Great Han Empire

Chapter 778
Li Hong inquired carefully about the scene when Zang Ba led his army to escape from Gushui River, and he was very sure that Zang Ba would never return to Xuzhou again.If he wants to continue to survive with his gang of brothers, he can only take advantage of the severe damage in Hebei and the continuous scuffle in the Central Plains, when all forces have no time to take care of Qingzhou, put them to death and make a living in Qingzhou.

After Wei Yan briefly answered the general's question about Zang Ba, he stopped talking immediately, with a complicated expression on his face.He didn't want to betray Liu Biao, he didn't want to betray the emperor who was far away in Changyi, and he didn't want to betray the loyalty in his heart, but facing death, facing the chance of survival that was already tightly grasped in his hands, he was shaken, and his heart was struggling violently Then, he tried to give himself a reason to betray, a reason to continue to live.

Li Hong saw the pain and anxiety in his eyes, and knew that he was facing the most difficult choice in his life.

"You still have time." Li Hong comforted, "Based on what you just said, I can ask the imperial court to pardon your crimes and rescue you from the prison of Tingwei Mansion, but..." Li Hong paused , and then solemnly said, "It's just that you have to stay in the General's Mansion for the time being. After you figure out the affairs of Hebei and the Jinyang court, you can make a choice, okay?"

Wei Yan looked at Li Hong in surprise, very excited.Not only did the general want to save him, but he also took the initiative to keep him in the general's mansion, his intention is self-evident.Wei Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words of thanks, but he couldn't.

Wei Yan saluted deeply respectfully, turned around and walked out of the big tent.

=

Zhang Yan, Jia Xu, Fu Gan and others arrived one after another. After listening to Li Hong's narration, they were both surprised and happy.No one expected such a change in the situation in the Central Plains.

"Once the news from Qingzhou confirms our conjecture, immediately send people to Qingzhou to meet Zang Ba and Guan Cheng." Li Hong said excitedly, "Under the current situation, we can let Zang Ba occupy Qingzhou can even help him consolidate Qingzhou, as long as he can gain a foothold in Qingzhou, as long as he can help us contain Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and curb the development of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, we can agree to all his conditions."

Zhang Yan frowned, and said cautiously: "There is no need to agree to all their conditions."

"Zang Ba betrayed the Yellow Turban Army in his early years, and he once made direct enemies with Sima Ju, Xu He, Guan Cheng and others. It's not the Yellow Turban Army, but they want to use the power of the Yellow Turban Army to develop their own strength in Xuzhou. Judging from what Zang Ba has done in recent years, this person is not simple. Once he occupies Qingzhou, he will definitely make full use of Hebei and the Central Plains Contradictions among various forces benefit from it.”

"Cao Cao and Liu Bei are like us. Knowing that Zang Ba has occupied Qingzhou, they will take the initiative to win him over due to the situation. Not only will they agree to all the conditions of Zang Ba, but they will also make Zang Ba their ally and jointly deal with Hebei. Cao Cao once defeated the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou, once bloodbathed Xuzhou, and had a deep blood feud with Guan Cheng and Zang Ba. Guan Cheng and Zang Ba would not believe this butcher. "

"Qingzhou has improved a little under Tian Kai's management in recent years, but compared with Yanzhou and Xuzhou, there is still a gap. Even if Zang Ba and Guan Cheng have the talents of heaven, they cannot increase their strength to the point where they can in a short period of time. He can compete with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, so if he wants to gain a foothold in Qingzhou and stand in the Central Plains with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, he must rely on our help. There are Yellow Turban forces in the Jinyang court and the Beijiang army. Both Zang Ba and Guan Cheng know that compared with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, taking refuge in Hebei will not only allow them to survive, but also gain permanent benefits."

"The situation in the world today is chaotic. Hebei has not yet shown the strength to sweep the world, so from the perspective of Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army management, he may be more inclined to seek refuge in Hebei, but from the perspective of Zang Ba, he is still To wait and to choose.”

Zhang Yan looked at the people in the tent and said with a slight smile, "We can wait. Zang Ba and Guan Cheng can't gain a foothold in Qingzhou with their current strength. After all, Cao Cao and Liu Bei's strength far surpasses them. Zang Ba must be doomed if he defeated Yuan Shu before winter comes, so for Zang Ba, the most important thing for the fairy is to stabilize Qingzhou and get a foothold in Qingzhou before winter comes, and only we in Hebei can help him do this. Therefore, If there are no accidents, Zang Ba will send someone here soon."

"The reason why Zang Ba dared to take the initiative to come to us is because the current situation is favorable to him. We urgently need his help, but he does not urgently need our help."

"Cao Cao and Liu Bei have just returned from a big defeat in Jizhou, and the battle with Yuan Shu may not be able to decide the outcome before this winter. In order to defeat Yuan Shu, Cao Cao and Liu Bei urgently need to appease Zang Ba. First, to prevent Zang Ba They hand over Qingzhou to Hebei, and secondly, they want to use Zang Ba to block Hebei and prevent Hebei from capturing Qingzhou. From these two points, if Cao Cao and Liu Bei cannot solve Yuan Shu in a short period of time, they may fall back and admit Zang Ba His status will help him gain a foothold in Qingzhou, continue to control the Central Plains with the power of the three alliances, and fight against Hebei."

"Zang Ba is therefore confident."

"He sent someone to contact us. If he gets help, he can quickly gain a foothold in Qingzhou, and then threaten to blackmail Cao Cao and Liu Bei to get more benefits. Once he has a foothold, he can in turn unite with Cao Cao and Liu Bei to threaten Hebei. Zhang Yan shook her head, "Zang Ba is indeed very discerning in occupying Qingzhou at this time."

There was complete silence in the big tent, and everyone bowed their heads in thought.

"General, Mr. Zhang's speculation is very reasonable." Jia Xu suddenly raised his head and said, "In order to continue to weaken the strength of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, we must take this opportunity to help Zang Ba anyway, and Zang Ba used our strength to fight in Qingzhou. After gaining a foothold, he will immediately threaten us, Cao Cao and Liu Bei. At that time, if he votes for Cao Cao, the Central Plains will be strong. If he votes for us, our chances of seizing the Central Plains will be greatly increased. Therefore, our current problem is, how to use How can Hebei control Qingzhou?"

"It's very simple." Li Hong waved his hand and said, "As long as we are strong enough to calm the world, Zang Ba will make the right choice."

After careful discussion with everyone, Li Hong planned to wait a few more days in Jizhou to see if Qingzhou would send someone.If there is no news by the end of September, Jia Xu and Yu Du will be sent to Qingzhou for a trip.In addition, Li Hong urgently ordered Gao Shun of the Pingyuan camp not to dismiss his soldiers for the time being, and Chen Bing on the north bank of the Yellow River, making a gesture of attacking Qingzhou.

=

Zuo Zhonglang's general Zhong Yao and Jizhou governor Guo Ce accompanied Ding Li, Xu Hun, Song Wen, Zhen Yan and other prefects of Jizhou counties to Xingyuan to meet the general.

After the end of the Jizhou War, more than 100 million people who moved inland are returning home, which involves a series of issues such as reconstruction, relief, autumn planting, and tax relief.Li Hong discussed with Zhong Yao, Guo Ce and other officials for a long time, and then Zhong Yao gathered together and reported the relevant matters to the court.

In the evening, Li Hong specially entertained these officials of Jizhou, and repeatedly asked them to appease the people and stabilize Jizhou as soon as possible.The war to pacify the world is about to begin soon, and whether the country can be rejuvenated quickly depends on the wealth of Jizhou.

In the middle of the night, Li Hong rushed to the side account immediately after seeing off the officials of Jizhou.Zhong Yao and Jia Xu were ordered by Li Hong to leave Zhen Yan behind, talking with him in the side tent.

After Li Hong and Zhen Yan spoke politely, they asked directly: "Have Master Zhong and Master Jia told you what I mean?"

"This is a great happy event." Zhen Yan was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear, "I don't even know how to thank the general."

Li Hong shook his hands and asked with a smile, "Master Zhen agrees to this marriage?"

"Of course, of course..."

"Is there really no problem?" Li Hong was worried, and asked again.

"Master Tian was famous all over the world for following the great general in his early years." Zhen Yan said with a bow, "My younger sister has admired him for a long time. If I know that I can marry Master Tian, ​​I'm afraid I will be so happy that I won't be able to sleep at night. .”

Li Hong smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said to Zhong Yao and Jia Xu, "I'll leave the matchmaker to the two adults."

Zhong Yao and Jia Xu hurriedly agreed.

"After the Battle of Hanoi is over, Zitai (Tian Chou) will return to Jinyang." Li Hong said to Zhen Yan, "Go back and ask the old lady for her opinion. If she agrees, let Zitai bring your sister to Jinyang. Jin Yang is married."

Zhen Yan froze for a moment.The general seemed to be a little too anxious. He had just proposed a marriage for Tian Chou here, and the wedding day was arranged there.

"General, when is it?"

"The end of this year or the beginning of next year." Li Hong said, "I won't be in Jinyang before the end of the year, so I can't attend Zitai's wedding. It's a pity."

Zhen Yan's smile froze, quite disappointed.

Li Hong smiled and reached out to pat him on the shoulder, "Although I'm not in Jinyang, the wedding will be organized by my two wives, and the eldest princess will also attend. In addition, during the New Year, Hebei's civil and military officials will gather in Jinyang. Very solemn." Then Li Hong came close to Zhen Yan's ear and whispered, "I'm going back to Jinyang soon, you'd better tell Master Cui Lie about this in advance. After returning to Jinyang, I hope to hear Congratulations to Master Cui."

Zhen Yan nodded thoughtfully, her heart trembled suddenly.

=

At the end of September, people from Qingzhou came.

Sun Guan hurriedly rushed to Handan to ask to see the general.Li Hong didn't see him, so Ren Ran arranged him to rest in the military tent.

At night, when Sun Guan was panicking, he walked in accompanied by Yu Du.The two were both famous leaders of the Yellow Turban Army, but they did not know each other.Random introduced the two of them, turned and left.

When Sun Guan heard that the person who came was Yu Du, the former leader of the Black Mountain Yellow Turban Army, he immediately felt relieved.The two exchanged pleasantries, and Yu Du immediately asked about the situation in Qingzhou.Sun Guan started from Zang Ba’s army fleeing Gushui River, and continued to Zang Ba’s capture of Linzi, and Guan Cheng’s attack on Beihai, “Now Zang Ba is leading his army to attack Jinan, and Guan Cheng and Guan Hai are attacking Donglai. After many months, except for Pingyuan County, the other five counties of Qingzhou will be conquered. The dream of the Yellow Turban Army for many years has come true in such a short period of time. I can't imagine it. It would be great if Marshal Sima Ju was still alive .”

Thinking of Sima Ju, Yu Du felt a dull pain in his heart, and couldn't help showing a sneer on his face, "Did the Yellow Turban Army capture Qingzhou, or did Zang Ba capture Qingzhou?"

"Is there a difference?" Sun Guan didn't realize it for a while, and asked strangely.

"Zang Ba is not the Yellow Turban Army, and he hasn't been for a long time."

Sun Guan hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "It's okay to tell you. Guan Cheng and Guan Hai, like you, don't believe in Zang Ba. The condition they agreed to help Zang Ba is that the South Qingzhou belongs to them, and the North Qingzhou belongs to Zang Ba. "

Yu Du immediately understood Sun Guan's purpose.Zang Ba can't deal with Guan Cheng and Guan Hai at all. Although the two sides are peaceful for the time being, as time goes by, the conflict between the two sides will become more and more serious.Qingzhou was a little careless and lost all games.

"We want to seek refuge with the General. I wonder if you can help?" Sun Guan asked feebly.

=

What happened in Qingzhou was a bit beyond the expectations of Li Hong, Zhang Yan and others.

Zang Ba's purpose was to get help from Hebei to quickly stabilize Qingzhou, but because Guan Cheng, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou, and others did not trust Zang Ba, things suddenly became complicated.Once Zang Ba and Guan Cheng fight each other, and it is not suitable for Hebei to enter Qingzhou immediately, it is very likely that Cao Cao will be taken advantage of in vain.

To help Zang Ba, or to help Guan Cheng?

After repeated discussions between Li Hong, Zhang Yan and others, they were still unable to make a decision.This matter was not handled well, Qingzhou was lost, and Hebei immediately lost an excellent opportunity to weaken the strength of Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

"I'll go to Qingzhou myself." Zhang Yan said, "If I can convince Zang Ba and Guan Cheng to work together to gain a foothold in Qingzhou, then the situation in the Central Plains will be very beneficial to Hebei."

After thinking for a long time, Li Hong agreed to Zhang Yan's request.

=

At the end of September, Yanzhou Dongjun, Linyi City.

After Xu You hurried to Dong'e, when he heard that Yuan Shu hadn't rescued the emperor, he was stupid and disappointed, looking at Yuan Shu as if he was looking at a dead person.

He bid farewell to Yuan Shu, took a long detour, and ran to Linyi City.

When Cao Cao heard that Xu You was coming to see him, he went out of the city to meet him in person.

After exchanging pleasantries with Cao Cao, Xu You proposed to have an audience with the emperor.Cao Cao laughed, "Ziyuan, did you come to Linyi to visit the emperor's safety, or to persuade Yuan Shu to quit for me?"

"It's both." Xu You said with a pun.

Xu You paid homage to the emperor and asked the emperor to move to Luoyang immediately.Cao Cao stood aside, smiling without saying a word.

That night, Cao Cao invited Ma Teng to the tent.After Ma Teng defeated Dongguang and fled to Cao Cao, he withdrew across the Yellow River with Cao Cao.He once wanted to say goodbye to Cao Cao and return to Guanzhong, but in the face of the upcoming Central Plains War, he was embarrassed to speak to Cao Cao because of his feelings, and stayed in Cao Cao's camp all the time.

Cao Cao asked Ma Teng kindly, "Shoucheng, can you lend me something?"

"Okay." Ma Teng agreed.

Cao Cao suddenly smiled brightly, "Can I borrow your head?"

===

(End of this chapter)