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

Chapter 239 Li Yi, Xu Shu, and Zhuge Liang: Please, my lord, ascend the throne and become king!
Bingzhou, Shangdang.

While Li Yi was leading the northern expedition against the Wuhuan and recovering Liaodong, Liu Bei was shifting all his resources toward the northeast.

Cao Cao was also working diligently to accelerate his external expansion.

He first pressured the forces of Han Sui and Ma Teng in Liangzhou, forcing Ma Teng to go to Xu County as a hostage.

At the same time, taking advantage of its proximity to Liangzhou, it gradually made Liangzhou nominally dependent on it.

But Cao Cao knew in his heart that his territory was a battleground on all sides.

It could explode at any time.

Controlling Ma Teng was merely his first step in easing the situation in the west.

The next move was to direct the attack directly at Bingzhou in the north.

Bingzhou, judging from the map alone, is quite large.

However, since the Southern Xiongnu were kept in the Hetao region, most of the western part of Bingzhou became a gathering place for ethnic minorities.

The Eastern Han government actually controlled only three counties in Bingzhou.

These are Shangdang Commandery, Taiyuan Commandery, half of Yanmen Commandery, and half of Xihe Commandery.

The remaining areas, including Shuofeng and Wuyuan, are mostly inhabited by Qiang, Hu, and Xiongnu people.

While Ma Chao was on a distant expedition to Liaodong with Li Yi, Cao Cao immediately launched a fierce offensive against Bingzhou.

Previously, he had ordered Cao Hong to advance his troops into Shangdang and control the area south of Huguan.

Now he personally led a large army to launch a fierce attack on Huguan, aiming his sword at Taiyuan, the capital of Bingzhou.

At that time, Gao Gan was guarding Bingzhou. He originally thought that his suffering was finally over after watching Ma Chao lead his army away from Bingzhou.

So as soon as Ma Chao left, he immediately led his troops to blockade Zhan County.

This is the border area connecting Bingzhou and Jizhou.

Gao Gan's move was clearly intended to prevent Ma Chao from returning.

To his utter surprise, no sooner had Ma Chao left than Cao Cao came knocking on his door.

Left with no other option, Gao Gan ordered his men to guard Huguan Pass to prevent the generals from gathering and discussing how to repel Cao Cao's army.

Someone might advise:
“In the past, the Xiongnu Chanyu received much favor from my Yuan family. Now that Cao’s troops have invaded our borders, we can send someone to ask the Xiongnu for help.”

Gao Gan followed his advice and ordered someone to contact the Xiongnu chieftain Huchuquan.

Hu Chuquan sent a messenger to reply that he would send troops to provide support, and asked the high-ranking official to return and await further news.

The messenger relayed the message back to Gao Gan, who had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue resisting Cao Cao's attack.

After waiting for more than half a month, they still didn't see a single Xiongnu cavalryman.

Now the high-ranking officials realized that Hu Chuquan was clearly trying to stand by and watch the tigers fight.

I never intended to participate in the battle from the beginning.

Left with no other option, Gao Gan could only ask the others how to defend against Cao's troops.

People on both sides said:
"The current governor of Bingzhou is Ma Chao, who was appointed by Liu Bei under the pretense of an imperial decree."

"Now that Bingzhou is in trouble, the best course of action is to seek help from Xuzhou."

Gao Gan readily accepted the good advice and immediately found Pang Tong, the person in charge sent from Xuzhou to Bingzhou.

"...Phoenix Chick, now Cao Cao's army is pressing in and is about to break through Huguan Pass."

"I wonder what brilliant plan you have, sir, to help me repel Cao Cao's army?"

The high-ranking official found Pang Tong and went straight to the point.

Pang Tong then said:

"General Ma has long been stationed in Bingzhou, but now he is not here."

"The military affairs of Bingzhou all rest on the shoulders of the general alone, so why ask me?"

This……

The high-ranking official pondered, "If he could defeat Cao Cao, would he need to be concerned about your feelings?"

At least on the surface, Cao Cao and Liu Bei still maintain an alliance, and Gao Gan hopes that Pang Tong, the official from Xuzhou, will step in and mediate.

"Sir, are you planning to stand by and watch someone die?"

"I asked in a deep voice," the senior official said.

"To be honest, General, I have already informed Xuzhou after Cao Cao launched his attack."

"But the general is in the north, so he should know what the situation is like in Liaodong."

"The Marquis of Tan is now on a distant expedition to Liaodong. General Liu feels deep sympathy for the problems in Bingzhou, but there is really nothing he can do about it."

Pang Tong meant that Xuzhou was willing to provide all assistance except for direct help regarding the issue of high-ranking officials.

"If Cao Cao takes over Bingzhou, it will definitely not be a good thing for General Liu."

"Could it be that you, sir, truly intend to hand over Bingzhou to that traitor Cao Cao?"

The high-ranking official used a provocation tactic, sternly questioning Pang Tong.

Pang Tong closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"...This is not what we want."

"But the war in Liaodong is too intense, and I am truly unable to help."

The high-ranking official's face darkened, and he said in a menacing voice:

"If Xuzhou refuses to come to my aid, I, Gao, am willing to go and surrender to Cao Cao!"

Upon seeing this, Pang Tong sighed:

"...Alright, alright, if that's how it is, I'll go with you to guard Huguan Pass."

"Let's wait until Lord Tan returns from his campaign against Liaodong, then we can discuss how to repel Cao Cao's troops."

Gao Gan was overjoyed and immediately went with Pang Tong to Huguan to defend it.

That night, Pang Tong ordered his men to shoot three arrows at the pass. Cao Cao's soldiers collected them and handed them over to Cao Cao.

After Cao Cao finished reading it, he gave it to Guo Jia and said:
"Pang Shiyuan invited me to join him in taking Huguan Pass. Does Fengxiao believe this?"

Guo Jia's analysis and answer:
"Although Liu Bei had already appointed Ma Chao to act as the governor of Bingzhou, he also sent officials from Xuzhou to Bingzhou to serve as his assistants."

"However, Gao Gan had long served in Bingzhou and could not be seized power in a short time."

"Now Pang Tong intends to use us to plot against Gao Gan."

Why must you be so suspicious, my lord?

As Yuan Shao's nephew, Gao Gan was arguably the most capable among the princes.

He worked in Bingzhou for many years and had a large following.

While the Yuan clan was almost completely wiped out, he and his Bingzhou were still barely surviving.

Even after Ma Chao occupied Bingzhou, Gao Gan still preserved his troops and possessed the power to overturn the situation at any time.

Furthermore, Gao Gan is a rather ruthless person who is very good at enduring hardship.

When Ma Chao defeated Guo Yuan, Gao Gan and Hu Chuquan still had a large number of fresh troops to resist.

However, Gao Gan still chose to endure and voluntarily ceded Bingzhou to Ma Chao.

Because he was certain that Ma Chao would leave later.

This was indeed the case in history. Ma Chao surrendered Bingzhou in one battle and returned to Liangzhou not long after.

Gao Gan also regained control of Bingzhou.

Of course, in this version of the story, Ma Chao was left in Bingzhou by Li Yi, forcing Gao Gan to continue to endure it.

While possessing a capable army, they also know how to remain patient and patient.

If such people cannot be completely controlled, they must be eliminated.

Both Liu Bei and Cao Cao were somewhat wary of the power of high-ranking officials.

Because if you want to get rid of him, you have to send a large army to fight him.

But that would be very uneconomical.

Bingzhou was also located on the frontier, with a sparse population, a dry climate, and an underdeveloped economy.

Fighting it is expensive and laborious; most of it will just be lost money.

Therefore, when it was possible to eliminate the last stubborn force of the Yuan family at the lowest possible cost.

Pang Tong then proposed a plan to join forces with Cao Cao to capture Gao Gan.

Cao Cao pondered for a moment, considering the pros and cons.

He then followed Guo Jia's advice and acted accordingly.

Pang Tong found Gao Gan and said to him:

"Cao Cao's army has been besieging Huguan for a long time without success, and the morale of his troops is not yet settled."

"We can raid the camp tonight; we're sure to succeed."

Gao Gan, unsuspecting, led his troops out of the city under cover of night.

The soldiers advanced with gags in their mouths, and when they reached Cao's camp, they shouted and filed in.

They came up empty-handed, finding no one in the village.

The high-ranking official realized he had fallen into a trap and was eager to send orders back to the pass.

Suddenly a horn sounded, and a large number of troops rushed out from all directions.

On the left are Li Dian and Yue Jin; on the right are Yu Jin and Cao Ren.

Gao Gan suffered a crushing defeat, fled, and ran back to the pass, shouting for the gate to be opened.

Unwilling to close the gates, arrows rained down, and the defeated army of the high-ranking officials could not advance.

The high-ranking official was shocked and was about to ask a question.

Pang Tong stood before the pass and shouted:

"...General Gao, I have already taken Huguan!"

Only then did Gao Gan realize he had been tricked by Pang Tong, and he raised his whip and cursed:
"...You scoundrel, how dare you deceive me!"

Pang Tong replied loudly:

"If General Gao had surrendered the military tally earlier, how could things have come to this?"

"The Marquis of Tan sent Xu Shi to Bingzhou to replace you in managing the affairs of the prefecture—"

"This is the perfect moment!"

He drew his sword and approached, the armor plates clanging.

"General Gao, please forgive my impoliteness, but I will temporarily take over the affairs of Bingzhou."

After saying this, Pang Tong, in a gesture that seemed to kill the spirit, bowed to Gao Gan below the pass.

Gao Gan led his army out of the pass, and Pang Tong immediately took over Huguan Pass with his men.

The high-ranking official was furious and cursed inwardly, "No wonder he's a student taught by Li Yi; he's just as treacherous and shameless as me!"
Therefore, an order was issued to tackle the problem.

The soldiers fought valiantly to capture the pass, but arrows and stones rained down from above, preventing them from advancing.

Just then, Cao's army arrived from behind and raided Gao Gan's rear.

The high-ranking official was caught off guard and suffered another defeat.

With nowhere else to turn, they had no choice but to head north and seek refuge with the Xiongnu.

Heading north, they reached the border of the Xiongnu, only to encounter a group of Xiongnu people.

The messenger inquired and learned that it was the left tribe among the five tribes of the Xiongnu.

Its leader was Liu Bao, the Left Wise King.

Gao Gan then dismounted and knelt on the ground, saying that Cao Cao had annexed territory and now intended to invade the prince's territory.

We earnestly request your aid, that we may join forces to overcome this challenge and protect the North.

The Left Wise King Liu Bao was the son of the former Xiongnu Chanyu Yufuluo and the nephew of the current Chanyu Huchuquan.

Due to internal turmoil during the final years of Emperor Ling's reign, the Xiongnu were in turmoil.

Liu Bao remained in Han territory until after Yufuluo's death, when Huchuquan succeeded him.

He then returned to the Hetao region and was granted the title of Left Wise King.

Therefore, Liu Bao himself was quite familiar with Han culture and had a better understanding of the current situation of the Han Dynasty.

The Yuan dynasty no longer holds the same power in the north; a new era is dawning.

Therefore, he remained unmoved when faced with the high-ranking official's tearful plea and detailed account of how friendly Yuan Shikai had been with the Xiongnu.

Liu Bao simply asked:
"I have heard that Liu Bei has ordered Ma Chao to guard Bingzhou. Now that Cao Cao has invaded the border, why don't you seek help from Liu Bei?"

The high-ranking official said fiercely:
"Liu Bei is currently focused on the war in Liaodong and has no time to attend to Bingzhou."

"Gan thought this was a good opportunity to get rid of Ma Chao, but unexpectedly, the treacherous Pang Tong from Xuzhou colluded with Cao Cao."

"They plotted to seize my city gates and took my city."

“Prince Wanqi sent troops to help me recover Bingzhou.”

"Otherwise, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold, and the Xiongnu tribe will also be hard to protect."

When Liu Bao heard that Pang Tong was in cahoots with Cao Cao, what did he mean by that?
It means that attacking your high-ranking officials was a consensus between Liu Bei and Cao Cao!
Even Yuan Shao lost, so unless I'm out of my mind, I wouldn't risk offending two powerful forces like Cao Cao and Liu Bei for your sake.

Thinking of this, Liu Bao's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted sternly:
"I have no enmity with Cao Cao, so why would he invade my land?"

"Now Liu Bei will not tolerate you, and Cao Cao will become your enemy."

"You want me to send troops to help you, which would make me an enemy of both Cao Cao and Liu Bei at the same time!"

Therefore, he ordered Gao Gan to be driven out of the Xiongnu territory.

The road north to Huguan was blocked by Pang Tong, and the area south of Huguan was entirely occupied by Cao Cao's army.

As a result, Gao Gan really couldn't stay in Bingzhou any longer.

Left with no other choice, Gao Gan had to head south to seek refuge with Liu Biao, the third most powerful warlord of the time.

When the group arrived in Shangluo, Commandant Wang Yan captured Gao Gan.

After verifying his identity, Gao Gan was beheaded and sent to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao conferred the title of Marquis upon Wang Yan, while simultaneously sending someone to contact Pang Tong to discuss the demarcation of the borders of Bing Province.

Since the two families are now officially allies, and have just joined forces to eliminate the last remnant of the Yuan family.

Then at least we can put down our swords and have a proper talk about the Bingzhou issue.

After all, for Cao Cao and Liu Bei,

They wouldn't bother fighting over Bingzhou, a province so poor it was practically bankrupt, and one that they also had to guard against the Xiongnu.

We can sit down face-to-face and have a proper talk about how to divide Bingzhou.

The purpose of dividing Bingzhou was not to expand one's own power.

Rather, it was to control several key points and strengthen its strategic depth.

Upon meeting, Cao Cao clapped his hands and chuckled:

"Mr. Pang has truly inherited the teachings of the Marquis of Tan!"

"Setting traps for high-ranking officials, manipulating them like children, like a cat playing with a mouse."

"Indeed, they are of the same lineage, both skilled in deception."

Pang Tong sensed the sarcasm in Cao Cao's words, so he straightened his robes and smiled, replying:

"How dare the light of a firefly compare to your radiant moon?"

"In the past, the Duke cut off his hair to replace his head, which terrified the entire army."

"Looking at plums quenches thirst, making soldiers forget their fatigue—"

"This method is 'great deception disguised as sincerity,' and all those who follow it merely imitate its superficial aspects!"

Ha ha……

Cao Cao gave a forced smile, and the two immediately became very hostile.

This was all because Cao Cao had been tricked by Li Yi during the previous negotiations regarding the Ji Province issue.

Now, regarding the Bingzhou issue, Cao Cao dares not be careless in the slightest when facing the younger Pang Tong.

However, the negotiations proceeded much more smoothly than Cao Cao had imagined.

Regarding the issue of Bingzhou's only three counties,

The two sides quickly reached an agreement.

Cao Cao took Shangdang Commandery and the southern part of Taiyuan Commandery, including Zhongdu and Jingling.

At the same time, Xihe Commandery in western Shangdang also came under Cao Cao's control.

As for the remaining counties, Cao Cao did not concern himself with them.

Cao Cao's bottom line was that he should at least control the entire Shangdang Commandery.

After all, Huguan is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so he must keep Huguan under his control.

The area south of Taiyuan was a target that Cao Cao worked hard to win over.

I originally thought it would be like the last time with the Jizhou issue, with arguments lasting three days and three nights and negotiations going on four or five times.

Cao Cao had already made preparations for high-intensity warfare.

Unexpectedly, Pang Tong readily agreed to the conditions he had set.

This greatly surprised Cao Cao.

After the boundaries were drawn, Cao Cao, still puzzled, approached Guo Jia and discussed the matter.

"Pang Shiyuan is a student of Li Yi, a man of great wisdom and resourcefulness." "Judging from his appearance, he is cunning and deceitful."

"Why did you agree so readily to the matter of Bingzhou?"

Cao Cao was puzzled and asked Guo Jia for advice.

Guo Jianai analyzed:

"My lord only wants Shangdang, Nan Taiyuan, and the area along the eastern border of Xihe."

"As for the remaining counties, they will not be involved."

"……so what?"

Cao Cao did not care about this.

Anyway, there are only a few relatively valuable places in Bingzhou.

Liu Bei only obtained most of Taiyuan Commandery. Although it was a relatively wealthy area, Cao Cao did not lose out.

Taiyuan, in particular, was easily threatened by the Xiongnu due to its location.

Cao Cao believed that the territory he demanded was the optimal solution.

Even if he didn't concern himself with the remaining territory, he didn't believe Liu Bei would send troops to attack those rotten lands.

If Liu Bei really went to fight, Cao Cao would be more than happy to do so.

This frees up time to expand into the Central Plains.

"...There may be something fishy about this matter."

Guo Jia frowned, paced back and forth, and shook his head repeatedly.

Why did Pang Tong agree so readily?

If Liu Bei didn't gain an advantage in the Bingzhou issue, then he must have benefited from something else.

"……correct."

Guo Jia quickly asked the servant beside him:
"Li Yi led an expedition to Liaodong. What is the current situation of the battle?"

The servant reported back:

"According to our spies, it seems that Li Yi returned in triumph three days ago."

"Finished?"

Guo Jia raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming even more serious.

Li Yi's conquest of Liaodong proceeded even faster than he had anticipated.

It should be noted that Li Yi's northward expedition not only involved fighting the Wuhuan people, but also penetrated deep into Liaodong to fight Gongsun Du.

They marched to the Northeast and returned after a year.

It's truly lamentable.

"……Ugh."

Guo Jia sighed. Even he and his group of arrogant people had to admire Li Yi's abilities.

I originally wanted to take advantage of his absence to expand my influence in the north.

As a result, Li Yi returned after only taking a bite of Bingzhou.

"Now that Li Yi is back, what plans has he made these past few days?"

Guo Jia then asked.

The servant replied, "I heard that Li Yi went to Xuzhou soon after returning to Jizhou."

"...Going to Xuzhou, what for?"

"...This...I don't know."

Guo Jia, his brow furrowed with displeasure, quickly said to Cao Cao:

"Lord Cao, you should return to Yingchuan immediately."

"Liu Bei is about to make a move; something big is bound to happen!"

Cao Cao was startled and quickly asked, "How did you know that, Fengxiao?"

Guo Jia explained:
"Li Yi was appointed Governor of Ji Province, and the important affairs of the northern frontier rested on his shoulders."

"Now that he has just pacified Liaodong, before he has even rested his horse, he has already set off south on light cavalry."

"How could someone who is not planning something extraordinary take such an extraordinary action?"

"Please return to Yingchuan tonight, so that we may intervene in time should anything change!"

Cao Cao agreed with his suggestion and left Cao Ren to guard Bingzhou.

Then, with the remaining crew, they rushed back to Yingchuan under the cover of night.

……

Xuzhou, Xia Pi.

Li Yi quickly returned to Xiapi.

Liu Bei's old comrades also returned to Xiapi with him.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Chen Dao, and others.

In addition, Li Yi also brought Xu Shu back to Xuzhou and recommended him to Liu Bei.

After talking with him for a while, Liu Bei realized that he had great talent and was overjoyed.

In addition, he had made meritorious contributions in the campaign against Liaodong, so he was appointed as a general and concurrently served as the magistrate of Suiling.

Liu Bei then brought Zhuge Liang to meet Li Yi.

"...Sir, when Mr. Shui Jing came to my Xuzhou before..."

"When it comes to Master Kongming and Shiyuan, they are called the Sleeping Dragon and the Young Phoenix, but you are called the Heavenly Pivot."

"It should be the crown of all scholars in the world."

"Now I have obtained Tian Shu, Zhuge Liang, and Feng Chu."

"Is this not destiny that is within my grasp?!"

The victory in the Liaodong campaign greatly boosted Liu Bei's confidence.

When Li Yi insisted on conquering Liao, only Zhuge Liang strongly urged Liu Bei to support the cause.

The final victory proved that these two truly lived up to their names of Tian Shu and Wo Long.

Looking at the territory in his hands, which had transformed from a desolate Xuzhou into a powerful stronghold occupying half of the Han Dynasty's land, he realized that the land he held had changed dramatically.

It would be hard for Liu Bei not to get arrogant...

Zhuge Liang had long admired Li Yi's reputation, and was also a few years younger than him.

He respected Li Yi as an elder and greeted him with courtesy.

Li Yi returned the greeting, saying:

"When I am not here, my lord is greatly assisted by Master Kongming."

"...This is Liang's duty."

Seeing the mutual respect and admiration between the two, Liu Bei was deeply moved.

This is the situation he most wanted to see.

It's a pity that Pang Tong isn't here now, otherwise the Three Wonders of Water Mirror would all be here.

Liu Bei felt that,

Li Yi embodies both Zhuge Liang's humility and restraint, and Pang Tong's ruthlessness and viciousness.

The balance between the two factors made him invincible.

"...My lord."

Li Yi suddenly found Liu Bei and said to him:
“When I was in Xuzhou, I strongly recommended Kongming.”

"However, at that time he had already moved his whole family to Jingzhou. Although he sent people to inquire about him many times, his whereabouts were uncertain, so the matter was dropped."

"Now that Kongming has returned to Xuzhou and is working with us to govern it, it is truly the will of Heaven."

"Kongming is a man of great talent. You can entrust the military and political affairs of Xuzhou to him with confidence."

Li Yi once again recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei nodded and replied:
“When you were conquering Liaodong before, I had already entrusted all the important military and political affairs of Xuzhou to Mr. Kongming.”

"……good."

Li Yi smiled slightly, took Kongming's hand, and said:

"His talent is dazzling, and he is captivated by Yi's presence."

"I beg my lord to grant me half a day so that I may meet with Master Wolong—"

“A detailed discussion of the wonders of the Six Secret Teachings and the variations of the Guanzi.”

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei laughed loudly:
“…Good, you two can have a good chat, while I can steal a moment to have a drink with Yun Chang and the others.”

So Liu Bei went to drink with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and the others.

Li Yi then invited Zhuge Liang into the room alone, and also had Xu Shu come in with him.

Before discussing important matters, Li Yi introduced Xu Shu to Zhuge Liang.

Because Zhuge Liang returned to Xuzhou midway, Xu Shu was unable to get to know him.

But that didn't stop the two from hitting it off immediately.

Regarding the story of Xu Shu recommending Zhuge Liang while riding a horse...

Some readers who are well-versed in office politics often like to label it a conspiracy theory.

Xu Shu was truly cunning; he had followed Liu Bei for several years, yet he never recommended his talented friend to Liu Bei.

Are you afraid that Zhuge Liang will come and steal your thunder?

As Cao Cao's army was about to march south, Liu Bei's situation became even more difficult.

You're leaving, so you're not going to keep this bowl of rice anymore.

Only then did they recommend Zhuge Liang to come out and devote themselves wholeheartedly to his work.

That just shows that your friendship is pretty superficial.

Then, based on this, some people went on to criticize Xu Shu for not "remaining silent" in Cao Cao's camp.

He even held a high-ranking position in Cao Wei and criticized Xu Shu for his poor character.

Although Xu Shu did indeed hold a high-ranking position in Cao Wei.

Unfortunately, the story of "recommending Zhuge Liang on horseback" is a fictional creation.

Historically, Xu Shu waited for a while under Liu Bei's wing and, finding Liu Bei to be a decent person, directly recommended Zhuge Liang.

This forced Liu Bei to condescend to personally invite Zhuge Liang, which led to the story of Liu Bei's three visits to Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage.

Furthermore, Xu Shu did not leave after Zhuge Liang joined Zhuge Liang's service, and the two even worked together for a period of time.

Even when he led the people across the river, Xu Shu was still there.

Xu Shu even joined Zhuge Liang in protecting the people as they retreated south with Liu Bei.

It wasn't until Liu Bei and the people had successfully escaped danger that Xu Shu, concerned for his mother's safety, went to Cao Cao's side.

It can be said that Xu Shu had already fulfilled his mission with Liu Bei.

For Cao Cao, there was nothing wrong with working diligently for him.

It's just that Lao Luo (Luo Yonghao) insisted on putting a "moral" shackle on Xu Shu.

Finally, people discovered that Xu Shu's actions differed from those in the novel, and they began to criticize him instead.

It's hard not to feel a sense of regret.

It can only be lamented that Xu Shu and Liu Bei were destined to be apart.

In fact, Li Yi couldn't help but sigh whenever he thought of this.

The Shu Han camp always seemed to be missing one person.

Xu Shu was the only one among Zhuge Liang's many fellow travelers who shared his interests and had great ambitions.

If Xu Shu had followed Zhuge Liang's advice and become a prefect when Zhuge Liang went to Sichuan to fight, he would have succeeded.

Let Xu Shu guard Nan Commandery and become Guan Yu's strong support.

Will Jingzhou be lost again?

If Zhuge Liang had allowed Xu Shu to defend Jieting during his Northern Expeditions, he could have fought alongside Zhuge Liang.

If we work together to achieve great things, will the situation in Shu Han improve significantly?

Although Li Yi didn't know if the outcome would change, he was already trying to change it.

Now he wants to help Liu Bei take a bigger step forward.

"...Yuanzhi, Kongming."

"Although I have not known you two well, I know that you are both men of noble character and integrity."

"Therefore, I also intend to discuss this matter with the two of you."

Although Li Yi mentioned the words "discuss," his tone was extremely firm, more like a "notification."

Zhuge Liang nodded, "No wonder Your Excellency resigned from military duties in Ji Province and rushed back to Xu Province overnight."

"...Ryo already knew that something big was about to happen."

Xu Shu also said:

"...Please rest assured, my lord, now that we have pledged allegiance to General Liu, we will serve him with our lives."

"No matter what happens, we will stand together through thick and thin!"

good.

With the two people's assurances, Li Yi was finally relieved.

"Now that the Yuan family has been destroyed, the north has been initially pacified."

"The situation in the world is now clear. You should all know who our army's greatest enemy is at this time."

Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang answered in unison: "Cao Cao."

Li Yi's lips curled slightly as he continued his analysis:

"Now Cao Cao is in power, and the people have no master."

"Our lord's benevolence and righteousness are renowned throughout the world. He has now pacified Liaodong and united the lands of five states."

"And being a member of the Han imperial family, it can be said that this is in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's will."

“My intention is to enable my lord to ascend to the throne and become king, so as to punish the traitors to the country.”

Well!
Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang both changed their expressions.

Although I had expected it, I was still taken aback when I heard the news.

Logically speaking, Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial family, so there seemed to be nothing wrong with him declaring himself king.

But people tend to overlook one thing.

That is, although Liu Bang established the policy of "no one but Liu can be king" to protect the descendants of the Liu family.

But to put it bluntly, Liu Xiu's Han dynasty and Liu Bang's Han dynasty were ultimately different.

Throughout the late Han Dynasty, all those who could claim the title of king were descendants of Liu Xiu.

Take Liu Chong, the Prince of Chen, for example. He was a legitimate great-great-grandson of Emperor Ming of Han.

But why were Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, who were also related to the same clan, only appointed as governors of provinces?

Because all of Liu Bang's relatives, including Liu Bei, belonged to the same lineage as Liu Bang.

You cannot become king unless you are a descendant of Liu Xiu.

This was actually the "unspoken rule" of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

This also explains why Xun Yu looked down on Liu Bei, Liu Zhang, and other members of the Han imperial family.

Because they don't care whether you have the surname Liu or not; they are only loyal to the direct descendants of the Liu Xiu dynasty.

Even Liu Chong, who was closely related by blood, was not helped.

In the eyes of conservative royalists like Xun Yu, you are merely feudal lords "surnamed Liu".

Therefore, we often say that Xun Yu's "loyalty to the Han" refers only to Liu Xiu's Han, not Liu Bang's Han.

This prerequisite is what made it so difficult for Liu Bei to become king.

That's why Li Yi recruited so many people; they were all important officials in Liu's camp who held real power and military authority.

Everyone has to work together to put pressure on each other to accomplish this seemingly simple but actually very difficult task.

"In disputes within the imperial court, saving face is of paramount importance."

"Our lord is a descendant of the Han imperial family, a noble bloodline—"

"Although some scholars may have objections, with everyone working together, what is there to worry about in achieving our great cause?"

Li Yi spoke in a deep voice to Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang.

Politics is a game of saving face.

Although the Eastern Han Dynasty had its own unspoken rules, Liu Xiu was, after all, a descendant of Liu Bang.

Therefore, as long as we adhere to Emperor Gaozu's policies and carry them through to the end.

This is not an impossible task!
……

(End of this chapter)