Shuhan

In Xiangping city.

The lobby of the Sheriff's Mansion.

Gongsun Yuan had a gloomy expression on his face, and in front of him sat a middle-aged man with a slightly haggard complexion and a few white hairs. Who else could it be but Gongsun Gong?

From holding great power, he was imprisoned in a yard as a prisoner. Although Gongsun Yuan tried his best to satisfy his food and drink, it is difficult for people to let go of power once they have enjoyed it.

Power is the best medical beauty for men.

Many retired leaders have only been retired for one or two years, but they seem to have aged by ten years.

Gongsun Gong is in this situation now. He seems to have aged several years in just one month.

Of course there are some differences.

After all, he didn't retire, but was ousted.

Therefore, when Gongsun Gong looked at Gongsun Yuan at this moment, there was naturally no good expression on his face.

"Gongsun Yuan, you called me here now to poison your uncle with a cup of poisoned wine?"

Gongsun Yuan shook his head and said respectfully, "How dare my nephew have such intentions? I came here for the sake of Liaodong's overall situation and the foundation of my Gongsun family for generations to come. I beg you to help me, uncle."

The overall situation in Liaodong.

The Gongsun family's eternal legacy?

Gongsun Gong frowned and asked, "It has only been a month since you locked me up in your house. Could it be that people in Liaodong have already risen up and refused to obey your discipline?"

As he spoke, a sneer appeared on Gongsun Gong's face.

"You cheated me before, and now you want me to help you. How can such a good thing happen?"

"Hey~"

Gongsun Yuan sighed and said, "Uncle, please allow me to report that it is not the various places in Liaodong that are rising up, but the State of Wei wants to seize the foundation of my Gongsun family."

Wei State?

Gongsun Gong was stunned.

"Did you do something to anger the State of Wei, causing them to send troops to attack you?"

Gongsun Yuan shook his head and said, "I have been the lord of Liaodong for only a month. How can I have time to anger the State of Wei? It would take at least a hundred days to go from Xiangping to Luoyang, even if we march quickly. How can my nephew have time to anger the Emperor of Wei? It is clear that the State of Wei had planned to attack Liaodong."

Gongsun Yuan sighed again and said, "Earlier, the envoy of Wei State tried to sow discord between you and me, uncle and nephew. I wanted to prevent civil strife in Liaodong, so I chose to deceive my uncle and seize power. I have wronged my uncle for the past month. Now it seems that I was wrong. If there is civil strife in Liaodong, you and me will attack each other. I am afraid that it will be effortless for Wei State to seize Jiangdong from me. I am afraid that I will not be able to resist."

Gongsun Gong sneered and said, "You only have one side of the story. Do you think I will believe you?"

"Yang Zuo can testify to my words, and the Han envoy can also testify to them."

Gongsun Yuan pointed at the Han envoy and Yang Zuo behind him.

"Mingsir, everything the lord said is true. Liaosui has been breached by the Wei army, and Shoushan is also controlled by the Wei army. It is said that the Wei Kingdom wants to eliminate the influence of the Gongsun family in Liaodong, and has drawn up a list of people to be killed. There are a total of 3,120 people on the list, and Mingsir is the second on the list."

Yang Zuo's army was defeated and scattered, but he was the "Flying General" of Liaodong, who managed to escape back to Xiangping despite the numerous ambushes set by the Wei army.

His ability to escape can be described as first-class.

And a kill list?

Gongsun Gong snorted coldly and said:

"How can we trust the words of a traitor?"

You, Yang Zuo, used to call me Lord, but now you call me Ming Gong?

I bother!

villain!

It would be strange if Gongsun Gong could treat you, Yang Zuo, well.

"You don't believe what General Yang says, but you should at least believe some of what I say, right?"

The Han envoy stepped forward slowly and said, "At this critical moment when the Gongsun family of Liaodong is facing life and death, please put aside your prejudices and settle the grudge between you uncle and nephew on the premise of at least preserving Liaodong. If Liaodong is no longer the Gongsun family's, what is the point of you and your nephew turning against each other?"

The reason why you and your nephew fell out was because of who would be the lord of Liaodong. Now Liaodong is no longer the Gongsun family's.

Do you still want to fight among yourself?
"Humph!"

Although I felt a little unhappy, I couldn't find any reason to refute it.

Gongsun Gong could only snort coldly.

"The Liao Tunnel has been breached, Shoushan has been occupied by the Wei army, and there is no need to defend Xiangping anymore. Now we must either retreat to Lelang or escape to the grasslands."

Gongsun Gong had a long-term vision and knew that the city of Xiangping was located on a plain and was almost indefensible.

Defending the city at this moment would be tantamount to suicide.

"The Wei army's navy has set out from Donglai and is probably already in Lelang. Going to Lelang this time is undoubtedly courting death."

The Han envoy spoke slowly on the side.

Both land and water?

Gongsun Gong's pupils shrank.

"It seems that the Wei Kingdom originally wanted to attack Liaodong."

Only now did Gongsun Gong begin to believe what Gongsun Yuan had just said.

"Now, His Majesty the Great Han has pointed out a clear path for our Gongsun clan. On the grassland, we have the Xianbei chieftain Kebi Neng to escort us and take care of our supplies. When the Wei army leaves Liaodong, we will return to Liaodong. Although our power will inevitably be damaged, it is better than death."

The Han envoy introduced Xie Guini to Gongsun Gong.

Gongsun Gong asked a few more key questions, and the Han envoys answered them fluently. Gradually, Gongsun Gong's doubts were gradually eliminated, and he began to believe the words of the Han envoys.

But in fact, given the current situation, even if Gongsun Gong doesn't believe it, what can he do?
The Gongsun family of Liaodong no longer has any other choice.

If you choose to stay in Xiangping, it would be no different from committing suicide.

"So, by giving way, you are convincing those people in the city to flee?"

"It's not an escape."

Gongsun Yuan explained: "It's a strategic shift, we will come back later."

If you flee, you won't even have the chance to come back, but if you strategically shift, there is still a chance and possibility to come back.

"What difference does this make?"

Gongsun Gong looked unhappy and said, "It is difficult to move to our hometown. I am afraid that not everyone will flee with us."

Abandoning one's family business and moving to a new place is something that is difficult to do in the 21st century, and it was even more difficult for anyone to do so during the Three Kingdoms period.

The vast sky is endless, and my homesickness is deep.

The world is vast and boundless, but despite its size, my deep longing for my hometown cannot be reduced.

Perhaps because of inconvenient transportation and the concerns of their clan parents, the ancients attached great importance to their hometown.

Most high-ranking officials in the imperial court would choose to leave the prosperous capital and return to their hometowns after resigning from office. On the one hand, it was to return home in glory, and on the other hand, it was to allow themselves to enjoy their old age.

The experience of wandering abroad for many years will make them miss every scene and thing of their hometown even more.

Besides, moving is not a dinner party.

Moving is very difficult for modern people, let alone in this era. If there were no Huolala, the difficulty of moving would be unimaginable.

Starved to death, exhausted to death, killed by others.
There are too many ways to die on the migration route.

"They are unwilling to follow my army's strategic shift, so I need my uncle to convince them."

Gongsun Gong shook his head and said, "Let those who don't want to leave their hometowns force themselves to leave. They will run away on the way. We just need to explain the tricks to them and let those who don't want to go with us escape into the mountains and forests to avoid the harm of the Wei army. It won't be too late to come out after we return. When escaping, we need to bring the young and strong, not the old and weak."

Gongsun Yuan nodded and said, "Please ask my uncle to help persuade those young and strong men to join the army."

After all, Gongsun Yuan had only been in power for a short time and his prestige was limited.

And it would be most appropriate to let Gongsun Gong do this kind of thing.

"Aren't you afraid that I will collude with them and plot to seize power?"

Gongsun Gong said coldly to Gongsun Yuan.

"Hahaha~"

Gongsun Yuan laughed loudly and said, "Why should I be afraid? If my uncle wants to let my grandfather's hard work go to waste, when I meet them in the underworld, I'll see who will have something to say, you or I."

People in this era still believe in ghosts and gods, and still believe that there is an underworld after death.

Otherwise, in this era, people would not choose to have a lavish burial after death.

"That's all."

Gongsun Gong sighed. "The position of the Lord of Liaodong originally came from my brother. Now that it is in your hands, it should be regarded as my return to my brother."

The military power was firmly in the hands of Gongsun Yuan. Gongsun Gong knew that even if he wanted to seize power, his chances were slim.

On the contrary, as Gongsun Yuan said, it will completely push the Gongsun family into the abyss.

"I will help you succeed." Although he was dissatisfied, Gongsun Gong had to say this reluctantly.

He didn't want to watch the Gongsun family perish in front of him.

The Han envoy smiled and said, "Why do you need to worry? I have already arranged a position for you as the governor of Beidi County. When you arrive at the grassland, you can go directly to Beidi County to take up the post."

Are there any officials left?

Is there still power to be held?
As soon as the Han envoy said this, Gongsun Gong immediately became energetic.

"If so, then Liaodong will be yours, so what?"

Although being an official in the Han Kingdom is definitely not as good as being a local emperor in Liaodong.

But
Who knows how long this local emperor of Liaodong can last?

The State of Wei would not sit idly by and watch disobedient princes rule over its head.

The Han Kingdom is now powerful. If the Han Kingdom were to unify the world, could he tolerate the existence of separatist forces in Liaodong?

Ha ha.

By then, it will probably be impossible for you, Gongsun Yuan, to become the governor of Liaodong.

"Your uncle is a man of great benevolence and righteousness, and I admire him. Your Majesty is wise, and I admire him."

The deal had been reached, and Gongsun Yuan and Gongsun Gong immediately went to persuade the various families in the city.

Some people agree, some people disagree.

But in the end, they gathered 30,000 young and strong men, carrying food, supplies, gold, silver and jewelry, and fled towards the grassland.

Some people who disagreed believed Gongsun Gong's words and fled into the mountains and forests with their families to avoid disaster.

After all, there is no shortage of mountains in Liaodong. There are big mountains, let alone small mountains?
The Wei army would not go deep into the mountains and forests just to find someone. This was not cost-effective and unnecessary. If they were to suffer from the unfamiliar climate and soil in the mountains and forests and get some disease, that would be a big problem.

They did not believe what Gongsun Gong said, so they remained in Xiangping City, hoping that Sima Yi would let them go.

But whether it was the Han envoy, Gongsun Yuan, or Gongsun Gong, they all knew in their hearts that those who stayed in Xiangping would either be killed by the Wei army, or at best, be relocated to Youzhou or Jizhou. They would not stay in Xiangping at all.

Shoushan.

The rain gradually eased, and Zhang Liao also received information from the scouts who were on patrol.

"Tens of thousands of people in Xiangping City are fleeing north? What tricks is Gongsun Yuan playing?"

Don’t want Xiangping anymore?
"I'm afraid he wants to escape to Lelang, Buyeo, or Goguryeo. Humph, if you flee like this, can't our Wei army catch up with you?"

A sneer appeared on Zhang Liao's face.

"General, you must give chase. I see that the 10,000-man army is carrying a lot of baggage, so their speed must not be fast. If we chase them now, I'm afraid we can catch up with them in two hours."

The deputy general beside him looked eager to try.

All I can say is that the previous battle went too smoothly.

In the eyes of the Wei army soldiers, these Liaodong soldiers were not human beings at all, but walking military merits.

"I only have less than 3,000 cavalrymen. If we want to defend Shoushan, even if we launch a surprise attack, I'm afraid it will be useless."

The scouts had just stated clearly in the military report that the Liaodong army that fled north was escorted by nearly 10,000 cavalry.

There are already many cavalry in Liaodong. If his 3,000 cavalrymen were to fall into an ambush, it would be bad news.

Zhang Liao now just wants to gain military merit steadily and doesn't want to do anything out of the ordinary.

In particular, he understood Sima Yi's temperament.

If he had done something meritorious in this pursuit, then there would be nothing to worry about. But if he had done something wrong, he would not take the blame for it.

"Send this message to the camp immediately and let the general make the decision!"

"promise!"

The scout immediately took the order and left.

To the west of the Liao River, the Wei army's main camp had not yet moved, but there were already fewer tents in the camp. It was obvious that there were not too many people in the camp.

The logistics workers have already begun to pack up things in the camp, and Sima Yi is preparing to set up the main camp outside the city of Xiangping.

This was the final battle to conquer Liaodong.

And at this moment, he received news from Zhang Liao's scouts.

"Gongsun Yuan fled north, where is he going?"

Sima Yi frowned, he always felt that this matter might not be that simple.

"To pursue or not to pursue?"

Sima Yi also hesitated.

The big promise he made to Cao Pi was to capture Liaodong within a year. Gongsun Yuan fled far away, and he captured Xiangping, which could be considered an alternative way of capturing Liaodong. However, without Gongsun Yuan's head, this list of achievements always felt insufficient.

"Tell Zhang Liao to lead the troops to pursue. If the enemy is numerous, harass them from the side instead of attacking them head-on. Also, have Qian Zhao lead his troops to Xiangping to find out the situation, and then pursue Gongsun Yuan who has fled northwards as appropriate."

First, we need to find out where Gongsun Yuan fled to.

If you go to Lelang
Then don't worry about him.

Going to Lelang means death.

If they went to Goguryeo, Buyeo, or even fled north to the grasslands, he could not sit idly by.

Sima Yi knew in his heart that only by killing the people of the Gongsun family and those forces that were affiliated with the Gongsun family could Liaodong be pacified.

Otherwise, once the royal army leaves, the Gongsun family in Liaodong will revive again.

The attack on Liaodong was in vain.

This is definitely not what Sima Yi wants to see.

As soon as the military order was given, Qian Zhao and Zhang Liao both took action.

Zhang Liao followed from a distance, but as soon as he got closer, he was pursued by the Liaodong cavalry and suffered heavy losses.

In the end, Zhang Liao could only follow from a distance of several miles and dared not get any closer.

The main reason was that these cavalrymen were not the troops he had led for decades. They were not elite enough and he was not easy to command them.

Even if he had great abilities, he couldn't make full use of them.

On the other hand, Qian Zhao, who was stationed in Xiangping, also heard the news of Gongsun Yuan's escape to the north from the local Xiangping people who had not left.

Gongsun Yuan fled north to the grassland, not to Lelang, nor to Goguryeo or Buyeo.

"Inform the general immediately!"

Qian Zhao also knew Sima Yi's character.

If this pursuit is successful, most of the credit will go to Sima Yi, not him.

If the pursuit fails, I'm afraid he will have to take the blame.

Qian Zhao was already a criminal and didn't want to take any risks.

One day later.

Sima Yi just received this news.

"Humph, Qian Zhao and Zhang Liao, you are causing trouble for the country."

It was a pity that he used these people when he conquered Liao, and he had no intention of repaying them.

hateful!

But soon, Sima Yi controlled his emotions. He immediately made a decisive decision and ordered Qian Zhao and Zhang Liao to pursue Gongsun Yuan's troops. They must not let Gongsun Yuan and his men escape to the grassland.

In other words, even if Gongsun Yuan's troops fled to the grassland, we must bring back Gongsun Yuan's head!

However, by the time Zhang Liao received the news of Gongsun Yuan's escape to the north and passed it on to Sima Yi, Sima Yi sent someone to notify Qian Zhao Zhang Liao, and then Qian Zhao passed the new news to Sima Yi. It took five days for this back and forth communication.

Gongsun Yuan's troops were all young and strong, with many mules and horses. They moved very fast, traveling day and night, and now they have arrived at Gaoxian City.

Outside Gaoxian City.

More than 30,000 Xianbei cavalrymen, in a black mass, had been waiting outside the city.

What’s the point of Wei’s army catching up with us at this time?
Gongsun Yuan's escape to the north is a foregone conclusion! (End of this chapter)