Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 309 For four hundred years, there has been no capable minister to save the world; for twenty-four dynasties, the Han Dynasty has been fortunate to have loyal and virtuous officials!
Following the issuance of the royal decree, the King of Han ordered his adopted son Zhang Xiu to lead 100,000 troops from Jingzhou, including Xing Daorong and Cai Mao, to attack Wuguan Pass from Nanyang.

He ordered General Xiahou Dun, the General Who Guards the North, to lead his adopted sons Chen Dao, Xu Sheng, and Xiahou Ba, along with Taishi Ci, and 30,000 troops from Runan to march out of Yingchuan.

He ordered Yue Jin, Li Dian, and Lu Xun to lead 30,000 troops from Liang and Lu to leave Liang.

The two armies joined forces, with Xiahou Dun and Lu Xun leading a total of 60,000 troops to attack Huanyuan Pass.

The King of Han himself personally led the armies of Huainan and Jiangdong, commanding Ji Ling and Zhang Xun, totaling 150,000 troops, northward to join forces with other generals.

He said: Whoever can break through the pass between Wuguan and Huanyuan Pass before his main army arrives and advance into Luoyang will achieve tremendous merit.

In addition, he ordered Lü Bu, the King of Qi, a vassal state, to lead 70,000 troops from Xuzhou out of Langya to attack Yanzhou, in order to contain Cao Cao's troops in Yanzhou.

With the combined manpower and resources of the Han and Qi states, a total of 380,000 troops were assembled, which was called: 830,000 troops by land and water!

Heading north to cross the Han River, our ambition to save the nation rests on this battle!
The imperial edict was issued and widely disseminated throughout the land, proclaiming the emperor's edict in his belt and exposing Cao Cao's numerous atrocities of usurping the country for personal gain and persecuting loyal officials.

The King of Han then raised an army of 830,000 to attack the two provinces of Si and Yan, declaring that he would cleanse the emperor, eliminate the traitors, unify the world, and restore order to the land.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world!
Wherever the 830,000 Han troops went, the local officials and magistrates wept bitterly, lamenting Cao Cao's atrocities and expressing their gratitude for the loyalty and righteousness of the King of Han.

Wherever the army's advance pointed, they all shouted to the King of Han:
For four hundred years, no capable minister has graced the land; for twenty-four reigns, the Han Dynasty has been fortunate to have such loyal and virtuous officials!

How could that not be considered a loyal and virtuous man of the Han Dynasty?

These officials from small towns and counties, who were blocking the Han army's advance, could only silently mourn for the emperor and Prime Minister Cao in Luoyang, as if they were already dead, even though they were still alive.

That's a full 830,000 troops!

In the four hundred years since the founding of our great Han Dynasty, we have never seen such a "loyal" minister.

Look at the King of Han. He could have been a local tyrant in Huainan, living a life of luxury and power. Yet now he is personally risking his life, leading an expedition north to Luoyang to rescue the emperor.

The King of Han is far too "loyal"!

Therefore, wherever the Han king's entourage went, the local officials all trembled and prostrated themselves by the roadside, performing the grandest rites of worship, shouting:
"loyalty!!!"

When Lü Bu of Xuzhou heard that the Han King's army was marching north, his ministers in his tent were in an uproar.

Chen Gui, Chen Deng, and their followers strongly advocated following the imperial edict to march north and attack Cao, in order to maintain their status as a subordinate state.

However, Chen Gong and Zhang Liao firmly advised Lü Bu that he absolutely could not obey the imperial edict. If he were to help the King of Han to destroy Cao Cao and gain control of both Si and Yan provinces, then Xu province would be completely surrounded by the Han state, leaving him with no diplomatic relations with distant countries and no friendly neighbors nearby.

If the Han state were to invade, there would be no allies or friendly forces left, and annihilation would be imminent.

At this critical moment, the only chance of survival is to refuse the Han King's edict, support Cao Cao, and form an alliance between the two.

Although Lü Bu was worried, when he heard the number of "830,000" in both land and naval forces, even he, who had regarded the lords outside the pass as mere weeds when he was at Hulao Pass, could not help but be shocked.

Back then, the only force that could muster this strength was the alliance of eighteen warlords, which was so frightening that Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang and fled.

However, Bu also knew that following Yuan would only bring him a moment of peace, and that if Cao were to fall, Bu would perish. Therefore, he decided to ally with Cao against Yuan, thus forming the Lü-Cao alliance.

However, openly, he still angrily rebuked Chen Gong and Zhang Liao, saying:
"I am a loyal subject of the Yuan family and have a marriage alliance with the King of Han. How can I betray my principles and join the rebels, turning against the great nation?"

This matter should not be mentioned again. Immediately muster 70,000 troops and march north to attack Yan, to demonstrate my loyalty to the Han!

Upon hearing this, the members of the powerful families, led by the Chen family father and son, all addressed Lü Bu as "the Wise King!"

That's right. I heard that the King of Han, who controls all the powerful families in the land, has established a system of ten powerful families in Huainan.

These vassal states and aristocratic families are planning when they can also apply to join. Our Qi state is also under the rule of the King of Han. You people from Huainan should not be discriminated against based on your region.

After all, the earlier you go, the sooner you can get a spot. If you go late, and the Han King's territory grows larger and larger, with all the powerful families of the Nine Provinces gathered together, the competition will be incredibly fierce.

As for Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, and others, although they wanted to persuade him again, the entire Xuzhou army was in the hands of Lü Bu, and his mind was made up, so there was no way to change his mind.

As everyone else departed, Lü Bu left Chen Gong behind alone. Under Chen Gong's bewildered gaze, Lü Bu dismissed his attendants and said:

"A true man lives between heaven and earth; how can he be subservient to a country and a state, and live a life of melancholy and subservience to others?"

I intend to feign an attack on Yan, and then, when Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are at war, launch a surprise attack to achieve my great ambition. Do you have any advice for me, sir?

Chen Gong: "."

Good, good, good, as expected of you, Fengxian.

Chen Gong was overjoyed to learn that Lü Bu had not been blinded by his current comfort and was actually going to help the King of Han with his Northern Expedition.

However, on the surface, he still tried by saying:
"If you intend to assist Cao Cao, why obey this royal decree?"

All we need to do is respond to Cao Cao's call to alliance and send troops to Pei to contain him. Even if the King of Han sends troops to attack, we will be able to defend Xiaopei and make it the gateway to Xuzhou.

While this approach lacks offensive capabilities, it is sufficient for defending the city; we are simply waiting for Cao Cao.

Before he could finish speaking, Lü Bu interrupted him.

"What if Cao Cao loses?"
As you said before, once Cao Cao fails, the King of Han will take over the two provinces of Si and Yan, and Xu Province will be trapped like a turtle in a jar, waiting to die.

Yuan Gonglu now commands an army of 830,000 men to march north and attack Cao Cao!

I pondered that even if it wasn't the claimed 800,000, it must have been at least 200,000 to 300,000.

They must be determined to settle the world in one battle!

Even if Yuan Shu were to divide his forces after I led my troops to Pei, it would only delay the inevitable and would not allow me to achieve complete victory.

If Cao Cao fails to defend Luoyang and is defeated and forced to retreat, how will he survive in Xuzhou?

If Yuan's army were to retreat and attack Xu, wouldn't that be inviting trouble and only benefiting Cao Cao?
Yuan Gonglu has long desired to overthrow the Han dynasty and establish himself as emperor, but he is only afraid of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Liu Biao, and me.

Now that several heroes have perished, only I remain. I am irreconcilably opposed to them, and the only one who can save the country and the Han Dynasty is myself!

Having previously paid tribute and pledged allegiance, and having also offered 200,000 shi of grain, and now being ordered to travel north, this is enough to gain his trust.

When this traitor fights Cao Cao to the death, I will turn against him and strike him straight in the heart!

If Yuan Shao dies, the Han state will collapse, and the crisis in Xuzhou can be resolved.

Chen Gong was surprised. He stared blankly at Lü Bu in front of him, never expecting that the usually clear-headed Fengxian would have such keen and accurate insight into this matter of gaining someone's trust first and then turning against them.

He couldn't help but nod in approval, praising it as follows:
"What Your Majesty says is very true. If we do not want to be annexed by the Han Kingdom, Xuzhou is indeed our only chance right now."

Your Majesty, you may now send a trusted confidant to secretly contact Luoyang and tell them about our feigned attack on Yan.

In reality, it was all an act. When Lu Xun and Xiahou Dun's armies had fully assembled at Huanyuan Pass, we took advantage of Liang Lu's vulnerability and launched a cavalry attack on their rear.

If we can attack from both sides with Cao Cao's army and wipe out this army, it will be enough to cut off one of the King of Han's arms.

However, this action must be swift, and must be completed before the main force of the King of Han joins forces; otherwise, once his hundreds of thousands of troops gather in one place, it will be beyond human control.

Lu Bu agreed with this, saying that if they were to face the main force of the King of Han directly, even if he turned against them and launched a sneak attack, he would not dare to claim victory lightly.

However, if it were merely a matter of launching surprise attacks on local Han armies like Xiahou Dun and Lu Xun, Lü Bu would still have a great chance to succeed.

Putting everything else aside, what about that General Xiahou Dun, the General Who Guards the North? Could he possibly withstand my halberd?
The King of Qi said, "Excellent."

Having established the general policy, Chen Gong then proceeded to elaborate.

"If this plan succeeds, we must strengthen the defenses of Xuzhou in case the King of Han becomes enraged and attacks Xuzhou."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu pondered for a moment before replying, "Wei Xu is a close relative of mine, and has always been my trusted confidant."

Now, he and Wen Yuan can lead 30,000 infantrymen to guard the gateway to Xiaopei.

Furthermore, Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng, together with generals such as Gao Shun, guarded Xuzhou, ensuring its stability.

I am leading only 10,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, claiming to have 70,000 troops heading north.

After arriving in Langya, he left infantry to feign battle with Yanzhou, while his cavalry launched a surprise attack on Lianglu, with his troops aimed at Yingchuan.

If we can decisively defeat Xiahou Dun and Lu Xun's forces, severing one of Yuan Shao's arms, then with Cao Cao joining us in marching south to Yu Province, we can divide and contain Yuan Shao's main force, along with Xu Province.

As Lü Bu spoke, he asked one last question.

Why does Cao Cao trust me?

Chen Gong's gaze grew cold, and he smiled faintly.

He had no choice but to believe it!

With Yuan Gonglu leading the entire nation northward, Cao Cao had no spare strength to spare for defending Yanzhou.

Compared to the Han army breaching the pass and destroying the country, capturing Luoyang, only the general could save him.

As long as the general leads his cavalry to defect to the Han army and forges a blood feud with the King of Han, then regardless of victory or defeat, he will believe it even if he doesn't want to.

"Only when he withdraws troops from Yanzhou to jointly resist the pressure from the Han army will we be able to take Yanzhou without losing a single soldier."

At this point in their conversation, the two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without a word.

This plan seems like a risky and ingenious scheme, as if both Lü Bu and Chen Gong were prepared to fight to the death for Cao Cao, leaving themselves no way out.

In reality, Cao Cao was their escape route!
If everything goes smoothly, it would be best if Lü Bu could defeat Xiahou Dun and others by launching a surprise attack and defecting. However, if the war situation changes and the plan fails, the Cao-Lü alliance will fight to the death but still cannot defeat Yuan Shao.

The King of Qi should seize Yanzhou for his own use!
Anyway, the surprise attack on our side was all cavalry. If they were determined to run, how many horses did the King of Han have in his "830,000" army? They couldn't possibly catch up!
On the contrary, Cao Cao was stuck behind and couldn't escape, so all his energy was tied up by the Han army.

When that time comes, we can turn the pretense into reality, return and attack Yanzhou again, and explain to the King of Han that the so-called defection and surprise attack was just a trick to gain the trust of Cao Cao.

Bu traveled a great distance to come here, all to assist the King of Han; such is his loyalty.

At that time, Prime Minister Cao, who is preoccupied with his own troubles, would surely be happy to lend a helping hand to his ally.
Yes, if we do not pay tribute and submit to the emperor, and instead march north to attack Yan, we cannot gain the trust of the King of Han. It is inevitable that the King of Han will not choose Cao Cao, but instead covet Xuzhou.

However, if he did not personally lead his cavalry to defect to the King of Han, he could not gain Cao Cao's trust and make him feel at ease withdrawing all the troops in Yanzhou to fight the Han army.

Therefore, only by attacking Yan and also turning against Yuan Shu can one gain the trust of both sides, thus weakening and restraining Yuan Shu while maximizing one's own benefits.

When it comes to scheming and intrigue, King Han is widely recognized as the best in the Han Dynasty. But when it comes to fickleness, Lu Bu is second to none!

Once Yanzhou and Xuzhou are connected, he, as the King of Qi, can ally with Yuan Shao above and assist Cao Cao below, thus gaining strategic depth and freedom of movement.

Then, we will be able to dominate the heavens again!
This erratic, back-and-forth plan will likely result in one of three outcomes: best, worst, or medium.

The best course of action would be to decisively defeat Xiahou Dun and his allies, balance the power between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, and then, while they are locked in a stalemate, have the cavalry take over Yanzhou, occupy the lands of Yan and Xu, and escape the confines of Xuzhou.

The middle option was to defect and launch a surprise attack on Xiahou Dun, which failed, leaving Cao Cao to fend for himself under Yuan Shu's military might. Cao Cao escaped quickly and also took Yan Province, occupying the lands of Yan and Xu.

The worst-case scenario is that the King of Han, in a fit of rage, attacked Xuzhou, and Xuzhou was subsequently lost.

That doesn't matter. As long as we take Yanzhou, the losses will be transferred. By exchanging Yanzhou for Xuzhou, we can escape the predicament of being surrounded by the Han state.

In Yanzhou, they could better connect with Yuan Shao in the north, who was currently the only powerful ally who could be effective in both directions against the Han army.

As for Cao Cao?
Excuse me, but as a man of great stature, living between heaven and earth, how can I swear allegiance to the withered bones in a tomb?

According to this plan, there is a two-thirds chance that Lü Bu will become a powerful warlord who controls two provinces!

In the future, heroes will vie for supremacy, and everyone will have a place to stand. Who would know that this is just a skeleton in a tomb?

In the dim candlelight, just like when he took Yanzhou and Xuzhou, Lü Bu, who usually didn't listen to Chen Gong's advice, was able to reach an unprecedented level of understanding with Chen Gong on these unpredictable strategies, and exerted strength far beyond what he had ever shown before.

How the two of them looked at each other and smiled, their conspiracies and secret discussions, we will not mention for now. Meanwhile, in Luoyang.

Luoyang, the main hall of the imperial city.

All the ministers were present, but the imperial throne remained empty. Cao Cao alone sat in a grand chair beneath the dragon throne, gazing at the assembled ministers!

He held the intelligence report in his hand, his words chilling to the bone.

Gongsun Zan proclaimed himself King of Yan, and Yuan Shao proclaimed himself King of Wei!!!

These treacherous officials and villains have no regard for the law. In this great Han Dynasty, is there anyone who still respects the emperor?
Aside from me, Cao Mengde, are there no loyal ministers or righteous men in this world who would support the Han dynasty and restore its glory?

Everyone remained silent, bowing their heads and keeping their eyes straight ahead. No one dared to look at the empty dragon throne next to Cao Cao's seat.

To avoid arousing Cao Cao's suspicion that they were mocking him for not respecting the emperor.

There was no other way. Previously, Liu Yao's act of sending the imperial edict in the belt had not only imprisoned the emperor, but also led to the execution of almost every Han official in the court who had any backbone.

Even the Yang family has now sided with Cao Cao. Those who are still alive and standing here are either Cao Cao's subjects or dare not speak out against him.

Apart from one person, Xun Yu stood solemnly before the crowd, staring at Cao Cao.

"I have heard Prime Minister Cao say: If you were not in the world, I wonder how many people would claim to be emperors and how many would claim to be kings."

"Now that Chancellor Cao is still alive, why are there so many who claim to be kings throughout the land?"

Cao Cao: "."

It's all because of the bad habits and evil practices brought about by Yuan Gonglu!

With people's hearts no longer what they used to be and morality declining, what can be done about it?
Before he could say anything more, a waiter came running over, panting, calling out urgently.

"It's all over."

The imperial court is finished, the Han Dynasty is finished!!!

King Yuan Shu of Han raised an army of 830,000, claiming that he was acting on the emperor's edict to launch a northern expedition to save Han and rescue the emperor!
Wherever their military might passes, none in the world dares to disobey them.

What! ! !
These words shocked everyone present!

An army of 830,000 men launched a northern expedition?

Upon hearing of Yuan Shu's overwhelming military might, fear gripped everyone, and discussions among the crowd intensified.

Some people who had previously dared not speak out against Cao Cao's atrocities suddenly seemed to have found a powerful backer and began whispering among themselves.

"It seems that the King of Han is a very loyal minister. He has come to save the emperor."

"Yes, yes, if Prime Minister Cao were to leave the city to plead guilty and return power to the emperor, wouldn't he be able to withdraw his troops?"

"An army of 830,000, who can defeat them?"

Regardless of whether the King of Han retreats or not, we can still give it a try.

With righteousness at stake, why should Cao Cao hesitate to sacrifice himself? He should emulate Chao Cuo and share the emperor's burdens.

However, all the murmurs and chatter of the crowd fell silent as Cao Cao's cold gaze swept over them, and no one dared to speak again.

(End of this chapter)