My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 86 First, raise the banner of supporting Yangzhou Mu

In Dantu City, General Zhenwei’s Mansion.

"Father! Father! Second brother, go call the doctor! Father is vomiting blood again!"

A thirteen-year-old boy, Liu Ji, personally brought hot water to the bedside to serve the patient.

The forty-year-old man on the couch was wheezing non-stop, vomiting blood in anger, and his face turned pale. After vomiting blood, his face calmed down, but then turned pale again.

This old man was none other than General Zhenwei and Governor of Yangzhou Liu Yao, who had suffered repeated defeats in the past three years and whose troops had been decimated.

Seeing his son's constant startling, Liu Yao only felt more and more annoyed. He supported his son with his hands and said, "Why are you yelling? Can't you just be quiet? My illness cannot be cured by medicine, and it has been going on for more than a day or two. I am incapable of governing the country, comforting the people, and suppressing the bandits. I wish I could die sooner rather than suffer this endless humiliation!"

Liu Ji was still young and not very good at speaking, so he could only repeatedly use the simplest lines to persuade him: "Father, don't say that. The captain of the Imperial History is brave and invincible, and he will surely turn the tide of the battle."

Liu Yao laughed helplessly, which inevitably aroused his heart and lung disease. He had a severe asthma attack and coughed up blood. After a long time of calming down, he said dejectedly: "Zi Yi followed me, which is really a waste of a pearl. My incompetence has affected the three armies. What good is Zi Yi?
In just two years, Zhou Xin, Zhang Ying, Fan Neng, Yu Mi, who was not a loyal and righteous man? In the end, they all died at the hands of Sun Ce. How can I still persuade others to fight for me? In more than two years, have I ever defeated Sun Ce even once? I don't even have the face to persuade others to die for me in vain! "

As Liu Yao continued to talk, he stopped paying attention to his son and lay there, panting and groaning. It seemed that no matter which side of his body pressed against the bed, it was not strong enough to support his weight. Even lying down was a torture.

Just at this moment, there was a noise in the courtyard. The waiter seemed to want to stop the visitor and question him, but gave up after seeing the visitor's identity.

Liu Ji also hurried out to see what was happening. When he found out it was Taishi Ci, he did not stop him but simply exclaimed, "Captain Taishi, why are you so panicked?"

Taishi Ci whispered something in Liu Ji's ear, and Liu Ji realized it was good news, so he let him in to report in person.

Liu Yao also came to his senses, and forced himself to stand up. He asked with a burning gaze, "Zi Yi? Could it be that the Sun thief is attacking the city very quickly?"

Taishi Ci shook his head and said, "It was Guangling Liu Zhengnan who forced back the siege of Liu Xun and Sun Ce and sent troops to reinforce us and help the lord break through."

Liu Yao was stunned for a long time: "Liu Bei? Xuande... my dear brother? He doesn't have many soldiers, how dare he provoke Yuan Shu and Sun Ce at the same time? I didn't expect that he would help me just because we are relatives of the Han Dynasty and we are of the same blood.

Wait a minute, what did you just say? Help me break out? Break out to where? Where else can we go?

Taishi Ci hurriedly stepped forward and patted Liu Yao's back to calm him down:
"Lord Xuande feels that Dantu has held out for more than half a year and that the broken army cannot last long. He is willing to help our army to Poyang and Chungu to regroup. How about asking him to personally report the details to the lord?"

Liu Yao was startled: "Lord Xuande has entered the city?"

Taishi Ci: "My lord, rest assured. Lord Xuande is a man who is eager to help others and loves justice. He saved Kong Beihai and Tao Gongzu in the past. I was there in person on both occasions, so I know everything about him. Now that our army is in dire straits, he has come here to show his righteousness. Could he have any other intentions?"

Liu Yao originally wanted to blame Taishi Ci for being too credulous, but when he heard that Liu Bei and his troops had been allowed into the city, Liu Yao swallowed his suspicious words.

Things have come to this point. Being a villain will only backfire. It is better to listen to what Liu Bei has to say.

He nodded helplessly and silently, and signaled Taishi Ci to call the person in to see him.

Taishi Ci then bowed and did it.

When Liu Ji saw Taishi Ci turned around to pass on the message, he hurried over with the medicine. However, Liu Yao pushed the medicine bowl away and hurriedly ordered:
"Quick, get the map first, let me see where Poyang and Chungu are!"

Liu Ji was so flustered that he didn't know where to put the medicine, and it spilled all over. Just as he was about to wipe it up, Liu Yao, furious, mustered up all his strength and slapped his son on the back: "Forget the medicine! Bring me the map first! You bastard!"

Liu Ji then put everything aside and immediately took out the map. Liu Yao anxiously scanned back and forth several times before finding the direction:

"Isn't Poyang County in Yuzhang? It's the place occupied by the thief Zuo Rong! Chungu also borders Yuzhang and is the territory of Zu Lang! Why did Liu Bei persuade me to move to these remote places?"

He was still in doubt when there was another noise outside. It was obvious that Taishi Ci had come in with Liu Bei and others. Liu Yao quickly threw the map away and motioned his son to take it away.

……

"Brother Zhengli, why are you so ill? I am late! I have heard of your great name for a long time, but I didn't expect that our first meeting would turn out to be..."

Liu Bei followed the voice and just entered the room. He was shocked to see Liu Yao's serious illness. He immediately stepped forward to support Liu Yao who was trying to get up and pushed him back to the couch.

Liu Yao took two breaths and said, "But I wanted to say, I didn't expect you to be in such a mess."

Liu Bei did not deny it, but he did not admit it either. He just turned his head to look at Liu Ji who was standing beside him. Liu Ji quickly explained: "My father has been defeated by Sun Ce several times, and he is so angry that he is worried and angry that he is like this."

Liu Bei sighed deeply. "Since the winter of last year, I have been ordered by the imperial court to transfer from Xuzhou to Yangzhou. I should have come to your aid as soon as possible, but Yuan Shu and Liu Xun are pressing me hard. Xia Pi, Pengcheng and other places have been occupied by the enemy. I only have Guangling County to defend myself, and I am unable to take care of myself." Liu Yao also knew that this was all true. He had not dared to expect Liu Bei to come to his rescue. He put aside his fear and suspicion and sighed:

"My dear brother Xuande, although this is the first time we have met, I have long heard of your reputation for trustworthiness. In these chaotic times, it is rare to find someone as loyal and honest as you among the governors and prefects."

Liu Bei said a few humble words and then mentioned the matter of helping Liu Yao to move.

Liu Yao had just looked at the map, so he asked why they had to move to those remote places, especially those occupied by the enemy - he was besieged in Dantu City, and although the Yangtze River waterway in the north was not blocked, no one came to rescue him, so he was very isolated from news.

Liu Bei then informed him that Yuzhang County had been pacified by the newly appointed Yuzhang prefect of the court, and Zuo Rong had been destroyed.

"…I am unable to personally go to Yangzhou to suppress the bandits and expand the city, so I can only support other loyal officials of the court and strive to gain a foothold in Yangzhou. Then I can ask you to move there and make plans later. Sun Ce and Yuan Shu are powerful and cannot be conquered overnight. Please keep yourself useful."

Liu Yao had been offline for too long and was shocked for a long time before accepting the news. He then quickly asked:

"I wonder who the newly appointed Yuzhang prefect is? How could he be so capable? Speaking of the past events in Yuzhang, I am filled with regret. When Brother Wenming (Zhu Hao) took office, I was careless and sent the scoundrel Zuo Rong to escort him and expel the fake prefect Zhuge Xuan. Who knew that once this thief gained a foothold, he would turn around and murder his master..."

Liu Bei's face was slightly embarrassed, but he still stated seriously, "The current governor of Yuzhang is none other than Zhuge Xuan. He received a decree from the Emperor, posthumously recognizing Liu Biao as his former nephew. Zuo Rong had previously been labeled a traitor, and Zhuge's initial hostility towards him was also recognized by the court as foresight. However, this does not involve any posthumous evaluation of Brother Zhu, so please rest assured, Brother Zhengli."

"What? Zhuge Xuan was recognized posthumously by the court? Then, wouldn't the efforts of me...my brother Wenming and I over the past two years have become a laughing stock?" Liu Yao was so angry that he vomited blood, which sprayed everywhere.

Liu Bei dodged back and luckily was not sprayed, while Liu Ji quickly brought his maid over to clean it.

Seeing this, Taishi Ci also hurried over to persuade him, "My lord, in such a chaotic time, it is not uncommon to be unable to distinguish friend from foe. The world will not laugh at you for this. I hope my lord will be at ease, take good care of yourself, and plan for the future."

I have also heard my lord say that the reason he wanted to strike Zhuge Xuan hard was simply because he was a former official of Yuan Shu, and he was afraid that Yuzhang would fall into Zhuge Xuan's hands, which would mean it would fall into Yuan Shu's hands.

But in fact, the Zhuge family had no dealings or affiliations with Yuan Shu any longer, and the recommendation for Zhuge Gong to be the prefect of the county was indeed submitted by Liu Biao and approved by the court.

The Zhuge family was afraid that their lord would not be able to let go of their prejudice, so they did not send anyone directly to see their lord. Instead, they first expressed their loyalty to the court through Lord Xuande.

The Zhuge family also sent someone to clarify that even when they had not received the imperial mandate, they did not intend to compete with Zhu Gong. It was just that Zhu Gong had already seen Zuo Rong's wolfish ambitions and should not allow him to lead troops into the country. It was just that Zhu Gong had a preconceived idea and did not give him a chance to defend himself, which led to the fighting due to his inappropriate handling of the situation.

After vomiting blood, Liu Yao calmed down a little. Hearing Taishi Ci say this, he probably heard Liu Bei's explanation just now. Liu Yao was helpless:
"Is that so? Is this how the Zhuge family defended themselves to Brother Xuande?"

Seeing Liu Yao's health condition, Liu Bei would not argue with him anymore. He just said magnanimously:

"What the Zhuge family said must be true. Zhuge Gong's nephew helped me survive the battle of Guangling and repel Yuan Shu. How could they still be in collusion with Yuan Shu?
And Lord Zhuge has also sent another nephew to express his sincere desire to help the court to suppress the bandits. If Brother Zhengli doesn't believe it, you can let him explain it to you in person."

Liu Yao was very clear about his situation. He heard that Liu Bei had brought people from Zhuge's family directly with him. What was there for him to resist?
Soon, Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang to come out and talk to Liu Yao. Liu Bei himself stood next to Zhuge Liang, and Chen Dao was at the door.

Zhuge Liang's speech was also discussed with his elder brother before departure. It was just that when he spoke to Liu Yao, he had to make the excerpts more sound.

With Liu Yao's intelligence and eloquence, he certainly couldn't find any problems after listening to it.

But he was still unwilling to go to Yuzhang, or to Chungu County, which borders Danyang and Yuzhang, for fear that he would be controlled by the Zhuge family once he got there.

Liu Yao racked his brains and came up with a final reason for his refusal: "Even though the Zhuge family has gained a foothold in Yuzhang, since they are determined to help the court defeat Sun Ce, why would they go to Chungu first instead of the nearby one?
Chungu is close to Zulang's territory. Although Zulang is independent, he is a Shanyue man after all, and has not rebelled against the court. Compared with Sun Ce, his situation is still sympathetic. If he must be subdued, what if he is forced to join forces with Sun Ce?
Couldn't the Zhuge clan gather their forces in Yuzhang, and once they had the chance, they could go down the river, pass by Zulang's territory without fighting, and directly attack Wuhu and Niuzhu to defeat Sun Ce? Why make so many powerful enemies?"

Liu Yao's words were actually a bit unreasonable, and even Taishi Ci felt a little embarrassed after hearing them.

The territory of Zhuge family and Sun Ce is separated by Zu Lang's territory. If Zu Lang is neutral and just wants to be the king of the mountain and not help either side, can Zhuge family bypass Zu Lang and attack Sun Ce directly? What if Zu Lang suddenly changes his mind and uses the navy to intercept the river and cut off the food supply of Zhuge family?
So in response to this question, Zhuge Liang immediately came up with a righteous and very sufficient rebuttal:

"Lord Zhengli, you may not be familiar with the geography of southern Danyang. The six southern counties are situated on either side of the river, with Huangshan and Huoshan facing each other. The terrain is very difficult. If we do not seize the south bank, we will have to rely on the Yangtze River to transport troops and food. On the north bank, we have Yuan Shu's generals and Liu Xun of Lujiang who threaten us. If they cut off our waterway, the entire army sent to attack Sun Ce will be in dire straits.

Besides, you thought Zulang only wanted to be independent, but that was a thing of the past. Now Zulang is ambitious. He saw that my uncle worked hard to govern Yuzhang, pacify the people and promote trade. My brother also opened copper mines on the border between Yuzhang and Danyang and made a lot of profit.

Seeing this enormous benefit, Zu Lang repeatedly used the Shanyue tribe to provoke our Zhuge clan, harming the people of Yuzhang. My uncle defended the territory and the people. This is intolerable. As the governor of a state, is Duke Zhengli going to sit idly by and watch the people of Yuzhang being bullied by the Shanyue of Danyang? Are the people of Yuzhang no longer the people of Yangzhou?

Why not ask Duke Zhengli, in his capacity as governor, to persuade the soldiers and civilians of the six southern counties of Danyang to accept the righteousness of the cause, and then proceed cautiously to attack Sun Ce together?"

Liu Yao was speechless. He glanced to the side and saw that even Taishi Ci looked eager.

Although he knew that Zhuge Liang was borrowing his title as the governor of Yangzhou in advance and raising the flag to win over the people, he had no choice but to be used by Zhuge Liang.

(End of this chapter)