Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 131 Zilong, what do you think?

Zhongshan, Wuji.

It is late autumn and everything is bleak.

In the villa of Zhen Mansion, Zhen Mi and her mother Zhang were chatting in the courtyard.

Looking at Zhen Mi's pale face in the sun, Zhang said with heartache: "Alas, you are already weak, and you have a serious illness. You are suffering."

Zhen Mi, who had returned to the Zhen family for more than a month, fell seriously ill due to the bumpy journey and excessive grief over the death of her brother.

Fortunately, after a period of careful care, the condition has improved.

Zhen Mi smiled: "Having a serious illness is not a bad thing. At least I can stay at home with my mother for a little longer."

Zhang glared at Zhen Mi and said, "Nonsense! How can being sick be a good thing? You are a noble lady now, and the most important thing is to accompany His Majesty in the palace."

"Compared to accompanying His Majesty, Zhen's service is the most important thing." Zhen Mi stared at Zhang with burning eyes, "It's been so long, mother, haven't you thought it through yet?"

After paying condolences to Zhen Yan, Zhen Mi talked to Zhang about asking Zhen to serve the emperor, but Zhang did not agree immediately.

"The risk of serving the emperor is too great." Zhang avoided Zhen Mi's gaze and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to help the emperor, but Yuan Shao is very powerful. He occupies three states and has the support of many noble families. He is much stronger than Lu Bu. Even if Lu Bu gets support from our Zhen family, he can't compete with Yuan Shao."

"The most important thing is, if Yuan Shao finds out that the Zhen family is secretly helping the emperor, it will definitely bring disaster to the family!"

From a mother's perspective, Zhang was of course willing to assist the emperor.

But from the perspective of family interests, the risk of doing so is too great.

"Mother!" Zhen Mi was anxious, she pulled Zhang's arm and tried to persuade her:

"Your Majesty is in trouble and is being held hostage by Yuan Shao. How can I, your daughter, be in the emperor's harem and consort and just ignore it?"

"Your Majesty once promised my daughter that when he regains control of the throne, he will make her the queen and any son she gives birth to will be made the crown prince."

Zhang was shocked when she heard this, "Your Majesty promised you the position of Queen and Crown Prince?"

Zhen Mi said, "Your Majesty said it himself, how dare I speak nonsense."

Zhang saw that Zhen Mi did not seem to be lying and the expression on her face kept changing.

Zhen Mi noticed Zhang's expression and struck while the iron was hot, saying, "Lord Wen is the most powerful general in the world today. He now occupies Xuzhou and half of Yangzhou. His military force is strong, but he lacks money."

"With the support of my Zhen clan, Lord Wen will surely be able to defeat Yuan Shao and rescue Your Majesty!"

Zhang came back to her senses, slowly shook her head, and said, "Mi'er, this matter is not as simple as you think. Even if His Majesty really wants to make you the queen, that will be after you are out of trouble and in power.

But Your Majesty is currently being held hostage by Yuan Shao. If Zhen secretly surrenders and provides money and food to Lu Bu, once Yuan Shao finds out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Although Zhang really wanted to agree to Zhen Mi's request, Zhen Yan had passed away, and as the mistress, she needed to consider the entire Zhen family.

We cannot let Zhen fall into danger just for the illusory position of queen and crown prince.

She would not agree, and neither would the elders of the tribe.

"Mother, do you think that after the Zhen family surrenders to Yuan Shao, they can avoid being swallowed up?"

Zhen Mi's sharp words pierced Zhang's heart, causing her face to change drastically.

She had also considered this issue, but the elders in her family believed that Yuan Shao had three generations of high officials in his family, and for the sake of his reputation, he would not encroach on the Zhen family.

Zhen Mi said aggressively: "Mother actually knows very well that after my second brother passed away, the Zhen family fell into a situation where there was no successor."

"A man is innocent but guilty of possessing a treasure. Zhen is like a piece of fat meat that everyone wants to swallow."

"If Yuan Shao really cared about his reputation, why would he hold the emperor hostage?"

Zhang stood there in a daze.

She couldn't refute what Zhen Mi said.

Since Zhen Mi entered the palace, Yuan Shao repeatedly asked Zhen for money and food.

Either they were to maintain the imperial guards for the emperor, or they were to repair the imperial palace for him.

For the Zhen family to have grown to its current size, how could all the people in the family be fools? Once or twice is fine, but after so many times, they would know that Yuan Shao was just making up excuses to extort money.

But knowing that Yuan Shao was making all kinds of demands in the name of the emperor, Zhen could not and dared not refuse.

Seeing Zhang's ugly face, Zhen Mi softened her tone a little, "Yuan Shao is unreliable, and relying on Yuan Shao is like seeking the skin of a tiger.

If we rely on the emperor, although there are some risks, once the emperor escapes, my daughter will become the empress, and my mother's grandson will become the crown prince. We, the Zhen family, may become the next Yuan family."

Zhen Mi's words were well-reasoned and sincere.

Although she wanted to help Liu Xie, she also considered the interests of her family.

The Zhen family is in a very bad situation now, and they are very likely to be swallowed up by Yuan Shao and his ilk.

It’s better to take a gamble and try your luck.

Zhang hesitated for a long time, and finally sighed: "This matter is of great importance, and I cannot make a decision in a short time. Let me think carefully."

Zhen Mi was delighted when she noticed that Zhang's attitude had changed.

"Mother, please keep it a secret!"

This matter concerns the life and death of the entire Zhen family. She understands that Zhang would not dare to agree to it easily.

Zhang nodded. She understood that if a minister was not discreet, he would lose his virginity.

He gave Zhen Mi a few more instructions, asking her to take good care of her health and then hurriedly left the yard.

The autumn wind blew, ruffling the hair at Zhen Mi's temples. She looked in the direction of Yecheng, and the figure of Liu Xie appeared in her mind.

"Your Majesty, I will definitely persuade Zhen to serve you."

……

Youzhou, the prefectural government office.

Upon learning that Yuan Shao had assembled a large army and stationed it on the border of You and Ji, Gongsun Zan looked sarcastic.

"Yuan Shao, this shameless old thief, still wants to deceive me? I know that he has no intention of making peace with me!"

Some time ago, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to negotiate peace with Gongsun Zan.

He felt that this matter was very strange at the time, so he neither agreed nor refused, but quietly strengthened his defense.

As a result, not long after this, Yuan Shao personally led a large army to attack him.

Such a face is really disgusting.

"Yuan Shao is coming to attack. What do you think about this?" Gongsun Zan looked at a general beside him.

This person was his cousin, named Gongsun Fan, who had followed him for a long time and was one of his most trusted generals.

Gongsun Fan disagreed and said, "What do you think? Since Yuan Benchu ​​is coming to attack, we will just repel him."

After the words fell, Gongsun Zan's son Gongsun continued: "Father, this time when we go to fight against Yuan Shao's army, please let me be the vanguard general!"

Gongsun Zan felt a headache when he heard this.

A cousin and a son, neither of them has any brains, they are both reckless men who only know how to fight and kill.

Asking them is useless.

"Ah~"

Gongsun Zan sighed.

His subordinates are basically warriors who only know how to charge into battle, and there are very few strategists who can give him advice and analyze the situation. He turned his gaze to a young general standing beside him, "Zilong, what do you think?"

This young general's surname is Zhao, his given name is Yun, and his courtesy name is Zilong. Although he is young, he is extremely brave in battle and is one of the best even among his White Horse Volunteers.

In addition to his excellent military power, he also has some strategy.

Zhao Yun clasped his fists and said, "General, I think that since Yuan Shao and Cao Cao each support an emperor, they will definitely be incompatible."

"Earlier, Yuan Shao sent people to make peace with the lord, probably to free up his hands to deal with Cao Cao; now that the general has not agreed, he has simply raised his troops to attack."

"If we defeat the general and take Youzhou, Yuan Shao will be able to go to war with Cao Cao without any worries."

How can you allow others to sleep soundly on the side of the couch?

Youzhou has always been a major concern for Yuan Shao.

If Yuan Shao wanted to go south to the Central Plains, he had to pacify Youzhou, otherwise he would have to be on guard against Gongsun Zan's sneak attacks at all times.

"Solve the worries? Yuan Benchu ​​is taking it for granted!" Gongsun Zan sneered and said disdainfully: "Let him try and see if he can take Youzhou from me!"

Although Yuan Shao's power was strong, Gongsun Zan was no ordinary person.

If he wants to swallow up his Youzhou, he won’t be afraid of losing his teeth!

Zhao Yun said: "General, the autumn harvest has just passed, and Yuan Shao has sufficient food and grass. I am afraid that this invasion will not be as hasty as in the past. We should also be prepared for a protracted war."

"In addition, Yuan Shao sent troops to fight against the disobedient in the name of the emperor, which is very detrimental to our military morale."

Anyone who sends troops out must have a legitimate reason.

Yuan Shao sent troops in compliance with the emperor's edict. If they did not find a way to deal with it, they would be labeled as traitors.

"Who knows whether this emperor is real or fake!" Gongsun Zan snorted coldly. As the authenticity of this emperor has not been determined yet, he does not recognize the emperor of Yecheng.

Glancing at a general who was somewhat skilled in writing, Gongsun Zan said, "Guorang, go write an article to attack Yuan Shao."

"Yes, General!" Tian Yu responded with a fist salute.

Gongsun Zan sighed in his heart, Youzhou is really not as good as the Central Plains.

Even to write a manifesto, you can only find a warrior.

Shaking his head, Gongsun Zan said to Gongsun Xu: "What Zilong said just now is very true. I am afraid that we will have to fight a protracted war with Yuan Shao this time."

"Xu'er, go to General Yan and get three hundred white horse volunteers, and then lead three thousand troops out of the border and ask each tribe to hand over a batch of supplies."

"Those who dare not obey will be killed!"

Gongsun Zan's tone was calm, but his murderous intent was strong.

For him, those foreign tribes outside the Great Wall were just a place to replenish supplies, horses, and food, and he was fully capable of killing them all.

The reason for not doing so is to make them hand over supplies every year.

Youzhou is poor and cannot compare to Jizhou. If he does not rely on looting these foreign races for replenishment, it will be difficult for him to support his army.

"Ah? Let the kid go?" Gongsun Xu was somewhat unwilling.

Killing foreign barbarians would be interesting, but just confiscating supplies would be so boring.
But the order had already been given, and he couldn't disobey it, so he could only reply sullenly, "I understand, father."

Now he only hopes that those aliens can have some courage and put up some resistance so that he can have fun.

Gongsun Zan looked at his cousin again and said, "Send someone to monitor the movements of Yuan Shao's army at all times, and pay attention to the situation in Bingzhou. If there is anything unusual, report it to me immediately."

Gongsun Fan nodded in agreement.

After some instructions were given, everyone took their orders and left.

Gongsun Zan picked up a letter from Yangzhou on the table.

"Xuan De, oh Xuan De, why do you have to go under the command of that old villain Yuan Shao?"

"You have made great achievements in surrendering Zhang Xiu and capturing Yuan Shu alive, but you were only given the title of Marquis of Ting, and a ridiculous title of Governor of Jingzhou."

"With your talent, wouldn't it be great if you could help me?"

……

At the same time, Yangzhou, Runan County.

Twenty miles outside the city was Lu Bu’s base.

In the camp, Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun and Chen Gong were discussing matters.

Chen Gong pointed at the map and said, "If Xiahou Dun wants to attack Runan, he must pass through this place. If we defeat Xiahou Dun's 10,000-man army, Cao Cao will no longer be able to lay hands on Yangzhou."

"In this battle, Wenyuan was in charge of the central army, directing the deployment. Bo Ping led the Xianzhen Camp to resist Cao's elite troops, and the general led the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry to attack the central army from the flank, beheading the general and seizing the flag."

Lu Bu sneered, "The thief Cao pretended to be the emperor and wanted to get his hands on Yangzhou. Today, I will definitely kill this cousin of his!"

Seeing that Lü Bu looked down on Xiahou Dun, Chen Gong quickly said, "General, don't be careless. In Xiahou Dun's camp, there are 500 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry led by Cao Ren. Don't underestimate them."

Hearing this, Lu Bu was very dissatisfied. "Gongtai, you are trying to make others look more powerful. Cao Ren's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry may be powerful, but aren't my Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry invincible?"

Lu Bu was full of confidence in the 1,000 Bingzhou Wolf Riders he personally led.

This cavalry followed him into battle and killed the enemy, often achieving victories with a smaller force.

After years of glorious military achievements, he did not think that the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was any worse than any other cavalry in the world.

Gao Shun at the side said, "General, I heard that the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was built by Cao Cao at great expense. Both the men and horses are heavily armed. Once they launch a charge, they will be unstoppable."

"The men and horses are all heavily armed!" Lu Bu's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. "So, the money spent by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry is more than that of the Formation of the Encirclement?"

The Xianzhen Camp was the most elite infantry under his command. They were well-equipped and fought bravely, and were known for "being able to defeat any enemy they attacked."

But even if he emptied his family fortune, the entire Xianzhen Camp had only more than 700 people.

Now that he knew that Cao Ren's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry cost more money than the Xianzhen Camp, he was dumbfounded and even more jealous.

"How hateful! If I had enough money and food, I would have driven Cao Cao and Sun Ce out of Yangzhou long ago!"

Chen Gong said at the right time: "General, this battle is extremely crucial. If we can win the battle in one battle, the three counties in the north of the Yangtze River will all fall into our hands. We must not be careless and underestimate the enemy!"

After lamenting his lack of silver and food, Lu Bu said, "Don't worry, sir. I will follow your advice."

The strategy Chen Gong gave to Lu Bu was the same as usual. The frontal confrontation of the army was left to Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, while he led the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, took advantage of the cavalry, looked for opportunities to penetrate from the flank and behead the enemy commander or generals.

Only Lu Bu, who is unrivaled in martial arts, can use this tactic to perfection. If it were any other general, not only would he not be able to kill the generals and seize the flag, he would also be surrounded by the enemy, and it would be another matter whether he could break through.

……

Noon the next day.

Xiahou Dun appeared on the horizon with an army of 10,000.

Zhang Liao was stationed in the central military camp, commanding the three armies.

Gao Shun led 700 soldiers to the front.

Before the war started, the entire plain was filled with a murderous atmosphere.

On a hill in the distance, Lu Bu gathered a thousand Bingzhou Wolf Riders, ready to go.

As soon as the two armies engaged in battle, he looked for an opportunity to attack from the flank and take Xiahou Dun's head.

(End of this chapter)