Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 848 Arrangements for Funerals

Cao Jun, who was dozens of miles behind Yuan Tan, suddenly began to march faster for some unknown reason. Without informing Yuan Tan, he crossed Julu and headed straight for Yecheng!

When Yuan Tan learned the news, Cao Jun was already one day ahead. Although Yuan Tan didn't know what happened, he immediately broke camp and chased away.

News from Yecheng kept coming along the way, and Yuan Tan and his counselors suddenly became anxious.

According to the reports from Yuan Tan's informants in Ye City, a large group of people in the city saw that Ye City was flooded and felt that they could not defend the city, so they planned to open the city and surrender to Cao Jun. Cao Ren Lejin, who was behind Yuan Tan, got News, rush to meet with Cao Jun in the besieged city and take over Yecheng!

After Yuan Tan learned about it, he cursed loudly, blaming Guo Tu and others for not guessing the movements of Cao's army, and at the same time reducing his troops. In addition to taking all the cavalry, he also gave up the baggage and handed over the donkeys and mules that pulled the baggage to the most elite infantry. Strive to get to Yecheng as quickly as possible, leaving the rest of the infantry behind to go on their own.

After traveling day and night, the more than 20,000 people led by Yuan Tanjun were exhausted, and some people kept falling behind along the way. But the good news is that the march speed greatly accelerated, and finally, more than ten days later, they arrived dozens of miles away from Yecheng. , Yuan Tan's army overtook Cao Cao's army by one day's journey!

Yuan Tan was exhausted, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face. He summoned Guo Tuxinping and others and said, "Now, should we send people to the city to talk to each other first, or should we lead troops directly to Yecheng to guard against changes?"

After these days of traveling, Guo Tu also looked listless. He managed to gather his strength and said: "More than ten miles around Yecheng has been flooded. If we are blocked under the city gate, we will be in a dilemma. It is better to go fifteen miles away first." It’s a good place to camp.”

"After all, there is a Cao army attacking the city nearby. If we don't find a way to quickly enter the city, when Yecheng opens the city gate and surrenders, they may take the opportunity to take the lead, so before that, it's best to find out where they are. "

Yuan Tan nodded in agreement, and immediately led his army to approach the south gate of Ye City, and at the same time sent people to inquire about the news. Half a day later, he began to set up a camp, and then the spies came back and reported that Cao's army was not stationed near Ye City during this period.

Although this news was a bit unexpected, it was also reasonable. After all, the people in Yecheng would not be able to escape if the city was flooded with water. There was really no need for Cao Jun to keep looking here.

Then the next person who came to visit was Xu You.

Yuan Shang chuckled and said: "Sir, if it were anyone else, I would have thought that he would have taken the opportunity to defect to Cao Cao."

Xu You hesitated for a moment and replied: "It's about Cao Cao, but it's just Mr. Xian Yi's speculation."

But Yuan Tan always felt that something was wrong. He went to see it in person. The water level seemed to be only more than a foot. He could still run away if he wanted to. The method was to follow the strategy of surrounding three and leaving one. Logically speaking, Cao Jun Even if you don't stare so closely, you shouldn't be so slack, right?

But the news that came later dispelled Yuan Tan's doubts, saying that Cao's army had appeared in the north of Yecheng where the water level was low, and wanted to wait for an opportunity to attack the city, but was blocked by the Jizhou army in the city, and the two sides were in a stalemate for a while. .

Seeing Xu You's hesitant look, Yuan Shang had already guessed something in his mind and said, "Sir, you have something to say, but it doesn't hurt to say it."

Xu You smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty is joking, my family members are all in the city, how could they escape?"

Yuan Shang sighed: "Actually, I am very surprised. Last time I asked the old, young, women and children to leave the city, many counselors sent their young sons out of the city, but my husband left all his family members in Yecheng."

"As for what I said specifically, I can't say more, but I can guarantee that this matter has nothing to do with the envoy."

Xu You said helplessly: "I have no choice. Among all the counselors, Cao Cao and I have the deepest friendship. If I send my family away, won't I be even more suspicious?"

Thinking of this, Yuan Tan had no choice but to suppress his irritability and wait, and at the same time asked someone to contact the hidden informants in Yecheng. But now it was dark and he could not enter the city, and he would have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest.

Yuan Shang comforted him with a few words and promised to think about it for two days. Only then did he feel relieved and left.

Yuan Shang was silent. After a long time, he finally spoke slowly, "Second brother asked me to hand over a letter to you. What did it say?"

But now Yuan Tan does not want Yuan Shang to be so seriously injured, because in this case, he may not be able to stay awake for a long time. It is estimated that military affairs are handled by his advisers, but for such a big event as opening the city, without Yuan Shang's nod, the advisers are Can't make the decision!

After Yuan Tan heard this, he immediately asked Guo Tu to contact the city. As a result, after the spies entered the city, no news was sent back until nightfall. He couldn't help but become anxious. Was this Yuan Shang's deliberate delay, or was there some other reason?

At the official residence in the city, Yuan Shang had just sent Shen Pei to ask about his next plan. Shen Pei insisted that Yuan Tan had committed a heinous crime by seeking refuge with Cao Cao and betraying the Yuan family. The city should not be opened to the public either emotionally or rationally, and swore that the Shen family would like to He defended the city for Yuan Shang, even if everyone died.

Xu You was overjoyed and just bowed his head to thank you when he heard Yuan Shang continue: "It's better to stay a little longer. There's no need to come back."

Xu You composed himself and said: "You are willing to go to Cao's camp for the envoy to persuade Cao Cao to withdraw his troops."

I remembered that when Yuan Yao escaped, he boasted that his sneak attack on Yuan Shang was so deep that he almost stabbed him through. If that was true, it would be a miracle that Yuan Shang could survive to this day.

After hearing this, Yuan Shang thought for a long time, and finally said: "This time I am sent to Cao Ying as an envoy, it is thanks to Mr. Lai."

Hearing this, Xu You raised his head in surprise, "Your Majesty, this is..."

Yuan Shang sighed: "My husband and I are actually in the same situation. If I send my family members out first, it will only make the people in the city more unstable, so my family members are all in the city."

"But I also know that if Ye City is attacked by Cao's army, it will be difficult for me to protect them. You and I are aware of what Cao's army did, and they will definitely not be spared." "But the only thing I am worried about is my mother. In case he is captured, I would like to ask you, sir, for the sake of my late father, to say a few words for him, and I would be very grateful."

Xu You was shocked after hearing this, and he knelt down quickly and said, "You must do everything you can to protect the old lady!"

Yuan Shang nodded, "Sir, please pack your bags and leave the city as much as possible."

Xu You said goodbye and sighed in his heart. If Yuan Shanghui asked him to save the entire Yuan family, he would still hesitate, but it was hard to shirk his request to save his biological mother Liu.

But thinking about Yuan Xi's letter, Xu You couldn't feel relaxed.

He had wanted to betray Jizhou several times before and defect to Cao Ying. Just when everything was ready and he was waiting to find a way to get his family out of the city first, Yuan Shang handed him a secret letter written by Yuan Xi.

The letter only said one thing, or maybe it was just a guess.

At that time, Xu You planned to assassinate Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, and it was Cao Cao who leaked the news.

There is no exact evidence given in it, and in fact it cannot be given, but it very cleverly links together the things that Xu You suspected at the beginning, forming an extremely convincing chain of evidence.

Of course, Xu You didn't know. In fact, Yuan Xi didn't know the inside story of this matter either. He just proposed this idea and thought hard with Zhuge Liang, using various evidences to improve this point of view and make it more convincing.

For a person like Zhuge Liang who is good at guessing people's hearts and grasping trends, the so-called true and false evidence he fabricated, in Xu You's opinion, completely aroused his suspicions for more than ten years and turned his suspicions into ironclad evidence. .

In fact, Yuan Xi naturally doesn't know the truth. There were so many people involved in what happened more than ten years ago. Who can tell clearly?

But it turns out that Cao Cao is the most suitable person to take the blame. Because of what Cao Cao has done over the years, from supporting Liu Xie by following the orders of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, to rebelling against Yuan Shao, and then to kidnapping the emperor in the incident of the belt edict. In a big game of chess, Xu You couldn't help but doubt it.

Especially Cao Cao's betrayal of Yuan Shao, who had rescued him several times, made Xu You suspicious of Cao Cao's original intentions. In other words, Xu You no longer dared to trust Cao Cao unconditionally, and naturally he would not betray Yecheng.

Therefore, Xu You is still on Yuan's side in his heart. The effect of this letter is so good, I am afraid that Yuan Xi himself did not expect that he was just a dead horse and a living horse doctor at the beginning.

After Yuan Shang sent Xu You away, he met another person.

This man has a very ordinary appearance, with rough hands and feet. He looks like he does heavy work. In fact, he is also a craftsman in Yuanfuqian Street. During the day, he was called in on the pretext that Yuan Shang wanted to prepare gifts for Liu's birthday party. of.

Now he half-knelt in front of Yuan Shang and said: "I have received the order from my lord. If the city is in danger, I will risk my life to escort you and your family to escape."

Only Yuan Shang knows this person's identity, he is Yuan Xi's spy!

Yuan Shang said: "Don't worry about me, just take care of your family."

"How many of you are there? How many people can you escort out of the city?"

The man whispered: "It won't be a problem for us to escort at least three or five people."

Yuan Shang asked again: "Is it okay if there is water outside the city?"

The man said: "This kind of water with more than a foot is the most troublesome. No matter how high or low it is, it will be much easier. But now, it won't be a problem for three or five people."

Yuan Shang felt relieved now. He knew that the dead soldiers trained by Yuan Xi were much more reliable than his own bodyguards, so he pinned his last glimmer of hope on these dead soldiers.

After all, Xu You's side is really not very reliable, not that Xu You himself, but Cao Cao really can't be trusted, so he might as well find a way on his own.

After the secret agent left, Yuan Shang felt a deep sense of fatigue. Although he was not going to die soon, he had arranged the matter properly and he had nothing to worry about.

What we have to do next is to delay as much time as possible and let Yuan Tan wait outside the city until something unexpected happens and he pays an unbearable price.

From the beginning to the end, Yuan Shang hated Yuan Tan the most. Since the other party dragged him into trouble, everyone would die together.

(End of this chapter)