Ji Han Liu Zhang

Xiangyang, Prefecture Mufu.

Jingzhou Biejia Liu Xian clearly heard a sentence coming from the top of the seat: "You should be like Liu Jiyu when you give birth to a child!" '

This is a sentiment expressed by Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Biao, who is sitting in the top position, towards Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang. At the same time, the tone of this sentence is mixed with the deep meaning of hating iron for not becoming steel. It is a sign of discouragement that his descendants are not as capable as Liu Zhang. .

Liu Xian expressed his understanding. Normally, parents would feel this way when their own children are not as good as other people's children. He had heard the same words many times. Secondly, Yizhou Shepherd Liu Zhang is indeed worthy of this sentence. There are few parents who do not want their sons to be as outstanding as Liu Zhang.

News came from Hanzhong a few days ago that Liu Zhang bypassed Yangping Pass and took a detour to reach Dingjun Mountain, which reversed the host-guest situation in the battle with Hanzhong. When Liu Xian heard the news, he thought that Zhang Lu had been defeated. One day, the situation developed as he expected. Zhang Lu fled in panic from Hanzhong, leaving Hanzhong to Liu Zhang, the shepherd of Yizhou.

Within a few months, the Battle of Hanzhong came to an end. The time it took was far less than the year and a half that the Jingzhou civil and military officials had expected. The offensive was so swift and violent.

As for their Jingzhou side, Liu Xian couldn't help but sigh silently at this thought. They originally wanted to take advantage of Liu Zhang's attack on Hanzhong to seize the two cities of Xicheng and Shangyong to stabilize the defense of Xiangyang in the west. In this way, There is no need to worry about the Shu soldiers coming down the Han River from the land of Shangyong and arriving at Xiangyang City in a few days.

But reality and ideals are often different. Liu Zhang's side captured Hanzhong, but Cai Hao and Zhang Yun on their side were defeated by Shangyong's small powerful Shen family. Not to mention opening up territory, it was a good life. The loss of troops was greatly reduced.

Here Liu Xian was sighing in his heart, and the counselor Kuai Yue beside him also felt the same. Earlier, his brother Kuai Liang came back from his mission to Yizhou and highly praised Liu Zhang. Not to mention Liu Zhang's civil and military talents, he also praised Liu Zhang. It has the style of Emperor Gao, and it is hard to say that it is even slightly better than Emperor Gao.

Kuai Liangyan said that Gao Emperor Liu Bang liked to humiliate Confucian scholars, but Liu Zhang respected the wise men. There was nothing rude about his advances and retreats in his words. He would not do the same thing as Emperor Gao did while entertaining the wise men while washing their feet. That's all. One thing is better than the Emperor Gao.

'Emperor Gao. Kuai Yue was talking about this legendary title. At first he was dubious about his brother Kuai Liang's words. After all, Emperor Gao's name was so famous that few people could catch up with Emperor Gao Liu Bang's achievements. Moreover, although Liu Zhang said that after succeeding as the pastor of Yizhou, both Bajun and Nanzhong came down at once, but it was just a small fight.

But now Kuai Yue is somewhat convinced. The rice thief Zhang Lu has been entrenched in Hanzhong for a long time, and the trees are big and deep-rooted. Although the military strength, financial resources, and food and grass supplies are not as good as those of Shu, they are still a tough stubble, not so easy to chew, and Liu Zhang However, Hanzhong was still easily taken, and it didn't take much effort to get it done. From this, it can be concluded that Liu Zhang is a British master.

Liu Biao, who was at the top, said with emotion, "I should give birth to a child like Liu Jiyu." His heart was full of mixed emotions, including sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.

Liu Biao and Liu Yan did not deal with each other, very difficult to deal with. He once reported Liu Yan's behavior to the court, that is, Liu Yan built a chariot that only the emperor could ride on. Therefore, he and Liu Yan disliked each other, and it was obvious that Yizhou and Jingzhou was a neighbor, and he and Liu Yan were both members of the clan, but they were reduced to a situation where they were incompatible with each other.

Later, Liu Yan died and Liu Zhang succeeded to the throne. Liu Biao was happy for a while. After all, Liu Yan was a talented man. An outsider entered Yizhou and cited Dongzhou scholars as his confidants. The Yizhou scholars bowed their heads and recognized the master. However, Liu Zhang had a reputation of being cowardly, and he was not like a master.

Liu Biao wanted to see the good show in Yizhou at that time. He wanted to see Liu Zhang unable to suppress the local forces in Yizhou and Yizhou's internal chaos. However, the current situation was different from what he had imagined. Liu Zhang was no less than Liu Yan, and even surpassed him. After conquering Liu Yan, Liu Zhang integrated the local forces in Yizhou and the foreign Dongzhou scholars. In the past two years, he conquered the east and west, attacked the south and the north, and turned Yizhou into his own iron plate.

Therefore, when Liu Biao knew that Liu Zhang had captured Hanzhong, he felt very uncomfortable. Liu Zhang, who was a generation younger than him, was too good. If Liu Yan, who had no deal with him, was still alive, he would be very upset. I am glad to have a son like Liu Zhang.

Liu Biao naturally wanted a son like Liu Zhang. Liu Zhang was capable of both literary and military skills and had outstanding talents. He also heard from Kuai Liang, who had been sent to Yizhou, that Liu Zhang was very handsome. If he had a son like Liu Zhang, he would not regret his death.

'Eh. '

Thinking of this, Liu Biao sighed in his heart. He thought of his eldest son Liu Qi. Although Liu Qi's writings were morally acceptable and he could be regarded as a talented person, compared with Liu Yan's son Liu Zhang, he was like a stone. The beautiful jade is like a horse competing with a horse, and the light of a grain of rice cannot compete with the bright moon.

After a few breaths of silent thinking, Liu Biao came to his senses and turned his mind to Shangyong's battle: "Gentlemen, Cai Mao handed over a document saying that Zhang Lu fled to Xicheng after being defeated by Liu Zhang, and it seems that there are The alliance with the Shangyong Shen clan... What I'm worried about is that if Zhang Lu and the Shen clan are in alliance, it will be even more difficult for Xicheng and Shangyong. And Liu Jiyu will probably send troops after he has reorganized Hanzhong. Xicheng and Shangyong will not give us the chance to capture Xicheng and Shangyong."

Liu Xian thought about it for a while before attending. He enlightened Liu Biao and said: "Your Majesty, seeing what is written in the document, most of the warships in Hanzhong were taken away by Zhang Lu, and not many were left. The larger ones in Hanzhong are now There are no large ships. Without ships, it would be difficult for Liu Yizhou to go down the Han River to attack Xicheng and Shangyong... The land of Shangyong is fortified by four fortresses, and it is extremely difficult to travel by land. The only way is to go along the Han River. Water travels and soldiers make a smooth journey. It is expected that Liu Yizhou will not do anything in the next month or two."

"Your Majesty, what you said is true. Liu Yizhou is good at using troops. He will never cross mountains and ridges to capture Xicheng and Shangyong. He will definitely make a sound plan. After building warships, he will consider capturing Xicheng and Shangyong. Yong... In this case, we will still have a few months, and we only need to capture Xicheng and Shangyong within this period of time." Kuai Yue agreed and expressed his thoughts.

"As for the alliance between Zhang Lu and the Shen family, there is a high possibility of foolishness. Zhang Lu lost his family, and the Shen family was in fear all day long for our attack on Jingzhou. Now both Zhang Lu and the Shen family are in need of foreign aid. At this time, the two parties should We will join together and hug together to keep warm." "Yes." Liu Biao nodded. He knew the geography of Shangyong. Taking the water route is smoother and faster, but taking the land route would mean suffering. If Liu Zhang wanted to attack Shangyong, he would send a small army It's okay for a small group of troops to take the land route as a surprise force, but it is absolutely unrealistic for a large army to take the land route.

As Liu Xian and Kuai Yue said, they still have time and opportunity to attack Xicheng and Shangyong in Jingzhou. As long as they capture Xicheng and Shangyong before Liu Zhang builds a good warship, Liu Zhang will give up the attack. Strategy for Xicheng and Shangyong.

Perhaps Liu Zhang would ask Jingzhou for Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling counties on the grounds that they were under the jurisdiction of Hanzhong County, but Liu Biao would naturally not return what he had swallowed and held in his hands. Just use some words to deal with it.

Liu Biao had made up his mind and asked Liu Xian and Kuai Yue: "Although reinforcements of five thousand elite soldiers have been dispatched to Fangling, in your opinion, can Cai Hao and Zhang Yun defeat Zhang Luhe?" The Shen family, take the West City and Shangyong Land."

The previous calculation was good, but Liu Biao still had some doubts about whether Cai Hao and Zhang Yun could capture Xicheng and Shangyong. After all, Cai Hao and Zhang Yun had been defeated for a while, and their troops of more than 10,000 people were defeated by the Shen family's 4,000 to 5,000 troops. The abilities of Cai Hao and Zhang Yun made Liu Biao very suspicious.

Liu Xian and Kuai Yue fell silent and did not jump out to reply immediately. This topic was a bit sensitive. Cai Hao and Zhang Yun were both relatives of Liu Biao. If they said that Cai Hao and Zhang Yun were not good, it would reach the ears of Cai Hao and Zhang Yun. I'm afraid that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun will be taboo.

But to say that Cai Hao and Zhang Yun can 100% win Xicheng and Shangyong, Liu Xian and Kuai Yue, like Liu Biao, are not sure. Cai Hao and Zhang Yun's abilities are not enough for them to be very sure. After all, Cai Hao and Zhang Yun are not sure. Zhang Yun is not Liu Zhang. He uses troops like a god and invades like fire.

"Huh?" After a short silence, Liu Biao was a little unhappy when he saw that Liu Xian and Kuai Yue didn't answer, and his expression turned gloomy.

Liu Xian turned his head slightly, thinking that Kuai Yue was going to resist this thunder, but he saw Kuai Yue shrinking his figure, like a clay and wood Buddha statue, and his whole aura was hidden. If you didn't notice it carefully, you wouldn't be able to hear Kuai Yue. breathing sound.

'Well, you Kuai Yue, pretend to be deaf and dumb at this time. Liu Xian cursed in his heart, but the curse came true. As someone with a high position and authority, he had to speak. After thinking about it for a moment, Liu Xian slowly said: "Now our military strength in Jingzhou is better than that of Zhang Luhe." The Shen family joined forces, and General Cai Zhonglang was unfortunately ambushed in front. After being defeated for a while, he will act cautiously. If he wants to use his troops safely, Xicheng and Shangyong will naturally be captured by General Cai Zhonglang, so you don't have to worry."

Liu Xian had very little confidence in Cai Hao and Zhang Yun, and had no confidence in his heart. However, his words were firm and did not show any signs of cowardice. However, he still laid a foreshadowing, that is, Cai Hao and Zhang Yun. Be careful when using troops, otherwise if Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are defeated again, but he here swears that he can win and spreads the word, the Jingxiang scholars will probably think that he has no knowledge and does not know how to use troops.

What people live for, of course, is to have a face. Liu Xian didn’t want to lose face because of Cai Hao and Zhang Yun. His face was slapped in front of the Jingzhou scholars, which made people have doubts about his judgment ability. Questioned, thinking that he was not a good minister.

Liu Xian spoke. Liu Biao, who was displeased by the silence, looked slightly better. However, after listening to Liu Xian's words, his expression became even gloomier than before. Being a scheming man, he naturally knew Liu Xian's plan. Liu Xian said With an ambiguous sentence, Liu Xian will have an excuse later whether Cai Mao or Zhang Yun wins or loses.

Liu Biao did not respond to Liu Xian's words. He jumped over Liu Xian and looked at Kuai Yue. Feeling Liu Biao's gaze, Kuai Yue knew that he could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, it's just as Biejia said. , General Cai Zhonglang only needs to be careful with his troops, and Xicheng and Shangyong Land will naturally be captured at his fingertips."

Liu Biao was discouraged. He was a little tired at the moment. Both Liu Xian and Kuai Yue were perfunctory and did not give him an accurate answer. They saw that Liu Xian and Kuai Yue did not fully trust Cai Mao and Zhang Yun's abilities.

However, Liu Biao was not convinced about the abilities of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun here. He was very worried that Cai Hao and Zhang Yun would lose another battle. When the time came, he would think about Cai Mao and Zhang Yun's meritorious service and redeem themselves for the crime of ambushing the defeated army. The plan was shattered.

"Then I'll borrow your good advice." Liu Biao thought about it and let it go. He stopped questioning Liu Xian and Kuai Yue and asked them to give their calculations on the Shangyong war. After all, within ten days, the outcome should be determined. It will come out soon, and we will see the results then.

After a bad meeting, Liu Biao went to the back hall. Seeing Liu Biao's arrival, Mrs. Cai, who had a graceful figure and a beautiful face, immediately came up to her. In front of her, her brother Cai Mao failed to attack Shangyong and lost a battle. , as her sister, she naturally had to serve Liu Biao well and make Liu Biao happy physically and mentally, so as not to blame Cai Mao.

Mrs. Cai naturally noticed that Liu Biao looked unhappy and gloomy here, so she helped Liu Biao sit down with a bright smile, and asked softly: "Husband, what's bothering you in the front hall? How do you do it?" He doesn’t look good.”

Mrs. Cai asked while massaging the shoulders of Liu Biao who was sitting in the seat. Liu Biao enjoyed Mrs. Cai's service and relaxed slightly physically and mentally: "There is news from Hanzhong that Liu Jiyu has captured Hanzhong and beat Zhang Lu who fled to Shangyong." ...But now in Xicheng, things are mediocre but not bad, which makes me feel worried."

Mrs. Cai smiled and said something nice: "Although my brother was unaware of it and was unfortunately caught in Shen's ambush, how could he fall into the trap again? He should be very careful now and he won't fall into it. Regarding Shen's ambush, husband, don't worry, there will be good news sooner or later."

"I hope so." Liu Biao nodded. (End of chapter)