Now, although Zhang Lu was destroyed, an even more ruthless Yuan Xi came to Hanzhong.
Liu Zhang was unsure of Yuan Xi's approach and still had a certain sense of luck.
He and Zhang Lu had enmity, so it was not surprising that the two families were fighting. However, Liu Zhang thought that he had no enmity with Yuan Xi, so it was not surprising that he was lucky, so he sent Zhang Song to inquire about the situation.
[The major events in the novel have been brought forward...could it be my influence?]
Bai Xiaowen thought silently in his heart.
The sequence of events in the novel is Cao Cao's destruction of Yuan - three visits to the thatched cottage - the Battle of Chibi - Ma Chao's recruitment of troops - Cao Cao's pacification of Hanzhong - Liu Bei's capture of Sichuan.
However, before the Battle of Guandu, Zhuge Liang came to Liu Bei's command in advance; later, Ma Chao raised troops, and even Bai Xiaowen pacified Hanzhong several years in advance.
Bai Xiaowen, the time traveler, is no longer a butterfly, but a roc, whose wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. Under the vibration, the world of the Three Kingdoms plane is turbulent, and the subsequent historical trajectory is beyond recognition.
Although the historical trajectory has changed, there are still traces to follow.
Bai Xiaowen could tell that if Zhang Song's mission to Hanzhong was unsatisfactory, he would visit Liu Bei on his way back and help Liu Bei capture Xichuan.
Bai Xiaowen was eager for talents in the past three days, and his performance in turning over every detail won Zhang Song's loyalty, and naturally he intercepted Liu Bei.
Zhang Song's geographical map of Xichuan was of little use to Bai Xiaowen. After all, he had the S-level gold prop of the mountain and river geographical map; but Zhang Song's support was very important to Liu Bei.
Bai Xiaowen thought carefully about how to capture Xichuan after gaining Zhang Song's support so that Liu Bei would have no place to stay.
Zhang Song didn't know what Bai Xiaowen was thinking. After receiving Bai Xiaowen's kindness, he wanted to repay the favor and said:
"I am not a traitor seeking glory. As the saying goes: A scholar dies for a confidant. Now that I have met Duke Yan, he will not abandon me for being ugly and talented, but I will surrender at all costs. How dare I not show my sincerity and work hard to repay the kindness?"
"Although Liu Jiyu (referring to Liu Zhang) has a beneficial state, his temperament is weak and he cannot appoint talents and talents. If Yan Gong does not take Xichuan, Liu Bei will definitely come to take it. When the time comes, there will be Liu Bei in the west and Sun Ce in the east. If the two families work together, Yan Gong will
The grand plan of unifying the world will have another change. This is the great opportunity of the world! I hope Duke Yan will see clearly."
Having said this, Zhang Song took out a map from his arms and said: "Before I came here, I secretly drew a geographical map of the forty-one prefectures and counties in Xichuan and presented it to Duke Yan. But by looking at this map, you will know the road to the middle of Shu."
Bai Xiaowen took the map and unfolded it. It clearly stated the distance, the width of the road, the dangerous mountains and rivers, and the money and food in the treasury.
Bai Xiaowen thanked Zhang Song and asked: "How is the people in Xichuan?"
Zhang Song said: "Although there are many civil and military talents, people's hearts are not unified. I have two close friends: Fazheng and Meng Da. Both of them are talented and have always been dissatisfied with Liu Zhang. I will definitely convince them when I go back this time.
Friends, we are both internal correspondents and help Duke Yan."
Bai Xiaowen held Zhang Song's hand and said with a smile: "If you don't use gold and jade to give you good advice, how can you not follow it?"
Zhang Song was overjoyed and said: "Yan Gong should act quickly, otherwise things will change if he is too late. If Xichuan is captured by Liu Bei, it will be too late to regret it."
Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said: "No. Now there are Liu Bei and Liu Zhang in Xichuan. If I lead the army to force them, they will definitely work together to resist. With Liu Zhang's support of grain, grass, soldiers and horses, and Liu Bei's powerful counselors and generals, Xichuan will be difficult to capture in such a hurry.
; On the contrary, it will give Liu Bei the opportunity to take control of the military power in Xichuan and win over the hearts of the people in Sichuan."
Zhang Song nodded in agreement and said: "Yan Gong has a wise opinion."
Bai Xiaowen added: "Liu Zhang has a weak temperament. Although he invited Liu Bei to Sichuan, he must be on guard. Gu Xian wrote back to Liu Zhang and named him Marquis of Xichuan, indicating that he had no intention of taking over Sichuan. After he returned to Yizhou, he would state his interests.
Advise him to expel Liu Bei. Liu Bei will inevitably change, causing the two of them to turn against each other! That will be the time to go to Sichuan alone."
Zhang Song admired his high opinion, bowed his hands and said: "Yan Gong's words are clear and well thought out. After Song returns to Sichuan, he will definitely cooperate with him to expel Liu Bei and welcome Yan Gong as soon as possible."
Bai Xiaowen then revised Liu Zhang's book and presented it to Zhang Song as a gift. He also drew a copy of the geographical map of Xichuan and gave it to Zhang Song, asking him to do this. Zhang Song nodded and agreed.
…
Before Zhang Song returned to Yizhou, he deliberately passed by the road near Jiameng Pass.
As expected, first Zhao Yun, then Guan Yu, greeted Zhang Song and entered Jiameng Pass for a brief introduction.
Before Zhang Song arrived at Jiameng Pass, Liu Bei had already led Feng Chu, Pang Tong and Xu Shu, out of the pass to greet him. They greeted him all the way and showed great concern, which was a bit warmer than Bai Xiaowen's reception.
However, Zhang Song had already realized his self-worth in life from Bai Xiaowen, so he was inevitably a little uninterested in Liu Bei's enthusiasm.
After being treated sincerely by "the best person in the world" and becoming a confidant, no matter how polite an ordinary prince is, it will be in vain. Besides, Bai Xiaowen's charm value is only higher than that of Liu Bei.
During the banquet, Liu Bei asked about the results of this mission.
Zhang Song said: "Yuan Xi was a young man who succeeded in his ambition, and looked down on the wise and arrogant. I only saw him in the post house for several days. I'm so irritated!"
Liu Bei said: "Then does Yuan Xi have the idea of taking Xichuan?"
Zhang Song said: "Yuan Xi dislikes the difficulty and danger of the road to Xichuan and has no intention of attacking. He plans to make Liu Zhang the Marquis of Xichuan. As long as Liu Zhang pays tribute every year, he will not attack Xichuan again."
Liu Bei and Pang Tong were thoughtful, and then asked Zhang Song to stay in Jiameng Pass for a few days.
Zhang Song declined and said: "My lord Liu Zhang is still waiting for a reply, so it is difficult to stay for a long time."
Liu Bei held Zhang Song's hand and burst into tears: "Biejia and I hit it off as old friends, but we are not destined to be together! It's getting late. Please stay in the pass for a night. It won't be too late to leave tomorrow."
Zhang Song cried when he saw Liu Bei, so he hurriedly agreed, feeling quite emotional in his heart. Liu Bei was kind and loving, and his reputation as a virtuous man was indeed well-deserved.
That night Liu Bei held a banquet in honor of Zhang Song, and the dinner was extremely cordial.
The two talked about each other, so Liu Bei invited Zhang Song to talk at night by candlelight and sleep together.
Early the next morning, Zhang Song said goodbye. Liu Bei took Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu and others for ten miles, and still clung to Zhang Song's hand, reluctant to leave.
Zhang Song said: "Uncle, don't send me away any more. It's important to guard the gate."
Liu Bei sighed: "Yongnian (referring to Zhang Song) and I hit it off right away. We say goodbye today, and I don't know when we will see each other again!" As he spoke, tears stained his clothes again.
Zhang Song said movedly:
"Song also wants to serve the emperor sooner or later, but regrets that he has no chance. If the emperor does not give up, Song has one thing to say: Jingzhou is a critical place, with Yuan Xi in the north and Sun Ce in the east. It is not a place where we can establish a foundation. It is beneficial.
The people of the state are rich in Yin, and the emperor has become an emperor because of it. It is better for the emperor's uncle to take Yizhou as his home. When the world changes, he will send his troops into the Central Plains to help the Han Dynasty. The world will be very lucky."
While talking, Zhang Song sent a geographical map of Xichuan.
After Liu Bei heard this, he said: "How dare Bei An do this? Liu Jiyu has been in Shu for two generations and has been widely favored."
Pang Tong said: "My lord is the uncle of the Han emperor, so he cannot occupy the states and counties? Yuan Xi, a bandit of the Han Dynasty, uses force to occupy the territory. Who among the wise people in the world can tolerate it?"
Liu Bei also stopped Pang Tong and repeatedly showed humility, for example, he was from the same clan as Liu Zhang and could not bear to seize the same clan's inheritance, etc.
Zhang Song said: "Uncle Emperor, if God does not take what he wants, he will be blamed for it. Now Liu Zhang is weak and unable to defend the territory. Uncle Emperor will replace him. When he achieves great things, if he thinks of his contribution to the foundation, he will be named a Duke or a Prince."
It’s also repayment with righteousness, so why should we betray our trust?”
Liu Bei suddenly said: "Don't talk about gold and stone, keep it in your heart."
…
Zhang Song then returned to Chengdu.
Seeing Liu Zhang, Zhang Song changed his words again.
When Liu Zhang asked about Yuan Xi's remarks, Zhang Song submitted a reply and said: "The Duke of Yan has said that Xichuan is far away and he is not willing to go on an expedition. My lord only needs to pay tribute to the court every year, and he will naturally be in peace and be granted a title.
The lord is the Marquis of Xichuan, and he will rule Yizhou forever from generation to generation."
Liu Zhang read the reply and said happily: "What's the difficulty in paying tribute? I didn't pay tribute to the Yedu court before, just because Zhang Lu was in the way, and the roads were blocked due to the separatism of the princes in various states. Now Yan Gong has conquered the north.
After destroying Zhang Lu, all roads are open, so we should pay tribute and become a vassal."
After that, Liu Zhang rewarded Zhang Song heavily.
Zhang Song thanked him and then said: "My lord invited Liu Bei to Sichuan before, just to resist Zhang Lu; now that Zhang Lu has been defeated, and Yan Gong has no intention of taking Xichuan, my lord should expel Liu Bei as soon as possible to avoid the consequences of raising tigers."
Liu Zhang hesitated and said: "Xuande and I are from the same clan. At first I invited him here when I had something to do, but now I have to drive him away when I have nothing to do. It is inevitable that people will say that I am cold and cold."
Someone next to him said: "My lord, what you said is very true. Moreover, Yan Gong Yuan Xi said that he was withdrawing his troops, who knows whether it is true or not? If he drives away Liu Bei, Yuan Xi really comes to kill him, and it will be difficult to invite him again."
Zhang Song was startled and quickly looked around. The person speaking was Huang Quan, the chief registrar.
In fact, in the novel, Huang Quan opposed inviting Liu Bei to Sichuan and once "broken his teeth and remonstrated".
But at this moment and at that moment, the situation between the two was different. At that time, the enemy Liu Zhang faced was Zhang Lu, who could not threaten Xichuan at all and was only a scabies disease; now he faced Yuan Xi, who was a great threat to tigers and wolves and was fully capable.
Capture Nishikawa.
Therefore, Huang Quan advised Liu Zhang not to drive Liu Bei away easily.
Another person next to him said: "Liu Bei is in the middle of Sichuan, and he is also a serious problem. My lord, you might as well wait for a few days to watch Yan Gong's movements. If the commander returns to the court, he really has no intention of taking Sichuan, so Liu Bei can be driven away; if Yan Gong stays in Hanzhong, he will not leave."
If you go, that means you have the intention to attack me, and it won’t be too late to discuss countermeasures.”
Zhang Song looked again and saw that the speaker this time was from Yizhou, named Wang Lei.
Basically, the civil servants who were loyal to Liu Zhang, namely Huang Quan, Wang Lei and others, were silent.
Liu Zhang asked Zhang Song: "What do you think we should do?"
Zhang Song said: "Being engaged in Wang Lei is a mature way to plan for the country. You can do it without haste or delay."
Liu Zhang also liked this moderate approach, so he ordered to send reconnaissance cavalry to investigate the movements in Hanzhong.
After Zhang Song returned home, it happened to be Fa Zheng and Meng Da came to visit.
Zhang Song secretly discussed with the two men and said: "I thought Liu Bei was a Ming lord before, which is rare in the world. This time I went to Hanzhong and met Yan Gong Yuan Xi, and I realized what a lord is! In my opinion, sooner or later, Yan Gong
Unify the world. We will join forces to offer Yizhou to Duke Yan."
Fa Zheng smiled and said: "For Zhang Yongnian to be so respected by you, Duke Yan must have extraordinary abilities."
Meng Da said: "I have also heard about the great name of Duke Yan for a long time. He defeated the Cao family, Xiliang, and Wuhuan. His martial arts shocked the whole country. If a young man achieves his ambition, he can respect the wise and love the people so much. He is the true master of destiny. I am also determined to follow him.
Of."
The three of them laughed and drank and discussed all night long.
…
A few days later, the reconnaissance cavalry sent by Liu Zhang heard back.
Duke Yan's banner (dào, big banner) has evacuated Hanzhong, passed Wuguan, and returned to Chang'an; General Zhang He was left to guard Hanzhong, and moved Hanzhong's population to enrich the three auxiliary areas of Chang'an.
Liu Zhang was overjoyed and said: "Young Master Yan really has no intention of seeking Yizhou!" So he gathered a crowd to discuss how to "gift" Liu Bei out of the country.
During the discussion, suddenly Yang Huai, one of the two guards at Fushui Pass, came to see Liu Zhang with a letter from Liu Bei.
Liu Zhang read the letter, frowned and said: "Xuande said that there has been a change in Jingzhou, and Sun Ce seems to have the intention of betraying the alliance and attacking. I beg you that I would like to send 30,000 elite soldiers and 100,000 dendrobium of rice and grain to assist. What should I do?
"
Yang Huai said: "My lord, I don't know something. Since Liu Bei entered Sichuan, he has shown kindness and won the hearts of the people. What is his intention? It is obvious. Now he is asking for money and food for soldiers and horses, and he must not give it to him. Otherwise, he will be fighting the fire with salary, and he will be punished.
Harmful."
Liu Zhang hesitated.
Others include Huang Quan, the chief clerk, who is engaged in admonishing Liu Ba; Zhang Song, Fazheng and others are also admonishing Liu Zhang.
When Liu Zhang saw that everyone was unanimous, he took a compromise and allocated 4,000 old and weak soldiers and 10,000 hu of rice and grain to Liu Bei. At the same time, he asked Yang Huai to go back and guard Fushui Pass.
Within two days, Liu Zhang received bad news.
Fushui Pass has been lost, and the two guard generals Yang Huai and Gao Pei were beheaded by Liu Bei!
After asking carefully about the reason, I found out that Liu Bei got Liu Zhang's reply and started to curse. He also used the excuse of returning to Jingzhou to trick Yang Huai and Gao Pei into seeing him off.
Speaking of which, Yang Huai and Gao Pei were so confident that they actually carried sharp knives and wanted to assassinate Liu Bei when they saw him off to avoid future troubles.
Somehow, the matter was revealed. Liu Bei was wearing heavy armor at the time, and his generals caught Yang and Gao like chickens, found sharp knives, and beheaded them immediately.
After hearing the bad news, Liu Zhang regretted: "I never expected that Liu Bei was so ambitious that he really wanted to seize my inheritance. In vain, I regarded him as a fellow clansman! What should I do now?"
Huang Quan said: "Now that Liu Bei has attacked Fushui Pass, the next step must be Luo City. Luo City is the barrier of Chengdu and its strategic location is very important. The lord can send elite soldiers to guard Luo City at night. Even if Liu Bei has elite soldiers and powerful generals,
, and can’t come over.”
Liu Zhang hurriedly ordered four generals from Shu: Liu Gui, Lingbao, Zhang Ren, and Deng Xian to mobilize an army of 50,000 to guard Luocheng. After receiving the military orders, the four generals set off immediately.
After the four generals left, Zhang Song saw this opportunity and said: "My lord, Liu Bei has the wisdom of Wolong, Fengxiao, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao Zhiyong. With the strength of the four generals, can he resist Liu Bei?"
Liu Zhang also felt guilty for a while: "What should we do?"
Zhang Song said: "I have a plan to prevent Liu Bei from looking at Xichuan."
Liu Zhang was overjoyed: "What's the plan?"
Zhang Song said something.
Exactly: just because the advisers from Shu are advancing, heroes from the Central Plains are attracted. It is predicted what will happen in the future, and will be analyzed in the next chapter.
(The ending is adapted from a verse from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it’s just interesting, don’t take it too seriously)