At the end of August of the second year of Jian'an, I took a short rest in Hengyang for five days, and then led Xu Shu, Liu Ye, Gan Ning, Lu Xun and Musha to the west and 10,000 main forces back to Yuzhang. In order to consolidate the three counties in Jingnan, I left Zhao Lei to guard Guiyang, Li Tong guard Lingling, and Huang Zhong to control Hengyang, and Huan Jie was the Gongcao and the general affairs of the three counties. Gong Zhi was responsible for encouraging students to study, and was mainly responsible for selecting talents and selecting talents for my use.

Liu Biao basically agreed to the peace agreement that Chen Xiang and Wang Can agreed with me, and sent to Guiyang. The officials in Lingling were Han Song and Liu Xian, the officials of Lingling. Liu Xian was from Lingling, and his nephew was Zhou Buyi who was playing in the water that I saw that day.

Huan Jie was very moved to see that I trusted him so much. Although he was valued when he was under Zhang Xian in the past, he was just a counselor for advice. After all, Li Tong heard that I asked him to stay in Lingling, and the boss was unwilling to do so, so he had no choice but to reveal to him that he was willing to go south to Jiaozhi by going to Linggui, so that he could train troops in Lingling, and sent more scouts to investigate the movements of Jiaozhi, and to prepare for the march to the South China Sea, Cangwu, Hepu, and Jiuzhen counties. Li Tong was overjoyed.

Although Hua Xin's words in the letter were tactful, the lines revealed the heavy pressure that Yu Zhang is facing now, and he did not give me the time to march into Jingnan. Although the space for our army's depth and circumference was opened up, it also delayed the precious time to consolidate Yu Zhang, expand the eastern border, and head north to Huainan.

During this period, Cao Cao not only used the emperor to command the princes to gain political advantages, but also used the suggestions of Ren Jun and others in economic terms, but also began to promote military farming, gathering money and grain, defeating Zhang Miao in military terms, defeating Lu Bu and attacking Zhang Xiu, and consolidating the territory of Yu and Yanzhou without power, and the expansion momentum was also extremely rapid.

After Sun Ce gradually quelled the bandits in the territory and rebelled, his foundation in the three counties of Jiangdong had gradually stabilized. The next step was to point the edge to the west. His intention was to cross the river north to take Yuan Shu and Huainan past, and the other was to follow the old roads of Sun Ben and Zhou Yu to attack Yuzhang in the west, thereby opening up the road to conquer Jingzhou.

The team traveled eastward and the soldiers had been going west for more than half a year, and they were already home. When they were about to arrive outside Luling City, Musha and the soldiers who followed me to fight could no longer control themselves. Their clothes were wet. The soldiers returned with hundreds of battles, and their relatives were no longer there. What a sadness and pain. After sacrificing the dead souls, I wanted to spend more days with Musha and listen in detail to Zheng Hun's idea of ​​immigrating and reclaiming farmland, but the military memorial sent by the scout Yuzhang made me unable to calm down.

"Guangling Prefect Chen Deng is visiting!" This military memorial was actually nothing special. What attracted me was the line of words above. Guangling Chen Deng, since I occupied Yuzhang, except that Yuan Shu sent envoys to ask for food, I have no connection with the powerful people in Jiangbei. I just don't know what is important about Chen Deng coming this time?

I couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Musha saw that I looked unnatural and cheered up and asked, "Honey, are you doing?"

I stammered, "Oh, no-."

Mood and anger are not reflected in my expression. I am still young and cannot reach that level. Musa can see through the things hidden in my heart at a glance.

Musha looked melancholy and said, "During the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou had great talents and strategies, but because he favored Da, he ignored state affairs, which led to villains' enlightenment and eventually the country was destroyed. Generals must not miss the major affairs of the army because of their children's affair. In this way, Mushawan's death cannot be punished for his crime!"

When we married Musha, we were half liked her straightforward personality and half forced by the times. There were some political marriages. Although the relationship was not missing, it was also very quiet. It was not until this time that she followed me through life and death, and our hearts gradually became closer together. That night in Youxian, we gave each other the first time, and we missed each other, and the relationship between us was deeper and deeper day by day.

After hearing Musha's words, I had the urge to hug her tightly. I said, "Luling was settled, and the rebels may have repeated again. You are sick and weak, so you must not be overworked. I will leave Bo's words to Luling the riots in Luling, and he can take charge of them. All internal affairs can also be handed over to Zheng Hun."

Musa leaned over, stroked my chest gently, and said, "I know that in my husband's heart, I may never be able to compare with her, but——I want to let my husband know that marrying me is not a mistake."

My heart was pounding, and I couldn't help but press Musa against my chest. Musa must have known about Lu Ti about Lu Ti. She is a very intelligent woman. How could she not see my thoughts?

Lu Ti or Mu Sha, who is my favorite? I don’t know. Facing Mu Sha’s unrepentant efforts, I can’t help but be moved by it. Lu Ti——, Alas, maybe it’s just my unrequited love. In Lu Ti’s heart, it should be the responsibility of saving the world and saving people. Now, the person in front of me is what I want to cherish and love.

After a night in Luling, I bid farewell to Musha, and led 4,000 troops south to Yuzhang with Liu Ye, Gan Ning, Xu Shu, and a group of generals. The remaining soldiers of the Luling army were handed over to Lu Xun as the commander, and continued to sweep the remaining Feizhan rebels who were defeated in Linchuan, Jian'an and Yanping areas, waiting for an opportunity to expand their territory and strive to seize the place where Shanyue lived first than Sun Ce.

The world is full of treasures and humanities. Although Yuzhang is not my hometown, I regard it as my second hometown. This is the place where I set my life and act. Here is my friend who is with me day and night and shares weal and woe. When Taishi Ci heard that I was back, he rushed from the front line of Shiyin Mountain for a night and met me before I entered the city.

"Shao Chong, you miss me so much!" Taishi Ci's eyes were red and he thrashed my chest hard.

I was also a little moved and said, "Brother Ziyi, thank you for your hard work!"

I was not polite. It was because Taishici was guarding the front line of Shiyin Mountain that Sun Ce did not rashly launch an army. If it were someone else, Sun Fu would probably not be able to resist it. Therefore, although I have never made a sworn brother with Taishici, this sound could be from the heart.

At this time, Hua Xin, Gu Yong, Liu Ji, Cang Ci and other officials who stayed in Yuzhang also came out to greet him. Behind them was a large group of Yuzhang people who had been waiting for their relatives to come back after listening to the news. The relatives were naturally excited to meet each other. Tears of joy flowed in the eyes of their relatives when they were looking for their relatives, and those who didn't find him were sad and crying alone.

Hua Xin was much thinner than before, and there were a few wrinkles on his forehead. Gu Yong still looked good, looking calm and composed.

Just as he was about to tell the farewell, someone suddenly flashed behind Hua Xin and said, "I heard that the general was kind and respectful to his men and loved the people as much as his son. Now I saw it, it was indeed true. Yuan Long admired him!"

I looked carefully and saw that the person who was talking seemed to be around thirty years old and was very long, but his face was thin. I thought it was caused by the dusty journey south. In addition to fatigue, there was also a confident smile on his face.

I cast a look at Hua Xin for inquiry. Hua Xin nodded to me with certainty and whispered: "Premier Chen has brought important news from the north!"

At this time, more and more people gathered at the gate of the city, shouting and cheering sounded, and I had no time to enjoy the joy of celebration. What news did Chen Deng bring? I couldn't guess at the moment.

Under the urging of Hua Xinsu, Gu Yong and others, I hurried to the convention residence.

After each of them sat down, I said in a deep voice: "I have never known each other with the prefect, and I don't know why this happened?"

Chen Deng said: "Can General hear about Yuan Shu becoming emperor in Huainan?"

I shouted: "The world has long been clear to usurp the throne by such an immoral act of rebelling against the Han Dynasty, how could I not know about the favor?"

Chen Deng heard what I said, smiled strangely and said, "Can you know that General Feiting Hou, the Marquis of Zhendong, Cao Gong, joined forces with Sun Ce in Jiangdong, Lu Bu in Xuzhou, and Chen Yu in Wu County to jointly attack Huainan? In mid-August, Cao Cao, the Marquis of Zhendong, sent the Constitutional Wang Zhi to appoint Sun Ce as the cavalry commander, inherited the title of Marquis of Wucheng, and led the prefect of Kuaiji, and sent Lu Bu and Chen Yu in Wu County to fight against Yuan Shu together."

Speaking of this, Chen Deng's eyes seemed to pass by my face inadvertently. Cao Cao and Sun Ce jointly attacked Yuan Shu. This was not surprising. I also knew that before Chen Deng could talk about the key points, he said lightly: "Yuan Shu was unrighteous, acted against the heavens, did his deeds, and committed atrocities, causing the people to live in misfortune. It was natural for the princes to attack him."

Chen Deng suddenly stepped forward and shouted: "The general knew one thing, but he didn't know the other thing. Sun Ce thought the position of prefect of Kuaiji was too low, so he used Zhang Hong as an envoy to hold a square object and asked to be the Marquis of Wu, the governor of Yangzhou, and the affairs of the six counties in Jiangdong."

My face changed. For more than half a year, I have been stuck in Jingnan. I know very little about the news about the Central Plains. If it is true as Chen Deng said, Sun Ce takes over the governor of Yangzhou, then he can attack the three counties of Lujiang, Jiujiang and Yuzhang with justification. This is definitely not good news for me.

In front of Chen Deng, I tried to suppress the shock in my heart. I smiled slightly and said calmly: "This matter is confidential, how did Taishou Chen learn about it?"

Seeing that I was unmoved, Chen Deng looked a little disappointed and replied, "Zhang Hong is from Guangling, and he is the same as my old master. When he took the road north to Xudu, he stayed in Guangling for one night. I kept him. Hong drank and spoke at night and got it."

After hearing what Chen Deng said, I knew what he said was true. While I was busy expanding my territory, Sun Ce was not idle either. He took a step ahead of me in gaining recognition from the court. Jiangdong is full of talents and has many insightful advisers. From this point of view, it is not something that the remote Yu Zhang can compare with.

I stood up and laughed, "Governor of Yangzhou? Even if Sun Ce is willing, the thirteen states in the Han Dynasty, and the powerful men and women are only one or two. With the wisdom of Cao Gong, I don't think I will easily hand over the land of a state to those who are ambitious."

Chen Deng also stood up and said with a smile: "I heard that the general was a commoner and thought he was a hero. Now that I saw him, I realized that he was just a man. This way, I can tell the truth about the rumors!"

Chen Deng's words were extremely rude. Since I was appointed as the siege lieutenant by the emperor, no one dared to speak to me like this. I looked at me angry, pulled out my sword and chopped it down angrily, and suddenly cut a few corners of the desk to the ground. Hua Xin and Gu Yong's face changed at this time, and Gan Ning and Huang Zhong even pulled out their swords angrily, and just waited for me to give me an order to capture Chen Deng.

Chen Deng was not afraid at all and smiled and said, "The general's words are not bad. Now the general and Sun Ce occupy Jiangdong. The power is already in power. Those who can still be at peace in the past are still safe. However, because there are Yuan Shu outside and Liu Biao threaten them, there are mountains and Yue inside. Yuan Shu is in the land of Jianghuai rice and grain. He does not seek self-improvement, but he wants to usurp the throne and become independent. Although he has a hundred thousand tiers, he has lost all his heart. Therefore, those in the world who want to build the prestige of the Han Dynasty will all attack them. Now Cao Gong has joined forces with Lu Bu, Sun Ce, and Chen Yu to conquer Jianghuai. He should be invincible by military strength. Only the obstacles are that the Great Wilderness is insufficient for a long time. I am afraid that it will not last long..."

Speaking of the excitement of the Mao Zedong, Chen Deng began to speak loudly and said loudly: "So I am a general's plan. The general should send an envoy Xu Du to negotiate with Cao Gong to attack the plan, then cross the river north and attack with the coalition forces from north to south. In this way, the Jianghuai can be brought down. The general can not only gain the reputation of supporting the Han Dynasty, but also take the land of Huainan to expand its foundation. Why not do it?"

It is indeed a good idea to participate in Cao Cao's joint operation to send troops to attack Yuan Shu.

Just based on the situation I am facing now, if I do not join the coalition forces to cross the river and go north, and wait until the coalition forces defeat Yuan Shu, annex his power, and divide the fertile land of the Jianghuai River, then I will have no chance to win again with "Yangzhou Governor" Sun Ce, and I will have almost no chance of winning. Moreover, I am not without ideas about the two Huai Rivers. If I can seize Lujiang County on the other side of Yuzhang, I will have a springboard to enter the Central Plains.

However, Chen Deng came from afar, not just for the purpose of conveying information for a strange and unfamiliar force like me. He must have made some plans. But I can't guess what Chen Deng's purpose is.

I smiled indifferently, sat back and asked, "The prefect has thanked me for this kindness!"

When Chen Deng heard my words, he said solemnly: "After the general is grateful, Deng really has something to do to get the general's help."

Seeing Chen Deng's serious expression, I asked, "Prince, please tell me if you have something to do!"

Chen Deng said: "Wu County was occupied by Sun Ce, but the prefect of Wu County was actually Chen Yu, so he was Deng's companion. Now Yu and others wanted to wait for Sun Ce to lead the army north to attack him. Now they have already formed the commander of Jing County Zulang and Wu County Yan Baihu. They think that if the general can serve as foreign aid, the two attacked each other, things will be accomplished!"

When Sun Ce attacked Wu County, the prefect of Wu County was Xu Gong, not Chen Yu. Chen Yu's prefect was probably recently obtained from Xudu. I know that although Chen Deng and Chen Yu were a wealthy family in Xuzhou, they had invested more land and acres of assets in the Wu County area. Now that Sun Ce occupied the Wu County area, they must have touched their interests.

Seeing that I was pondering but silent, Chen Deng said again: "The ancients said: The enemy is a friend. If the general can accept it, Xu Dudu Cao Du, can make a rumor on his behalf, and he will teach Sun Ce that his children will not be disappointed."

In early September, the weather in Yuzhang was slightly cool in late summer and had a little bit of autumn. The street market in Yuzhang was still the same as when I left, but there was a little more noisy and prosperous. The refugees who moved south to avoid chaos, the merchants who rushed to the road, and the warriors who returned from the war formed a series of ink and water landscape paintings with the most fusion of water. People were in it, as if they were in a scroll.

To carefully protect all of this, I must carefully plan every step and no omissions occur.

I tossed and turned in the bed, and I didn't sleep all night. I thought about the discussion with the generals yesterday. Later, I simply got out of bed and opened the tent. The pine fire in front of the door was still "crackling". The two personal soldiers guarding the night side saw me coming out and quietly handed over the coat of cold. I cast a glimpse of praise, loyal to my post and diligent work as a personal soldier. Although Zhou Feng left, the spirit of this elite army was not destroyed. Unfortunately, it was not easy to find a loyal guard commander like Zhou Feng.

I did not express my opinion immediately about Chen Deng's lobbying, but just said that I would give a reply in two days. After hearing my answer, Chen Deng's face showed a hint of disappointment.

After Chen Deng left, I summoned Xu Shu, Liu Ye, Gu Yong, Hua Xin, Tai Shi Ci, and Gan Ning generals to discuss Chen Deng's proposal to attack Yuan Shu and secretly form an alliance with Chen Yu to fight Sun Ce. There was not much disagreement between everyone and Chen Yu and Chen Deng. For this matter, it is always a good thing for Yu Zhang to have an extra ally.

Everyone has different meanings about sending troops to the Northern Expedition. From the words of the generals, I saw that Taishi Ci and Gan Ning generals showed the desire to fight Yuan Shu in the Northern Expedition and make achievements on their faces.

"The art of bullying the Han Dynasty, and all loyal and righteous people ate it. If we attack the Huai River in the north, we should be the pioneer!" Taishi Ci's words were loud and loud.

"To fight against the powerful enemy, Yuan Shu has raised all the troops from Jianghuai in Shouchun, Liyang, and Lujiang County in an empty army. Our army is just taking advantage of it. If Brother Ziyi runs his troops across the river, he would rather carry a boat and ride it!" Although the fatigue of the long journey is still on his face, Gan Ning is full of confidence. It is rare that this time, Gan Ning shares the same hatred of the enemy and does not make me embarrassed again who will be the pioneer.

Gu Yong still looked solemn and smiled. He said slowly: "In the middle of last year, Yuzhang collected 500,000 hu of grain. In December, the general went west to Jingnan and spent about 200,000 hu. This year, the Feizhan chaos was launched on Luling. Half of the fertile land in Yuzhang was destroyed and it was too late to replant. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and needed relief to survive. I thought that the rescue grain was no less than 100,000 hu. In addition, the Jianghuai famine, there were tens of thousands of people who had traveled south with their families. They were afraid that there were no less than 100,000 hu of grain. In this way, the remaining grain in the treasury was only 100,000 hu. The soldiers were out of food and had no food. I hope the general would be careful!"

Xu Jing, Cang Ci, Liu Ji and other left-behind historians also expressed their opinions in accordance with Gu Yong's views, and explained their positions from all aspects of livelihood, people's strength, and people's hearts. The generals were different. When I listened to the completely opposite disputes, I was a little undecided and looked at everyone, but I saw that Xu Shu and Liu Ye did not speak out from beginning to end, and let everyone's arguments.
Chapter completed!