Yuan Shao simultaneously launched a war in the Central Plains on two fronts in Yanzhou and Qingzhou, with nearly 800,000 troops on both sides. Since the end of the plane battle between Liu Xiu and Wang Mang, the Han Dynasty had not launched a war of this scale again.
Such shocking battles, to a certain extent, determine the ownership of the dynasty.
If Yuan Shao can win, he can annex the four states of Yan, Yu, Xu, and Yang in one go, plus the four states of the Northern Kingdom, and the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty. He will occupy eight states by himself, becoming a veritable lord of the world.
Because of this, it is extremely difficult for all parties to take advantage of their wars to get a share of the pie. Even if you have the title of state pastor or governor on your head, the noble families headed by you will dissuade you, and they are more willing to wait for the results. Make your choice after coming out.
Take Liu Biao for example.
Looking at the whole world, the person with the most ability to intervene and influence the trend of the war is Liu Jingsheng. Unfortunately, Liu Bei and Liu Qi tried to persuade him several times, but he remained indifferent.
The old age and lack of ambition are one aspect, and the inability to twist the four major families into one rope to exert force is also another aspect.
The Jingzhou gentry were dominated by the Cai family. They would not place bets easily before they had an absolute chance of winning. As long as the Cai family did not nod, it would be difficult for Liu Biao to force his troops.
What's more, Liu Biao himself is the caretaker of the house and the courtyard.
In history, Cai Mao urged Liu Cong to surrender to Cao Cao not because Cao Cao was kind to people, but because he had the land of eight states at his feet. In theory, it was only a matter of time before he unified the world, so he would choose without hesitation. Take refuge.
If you, Liu Bei, have such strength, he can also please you.
This is an aristocratic family, where profit always comes first.
Obviously, Liu Bei at this period was just a lost dog, and Cai Mao didn't even open his eyes to look at him.
After staying in Xinye City for a year, the soldiers and horses finally gathered 1,500 people. With this small number of people, I might only be able to take a look at the border city wall of Yingchuan from a distance.
Although Liu Bei was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, he also understood that everything must be done within one's ability. He could only manage the new country while taking time to visit the heroes of Jingxiang.
Yin Ji was really good to Liu Bei. He came out to find Huang Chengyan several times and found him. At the same time, he was not rejected. However, Huang Chengyan was obviously not interested in participating in the internal fighting between Jing and Xiang. He also thought that he could not help Liu Bei and kept doing Tai Chi.
This is even more depressing than Pang Degong and Pang Tong.
However, missing Lin Mo had a great impact on him. Liu Bei seemed to be a changed person and no longer felt sorry for himself. He hoped to influence Huang Chengyan with his sincerity. Throughout the winter, he went to Huang Chengyan's residence every now and then. He would run away, and to show his sincerity, he would always bring Guan Yu and Zhang Fei with him.
"Brother, I have followed you to find this old guy seven or eight times. Why don't you go with the second brother? Shooting roe deer would be more fun for me." Zhang Fei completely lost his patience.
"Did the third brother forget Lin Mo?" Whenever this happens, Guan Yu will give him some exciting information.
As soon as Lin Mo is mentioned, Zhang Fei will immediately follow him like a deflated ball without making a sound.
"Yun Chang, please don't mention this matter again in the future. Third brother also made an unintentional mistake. It's because I am not lucky enough to be favored by heaven." Liu Bei's tolerance for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei has never had a bottom line.
In fact, if an ordinary person had suffered like Liu Bei's fate, his heart would have collapsed and he would have chosen to lie down. However, he still did not give up. This determination was stronger than many people in the world.
This time when I came to Huang Chengyan's villa, I heard from the servant that the master went to Pang's house to find Pang Degong. Liu Bei was not disappointed because he missed the opportunity. He seemed to be getting used to this kind of disappointment.
Yes, can there be anything more disappointing than losing Lin Mo?
When he turned to leave, he met an old man who was nearly fifty years old, with an extraordinary pine-shaped crane bone and an extraordinary weapon, leading a donkey. Liu Bei hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "I have seen Mr. Sima."
"Uncle Liu Huang, are you looking for Chengyan again?"
Sima Hui nodded with a smile, "Uncle Huang's sincerity is truly touching."
Liu Bei met Sima Hui in Huang Chengyan's villa. Later, he asked Yin Ji to find out that he was not from Jingzhou, but a great sage from Yingchuan. He came to Jingxiang to avoid trouble, and he was good friends with Huang Chengyan and Pang Degong.
"I have nothing to do, so I wanted to come and have a chat. Unfortunately, Mr. Huang is not at home, so I can only come another day."
Perhaps because of his eagerness to seek talents, he respected Sima Hui extremely much even when facing the humble Sima Hui.
It was precisely because of this respect that Sima Hui seemed to feel sympathy and said with a smile: "Since Chengyan is not here, I wonder if the emperor will have the leisure to have a cup of tea with the old man."
Liu Bei was stunned. Sima Hui had always been taciturn in the previous encounters, but today he took the initiative to invite him. He nodded immediately and said, "I don't dare to ask for your ear."
Snow has not yet fallen in Jingxiang, but in the middle of winter, the cold wind is as painful as a steel knife.
Therefore, a few people went directly into Huang's mansion to have tea without any courtesy.
"The emperor's uncle is a hero in this world. He wants to save the world from collapse and save the common people. This ambition is admirable." In the room, the burning charcoal made people warm, and with the hot tea in his hand, Sima Hui felt that the whole People are much more comfortable.
"Sir, you are serious. I am nearly forty years old now, but I am mediocre and have no achievements. I only have a fat belly." Liu Bei showed a wry smile.
"Uncle Emperor, do you think that today's situation is somewhat similar to that of Lu Bu in the past?" Sima Hui smiled knowingly.
"What you said is exactly what you said."
Liu Bei didn't think anything of this metaphor. He was thinking that when Lu Bu was living in seclusion in Peicheng, he was indeed at the end of his rope. There was nothing wrong with saying that he was somewhat similar to himself.
But Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's eyes flickered slightly. They didn't like this metaphor.
At what level, a slave with a third surname is on par with my elder brother.
"However, after Lu Bu got the assistance of Lin Mo, he made great progress all the way. From the land of two counties to the territory of two states, his troops expanded several times, and his strength became stronger every day."
Lin Mo is a pain in the hearts of the three brothers. When Sima Hui, who did not know the inside story, said this, the eyes of the three of them dimmed.
Originally, it was me who was on the Qingzhou front in the Central Plains War.
Not wanting to make Zhang Fei sad, Liu Bei chose to skip the topic and said with a smile: "Lu Bu is indeed favored by heaven, and now he can compete with Yuan Shao for supremacy."
"Therefore, if the imperial uncle wants to succeed, he also needs the help of a genius like Lin Mo who looks up to the world and is resourceful. If this is the case, great achievements will surely be achieved."
"But such a great talent is rare in a century. Where can I find it?" Liu Bei was full of helplessness when he said these words.
How could he have expected that Sima Hui deliberately brought the topic to this point, so he came up with the famous line that made the Three Kingdoms famous, "There are crouching dragons and phoenix chicks in the world, and one of them can bring peace to the world."
However, this sentence did not cause much trouble to the three brothers.
Feng Chu has already learned the lesson. The taste of the rejected food is very ordinary and she doesn't want to eat it again.
As for Wolong
Guan Yu on the side stroked his long beard and looked at Sima Hui: "May I ask, sir, how does this Wolong compare with Lin Mo?"
Sima Hui raised his head and smiled, and then said slowly: "Not inferior to Lin Mo."
Not inferior to Lin Mo?
The three of them were startled at first, then looked at each other, and their interest was immediately aroused.
Not losing to Lin Mo means that if he gets Wolong, he can become the second Lu Bu. For Liu Bei, who is at the end of his rope, it is like a lone boat floating on the boundless sea that finally saw the lighthouse guiding the direction. He immediately stood up and bowed:
"May I ask, sir, where is Wolong?"
"There's only so much I can say. As for whether I can get help from wizards, it all depends on my uncle's destiny." Sima Hui has a noble demeanor and is very particular about things.
Later, the chat between the two was limited to some insignificant topics. Even if Liu Bei intentionally guided him a few times, Sima Hui deliberately avoided it.
However, he was not discouraged. Obtaining the clue of Wolong was a life-saving straw for him. If Sima Hui didn't say it, someone would be willing to say it.
After finishing his visit to the wise, Liu Bei immediately went to Yin Ji to inquire about Wolong's situation.
Fengchu Pang Shiyuan, the representative of the new generation of the Pang family;
Liu Bei was a little surprised by the name Wolong Zhuge Kongming. He originally thought he should be a hero from one of the four major families, but it turned out to be the Zhuge family from Langya, Xuzhou. He had been coming to Jingzhou to avoid trouble for more than ten years.
The reason why Lin Mo is often considered rare by Liu Bei is because he comes from a humble background and does not have the support of a powerful family. Although the Zhuge family is considered a noble family, it is obvious that this sign cannot be used here in Jingzhou.
From this point of view, Zhuge Kongming did have real talent and learning.
So, after asking about Zhuge Liang's residence, Liu Bei immediately took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to Wollongong.
It is a pity that Zhuge Liang went out to travel a year ago.
Young heroes of this era all like to travel around, no matter they belong to aristocratic or poor families. This is not just for fun, but actually a way of managing themselves.
By visiting states and counties, expressing some profound insights in places where famous people gather, and building up one's own brand, firstly, if you need to establish relationships in the future, these people can provide certain support; secondly, in this circle, The fame will also grow.
Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Xu Shu and even the deceased Sun Quan all used to like to travel to visit wise men.
In fact, this experience also brought them a lot of convenience in the later period.
But Liu Bei was not discouraged. Instead, he became more persistent and determined to run to Wollongong every quarter from this moment on until Zhuge Liang came back.
"Brother, just let your subordinates handle this kind of errands. When Zhuge Liang comes back, it will be the same if we three brothers come to visit you." Zhang Fei said he didn't understand.
"Yes, brother, instead of being so blind, it's better to visit the heroes around you." This time, Guan Yu didn't support it either.
"Mr. Shui Jing said that Wolong is as talented as Lin Mo. If we ask for a great sage, we three brothers must show our sincerity. There is no need to say more about this matter." Liu Bei's attitude was very firm.
Perhaps because they knew Liu Bei's desire to seek talents, or because he mentioned Lin Mo, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei hesitated to speak, and finally chose to hold back.
Liu Bei, who knew the two men's personalities well, let out a long sigh, stood up from the couch in the room, closed the door, sat down again, and said seriously: "Yun Chang, Yide, why do we keep looking for Pang Degong and Huang Chengyan?" ?”
"In order to gain the support of the Pang family and the Huang family and help the young master secure his position as the heir apparent, as long as the young master can take over the throne from Liu Jingsheng, there will be hope of rescuing the emperor." Guan Yu analyzed seriously.
Liu Bei nodded, feeling comforted by his second brother's determination to not forget his original intention and keep his mission in mind, and then lowered his voice, "I know that you two have doubts about Zhuge Liang's talent because of Pang Tong's incident, but we have uncovered this layer without mentioning it. , do you know who is behind Zhuge Liang?"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei looked at each other in confusion, weren't they from the Langya Zhuge clan?
Someone has been sent to check. Zhuge Liang's father, Zhuge Gui, served as the magistrate of Taishan County. He can barely be regarded as having some connections. Could it be that there are other more secret connections?
"Yin Ji went to investigate Zhuge Liang. When he came back, he told me that Zhuge Liang was so involved that even he was shocked."
Liu Bei leaned forward and leaned towards Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in front of him, and said in a low voice: "Zhuge Liang's wife Huang Yueying is Huang Chengyan's daughter."
This alone has made Guan Yu and Zhang Fei take a breath. In this way, Zhuge Liang is backed by the Huang family, and unlike the support of the younger generation like Huang Zu, Huang Chengyan, as the most powerful person of the older generation , his support is crucial.
Once Zhuge Liang is won over, he will naturally get the support of Huang Chengyan.
But Liu Bei did not finish what he said, "His eldest sister married Kuai Qi from the Kuai family, and his second sister married Pang Shanmin from the Pang family. In addition, Zhuge Liang's father's relationship, Sima Hui and other friends helped him, and he was the only one to win. This is equivalent to gaining the support of half of Jingzhou. Now you know who Zhuge Liang is, right?"
At this moment, both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were speechless. This network of relationships was too terrifying, even more powerful than Pang Tong.
No wonder Sima Huihui can pacify the world with just one word. Let’s not talk about whether he can pacify the world. It’s really not a big problem to pacify Jingzhou.
If he is willing to assist wholeheartedly and has his son Liu Qi in charge, it is conceivable that the three brothers will definitely be able to develop in Jingzhou and even compete with the Cai family.
"I didn't expect that Zhuge Liang would be so involved." Guan Yu took a long breath and finally understood Liu Bei's painstaking efforts.
"Moreover, Sima Hui didn't mention a word about his background. He only said that his talent is not inferior to that of Lin Mo. If a person like this, with such a background, can help us, why should we worry about accomplishing our great cause?"
When Yin Ji came back and told Liu Bei these things, he had already made up his mind, even if he was begging, he would ask for Zhuge Liang to come out.
He didn't care that things like being rejected at Pang Tong's house happened again, because this was his last chance.
I have already missed Lin Mo and cannot miss Zhuge Liang again.
"Brother, don't worry. My third brother and I will go with you to Wollongong in the future and ask Mr. Kong Ming to come out." Guan Yu also knew that Zhuge Liang was an opportunity for the three brothers to make a comeback.
The authenticity of his talent can be verified later, but his network of connections is simply terrifying. For this reason alone, it is worth inviting him in person.
(End of chapter)
