Chapter 75: I am full of talents, but Yuan Benchu refuses to follow them
Jizhou was able to withstand the three-party offensive from Qingzhou, Youzhou and Luoyang at first.
This is different from the history where Yuan Shao barely defeated Gongsun Zan at the boundary bridge.
Historically, Jizhou experienced a lot of turmoil after Wang Fen's death. In addition, when Yuan Shaogang came to power later, internal and external conflicts were more acute. Gongsun Zan was so powerful that he almost occupied most of Jizhou and Qingzhou, so Yuan Shao only had
A Weijun is here, but its strength is not that strong.
It was not until after he defeated Gongsun Zan that he unified the entire Jizhou, with more than 100,000 troops, and became the strongest prince.
Now that Wang Fen is in power, Jizhou has developed steadily for ten years without experiencing much turmoil. Thanks to the vast farmland of the North China Plain, the population has also grown explosively after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and its strength is very strong.
With a population of more than 6 million, it can support 200,000 armored soldiers. It is just within the limit range of the soldier-civilian ratio of 20:1, that is, 20 farmers support one fully armed soldier.
It is precisely because Jizhou has a total cultivated land area that exceeds Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Luoyang, and Wang Fen has been recuperating and recuperating over the years, that he can do this.
But at this moment, Wang Fen, the backbone of Jizhou, is critically ill, which exposed a very serious problem.
That is, without powerful figures, local military equipment is in chaos.
Although there are also several good generals such as Zhang He, Gao Lan, Qu Yi, Yuan Shao, etc., such as Zhang He, Zhu Ling, Jiang Qi, Ma Yan, Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan and other generals, they led 40,000 troops to garrison Ganling, Beiqiu, and Ling.
County, Qixian and other places to guard against Qingzhou.
Gao Lan led Han Juzi, Lu Weihuang, Zhao Rui, Yan Chang, He Mao, Wang Mo and others to lead 30,000 troops to garrison Qiuqiu, Yuancheng, Wei County and other places to protect the surrounding areas of Yecheng.
After Yuan Shao withdrew his troops from the Bohai Sea, he led 30,000 men to garrison Julu, forming a confrontation with Gongsun Zan in the north.
There are still 780,000 or 80,000 soldiers and horses surrounding Yecheng, including generals such as Xia Zhao, Lu Kuang, Gao Xiang, Feng Li, Deng Sheng, Guo Yuan, Tao Sheng, Meng Dai, and others. In Yanzhou, there are also 25,000 soldiers on foot and cavalry from Lu Bu. In total,
There are still a lot of troops.
But the more soldiers and horses there are, the less unified command there is. Everyone fights independently. For example, Zhang He was stationed in Qinghe State. After being attacked by Qingzhou, he asked Gao Lan for help. If Wang Fen did not fall ill and the backbone was still there, then after the court discussion, and
After the discussion of many wise and resourceful people, Gao Lan can be sent to rescue him.
But now Wang Fen fell ill, and there was a brief period of chaos in Jizhou's government. Gao Lan sent an official letter to Yecheng, but there was no reply. Without an order, he did not dare to rescue him without permission, so Zhang He was trapped in Ganling at this time.
In the city, we are in a dilemma and our situation is very bad.
Guangzong and the Qingzhou Army crossed the boundary bridge in a mighty manner. As a strategic location, if Wang Fen had sent a large force to defend Guangzong early, it would have been difficult for the Qingzhou Army to cross the Qinghe River and reach the hinterland of Wei County.
The geographical location of Yecheng is somewhat special. It is sandwiched between the Lishui River and the Zhangshui River. The downstream of the Lishui River is the Qinghe River, and there is a large ancient river to the east of Yecheng. Therefore, Yecheng is protected by three rivers, no matter in the direction of Luoyang.
Whether you want to attack or attack from the east towards Qingzhou, you cannot avoid these rivers.
If heavy troops are stationed at the strategic location of Guangzong, the Qingzhou Army will be blocked along the east bank of the Qinghe River. As long as it guards Ganling, Beiqiu, Qingyuan, Taoguan and other cities along the east bank, the Qingzhou Army will hardly be able to
They may hit the hinterland of Wei County.
After all, even if you can find a relatively shallow place to cross the river, it is impossible for carriages, baggage, grain and other ordnance to cross through the water. Even the pontoon bridge cannot hold it, so it can only cross overland.
The Boundary Bridge is a bridge across the Qinghe River. It follows the bridge style characteristics of the Qin and Han Dynasties. It is made of masonry system and has an arch structure. It is strong and durable. Large groups of people, horses and supplies can cross the Qinghe River through this bridge.
, this way there will be no problem of grain and grass baggage being trapped on the east bank of the Qinghe River.
Liu Bei led 30,000 troops and captured Guangzong, and met up with Gongsun Zan's troops at Jing County. The two troops divided into two groups. Gongsun Zan attacked Quzhou on the west bank of the Zhang River from the west and threatened Julu. Liu Bei, on the other hand, went south to pacify the enemy.
Well, they invaded Chuqiu and came to the hinterland surrounding Wei County.
For a time, the entire Yecheng capital was in turmoil, and was shocked by Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan's offensive. The government and the public soon became chaotic. When Wang Fen heard the news, his condition became more serious and he was already in a dying state.
Fortunately, Xun, Chen Yi and others managed to stabilize the situation. While sending troops north to meet the enemy, they ordered Yuan Shao to return to Yecheng to discuss countermeasures. By the way, they also followed Wang Fen's wishes and appointed him as a minister.
Yuan Shao let his eldest son Yuan Tan lead the army, and asked Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Gao Gan Fengji and other confidants to assist him, and then he confidently and boldly returned to Yecheng alone.
As soon as he entered the city, Yuan Shao did not go to visit Wang Fen, but went directly to the palace to meet with Liu Ye.
It wasn't until the next day that he came to Wang Fen's mansion to visit.
"Mr. Wen Zugong!"
Yuan Shao came to Wang Fen's bedside and saw his dying face. He was filled with sadness and cried: "I haven't seen you for so many days. How come my father-in-law is like this?"
Wang Fen's face was pale. Seeing him like this, she smiled freely and said: "Don't be sad at first. Birth, old age, illness and death are the normal conditions of human beings. I am also nearly 70 years old and my body is not healed. But I know that destiny cannot be violated. Time passes.
There is not much, so why be sad?”
"well."
Yuan Shao sighed and said: "But the Duke is the pillar of Jizhou, and there are enemies on all sides at this time. If there is no Duke, Jizhou is in crisis, how can Wenzu Gong bear to abandon your majesty and abandon all the people of Jizhou?"
"hehe."
Wang Fen forced a smile and said: "I don't want to go, but my health is not good. I am about to die. The future of Jizhou still depends on young people like you."
Yuan Shao hurriedly said: "My lord, please don't say such depressing words. If you take a good rest and take the decoction on time, your condition will definitely improve."
Wang Fen was lying on the hospital bed, shaking her head with a wry smile: "I know my body. Even if it gets better, it will only last a few more days. I know my destiny, and I will die as soon as I die. I only worry about Your Majesty and Jizhou."
in the future.”
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Yuan Shao turned his head and looked at Xun, Chen Yi and others behind him, and said: "With the two Dukes Shu Ziliang, Jizhou and Your Majesty should be fine. It's just that there are foreign enemies around.
, we still need to ask Lord Wen to cheer up."
Xun He and Chen Yi both sighed. They were not as courageous as Wang Fen and were not heroes. How could they lead Jizhou?
When Yuan Benchu said this to them, they felt only ashamed.
Wang Fen naturally knew very well that when it came to courage, a person who dared to depose an emperor must be bold, and a person who could manage people's livelihood well must also be talented.
It's a pity that due to old age, frailty and lack of military skills, he can only be regarded as an enhanced version of Tao Qian, and cannot be called a revitalizing hero.
So now that there are powerful troops but no hero who can command them appears, Wang Fen also has to consider the future of Jizhou due to internal and external troubles.
At least Wang Fen was quite satisfied with Yuan Shao's behavior of going to the palace to meet Liu Ye as soon as possible yesterday.
The old man was about to die of illness, but his mind was still very clear. After thinking for a moment, Wang Fen said calmly: "Although Gongshu and Ziliang have great talents, they are also old and cannot take up the great responsibility of Jizhou. Originally, I want to entrust Jizhou to
Here you go, what do you think?"
Entrust Jizhou to me?
Although Yuan Shao had already had this idea in his mind and knew that everyone was now discussing whether he could shoulder this responsibility, when he heard it, he was immediately overjoyed.
At this time, as long as you open your mouth and accept the offer, Jizhou's huge foundation, with a population of more than 6 million, and 200,000 armored men, will be at your fingertips.
Almost at this moment, Yuan Shao had the urge to speak up and almost spoke.
"Cough cough cough..."
At this moment, Wang Fen suddenly coughed violently. The servant next to him brought a spittoon, and he spit out a mouthful of thick phlegm.
It was this cough that woke Yuan Shao up. While Wang Fen was lowering his head to spit, he looked back at the many ministers behind him and saw among the crowd, Xu Youshen, Xin Ping, Xun Chen, Guo Tu and others.
The man shook his head incomprehensibly.
Yuan Shao's mind, which had been dazzled by Jizhou's great gift, suddenly came to his senses. He immediately suppressed the joy in his heart and thought quickly in his mind.
Yes.
He actually has many ways to deal with Wang Fen.
Such as assassination, robbery by force, or even some other methods.
But why did they choose to use the longest method and add more medicinal materials to Wang Fen's decoction, which delayed Wang Fen's condition and never improved?
It's not because Jizhou, a piece of fat meat, is monolithic under Wang Fen's governance and is difficult to separate.
In terms of personal prestige and talent, Han Fu in history was not worthy of carrying shoes compared to Wang Fen. He governed Jizhou for many years, and the weather was smooth and the people were prosperous. Later, after Yuan Shao captured Jizhou, he became the number one prince in the world. This is the source.
Yu Wangfen’s legacy.
Therefore, Yuan Shao wanted to send people to lobby Wang Fen and persuade him to give up Jizhou just like he persuaded Han Fu in history. That was impossible.
After all, Wang Fen is not as weak as Han Fu, and is not an old member of the Yuan family, so he will not tolerate you at all.
As for methods such as assassination and robbery by force, they are seeking death. Even if they succeed, given Wang Fen's prestige in Jizhou, there is a high probability that the prefects of various counties will rebel and kill Yuan Shao.
Therefore, taking advantage of Wang Fen's old age and frailty and transitioning naturally is the best strategy.
But the problem is that the prerequisite for a natural transition is that Wang Fen will definitely regard you, Yuan Shao, as his heir.
If Wang Fen had not nodded while he was still alive, and with his prestige, no one would have dared to oppose Xun, Chen Yi, or even Lu Bu. By then, it would have been even more difficult for Yuan Shao to capture Jizhou.
Therefore, after Yuan Shao woke up, he immediately realized that he should not be too hasty. If he was too hasty and Wang Fen became suspicious, he would be doomed.
Thinking of this, Yuan Shao suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, feeling very dangerous. On the surface, he opened his eyes wide and looked astonished. After Wang Fen spat, he hurriedly knelt down on one knee and kowtowed: "Mr. Wen Zu,
What are you talking about? Yuan Shao is so virtuous and capable that he can succeed Jizhou? Please take back his orders and establish a virtuous man again. Shao is willing to die to assist the emperor and the new shepherd of Jizhou!"
There was a trace of surprise in Wang Fen's eyes. Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao was not moved, but he had a good impression of Yuan Shao in his heart. After thinking about it, he said: "I really don't want to lead Jizhou and repel the invading enemies.
Serve His Majesty and do your best for the Han Dynasty?"
"Fei Shao is unwilling to serve His Majesty. If we want to help the Han Dynasty, Yuan Shao is naturally responsible for it. But Shao has no talent or virtue, so how can he take on the great responsibility of Jizhou?"
Yuan Shao immediately pretended to refuse.
Seeing that his appearance didn't seem to be fake, Wang Fen nodded secretly and asked: "In that case, who do you think can lead Jizhou?"
"Of course it's Sikong and Situ."
Yuan Shao introduced Xun He and Chen Yi without hesitation. Of course he knew that these two people had already declined, so he boldly mentioned it.
Wang Fen glanced at the two of them, neither of them said anything. When he saw his eyes coming over, he nodded slightly.
It seemed that Yuan Shao didn't know that he was testing him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have recommended Xun and Chen Yi so decisively, Wang Fen thought in her heart.
Of course, Wang Fen only thought about the first level, but not the third level. She thought Yuan Shao didn't know, but in fact he knew it very well.
"Didn't I just say that? Gongshu and Ziliang are old, and they themselves don't want to. They are young talents, and they come from a famous family with high prestige. They should have been good choices, but it's a pity that you don't want to."
Wang Fen sighed: "But I don't want to take it away from you. Since I don't want to at first, besides Gongshu and Ziliang, who else do you think can be of great use?"
Yuan Shao felt cold in his heart, thinking that his refusal was too much. Wang Fen really didn't want to let him come?
Fortunately, Yuan Shao's psychological quality was still good. He bit the bullet and said, "Since Sikong and Situ are unwilling, then the two young masters, Wen Zugong, should be able to do it."
"Them? Ahem..."
When Wang Fen heard the mention of her son, she almost lost her breath. She coughed twice and said with a headache: "These two rebellious sons, one is wandering around with nothing to do all day long, and the other is reading and ruining his brain. They are both useless."
"Forehead......"
Yuan Shao thought for a moment and then asked tentatively: "I heard that Duke Wenzu accepted Lu Bu as his adopted son. The love between father and son is deep. Can Lu Bu..."
At the end of the story, Lian Yuan Shao felt a little unable to speak, and his voice became much softer.
You can think about it with your toes. Although Wang Fen accepted Lu Bu as his adopted son, Lu Bu was just a reckless man. Wang Fen only took advantage of his force by accepting him. How could he entrust Jizhou to him?
Yuan Shao was chosen as the heir because he was originally a member of the party, he was young and promising, he had the appearance of a hero, and he was a high-quality talent among his own people. If not for Wang Fen's concern about whether Yuan Shao would serve Liu Ye again
, I’m afraid Jizhou has been entrusted to him a long time ago.
So when Yuan Shao brought up Lu Bu, even he himself lacked confidence, let alone Wang Fen.
Many ministers even laughed secretly, thinking that Yuan Shao was confused. No matter how stupid Wang Fen was, there was no way he would hand over Jizhou's huge foundation to a non-party member, and he was still the top general of Dong Zhuo's group.
If Lü Bu had not killed Dong Zhuo, they would not even accept Lü Bu.
Wang Fen was also amused by Yuan Shao's words, waved his hands and said with a smile: "Lü Bu is just a pig, how can he lead the great cause of Jizhou?"
Yuan Shao looked back at the ministers. From Xun to Chen Yi, they were all members of the old faction. They were all very old and had gray hair. Among the middle-aged generation in Jizhou, he seemed to be the only one.
Yuan Shao is the most suitable candidate because he is capable, prestigious and talented.
Seeing this scene, Yuan Shao felt a lot more at ease in his heart, but on the surface he said with sincerity and fear: "Other than that, Shao really doesn't know anything about it. However, Shao knows that the Duke understands justice and must have made arrangements. Yuan Shao is willing to be the new master.
The liver and brain are wiped out, just like the work of dogs and horses."
Seeing his expression of loyalty, Wang Fen nodded secretly. The purpose of today's test was achieved, and said: "In this case, let's go back first. We will talk about these things in a few days."
"only!"
Yuan Shao then retreated.
After he left, Wang Fen stayed with Xun, Chen Yi, Jiu Qing and other old party members to talk about Yuan Shao's performance today.
Everyone had a good impression of him and said some good things, and Wang Fen had an idea.
After Yuan Shao came out from Wang Fen, he was not sure whether Wang Fen sent someone to monitor him, so he had to go back to his mansion in Yecheng.
It was not until dark at night that Xu Youshen, Xin Ping, Xun Chen, Guo Tu and others entered his mansion through the back door to discuss matters secretly.
Yuan Shao from the mansion went out to greet him personally. The group passed by the garden and walked to the hall, laughing on the way.
"Ziyuan, Zhengnan, Gongze, Zhongzhi, Youruo."
Yuan Shao said happily: "It is really a great blessing for me, Yuan Benchu, to be friends with you."
Everyone entered the hall and sat down in rows.
After Xu You sat down at the table, he stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Congratulations to Benchu, the day when we will win Jizhou is not far away."
"Yes, Duke Wen is old, frail and sick. I'm afraid he will pass away within these ten months. By then, everyone hopes that he will be able to take charge of Jizhou."
"Now in Jizhou, there is indeed no suitable candidate except Benchu. Although Wen Zugong is worried that Benchu will disrespect the emperor, there is no other candidate. Benchu can rest assured that there is no one else except you."
Many counselors came forward with advice, making Yuan Shao even more happy.
Only Shen Pei frowned and said: "It was easy to take Jizhou at first, but now Jizhou is in danger, everyone should not be too optimistic, it is better to think about how to deal with Liu Xuande's attack."
"It's easy."
A gleam appeared in Xu You's eyebrows, and he said: "When Benchu takes Jizhou, he will immediately depose Liu Bei and respect the Luoyang court. This plan can easily make Liu Bei retreat and prevent Jizhou from military disasters in a short period of time."
.When we have integrated the soldiers and horses of Jizhou at the beginning, defeated Gongsun Zan first, and relieved our worries, then we can slowly move towards Qingzhou."
"no."
Shen Pei shook his head: "Although this plan is clever, Ziyuan has ignored the harm caused by deposing the emperor. Now Jizhou is the stronghold of the old party members. These people's forces are intertwined. Originally, they led Jizhou as party members and backwards.
, If we cannot inherit the legacy of Wen Zugong and continue to serve Liu Ye, even if Wen Zugong dies, we will inevitably be counterattacked by Xun, Chen Yi and other old party members. At that time, internal and external troubles will be the biggest crisis."
Xu You frowned and said: "Then Liu Ye did a lot of harm to Jizhou without any benefit. Not only did Benchu have an emperor on his head, but also those old die-hards became vassals. If they use Liu Ye's name, they will make edicts everywhere
Giving orders often comes with constraints, doesn’t it mean that it’s difficult for Benchu to move forward?”
"Yes, if you are a human master, how can you create more constraints out of thin air? If you tie your hands and feet like this, you will cause harm."
"But we can't touch Liu Bei lightly at this time. Wen Zugong became the emperor, and he relied on the prestige of Wen Zugong. Today, Jizhou can achieve the people's aspirations, all because of Wen Zugong's ten years of governance, which is deeply rooted. If we wait for Wen Zugong,
After my grandfather passed away, Benchu immediately overturned his decree when he succeeded him, which went against the will of the people and is probably a big bad thing for Benchu."
"That's right. We have to plan for it slowly. After we capture Jizhou, we first repel the intruders of Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan and recuperate for two years. When those old stubborns have lost power, we can then find a way to deal with Liu Ye's problem."
Everyone had different opinions, and even before Jizhou was reached, several great advisers had already started to have differences.
Fortunately, Yuan Shao had some courage at this time. After listening to what everyone said, he interrupted: "Please be patient, gentlemen. What Zhengnan said is indeed reasonable. I am also a member of the affiliated party and was finally selected by Duke Wenzu to succeed Jizhou.
"Moreover, if I fall out immediately after Duke Wen's death, I'm afraid the world will laugh at me for ignoring my old feelings and being cunning and cunning. I'd rather deal with this problem slowly in the future and wait until I get to Jizhou before I can worry about anything else."
After hearing what he said, no one said anything, except Xu You who was a little unhappy.
snort.
I am full of talent and have a plan in mind, but Yuan Benchu didn't follow it, how disgusting!