Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Feng Ji dared not look Yuan Shao in the eye.

Guo Tu took the initiative to cover the rear, while Feng Ji found excuses to shirk responsibility; the difference in their abilities was immediately apparent.

Although Feng Ji and Yuan Tan were indeed at odds, bringing it up at this moment makes it seem as if Feng Ji had developed a cowardly attitude.

Yuan Tu is far inferior to Gong Ze!

Yuan Shao sighed inwardly.

Adversity sees the truth.

Guo Tu's promise to hold Nanpi for a year under the current circumstances moved Yuan Shao, who was also reluctant to part with him.

Could one find a more loyal subject than Guo Tu?

Although reluctant, Yuan Shao had no other choice.

As Guo Tu said, only Guo Tu and Feng Ji were capable of defending Nanpi.

Since Feng Ji was unwilling to defend Nanpi, Guo Tu had no choice but to accept the situation.

"Gongze, there's no need to force us to stay for a year. If we can hold the position, then hold it; if we can't, then abandon Nanpi and quickly move to Liaodong. I still need Gongze to manage the government." Yuan Shao stood up, stepped forward, and grasped Guo Tu's hand with a sincere expression.

Hearing this tone, Guo Tu felt a chill run down his spine.

After all, Guo Tu's move was a strategic retreat. If he hadn't tricked Yuan Shao into going to Liaodong, and if he hadn't volunteered to guard Nanpi, how could he have successfully returned to Liu Bei's command?

Guo Tu was secretly glad that Feng Ji hadn't shown his loyalty and courage at this time; otherwise, if Feng Ji had been allowed to guard Nanpi, he probably would never have been able to leave Liaodong for the rest of his life.

Although one could serve as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in Liaodong, how could the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in a small country have the same status as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in a large country?
In the future, Guo Tu will be remembered in history, and he will even have his own biography in the Records of the Great Han Dynasty. This honor is something that Yuan Shao could never give him!

"Your Majesty, I swear to repay your great kindness with my life!" Guo Tu feigned emotion, tears streaming down his face, which made Yuan Shao feel even more guilty.

After careful consideration, Yuan Shao added, "You may choose any of the soldiers left to guard Nanpi."

Since Guo Tu cannot go to Liaodong with us, the best we can offer him is to provide him with more military support.

Guo Tu pretended to be deep in thought.

a long time.

Guo Tu said solemnly, "I only need Generals Zhang He and Gao Lan to assist me. They have fought against Liu Bei many times and are experienced. Moreover, they are both very brave and will not surrender easily if Liu Bei intimidates them. As for the other soldiers, I am not at ease with them."

Yuan Shao actually shared this idea.

The generals who remain to defend Nanpi must not be too cowardly, otherwise Nanpi will fall as soon as Yuan Shao leaves.

"I will allocate another thousand halberdiers to Gongze. If Nanpi falls, Gongze can break through the siege." Yuan Shao generously gave a thousand of his strongest troops.

Guo Tu expressed his gratitude again.

Seeing Yuan Shao's favor towards Guo Tu, Feng Ji felt quite resentful, a mixture of envy and jealousy.

He could only find reasons to comfort himself in his heart: After going to Liaodong, His Majesty will only trust me, and there will be no Guo Tu to compete with me. I will be the new Minister of the Imperial Secretariat!
After handing over Guo Tu, Yuan Shao summoned Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, and appointed Yuan Tan as the crown prince.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Shang's face was full of shock, while Yuan Tan was overjoyed.

After Yuan Shao declared himself emperor, he never appointed a crown prince.

Yuan Shao preferred Yuan Shang and wanted to appoint Yuan Shang as his successor, but he was afraid that this would displease Yuan Tan and ruin the important affairs of Qingzhou.

Now that Yuan Tan has lost Qingzhou, he should theoretically be no longer qualified to compete with Yuan Shang.

However, Yuan Shao wanted to take Yuan Shang to Liaodong, but also wanted Yuan Tan to stay and guard Nanpi, so he decided to give Yuan Tan the status of crown prince.

In this way, Yuan Tan would have the opportunity to redeem himself through meritorious service, and if he lost, he would have no face to compete for the crown prince position again, thus allowing Yuan Shao to smoothly establish Yuan Shang as the crown prince.

Subsequently.

Yuan Shao then brought up the matter of moving the capital.

However, Yuan Shao did not say that he would move the capital to Liaodong, but instead said that he would move the capital to Youzhou, and left the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Guo Tu and Yuan Tan to guard Nanpi.

If only Yuan Tan remained in charge, he might still have doubts.

However, Minister Guo Tu remained in Nanpi, and generals such as Zhang He and Gao Lan also obeyed orders. Yuan Tan had no suspicions and immediately accepted the imperial edict. He even glanced triumphantly at Yuan Shang, which made Yuan Shang grit his teeth in anger.

At last.

Yuan Shao then left Yuan Shang behind alone.

Yuan Tan had no doubts, only believing that Yuan Shao wanted to secretly offer Yuan Shang some benefits to appease his foolish younger brother.

Having secured the position of Crown Prince, if he were to achieve further merit in Nanpi, who could challenge his position as Crown Prince Da Zhong in the future?

"Father, I refuse to submit!"

After everyone left, Yuan Shang expressed his strong dissatisfaction to Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shang, who had to pay his respects to Yuan Shao every day and had been fulfilling his filial duties for the past few years, thought that his position as crown prince was secure. However, Yuan Shao directly appointed Yuan Tan as crown prince, catching Yuan Shang off guard.

Looking at the furious Yuan Shang, Yuan Shao sighed and said, "Foolish child! Do you think I really want to move the capital to Youzhou? Liu Bei is invincible, and the tide has turned against me. I am going to Liaodong, so I am leaving your elder brother in Nanpi. If you want to stay in Nanpi, you can also become the crown prince."

Yuan Shang was stunned: "Go to Liaodong? But we haven't even fought Liu Bei yet. To admit defeat before even engaging in battle would be too disrespectful to Da Zhong!"

Looking at Yuan Shang, who was still completely unaware of the situation, Yuan Shao felt even more frustrated: "The art of war says that the best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Although I have not fought against Liu Bei, there are many disloyal soldiers and officials under my command. How can I possibly have the strength to fight against Liu Bei? The only option is to retreat to Liaodong and slowly plan for a comeback."

"Don't worry, once we reach Liaodong, I will make you the crown prince."

Yuan Shang felt terrible.

If he were to retreat to Liaodong, he could only become the crown prince of a small state in Liaodong.

As a descendant of the Yuan family of Runan, if we cannot take control of the Central Plains and instead settle in Liaodong, wouldn't we become barbarians surrounding the Han Dynasty?

Yuan Shang was unwilling to give up: "Father, is it really impossible to compete with Liu Bei anymore? Liaodong is remote and not a suitable place to establish a country."

Yuan Shao remained silent.

Given the opportunity, Yuan Shao would certainly not have remained confined to Liaodong.

However, Yuan Shao can no longer control the current situation.

There is no third option: either be defeated in one battle or seek peace and stability in a precarious situation!
"There is no need to discuss this matter further."

Yuan Shao gave Yuan Shang an affirmative answer.

In the Central Plains, Yuan Shao is temporarily unable to win the battle.

But Yuan Shao did not give up because of this, nor did he commit suicide like Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shao wanted to take another gamble, betting that Liu Bei would become arrogant and extravagant after the internal troubles were over, and then engage in reckless military campaigns.

When Liu Bei loses control of the Han Dynasty and loses popular support, that will be the time for Yuan Shao to make a comeback.

Meanwhile, Feng Ji also sought out Guo Tu. Feng Ji couldn't quite understand why Guo Tu had risked his life to stay in Nanpi.

"Brother Gongze, are you really willing to stay in Nanpi? Could it be that you're planning to take the opportunity to surrender the city and join Liu Bei?" Feng Ji stared intently at Guo Tu, trying to glean any clues from Guo Tu's expression and tone.

Faced with Feng Ji's suspicions, Guo Tu calmly asked, "If I really have such thoughts, what will Brother Yuan Tu do? Will you impeach me to His Majesty?"

Feng Ji hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother Gongze, you jest. What good would it do me to impeach you? I have no intention of staying in Nanpi."

Trying to frame me?
I'm not stupid!

The only ones left in Nanpi are you and me. I impeached you, so I stayed, didn't I?

Guo Tu also laughed: "If Brother Yuan Tu impeaches me, he can stay by the Crown Prince's side and advise him. After all, the Crown Prince is the future of Da Zhong. No matter how filial the Prince Shang is, he will never have the same prestige in the army."

Listening to Guo Tu's repeated provocations, all he wanted was for Feng Ji to agree to be stationed in Nanpi, Feng Ji dared not argue with Guo Tu any further and left after finding an excuse.

"How can a coward like you compare to me?" Guo Tu spat out a mouthful of disdain, his eyes full of contempt for Feng Ji. If he doesn't even dare to take risks in doing great things, how can he possibly achieve great merit that ordinary people can hardly obtain?
Under Guo Tu's planning, Yuan Shao, who originally wanted to fight Liu Bei in Nanpi, finally succumbed to the pressure of the situation and chose to flee to Liaodong.

Guo Tu then offered Yuan Tan a plan to intimidate his troops, suggesting that Yuan Tan feign flattery of Liu Bei in the hope that Liu Bei would delay the attack on Nanpi for a year.

For Yuan Tan, the strategy of arrogance would allow him, as the crown prince, to formally seize power, and also give him credit for defending the city. Even if the city fell a year later, he could still go to Youzhou to claim credit.

For Guo Tu, this was actually a message to Liu Bei, asking him to cooperate in delaying the attack on Nanpi for a year.

Liu Bei had no intention of attacking Nanpi, so he immediately agreed to Yuan Tan's overture.

The two sides maintained peace for the time being.

And during this period.

The war in the south was also progressing rapidly.

After Sun Jian destroyed Chen Gui of Wu Commandery, he marched south to Kuaiji and captured Wang Lang alive. He then took Danyang in the east and captured Zu Lang.

After defeating Yuan Shao, Guan Yu first attacked Zhang Xian in Changsha, and then his army marched north to Xiangyang, where the brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue surrendered the city.

The wealth accumulated by the powerful families in the south over the years was countless, which benefited Liu Bei.

Those with the wealth accumulated by powerful and wealthy families can win people's hearts.

Guan Yu ordered Yang Xiu to temporarily assume the post of Governor of Jingzhou, and instructed him to work with Zhuge Xuan, the Governor of Yangzhou, to implement new policies in the two provinces.

Born into a prominent family and agreeing with Liu Bei's ideas, Yang Xiu, though as arrogant as ever, was indeed adept at handling affairs.

As those who claimed to be emperors, kings, or generals in the various prefectures and counties of Jing and Yang were successively destroyed, Jia Long of Xichuan was filled with panic.

They were willing to surrender, but they couldn't bear to give up their family business in Xichuan.

Moreover, Xichuan is not solely under Jia Long's control. Even if Jia Long were willing to give up his family business, the powerful and influential families of Xichuan would not be.

Confident that Xichuan was easy to defend and difficult to attack, Jia Long sent men to heavily guard all the strategic passes and passes in Xichuan to prevent Guan Yu from entering the province.

It is said that before the world is in chaos, Shu is in chaos first; even though the world is settled, it is still not settled.

The unique geographical advantages of Sichuan gave Jia Long the confidence to continue his separatist rule as emperor.

Guan Yu did not rush to attack Xichuan.

Huangfu Song from Hanzhong did not take the opportunity to go south.

Or perhaps, Shu was not a place Liu Bei urgently needed to conquer.

With the end of the southern campaign, the one-year agreement between Liu Bei and Yuan Tan was also drawing to a close.

The fact that Liu Bei did not wage war against Nanpi for nearly a year does not mean that he did not wage war against Hebei.

Liu Bei first helped Ma Teng and Zhang Fei defeat Gao Gan in Shangdang, wiping out Yuan Shao's forces in Shangdang; then he had Cao Cao cross the river and take Pingyuan, but kept the battlefield far from Nanpi; and he also had Zhang Liao attack Tian Feng in Julu.

Liu Bei only agreed to delay the attack on Nanpi, but did not agree not to attack other places.

Faced with Liu Bei's attack, Yuan Tan, on Guo Tu's advice, chose to hold his ground and not come to Liu Bei's aid.

Guo Tu's reasoning was straightforward: Liu Bei was invincible, and Ji Province certainly couldn't be held. As long as Nanpi could be held for a year, the crown prince's position would be secure. The number of cities lost was secondary. Victory and defeat were common in war; Liu Bei's current victories didn't guarantee continued success.

Yuan Tan's confidence was also eroded by Liu Bei's unstoppable offensive. He went from wanting to make a name for himself to being able to defend Nanpi for a year without being punished, so he chose to ignore any pleas for help.

How could a disorganized group be a match for Liu Bei?
In April of the eighth year of Zhangwu (199 AD), Zhang Liao led his army to capture Julu.

Although he knew from the start that the outcome would be failure, Tian Feng was not afraid of death and chose to immolate himself on the day the city fell.

For Tian Feng, Yuan Shao's kindness had to be repaid, and Liu Bei's new policies did not align with Tian Feng's governing philosophy. Apart from self-immolation to preserve his reputation, Tian Feng had no other choice.

Yuan Shao fled to Hedong, and Yuan Tan held firm and refused to come to his aid. The powerful families and clans of Hebei, who were fighting independently, were gradually eroded by Liu Bei.

The powerful clans who were unwilling to submit to Liu Bei but wanted to make a comeback also fled to Liaodong.

Liu Bei did not stop those who wanted to escape.

Liaodong is a good place, but it is underdeveloped. If these people can go to Liaodong to reclaim wasteland, it can be reasonably incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty in the future.

In Nanpi City, as the year-long deadline approached, Yuan Tan grew increasingly anxious and uneasy.

On the other hand, Guo Tu is getting more and more relaxed every day: his undercover career is finally coming to an end!
"Your Highness, I will stay behind to guard Nanpi. You may select elite troops to advance first." Guo Tu once again used the tactic of advancing as a form of retreat.

Yuan Tan was overjoyed, but feigned reluctance: "As the Crown Prince, how can I abandon the city and flee? Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, go first, I will cover your retreat!"

Despite this, Yuan Tan was nervous, fearing that Guo Tu would say: "I will obey the Crown Prince's order and go ahead first."

To Yuan Tan's relief, Guo Tu did not obey the order. Instead, he bowed respectfully to Yuan Tan and said, "Please inform His Majesty that I will no longer be able to serve you. The world is unpredictable, and fate is uncertain. Please do not blame me!"

Yuan Tan failed to grasp the hidden meaning in Guo Tu's words, assuming that Guo Tu was determined to die. He felt ashamed of his earlier suspicion and hurriedly said, "I will certainly convey the loyalty and righteousness of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to my father."

Without much hesitation, Yuan Tan selected three thousand elite cavalrymen that very night to leave the city through the north gate and secretly head towards Youzhou.

Meanwhile, Nanpi City was left with only ten thousand soldiers, whose morale had plummeted and seemed on the verge of collapse.

Even generals Zhang He and Gao Lan were resigned to their fate.

"Why are you two generals so discouraged? I have riches to offer you." With Yuan Tan gone, Guo Tu's mood became extremely relaxed.

Zhang He glanced at Guo Tu and said listlessly, "We are about to die, so what use is wealth and honor to us?"

Guo Tu laughed: "General Zhang is a man valued by His Majesty. Although we have to fight each other because of our positions, His Majesty has always wanted to recruit General Zhang. As long as General Zhang is willing to lead his people to surrender, His Majesty will treat him well."

Zhang He grew increasingly confused and couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty? Which Your Majesty?"

Guo Tu laughed and said, "Of course it's His Majesty the Emperor of Han."

Zhang He stood up in shock: "Minister of State, how dare you betray your country and defect to the enemy?"

Gao Lan stared nervously at Guo Tu, racking his brains, never expecting that Guo Tu, who was usually fearless in the face of death, would betray his country and defect to the enemy!

Guo Tu's tone suddenly changed: "General Zhang has some misunderstandings about me. I have always been a subject of the Han Dynasty, so how could I be accused of treason and defecting to the enemy? In other words, I was ordered by His Majesty the Han Emperor to act as an inside agent, but I just happened to become the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat under the false Zhong." (End of this chapter)