"My lord, General Ji has returned with his army. Yingchuan has been lost, General Zhang has been killed, and Cao Mengde has stationed troops along the Yellow River. However, spies have sent news that the Qin army has sent people to contact Cao Cao, and the motive is unknown for the time being. What about Xuzhou?
The major families in the border areas have basically recognized Liu Xuande's rule. As for Liu Biao, after General Ji returned to the army, he immediately deployed his army back to Jiangxia, obviously to guard against us!"
Yuan Shu stared expressionlessly at Yan Xiang who was asking him: "If you lose it, just lose it. This is what was expected. Zhang Xun died in the battle. Then you go to his house and help sort out the funeral arrangements."
"No!" Yan Pu nodded and said with slight hesitation: "The Qin army is exhausted, and Cao Cao is holding back the front, and the situation in Hebei is unclear. I am afraid that it will be unable to go south in a short time. Now Liu Biao has transferred Wenpin from Nanyang back to Jiangxia.
, is obviously preventing us from continuing to attack, so should we fight?"
"Is the situation unclear?" Yuan Shu's eyes became even colder. He was silent for a long time and looked at Yan Pu: "I asked you to send someone to Hebei to confirm whether the news about Yuan Benchu's death after his defeat is true or false. How's it going?"
Yan Xiang glanced at Yuan Shu cautiously. He knew that Yuan Shu actually already knew the answer to this question. The reason why he took various actions was actually because he didn't want to believe it.
Although Yangzhou is far away from Hebei in the Central Plains, after the news of Yuan Shao's defeat and death was received by Cao Cao early, it took a long time for it to reach Yuan Shu. But since it could be reached, and the news and actions of Cao Cao and others had already been
That already explains everything.
However, in this era, even if such big news that is enough to shock the world is false, it is possible that it is false. Yuan Shu also has this mentality, deceiving himself and others, and is unwilling to accept this information. It is clear that Cao Cao has received accurate information.
, but he still had to hide it behind his back.
Because Yuan Shu didn't want to believe that Yuan Shao, who had been suppressing him all the time, was simply defeated when he defeated Gongsun Zan, captured Youzhou, and was about to become the lord of Hebei.
From Yuan Shu's point of view, Yuan Shao's defeat is possible, but defeat... there are rumors.
It was precisely because of this mentality that when Yuan Shu sent Ji Ling to send troops, he also gave Yan Xiang the task of contacting the Yuan family in Hebei to confirm the intelligence information.
Yan Xiang still remembers Yuan Shu's state at that time, and coupled with his expression at this time, how could he not feel uneasy and secretly complaining. Regarding the character of his lord, Yan Xiang asked himself that no one else could understand him.
Yes, on the surface it seems that Yuan Shu hates Yuan Shao, his brother who outdoes him in everything. The stronger Yuan Shao is, the higher the degree of disgust Yuan Shu feels in his heart, because in Yuan Shu's view, he is the legitimate son of the Yuan family.
, but was always overshadowed and overwhelmed by the light of Yuan Shao, the eldest son of the concubine, which was simply unbearable. However, no matter how deep this disgust was, it could not cut off the connection between their two bloodlines.
Brothers are always brothers.
When the news came that Yuan Shao was powerful and threatening the land of Hebei, Yuan Shu would curse, be jealous, and feel unhappy. But when the news of his defeat came, Yuan Shu was confused, in a daze, so sad, angry, and frightened that he didn't want to do anything.
believe.
It was precisely because of this mentality that Yuan Shu chose to accept Cao Cao's excuse that the Qin army was powerful and Yuzhou was dangerous at the critical moment when he and Liu Biao were competing for Jiangxia. He directly made peace with Liu Biao, who was disgusted to the extreme in his heart, and sent Ji Ling.
He led his army to Yingchuan and made an alliance to resist the Qin army.
In fact, Yuan Shu was just confused. He wanted to contact the Qin army, he wanted to contact Hebei in the Central Plains, and he wanted to confirm the true situation of Yuan Shao. Even though he had already understood the true situation in his heart, he still chose to pretend to be stupid.
.
Besides Yuan Shu himself, Yan Xiang can also guess the reason for this.
Therefore, facing a lord who could explode on the spot at any time, Yan Xiang was naturally cautious in his answers, lest he exploded the thread in Yuan Shu's heart.
"Jizhou has been completely blocked by the Qin army, and Youzhou is almost the same. Although we have sent many spies, we have not been able to confirm that Nanpi, Yecheng, and most of Youzhou have completely fallen under the control of the Qin army.
Contact the remaining Bohai Yuan family descendants..."
Yan Xiang looked at Yuan Shu's indifferent expression hesitantly. After hesitating for a long time, he sighed secretly, put aside his worries, raised his head and looked straight at him and said: "My lord, although we have not contacted the children of the Yuan family in Hebei,
But based on the existing intelligence, especially the information deliberately disclosed by Cao Jun, it can be confirmed that General Benchu must have died. You should..."
"Dead! Really dead!"
Yuan Shu didn't seem to hear what Yan Xiang said behind him. He stood up directly, staggered two steps and murmured to himself. His eyes were full of sadness, but his expression became more and more ferocious. Just when Yan Xiang was about to step forward to comfort him,
Yuan Shu roared with blood-red eyes, smashing everything in the hall crazily, venting the fear and inexplicable pain in his heart: "Yuan Benchu
, how could you die, why did you die? Aren't you powerful and arrogant? Aren't you the most valued by the family? Aren't you a role model for the world's scholars? Aren't you the number one Jizhou in the world? Didn't you defeat Jizhou?
Didn’t you capture Gongsun Zan and his invincible white horse Yicong? Didn’t you capture Jizhou and Youzhou? How could you die? How could you die?!"
"Lord..."
Yan Xiang looked at Yuan Shu with an ugly expression, and murmured that he wanted to dissuade him, but he didn't know how to speak. He could only watch Yuan Shu vent his anger.
"How...can you die...how can you die...brother..."
In a moment, everything in the entire hall had been smashed to pieces by Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu's hair was disheveled, and his body was limp and limp in the middle of the messy hall. Silence and the breath of death filled the entire hall.
"Brother! How can you die? What will happen to my Yuan family if you leave me alone?"
A long time passed before Yan Xiang heard Yuan Shu's mournful and lifeless voice rising again.
"Brother, now I know how heavy the honor of my Yuan family is! Brother, you have been carrying it for so long, and my careless brother is looking for trouble for you. Are you tired?
.....That's why you deliberately lost to the winner in order to seek relief..."
Yuan Shu kept crying and murmuring at the same time.
Any jealousy, unwillingness, family inheritance, glory and interests, all disappeared in Yuan Shu's heart at this moment. Now there is only a younger brother who has just lost his elder brother, a legitimate son of an aristocratic family who understands the weight of family glory.
...
"Yan Xiang, please tell Ji Ling that I will give him one month. One month later, I will ascend the throne in Shouchun and fulfill my Yuan family's long-cherished wish. Before that, I must capture Jiangxia and complete the defense line we have set up.
Shouchun puts the entire Huainan in an absolutely safe situation."
After a long time, Yuan Shu's voice suddenly sounded in Yan Xiang's ears. The voice seemed to come from the Nine Netherworld, filled with a dark and cold meaning.
"Enthroned!!!" Yan Xiang was shocked, "My lord..."
"In addition, you personally take people to Jiangdong and tell Sun Ce that if he still remembers my kindness for taking in their family, then send troops to Jiangling or Changsha and other places to contain Liu Biao's energy and help me capture Jiangxia.
...." Yuan Shu didn't care at all about Yan Xiang's opinion and continued to give orders with a cold expression.
"Lord!"
"Okay, I have made up my mind. No need to say anything more. You just need to pass the order quickly. In addition, just go to Jiangdong and find a way to help me win over the Sun family again." Just as Yan Xiang was about to persuade him again, Yuan Shu waved his hands impatiently and shouted.
"Nuo!" Yan Xiang looked at Yuan Shu with a sad expression, knowing in his heart that Yuan Shu was probably not something he could dissuade at this time. He was slightly silent, then sorted out his thoughts and said in a deep voice: "My lord, although Sun Ce is a man who values friendship,
The Sun family must also assume that you were in danger in the first place
To help in times of trouble, but the fact that the lord asked him to leave the treasure before helping left a grudge in his heart. Now if we want him to send troops to help, and to support the lord in ascending to power afterwards, then we'd better come up with something
That treasure is..."
"No!" Yuan Shu's eyes turned cold and he waved his hands vigorously: "My Yuan family is about to found a country. The jade seal is the symbol of destiny. How can we hand it over at this time?"
"Lord!" Yan Xiang was anxious and said quickly: "Now the remnants of the Qin State are spreading across the north, and the princes of the Central Plains are deeply affected by it. The center of the Liu family has been destroyed for a long time, and the rest are in panic all day long. The meaning of the jade seal is already great.
If we can use it to regain the Sun family's heart and gain support, the role it can play in founding the country and becoming king is far beyond what a dead thing can do..."
"Okay!" Yuan Shu waved his hand indifferently without waiting for Yan Xiang to persuade him again, "There is no need to mention this matter again, let's go do it!"
Yan Xiang looked at Yuan Shu sadly, feeling very helpless. Yuan Jun's current power in the south was indeed extraordinary. If he could capture Jiangxia, complete the integration of his entire subordinate's territory, and arrange the originally planned defense line, then Jianguo would become king, or even directly claim the title.
It's okay for the emperor to do so under the current circumstances.
However, don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the unexpected.
Although the Han Dynasty declined and the central government was destroyed, coupled with the emergence of the Ying family in the pre-Qin Dynasty, it greatly affected the overall WeChat public sentiment.
However, in Yan Xiang's opinion, whether the time is ripe still needs to be explored. Yuan Shu is so urgent that throwing out the imperial seal to win over Sun Ce, who has already controlled the entire six counties in Jiangdong, is simply a profitable business. It is a pity.
.....
Yuan Shu is obsessed with the destiny of the jade seal and is unwilling to take out the jade seal. What should he do?
Yan Xiang sighed, looked gloomy, and said with a hint of frustration: "Since the lord is unwilling, my subordinates have two other suggestions. First, when General Ji leads the army to Jiangxia, he also asks the lord to order Yang Changshi to accompany the army as military counselor.
.Second, my subordinates went to Jiangdong to meet Sun
Ce asks for help, if Sun Ce agrees to help, but if he pushes or mentions the jade seal, then the subordinate hopes that the lord will write a letter to talk about the enthronement, win the support of the Sun family, and canonize him, and then send the jade seal
Use it as bait to lure the Sun family into establishing a country and becoming king."
Yuan Shu stared at Yan Xiang silently, and Yan Xiang met Yuan Shu's gaze without flinching.
"That's it!"
After a long time, Yuan Shu just waved his hand, waved his hand half-heartedly.
