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

Chapter 193: Yuan Shao led his army south, Cao and Liu joined forces to resist the powerful enemy
Jizhou, Yanjin.

But Guan Gong killed Yan Liang, the vanguard general of Yuan army, and shocked Hebei, lifting the siege of Bai Ma.

When the news of the defeat was sent back to Yuan Shao's camp, everyone was terrified.

"Who killed my beloved general?"

Yuan Shao was furious and harshly questioned the sentry who came to report the news.

"...It was Guan Yu under Liu Bei. He rushed into the battle formation on horseback, cut off General Yan's head and returned to the battle formation."

"No one can stop him."

Ten thousand troops to take the head... ?
After hearing this military report, Yuan Shao frowned and fell into deep thought.

Make a decision quickly.

"Now that things have come to this, you can send someone to retrieve Yan Liang's body and bring it back to his hometown for burial."

The sentry replied that Yan Liang's head had been cut off by Guan Yu and brought back to the allied camp.

Yuan Shao said: "Then just take the body back."

The servants obeyed the order, brought back Yan Liang's body and put it in a coffin.

He also sent brave cavalry from Hebei to personally escort the coffin back to his hometown in Jizhou and hand it over to his family for care.

Yuan Shao also took out a lot of gold, silver and silk to provide relief to his family.

Not stated.

Suddenly someone reported that a large number of people appeared on the south bank of the Yellow River.

Yuan Shao was shocked and thought to himself, could it be that the Henan army is going to cross the river to attack me?
Brother Cao Cao, he just killed Yan Liang, he doesn't think he can compete with me, right?

"How many troops are there?" Yuan Shao asked.

"They don't look like soldiers, they look like ordinary people."

Ordinary people?
Yuan Shao felt even more puzzled and immediately ordered his Meteor Scouts to investigate by the Yellow River.

Not long after, the scouts reported that the people living along the Yellow River were indeed from Henan.

It turned out that after lifting the siege of Baima, Cao Cao ordered all the people in Baimajin and Yan County to move to Xu County.

It was equivalent to the Bai Ma War Zone, where Cao Cao directly cleared the countryside.

The purpose of taking all the people here away is to prevent them from having to serve as laborers to transport grain for Yuan Shao in the future.

The reason why these people appeared on the banks of the Yellow River was because Cao Cao did it on purpose.

During the process of relocating people, he very provocatively ordered his people to carry the baggage and walk along the Yellow River in front of Yuan's army.

It seemed as if he was saying, Yuan Shao, if you have the guts, cross the river and fight me.

This move was obviously intended to lure Yuan's army across the river and fight.

Yuan Shao was furious when he heard this:
"If I hadn't saved him, Cao Cao would have died several times!"

"Now that you have betrayed my kindness and joined forces with Liu Bei to fight against me, I will chop off your head and mutilate your corpse!"

He then ordered the army to cross the river immediately and pursue Cao Cao's main force.

As he was speaking, someone suddenly reported that Pang Ji had captured Gao Lan and brought him back.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao temporarily put aside the matter of crossing the river and ordered Gao Lan to be brought in for questioning.

After a while, Gao Lan arrived.

Yuan Shao sat high up and looked down, his eyes full of coldness, and asked in a deep voice:
"Gao Lan! Do you admit your guilt?"

Gao Lan bowed his head in fear and said:
"The general will finally be convicted!"

Yuan Shao's eyebrows relaxed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice:
"Since you admit your guilt, please tell me everything about how you secretly colluded with Li Yi."

Gao Lan was shocked when he heard this, and bowed his head repeatedly, saying:

"Unjustly accused!"

"I failed to defend Qingzhou because of the war."

"But if you say that I have secretly colluded with Xuzhou, I have never done anything like that."

"May the Lord understand!"

After he finished speaking, Gao Lan slammed his head hard on the ground, breaking it and bleeding all over the floor.

When Yuan Shao saw this, he felt softened and thought to himself that if Gao Lan really had selfish motives, he should have stayed in Xuzhou.

How could he be brought back alone so easily?
Although the Chenliu Gao family and the Yuan family were related by marriage, Gao Gan, the governor of Bingzhou, was Yuan Shao's nephew.

Although Gao Lan also has the surname Gao, he has nothing to do with the Gao family of Chenliu.

Although Gao Lan's birthplace is not recorded in history books.

But Gao Lan was later granted the title of Marquis of Donglai according to the principle of additional titles.

Gao Lan's hometown should be located in Donglai area, so Gao Lan is actually from Qingzhou.

Without the blessing of family buff, it is located outside the power center of Hebei.

Therefore, Gao Lan actually had no party in Hebei, so that when he was questioned now, no one stood up to plead for him.

Instead, Pang Ji came out and asked:
"If you hadn't been secretly communicating with Xuzhou, how could Li Yi have taken over several counties in Qingzhou in such a short time?"

"People say that you were captured alive by the Xuzhou Army before, how did you get released safely now?"

Gao Lan was silent and could not answer. Why did Qingzhou fall so quickly? It was because Li Yi was very capable.

If you are not as skilled as others, just practice more. What's there to say?

As for why Li Yi let him go, you have to ask Li Yi. How would he know?

Of course, Gao Lan didn't dare say these words out loud.

Now he is the one at fault.

"Mr. Yuan, just to be on the safe side, why not detain him for now and wait and see what happens next."

"When Cao Cao is destroyed, Liu Bei is captured, and Henan is pacified, the doubts about Qingzhou will be resolved."

Pang Ji put forward his own opinions to Yuan Shao.

This opinion is very pertinent and is what Yuan Shao hopes to hear.

After all, he had just lost a general and his morale was shaken. It would not be a good idea for him to kill another one of his own.

It would be better to detain him temporarily and then slowly investigate the matter after unifying Henan in the future.

As a result, Yuan Shao demoted Gao Lan three levels and ordered him to temporarily come under the command of Ma Yan.

Although Gao Lan managed to save his life, he was suddenly demoted from the governor of Qingzhou to the deputy of a battalion, which was a huge psychological gap.

Although Gao Lan was unhappy, he did not dare to complain and left in displeasure.

Looking at Gao Lan's receding back, Yuan Shao pondered:
"Gao Lan is incompetent and has lost the four counties of Qingzhou. I only hope that Zhang He will defend the western part of Qingzhou for me."

Pang Ji was beside him, and he comforted Yuan Shao softly:
"Please rest assured, Mr. Yuan, when Ji Ci went to Qingzhou, General Zhang was already in Jinan."

"I observed the defenses of Jinan. The walls were high as clouds, and there were towers everywhere. The soldiers were all very brave and vigorous, and they all wanted to die for Lord Yuan."

"Even if Li Yi has four eyes and two mouths, he can't occupy even an inch of land in the west of Qingzhou."

Pang Ji was still very confident in Qingzhou's defense. Although his words seemed to be deliberately flattering Yuan Shao, they were indeed his true thoughts.

When Yuan Shao heard this, he was delighted, and the grief he felt for losing Yan Liang was instantly swept away.

Therefore, he became more confident about crossing the river and heading south, so he summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.

A general under his command raised his head and stepped out, shouting with a voice like thunder:
"Yan Liang and I were as close as brothers. Now he has been killed by the bandits in the pass. How can I not avenge him?"

When everyone looked at him, they saw that the man was eight feet tall and had a face like a xiezhi.

He wore an iron helmet, chain mail, and held a spear in his hand.

The tip of the gun flashed coldly, looking majestic and murderous.

Its whole body is covered with thick, dark hair, and its eyes are bright and lively.

Standing in front of the battle line with his head held high and his chest puffed out, he really was like an iron tower, intimidating.

He is a famous general who is as famous as Yan Liang, also known as Wen Chou.

The names of Yan Liang and Wen Chou sound very compatible.

Wen Chou himself is really ugly, just like his name.

As the saying goes, a bad name makes a living.

In ancient times, when parents named their children, they would sometimes give them some impolite names based on their appearance.

Not to mention ordinary people, many kings, princes, generals and ministers are also like this.

For example, Duke Cheng of Jin had a black birthmark on his buttocks, so he was named "Black Buttocks".

Duke Huan of Song's concubine's son was named "Mu Yi" because his eyes were a little crooked.

However, although he is ugly, Wen Chou's fighting ability is extraordinary.

Kong Rong commented that both he and Yan Liang were "the bravest among the three armies."

Yuan Shao was delighted when he saw Wen Chou volunteering to join the army. He exclaimed:
"It is not you who can avenge Yan Liang."

"I will raise a large army, cross the Yellow River, and pursue Cao Cao."

"You can lead the cavalry in front and the infantry in the back, and help me hunt down Cao the bandit."

"My army will be here soon!"

Wen Chou gladly accepted the order, but Ju Su, who had been removed from his post as military supervisor and returned to Yuan Shao's camp, once again came out to advise:
"No!"

"Although our northern troops are numerous, they are not as strong as those in the south."

"The valleys in the south are small and the goods and wealth are not as abundant as those in the north."

"So Henan is good for quick battles, while Hebei is good for slow battles."

"Now we should just hold out for a while and take our time, and not rush into a battle with the Henan army."

Ju Su once again proposed his strategy of slowly taking over Henan.

As a representative of the Guangping faction in Hebei, he never gave up on seeking benefits for his brothers.

Because Ju Su had tasted the sweetness before. As early as when Yuan Shao occupied Jizhou, it was because he adopted Ju Su's strategy.

Therefore, Ju Su was appointed as the military supervisor, whose authority included supervising all the generals, and his power was undoubtedly quite great.

But it is cold at high places, and the tallest tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.

Since Ju Shou dared to hold a high position in Hebei, a place full of factions, he would naturally be envied by many people.

For example, Guo Tu once slandered Yuan Shao, saying that Ju Su was in charge of both internal and external affairs and had great power over the three armies, and that he might be out of control in the future.

Yuan Shao also realized at this time that Ju Su's power was too expanded, which was contrary to his balance strategy.

Therefore, he stabbed Ju Su twice, removed him from his post as military supervisor, and divided his troops among Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong.

Now Yuan Shao also refused to listen to Ju Su's strategy of slowing down the attack on Henan.

But whether you listen or not is your business, I still have to say it.

Since I was unable to come out before due to illness and you insisted on my coming back, I must finish what I want to say.

"It is best to stay in Yanjin and divide the troops to Guandu."

"If we cross the river rashly, if something unexpected happens, we will all be unable to return."

Ju Su's analysis is also reasonable and well-founded. There are many people in Hebei, but they are not as brave and good at fighting as those in Henan.

The previous beheading of Yan Liang once again proved Ju Su's point.

Ju Su believes that Hebei's biggest advantages are its population and productivity.

Henan has little food, so we are suitable to compete with him in consumption.

If we take the initiative to attack, we will in disguise lengthen the supply line and aggravate the food loss in Hebei.

Fighting on Henan's own soil, on the contrary, made up for the problem of supply lines and gave full play to the soldiers' decisiveness and efficiency.

This was equivalent to Yuan Shao's order to cross the river, which was simply avoiding the weak and attacking the strong, using the weak to attack the strong, which was completely contrary to the principles of military strategy.

Ju Su raised this issue in public, pointing out Yuan Shao's mistake.

If you don't listen to me, you'll be doomed.

Kuang Jushou's suggestion was not to completely stop Yuan Shao from moving south.

He clearly stated that the main army would remain in Yanjin and then divide its forces to attack Xu.

If we can conquer it, it will not be too late to welcome the main force. Otherwise, there will be the danger of annihilation of the entire army.

But Yuan Shao's face turned pale at this moment, and he did not buy into Ju Su's remarks.

In his later years, Yuan Shao increasingly hated "honest ministers" and "loyal ministers", although you may be right.

But you have your ideas, and the organization has its own considerations.

Just because the organization didn't listen to your suggestions, you get upset and want to make sure all your colleagues in the unit know that the organization didn't listen to you, right?
In Yuan Shao's view, they should now concentrate their forces to quickly destroy Cao Cao, and then move eastward to seize Xuzhou.

How could he afford to wait for a few years and let Henan slowly consume him?
"It is all because of you that you have slowed down the army's morale and delayed the progress of the war!"

"Haven't you heard that speed is the most important thing in war?"

Yuan Shao stood up angrily and shouted:

"Anyone who dares to delay the war will be killed immediately!"

"No more words!"

Seeing Yuan Shao was furious, no one dared to discuss it anymore.

Everything went according to Yuan Shao's initial plan, with the main army following behind and Wen Chou going ahead.

The entire army crossed the river and pursued Cao Cao's army from Bai Ma!
……

The words are divided into two parts,

But let’s talk about the affairs in Jiangnan.

After this blue-eyed boy took over Sun Ce's mantle, he appointed Zhou Yu as the Central Guard General and treated him as an elder brother.

According to Zhou Yu's strategic plan, Jiangdong should have mobilized its troops and, taking advantage of the chaos in the north, marched westward to seize Jingzhou.

However, Sun Quan succeeded to the throne at a young age and did not take it seriously at first. But after he came to power, he realized that the position of lord was not easy to sit on.

It was only recently that Sun Ce unified Jiangdong, and the local people and guests still had some dissenting opinions. Therefore, when Sun Quan first took charge of Jiangdong, the situation was turbulent.

Not only that, someone else secretly reported to Sun Quan.

It is said that among the Sun clan members, Sun Fu, the governor of Luling, was suspected to be dissatisfied with Sun Quan's high position and attempted to seize power with Sun Hao.

Sun Quan suddenly remembered Sun Ce's last words before his death, that if there were anyone in the royal family who was restless, he should be killed and no harm should be left behind.

Could it be that Brother Chang had already anticipated that these two had evil intentions?
Before Sun Quan could react, someone else reported that important clan officials Sun Yi and Sun He had been assassinated.

It is said that he was murdered by people around him, and the motive is unclear.

As a result, everyone in the royal family was in panic and suspicious of each other.

Sun Quan had to personally come forward to appease his clan brothers, but the good times did not last long.

Someone else reported that the Yue people in Kuaiji Mountain took advantage of the power change in Sun Wu to make trouble, intending to get rid of Sun's control.

Faced with a series of difficult problems that would endanger Sun Quan's rule.

Sun Quan had to temporarily put aside his plan to march west to attack Liu Biao and avenge his brother and father.

He appointed Zhou Yu as the chief military officer, and Zhang Zhao as the chief secretary and leader of the civil officials.

At that time, Zhang Zhao was originally from Pengcheng and fled to Jiangdong to avoid the chaos in his early years.

When Sun Ce started his army, he appointed Zhang Zhao as his Chief Clerk and General of the Army, and entrusted all civil and military affairs to Zhang Zhao.

He treated Zhang Zhao with great courtesy and even paid a special visit to Zhang Zhao's mother, treating her like his biological mother.

Zhang Zhao was grateful for his kindness, so he followed his example.

Due to changes in the timeline, when Sun Ce was assassinated, Zhang Zhao was the mayor of Yangxian.

Due to lack of manpower, a large number of Xuzhou talents returned to Xuzhou, so Zhang Zhao was left in Wu to handle affairs.

Now that Sun Quan has succeeded to the throne, he has made important use of Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao.

To these two people, he treated them with respect as an elder brother and a teacher respectively in order to win the hearts of the people.

Then he appointed Cheng Pu and Lu Fan, one old and one new general, as his trusted generals.

First pacify the people and stabilize the people in Wu.

As for the princes and guests, Zhang Zhao was used to comfort them.

Then he personally led the troops to suppress the strife within the royal family.

Then, he ordered Zhou Yu to conquer the Shanyue.

Zhou Yu killed 6,000 Shanyue people and recruited more than 10,000 people.

After a series of operations, the tense situation in Sun Wu was temporarily eased.

Although Sun Quan's position was preserved, he was also deeply aware that the foundation left to him by his brother was not solid.

He couldn't do what Sun Ce did and subdue all his subordinates.

Now there are many people who are not convinced by their young master.

So after discussing with Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao, Sun Quan decided to temporarily put on hold the plan to march west to attack Liu Biao and avenge his father and brother.

He turned his attention to pacifying the internal situation first, and as for external expansion, he captured Liu Xun of Lujiang.

Liu Xun had already surrendered to Liu Biao, and Sun Quan had no intention of forcing Liu to surrender Jingzhou with all his strength.

He could also see that Liu Biao only acted on his words when it came to the issue of Jingzhou.

When it comes to matters outside of Jingzhou, Liu Biao would rather sit on the sidelines and watch.

Sun Quan also wanted to see how much military force Liu Biao would invest in Liu Xun, as Liu Xun was a younger brother of Jingzhou.

He then ordered Cheng Pu and Lu Fan to be the vanguard.

He also recalled Zhou Yu, who was in Kuaiji to pacify the Shanyue people, and ordered Lü Dai to replace him.

Sun Quan personally led his troops and marched into Lujiang.

Not stated.

……

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

However, Henan, represented by Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and Hebei, represented by Yuan Shao, both sent people to win over Liu Biao.

As the third strongest country in the world, Liu Biao and his Jingzhou have the power to influence the war situation in the Central Plains.

Therefore, neither Henan nor Hebei wanted Liu Biao to side with the other side.

However, Liu was hesitant about the olive branches thrown by both sides.

Based on the suggestions of Kuai Yue, Han Song and others, Liu Biao compromised and ordered Han Song to go to Henan first to meet Cao Cao and Liu Bei on his behalf.

Let’s take a look at the talents and strategies of these two people and see if they are worth cooperating with.

Second, see whether Henan has sufficient combat power and whether they have the strength to defeat Hebei.

If both of the above points are met, Liu Biao will seriously consider changing his strategy of "standing by and watching" and take action himself.

At this time, General Han Song, who served as the Attendant, had returned safely.

Liu Biao was about to meet Han Song and asked:
"You are going to Henan, the mountains are far and the road is long, why are you turning back so quickly?"

Han Song explained:
"Song went to Henan and met Cao Sikong and General Liu, so he did not go to Xuzhou, saving a trip."

“So I came back quickly.”

Liu Bei left Xuzhou?
Liu Biao was also shocked when he heard the news.

Due to the information gap, Liu Biao currently only knew that Li Yi was on the expedition to Qingzhou, and Liu Bei was guarding the rear area of Xuzhou and Xia Pi, coordinating military affairs.

Why did Liu Bei leave suddenly?
"You just said that you saw Cao Cao and Liu Bei at the same time. Could it be that the two of them are in the same place at this time?"

"……Yes."

Han Song spoke frankly and told Liu Biao everything he had seen and heard.

"We received reliable information that the battle in Qingzhou was going quite smoothly, so Liu Bei led a group of soldiers and horses and left Xiapi in advance."

"We rushed to Dongjun, joined Cao Cao's army, and helped Yanzhou defend against Yuan's attack."

Well……

So fast?
Liu Biao was not only shocked that Liu Bei actually set out for Yanzhou, but he was even more shocked that the war in Qingzhou was resolved so quickly.

If the threat from Qingzhou was not resolved, Liu Bei would not dare to set out with his army.

"Who from Xuzhou sent troops to Qingzhou?"

"My Lord, it is Li Yi, Marquis of Tan."

Han Song bowed and replied, "This man was jointly recommended by Minister Cao and General Liu as the strategist of Henan. He was given a sword by the emperor and was made the governor of the troops of four states. He was in an unparalleled position."

"Compared to when Su Qin wore the seals of the six kingdoms, it is no less important."

"Li Yi's expedition to Qingzhou took less than two months to pacify it."

"So people all say that Li Yicheng's achievements will definitely help Liu Bei become King Zhao."

hiss……

Liu Biao frowned, but this time it was not out of shock, but displeasure.

Han Song always talked about Li Yi, and never talked about Liu Bei.

He seemed to have completely forgotten his identity as a minister of Jingzhou.

"... Never mind. Since I don't have to make a special trip to Xuzhou, it's a relief."

"Tell me about your trip to Henan this time to see what Cao and Liu are like."

"Is it possible to defeat Yuan Shao?"

Han Song answered without hesitation:
"Cao Cao has a heroic spirit and is good at commanding troops."

"Liu Bei was kind and generous to others, and many talented people came to him."

"Although these two men did not have as many soldiers as Yuan Shao, they were both able to gain the loyalty of their men and commanded the army like gods."

"I predict that although Yuan Shao may gain the upper hand at first, he will not be able to hold out for long."

"Sooner or later, they will be defeated by Cao and Liu. Since Jingzhou is adjacent to Henan, you may as well help them."

"When the outcome is decided in the future, whether Cao or Liu are enemies or friends, they will all put the lord and Jingzhou first."

"May the Lord think about this carefully!"

Liu Biao's brows were filled with discontent, and he asked coldly:
"Did you meet the emperor during your visit to Henan?"

Han Song replied:
"I have seen the emperor. I have paid the annual tribute of Jingzhou to him."

"The emperor appointed me as the minister of state, and also made me governor of Lingling."

Liu Biao was furious when he heard this:
"You have two minds!"

He then ordered the executioners to take Han Song out and behead him.

Han Song asked in surprise, what have I done wrong?

Liu Biao replied:

"Who doesn't know today that the Chen court is a vassal of Cao Cao and Liu Bei?"

"All imperial decrees issued by the emperor must first pass through the Sikong Mansion and Zuo Jiangjun Mansion."

"Isn't the emperor's intention the same as Cao Cao and Liu Bei's?"

"If the emperor really intends to appoint you as a minister, I will keep you in the court as a minister of the emperor, but you will not die for me."

"But I have appointed you as the governor of Lingling. How dare you accept the order?"

Lingling is located in Jingzhou, so it stands to reason that Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, should have been the one to appoint and dismiss people personally.

It is unclear whether this move by the court was the intention of Cao or Liu.

But it was obvious that this decree contained a hidden arrow aimed at weakening and dividing him as the governor of Jingzhou.

Liu Biao had been in power for many years, how could he not see it?

Han Song shouted:
"My lord has betrayed Song, so how can I not be my lord again!"

Han Song certainly cried out for injustice, regardless of whether the imperial decree came from Cao Cao or Liu Bei.

But since the emperor has sent an edict, he wouldn't dare to refuse it, right?

Kuai Liang was beside him at the time and hurried out to dissuade him:
"I said this before Song left."

"Even if we kill Han Song today, it won't solve the problem at hand."

Upon seeing this, Liu Biao pardoned Han Song.

This matter has come to an end for now.

Kuai Liang then asked:

"Since Han Congshi has brought back the intelligence from this trip to Henan, can you make a decision now, my lord?"

Liu Biao’s attitude is the issue that everyone is most concerned about.

It was agreed that after Han Song brought back the information about Henan, he would take sides.

Now the intelligence has been brought back, and this is the situation. Liu Biao has delayed for so long, it is time for him to set an example.

Liu Biao stroked his beard and said calmly:
"Haven't you heard just now that Han Song has already paid the annual tribute to the court?"

When everyone heard this, they remembered this matter.

Han Song paid tribute on behalf of Jingzhou, while the imperial court represented Henan.

Since Liu Biao acquiesced to Han Song's payment of tribute, his attitude was very clear.

call……

Hearing this, Kuai Liang and others all breathed a sigh of relief.

So he asked again:

"I wonder when the lord can send troops north?"

Liu Biao shook his head and said, "Jingzhou is far away, and it would be a tiring expedition with so few people and so little money. I cannot bear to do this."

This reason makes sense.

After all, supporting a regime does not necessarily require sending troops.

Jingzhou is rich and has everything you need.

"How about we send someone to prepare some food and fodder and send it to the front line of Dongjun?"

"No!"

Liu Biao refused again.

Now, everyone was confused.

If you don't send troops and don't provide food, what kind of support is that?
Verbal support?
Cao Cao and Liu Bei will not appreciate your verbal support.

However, what shocked everyone even more was Liu Biao's next words.

"The place I want to send people to should not be Dongjun, but Yecheng."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly exploded.

Yecheng is Yuan Shao's hometown. You have already sided with Henan. If you don't cut off your ties with Yuan Shao and submit your surrender to Cao and Liu in exchange for their trust,

Why send people there?
Everyone was puzzled.

Liu Biao took the initiative to explain:
"I will send people to Yecheng to form an alliance with Yuan Shao."

boom!
The civil and military officials of Jingzhou felt as if they were struck by lightning.

You look at me, I look at you, and there is disbelief written on everyone's face.

What on earth do you want to do, my lord?
Should we form an alliance with Hebei or Henan? Can you give me a definite answer?
Liu Biao raised his lips and explained:

"I have made it clear. Sending people to Yecheng is naturally to support Hebei!"

……

(End of this chapter)