Ji Han Liu Zhang

Chapter 400 Xuzhou Storm
First, Yuan Shu of Huainan sent troops to attack Xuzhou. Liu Bei ordered Zhang Fei to stay in Xia Pi, while he led his army to fight Yuan Shu in Xuyi and Huaiyin. The two sides fought for more than a month, with each side winning and losing, and neither side could do anything to the other for a while.

So in this situation, Yuan Shu had evil intentions. He wrote a letter to Lu Bu, who had defected to Liu Bei. In the letter, he praised Lu Bu's past achievements with humble words, and induced Lu Bu to send troops to attack Xia Pi with 200,000 hu of rice and weapons and war equipment.

As the Marquis of Wen, Lu Bu was bewitched by Yuan Shu and immediately sent troops to Xia Pi. It happened that Zhang Fei had a conflict with Cao Bao, an old general of Tao Qian, in Xia Pi City. The two sides fought in Xia Pi City. Lu Bu took advantage of this opportunity to defeat Zhang Fei in one fell swoop and successfully captured Xia Pi City.

Liu Bei, who was fighting against Yuan Shu in Xuyi and Huaiyin, had to lead his troops to retreat after learning the news. He originally wanted to recapture Xia Pi, but when the army reached Xia Pi, the soldiers collapsed and scattered. He had no choice but to gather the scattered soldiers and go to Guangling County.

Liu Bei was hungry and exhausted in Guangling County. Officials and soldiers of all ranks were eating each other. He was starving and had no choice but to surrender to Lu Bu. Lu Bu was resentful that Yuan Shu had not delivered the 200,000 hu of grain he had promised him, so he accepted Liu Bei's surrender and settled Liu Bei in Yuzhou. Lu Bu recommended Liu Bei as the Governor of Yuzhou, stationed in Xiaopei.

Xiaopei.

Sun Qian, an attendant, said to Liu Bei, "Now the common people and scattered soldiers in Xuzhou have heard that you are stationed in Xiaopei. Many of them have come here with their children and the elderly to rely on you. Qian has roughly counted their numbers and it should be possible to get 10,000 soldiers."

Liu Bei nodded when he heard this. His face showed no sadness or joy, and he showed his usual indifference. Although Xuzhou was obtained by Lu Bu, and he, the rightful governor of Xuzhou, was driven to Xiaopei to garrison, his mind remained resilient, and his determination to support the Han Dynasty was not shaken by this blow.

"Brother, now that we have more than 10,000 troops, we can consider taking back Xuzhou." Zhang Fei's face showed joy, and he said it loudly. The voice was so loud that people inside and outside the house could hear it clearly.

Zhang Fei had been brooding over the loss of Xuzhou for some time. He could not sleep well and had no appetite, because Xia Pi City was lost from his hands. If he had not made peace with Tao Qian's old generals Cao Bao, Xu Dan and others, Xia Pi City would not have been easily taken by Lu Bu due to its solidity, and Xuzhou would not have been obtained by Lu Bu.

Guan Yu listened to Zhang Fei's speech, his phoenix eyes slightly opened, and his red face shook slightly: "No."

"Although we have gathered more than 10,000 soldiers, they are far less brave than those under Lu Bu. If we were to face Lu Bu suddenly, we would probably be defeated."

"Second brother, why do you boost others' morale and destroy your own prestige?" Zhang Fei sighed.

"Yi De, you can't act on impulse when marching and fighting. One is one, two is two. You must never follow your heart." Liu Bei agreed with Guan Yu's words, and then he turned around and taught Zhang Fei a lesson: "Yide, you can't act on impulse when marching and fighting. One is one, two is two. You must never follow your heart."

"Yes, brother." Zhang Fei responded with a bow. He could ignore other people's preaching, but he would listen attentively to Liu Bei's preaching.

As the primary person responsible for the loss of Xuzhou, Zhang Fei should have been subject to military law, but Liu Bei exonerated Zhang Fei with the words "victory and defeat are common in the military." With such an elder brother, Zhang Fei naturally listened to his advice and followed Liu Bei around.

"Now that we have just arrived in Xiaopei, we have not yet gained a deep-rooted advantage, so we should not cause trouble. We can rest and recuperate first and then act according to the situation." Liu Bei gave a plan for the future. He planned to sit back in Xiaopei and wait and see the situation. Besides, with his current strength, he was not strong enough to do anything to shake Xuzhou.

When one is not strong enough, one should naturally curl up one's claws, restrain one's edge, and act according to the opportunity. This has always been Liu Bei's philosophy of survival.

However, Liu Bei, who was recuperating in Xiaopei, was still very concerned about the situation in the world, especially the situation in Hebei. At present, his senior brother Gongsun Zan was fighting with Yuan Shao, who was a third-generation official for four generations, in a competition to decide the authority north of the Yellow River.

Talking about the war situation in Hebei, Sun Qian, an official, could not help but sigh: "General Gongsun was defeated in the battles of Longcou and Baoqiu. In addition, Youyan was hit by a severe drought, locust plagues were rampant, and grain was expensive. The situation was very unfavorable to General Gongsun."

"And now, when the people of Youyan are starving and short of food, General Gongsun not only does not sympathize with the people under his rule, but instead tortures the local tyrants, causing the people of Youyan to be angry. Daijun, Guangyang, Shanggu, Youbeiping and other places have killed the officials appointed by General Gongsun. They have joined forces with Xianyu Fu, an old subordinate of Liu Yu, to become the enemy of General Gongsun."

"General Gongsun was in a state of distress and lost his courage. He actually believed in a nursery rhyme, which said, 'Yan is in the south, Zhao is in the north, the center is not in harmony, it is as big as a whetstone, only here can I escape from the world.' He said the place mentioned in the nursery rhyme was Yi County, so General Gongsun built a high tower in Yi County to defend himself, waiting for the time when the world would change."

Sun Qian spoke eloquently, describing the current situation of the White Horse General Gongsun Zan. At the same time, his expression was full of emotion. After all, the White Horse General Gongsun Zan, who was so heroic and domineering in Heshuo in the past, has become a guard dog after a series of setbacks. He no longer has the heroic spirit of the White Horse General in the past. How can one not sigh with emotion?

Liu Bei's expression was rarely downcast, and some emotions were revealed on his calm face. He sighed softly: "There is no reinforcement outside, and there is unrest inside. Brother Gongsun built a tower in Yi County to defend himself. I am afraid he is killing himself."

"The land of Hebei will be taken by Yuan Benchu ​​sooner or later."

Liu Bei let out a sigh. He seemed to have seen the end of Gongsun Zan. The once dashing, heroic and heroic senior brother Gongsun would set himself on fire in the tall building he built. His wife had no descendants, and his family was destroyed.

As for the ownership of Hebei, Liu Bei also made an inference based on the current situation. There should be no surprises and it would only be obtained by Yuan Benchu, who was a third-generation official for four generations.

"If Yuan Benchu ​​can gain control of Youyan, he will be able to control the four states of Ji, You, Qing and Yan. I'm afraid there will be no rivals in the world. Fortunately, Yuan Benchu ​​is not like Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was rebellious, but Yuan Benchu ​​seems to be loyal to the Han Dynasty. He is not a traitor." Sun Qian continued with Liu Bei's words.

However, Zhang Fei heard Sun Qian's words and muttered, "In my opinion, Yuan Benchu ​​is not a good guy either. Otherwise, why didn't Yuan Benchu ​​lead troops to protect the emperor when the emperor returned to Luoyang this year, but was beaten by Cao Cao in Yanzhou?"

"In the past, Cao Cao stationed troops in Henan and served as the prefect of Dongjun, which was appointed by Yuan Benchu. Moreover, when Lu Bu attacked Yanzhou, Cao Cao would have been in danger if Yuan Benchu ​​had not extended a helping hand. The two families can be regarded as one. Cao Cao leading troops to protect the emperor is equivalent to Yuan Benchu ​​leading troops to protect the emperor." Sun Qian defended Yuan Shao. In his eyes, Cao Cao was Yuan Shao's trusted younger brother, and the Yuan and Cao families were inseparable.

Zhang Fei sneered when he heard this. He retorted to Sun Qian, "I heard that Cao Cao appointed himself as the general and pretended to be the emperor's edict to make Yuan Benchu ​​the Grand Marshal and the Marquis of Ye. How can the lower position be in the upper position and the higher position be in the lower position? In my opinion, Cao Cao must be dissatisfied with Yuan Benchu."

"Hiss." Sun Qian looked at Zhang Fei, who looked rough, with a surprised look. He didn't expect Zhang Fei to have such a delicate mind. To be honest, he didn't think deeply about this matter. Now that he thinks about it, it is indeed unreasonable. Cao Cao was supported by Yuan Shao, so the position of the general should be Yuan Shao. But now Cao Cao holds the position of the general himself, and Yuan Shao is the general, and is named the Marquis of Ye. The general is below the general, and Cao Cao's thoughts can be seen.

"General Zhang is right. Qian was negligent. This matter is indeed a little unusual. It seems that Cao Cao is not respectful to Yuan Benchu, but has other thoughts in his mind." As a son of the great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan, Sun Qian was loyal and honest. He saluted Zhang Fei.

After hearing what Zhang Fei said, Liu Bei nodded involuntarily. He had some understanding of Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei was not a reckless general, but a wise general with some meticulous thinking in his mind. He should not be taken lightly.

"Cao Cao moved the emperor to Xu County, and appointed his relatives and guests to control the imperial guards. He also appointed himself as the general, and his mind is unpredictable... The safety of the emperor is not in his own hands." Liu Bei, who had heard a lot about what happened in Xu County, became worried about the emperor who was far away in Xu County. Cao Cao was a man with a treacherous and unpredictable mind. The safety of the emperor Liu Xie was not in his own hands, but was controlled by Cao Cao.

"You don't have to worry too much." Sun Qian comforted Liu Bei: "Right now, the world is in constant strife. The Cao family is not the strongest and will be worried about the four directions. For the time being, the Cao family will not dare to manipulate the emperor easily."

Liu Bei agreed with this point, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "There is Liu Jiyu in Guanzhong, Liu Jingsheng in Jingzhou, and many vassal states. Although Cao Cao controls the government, he dare not act too recklessly."

Liu Bei singled out Liu Zhang from among the two clansmen who ruled their own territories, Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, and said to him with deep regret: "I have always heard that Liu Jiyu was a coward and incapable of handling affairs. After Liu Yan died, Liu Jiyu took charge of a large state, fought wars in the south and the north, and eliminated all the bandits. Now he is leading troops to fight the bandits again, and has killed the two thieves, Li Jue and Guo Si. He is truly a hero. With Liu Jiyu around, the treacherous people in the world will naturally be restrained."

When talking about his fellow clan member Liu Zhang, Liu Bei felt somewhat admiration and reluctance. What he admired was that Liu Zhang fought against the enemy for the country and eliminated the two treacherous and evil men Li Jue and Guo Si, which brought peace to Guanzhong and made the people of Guanzhong celebrate their birthdays.

What is unacceptable is that Liu Bei was able to do such a thing to Liu Zhang because Liu Zhang had Yizhou left by his father Liu Yan, a large province with a population of one million and wealthy people. It was because of this that Liu Zhang was able to achieve such great achievements.

When Liu Bei thought of this, he sighed and said, "If I had a foundation, I wouldn't have to worry about the bandits and villains in the world."

Liu Bei was born into a declining royal family. Apart from having an identity card of a clan member, he had to fight hard for every step forward. When he faced Liu Zhang, who was in charge of a large state, raised an army to fight against the enemy and was the most powerful person at that time, he felt sad about his own background.

But after just a sigh, Liu Bei regained his calm expression, and his eyes became more determined than before. Although he was temporarily taken advantage of by Lu Bu and lost Xuzhou, he was not Gongsun Zan. Temporary setbacks could not defeat him. He would just turn over and continue fighting like an indestructible cockroach.

……

Xiapi.

Wenhou Lu Bu was drinking and feasting. He had not felt so happy for a long time.

Since he fled to Guandong in the third year of Chuping, he first intended to join Yuan Shu. He thought that he had killed Dong Zhuo and avenged the Yuan family, so he should be a benefactor of the Yuan family and Yuan Shu should treat him well. However, Yuan Shu refused to accept him.

So Lu Bu had no choice but to join Yuan Shao's army and fight as a guest general for Yuan Shao against Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army. Although the Black Mountain Army had 10,000 elite soldiers and thousands of cavalry, Lu Bu did not take them seriously. He rode on his Red Hare and led his fierce generals Cheng Lian and Wei Yue. He dared to attack Zhang Yan's army with only dozens of cavalry, and even charged back and forth three or four times a day. In this way, he helped Yuan Shao defeat Zhang Yan.

What Lu Bu had never expected was that he just wanted to increase the number of soldiers under his command, but Yuan Shao not only refused, but also blamed him for allowing his soldiers to plunder and even sent troops to murder him.

He had no choice but to flee to Hanoi and form an alliance with Hanoi Governor Zhang Yang.

There are one or two things that are unclear about Lu Bu here. He was a hero who had made great contributions to the Han Dynasty and killed the traitor Dong Zhuo. However, the princes in Guandong either refused to accept him or intended to murder him. It was really puzzling.

Later, in the first year of Xingping, his good luck came. Chenliu prefect Zhang Miao, Cao Cao's staff officers Xu Si, Wang Kai and Chen Gong sent people to welcome him and asked him to serve as the governor of Yanzhou. With the help of an insider, he took Yanzhou very smoothly.

Unfortunately, he was eventually defeated by Cao Cao and had to leave Yanzhou and join the army of Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, who was also from a border county. Liu Bei was very nice to him and not only accepted him but also provided him with food and fodder.

Of course, he did not treat Liu Bei badly. After attacking Xia Pi and seizing Xuzhou, he did not listen to the advice of his generals to kill Liu Bei. Instead, he accepted the surrender of Liu Bei, who was starving and trapped in Haixi County, Guangling County, and appointed Liu Bei as the Governor of Yuzhou and let Liu Bei station in Xiaopei. He also personally saw Liu Bei off on the Si River, which was a great kindness.

"Without me, Lü Bu, how could Liu Bei survive?" Lü Bu thought of Liu Bei in Xiaopei. He hoped that Liu Bei would defend Xiaopei for him and block the enemy from the west.

Just at this time, a scout came to report: "My Lord, Liu Bei is gathering the scattered soldiers in Xiaopei. Now he has tens of thousands of them, but I don't know what he means."

"Hmm?" The slightly drunk Lu Bu showed displeasure, and some worries arose in his heart. He was worried that Liu Bei gathered the scattered soldiers to deal with him, otherwise why would Liu Bei gather so many troops.

"Bring me my halberd." Lu Bu stood up and gave orders to the generals in the hall, "Gather the troops and follow me to Xiaopei to see what Liu Bei is planning."

"Yes." The generals in the hall responded generously.

(End of this chapter)