At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 201 Li Yan said that Kuai Yue and Zhi Cai entered Xiangyang

But it is said that Cao Cao led his troops to invade Donghai County. After Yuan Shao learned the news, he sent three battalions of troops to build up his momentum and direct his troops towards Tan County.

Tan County is the prefecture of Xuzhou and is also where Tao Qian lives.

At this time, Tao Qian transferred [-] Danyang elites to Liu Bei, and Tan County was already somewhat empty.

Tao Qian was horrified when he saw Cao's army approaching with great momentum. He even planned to abandon Xuzhou and flee back to his hometown of Danyang.

However, Mi Zhu advised: "If you leave, wouldn't you hand over Xuzhou to Cao Cao? If he massacres the people of Xuzhou, what can he do?"

Upon hearing this, Tao Qian said with some worry: "All the elite soldiers and horses have been transferred to Liu Xuande. If he can't make achievements, I'm afraid Xuzhou will no longer be able to stop Cao Cao."

"Cao Cao hates me to the core. If I don't leave now, am I waiting to be wiped out by him?"

Mi Zhu advised again: "Tian Kai, the governor of Qingzhou, and Liu Xuande, the prime minister of Pingyuan, have already led troops to help. Why don't you wait for a while? If they are defeated, it won't be too late for you to leave!"

Mi Zhu had already planned to welcome Liu Bei to Xuzhou, and naturally did not want to see Xuzhou occupied by Cao Cao, so he tried his best to persuade him.

Seeing that Tao Qian was still hesitant, Mi Zhu immediately walked to the map, pointed to the location of Pei County and said, "Look, Cao Jun has to transfer grain and grass from here when he invades Donghai County."

"Cao's army invaded Xuzhou with a force that was like splitting bamboo. He thought that the emperor would not dare to take the initiative to attack, so he did not leave many troops in Pei County."

"Now Liu Xuande is leading his troops and four thousand Danyang elite troops dispatched by the envoy to attack Pei County. As long as they occupy this place, they can cut off Cao Cao's food route."

"At that time, Cao Cao could either return his troops to besiege Pei County and open up food routes, or he could only withdraw his troops."

Mi Zhu did not let Liu Bei directly lead his troops to Tan County. On the one hand, he was worried that Tao Qian would be disappointed after seeing Liu Bei's rabble and eventually abandon the city and flee.

On the other hand, he also wanted Liu Bei to cut off Cao Cao's food routes, force Cao Cao's army to retreat, and achieve great success, so as to pave the way for the future occupation of Xuzhou.

Peixian County is the hometown of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. It is also Xiaopei, the place where Liu Bei stationed troops in history.

Speaking of Xiaopei, it actually belonged to Pei State at this time. Logically speaking, it was under the jurisdiction of Yuan Shu in Yuzhou. However, the two northern counties of Pei State were north of Paoshui and close to Yanzhou, so they were occupied by Cao Cao.

In history, both Tao Qian and Lu Bu once asked Liu Bei to station troops in Xiaopei, which was actually to guard against Cao Cao and Yuan Shu.

Xiaopei is located at the junction of the three major princes. As long as one party invites troops to invade, Xiaopei will definitely bear the brunt.

After Liu Bei obtained [-] Danyang elite troops, he left behind the hungry people who had been temporarily recruited, and took his elite troops and horses to attack Pei County day and night. As expected, he captured Xiaopei, which was not well defended.

After Cao Cao learned the news, he couldn't help but feel extremely upset.

"I never thought that old traitor Tao Qian would have such courage and dare to take the initiative. It was because I didn't think carefully and didn't leave enough troops in Xiaopei."

Xun Yu shook his head and said: "Tao Qian is already timid and has no such courage. I heard that the one who attacked Xiaopei was Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan's subordinate. This man is quite courageous."

Cao Cao's face darkened and he said: "Gongsun Zan has also sent people to help Xuzhou. It seems that the future war will not be easy."

Cao Cao's grain route was cut off, and just as Mi Zhu predicted, he directly led his troops to besiege Xiaopei, preparing to open up the grain route.

never thought.

Almost at the same time that Cao Cao sent troops to Xuzhou, Sun Jian led his troops westward and entered Guanzhong under the pretext of welcoming back the emperor. He actually wanted to attack Li Jue and Guo Si.

Sun Jian's move immediately made Li Jue and Guo Si very angry, and they cursed: "That guy Yuan Shu is so ignorant. In order to win over him, we gave him various rewards, but that guy sent Sun Jian to attack the key points. It's really not good for me." Keep it in your eyes!"

After scolding, the two prepared to raise troops to attack Sun Jian.

Before their troops and horses had been mobilized, Sun Jian's envoy had already rushed over and sent a secret letter to the two of them.

The two of them gave up after reading the content.

But it was said that Sun Jianjian made a plan to attack the east and west. He did not attack Changyuan directly, but instead attracted troops under the banner of welcoming the emperor, which made Cao Ren, who was waiting at Changyuan, breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Changyuan was heavily fortified at this time, there were not many troops and horses, and Cao Ren was also worried that Sun Jian would lead troops to invade.

However, Cao Ren was not happy for a long time, but bad news suddenly came from Dongjun.

Sun Jian, who originally attacked Guanzhong, instead took a detour to attack Dongjun, including Keyan County, Baima, and Puyang, and then entered Jiyin County and besieged Lihu.

Changyuan is just an isolated city in Chenliu County. If it were not for the supplies provided by Baima and Lihu, it would not be able to stop Yuan Shu's troops.

When Cao Ren learned that Lihu was besieged, he was immediately shocked and led his troops to rescue him.

Lihu must not allow any loss, otherwise Changyuan will become an isolated city and will be captured by Sun Jian sooner or later.

never thought.

Sun Ce, the son of Sun Jian, set up an ambush on the way and killed several of Cao Ren's generals, severely defeating Cao's army.

Cao Ren was defeated and Sun Jian defeated Lihu. Then he asked Yuan Shu to personally capture Changyuan of the isolated city and led his troops to attack Yanzhou Prefecture Zhichangyi.

After Yuan Shu learned the news of Sun Jian's victory, he couldn't help but be overjoyed. He immediately appointed Sun Jian as the governor of Yanzhou, and then personally led an army to besiege Changyuan, which was defeated in half a month.

Cao Cao, who was besieging Xiaopei, heard the news and led his troops back, fighting Sun Jian again.

Liu Bei took the opportunity to send troops to attack Cao Cao with Sun Jian.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

However, after Chen Deng left Shouchun, Zhou Qi immediately sent Xi Zhicai and Meng Da to Changsha to meet with Lu Su and Xu Huang. Even the trap camp who had always been guarding Zhou Qi was secretly sent to Changsha County.

Zhou Qi had previously rejected Cao Cao and Tao Qian. In addition to the reasons mentioned before, the most important thing was that Zhou Qi believed that Cao Cao's attack on Xuzhou involved the four northern princes, and it was a good opportunity for him to seize Jingzhou. .

In fact.

Having previously defeated Huang Zhong and captured the entire territory of Changsha, Jingzhou has almost become Zhou Qi's possession.

If the princes hadn't intervened, Zhou Qi might have captured Hanshou and captured Liu Biao.

This time the northern princes were involved in the quagmire of war, and Zhou Qi finally saw a good opportunity to attack Jingzhou.

However, Zhou Qi also learned lessons from the last attack on Jingzhou.

There are two main reasons why it was so difficult at the beginning.

First, Zhou Qi believed that Liu Biao was vulnerable and only wanted to use military means to seize Jingzhou, but he misjudged the powerful power hidden in Jingzhou.

Second, Zhou Qi had exposed his strategic goals before he sent troops to Jingzhou, so that Jingzhou was prepared in advance.

It was precisely because of these two reasons that Zhou Qi had such difficulty in the beginning.

If it had not been for Xu Huang's surprise attack on Changsha County by luck, Zhou Qi's first large-scale external use of troops would have ended in failure.

Zhou Qi learned from the pain and learned the lessons of the previous failure, and decided not only to secretly attack Jingzhou this time, but also to disintegrate Jingzhou's resistance from within.

However, after Jiang Qin occupied Yicheng, he did not send troops to harass Xiangyang, but instead started doing business with Xiangyang.

Both the Kuai and Cai surnames are native to Xiangyang.

Jiang Qin represented Jiangxia and even Yangzhou in trade with Xiangyang, which made the two major families in Xiangyang a lot of money. Even the Cai family, who was married to Liu Biao and was originally relatively resistant to Zhou Qi, had a slight change in attitude.

Inside Hanshou City.

Since Zhou Qi withdrew his troops, Liu Biao spent a lot of time to barely stabilize the situation in Jingzhou.

But he also knows that people in Jingzhou are now in a state of flux, and it is almost impossible to return to the previous atmosphere.

Liu Biao was also considering whether he should form an alliance with Liu Yan of Yizhou.

However, Liu Biao had been ambitious before and wanted to take advantage of Yizhou. He also reported to the emperor that Liu, the shepherd of Yizhou, had any disobedience.

It was precisely for this reason that the two Han clan clans developed a grudge.

It is obviously not an easy thing to get Liu Yan to put down his grudges and form an alliance with Liu Biao.

Liu Biao even planned to put aside the old grudges with Yuan Shu and reconcile.

The conflict between the two actually originated in Nanyang County. If Yuan Shu had not occupied Nanyang County in Jingzhou first, Liu Biao would not have formed an alliance with Yuan Shao and turned against Yuan Shu.

But now, Liu Biao is surrounded by enemies. If he doesn't find an ally, he may be annexed by Zhou Qi soon.

After this period of testing, Liu Biao could also feel that if he did not continue to fight for Nanyang County, there was indeed hope for reconciliation with Yuan Shu.

After all, Yuan Shu's current strategic focus is Yuan Shao in the north, not Liu Biao who only occupies half of Jingzhou.

If Yuan Shu insists on annexing Jingzhou, he will definitely fight Zhou Qi.

At that time, Yuan Shu was surrounded by enemies, and even with the protection of the Runan Yuan family, he would definitely not be able to withstand them.

Han Shou, Kuai Mansion.Kuai Yue had a rest today and was planning to relax, but the concierge came to report that an old friend was visiting.

Kuai Yue frowned slightly and asked, "Who is it?"

The concierge shook his head and said: "The other party wore a cloak and refused to reveal his name. He only said three words 'Lan Kou Ju'."

When Kuai Yue heard this, he stood up suddenly and said, "Invite him in. Don't let anyone else know about this!"

Not long after, the mysterious man was brought into the study.

Kuai Yue signaled his servants to close the door, and then said: "If Zheng Fang doesn't serve under General Chariot and Cavalry, how can he come to my house in a leisurely manner?"

The mysterious man unveiled his cloak, but it was Li Yan and Li Zhengfang who were worshiped by Zhou Qi as the ruler.

Li Yan chuckled lightly and said: "With the intelligence of the alien, how could you not guess the purpose of my coming here?"

Kuai Yue did not answer, but motioned for Li Yan to sit down, and then poured tea for Li Yan himself.

"Please!"

Li Yan took a sip and then said: "Although it is good tea, it is far from the fried tea in Lujiang."

Kuai Yue sarcastically said: "Not long after Fang Zhengcai went to Yangzhou to take office, he felt that everything in Yangzhou is better than Jingzhou?"

Li Yan said calmly: "Whether something is good or not has something to do with the place of production, but the most important thing is the production process. Lujiang County has the best tea-making technology, and although Jingzhou tea is also good, in terms of production technology, it is inferior. It’s a far cry from that.”

Seeing Kuai Yue bowing his head and saying nothing, Li Yan continued: "Just like the land of Jingzhou fell apart under Liu Biao's rule, more than half of the territory was annexed by other princes, the people were displaced, and the big families were panicked."

"On the other hand, the land of Yangzhou was stable and prosperous under the rule of the chariot and cavalry generals. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the aristocratic families flourished."

"It's not that Jingzhou is inferior to Yangzhou, it's that Jingzhou's herdsmen are far from being comparable to Yangzhou's herdsmen."

Kuai Yue sneered and said: "The Jiangxia family was almost wiped out by Zhou Jing; the Lujiang County and Yangzhou families were deceived by Tian Feng and lost all their money."

"Are these the so-called Yangzhou aristocratic families flourishing?"

Facing the sudden outburst of Kuai Yue, Li Yan remained calm and said seriously: "This is where General Chariot and Cavalry deserves more loyalty than Liu Biao."

What Kuai Yue said is true, and Li Yan has no way to refute it. If he dwells on this issue, it may cause Kuai Yue's dissatisfaction.

He then took a different approach and said calmly: "Since Liu Biao entered Jingzhou, the only person he could rely on to conquer Jingzhou so quickly was the powerful Jingzhou family."

"Xidu asks himself, is this kind of person a wise leader in troubled times?"

Kuai Yue said: "If you can make the people healthy and the place stable, you can naturally be regarded as a wise master."

Li Yan sneered and said, "Then Liu Biao has made the people healthy and the place peaceful?"

Kuai Yue said in a deep voice: "If the generals of chariots and cavalry had not invaded Jingzhou, Jingzhou would have been peaceful and prosperous long ago!"

Li Yan laughed loudly when he heard this and said: "Now that the princes are rising together, it is a time of great struggle. Even if the generals of chariots and cavalry do not attack Jingzhou, other princes will invade."

"How can a person who is not even considered a city defender be called a Ming Lord?"

At this point, Li Yan suddenly opened his arms and said: "On the other hand, General Chariot and Cavalry, although it has been difficult since entering Yangzhou, he has also married into aristocratic families. Even though he has hired many children from aristocratic families, he has not been controlled by others."

"The land of Yangzhou is prosperous and prosperous, with hundreds of civil and military officials working together as one."

"The so-called Jiangxia family is just a victim of the struggle with the Zhou family of Pei State. This is the case in troubled times. Land, resources, and official positions are limited. If a family rises, others will naturally decline."

"Xidu also hopes that the Kuai family of Nanjun will become a stepping stone for other newly rising families in troubled times, like many aristocratic families in Jiangxia County."

Kuai Yue's eyelids couldn't help but twitch a few times, but he remained calm.

Li Yan continued to talk eloquently: "As for those wealthy families who were deceived by the military advisor's wine sacrifice and lost all their money, it is only because they are too greedy and too stupid, and they were calculated by others."

"From the beginning to the end, the military master did not use any violent means to offer wine."

At this point, Li Yan stared at Kuai Yue and said, "Liu Biao is exhausted. No one knows it better than Yidu."

"If Yidu persists in his stubbornness, all the tribes in Jiangxia will learn from their mistakes."

For a slap in the face, a sweet date will naturally be given.

Li Yan said slowly: "A good bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a wise minister chooses his master to do his work."

"With Yidu's background and talents, if I can help the Chariot and Cavalry General take over Jingzhou, he will definitely be reused by the Chariot and Cavalry General."

"In addition to being regarded as a confidant by the Cavalry General of the Foreign Society, your brother can also be worshiped as the prefect of a county, and talented and learned children in the clan can also get an official position."

"I can guarantee that the Kuai family's status in Jingzhou will not be worse than it is now!"

Hearing this, Kuai Yue let out a long breath, but his heart was also extremely excited.

Although Liu Biao trusted the Kuai family, he also knew that the Kuai family was too powerful, so no one from the Kuai family held the post of governor of each county.

After all, the Kuai family seems to be prominent, but it does not have a high-ranking official with two thousand stones.

If after welcoming Zhou Qi into Jingzhou, Kuai Liang can be worshiped as the prefect of a county, then one of the two brothers will stay with Zhou Qi, and the other will serve as the county guard outside, the Kuai family will inevitably become more prominent.

He said: "General Chariot and Cavalry is planning to take advantage of the renewed disputes among the northern princes to attack Jingzhou for the second time?"

Li Yan just looked at Kuai Yue and smiled without saying a word.

Seeing Li Yan's appearance, Kuai Yue knew that his guess was not wrong, and immediately sighed: "Jingzhou has experienced wars many times, and the people have been displaced. If possible, I hope that war disasters will not affect Jingzhou again."

Li Yan smiled when he heard this and said: "If Yidu can persuade Liu Biao to surrender, Jingzhou will naturally be able to avoid being affected by the disaster of war again."

Kuai Yue pondered for a long time and said: "Now the people who are trusted by Mr. Liu are the Kuai family, the Cai family, and the Huang family."

"Now Cai Mao is guarding Xiangyang, and Huang Zu is guarding Huarong. I am always by your side."

"Among them, the Cai family is the most trusted by the emperor and has the most power. If the Cai family can be used to persuade the emperor to surrender, then success will be possible."

"However, the Cai family may not be willing to welcome the chariot and cavalry generals into Jingzhou if they marry the envoy."

In fact.

When Kuai Yue was lost in Changsha County, he knew that Jingzhou would be annexed by Zhou Qi sooner or later, and he had already planned to find another Ming lord.

Now that Li Yan personally came to persuade him and promised benefits, Kuai Yue naturally did not remain reserved.

When Li Yan heard this, he smiled and said: "Don't worry, Yidu, Cai Mao will have someone else to act as a lobbyist."

At the same time, Xi Zhicai, who was dressed in Tsing Yi, also mixed with the caravan and entered Xiangyang City as a traveling scholar.

At this time, although Cai Mao continued to trade with Jiang Qin to make money, his defenses were also very tight.

In particular, caravans entering Xiangyang must undergo very strict inspections, and young people from other places are not allowed to enter the city.

Xi Zhicai also relied on his status as a scholar to avoid being blocked outside the city.

After Xi Zhicai entered Xiangyang, he went directly to Cai Mansion to visit him without any hesitation.

"Who is sir?"

The concierge stopped Xi Zhicai because Cai was extremely prominent now and there were many people who wanted to visit her every day. Cai Mao was usually busy with official duties and could not receive everyone.

Xi Zhicai couldn't give his name directly, but he wasn't worried about not being able to get in.

He clasped his hands behind his back and said, "You don't need to know my name. You just need to tell your master that I have a piece of great wealth to give to him."

When the concierge heard this, he went in to report with some suspicion.

Unexpectedly, after Cai Hao received the notice, he sneered and said: "I don't even want to tell you my name. This kind of pretender will drive him away. I don't have time to summon him!"

The concierge and several sturdy servants walked to the door aggressively.

When Xi Zhicai saw this, he smiled and said: "Does your master think that I am pretending to be a ghost and asking you to drive me away?"

He swung his sleeves, raised his chin slightly, and said: "If God doesn't take it, you will suffer the consequences."

"Since your master doesn't want to be so rich, then prepare in advance to face the disaster of annihilation!"

After speaking, Xi Zhicai turned around and left without stopping at all.

(End of this chapter)