Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 152 Tao Qian: Lord Xuande, I can’t hold on any longer

Liu Bei integrated the three counties in Luoyang, abolished the county troops and established a military headquarters.

He also issued an official document ordering officials to rebuild the ancestral temple from mid-July to August 11, leaving enough soldiers to garrison in Erhe, and recruiting some combat soldiers and auxiliary soldiers from Chenliu County and Dong County to go to Yingchuan, while he himself led his troops back.

Sun Qian was appointed Gongcao of Yingchuan County, and Cui Yan was appointed chief clerk.

During this period, there was one thing that surprised Liu Bei a little. He saw in the military roster of Dongjun that Le Jin, one of Cao Mengde's five best generals, was serving as a sergeant under Yunchang.

After thinking about it, Liu Bei decided to transfer him to Yingchuan. If Yuan Shu really proclaimed himself emperor soon, Le Jin would have the opportunity to make military achievements by attacking Runan County.

Liu Bei estimated that Yuan Benchu ​​had suffered several defeats in Yanzhou Dongjun, so when he led his army to attack again, he would focus on Qingzhou.

Yuan Shao will build strong walls for the county towns bordering Qingzhou and Yanzhou. It's not that he can't do it. If you reinforce your walls, I will also thicken them.

Considering the high and thick walls of the cities surrounding the two families, if we lead our army to attack, it would not be easy to take them down as long as the other side has more defenders.

This was also the reason why Liu Bei knew that Yuan Shao was marching to Youzhou, but did not order the counties to attack the city. It would be difficult to capture the city without suffering twice as many casualties as Yuan's army.

However, the attack and defense were now in a different situation. The two cities of Linlu and Neihuang in Hanoi were like the two ends of an iron clamp clamping Yecheng, making Yuan Shao suffer terribly.

Although Pingyuan was also besieged by the counties of Yu and Yimu of Ganling Commandery, Liu Bei was eager for Yuan Shao to dispatch troops to attack. It would be great if he could have the opportunity to defeat the main force of Yuan's army in a field battle in the suburbs.

Liu Bei did not move his troops in Pingyuan Prefecture, and was also waiting for Yuan Benchu ​​to challenge him for a decisive battle.

This decisive battle is not like the Battle of Guandu where Cao Mengde defeated the entire army and was able to escape.

If Liu Xuande, a relative of the Han royal family, was defeated and completely wiped out, Yuan Benchu ​​would have the local nobles capture him and bring him to Qingzhou to surrender as soon as he ran back.

It was out of this concern that Yuan Shao and his staff decided to pacify Gongsun Zan first and then muster all their strength before daring to engage in a decisive battle with Liu Bei. Even the generals of Yuan's army did not dare to launch a large-scale attack, for fear of being taken advantage of by the enemy, and they were restrained since the beginning of the battle.

Countries are often destroyed because of their weakness, but the Han Dynasty alone perished because of its strength.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the situation of all the princes who had the ambition to establish their own territory was more embarrassing than at the end of the Qin Dynasty and the end of the Xinmang Dynasty.

With the lesson of Liu Xiu, even if the court was in decline and the Han Dynasty was unstable, as long as the powerful Liu family emerged, the momentum of the battle would be weakened.

Especially when we can't win on the battlefield, we feel even more disappointed.

But those are things that an opponent has to consider and have nothing to do with Liu Xuande.

When Liu Bei was returning to Yanzhou, he passed through Huai County and moved the family of Henei Governor Zhang Yang to Pingyuan. Although Zhang Yang wanted to surrender, he was eventually held hostage by the Huns and did not surrender. Not killing him was a great mercy.

All his houses, money, grain and land were confiscated, but Liu Bei did not touch his servants, maids and concubines, as he was not a traitor to Cao.

But when they saw that Zhang Yang had more than a hundred wives and concubines, and he himself was becoming increasingly thin.

Liu Bei couldn't help but pat Zhang Yang on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Uncle Zhi, your health is more important. Even an iron pillar can be sharpened into a needle after a long time."

After saying this, he led his army to rush to the camp and rode away on horseback, leaving Zhang Yang confused and puzzled, not understanding the meaning of it.

He ordered Han Mu, Zhao Zhen, the military marquises and other generals of each army to lead the soldiers and auxiliary soldiers in the camp to return to Qingzhou slowly.

Liu Bei, along with Liu He, Dian Wei and Taishi Ci, led the cavalry through Yan County, Bai Ma, and then to Puyang City to rest for two days.

He talked with Yunchang for half a day, asking him to pay more attention to Weijun in the north, and to guard against Lu Fengxian in Liyang and Dangyin, and also to write more letters to show his concern for Yide in the capital of Luoyang.

Guan Yu personally escorted Liu Bei to Puyang, which was more than 30 miles away. When they were close to Jiyin County, he lifted his robe and said goodbye. He then said to Taishi Ci: "Yu, I am grateful for your trust in me. I cannot accompany you to Xuzhou. I hope you will be more careful about the open and hidden attacks and the conspiracies of villains for me."

After Guan Yu finished speaking, he bowed deeply to Taishi Ci, Liu He, and Dian Wei.

Taishi Ci, who was closest to him, was so shocked that he quickly held his arm and said, "Yunchang, why do you have to be like this? You are my lord. It is my duty to protect people with wolves and ambitions. Why do you need to thank me?"

"General Guan, get up quickly!" Liu He also said quickly.

"Don't worry, Governor Guan. As long as I am still alive, no assassin will be able to get close to you."

Dian Wei also helped Guan Yu up and patted his chest to promise. "In this case, I would like to thank you all. When I return to Puyang one day, I will personally prepare a banquet for you all, and everyone will drink until they are drunk." Guan Yu smiled and said with a bow.

"it is good!"

"Okay."

"It couldn't be better."

Several people looked at each other, held each other's arms, and laughed with their heads raised.

Liu Bei and Guo Jia stood not far away, watching Guan Yu call a few people over individually, give them instructions, and then bow down.

Guo Jia nodded slightly and said, "The brotherly love between Governor Guan and the envoy is really touching!"

"Yun Chang, Yi De and I are like brothers. We have shared weal and woe, and have been by each other's side through thick and thin. Without them, there would be no Liu Bei today..."

When Liu Bei saw everyone laughing, he couldn't help but chuckle too.

Liu Bei liked to carry out open strategies, starting with small things and accumulating details into a big trend to crush and win.

It moves with the trend and occurs according to the trend, leaving no trace.

The lord's influence on his subordinates has led to harmony among them, with no struggle for power or profit.

Of course, it was also because he personally supervised the administration of officials and the military at the grassroots and middle levels and was particularly strict.

"Sir, where is the best place to farm when we go to Xuzhou?" Guo Jia asked.

As an aide to his lord, he had to first find out whether the envoy intended to appease the counties of Xuzhou first or take control by force.

After all, he now had the land of two states, and with Tao Qian's title of governor, he could mobilize soldiers to pacify Xuzhou at any time.

Liu Bei pondered over his words, and after a moment's silence, he said, "To be honest, I really intend to start a war and let some evil spirits come out. Only by letting the weeds in the farmland emerge first can we weed them out and help the rice grow."

Sometimes it is not a good thing to conquer them too quickly. It is better to let them get together through the land measurement, write down their names and eliminate them one by one.

The province's future has turned from bright to dark and has become more difficult.

"It's a good time to start measuring the land now. Yuan Gonglu and Cao Mengde in Yangzhou have been fighting endlessly and have no power to interfere in Xuzhou." Guo Jia said with a smile as he thought of the secret report he had received.

"I wonder how Captain Guan will deal with the Taishan bandits. If it's easy, he can be transferred to Langya County to wipe out the bandits one by one."

"Taishan County is a mountainous area with many bandits. We have to survey the fields and fight the bandits at the same time, so the progress is much slower than we expected."

Liu Bei had recently received a letter from Guan Hai, saying that there were countless bandits in Mount Tai, and it would be impossible to wipe them all out, as many of them were familiar with the terrain.

When they saw the Qingzhou army coming, they moved into other mountains, and came back after he withdrew.

Liu Bei was quite speechless. After all, Guan Hai was also a member of the Yellow Turban bandits. No one in Qingzhou was more familiar with this style of fighting than you, so that's why I sent you specifically to suppress the bandits. How come you were led by the nose by others?

However, we cannot rush for success. As long as we clear the excess land, eliminate some lawless tyrants, and distribute the land equally to the common people, we can cut off the secret connection between the bandits and the people. Then we can go into the mountains and suppress the bandits.

As for the affairs of Langya County, troops must be transferred from Beihai first.

Liu Bei was about to speak when he was interrupted by the sound of hurried horse hooves.

"Sir, an urgent letter from the governor of Xuzhou!"

The messenger handed the letter to Guo Jia, who carefully checked it and then handed it to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei quickly read through it, closed the wooden tablet and said in a deep voice: "Tao Gongzu died of illness, Mi Zizhong asked me to lead the army to Xuzhou in a hurry to prevent the nobles and aristocrats from making trouble."

(End of this chapter)