In order to find out as soon as possible why Huang Zu turned a blind eye to Zhao Yun's troops who suddenly crossed the border, Liu Bei and his party did not even dare to go up the Xiang River. Instead, they chose to take the land route of Baqiu Road through Shaxian above Red Cliff. , and then arrive at Xiakou by boat.
This kind of journey will be very tiring, but the speed will be at least two to three days.
Although it was fast enough, before they could enter Xiling City, someone came to report that Huang Zu had publicly declared to sever ties with Liu Qi and wanted to lead his troops to surrender to Lu Lin.
This news was like a ladle of cold water poured into boiling oil. It immediately made Liu Guanzhang explode. Liu Qi couldn't even believe his ears.
Yes, letting Sun Ce go was unreasonable from a personal point of view, but it was a plan for the general trend of the world, and he had to do it as a last resort.
If Sun Ce is not put back, Jiangdong will immediately fall into a leaderless situation, and Lu Lin will be able to take over Jiangdong's territory unimpeded.
As far as the current situation is concerned, Lu Lin must not be allowed to expand so easily.
They also thought that Huang Zu would do some outrageous things in anger, such as deliberately cutting off the supply of grain, grass and taxes to Changsha Mansion every quarter, or even abandoning his official position out of frustration.
But no one expected that Huang Zu would openly betray him. In this era where honor and integrity were more important than life, such behavior would be tantamount to destroying the foundation of one's own life and bringing shame to the family.
"Brother Jingsheng showed kindness to Huang Zu and rewarded him. Even if he suffered some injustice in the Yang'an Mountain incident, he should not have done such an unkind and unjust thing!" Liu Bei said heartbreakingly.
Liu Qi's expression on the side was a little indifferent, obviously he had not yet recovered from the shock of the news.
That was Huang Zu, the most powerful general under Liu Biao and the great barrier of Jiangxia. He had always been loyal to the Liu family. How could this happen?
Seeing that Liu Qi did not respond, Liu Bei said in a deep voice: "Master, this is all because of me. I entered Xiling City with you. If Huang Zu hates me so much, he will blame me alone. I only hope that he can rein in his horse."
Liu Qi's face was full of fear and he remained silent. It seemed that this incident had a great impact on him.
In fact, it is understandable that Huang Zu has been through life and death for the Liu family over the years. Huang Zu has contributed most to the stability of Jingzhou. It is even thanks to Huang Zu that Liu Qi can sit firmly in Changsha.
This was the strength he relied on, but he suddenly said that he would betray himself. He couldn't help but ask himself, did I really do something wrong?
"My lord, Zhao Yun has already passed Wuguan to welcome back the holy driver. If we don't rush there immediately, once we reach Yang'an Mountain, it will be too late for us to pursue him!"
Zhuge Liang glanced at Liu Qi and said attentively: "My lord, please lead the troops. I will go to Xiling with your son. I am willing to convince Huang Zu face to face with my sharp tongue."
Liu Bei was hesitant in his heart. This matter was unusual. Huang Zu had 50,000 navy troops, which gave them the confidence to occupy the territory in their hands. If they all turned against each other, there would be no way to take back the emperor. In any sense, who will protect the emperor?
Xu Shi saw what he was thinking. Zhuge Liang rode his horse and leaned over, saying in a low voice: "My lord, as long as you take your majesty back, I have a clever plan to stabilize the chaos in Jiangxia. You must not be distracted at this time. Please go quickly, my lord." Bar!"
Zhuge Liang knew very well how and when to use Liu Xie's great banner to summon the world. As long as he could welcome the emperor to Changsha, it would be impossible for Huang Zu to escape based on his own prestige.
At the same time, families from all sides will start to increase their bets on Liu Bei because they see the emperor. This is the only opportunity to rise rapidly in the short term, and it is naturally more important than Jiangxia in front of him.
To take a step back, no matter what, the emperor cannot let Lu Lin take him away.
Today in Lu Lin, one force controls the territory of ten of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty. What is the concept? As long as they are willing, they even have the capital to be completely independent.
If they were allowed to hold the emperor in their hands again at this stage and absorb the power of all parties, they would be pinned to the ground and rubbed by Lu Lin in terms of military strength, foundation and morality.
In a word, the importance of the Emperor is not comparable to that of a city and tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. Even if there is a war in Xiling now, the Emperor must be brought back first.
Hearing that Zhuge Liang had the means to stabilize Jiangxia, Liu Bei did not doubt that he was there, and his thoughts of taking back the emperor became more determined. He said to Liu Qi: "Sir, if the situation in the city is not right, you can retreat immediately. I will rush back as soon as I take back the emperor." Come join you."
Liu Qi, who was so distraught that he didn't even look at him, just nodded.
At the end, Zhuge Liang did not forget to give his hand and said: "Please remember, my lord, that you must act according to the plan when you arrive at Yang'an Mountain."
Liu Bei nodded and rode away.
Liu Qi was stunned for a long time, but finally he had to set off.
It wasn't that he was afraid that there would be an ambush in Xiling City. After all, it was Huang Zu who had a close relationship with the Liu family. It was just that things suddenly deteriorated to this situation. He didn't know how to face Huang Zu.
Since taking over Liu Xie, Zhao Yun has fulfilled his duty as a guard to the extreme. When the forward marches, he alone holds the line behind, always maintaining a distance of one mile, and constantly looking at the surrounding terrain, fearing that he may be hidden. The scouts fired cold arrows.
It's harder work, but this man still deserves such protection.
When they were almost at the foot of Yang'an Mountain, Zhao Yun breathed a sigh of relief. After asking Liu Xie if he wanted to stop and rest, and receiving the order to continue moving forward, he quickly ran along the foot of the mountain.
Ahead was the plank road up the mountain, but a group of cavalry suddenly appeared. After seeing the three leaders, Zhao Yun tensed up, but Yan Liang and Wen Chou snorted indifferently, exchanged a look and showed a knowing look. He smiled, as if he was not surprised at all by Liu Guanzhang's arrival.
"Zilong." After seeing Zhao Yun, Liu Bei took the lead in dismounting and ran over quickly.
"Xuande!"
Speaking of their relationship, it actually goes back to the time when they met Lin Mo and Lu Bu. After the Yellow Turban, they finally got involved with a county magistrate and caused an incident of whipping the postal supervisor. Since then, Liu Bei has defected to Gongsun Zan.
It was also at that time that Zhao Yun and Liu Guanzhang both belonged to Gongsun Zan, which was a real friendship.
Moreover, at that time, Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan were classmates after all, and he was branded as a descendant of the royal family. It always gave people the feeling that he did not dislike Zhao Yun's origin, at least, that was the case in the eyes of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
"Zilong, I haven't seen you for ten years. With God's blessing, I can see my old friend again." Liu Bei was really excited, holding Zhao Yun's hand tightly with both hands.
"Yes, Xuande. Seeing that you are fine now, I am reminded of the joy of riding horses to kill Hu Hu in Youzhou and drinking under the moon!"
It wasn't just Liu Bei who was excited, Zhao Yun was also very emotional.
We have been separated for more than ten years, and a lot of things have happened during this period. Gongsun Zan has been dead for several years, and there are not many old brothers left alive. This kind of emotion has been accumulated in my heart for so many years, and it is so fierce when it breaks out. .
"Yun Chang, Yide!" Zhao Yun did not forget to say hello to the two people walking towards them.
Guan Yu nodded slightly and smiled back. Zhang Fei, who originally thought Zhao Yun was ungrateful, calmed down his inner anger when he saw how enthusiastic he and his elder brother were.
"Zilong, I went to look for you after Xuzhou, but Bogui said that you had returned to Changshan. I also sent someone to deliver a message to Changshan, but there was no reply. Later I found out that you had gone to Lu Bu.
For so many years, I have only been able to meet you in my dreams. My wish is enough, my wish is enough! "
It is true that they are in troubled times, and they are in different camps, but this does not affect the status of the three brothers in Zhao Yun's mind at all, and they are as moist as Liu Bei's eyes.
Behind the scenes, Yan Liang went to ask the emperor to rest for a while. After getting permission, he came back. Seeing this scene, he said disdainfully: "What are you talking about? It took you so long. Look, look at those tears. They are real."
"Are they all as heartless as you?"
After Wen Chou teased him, he said earnestly: "Be patient and wait a moment. After all, they were once friends, and they haven't seen each other for so many years. There must be a lot to say, and His Majesty didn't rush me anyway."
In fact, Liu Xie, who was still at the back of the queue, didn't know what was going on here. He thought he was about to start climbing the mountain for final rest.
Anyway, now that he was far away from Cao Jun, his heart dropped, and he was eating sesame seed cakes and drinking water.
"Zilong, the relationship between you and me as brothers is so precious. In addition to coming here to see you, I also have something important to explain to you." Liu Bei held Zhao Yun's hands with one hand and patted them lightly with the other.
"Xuande, just say it, as long as it can be done, I will do it for you!" Zhao Yun's eyes were firm.
"You already knew my identity when we were in Youzhou, right."
Zhao Yun nodded and said: "Xuande is the great-great-great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing after Prince Jing of Zhongshan. He is a descendant of the royal family and has the dragon blood of Emperor Gaozu flowing in his body."
Zhao Yun has always believed in this.
Liu Bei chuckled softly, seeming to be pleased but also suffering, "Zilong, do you know that your Majesty has become a plaything in Dong Zhuo's hands since he came to the throne. Later, the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si even pulled and robbed your Majesty as a child. It was like an ordinary object. It finally escaped Chang'an and fell into the hands of Cao Cao.
More than ten years have passed. During these ten years, Your Majesty was called the Emperor, but was actually a puppet. The world was reversed, and the country was upside down. As a member of the royal family, I could not save His Majesty from the fire and water. Do you understand that my heart is broken every day? "
Liu Bei was so excited that he clenched Zhao Yun's hand until it turned white.
Zhao Yun nodded heavily and said with a smile: "Xuande, this time it is considered a blessing after all the hardships. I have rescued Your Majesty and am preparing to escort Your Majesty back to Anfeng first. I will wait until the Central Plains is stabilized before heading north. You can rest assured."
"Zilong, your majesty has been in trouble for many years and has been trapped in a wolf's den all day long. At this time, I believe that your majesty is more willing to be with his family. Liu Qi and I in Jingzhou have the same ancestry, both are of royal blood, and there are hundreds of thousands of powerful soldiers to defend you. Your majesty arrived in Jingzhou Only then can you truly feel at ease." Liu Bei finally stated his purpose.
Zhao Yun's expression was stagnant. He looked at Liu Bei's expectant eyes, and then looked at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Why? "This Xuande, Yunwen asked me to take your majesty back to Anfeng first, and then back to the Central Plains. A gentleman's promise, life or death." No matter what, I will definitely do what I promised him."
"Zilong, that Lin Mo is a tyrant. Regardless of his usual sanctimonious appearance, he is no different from Cao Cao in his heart. He wants to coerce the emperor and order the princes.
As for the slaves with three surnames, let alone them. Anyone who benefits him will recognize him as his father. How can you do this?"
Before Zhang Fei finished speaking, Zhao Yun's eyes turned cold and he interrupted: "Yide be careful what you say!
Apart from other things, Yun Wen administered the government well, including turning plows, keel carts, fertilizers to enrich the people, and opening warehouses several times to provide disaster relief. Even the people voluntarily submitted tens of thousands of people's letters. How can they be compared to Cao Cao and his ilk.
Marquis Wen killed the traitor Dong Zhuo and destroyed the puppet emperor Yuan Shu. This time, he forced Cao Cao to flee the Central Plains so that His Majesty could have a chance to escape the sea of suffering. He is not as miserable as you say! "
Zhao Yun's words were sonorous and powerful, and could not be criticized, especially when he mentioned Lin Mo, the veins on his forehead showed out.
He didn't expect that he would be so poisoned by Lu Lin that he would fall out after just a few words. Liu Bei was a little surprised, but it's not an exaggeration to think about it. After all, Zhao Yun is now a general under Lu Bu.
"you"
"Third brother!"
Liu Bei hurriedly interrupted Zhang Fei's reply. There should be no arguing at this time. He came to show justice, not to quarrel.
After taking a deep breath, Liu Bei said in a deep voice: "Okay, Zilong, let's not discuss whether Lu Lin is loyal to His Majesty for the moment, but as a subject of the Han Dynasty, should we act in accordance with His Majesty's orders?"
"This is natural." Zhao Yun nodded.
"Well, let me see your Majesty and ask him face to face. If your Majesty agrees to go to Anfeng with you, then I will not only prevent you from being embarrassed, but I will also protect you all the way!"
In any case, he had met Liu Xie when he was in Xuchang, and he was personally appointed as the emperor's uncle. If he could meet in private and explain to him the powerful relationship between them, Liu Bei would have I am confident that he will definitely choose to go to Jingzhou.
"This" Zhao Yun is a little embarrassed. This request is really difficult to refuse. After all, he is the emperor's uncle. You have no reason to block him from seeing him. That is really no different from Cao Cao.
After thinking for a while, Zhao Yun nodded and moved out of the way. Upon seeing this, Liu Bei bowed his hands respectfully and saluted, "Thank you Zilong!"
Liu Bei hurried forward and couldn't help but start trotting with excitement.
The emperor is too important, not only to order the world's orthodoxy, but also the key to solving the civil strife in Jiangxia. As long as he can bring back the emperor, Liu Bei will have the confidence to challenge Cao Lu. This is also Zhuge Liang's exact words.
At the same time, he also had absolute confidence that as long as he met Liu Xie, he would definitely convince him to go to Jingzhou. No matter what, his family was always more trustworthy than others, right?
"Get ready to fight!" Before Liu Bei could run far, Yan Liang suddenly shouted loudly.
Behind them, the Bingzhou Wolf Riders who had dismounted to rest, got on their horses as fast as lightning, grasped the spears in their hands, and formed a battle formation.
Liu Xie, who hadn't figured out what was going on, was so frightened that the sesame cakes fell to the ground. He reflexively hid in the big tree behind him. Dong Cheng also hurriedly followed, and at the same time he stretched his neck to see where the fight was about to take place. .
"This" Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun in confusion, aren't you the commander-in-chief? What's going on?
"What are you looking at! From now on, we two brothers have the final say. I said you won't let me see you. If you come closer again, don't blame me for being ruthless with my sword!" Yan Liang arrogantly raised his sword and pointed it at Liu Bei.
Upon seeing this, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei immediately rushed forward to guard Liu Bei.
"Who are these two people?" Zhang Fei asked in a muffled voice.
"Yan Liang is ugly, just a bidder." Guan Yu looked coldly at the arrogant Yan Liang in front of him, his heart full of disdain.
Back then under Anfeng City, they could only defeat themselves if they joined forces. If they fought alone, they could kill them eight hundred times.
But things were different now. Zhang Fei was by his side again. Guan Yu felt that Yan Liangwen Chou was the one who inserted the bid and sold the first, which seemed quite reasonable.
"Zilong." Liu Bei shouted helplessly to Zhao Yun, who nodded and walked towards the ugly brothers Yan Liangwen.
"Liu Bei is the emperor's uncle. He has the right to meet him. If he tries to stop him, it is not the way of a minister."
Before Zhao Yun finished speaking, Yan Liang waved his hand, "I don't know which ministers know about it. I only know that when we left Anfeng, Mr. Ziyang said that no one can meet His Majesty privately. Why, it depends on the authenticity, right? Our son Mr. Yang is not a descendant of the royal family?”
Ah, Zhao Yun thought about it, it seems that this is really the case.
"Zilong, you have a history with Liu Guanzhang, and I won't make it difficult for you, but with Yan Liang and me here today, they will definitely not be able to see His Majesty."
After saying that, Wen Chou on the horse leaned down and whispered: "Have you ever thought about it, if His Majesty agrees to follow them, how will you explain to the Marquis after you return?"
"That's right, the Marquis is very kind to you. Just think about how disappointed the Marquis is. We brothers are favored by you, so we won't see you doing stupid things. Just stand aside."
Zhao Yun suddenly came over and nodded heavily.
There is no excuse for not letting Liu Bei see him. After all, Liu Ye's brand is louder than yours, but the descendants of the great devil Liu Xiu are much more impressive than Prince Jing of Zhongshan.
Seeing that the logic no longer made sense, Zhang Fei waved his snake spear and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Are you serious about not giving in?"
"What are you talking about? If you have the ability to charge into battle!" Yan Liang didn't buy his orders at all.
"Zilong." Liu Bei called out again.
This time, Zhao Yun just lowered his head and said nothing.
Yan Liang is right. If I can't bring His Majesty back, how can I go to see Yunwen? He really regards me as a brother, a real brother!
After a while, Zhao Yun firmly raised his head and replied to Liu Bei: "Xuande, Your Majesty has not summoned you, so you should go back first."
Liu Bei's last hope was shattered by Zhao Yun's words. The luster in his eyes faded, replaced by a heaviness.
There was only one belief in his heart: the emperor must stay in Jingzhou.
With this belief, he slowly raised his right hand.
On the right side, hundreds of large banners with the word "Liu" were raised instantly on Yang'an Mountain. Although there was no sound of fighting, Zhao Yun could recognize at a glance that all of them were leadership flags. According to the military system, each leadership flag led a hundred people. .
In other words, there are tens of thousands of soldiers and horses on this mountain.
Looking at this scene, Zhao Yun did not feel panic, but only felt endless loss and discomfort. He looked at Liu Bei with disbelief in his eyes, "Xuande, you. You actually led troops to ambush here, do you want to seize the throne?"
"Zilong, as a descendant of the Queen of the Han Dynasty, I can never sit back and watch you take His Majesty away. Lu Lin may be a loyal minister, or he may not be, but I cannot let Your Majesty take this risk. Your Majesty can only follow us back to Jingzhou today.
You have also seen that there are no less than ten thousand people on this mountain. As long as I give an order, you will all be pierced by thousands of arrows. But I can't bear to kill you, so you can leave. "When he said this, Liu Bei had climbed up Lu Ma again and drew out the double swords from his waist.
The chill on the sword's edge made Zhao Yun's heart break.
"So, what you said to me just now were just to take His Majesty away?" Zhao Yun's voice trembled.
Liu Bei sighed, "Zilong, how can we fake the brotherhood between you and me, but this is related to the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty. As a descendant of the royal family, Bei has a duty-free responsibility, and the friendship must also give in!"
"Hahaha"
Zhao Yun looked up to the sky and laughed, "Xuande, do you know that Yunwen claims to have calculated all the hearts of the world, but he has never calculated against me."
"Zhao Yun, get out of the way quickly. Even if the righteousness of this world tells you, you won't understand. If not, don't blame Zhang Fei for being ruthless with his spear!" Zhang Fei roared angrily, intending to scare Zhao Yun away.
Hearing this, Zhao Yun looked at Liu Bei blankly. He wished that his former brother and sister could say something fair.
But Liu Bei didn't say another word from beginning to end, and he was obviously determined to do this.
Just now, he was still standing in his Liu Bei's shoes, even breaking his promise to Lin Mo, in exchange for a long-planned ambush.
Recalling Liu Bei's tearful confession just now, Zhao Yun even felt sick.
He had already ambushed his troops and had calculated everything, but he wanted to confuse himself with friendship.
Looking at the determined expressions of Liu, Guan, and Zhang, Zhao Yun felt that he was really ridiculous.
In this case, it’s okay not to have this kind of friendship!
Zhao Yun let out a long breath, slowly drew out the green sword from his waist, raised his white robe behind him and slashed it down with his sword, "Xuande, Yun Chang, Yide, you were the first to be unkind, so don't blame me for being unjust." , today I will cut off my robe and sever my righteousness with you.
If I want to kill you, it won’t be considered ungrateful, and if you want to kill me, it won’t be considered disrespectful! "
As the severed white robe fell to the ground, Zhao Yun chuckled lightly, then put his right hand on the saddle, turned around and climbed onto the jade lion, pulled out the bright silver gun standing on the ground, pointed it at them and shouted: "I was in Xiaoguan back then. A single man in the city regards Cao Cao's tens of thousands of troops as nothing but grass. Now that we have soldiers and generals, what should we fear?
If you want to take His Majesty away, you must first pass me, Zhao Zilong!
Brothers, charge with me! "
(End of chapter)
