In June of the first year of Yonghan, Chen Mu passed by Yanzhou and invited Cao Cao and Sun Jian to attack Yuan Shao together.
At that time, Cao Cao had agreed, and Sun Jian personally led 10,000 horses northward and settled in Liyang County, the southernmost county of Jizhou, ready to attack Jizhou together with the Luoyang army at any time.
However, except for Sun Jian and Lu Bu, all the princes in the south knew that this time point was their only chance.
Whether it is Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Sun Ce, or even Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu, they all understand that if they do not eliminate each other, they will unify Henan.
Then when the war between the two giants Yuan Shao and Liu Bei ends, an extremely powerful military group will appear in the north, facing south and overlooking the entire world.
The scattered princes in the south are hostile to each other and it is basically impossible to unite. If no powerful figures appear, they will only end up being annexed one by one.
Therefore, these ambitious princes almost seemed to have reached a consensus and began to unite together to attack those who were already hostile.
Nanyang County, as a large county with a population of more than two million in the late Han Dynasty, has declined a lot like Runan since the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
But compared to Runan, which has been in turmoil in recent years, Nanyang is still relatively stable, and there have been no major disturbances.
Historically, Yuan Shu was the governor of Nanyang. When the Kwantung Allied Forces attacked Dong, he set out from Nanyang to attack Dong Zhuo.
But now history has long changed. He was secretly transferred to Changsha by Chen Mu and served as the governor of Changsha. Later, he was promoted to general of the left and was no longer in Nanyang.
After Dong Zhuo's Rebellion, Yuan Shu stirred up trouble and went down the Yangtze River from the south of Jingzhou to occupy the west of Yangzhou and the south of Yuzhou. He was eyeing Nanyang and wanted to pass through Nanyang and surround the entire Jingzhou on three sides.
It happened that the original Nanyang governor Guan Xun died of illness, Liu Biao sent troops to fight against Yuan Shu, and Chen Mu sent Sun Jian to Yuzhou, as well as Cao Cao's restraint, Yuan Shu was driven away from Runan, so Nanyang was preserved without being affected.
The disaster of Yuan Shu.
However, Nanyang at this time was not a paradise, because it was surrounded by mountains, there were many bandits, and there were many remnants of the Yellow Turbans. At that time, Liu Biao had just stabilized the northern part of Jingzhou and defeated Yuan Shu. He did not have the extra ability to conquer Nanyang again, so Nanyang
It fell into the hands of Zhang Jibu who had withdrawn from Chang'an from Wuguan.
After Zhang Ji arrived in Nanyang, due to the scarcity of food and grass, he led his troops to attack Rangcheng, a barrier north of Xiangyang. At that time, Liu Biao had just reached the south of Nanyang. Facing Zhang Ji's attack, Liu Biao fought back. In the chaos of the battle,
Zhang Ji was shot to death, and Zhang Xiu, Zhang Ji's nephew, led the remaining troops to withdraw.
Originally, the two sides should have been at war with each other and should have continued to attack. But then Liu Biao came up with a plan. He felt that the land in Henan was in chaos and Yuan Shu might make a comeback at any time, so it was better to accept Zhang Xiu and let him station troops in Wancheng as a means of control.
Xiangyang Barrier.
This strategy was clearly to use Zhang Xiu as a shield. Zhang Xiu's adviser Jia Xu told him. However, facing Liu Biao's lobbyists, Zhang Xiu could only accept Liu Biao's proposal even though he knew that he was being used as a weapon.
, in exchange for food and grass.
He had no choice but to agree. If he didn't agree, the army would starve to death due to lack of food and grass. He might as well agree first in exchange for a place to survive.
Over the past few years, Zhang Xiu occupied Wancheng and several counties in the north of Nanyang, gradually gaining a firm foothold and slightly developing its strength.
At this time, in early spring, spring rain began to fall in Nanyang Basin.
The spring rain is as precious as oil, and the Funiu Mountains in the distance are lush and green, undulating like the back of a long dragon. In the hazy rain, in the towers and pavilions of Wancheng, the raindrops hit the tiles of the pavilions, making a ticking sound.
The breeze blew through the building, blowing the gauze curtains. In the hall of the house, taking advantage of this rare noon time, Jia Xu lay on the wooden couch in the room and fell asleep, enjoying a moment of leisure.
But not long after he fell asleep, the sound of stepping on the stairs woke him up. In a daze, he heard someone shouting: "Sir, sir!"
"Um......"
Jia Xu got up sleepily, with a few age spots on his loose skin and his eyes were slightly cloudy. He sat on the edge of the bed for a while before regaining consciousness.
He is fifty-one years old this year, and his physical strength and energy are far less than when he was young.
Zhang Xiu quickly went up to the attic, holding a document in his hand, came to Jia Xu and said: "Sir, a message came from Ye County. Cao Cao and Lu Bu, Sun Ce and Yuan Shu are fighting again."
Jia Xu scratched his head and said lazily: "Don't they have a small fight in half a month and a big fight in March? There is nothing to make a fuss about."
Although large-scale wars have not started in Henan and other places, the two sides still have constant frictions on the border. Last month, Sun Ce led an army to raid Dangtu and fight Yuan Shu. The surrounding princes have long been accustomed to this.
However, Zhang Xiu said extremely seriously: "This time is different. Just as Mr. expected, they have mobilized all their troops and are about to fight a decisive battle."
"Oh? So fast?"
Jia Xu's face suddenly changed slightly, he sat up straight, came to the hall and sat on the floor, took the document handed over by Zhang Xiu and read it carefully.
I saw in the document that the two sides took out all their wealth and started fighting in Peiguo and other places.
Zhang Xiu once asked Jia Xu before, now that Liu Bei and Yuan Shao in the north have entered a state of all-out war, what should he do if he lives in Nanyang?
At that time, Jia Xu told him that the princes in the south would definitely be worried about an overlord between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, who would annex them one by one, so they would definitely attack each other and strengthen themselves as soon as possible to prevent Yuan Shao or Liu Bei's army from going south in the future.
.
At that time, Jia Xu also expected that the winner between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei would not be decided so quickly, so he persuaded Zhang Xiu to reorganize his troops in Nanyang and wait and see the situation in the world before making a decision.
I just didn't expect that the four princes were so impatient. It had only been half a year since Liu Bei and Yuan Shao started fighting, but they had already completed preparations and started the decisive battle.
After Jia Xu finished reading the document, Zhang Xiu said, "Sir, what do you think I should do now?"
Jia Xu pondered for a long time, shook his head and said: "General, do you know why the princes in Henan and other places would rather annex each other than intervene in the war between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei?"
"Because they are powerful?"
Zhang Xiu asked.
Jia Xu smiled and said: "This is just one of the reasons. The real reason is that both Liu Bei and Yuan Shao are around the Yellow River. Except for Cao Cao and Sun Jian, it is very difficult for other princes to attack them. No one can cross them. Attack Qingzhou or Jizhou from a far distance, unless these princes want to die and attack Luoyang."
"Is attacking Luoyang just looking for death?"
Zhang Xiu was puzzled.
Jia Xu nodded and sighed: "Yes, you are looking for death."
Historically, when Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, not only Yuan Shao fought with him, but even Sun Ce had the idea of attacking Xu Du.
That's because they had an excuse at that time, saying that Cao Cao threatened the emperor to order the princes. They were princes loyal to the Han Dynasty, so they raised troops to rebel against Cao Cao, not against the emperor.
But what about this time?
Liu Bei did not threaten the emperor to order the princes. Others were in Qingzhou. The power of the Luoyang army was in the hands of Zhu Jun. If the princes said that Zhu Jun had coerced Liu Yu, not even the people of the world would believe it. .
Therefore, even if these princes want to participate in the war between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, they have no excuse unless they want to rebel and lose their righteousness.
It has to be said that even Jia Xu admires Chen Mu's move to establish Liu Yu as emperor. Liu Yu himself has high prestige and is a direct descendant of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. The most important thing is that he once declared In the world, he said that he had no children, and after crusading against all the disloyal ministers in the world, he took the descendants of Emperor Zhang from Hejian as the new emperor.
It can be said that it was precisely because of this edict that everyone in the world was convinced of Liu Yu. In addition to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Zhang, Li Jue, Guo Si and others who openly rebelled, even Lu Bu also wrote to the court expressing his willingness to surrender, so He got the position of Xuzhou Mu and forced Cao Cao to retreat.
This is the fundamental reason why the various princes were unable to intervene in the battle between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao. Geographical issues and political factors, Cao Cao, who harbored different intentions and was close, did not dare to rebel, while Yuan Shu, Liu Zhang, Li Jue, and Guo who were far away did not dare to rebel. Si and others could not attack Luoyang.
Therefore, the princes in Henan and other places were completely unable to intervene in the Northern War. Even Cao Cao and Sun Jian who could intervene could only help Liu Bei, but not Yuan Shao, for these two reasons.
After listening to Jia Xu's explanation, Zhang Xiu seemed to understand, nodded and said: "Then why did Cao Cao and Sun Jian not send troops to help Liu Bei, but chose to fight Yuan Shu and Lu Bu?"
"Didn't Sun Jian send troops?"
Jia Xu said with a smile: "Sun Wentai is a fierce tiger from the east of the Yangtze River. He is devoted to the Han Dynasty. The court treats him well, so he must do his best to send troops this time. As for Cao Mengde, he has had different intentions for a long time. This time Yuan Shu and Lu Bu move, I am afraid he is the happiest person. Already."
"Are you still so happy fighting?"
Zhang Xiu also laughed. He was a rough man and didn't understand the twists and turns inside.
Jia Xu said: "Think about it, if Cao Cao really wanted to go to the Han Dynasty, he would definitely send troops to help the court. But he chose to fight with Lu Bu in Pei and other places. Isn't it because he didn't want to help the court to send troops? If he occupied Lu Bu If we go south to seize Huainan, we may have some strength. At this time, if we rebel against the imperial court, eliminate Sun Jian, and seize Yuzhou, we will be able to compete with the north. Then the north and the south will confront each other, and the world will be divided into two parts."
"I don't understand what sir said."
Zhang Xiu shook his head: "I just want to know, what should I do now? Should I watch them fight? If they decide the outcome, will I be in danger?"
"yes."
Jia Xu nodded: "The general does not have many troops, only ten or twenty thousand men. Although Cao Cao, Sun Jian and others cannot compare with Yuan Shao, Liu Bei and others who have more than ten or two hundred thousand, they still have tens of thousands of elite men. It is difficult for us to compete with them."
The best result in the future is to wait for them to decide the outcome and find a powerful prince to surrender."
"well......."
Zhang Xiu sighed. He knew his own strength very clearly. Not to mention that half of Nanyang was still in Liu Biao's hands. His situation was very embarrassing. Liu Biao was in the south and Sun Jian was in the north. They were all stronger than him. Even if
I wanted to do something, but I was caught in the middle and couldn't move.
The two were silent for a moment, and then Zhang Xiucai said: "In your opinion, who should I surrender to? In the land of Henan, these princes will ultimately decide the winner. Among them, Yuan Shu is the most powerful, could it be him?
"
"Yuan Shu?"
Jia Xu sneered and said: "Yuan Shu now has nearly 100,000 troops, but his strength is the weakest, and his subordinates are all rabble. I expect that he will be the first to be eliminated."
"That's Sun Jian?"
Zhang Xiu asked tentatively.
Jia Xu thought for a while and shook his head: "Sun Jian is too upright and has already led his army north to respond to the court's call. He is not as cunning as Cao Cao. I am afraid that he will be attacked by Cao Cao in the end."
"That's Cao Cao."
Zhang Xiu said, "Sir, please let me surrender to Cao Cao!"
Jia Xu rolled his eyes: "When did I say that I would surrender to Cao Cao? General, sometimes don't just look at your side, you must have a foresight. Cao Cao is indeed the most likely person to unify Henan, but even if the general wants to surrender
, we should also find a final winner, not the winner in front of us."
"The final winner?"
"Yes, among all the princes in the world, who do you think can unify the world?"
"Then it can only be Liu Bei or Yuan Shao."
Zhang Xiu answered without hesitation.
It's not that he is very smart, but that this is almost the consensus of the world.
Just like before the Battle of Guandu, everyone thought that the winner between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao would dominate the world.
Among these two people, they are the top two princes in the world in terms of territory and population. After annexing each other, their strength will only be greater. How can other princes be so capable to compete with them?
"Exactly."
Jia Xu looked to the north with deep eyes and said softly: "Although the general occupied the land of Nanyang, the land was small and the people were small, and there were enemies on both sides, so it was difficult to do anything. However, Liu Bei and Yuan Shao occupied Jizhou, Qingzhou, Sili and other rich lands, and the land was vast.
Great things can only be accomplished with a large number of people. If a general wants to find someone to take refuge with, he should look for one of them."
"So who will be the final winner?"
Zhang Xiu asked the last question.
Jia Xu pondered for a long time and said calmly: "Maybe, it's Liu Bei."
He remembered the letter Yan Zhong sent him some time ago.
There is not much else in it, except that Duan Xuan has surrendered to the imperial court and his family has settled down.
The eldest son Jia Mu was conscripted as Yilang by the imperial court, and the second son Jia Fang was also promoted as Xiaolian and is now an official in Sili.
The reason why Jia Xu didn't go with Yan Zhong in the first place was because he was afraid.
He was afraid that the imperial court would still be unable to forgive the Xiliang Army Group and was unwilling to pardon them, who were Dong Zhuo's former subordinates. If they were poisoned by the imperial court, Jia Xu would never go to Guandong to find Liu Bei, the leader of the crusade against Dong Zhuo, given his life-saving character.
But now Duan Shen has been accepted by the court, and his family members who originally stayed with Duan Shen have been properly settled. However, Yan Zhong just said that the person who recommended his eldest son and second son was none other than Chen Mu.
So what is his purpose in doing all this?
Naturally, it’s Zhang Xiu.
Even I, who is in Nanyang, have plotted against me. Chen Zigui is really a terrible person.