Ji Han Liu Zhang

Time flies, the years are like a shuttle.

The winter month of the second year of Jian'an passed in the blink of an eye, and time arrived in the third year of Jian'an, the first month of spring.

In Chang'an, in the official residence, Liu Zhang stood in the corridor. Occasionally, the spring breeze blew on his face, but he tightened his fur coat. This was because the taste of winter had not yet dissipated, and now was the time of the spring cold. The spring breeze blew on his face, but it was bitterly cold. Although it was called spring breeze, it was no different from the cold winter wind.

"Minister Liu Ai should have arrived at Tongguan by now, right?" Liu Zhang asked without any context.

Chief Clerk Xun You stood behind Liu Zhang. He nodded and said, "According to the calculation of walking speed, Minister Liu should have reached Tongguan, and perhaps crossed Fenglingdu. After another seven or eight days of walking, he should reach Xudu."

Liu Ai, the chamberlain mentioned by Liu Zhang, was ordered by Cao Cao, the fake emperor, to come to Guanzhong to confer the title of king on Liu Zhang. However, the result Liu Ai got this time was the same as before, and he was rejected by Liu Zhang.

After being rejected, the attendant Liu Ai set out on his return journey a few days ago because Liu Zhang asked this question.

After a moment of silence, Liu Zhang asked, "Gongda, do you think I should accept the title of king?"

Xun You smiled when he heard this. Instead of answering, he asked, "Didn't you refuse the reward of the title of king this time? Hasn't that meant you have made a clear decision?"

"I have made a clear decision, but I still want to hear Gongda's opinion." Liu Zhang looked at the snow in the courtyard that had not yet melted, his eyes opening and closing, his mind uncertain.

After pondering for a while, Xun You said, "Cao Cao has repeatedly used the emperor's orders to grant you the title of king. This is indeed a bit ostentatious and too much of a highlight for you. It is reasonable and appropriate for you to refuse it."

"But the fact that you were conferred the title of king is known to everyone in the universe now. Whether you accept it or not, it doesn't make much difference." Xun You changed the subject and said, "Now, everyone in the universe knows about it.

Liu Zhang was silent. He understood the true meaning of Xun You's words. Xun You was inclined to be rewarded with the title of king.

Build high walls, store up abundant food, and slowly become king - this is the nine-word mantra that Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang used to achieve his great cause. Normally, Liu Zhang should have followed suit.

But dogmatism is the most undesirable thing. We should be flexible when necessary, just like the art of war: there is no constant position of troops, no constant shape of water, nothing is possible, and nothing is impossible.

Xun You was inclined to accept the title, so Liu Zhang asked him a follow-up question to find out his opinion: "Do you think I should be granted the title of king?"

"My Lord, you are wise. You is indeed suggesting that I accept the title of king." Xun You affirmed, and he cited an example: "In the past, Wu Han and Geng Yan advised Emperor Taizu to take the throne, but Emperor Taizu declined the offer four times. Geng Chun said, 'The heroes of the world are all eager to see what they want. If you don't follow our advice, the scholars and officials will return to the Lord and not follow you.' Emperor Taizu was deeply moved by Chun's words and agreed."

"The court's conferring of the title of a king on you is just like the Emperor Taizu's enthronement." Xun You said in comparison, "Your Excellency has no intention of becoming a king and has repeatedly refused. Although the civil and military officials dare not make any comments and only obey your orders, many people hope that you will be conferred the title of a king in order to curry favor with the emperor and make some contribution."

Liu Zhang nodded. The civil and military officials who followed him, after all, did not follow him because he was respectful to the wise and had noble morals, but because they hoped to make progress, gain the merit of following the emperor, and preferably get a title for their wife and children.

If the subordinates want to advance, Liu Zhang must advance first. Otherwise, if Liu Zhang holds the position of general, the subordinates can only hold the positions of school lieutenant, military officer, etc., and cannot be called generals or provincial governors. This is also the reason why the subordinates are more eager than the superiors when persuading others to take office. If they hinder the subordinates from getting promoted and making money, and get angry, the subordinates will directly take out the yellow robe and put it on the superiors, and rush to make progress like the boss.

"Besides." Xun You saw Liu Zhang's intention from the side, and he said at the right time: "You first conquered Guanzhong and killed the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si. Later, you pacified Longyou and beheaded the two bandits Han Sui and Song Jian. Your great achievements are unprecedented in history... In addition, as a relative of yours, it is only natural for you to be granted the title of king. If you refuse repeatedly, it will seem a bit hypocritical."

"I will think deeply about your good advice." Liu Zhang nodded in response, but did not give Xun You a clear answer.

Xun You did not say anything more. He knew that the wise man in front of him had already made a new wise decision and there was no need for him to say anything more.

Leaving aside the question of the title of king, Liu Zhang asked Xun You, "Yuan Shao of Jizhou stopped attacking Gongsun Zan last year due to the cold winter. Now that the ice and snow have melted, the grass is growing and the birds are flying, has he made any moves?"

"According to the scouts' report, Yuan Shao is now recruiting a large army and requisitioning food and fodder. It seems that he is determined to conquer Yi County and behead Gongsun this year, even if the spring ploughing is not harmonious, to get rid of the thorn behind him." Xun You bowed and reported, stating what was happening in Heshuo.

"How is Xu Du?" Liu Zhang continued to ask.

"There is no movement from Xudu for the time being." After summarizing the situation in Xudu, Xun You explained, "Last year, Cao Cao conquered Huainan. Although he won a great victory, he consumed a lot of food and supplies. If he wants to mobilize troops, he will probably have to wait until after the summer harvest."

"Where do you think Cao Cao will lead his troops this year?" Liu Zhang asked Xun You after he had the answer in his mind.

"Either we march eastwards to attack Lu Bu and clear the coast of the East China Sea, or we march southwards to attack Yuan Shu and completely clear the area south of the Huai River." Xun You gave two possible answers, and then he gave his preference.

"Yuan Shu suffered a great defeat last year, and many of his civil and military officials rebelled. His situation has declined, and he cannot show his strength. It is difficult for him to threaten Cao Cao. Lu Bu is marching in Xuzhou, with a strong army. It is more likely that Cao Cao will march east to attack Lu Bu and pacify the land of Qing and Xu."

"I agree with you. Yuan Shu is not a concern now, but Lu Bu is in his prime. Cao Cao should prioritize attacking and destroying Lu Bu, then conquer Huainan and get rid of Yuan Shu." Liu Zhang nodded in agreement. Compared with Yuan Shu, Lu Bu is a greater threat to Cao Cao. In all likelihood, Cao Cao would prioritize dealing with Lu Bu, and then deal with Yuan Shu who no longer poses a threat.

"How is the land of Jingyang?"

Finally, Liu Zhang asked Xun You about the situation in Jingzhou and Yangzhou, which were also the two states with the lowest priority in his plan.

Xun You replied, "Sun Ce is a brave man, similar to Xiang Yu. In the past two or three years, Sun Ce has conquered the land of Jiangdong. Now Sun Ce is trying to take Jingzhou under the pretext of avenging his father. Liu Biao of Jingzhou is deeply worried about this and intends to increase the number of troops stationed in Jiangxia to prevent Sun Ce from advancing westward."

Liu Zhang had some thoughts about Sun Ce, the founder of the Sun Wu Dynasty known as the 'Little Overlord': Would Sun Ce be killed by Xu Gong's followers as history had shown?

If Sun Ce had not died, Liu Biao would have had a headache. Compared to Sun Quan, Sun Ce was much stronger than Sun Quan in that he could lead the people of Jiangdong, decide the outcome between the two armies, and compete with the world. (End of this chapter)