Tiger Guards

Chapter 581 is in full swing
It was dusk at the residence of the General of the Cavalry in the north of the city.

Dong Cheng held the imperial edict in his hand, looking worried. It was rare for the emperor to make such a decision, but the most difficult task of coordinating the various armies fell on his shoulders.

This will take time to work out. Before the generals and various armies reach a consensus, any betrayal by anyone involved will invite a swift and fierce attack from Lü Bu.

Lü Bu was not Dong Zhuo, but when Lü Bu abandoned the way of submission, the destructive power he displayed was no less than that of Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo didn't have any powerful backers. Now, as long as Lü Bu is willing to submit, Zhao Ji will be Lü Bu's biggest backer.

Dong Zhuo dared not commit massacres in Luodu, so he decided to use the relocation to Chang'an as a means to deplete the lives and influence of the officials.

But Lü Bu dared to do so. Lü Bu was younger than Dong Zhuo, and after the chaos caused by Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Guo Si, the prestige of the court had greatly declined.

Once Lü Bu abandons his last shred of reverence, he will realize that if Zhao Ji dared to break the legs of the so-called nobles when he was the Tiger General, then Lü Bu could break the legs of all the nobles and officials in one fell swoop!

Therefore, as the Shogun's residence became increasingly deserted and its influence visibly diminished, the atmosphere within the castle grew increasingly oppressive.

Finally, when the evening drum sounded, Gao Shun mobilized several armies to enter from the south and west gates, carrying the general's order, and began the troop rotation.

The troops that were relieved of their posts did not resist or delay, and they withdrew to the military camp in the west of the city.

After the curfew was imposed in Xuchang, Gao Shun's 1,000-man elite guerrilla unit also moved into the city's main camp.

The peaceful handover of the garrison troops in Xudu was a relief not only for Lü Bu, but for everyone else as well.

Even stray dogs in the city would probably feel fortunate.

Nighttime, at the General of Chariots and Cavalry's residence.

Zhang Fei paced anxiously back and forth in front of Liu Bei, his armor rubbing against each other and the plates clanging loudly.

Liu Bei, however, was playing chess with Cui Yan, both of them appearing calm and composed.

Cui Yan was an envoy sent by Yuan Shao. Cui Yan's classmates Sun Qian, Liu Yan, Guo Yuan, and Xu Ci all sat quietly and watched.

Guo Yuan was from Le'an, Qingzhou. No matter how noble he was, he couldn't surpass the sword that Sun Ce had raised.

Even if he could hide in another place, his relatives and friends were still in Qingzhou, so he became Sun Ce's assistant to the governor of Qingzhou.

Xu Ci is from Nanyang and now represents Liu Biao's side.

In fact, Liu Bei was always highly regarded by the disciples of Zheng Xue, and this influence reached its peak when Liu Bei entered the court.

The Han dynasty is now in dire straits, and Zhao Ji, with his unparalleled achievements, has already set his sights on the throne.

Only a fool would still harbor hope. From the moment Zhao Ji delayed meeting with the envoys from various parties of the court, it was destined that there was no possibility of negotiation between the two sides.

It wasn't that the emperor or the court didn't want to bestow honors upon Zhao Ji, but rather that Zhao Ji refused to show the proper attitude or make the necessary promises.

Zhao Ji's refusal to communicate is the root of all the problems.

If someone were a normal person, having made such a contribution, they would actively communicate with various parties in the court, make mutual promises, and exchange benefits... After several exchanges, there would be no problem that could not be solved.

Now the fear is that the emperor and the court will risk their reputation to grant him the title of king, only to have Zhao Ji repeatedly decline.

The problem is that Zhao Ji declined the offer so easily. Since Zhao Ji did not accept the great rewards and honors, did his officers and soldiers resent Zhao Ji or the imperial court?

For example, if Zhao Ji were to be granted the title of King, then Zhang Liao, based on his merits, would at least be a Marquis with a fief of three thousand households. If Zhao Ji were to decline the title of King, would Zhang Liao dare to accept the title of a county marquis on par with the Marquis of Pingyang?

Therefore, the consensus reached by Liu Bei's side and other envoys after entering the court was very simple: Zhao Ji refused to communicate and was determined to put the emperor and the court on the fire.

With everyone watching in silence, Liu Bei proved to be the stronger player, forcing Cui Yan to resign.

The two picked up their chess pieces. Jian Yong leaned close to Liu Bei, about to whisper his story, when Liu Bei spoke up: "No need to hide anything, what is it?"

"My lord, Guo Rang has sent a secret letter." Jian Yong took out a scroll of silk from his sleeve. Liu Bei reached out, took it, unfolded it, and read it. There were only a hundred or so words. After reading it, he handed it to Cui Yan opposite him: "If the general behaves improperly or oversteps his bounds, Liu Zihui's armies will immediately raise troops to punish the general."

Cui Yan held the silk scroll and read it. He felt that the secret letter had arrived too coincidentally. He didn't say much, but after thinking for a while, he asked, "Is it possible that Liu Zifang of Yangzhou will raise troops as promised?"

Liu Bei did not boast, but replied solemnly, "According to Liu Zifang's letter, he was promoted by the Zhao family and thus obtained this position. Therefore, he did not want to make an enemy of the Zhao family, but was able to supply money and grain to the Liu Zitai brothers in Jiangbei to support the army."

Liu Ai genuinely didn't want to antagonize Zhao Ji, yet he couldn't bear the criticism from all sides.

As a vassal state established by the imperial court, Liu Ai had a responsibility to raise troops to defend the court and protect the Han dynasty.

If even a powerful clan like Liu Ai is unwilling to contribute, how can officials from other clans be expected to work tirelessly and even die for him?
Not only Liu Ai, but also Liu Bei, Liu Biao, and Liu Zhang faced this moral pressure, which could shake the foundation of their rule.

If this operation goes well, these vassal states may be able to obtain further deregulation from the imperial court, making them relatively independent vassal states.

In fact, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, and Liu Ai shared the Yangtze River basin, and their mobilization potential was very strong.

However, they lack sufficient prestige and benefits unless the imperial court lifts the ban, allowing them to become independent warlords, like the Liu kingdoms in the early Han dynasty.

If that were the case, the significance of the Xu Du court and the emperor's existence would be severely diminished.

It all depends on whether the emperor has such a strong determination. As long as he is willing to bear the infamy of his time and future generations and lift the ban on the Liu clan, then the Liu clan will immediately be able to unleash a powerful mobilization force.

How could it be possible that we can only mobilize tens of thousands of standing field troops as we are now?
If the restrictions were truly lifted and the country were to enter a Warring States period, the various kingdoms of Liu could eliminate their internal problems and freely organize conscriptions of tens or hundreds of thousands of troops.

Population has never been a problem. If we can't mobilize people now, we can definitely mobilize them after a generation has had a chance to recover.

But does the current emperor of the Han dynasty have such resolve?

Liu Bei and the envoys from all sides had no hope for this... The established national policy of strengthening the Liu clan was almost entirely driven by Zhao Ji.

Therefore, Liu Bei's feelings towards Zhao Ji were very complicated.

Although they had never met, Zhao Ji saved him twice and held him in high esteem politically, which accelerated the rise and expansion of Liu Bei's influence.

Now, after listening to Liu Bei's account, Cui Yan said, "Yangzhou has been severely weakened after the chaos caused by the Buddhist sect, Yuan Shu, and Sun Ce. Jiangdong is also far away, and it is already extremely difficult for them to provide assistance to the two Lius in Jiangbei to send troops. We should not ask for anything now, but Jingzhou should take some action. Otherwise, relying solely on Guandong and Hebei, it will be difficult to compete with the two traitors Lü and Zhao."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei went to see Xu Ci in Nanyang. Xu Ci bowed and replied, "In Jingzhou, between August and September, 30,000 elite troops will be able to leave Wankou, obey the court's orders, march through Luyang to advance on Yique, and then enter Heluo from the south."

Upon hearing this, Cui Yan waved his hand: "Not enough. Without 50,000 troops, how can we break through Yique? We must also be wary of Wuguan Road. Zhao Yuansi's troops are swift and he always harbors the intention of seeking food from the enemy. Therefore, when the Jingzhou army marches out of Wankou, Wancheng will surely be stockpiled with a lot of grain, fodder, and weapons, which will attract the covetous eyes of the Zhao family. We must guard against this. I think Jingzhou should mobilize all its forces, sending a large number of troops eastward out of Wankou, and setting up multiple camps on the west side of Wuguan Road to defend against the troops from Xizhou."

Seeing that Xu Ci wanted to argue, Cui Yan stroked his long beard, his tone still brooking no argument: "This is a battle concerning the survival of the nation. Liu Zhennan must not harbor any selfish motives. The defense of Wuguan Pass must be kept tight. When the enemy sees that the situation is hopeless, they will retreat on their own. If we are reluctant to spare resources and allow the enemy to enter the country, then Nanyang and the Jianghan region will no longer belong to Liu Zhennan. I hope you will convey this message again and again so that Liu Zhennan will take it seriously."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ci stopped arguing and cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, sir."

Cui Yan then looked at Guo Yuan: "The Qingzhou troops are brave and skilled in battle. Xingyang is a key stronghold of the enemy. It can only be captured if the Marquis of Linzi personally comes. I hope you will tell the Marquis of Linzi to follow his father's example of loyalty and bravery, and not to make a mistake for himself."

"Do your best."

Guo Yuan also bowed in agreement, and Cui Yan then looked at Liu Bei: "Lord Xuande, Hebei is now at a critical juncture of life and death. We will do our utmost to help the country in this crisis. As for matters of state, we hope that Lord Xuande will not let personal feelings get in the way."

Liu Bei nodded slowly: "I understand."

However, Liu Bei was very restrained in controlling his emotions, and Guo Yuan couldn't figure out what Liu Bei was really thinking.

Should they repay Lü Bu's kindness by deliberately letting him go, or should they lull Lü Bu into a false sense of security and deliver a fatal blow?

As for Gao Shun leading the Huaibei armies to relieve Xuchang today, this is not a big deal.

As long as Lü Bu doesn't make up his mind, no matter how many troops Gao Shun brings, it won't make any difference.

(End of this chapter)