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

Chapter 404 Facing North and Diing
Seeing Jia Xu's rare expression, Zhou Qi couldn't help but burst into laughter, then raised the wine glass in his hand and said, "Wenhe should drink three cups to repay me for my three visits to the Jia Mansion!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu picked up the wine glass and drank it all without any hesitation. He drank three glasses in a row without changing his expression.

Zhou Qi showed a look of surprise and asked, "I don't usually see Wenhe drinking too much, why is his alcohol tolerance so amazing?"

Jia Xu said: "I don't drink too much, it's to keep a clear mind. But I was born in the bitter cold of Liangzhou, and my father is the general of light cavalry. Many officers in the Liangzhou army like to drink, so I have been drinking since I was young!"

Many people in later generations mistakenly believed that Jia Xu came from a humble family. In fact, Jia Xu was from a truly noble family. His father served as a general when the world was not yet in chaos, so his family background was extremely valuable.

His grandfather was the governor of Yanzhou, his great-grandfather was the prefect of Wuwei, and Jia Xu was selected as a filial and incorrupt official in Luoyang just when he came of age. He started at the same level as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Cao Cao, and could not be considered a poor family at all.

After Zhou Qi was surprised, he did not think too much about it. Instead, he turned to look at Zhang He, Gao Lan and other Hebei surrendered generals and sighed: "I am not complacent about the defeat of Yuan Benchu ​​in Guangling. On the contrary, I am very happy that Zhang, Gao and other generals have surrendered to me."

"You two are both famous generals from Hebei and good ministers of the time. Unfortunately, honest advice is unpleasant to the ear. Yuan Benchu ​​did not listen to the two generals. Otherwise, I might have been the one who lost the Battle of Guangling!"

Although Zhou Qi's words seemed to be intended to win people's hearts, they were not without reason.

In the past, Jia Xu designed a plan to allow Yuan's army to cross the Huai River, and then lure the enemy deep into the territory in order to cut off their food supply and leave hundreds of thousands of Yuan's army in Guangling County.

In fact, if Zhou Qi had not designed to lure Yuan's army across the river and cut off their retreat, even if he could finally defeat Yuan Shao, the other side would have been able to withdraw calmly with a large army, and it would have been difficult to achieve a decisive victory.

What Jia Xu was betting on at that time was human nature.

At that time, Yuan Shao was seriously ill. With his proud character, he would not think of returning to Hebei to recuperate. Instead, he planned to destroy or severely damage the State of Chu during his lifetime and lay a foundation for the eternal prosperity of the State of Zhao.

Jia Xu's strategy seemed to have many loopholes and was extremely risky, but it accurately calculated human nature.
After crossing the river, Yuan's army advanced rapidly and won battle after battle. At that time, both Ju Shou, Zhang He and Gao Lan vaguely felt that something was wrong, and they all advised Yuan Shao to be cautious and advance at every step.

They were so cautious because they had fought against the Chu army many times and knew how terrifying the Chu army was.

Unfortunately, Jia Xu not only predicted that Yuan Shao was anxious to destroy the State of Chu, but he also predicted that given the fierce factional fighting in Zhao State, the Hebei faction including Ju Su, Zhang He, and Gao Lan would oppose continuing the advance, and the Yingchuan faction would certainly support it with all its strength.

To be on the safe side, Jia Xu even secretly gave a large sum of money to Xin Pi in the name of Zhou Qi, pretending to be anxious and afraid, hoping that the other party could persuade Yuan Shao to postpone his advance.

Although Xin Pi had some secret dealings with Zhou Qi at the time, he remained loyal to Yuan Shao and believed that the Yuan family had a high probability of conquering the world.

Seeing that Zhou Qi was so eager for Yuan Shao to postpone his advance, Xin Pi immediately concluded that Yuan's offensive would surely be difficult for the Chu army to resist, so he wanted to use his own hand to delay Yuan's offensive.

Xin Pi immediately sneered inwardly. He not only returned the large sum of money given by Jia Xu, but also urged Yuan Shao to continue his massive attack.

At that time, the Hebei faction was persuading Yuan Shao to suspend the offensive and advance step by step. When the rest of the Yingchuan faction saw Xin Pi standing up, they naturally supported him, obviously in order to oppose the Hebei faction.

Yuan Shao was determined to continue the attack and didn't care which side's advice was more reasonable. He only cared which side's advice was more in line with his own wishes.

The ending is self-evident.

Whether it was Ju Shou and others' suggestion to postpone the offensive and advance step by step, or Zhang He's belief that the grain route was of great importance and Chunyu Qiong was unable to take on the responsibility, they were ultimately not adopted by Yuan Shao. Instead, Yuan Shao was displeased with the Hebei faction's ignorant behavior, which led to the Hebei generals being excluded everywhere.

If Yuan Shao had really adopted the advice of Ju Shou, Zhang He and others, and taken every step carefully and paid attention to the food supply, Zhou Qi's so-called strategy of luring the enemy would probably have backfired.

After hearing Zhou Qi's words, Zhang He, Gao Lan and others felt their noses a little sour.

Although they were treated with great courtesy after they surrendered to the State of Chu, surrendered generals are surrendered generals after all. In this era that advocates loyalty and righteousness, they will be viewed with tinted glasses to some extent.

Now, Zhou Qi was praising Zhang He and others in front of everyone, and was also telling everyone in disguise that Zhang He and others surrendered to the State of Chu not because of their bad morals, but because Yuan Shao was not a wise leader, which forced his generals to change their flags.

If the king is not virtuous, the ministers will defect to others, which is more in line with the values ​​of this era.

By doing this, Zhou Qi was not only trying to win people's hearts, but also to whitewash Zhang He and others and clear their reputation of betraying their master.

As expected, the generals of Hebei, who had been tortured by their conscience for a long time and had been criticized by others too much, felt a warm current in their hearts at this time. At this time, they all knelt on the ground and said: "We only regret that we have not met a wise master. Today we have met the lord, and we are willing to repay him with our death!"

Zhou Qi helped all the surrendered generals from Hebei to stand up one by one, personally filled their glasses with wine, and then raised his cup and said, "With your help, I don't have to worry about the unrest in the world. Please drink this cup and join me in this great event!"

"Honor your lord!"

All the surrendered generals in Hebei raised their glasses in unison, shouted in unison, and then drank the wine in the glass.

Zhou Qi, who was already a little tipsy, drank the wine in the glass without hesitation, then stepped forward and took Ju Shou's right hand, and said shakily: "I have great ambitions, but my background is not as good as Benchu's, so I have stumbled along the way."

"When I met Meng De and drank together, I wrote the second half of a poem. The poem goes: Drinking and singing, how long is life! Like the morning dew, the past days are full of suffering. I should be generous, and my worries are unforgettable. How can I relieve my worries? Only Du Kang."

"When he met Wenhe, he sought talents but failed to find them, so he wrote the second half of the poem, which says: Your green collar is always in my mind. But for your sake, I have been pondering it until now.

Yo-yo Luming, the apple of the wild food.I have guests, harp blowing Sheng.

It's like a moon, when can I stop?Worry can't be cut off from it.

The more you pass through the mountains, the uselessness exists.Qi Kuo talks about Yan, longing for old grace.

The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the magpies fly south. They circle the tree three times, but which branch can they find?

At this moment, this feeling, this scene.

Faced with Zhou Qi's affectionate confession and feeling the extreme desire for talent in the poem, even Ju Shou couldn't help being moved.

When Zhou Qi recited the poem, his voice seemed a little low when he read "I circled the tree three times, but found no branch to lean on". Everyone's emotions were also aroused, and they lamented that their lord was so eager to recruit talents, and it was no wonder that he had achieved what he has today.

When Zhou Qi recited to this point, he paused for a moment, released Ju Su's right hand, and then walked to the door. He suddenly raised his head, opened his arms to embrace the moonlight, and his voice became very high-pitched.

“The mountains never tire of being high, and the sea never tires of being deep. When Duke Zhou spits out food for his guests, the whole world will be at peace.”

When the last sentence was chanted, the previous dull feeling of not being able to find talented people was swept away, just like the sun coming out after the clouds were cleared, directly igniting the whole audience.

Compared with the scene when Cao Cao recited this poem, Zhou Qi, because of his surname Zhou, makes people think more at this time.

Duke of Zhou can be understood as the Duke of Zhou during the Chengzhou period, or as Zhou Qi himself.

Zhou Qi's surname is Zhou, and given his current status and position, he is called "gong", and no one can say anything about it.

Zhougong spit and feed, and the world is home.

This poem not only revealed Zhou Qi's ambition, but also made everyone feel Zhou Qi's dominance and ambition. Immediately, everyone present was moved and bowed in unison: "We are willing to follow the lord until death, to bring peace to the world and to contribute to the prosperity of the world!"

"We are willing to follow our lord till death, to bring peace to the world and to create a prosperous world together!"

"We are willing to follow our lord till death, to bring peace to the world and to create a prosperous world together!"

With the oaths of the civil and military officials of Chu State, the atmosphere of the banquet was pushed to its climax. Only Ju Shou and Zhao Yun had not yet defected to Chu State. They were still sitting in their seats, looking a little out of place.

The two of them listened to the heroic poems recited by Zhou Qi, and looked at the civil and military officials of Chu State, including the surrendered generals such as Zhang He, who were all willing to work together and follow Zhou Qi and share in the prosperity of the country. They couldn't help feeling complicated.

Zhou Qi turned around and looked at the ministers who expressed their loyalty one after another. He immediately laughed heartily and said, "With your help, there is no need to worry about not accomplishing great things." Finally, the banquet ended successfully.

Everyone left the table drunk, but Tian Feng followed Ju Shou back to his temporary residence.

The two of them sat down inside. Looking at the radiant Tian Feng, Ju Shou asked, "Is Yuan Hao here to act as a lobbyist?"

Tian Feng did not give a direct reply, he just stroked his beard and smiled without answering.

Seeing Tian Feng's look, Ju Shou stopped talking and immediately closed his eyes to rest.

After tonight's banquet, Ju Shou's mind was already in a mess. The fact that he was so impatient to question Tian Feng just now showed that before the two of them really started fighting, Ju Shou had already fallen into a disadvantage.

Nowadays, only silence can gradually reverse the decline.

Seeing Ju Shou's expression, Tian Feng chuckled a few times and said, "Gong Yu has been in Xiangyang for some time. What do you think of the civil and military officials of Chu? Is the relationship between them harmonious?"

Facing Tian Feng's question, Ju Shou had to open his eyes. Although he was somewhat reluctant to admit it, he still said helplessly: "Although there are factions among the civil and military officials of Chu, it is a healthy competition. There is no mutual accusation or attack."

"The Chu State is a country of peace and harmony!"

Tian Feng continued to stroke his beard, his smile growing brighter as he asked, "How do they compare to the civil and military officials under Lord Yuan's command?"

Ju Su remained silent.

Tian Feng did not continue to ask, but said to himself: "Although Lord Yuan was born in a famous family, he occupied the north, gathered the people of Hebei, and proclaimed himself emperor facing north. He seemed to be extremely prominent and had the potential to swallow up the world."

"However, Yuan Gong is a man who appears generous but is actually cautious. He is good at making plans but lacks decision-making. He has great ambitions but little wisdom. He looks fierce but is timid. He is afraid of defeat but lacks authority. He has many soldiers but they are not well organized. His generals are arrogant but their policies are inconsistent. Although Zhao has a vast territory and abundant food, it is not something to be afraid of."

"After the Battle of Guangling, Lord Yuan's situation is hopeless. The one who holds the key is the King of Chu!"

"The Chu State occupies the five states of Jing, Yang, Yi, Jiao, and Xu. The first four states are all in the south of the Yangtze River, enjoying the geographical advantages of mountains and rivers, unlike the Central Plains, which suffered from wars and caused the people to be displaced. Moreover, the Chu State occupies all the geographical advantages. If the Chu State retreats and defends, it can occupy half of the country; if it advances and attacks, it will have the momentum to sweep across the world."

"The Chu State also promoted the imperial examination system, so that talented people, regardless of their social status, could have the opportunity to serve the country. The King of Chu was even more eager to recruit talented people, and he built many schools to popularize education. In less than 15 years, the Chu State would be filled with talented people from top to bottom, and they would be countless, and they would have the support of the people."

"The right time, right place, and right people are all in Chu. With the help of the crown prince Zhou Ji, who is brave and resolute in defending Bashu, the great Chu will have a successor."

"Although the world is not yet settled, the general trend is set. With your talent, can't you see the situation clearly?"

Tian Feng's words are well-reasoned.

If someone else had said this, Ju Shou might have tried to make some excuses, but he and Tian Feng were old friends, and he didn't want to deceive himself, so he could only remain silent.

Seeing Ju Su like this, Tian Feng sighed and said, "In the past, I thought that Lord Yuan was a wise ruler, and I was willing to repay him with my seven-foot body. I never thought that Lord Yuan seemed to have the style of Lord Pingyuan, but in fact he was a man who loved scholars to gain fame and fortune."

"He has talents but cannot use them, he has advice but cannot accept it, and he ordered his three sons to govern one state each. This is actually a way to bring disaster."

"When Lord Yuan is here, we can still hold on. Once Lord Yuan is gone, Hebei will be in chaos!"

"Compared to Lord Yuan, although my lord was born in a humble family, he was truly eager to seek talents, listen to advice, and make the best use of people. Even though I refuted my lord many times in public, he was still regarded as his confidant, and was able to occupy a high position, be granted a title, and have his wife and children be given titles!"

"From now on, if the world does not belong to the Zhou family, it will be against the will of heaven!"

"Gong Yu is a famous scholar in Hebei. His talent is ten times better than mine. He is also highly valued by the lord. If he is willing to give up his evil ways and join the good, he will not only meet a wise lord, but also help the State of Chu to pacify the world as soon as possible, so that the people who have suffered from war can live and work in peace. Isn't that wonderful?"

Facing Tian Feng's earnest persuasion, Ju Su remained silent for a long time before he sighed and said, "The King of Chu is a wise ruler, but a loyal minister cannot serve two rulers. Since I have pledged my life to Yuan, I will not turn to anyone else."

Tian Feng asked in return: "In the past, you and I both served under Han Wenjie. After Lord Yuan took Jizhou, you and I switched to Lord Yuan. How can we say that loyal ministers do not serve two masters?"

Tian Feng's words made Ju Shou feel a little embarrassed.

Although Tian Feng later defected to Yuan Shao, he was frustrated under Han Fu's command. However, it was different for Ju Su.

When Han Fu was the governor of Jizhou, Ju Su was appointed as Beijia and concurrently served as Cavalry Commandant. He was extremely powerful, second only to Han Fu. Logically speaking, Han Fu treated him well.

Tian Feng came to act as a lobbyist, but he deliberately opened other people's wounds and sprinkled salt on them.

But soon, Ju Su said in a deep voice: "Why does Yuan Hao ask when he already knows the answer?"

"Before Han Wenjie came to Jizhou to take up his post, I had served as the magistrate of two counties and then as the deputy governor of Jizhou. Since Han Wenjie took up the post of governor of Jizhou, I have only treated him as a colleague and have never recognized him as my boss."

"But Lord Yuan was different. After he gained control of Jizhou, he re-employed me and gave me the military power of Jizhou. That's why I have the reputation I have today."

"Although I gave advice several times later and it was not accepted by Yuan Gong, I still couldn't bear to abandon him!"

Tian Feng seemed to have expected this outcome, and sighed, "When Lord Yuan first arrived in Jizhou, he relied on people like us to stabilize people's hearts, so he promoted us. Today, what has happened to the civil and military officials in Jizhou? Don't you know?"

Seeing Ju Su speechless, Tian Feng continued, "Gong Yu may have anticipated this. You were sent to Xiangyang to escort the bride because you were suspected by Yuan Gong. He did not want to be accused of harming a virtuous person, so he sent Gong Yu to Xiangyang on the pretext of something else."

"Little did they know that Lord Yuan had already conspired with Xin Pi to keep Gong Yu in Jingzhou!"

"boom!"

Even though Ju Shou had guessed it a long time ago, after getting confirmation from Tian Feng, he still felt like he was struck by lightning, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Gong Yu!"

"Gong Yu!"

Tian Feng hurried forward to help Ju Shou up. Ju Shou forced himself to sit on a chair, then waved his hands weakly and said to Tian Feng: "I am tired today, I want to rest alone!"

Tian Feng knew that Ju Shou was trying to get rid of him. Although he was a little worried, he couldn't stay any longer. He said worriedly, "Don't think too much, Gong Yu. Take care of yourself. I'll come to visit you tomorrow!"

After watching Tian Feng leave, Ju Su could no longer control his emotions and tears fell uncontrollably.

He worked tirelessly for Yuan Shao, but never expected that he would be abandoned in Xiangyang in the end. He had a home but could not return, and he had a lot of talent but could not serve his country.

Ju Su took out a pen and paper, dipped the pen in ink, and wanted to write a letter to Yuan Shao. However, he held the pen for a long time, until the ink dripped onto the white paper, but he still didn't know where to start.

Finally, he sighed, threw away the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the table, took out another inkstone, first spread white paper on it, then cut open the artery in his left arm and let the blood gush out.

Ju Su was unaware of this, and he dipped his pen in ink and wrote a line of bright red words on the white paper: Jade can be broken but its whiteness cannot be changed, bamboo can be burned but its joints cannot be destroyed. Yuan Gong has let me down, but I will never let Yuan Gong down!
After writing this, Ju Shou seemed to be drained of all his energy, and eventually he collapsed to the ground due to excessive blood loss.

Even though his body was getting weaker as he aged, Ju Shou still forced himself to kneel on the ground facing north.

Even if I die, I will die facing north.

Because Ju Su’s lord Yuan Shao is in the north!
(End of this chapter)