First, Shen Chen sent troops to help him balance the situation in the north and weaken Cao Yuan's power.
Second, he pacified Jingnan, obtained tens of thousands of troops from Zhang Xian, supported a crowd of 170,000 to 80,000, and became the leader of all the princes in terms of strength.
These two things caused his ambition to expand again and rekindled his dream of becoming emperor.
In the final analysis, he had the intention of proclaiming himself emperor in history, but as Cao Cao became stronger and stronger and the north gradually became unified, he had no choice but to extinguish this idea.
But now the situation is very different. Shen Chen attacked Xu Du in a surprise attack, hurting both Yuan and Cao, so that after he pacified Jingnan, he became even more violent.
Now that the emperor's dragon robe and the emperor's chariot are ready, it is time for him to test many officials.
But what he didn't expect was that as soon as he finished speaking, the whole place was silent. Everyone was sitting cross-legged on the table, looking at their noses and hearts. Even his close confidant Cheng Qi didn't dare to be the first to speak out.
This matter involves too much.
At that time, there were strict regulations on sacrifices. Sacrifice to the heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, the four mountains, and the five mountains were not something ordinary people could do.
Only the emperor can lead his ministers and officials to worship.
You, a local prince, want to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, criticize Chengyu, and compare the state of the country, what are you doing?
Rebellion.
Although the emperor is controlled in Xudu, he is not dead yet, so he wants to seek power and usurp the throne?
So this is a proposition. As long as these officials and guests under Liu Biao are still rational, they cannot answer this question at all.
"Speak, why are all of them mute?"
Seeing that everyone was silent, Liu Biao's face, which was relatively excited at first, instantly turned gloomy. He was fifty-eight years old and didn't know how many years he had left to live. How could he not be so anxious?
Deng Hong glanced at Shen Chen. Shen Chen shook his head slightly, and Deng Hong buried his head.
No one spoke as no one wanted to make the first move.
Only Kuai Liang thought for a moment, then stood up and raised his hands and said: "Ming Gong is a clan member of the Han Dynasty. Now that the country is in crisis, it is a matter of course to pray for the country and the country on behalf of the emperor. However, I am afraid that the world will misunderstand me, so I need to be cautious. "
"Yes, Ming Gong, please think twice before you act."
"This matter is very involved, and I may be criticized by everyone in the world. Therefore, please do not act impulsively."
"Ming Gong, I think so too."
"Sacrifice is to pray for the good of the country. I think it is not necessary to sacrifice to heaven and earth. The ancestor of Ming Gong is King Lu Gong. Why not sacrifice to the family temple to seek the blessing of the king?"
"Not only King Lu Gong, but also Emperor Gaozu can be worshiped. These are all ancestors of Ming Gong. What's wrong with offering sacrifices to our ancestors?"
"I think Zi Shang, Yuan Ji and others are right, they can offer sacrifices to their ancestors."
Everyone expressed their opinions.
Everyone is not a fool. Obviously Liu Biao wants to test everyone's intentions. If Miao Zi cannot be killed, then maybe he will suddenly learn Yuan Shu and become emperor all of a sudden. Isn't this looking for bad luck?
Therefore, they all asked Liu Biao to think twice before acting, hoping that he would reconsider.
However, there are also a few who are more diplomatic and support Liu Biao's sacrifice, but not to the heaven and the earth, but to the ancestors.
These people like Liu Rui, Han Xuan, Zhao Fan, Liu Du and other close relatives of Liu Biao are like this. They neither offend Liu Biao nor violate taboos.
After all, the gods that the Han people believe in most, besides the sky above their heads, are their ancestors.
Liu Biao is the successor of King Lu Gong, and Liu Bang is also his ancestor. We are all of the same bloodline of the old Liu family, so why can't I sacrifice my ancestors?
Not to mention the world, not even the emperor can find fault with him.
Only Liu Biao looked very unhappy.
What he wants is not to worship his ancestors, but to gain a position of power like the emperor. If he really wants to worship his ancestors, what's the point of his temptation?
However, Liu Biao was very deep in the city. Knowing that everyone's opposition was now more clear, he changed his smile and said: "You don't have to be surprised. I just want to pray for the country and the emperor. I have no other intention. Today is for me, the great talent of Jingzhou."
When I come back from the north to catch the wind and wash away the dust, let’s not talk about anything else and just have a banquet.”
As he waved his hand, the food that had been prepared began to be served. Groups of graceful dancers and musicians came out from the left and right sides of the screen, lined up in the open space in the center of the hall, and began to play music and dance.
Dance.
This was the favorite thing for the powerful people at that time, especially the old Liu family. From Liu Bang to Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong, and then to Liu Biao and Liu Zhang, they all liked to play music and dance.
But because of the little episode just now, many officials were preoccupied and bored. They didn't dare to talk or ask any more questions. They all kept their heads down and immersed themselves in their work.
In the entire hall, except for the sound of cooking and singing and dancing, there was no other sound.
After noon, the singing and dancing stopped, the food was eaten, and the banquet was over. Liu Biao stood up and said, "That's it for today's banquet. Achen, please wait in the house for a while. Zirou, come with me, and the rest of the party will come."
Gone."
"only."
Everyone broke up the banquet.
Kuai Liang followed Liu Biao to the study room in the backyard to discuss matters, while Shen Chen sent Song Zhong and Wang Can to the door of General Hussar.
"Master, brother Zhongxuan."
Shen Chen stood at the door and raised his hands to the two of them and said, "I didn't mean to offend you today, and I didn't expect you to come."
Song Zhong waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter. When you grow up, Ah Chen, Jingyi, you have blazed a new path. You also went to the north to attack Cao Cao and proved yourself. I, as a division commander, am indeed not as good as you."
"Master, please don't say these things."
Shen Chen said respectfully: "Master, once you are my master, you will be my master forever. I will also keep in mind the principles of life you taught me."
"well."
Song Zhong sighed: "The road ahead is still very long, let's go ahead."
After that, he turned around and got into the carriage.
Wang Can said: "Ah Chen, you have the style of a national scholar, but"
He glanced at Liu Biao's officials and followers who were coming out on the left and right. He hesitated for a moment, but still did not dare to speak out. He just said: "Please proceed with caution."
"Thank you, brother."
Shen Chen actually knew what he was going to say, and no one was a fool.
Today Liu Biao is actually sending a signal.
If Liu Biao had been a Han cavalry general and a herdsman of Jingzhou, everyone would definitely be willing to follow him.
But if he wants to do something else, forget it.
Therefore, Wang Can can be regarded as advising Shen Chen not to go astray for the sake of revenge.
The two left.
Shen Chen walked back into the hall.
Deng Hong, Liu Xian and others originally worked in the state government. They had public houses in the government office, so they went on duty separately.
At this moment, in the study room in Liu Biao's backyard, Liu Biao and Kuai Liang were sitting side by side.
Incense is burned indoors, and the aroma is fragrant.
Liu Biao gently tapped twice on the fine red sandalwood table that was shipped from Guangzhou, and asked: "Zirou, what do you think?"
"The resistance is huge."
Kuai Liang shook his head and said: "Many officials are unwilling to offer sacrifices to the public in public. This matter must be discussed in the long run."
"Well."
Liu Biao nodded slightly, was silent for a moment, and sighed: "I am already very old. Now the world is in ruins, the country is in chaos, and there are chaos from all directions. I am a member of the clan named Liu, and I also want to inherit the ambition of Guangwu, but the years have passed.
What a waste of time."
Kuai Liang said: "Tai Gong is expected to be eighty years old. He assists King Wu in defeating Zhou. He is seventy years old and honest, but he still has more courage. Ming Gong is now healthy in body and daily life, so how can he lament that he is old?"
"Hahaha, Zirou's words really won my heart. Fortunately, I have Zirou by my side, otherwise I would have been depressed long ago."
Liu Biao was persuaded by Kuai Liang and laughed. Cai Mao and Kuai Yue in Jingzhou were all pro-Cao faction. Only Kuai Liang and Huang Zu supported him in achieving his hegemony.
Recently, he has suppressed Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, withdrew their military power, and handed over Zhangling Prefect of Kuai Yue to Huang Zu's son Huang She, in order to slowly exclude the pro-Cao faction from the core.
.
Today's temptation is actually a signal, but judging from the results, this temptation may not be satisfactory.
But no matter how difficult it is, we still have to move forward arduously.
At fifty-eight years old, who knows how many more days he has to live?
After the two encouraged each other, Liu Biao said again: "Zirou, what do you think of Shen Chen?"
"Shen Chen went north and almost missed important business. He was too reckless."
Kuai Liang muttered: "Although the result this time is extremely beneficial to us, he really almost brought the emperor to Nanyang. If that were the case, Ming Gong's great cause would have been completely eliminated."
"Well."
Liu Biao nodded and said: "Ah Chen is good at everything, a genius in both civil and military affairs, but he has a deep hatred for Cao Cao, and he almost ruined my career. I am also afraid that he will cause some trouble, so I will let him study at home in peace for two years.
Give him a talent and then work for me."
Kuai Liang then said: "If Ming Gong wants to develop his grand ambitions, he cannot be in a hurry. Today's announcement that he will attack Cao next year is a good thing. If it can be done, we can use the prestige of attacking Cao to continue testing."
"you mean?"
"You can first assemble the army and offer sacrifices to the heaven and earth to establish authority, and then send the army north. You don't need to defeat Cao Cao. If you can conquer Yingchuan, your reputation will spread far and wide."
"Um."
Liu Biao stroked his beard and said, "That makes sense."
Kuai Liang continued: "However, now that the new year is approaching, I still need to reorganize the army and ensure the supply of food, grass and equipment. I am also afraid that the army is now too redundant, which is not conducive to commanding operations."
"I know about this."
Liu Biao said: "Liu Bei wrote a letter and said that he came to visit me a few days ago. I don't think he can return north. I'm afraid he came to me for a place to stay. What do Zirou think?"
Kuai Liang said: "Liu Bei has fought with Cao Cao many times. He is familiar with Cao Cao's details and has a clothing edict. If he can use it, it will be a good thing for him. Now Zhangxiu is to the west of Nanyang, and our farmland is to the south of Nanyang.
There is no one stationed in the north, so Liu Bei can be placed in Wancheng. Next year, he will go north to attack Cao. Liu Bei may be able to help him."
Historically, half of Liu Biao's Nanyang was actually occupied by Cao Cao. Later, when Liu Bei came over, he used the method of resettling Zhang Xiu and placed Liu Bei in Xinye as a buffer zone with Cao Cao. He did not have any good intentions towards Liu Bei.
He was just using Liu Bei.
But now his strength has increased sharply. Shen Chen's battle in Nanyang dealt a heavy blow to Cao Cao and prevented Zhang Xiu from moving north. Cao Cao was unable to invade Nanyang and gain Nanyang's millions of people, which greatly expanded Jingzhou's strength.
Immediately after the Zhangxian Rebellion and the pacification of Jingnan, Cao Cao's strength surged. Up to now, Cao Cao could only station troops at Nanyangkou and could not move in, so he did not need Liu Bei to buffer him.
However, Liu Bei still has political significance. He is one of the successors of the Yidai Edict. Dong Cheng followed the Yidai Edict and conspired with Zhong Ji, Wu Shuo, Wang Zifu, Liu Bei, and Wu Zilan to get rid of Cao Cao. As a result, the rest of the people were killed. They were all killed by Cao Cao, and now only Liu Bei is left.
Therefore, even if Liu Bei is the only survivor of the Yidaizhao incident, if Liu Biao wants to establish his prestige by attacking Cao Cao, he must use a reasonable excuse to obey the Yidaizhao with Liu Bei, the general of the left, which is the best choose.
"Zirou's words are very reasonable."
Liu Biao nodded and said: "Okay, I will personally discuss with Liu Bei then. If he is willing to join me, I will let him station in Wancheng and give him the north of Nanyang."
"And in the palace today, I see some people with strange expressions on their faces. I'm afraid these people will be resistance to Duke Ming."
Kuai Liang suggested: "Some people should be replaced or replaced."
"Um."
Liu Biao was convinced, and he also noticed it.
For example, Liu Guan and others are opponents of his sacrifice to heaven and earth, and I am afraid they cannot stay.
The two discussed some details, such as some matters for next year's sacrifice, the list of some people to be replaced, and even some people may have to be killed in order to establish their authority.
After chatting for about half an hour, Kuai Liang said goodbye and left.
Liu Biao summoned Shen Chen again.
Shen Chen entered the house. It was a small hall. After entering the hall, there was only a mat and tables on the left and right sides. The mats had been changed just now. It was obvious that Kuai Liang had left not long ago.
Directly opposite the door was the main seat. Liu Biao was sitting behind the desk. When he came in, he stepped forward and cupped his hands and said, "General."
"Ah Chen, sit down."
Liu expressed his approval and sat on his right hand side.
Shen Chen sat down, raised his hands and said, "General, I wonder what the reason for calling Chen here is?"
Liu Biao pondered: "Ah Chen, what do you think of Jingzhou today?"
"I wonder what the general is referring to?"
"The human heart."
"People's hearts?"
Shen Chen thought for a while and said: "There are many people who are close to Cao in Jingzhou, so the people's hearts may not be stable."
Liu Biao smiled approvingly and said: "Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid there would be more people who are close to Cao Cao in Jingzhou."
"This is all because of the general's strong support."
Shen Chen smiled sheepishly.
He and Liu Biao had common interests in this matter, so they supported and used each other.
Liu Biao used him to suppress the pro-Cao faction, and he used the power given by Liu Biao to do this, which was a clear division of labor.
How rampant were the pro-Cao faction back then?
Because of Liu Biao's secret alliance with Yuan Shao, officials of all sizes seemed to be in a state of panic. Official documents arriving on his desk were like snowflakes, and countless people resigned.
Even Kuai Yue, who had helped him gain a foothold in Jingzhou, persuaded him. You can imagine how bad Liu Biao's mood was during that time.
The appearance of Shen Chen was like giving Liu Biao a beam of fire in the darkness, allowing him to sit in the rear and observe his opponents behind the scenes. Shen Chen was responsible for the firepower in front, which greatly relieved his pressure.
So in this matter, Liu Biao was still very grateful to Shen Chen.
Now those famous scholars, great Confucian families and wealthy families who opposed him have either gone north to join Cao Cao, or gone south to live in seclusion in Lingling and Guiyang, and their power has weakened a lot.
Liu Biao is now considering suppressing Cai Mao and Kuai Yue so that he can rely on Huang Zu and Kuai Liang, two supporters, to complete his hegemony.
As for Shen Chen.
I did consider letting him join before.
With Kuai Liang at his command, Huang Zu with military prowess, and Shen Chen possessing both civil and military skills, why worry about failing to achieve great things?
It's just that Shen Chen is young and has a fierce personality, so he is prone to getting sick when fighting Cao Cao.
Now Cao Cao's vitality is severely weakened, his troops are out of food and fodder, and the entire Henan region has been defeated and can be described as a ruins.
On the other hand, I am sitting in Jingzhou, which has a strong people and a prosperous state. I have more than 100,000 troops under my command and sufficient food and grass. The advantage lies with me.
If Shen Chen is sent up at this time, if he fails to do a good job and actually beats Cao Cao to death and rescues Liu Xie, then he is still playing chicken?
So Liu Biao decided to take it easy first.
After Cao Cao's Northern Expedition next year and establishing his prestige, he will move step by step towards proclaiming himself emperor.
Seeing that Shen Chen was quite modest, Liu Biao stroked his beard and said, "Ah Chen, you have always been wise and early. I want to know what the world is like now and what the future will be like?"
Shen Chen then said sternly: "Cao and Yuan are both injured and have no time to go south in a short time. This is a good opportunity for the general to strengthen himself."
"oh?"
Liu Biao smiled and said, "What do you mean by this?"
Shen Chen said: "The north is now in a stalemate between Yuan and Cao, and there will be no winner in a short period of time. The general should store up supplies at this time, build high walls, and send a general to guard Nanyang to defend the north. Then build up troops and horses, and follow the plan The general will go east and take Yangzhou directly."
Take Yangzhou?
Liu Biao frowned slightly, this was contrary to the strategy he had discussed with Kuai Liang.
In fact, he planned to kill Cao Cao while he was ill.
Now that Cao Cao is weak, he just happens to seize Yuzhou and Henan. The best case scenario is that Cao Cao jumps over the wall and kills the emperor, so that he will have an excuse to ascend the throne.
If it doesn't work, it doesn't matter. After conquering Xudu, there are many ways to make the emperor disappear mysteriously.
For example, Cao Cao set fire to the palace, and the emperor died.
Moreover, Liu Bei and Shen Chen cannot be involved in this matter. One of them is also a clan member of the Han Dynasty, so they may not necessarily be of the same mind as him.
The other one is too hot-tempered and has not yet tested the idea of proclaiming himself emperor. If this guy Shen Chen is a die-hard loyalist to the emperor, wouldn't he be shooting himself in the foot?
Therefore, Liu Biao nodded noncommittally to Shen Chen's suggestion: "Cao Cao is in the north, shouldn't we defeat Cao Cao first?"
Shen Chen said: "However, once Cao Cao is destroyed, Ming Gong will have to face Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao controls the four states and has strong soldiers and horses. After several years of training, he can regain his strength, so he still needs to be cautious. Chen thought that he would break it first. Yangzhou and Yizhou can capture the entire south, and then sit back and watch the battle between Yuan and Cao. When they are exhausted, the general can launch a massive northern expedition, sweep across the entire north, and dominate the world!"
"Well, what you said makes sense."
Liu Biao quickly changed the subject and said, "How have you been doing with your studies recently? Did you miss any of your studies while you were in the army?"
"It's definitely a bit lax."
Shen Chen replied.
Liu Biao smiled and said: "Then you should go back and study hard first. It would be good to recruit a few disciples to teach and educate people. Next year or the year after, I will recommend you as a talented person, so you can come and serve under me."
"Thank you, General!"
Shen Chen cupped his hands and thanked him.
"Well, go ahead."
Liu Biao closed his eyes and waved his hands, seeming a little tired.
Shen Chen stood up, bowed his hands, exited the door, turned around and left.
Watching his leaving figure, Liu Biao frowned slightly.
In fact, I summoned Shen Chen here today because I wanted to test his thoughts and see if he supported his claim to be emperor.
In fact, only Kuai Liang knew about his idea of proclaiming himself emperor, not even Huang Zu.
The pro-Cao faction in Jingzhou is strong, but that does not mean that the anti-Cao faction supports him.
Just like Shen Chen, he often shouts slogans outside, saying things like opposing Cao Cao and welcoming the emperor.
Their rebellion against Cao Cao was not against the emperor. If they really led Shen Chen and Liu Bei's gang to attack Cao Cao and captured Xudu, and they took Liu Xie back to Jingzhou, Liu Biao would probably want to die.
So he had to test Shen Chen.
I just wanted to ask Shen Chen for his opinion on the situation, but I didn't expect that Shen Chen, who was originally aggressive, suddenly started to become more stable.
We must use Jingzhou as the foundation, unify the south first, sit back and watch the internal fighting between Yuan and Cao in the north, and then reap the benefits.
It sounds good and is a very good strategy.
The issue is.
How many years do I have left?
Can the winner of Yuan Cao's internal fight be determined in a short time?
Were Yizhou and Yangzhou also obtained in a short time?
What's the point if I die of old age and haven't conquered Yizhou and Yangzhou yet?
So after hearing Shen Chen's suggestion, Liu Biao no longer wanted to listen to it.
He is too old.
After the new year, he will be fifty-nine years old, and he will be sixty years old in vain.
Don't talk about dominating the world.
Even if he only defeated Cao Cao and occupied Yuzhou, he couldn't wait to proclaim himself emperor.
Therefore, he could only listen to Shen Chen's suggestion.
I would never choose to do this.
Again.
Time doesn't wait for me.
Looking at the sky in the distance outside the door that looked like dark clouds, Liu Biao's heart seemed to be filled with a layer of gloom.
Ten thousand in the morning, and more in the evening