Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 288: Shen Pei: What happened to Hebei?

Xun Chen remained silent, cupped his hands and whispered: "Why should Lord Xuande worry about this? Even Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu could not worry about it for future generations."

Liu Bei frowned, making the other person sweat profusely. He dared not look at him, and then he said bluntly: "A man who eats the salary of the Han Dynasty and is the descendant of Xunzi, who has read the clan classics since childhood, should be the first to worry about the worries of the world and the last to enjoy the happiness of the world."

"The people of Guizhou are illiterate. The governance of the world depends on virtuous officials. If those who should worry about the country do not, the world will be in danger. What is the use of such scholars reading a lot of classics? They open their mouths to read Confucian classics and quote ancient teachings. They are busy at their desks and pens all day long. Although they have thousands of words on their pens, they don't have any plans in their hearts."

"When in office, they have no intention of worrying about the country and the people. Although they are concerned about public affairs, they are only interested in their own family's interests. Look at the Yuan family of Runan, who have three dukes in five generations and have enjoyed the Han Dynasty's salary for a long time, but how many of them can worry about the world?"

"Yuan Shu's demands in Huainan are excessive, causing the people to eat each other. The once prosperous Huainan is now empty. Yuan Shao has relatives in Jizhou, the Wuhuan, and allows them to plunder Han territory. Many scholars are silent or unwilling to speak out for their own selfish interests. At this moment, villains are rampant in the world, and virtuous officials are becoming increasingly rare. How can I not be deeply worried?"

Liu Bei's ruthless words made Xun Chen's face turn red. He wanted to refute several times, but he hesitated.

At this moment, he finally understood why, when Xin Zhongzhi asked him what he had talked about with Liu Shijun after returning to Yecheng from his diplomatic mission to Pingyuan County, he always remained silent and refused to say a word.

It turned out that he couldn't win the argument, and was confronted by Lord Xuande...

Xun Chen secretly groaned in his heart.

"Xin Zhongzhi, Xin Zhongzhi, why didn't you tell me earlier that Envoy Liu was so sharp and sharp, or I would be so embarrassed and ashamed."

Thinking that Xun Yu and Xun You had not mentioned this matter to him in their letters, he couldn't help but sigh.

When he met a wise leader who could display his talents, he kept everything to himself, which made him a laughing stock. If his name is recorded in history books for this incident, he will be ridiculed by future generations.

Xun Chen shuddered when he thought of this. This was more painful than killing him.

Although he regretted speaking, he still moved his mouth, forced a smile, bowed and said: "Duke Xuande worries before things happen, and when things come, there will be no worries."

Seeing his stiff expression, Liu Bei guessed what Xun Chen was thinking. After thinking for a while, he said, "You Ruo's words have some merits. If we modify them, it will be a good strategy. To use barbarians to attack barbarians, we should not only use the Hu people who surrendered to the Han Dynasty, but also accept the Hu people who are willing to surrender to the Han Dynasty, and teach the Han army to gallop and hunt in the way of the Hu people, so that they can learn what they do and what they like."

"I also know that the customs of the Hu and Han are different. But if the barbarians enter the Han territory, learn the Han customs, study the Han classics, and wholeheartedly follow the Han, then they can take Han names and become Han people. Convert millions of tribes into Han people, organize the Hu people into Han troops, eat and live together, resist insults together, seal the Wolf's Lair and let the horses drink from the vast sea."

No matter what the Hu people inside the Great Wall are, as long as they are consistent with the Han people in spirit and behavior, respectfully call us Han people, and can hold our heads high and be proud of Han land, we should not be prejudiced against them.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to show contempt for the barbarians every day, so that the various tribes of the barbarians can stick together for warmth and unite more closely?

On the way back to the camp, Liu Bei couldn't help feeling emotional.

……

In December of the first year of Jian'an (196), Liu Xuande fought against Yuan Benchu. The news that he defeated Yuan's army of with only men forty miles away from Yu County spread throughout the country.

Liu Bei, with the momentum of a great victory, divided his troops into three groups and marched straight to Weijun, Ganling, and Bohai. The garrisons of various counties surrendered one after another, shocking the princes in the north and south. When the news came out, it was like a landslide, causing the whole country to boil. Many officials in Guanzhong, Liangzhou, Youzhou, Yizhou, Jingzhou, Huainan, Jiangdong and other places were shocked. Those who heard the news were shocked and horrified.

Unexpectedly, not long after, another piece of news came from Hebei that Yuan Shao was defeated in Ganling and fell off his horse and died while fleeing. Before his death, he ordered dozens of people in Hebei to surrender to Liu Xuande. The two states in Hebei were like a bolt from the blue, and the situation of the powerful families who wanted to resist took a sharp turn for the worse.

The remaining areas of Jizhou, including Changshan, Zhongshan, Zhaoguo, Julu, Hejian, Anping, and Youzhou, including Daijun, Shanggu, Zhuojun, Guangyang, Yuyang, etc., were in chaos, with post offices, pavilions, and relay stations cut off, and government orders could not be implemented.

Seeing that Hebei was in turmoil and Yuan Gong had already died, the prefects, ministers, county magistrates and county heads of various places saw that there was an uproar in Hebei and no one had the prestige to take over the post of governor of Ji and Youzhou. So they simply colluded with the local gentry and wealthy families and began to disobey the documents and orders of Xindu.

Yuan Shao's wife Liu, as well as Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, Yuan Shang and others, who suddenly received the bad news, felt dizzy. Facing the riots that broke out one after another in various places in Xindu, they were like ants on a hot pan, and were so anxious that they didn't know how to deal with it.

When Yuan Shang was at a loss, he suddenly remembered Shen Pei, with whom he was on good terms. He sent his confidant to ride a horse and change boats despite being tired, and rushed all the way to Yecheng to find Shen Pei.

Shen Pei first cried bitterly, and regardless of the front army that was still fighting, he hurriedly wrote a letter and threw it to Wen Chou who was confronting Guan Yu and Lu Bu in Liyang. Then he took his entourage and rushed back to Xindu by boat along the river. He passed by the Qingzhou army from Ganling on the river bank. Fortunately, the other side wanted to go south lightly to attack Weijun, intending to cut off Wen Chou's way back.

Shen Pei, who had no time to comb his messy beard, stood on the north bank of the river, looking at the Qingzhou army heading south along the Huan River to capture Weijun. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart and thought to himself, "I hope Wen Chou can react in time and abandon Yecheng and retreat to Handan, otherwise the army will be in danger!"

“Even if Hebei was defeated, at least they could fight Liu Xuande for a long time. How could they suddenly rise up and cause the earth to crack and the sky to collapse?!”

Shen Pei still finds it hard to believe until now. He never thought that he was in Yecheng transporting food and military equipment for Wen Chou and trying every means to capture Yanzhou.

Lord Yuan was defeated and killed in Ganling, and the army of one hundred thousand was destroyed in one day.

No one could tell him what had happened. With the defeat of the expeditionary army, many of the clerks from various counties and prefectures who were dispatched to follow the army did not have time to surrender and died tragically in the chaos, while others were captured alive by the Qingzhou army.

This led to a shortage of officials in Weijun and Bohai counties near the battlefield. At this time, Hebei was in chaos.

"I don't know where Lord Ju and Xin Zhongzhi are now, and whether they have returned to Xindu..."

Shen Pei frowned, looking like he was worried about something.

Hebei is about to collapse. Who can help to put down the chaos and carry out Yuan Gong's will to rule the world? Also, is it true or false that Yuan Gong wanted to surrender to Liu Xuande?

He really wanted to clench his fists, grab his sleeves, drag these three people alive for dozens of steps, and find out who made Yuan Gong make such a mistake.

If such stupid aides are not killed, the anger of Hebei officials will not be relieved.

"Let's go..." Shen Pei withdrew his gaze from across the river and fixed his eyes on the north again. He couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Mr. Guo, it's better that you are not the one offering advice, otherwise I will spend all my money and send the rangers to kill you!"

After much thought, Shen Pei decided that among these people, Guo Tu was the most likely to be flattering.

(End of this chapter)