The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 123 Six Horses and Twelve Soldiers, Gao Shun's Camp

But Chen Gong returned to the house and met the visitor.

"You are...?"

Looking at the back of the person coming, Chen Gong narrowed his eyes, thinking that he didn't seem to recognize this person.

The man turned around and saw a middle-aged man who was slightly older than Chen Gong. He turned around and smiled and bowed to Chen Gong:
"Yang Hong of Huainan, who is arbitrarily serving as the Chief Clerk, has come to see Mr. Gongtai."

Yang Hong went straight to the point and stated his identity directly.

"Oh?"

Chen Gong was startled. He never expected that Yuan Shu's men would come looking for him.

"It's Yang Changshi, please take a seat."

Chen Gong treated Yang Hong warmly and invited him to sit down.

After the two sides finished their greetings, Chen Gong personally poured a cup of tea for Yang Hong:

"Why did Yang Changshi come to Xuzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Hong waved his hand and said helplessly:
"Alas, I was originally planning to go to Yanzhou to look for Gongtai on the orders of my master."

"I didn't want to wait until I got to Yanzhou, but I heard that General Lu had been defeated by Cao Cao and fled to Xuzhou."

"So I rode my horse day and night to Xuzhou to see Mr. Gongtai."

Yang Hong paused for a moment, then sighed, "I deeply regret the death of Zhang Chenliu."

When talking about Zhang Miao's death, Chen Gong also felt sad.

It is worth mentioning that Lu Bu is not Chen Gong’s lord in the strict sense.

Chen Gong's lord was Cao Cao at first, but later Chen Gong instigated Zhang Miao to rebel, and his lord became Zhang Miao.

Even though Lu Bu was later welcomed into Yan, the two sides were merely partners.

Although Zhang Liao also had his own troops, he basically obeyed Lu Bu's orders and would fight wherever Lu Bu told him to.

Chen Gong, on the other hand, has always regarded Lu Bu as a tool for warfare.

Later, Zhang Miao was killed and Lu Bu was defeated and fled.

Without his monarch, he could no longer return to his hometown in Yanzhou. Like a stray dog, Chen Gong had no choice but to follow Lu Bu.

Although Lu Bu was nominally Chen Gong's lord, Chen Gong had a great deal of autonomy.

Because there are many Yanzhou scholars in Lu Bu's group, most of them were brought up by Chen Gong and Zhang Miao.

In addition, as Chen Gong was Lu Bu's trusted adviser, Yang Hong knew that as long as he could convince Chen Gong, he would be able to convince Lu Bu.

Then he said:

"Now my lord has heard that General Lu is no match for Cao in Yanzhou, and is now at a point where he has no place to stay."

"So he wanted to recommend General Lu to be the governor of Runan, and temporarily rest his troops in Runan."

"So I was sent here to discuss this matter with Master Gongtai. If you have no objection, I will go and tell General Lu. What do you think?"

Chen Gong was startled. He never expected that Yuan Shu would extend an olive branch to him at this time.

This really surprised him.

But Chen Gong was also a smart man and knew that there was no free lunch in the world.

Runan Yuan's family, the fourth generation and the third grandfather.

Although Yuan Shu did not directly control Runan, he had a strong influence here, and many local people supported him.

The population of Runan County is as high as two million, and its economic scale is the second largest in the world.

The most important thing is that apart from the local people in Runan, there are also people who support the Yuan family.

Yuan Shu's Jiujiang was adjacent to Runan. If a rebellion really broke out, he only needed to send a troop of troops there and it would be destroyed in a snap.

It can be said that going to Runan means being completely under the control of Yuan Shu.

"I wonder what General Yuan wants?"

Chen Gong's eyes narrowed and he asked in a deep voice.

Hahaha……

When Yang Hong heard this, he smiled:
"Why is Mr. Gongtai so wary of my Lord?"

"General Lu's killing of the traitors is not only a meritorious service to the Han Dynasty, but also to the Yuan family."

"My Lord has always been thinking about this. When has he ever forgotten it?"

"Besides, Mr. Gongtai is a wise man in the world, and my lord has admired you for a long time."

"So I want to invite you to Runan to discuss important matters with my master."

Oh?
Upon hearing that Yuan Shu admired him, Chen Gong couldn't help but be moved.

A little-known fact is that in addition to having three lords, Cao Cao, Zhang Miao and Lu Bu, Chen Gong actually had a fourth lord.

That was Yuan Shu.

In the first year of Jian'an, Chen Gong took the initiative to contact Yuan Shu and Lu Bu's general Hao Meng.

Hao Meng launched a rebellion and attacked the Tingshige in Xia Pi.

At that time, Lu Bu was naked, dragging a mysterious woman, and escaped from the toilet by climbing over the wall and came to Gao Shun's camp.

Gao Shun remained calm in the face of danger, commanded the troops calmly, beheaded Hao Meng, and put down the rebellion.

Lu Bu asked Hao Meng's subordinate Cao Xing about the whole story.

Cao Xing said that Hao Meng was instructed by Yuan Shu.

Lu Bu asked again if there were any accomplices.

Cao Xing then turned Chen Gong over.

Chen Gong was sitting next to Lu Bu at the time and felt extremely embarrassed.

My face is red, but my heart is cold.

Unexpectedly, Lu Bu performed beyond his expectations this time, exuding a personal charm that is rare in his life.

He sighed and said, Chen Gong is my general.

So he forgave Chen Gong and did not pursue the matter.

From Lu Bu's perspective,
Maybe in his opinion, my, Lu Bu's, betrayal was not a big mistake.

You see, I often rebel.

I have followed Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Liu Bei.

You have followed Cao Cao, Zhang Miao, me, and Yuan Shu.

Hey, if you rebel again, won’t we be the same?
So, neither of us is a good person, so no one should look down on each other.

Just stay here with me and rest assured. There is always someone to bury in this land.

No matter what Lu Bu thought, from Chen Gong's perspective, he was indeed impressed by Lu Bu's charm in this matter.

From then on, he followed Lu Bu wholeheartedly and became his general and adviser.

However, they both died in Baimen Tower within two years.

There is indeed a big gap between the image of Chen Gong in history and Chen Gong in the novel.

The real Chen Gong was definitely not as innocent and upright as he is portrayed in the novel.

Like Kong Rong and Liu Yao, he was a typical scholar of the late Han Dynasty.

They only play around in their circle of scholars and look down on everyone else.

Even when Chen Gong came to Xuzhou and saw Liu Bei, he looked down on him.

In Chen Gong's eyes, Liu Bei was just a swordsman from the borderland. How could a mat weaver and shoe seller be his lord?
Therefore, he would rather follow a famous leader like Yuan Shu than Liu Bei, who was kind and respectful to others.

But Chen Gong pursued perfection too much. There are not so many perfect monarchs in the world.

Cao Cao is a man of great talent, but he is cruel, so Chen Gong needs to be replaced.

Zhang Miao is kind but his abilities are mediocre, so Chen Gong needs to be replaced.

Lu Bu is capable, but he comes from a humble background and his skills are limited, so Chen Gong still needs to be replaced.

Yuan Shu was of high birth, but he was arrogant, so Chen Gong still felt that he was not good enough.

If you choose the wrong person, you always want to start over.

But Chen Gong was not good at judging people. When he met a good one, he did not seize the opportunity, and when he met a bad one, he made the wrong choice and regretted it.

The more monarchs change, the worse they become, and in the end they are the ones who suffer.

"I have heard that Mr. Gongtai is very wise and knowledgeable."

"I wonder what to think of Runan?"

Yang Hong asked.

Chen Gong hesitated for a moment and replied:

"Ru'nan is a place of outstanding people, rich resources, and a large population. It is also the hometown of General Yuan."

“Nature is a godsend.”

Not bad!

Yang Hong's mind raced as he continued to persuade:
"Ru'nan County is located in the heart of the Central Plains, bordering Huaishui in the south, Luojing in the north, Peng and Pei in the east, and Nanyang in the west."

"My master admires General Lu's talent and intends to let General Lu rest and recuperate in Runan."

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to wait until General Lu's strength is restored and then take Yanzhou back?"

After a slight pause, he added, "Mr. Gongtai, don't worry. When we get to Runan, all the miscellaneous matters will be left to you to manage."

"As for major military affairs, General Lu will also be involved in the discussion."

"My lord only hopes that General Lu can station his troops here to protect Jiujiang, and he has no other intentions."

In one word,
However, Yang Hong was thinking to himself that after luring Lu Bu's troops to Runan.

All decisions on important military affairs are not up to you.

Chen Gong also saw this.

But at this time he was not completely loyal to Lu Bu, and working with him was a helpless move.

On the contrary, Yuan Shu took the initiative to extend an olive branch and was a wealthy and powerful boss.

This made Chen Gong very excited.

Even though he knew that going to Runan was not a good place for Lu Bu, it would give Yuan Shu an extra wing.

"Alright, I will discuss this with Lord Wen tomorrow, and then I will bid farewell to Lord Xuande."

"How about going to Runan with Yang Changshi?"

Yang Hong was overjoyed when he heard this, and he took Chen Gong's hand and said:
"That's great. Hongfang can return to Huainan to report."

"But Gongtai must hurry up, don't make Yuan Gong wait anxiously."

The next day, early morning.

Early in the morning, Chen Gong got up early and found Lu Bu.

He told him that Yuan Shu planned to invite them to Runan to station troops and rest their horses.

Lu Bu was surprised and said:

"When I fled Chang'an, I went to Nanyang to seek refuge with Yuan Shu, but he would not tolerate me and wanted to send troops to kill me."

"Now is just like then, why is Yuan Shu going against the grain?"

Chen Gong thought to himself, since you had previously allowed Yuan Shu's troops to plunder the countryside, it is normal for him to want to kill you.

Now he's become big in Huainan and wants you to be his thug.

Chen Gong did not think there was anything wrong with Yuan Shu's idea, because Chen Gong currently regarded Lu Bu as a tool.

"When General Yuan was in Nanyang, he fought with Cao Cao for Yanzhou, but was defeated and fled to Huainan."

"Now that General Yuan and Marquis Wen have a common mortal enemy, they can completely put aside their past grudges and fight Cao together."

"Yang Changshi made it very clear last night. When Marquis Wen arrives in Runan, he will not ask about any trivial matters or important military affairs."

"It's all up to Lord Wen to decide."

On the surface, Chen Gong would naturally not reveal Yuan Shu's true purpose. He would lure Lu Bu to Runan first.

"Ru'nan is rich in resources and has a large population. If we can rest and recuperate here, our army will be able to recover its strength within a year or two."

"Then we can join forces with General Yuan, take Yanzhou back, and destroy Cao the thief."

Lu Bu was a little hesitant, after all, Yuan Shu once wanted to kill him.

On the contrary, here in Liu Bei's Xuzhou, people treat him very friendly.

"What about Liu Xuzhou here?"

Lu Bu asked, "Liu Xuzhou has promised to give me a piece of land and also promised money and food."

"If I quit now, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate."

Especially since Zhang Liao had already been loaned out, it would be a huge loss for him to just leave like that.

I just came here for a meal, and didn't get anything for free.

"Whether in Xuzhou or Runan, we are all foreign generals."

"Liu Xuande has great talent and is very popular among the people. He will never be inferior to others."

"If I stay here for a long time, I might get into trouble in the future."

"Besides, Liu Bei promised money, food and territory, but he has not been seen yet."

"On the contrary, General Yuan has promised to give up Runan for our army to rest and recuperate."

"Which family is sincere enough? Lord Wen can think about it carefully."

This……

Lu Bu's mind was spinning rapidly and he found it difficult to make a judgment for a moment.

After a long time, he pounded his chest and slowly said:

"That's fine!"

"Then I wonder when we can set off?"

"We are guests, so we must say goodbye to Liu Xuzhou before we can leave."

Chen Gong took Lu Bu's hand and went to the provincial capital, intending to say goodbye to Liu Bei.

Of course, the most important thing is that they need to ask Liu Bei for the promised money and food.

Their troops are in such a difficult situation now, even a few tens of thousands of hu of grain would be enough.

No matter how small the grasshopper legs are, they are still meat, and they are not in a position to be picky about food now.

When I was young,

Chen Gong, Lu Bu and a group of Bingzhou generals rushed to the provincial capital to bid farewell to Liu Bei.

"We have lost our troops since our defeat in Yanzhou, but we are honored that you have not abandoned us and have taken us in."

"We are all grateful for your kindness."

Chen Gong spoke eloquently and came forward to explain the matter.

"It's just that we came here suddenly and disturbed Guizhou without any intention."

"I also don't want to cause any more trouble for you, the envoy, to arrange the territory."

"That's why I plan to leave today, and I come here to say goodbye to you, sir."

Oh?
Liu Bei and Li Yi looked at each other, even though they had originally planned to send Lu Bu away today.

Unexpectedly, Lu Bu and others took the initiative to ask to leave, which saved us a lot of trouble.

"General Lu cannot stay here for long, and I deeply regret that you cannot fulfill your duty as a host."

"I don't know where the general will go. Will there be enough food and fodder, and will there be enough gold and silver?"

Liu Bei asked with concern on his face, but he was secretly happy in his heart.

I can't wait to send Lu Bu away.

Chen Gong bowed and replied:
"Yuzhou is now in chaos, with warlords fighting for power."

"We plan to go to Runan to try our luck and see if we can take Yanzhou someday."

Chen Gong did not explicitly say that going to Runan was Yuan Shu's invitation, he only said that they planned to try their luck there.

But Liu Bei didn't care whether Yuan Shu was the one who instigated this matter.

If Lu Bu could go to Runan, it would be in line with Li Yi's strategic plan.

Lü Bu is a fierce tiger.

If they really turn against each other, they won't recognize any of their relatives.

Yuan Shu didn't think that he could tame Lu Bu, did he?

If he really kept Lu Bu in Runan, the only places Lu Bu could conquer would be Yuan Shu, Cao Cao and Liu Biao.

If he wanted to make Lu Bu attack him, he would have to cross Yuan Shu's own power, the southern part of Pei State.

Let’s see whether Lu Bu will accept being tossed around by Yuan Shu like this given his character.

But no matter who is torturing whom, it has nothing to do with Liu Bei.

"Good! Since General Lu is determined to leave, I won't force him to stay."

"The money and food promised yesterday will be delivered in full, please don't worry, General."

Lu Bu was overjoyed when he heard this, thinking that Liu Bei was indeed a loyal and honest man.

If we say we will give you money and food, then we will give you money and food. There is no ambiguity at all.

After a while, a waiter came forward and handed a stack of bamboo scrolls to Lu Bu.

The above is the amount of money and grain donated by Liu Bei this time.

Eighty thousand hu of grain and fodder, one hundred pieces of silk and cloth, fifty catties of gold and silver each, and ten good horses.

The amount of money and grain Liu Bei gave was absolutely sincere.

After all, this money and food is given for free.

Especially since he had no relationship with Lu Bu and had only met him once, he gave you money and food to help you because he saw that you were in trouble.

This kind of thing is rare in the whole world.

Even though Chen Gong disliked Liu Bei's background, he couldn't help but admire Liu Bei's broad-mindedness.

"…But, I have something bothering me these days and I can't get rid of it."

"I would like to ask General Lu for some help."

Liu Bei suddenly changed the subject and looked embarrassed.

Lu Bu was stunned, thinking that this matter was indeed not that simple.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"I wonder what difficulties Envoy Liu has, please tell me frankly."

"As long as it is something that Bu can do, I will do my best to do it for you, sir."

The grasper has a short hand, and the eater has a short mouth.

Lu Bu had just accepted the money and food sent by Liu Bei. Now that Liu Bei was busy, it was difficult for him to refuse.

I just hope it's not something too difficult.

"It's not a big deal. I just want to borrow one person from the general."

Borrow someone?
Lu Bu and Chen Gong looked at each other.

They had loaned Zhang Liao to Liu Bei last night, and early this morning, Zhang Liao led his troops to the State of Chen for rescue.

I wonder who Liu Bei is going to borrow from next?

"To be honest, General Lu."

Liu Bei sighed, "I am currently reorganizing my troops and horses in Xuzhou, cultivating farmland and training soldiers."

"Just half a month ago, we recruited a group of young and brave men, and planned to train them into an elite division."

"However, we are short of talent and cannot spare any manpower to train new soldiers."

"I heard that General Lu is good at fighting and has many brave generals under his command, all of whom are heroes and warriors."

"So I just want to borrow one person to assist in the training of new soldiers."

"What do you think, General?"

Oh……

It turns out that they were borrowing people for training.

Lu Bu breathed a sigh of relief. This was not a big deal for him.

As long as his wife and daughter are not harmed, his subordinates will lend them the money.

"Who does Envoy Liu want to borrow?"

Lu Bu opened his mouth and asked.

Liu Bei raised the corner of his mouth slightly and glanced at Li Yi beside him.

Li Yi nodded, stood up and said loudly:

"My Lord has heard that General Lu has a clean and dignified general under his command, named Gao Shun."

"The troops under his command are invincible in every battle and every attack."

"He must be a good trainer. If General Lu can trust him, please keep General Gao Shun in Xuzhou for the time being."

"How about borrowing it from my Lord to train new soldiers?"

So you want to borrow Gao Shun...

Lu Bu glanced at Chen Gong, and both of them were a little surprised.

Gao Shun was indeed a man of integrity and dignity, and he neither drank alcohol nor accepted gifts.

In Lu Bu's army, she can be said to be a white lotus that is untainted by the mud.

There is no historical record about Gao Shun's hometown.

It is generally believed on the Internet that Gao Shun was born in the Gao family of Chenliu and was a native of Yanzhou.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him not to follow Cao Cao, but instead to follow Lu Bu wholeheartedly.

Of course, this statement has no historical basis.

Because the Gao family of Chenliu and the Yuan family of Runan are relatives.

For example, Gao Gan is Yuan Shao’s nephew.

If Gao Shun really came from this family, he should be with Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu.

There is no need to suffer under Lu Bu's command.

Especially a famous family like the Chenliu Gao family is not something that ordinary people can afford to marry into.

Gao Shun followed Lu Bu instead of Cao Cao simply because he was simply loyal to Lu Bu.

Like Chen Gong, he was also a representative of scholars from Yanzhou and had a deep hatred for Cao Cao.

But he still betrayed Lu Bu once and colluded with Yuan Shu.

Moreover, Chen Gong and Gao Shun had a very bad relationship because Gao Shun believed that Chen Gong had betrayed Lu Bu and was not trustworthy.

The reason why Gao Shun was loyal to Lu Bu was not only because he had a good character, but more likely because he was brought up by Lu Bu.

The composition of Lu Bu's subordinates was very complex, including people from Bingzhou, Henei, and Liangzhou.

Therefore, including Gao Shun, the hometowns of many generals under Lu Bu could not be found because they were too mixed.

People like Wei Xu and Cheng Lian had followed Lu Bu very early on.

After following him for so many years, I still have some feelings for him, and I also have some psychological expectations of what kind of person Lu Bu is.

Especially for a person like Gao Shun, he would be loyal to Yuan Shu, let alone Lu Bu.

As to whether Gao Shun hated Cao Cao, there is no record in history books.

His only interaction with Cao Cao was that he simply refused to surrender, and then he was killed by Cao Cao.

That's it.

……

(End of this chapter)