Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chapter 227 Xicheng Shangyong

As nominally subjects under Zhang Lu's rule, but actually ruling Xicheng and Shangyong, the powerful Shen family, the recent development of the current situation is very unfavorable for them. Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao sent generals Cai Hao and Zhang Yun to lead troops to Fangling County, and the banner He waved his sword and pointed at Xicheng and Shangyong. He also sent letters many times, hoping to persuade the Shen family to surrender to Jingzhou.

In fact, as far as the Shen family is concerned, if Jingzhou only wants them to surrender in name and change the color and text of the flag, it will not affect their actual separatist rule of Xicheng and Shangyong as a vassal, they will not have any resistance. He would generously take refuge in the name of Jingzhou, changing from a nominal minister of Zhang Lu to a nominal minister of Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Biao.

But that's where things got bad. Shen Gong, the patriarch of the Shen family, looked at the books and silks placed on the desk in front of him. His face was very unhappy, and he frowned with the word "Chuan" between his eyebrows. He followed Cai Hao and Zhang Yun's instructions. According to the letter, the Jingzhou side not only wanted the Shen family to surrender to Jingzhou, but also wanted to deprive the Shen family of control over Xicheng and Shangyong, and comprehensively and deeply bring Xicheng and Shangyong under the rule of Jingzhou.

"Father, what is said in the letters sent by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun?" Shen Yuan asked Shen Gong who was sitting at the top.

As the eldest son of Duke Shen, Shen Yuan has always been known for his resourcefulness and his ability to observe people's emotions. Naturally, he saw Duke Shen's expression of displeasure after reading the letters sent by Cai Hao and Zhang Yun. Therefore, when Duke Shen withdrew his surrender, he When he looked at the letter, he immediately asked.

Duke Shen snorted coldly and said disdainfully: "Cai Hao and Zhang Yun want you and me, father and son, to turn against each other and surrender to Jingzhou with courtesy. In this way, we will not lose the official titles and rewards. Otherwise...otherwise, they will overwhelm us with a large army and defeat Shen." The clan transformed Xicheng and Shangyong into Qiuxu."

"What a loud tone." Shen Gong's second son Shen Yi had a hot temper. When Shen Gong relayed the words of Cai Hao and Zhang Yun, his anger suddenly burned up in his belly and went straight to his head: "Cai Hao and Zhang Yun are so young. If you look down on me, the Shen family, you should make a promise of war and have a good fight to teach you Jingman what I, the Shen family, are capable of."

Different from Duke Shen's fear and worry about Jingzhou's army, Shen Yi was not afraid of tigers as a newborn, and did not take Cai Mao and Zhang Yun seriously, thinking that with Shen's status as the local snake in Xicheng and Shangyong, the dragon was coming, and it had to be coiled around. , the tiger is coming, it has to lie down, except for the Shen family, the controllers of Xicheng and Shangyong, no matter who comes, it will not work.

Not to mention that the letters sent by Cai Hao and Zhang Yun became more and more arrogant and frivolous. They simply regarded the Shen family as if they were nothing. This inevitably made Shen Yi, who had a bad temper, extremely resist returning to Jingzhou and wanted to lead the troops with him. Jingzhou competes.

Duke Shen turned a deaf ear to Shen Yi's words. He turned his attention to Shen Pei. As the eldest son, Shen Pei had always been valued by him. Shen Pei was better than his second son Shen Yi in terms of intelligence and horse skills. Therefore, at this time, he I'd like to hear Shen Yuan's opinion.

"Father, did the letters of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun mention that after my family Shen returned to Jingzhou, would he move to Xiangyang or stay in Xicheng and Shangyong?" Shen Yuan's face was indifferent. He did not shout for beating or killing like Shen Yi, but A key question was asked.

As far as Shen Yuan is concerned, being humiliated by words is nothing. There is no actual loss. What is important is the actual ownership of interests. Here, after the Shen family, Xicheng and Shangyong return to Jingzhou, their destination should be where.

If, like in the past under Zhang Lu, Xicheng and Shangyong came under the rule of the Shen family, nominally surrendering to Jingzhou, but actually dividing Xicheng and Shangyong. Shen Yuan had no objections to returning to Jingzhou, it was just a matter of changing the flag. Shen's life could continue as usual, arrogant and unfettered in Xicheng and Shangyong.

But looking at Shen Gong's face when he heard his question, Shen Yuan couldn't help but feel a little bit in his heart. Shen Gong's face was not pretty, or rather bad.

Duke Shen shook his head: "According to the letter, Xicheng and Shangyong land will be handed over to Kuai Qi to govern. You, my father and son, and the important descendants of the Shen family will be moved to Xiangyang to study Confucian classics and study in Xiangyang. Make progress every day and no longer have to live a life of licking blood."

Shen Yuan's face suddenly darkened, as dark as Shen Gong's, like the bottom of a pot.

Shen Yi was anxious when he heard that after returning to Jingzhou, he would be moved to Xiangyang. He spoke quickly and persuaded Duke Shen: "Father, you must not surrender to Jingzhou. Our Shen family lives in Xicheng and Shangyong, although we can't call it that." He is a dragon or a tiger, but he can also be said to be a local snake, which can bring blessings to the officials and the people... But if he surrenders to Jingzhou and is moved to Xiangyang, he will be fish on the chopping board and be slaughtered by others. "

Shen Yi was very nervous. Since Dong Zhuo's usurpation and the chaos in Yu Nei, the Shen family, as a powerful family in Xicheng and Shangyong, was very powerful in this area and relied on by the people. They were able to gather thousands of families and separatize the land of Xicheng and Shangyong. , and as a prince, without the constraints of the Han Dynasty, it can be said that it is very satisfying.

In the land of Xicheng and Shangyong, Shen wants to get wind and rain, and does not act based on other people's faces. This makes Shen Yi enjoy his current life, so he does not want to leave Xicheng and Shangyong and go to the unknown Xiangyang. He kept himself humble to Liu Biao and acted based on other people's expressions.

As soon as Shen Yi's words were heard, Shen Gong sighed silently. Although Shen Yi's words were not very elegant, they were very straightforward and very suitable for his current state of mind. Whether to be a prince in a separate country or to live under the roof of others. Between the two options, anyone with a slightly normal temperament would choose to be a feudal lord on one side.

However, the Shen family wanted to continue to be a vassal in the separatist regime, but it was impossible to do so in the current situation. Shen Gong had no choice but to say, "As a father, why don't you want to stay in Xicheng and Shangyong? This is where my parents' tombs are. Secondly, the officials and people have always believed in my Shen." The Shen clan, but...but the Jingzhou soldiers brought by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are so large that our Shen clan's military strength is really difficult to contend with...It's better to surrender, and we can still save our Shen clan."

Shen Wan and Shen Yi both fell silent after hearing this. Their eyes flickered and they began to think deeply, trying to resolve the situation in front of them.

Shen Yuan seemed to have thought of something, and he asked: "Father, I sent a letter to Master Zhang earlier asking for help. Have you ever received a reply?"

Duke Shen shook his head: "There is no reply yet... Zhang Shijun actually has nothing to hope for. Now Liu Yizhou's troops are divided into two groups, one way to Yangping Pass and the other to Micang Road to attack Hanzhong in a large scale. At this time, Zhang Shijun is on his own. If you don’t have enough time, how can you take care of us... Besides, I, the Shen family, only nominally surrender to Tianshi Dao. Even if Zhang Shijun is not held back by the Shu soldiers, I am afraid he will not send troops to rescue us." Shen Yue was silent, Originally, he was not very optimistic about sending a letter to Zhang Lu asking for help. Although Xicheng and Shangyong were under the jurisdiction of Hanzhong County, they were inseparable from Hanzhong Zhang Lu, and the relationship between the two sides was not very close. Believing in Tianshi Tao, his father Shen Gong is also somewhat interested in Tianshi Tao. Shen may not have anything to do with Zhang Lu.

As a result, the current situation is very bad. Shen Yuan is thinking that it is not a wise decision to use Xicheng and Shangyong City to fight against Jingzhou and one state. If he surrenders to Liu Biao, the Shen family will be relocated. Going to Xiangyang and being reduced to being at the mercy of others is not a wise choice.

Duke Shen sighed heavily and said helplessly: "The plan now is for you and me, father and son, to go to Fangling and surrender in person, which may save the Shen family."

"Father, I, the Shen family, have won the hearts of the officials and people in Xicheng and Shangyong. I may be able to compete with Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, but I may not be defeated by the Chu soldiers." Shen Yi made a final struggle, He really doesn't want to leave his destiny to the control of others, but wants to continue to be a local bully in Xicheng and Shangyong.

"No." Shen Gong rejected Shen Yi's proposal: "If Fangling is in our hands, we may be able to use Fangling to block Jingchu's soldiers, but Fangling is now in the hands of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. Although our Shen family has people Harmony, but the geographical advantage is shared with Cai Hao and Zhang Yun... Without geographical advantage, how can we use the weak to overcome the strong? Now Zhang Shijun can compete with Liu Yizhou, using the land of a county to fight the land of a state, and has never been defeated. Isn't it because of Yangping? The dangers of the pass, but our Shen clan lacks Yang Pingguan, otherwise there is no need to fear Cai Hao and Zhang Yun."

Shen Yuan's eyes dimmed, and he knew that what Duke Shen said was right. The three counties of Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling were blocked on all sides by Qinling Mountains, Bashan Mountain, Wudang Mountain, and Wushan Mountain. Like Hanzhong, it was a standard land with four fortresses. , and the territory is the same as Hanzhong, with the Han River running through it. The three counties are surrounded by mountains on the outside and the terrain is dangerous, but water transportation is developed inside and there are frequent exchanges.

If the Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling areas were all occupied, the Shen family would be safe on Mount Tai and not afraid of Jingchu's troops marching eastward, but... Shen Yuan shook his head, but it was a pity that Fangling was occupied by Jingzhou and lost his house. Ling, they would have no geographical advantage to confront Jingzhou.

However, Shen Yun had some different views on the direct surrender mentioned by Duke Shen. He said seriously to Duke Shen: "Father, according to the documents sent by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, I know that they have underestimated me, the Shen family. If we accept surrender directly, the other people will look down on us even more. After surrendering to Jingzhou, the official salary we get from Liu Jingzhou will not be very high."

Hearing this, Duke Shen lowered his eyebrows and considered it carefully. After a moment, he nodded: "What you said makes sense. From your perspective, you should act accordingly."

Shen Wan did not hesitate and immediately responded: "Although the soldiers of Jingchu are numerous, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are very arrogant. The Art of War says that arrogant soldiers will be defeated. One of them is that I, Shen, have been in Xicheng for a long time. Shangyong knows geography and people better than Cai Zhang. The second reason is that I am the main army and he is the guest army. I can wait for work. The third reason... With these three reasons, I can fight with Cai Zhang. .”

"A battle?" Shen Gong looked confused. He talked about surrender earlier, but here Shen Yuan wanted to fight. The inconsistency made him a little confused.

"Exactly." Shen Yuan smiled and said: "To accept the surrender directly is to be underestimated. If you win against Cai and Zhang first, and then go to Liu Jingzhou to accept the surrender, you will gain a lot of profits."
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After Cai Mao and Zhang Yun arrived in Fangling County, they did not immediately reorganize their troops and send troops to Xicheng and Shangyong. Instead, they thought of subduing the enemy without fighting and sent several letters to In the hands of the powerful Shen family, the intention was to make the Shen family surrender automatically and save the two of them from the hard work of fighting.

At present, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are only enjoying themselves in the official temple in Fangling, drinking and having fun, watching singing and dancing. And their relaxed and happy posture is because they are confident that as long as Shen is not a fool, he will not do stupid things like throwing eggs and stones. Shen will definitely come to Fangling and surrender after receiving their letters. Therefore, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were waiting in Fangling for the arrival of the Shen family.

Kuai Qi looked at Cai Hao, Zhang Yun, who were a little drunk, and Cai Hao restlessly pulled the dancing girl into his arms. A dishonest Lushan claw raised and lowered his hand towards the dancing girl. This uninhibited gesture made Kuai Qi I couldn't help but sigh in my heart, Cai Mao was too frivolous.

But when he complained about Cai Hao, Kuai Qi naturally only said it from the bottom of his heart. On the surface, he was a bit flattering to Cai and Zhang. However, Kuai Qi had some ideas here and said it while Cai Hao and Zhang Yun were happy. : "General Cai Zhonglang, is the content of the letter of surrender sent to the Shen family a bit too harsh? I think it may be possible to send a letter with a gentler attitude without forcing the Shen family to surrender and move to Xiangyang. In this way, Shen Maybe he can surrender soon."

Kuai Qi sighed in his heart. He felt very inappropriate about the surrender letter sent by Cai Mao to Shen. Firstly, the wording in the letter was not very friendly, and secondly, the treatment of Shen after his surrender was a bit harsh, so he did not agree with it. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun generally thought that Shen would come to surrender after receiving the letter. Maybe there would be some trouble because of the letter of surrender.

"Kuai Jun, I don't want you to think it, but I think I am the coach and I have the right to make decisions on the battlefield on all matters." Cai Hao waved his hand nonchalantly: "Whatever the Shen family is, they are just in the den of Xicheng and Shangyong. They are just small tyrants. I have given them a huge favor by sending them a letter to surrender... If the Shen family does not listen to the advice and insists on going against me, I will lead the Jingxiang people to suppress him and discipline him. The Shen family will be destroyed. People die.”

Kuai Qi nodded repeatedly and did not immediately refute Cai Mao's words. Instead, he waited for a while and then said tactfully: "General Cai Zhonglang, the Shen family is certainly nothing to worry about, but maybe we can come up with good conditions and let the Shen family surrender first. After we capture Xicheng and Shangyong Land, we can take care of the Shen family."

Cai Mao frowned and was very unhappy with Kuai Qi's repeated advice. He blew out a breath from his nose and put down the Lushan claws that were groping up and down Wu Ji's body. Considering that Kuai Qi was Kuai's after all, Clan member, he said patiently: "Kuai Jun, I think about how courageous your uncle Yidu (Kuai Yue) was in the past when he gave advice to my brother-in-law (Liu Biao) and killed more than fifty powerful families in one fell swoop. What do you think? To attach such great importance to a mere powerful Shen family is to lose the courage of your Kuai family."

As soon as these words came out, Kuai Qi shut up and retreated. He knew that no more remonstrances would achieve anything. Cai Mao made up his mind and even brought out his uncle Kuai Yue to suppress him.

(End of this chapter)