At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

Page 234

When Cao Hong said this, Tao Qian heaved a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.

"You're right. I'm Xuzhou Mu, General Anton, appointed by the court. How can Guo Zifeng have an excuse to attack Xuzhou? He won't have an excuse to attack Xuzhou!"

Tao Qian laughed to himself as he spoke, and then he couldn't stop laughing.

Cao Hong looked helplessly at Tao Qian's slightly bent back.

Tao Qian is old, really old.

Are you starting to lie to yourself?

If you want to add a crime, why don't you have any trouble?

For the strong, the weak must be guilty even if they are not guilty. The strong need an excuse to annex the weak, but is this excuse difficult to find?

Guo Peng's rapid offensive and powerful military power have already made Tao Qian feel terrified. Tao Qian, who wanted to compete with Guo Peng before, has completely awakened. He already understands that he cannot be stronger than Guo Peng. Xuzhou It is impossible for the army to defeat Guo Peng's army.

Guo Peng's general situation has been established, and the Central Plains and Hebei are about to be fully controlled by him. It is still justifiable, and there is no arrogance.

Qingzhou Mu, who was appointed by the imperial court, Yanzhou, which was obtained for the purpose of suppressing the Yellow Turban, and the three prefectures of Hebei, which were obtained by the crusade against Yuan Shao with the support of Yuan Shu, were later entrusted by the imperial court to Guo Peng to rule and govern.

The name is justified, there is no place to attack at any point, and the name is justified.

It's justifiable and the scariest.

Why didn't anyone find out that Guo Peng is such a terrible person before this?

Oh I see.

Cao Hong suddenly realized at this moment.

Because of Yuan Shu, because of the bouncing and bouncing Yuan Shu with a strong sense of presence, compared with Yuan Shu, Guo Peng is too low-key.

He has been hiding behind Yuan Shu all the time, being Yuan Shu's follower, being Yuan Shu's minion, doing everything according to Yuan Shu's instructions, being Yuan Shu's loyal subordinate, never disobeying Yuan Shu, and having a very good relationship with Yuan Shu.

So people in the world only pay attention to Yuan Shu, not Guo Zifeng.

Until Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor, Guo Zifeng rose up against the rebels and used the name of Hanchen to fight against the rebels. In an instant, the five northern states were separated from the rule of Yuan Shu's name and successfully became independent.

This series of operations can be regarded as a model of counterattack.

Since when did this person start planning this series of actions?

Cao Hong was suddenly very curious and wanted to know how Guo Zifeng did all this.

It is a good family background, but the noble family is also divided into three, six or nine grades, and the grammar class noble family background is regarded as a low status in the ranks of the noble family. My grandfather was a prefect, but my father was only a county magistrate.

As the son of the county magistrate, his starting point in life was much lower than that of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the Confucian nobles who had the power to interpret Confucian classics, but he could actually overthrow Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, the fourth generations who were regarded as the hegemons of the world. The son of the Sangong family.

It's incredible.

when?life?

Or other reasons?

Cao Hong didn't know.

But Cao Hong knew one thing.

Once Yuan Shu died, no one in the world could compete against Guo Peng.

At this moment, he actually felt sympathetic to Yuan Shu, sympathized with Yuan Shu as a traitor, because Yuan Shu had also been playing the role of Xuzhou's umbrella in a sense.

If it weren't for Yuan Shu, who knows when and how Guo Peng will get the rightful name to crusade against Xuzhou?

Guo Peng will not let Xuzhou go, definitely!

What he really wanted to say just now was not what he said. What he wanted to say was to persuade Tao Qian to be more open-minded, to surrender earlier, and not to send troops to fight Guo Peng. Only in this way can he save his family, himself, and Xuzhou.

Xuzhou is not Tao Qian's Xuzhou alone, Xuzhou is Xuzhou's Xuzhou, Tao Qian is a foreign ruler, and the foundation of his rule is a group of cronies and the two soldiers of Danyang and Mount Tai.

These two soldiers and horses can suppress the local forces in Xuzhou and give Tao Qian an advantage, but these two soldiers and horses together cannot resist Guo Peng's soldiers.

Can Tao Qian understand?Can you figure it out?

If not, Cao Hong is very worried that someone will help Tao Qian figure it out.

Coincidentally, when the news of Yuan Shu's defeat reached Lujiang, the panic-stricken Lujiang County became even more chaotic.

Many people met together and fled towards Jiangxia to avoid disaster in Jingzhou, where there was no war yet, and wanted to ask for Liu Biao's asylum.

Originally, Jiangdong was also an option, but Jiangdong is also in chaos now. Sun Ce, Liu Xun, and the local forces in Wujun, Danyang County, are in chaos. The road to Jiangdong is not safe.

Therefore, a large number of people who survived the looting of Yuan Shu began to move to Jiangxia.

Faced with such a situation, Zhou Yu's family in Shu County also fell into a difficult choice.

After hearing the news of Yuan Shu's defeat, Zhou Yu immediately concluded that Yuan Shu was finished. He insisted on his point of view at the family meeting and convinced many clansmen that everyone thought Yuan Shu was finished, and there was no value in continuing to wait and see.

Then there are three paths that belong to the Zhou family.

First, follow Daliu, go west to Jiangxia, seek refuge with Liu Biao, and go to Jingzhou, where there is no war, to survive.

Second, cross the river to find Sun Ce, seek refuge under Sun Ce's command, and help him make contributions.

The third is to stay in Lujiang and wait for Guo Peng to call, and then use the Zhou family's previous connections to obtain an official position under Guo Peng's command.

Chapter 422 420 A young man's choice

The Zhou family is a noble family, and the noble family will always have many choices.

After discussing for a while, the first option was quickly ruled out.

The gentry in Jingzhou are xenophobic, and the Zhou family has passed away. It is difficult to toss a one-acre three-point land, and Liu Biao does not seem to have any ambitions. He is trapped in the land of Jingzhou and does not seek to make progress. Such a person can bring benefits to the Zhou family. ?

Hard to say.

Therefore, the people of the Zhou clan quickly ruled out the option of going to Liu Biao.

Then there are the second and third options.

The second option was proposed by Zhou Yu, and the third option was proposed by Zhou Shang.

The two have their own opinions.

Zhou Yu believed that since Yuan Shu was finished, the Zhou family needed to choose a promising ruler. Sun Ce was full of vigor and had the possibility of establishing a foundation in Jiangdong. Now there was no one around him who could help him make suggestions.

Zhou Shang believed that Guo Peng swept Hebei and the Central Plains, and he was the largest prince in the world, and he would become the hegemon of the world. Only such a ruler can protect the interests of the Zhou family and give the Zhou family enough room to make contributions.

Zhou Shang seemed not too happy about Zhou Yu's suggestion.

"Gongjin, to be honest, is it out of your own selfishness that you put forward such a suggestion? Is it because Sun Bofu is your friend, that's why you said that."

Zhou Shang stared at Zhou Yu, who lowered his head and remained silent.

"It's about the survival of the family. It cannot be judged simply by personal preferences. I know that Sun Bofu is very friendly with you, but Gongjin, do you really think that Sun Bofu has a future? He has to face Liu Xun, and how can he be Facing the Zong Shuai of Danyang County and Wu County, how can we protect the Zhou family?"

Zhou Yu pursed his lips.

"Bofu, a young hero, is determined to forge ahead. As long as he gets rid of the current situation, he will surely soar into the sky. Jiangdong must be owned by Bofu. It is not impossible to go down the river to control Jingzhou. At that time, the situation will naturally become clear."

Zhou Yu looked up at Zhou Shang.

Zhou Shang shook his head.

"Guo Zifeng controls Hebei and the Central Plains, and the general trend has come. He alone controls half of the thirteen states in the world, and two-thirds of the household registration in the world. Can Sun Bofu compete with him? You said that Sun Bofu established a career in Jiangdong, and Shun Bofu If Jiang Erxia controls Jingzhou, Guo Zifeng will watch it?"

Zhou Yu lowered his head again and clenched his hands tightly.

"Guo Zifeng is from the north, and most of the army is from the north. They are not familiar with water warfare. The Jiangdong water network is densely covered, and there is a natural moat in the Yangtze River. Diligent naval training is enough to prevent Guo Zifeng from going south. Don't uncle think so?"

"So what? What is Jiangdong's household registration? What is the grain output? How much is the tax? Can it be compared with the population of the land under Guo Zifeng's rule? What's more, when Sun Bofu killed Lu Kang angrily, he had already turned against the Jiangdong gentry. How could Jiangdong people support Sun? Bofu?"

Zhou Shang shook his head: "Gongjin, it's a good thing for young people to want to make contributions, but the general trend of the world is beyond your control. I asked you to come back, and you came back. Why are you so confused at this time?"

Zhou Yu was silent for a while, leaned less, suddenly stood up, and then knelt down in front of Zhou Shang.

"Guo Zifeng joined the army at the age of 19. In ten years, he has made such great achievements. He is indeed a dragon and a phoenix among the people. He is an outstanding figure and a role model for me. Uncle, I don't want to live an ordinary and mediocre life. I also want to make contributions and be famous in history!"

Zhou Shang looked at Zhou Yu who was kneeling in front of him, and slowly said: "Gongjin, you have always been very sensible. I taught you to leave Sun Bofu before, and you also left. Why this time...is it Uncle Sun? Fu wrote you a letter?"

Zhou Yu shuddered, but said nothing.

Zhou Shang let out a long sigh.

"Gongjin, you are talented and intelligent. I always thought that you are the most promising descendant of the Zhou family, but why did you get involved with Sun Bofu? Sun Bofu is located in a dangerous place and his strength is weak. No future."

Zhou Yu still didn't speak.

Zhou Shang closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"That's all, that's all, you go, go, since you have made up your mind, no matter how much I stop you, you will still go."

Zhou Yu looked up at Zhou Shang with surprise on his face.

"In times of war, the children of the Shi family scattered and voted. It was really a last resort, for the sake of family continuation. But now, the situation in the world is becoming clearer, but you still want to do such a thing. Gong Jin, I think it is unwise."

Zhou Shang looked at Zhou Yu seriously: "So, if you want to find Sun Bofu, you will have nothing to do with my family from now on. My family is under the rule of General Guo, and I will do my best to serve General Guo. , will definitely not help you, can you accept it?"

Zhou Yu hesitated for a while, then prostrated himself on the ground again.

"I understand that I will definitely not drag down the family. Everything that Zhou Gongjin will do in the future has nothing to do with the Zhou family in Shu County."

Zhou Shang sighed again, knowing that Zhou Yu would not change his mind.

Zhou Yu quickly packed up his luggage and rushed to Jiangdong under the protection of his personal guards.

Previously, Zhou Yu had the same opinion as Zhou Shang, believing that the general trend of the world was controlled by Guo Peng, and the best choice for the Zhou family was to rely on Guo Peng instead of Sun Ce.

He has silently made the decision to give up Sun Ce in his heart.

But at a critical moment, Zhou Yu was moved by a letter from Sun Ce.

In the letter, Sun Ce recalled the beautiful past with Zhou Yu when he was a teenager, recalled the deep friendship between the two, and the things they have experienced together. At the end, Sun Ce said that he missed Zhou Yu very much and wanted to meet Zhou Yu and have a drink.

Zhou Yu's heart was shaken, he wavered for many days, and finally made up his mind on this day.

Zhou Yu officially separated as a branch of the Zhou family in Shu County, and took away all the property and trilogy of his father Zhou Yi's branch. From then on, he broke away from the Zhou family in Shu County to find the sky where he could soar. up.

The Zhou family in Shu County defended their family in Lujiang County, preparing to welcome the rule from Guo Peng.

The siege of Shouchun did not come to a conclusion quickly. Lu Mian and Ji Ling tried their best to defend the city. Guo Peng's offensive was very fierce, but they could not take Shouchun quickly. So when the war was going on, the news spread. When it arrived in Jiangxia, it spread to Xiangyang along Jiangxia.

Liu Biao, who lives in Xiangyang, also knew about it.

Huang Zu, who guarded Jiangxia, reported to him. Huang Zu said that a large number of residents from Lujiang were coming to Jiangxia to seek refuge. He put these people who wanted to take refuge, and by the way, he learned that Yuan Shu's main force was wiped out by Guo Peng.

Huang Zu was very surprised when he heard about it, and immediately sent the news to Xiangyang. Liu Biao was disturbed when he heard about it, and quickly summoned the three giants under his command—Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Kuai Liang—to discuss the matter.

Cai Mao and the other three also learned about this matter through their own channels, and learned that Guo Peng is about to become the strongest prince in control of the Central Plains and Hebei, coercing the world, and they must come up with countermeasures in the face of this changing situation.

Strictly speaking, Liu Biao and Guo Peng don't have a good relationship, and they even have hatred in a roundabout way.

This enmity has been going on for some years, and it was still Sun Jian's enmity back then.

Liu Biao instructed Huang Zu to attack Sun Jian and kill Sun Jian. At that time, Guo Peng and Sun Jian had a good relationship. When he heard that Sun Jian died, Guo Peng cried for Sun Jian, denounced Huang Zu as a sinner, and beat around the bush and scolded Liu Biao. .

Chapter 423 .420 Two Jingzhou is the Jingzhou of Jingzhou people, not the Jingzhou of Liu Jingsheng

Liu Biao has always felt that if he was not a clan member of the Han Dynasty, Guo Peng would probably not save face for him, but would directly start a fight and fight with him forever.

This big and small is also an excuse for hatred. Liu Biao felt guilty and hurriedly found someone to discuss countermeasures. What should he do if Guo Peng's next target is Jingzhou?

"Duke Ming's concern is not unreasonable. Guo Zifeng has no contacts with us, and there is no friendship. If we talk about enmity, it can be called enmity, but I think that Guo Zifeng will not rashly use troops against Jingzhou."

Kuai Yue helped Liu Biao analyze it, and said, "Even if Guo Zifeng can eliminate Yuan Shu, it will take time to rectify Yuzhou and Yangzhou. The time is longer.

If he does not intend to enter Jiangdong and stop at Jiangbei, then the next move must be Xuzhou or Guanzhong, and it will definitely not be Jingzhou. If Guo Zifeng wants to enter Jingzhou, he needs to manage Runan, but there are many bandits in Runan. Clarify the situation in Runan so quickly? "

Kuai Yue's words made sense, which made Liu Biao feel relieved, but then Cai Mao raised some concerns.

"Nanyang is the gateway to the north of Jingzhou. In order to maintain contact with Hongnong, Nanyang is the only way to go. If Guo Zifeng wants to go south to Jingzhou, he must also control Nanyang. If Duke Ming is worried, he might as well increase his troops to control Nanyang."

Liu Biao found it a little strange that Cai, who had always opposed Liu Biao's external expansion, suddenly raised such a point of view, and it was even more strange to see that Kuai did not object.

After thinking about it for a while, Liu Biao knew what the two families were planning now.