Looking at the pile of documents in front of him that was more than a foot high, Cao Cao felt a splitting headache.
Since he led his troops northward in April to relieve the siege of Baima, he has been fighting Yuan Shao for more than half a year. In the early stage, he took advantage of Yuan Shao's carelessness and Xun You's strategy to kill Hebei generals Yan Liang, Wen Chou and others.
However, the tactical victory could not cover up the strategic decline. Although Yuan Shao lost his troops, he still had a huge advantage in military strength. Cao Cao had to retreat to the Guandu area to set up defenses. Facing the Hebei army led by Yuan Shao himself and pressing in like the top of Mount Tai,
This time, his clever tricks were useless, and Cao Cao had to bite the bullet and fight Yuan Shaojun head-on. As a result, he lost consecutive battles in August and September.
The disadvantages of the war on the front line are not the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing is the "fire in the backyard".
These documents in front of Cao Cao are almost all bad news from the rear. Yingchuan and Xudu are where his base camp is, and the situation is relatively stable. But once out of Yingchuan, war breaks out throughout Yuzhou, and many heroes rebel. With the "Four Directions Disintegration"
, looking far and near” is not an exaggeration at all to describe the current situation.
Cao Cao wrote a letter to Xun Yu before, intending to return to Xudu. This may be the reason.
Just as Cao Cao was sitting on the bed with a frown on his face, a deep and loud voice like a bell suddenly sounded outside the tent: "Ming Gong, a letter has arrived from Xun Lingjun..."
"Wen Ruo's letter..." Cao Cao was startled. Could something have happened to Xu Du? He hurriedly called Xu Chu from outside into the tent.
Xu Chu was more than eight feet long, with a waist ten inches wide, a majestic appearance, and extraordinary arm strength. In the past, in front of more than ten thousand bandits, he dragged an ox by its tail and dragged it for more than a hundred steps, which was comparable to a horseman carrying a calf across a river.
With this, the bandits were driven back, and the sound shocked the entire Liang Kingdom. Xu Chu was extremely brave and a native of Cao Cao's hometown. He led his young men and thousands of clan members to join him three years ago, and he was immediately appointed as a guard. Previously, he often served as a scholar, such as Xu Ta and others.
People with evil intentions and plots to assassinate Cao Cao were all killed by Xu Chuge in the tent.
Xu Chu, who had the body of a tiger and the waist of a bear, walked up to Cao Cao, presented Xun Yu's letter with both hands, and then stood aside silently, waiting for instructions.
Cao Cao eagerly opened the letter, and when he saw it, he immediately felt relieved.
"Liu Zhongda..." After reading the content of the letter, Cao Cao had a strange look on his face. Among the princes in the world, the only ones he feared were Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. In order to prevent Liu Biao from transferring the Jingnan army back to the north to help Yuan Shao, he granted the title of Grandson
Ben Yi Changsha, Ye Zhang Jin Yi Ling, Gui. Unfortunately, his arrangement did not work. Instead, a young man from Nanzhou solved his trouble.
If what Liu Jing said is true, Liu Biao lost all his elite and vitality after this battle, and could no longer harm the country in a short period of time. Even if Liu Jing exaggerated, it is indisputable that he regained Changsha and occupied Jingnan.
fact.
Cao Cao held up his hands and sighed: "Why are there so many talented people in Jiangnan?"
South of the Yangtze River, there are many barbarians and Yue, and it has always been regarded as a backward place by the Chinese. Not long after the death of Sun Ce, who was sweeping Jiangdong, Liu Jing, who defeated Liu Biao and separatized Jingnan, both of them were weak.
In order to establish a foundation, he could not find a third person in the world, which made Cao Cao sigh with emotion.
Liu Jing has made great contributions to the country, and now he has sent an envoy to Xudu to pay tribute. If he does not add a generous reward, it will definitely chill the hearts of the heroes in the world. Moreover, a centipede insect can die without stiffness. Liu Biao has a deep foundation and has won the hearts of the Han and Mian people.
Huanxin will not be defeated because of this battle. Cao Cao will use Liu Jing to contain Liu Biao in the future.
With this in mind, Cao Cao asked Xu Chu to invite Xun You, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Dong Zhao and other advisers to discuss the matter together. The matter was not controversial, and it didn't take long for everyone to reach an agreement.
On that day, Xu You, a counselor of Yuan Shao's family, was put on trial for a crime committed against the law. In a rage, he turned his back on Yuan Lai and surrendered. Just as Xun Yu had expected, Cao Cao was overjoyed and went out to greet him.
…………
Two days later, Xun Yu received Cao Cao's reply and immediately entered the palace with Zongzheng Liu Ai. Liu Ai was a famous member of the clan and had served as Dong Zhuo's chief historian. Dong Zhuo was extremely vicious and tyrannical. Many people were saved because of Liu Ai.
Since establishing the capital in Xu County, Cao Cao has built some palaces, but compared with the capital Luoyang, even compared with the western capital Chang'an, they are far inferior. However, when Liu Xie was at his lowest, he once stayed in a private house in the east of Hedong.
The people were in disarray and suffering, so they were not dissatisfied.
Liu Xie just won the crown this year. His father Ling Emperor is well-groomed and his mother Wang Meiren is beautiful. He has perfectly inherited the excellent genes of his parents. He is tall and slender and has outstanding appearance, but his temperament is slightly deep and melancholic.
At this moment, he was reciting "Zuo Zhuan" in his room. When he saw Xun Yu and Liu Ai arriving, he put down the book and asked: "Xun Qing, where are Liu Qing coming from?"
Looking at the depressed Liu Xie, Xun Yu sighed in his heart. When he first came to Xudu four years ago, he was only sixteen years old. Now that he has grown up, he is no longer willing to rule from the side. For this reason, he even used the most powerful
Drastic measures.
In the first month of this year, the Clothes Order incident broke out. Chariot general Dong Cheng, partial general Wang Fu, Yue cavalry school captain Zhong Ji, Yi Lang Wu Shuo and others claimed to have received a secret edict from the emperor to punish Cao Cao. When the incident was revealed, Dong Cheng and others were executed.
Kill the Yi tribe.
Xun Yu recovered his thoughts and told Liu Xie everything about Jingnan.
Liu Xie frowned slowly. Although he was resentful towards Liu Biao, he was also grateful. After all, Liu Biao had given him a helping hand when he returned to the East. And with such a foreign vassal, Cao Cao would also do something.
scruples.
Therefore, Liu Xie did not want to see Liu Biao suffer misfortune, not to mention the fact that the world was falling apart and the state was a big thief. The clan was supposed to help the country and save the world. How could they kill each other and do things that would hurt their relatives and make their enemies happy?
?"This Liu Zhongda is the same person as Liu Zhongda, who famously wrote calligraphy in Kyoto in recent years?"
"It's the same person." Xun Yu nodded and replied.
Liu Xie asked again: "She is from Changsha. Could it be that she is also the queen of Changsha?"
As Zongzheng, Liu Ai replied: "Liu Zhongda was born in the Liu family of Changshalongqiu, and the Liu family of Longqiu were all direct descendants of Changsha Dingwang. In the previous dynasty, he was the king for eight generations until Wang Mang usurped the throne and removed the nobility. The ancestors revived the Han Dynasty and re-established it.
In Shenzhou, Liu Xing, the son of Liu Shun, the last king of Changsha, was granted the title of King of Changsha. Later ancestors deprived him of the throne and demoted him to the title of Marquis of Linxiang on the grounds of blood estrangement. Liu Jing was a descendant of Liu Xing. His great-grandfather Liu Shou and Liu Bochang were officials at the time of Emperor Shun.
As for Situ, his father Liu Shang and Liu Zigao were the first emperor to be Yilang."
Liu Ai did not arrange seniority for Liu Xie and Liu Jing. Doing so was purely unnecessary. The two parties had been separated for hundreds of years, and it was possible that they were three or five generations apart. Liu Biao's "emperor" was not obtained through seniority, but
It was his status as the elder of the clan that was recognized by Liu Xie.
Liu Xiedao: "Cao Qing must have already decided on the reward for Liu Zhongda."
Xun Yu nodded and said: "Gong Cao wants to worship Liu Zhongda as General Anyuan, lead Lingling Prefect, oversee the four counties in Jingnan, and grant the title of Marquis of Changting of Han Dynasty."
There are four ranks of Han marquis, from top to bottom they are County Marquis, Township Marquis, Ting Marquis, and Guannei Marquis. Liu Jing was named Ting Marquis, which is already quite high.
Another ancient saying goes: "Wealth and honor do not return to their hometown, but they travel at night like embroidered clothes." The great ancestor Liu Bang's "Great Wind Song" says: "The strong wind blows and the clouds fly, and the wind rises in the sea and returns to the hometown." Returning to the hometown in rich clothes is a common feeling, so in the Han Dynasty,
The feudal lords are generally granted in their hometown, or near their hometown. Hanchang County is a county under Changsha County.
"Hanchang Pavilion...Hanchang, Hanchang..." Liu Xie chewed this word over and over again, and he was a little crazy for a moment.
Xun Yu and Liu Ai looked at each other and left at the same time.
The next day, Liu Yao went to the imperial court to see the emperor as an official in Changsha.
Liu Xie was very curious about his appearance, and he had many inquiries. When Liu Xie faced the emperor and the officials, he looked calm, calm, and answered questions fluently. Liu Xie loved his style and talent and wanted to keep him, but Liu Xie said that his mother was still in the south of the Yangtze River.
He declined politely. Liu Xie knew that he was trying to evade, but he did not force it.
After successfully obtaining the emperor's edict, Liu Gao returned home as fast as an arrow. He successively rejected the solicitations of Xun Yu and the three Dukes of the court, entrusted his brother Liu Ji's ashes to his clan brother Liu Zhen, and immediately left Xudu and went straight to Nanyang.