Kuangfu Han Dynasty

Chapter 8 Is this tm eight years old?
"What can a man of great wisdom and bravery do?"

Hearing what Zhang Shao said, Xu Shu felt that he had already guessed nine points.

He thought to himself: "I understand. Ah Shao asked me to talk in secret. I'm afraid he wants me to use my eight-foot body to help him and Sister Hou Nu escape from prison. Alas, I must have heard my mother talk about my childhood habits. The past of killing people with swords made me think about it."

Xu Shu couldn't help but smile - a wry smile. He was indeed in a trance just now. Although Zhang Shao was smart and bold, children were still children after all. He thought of things too simply.

Not to mention that his sword was taken away by Cao Bing, even if he got the weapon, it would be difficult for one person to defeat four people.With three children and an old man, they couldn't even break through the Cao soldiers guarding outside the courtyard, let alone escape from the city.

"Does Shao think that I am like Guan and Zhang, capable of defeating thousands of people?" Xu Shu secretly shook his head, but still looked at Zhang Shao, ready to teach him a lesson and persuade him when he excitedly proposed an escape plan by force...

But the script didn't go as Xu Shu expected. Zhang Shao pondered briefly and opened up a topic that Xu Shu never expected.

He first asked Xu Shu in detail about the information he had not confessed to Xiahou Ba just now, such as how many troops were left with Liu Bei and how many troops Guan Yu led by water?
But Xu Shu was a little hesitant and couldn't answer for a long time. Zhang Shao suddenly reacted: "Mr. Xu, does he think that the Xiahou family is instructing me to talk to you?"

"That's not the case." Seeing Zhang Shao's misunderstanding, Xu Shu quickly explained: "It's just that the above matters are related to the future safety of the lord and the soldiers, so Xiahou Miaocai asked me, but I didn't tell the truth. What's more, Even if Ah Shao knows about it, what can he do? It will only increase your danger and misfortune."

Zhang Shao suddenly realized that Xu Shu was still thinking about Liu Bei, so he was judging a gentleman with a villain's heart. In this way, the success of today's matter was a little higher, so he smiled and said: " Then I will just ask Mr. Xu, do you really think that General Zuo has completely lost?"

If someone had asked this before the Battle of Changban, Xu Shu would have retorted: "The outcome is unknown!"

During the years Liu Bei was in Xinye, the number of heroes from Jingzhou increased day by day. Although Liu Biao was deeply afraid of him, he had to pretend to let Liu Bei take over the affairs of Jingzhou when he was dying.

After Liu Biao's death, no one could suppress this hero. No matter who Liu Cong or Liu Qi came to power, sooner or later he would lose power and "actively" hand over Jingzhou to Liu Bei, just like he did in Xuzhou - this was Zhuge Liang and The best policy was formulated jointly by Xu Shu.

It's a pity that Cao Cao's southern expedition broke all this, Liu Cong surrendered, and Liu Bei had no place to stand after abandoning Fancheng. His soldiers were no more than four armies, but Xu Shu still had full confidence in his lord!

There are also many Jingzhou officials and local scholars who are unwilling to accept it. They are either afraid of the notoriety of Cao's army's massacre, or they resist being ruled by outsiders.When they passed Xiangyang, Liu Bei's horsemen shouted a few shouts, and more than ten officials around Liu Cong heard the sound and ran away. Among them was Pang Lin, the nephew of Pang Degong.

The Xi clan of the famous Mienan clan living in Xian Mountain outside the city also had several young heroes who betrayed their clan's wishes and followed Liu Bei.Jingchu scholars can be said to follow them like clouds, and as for ordinary people, there are more than [-] people.

Seeing this scene, Liu Bei and Xu Shu were very excited, feeling that people's hearts can be used, and great things can be accomplished!They only need to be brought to Jiangling. Relying on the fortress granary, they can hold on to Cao Cao for a long time. In addition, by recruiting Jiangling naval forces, they can protect half of Jingnan.

But the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, which traveled three hundred miles a day and night, shattered their dreams. During the Battle of Changban, the common people and scholars who followed him were scattered, and Liu Bei was so miserable that he abandoned his wife and son...

After this battle, Cao Cao was sure of victory, while Liu Bei suffered a complete defeat and lost all possible chances of a comeback.

The reason why Xu Shu returned to the north was not only because he was concerned about his mother's safety, but also because he was so devastated by the defeat that he felt that there was nothing he could do and it was time to consider going into seclusion to avoid disaster.

Facing Zhang Shao's question at this moment, Xu Shu just sighed and said: "It was Xu Shu's incompetence and failure to plan a good strategy for General Zuo, which is why we suffered this defeat. Now, the victory or defeat has been decided."

"otherwise!"

Zhang Shao said: "When General Zuo went to Jiangjin, even if he didn't have a few troops around him, Uncle Guan's naval force should be complete, with hundreds of ships."

"Although he can no longer take Jiangling directly, General Zuo can still take a boat to go south along the Han River to join Liu Qi in Jiangxia County. He must have tens of thousands of soldiers under his command. Together, under the command of my father and Uncle Guan, isn't there anyone? Do you have the strength to fight?"

It was extraordinary for an eight-year-old boy to be so knowledgeable about military and state affairs. Xu Shu secretly admired: "Ashao is really a piece of jade. If he can carve it properly, his talents will be limitless when he grows up."

But it is a pity that Zhang Shao only knows himself and does not know the enemy. Xu Shu patiently explained: "It is true, but Ah Shao, even if it is only a rough estimate, the army led by Cao Cao may be nearly 20, ten times as many as me. "

"If Cao Cao is given a few more months to collect soldiers from all over Jingzhou, plus the Jiangling Boat Division, and tens of thousands more soldiers, it will be fifteen times as many as mine."

Han Xin didn't know how to fight such a battle with such a huge disparity in strength, let alone Cao Cao's good use of soldiers. Everyone knew that it was Sun Tzu and Wu Qi's reincarnation. Xu Shu became more and more frustrated the more he thought about it.

Zhang Shao insisted: "Although Cao's army is large, sir, please don't forget that his generation traveled south from the Central Plains. They were exhausted on the journey of thousands of miles and were prone to illness due to acclimatization."

"Besides, northerners are not familiar with the terrain of the south with rivers and rivers, and they are not good at water warfare. As for the Jingzhou soldiers who surrendered? They are just afraid of Cao Cao's military strength, and they will definitely not try their best in fighting."

Everything he said made sense, and he had mature thoughts that far exceeded his appearance, which made Xu Shu's evaluation of Zhang Shao even higher, and he already regarded him as a child prodigy.

But he felt that this boy was still childish. As the saying goes, "predict the enemy and show mercy", but Zhang Shao did the opposite and severely belittled the enemy, which was a bit like Zhao Kuo's talk about military affairs.

Xu Shu was about to teach him a lesson, but Zhang Shao's next words made Xu Shu suddenly change his expression!

"Furthermore, if there really is a fight, our side will not only have this small number of troops, but we can also get strong support from Jiangdong as an ally!"

Xu Shu was stunned and couldn't help blurting out: "A Shao, how did you know that Jiangdong sent someone to see the lord?"

That was what happened in Changban the day before yesterday. Zhang Fei blocked the water and broke the bridge, temporarily blocking the pursuit of the tiger and leopard cavalry. Liu Bei, Xu Shu and others were able to take a breather in a forest.At this moment, there were actually a number of horsemen coming north, and they met them. The leader was actually an envoy from the Marquis of Wu in the east of the Yangtze River, calling himself Lu Su.

Lu Zijing came to Jingzhou in the name of "condolences for Liu Biao", but when Xu Shu thought about it, something was wrong.

Jingzhou and Jiangdong have been feuding for three generations. Sun Jian, the father of Sun Quan, the Marquis of Wu, was shot to death in Xiangyang by Liu Biao's general Huang Zu.The Sun Quan brothers never forgot this hatred and sent troops to the west several times. This spring, they finally conquered Jiangxia and killed Huang Zu. This prompted Kong Ming to suggest that Liu Qi take the initiative to serve as the new Jiangxia governor to resist Jiangdong attacks.

Therefore, Lu Su's trip was by no means as simple as expressing condolences. He probably heard that Cao Cao was going south and was anxious to come over to observe the situation in Jingzhou.

At that time, because the pursuers were still there and the situation was urgent, Liu Bei and others did not bother to ask Lu Su about his true intention, so they only crossed the Hanjin Ferry with him...

However, Xu Shu lost his mother and was in a state of confusion. He refused to cross the river, so he did not participate in the secret talks between Liu Bei and Lu Su.

Xu Shu only remembered that when he said goodbye to Liu Bei the next day, his lord had recovered from yesterday's depression and confusion.

Xu Shu didn't ask what Liu Bei and Lu Su had discussed. He was destined to be trapped in Cao's camp. The less he knew about Liu Bei's plans, the better for his lord.

But Xu Shu also wondered: "Could it be that when Jiangdong saw that Cao Cao was powerful and was swallowing up Jingzhou, he felt sad for the death of a rabbit and was afraid of being attacked by him downstream, so he sent Lu Zijing to contact his lord, trying to form an alliance and resist Cao Cao?"

This is in line with the general plan his old friend Zhuge Kongming planned for Liu Bei when he was in Longzhong: "Sun Quan has occupied Jiangdong for three generations. The country is in danger and the people are attached to it. The virtuous people can use it. This can be used as reinforcement but not as a plan."

Although this was just Xu Shu's speculation, if it was true, Liu Bei would at least have one more way out. Xu Shu was truly happy for his lord and kept the matter in his heart, and kept silent when Xia Houyuan asked him about Liu Bei's whereabouts.But what shocked Xu Shu was that Zhang Shao in front of him had been a prisoner in Cao's camp for several days. How did he know about this?
"Oh, Lu Su from Jiangdong has already met General Zuo?" Zhang Shao was also stunned. He remembered that in the novel, it seemed that after Lao Liu arrived in Jiangxia, Zhuge Liang first proposed to unite Jiangdong, but the honest man Lu Mengmeng came slowly. It's coming...

How come now Lu Su came to see him quickly and went directly to Nagasaka to work as a war reporter?

This time it was even worse. When Zhang Shao looked up, he saw Xu Shu standing up suddenly. He was really frightened by Zhang Shao's shocking words.

"A Shao, how did you know that the person coming was Lu Zijing?"

……

There are many wise men under Cao Cao. They may be able to predict that Jiangdong may join forces with Liu Bei based on the situation, but how can they accurately predict who will be sent as the envoy?

If Zhang Shao's previous words and deeds were still within the scope of a "child prodigy", then what he just said made Xu Shu feel that this boy is unpredictable.

"Sir, please sit down."

Zhang Shao did not explain, just patted the mat and said with a smile: "I heard that Sun Quan inherited the inheritance of his father and brother and occupied six counties in Jiangdong. He has elite soldiers and abundant food, especially the navy and warships. Since Jiangdong has taken the initiative to send people to contact him, I believe that the alliance between Sun and Liu will be formed, and if the two families join forces to fight against Cao, they will definitely be able to turn defeat into victory!"

Xu Shu knew that he had just lost his composure. After he knelt down again, he unconsciously raised his sleeves when talking to Zhang Shao and treated him politely: "It's a little more possible, but it's still not a guaranteed victory."

Xu Shu no longer dared to think of "educating boys", but regarded Zhang Shao as an adult who was equal to him, and seriously analyzed: "If the lord can really join forces with Jiangdong, there will naturally be many more soldiers. Compared with Cao Jun, , still outnumbered and outnumbered. In my opinion, the only thing that my Lord and the Marquis of Wu rely on most to resist Cao Cao is the Yangtze River."

"Now Cao Cao must capture Jiangling. Many Jingzhou naval forces are anchored here, and the number of battleships in Mengchong is no less than that in Jiangdong. After Cao Cao controls the ships, he only needs to let the Jingzhou generals and soldiers practice water warfare. He can easily conquer the Changsha counties by crossing the river south, and take Its grain supplies military supplies. When the season is right, the infantry will cooperate with the navy to go eastward and seize Xiakou of Jiangxia. In this way, we share the dangers of the Yangtze River, and with the advantage of going downstream, I am afraid it will be difficult for Jiangdong to resist."

It sounds like a sure-fire way to win, but why did Cao Cao lose in history?Zhang Shao asked, "Sir, would you plan for Cao Cao like this?"

"Are you looking down on me, Ah Shao?" Xu Shu said seriously: "Although I am betraying my master, all I want is to keep my mother safe. I disdain... and will not seek wealth by betraying my master."

"I feel relieved now." Zhang Shao held up his palm and said with a smile, "Cao Cao will definitely be defeated."

"Why is Ah Shao so sure?" Xu Shu had more doubts on his face.

Zhang Shao originally planned to tell Xu Shu about the Battle of Chibi under the pretext of "dreaming", but he immediately gave up the idea.

He thought to himself: "The Red Cliff I know is the story in the romance. All previous events have proved that although the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is not made up out of thin air, the details are often very different from the real history."

Therefore, even if Zhang Shao recited the plot in the novel exactly as it is, he might still be wrong.

On the contrary, if all the details are correct, it will be even worse.Even though Zhang Shao seemed to be having a heart-to-heart with Xu Shu, he was actually on guard against Mr. Yuan Zhi!

Zhang Shao was also betting today. He was betting on Xu Shu's filial piety towards his mother, and on Xu Shu's lingering desire to help Liu Bei make a comeback. From Xu Shu's words, Liu Bei still called him his lord, and just now he did everything for Liu Bei. Thinking about it, Zhang Shao guessed that his ideals were not completely extinguished yet.

Who knows if Xu Shu will really offer Cao Cao a plan to destroy Sun Liu?Once those specific events are disclosed and Cao Cao has an idea and changes his order, history may be completely rewritten!This is not a game that can be repeated, but a life and death decision. Zhang Shao must be cautious, let him be a villain.

So Zhang Shao only talked about the general outline and not the details. Thinking of Xu Shu's shock when he said Lu Su's name just now, he simply forgot about it. Ancient people were quite superstitious anyway, so he pretended to be mysterious and said: "Mr. , since I can name the Jiangdong envoy Lu Su out of thin air, can’t I see through the outcome of this battle? As for how to do it? The secret must not be leaked! "

Now, Zhang Shao's childish face looked almost demonic in Xu Shu's eyes!
Xu Shu studied under his fellow Yingchuan native Sima Hui in Jingzhou. In addition to his superb Confucian skills, Mr. Shui Jing also liked to delve into some prophecies and strange sects... Xu Shu also knew a little bit about mystical doctrines.

He remembered that Mr. Shui Jing said that in times of trouble, the five stars shrink and lose their positions, and their essences fall to the ground, transforming into human form, or possessing the right person.

Among them, Yinghuo among the five stars likes to possess children and announce prophecies through some songs and nursery rhymes...

Xu Shu, who lives in Yingchuan, Gyeonggi Province, is very familiar with these songs. The most famous one is "A Hou is not a Hou, the king is not a king, and thousands of horses are riding on Beimang".People at the time were quite puzzled after hearing this. It was not until the death of Emperor Ling and the rebellion of Shi Changshi that they suddenly realized it.

When Dong Zhuo forced the emperor and hundreds of officials to move westward, another nursery rhyme was spread in Chang'an: "Thousands of miles of grass, how green it is, and it will take ten days to predict, but it will not grow." Shortly afterwards, Situ Wang Yun and Lu Bu launched a coup as expected. Dong was stabbed to death by the thief at the gate.

If these two things were just heard, then what happened in Jingzhou was witnessed by Xu Shu with his own eyes!Since the early years of Jian'an, a nursery rhyme has been circulating in Jingzhou, which reads: "It began to decline in 13, and by [-] years there were no survivors."

No matter the local crown people or foreign scholars, they all heard it in confusion. It was not until this year, the 13th year of Jian'an, that Xu Shu understood the profound meaning of this nursery rhyme!
This means that although Liu Biao's rule flourished for more than ten years, it would gradually decline after eight years of Jian'an. At that time, Liu Biao's generals died one after another, and Liu Cong married Cai, and Mrs. Cai began to marry Liu Qi. The slander caused the two sons to quarrel. There were no survivors for 13 years, which meant that Liu Biao also died. At the same time, his power was completely destroyed and disappeared. How accurate.

Xu Shu had always respected ghosts and gods and stayed away from them, but after experiencing these 20 years of absurd and chaotic times, he had heard too many childish yet terrifying nursery rhymes, and when he saw Zhang Shaozhi in person, he couldn't tell what he should believe. He just stared at Zhang Shaozhi. Shao, thought to himself: "Is Shao really possessed by the spirit of Yinghuo, so he is so different from the past? And can he make prophecies to me?"

Seeing that Xu Shu stopped asking questions for the time being, Zhang Shao felt that he had been deceived, so he continued: "Actually, the specific method of defeating Cao Cao is a matter for General Zuo, Zhuge Kongming, my father Guan Zhao, and the monarchs and ministers of Jiangdong."

"They all have their own strategies. As for Mr. Xu and I." Zhang Shao pointed at Xu Shu and himself: "We have another important task, which is to take the opportunity to escape when Cao's army is defeated!"

Now, it was Zhang Shao's turn to stand up and talk, while Xu Shu sat quietly and listened.

Originally, it was best to discuss these matters slowly and advance them one by one, but this moment may be Zhang Shao's only chance to be alone with Xu Shu in Cao's camp!

The opportunity was fleeting and he had to grab it.

Zhang Shaodao: "Sir, as you just said, Cao Cao likes to put the family members of his subordinates under house arrest as hostages, so that his officials will be afraid and dare not rebel. After you become an official, I am afraid that the old lady will not be free and will continue to be imprisoned in Dangyang. , or Xiangyang.”

Zhang Shao added: "So, sir, it is better for you to be submissive and make a real surrender gesture. If you need to give advice, give it. First, you can deceive Cao Cao's trust so that you can hold an important position... It is best to stay away from the front line but still stay in Nanjun."

Xu Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry at first. He was indeed surrendering. Why did he make it sound like he was pretending to surrender on Liu Bei's order in Zhang Shaokou?
But as Zhang Shao revealed his thoughts little by little, Xu Shu once again couldn't control his expression.

"Then you can use your many years of friendship with officials and scholars in Jingzhou to secretly find those who are dissatisfied with Cao Cao and connect them..."

Zhang Shaodao said: "When Cao Cao is defeated on the front line, sir, you can make an appointment with the heroes of Jingzhou to act behind Cao Cao's army!"

When Zhang Shao talked about his excitement, although he tried his best to keep his voice down, he still couldn't help but dance: "In this way, sir, not only can you save Mrs. Xu, General Zuo's two daughters, and me, but also take advantage of the chaos and take us back to General Zuo's command."

"You can also be a sharp sword that stabs Cao Cao's heart, making the sun and moon in Jingzhou dim and bright again!"

(End of this chapter)