Great Han Empire

Chapter 819 The Heroes of Troubled Times Compete in the Central Plains
"My lord, Liu Zhang of Yizhou in the west is eyeing it, and Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are watching Jiangxia in the east. Once my lord goes north to the Central Plains, Jingzhou will be in danger." Cai Mao briefly analyzed the situation in Jingzhou, and advised Liu Biao not to rush north for the time being.

Liu Biao looked up to the sky and sighed, "If I don't hurry to the Central Plains, not only Jingzhou will be in danger. In the near future, I am afraid that the country and society of the great Han will become others' possessions. Under the overthrow of the nest, how can there be no eggs?"

"My lord, if Jingzhou is lost, not only will there be no chance of winning the Central Plains War, but the last ray of hope for Zhongxing Sheji will also be shattered." Cai Mao persuaded earnestly, "My lord, please think twice..."

Liu Biao waved his hands again and again, "What are the seven counties of Jingzhou compared to Dahan Sheji? I've made up my mind, don't try to persuade me any more."

"Your Excellency is worried about the safety of the country and wants to go to the Central Plains to face Li Hong in one step. This feeling is understandable, but we can't lose Jingzhou because of this." Kuai Yue stood up and said with a bow, "Although the top priority now is to go north to the Central Plains, But before we go north to the Central Plains, we must think of a perfect plan to ensure the safety of Jingzhou."

Liu Biao was worried, "Now Yuan Shao's army has been dragged in Henan by the Hebei rebels. Cao Cao's and Liu Bei's armies are still on their way back to the Central Plains. Who can stop the Hebei rebels from pouring down? It's better to go north as soon as possible. "

"My lord, don't worry too much." Don't drive Liu Xian said, "For Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, the Central Plains is life. For Liu Bei, his lips are dead and his teeth are cold. They succeeded in the early attack and captured Dingtao and Changyi. However, due to the stretching of the battle line, they will gradually lose their advantage in terms of military strength, and it will become more and more difficult to transport food and grass. Once the invincible edge of the Hanoi rebels disappears, The battle situation in the Central Plains will soon be reversed, so..." Liu Xian looked at Liu Biao, who was frowning, and said in a low voice, "Your Excellency, there is no time to wait for a while to go to the Central Plains, so there is no need to be so hasty."

Liu Biao smiled wryly, "Believering Li Hong made us suffer a lot during the battle in Jizhou and almost wiped out the whole army. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

"I know what you are thinking. You care about your own interests. You always think that Jingzhou is thousands of miles away from the Central Plains. No matter how brave Ren Li Hong is, it will be difficult to threaten Jingzhou's safety in the near future, but have you ever thought about it? Compared with Li Hong, What are Liu Zhang from Yizhou, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu from Jiangdong? Together, they are not as good as Li Hong's one finger." Liu Biao pointed to the north and said excitedly, "Once the Hebei rebels gain a foothold in the Central Plains, Cao Cao is defeated, how long can Yuan Shao and Liu Bei last? As long as Li Hong leads the army to conquer Luoyang, the northern Xinjiang cavalry will roar down. How can Jingzhou support it? At this moment, in order to protect the great Han society, everyone must abandon their grievances, work together, and work together Fend off the enemy, otherwise in a few years, the 400-year-old foundation left by our ancestors will become the private property of Leopard Li Hong."

Liu Biao's hoarse cry echoed in the conference hall.

A group of civil and military officials looked ashamed and sat silently at the table.

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"I will take 2 troops to the north first." Liu Biao looked at Kuaiyue and pointed to the map, "After the soldiers and horses from all counties and counties have arrived in Xiangyang, you will immediately rush to the Central Plains and the Central Plains with the follow-up [-] troops and supplies. I will meet."

Liu Biao then turned to Cai Mao, Huang Zu and Kuai Liang, "The three of you stay in Jingzhou."

The three bowed to accept the order.

"My lord, after the Hebei rebels went south, Cao Cao and Liu Bei must withdraw their troops quickly, so Yuan Shu can get a breathing space." Huang Zu said, "But at this time, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are bound to continue to attack Jiujiang and Jianghuai in order to completely eradicate Yuan Shu as an opponent. The war will definitely continue. Once Yuan Shu is defeated, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu will greatly increase their strength after occupying Jiujiang County. Then they will take advantage of the opportunity of the Jingzhou army's main force to go north to the Central Plains, and attack Jiangxia again in an attempt to occupy Jingzhou. Therefore, now we have It is necessary to help Yuan Shu, let Yuan Shu contain Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's troops in the Jianghuai area, and make them unable to attack Jiangxia."

Liu Biao looked at the map carefully, "Okay, this is a good idea. You rush back to Jiangxia immediately, lead the water army to attack Chaisang and Peng Ze in Yuzhang County, and force Zhou Yu to withdraw from Jiujiang. Although Yuan Shu is very despicable, these two boys are even more despicable. Shameless, you have done one thing after another, and you will be punished sooner or later." Liu Biao looked up at Huang Zu, and waved his hand fiercely, "Hit me hard, for these despicable and shameless Xiao Xiaozhi Brothers, don't be merciful, kill what should be killed, burn what should be burned, and beat them until they lose their souls."

Huang Zu was very excited, and promised loudly, "Don't worry, my lord, as long as I, Huang Zu, are in Jiangxia, these two boys, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, will never set foot in Jingzhou."

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"Zirou, you are in Nanjun, do you have a good plan to deal with Liu Zhang in Yizhou?" Liu Biao turned to look at Kuailiang.

"After Liu Zhang lost to Huya Mountain last year, the loss was not very great, but because Liu Zhang was not in Chengdu for a long time, there were many problems in Yizhou." Kuai Liang replied calmly, "The way to ensure the safety of Jingzhou is very simple. , that is to start from the inside of Yizhou."

At the beginning of the year, there was news from Chengdu that Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, because of his increasingly close relationship with Yuan Shao, had disobeyed Liu Zhangyang and even refused to pay taxes.After Liu Zhang returned to Chengdu, he invited Zhang Lu several times to discuss matters in Chengdu, but Zhang Lu refused.Liu Zhang was very angry, and under the instigation of Zhengdong Zhonglang General Zhao Wei (wei) and other Yizhou officials, he killed Zhang Lu's mother and younger brother.Zhang Lu then raised troops to avenge him.General Pang Yi of Yizhou led his army to block the attack and defeated Zhang Lu in a row. The two sides fought fiercely.

Liu Zhang was a loyal and honest person. The reason why Zhao Wei and others strongly supported Liu Zhang as the Lord of Yizhou after Liu Yan's death had a lot to do with his character.It stands to reason that Liu Zhang, who has a gentle personality, should not take the initiative to provoke wars. Why has he been uncharacteristically in the past two years and repeatedly used troops abroad?The reason is that there is an ambitious Zhao Wei beside him.

When Liu Yan went to Yizhou that year, he was accompanied by two good friends from Yizhou, Dong Fu and Zhao Wei, the Minister of Taicang.Zhao Wei was originally from Berkshire, and had a deep relationship with the noble families in Yizhou.After Liu Yan's death, it was with Zhao Wei's help that Liu Zhang took the position of Yizhou Mu.

At that time, the Chang'an imperial court sent Hu Mao, a native of Yingchuan, to serve as the governor of Yizhou.The officials in Yizhou Prefecture were divided into two factions, one faction headed by Zhao Wei, who supported Liu Zhang and refused to recognize the new governor sent by the imperial court, and the other faction headed by Bie Jia Liu He, who insisted on obeying the imperial edict.The two factions immediately fought.Liu He was defeated and died, and generals Shen Mi, Lou Fa, Gan Ning and others fled to Jingzhou.After Hu Mao arrived in Hanzhong, he heard that Liu Zhang was going to kill him, so he hurried back to Chang'an.

Zhao Wei helped Liu Zhang manage the counties in Yizhou very well, and he won the hearts of the people in Yizhou and had a high prestige.Liu Zhang trusted him very much.It was Zhao Wei's idea to send troops to attack Jingzhou last year. For this reason, Liu Zhang specially named him General Zhengdong Zhonglang and made him the commander-in-chief of the army.

Now in Yizhou, Zhao Wei actually holds the military and political power in his hands, with great power, and what he will do next, except for Yizhou Mu Liuzhang, many officials in Yizhou Prefecture know.

"Last year we sent troops to attack Jingzhou, and this year we sent troops to attack Hanzhong. Zhao Wei's purpose is very simple, that is, to use the opportunity of conquest to weaken as much as possible the power of Dongzhou who supported Liu Zhang (generally refers to the gentry who fled to Bashu from Nanyang, Yingchuan, and Chang'an) Make preparations for killing Liu Zhang and taking Yizhou." Kuai Liang cupped his hands at Liu Biao and said, "If Your Excellency agrees, I would like to write a letter to Zhao Wei in the name of Your Excellency to secretly support him in launching a rebellion."

Liu Biao, Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, Deng Yi and others looked at each other suspiciously.

"Zhao Wei has prepared carefully for so many years, does he still need our support?"

"Of course." Kuai Liang said, "Zhao Wei's power is so powerful that it has seriously threatened Liu Zhang's life. For various reasons, Liu Zhang has not been wary of Zhao Wei and obeyed his words, but Liu Zhang's subordinates What about? Liu Jue (qi), Pang Yi, and Zhang Ren didn't have any precautionary measures? Pang Yi's appointment as the prefect of Berkshire at the beginning of the year was the Dongzhou forces' counterattack against Zhao Wei. If Zhao Wei wanted to seize Yizhou, it seems that without a fierce battle, it will be difficult to get what you want."

"Once Yizhou falls into war, since Liu Zhang has turned against us and Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, Bashu is very likely to be attacked by the north and the south. Therefore, if Zhao Wei is not absolutely sure, he will never launch a rebellion rashly."

"Your Excellency wrote to Zhao Wei, telling him the news of Li Hong's going south to the Central Plains, and explaining why Jingzhou was willing to form an alliance with him. Based on this, even if Zhao Wei did not believe in the sincerity of the Lord's alliance, when Li Hong went south to the Central Plains, Yuan Shao and Your Excellency were already When he has no time to take care of himself, he has no worries at all, and he can let go of his hands and feet and work hard."

Liu Biao hesitated for a moment, "Zhao Wei's ambition is so big, it's not good for us. He won Yizhou, and his ambition will expand rapidly. In the future, Hanzhong and Jingzhou will be his targets."

"My lord is right. We would rather let the loyal and honest Liu Zhang continue to be his Yizhou shepherd than let Zhao Wei, a rebellious man, occupy Yizhou and dominate." Kuai Liang smiled slightly, "Didn't your lord realize that this is Is it an important opportunity for us to form an alliance with Liu Zhang?"

"You mean..." Liu Biao suddenly realized, "It's a good plan, a good plan. However, Liu Zhang trusts Zhao Wei very much. Will this plan be self-defeating?"

"Liu Zhang doesn't believe us, but Liu Jue, Pang Yi, and Zhang Ren believe in us." Kuai Liang said, "As long as they are prepared, the possibility of Zhao Wei intending to kill Liu Zhang and occupy Chengdu is very small. After all, Pang Yi , Zhang Ren has an army in his hands. After the fierce battle between the two sides lasts for a long time, we can go upstream, enter Jiangzhou, and give Zhao Wei a heavy blow from the back. In this way, Liu Zhang is grateful to the Lord, and Jing, Yizhou and Yizhou can maintain long-term stability."

"Okay." Liu Biao said without thinking, waving his hand, "I will leave this matter to Zirou."

Then he stood up slowly, pointing to the generals Wenpin, Pang Ji, and Liu Hu, "Order all the ministries to head north quickly tomorrow morning."

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In April, Hanoi, Licheng.

Li City is on the south bank of Jishui River, thirty miles away from Pinggao City on the north bank.

At the end of March, Zhang Zan and Hao Meng led their troops across the Jishui River, attacked the city, and approached Wen County.This place is only forty miles away from Wen County. Once it falls, Wen County has no danger to defend.Zhu Ling asked to go out of the city for support several times, but Guo Tu refused. As a result, the city was quickly lost.

Losing Li Cheng is equivalent to losing the natural danger of Jishui River. Zhu Ling was very angry and had a fierce dispute with Guo Tu.At this moment, Yuan Shao's order arrived, Guo Tu was transferred to Chang'an, and Gao Rou commanded the Hanoi war.Before Gao Rou arrived in Hanoi, the Hanoi army was temporarily led by Zhu Ling.On the afternoon when Zhu Ling received the order, he assembled an army of five thousand and launched an attack on Li Cheng.

As the battle became more and more intense, more and more troops were devoted to the battlefield of Licheng.Zhu Ling wanted to divide his troops to garrison Heyang and Wen counties, but the attack force was obviously insufficient, so he asked Luoyang for help several times.

At this time, Jushou had left Luoyang, and Xun Chen temporarily took charge of military affairs.He told Zhu Ling in writing to suspend the attack and decide whether to support Hanoi after Yuan Wei and Shenpei arrived in Luoyang.

The next day, Yuan Shao's letter was sent to Luoyang.Yuan Shao ordered Xun Chen to immediately send troops to support the Hanoi battlefield.

Lu Hong and Zhao Rui immediately led an army of [-] across the river overnight and rushed to the battlefield in Hanoi.

In April, Zhu Ling assembled an army of [-] to attack Licheng.

Li Cheng was very small, and under the overwhelming attack of the [-] army, he couldn't bear it and groaned in pain.

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On the tower of the west city gate, blood flowed like a river, and dead bodies were scattered everywhere.

Amid the deafening sound of war drums, the enemy roared towards them like a tidal wave.

Lieutenant Hao Meng held a bloody spear in his hand, dragged a wounded leg, and walked staggeringly on the city wall, turning a blind eye to the swarming enemy troops below the city, "Throw the corpse down for me, clear the city wall, hurry up ,quick……"

"My lord, this is our own brother..." A village chief shouted excitedly while holding a bruised corpse, "How can we throw him outside the city wall?"

Hao Meng remained expressionless, bent down and grabbed the already stiff corpse, "Throw it down, hurry up..."

"grown ups……"

"I'm dead, throw my body down too." Hao Meng said in a hoarse voice, "The corpses on the city wall must be emptied, otherwise we will die faster."

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The soldiers on the offensive and defensive sides were like hungry wild beasts, wantonly tearing apart their prey and drinking the scarlet blood to their heart's content.

Fresh lives are gone with the wind in a blink of an eye.

Hao Meng's spear broke. He smashed open the enemy's corpse with one punch, grabbed the enemy's saber with his hands, stepped on the scattered corpses, and fought fiercely.

"Kill, kill me..."

The spear passed through the chaotic crowd and accurately pierced Hao Meng's thigh.Hao Meng let out a miserable cry, and the saber slashed across the enemy's cheek like lightning, and then slashed another enemy's chest.While the blood was gushing, the archer behind the enemy soldier shot a deadly arrow in an instant.

Hao Meng backed up again and again, and the saber in his hand fell to the ground feebly. The heart-piercing pain made his screams even more horrific.

Spears came flying, one, two, three...

Hao Meng's body was picked up high, and flew out of the city with blood spray all over the sky.

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(End of this chapter)