After receiving the news from Liu Xiu, Yuan Tan was very angry. (Baidu search: Sui Meng Novel Network, the fastest update to read novels) Liu Xiu's tone had no intention of negotiation at all, but was full of arrogant. Yuan Tan wanted to ignore him, but looking at the siege fortifications outside the city that were building at a hurry, Yuan Tan knew that Liu Xiu probably didn't say that he was playing. In three days, he might really start siege.

"What should we do?" Yuan Tan asked Feng Ji, and his hands subconsciously slashed on the city wall, his face a little pale.

Feng Ji looked at the busy Han army soldiers outside the city, and his heart was tight. They did not build a high earth dam, which was not in line with the rules. To attack a heroic city like Yecheng, the best way to attack a powerful city is to siege and then drain the Zhang River to flood the city, so that the casualties will be minimized, and the long dams built can effectively suppress the morale of the defenders. Liu Xiu did not build a dam, would he want to attack Yecheng?

If there was someone else outside the city, even Cao Cao, Feng Ji would think that this was simply a whim. But now it was Liu Xiu, even if only Liu Xiu arrived, it would be enough to make Feng Ji feel alert, not to mention that there were still 50,000 or 60,000 troops with Liu Xiu.

Feng Ji knew that this was not all about Liu Xiu. As a general of the Guard, Cao Cao had more than 40,000 troops. As a general, Liu Xiu could bring naturally more generals than Cao Cao. In the northern border, there were 50,000 or 60,000 yuan in the Yellow Turban Army alone. These Yellow Turban Army had not yet accepted official positions from the court. Rather than saying that they were the Han army, they were Liu Xiu's private army.

Liu Xiu only brought 50,000 or 60,000 people, not because he did not have a large army. On the contrary, he felt that having these people was enough. There was no need to mobilize troops. In other words, Yecheng was not that difficult in his eyes, and it was not much different from ordinary cities.

From the bottom of my heart, Liu Xiu didn't take them seriously. He launched an attack three days later, which was definitely not a false statement of intimidation.

"No hurry." Feng Ji Qiang suppressed the tension in his heart and said calmly: "Isn't it three days? We will send someone to see him the day after tomorrow."

Yuan Tan looked at Feng Ji and felt relieved when he saw Feng Ji's calm expression. On the third day, he would not let Liu Xiu catch the handle, but also show his confidence.

"General, the most important thing now is to protect the safety of the eldest son of the emperor. Liu Xiu has many secret spies. If they are allowed to sneak into Yecheng and assassinate the eldest son of the emperor, then we..." Feng Ji paused for a moment, and when he thought of the consequences, he was a little frightened. He believed that his guess was completely possible. Liu Xiu's intention to be independent was already very obvious. The eldest son of the emperor was undoubtedly another obstacle for him. Even if this obstacle was far less than that of the emperor of Luoyang, it was also an obstacle after all. Letting him die in Yecheng was the best result for Liu Xiu. But for the people in Yecheng, if the eldest son of the emperor died in Yecheng, it would definitely be a disaster.

"He is very safe." Yuan Tan nodded vigorously, as if it was not like this, it would not be enough to convince Feng Ji.

"That would be better."

Feng Ji and Yuan Tan in the city were giving themselves a heart attack. However, they still felt great pressure in the face of the gradually formed attack positions outside the city. The city was shocked three times a day, and the atmosphere became more and more tense. The sound of war drums sounded from time to time outside was like waves of thunder hitting their hearts, making them unable to eat or sleep.

Yuan Tan couldn't sleep well for two consecutive nights. Even if he closed his eyes, he could hear the sound outside the city. Occasionally, he would wake up in the nightmare of the city breaking. After Yuan Shao was defeated, he disappeared and was trapped in the city for two months. He didn't even know whether his father Yuan Shao was alive or dead, but in his own body, the danger of death was approaching step by step.

He never thought that he could defend Yecheng and defeat Liu Xiu. All he wanted was to save his life. If possible, it would be best to keep his existing property. At least he could not be deprived of all the big families in Runan who were affiliated with the Yuan family. He had been living a wealthy life since he was a child, and he could not imagine that he lived like a commoner.

But judging from the scene in front of you, it seems not easy to do this.

Early on the third morning, Yuan Tan, who was haggard, came to Feng Ji: "It's the third day, we should send someone to see Liu Xiu."

Feng Ji glanced at him and said lightly: "No hurry, there is still a whole day left, go again in the afternoon."

"In the afternoon?" Yuan Tan screamed nervously and pointed outside the city: "In another day, Liu Xiuke will be ready to attack the city. What if he doesn't want to talk?"

Feng Ji sighed secretly, but had to explain patiently: "No, he may not want to talk, but he has to talk. Otherwise, how could he explain to the world?"

Yuan Tan licked his chapped lips, looked at Feng Ji, who was also pale, and opened his mouth and said nothing. Now that things have come to this, he can only rely on Feng Ji.

...

Outside the city, in Liu Xiu's tent, the military plotters gathered together and were discussing tensely. Their expressions were not relaxed than Yuan Tan, because they believed that the eldest son of the emperor might be really in Ye City. If Yuan Tan refused to accept Liu Xiu's conditions, the next battle would be difficult to arrange. What if Yuan Tan pushed the eldest son to the front line?

"You guys will scatter first." Liu Xiu waved his hands tiredly, and the military advisers looked at each other and retreated one by one. Outside the tent, they covered their mouths, yawned, rubbed their red eyes, and sighed.

Guo Jia did not go out, he sat next to Liu Xiu and whispered: "Your Highness, you have not found the position of the eldest son of the emperor. In my opinion, the eldest son of the emperor may not be in Yecheng."

"Where can you be if you are not in Yecheng?" Liu Xiu rubbed his face, unable to hide the fatigue on his face.

"Jizhou is so big, isn't it a trivial matter to hide a person?" Guo Jia said: "Yecheng is not far from Taihang Mountain. There are many hidden places in Taihang Mountain. If they hide the eldest son in the mountain, then we will not be able to find him even if we have ten times more manpower."

"But what if I'm here?"

"What if..." Guo Jia gritted his teeth, and his voice showed a bit of sinisterness: "Your Highness, you have read the "Book of Han", and you should know that after Emperor Xiaozhao ascended the throne, someone claimed that he was Prince Li."

Liu Xiu's eyes flashed and he didn't say anything. He knew what Guo Jia said. Prince Li Liu Ju raised an army to rebel and fled. After Emperor Xiaozhao ascended the throne, a man claimed to be Li's eldest son, but the capital caused a sensation. Tens of thousands of onlookers. After Jingzhao Yin Jun arrived, he ordered the man to be arrested. Someone told him that it was not clear whether Prince Wei is now. You can't deal with it casually. Jun Buyi said, "Don't say that he is not the Prince Wei." Even if he offended the late emperor and fled abroad, he would be a death sentence."

Guo Jia said that this matter was very clear. Even if the eldest son of the emperor was really in Yecheng, he would be pushed to the front line by Yuan Tan as a shield. He could ignore him and attack directly, because he was dependent on Yuan Shao and was a traitor, even the prince would be dead.

Guo Jia's reason is correct, and the method he suggested is also the best one. But Liu Xiu couldn't bear it. The eldest son of the emperor was not a talented person. It can even be said to be very mediocre. The difference between him and ordinary people was that he was the son of the late emperor. The late emperor was dead, and the Liu Xie he loved was not his son at all. He was the eldest son of the emperor, Liu Bian, who was left. Liu Xiu did not want the late emperor to be defeated.

He certainly would not let Liu Bian be an obstacle to his progress. But he could not watch Liu Bian die. He believed that Liu Bian came to Yecheng was definitely not his own idea. That cowardly child did not have such courage. He was just an innocent tool.

"No hurry." Liu Xiu was comforting himself or Guo Jia: "Isn't there still a day? I believe Yuan Tan will send someone to see me."

Guo Jia was still waiting for it, and Liu Xiu waved his hand: "Fengxiao, you are tired too, I am a little tired too, go and rest first. If I guess well, Yuan Tan's messenger will definitely come in the afternoon. We must be more energetic and not let them see through it."

Guo Jia smiled, bowed to take the order, and retreated.

Facts proved that Liu Xiu's decision made sense. In the afternoon, Yuan Tan's envoy came to Liu Xiu's camp. He was not someone else, but Yuan Tan's younger brother Yuan Xi.

Liu Xiu, who had been resting for a long time, could not tell that he had not had any fatigue of closing his eyes for two nights. On the contrary, in Yuan Xi's eyes, he was red and calm, and his whole body was full of confidence as a strong man, as if tomorrow's victory was at your fingertips.

Yuan Xi did not see Feng Ji's guess concern on Liu Xiu's face, but he himself became a little nervous.

"Your father is dead, he died under my halberd, and he died gloriously." Liu Xiu said lightly without waiting for Yuan Xi to speak: "He exchanged the lives of more than 10,000 soldiers under his command for a promise."

Yuan Xi heard the exact death of his father Yuan Shao from Liu Xiu's mouth, and tears burst out from his eyes and couldn't help but cry to the ground. Liu Xiu didn't say anything and looked at him quietly. The reason why he told Yuan Xi about this matter as soon as he opened his mouth was that this effect was needed. To negotiate, he had to have enough momentum. Without momentum, what qualifications did Yuan Xi have to bargain with him?

When Yuan Xi cried, Liu Xiu winked, and Taishi Ci brought a basin of water to let Yuan Xi wash his face.

"I don't know what your highness promise is." Yuan Xiqiang said calmly.

"Save your brothers and others' lives." Liu Xiu said lightly.

Yuan Xi breathed a sigh of relief, but was a little unwilling to accept it: "That's all?"

"What else do you want?" Liu Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly, and his unhappy expression was fully expressed: "Do you still want to keep the glory and wealth of your Yuan family?"

Yuan Xi was stunned and said after a while: "My four generations and three masters of the Yuan family, can you bear to let my ancestors and ancestors of the Yuan family be free of blood and food?"

Liu Xiu snorted and looked at him disdainfully. Guo Jia sneered from the side: "Four generations of three masters? I am afraid that the ancestors of the Yuan family are now so angry that they are about to climb out of the grave. If you hadn't raised an army to rebel, the world would be in a mess, how could the Yuan family have today? His Highness, for your father's death, is it that he will be able to save your brother from dying. You are still thinking about the three masters of the fourth generations, and you are not afraid of being cold."

Yuan Xi's face turned red and white, but he was snatching his neck and refused to bow his head. He also sneered: "If there is the eldest son of the emperor and my brother, we will die and probably won't be too lonely. But your highness will not face the late emperor a hundred years later."

"The eldest son of the emperor?" Liu Xiu curled his lips: "The eldest son of the emperor has been missing for many years. Do you think you can pretend to be the eldest son of the emperor by just finding someone?"

Yuan Xi was startled and blurted out: "How can Your Highness be honest? The eldest son of the emperor is indeed in Yecheng."

Liu Xiu and Guo Jia exchanged glances with each other and breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
Chapter completed!