Great Han Empire

Chapter 852 The Heroes of Troubled Times Compete in the Central Plains
Prime Minister Cai Yong, Taiwei Xu Rong, Yushi doctor Liu He, Shangshuling Li Wei, and Zhongshu Supervisor Xun You were called into Jinyang Palace overnight to discuss matters.

The Eldest Princess was pale and melancholy, and she sat behind the table in fear and remained silent.

Zhang Yan and Qu Yi jointly wrote the letter, which shows that the situation on the front line is very serious.The Great War in the Central Plains was at a critical moment, and the general fell suddenly, no less than announcing that the war had ended early, and the battle to conquer the Central Plains could almost be said to be on the verge of failure.

"It's all tiring." Cai Yongyang sighed, "Counting how many days he has stayed in Jinyang in the past few years, you will know how tired he is." Cai Yong put down the secret performance he had read several times, and repeated Shaking his head, "The general has been ill for more than ten days. If it wasn't for the situation getting worse and worse, Qu Yi and Zhang Yan couldn't bear it. I guess they wouldn't dare to play it for the time being. Once this matter spreads in the court, the consequences will be serious." It's unimaginable. Keep it secret, keep it secret."

"No matter what, you can't spread it." Xun You said solemnly, "If there is a disturbance in Jinyang, Luoyang will know it immediately. As long as the rebels spread the news of the general's illness on the battlefield in the Central Plains, the army will definitely lose their morale. You can't even withdraw."

"Bring the general back immediately." The eldest princess's voice trembled slightly, appearing to be very flustered, "He is very sick, if he is not diagnosed and treated in time, he may die."

"If the general can be sent across the Yellow River, Master Zhang Yan will not run from Handan to Chenliu." Li Wei smiled wryly, "The general cannot come back. If the news leaks, even if the general is lying on the carriage to inspect the army, It can also stabilize the morale of the army and inspire soldiers to fight to the death."

"There are still [-] Huns on the battlefield in the Central Plains." Liu He also waved his hands again and again, "Except for the general, no one in the dynasty can restrain them. Once the general leaves the Central Plains, the [-] Huns will feel fear, nine out of ten Something is going to happen."

"Then withdraw the troops." The eldest princess sighed in a low voice, and said helplessly, "There is still time to withdraw now."

"It's too late." Xu Rong pointed to the secret memorial on the case table, "The two adults, Qu Yi and Zhang Yan, wrote very clearly in the memorial that the two sides are in a tense confrontation at this time, and there are three people on the left, middle and right. On the battlefield, the rebel forces have already gained the upper hand. This is like two fighters fighting for life and death. One of them has a long sword approaching the opponent's throat. As long as the opponent has the slightest intention of giving up, blood will be spattered for five steps. There is no chance of survival. If the army retreats now, it would be great if half of them return to Hebei. That would be a disastrous defeat."

"Why can't we withdraw? We still have an army of 10,000+. Although the general is seriously ill, he is still in the Central Plains. Qu Yi, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu, Yan Liang, Zhao Yun and many other generals are fully capable of bringing the army back to Hebei safely. "Prime Minister Cai Yong looked at Xu Rong suspiciously, "Don't you want to withdraw?"

"We have an army of 10,000+, but we are in the Central Plains, south of the Yellow River. Will the more than 20 rebels open their eyes and let us withdraw safely? Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Bei are all unbound Weak Confucian scholars with the power of chickens? Are they willing to stretch their heads and wait for us to recover our strength before attacking the Central Plains?" Xu Rong tried his best to explain, "On the battlefield, especially when retreating, the soldiers are afraid and uneasy. What? Anything can happen.”

"Yes, it is possible for us to withdraw safely, but what if we fail to withdraw safely and return home in a disastrous defeat?"

"In this Central Plains War, under our powerful attack, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, and Liu Bei formed an alliance very quickly and decisively to fight against Hebei. Our strength has been fully exposed. Before they can defeat us, in order to survive, they will Taking advantage of their advantages time and time again, they launched round after round of fierce attacks on Hebei. The battle of Jizhou the year before last is still fresh in your memory. If such a war happens two or three times, how long can Hebei last? Hebei was scarred Tired and tired, will the barbarians in the desert frontier continue to help us fight? No, they will either fight for hegemony in the desert, or go south to attack the border counties. They will not pay homage to a precarious court. Hebei immediately fell into crisis. It is very difficult for us to survive and even survive, how can we talk about pacifying the world and rejuvenating the country?"

"The imperial court cannot live without a general, but when the general falls, the imperial court should try its best to make up for and eliminate a series of serious impacts caused by the general's fall on the battlefield. The imperial court should fight bravely with the generals and soldiers. You shouldn’t be afraid of the head and feet, greedy for life and afraid of death.” Xu Rong was a little excited, “Conquering the Central Plains to pacify the world is not a battle for the general alone, but a battle for the court and everyone in Hebei. Could it be said that the general fell? Are we going to give up the conquest of the Central Plains, the pacification of the world, and the rejuvenation of the country? The Great War in the Central Plains is the battle of ZTE, the life and death battle of the great Han, and the battle of all of us. Why do we have to give up? Why should we retreat? Why do we take the lives of tens of thousands or even 10,000+ soldiers as a joke? Who gave us such power?"

"Today, the blood of the soldiers of the Great Han is still running, the iron bones of the soldiers of the Great Han are still high and unyielding, and the staunch and loyal soul of the Great Han is still screaming to the sky. We should hold high the battle flag of the Great Han, fight, and keep fighting until we die No retreat."

Xu Rong's impassioned and impassioned voice echoed in the hall for a long time, hitting everyone's heart heavily.

The sadness on the eldest princess's face gradually faded, and her expression became more and more resolute and excited.

"Fight, we should fight." Li Wei waved his arms vigorously, "Only by fighting, only blood and life can recast a strong man."

"If we stop fighting, the rejuvenation of the great man will be far away." Zhongshu Supervisor Xun You's voice was firm and powerful, "We should continue to fight this battle."

"Master Taiwei is right." Liu He, the doctor of the censor, nodded again and again, "We will fight in blood and never retreat until death. We will continue to fight until the world is peaceful."
Cai Yong sighed a long time, picked up his sleeve and wiped the wet corners of his eyes, "Since it has already started, don't stop, just fight."

=

To continue the decisive battle in the Central Plains, it is necessary to recruit all the tribes of the Hu tribe to join the war in the south, but the opposition from the court cannot be ignored. The concerns of the ministers who opposed this matter are not unreasonable.

How to minimize the possible harm caused by the iron cavalry of the Hu tribe?How to gain the obedience and trust of the Hu tribe's iron cavalry, and maximize their power, so as to win the decisive battle in the Central Plains?

"I will personally go to northern Xinjiang to lead the cavalry army."

The eldest princess's delicate voice was like a thunderbolt, which stunned the five powerful officials at that time.

"In this way, all the problems are solved." The eldest princess said calmly, "I personally command the cavalry of the Hu clan, and they will obey me, trust me, and obey my orders. The ministers saw the determination of the court to calm the world, There is absolutely no way to object to the imperial court’s decision to recruit Hu Qi to go south to the Central Plains to participate in the war. What’s more important is that I personally lead Hu Qi to participate in the decisive battle in the Central Plains. After the world is settled in the future, who dares to say that I will join forces with the Hu people to massacre the Central Plains? I command Hu Qi, and Hu Qi is My cavalry, who dares to point at the emperor and the court and make irresponsible remarks? When I arrived in the Central Plains, the morale of the army was high. At that time, even if the general was still critically ill, and the news of the general's serious illness spread throughout the Central Plains, it could not affect the vitality of my army in the slightest. Morale."

The eldest princess looked at the five ministers and smiled, "Do you agree?"

The five ministers were still in shock, and none of them responded.

Li Wei suddenly thought of something, a strong sense of suffocation rushed straight to his forehead, and his chest was extremely stuffy.Li Wei involuntarily stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, and secretly took a few breaths of air.There was a hint of sweet fragrance in the air, which was refreshing, but at this moment, this fragrance smelled in Li Wei's tongue, but it was like poison, making his scalp numb.

The eldest princess leads Hu Qi in person, just like the emperor's own driving.After the Great Victory in the Central Plains, the eldest princess will be respected by everyone no matter in the desert, in Hebei, or in the northern army. Her supreme status will be further consolidated with her huge prestige. Can be restricted.

General, your fall, although you were lucky enough to win the decisive battle in the Central Plains, it also triggered the crisis you were worried about. In the future, the battle in the court will become more and more fierce, and the road to Zhongxing Sheji will become more and more serious because of this. It was long and bumpy.

Who in the world can stop what the eldest princess decides?

Those who can enter the Phoenix Terrace to discuss matters are all important ministers of the dynasty, although more than a dozen ministers expressed their opposition with one voice.Since only Cai Yong and other five ministers knew about the general's serious illness, the ministers thought it was unbelievable that the eldest princess insisted on recruiting Hu Qi to lead the army to take charge of the government purely for her own selfishness and disregarding the safety of the country.The eldest princess was not discouraged. Under her coercion, no one could persist until the end.The veteran Cui Lie was so angry that he scolded the eldest princess for making a fool of herself and had a stroke on the spot.

The eldest princess then issued an order in the name of the Son of Heaven to let Prime Minister Cai Yong preside over state affairs. Accompanied by the general's wife Feng Xue and Li Wei's wife Xiao Lan, she took Tian Yu, Liu Fang, Sun Zi and a dozen other young ministers to the north. The Dai Commandery of Youzhou gathered Yan Wuwei, Lei Zi and Tie Yue generals, and assembled the Hu tribe's cavalry in Gaoliu and Macheng.Huben Zhonglang will escort Duan Xuan, Chengmen Xiaowei Jie Wuling, three thousand Huben, and Habayashi guards.

=

In the middle of June, Chenliu, Yanzhou, the general camp.

With Hua Tuo's prescription, coupled with the meticulous diagnosis and treatment of Daying doctors, the general's illness gradually improved.

Today Yan Liang and Jia Xu were ordered to rush from Suanzao to the general's camp, and discussed with the general, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu and others how to break the deadlock.

Although the general used only a few words of "Fenghan" to describe his illness, Jia Xu knew that things were far from that simple, otherwise the general would not have rushed Zhang Yan to Chenliu on a fast ride of eight hundred miles. front.Sure enough, when Zhang Yan mentioned that the imperial court had sent a secret letter, saying that the eldest princess had gone outside the Great Wall to recruit the Hu tribe's cavalry and was going to lead the army to conquer the Central Plains, Jia Xu immediately understood the mystery.He knew that the general had made a lot of efforts in the past two years to conquer the Central Plains, but the court still opposed the general's conscripting Hu Qi to go south.The key to victory in the Central Plains War is Hu Qi. If Hu Qi cannot go south to the northern border army, he will not be able to achieve the goal of severely injuring the rebels and seizing the Central Plains. Therefore, recruiting Hu Qi to go south has become a heart problem for the general.

Hearing this good news today shows that the general not only used his illness to persuade the court to get the urgently needed Hu Qi, but also almost achieved an absolute chance of winning the decisive battle in the Central Plains. This was something Jia Xu could not even imagine.No wonder when he saw the general, he was all smiles, except for his slightly pale complexion, it was almost impossible to tell that he was a patient.

The eldest princess personally went out to recruit Hu Qi, which was tantamount to helping the general get rid of a potential crisis in the future, that is, the general used the power of the Hu people to massacre the Han people.Now that the Eldest Princess is in charge, and the Eldest Princess goes out to recruit Hu Qi, it means that the emperor himself goes out to recruit Hu Qi, and has nothing to do with the general.In addition, the eldest princess's personal expedition to the Central Plains can boost the morale of the army. The soldiers will do their best in the battle. The eldest princess alone can be worth [-] reinforcements.During the war, no matter how many people Hu Qi killed or how much trouble he caused, it has nothing to do with the generals, and has nothing to do with the generals of the army. This will also greatly reduce the psychological burden of the generals in the war.

"This news must be kept secret and not leaked too early." Zhang Yan said with a smile, "The time for the Hu cavalry army to go south and reach the Yellow River should be in September. If it is leaked too early, the rebels may change their strategy and concentrate their forces to launch a decisive battle first." , then the battle situation will be very unfavorable to us.”

"The Central Plains War seems to be a sure thing." Jia Xu cupped his hands and said to Li Hong, "When we were drawing up the attack strategy in the desert, what we worried most was that Hu Qi would not be able to go south, so all our efforts would be in vain. Looking at it now , the general successfully solved the biggest problem."

"It's not me, it's him." Li Hong pointed to Sima Yi who was sitting in the distance, "It was Zhongda's idea. It's just that none of us thought that His Highness would go to the battlefield in person. His Highness led the army to the battlefield in person, our chances of winning will increase significantly.”

Jia Xu glanced at Sima Yi approvingly, raised his hand and said in praise, "Zhongda, if the Central Plains can win all the battles, you will be the first to win."

"He still dares to claim the first credit?" Qu Yi immediately interrupted Jia Xu, staring at Sima Yi and said, "If you don't chop off your head, it will be considered cheap for you."

Sima Yi smiled awkwardly and bowed slightly to thank Jia Xu.

Everyone chattered and guessed with great interest what happened in Jinyang recently.Recently, the imperial court has been very lively and noisy.It is said that in order to persuade the eldest princess to conquest in person, the veteran Cui Lie was so angry that he suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. It is estimated that he will bid farewell to the court and go home to retire.Without him in the hall, it would be much deserted.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Yan Liang asked the general that the strategy of the rebel army is very clear now, which is to delay and stalk us. It is clear that they want to compete with us in strength and food, and want to win without fighting.We currently have no superior forces on the three battlefields, and it is difficult to break through the enemy's defenses.If this stalemate cannot be broken, we will not be able to force the rebels to start a decisive battle with us within an appropriate time. Therefore, the general should give us a way to attack as soon as possible.

"What can you do?" Li Hong said with a smile, "You heard in Yancheng that Mr. Jia was going to the White Horse to supervise the battle, and you immediately beat Cao Cao through the gutter. Do I want to go to Suanzao to force you?" After a while, you will exert your strength to hit the chasm water?"

"Two things, two things..." Yan Liang shook his hand, "General, you'd better take care of your health first, and you don't want to go to Suanzao. At the end of this month, I will find a way to take down Yuan Wu and Yang Wu, and enter the chasm."

"The end of this month is too late." Zhang Yan said with a smile: "I have agreed with Yuntian, temporarily transfer 2 people from him to you, and we will hit the border water within five days."

"The troops stationed at Yuanwu and Yangwu are mainly Cao Cao and Liu Bei's troops. Cao Cao's troops are running out, and if one dies, one will be lost. He will never dare to fight with you." Qu Yi sneered, "Once he withdraws, Xingyang and Zhongmou will be defeated." Right under our attack. In order to ensure the safety of Luoyang, Yuan Shao had no choice but to retreat to defend Xingyang and Zhongmou. We will fight him in Zhongmou."

"Zhongmu?" Yan Liang frowned, "We hit Honggoushui, and you hit Zhongmou, then the rebels will gather heavy troops in the Guandu and Zhongmou areas to fight against us." Yan Liang looked up at Qu Yi, "We hit Honggoushui , our two armies will join together. Gathering 10 people to attack the rebels is a huge scale."

"If you don't hurt Yuan Shao, he won't fight decisively." Li Hong waved his hand and said, "After the army advances to the chasm, let Gao Shun and Guan Hai on the left retreat to Chenliu and Yongqiu to defend. Let the main force storm Guandu, forcing Yuan Shao to concentrate his forces on the west bank of the Honggou River."

Wei Yan then explained the specific troop deployment and attack time and route.

"I will move the battalion to Yangwu City after you hit Honggoushui." Li Hong said to Qu Yi and Yan Liang, "We must let the rebels realize that our five fingers that are outstretched are closing into a fist." , when this fist accumulates enough strength, they will receive a fatal blow."

Qu Yi, Yan Liang and the others left immediately and returned to their respective battlefields to prepare for the attack.

=

Jia Xu was left behind by Li Hong, and continued to discuss the attack strategy in the later stage of the war.

"Does the imperial court have specific offensive and defensive strategies in the two battlefields of Xuzhou and Guanzhong?"

"Master Taiwei has already made arrangements." Zhang Yan handed Jia Xu a volume of documents on the case table, "Considering that the rebels plan to confront each other for a long time, they must have made great moves in the Guanzhong and Xuzhou battlefields to contain our forces. Troop strength consumes our food and grass. Over time, these two battlefields may undergo unexpected changes, so the decisive battle must begin in September and cannot be delayed."

Jia Xu briefly glanced at the court documents, and then said to Li Hong: "General, there are currently 5 cavalry on the battlefield. According to the strategy we set in the past, these [-] people will slowly withdraw from the main battlefield and spread out to If the iron cavalry stays on the main battlefield all the time, even if we feign defeat and retreat, the rebels may not dare to come out in full force and pursue them at full speed."

"When Qu Yi and Yan Liang led the army to hit Honggoushui, we will start mobilizing the iron cavalry." Li Hong said, "The iron cavalry will be divided into Hanoi and Rencheng first. Peng Lie in Hanoi and Wu Dun in Rencheng can lead the infantry immediately." The army rushed to the Guandu battlefield. The iron cavalry to Qingzhou will be later, and must wait until the Xuzhou army attacks Zang Ba, and Zang Ba's army withdraws from Kaiyang and retreats to Jucheng before mobilizing, lest the rebels see our flaws and suspect that we are doing it on purpose And for that."

Jia Xu nodded, and was about to ask about the grain and grass, when Sima Yi walked in, "General, please report from the front, and Xu You sent someone to shoot the book again, and wants to see the General."

"Xu You?" Jia Xu asked in surprise, "What is he doing here? To discuss peace?"

"Yes. He wrote letters several times back and forth, but we rejected them all." Sima Yi smiled, "The first time I went to see him, I tried to persuade him to surrender, but he ignored me and was very loyal to Yuan Shao. .”

"Reply to him, saying that the general wants to see him." Jia Xu laughed, "There are many factions under Yuan Shao, especially the Jizhou faction headed by Jushou and the Yingchuan faction headed by Xu You are the most powerful, fighting fiercely with each other. Before the war, Xu You, Feng Ji, and Xin Ping jointly drove Jushou out of Luoyang, and then instigated Yuan Shao to imprison Tian Feng. If it hadn’t been for the outbreak of the Central Plains War, Jushou, Tian Feng and their Jizhou forces would have almost It's going to disappear in Luoyang."

Sima Yi immediately understood Jia Xu's meaning, "You want to take advantage of the conflict between Xu You, Ju Shou, Tian Feng and others to stir up their internal strife?"

"It's just talking about it, it's easy to do." Jia Xu waved his hand and said indifferently, "Now it is Yuan Xi who is confronting us head-on, and it is Tian Feng who advises Yuan Xi. It is best to bring Tian Feng down first. Let Yuan Shao kill him. This person is too much of a threat to us, once he sees through our strategy, the decisive battle will be delayed."

Sima Yi regained his spirits immediately, "Okay, okay, I'll pick him up right away."

Li Hong and Zhang Yan looked at each other, shook their heads, disapproving.

"Wenhe, you underestimate Yuan Shao too." Zhang Yan said with a smile, "How dare Yuan Shao mess himself up at this critical moment? Although Tian Feng is from Jizhou and had a friendship with the general in the past, they are together after all. We have worked together for ten years. Ten years of friendship is extraordinary. It can be seen from Yuan Shao's re-appointment of Tian Feng this time that he still trusts Tian Feng very much and he will not be fooled."

Jia Xu smiled slightly, "Yuan Shao must be willing to be fooled."

"Really?" Li Hong asked in surprise, "Yuan Shao is still willing to be fooled?"

"Of course, because Yuan Shao has great ambitions. Not long after Yuan Shao captured Luoyang, the prophecies of 'Yuan Daihan' and 'Five Virtues Always Say' spread widely. Who made these things? Why were they made? We all Very clear." Jia Xu said with a smile, "Around Yuan Shao, there are many people who insist on persuading Yuan Shao to respect the emperor, but among them, only five people pose a threat to Yuan Shao's usurpation, Ju Shou, Xu You, Shen Pei, Tian Fenghe Guo Tu."

Li Hong, Zhang Yan, Lu Bu, Sima Yi, Wei Yan and others immediately understood what Jia Xu meant.

"So, Yuan Shao's re-appointment of Jushou and Tianfeng this time has ulterior motives?" Sima Yi seemed to understand, "In this war, he reused Yuan Xi, probably because he deliberately cultivated his own power so that Jizhou, Yingchuan, etc. The forces are completely driven out of Luoyang."

"Yuan Shao's reputation is at the peak of his power now. If he wins this battle, we all know what he will do next, and people like Ju Shou, Xu You, and Tian Feng also know it. With the current situation becoming more and more favorable to him, If he can find a chance to deal with Jushou, Xu You and Tian Feng without leaving any traces, he will be very happy." Jia Xu looked at the crowd and asked softly, "You don't think Yuan Shao sent Xu You here, really? To mess with us?"

"Could it be that Yuan Shao..." Lu Bu couldn't believe it, "Wouldn't Yuan Shao be this kind of person?"

"Yuan Shao is no longer the Yuan Shao of the past." Jia Xu showed a mocking look on his face, "Since he wants to kill someone, let's help him. Let Tian Feng die first this time. Once Tian Feng dies, the forces in Jizhou will be judged and assigned. There will be revenge immediately, and Xu You will be finished. When Xu You is finished, Xin Ping, Feng Ji and other Yingchuan forces will turn around and take revenge on Ju Shou and Shen Pei."

"Hmph..." Jia Xu sneered, "Yuan Shao dug his own grave, we will fulfill him."

=

General Li Hong went out of the tent to meet Xu You in person.

"It's been 14 years since we left Jizhou." Li Hong walked into the big tent with Xu You, and said with a smile, "At that time, I almost let you kill me. If Tian Feng and Song Wen didn't report to me, I was killed by Gonglu (Yuan Shu) in Xindu."

Xu You looked calm, and said coldly: "If Gonglu killed you back then, how could the big man become what he is today? Damn Gonggong, he should have died a long time ago."

Li Hong heard that his tone was wrong, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "I heard that Gonglu is very ill, how is he...do you know?"

"died."

Li Hong almost suspected that he had heard it wrong. He looked at the expressionless Xu You in shock, and asked again, "Is he dying?"

"Dead, completely dead." Xu You waved his hand vigorously, "It's all over. Now even if people in the world say that he is the biggest and most shameless traitor of a big man, he doesn't care, he has turned into a pile of bones."

Li Hong felt a pain in his heart, and stood there without speaking for a long time, feeling deeply saddened.The person who wanted to kill him at first became friends with him later. Before he died, he entrusted his family to him, and died alone by the distant Huaishui River.

"When did it happen?" Li Hong asked.

"Five days ago," Xu You said, "I heard that he vomited blood and died soon. When he died, he had no relatives around him. It was very miserable."

Li Hong sighed and stretched out his hand to invite Xu You to sit down.

"Is Master Tian Feng okay?" Li Hong asked, "I heard that something happened to him and he was locked up in Beisi Prison in Luoyang."

"He came out." Xu You said, "He came out after the Central Plains War started. He is now in Zhongmou City. Do you want to see him? If you want to see him, let him come next time. I won't come."

Li Hong shook his head, "Go back and tell him that his family lives well and misses him very much. If he can't stay in Luoyang, he can go back to Jizhou. I welcome him, and I can at least make him a prefect of a county."

"He will go back." Xu You narrowed his eyes, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "As long as he defeats you, he will be able to return to his hometown."

=

(To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please visit www.CMFU.COM, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
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