Jizhou.
Outside Ye City.
At the end of the road, a group of soldiers appeared at the gate of the city.
Yuan Shao led his officials forward to welcome them. He opened his arms and waited, saying in a clear voice,"Ah, Xuande, I've been waiting for you for a long time!”
In the distance, Liu Bei was stunned on his warhorse. Xu You twirled his beard and laughed." Hahaha, look. Xuande, I've said it before. Although my lord is sometimes muddle-headed, most of the time, he is wise.”
"If he's wise, he'll be incomparably wise.”
Liu Bei seemed to be muttering to himself as he stared blankly at the guards of honor in front of him. The officials of Jizhou, plus Yuan Shao personally coming to welcome them, indeed made Liu Bei feel flattered.
"Sigh, what right do I have to let Deacon Yuan come personally to pick me up?”
Liu Bei dismounted from his horse and bowed. Then, he placed his hands in front of him and walked away in small steps. This kind of slow and hurried walking was the etiquette of the aristocratic families at the end of the Han Dynasty. It was an expression of respect to others.
This was to show that his status was low, and that he was humble and respectful, thus raising the other party's status.
Such behavior was almost a perfect expression of Liu Bei's admiration. He rushed to Yuan Shao and bowed deeply, squeezing out a smile on his bitter face.
"It has been four years since we parted ways.”
"Today, I have actually troubled Ming Gong to personally come and receive you. This one is truly honored, but also fearful.”
Yuan Shao's smile did not change. He patted Liu Bei's shoulder and then took his hand and led him into the city." Brother, I've said it before. You're the Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty, so it's not impossible for me to pick you up. Moreover, you've given me the title of a teacher by issuing an imperial edict to punish the bandits. I'm very grateful and would not dare to neglect you. However, when you sent people to ask for help a few days ago, I was in Youzhou to suppress the rebellion. I really had no time to spare. Brother, please forgive me."”
These words were beautiful and impeccable. Not only did they praise Liu Bei, but they also expressed their gratitude. At the same time, they also generously threw away the matter of delaying the opportunity. This was naturally swept clean.
Liu Bei could only smile bitterly.
"Ming Gong is the one who has gone too far. I am a defeated general, how could I dare to speak of courage? I obtained Shouchun City, but I couldn't defend it for ten days.”
When Yuan Shao heard this, it was considered as giving each other a way out.
"Good, good. Since that's the case, brother, follow me to Ye City's residence first.”
……
Half a day later.
In the meeting hall of Ye City, there were prayer mats on both sides. The decoration was gorgeous and the pillars around it were noble. It was magnificent and magnificent, making Liu Bei click his tongue in wonder.
He only thought that this Yuan Benchu actually had a palace comparable to Luoyang in Jizhou.
It seemed that the Imperial Jade Seal was not in his hands. If it was, wouldn't he be the emperor too? He had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, four provinces, generals, strategists, and a reputation that spread all over the world.
Yuan Shu couldn't compare to them at all.
If Yuan Shu had escaped to Yuan Benchu, he would have directly usurped the Han Dynasty.
How could Cao Cao defeat such a mighty army?
"Everyone, today, I welcome Liu Bei to be an official and stay in Jizhou. In the future, you must treat him with courtesy. Liu Bei is the Imperial Uncle of the Great Han Dynasty. With him around, the Emperor will never be wronged in Xuchang."
Yuan Shao sat on the main seat, his back straight like a golden saber and broad horse. His hands were placed on his knees, his face was cold and solemn, and his beard was beautifully groomed.
At this moment, a loud voice spread throughout the hall.
"Cao Cao is a traitor under the name of the Minister of Han. The Emperor is in Xudu, no different from when he was in Dong Zhuo's hands.”
"When I heard this news, my heart naturally ached. Now that the order has been issued, I will look at each other with Cao Cao's army in the Guandu area. Everyone can speak freely about when we should march and how we should fight this battle.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu You naturally stood up and bowed with both hands. After cupping his hands, he stood up straight and glanced at everyone. He said proudly,"Now, my lord has 700,000 troops to mobilize. Adding on the troops along the way, we can make up 800,000. Going south to Xudu is a mighty army.”
"Right now, my lord is a man of great talent. He has gathered Youzhou and more than 100,000 soldiers. This is the time for the army to be at their strongest. We should pursue the victory. On the other hand, Cao Cao's camp has just experienced a life-and-death battle.”
"What does Cao Cao want the most now? This is a chance to catch his breath. The lord must not give him this chance to catch his breath. After entering Liyang, he should immediately send troops to attack Cao Cao's East County!”
"Xu You's words are really harming the country and the people!”
A person stood out. His voice was calm and low.
Looking over, he saw a thin man cupping his hands.
Liu Bei could see this person from afar.
This person wasn't tall. His long robe reached the ground, and his eyes were bright. Because he was thin, he looked rather mean. He was probably not easy to get along with.
He cupped his hands and said," My lord, although you have won a great victory, you have wasted a lot of manpower and money over the years. The soldiers are tired. If you don't reorganize them, we will be in a dilemma once we reach a stalemate."”
"How much land does Cao Cao have? However, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and Huainan are just a small part of the land. Together, they are not as big as Jizhou.”
"Jizhou is a large agricultural province with a vast expanse of fertile land. My lord can be invincible without fighting, so why fight?”
" Now, farming has not been implemented for many years. We should focus on internal affairs and consider how to survive the winter disaster and gain the popularity of the people. Then, we can think about it and slowly plan.”
" Hehehe, haha!!"
Xu You burst out laughing. As she laughed, she looked at Tian Feng with disdain." Tian Feng, what kind of a person are you? A person who fishes for fame and has no talent and knowledge. If the lord listens to you, then it will be even more difficult!”
"Your words are the real plan that will bring disaster to the country and the people. We have so much capital, so why should we develop peacefully with Cao Cao? Now, my army is several times more than his, and my territory is also several times more. If I don't march, won't I be laughed at?!”
"Sir, I'm afraid you're eager to make contributions and are like those soldiers who are eager for success and profit. However, what I'm giving my lord is a long-term development plan.”
Yuan Shao listened to the two of them and felt conflicted. He felt that what the two of them said made sense. No matter who he listened to, it seemed to be a long-term development plan.
One was long-term, and the other was to accomplish everything in one battle.
He needed to think for a while.
"Brother, are you worried that you can't beat Cao Cao?”
"I don't have that intention! "I just feel that my master has the ability to look down on the world. Since that's the case, he must have a foolproof plan. He should rest for a few years and wait for his troops to be replenished. After he recovers, he can attack Cao Cao. It will be twice the result with half the effort.”
Tian Feng coldly glanced at Xu You. This Runan Sect's people have been singing the opposite tune from the moment they entered Jizhou. If I am still led by the nose by him today, how can I still have a position after I seize the world and become the Son of Heaven?
Moreover, it was not impossible to lose this battle. If they lost, the soldiers would be defeated and the morale of the army would be lax. Moreover, there would be no rations to support them.
It would be even more difficult to turn things around.
Did this person not think about it?
He had definitely thought about it. He was one of the top strategists on the Heaven Ranking. How could he not think of this? He was just planning to take a gamble.
Since that's the case, why should my lord gamble with you when he has such a huge foundation and occupies the four northern regions?
However, he couldn't say this in front of his face. Before the two armies fought, he had to admit defeat.
It was a taboo for the militarists. Tian Feng wasn't that stupid and definitely didn't dare to say it out loud.
Moreover, there were so many civil and military officials present. If he said that, he would be setting himself on fire.
Xu You didn't know what to say. He could only steal a glance at Liu Bei, who was sitting in the distance.
However, he realized that Liu Bei was just looking at him, as if it had nothing to do with him. He couldn't help but sigh.
I didn't call you here to laze around. I just thought that you hated Cao Cao to the bone and shouldn't be protecting yourself.
Yuan Shao twirled his beard and looked at the table in a rather low voice. At this moment, he did not think too much. He always felt that it was not right to fight or not to fight.
If they didn't fight, they would miss the opportunity.
If they were to fight, after the four regions were taken over, they would not have the time to experience the joy of being rich and powerful before they had to take all of it out to fight.
He was indeed a little too anxious.
Moreover, only these two people were fighting.
Guo Tu, Xin Ping, and the others did not say a word.
Cui Yan and Ju Shou also kept their mouths shut and did not argue with them.
Although both of them were talented in internal affairs and did not usually participate in military affairs, they were still in Jizhou. They were the celebrities of the Qing River family for a hundred years and the heads of the celebrities in the sea.
It was comparable to the Xun family and the Guo family.
They did not speak, so it was not appropriate for them to give the order to send out troops. After all, the aristocrats still controlled the financial resources, rations, and talents of many territories in Jizhou.
After some thought, Yuan Shao waved his hand." Let's end the war today. It's the autumn harvest again. My troops will go to the front line. We'll make a decision after the grain is stored in the warehouse and recorded in the books.”
"Ai, there."
Xu Youshen bowed and shook her head helplessly.
Tian Feng laughed coldly in his ear. After all, Yuan Shao's words were equivalent to standing on his side. Although he did not say that he would cultivate without fighting.
However, they wouldn't be sending troops in a short period of time.
"Sir, you are really a person who is eager for success and instant benefits. That's why you have been failing in your early years!”
"You!"
Xu You suddenly raised his head, his face full of anger. These words had pierced the pain in his heart.
In the first year of Zhongping, Xu You, Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, Zhou Jing of Peiguo, and other heroes plotted to abolish Emperor Ling of Han Dynasty and change the Marquis of Hefei to emperor. They also tried to persuade Cao Cao to participate, but Cao Cao refused.
Wang Fen wanted to take advantage of Emperor Ling of Han Dynasty's northern tour to prevent the black mountain bandits from sending troops in order to rise up, but in the end, Emperor Ling of Han Dynasty stopped his army and called him into the court. Wang Fen was afraid and committed suicide. Xu You and others fled.
In the year 189, five years after Xu You's accident, Yuan Shao escaped from Dong Zhuo and went to Jizhou. Xu You followed Yuan Shao and became his advisor, urging him to ally with Cao Cao.
At that time, Xu You's status gradually rose under Yuan Shao's command. However, the incident that happened back then had already become an eternal pain in his heart.
After all, not only had the matter been exposed, but he had also run away without doing anything, which was extremely embarrassing.
It was because Tian Feng knew about this that he did not think Xu You could succeed from the beginning, even if his ranking on the Phenomenon Heaven Ranking surpassed his.
She still felt that he was mediocre.
"What, do you still want to fight me to the death here?”
Xu You stretched out his hand and twirled his beard. He stood up and stared at Tian Feng with narrowed eyes. However, he forcefully suppressed his anger and revealed a smile."I wouldn't dare. However, with your talent, I do feel that you're like a coward. If you don't have absolute confidence, you won't be able to do anything.”
"If you have more than enough to defend, but not enough to forge ahead, it will be difficult for you to achieve great things in the future.”
The two of them spoke in a tit-for-tat manner. Neither of them was willing to take half a step back, but the other strategists were watching from the other side.
At this moment.
Liu Bei sat on the futon in the guest room, looking at the gradually dispersing crowd and sighed deeply.
He did not expect this.
On the first day he came to Yuan Shao's hall to discuss matters, he saw such a scene.
He is lenient on the outside and jealous on the inside, resourceful and decisive.
Cao Cao's evaluation of Yuan Shao seemed to be true.
At this moment, Liu Bei was already convinced.
"However, an army of hundreds of thousands can't possibly lose, right?”
……
Xudu.
It was snowing heavily at the Dragon Cavalry Camp.
A brand new set of armor was produced in the hot blacksmith furnace. It was completely silver and snow-white, but it was much finer than the previous armor.
This was the Hundred Refined Armor forged by the steel-making method. Arrows could not penetrate it.
The two iron tower-like men had turned into craftsmen at this moment. They were hammering with sledgehammers, and the soldiers beside them were looking forward to it.
After hammering the edges and polishing them a little, he placed them aside and waited for them to cool down.
Xu Zhen watched all of this nervously with his hands behind his back.
He gradually relaxed. At this point, he was slightly relieved.
In such an epic battle like Guandu, Xu Zhen was a little worried that he would not be able to shake the wheel of history with his own strength.
But now, he could at least rely on this armor and the Hundred Refined Saber to become a dazzling general star on the battlefield.
This Snow Dragon Cavalry would definitely be recorded in the annals of history and become a resplendent memory along with the Battle of Guandu.
"I succeeded! Who wants to try!"
Xu Chu and Dian Wei looked at each other. Xu Chu smiled and said,"General, I didn't believe you when you said you were brave!”
"Is there anyone in this world who isn't afraid of death?”
Dian Wei frowned and stared at him coldly." What do you want to do now?”
'This bastard. When he's provoking me, every word he says is on point. In the future, if anyone says that Xu Chu is a fool who only knows how to be brave, I'll twist his head off.'
She really wanted to hammer him to death.
"If you dare to prove it, then put on this armor and let the soldier shoot an arrow. If you really have the courage, I, Xu Chu, will follow your lead in the future.”
"Get lost, get lost!"
Dian Wei went up and kicked Xu Chu's butt. The two of them immediately fought a few times.
" Tsk." Xu Zhen clicked his tongue. When he heard the sound, the two of them quickly separated.
"Why are you guys acting like old enemies?”
The two of them had never met before in history. After Dian Wei died, Xu Chu only became a Tiger Guard a few years later. At that time, Cao Cao had mentioned Dian Wei many times in front of Xu Chu.
This caused Xu Chu to be unconvinced, but he did not have the chance to prove it.
Why did these things not happen in this life, but the two of them were still fighting?
Moreover, his personality was too strange. Xu Chu was like a cat. He could always catch Dian Wei, but if they really fought, he might fall into a disadvantage after a hundred rounds.
After all, Dian Wei's strength and physique were inhuman.
" Lord." The two immediately cupped their fists.
"How about this, both of you put on this Hundred Refined Armor, and I will shoot an arrow each. Then, we will see who is more skilled!”Xu Zhen said cheerfully.
"Ah, this!"
Xu Chu was stunned." Don't!”
He had seen Xu Zhen's archery skills before.
The strange thing was that Xu Zhen's martial arts skills were not bad, and he had great strength. However, when he fought, he would always jump around with strange cries.
It made one's scalp tingle, and the grapple could not grab it.
Therefore, neither Xu Chu nor Dian Wei could beat Xu Zhen.
The main reason was that Xu Zhen had the upper hand and immediately stopped fighting. Then, he said that it was a draw. He was the Lord, and these generals couldn't move him. They couldn't pull him back, so they were beaten up for nothing. As time passed, no one sparred with Xu Zhen.
This person was shameless.
"Don't, don't, don't, Lord, don't be so mischievous. There's a wooden stake, why would you shoot us?”
Dian Wei quickly agreed.
Xu Chu nodded immediately." Yes, yes! It was not good to lose a general in front of the battle.”
"You still know! Then what suggestion did you make just now?"
" I…" Xu Chu smiled awkwardly." I know I was wrong!" Ah, I know I was wrong."
"Get on the wooden stake and put on the battle armor that you two forged. The next thousand sets will be given to the battalion whose battle armor is stronger.”
Xu Zhen said with a straight face.
The two of them were interested when they heard that. They quickly asked someone to place the wooden stakes and then put on the newly forged snow-white Hundred Refined Armor for the wooden puppet.
Then, from the bow and arrow, to the knife and then to the spear. Even with the strength of Xu Chu and Dian Wei, they still needed a full ten strikes to make a dent and then break.
"Motherf * cker!"
Xu Chu threw away his spear and took the armor off the wooden puppet. Then, he weighed it and ran back to Xu Zhen in surprise. He said happily,"Godly Armor! Godly Armor!"
"Lord, if this god armor is used on the battlefield, it will be invincible. If I go and fight Yuan Shao, as long as I don't get exhausted, I can fight seven thousand soldiers alone!”
Behind Xu Zhen, Zhao Zilong's face darkened.
Zhao Zilong: "???"
Are you polite?
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