Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 396
As early as April of the 25th year of Jian'an, Cao Pi had already planned to usurp the throne.

The spies arranged by Shen Chen in the north have already noticed some clues, but the news has not been confirmed yet, so they dare not report the unconfirmed news, and want to wait for conclusive evidence before passing the information back.

This was done out of caution, because Shen Chen made repeated orders, and tried to report the news only after confirming it to be true, otherwise it would be easy to get false information.

If Shen Chen's spies immediately arranged for someone to pass it back, in case it was false news and Cao Pi did not usurp the throne, then it would likely delay the Liu Bei Group's war against Wu, so the spies were still very serious and wanted to get the exact news.

In July, Liu Zhen persuaded him to come in for the second time. The scale was far smaller than the third time in August, and it was only spread out in a small area. Only a small number of courtiers knew about it. Logically speaking, it should not have been leaked out.

But Xu Yin, the insider of Zhu Shuo's mansion, received a piece of news that shocked him. When Zhu Shuo was talking with people in the mansion, he told the story that Cao Pi had snatched the Jade Seal of Chuanguo from Liu Xie.

Now even blocking the news is useless, Xu Yin quickly contacted Zhou Ai and Li Mu, and quickly passed the matter back to the south.

Due to the lag of information caused by the underdeveloped transportation in ancient times, Shen Chen's spy network in the north could not open a post station and carry out expedited delivery of four hundred miles a day.

In addition, Liu Bei was attacking Wu at that time, and he was not in Xiangyang, so the news went around and around, and it took two months before he was sent to Yangzhou.

So at the beginning of September, when Liu Bei had just wiped out Soochow, he got the bad news that Cao Pi had usurped the Han.

But even so, it is much faster than in history.

Now Liu Bei knew the information as soon as Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty. Historically, he only knew about it at the beginning of the second year, which was more than three months later than now, which shows how difficult it was for information to circulate at that time.

Yangzhou, Jianye.

Liu Bei had just finished setting up Jiangdong, and he got the news before he left.

"His Majesty!"

In the original Wuhou mansion, Liu Bei felt dizzy and almost fainted after hearing the news from the messenger.

Everyone rushed forward to support him.

Guan Yu supported Liu Bei, and asked with concern: "Brother, brother."

"My lord, please cheer up."

"The news that is coming out now is that Cao Pi has snatched the emperor's seal, and has not yet usurped the throne. Maybe there will be a turning point."

"That's right, Your Majesty, the Son of Heaven still needs His Majesty to be intimidating outside to be comprehensive. If His Majesty can't cheer up at this time, I'm afraid Cao Pi will really usurp the throne."

Many courtiers quickly persuaded him.

Hearing everyone's persuasion, Liu Bei regained his composure, waved his hand with difficulty and said, "I'm fine."

After Guan Yu helped him to one side of the mat, he sat on the ground slumped, and said in grief and indignation: "Cao Pi wants to usurp the throne, how can I just sit back and ignore it, and I should immediately send troops to the Northern Expedition to attack Cao Pi!"

"Your Majesty."

Ma Liang stood up and said: "Now is not a good time for the Northern Expedition. Jiangdong has just been settled, and people's hearts are floating. The land of Yizhou and Jingzhou only experienced two wars last year. The people are poor, the state is disadvantageous, and the money and grain are scarce. Forcing troops will only increase the number of people." The loss will make people's livelihood even more difficult, and I hope that the king will think twice before acting for the sake of the common people."

Liu Bei was furious: "The Han Dynasty is about to perish, and the widows are the descendants of the Han family, and they should fight hard. How can we stand still and watch the great Han Dynasty perish at this time?"

"It's just that now we really can't start a large-scale war anymore."

Yang Yi also persuaded: "Yizhou almost emptied the state capital last year. Although the situation in Jingzhou was a little better, it also suffered from military disasters and floods. It is already the limit to support us to pacify Jiangdong. If there is another northern expedition, Cao Pi only needs to stick to it." In Guanzhong, Henan and other places, dragging can drag us down."

"Yes, Your Majesty, what's more, the news from the north is still two months ago. No one knows the current situation. It's hard to say that His Majesty has died at this time."

"what?"

Liu Bei was even more indignant when he heard this, and said angrily: "If Cao Pi has usurped the Han at this time, and the Han is dead, Your Majesty must have been murdered by Cao Pi's little thief. Cao Pi cannot be allowed to succeed, even if he has already usurped the Han, I will avenge Your Majesty!"

"Brother."

At this moment, Guan Yu also persuaded: "Your Excellency is right. Now is indeed not the time for the Northern Expedition. Eldest Brother has also been on the march and fought for many years. How can he not know that now he needs to recuperate so that he can accumulate strength and send troops?"

"I"

Liu Bei looked around, and suddenly noticed that Shen Chen beside him had been silent, and hurriedly said, "Xiaoqing, can you go to the Northern Expedition?"

Shen Chen thought for a while, then cupped his hands and said, "It's not necessary, but Your Majesty shouldn't send troops now. Jiangdong is flat, and Jingzhou is very reluctant to supply food and grass. Huainan has been deserted for thousands of miles, and it is impossible to replenish food on the spot. Even Sun Quan has to ask for food." Going north by water from Ruxushui, we transported grain from Jingzhou to Yangzhou, and then transported grain north from Yangzhou, it took a long time and there were too many disadvantages, so we should think about it in the long run.”

"Yes, brother."

Guan Yu also persuaded: "The Northern Expedition must be the Northern Expedition, but it is not easy to win if you send troops hastily. You should be fully prepared before launching troops to the north."

"Ugh."

Why didn't Liu Bei know this? In history, when he first heard the news of Guan Yu's death, he immediately wanted to send troops to Jingzhou to avenge Guan Yu.

But at that time he had just finished the Battle of Hanzhong, and after the loss of Jingzhou, it could be described as bleak.

In the case of internal and external cheating, forcibly dispatching troops is tantamount to death.

Therefore, he finally forcibly suppressed the grief of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's death, and patiently prepared for more than a year before attacking Sun Quan.

It's a pity that Yiling was defeated in the Battle of Yiling, and Yizhou was almost destroyed. If Zhuge Liang hadn't turned the tide, maybe there would be no more magnificent history of the Three Kingdoms.

The same is true of the current situation.

Liu Bei had just finished the battle of Guanzhong and Jingzhou, and he was very reluctant to send troops to Jiangdong. It was because Sun Quan was defeated in the battle of Yixian, Hongkou and Jingzhou that he was easily defeated.

But the foundation of the Northern Wei Dynasty has not been lost, and Chang'an is as solid as gold. In the south, Henan and Huainan are heavily guarded, and troops are forced out, just like a lion that has just finished fighting the enemy, and then rushes thousands of miles to attack another tiger that has had a certain period of rest. , the possibility of winning is really too small.

"Your Majesty, go back to Xiangyang first, and gather all the ministers to discuss together."

Shen Chen said.

"I see."

Liu Bei sighed and said, "Then Yun Chang will be stationed in Jiangdong first, and we will go back to Xiangyang."

After finishing speaking, he waved his hands and broke up the discussion.

The next day, Liu Bei took everyone back to Jingzhou.

There were not many people when the group came, but when they returned, there were some more faces.

For example, Zhuge Jin, Lu Xun, Gu Yong, Zhang Zhao and others all followed Liu Bei to Xiangyang.

According to the political practice of the Liu Bei Group, or the political practice of the entire Han Dynasty, the "Three Mutual Laws" does not allow local gentry to be local officials.

Therefore, if the surrendered officials who originally belonged to Sun Quan in Jiangdong still want to continue to serve as officials, they have to go to other places to serve as officials.

This will definitely involve a series of personnel arrangements and political exchanges.

For example, the Jiangdong family had to hand over most of their land and population before they could become officials, and they had to go to other places, so they couldn't stay in Jiangdong.

There are also Jiangdong gentry who have recently surrendered, and their status is definitely far inferior to the Jingzhou faction and Yizhou faction that followed Liu Bei earlier.

Therefore, for the aristocratic family of the Yangzhou faction, it is extremely painful now.

Not official?
Without political status, how to protect family rights?
When the policy is issued, the land and population will still have to be handed over, and the family will not even have a single official.

To be an official.

Handing over the land and population, and being an official in a different place cannot protect the rights and interests of the family.

So this is why they desperately want to help Sun Quan resist Liu Bei.

But alas they failed.

Now I can only accept the arrangement of fate. After all, there are many examples of resistance, but it is basically a dead end.

Liu Bei's political direction is destined to win the support of the people at the bottom of Yangzhou and Shanyue people.

Because the Jiangdong family supported Sun Quan with all their strength, the family's population was almost wiped out, and it was difficult to organize a force to resist.

And without the support of the bottom, they couldn't recruit soldiers and horses, so naturally they couldn't set off a wave of resistance.

Therefore, for the current Jiangdong aristocratic family, there is basically only one way to choose-to become an official.

At least part of the interests of the family can be barely guaranteed, and there is hope for the future.

Zhuge Jin, Lu Xun, Gu Yong, Zhang Zhao and others are all smart people, it is impossible to choose to fight to the end, so they all chose to surrender.

After all, the one who surrenders first gets the benefits first, which is better than nothing.

At the beginning of October in the 25th year of Jian'an, Liu Bei went upstream and returned to Xiangyang, Jingzhou.

Immediately afterwards, he ordered Zhuge Liang, Jia Xu, Fazheng, Pang Tong, Zheng Du, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, Mi Zhu, Liu Ba, Liao Li and others to come one after another.

Except for Xu Shu who is currently guarding Hanzhong, Deng Zhi and Li Yan who followed Zhang Fei to Liangzhou, and Sun Qian and Jian Yong who died of illness long ago, almost all the officials of the Liu Bei Group in Bashu came here and evacuated the Jiangzhou government. .

It wasn't until November of the 25th year of Jian'an that Liu Bei's group's three gongs and nine ministers, many senior ministers, ministers, ministers, etc. had all arrived, and Liu Bei held a big court meeting to discuss this matter.

By this time, the news that Cao Pi had successfully usurped the Han Dynasty in September had also spread to the south. There were rumors that the emperor Liu Xie had been murdered by Cao Pi. The posthumous title of "Emperor Xiaomin".

On November [-]th, in Xiangyang, in the former residence of King Chu, a white cloth was hung up on this matter again. The main seat in the main hall of the backyard was arranged like a mourning hall, inside which stood Liu Xie's coffin. jade pendant.

The jade pendant was carried by Liu Bei. It was given to him by Liu Xie himself when he was in Xuchang. Liu Bei regarded it as a treasure and kept it close to his body. Liu Xie's body was dead, so the jade pendant was buried as a tomb.

After Liu Bei was dressed in filial piety and led everyone to offer incense to Liu Xie, he held a meeting in the lobby of the front yard to formally discuss the Northern Expedition.

At this moment, the ministers gathered.

In addition to Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong and others, Taifu Xu Jing, Taichang Lai Gong, Guangluxun Huang Zhu, Shaofu Zhang Song, Zongzheng Liuyan, Tingwei Wangmou, Taifu Zhou Lin, Dasinong Li Hui and others also attended the scene. .

There are also Xiang Lang, Xi Zhen, Yin Guan, Xi Zhu, Pan Jun, Pang Lin, Hao Pu, etc. from the Jingzhou faction, plus a few Jiangdong factions, there are as many as hundreds of people.

Fortunately, Liu Biao built the Chu Palace according to the specifications of a palace. The front hall is as big as the Deyang Hall of Luoyang Palace, which can accommodate so many people. Otherwise, many courtiers might not even have a place to sit.

In terms of status, Xu Jing, Mi Zhu and others are in the forefront, followed by Shen Chen, Zhuge Liang and others. The important figures and those who can speak are basically the Yuancong faction and the Jingzhou faction.

Even Fazheng Zhang Song, who sought Yizhou for Liu Bei and made great contributions to the Yizhou faction, is in the middle, not the front.

At this moment, the arena was silent, and everyone looked up at Liu Bei above.

Liu Bei sat on the throne, looking down at the crowd, with a sad face, and sighed softly: "Cao Pi, the little thief, murdered the emperor, usurped the Han to stand on his own, and the widow will never die with him. I plan to send troops to the north this year. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's too impatient to send troops this year."

Pang Tong quickly said: "The land of Bashu has just resumed recuperation, and Jingzhou has also sent troops and people to attack Jiangdong. The people are exhausted and sick. If they don't rest for a few years before going north, I am afraid that the foundation of the south will be damaged."

"Yes, Your Majesty, you should think twice before acting."

"This time Jiangdong has just leveled off, and money and grain are scarce, so we should take it easy."

"Your Majesty, don't resort to military force. Forcing troops will destabilize the state capital."

Everyone also advised them one after another.

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, thought for a while and said, "Huainan, how about I only take Huainan?"

Pang Tong asked, "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"There are only thousands of troops from Cao Wei in Huainan, and Yunchang is still in Jiangdong. This year, Jiangdong will rest for half a year. Maybe Yunchang can raise food and grass in Jiangdong, and go northward from Ruxushui to capture Hefei?"

Liu Bei thought of a way.

He also came from the army for many years, and he also understands that it is not wise to forcefully attack the north now.

But if Cao Pi usurps the Han, if he doesn't do something, what will the people of the world think of him?

At least take Huainan to prove your position.

After two years of recuperation in the south, it may be possible to formally send troops to the Northern Expedition and revive the Han Dynasty.

However, Zhuge Jin got up quickly and said: "Your Majesty, no, the people's livelihood in Jiangdong is also in dire straits. The people all hope that Your Majesty will implement a benevolent government, leniency in taxes, and lighten the corvee. If there is another war, the people of Jiangdong may lose their hearts."

"There are only a few thousand Cao troops in Huainan, so can't they be captured?"

Liu Bei frowned.

Lu Xun said: "Your Majesty, although there are only a few thousand Cao troops in Huainan, Cao Pi has deployed heavy troops in Xuzhou and Henan. Once the war starts, they can rush to help within ten days. Besides, the city of Hefei is strong. Once the reinforcements arrive, it will not be able to do so in March or May." To win, if it becomes a protracted battle, Jiangdong will be extremely difficult, please think twice."

"This"

Liu Bei's face was not very good-looking, he hesitated for a long time, looked at Zhuge Liang who had not spoken all this time, and asked, "What does Kong Ming think?"

Zhuge Liang got up and said: "What you said is very true, it is indeed not appropriate to use troops immediately."

"Xiaoqing."

Liu Bei looked at Shen Chen with hopeful eyes again.

If all the courtiers objected, then only Shen Chen's opinion might be able to convince everyone.

Because every time he makes a decision, it is right.Just like when Shen Chen overthrew Fazheng's plan and finally won the whole south for him.

However, Shen Chen did not support Liu Bei in sending troops to the Northern Expedition as Liu Bei thought, but stood up and said, "Your Majesty!"

"Xiaoqing, can you attack Huainan?"

Liu Bei was eager to get an answer.

Shen Chen shook his head and said: "Chen thinks that the king should distinguish between priorities and make a decision!"

"Priority?"

Liu Bei wondered, "Xiaoqing, please tell me."

Shen Chen looked around and said, "Your Majesty, everyone, before considering whether to send troops, we have to face another problem, which is more important than whether to send troops."

"what is the problem?"

Liu Bei asked.

Shen Chen raised his head to look at him, looked at him seriously, and then said word by word: "The king, the big man, is dead!"

(End of this chapter)