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

Chapter 235 Cao Cao invades Nanyang and Yuan Shao attacks Xuzhou

But it is said that Zhou Qi sent away his eldest son Zhou Ji, exchanged protons with Liu Bei, and then married Yuan Shu.

The second son Zhou Tong entered into a marriage contract with Yuan Shu's daughter. Both parties submitted a marriage certificate and agreed to get married immediately after they came of age.

After recuperating for more than half a year, Chen Wen's subordinates sent news that Liu Zhang of Yizhou imprisoned Zhang Lu's mother and her family on the grounds that Zhang Lu did not listen to his orders, and ordered Pang Xi and others to lead troops to attack Zhang Lu, but he did so several times. Broken by Zhang Lu.

Zhou Qi was stunned when he heard the news.

According to the original history, as early as when Liu Zhang first became the shepherd of Yizhou, he killed Zhang Lu's mother and his family on the grounds that Zhang Lu did not obey his orders.

Because Zhou Qi attacked Yizhou, Liu Zhang did not want to cause trouble, so he tolerated it and did not move Zhang Lu rashly.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Lu was now like a feudal prince, not obeying Liu Zhang's orders at all.

Liu Zhang had no choice but to imprison Zhang Lu's mother and family, but he did not dare to kill them all because he was afraid of Zhou Qi's presence.

After Zhou Qi heard the news, he couldn't help clasping his hands and laughing: "Liu Zhang is so stupid to attack Zhang Lu at this time!"

Knowing that Zhou Qi, a powerful enemy, was eyeing him in Ba County, Liu Zhang still chose to break up with Zhang Lu. No wonder Zhou Qi said he was stupid.

Not to mention that Liu Zhang sent troops to attack Zhang Lu repeatedly but could not defeat him. Even if Zhang Lu was really defeated, he would most likely be forced to Zhou Qi's side.

If they were to change places, Zhou Qi would never break up with Zhang Lu, and the best choice would be to maintain peace for the time being.

However, Liu Zhang cannot be blamed.

Yizhou is currently suffering from internal and external troubles. If the internal troubles cannot be quelled early, Liu Zhang will be destroyed by Zhou Qi sooner or later.

It's a pity that Liu Zhang overestimated his own ability and underestimated the difficulty of attacking Hanzhong, so he was defeated by Zhang Lu repeatedly.

Zhang Lu's continuous battles undoubtedly increased his arrogance, and he was even more unwilling to obey Liu Zhang's orders.

Fortunately, Zhang Lu did not dare to go too far because of the lives of his mother and family members.

However, Zhou Qi took the opportunity to ask for an edict from the emperor Liu Xie, reprimanding Liu Zhang for imprisoning Zhang Lu's mother and family, and ordered him to return Zhang Lu's family as soon as possible.

Otherwise, General Zhou Qi would raise troops to attack Liu Zhang and avenge Zhang Lu.

Chengdu.

After Liu Zhang read the emperor's edict, he couldn't help but tremble with anger, angrily tore it into pieces, and cursed: "That fellow Zhou Qi, how dare you use a false emperor to suppress me?"

Wu Yi's face changed slightly when he saw this, and he hurriedly advised: "Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Zhou Qi, Yuan Shu, and Liu Bei followed the late emperor's edict and jointly elected King Chenliu as emperor. Although this move is against the legal system, the general trend in the south is now."

"By tearing up the imperial edict, Zhou Qi, who is already eyeing Yizhou, will have an excuse to continue using troops against Yizhou!"

When Liu Zhang heard this, his whole body was agitated. He suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice: "Zhang Lu failed to live up to his father's high expectations and refused to listen to the orders to separate Hanzhong. His mother's family is the last resort to restrain Zhang Lu."

"If we release them all, I'm afraid Zhang Lu will take the initiative to lead his troops to attack me."

In fact, Liu Zhang's guess was not wrong.

If the original history is to be followed, after Liu Zhang killed Zhang Lu's mother and family members, Zhang Lu took the initiative to lead troops to invade Bajun.

Because Zhang Lu won the hearts of the Ba people, the Ba people continued to rebel. Liu Zhang had no choice but to divide Ba County into three parts and asked Pang Xi to resist Zhang Lu.

There are many Ba people in the land of Bajun. Among them, the "snake species" Ba people are also called Banzhen barbarians. Most of the ethnic minority rebellions in Yizhou during the Han Ling Emperor were instigated by Banzhen barbarians.

They make a living by fishing and hunting. Due to the harsh natural environment and difficult material conditions, they have formed a brave and fierce folk custom.

Pang Xi believed that the Ba people were good at fighting and should not be enemies of them. They should be favored widely to win their hearts, and then he recruited the Ba people into the military guard and used the Ba people to resist Zhang Lu.

However, Liu Zhang believed the slander and thought that Pang Xi wanted to recruit Ba people who were friendly to Zhang Lu, so he began to be suspicious of Pang Xi.

As a native of Ba County, Zhao Wei naturally knew that the Ba people were brave and good at fighting. He also agreed with Pang Xi's approach and repeatedly advised Liu Zhang, but Liu Zhang refused to listen.

Only then did Zhao Wei regret that he had appointed Liu Zhang as the shepherd of Yizhou, so he led his troops to rebel, and was eventually defeated and killed.

Now, Zhou Qi has occupied Bajun, and Yan Yan serves as the prefect of Bajun, assisted by Xu Shu.

Zhou Qi himself has no ill feelings towards ethnic minorities, especially the Ba people, who have almost completely integrated with the Han people in later generations and are indistinguishable from each other.

Yan Yan used a gentle policy and treated the Ba people favorably. Coupled with his local reputation in Ba County, the Ba people were content to keep to themselves.

Zhou Qi also planned to wait until the Ba people had a sense of belonging to his rule, and then recruit soldiers among the Ba people. They would definitely become brave and capable soldiers.

However, Zhao Wei said: "The emperor can refuse Zhou Qi on the grounds that Zhang Lu's mother is seriously ill and should not travel long distances. He also went to the court and said that if Zhang Lu is really filial, he can come to Chengdu to pick up his mother, and the emperor will not stop him. .”

"I'm sure Zhang Lu won't dare to come to Chengdu. In this way, we won't completely fall out with the southern court, and we won't have to send Zhang Lu's mother away. Why not?"

Liu Zhang was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately adopted Zhao Wei's advice.

Zhou Qi was planning to find an excuse to unite with Zhang Lu to attack Liu Zhang, but he did not expect that the other party would come up with such a trick. He immediately did not want to lose face and directly led his troops to attack Liu Zhang.

Zhou Qi had just planned to mobilize his troops, but news came from the north.

That is, Cao Cao moved the people of Yanzhou into Guanzhong, and then handed over Yanzhou to Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao led 30 infantry and cavalry southward, and his troops were divided into two groups from Taishan County and Beihai State to attack Xuzhou. The army was as powerful as splitting bamboo. Liu Bei lost consecutive battles and retreated to Tan County.

Liu Bei panicked and hurriedly asked Prime Minister Yuan Shu and General Zhou Qi for help.

At the same time, Cao Cao followed Yuan Shao's orders and led troops to attack Nanyang County and plunder the people everywhere.

After Zhou Qi learned the news, he urgently summoned his subordinates civil and military officials to discuss the matter.

Zhou Qi looked solemn and said: "Yuan Benchu ​​led his troops south. Xuzhou is in danger. Liu Xuande asked Gu for help. Nanyang County was also attacked by Cao Cao's army. Do you have any good strategies to retreat from the enemy?"

As soon as Zhou Qi finished speaking, Huang Zhong, Wenpin, Li Yan and the newly recruited Wei Yan stood up almost at the same time, asking for battle and asking to lead troops north to fight Cao Cong.

As natives of Nanyang County, they naturally felt resentful when they saw their hometown being plundered by Cao Cao.

When Zhou Qi saw this, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

There are advantages and disadvantages to asking Yuan Shu for Nanyang County. The advantage is naturally to increase the territory under his rule and the household registration. Moreover, holding Nanyang County in his hands can also become a war buffer zone and can defend Xiangyang.

However, the disadvantages are also very obvious.

Since Wuguan was not in the hands of Zhou Qi, after Cao Cao occupied Guanzhong, he could rely on the geographical advantage to go south and invade Nanyang County at any time.

On the other hand, if Zhou Qi wanted to carry out the Northern Expedition, he would have to cross mountains and attack Wuguan.

Wuguan is the gateway to the south of Guanzhong. It has always been one man who can't open the gate and no one can open it. I don't know how many wars have broken out here in history.

How difficult it is to conquer it.

If Zhou Qi garrisoned a large number of troops in Nanyang County, he would certainly be able to guard against Cao Cao's invasion, but it would consume a lot of money and food, constrain a lot of his own strength, and affect the development of other aspects.

If there are no heavy troops stationed in Nanyang County, then Cao Cao can go south at will. The initiative is completely in Cao Cao's hands, and he is very passive.

Zhou Qi had not never thought about moving the people of Nanyang County into Xiangyang and turning Nanyang County into a war buffer zone.

However, Nanyang County is known as the best county in the world and also has the title of Nandu. Even Zhou Qi has many generals from Nanyang under his command.

How would they feel if they gave up Nanyang County so easily?

Seeing the indignant looks of Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Wenpin and others, Zhou Qi couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and then comforted him: "Generals, please don't be excited. Cao Cao invaded our territory for no reason, and I will not just sit idly by."

"But now Yuan Shao has gathered the power of the five northern states and raised 30 troops to go south to attack Xuzhou. If he does not lead troops to rush for reinforcements, Liu Xuande will be captured by Yuan Benchu."

"As the saying goes, if Xuzhou is captured by Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu will be destroyed sooner or later. Wouldn't we be alone and helpless at that time?"

"Cao Cao cannot ignore the invasion of Nanyang County, and Liu Xuande's request for help cannot be ignored."

"Please proceed with caution this time."

The sudden attack by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao completely disrupted Zhou Qi's established strategy of capturing Yizhou first and then Longxi.

In the final analysis, plans cannot keep up with changes.

Although Liu Bei has the qualifications to be a hero, he lacks top counselors after all. Moreover, after two massacres by Cao Cao in Xuzhou, countless people fled south. As a result, the household registration in Xuzhou was greatly reduced, and the military strength was far from being comparable to Yuan Shao.

On the other hand, Yuan Shao not only has a large number of troops, but also has a cloud of counselors and a rain of fierce generals. The two sides are not a heavyweight contest at all.

As for Yuan Shu, he could be robbed by Zhang Liao's 300 men and captured alive by Pan Zhang and Ma Zhong. Isn't it ridiculous to expect that such a thing can stop Yuan Shao's army from going south?
If Zhou Qi had not sent troops to help Liu Bei in this battle, he might have destroyed Liu Bei and Yuan Shu by Yuan Shao before he captured Yizhou.

You know, Xuzhou and Yuzhou are not as good as Yizhou. The terrain is dangerous and easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The reason why Zhou Qi did not choose to expand northward was because these two places were basically undefendable, and as long as they were defeated, they would be in dire straits.

On the other hand, the two states of Jing and Yang guard the natural dangers of the Han River, Huaihe River, and Yangtze River. Even if Yuan Shao unified the entire north, it would be very difficult to go south. This is the geographical advantage occupied by Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi looked around at the crowd, finally focused on Xi Zhicai, and asked, "Does the military advisor have any good advice for me?"

Xi Zhicai frowned and thought for a long time before speaking: "If Yuan Benchu ​​really plans to decide the outcome in a battle, it will definitely be a fierce battle when my lord goes to help Xuzhou this time."

"As for Cao Mengde, he led [-] troops to attack Nanyang County. If he doesn't fight with him, he will definitely lose his support."

"In my humble opinion, my lord should divide his troops into two groups, one to fight Cao Mengde, the other to aid Liu Xuande, and urge Yuan Gongluo to raise troops to aid Xuzhou."

After hearing this, Zhou Qi asked the other counselors for their opinions, and finally decided to adopt the strategy of Xi Zhicai and divide his troops into two groups.

Zhou Qi asked Jia Xu, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, and Wenpin to lead [-] troops to Wancheng to fight Cao Cao. Li Yan was responsible for transporting grain and grass.

Historically, Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu alone were able to defeat Cao Cao in Wancheng. Although it was a bit of luck, now Zhou Qi has sent such a luxurious lineup, and except for Jia Xu, the other generals are all from Nanyang County. Just take advantage of the home court.

With them fighting Cao Cao, even if they cannot win, they will not be defeated.

As for Xuzhou, it is the main battlefield.Zhou Qi personally led [-] troops and horses, including Xi Zhicai, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Gan Ning, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhou Tai, Zhou Yu and other men to rush to Liu Bei's aid.

As for Xiangyang, Zhou Qi left Tian Feng and Xiang Hong to garrison.

This time, in addition to the generals who are stationed in various places, Zhou Qi can be said to have gathered the elites of Jing and Yang states. The lineup is extremely luxurious, and he is very likely to decide the outcome in a battle with Yuan Shao.

Zhou Qi had just led his troops on an expedition. Before they arrived in Xuzhou, Liu Zhang had already sent Zhao Wei and others to attack Langzhong of Ba County on Yuan Shao's orders.

Fortunately, Huo Jun, the magistrate of Langzhong County, had already taken precautions and relied on the city's favorable location to keep Zhao Wei and others out of the city.

The Yizhou army besieged Lang for half a year but could not defeat it. After they ran out of food and grass, they had to retreat.

Huo Jun led his men in pursuit, but he never expected to fall into Zhang Ren's ambush. Most of his troops were lost, and even he was almost killed by random arrows.

The Yizhou army won a great victory and returned again, hoping to capture Langzhong with the power of victory.

Fortunately, Yan Yan led his troops to kill him in time, and was able to defeat Zhang Ren and defend Langzhong.

Seeing that it was impossible to capture Langzhong, Zhao Hao immediately shouted to Yan Yan at the foot of the city: "You are also Liu Shijun's former subordinate, why did you betray your master and join the bandits?"

"Before, I thought Bajun Yan Yan was a loyal and righteous man. From today on, you and I are our own masters, and we have nothing to do with each other!"

Yan Yan was so embarrassed that she didn't know how to reply.

Unexpectedly, Xu Shu stood up at this moment and said loudly: "Why does General Zhao confuse right and wrong?"

"According to the imperial edict of the late emperor, my Lord, together with Yuan Gongguo, the fourth generation and the third prince, and Liu Xuande, a clan member of the Han Dynasty, jointly elected the prince Xie as the emperor and was named a general by the court. Everything he said and done represented the court and orthodoxy."

"General Yan Yan is serving the imperial court by surrendering to the general. This is an act of great loyalty!"

"Before general Yan Yan took refuge with the general, he had already been dismissed from all official positions by Liu Zhang, and he was even jailed and convicted."

"Excuse me, what is General Yan Yan's crime?"

"You are so arrogant and ignorant of military skills that you lost Dianjiang, but you sent General Yan Yan, who repeatedly reminded you of your attention, to jail for questioning. Where is the justice?"

"As the saying goes: A good bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a wise minister chooses his master to serve."

"If the king treats his ministers like brothers and feet, then his ministers will treat him like his heart; if he treats his ministers like dogs and horses, then his ministers will treat him like a countryman; if he treats his ministers like dirt, then his ministers will treat him like a bandit."

"Liu Zhang had talents but could not use them. Instead, he used treacherous villains. He should blame General Yan Yan, a highly respected and brave general of the three armies."

"You are in a high position, but you are sitting on a bare table. You are jealous of talents and talents. You do not accept good words and only know how to make slanderous remarks."

"Let me ask you, with Liu Zhang, you and other monarchs and ministers like you, why is it wrong for General Yan Yan to switch to the general?"

Xu Shu's words left Zhao Wei and others speechless, their faces turned red, and Yan Yan also cast a grateful look at Xu Shu.

Seeing that all the soldiers under his command were whispering to each other, Zhao Wei couldn't help but snorted coldly and shouted: "Young man with a yellow mouth, you are just trying to show off your words, I don't even bother to do that!"

After speaking, Zhao Wei led his troops to retreat.

At this time, Huo Jun came over with a face full of shame and took the initiative to plead guilty: "The general was careless earlier and fell into the ambush set by Zhang Ren. That's why he lost his troops and generals. Please punish me by the county guard!"

Yan Yan comforted him and said, "Zhong Miao was able to hold off tens of thousands of Yizhou troops for half a year with 2000 men and horses, which is a great contribution."

"Even if the Yizhou Army was accidentally ambushed before, it cannot erase the achievements made previously."

"However, we need to be more cautious when leading troops in the future, especially when defending. Don't seek no success, but seek no faults!"

These words can be regarded as Yan Yan’s heartfelt words.

If Zhao Wei and others had been able to achieve no merit but no fault when they were guarding Dianjiang, they would not have fallen into the trap set by Jia Xu, resulting in the loss of troops and generals, and the loss of the strategic location of Dianjiang.

Huo Jun was also greedy for merit this time, otherwise holding Langzhong with two thousand troops for half a year would definitely be considered a great achievement.

Fortunately, Yan Yan and Xu Shu had already led their troops to the vicinity of Langzhong, but they did not lead them to join the battle.

The reason for doing this was Xu Shu's plan.

Xu Shu believed that the reason why Liu Zhang raised troops to attack Langzhong this time was because he thought that the general was at war with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao and had no time to look west, so he took a chance and wanted to capture Langzhong and regain Bajun.

However, Langzhong occupies a natural danger and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Huo Jun is also a good general. He can lead two thousand troops and horses to protect Langzhong.

Otherwise, let Huo Jun guard Langzhong first, which will not only consume Yizhou's food and grass, but also consume the morale of Yizhou's army.

If Liu Zhang's generals cannot even defeat Langzhong where 2000 men are stationed this time, they will definitely not dare to covet Bajun again in the future.

On the contrary, if Yan Yan and Xu Shu led troops to support Langzhong early, Zhao Wei and others realized that it was impossible to achieve success, and would lead troops to the second area.

In this way, the purpose of consuming Yizhou's national power will not be achieved.

It was precisely for this reason that Yan Yan let Huo Jun guard Langzhong alone for half a year.

Sure enough, the Yizhou Army returned without success and spent a lot of money and food. Liu Zhang really lost confidence in regaining Bajun and never dared to take the initiative to invade Bajun again.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

But it is said that Yuan Shao raised 30 troops and attacked Xuzhou in two groups. The troops were defeated steadily along the way.
In desperation, Liu Bei had to retreat to Tan County in Xuzhou Prefecture, intending to rely on the strong city of Tan County to defend the city and wait for reinforcements.

Outside Tan County City, gongs and drums roared, and flags blocked out the sun.

Yuan Shao's generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, led their troops to call for battle outside the city every day. Their foul language was so unbearable that Zhang Fei became so angry that he asked Liu Bei to go out of the city to fight with the two men.

However, Liu Bei comforted Zhang Fei and said: "Yuan Jun's dirty words outside the city are just to provoke us to go out of the city to fight with him."

"Yuan Shao has many soldiers and generals, but Xuzhou has only a few soldiers and few generals."

"We may have a chance of winning if we hold on to the city. If we go out to fight Yuan's army, we will definitely lose."

"Yi De has been leading the army for many years, so don't fall into Yuan Jun's trick of provoking generals."

"We just need to hold on to the city and wait for reinforcements to arrive."

Guan Yu said with some worry: "I think Yuan Jun has been cutting down trees around these days, and he must be building siege equipment."

"Yuan's troops are numerous and powerful. If Zhou Ziyi and Yuan Jiujiu refuse to lead troops to help Xuzhou, we may not be able to hold on for long."

When Liu Bei heard this, a look of worry flashed in his eyes.

Although the three princes have formed an alliance, whether the alliance is solid still needs to be tested.

Yuan Shu was narrow-minded and capricious, and Liu Bei didn't expect much from him.

Although Zhou Qi sent his eldest son here, which seemed quite reliable, Yuan Shao sent 30 troops south after all.

Even Liu Bei was afraid of such a huge force, and he was also worried that Zhou Qi would hesitate to send troops.

not to mention.

Liu Bei also heard about it. At this time, Cao Cao led his troops to attack Nanyang County, and Liu Zhang led his troops to attack Ba County.

Even if Zhou Qi originally planned to rush to Xuzhou's aid, but now that he is being attacked on both sides, he may suddenly change his mind.

Even if we still send troops to help, a lot of troops will inevitably be restrained. How many troops and horses can come to help Xuzhou?

While Liu Bei was worried, the envoy who went to Ruyang to request reinforcements had already returned and reported: "Although the Prime Minister wanted to rush to help Xuzhou, Cao Cao led his troops to attack Yingchuan Changshe."

"The prime minister was worried about the loss of Yingchuan, so he led his troops to fight Cao Cao. I'm afraid he won't be able to take care of Xuzhou in a short time."

When Liu Bei heard this, his heart sank.

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes and said coldly: "How many men and horses does Cao Cao have under his command, and he can divide his troops into two groups to attack Nanyang and Yingchuan?"

"From what I can see, Yuan Shu is probably afraid of Yuan Shao Bingfeng, so he deliberately refuses to come to the rescue."

Although Liu Bei also guessed from this, he did not dare to offend Yuan Shao, and immediately reprimanded Guan Yu: "If the Prime Minister can come to rescue Xuzhou, it is out of love. Even if he cannot come to rescue because he is restrained by Cao Cao, we will not come to rescue him." How can you hold a grudge?"

"From now on, you must never make such remarks again!"

As soon as Liu Bei finished speaking, he heard the sound of cannon outside the city, and saw the densely packed Yuan army with countless siege equipment besieging Tan County from all directions.

Yuan Jun not only attacked the four city gates of Tan County, but also brought huge logs to the weak points of the city wall.

At this time, Yuan's advantage in having more troops was revealed.

Tan County is not like Xiangyang, facing water on three sides, so that the army and siege equipment are of no use; nor is it like Dianjiang, which is built on the mountainous terrain, so the army is of no use at all.

Tan County is the prefecture of Xuzhou. Although the city walls are tall, they are still much inferior to those strategically important cities.

Just when Yuan Jun relied on his superior strength to besiege Tan County, Liu Bei could only lead the soldiers and horses in the city to put out the fire everywhere.

The two sides had been fighting for half a month. Under Yuan Jun's powerful offensive, the weak points of Tan County's city wall were already crumbling.

At this time, no reinforcements had arrived.

Chen Deng looked at the exhausted Liu Bei and advised, "If reinforcements do not arrive, Tan County cannot be defended."

"The king can lead his troops to break through the encirclement, abandon Donghai Kingdom and retreat to Xiapi Kingdom."

"Xiapi is faced with water on both sides, and there is a man-made moat to protect the city in the center. As long as there is enough food and grass, it will be difficult for Yuan Shao to conquer it even if he mobilizes 30 troops."

"Now that Hebei has been initially settled, the people's hearts are not attached to it. The officers and soldiers under his command have been out for too long, and the morale of the army will inevitably be shaken."

"In addition, the 30-strong army plus the civilians transporting grain and supplies consume countless amounts of money and food every day. Even if Yuan Shao occupies the territory of the five states, he may not be able to sustain it for a long time."

"When their food and grass are exhausted, I can lead my troops to pursue them, and I will be able to defeat them in one battle!"

(End of this chapter)