In the second year of Jian'an, at the end of summer, Sun Jian, the Han Polu general, was assassinated. His deputy general Zhu Zhi and his nephew Ben led the army to support Ling and march north along the Jishui River back to Wancheng. Only the school captain Li Tong was left to lead 3,000 troops to garrison in Deng County.

, the news spread, and the world was shocked.

This kind of shock even exceeded the previous death of Yuan Shao, because when Yuan Shao and Gongsun Xun were fighting, the strategic decisive battle was very obvious, so the world actually imagined and expected the rapid defeat of either party, let alone Yuan Shao's death.

Before his death, there was the defeat of Liang Qi, then the collapse of the Jie Bridge, and the pursuit that lasted for dozens of days.

If you think about it carefully, the last "emergency" incident that shocked the hearts of the world can probably be traced back to the time when Jia Xu suddenly sacrificed Tongguan and led Gong Sun Xun to drive straight into Xiwu... There was no way, Sun Wentai died too quickly, and

There was no warning, and it was in sharp contrast to his previous consecutive victories.

However, as the news spread, the shock caused by this incident that was destined to change the world situation only stayed at the level of internal discussions among various princes, and did not cause any substantive actions... Let’s not mention those that are beyond our reach.

, several neighboring princes with related interests in the Central Plains region have their own fears and helplessness.

Logically speaking, Liu Biao should be the one with the least psychological pressure. His city of Xiangyang has become the front line, and he has suffered tens of thousands of casualties. The prefect of a county under his command has been killed. What else should he care about? Just counterattack!

However, as Sun Jian's main opponent before, he had just experienced two crippling defeats and was unable to counterattack. He needed time to mobilize troops from the Jingnan area. Therefore, Liu Jingsheng was sure that he was temporarily incapable of sending troops.

Later, instead, he took the lead in sending mourning envoys... to show that the two countries were at war, and offered condolences as usual, which aroused praise from many people.

As for Cao Cao and Liu Bei, they are naturally powerful. In fact, Liu Bei, the real governor of Yuzhou, is simply leading troops to suppress the bandits in Runan for Sun Jian. As long as he wants, the entire Runan can be taken at any time; and Cao Cao's Li Jin is also in charge

Transporting military rations is currently in Yingchuan.

But both of them are under tremendous psychological pressure. Their sworn brother has just died, they are orphaned and widowed, and the whole world is attracting attention. How can you be so embarrassed to die?

In other words, Sun Wentai's death was destined to cause a big disturbance, but because everyone was caught off guard, it was calm for a while... Everyone almost watched Sun Jian's coffin being sent to Wancheng, and then allowed Sun Jian's old subordinates and family members to negotiate on their own.

.

However, that's it.

As Sun Jian's body returned to Wancheng, someone finally couldn't help but take action... In early July, when Sun Ce issued an obituary to all parties in the name of his filial son, the almost forgotten rear general Yuan Gongli suddenly took action and tried to control

Jiangxia is empty and ownerless inside!

The heroes of the Central Plains were stunned. Liu Biao, who was known as the Eight Horses and had a certain magnanimity, was even more furious. He wished he could slap himself first and then tear Yuan Shu into pieces.

However, faced with Yuan Jiujiu's almost bizarre attempt to occupy the magpie's nest, Liu Jingsheng was powerless for a moment... There were still thousands of enemy troops in Deng County at the gate of Xiangyang, and he was unable to dislodge them at the moment. How could he dare to send troops to regain Jiangxia at will?

As a result, Yuan Shu, with only a few hundred guards when he fled Nanyang that day, succeeded in controlling Anlu where he settled after entering Jiangxia, and forced two to three thousand "troops" in the city, and continued southward along the Jing River.

Travel through Yunmengze and try to capture Xiling City, the capital of Jiangxia County!

At this time, Liu Biao really couldn't bear it anymore. Although he did not dare to touch the defenders in Xiangyang City, he issued orders one after another, asking all counties in Jiangxia to organize troops and horses to defend on the spot. At the same time, he sent orders to Changsha and Wuling counties to immediately mobilize troops and horses to gather in the city.

Jiangling City was the important town in the south of Nanjun. Wu Ju and Wenpin were appointed as Zhonglang Generals. Among them, Wu Ju went to Jiangxia first and entered Jingling City to the west of Yunmengze to organize defense, while Wenpin went to Jiangling to gather troops and horses.

However, Liu Biao was still uneasy after this arrangement... It was not that he lacked strength, but that he lacked time!

It takes time to gather troops and horses, and it will take even more time to cross Yunmengze to attack Yuan Shu. At the same time, Sun Jian is dead, and there may be some big trouble in the Nanyang area to the north. If the troops and horses are still gathering,

Xiling City will be gone, and it will eventually evolve into a long-term confrontation across Yunmengze. Coupled with the previous defeat, not to mention that the opportunity to the north will be missed, and even chaos will occur within Jingzhou!

At this moment, Cai Mao, who was hit by an arrow in the buttocks and was recovering from his injuries at home, had people carry him into Liu Biao's official temple. He lay on the couch and recommended a person to Liu Biao - Jiuyuan Lu Bu.

!

To be fair, Liu Biao is not an idiot. He knows that Lu Bu has saved Cai Mao's life. This time, Lu Bu must have taken the initiative to lead troops in Jiangxia, and he is also very familiar with Lu Bu... The two were real colleagues in the Northern Army in Luoyang.

, so unlike Cai Mao, he extremely distrusts this current rogue, and is even extremely vigilant.

However, it was precisely out of this vigilance that he agreed to Cai Mao's request - because Xiangyang was empty at this time, and he was more worried about Lu Fengxian staying in the city than going to Jiangxia.

So, Liu Biao held a banquet in honor of Lü Bu, and the two made a gentleman's agreement. If Lü Bu could enter Xiling City to stop Yuan Shu from causing harm to Jiangxia, when the troops from Jingnan gathered together, he would definitely send 5,000 troops to help Lü Bu go north to Nanyang to take up his post.

, at least several counties on the east bank of Bishui, as well as Xinye, Chaoyang, Deng County and other places should be removed for Marquis Lu Wen to gain a foothold.

With this clear letter, Lu Fengxian no longer hesitated. Carrying the military order stamped with Liu Biao's seal, he led 800 cavalry directly to board a large boat disguised as a merchant ship at the Tanxi waterway southwest of Xiangyang City, and then entered the Han River and followed the Han River.

Going down... As the saying goes, the apes on both sides of the bank can't stop crying. The light boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains. The light boat is going down the river so fast. However, in more than ten days, Lu Bu and his eight hundred riders were able to turn around the mouth of the Han River, which was just a swamp in the Wuhan area in later generations.

After entering the Yangtze River and walking for dozens of miles, they abandoned the boat and went ashore, arriving at the south of Xiling City.

It is worth mentioning that if Yuan Shu's troops want to go to Xiling, they also need to go through the Han River. Moreover, his journey is closer than Lu Bu's, and he has already entered the Yangtze River. However, he did not set up defensive points at the mouth of the Han River and the mouth of Jinshui.

They looted along the fertile banks of the Yangtze River to replenish military supplies, making Lu Bu's merchant ships disguised in vain.

The eight hundred Bingzhou cavalry had already vomited until their legs were weak, and dozens of their horses were killed... However, Lu Fengxian was so quick that he gained a strategic advantage. He led his stumbling subordinates into Xiling City for a whole day.

Later, Yuan Shu's troops arrived belatedly, but they were dumbfounded when they saw the 700 cavalry in neat formation in front of Xiling City and the large banner with the word Lu.

For a moment, General Yuan Gongli, who had always been brave enough to face life, even felt a little desperate.

"Why don't we go back to Nanyang as Master Yan suggested before?" That night, he withdrew his troops and returned to the riverside ferry without firing a single shot. Yuan Shu, who had only two to three thousand recruits beside him, drank the honey water and was very serious about it.

I asked my chief clerk, Yan Shishi, for advice.

In fact, after getting into this situation, only a few loyal ministers were still around the general, and the rest were just some concubines, children, and some soothsayers and witch doctors who were raised by him.

Just like that.

Since Ji Ling is dead, who else can he ask if not Yan Xiang?

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to return to Nanyang at this time, right?" Yan Xiang, who was sitting on the horse, declined the honey water offered by the waiter and analyzed with a slight embarrassment. "At that time, my subordinates advised the lord to return to Nanyang and wait and see the situation on the east bank of Bishui.

It was because Sun Jian died, and the east bank of Bishui was empty after withdrawing his troops. However, due to the stalemate between Xiangyang and Deng County, they were unable to intervene... If the lord could regroup on the east bank of Bishui at that time, given Liu Biao's thoughts, he might not be able to do it again.

Support us in occupying Feishui to provide him with a barrier. But now, firstly, we have fallen out with Liu Biao; secondly, we have lost the opportunity... God knows what the situation is in Nanyang at this time?"

"What you said makes sense." Yuan Shu slumped down on the couch next to the candlelight. After thinking for a while, he also looked helpless. "There was a chance before, but now Sun Jian has been mourning for more than ten days. Cao Cao and

Liu Bei should have taken over Yingchuan and Runan long ago, and then moved into Nanyang. Nanyang is now occupied by Sun Jian's old troops and Sun Liu's main force. I'm afraid I really don't have a share! But now Lu Bu has entered Xiling City before me.

With his fighting power and the height of Xiling City, I cannot capture it no matter what... Do you want me to go back to Anlu and wait to die?"

"We can't go back to Anlu!" Yan Xiang replied seriously. "Once we return to Anlu, the south will not be able to leave Yunmengze, and the north will not be able to return to Nanyang. We will have to sit back and wait for death!"

"That's right." Yuan Shu became increasingly helpless. "Then there is only one way..."

Yan Xiang looked at his lord curiously.

"Master Yan, how about we go down the river to Pengze?" Yuan Shu asked sincerely.

"Does Peng Ze have a place to stay?" Yan Xiang was puzzled for a moment. "Peng Ze belongs to Yuzhang. Didn't Zhu Hao, the prefect of Yuzhang, have a falling out with his lord before? At that time, my lord Biao Zhou Shu was the prefect of Yuzhang, and Liu Biao Biao Zhuge

Xuan is the governor of Yuzhang, but he was defeated by Zhu Gongwei's troops in Kuaiji. Now he is desperate and has to surrender. Can he tolerate us?"

"It's not going to Pengze County." Yuan Shu quickly explained. "How could I not know that the Zhu family also had different intentions and used Jiangdong as their private territory... I mean, let's go to Pengze Lake!"

Yan Xiang became increasingly puzzled.

"On that day, Liu Xun, the governor of Lujiang whom I represented, was defeated by Liu Bei, so he led the people to flee to Pengze Lake, where they lived happily..." Yuan Shu quickly explained clearly. "What do you think we should go there to find him as a companion?"

Yan Xiang was stunned, then shook his head repeatedly.

"Yes!" Yuan Shu suddenly realized. "How could Liu Xun tolerate me? He must be afraid that he will be controlled by me after I go to Pengze!"

"That's not it……"

"But Master Yan, if you say this, wouldn't it mean that I, Yuan Jiujiu, am really desperate?" For some reason, Yuan Shu suddenly felt sad. "It's only been four years, why have I ended up like this? I pity my son Yuan Yaocai.

Fourteen years old, two daughters, one has just grown hair and the other is only seven years old, who will buy dowries for them then?"

Yan Xiang was also a little emotional when he saw this... However, when he heard the last sentence, he suddenly had an idea, and the idea of ​​treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor came into his mind.

"Lord!" Yan Xiang hesitated for a long time, then carefully moved Mazha close to Yuan Shu's bed, and then spoke in a low voice. "Have you ever heard of the four words "kissing"?

"What do you mean by the chief secretary?" After all, Yuan Gongli has been in officialdom since he was a child. How could he not know what Yan Xiang's plan is for his attitude. "Now that things have happened, what can't be said directly?"

"It's like this." Yan Xiang said sincerely. "My lord, today Lu Fengxian arrayed in front of the city gate. Hundreds of cavalry are majestic, but our army only has two or three thousand newly recruited soldiers. If we really want to fight, I'm afraid I won't be able to resist the opponent once."

He was trampled by his horse, but why did he not order a charge, but sit back and watch as we withdrew our troops? Moreover, we withdrew our troops without pursuing them..."

"What can there be?" Yuan Shu shook his head and sneered. "We are all old people from Luoyang. Who doesn't know who is who? This Lu Fengxian is a barbarian from the north. He has no worldly ambitions. He usually just wants to climb up. In troubled times, I'm afraid he just wants to

He can live happily in a piece of land and not be controlled by others... His appearance in Xiling City today is nothing more than being entrusted by Liu Jingsheng, and maybe he has promised to send troops to capture Nanyang for him in the future; and if he does not attack me, it is

He was expelled by Chang'an, and he only had 800 cavalry, and he was unwilling to lose them for Liu Jingsheng! Besides, I, Yuan Shu, am also a dignified general and the direct descendant of the Yuan family. Since I have saved Xiling City, there is no need for him to kill me.

What's the benefit? Aren't you afraid of offending any of my Yuan family relatives or old officials for this?"

"That's it." Yan Xiang said in a low voice. "Although Lu Bu is brave, he is only hired by others, not really fighting for anyone..."

"You mean to win him over?" Yuan Jiujiu's eyes lit up, but then he became depressed. "I am like this now. I only have a few hundred pieces of silk around me, and I just recruited him. How can I win him over?"

"Didn't I say that we should not be intimate with each other when we are not close?" Yan Xiang answered seriously. "Everyone in the world knows that Lu Fengxian was actually expelled from Chang'an, and his wife and daughter were held hostage in Chang'an... He ran left and right,

It's just a place to gain a foothold without being controlled by others! As the lord said, what Liu Biao can promise him is to send troops to Nanyang to help him gain a foothold in the future. But the lord can also persuade him to help you capture Jiangxia, and then promise to borrow

The power of Jiangxia helped him go north to Nanyang to establish himself! The difference is that he can be trusted more than Liu Biao... And there is still a contract in the world that can win people's trust in marriage? He is isolated and helpless at this time, and I am afraid he is also looking for someone.

Reliable forces rely on each other, right? If we can get married to the lord, one will be based in Nanyang and the other will be based in Jiangxia, wouldn't it be a good chance to survive among the surrounding princes?"

Yuan Shu was stunned for a moment, and then he said with a sudden look on his face: "You mean to let my son Yuan Yao and his daughter make an appointment as husband and wife?"

"It should be like this, but it's too late, and if it's impossible to make mature noodles quickly in this situation, I'm afraid Lu Fengxian doesn't believe it either." At this point, Yan Xiang was also a little embarrassed, but thinking that Yuan Shu was at the end of his rope, he gritted his teeth and said

He came out. "My lord, why don't you recruit Lu Bu as your son-in-law?"

Yuan Shu stared at Yan Xiang with wide eyes, but said nothing for a long time.

"If my lord feels that this strategy is not feasible, just pretend that I didn't say it and go to Pengze!" Yan Xiang was somewhat shameless. "At this stage, my subordinates can no longer abandon my lord anyway.
To be continued...