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

Chapter 377 Estrangement
Zhuge Xuan, Chen Deng, Chen Qun and others persuaded Liu Bei to surrender to Yuan Shao, which was not disloyal to Liu Bei.

It's just that according to the current situation, Liu Bei has no place to stand, and there is almost no possibility of turning over. They, who are from aristocratic families, are naturally more willing to choose Yuan Shao.

If one does not consider one's background, perhaps Zhou Qi is the best choice.

However, after all, Zhou Qi's background is not as good as Yuan Shao's, and what he has done over the years has also been very powerful in suppressing the aristocratic families in the country.

On the other hand, Yuan Shao, because he was born in the Yuan family of Runan, was quite friendly towards the aristocratic family.

What's more, the implementation of the Chu State's imperial examination system is gradually destroying the foundation of the family. As members of a family, they naturally have to consider the future of the family.

After listening to the persuasion of the three men, Liu Bei finally set his sights on Chen Gong and asked: "Do you think Gongtai should surrender to Yuan Shao?"

When Chen Gong heard this, his face showed a tangled look.

Logically speaking, Chen Gong was also from a noble family and should have been more inclined towards Yuan Shaocai.

However, Bian Rang, who was both a teacher and a friend of Chen Gong, is now serving as an official in the State of Chu. As the teacher of His Highness the King of Chu, his status is extremely prominent.

Liu Bei immediately adopted Chen Gong's strategy. He first summoned the judge and said, "Sir, I have informed all the ministers of my intention to come. However, the matter is serious and there are great differences between the civil and military forces under my command. We have not been able to agree on it for the time being. I hope you can dedicate it to us." some time."

What's more, in Chen Gong's view, Liu Bei has not yet reached the point where he has to surrender to Yuan Shao.

Chen Gong nodded and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Chu is not a short-sighted person. At this juncture, he will not make any move to completely push Ming Gong to Yuan Benchu."

Liu Bei suddenly realized.

After sending off the judge in person, Liu Bei asked Zhuge Jin to go to Xutai to meet Zhuge Liang and tell him everything about Jushu coming to surrender today, hoping to put pressure on Zhuge Liang.

"I wonder if Sir, after returning to the camp, can you persuade Brother Benchu ​​to attack elsewhere first?"

"If you want to have both sides, after the battle between the two sides determines the winner, no one will be able to tolerate Duke Xuande!"

It's just that Chen Gong is more willing to serve under Liu Bei than surrender to Yuan Shao and live under someone else's side. Unless he has no choice, he is absolutely unwilling to surrender to anyone.

Holy Lord, this title represents extremely high praise, far beyond what Mingjun can match.

"However, we can't do nothing."

Having said this, he turned his attention to Zhuge Jin and said, "Ming Gong can ask Ziyu to tell Zhuge Kongming what happened today in a subtle way. I'm sure the other party will make a decision."

Throughout China's thousands of years, there may have been many wise kings, but few sage kings.

In his past correspondence with Chen Gong, Bian Rang also praised Zhou Qi, saying that if he could unify the world in his lifetime, he might have the style of a holy king.

Liu Bei hurriedly said: "Sir, don't worry, Bei will never do anything to get you right. Please give me some time first, as little as three to five days, or as much as seven or eight days. I will definitely give an explanation to Brother Benchu!"

Seeing that Shen Pei could not complete the task perfectly, he did not stay in Suiling and left on the same day.

Chen Gong's move was obviously to use the trial match to persuade him to surrender and put enough pressure on Zhuge Liang.

Liu Bei's heart moved slightly and asked: "Does Gongtai think that our situation may change after Zhou Ziyi's edict is transmitted to Zhuge Kongming?"

The judge frowned slightly and said: "I will convey Duke Xuande's wishes to your majesty. However, at this time, Zhao and Chu are at war. If Duke Xuande can lead his army to surrender, the value will be even greater."

If the other party does not want to see the Xuzhou army completely fall to Yuan Shao, they will inevitably make concessions.

"I can promise here that if Brother Benchu ​​doesn't take the initiative to attack Suiling, Xuzhou Army will never embarrass Yuan Army!"

He pondered for a moment and then said immediately: "In my opinion, Duke Ming should not make a hasty decision before getting a clear reply from His Highness the King of Chu. He only needs to stabilize Yuan Benchu ​​first."

Zhuge Liang couldn't help but frown slightly when he learned that more than half of Liu Bei's civil and military personnel wanted to seek refuge with Yuan Shao.

Zhuge Jin took the opportunity and said: "Brother, don't blame my lord's civil servants for wanting to surrender to the enemy. In fact, the soldiers have lived north of the Huaihe River for a long time and defended Suiling to resist the Yuan army. They fought fiercely every day and suffered heavy casualties. On the other hand, the Chu army was sitting on the natural barrier of the Huaihe River. , but always retained its strength and pushed the Xuzhou Army to the forefront. "

"As time goes by, the soldiers will inevitably become dissatisfied."

"If my second brother can persuade His Royal Highness the King of Chu to let the Xuzhou army cross the Huaihe River south and temporarily settle in Guangling County, Xuzhou will definitely work together with the Chu soldiers to fight against Zhao!"

Zhuge Liang smiled bitterly and said: "I naturally believe what my brother said. It's just a matter of giving up Guangling County. Without the order of His Highness the King of Chu, how can a county guard like me dare to make a decision?"

"Brother, don't be anxious. Let Duke Xuande wait for a while. I have already sent someone to report the matter to Xiangyang. I think it won't be long before His Royal Highness the King of Chu's edict arrives at Xutai."

Zhuge Jin said: "I am not sure whether I can stabilize Duke Xuande, and I would like to ask my second brother to give a clear answer as soon as possible. Once time delays, there is no guarantee that Duke Xuande will not defect to Yuan Benchu."

When Zhuge Liang heard this, he smiled slightly and said, "I don't think Xuande Guild will seek refuge with Yuan Benchu."

Zhuge Jin's eyes flickered slightly and asked, "Why is my second brother so sure?"

Zhuge Liang smiled and said: "Han Fu gave up Jizhou, but did not tolerate Yuan Shao. Even if he fled to Chenliu, he was still afraid and committed suicide. What a miserable end?"

"Gongsun Bogui and Yuan Benchu ​​were enemies, and were eventually defeated and killed. Even his head was beheaded and given to Cao Mengde."

"Xuan Degong and Yuan Benchu ​​not only had a hatred for Xuzhou, but the hatred between the two was no less than that between Yuan Benchuzhi and Gongsun Bogui. Even if Xuande Gong led the civil and military surrender of Xuzhou, the credit may not be as good as Han Wenjie's surrender of Jizhou. ”

"Yuan Benchu ​​can't even tolerate Gongsun Bogui and Han Wenjie, let alone Xuande Gong who has tens of thousands of troops under his command?"

"We sent people to persuade Xuande to surrender, and it seemed that he made an irresistible promise. If the Xuzhou Army surrendered to Yuan Benchu ​​at this time, once the outcome was decided with the Chu State, Xuande's head would definitely be somewhere else."

Zhuge Liang's words also made Zhuge Jin feel terrified.

Zhuge Liang continued: "On the other hand, my lord, even Liu Jingsheng, Liu Jiyu, and Zhang Gongqi are compatible. Especially Zhang Gongqi, my lord is even more gracious to his two brothers. Although he has no real power, he can enjoy respect, wealth, and title. It’s no big deal that a wife protects her children.”

"Although my lord and Duke Xuande were on separate sides before, they have been on good terms with each other for a long time. They also have contacts with each other and have a very close personal relationship."

"If the Xuzhou army defected to Chu, would His Highness the King of Chu treat Duke Xuande badly?"

Zhuge Liang's words even moved Zhuge Jin, let alone Liu Bei himself.

as predicted.

When Zhuge Jin returned to Suiling and told Liu Bei all Zhuge Liang's words, Liu Bei was silent for a long time, and then said firmly: "What Kong Ming said made me suddenly enlightened. If you pass on the order, if you dare to surrender to Yuan Shao again, you will be killed without mercy!"

Due to Shenpei's previous move to persuade them to surrender, the morale of the Xuzhou Army was also shaken.

Liu Bei issued the order at this time not only to show his determination, but also to stabilize the morale of the army. It can also be seen from this that Zhou Qi's previous decision to treat Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Zhang Lu favorably was undoubtedly very correct.

With the three of them as examples, when the other princes decide to surrender in the future, at least they will not have to worry about their lives being in danger, nor will they have to worry about their prosperity and wealth in the rest of their lives.

But he said that Shen Pei would return to the camp and tell all about his meeting with Liu Bei.

When Yuan Shao learned that Liu Bei was still pushing back and stalling for time, his face couldn't help but become gloomy.

However, Jushou took the opportunity to persuade: "Your Majesty might as well agree to Liu Xuande's request and move the naval forces to Hongze Lake and attack Huaiyin at the same time!"

Huaiyin, geographically speaking, is still northeast of Suiling.

Yuan Shao led his troops to attack Huaiyin, but he was not worried about being cut off by Liu Bei.

Huaiyin is located to the south of the Huaihe River, and Suiling is located on the Huaihe River. The reason why Huaiyin is closer to the north is because after the Huaihe River enters the middle of Xiapi County, the river changes its direction from southwest to northeast.

If Huaiyin can be captured, the natural danger of the Huaihe River will no longer exist, and Yuan's army can march straight into Guangling County.

It is precisely because of the importance of Huaiyin that Zhuge Liang asked Wenpin and Jiang Qin to station here with 7,000 waterway troops in order to guard against Yuan's invasion.

The reason why Yuan Shao did not attack Huaiyin from the beginning, but came directly to attack Suiling, was because of two considerations.

First, Yuan Shao was angry at Liu Bei's previous deception, and he also wanted to avenge Wen Chou, so he directly besieged Suiling.

Secondly, Suiling is located in the north of Hongze Lake. There is a Sishui River flowing from the north to the south and flowing directly into the lake. Because the Sishui River is connected to the Yishui River and can be traced back to Yanzhou.

Although the huge water system cannot directly connect the north and the south, it can also greatly save Yuan Shao's grain transportation costs.

At least the grain and grass in Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou can be transported directly to the south through water transportation.

Even for grain and grass in Hebei, at least in the process of going south, these waterways can save a lot of manpower and material resources.

It is precisely because Suiling is located at the intersection of Sishui and Huaihe Rivers that its strategic significance is so important that Yuan Shao first attacked Suiling, which was heavily guarded.

In fact, this is not a wise move.

Yuan Shao could unload the grain and grass in Xiapi County and then store the grain and grass in Ling County. This would not only avoid the threat of the Xuzhou Army to the grain road, but with the protection of the city wall, the safety of the grain and grass would also be greatly increased.

Ling County is located to the north of the Huaihe River, not far from Huaiyin, and there is a river that leads directly to the Huaihe River, so the geographical location is very convenient.

Whether Liu Bei was delaying his troops this time or not, Ju Shou didn't care.

As long as Liu Bei can really avoid participating in this battle, without the tens of thousands of Xuzhou Army troops, Guangling County's defense will be greatly reduced.

By then, it will be much easier for Yuan Jun to attack Huaiyin.

The reason why the navy was stationed at Hongze Lake first was that Jushou also had plans to engage in a protracted war with Chu.

Once the offensive against Huaiyin is blocked, the two sides will eventually decide the outcome at Hongze Lake, so it is very necessary to train the navy again in advance.

After listening to Ju Shou's analysis, although Yuan Shao was angry with Liu Bei, he finally chose to stabilize the tens of thousands of Xuzhou troops and go to attack Huaiyin.

With the water army camp set up in Hongze Lake, there is no need to worry about what Liu Bei's tens of thousands of Xuzhou troops will do.

The judge had previously proposed a plan to surrender to Liu Bei, but failed. He was a little angry. He immediately frowned, took the plan to heart, and stepped forward and said, "I have a plan that may help Liu Xuande make up his mind to surrender to Your Majesty!"

Yuan Shao asked: "What's the plan?"

Obviously, Yuan Shao also has great expectations for the trial match strategy.

Although Shen Pei failed to persuade Liu Bei to surrender, he was able to temporarily appease the other party. At least he was able to ensure that tens of thousands of Xuzhou troops stayed out of the incident, which was considered a great achievement.

The most important thing is that in this process, Yuan Shao paid no price at all.

It would be great if the review team could come up with another useful strategy.

The judge had a gloomy look on his face and said: "Don't Liu Xuande want to have both sides, so he will simply use another counter-intuitive plan."

"We abandoned Suiling and attacked Huaiyin. The Chu army must have become suspicious when they saw our actions."

"Your Majesty can send more naval forces to contact the Xuzhou Army. Liu Xuande is afraid of the front of our army and does not want to get into trouble, so he must have no choice but to accept it."

"Your Majesty will have people send money and food to the Xuzhou Army every three to five. The quantity does not need to be large, but the frequency must be frequent."

"The Chu army saw that we were turning to attack Huaiyin, and the Xuzhou army not only stood still, but even flirted with us, they must have become suspicious. Your Majesty can send more agents to spread rumors, so that the soldiers and civilians of the Chu state know that Liu Xuande wants to surrender to the Zhao state. This can stop his follow-up Way to go!”

This plan of reviewing and matching is similar to Pang Tong's original attempt to drive a wedge between the Qiang people and Ma Chao.

When Yuan Shao heard this, his eyes widened, and then he turned to look at the other counselors and asked, "Is this plan feasible?"

Everyone thought for a while, and finally agreed that this strategy had a high probability of success, and they all agreed to do it.

Even if it fails in the end, it will only be a small loss of money and food, nothing serious.

Once successful, the Chu army and the Xuzhou army will inevitably turn against each other. At that time, Liu Bei had no choice but to turn to Yuan Shao. Wouldn't it be beautiful?
Now that he had made a plan, Yuan Shao immediately began to withdraw his troops with great fanfare. Before leaving, he even invited Liu Bei outside the city. The two sides chose a safe place to have secret talks.

Although Liu Bei didn't know what Yuan Shao's plan was, in order not to continue fighting Yuan Jun, he had no choice but to go out of the city to fight with him.

During this meeting, the soldiers and horses of both sides were far away from each other, and they did not bring any guards. After the two sides met, they only chatted about common things, and Yuan Shao did not make excessive demands.

In this way, Yuan Shao withdrew his troops and attacked Huaiyin.

Not long after Yuan Shao left, Zhao's naval vanguard had already entered Hongze Lake in front of Suiling, and then began to set up camp in the lake. Every day, Zhao's navy came to Suiling City across the moat from Xuzhou. Military chat.

Not only that, the Zhao navy also gave money, food, wine and meat to the Xuzhou army in the city from time to time.

Xuzhou's army was under the fence at this time. Everything was lacking in the city, so naturally they would not reject anyone who came.

However, Chen Gongque vaguely felt that something was wrong, so he hurriedly went to meet Liu Bei and said, "Yuan Jun's behavior is a bit too strange. I should be more cautious!"

Liu Bei said nonchalantly: "As long as the Yuan army does not come to attack the city and there are no more casualties among the soldiers under Gu's command, the rest is easy to say. As for the wine, meat and food they sent, there is no problem, and there is no need to worry too much about Gongtai!"

(End of this chapter)