Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 68 The world situation changes, Xuande takes the people with him (ask for monthly ticket)

——Yuan Shao had to retreat.

No matter how unwilling he was, the pressure from Jizhou forced him to suppress all his anger.

Gongsun Zan's offensive was fierce, and in just over a month, he managed to capture several cities in Jizhou.

The White Horse Volunteers under his command were unstoppable and unparalleled in attack and killing.

Now that Yuan Shao, the backbone of the army, is not in Jizhou, the defenders of Jizhou will find it difficult to stop him.

Even Gongsun Zan publicly expressed his intention to appoint one of his generals as the governor of Jizhou.

This forced Yuan Shao to retreat.

Outside Linzi City.

Yuan Shao stood astride his horse, his eyes fixed on the tall city gate, his brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice:

"If he ever returns, I, Yuan Shao, will destroy this place and avenge today's shame!
That’s right, for him, this failure was undoubtedly a great shame and humiliation.

So what if we have captured two counties?

He made such a big fuss this time, even asking the court to issue an edict to declare Lu Zhi guilty, just because he wanted to fight a beautiful battle for the world to see.

But now it has obviously failed.

"Lord."

Hearing this, Qu Yi, Yan Liang, Wen Chou and other generals were unwilling to give in and wanted to stay and fight Lu Zhi.

Especially Qu Yi, who was defeated by Guan Yu during this period. He felt humiliated and was filled with shame.

But before anyone could speak, Yuan Shao raised his hand to interrupt, saying solemnly, "No need to say more."

"This matter is my shame and my fault, and has nothing to do with you gentlemen."

Yuan Shao glanced at everyone and said sternly, "In this battle, all of you brothers have performed great service. When we return to Jizhou and repel Gongsun Zan, you will be rewarded handsomely!"

As a leader, how can you not take responsibility?

Yuan Shao has always been responsible for this. The more critical the situation is, the clearer his thoughts become.

When the soldiers heard this, they were all moved.

Yuan Shao did not have any lingering feelings and immediately led his troops to retreat.

In Linzi City.

Gu Tao looked at the direction where Yuan Shao's army was heading away, full of fighting spirit, and said, "Lord Lu, why don't we take this opportunity to hunt down Yuan Shao?"

Lu Zhi shook his head and sighed softly, "Our army has suffered heavy losses in this battle. If we rashly pursue them and encounter an ambush by Yuan Shao, the gains will outweigh the losses."

"Wait a moment."

"When Yuan Shao's army retreats, it will be the day for our counterattack."

If Liu Bei's troops were still there, he might still choose to attack by force. After all, the generals under Liu Bei's command were able to stop Yuan Shao's generals.

But that’s not the case now.

The more critical the moment, the more we should avoid acting impulsively.

What he is doing now is to cooperate with Gongsun Zan's offensive and stretch Yuan Shao's front line.

Jizhou is indeed strong.

Able to support Yuan Shao in fighting on two fronts.

But as long as they can defeat Yuan Shao a few times, Jizhou will directly retaliate against Yuan Shao.

The nobles who support him need to see clear benefits.

If he didn't get any benefits, his own safety would be threatened by Gongsun Zan.

Then his role as the so-called Lord of Jizhou would really come to an end.

Lu Zhi was well aware of this.

After thinking about it, he called another person and asked him to send someone to Bingzhou immediately to ask Ding Yuan to join in attacking Yuan Shao.

With the combined power of You, Qing and Bing.

Together they attacked Yuan Shao.

Take advantage of this opportunity to destroy Yuan Shao directly!

People like Yuan Shao are indeed a god against the wind.

Even though the current situation has come to this, he still has no intention of giving up the two counties of Pingyuan and Jinan.

This is a record he has to maintain.

Otherwise, the nobles of Jizhou would definitely be dissatisfied.

Everyone needs to see the benefits.

Moreover, he had been fighting with Lu Zhi for several months, and he was very clear about Lu Zhi's current strength.

To him, Lu Zhi was not the biggest threat.

As long as he can stop Gongsun Zan's offensive, Lu Zhi will fall without a fight.

Therefore, he only left Gao Lan and Zhang He to lead 20,000 elite troops to guard the two counties to guard against Lu Zhi.

He himself immediately returned to Jizhou.

Jizhou's foundation gave Yuan Shao great confidence.

——July, the third year of the Hanxing period.

After returning to Jizhou, Yuan Shao immediately began his deployment.

He first ordered Shen Pei and Yan Liang to lead the main force to garrison Yijing and build a defense line relying on Yishui and Jumashui.

Beacon towers were widely set up along the line from Zhuojun to Zhongshan, and crossbow forts were placed every ten miles.

He wanted to use this to stop Gongsun Zan's most elite White Horse Volunteers.

Moreover, he set his sights on Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army.

Zhang Yan is now allied with Gongsun Zan.

But for an armed force like the Montenegrin Army, which is considered a bandit in nature, as long as enough benefits are given, they can influence the situation.

He sent someone to see Zhang Yan.

Promise them that they will never send troops to attack their base camp.

He also gave them gold, silver and jewelry, and tacitly allowed them to attack Bingzhou.

He also submitted another memorial to the court, requesting that Cao Cao be appointed General of the Eastern Expedition, hoping to stir up conflict between Cao Cao and Lu Zhi, and to have Cao Cao keep a close eye on Liu Bei.

Yuan Shao was deeply impressed by the generals under Liu Bei's command.

As long as Liu Bei can't find the opportunity to take action.

It would be extremely difficult for Lu Zhi to counterattack the two counties.

The most important thing is that the name of "righteousness" is now in his hands.

Although the Han Dynasty is now in name only, it is like a centipede that is still alive even after death.

This kind of thing is righteousness.

Although it seems useless to many people, it is still of great help to the morale of the soldiers.

The most crucial thing is that the remaining descendants of Liu Yu have already fled to Jizhou.

This gave Yuan Shao many more opportunities!

While he was preparing the three armies, he also accused Gongsun Zan of crimes in the name of the court.

——Plotting to murder the royal family and rebelling!

He ordered the princes from all directions to attack Gongsun Zan.

It is obvious that no one will obey this so-called imperial edict.

However, this move also affected Lu Zhi's plan, causing Ding Yuan, who originally wanted to join the war, to hesitate again.

This is the limitation of the times.

Although Ding Yuan came from a humble family, he was primarily loyal to the Han Dynasty.

The reason he wanted to come back to help Gu Xi was because he knew that helping Gu Xi was helping the Han people.

But this time, there was a clear order from the court.

He still couldn't help but hesitate after all.

There was no way, because Gongsun Zan’s crime of murdering the royal family was confirmed.

Whether it was the remnants of Liu Yu or his son Liu He, after fleeing to Jizhou, they spread the news of this matter in full.

This is a powerful weapon for people like Ding Yuan.

Bingzhou.

Lü Bu, with an indignant expression, looked at Ding Yuan and asked, "Foster father, why are you so hesitant?"

"If my adoptive father truly wishes to attack Jizhou, I will wipe out all the enemies for him and destroy Yuan Shao."

"Don't worry, my son." Ding Yuan sighed and waved his hand. "Gongsun Zan's killing of members of the royal family is indeed a crime."

"If we attack Jizhou at this time, wouldn't we be colluding with him?"

After saying that, he sighed again, looking conflicted.

"So, you want to attack Gongsun Zan?" Lu Bu asked without hesitation. "If you have such a wish, I can defeat the thief."

"I've heard for a long time that Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers attacked and killed Wushuang."

"I'd like to see if the White Horse Volunteers can block the Fang Tian Hua Ji in my hand."

Lu Bu was full of fighting spirit.

But Ding Yuan shook his head again: "Absolutely not."

"Attacking Gongsun Zan would put us in the same league as Yuan Shao and his ilk, wouldn't that?"

"Nowadays, rumors are spreading all over the world."

"The Yuan family and a group of noble families actually helped Liu Dai ascend to the throne. How could I be complicit in their corruption?"

Hearing this, Lu Bu's face flashed with obvious dissatisfaction: "Foster father, what exactly do you want to do?"

"What do you want to do?" Ding Yuan sighed helplessly, "I am a minister of the Han Dynasty, and of course I want to support the Han Dynasty."

As he spoke, Ding Yuan seemed to sense his own hesitation, and his expression became more complicated.

This is the limitation of the times.

People like Ding Yuan.

In the original history, for the sake of "loyalty", he disregarded his own life and death and confronted Dong Zhuo who had already entered the capital.

But now, he is also because of this so-called "loyalty".

Putting myself in a complete dilemma.

This is the limitation of the times.

Not everyone can have a very flexible moral bottom line like the Gu family members.

Lu Bu looked at Ding Yuan, and the dissatisfaction and disappointment in his eyes became more and more intense.

You don't even want this kind of opportunity?
Whether it is to help Yuan Shao or to attack and kill Yuan Shao.

In Lu Bu's eyes, this was a godsend opportunity.

They are all made of clay, pigs, and dogs.

As long as he goes, he can make a contribution with his bravery, so why hesitate?
He wanted to say something else.

But looking at Ding Yuan's complicated expression, he felt extremely annoyed. He sighed and walked out.

It is impossible to keep this kind of news secret.

Even Yuan Shao had not expected that his idle chess move would have such a wonderful effect.

He originally just wanted to divide and disintegrate Gongsun Zan's internal forces.

But I didn't expect it to be so useful.

In the big tent.

Yuan Shao glanced at the crowd, laughed heartily, and said in a loud voice: "The world's destiny is in my hands now. What do we have to fear?"

"In this battle, we only need to wipe out Gongsun Zan."

"Then we can go straight to Youzhou."

"Yanzhou is now in my hands."

"By then, we will combine the forces of You, Ji and Yan to seize Bing and Qing states."

"We already own half of the world, so why should we worry about not being able to accomplish great things?"

By this time, Yuan Shao no longer concealed his ambitions.

He wanted to retrace the path of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu and unify the entire world.

"My lord is wise!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was very excited and bowed to Yuan Shao.

Who wouldn’t be excited?

Draw a grand blueprint for the people under your command.

This has been a very useful method since ancient times.

"Send my order!"

Yuan Shao slowly stood up, his eyes sharp as an eagle as he scanned the crowd. His voice was sonorous and powerful, "All three armies, prepare for battle. I will personally confront Gongsun Zan!"

"Yes!" All the civil and military officials responded in unison, their voices as loud as a bell.

For a time, the morale of Yuan Shao's soldiers was greatly boosted.

The situation changes instantly!
Gongsun Zan's situation suddenly became difficult.

His attack on Jizhou this time was indeed a bit too hasty.

Liu Yu's reputation in Youzhou is not low.

Yuan Shao's tactics had already caused those who were dissatisfied with Gongsun Zan in Youzhou to gradually gain power, which had an impact on Gongsun Zan.

It would be fine if the battle went smoothly all the time.

But now Gongsun Zan's war situation in Jizhou is not going well.

There is already a problem here.

There was no way, the strongest unit under Gongsun Zan was the White Horse Volunteers, an elite cavalry.

Cavalry is not good at attacking cities.

When Yuan Shao rushed back to Jizhou, the situation in Jizhou had already stabilized.

Now the situation has changed rapidly.

This made Gongsun Zan's situation even more difficult.

But can he withdraw his troops? Obviously not.

This attack on Yuan Shao was destined to make them an enemy of Yuan Shao.

If we don't take this opportunity to destroy Yuan Shao.

Allowing Yuan Shao to fully recover and engaging in a protracted war of attrition with him would definitely be a fatal blow to Youzhou, which is already on the border.

Moreover, if he withdraws his troops, his reputation will be greatly reduced.

There will definitely be chaos in Youzhou.

Will Yuan Shao give him time to quell the rebellion?
Although Gongsun Zan is brave, he is not a fool.

He was very clear about the current situation and knew that he had to fight Yuan Shao no matter what!

If you can succeed, then everything can be solved.

He was able to directly control Jizhou, unite with Lu Zhi, Liu Bei and Ding Yuan, and gather the strength of the three continents to gain a firm foothold.

Both sides can switch between offense and defense.

Gongsun Zan is not a cowardly man.

After realizing this, he also made up his mind.

Who said that he would definitely be defeated by Yuan Shao?

Zhongshan State.

Gongsun Zan was in the military camp. He glanced at the generals and shouted loudly, "Everyone!"

"This thief Yuan Shao dared to unite with the aristocratic families, dethrone the emperor and establish a false emperor."

"This is an act of usurping the country."

"We are all Han officials, receiving Han salaries for generations. In the past, we even helped Lord Gu suppress the rebellion. How can we tolerate such a traitor dominating this region?"

He has a loud voice and a powerful aura.

All the soldiers under his command did not hesitate and raised their arms and shouted:

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

"kill!!!"

Gongsun Zan was full of fighting spirit. After the shouting subsided, he shouted again: "Everyone!"

"Master Lu is currently mobilizing troops in Qingzhou."

"We just need to hold Yuan's elite troops in Zhongshan."

"It won't take long for the enemy to collapse."

"It is said that the land of Jizhou is fertile and is a gift from heaven. By then, brothers like us can save our families from the bitter cold of Youzhou!"

Almost all the generals under his command were from Youzhou.

He has a natural yearning for counties like Jizhou, which have fertile land.

Sure enough, as soon as these words came out.

The morale of the entire army was boosted again, and the shouts were like thunder, resounding through the heavens and the earth.

Both sides began to deploy around the entire Zhongshan.

Although Gongsun Zan was trying his best to spread the news that Yuan Shao was a bandit.

But compared to Yuan Shao, who had the "big trend".

Gongsun Zan's influence is indeed not enough.

After all, he really killed Liu Yu, a relative of the Han Dynasty, and with the testimony of Liu Yu's descendants, this is an indisputable fact.

This advantage in the overall situation made Yuan Shao even more difficult to defeat.

Word kept spreading.

The changes in the entire Jizhou are always attracting the attention of the princes of the world.

Langya County.

"I intend to give up Langya and go to Qingzhou to lend a helping hand to Master Lu!"

Liu Bei looked at everyone in the hall with a firm gaze and spoke in a very sonorous voice.

As soon as these words came out.

Everyone present was shocked.

Give up Langya?

"Ming Gong!" Chen Bo and other Langya nobles immediately stood up, all a little panicked, and began to dissuade him, "Absolutely not!"

"If you give up Langya, my lord."

"If we succeed, that's fine. But if we fail, where will we base ourselves in the future?"

Because of Liu Bei's reputation.

These powerful families gave Liu Bei great support, hoping that Liu Bei would keep them safe.

If Liu Bei gave up Langya County.

What should they do?

Follow Liu Bei with your family?
Then there would be nothing left of their final inheritance.

Don’t follow Liu Bei?
Not to mention what Cao Cao’s attitude would be towards them if he really took over Langya.

Even if it's not directed at them.

Then their status will be greatly reduced.

Cao Cao’s strength is not weak now.

How could these powerful people from Xuzhou possibly have a place among the Yanzhou clans?
"Where can't a man make his home?"

Before Liu Bei could speak, Guan Yu, the chief military officer standing beside him, immediately snorted and said sternly, "Brother, this is for the righteousness of the world."

"What will happen if we stay in this Langya place forever?"

"If you can protect one side, can you protect the whole world?"

His tone was very calm, but it gave people an inexplicably powerful feeling.

"Well said!"

Zhang Fei, the loudmouth, also chimed in, "Brother, if you decide, I'll be the vanguard!"

"it is good!"

Liu Bei nodded, approvingly saying, "Pass my order: prepare the three armies, abandon Langya, and advance towards Qingzhou."

Perhaps it is really because Liu Bei is now in high spirits.

This is such a thing of giving up a county so easily.

He didn't hesitate at all.

Upon hearing this, Chen Bo and other local tyrants were all stunned.

They stared at Liu Bei in a daze, not knowing what to do next.

"Gentlemen."

Liu Bei also looked at them at this time and said seriously: "You can make your own decisions. I will not force you."

"If you trust me, Liu Bei, you can follow me."

"When the Han Dynasty is revived, I will definitely present a memorial to the court praising your contributions."

From beginning to end, Liu Bei's tone was so sonorous.

Everyone's expressions became more complicated.

In fact, they were still very satisfied with Liu Bei as the county magistrate.

Liu Bei can really keep them safe.

But if they were asked to give up everything and take the risk of their entire family's property and lives to follow Liu Bei, how could this be possible?

Liu Bei did not force it.

He just wrote a letter and sent someone to deliver it to Cao Cao.

At this point in the battle, he had already sensed that Cao Cao was not fully supporting Yuan.

If otherwise.

How could Cao Cao, who had the power of a state, not be able to break through his county?
Liu Bei wanted to win over Cao Cao.

He didn't believe that Cao Cao wanted to see Yuan Shao dominate the entire north.

He was willing to exchange the land of Langya for Cao Cao to attack Yuan Shao again in Yanzhou.

This is Liu Bei's courage.

The news went straight to Cao's camp, and Liu Bei began to organize his army in the entire Langya area.

But what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.

When the people of Langya heard that Liu Bei was going to abandon Langya and go to Qingzhou, they all burst into tears.

The entire area outside the prefectural government office was actually occupied by the people.

They were all people who came to dissuade Liu Bei.

"Lord Xuande, if you leave today, how will the people of Langya survive?"

"Why did you abandon the people and leave them in dire straits?"

"If Lord Xuande really wants to leave, we are willing to follow him."

The cries and howls resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

Liu Bei had never expected that the people would be so attached to him.

Looking at those haggard faces, his eyes couldn't help but turn red.

"What virtues have I gained to deserve such support from you all?"

He sighed deeply, bowed to the people and said, "If the world is at peace, I will never let the people down."

"However, today, how can I abandon the Han Dynasty?"

"If you fellow villagers want to follow me."

"I am willing to go with you all to Qingzhou. If you are in danger, I will protect you with my own death!"

His determination cannot be shaken, but he will not let the people down!
This scene really shocked everyone.

March with the people?

How much will this affect the march speed?

If Cao Cao came to kill them, how could they escape?
Many people wanted to persuade Liu Bei to calm down, but Liu Bei's attitude was still very firm and he did not waver at all.

Who can stop this?
The news gradually spread.

When Cao Cao learned about this, he was also extremely surprised.

"Big brother."

Cao Ren's eyes lit up as he challenged for battle: "Liu Bei dares to lead the people. His army will surely slow down."

"Why don't we send a group of elite cavalry to attack Liu Bei?"

"Even if there are obstacles, our army can still defeat the enemy. This opportunity cannot be missed!"

When the generals and soldiers heard this, they were all eager to fight and were ready to fight.

But Cao Cao slowly shook his head, his expression solemn, and said, "No. Even if this move succeeds, our future path will be filled with obstacles."

Liu Bei guessed correctly.

He really didn't want Yuan Shao to dominate the north.

If that were the case, he would really have to obey Yuan Shao.

Cao Ren frowned slightly upon hearing this, and asked, "Brother, do you intend to help Liu Bei destroy Yuan Shikai?"

"No hurries."

Cao Cao smiled calmly, looked around at everyone, and said slowly: "The situation is still uncertain, so why should we rush to make a choice?"

"As the heroes attack, as long as we don't rush in, we will be invincible."

"Don't worry about Liu Bei for now. Send someone to take Langya quickly and wait for the situation to change."

When everyone heard this, they all nodded immediately.

Word kept spreading.

At this moment, the entire Jizhou battlefield seemed to have become the center of the world.

And just at this time.

A rumor gradually spread throughout the world.

"The Imperial Seal has been lost. The current emperor is no longer protected by the Mandate of Heaven. He is a false emperor promoted by aristocratic families like Yuan Shao."

The rumor spread very quickly.

In a short period of time, it spread all over the world.

The superstition of prophecies and divinations is the most unsolvable existence in this era.

Especially with the current chaotic situation, the rumors that the destiny is no longer with us have been exacerbated.

For a moment, the whole of Kyushu was in shock.
------

"In the third year of the Han Dynasty, Zan, the governor of Youzhou, defeated Liu Yu in Jicheng and marched south, aiming at Jizhou.

At that time, Shao Fang was fighting with Lu Zhi, the governor of Qingzhou, in Linzi. When he heard that Zan had captured several cities, he abandoned the siege of Qingzhou and rushed home overnight.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lu Zhi raised an army from Linzi, intending to recover Pingyuan and Jinan counties. He also sent envoys to contact Ding Yuan of Bingzhou, hoping to form a three-sided encirclement.

The scholars and common people in Jizhou were terrified, and all believed that the Yuan family was about to be overthrown.

Shao then forged the emperor's edict, exposing Zan's crimes and saying, "Ji Hou Gongsun has been enjoying Han salaries for generations, yet he dared to slaughter members of the royal family and harm the emperor's descendants. Heaven and earth will not tolerate this!"

He sent another edict to the prefectures and counties, saying that "Zan usurps the title of righteousness, but is actually a traitor to the Han Dynasty." Ding Yuan was hesitant after receiving the edict, stationed his troops in Jinyang, and hesitated to march east.

Shao also sent Generals Gao Lan and Zhang He with 30,000 elite troops to hold Jinan in Pingyuan, digging deep trenches and building high fortifications to resist Lu Zhi.
He secretly ordered Yanzhou Governor Cao to deploy troops in Langya to prevent Liu Bei from coming to the north to provide aid, and Jizhou gradually regained peace.

At that time, the Langya prefect Bei heard about the current situation in Jizhou and wanted to abandon the county to provide assistance.

When the officials and common people heard this, the elders and their children prostrated themselves at the gates of the government office, weeping and saying, "Since you have taken control of this place, the thieves have stopped breathing, and the old and the young have found safety. Now you have abandoned us like dirt. I would rather follow you and die on the road than see jackals and wolves once again occupy Langya!"

Seeing this, Bei was also moved and shed tears, but his resolve remained unchanged. He said, "The war in Qingzhou is urgent and it concerns the safety of the Han Dynasty.

Although I am in Langya, I am also a Han official. How can I stand by and watch someone die without helping?
Moreover, I have always harbored the ambition to support the Han Dynasty, and now is the right time.

However, I cannot bear to abandon you all, so I am willing to go with you to Qingzhou. If you are in danger, I will protect you with my own life!"

When the people heard about it, they were all moved by his kindness and packed their bags, ready to go with him.

——"Heroes of the Late Han Dynasty: Yuan Shao and Liu Bei"

(End of this chapter)