Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chapter 187 Lu’s fate

Chengdu, State Shepherd's Mansion.

"Zhang Lu, the rice thief, has no regard for his mother's life and death, and is determined to be an enemy of Ming Gong. He is really a heartless person. I really don't know how such an unfilial person can start a religion, call himself Master, and be the teacher of all people. "Peng Yi complained to Liu Zhang and tried his best to belittle Zhang Lu's moral character.

In Peng Yi's view, Zhang Lu ignored Liu Zhang's life and death, and even sent the thieves Pu Hu and Yuan Yue south to attack and kill the people. This behavior would 100% offend Liu Zhang, and he was simply one of the unfilial sons. The unfilial son.

It stands to reason that Zhang Lu should have some scruples about Zhang Lu's mother Lu being in the hands of Liu Zhang, but Zhang Lu's behavior was extremely unreasonable and he did not show any concern for Lu's life.

Dong He didn't take Zhang Lu's actions seriously. He gave a set of explanations for it: "The rice thieves believed in ghost ways and didn't study the principles of loyalty, filial piety and human relations. Zhang Lu did something that ignored his mother." This move is also normal. If Zhang Lu was worried about his mother, Ming Gong ordered Lu to send a letter to invite him to come to Chengdu. Zhang Lu should be in Chengdu by now, instead of moving the capital in Hanzhong like he is now. Do not move."

Peng Yi was still a little angry. He was very unhappy about Zhang Lu's invasion of Brazil County: "Ming Gong, be the leader of the Lu family to show your power, otherwise Zhang Lu will become more and more arrogant and domineering, thinking that we are Shu." The land is deserted.”

"Inappropriate." Before Liu Zhang could answer, Dong He stood up and stopped him, saying: "Zhang Lu's rebellion is Zhang Lu's fault. If he kills the Lu family, it will end Zhang Lu's hope and make Zhang Lu and Chengdu become mortal enemies." , Secondly, doing such a thing has the reputation of harming the benevolence of Ming Gong. Furthermore, it is okay to punish Zhang Lu in the Ming Dynasty, but it is nothing to kill an old woman to vent his anger. If it spreads, it may cause trouble. Come and laugh at me."

Peng Yi wanted to speak again and argue with Dong He, but when he saw Liu Zhang, who was in charge, pushing down the jade Ruyi in his hand, signaling to stop the debate, Peng Yi immediately shut his mouth and respectfully retreated. During the dinner, I planned to listen to Liu Zhang's highest instructions.

"As Youzai said, killing an old woman is of no use. We should raise the army in Hanzhong, the military might be in Nanzheng, force Zhang Lu to bow his head and tie his neck to surrender, and then have Zhang Luming punished in a canonical way. Only then can we call it the right way." Liu Zhang expressed his approval of Dong He's suggestion.

"As the public said." Peng Yi, who was arrogant by nature, accepted it calmly. If he were others, he would argue with others. However, he had no objection to Liu Zhang's order. He would only faithfully complete Liu Zhang's orders. issued an order.

Regarding Peng Yi's attitude, Liu Zhang nodded with satisfaction, and added: "But we can't let our Master Zhang live too comfortably. Yongnian, please write a letter about the war on my behalf and send it to this Master Zhang. , the letter points out one thing, that is, after the next summer harvest, no, after the spring, I will lead an army to conquer Hanzhong to repay his kindness during this period. As for the threatening words that should be included in the letter, you Think about it yourself and write a few words... In addition, write a plain and easy-to-understand message and spread it to all counties in Hanzhong to see if you can call on some people with lofty ideals to entertain our Master Zhang."

"No." Peng Yi responded loudly.
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Xuzhou, Tancheng.

It was just after a winter rain that the sky was still raining. The gray clouds hung in layers in the sky, which was really airtight. There was no ray of warm winter sun shining down. This was also As a result, the county temple in Tancheng was shrouded in a cold atmosphere.

The chill was even deeper in the hearts of Xuzhou Mu Taoqian's two sons, Tao Shang and Tao Ying. They knelt on the bedside and looked nervously at Xuzhou Mu Taoqian who was lying on the bed.

Tao Qian, who was lying on the bed, was breathing very lightly. If you didn't pay attention carefully, you wouldn't even feel his chest and abdomen exhaling. His face was as white as white paper, with not much blood on his pale face and a pair of eyes. Half open and half closed, no one knows whether the next moment it will be closed forever and will never be opened again.

Tao Qian, then 63 years old, was sick, old, and would die soon.

After Tao Qian's death, a problem will arise, that is, the position of Xuzhou Mu will be vacant. This situation usually needs to be reported to the court, and the current court is in the hands of the Liangzhou thieves Li Que and Guo Bang. , maybe Li Que and Guo Bang will not pay attention to the vacancy of Xuzhou Mu, or maybe Li Que and Guo Bin will arrange a very bad person to serve as Xuzhou Mu.

This kind of situation was not what Tao Qian wanted to see, so he took an expedient measure and selected a candidate who he thought was very suitable for Xuzhou Mu's successor, someone who could control Xuzhou's situation.

Tao Qian turned his head, looked at his two dogs with slightly soft eyes, and asked, "Has Captain Chen left?"

"Father, the captain left this morning, and he was accompanied by Mi Biejia." As the eldest son, Tao Shang stepped forward and responded, confirming that Tao Qian's order for the captain Chen Deng of Diannong to pay homage to Liu Bei has been completed In progress.

"That's good. My father's health is getting worse day by day, just like a leaf falling in the wind. I don't know when it will wither. The post of Xuzhou Mu needs to be decided on the successor as soon as possible. Liu Xuande has already declined it for two years. It’s been three times, and it’s time to accept the offer to be a father... People say that the elders gave it to me, and I dare not refuse. But my father wanted to give up the position of Xuzhou Mu to Liu Xuande again and again, but he refused to accept it. What a shame. Benevolence and righteousness." Tao Qian sighed with emotion.

"Pretending, pretending to be benevolent and righteous." The younger Tao Ying muttered to one side. He expressed his views on Liu Bei's repeated rejection of the post of Xuzhou Shepherd. He did not think that Liu Bei was benevolent like Tao Qian. A virtuous person thinks that Liu Bei is just pretending to refuse. "Huh?" Tao Qian narrowed his eyes and looked at Tao Ying like a hawk. At this moment, he was no longer a sick and sweet man, but showed his usual momentum. Xuzhou Mu's momentum shocked the whole state.

"Shuzi, use the heart of a villain to judge the heart of a gentleman."

Tao Qian's words were very straightforward and stern. He did not soften his words because Tao Ying was his son. This was also his usual temperament, which was extremely upright.In the past, he was invited to join the army by Sikong Zhang Wen, but he despised Zhang Wen's bribery to get the position of Sikong, so he publicly humiliated Zhang Wen at the official banquet and did not take Zhang Wen seriously, even Sima He did not take him seriously. , let alone his own boy, he needs to be taught a lesson.

"Liu Xuande is a man of great benevolence and righteousness. In the past, Kongrong in Beihai was surrounded by Yellow Turban thieves. A letter was sent to Liu Xuande, and Liu Xuande immediately led troops to rescue him. This time Xuzhou was in trouble, thanks to Liu Xuande who led troops to rescue others. Seeing people in danger, he ignored his own safety. To lend a helping hand, such a person, even if he has other thoughts, can be regarded as a hero just by doing such things... As a father of Xuzhou, he has attracted several troubles for Xuzhou. The killings caused the people to suffer. Some of the people appointed, such as Zuo Rong and others, are also evil villains who harm the people. It is really shameful. Liu Xuande has great civil and military strategies and a benevolent heart. He should be kind to the people of Xuzhou and make up for it. A father's fault."

Tao Ying was frightened by Tao Qian's momentum and buried his head without daring to say another word. The younger one became quiet, but the older pottery merchant stood up.

"Father, I don't understand. Even if Liu Xuande is a hero and has a kindness to Xuzhou, father, you declare him the governor of Yuzhou and serve as his tribe with 4000 Danyang elite soldiers. I think you can repay Liu Xuande's kindness." ...Why do you want to give up the post of Xuzhou Mu to Liu Xuande now? Isn't it too much to do so? Now that there is great chaos in the world, Xuzhou Mu is like the princes during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is foreseeable, so why not pass on the post of Xuzhou Mu to his descendants for the sake of future generations."

Hearing this, Tao Qian had a very sarcastic smile on his face, and even though he was seriously ill, he laughed out loud regardless of his health. However, he soon coughed due to chest and abdominal discomfort caused by laughing wildly, and a flush appeared on his face.

This made Tao Shang and Tao Ying a little confused. The two of them stepped forward to caress Tao Qian's chest with concern, trying to calm Tao Qian's breath.

After a while, Tao Qian calmed down and his face calmed down. His face was mixed with a bitter smile and a look of relief. He said warmly: "My father knows that because of my father, you two gave up the post of Xuzhou Shepherd to Liu Xuande." I have always been brooding over this matter, taking it for granted that my father should pass on the position of Xuzhou Mu to one of you two... After all, as the saying goes, no one can be close if you are not close, Liu Xuande is an outsider, how can he be compared to his own heir? appropriate."

Tao Ying agreed carelessly: "Father, this is exactly the reason. Xuzhou is located in a plain, with fertile soil, and is adjacent to the East China Sea. It enjoys the benefits of fish and salt. Although it suffered two massacres by Cao thieves, its population is still small. A million people can go out and ride a hundred thousand people. It is a pity that such a strong state does not share its descendants with outsiders, but with outsiders... Moreover, the world is in chaos, and the princes are looking for war every day. This is a good time for our generation to make contributions."

"Hey, I thought that I, Tao Qian, the first heroic hero, actually gave birth to two dolphins." Tao Qian sighed, but after all, he was his own heir, so he explained in detail and did not hold his tongue or answer: "Xuzhou Dong It is adjacent to the sea, Yuzhou to the west, Qingyan to the north, and Yangzhou to the south. It can be regarded as the hub of north-south transportation. However, there are advantages and disadvantages. There are always good and bad sides... Xuzhou has a flat terrain, without mountains and rivers. As a dangerous obstacle, the enemy's cavalry will be as if they were at home. Although there are millions of people, they are not enough to defend it."

"Cao Mengde raised troops to attack Xuzhou twice. My father was in such a mess that he was almost killed. He almost wanted to escape and go back to Danyang... Although Cao Mengde is currently fighting with Lu Bu, according to his father's opinion, Lu Bu is a man who values ​​profit over justice and is not Cao Mengde's opponent. What's more, Cao Mengde has Yuan Benchu ​​as his back-up. Lu Bu will be defeated sooner or later. I'm afraid that Cao Mengde will lead his troops to Xuzhou again in the future. If his father dies, you two will lead Xuzhou, and Cao Mengde will lead his troops again. You two should ask yourselves. , can you defend Xuzhou?"

Tao Shang and Tao Ying acquiesced in silence. On the one hand, they were not confident that they could defend Xuzhou in the hands of the extremely cruel Cao Cao. On the other hand, they judged their father as son, as they believed that their talents were not as good as their father Tao Qian's.

After finishing a long sentence, Tao Qian also fell silent. He needed to slow down for a while. After a long time, he continued to speak: "What I just talked about was just the west of Xuzhou. I will tell you two more about the north and south of Xuzhou." , the lands of Mount Tai and Langya were occupied by bandits such as Zang Ba, Wu Dun, and Sun Guan. When my father was in good health and the situation was still prosperous, they would more or less obey their father's orders. But now, these bandits are Every one of them used his father's orders as toilet supplies. This is the north of Xuzhou... As for the south of Xuzhou, Yuan Gongdao is really not a good man. Forging an alliance with his father is like hunting for a lifetime. After being pecked by an eagle, Yuan Jiujiu occupied Yangzhou. Unexpectedly, he was not satisfied. He also took the uncle of Xuzhou. He was spying on me in Xuzhou and wanted to attack my father. My father had never seen such a shameless person in his life. .”

"Now Xuzhou's north, west and south are all exposed to the possibility of enemy intrusion. If you two take charge of Xuzhou, I'm afraid you will end up jumping east into the sea sooner or later... This is just a foreign invasion, Xuzhou's internal worries are also very serious, Chen Deng, Mi Zhu and other powerful families, because their father provoked Cao Mengde and caused two massacres in Xuzhou, so they all had unexpected events and did not care about you and me, father and son. In this case, you two are still thinking about the position of Xuzhou Mu. I really don’t know how high the sky is. Secondly, my father’s fellow villagers, Cao Bao, Xu Dan and others, each have strong troops in Danyang. If my father is here, they can still control them. If my father is gone, how can you two control them? We have no scholars from Xuzhou to live here, no soldiers from Danyang to support us, and no elite soldiers from Danyang to support us. The position of pastor in Xuzhou is beyond the capabilities of your brothers."

Silence, after a long silence, Tao Qian's analysis hit his heart like a storm, and Tao Shang finally came to his senses. He accepted his fate. None of the issues Tao Qian talked about were beyond his control. What to deal with, if you blindly covet Xuzhou Mu's position, you may lose your own life in vain.

At this time, the pottery merchant wanted to know where he belonged, or where his future would go.He pulled Tao Ying and bowed down: "Father, as you said, where should the two of you go?"

"After your father dies, your two brothers will carry the coffin back to Danyang to bury him. After observing mourning for three years, don't leave Danyang easily. Just live in Danyang until your old age... The world is in turmoil. This troubled world is just the beginning. I don't know. When will a man of destiny be able to calm down the chaos in this world? The water in this world is very deep, and it is not for your two brothers to test Qing Qian." Tao Qian replied feebly, although his tone was weak, But every word clearly reached the ears of the pottery merchant and Tao Ying.

"Yes, father." Tao Shang and Tao Ying agreed solemnly.

After saying the previous words, Tao Qian seemed to have exhausted all his energy, and closed his eyes peacefully, as if he had fallen asleep quietly as usual.Soon, Tao Shang and Tao Ying realized something was wrong and tested Tao Qian's vitality. Then the two brothers burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)