We agreed that you, a weak strategist, would fight against three heroes by yourself?

That night, Xi Yu held a banquet directly at his residence, and the people he invited were all his trusted subordinates. It was mainly to celebrate the successful completion of the agricultural and business plan.

Even because of the rapid growth of people's income, the corresponding taxes have also increased a bit.

But despite the increase in taxes, the people have no complaints about it. After all, they have been worried about it for a long time. If they continue to collect taxes as before, I am afraid they will still worry about whether they will have another problem in the future. Other uses".

Now that more taxes have been raised, they feel a sense of stability.

During the banquet, everyone had a good time. Kong Rong, Xu Qian, Liu Zhen, Wang Can, Ruan Yu, Chen Lin and other seven people also came to Xuzhou.

Kong Rong actually lived in Qingzhou himself, and Lu Bu followed the army to this place after his life and death. At the same time, he also made friends with many scribes from various regions.

Although these people have different origins and experiences, they have all experienced the so-called pain of displacement. They came to Xiyu and became teachers in the school. Their status changed and they also lived a stable life.

Even they are respected by the local people.

They also truly developed a desire to belong.

There were many scribes drinking and having fun here, but many people left. Only Zhuge Liang, Jia Xu, Guo Jia and others remained here.

"Lord! Spring is about to begin, and the north of Jizhou may fall into war and chaos again. Our place will definitely attract a group of refugees. We must plan in advance to accommodate this group of refugees."

"Moreover, there are many Confucian students on the reserve. If there is no way for them to obtain positions, it may become redundant!"

Zhuge Liang also began to report.

Speaking of this, Xi Yu could actually feel that Zhuge Liang and others were a little unhappy.

There were rewards, even a lot of them, and they were even given status.

But I always feel a little uncomfortable in my heart.

"You don't have to worry. During this period, let them settle down first. As for the suitable positions! You don't have to worry about anything! Of course I have a way, and don't forget, I still have two tablets in my hand. Where is the place!”

Xi Yu smiled slightly and then explained a few words.

Since it has been decided long ago, he will naturally not stop it.

“Just wait for the right opportunity.”

In the spring of 201, war broke out in the north of Jizhou. Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun led troops from two directions. They led a total of more than 200,000 troops and horses. They were invincible on the battlefield and were unfavorable wherever they went.

Some local nobles either defected to Xi Yu or left there and followed Yuan Shao to Youzhou, so the war situation actually seemed a bit casual.

Without the stubborn resistance of the local nobles, the battle would be extremely easy. Even Wen Chou fell into the trap of Cao Cao's scheme and was deceived out of Zhongshan County, where he was ambushed and killed by Cao Ren.

Even before the autumn harvest, all Jizhou fell, and Youzhou and Bingzhou couldn't even rush to rescue them.

In this year, Yuan Shao and Zhuojun died of illness.

Before his death, he passed his position to his eldest son Yuan Tan, and asked his other two sons to assist him in fighting Cao Cao together, and let them implement a plan for stable development and never start a war with Cao Cao casually.

He even asked Xin Ping, Guo Tu and others around him to stick to Youzhou, and even told them that if they couldn't hold on, they would leave directly or turn to Cao Cao to find a way out.

And today's Jingzhou, Xinye.

At this time, Liu Bei captured Wancheng and became the governor of Nanyang. This was a strange event for many years, so Liu Bei's reputation gradually spread.

Of course, he also heard about Yuan Shao's death, and he couldn't help but feel a little sad. He didn't say much, and directly summoned the military advisor and two sworn brothers to discuss the matter.

Liu Bei spent a lot of effort to find easy and effective generals. Whenever he had free time, he would look for learned people everywhere.

Over time, he really found someone.

This man's name was Xu Shu, who was hiding among farmers and was born in Yingchuan. However, this was not his real name. He actually committed a crime in central Hunan, so he escaped from Yingchuan. He was somewhat similar to Guan Yu in life.

To be honest, the scholars of this era were not just weak scholars, so Xu Shu could be considered a talented person.

But he is also a well-educated man. He knows how to fight, how to train soldiers, and also knows some Taoist techniques. In fact, it is not that he does not want to go to Xuzhou, it is just because he is afraid that the murder on him will be discovered, and he will be implicated. family.

But now he has become Liu Bei's military advisor, which can be regarded as leaping over the dragon's gate.

Liu Bei was also very kind to him and never forgot to ask about the situation every day.

Liu Bei was very kind to him, so Xu Shu simply stayed by his side and gave him advice.

As for Jingzhou, Liu Bei's mentality has actually changed to a certain extent.

Mainly because of Xiyu.

He felt that there was a big gap between himself and Xi Yu.

Therefore, he must win Jingzhou.

So now we can only see what Liu Jingsheng, who became a member of the clan with him, will do.

If he can get this position, that would be the best.

But now these two people only have one feeling in their hearts.

There was shock.

Shocked by the war reports coming from the north.

Cao Cao only sent out 10,000 troops and killed Wen Chou.

This is simply unbelievable.

But this was also because Yuan Shao was anxious and greedy for success.

He thought he would have a chance to turn the tide, but unfortunately it turned out to be a plan to attack the east and attack the west.

"Actually, this strategy is not particularly complicated!"

There was a hint of sarcasm in Zhang Fei's tone when he spoke: "But it's incredible that this plan can still succeed."

If Wen Chou was still alive and knew Zhang Fei's comments, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.

"To be honest, with 10,000 men and horses, I saved nearly six times as many enemy lives, and even killed General Wen Chou seven times! It's well worth it!"

Xu Shu is a thin man, and his words and actions are quite upright, with a sense of elegance: "Now Cao Cao has 300,000 soldiers in his hands, he is already a force that cannot be ignored!"

Liu Bei let out a long sigh and said: "We all know how terrible Cao Mengde is. I have worked with him before, and it was always like walking on thin ice! We have also witnessed the emperor's ministers being eradicated by him one by one. In terms of his will and means, even There is no way for Xi Yu to sharpen his edge!"

"Xi Yu is relatively young after all!"

"But this young man is indeed a bit scary, as if he can predict the future. It's just that he didn't have a hand in the turmoil in Jizhou. I don't know what peace of mind he has."

Director Xu sighed and said, "I'm afraid he is the wise man!"

"how do I say this?"

Liu Bei frowned slightly and asked, "Sir, please speak clearly!"

Xu Shu sighed, and then said: "Xi Yu can't be considered a person with the surname Cao. Although he is very important and famous in the world, in fact, everything will turn against him. If it is really what everyone expects, Cao Cao can't keep him. If Cao Mengde passes away, he will definitely be feared by the Cao family, and his power will definitely be weakened!"

"But Xi Yu is not a simple person. If Cao Mengde dies, no one can suppress him, and the Cao family will probably be in terrible turmoil!"

"I can understand what you are saying..."

Liu Bei's eyes flashed with passion: "Maybe we also have a chance!"

"There will definitely be a fierce battle with Xi Yuyou within the Cao family."

Xu Shu nodded and said: "But whether we can seize the opportunity depends on when we go south, so my lord, please be fully prepared!"

However, Xu Shu actually had a trace of sadness in his eyes: "But if Cao Cao really makes the decision to go south, then we will definitely be the first hurdle to stop him. Whether we can stop him is a very serious question. What is Liu Jingsheng's plan? No matter what, we can understand it too!”

"If Liu Jingsheng dies normally, Cao Cao will definitely send people south to plunder. By then, no one in the noble family will be so stupid as not to surrender to him. For example, the Cai family, they will definitely stay on the lookout! As for the reason, my lord should be able to understand .”

Liu Bei and the other three all had serious expressions. Even Zhang Fei, who had always been rough, had a solemn look in his eyes and clenched his fists. He also knew that this matter was very critical. If they could capture Jingzhou, they would be able to hold on longer.

"Sir, do you have any other plans here?"

Xu Shu thought about it and said with a smile: "There are indeed two options! One is to go to Xichuan and rely on Yizhou, so that you can get peace in the next few decades, but it is difficult!"

"The second is to capture Jingzhou and help the Sun family. Jiangdong was defeated not long ago, and even Sun Ce was deposed. Sun Quan is already silent about Hefei. He will definitely not dare to spy on him. He will definitely unite with us! In that case , we will be able to stabilize the situation, but we have to see how we can resist Cao Cao going south in the future."

"What Jiangdong said..."

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly and had some more thoughts in his mind. They could only deploy quickly while Cao Cao had no time to take care of this place. Even if they did not capture Jinzhou, they would join forces with Sun Quan. If possible, they could even Take this to achieve your grand ambition!

And this opportunity is also unique!

"Second brother, third brother, please invite Sun Qian here first and ask him to go to Xiangyang on my behalf. I have to discuss this matter with Brother Jing Sheng first!"

Liu Bei said with cautious eyes.

"Okay!"

Zhang Fei ran out quickly.

Not long after, Sun Qian came over, and Mi Zhu was also waiting in the courtyard. When Sun Qian came, Liu Bei had already written the letter and handed it to him: "Sun Qian, you must be careful when you arrive, and make it clear that I just miss you." , it has no other meaning, and this letter can only be read by him, and must not be seen by Cai Hao."

"yes."

Sun Qian was not a greedy person, and he had firm beliefs and left quickly after taking the letter.

And Guan Yu also set his sights on Liu Bei: "Then I will recruit troops now!"

"Then do you remember the "Shield-Ambush" step formation from before?"

Liu Bei's eyes flashed with brilliance and his tone was dull.

"Of course I know this!"

Guan Yudao also knew that this was a formation to restrain cavalry. He had heard some powerful men from Zhuo County mention this formation before.

A trace of doubt flashed in Zhang Fei's eyes: "What is this?"

Xu Shu was also confused and asked with a smile: "What is this formation?"

"It's relatively simple. You all know that the cavalry is a powerful force. If it is charged straight, it can be said to be invincible and unstoppable, and the Miyazaki soldiers are also the most powerful existence."

"Cao's light cavalry is called "leopard cavalry". I can also explain this. Three hundred leopard cavalry can kill up to a thousand ordinary cavalry like a safari!"

"The so-called Tiger Cavalry's weapons are spears, and they mainly fight enemies in close combat. Even their war horses are unusual. They are replaced with iron stirrups. When they charge with spears, they are extremely powerful and can be said to be invincible. !”

Liu Bei's expression also became extremely serious: "If you want to deal with them, you can only kill them with a crossbow and a rain of arrows. At that time, the war horses will fall into chaos, and the front army and the rear army will pull each other. Make it difficult for them to survive!”

"But archers and crossbowmen need so-called shield soldiers as a defensive force. Large shields are not suitable here, so they need so-called ambush shields!"

"Then what is Fudun?"

Surprise flashed in the eyes of everyone present. This kind of strategy had not been mentioned by Liu Bei, and they had never even heard of it.

In fact, they didn't know that the rumors Liu Bei heard came from Gongsun Zan's favorite general, Yan Gang.

But what this strategy requires most is the so-called courage.

In fact, everyone says that Liu Bei is not good at raising troops and training formations, but in fact everyone sees it.

It's not that he's not good at this, he's just keeping a low profile, and he has no experience in large-scale wars, so what he's good at is actually the method of "conquering more with less."

When there are more troops and horses, Liu Bei will be caught off guard, but if it is a small war with less than 10,000 participants, Liu Bei is not only very good at fighting, but also very good at "running", and can always escape with his men. , which is considered good luck.

Liu Bei then explained: "To ambush a shield, you must first choose a suitable location. The land must be on a slope, and you also need long-haired hands to lurk with the big opponent. The place behind the slope is suitable for hiding troops, and wait for the cavalry to rush in. After getting here, using the spear as a shield, you will almost understand the meaning of my words!"

"The war horses will walk through a road made of shields. After they pass by for a while, they will set up the shields, and then it will be time to use spears and spearmen to surround them."

"At this stage, the cavalry is unable to climb the slope and will be hit by the large shield, so it will be in crisis!"

"But what is needed most to use this formation is actually courage."

Xu Chu finally understood, and his eyes lit up: "In fact, the most important thing is trust. If it is the soldiers you lead, it must be possible! We can definitely use this to stop the cavalry from the north!"

"I understand too!!"

There was a hint of joy in Guan Yu's tone, and he quickly clasped his fists: "I will follow your instructions to train the Shield Formation. If Cao Cao dares to come, I will let him know our strength!"

"I want to go too!"

"You go ahead," Liu Bei waved his hand and took Xu Shu to the inner hall to discuss it carefully.

They were not just discussing the military formation, but also how to better cooperate with the Sun family.

For example, who should be sent to contact the Sun family, how to contact, and the time of contact.

In this way, they will be more calm when facing Cao Cao again.

Liu Bei is now expanding his strength with Nanyang, and even manufactured a lot of ordnance and opened ditches. He did this to defend against Cao Cao's cavalry team, which can be regarded as a well-intentioned one.

…

Autumn in Xuzhou.

This year's harvest was not as bumper as before, and there was a vague harvest failure, mainly because of the locust plague in the summer. However, due to Xi Yu's good decision-making, the locusts were dispersed and the crops were saved.

But even if there was a harvest failure, the people under the rule could still be fed, and there was no famine.

In the inner hall of the school, Cao Ang and Xi Yu were sitting there, which was a rare sight. Cao Ang would also take this opportunity to ask some questions.

"Uncle! Now that the north has been pacified, new rewards will arrive soon. Jizhou's policy has been recognized! In the autumn, Bingzhou had the idea of ​​borrowing our talents. Wouldn't it be a little uncomfortable for us to do so? Too appropriate?"

"What?"

Xi Yu actually doesn’t know much about it.

"My father had written to me before and asked me how many scholars there were who had the talent to watch. In fact, there are hundreds of counties in Jizhou and Bingzhou. If they all use gentry as bureaucrats, I'm afraid it will be very difficult. There will be a crisis!”

"And in recent years, there haven't been many scholars from poor families, so we decided to borrow people from us."

Cao Ang was relatively honest. Cao Cao told him that he actually wanted Xi Yu to know that Cao Cao had encountered a new problem.

No one is available.

Cao Cao can be regarded as the first person to value practical learning, and he has been fighting with those nobles all his life. He definitely does not want this situation to happen now.

Xi Yu smiled and said, "I don't agree with this."

"What is this?"

A bitter smile appeared on Xi Yu's lips: "Tell him clearly that there were no problems with the people I sent a year ago, but they were all beaten back, but now I have a way to resettle them! "

"It's the bank I established. If the bank doesn't have enough manpower to manage it, the business and people's livelihood in Qingzhou and Xuzhou will collapse across the board."

"Qian, Zhuang?"

Cao Ang didn't know what it was yet.

How come it seems like I’ve never heard of it?

"What is this?"

Cao Ang's eyes flashed with curiosity, and he quickly asked: "Can you explain something? Can I learn this?"

In fact, Cao Ang can always hear some new ideas and vocabulary from Xi Yu, and every time, these new words and concepts can create extraordinary value.

So Cao Ang also wanted to know something about this.

"What is important in troubled times? What is important is law and force!"

Xi Yu didn't mind introducing it: "And what is the most important thing in a prosperous age? The important things are agriculture, commerce and the art of education!"