Chapter 8 Arrow on the String Twenty-fourth Verse 11 Down, Qingzhou, Pingyuan County, Gaotang City. Li Hong, accompanied by You Heng and Gao Shun, crossed the river and rushed to Gaotang City, at this time Zang Ba, Sun Guan, and Guan Hai had already arrived first.

The three of them went out of the city together with Wu Xiong, the general of Northern Xinjiang, to greet each other. Seeing the world-famous general Li Hong for the first time, Zang Ba and the three of them were very nervous.

Li Hong is just like the legend, tall and tall, with long flowing hair, a thick beard on his face, and a pair of eyes that are bright.

Probably because he stayed outside the fortress for too long, the skin on Li Hong's face was tanned by the sun and turned red sandalwood, which added to Li Hong's fierceness and majesty.

Under the introduction of Gao Shun and Wu Xiong, Li Hong greeted and greeted the three of them one by one. Li Hong smiled and asked Zang Ba and Sun Guan about their escape from the Yizhou battlefield.

The emotions of Zang Ba and the others gradually calmed down, and they talked and laughed with Li Hong, and the distance between them immediately narrowed.

Zang Ba came to Gaotang because he received an invitation from You Heng and Gao Shun, and he didn't know that Li Hong would come to Qingzhou.

Since the Yellow Turban Army was defeated in Zhengrong Valley and the news of the great chaos in northern Xinjiang came from Hebei, the situation in Qingzhou has become more and more severe.

Although Hebei is still sparing no effort to help Qingzhou stabilize the county and resume farming, due to the confusing situation in the Central Plains, Zang Ba is anxious.

He was worried that Cao Cao and Liu Bei would immediately turn the spearhead against Qingzhou after solving Yuan Shu. At present, Qingzhou's strength is limited and needs Hebei's help, but Hebei's current situation is not good.

If Hebei gives up its aid to Qingzhou, Qingzhou may not be able to survive. Of course, Zang Ba would not believe Cao Cao and Liu Bei's promises to him.

Although it was the Yellow Turban Army that attacked Xuzhou twice, idiots can guess that behind the Yellow Turban Army is Zang Ba.

Without Zang Ba's support, the Yellow Turban Army would not have been able to attack Xuzhou at all. In order to get rid of Qingzhou's predicament, Zang Ba, Sun Guan and others immediately planned to invite the Northern Xinjiang Army to enter Qingzhou.

Over the past year, what Hebei has done has proved Hebei's determination and sincerity to pacify the world. During this time, Hebei fulfilled its promise.

They first moved the population northward, transported money and grain, and then sent a large number of scholars to serve as officials in the Qingzhou Prefectures, implemented new policies, and made great efforts for the rapid stability and recovery of Qingzhou.

Zang Ba and his subordinates already trusted Hebei very much, and after carefully weighing the pros and cons from the current situation, they agreed that it was better to clarify the relationship with Hebei as soon as possible and take refuge in the Jinyang court.

This is the main reason why the three commanders of the Qingzhou Army, Zang Ba, Sun Guan and Guan Hai, rushed to Gaotang together.

They need to talk to Hebei in depth. Now seeing the sudden appearance of the great general Li Hong, Zang Ba and the three of them knew the purpose of You Heng and Gao Shun inviting them to Gao Tang to discuss matters.

In addition to being nervous and excited, the three of them were very happy. The appearance of the general in Qingzhou at this time shows that Hebei has not only solved the Hu rebellion in northern Xinjiang, but also set its sights on the Central Plains.

Since the Jinyang court and the general attach so much importance to Qingzhou, then I am afraid that this time I don't want to take the initiative myself, and the general will suggest sending troops to Qingzhou.

The evening feast was simple. The three of Zang Ba were very surprised, and they all looked at Gao Shun with suspicious and uneasy eyes.

Over the past year, there has been a lot of movement between the two sides. Gao Shun is very simple, and he doesn't even drink a drop of wine. But on formal occasions, it is still okay for him to bring out the wine and food he brought out to entertain guests, but today......

"Lord Gao, although the general is against extravagance, but you are too much to entertain the general with these things, right?" Sure enough, Pingyuan County is too guarded by Youheng.

Gao Shun smiled faintly,

"This is the rule of the great general, how many years, we have been accustomed to it. If you find it hard to swallow, eat less. You Heng sneered, looked at Li Hong and said unceremoniously: "General, with your status today, this is too contrived, right?" Gao Shun snorted coldly, and his face suddenly relaxed.

Wu Xiong's face was as cold as frost, and his eyes glared at You Heng fiercely. The three of Zang Ba looked at the extremely arrogant You Heng and were stunned for a while.

They have little contact with Youheng, but they have more or less heard of some shocking things about him. It's just that I didn't expect him to be so arrogant in front of the general today, which is unbelievable.

Li Hong laughed and said,

"In the future, when the world is stable and rich, I invite you to have a good meal."

"I've got a lot of your drink." You Heng has no appreciation,

"You think I haven't eaten meat and wine?" You Heng pursed his lips with disdain, and said loudly,

"There are less than 100 palace maids in the Han Palace today, Her Royal Highness the eldest princess only has two meals a day, and the general is even more despicable, is the Han so poor? Do you think that if everyone is diligent and thrifty, the community will be revitalized? Can the wealth of the Han Dynasty be increased by this almost humiliating thrift of the general? Ridiculous. Li Hong knew his temper, ignored him, and whispered to Zang Ba who was sitting next to him, carefully inquired about the current situation in Qingzhou, and let him talk nonsense on the side.

Your mouth is like a river, and the spit stars are splashing everywhere, criticizing the frugal style promoted by the imperial court.

He was even more sneering at the general, and he almost didn't point at Li Hong's nose and scold him for selling his reputation.

Wu Xiong couldn't bear it anymore, so he jumped up and scolded, but where could Wu Xiong scold him? Before he could scold a few words, he was scolded by You Heng's series of harsh words.

Wu Xiong jumped like thunder, and stretched out his hand to pull the knife. Gao Shun hurriedly grabbed him. Today, the general is here, and Zang Ba is also there, as soon as this knife comes out, things will be big.

"Your Excellency, you have gone too far, and you should pay attention to the occasion when you speak." Gao Shunhan said with a cold face,

"The society has withered so far, from the court to the people, all of them are embarrassed, what's wrong with the thrifty style? Just because your family is rich doesn't mean that the court is rich and the people are rich. Extravagance can only destroy the country, not rejuvenate the country. You are known as a genius, don't you even understand this truth? ”

"Did I say that the imperial court should be extravagant?" You Heng sneered at Gao Shun,

"Do you know what overkill is?"

"Everyone has **, and everyone wants to live a good life after becoming famous." You Heng pointed to the general and said,

"For example, the general, who was originally a slave exiled to the desert, fought for more than ten years and became famous, doesn't he want to live a luxurious life at this time? After becoming a general, he lived the same life as when he was a slave. Who can stand it? No one, including yourself. ”

"From your selfish point of view, you must also want to have thousands of acres of fertile land, have a luxurious house, have a mountain of wealth, hope that the family will have a group of wives and concubines, slaves like clouds, and hope that you will have a Chinese car when you go out, and you will have gorgeous clothes when you wear it. Everyone has this kind of selfish desire, and I have it too. But if this kind of selfish desire is suppressed for a long time, there will be an extreme imbalance in the heart, which will give birth to all kinds of very complex emotions. One day it broke out, and the first thing to bear the brunt of it was the rule of officials, that is, crazy corruption and corruption. You Heng looked at Li Hong with both eyes and said excitedly,

"General, can you guarantee that ten years from now, twenty years from now, or even thirty years from now, you will still be able to maintain this peaceful state of mind and noble conduct today? Can you guarantee that you will not become a corrupt official? "Everyone was shocked.

Li Hong was shocked by You Heng's words and fell into deep thought. Gao Shun and Wu Xiong thought that You Heng was purely a disaster for the country, and the two sides quarreled fiercely.

Wu Xiong yelled and screamed, and pounced three times and twice to beat You Heng. The meal was very unpleasant, and everyone parted unhappily.

In the evening, Zang Ba reported his thoughts to Li Hong. Li Hong did not agree, he thought that the Northern Xinjiang Army had entered Qingzhou at this moment, and the impact on the Central Plains would be too great, so it was better to wait.

However, Li Hong promised never to give up Qingzhou. The attitude of Zang Ba and the three of them made Li Hong very satisfied, and his goal of going to Qingzhou had been achieved.

Two days later, Li Hong said goodbye and left. Before leaving Pingyuan City, Li Hong specially had a deep talk with You Heng and asked him to write a letter about some of his thoughts on the imperial government, and he was going to take it to Jinyang in person.

On December, Luoyang. After careful discussions with Mao Jue, Fu Zhu, Xu You and others finally had a result.

The two sides agreed that after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Son of Heaven would be moved to Xuchang. In addition to being responsible for the construction of the imperial palace in Xuchang, Yuan Shao also had to transfer a batch of money and grain to Cao Cao before April.

Before Mao Jue left Luoyang, Yuan Shao set up a banquet to see him off, and congratulated Cao Cao and Liu Bei on killing the rebels as soon as possible.

Mao Jue tried for a moment, and he asked Yuan Shao, if Yuan is caught, what should he do? Yuan Shao waved his hand and said without hesitation: "Kill!" Although he is my brother, he colluded with Li Hong to rebel against Li Hong and cause chaos in the society, how can I tolerate and raise **, let the people of the world scold my Yuan clan, and let the ancestors of the Yuan clan be ashamed under Jiuquan? This is what Mao Jue is most worried about.

Once Yuan Shao goes back on his word, cherishes his brotherly feelings, and opens his mouth to rescue Yuan Shu, it will leave Cao Cao with endless troubles.

After getting Yuan Shao's promise, Mao Jue was very happy and left. In December, Yangzhou, Jiujiang County, Shouchun City.

After Yuan Shu read Yuan Shao's handwritten letter, he was so angry that he fell to the ground. Yuan Shu couldn't afford to get sick. The victory in the Battle of Qicheng no longer meant anything to Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shao ruthlessly abandoned Yuan Shu for his hegemony, causing Yuan Shu to fall into a desperate situation.

The people of Jiujiang County were panicked and gloomy. The civil and military officials had no intention of military and political affairs, and jumped up and down one by one, eager to find a way out.

Yuan Shu didn't complain. At this moment, he was surrounded on all sides, and his defeat was only an overnight thing.

He said to his men, "I'm dying, so do whatever you want, go and find your way."

Whatever choice you make, I don't blame you. Li Ye, Yang Hong, Yan Xiang, Xun Zheng and others got together, and after carefully analyzing the situation, they suggested to Yuan Shu and immediately asked Li Hong from Hebei for help, asking Li Hong to send troops to the Central Plains to shatter the dreams of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei.

"As long as Li Hong sends troops to the Central Plains, we still have a glimmer of life." Li Ya said eagerly,

"Let Yuan Yao and Liu Ye immediately go to sea by boat and go north to Jizhou."

"The rebellion in northern Xinjiang has seriously hindered Hebei's pace of going south to the Central Plains, and Li Hong may not dare to send troops to the Central Plains at this time." Yuan Shu was disheartened and shook his head helplessly,

"Forget it. Since I raised troops to defeat Dong Zhuo, I have been defeated many times without a single victory. You have followed me for many years, and you should know that it is not that I don't work hard, but that God doesn't help me. ”

"My lord, in the past eight years, you have gambled countless times, and every time you gamble, you will lose. Now that you have nothing to gamble on, what else do you have to worry about? Take another gamble and ask Li Hong for help. Yan Xiang pleaded bitterly,

"As long as we persist until May next year, the situation in the Central Plains will certainly undergo earth-shattering changes." Yuan Shu glanced at Yan Xiang in surprise,

"How do you know? Are there signs in the sky? The elephant said with an oath,

"Your Excellency, you are absolutely right to listen to us. As long as Li Hong sends troops to the Central Plains, the adults can wash away today's humiliation in blood. In the future, Li Hong will pacify the world, and with the merits of adults, he can at least be a famous minister. Yuan Shu smiled bitterly and waved his hand to call Yuan Yao over.

"You immediately go to Hebei and take all your brothers and sisters with you. In addition, there are many of my old subordinates in the city, and you can take all their families with you. Yuan Yao was reluctant and insisted on staying.

"I don't have more than a few days to live." Yuan Shu pointed to his half-paralyzed body and sighed sadly,

"As soon as I die, this place will be in ruins in the blink of an eye." Yuan Yao burst into tears.

"Although I will do everything in my power to hold Cao Cao back and consume Cao Cao's troops, I will not be able to prevent Yuan Shao from capturing the Central Plains." Yuan Shu said slowly,

"Regardless of whether Li Hong will send troops to the Central Plains next year, it will not affect his pace of pacifying the world. Today, no one is his opponent. Yuan Shu took Yuan Yao's hand and solemnly instructed: "After arriving in Hebei, follow him well and reserve a trace of vitality for our Yuan family." "Under December, Jinyang.

After the general Li Hong returned to Jinyang, he immediately entered the palace to meet the Son of Heaven and the eldest princess. Subsequently, Prime Minister Cai Yong and other ministers were ordered to enter the palace and rushed to the Phoenix Pool to discuss matters.

Shi Jiaxu, the governor of the two prefectures, carefully explained the general's itinerary and related matters for more than a year, and then presented the specific plan for the Central Plains War drawn up by the two prefectures to the imperial court.

The eldest princess and the ministers of the court did not interfere too much in the decision-making of military affairs, and the topic of deliberation immediately shifted to the money, food, and ordnance prepared for the war.

Dasi Nong Zhong Xuan was ordered to explain the financial support of the Central Plains War.

"When the winter wheat is harvested in May, the grain will be able to last until October." Zhong Xuan finally said,

"If the imperial court can still get food support from Qingzhou, then the war in the Central Plains can last until next winter." Zhong Xuan looked at Li Hong and said,

"General, the shorter the time of the Central Plains War, the better, which is conducive to the rapid recovery of the imperial court and the capture of Guanzhong and Luoyang by the army in the next two or three years." Li Hong was silent for a while, and said in a low voice: "As long as the desert is not affected by disasters this year, we will be able to get the livestock collected by the desert tribes in the spring, so that the Hu tribe's iron cavalry will go south as scheduled, and it should not be a problem to end the Central Plains War before October." Then he looked up at Xu Rong and asked with a smile, "Have the generals of Hedong arrived?" ”

"Yang Feng, Hua Xiong, Zhang Baiqi, Sun Qin, He Feng, and Liang Baiwu have already arrived in Jinyang." Xu Rong asked,

"When will the General summon them?" Jump to