After listening to Chen Deng's secret statement, Liu Bei's heart was filled with turmoil, but his face remained calm, and his only movement was to close his eyes slightly, then he opened his eyes, leaned over to Chen Deng and said:
"Well, Yuanlong,
When we meet for the first time, how much can I trust you?"
Chen Deng did not show any hesitation when faced with this kind of questioning. Obviously, his experience in the past few years has really made people suspicious. He first served in Linzi, and then surrendered to Bai Bo, saying that he was loyal to the monarch of Sheji.
It would make people laugh. If we say that he is still taking orders from Bai Bo,
He came to Xijing just to deceive Liu Bei and set a trap for him. I am afraid there are many people who believe it. But Chen Deng only said: "Although it is the first time for me to meet the general, the name of the general is spread throughout the Kyushu.
I have been in love with you for several years."
Liu Bei laughed heartily when he heard this, and then said: "When I was the captain of Dongping, I also heard of Yuanlong's reputation. Speaking of which, you and I have been friends for a long time." Chen Deng's expression changed when he saw this.
He also relaxed a little, but seeing Liu Bei calm down again, he said solemnly: "But I'll give Yuan Long the bottom line. It's only been a month since I withdrew from Youzhou. The army is determined. Before the end of the year, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to send troops."<
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Liu Bei is telling the truth. This year he sent troops to Hebei and spent a lot of money.
The long confrontation with Yuan's army also caused low morale in the army. If the soldiers were not allowed to take a break and went thousands of miles away to fight in winter,
If he could not win a big victory, it might damage the reputation of the DPRK. Especially under the premise that the DPRK had just undergone major changes, he had to be cautious. Therefore, he said this in the hope that the Xuzhou magistrates could delay it for him.
Only in this way can he trust him and prepare for the expedition next year.
Chen Deng understood what he meant and knew that this was indispensable sincerity, so he felt embarrassed, but still agreed with difficulty: "If it is delayed for one month, my family can still do it, but no matter how late it is, it will not be possible. General Wang
We can send troops quickly before February next year, otherwise the people will have gone north, and we will have no choice but to die to prove our ambition."
This was considered settled. But Liu Bei was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, he ate in Yuanjue Temple. Indeed, he had often heard about Chen Deng's talents in Dongping. When they met this time, he was impressed by Chen Deng's demeanor.
I also admire the courage and courage very much,
Therefore, I couldn't help but want to get to know him better. That night,
He talked with Chen Deng at night,
From the changes in the customs of Xuzhou in the past few years to the changes in the political situation of the Linzi court, we found that many views and ideas coincided. It can be said that the two sides hit it off. At the end, Liu Bei took Chen Deng's hand and sighed: "We are waiting for Xuzhou to happen."
Well, Yuanlong is my Ganghou!"
The so-called Ganghou refers to Jiafu, the Marquis of Jiaodong during the reign of Emperor Shizu. He was ranked third among the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai. He accompanied Liu Xiu on many campaigns and made many military exploits. Although he did not have the same level of responsibility as Feng Yi and Deng Yu, he was
Liu Xiu's subordinates can be called the first generals. Liu Bei's metaphor was obviously to let Chen Deng directly join his subordinates. Chen Deng also knew the elegant meaning after hearing the string song, and immediately promised: "I am willing to do the work of dogs and horses!"
Finally, Liu Bei gave Chen Deng a piece of the seal of the Guangling Prefect as a token, and made an agreement with him. In January next year, the Han army would definitely send troops to Xuzhou, and he could use it to meet him. Chen Deng put the seal away, and then dealt with it.
Liu Bei paid his respects and said, "Then Chen Deng is waiting for good news in Xiapi." Then he left quickly in the early morning.
As soon as Chen Deng left, Liu Bei was not ready to rest, and immediately went to discuss the matter with Chen Chong. Chen Chong had also been waiting for news from Liu Bei and stayed up all night. When Liu Bei came, he was still calculating the expenses for the coming year.
Liu Bei told Chen Chong what he had said yesterday. Chen Chong was not surprised at first, but when he heard that Yuan Shu had the imperial seal, his eyes jumped. After Liu Bei finished speaking, Chen Chong asked: "What was the reaction of the puppet dynasty? Yuan Shu
Didn’t you say you want to go north with him?"
Chen Deng also talked about this matter. He said that Guan Cheng of Linzi actually had a plan, but Yuan Shao seemed not to want to bear the reputation of being a secret liaison with the puppet government, so he did not intend to accept it. However, Yuan Shao made a promise in private. Once the Han army
To attack Qingzhou, he can send troops south to assist. The only condition is to cede all the counties in Pingyuan County and north of the river to Yuan Shao. From this, Yuan Shao is determined to take over Hebei.
"Ting Jian, what do you think? If we go to war in the first month of next year, how many troops should I dispatch?"
Chen Chong thought for a moment and quickly answered: "Not counting Meng De's soldiers, you can mobilize up to 70,000."
When Liu Bei said this answer, he was stunned at first, and then became puzzled. After all, in the past four years, he has led troops ranging from eighty to ninety thousand to more than one hundred thousand. It stands to reason that the imperial court now controls four states, so the national strength should be more substantial.
That's right, how can the number of troops that can be mobilized be reduced?
But Chen Chong's words are not nonsense, but the truth. At present, Gongsun Zan is taking a breather in Hebei, but he is no longer able to defeat Yuan Shao. Since Yuan Shao has spare power, once he gets the news of Liu Bei's expedition, he will inevitably attack in multiple ways, or take the opportunity to defeat Yuan Shao.
To invade Shangdang, one must either attack Hanoi to seize the mountainous terrain. Therefore, troops and horses are required to stay in both places. Considering that Shangdang is the foundation of the hegemony and Hanoi is the hub of the north and south, there is absolutely no room for loss, so the minimum number of defenders is
It costs about 30,000.
As Xianbei becomes more and more rampant, Wuhuan also turns to Yuan Shao, and Yanmen's 20,000 garrison cannot be easily moved. Once there is a change in Youzhou, more troops and horses may have to be sent to Yanmen. Therefore, among the 100,000 Bafu troops, there may only be two
Wan Neng went out with Liu Bei. The only ones left who could march with Liu Bei were Guan Yu's 30,000 Henan Army and Zhang Xian's 20,000 Jingnan Army.
Liu Bei was very angry and asked: "I understand that the Northern Army cannot be moved, but Huangfu Li still has 30,000 troops? Can't use them?"
"There are a lot of bandits in Runan. Thirty-nine cases have been suppressed this year. Chengying (Huangfu Li) is still suppressing bandits. If he is sent to go with him, I'm afraid there will be chaos in Yuzhou." Chen Chong said with a helpless smile, "Last year.
Yuzhou is in a state of severe famine, and there are still 40,000 Yuan Shu captives to be guarded. Xuande, you have seen with your own eyes that there is nothing we can do about it."
Liu Bei couldn't refute what he said, so he could only find a mazaar and sit down, secretly sulking at Yuan Shao. Chen Chong saw it funny, so he provoked him casually: "What? After all, you still have an army of 70,000, and even Bai Bo and
Yuan Shu's combined forces only amount to 40,000 people. Can't you win Xuande?"
Liu Bei naturally opened his mouth and replied: "Yuan Shu is blind, Han Yang Xiaohan, breaking it is as easy as breaking a porcelain tile." He smiled when he said this, and then sighed and said, "It's just that Yuan Shu holds the jade seal passed down to the country. Once
He ran into the mountains and forests. The sky and the earth are vast. If there is no army, how can I search? If the country's great treasure is lost because of this, it will be your fault and mine."
Chen Chong suddenly realized that he had already cared about this in his heart. He didn't expect Liu Bei to care so much about the imperial seal, so he didn't tell him. At this time, he said: "It doesn't matter, I just need to give it to Jiangdong."
I have written a letter to my uncle, Fu Xiu, to respond to you from the north to the south. Are you afraid of where he can escape?" Liu Bei then raised his hands and felt relieved.
By the end of October, Liu Bei and Chen Chong said goodbye and left Xijing, heading east along the Wei River until between Yi County and Chencang. After the order to summon the Liang people was issued, Dong Yue, Hu Zhen and the more than 40,000 Liang people under their command gathered in Liu Bei
In front of him, he anxiously awaited his trial.
When Liu Bei announced that their labor service was over and that the Liang people would be divided into fields and settled, the scene was filled with cheers. It was hard to imagine that the Liang people's cavalry, which was so powerful back then, were now happy to work in the fields. In the end, they were still willing to continue fighting and join the Shanxi people.
There were only more than 5,000 Liang people left in Yangba Mansion, and the list was compiled in one day. Even Dong Yue and Hu Zhen were very emotional. The two of them told Liu Bei that if the world could really be pacified, they would hope that the world would be peaceful.
They would be satisfied if the general could grant them five hundred acres of tax-free land.
After a short rest, Liu Bei handed over the land allocation matters to Chen Qun, and he led five thousand Liang people back to Jinyang. When they set off, the weather suddenly turned cold, and the sky became gloomy, and the Bingzhou Mountains
It's like a continuous wave, and now it's hard to tell the trace. And in the mountain valleys, very light snow began to drift, and the large group of people burst into white steam, making the journey even more cold and threatening.
For several days, they camped along the Fen River. The temperature was still plummeting. When Liu Bei set out, the waves of the Wei River were still rolling, but now there was a thin layer of ice crystals on the Fen River, which swayed with the waves.
There is also a layer of white frost and snow on the surrounding long grass, and the dead branches on the mountain extend endlessly, passing through the screaming north wind. Liu Bei looked at the cold night and thought: This year's winter seems to be worse than usual.
It should be colder.
When Liu Bei arrived at Qixian County, the long-lost sun finally appeared on the southwest mountain, emitting a dim and feeble light. The terrain on Liu Bei's right was low and gentle, and there seemed to be a big river on the horizon, shining faintly with waves. Liu Bei knew that it was Zhao Yuze,
His first battle after the annexation was fought nearby.
Xu Shu learned the news early and had prepared camps and food for the Liang people near Zhaoyuze. Liu Bei asked Hu Zhen to lead the army to rest here. He led Dong Yue and dozens of others all the way north to Jinyang. After several years of expansion, Jinyang is no longer a lonely giant city, but has north and south markets, and its popularity is booming. It was night when Liu Bei arrived, and it was already mid-November, and there was another
It was the end of the new year, and the night market in the south of the city was particularly lively. The lanterns were as red as flowers, and the market was full of flowers. People celebrating in the night market could be seen everywhere, and they were overflowing with joy. They saw Liu Bei riding through the market, many of them
Everyone recognized him and called him as he called his father: "It's the general!" Liu Bei also smiled happily.
After buying some preserved fruits in the market, Liu Bei finally entered the city. The streets in the city were not so lively. Most people had already taken a rest, but there were still a few lights decorating them. Liu Bei was in an extremely relaxed mood. When he arrived in front of the mansion,
As soon as he dismounted, a short figure suddenly ran out and bumped into his arms.
The person in my arms said loudly: "Father!"
Liu Bei rubbed Liu Xie's head, lifted him up, and asked him: "Want to ride a horse? Boy." Five-year-old Liu Xie said loudly: "A real man must ride a big horse!" Liu Bei laughed and held him up.
On his neck, he imitated the neighing of a horse. The guards following Liu Xie couldn't help but be a little stunned when they saw this.
Looking back, his wife Liu Jia came out again holding her eldest daughter Alu. Alu was born to Liu Jia last year. Now she can speak, but when she saw Liu Bei, she could only say "ha" loudly. Liu Jia put down Alu and
While brushing Liu Bei's dust off, he took the preserved fruit from Liu Bei's saddle and asked him in a low voice: "How long can you stay at home this year?"
Liu Bei held his wife's hand in public and laughed and said: "I can still celebrate the New Year every year."
After entering the house and washing up, Liu Bei hugged Liu Jia on the couch, and his consciousness soon fell into drowsiness. But before he fell asleep completely, a divine light inexplicably passed through his mind. He thought: Everything gained has a price, and there is no price.