I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 439 Lü Bu and Zhuge Liang

Should we make the common people suffer?
Are we going to make the people suffer even more?
If it weren't for you, why would the people have to suffer such a calamity?
Wang Xiu glared at Yuan Tan: "Your Highness! These people will all be Your Highness's subjects in the future! They will all be subjects of the Great Zhao! A ruler must practice benevolent governance and follow the way of the king in order to win the hearts of the people! How can this be the behavior of a ruler!"

However, Yuan Tan ignored Wang Xiu's anger.

Only a monarch has the authority to implement benevolent governance.

If one cannot even become a monarch, how can one speak of benevolent governance?
It is not only those who practice benevolent governance who can become kings, but only kings who are qualified to practice benevolent governance!
Seeing Yuan Tan's indifference, Wang Xiu was also distraught, wandering the official road of Linzi City like a lost soul.

Wailing, screams, and sobs.

Each sound is slow, each sound is fast.

So slow it's impossible to forget, yet so fast it's as ruthless as a sharp sword, piercing straight to the heart.

Just the day before, this place was peaceful and tranquil.

"Wang Xiu, Wang Xiu, what exactly have you done?"

An overwhelming sense of guilt enveloped Wang Xiu, threatening to consume him completely.

How will I face the elders of Qingzhou in the future?
"Quickly! These logs are perfect for building ladders! Transport them into the city quickly!"

"Lu Bu's family is all in the inner city! I've heard that his wives and concubines are all incredibly beautiful!"

"Why are we thinking about Lü Bu's wives and concubines? They're not ours to worry about! But the wives and daughters of other men are a different story!"

"hey-hey!"

"..."

Wang Xiu stood there dumbfounded until he heard the Yuan soldiers around him discussing how to break through the inner city, at which point he finally came to his senses.

Linzi is a great city! It has always been the royal city of the Qi kings.

Lü Bu, his family, and close relatives were living in the inner city, which was formerly the Qi King's palace, so it had not yet fallen!
Wang Xiu immediately perked up in a daze.

He quickly rode his horse to the rear of the inner city and shot a letter into the city, requesting that Chen Gong meet with him.

At this moment, Chen Gong was organizing his soldiers to defend the inner city. Upon hearing that Wang Xiu was behind the city, he immediately rolled up his sleeves, took his bow, and came over. When he saw Wang Xiu, he immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow at Wang Xiu!
"Wang Shuzhi! The general values ​​you highly, disregarding your past service to two masters, and has even summoned you to serve as an official. How dare you commit such a heinous crime!"

Chen Gong already knew what had happened, and at this moment he was absolutely furious!

"I and the general are outsiders! But aren't the people of Linzi also people of Qi? Aren't they your fellow townsmen? Wang Shuzhi! Do you have even a shred of conscience?!"

Normally, Wang Xiu would probably argue with Chen Gong about how he abandoned Cao Cao and welcomed Lü Bu to Yanzhou to become its ruler.

But Wang Xiu was extremely anxious at this moment. After dodging Chen Gong's arrow, he immediately shouted, "Gongtai! There is no time to explain to you now! You must quickly escort the general's family to Wei Xu's camp in the east! Those soldiers are the Trapped Camp left behind by General Gao Shun! Their organization is still intact! With their escort, the general's family can be protected!"

Chen Gong didn't believe it!

Seeing that Chen Gong had not made any move, Wang Xiu became anxious: "Gongtai, hurry! The Wuhuan cavalry are currently looting inside the city, and the Yuan army cannot organize enough men to attack the city. Every moment that is delayed increases the danger!"

Wang Xiu even pulled open his clothes, exposing his chest in the cold wind.

"Gongtai! If you don't believe me, then take my life with one arrow right now, and then quickly escort the general's family away!"

Chen Gong immediately raised his bow and arrow.

But seeing Wang Xiu with his chest exposed and eyes closed, he finally put away his bow and arrows.

"Quickly summon your family! We must break through together!"

Before long, the city gates opened, and the cautious soldiers of Lü Bu's army escorted their families outside the city.

Chen Gong took the lead and, seeing no ambush on either side, felt relieved and urged his soldiers to quicken their pace.

When Chen Gong came to Wang Xiu's side, he still made no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes.

"If I had known this, why did I do it in the first place?"

Wang Xiu said sadly, "Yes."

"If I had known this, why did I do it in the first place?"

Chen Gong hesitated for a moment: "Come with me to see the general!"

Wang Xiu shook his head.

"What? Are you afraid the general will chop you up?"

Wang Xiu continued to shake his head.

At this moment, instead of seeking personal gain, he asked Chen Gong a question—

"Gongtai, what is the purpose of the nation? What is the purpose of the family? What is the purpose of the people?"

"..."

Chen Gong glanced back at the war-torn city of Linzi, his eyes involuntarily filled with sorrow.

"Since I joined the general's service, I haven't reviewed the classics for a long time."

"But now that His Majesty has not forbidden his sons, I have read a sentence from Mencius."

Chen Gong took a deep breath: "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important. Therefore, one who wins the support of the common people becomes the Son of Heaven, one who wins the support of the Son of Heaven becomes a feudal lord, and one who wins the support of a feudal lord becomes a high official. If a feudal lord endangers the state, then the state will be replaced. If the sacrificial offerings are prepared, the offerings are pure, and the sacrifices are performed on time, but there is drought or flood, then the state will be replaced!"

The people are of utmost importance, followed by the Earth God and Grain God representing the state, and the ruler is of least importance. Therefore, the one who wins the hearts of the people becomes the emperor, the one who wins the emperor's favor becomes the ruler, and the one who wins the ruler's favor becomes a high-ranking official. If the ruler harms the state of the Earth God and Grain God, then the ruler should be replaced. If the offerings are abundant and pure, and the rituals are performed on time, but droughts and floods still occur, then the Earth God and Grain God should be replaced.

This clearly shows that Mencius had not finished speaking.

Since it's possible to change the ruler, and to change the gods of earth and grain, then in other words...

An emperor who fails to win the hearts of the people can also be replaced!
The nation, the family, and the people stand like a towering building! Without the people, it is a castle in the air! Without a home, it will collapse at any moment! Without the nation, this towering building can never become a towering building that can reach for the stars and the moon, standing at the highest peak!

Separating the nation, the family, and the people is inherently foolish and narrow-minded.

The only difference between the three is their relative importance.

If one prioritizes the nation, one becomes like the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, which only knew how to wage war year after year.

If one prioritizes family, then one will be like the Later Han dynasty, only concerned with personal gain and self-interest.

If we value the people... then that is the present-day Great Han!
These roads were all traversed by the people of this land themselves! They were tested by the Han Dynasty, which Liu Miao established in recent years on the grounds of "the people benefiting"! Therefore, Chen Gong firmly believed in this theory!

Wang Xiu also showed a pained expression at this moment.

However, Chen Gong clearly had no interest in watching Wang Xiu's performance.

"I'll ask you one more time, are you coming or not?"

Seeing that Wang Xiu did not react, Chen Gong neither comforted him nor gave him a kind look. He spurred his horse and immediately left the place!

When Yuan Tan led his troops to catch up, he saw Wang Xiu still standing in the same spot and immediately sighed.

Why must Shuzhi do this?

------

Liaokou.

The further north you go, the fiercer the cold wind becomes.

The wind billowed the sails, and the sails, aided by the wind, propelled the ship northeastward.

The distant, hazy outline of Liaokou Port materialized into a clear view, with countless soldiers standing densely packed above. Armed with ring-pommel swords, large shields, and bows and crossbows, they formed ranks, ready to meet the enemy.

Lu Bu's tiger-like eyes, beneath his raised eyebrows, exuded an air of domineering arrogance. Instead of being afraid of these soldiers, he stood tall and proud at the bow of the ship, beneath his large banner bearing the character "Lu".

The ships at Liaokou were all hidden, clearly moored in a dock.

Knowing the strength of the Han army's ships, the Liaodong army clearly had no intention of engaging Lü Bu at sea from the beginning. Instead, they concentrated their forces and defended the shore.

Lü Bu possessed an exceptionally wide field of vision and keen eyesight. With a single glance, he discerned the size of the Liaodong army and the banner that had been raised—

[Gongsun]!
"Gongsun Du? Didn't he lead his soldiers to Liaoxi to attack Liu Bei?" Lü Bu was puzzled but impressed, but with the arrow already on the bowstring, there was no reason not to release it.

As the first batch of Han soldiers approached, a counterattack began at the ferry crossing.

A barrage of arrows and catapults rained down on the Han army's ships.

The Han army's seagoing vessels were mostly pointed-bottomed, which enabled them to break through waves. However, because of this, they lacked facilities such as rams on the bows of warships like the Mengchong, and they also lacked protection such as cowhide and iron sheets. As a result, the offensive capabilities of their seagoing vessels were not as good as those of riverboats that had been improved through thousands of years of naval warfare.

Even when the ships arrived at the dock, their excessive height prevented the soldiers on board from immediately engaging the enemy in the front lines, making the first round of battle somewhat unsatisfactory.

"Damn!"

Lu Bu cursed.

Landing operations have always been a difficult problem, otherwise there wouldn't be sayings like "the natural barrier of the great river" or "the natural barrier of the Yangtze River".

Lü Bu had just realized that the Liaodong army was actually inferior to the elite soldiers of the Central Plains warlords. If they could reach the crossing, the Han army would surely be victorious!
But how to get on it is another big problem!

Lu Bu never imagined that one day he would be stumped by the war!

"Therefore, we have no choice but to launch a full-scale attack!"

Judging from the previous probe, it is clearly not an easy task to find a foothold directly on the shore.

Lu Bu recalled how Liu Miao and Zhou Yu had used chariots to form a crescent-shaped formation to land in Hedong, but such a tactic was clearly impractical on the vast ocean.

"Let's launch a full-scale attack!"

Just as Lü Bu was about to make up his mind to launch a full-scale attack on Liaokou, a small, covered boat leisurely sailed in from Liaokou.

One of the men on the boat was an old acquaintance of Lü Bu.

With a feather fan and silk turban, dressed in a moon-white robe, who else could it be but Zhuge Liang?
"How did he get out of Gongsun Du's camp?"

When Lü Bu met Zhuge Liang, his mind was somewhat blank.

"Could it be that Liu Bei has already been defeated by Gongsun Du and surrendered to him?"

Lü Bu had heard Liu Miao praise Zhuge Liang on several occasions.

Back in Langya, Liu Miao practically raved about Zhuge Liang! He even said that while everyone else surrendered, Zhuge Liang was the one who persevered to the very end…

But how is Zhuge Liang able to get out of Gongsun Du's camp now?

When Zhuge Liang saw the vast and mighty fleet of Han ships, he also sighed softly.

After he sensed something was wrong, he immediately dispatched scouts to Qingzhou.

What they received, however, was news that Lü Bu had already left.

After careful consideration, Zhuge Liang went to tell Liu Bei his guess.

"Is Kongming saying that Yuan's true objective is Qingzhou?"

"Of course."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei immediately sensed something was wrong!

"In that case, we should contact Lü Bu as soon as possible!"

Zhuge Liang shook his head: "In this vast ocean, where can we find any trace of the Great General?"

"If we want to stop the general now, we must first get to Liaokou."

Liaokou?

Liu Bei understood Zhuge Liang's meaning and said angrily, "Kongming wants to go deep into the tiger's den alone? To Gongsun Du's camp?"

Liu Bei had just fought a major battle with Gongsun Du. If Zhuge Liang went to Gongsun Du's place at this time, wouldn't that be like a lamb entering a tiger's den?
Zhuge Liang replied, "Gongsun Du is a cautious man and will not act rashly."

"Moreover, once the pros and cons are clearly explained, Gongsun Du will have no reason to continue the fight."

Liu Bei, however, absolutely refused to part with it!

However, after Zhuge Liang's constant persuasion, Liu Bei finally relented and ordered Zhao Yun to escort Zhuge Liang to Liaodong.

As Zhuge Liang had predicted, things turned out just as he had.

Although Gongsun Du resented Liu Bei for ambushing him, he ultimately dared not confront Zhuge Liang, Liu Miao's close advisor.

However, Gongsun Du hesitated, unsure whether to agree to Zhuge Liang's request to contact Lü Bu.

in short.

He still hadn't made a good choice between Yuan Shao and Liu Miao.

Zhuge Liang remained calm and composed, staying by Gongsun Du's side until Lü Bu launched his attack, during which time he remained completely silent.

"Lu Bu is upright and honest; nothing in this world can make him back down."

"If he misses his first attack, he will surely launch a full-scale offensive. Does the governor think he can withstand it?"

Zhuge Liang phrased it tactfully, but Gongsun Du could still understand the implied meaning—

Lu Bu is just a simple-minded fool!
If someone can't beat you, they might retreat.

But if Lu Bu can't beat him, he'll really fight to the death!

However, Gongsun Du stubbornly replied, "What is there to fear from mere bravado?"

Zhuge Liang lightly waved his feather fan: "Even a common man's anger can cause blood to spill three feet."

"Moreover, Liaodong has never been a populous region. We have already lost several thousand elite troops in Liaoxi. If we lose more elite troops in this battle, we might be able to hold off the Han Dynasty now... But how will the governor face Yuan Shao in the future?"

Zhuge Liang's words were not harsh; he simply reasoned with Gongsun Du slowly.

"When Yuan Shao becomes rich and powerful, does the governor really think Yuan Shao will tolerate you?"

Gongsun Du frowned: "Han Ying, Zhao Ying, aren't they all the same as me?"

"No."

Zhuge Liang shook his head.

"Now that the Yuan family has used a scheme to lure a fierce tiger like the General out of Qingzhou, they must have already made other arrangements."

"In other words, the Yuan army has a greater advantage than the Han army on the Qingzhou battlefield."

"If the general can withdraw his troops and return to Qingzhou, then Han and Zhao can at least temporarily hold their positions in Qingzhou."

"In the current war between Han and Zhao, what the governor most hopes for is that neither side can win. Now that the opportunity is right in front of him, what is the governor hesitating for?"

Gongsun Du wanted to hold on a little longer.

But the Han army not far away had already started beating their war drums, clearly indicating that Lü Bu was indeed going to launch a full-scale attack on Liaokou, just as Zhuge Liang had predicted!

"Ugh!"

Gongsun Du sighed deeply.

With Zhuge Liang (Kongming) in charge, why worry about the Han dynasty not being able to rise again?

Left with no other option, Gongsun Du had to send Zhuge Liang by boat to make contact with Lü Bu.

As Zhuge Liang slowly approached Lü Bu's ship, just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Lü Bu shout—

"Zhuge Kongming! Why did you come from Gongsun Du's camp? Have you become a traitor?"

Even Zhuge Liang, who remained calm and composed throughout the enemy camp, couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated at this moment...

(End of this chapter)