Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 183 Gongsun Ganglie, Righteous Men Rescue Liu Bei's Mother (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
If things had developed normally, with Liu Yu's name at the peak, Gongsun Zan's power would have controlled most of Youzhou and Qingzhou, as well as parts of Jizhou, and his influence could have even penetrated into Xuzhou and Yanzhou.

However, the situation is different now. Gongsun Zan turned against Liu Yu when Liu Yu trusted Yuan Shao to attack Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo.

After the coalition against Dong Zhuo ended, Liu Yu took the position of Grand Marshal and received help from Yuan Shao, Han Fu, and Qiu Liju.

Even with the help of Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju's former subordinates, Gongsun Zan could not withstand the rebels from all sides.

Now even Youbeiping has been lost, and only Yuyang remains under control.

"I never expected that Xuande would still remember his old friend. It's a pity that I only have a few thousand remaining soldiers now, and I am powerless to do anything about it." Looking at the seal of the Governor of Youzhou and the appointment document, Gongsun Zan couldn't help but feel a lot of emotions.

Gongsun Zan hung the seal of the Governor of Youzhou on his waist and then led Xu Shu, Shi Tao and others into the inner courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, several women were mending clothes. When they saw Gongsun Zan leading outsiders in, they all stood up.

“Aunt, why are you mending clothes again? You shouldn’t do these things anymore.” Gongsun Zan approached one of the women, bowed, and then frowned.

The woman smiled gently: "Bo Gui, why are you being so formal? If you hadn't saved me, I would be dead. What's mending clothes compared to that?"

Gongsun Zan sighed, then turned to Xu Shu and said, "Minister Xu, this is Xuande's mother. Since you have come to Yuyang, you must have a way to leave. Please take Xuande's mother out of Yuyang and safely send her back to Luoyang. In this way, I will have lived up to Xuande's trust."

Xu Shu was greatly alarmed and hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.

The woman was none other than Lady Wu, Liu Bei's widowed mother who had stayed in Zhuojun, where she originally lived.

Although Liu Yu responded to the call to attack Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo, he was a gentleman and would not do something like capturing Liu Bei's widowed mother.

Later, Yuan Shao, Han Fu, and Qiu Liju, who were assisting Liu Yu, were no longer so gentlemanly. They directly sent people to Zhuojun to kidnap Liu Bei's mother.

Upon receiving the news, Gongsun Zan urgently ordered his cousin Gongsun Yue to go to Zhuojun. Although Lady Wu was rescued, Gongsun Yue was killed by a hail of arrows.

Lady Wu felt deeply guilty about this, and even though Gongsun Zan sent people to serve her, she would still do what she could in the backyard.

Upon seeing that Gongsun Zan wanted Xu Shu and the others to take her out of the city, Lady Wu's expression changed drastically. She solemnly said, "Bo Gui, although I am a woman, I am not someone who is afraid of death. How can I leave out of fear of death?"

Gongsun Zan hurriedly advised, "Xuande is now the Emperor's uncle, and your status is different now. How can you die here? Please leave with Minister Xu."

"My son is the Emperor's uncle, what a blessing for me!" Madam Wu's face showed pride, and she said, "When my son left home, I told him that if he cared about the affairs of the country, he would not be able to care about the affairs of the family. He must not let my situation ruin the affairs of the country."

“Minister Xu and the others have come through hardships and dangers; they must be righteous men whom my son values ​​highly. If they were to protect an old man like me out of the city, there would surely be casualties.” Madam Wu’s face showed pain again: “Your cousin Gongsun Yue has already died to save an old man like me. How can I, an old man, take the lives of righteous men again? If that is the case, I would rather commit suicide!”

Gongsun Zan's expression changed, but he couldn't think of any words to persuade Madam Wu, so he could only turn his head and sigh.

Xu Shu was shocked and quickly gathered Shi Tao and the other seven to discuss the matter: "We were able to reach Yuyang only because our Imperial Uncle prepared fine horses and armor for us, which allowed us to escape danger by chance; if we take the Imperial Uncle's mother away, the danger will be even more unpredictable."

“We are willing to die for our duty, but if we cause the death of our Imperial Uncle’s mother on the way, we will be ashamed of our Imperial Uncle’s kindness; but if we leave and watch our Imperial Uncle’s mother die, we will also be ashamed of our Imperial Uncle.”

Shi Tao, who knew Xu Shu best, asked, "Yuanzhi, do you wish to stay and assist us?"

Xu Shu nodded: "Since I have received such kindness from the Imperial Uncle, it is only right that I do so."

Without hesitation, Shi Tao said, "Then I will stay with Yuanzhi."

The other six nodded in agreement, saying that they would share both wealth and hardship.

“In that case, I have a plan.” Xu Shu said in a low voice, “Do you remember Zhang Yan, the Black Mountain bandit we met on the way here? I think he has great ambitions and can be brought in as an external ally for Governor Gongsun.”

Shi Tao exclaimed in surprise, "But Zhang Yan and the others responded to Yuan Shao's proclamation, how could they possibly help Governor Gongsun?"

“Times have changed.” Xu Shu said solemnly, “Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army was originally gathered in Black Mountain after the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Ji Province was defeated. They only responded when they saw Yuan Shao and others attacking Luoyang.”

"However, in the world today, the one who treats the Yellow Turbans the best is none other than the Imperial Uncle. In the past, the Imperial Uncle was ordered to quell the Yellow Turbans in Gebei, but in the end, he helped the Yellow Turbans in Gebei to restore their homeland and even built a city in Gebei."

"If we can explain the advantages and disadvantages to Zhang Yan and others and persuade them to send troops to rescue the mother of the Imperial Uncle, and with the help of Governor Gongsun's several thousand troops, even if we cannot hold Yuyang, we can retreat to Heishan to avoid disaster."

Shi Tao also said solemnly, "In that case, we shall go immediately. If things go wrong, even if only one of us remains, we must return to Luoyang to report the news."

After the discussion was settled, Xu Shu turned to Gongsun Zan and told him the plan, adding, "Rather than waiting to die, we should take another gamble. Now that Governor Gongsun has the seal of the Governor of Youzhou, he can revitalize the morale of the troops."

"Qiu Liju came at Liu Yu's invitation, but he may not really be willing to help Liu Yu. Governor Gongsun can also send assassins to intimidate him. If the Imperial Uncle's mother is injured, the Imperial Uncle will surely raise troops to exterminate her entire clan."

Gongsun Zan seemed to be deep in thought, then asked, "How confident is Minister Xu in persuading Zhang Yan?"

Xu Shu said firmly, "Governor Gongsun doesn't need to worry about how confident I am. As long as we are not all dead, we will definitely be able to bring reinforcements!"

Gongsun Zan was startled, and his gaze towards Xu Shu became more respectful. He cupped his hands and said, "I understand what Minister Xu means. As long as I have a breath left, I will definitely defend Yuyang!"

Madam Wu became increasingly alarmed as she listened, and quickly stopped him, saying, "Minister Xu, I am just an old woman, not worth your risk."

Xu Shu bowed deeply to Madam Wu and solemnly said, "Madam Wu, we were originally just a group of wandering knights from Yingchuan with no other great skills. Your Imperial Uncle did not consider us uncouth and humbled yourself to befriend us. Such kindness is something we can never repay even if we die."

“Our families have all been taken to Luoyang by the Imperial Uncle, who also said, ‘If anything unfortunate happens, our mothers will be cared for by the Imperial Uncle.’ The Imperial Uncle treats our mothers well, so how can we stand by and watch him suffer without helping him?”

"In this world, righteousness comes first. We urge Madam Wu to take good care of herself. We will certainly not fail the kindness of our Imperial Uncle!"

Upon hearing Xu Shu's words, "righteousness comes first," Gongsun Zan was deeply moved and said, "Good! Minister Xu, you may have a hearty meal first. Later, I will lead my troops out of the city to challenge you and cover your escape."

Madam Wu sighed deeply, then suddenly picked up a pair of scissors, cut the clothes into eight pieces, and wrapped them one by one around the arms of Xu Shu and the other eight men, saying, "If things don't go well, you can tell my son that since you have devoted yourself to the affairs of the country, you should not worry about family matters. If Heaven is on your side, we will meet again."

Xu Shu and the others were even more moved.

Outside Yuyang City.

Yuan Shao's main tent.

News of Liu Bei's great victory over the rebel forces in three provinces also reached Yuan Shao's ears by fast horse.

Upon hearing this news, Yuan Shao was so angry that he kicked the table in front of him away and cursed Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, Yuan Yi and others as useless.

Twenty thousand troops traveled a thousand miles to support Xiaopei, but the hundreds of thousands of well-rested troops were defeated!
Yuan Shao found it hard to believe that such a victory could have been achieved by human beings!
Even hundreds of thousands of pigs could crush 20,000 soldiers.

"I thought Yuan Shu and the others could restrain Liu Bei, but they ended up making Liu Bei famous throughout the world. How despicable!"

Yuan Shao's anger did not subside.

He also harbored even greater hatred for Gongsun Zan, who was holding out in Yuyang: "Gongsun Zan is born of a maid, yet he dares to oppose me. Once Yuyang is breached, I will tear him to pieces and throw him to the dogs!"

Although Yuan Shao was also born to a maid, he was later adopted and remained part of the legitimate line. In contrast, Gongsun Zan was born to a maid, but was neither raised under the care of the principal wife nor adopted into the legitimate line.

Yuan Shao was still able to stand at the top of the social hierarchy.

Feng Ji, standing to the side, said softly, "My lord, do not put the cart before the horse. With our troops from all directions, defeating Gongsun Zan is not difficult. The most important thing is to suppress Han Fu's military power and seize Ji Province."

"Hmph!" Yuan Shao snorted coldly and said, "I didn't expect that Han Fu would have such a skilled general as Qu Yi under his command. I originally wanted Han Fu to die on the battlefield, but I didn't expect that Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry would be killed by Qu Yi's eight hundred infantrymen. Instead, Han Fu got to show off his power."

Just as Yuan Yi and others deliberately lured Liu Bei to send troops by besieging Xiaopei without attacking, Liu Yu, Yuan Shao, Han Fu, and Qiu Li, with their combined strength from all four sides, could easily defeat a Gongsun Zan who had not yet matured.

Therefore, Yuan Shao kept putting up a show of inaction while scheming against Han Fu.

After finally getting Han Fu to face off against Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry, Yuan Shao even had Feng Ji open a celebratory wine.

However, the battle report came back that Han Fu had decisively defeated Gongsun Zan, which startled Yuan Shao, who thought he had misheard.

It was only after investigation that it was discovered that Han Fu had recruited an elite Qiang army and equipped them with powerful bows and crossbows, and had Qu Yi, who was proficient in Qiang warfare tactics, as their general.

Neither Yuan Shao nor Gongsun Zan knew of the existence of Qu Yi's Qiang army.

It was also Gongsun Zan's bad luck that the Qiang people always valued profit over righteousness, and Qu Yi was quite arrogant. Therefore, Han Fu dared not let Qu Yi make merits and always used Qu Yi as a personal guard, refusing to let Qu Yi go to the battlefield.

As a result, Yuan Shao wanted Han Fu to die at the hands of the White Horse Cavalry, but coincidentally, the White Horse Cavalry ran into Qu Yi, who had been holding back for many days.

The dry firewood was instantly burned to ashes when it came into contact with the raging fire.

Gongsun Zan's general Yan Gang was also shot and killed, which led to Gongsun Zan's successive defeats, and in the end only Yuyang remained.

Even so, Yuan Shao strongly advised Liu Yu that Gongsun Zan was like a cornered beast fighting back, and that the main strategy should be to besiege him rather than attack the city.

Yuan Shao feared that if Gongsun Zan were defeated, Yuan Shao's achievements would be less than Han Fu's, and all his hard work in planning would be for nothing but benefit for Han Fu.

When Han Fu is appointed Grand General and Governor of Ji Province for his merit in defeating Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao will probably be so angry he'll want to eat shit.

"My lord, please don't be hasty." Feng Ji smiled confidently: "Han Fu is too petty. He resents Qu Yi simply because Qu Yi has won one battle after another and often asks for credit in front of the Grand Marshal."

"Qu Yi, on the other hand, was arrogant and conceited because of his high merits. He was often dissatisfied with Han Fu, probably because he thought Han Fu was blocking his path to promotion."

"As long as we find another opportunity to instigate the two, Qu Yi will definitely clash with Han Fu. Once Qu Yi kills Han Fu, our lord can then kill Qu Yi and annex his forces."

"In Hebei, who can rival our lord?"

This wasn't the first time Feng Ji had used this tactic of instigating conflict.

Ding Yuan and Wang Kuang were killed by Feng Ji's schemes in the past.

The difference is that Qu Yi is not Ding Yuan, and Han Fu is not Wang Kuang.

Ding Yuan and Wang Kuang had no relationship, while Qu Yi was a subordinate promoted by Han Fu.

Although instigation is more difficult, Feng Ji is very confident in his instigation skills.

Qu Yi's dissatisfaction with Han Fu is nearing its breaking point.

They were discussing it.

A messenger reported that Gongsun Zan had come out of the city to challenge them to battle.

"Huh? Gongsun Zan has been holding Yuyang, why has he suddenly left the city? Could it be that he wants to fight to the death?" Yuan Shao frowned.

Yuan Shao has not yet achieved his goal of seizing Ji Province, and he is not yet willing to fight a decisive battle with Gongsun Zan.

Feng Ji's gaze turned cold: "Gongsun Zan deliberately went out of the city to challenge us, probably to cover the people who came to ask for help while they left the city. However, this is also an opportunity for our lord. Our lord can continue to stop the Grand Marshal from going out to fight. Han Fu is worried that Qu Yi will make more contributions, so he will definitely stop the Grand Marshal from going out to fight as well."

"If Han Fu tries to stop us again, Qu Yi will become even more dissatisfied with Han Fu. At that time, all we need to do is instigate Qu Yi, and we can let our lord take over Ji Province!"

A sinister smile crept across Feng Ji's lips; he was also excited that his instigation plan was about to succeed.

Yuan Shao laughed loudly and strode over to Liu Yu's main tent.

Before anyone even entered the tent, they heard Qu Yi volunteering for battle.

As Feng Ji had predicted, Han Fu was worried that Qu Yi would achieve further military merits and had been opposing him all along.

He also used arguments such as "there must be a reason for this unusual situation," "Gongsun Zan must have a cunning plan," and "as long as we besiege the city, we can take Yuyang without bloodshed" to dissuade Liu Yu from going to war.

If it were someone with strong decision-making ability, they would have agreed to let Qu Yi fight long ago.

However, Liu Yu had always disliked military affairs, believing that it was better to talk than to fight. Therefore, he had previously disliked Gongsun Zan's behavior of disobeying orders and intercepting and killing the Wuhuan envoy.

After being persuaded by Liu Yu, Qiu Liju and others chose to submit, which made Liu Yu even more convinced that talking was better than taking action.

Therefore, he was also dissatisfied with Qu Yi's request to fight, believing that Qu Yi was too warlike and did not cherish the lives of his soldiers.

This infuriated Qu Yi.

If we had launched a direct assault on Yuyang City, we would have breached it long ago. Why would we have been besieging it for so long without succeeding?

"Grand Marshal, this humble general is willing to sign a military pledge: if I am not victorious, please cut off my head." In his eagerness to fight, Qu Yi even brought up a military pledge.

However, this move not only failed to move Liu Yu, but also made Liu Yu even more disgusted with Qu Yi. He retorted, "The art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. How can a general enjoy killing? Today, Gongsun Zan has left the city, which must be because the city's food supplies are running low. I should use words to persuade him to surrender voluntarily."

Upon hearing Liu Yu's words, Yuan Shao was even happier.

There's no need to come up with any more persuasive arguments to dissuade Liu Yu.

The less knowledge Liu Yu has about military affairs, the better it is for me. Once Han Fu is dead, I will marry my daughter to Liu He and let Liu Yu take charge of the government. Then, Hebei will be at my disposal.

Seeing Liu Yu and Han Fu leave the tent to persuade Gongsun Zan to surrender, Yuan Shao gave Feng Ji a look.

Feng Ji understood, and then found Zhang Jin, a retainer of Yuan Shao: "The time has come to persuade Qu Yi. We can destroy the foundation of Hebei with this one move."

(End of this chapter)