Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 419 Presenting a Memorial to the Emperor, the Two Yuans Join Forces

February, Ji County.

"Does the General intend to declare himself king?"

Liu He put down the letter and couldn't help but sigh, "The Han Dynasty has lasted for four hundred years. Is it about to perish now?"

"What are your thoughts, gentlemen?" Liu He asked, looking at the civil and military officials in the hall.

Tian Chou exchanged glances with his confidants Xianyu Fu and Sun Jin, then cupped his hands and said, "The Han Dynasty is in decline, and people harbor disloyal thoughts. Only you, my lord, and my late father have remained loyal. However, Yuan Shu has now usurped the throne, and there is no common ruler. Warlords are vying for power, and everyone wants to become emperor or king. Therefore, it is not surprising that Lord Zhang has ambitions to seize the throne. I have come to inquire about your intentions, my lord!"

"Youzhou has suffered two wars, Gongsun caused chaos in the prefectures and counties, and the Wuhuan invaded the countryside. All of these were quelled by the military intervention of Marquis Zhang. Now, looking at the decline of the Han Dynasty, it is difficult to pacify the people, which has caused turmoil in the world and displacement of the people. Only Marquis Zhang can bring peace to the world."

Xianyu Fu, who had just returned from the front lines, said, "Lord Zhang is magnanimous and has repeatedly saved people from danger. He is also related to you by marriage. If Lord Zhang becomes emperor, his descendants will also be descendants of the Liu family!"

Liu He rose from his bed, paced back and forth, and sighed, “The one who truly desires to bring peace to the world is none other than Marquis Zhang, but I find it difficult to betray the Han dynasty.”

Xianyu Fu pondered for a moment and said, "In the past, the Dou family conquered Hexi and surrendered to Emperor Guangwu, enjoying the glory of the Dou family for generations. In the past, you, my lord, had a long-standing relationship with Marquis Zhang, and now you are also related by marriage. If you can follow the example of the Dou family and present a memorial to honor Marquis Zhang, the Liu family will prosper for a hundred years and will not decline because of the loss of the empire."

"Moreover, since you, my lord, have not presented a memorial to show respect to Marquis Zhang, could it be that you intend to wage war against him? The troops of Shanxi are so powerful that I believe no general in Youzhou can withstand them!"

Liu He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the scene outside the hall, and fell into silence.

Although he was the governor of Youzhou, the prefects and generals under his command all held great power, leaving him with very little say. If he were to fight Zhang Yu, someone would likely be offering his head to Zhang Yu the very next day to claim credit.

Of course, he himself did not want to antagonize Zhang Yu. If he truly wanted to oppose Zhang Yu, why would he have agreed to marry his daughter to Zhang Yu's eldest son?

The reason Zhang Yu's claim to the throne is causing him distress is not due to the current situation, but rather because he struggles to overcome his own inner conflict. After all, since his youth, his father Liu Yu had taught him the principles of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

As Liu fell silent, everyone else also quieted down.

After a long silence, Liu He exhaled and said, "Lord Zhang has pacified Hebei and his achievements are unparalleled. He should be promoted to the title of King of Tang. Please have Lord Laotian draft a memorial for me, and send the household register, map, and documents to Ye City by messenger."

"promise!"

Seeing that Liu He had chosen to yield, the crowd rose and replied, "Your Excellency is wise!"

Liu He's act of sending a memorial and presenting a map signified his submission to Zhang Yu. Barring any major changes in the situation, as Zhang Yu subsequently occupied the Central Plains, it was only a matter of time before Youzhou was incorporated into Zhang Yu's territory.

Xianyu Fu, amidst the crowd, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had rushed back to Ji County from the front lines in Yijing, simply because he feared Liu He might do something rash. Now that Liu He had chosen the path of submission, he could finally report back to Zhang Yu.

Leaving aside Liu He's internal struggle and his decision to submit a memorial to Zhang Yu, as time has passed, everyone in the world knows that Zhang Yu defeated Yuan Shao and occupied Ji Province.

Shanyang Prefecture, Changyi.

"Ha ha!"

Lü Bu looked up and laughed, then addressed the crowd around him, saying, "Before Zhang and Yuan clashed, everyone was terrified that Zhang Yu would defeat Yuan Shao, but I alone said that Yuan Shao would surely be defeated by Zhang Yu, and many people did not believe me. Now, Zhang Yu has decisively defeated Yuan Shao and swept through Hebei, proving that what I said before was true."

"General's insights are far-sighted, beyond our reach!" the attendants flattered.

Located in Yanzhou, Lü Bu was heavily influenced by the two major factions of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. For example, Chen Gong had previously favored Yuan Shu and hoped that Lü Bu would join him and send his family to Wancheng. As for Yuan Shao, before his battle with Zhang Yu, he had sent envoys to win over Lü Bu, but Lü Bu refused.

The reason why Lü Bu supported Zhang Yu was not only because of the so-called vague sense of loyalty, but more importantly because Lü Bu could get rid of the influence exerted by the two Yuans, especially when Yuan Shu's power was strong.

Lu Bu turned his head to look at Chen Gong, and asked with a smile, "Gongtai, Zhang Yu has now defeated Yuan Shao. What should our army do?"

Chen Gong remained calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Zhang Yu controls Shanxi and now also controls Ji Province, showing signs of establishing his power. In my opinion, General, you should send an envoy to befriend Zhang Yu and restore the old friendship between our two families."

Lü Bu laughed and said, "Now that we've made good friends with Zhang Yu, would you like to send your family to Wancheng as well?"

Chen Gong was taken aback, then blushed and said, "Although Zhang Yu is renowned throughout Hebei, Youzhou has not yet surrendered. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, dominates the Jianghan region and controls Yan and Yu provinces, making him a powerful figure. Even if you, General, have no intention of sending your family away, you must not antagonize Yuan Shu!"

Lü Bu laughed and said, "I wholeheartedly agree. Yuan Shu has been helping me for a long time, and I will never forget his kindness."

Chen Qun seemed to be deep in thought. He rose from his seat and said, "The world is in chaos. Only Yuan Shu and Zhang Yu can bring peace to the world. General, you are caught in the middle of the Central Plains and cannot compete with these two. In my opinion, you would be better off observing a wise ruler and following his example, like the Dou family who surrendered Hexi."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu frowned slightly. Although he knew that Chen Qun was right, he felt inexplicably unhappy.

After a moment's thought, Lü Bu said, "Lord Zhang has just taken over Ji Province; we must send an envoy to congratulate him. I would be grateful if you could convey my greetings and pay my respects to Lord Zhang on my behalf!" "Yes, sir!"

Chen Qun suppressed his joy and bowed.

Chen Qun was from Xuchang County, Yingchuan. When the world was in chaos, he and his father went to Xuzhou to seek refuge. Later, Gao Gan invaded Xuzhou, and Chen Qun and his father served Lü Bu in order to seek temporary peace.

With the world order beginning to take shape, Chen Qun began to consider how to find a wise ruler to secure greater benefits for his family.

Before the Battle of Hebei, Chen Qun was unsure who could become a suitable leader. Now, with Zhang Yu controlling Hebei and Guanzhong, he was the most powerful warlord in the land. Yuan Shu, having usurped the throne, was at odds with Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Liu Bei, his power gradually declining, and his relationship with Yuan Shao was strained. With future conflicts of interest with Zhang Yu, the two were bound to turn against each other, at which point Yuan Shu would be in grave danger!
Compared to Yuan Shu, Zhang Yu was gradually gaining momentum in unifying the country. Even though there were still warlords like Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and the Sun family, Chen Qun believed they would be destroyed by Zhang Yu sooner or later.

Another minor reason why Chen Qun chose Zhang Yu as his ruler was that Zhang Yu had many people from Yingchuan County under his command, especially Zhong Yao, who was like Xiao He. By joining Zhang Yu, Chen Qun was not afraid of not being given important positions.

While Chen Qun was determined to use Lü Bu as a pledge of loyalty to Zhang Yu, Yuan Shao, who had fled to Qingzhou, rested for a while, regained his composure, and began to consider his future development.

Qi Commandery, Linzi.

Inside the prefectural capital, Yuan Shao coughed and asked, "Handan has fallen, Ju Shou has been captured, Tian Feng has surrendered to the rebels, and several counties in Hebei have almost surrendered to Zhang Yu. Now only Gongsun Zan is still holding Yijing. In your opinion, how do you plan to defend against Zhang Yu?"

Yin Kui hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have a question for you, but I wonder if Your Excellency would be willing to accept it?"

"But it doesn't matter!"

Yin Kui said, “Zhang Yu regards you, my lord, as a great bandit. Although you have now surrendered Ji Province, Zhang Yu will not be satisfied until you are dead. Therefore, in my opinion, when Hebei is somewhat peaceful, Zhang Yu will raise a strong army to attack you, and at that time you will be in danger of death.”

"Therefore, since you, my lord, are defending against Zhang Yu, why don't you send an envoy to contact Yuan Shu, explain the kinship between our two families, and ask Yuan Shu to send troops to our aid so that we can jointly defend against Zhang Yu's army?"

“Yuan Shu and our army have a deep grudge. He once waged war in the Central Plains. Now we have sent an envoy to Yuan Shu to ask for help. I am afraid that Yuan Shu will not agree,” Yuan Tan said.

"No!"

Yin Kui shook his head and said, "Yuan Shu usurped the throne and declared himself emperor, which provoked the southern warlords to attack him. Sun Jian rebelled in Bashu, and although he was defeated and killed, his eldest son Sun Ce succeeded him. Cao Cao, after descending the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, joined forces with Liu Yao to support the emperor, occupied the three counties of Huainan, gained a million people, and launched an attack on Jiangzuo, repeatedly defeating Yuan Shu. Meanwhile, Liu Bei launched an attack on Jiaoling and Changsha, diverting the hearts and minds of the people and keeping Yuan Shu busy."

"Therefore, now that Yuan Shu is surrounded by enemies on three sides, how could he not gladly agree when Your Excellency sends an envoy?"

Yin Kui paused, then added, "Not only that, Zhang Yu has swept through Hebei and controlled Guanzhong, holding the most powerful army in the land. Among the warlords of the world, none is stronger than the Zhang family. Yuan Shu has ambitions for the world, and he will inevitably fight Zhang Yu sooner or later. How could he willingly watch Zhang Yu destroy our army? Therefore, we can use the analogy of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' how could Yuan Shu not be on good terms with our army!"

Yuan Tan glanced at Yuan Shao, who was stroking his beard in thought. He knew that Yuan Shao was slightly tempted, so he changed his words and said, "What you say makes sense, sir, but I'm afraid Yuan Shu is deeply entrenched in the south and has no intention of raising an army to fight against Zhang Yu."

Yin Kui bowed and said, "If Your Excellency honors Yuan Shu as Emperor, perhaps Yuan Shu will send troops to fight."

"Yuan Shu usurped the Han throne and established himself as emperor, which is universally condemned. Now, Your Excellency is honoring Yuan Shu as emperor, which is a laughing stock!" Chunyu Qiong retorted.

"The situation is critical; how can we remain stubborn?" Yin Kui sighed softly and said, "If my words have been inappropriate, I beg your forgiveness, Your Excellency!"

"What crime have you committed, sir?"

Yuan Shao smiled and said, "Sir, your insight is enlightening. Yuan Shu is obsessed with empty fame and often competes with me. If I could set aside empty fame and befriend Yuan Shu, he would be happy to help me. Why wouldn't I agree? It's just a matter of empty fame!"

Because of his military defeat, Yuan Shao humbled himself and became more willing to listen to his subordinates' opinions. He was willing to adopt anything that was beneficial to public affairs.

What are the public map's insights?

Feng Ji pondered for a long time before saying, "If Yuan Shu's troops can relieve Zhang Yu's military power, it will be beneficial for you to annex Xuzhou. If Xuzhou submits, you can rely on Qing and Xuzhou to recuperate, recruit soldiers, and with Yuan Shu's reinforcements, you can confront Zhang Yu in the Central Plains. When Hebei is in chaos, you will be able to raise troops to counterattack and conquer the counties of Jizhou again."

Yuan Shao nodded and sighed, "I dare not hope to launch a counterattack on Ji Province. I only hope to rely on the lands of Qi and Lu to resist Zhang Yu's army."

Since his defeat by Zhang Yu, the aging Yuan Shao has gradually lost his ambition to conquer the world. Now he only hopes to leave a foundation for his descendants and see if they can turn the tide.

As he spoke, Yuan Shao looked at Yin Kui and said, "Since you have offered a strategy to befriend Yuan Shu, I wonder if you could act as my envoy to Yuan Shu, present a memorial to show respect to him, and persuade him to set aside past grievances and work together to resist Zhang Yu."

“Since Your Excellency has entrusted me with such an important matter, I will certainly not fail your expectations!” Yin Kui replied with a bow.

"good!"

(End of this chapter)