the emperor from the fire, but he looked at the traitor Cao and forced the emperor to issue a secret edict with his finger blood, begging his ministers to be diligent in the king..."
Tears welled up in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and roared hysterically in his heart.
Your Majesty, please wait a little longer until I gain the trust of the traitor. After returning to Xuzhou, I will try to make a comeback!
...
"Your Majesty, the prefect Yuan Yin was driven out of Danyang by Sun Ce. Now the entire territory of Danyang is under Sun Ce's control!"
"Your Majesty, Zhang Cheng, who went to Guangling to supervise the grain supply, reported that the prefect Wu Jing would not let him enter the city at all!"
"Your Majesty, Chen Lan and Lei Bo defected with their soldiers and took over the mountains in the Lushan area to become kings!"
"Your Majesty, the battle report from the front line shows that Li Feng's troops were defeated by Cao Jun's forward Liu Bei. During the rest period of Qiao Rui's order, he fell into Cao Jun's trick to lure the enemy and lost more than 8,000 troops!"
Snapped!
"That's enough, stop talking!" Yuan Shu, who was sitting on a dragon chair made of pure gold and wearing a dragon robe made of black and yellow silk, was trembling with anger.
He couldn't understand why these terrible things happened one after another even though he didn't feel comfortable sitting on the throne.
Wu Jing did not express his position clearly, but Yuan Shu knew that if he could not defeat Cao Cao, Guangling would change hands overnight.
As for Lei Book and Chen Lan, they only have a few thousand subordinates. Even if they are angry, they are within the tolerance range.
The most hateful thing is the Jiangdong side. He let Sun Ce pass, not just because he was greedy for the jade seal, but because he had certain considerations.
Because the Yangzhou shepherd granted by the imperial court was Liu Yao, not Yuan Shu, he was the Yangzhou shepherd himself. Therefore, except for Danyang and Yuan Yin, the counties in Jiangdong all had independent intentions.
Letting Sun Ce pass was just to let him, Yan Baihu, Wang Lang and others fight dogs, and finally profit from it and catch them all. I never imagined that it would end up like this.
Yuan Shu leaned on the dragon chair tiredly, his right hand pinching the center of his eyebrows in a mess.
At this time, Shu Shao stood up and bowed:
"Your Majesty, it is true that the war outside is not going well, but there is also trouble on our territory right now. Wei Chen suggests that we first quell the internal strife."
"What kind of civil strife?" Yuan Shu asked impatiently.
Shu Shao sighed and shook his head melancholy, "Last year, there were many river diversions and embankments bursting in Lujiang and Anfeng. Coupled with the rise of mountain bandits, there is now a famine. The people gathered in the government office to ask for food. It was quite... Due to the popular uprising, I beg your Majesty to open a warehouse to provide food relief!"
Hearing this, Yuan Shu glanced at him disdainfully.
In the eyes of Yuan Shu, who grew up in the most powerful family in the late Han Dynasty, this was a trivial matter.
Not to mention ignoring the life and death of the people, it is actually that the investment in rescue is completely out of proportion to the benefits.
Among the common people, young and middle-aged people either join the army or join powerful families as serfs. The worst thing is that they drop grass and become bandits. Most of the rest are old, weak, sick and disabled. These people are not wanted by powerful families, but bandits. If you don’t accept it, what’s the use of saving it yourself?
This situation is not a Yangzhou case, it can be found everywhere in the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty.
"Unruly people! If there is no food, won't they rent out their extra shops to collect rent? If they don't have enough food, they can use the extra horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts to sell goods to others on the streets."
Ah this...
Yuan Shu's words made Shu Shao dumbfounded on the spot. When he was about to speak, he was interrupted by a wave of his hand. "There is indeed a supply of grain in the city now, but when the war started, the losses were huge. We can no longer take care of them. There is no need to mention this matter again." !”
After Yuan Shu took a deep breath, he felt that his mind had calmed down a little, so he sat upright and said in the middle: "Pass an order, order Ji Ling to lead his 30,000 troops to rush to the front line of Ku County to help!"
"Your Majesty, now... the general and troops have been transferred to Ku County. What should we do if Lu Bu makes trouble?" Yan Xiang, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn't hold it any longer.
"Lu Bu..."
Yuan Shu clicked his tongue and said displeasedly: "Didn't he intend to attack Guangling in Xiapi? How could he come to Jiujiang? Besides, he only has so many troops."
"Your Majesty, with the general here, Lu Bu did not dare to do anything. But if your Majesty transfers Ji Ling, then Xuyi will be an empty city. How can Lu Bu not be tempted?"
Yan Xiang's words still made Yuan Shu hesitate. He raised his forehead and said, "Then do you have a plan?"
"Wei Chen suggested that General Zhang Xun should lead the 50,000 troops in the city to rush to the rescue. Your Majesty is personally in charge of Shouchun City, so there will be no chaos!"
There are 50,000 troops in Shouchun City, including all the elites from Huainan.
Yuan Shu was not a fool. Proclaiming emperor would inevitably lead to chaos. He knew that keeping these 50,000 troops would firstly frighten the powerful local families, and secondly, he also needed to frighten Liu Biao.
Of course, the most important thing is that he never thought about a decisive battle with Cao Cao. He knew very well that after a full blow, he would not be able to accumulate troops, money, food, and ordnance overnight.
In his imagination, Cao Cao should have come to fight a few symbolic battles, and he could fight back. After a year and a half of back and forth, both sides stopped fighting.
Yuan Shu calmed down, knowing that it was just a beautiful vision that existed in the past. At present, troubles have occurred in Guangling, Danyang, and even internally. This battle is now a battle that must be fought and must be won.
When the sense of luck was wiped out, Yuan Shu quickly made a decision.
"The general immediately ordered 30,000 troops. Two days later, he will send his troops to the north. We must wipe out Cao's thieves in Ku County!"
He said, walked up to Zhang Xun, raised the sword on his waist, "I will also ask Chang Nu to lead 20,000 troops from Xuyi and meet you in Ku County. All the 120,000 soldiers and horses in the country will be delivered." As for you, I hope the general will live up to his trust."
The Emperor's Sword is capable of life and death in the palm of his hand, and he is specialized in doing so, as if His Majesty is here in person.
"Even if I'm mad at you, I will let the thief Cao die in the county!" Zhang Xun, who was wearing the official robe of the Zhong Dynasty, bowed and took the Emperor's Sword with both hands respectfully.
Retired.
All the officials filed out of the main hall.
Lu Su, who was not very conspicuous in the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief.
After two months, I finally waited for this day.
He knew he could take action.
