Tiger Guards

Chapter 429 One North and One South

In Ye City, Yuan Shao sat alone in a high pavilion, looking out the window at the fields to the west of the city, where the Temple of Ximen Bao stood.

He held a wine jug in his hand, taking sips every now and then, his expression gloomy.

Cao Cao's death dealt him a huge blow.

He was nine years older than Cao Cao, who was killed at the age of forty-two. Yuan Shao would be fifty-one this year.

Lu Bu was 32 years old and in his prime, Sun Ce was 22, Zhao Ji was 20, and Liu Bei was 36.

Yuan Shu's actions are disastrous. Even if he survives this year, he will soon be killed by Lü Bu and Liu Bei in a joint effort.

Liu Biao was the only one of his age, but Yuan Shao looked down on Liu Biao and disdained to make comparisons with him.

Now that Cao Cao is dead, Yuan Shao feels extremely lonely and has a sense of helplessness, like a tree that cannot support the whole tree.

There is already a particularly obvious sense of desolation. A new generation is replacing the old, and their era is rapidly declining, being replaced by a new generation of young adults.

When Cao Cao was still alive, Yuan Shao did not feel this predicament. He still felt that he could grasp the changes of the times and was a powerful leader.

But the fact that Cao Cao, who was nine years younger than him, died at Zhao Ji's hands was something Yuan Shao found hard to accept... It was as if he had foreseen his own demise.

This shared experience of suffering among his peers made Yuan Shao grieve even more than Cao Cao.

Registrar Geng Bao approached carrying a pot of wine, offered it to him, and said in a low voice, "My lord, Cao Zixiu's envoy has arrived again."

Yuan Shao grabbed the wine jug, took a sip, and asked without turning around, "What is it now?"

"Cao Zixiu has gathered the troops stationed in Juancheng and Fanxian, totaling more than 30,000 men, to garrison Puyang. He intends to fight Zhao Ji and requests that Your Excellency send troops to assist him. He says he is willing to be under Your Excellency's command."

"Zi Xiu pure filial piety."

Yuan Shao commented, then pondered for a moment: "Go to Puyang and tell Cao Zixiu in person that the two traitors, Lü and Zhao, are currently at the height of their power and it is not advisable to engage them in battle. If he truly obeys my command, he should lead his troops across the river to rest and await a better opportunity. Now that Yuan Shu has rebelled and lost power, the two traitors, Lü and Zhao, are the most powerful south of the Yellow River. These two traitors are stubborn and lack foresight. Without external enemies, their troubles will surely arise from within. When these two traitors turn against each other, manipulate power, bully the emperor, and their infamy spreads throughout the land, that will be the time for us to punish these treacherous officials and restore the state."

"Here."

Geng Bao bowed deeply and pressed on, "What if Cao Zixiu refuses to listen and insists on avenging Cao Mengde?"

"Then come back. If Lü and Zhao join forces, even if our army wins, it will be a Pyrrhic victory."

Yuan Shao made arrangements without listening to the opinions of people like Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Guo Tu, and Xu You. What's the point of listening to them anyway?

Who dares to confront the Lü-Zhao alliance head-on?
Defending one's home turf is one mindset, while actively engaging in battles against Grand Marshal Zhao Ji and General Lü Bu is another.

Although Yuan Shao felt the pressure of old age, he needed to remain calm and patiently wait for the situation to change.

Logically speaking, any shrewd strategist with a modicum of insight would understand that after Cao Cao's death, given the current political landscape in the Central Plains, it was only a matter of time before Lü Bu and Zhao Ziyang turned against each other.

We shouldn't feel anxious or impatient just because they maintain a facade of harmony; we must be patient in such situations.

When the conflict between the two becomes irreconcilable and irreconcilable, they can naturally use each other's strengths against each other, or even seek neutrality on one side, creating a situation where one side unites with all parties to besiege the other.

Reason tells him to be patient, but instinctive emotions give rise to endless anxiety.

All Yuan Shao could do was try his best to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't afford to lose his composure; if he did, his subordinates would be even more disorganized.

Given Lü Bu's moral character, no matter how much he restrained himself, the conflict between Lü Bu and the emperor would only become more acute as the emperor grew older.

The world is only so big, and all sides are seeking development and growth. In this process, there will inevitably be situations where the subordinates of Lü Bu and Zhao Yun squeeze and fight each other; Lü Bu's side will also clash with the careers of the emperor's close ministers.

We can only wait until the fighter jets appear.

There's not much they can do; they can only subtly guide the situation, exacerbate the conflict, and make it difficult to resolve.

Just as Geng Bao was about to leave, Yuan Shao gave him another instruction: "Summon Chen Lingshi. Mengde was ultimately my friend and companion, and his body should not be torn to pieces. Have Chen Lingshi polish the memorial, plead for Mengde's innocence, and hope to obtain Mengde's head from the court."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."

Geng Bao bowed. Since Yuan Shao had no further instructions, Geng Bao retreated to the stairs and descended slowly to avoid disturbing Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao continued to gaze at the fields outside the western city, pondering his own age.

Gongsun Zan must be eliminated within five years, otherwise the succession of the Hebei foundation will be a major problem; Cao Cao is dead, but I can still provide a safety net and take care of Cao Cao's wives, concubines and children.

But what about yourself?

Whether they were defeated and killed by Zhao Ji, Lü Bu, or Gongsun Zan, these warriors from the border regions would never show mercy.

As Yuan Shao was planning the rest of his life, Geng Bao came down from the pavilion and was greeted by Xu You.

Just as Xu You was about to speak loudly, Geng Bao quickly gestured with his arms out to lead Xu You out of the courtyard and asked, "What brings you here, Mr. Ziyuan?"

"I wish to pay my respects to Lord Yuan and present my views on the war in the Central Plains."

Just as Xu You was about to briefly explain his point of view, he saw Ju Shou leading an official over. The two men's eyes met, and they both smiled humbly.

Then, Xu You turned to Geng Bao and asked, "Lord Yuan and Cao Mengde have been friends since childhood and have a very close relationship. Now you are overwhelmed with grief and remembrance. I wonder what the details are?"

"Master Yuan only drank lightly, not excessively."

Geng Bao gave a brief answer, unwilling to elaborate on the matter.

At this moment, Ju Shou led his subordinate to a nearby place. The subordinate was carrying a wooden tray with many bamboo slips on it.

Then Ju Shou said, "The political affairs in Hebei have been piling up for two days, and we urgently need Lord Yuan's instructions."

Geng Bao didn't want to stop him, so he said, "I will send a clerk to inform Lord Yuan immediately. Whether he agrees or not depends on Lord Yuan's mind." Seeing that Geng Bao wouldn't go and inform him himself, Ju Shou looked displeased: "What do you intend to do?"

"By order of Lord Yuan, I will rush to Puyang to meet Cao Zixiu."

As he spoke, Geng Bao bowed deeply to Ju Shou and Xu You, who returned the bow and watched Geng Bao stride away.

Geng Bao was unwilling to delay. Although he was from a prominent family in Jizhou, he did not want to get involved in the struggle between local and out-of-town scholars.

Geng Bao was chosen by Yuan Shao to be the chief clerk in charge of confidential matters for two reasons. First, he was relatively young and suitable for the high-intensity work of working day and night. Second, the Geng family had a flexible stance, and Yuan Shao's stance was the Geng family's stance.

The Geng family was deeply learned and only cared about whether Yuan Shao could win in battle after battle. They did not care whether the leaders were scholars from Hebei or scholars from other provinces.

Only by winning in the end can all the status one possesses have the meaning of being passed down.

As for the current struggle between Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Shen Pei, and Xu You, Guo Tu, Xin Pi, Feng Ji, and others... Geng Bao thought it was a bit petty.

There's nothing we can do about it. These people may be renowned figures in their region, or their clans may be large and their armies powerful, but in terms of heritage, they can't compare to a family like the Geng clan, which has a long history of meritorious service during the Han Dynasty.

To avoid putting Chen Lin in a difficult position, Geng Bao secretly conveyed Yuan Shao's instructions, asking Chen Lin to prepare a memorial to the throne as soon as possible.

After obtaining the draft, Yuan Shao, having adjusted his mindset, summoned Chen Lin, who was able to complete the work on the spot.

People from Hebei and other provinces are eager to see Yuan Shao and express their opinions to him, but Yuan Shao refuses to see anyone at this moment.

By not seeing anyone, a balance can be maintained.

As long as Yuan Shao doesn't mobilize his troops or supplies, these people can continue to wait, even if they can't stand Yuan Shao.

But if they meet someone from one side, the other side gets anxious.

Therefore, Geng Bao did not help anyone, but carried out Yuan Shao's will and remained neutral.

As a member of a prominent family in Jizhou, his neutrality may seem admirable, but it is not popular with the people of Hebei, nor will people from other states trust Geng Bao.

This was destined to be an unpopular job and position, but there was nothing that could be done. If Geng Bao developed a bias, his position as registrar would be over.

Rather than being appointed as a county magistrate or prefect, it would be better to stay by Yuan Shao's side as a chief clerk. The chief clerk is in charge of confidential matters and has influence over the overall situation.

Just as Geng Bao was going further and further down the path of becoming a loyal minister, Jian Yong also began to advise Liu Bei on the battlefield of Huainan.

At this moment, Liu Bei's army advanced along the Huai River and set up camps along the way. His main camp was located at Yicheng, where the Wo River flows into the Huai River.

Guan Yu's vanguard is besieging Dangtu, which is thirty miles upstream. If Dangtu on the south bank is not captured, the supply lines and food supply routes will be insecure.

At the same time, only by advancing step by step and eliminating the rebel strongholds along the way can military supplies be obtained to maintain the army.

The area surrounding this place will be called Bengbu in the future.

At this moment, Liu Bei was in high spirits. After capturing five counties, including Dangtu, on the outskirts of Shouchun, he would be able to easily besiege Shouchun.

The terrain of Shouchun is far more suitable for water attacks than that of Xiapi and Pengcheng, making it a highly efficient and effective method.

As long as they set up a water attack, the rebels would collapse on their own.

Therefore, in terms of final victory, there is no need to launch a full-scale attack on Shouchun; the difficulty lies in the surrounding counties.

After capturing Shouchun, he will become famous throughout the country and be highly valued by the imperial court.

Such great achievements are beyond the reach of Zhao Ji and Lü Bu. The emperor and the high officials all know that Liu Xuande is skilled in battle and loyal to the court.

I will definitely think of him first when I have the opportunity in the future.

Jian Yong, who was accompanying Liu Bei, was very anxious, but he did not want to warn Liu Bei in public, as this would contradict and undermine Liu Bei's authority.

When the two rode out to patrol the camp, seeing that there were no outsiders around, Jian Yong suddenly asked, "Since you joined forces with Liu Zitai to defeat Zhang Xun, have you been in contact with the Grand Marshal?"

"It's only been twelve days, why is Xianhe asking this question?"

Liu Bei frowned, cracking his whip with his right hand, looking spirited and speaking in a light tone: "I know Xianhe is worried that this will offend the Grand Marshal. But if we send an envoy to negotiate with him, and he orders the mobilization of our troops, our troops will find it difficult to achieve anything, and the officers and soldiers will become dissatisfied, which I cannot suppress."

It's not that they're afraid Zhao Ji will take the opportunity to order them to be transferred to other battlefields, but rather that Zhao Ji will most likely arrange for them to play support roles.

The great achievement of capturing Shouchun was enough to earn Zhao Ji the title of several county marquises. How could Zhao Ji just stand by and watch Liu Bei and his group take it?

Therefore, from Liu Bei's perspective, given their understanding of the powerful figures who had served in the court, they would definitely order and urge them to provide assistance, or even sabotage and cause trouble.

Liu Bei endured many years of ups and downs in the chaotic world, and was often betrayed by his superiors. The worst time was when he pretended to be dead on a plain battlefield. It was only when someone came to the battlefield to collect his body that he was able to be stolen away from right under the noses of the rebels.

Therefore, keeping quiet from the outside world can ensure that the entire army gets to eat alone; and only by getting to eat alone can he maintain temporary control over Liu Xun and Chen Guobing.

Liu Xun and Chen Guobing, in particular, were almost entirely turned by Zhao Ji.

They are currently in a state of disengagement. If Zhao Jijun's order is delivered, these people are very likely to break away, form their own group, and become competitors on the same level.

Seeing Liu Bei's smiling face, he seemed to have become seven or eight years younger, and had a frivolous demeanor.

Jian Yong sighed, "My lord, knowing that this will displease the Grand Marshal and the General, do you really think they would just sit idly by and watch our army achieve great merit on its own?"

Liu Bei composed himself, but still said, "Xianhe, you are overthinking it. The Grand Marshal would not deliberately let Yuan Shu go unchecked. Besides, Ji Ling and Zhang Xun suffered a major defeat, and Liu Xun turned against them and raised an army. Yuan Shu's power is gone. Even if he returns, what can he do? In the past, he relied on his family background and looked down on me. Now he is nothing but a rebellious minister who disrupts the country. Everyone has the right to kill him. What do I have to worry about?"

Yes, Liu Bei was full of confidence and truly unafraid of Yuan Shu.

They even hoped that Yuan Shu would break through the siege and return, so that he could establish greater merit... Given his background, it was not impossible for him to be made a king.

(End of this chapter)