Chapter 673 The Han Dynasty will not perish!
Yinghou Luochuan was very concerned about the war between Yan and Qing.
He has a very high reputation among the people in the world. A person like him should have sat back and enjoyed himself, but his identity forced him to step down.
On top of the city wall of Luoying City.
Luo Chuan looked far to the west. The sun was setting slowly. Luo Qian, dressed in plain clothes, stood quietly beside him. Luo Chuan suddenly said, "Madam, who do you think will win?"
Luo Qian said without any hesitation: "I don't know, are you prepared for Liu Bei's failure?"
Liu Bei failed!
Luo Chuan said nothing upon hearing this, but reached out and gently stroked the blue bricks on the city wall. There were traces of wind and rain on them, as well as the scent of countless swords and wars. The history of the Yinghou Kingdom was reflected in every brick and tile.
At the end of the early Han Dynasty and the end of the late Han Dynasty, people had attacked the Ying State, because everyone knew that the Ying State was "the last iron wall of the Han Dynasty", and anyone who wanted to overthrow the Han court would not let the Ying State go.
If Liu Bei failed and Cao Cao occupied Yanzhou and Qingzhou, would he be a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?
If he was not a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, how would the Yinghou Kingdom cope with the situation?
Luochuan really didn't know how to respond to the lady's words. He had prepared for the possibility that Liu Bei would fail, because no one is guaranteed to succeed. He had not prepared for the possibility that Liu Bei would fail, because he didn't know who else he could find to support the Han Dynasty if Liu Bei was not worthy of support.
Liu Yu of Youzhou, Liu Biao of Jingzhou, and Liu Yan of Yizhou, these three people had interactions in Luochuan, but they were not as good as Liu Bei. If Liu Bei could not revive the Han Dynasty, then where should the Kingdom of Ying go in the world?
Luo Qian looked at the somewhat confused Luo Chuan, hugged him from behind, and said softly: "Back then, our ancestor Ying Wenxian Hou assisted Emperor Gao in establishing his rule over the world. Could it be that this city is what he left to his descendants?
Yinghou does not represent a city, but exists in the hearts of the Han people for three hundred years. Wherever you are, there is the Yinghou Kingdom.
As long as there are Liu family members who dare to work hard for the country, as long as there are heroes who are willing to support the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty will not perish! "
Although Luo Qian is a woman, her words are as hard as gold and stone, and her words and will are indestructible.
Luo Chuan felt a warm current surge in his heart. He stretched out his big hand and covered Luo Qian's hand, feeling the warmth and fragrance, and said slowly and firmly: "Liu Bei will definitely succeed.
When this war is over, let Qi'er marry the noble lady of the Mi family. Since Lanling Xiao and Huaiyin Han both have doubts about Liu Bei, let Yinghouguo lead the scholars of Xuzhou."
Luo Qian nudged Luo Chuan slightly and said softly: "This is my husband, you are the role model of the world, Luo Zichuan.
A role model should have a will as strong as Mount Tai and a determination as strong as thunder."
…
As the two followed the army on their journey,
Liu Bei and Cao Cao met in Yanzhou. When the two met, they seemed to be in a trance and it seemed as if they were still together to fight against Zhang Jue.
Clearly several years have passed, but this moment feels like just yesterday.
Both of them were at the peak of their power in life, and were full of vigor and vitality. When they met, they were much more friendly than Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan.
Although they were enemies on the battlefield, it did not affect their mutual respect. They even walked to the front of each other's battlefield and called each other "Duke Xuan De" and "Duke Meng De".
The two armies were far apart and stationed separately. Cao Cao invited Liu Bei to drink wine and talk before the battle, and the visiting card was delivered directly to Liu Bei's army.
When Cao Cao wrote the letter, the Cao army felt that this was a bit absurd and asked in confusion: "My lord, is this a bit... Will Liu Xuande come?"
When Cao Cao heard the question, he couldn't help but recall Liu Bei in his mind.
Although they were only together for a few months, the journey of escape is the best time to get to know a person. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's admiration for Liu Bei was established during the process of escape.
Facing the doubts of the crowd, Cao Cao smiled softly and said: "You don't understand, Liu Xuande is a true hero, why wouldn't he come?
Not to mention being allowed to bring guards, he would come even if he had to go alone. This is Liu Xuande's courage."
The admiration for Liu Bei was evident in his words. The generals from the Cao and Xiahou families still had some understanding of him, but most of the people from Yanzhou and Yingchuan who later followed Cao Cao were a little confused.
Xun Yu was thoughtful. During the possible beginning of this war, Cao Cao had already talked about Liu Bei countless times. He ground some ink for Cao Cao and asked, "My lord, do you want to bring guards with you?
All the clan generals and General Xu are the best choices of the time."
Cao Cao shook his head and said with a smile: "Take them with you. Liu Xuande must be the same. The generals under his command are not easy to deal with.
If you scholars follow me, I will show you this great hero."
When they heard Cao Cao mention the generals under Liu Bei, the Xiahou and Cao's generals all looked a little unnatural. They had fought with Zhang Jue in the past, and they knew best how perverted those people under Liu Bei were.
When they knew they were going to fight Liu Bei, these people warned each other not to fight against generals, at least not one-on-one, otherwise they would really be defeated.
Facing Cao Cao's invitation, Liu Bei smiled and said to the army, "1,200 years ago, Duke Wen of Luo defeated Xiong Dun with a cup of wine. If I, Liu Bei, can defeat Cao Aman with a cup of wine today, wouldn't I be ranked with the ancient sages?"
As soon as Liu Bei said this, everyone knew that he had to go. Guan Yu squinted his eyes and twirled his beard lightly. He had a good impression of Cao Cao.
Moreover, in his opinion, with his two brothers and Zilong, there was no place in the world that he could not go.
After all, Zhang Jue is dead!
Liu Bei and Cao Cao spread a mat in front of the two armies, then moved the small chairs for kneeling over and sat directly on the ground. Guan Yu and others did not carry any weapons, and all of them were dressed in cloth. They sat behind the two men without saying a word.
After Cao Cao and Liu Bei knelt down, they smiled and bowed to each other. Cao Cao said with some emotion: "Xuan De, a few years ago, I never thought that I would meet you here with soldiers today."
There are two meanings in this statement. The first is that he did not expect the two to meet each other head-on. The second is that he did not expect Liu Bei to be qualified to sit opposite him. A few years ago, someone who was not even qualified to be a loyal prince would develop so quickly.
Liu Bei understood, and said meaningfully: "My rise is due to the bloodline of the Liu family.
Because of the kindness and blessings of his ancestors, he received help from nobles and relatives.
How many people in this world have risen to prominence and wealth not because of Liu's kindness?"
Liu Bei was pointing at Cao Cao, saying to Cao Cao, "Do you still remember why your ancestors became noble?"
Your ancestor became prominent because he was the brother of Emperor Xiaocheng, the prince of the same mother. Isn't it because of the Liu family that he became prominent?
Cao Cao remained calm and continued with some emotion, "Yes, the Cao family once became prominent because of the kindness of Emperor Xiaocheng, so the elders of the Cao and Xiahou families fully supported me in raising an army to defend the emperor. Unfortunately, my ability was limited and I was unable to succeed. All my relatives and friends died in foreign lands.
I, Cao Cao, have failed my monarch and the country, and I have failed my ancestors and fellow countrymen. I have no face to return to my clan."
Everyone was silent as they listened to Liu Bei and Cao Cao fighting each other. Every word they said was filled with the sound of swords and sabers, as the two men were competing over their philosophies.
Liu Bei was silent for a moment after hearing this. All the princes who fought to defend the king suffered heavy losses, and some families literally lost their lives. Although there are people in this world who are eager for fame and fortune, there has never been a shortage of loyal and righteous men.
When Cao Cao started his army, there were more clan members than just the generals sitting behind him now.
And there are also those young men from Qiao County, Qiao Prefecture. These people died in a foreign land. In this era where clans are more important than anything else, how could Cao Cao get away with it so easily?
Thinking of this, Liu Bei picked up the wine bottle and drank it down, saying: "Meng De, if you are willing to withdraw your troops, the Han Dynasty still has a place for you to stay."
Cao Cao held the wine jar in one hand, looked up at the sky, and suddenly said, "Xuan De, which Han Dynasty are you talking about?
The Cao family was once prominent in the Early Han Dynasty, but gradually declined in the Later Han Dynasty. Now the Later Han Dynasty has lost its mandate from heaven. Is the Han Dynasty you are referring to the one established by King Hongnong Liu Xie under the coercion of Li Jue and Guo Si?
It's really ridiculous.
Every imperial decree issued by the Han Dynasty in Chang'an is an insult to the Han Dynasty."
Although Cao Cao still recognized Liu Xie's throne in his heart, he was now Yuan Shao's ally and had to stick to this moral bottom line.
Among all the princes in the world, Yuan Shao was the one who was most determined not to recognize Liu Xie's throne, and directly called him the King of Hongnong.
Liu Bei's eyes became sharp when he heard this, and he said in a voice as powerful as metal: "Meng De, the Han Dynasty needs an emperor, and there is no one more suitable than Liu Xie."
A dynasty that has lost its mandate from heaven is already shaky and on the verge of collapse. If at this time even the emperor, the political leader, disappears, does this dynasty still exist?
Of course it doesn’t exist!
This was something Liu Bei could not accept. Where in the world could find a Han dynasty banner that was more orthodox and yet less threatening than Liu Xie?
Never again!
Liu Xie must be the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Anyone who does not recognize Liu Xie's throne is Liu Bei's enemy.
Cao Cao looked at Liu Bei and suddenly said leisurely: "Xuan De, when Dong Zhuo was in chaos and Emperor Xiaomin was held hostage, not counting Wushuang Hou Luokong, the one who contributed the most in the world was Yuan Shao Yuan Benchu, and the second was me, Cao Cao.
Emperor Xiaomin was assassinated, and the undisputed emperor of the Han Dynasty died.
The three heroes who protected Emperor Xiaomin, Wushuang Hou Luokong and Dong Zhuo, died together, while Yuan Shao and I, Cao Cao, suddenly became traitors who disobeyed the emperor's orders.
Gongsun Zan raided Jizhou when Yuan Benchu was fighting for the Han Dynasty, but now he has become a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. Isn’t this the most ridiculous thing?
How can such a thing be possible in this world?
How can there be such unfairness in this world?
The Supreme Emperor Suwang, the two saints Luo Kong, and the ancient sage Mencius did not teach us this way! "
In the Han Dynasty, Mencius' status was quite special. In his work "Mencius", half of the content discussed the great way of righteousness, and the other half discussed the way of ruler and minister, and the way of ruler and people.
Once Mencius was mentioned, it meant that the subjects began to question the emperor.
Whenever Liu Bei thought about Gongsun Zan, he felt a headache. What he did was really hard to explain and to defend.
But at this time, you can't give in no matter what, you can only make your attitude clear.
Liu Bei said solemnly: "Yuan Shao and Meng De, your contributions are known to the world, but the times have changed. In the past, you were loyal ministers of Emperor Xiaomin, and the world praised you. Now you are unwilling to acknowledge the throne of Emperor Jian'an, so I am attacking you.
You are all heroes of the Han Dynasty. If we work together to protect the throne of Emperor Jian'an, will the world not be stable?
What Gongsun Zan did was certainly inappropriate, but as a fellow vassal of the Han Dynasty, we should not, in any case, abandon the Han Dynasty for personal grudges."
Liu Bei's meaning was very clear. If Yuan Shao had not been unwilling to recognize Liu Xie's throne, he would not have taken action even if he had hung Gongsun Zan up and beaten him. After all, there was indeed an old grudge between the two sides.
But mixed in with this is a dispute over the survival of the Han Dynasty, and this has something to do with me, Liu Xuande. I must get involved. No matter how wrong Gongsun Zan is, his current political stance is with me.
Moreover, there is a hidden meaning in Liu Bei's words. Are you princes really not recognizing Liu Xie because he came to the throne illegitimately?
Isn't it because the Han Dynasty's mandate of heaven fell and Emperor Xiaomin passed away that he already had other thoughts in his mind?
Cao Cao was quite sensitive about this topic, so he naturally understood the point. He looked at Liu Bei deeply and said, "Xuan De entered Qingzhou, got the help of Ying Hou and the two Lu Xiangs, and got Lu's beautiful wife. It reminds people of the scene when the Han Dynasty was founded three hundred years ago. People all over the world praise you for having the style of Emperor Gao!"
Liu Bei raised his glass and drank it down, saying calmly: "I am a descendant of Emperor Gao, and I have the style of my ancestors. This is natural. Is there anything wrong with it?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao couldn't help but burst into laughter, and he couldn't stop laughing at all. He is worthy of being Liu Xuande!
How shameless!
Cao Cao knew that the conversation was over, so he said goodbye. He stood up and heard Liu Bei say leisurely, "Meng De, the Han Dynasty will not perish. I hope you can get back on track soon."
Cao Cao turned around suddenly and saw Liu Bei looking at him with sparkling eyes. When he saw him looking at him, his eyes were filled with determination. "As long as I, Liu Bei, am here, as long as Ying Hou and the two Lu brothers are still in the hearts of the people of this world, the Han Dynasty will not perish!"
Liu Bei's voice was so loud that not only Cao Cao but everyone present heard it.
There was endless determination in Liu Bei's voice. Anyone could hear his resoluteness, a determination that made him willing to pay any price.
He stood up, filled with grandeur and light, a state that only people with faith can have.
Everyone looked at Liu Bei in shock. They had no doubt that as long as he could restore the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei would be willing to do it even if it meant his death!
In front of a man like Liu Bei, even if he formed an alliance with someone like Gongsun Zan, everyone believed that he and Gongsun Zan were not birds of a feather, and it was just a stopgap measure.
Cao Cao didn't say anything, turned around and walked away, his steps getting faster and faster. If he stayed for a while longer, he was afraid that he would not be able to help but say to Liu Bei that if that day really came, he only wanted to be the Han general who conquered the west.
After Xun Yu got up and left, he glanced at Liu Bei and felt that he had gained a lot from meeting Liu Xuande today, and it would even be quite helpful for the future war.
At least in Xun Yu's opinion, the alert level of this war needs to be raised to a higher level, because Liu Bei is not the kind of monarch who can be manipulated at will. If Yuan Shu is on the opposite side in this battle, even if he is stronger than his side, Xun Yu will not look down on him.
"Wen Ruo, what do you think of Liu Xuande?"
Xun Yu was thinking about these things when Cao Cao suddenly asked him. He thought for a moment and replied, "He is indeed a rare hero in the world.
But in Yu's opinion, Liu Xuande is still a little inferior to his lord. The reason why he can achieve today's results is probably because the other relatives of the Liu family are all incompetent and unable to carry the banner of the Han Dynasty.
Ying Hou and others had no choice but to choose Liu Bei, but the lord was different. He fought hard and although he had the power of his clan, it was far less than the help Liu Bei got.
Therefore, Liu Bei is not as good as you, my lord. Our army will win this battle."
In addition to his top-notch governance and strategic abilities, Xun Yu's greatest strength is that he can always give his lord fair feedback, which is the key to his becoming a top politician.
There is no one in this world without doubts, and no one can always be firm, because people live in a situation and there is no God's perspective. Even Luochuan has doubts sometimes.
At this time, what people need is not a better advice, but someone you trust who tells you firmly that you are doing the right thing and now you just need to persevere to win.
In Cao Cao's army, Xun Yu is the person who can provide emotional value to Cao Cao. His role in Cao Cao's camp is irreplaceable by anyone.
Seeing Cao Cao leave, Liu Bei also stood up and left. Looking at the group of counselors following Cao Cao, Liu Bei was so envious that he was drooling.
He couldn't help but think of Prince Qi, the eldest son of Marquis Ying. If Prince Qi could be his strategist, this battle would surely be much easier to fight.
After talking with Cao Cao, Liu Bei's need to find a counselor became even stronger, because the conversation with Cao Cao just now had exposed a very important problem.
That is, the princes of the world were about to give up pretending, and the banner of the Han Dynasty was really about to be abandoned. Yuan Shao's disdain for the Han Dynasty was clearly visible to everyone in the world.
In the eyes of Liu Bei and people like Yuan Shao, the Han Dynasty now has neither the Mandate of Heaven nor a monarch with the virtue to gain the loyalty of the old ministers of the Han Dynasty, so establishing oneself is the best option.
Nowadays, the cavalry of the Yan Kingdom in Liaodong is becoming more and more powerful. Now there is even no emperor in the Central Plains. If the Yan Kingdom in Liaodong declares itself a king or even an emperor, how will the princes in the Central Plains react?
Liu Bei knew that he didn't have much time left, and he had to quickly gather the remaining warmth of the Han Dynasty that still existed in people's hearts.
The first step is to defeat Cao Cao. If he doesn't defeat Cao Cao, he will be trapped in Qingzhou. If he can't even get through Yanzhou and Henan County, how can he occupy Sizhou and march into Guanzhong to welcome the emperor?
Liu Bei turned around and saw that everyone had stood up. Just as he was about to ask them to leave, Guan Yu suddenly bowed deeply and said, "I am willing to follow you, big brother, to restore the Han Dynasty. Even if I die, I will not change my mind!"
Zhang Fei also clasped his fists reflexively and said, "Brother, I do the same!"
Everyone said solemnly: "We are willing to follow our lord to build a great cause and restore the Han Dynasty!"
Looking at this scene, Liu Bei walked up to Guan Yu, helped him up and said with emotion: "Second brother, third brother, everyone..."
Liu Bei couldn't help but choke up a little, "Liu Bei knows your wishes, and is willing to build a great cause with you."
Cao Cao and his companions had not gone far, so they naturally saw what Liu Bei's side was doing. Xun Yu looked at this scene thoughtfully, and he understood that this was the purpose and cultural banner of Liu Bei's group.
This kind of thing may not seem to be of much use on the surface, but it is extremely important to a force. It can even attract extremely outstanding talents through this banner.
Restore the Han Dynasty.
This flag represents not only the restoration of order, but also implies the desire to dominate the world. How can it be considered the restoration of the Han Dynasty without unifying the world?
This was Liu Bei's implicit expression of his ambition to the people of the world, showing that he was not the kind of guard dog who was only willing to sit in one place, but a hero with ambitions to rule the world.
Even those talented people who were not interested in restoring the Han Dynasty would also be interested in Liu Bei's power. In short, Xun Yu felt the benefits that this flag could bring after just a little thought.
He couldn't help but think of Cao Cao's power, where he lived. What kind of banner should he raise to attract heroes from all over the world?
There is only one answer.
Xun Yu looked towards Chang'an. This answer had appeared in Cao Cao's camp for a long time. After Luo Kong, the unrivaled Marquis of Luoyang, killed Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao was following this path when he tried to catch up with Li Jue and Guo Si to snatch Liu Xie away.
Follow the emperor's orders to the Han officials!
It's a pity that they failed to defeat the Xiliang soldiers, which led to the failure of this plan. In Xun Yu's view, after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, the current situation must be changed, and the right way is to develop towards Sizhou Guanzhong.
Yanzhou, a place surrounded by wars on all sides, can only serve as a temporary base and cannot be used as a permanent foundation.
Neither Liu Bei nor Yuan Shao were opponents who could be easily defeated. On the other hand, Li Jue and Guo Si in Guanzhong were two simple and brainless warriors. It was easy to defeat them.
If we can occupy Guanzhong and become as powerful as Western Qin in the past, and then contain the Three Rivers, we will be able to gain the momentum to swallow up the world.
Countless plans flashed through Xun Yu's mind. When Cao Cao called him again, he realized that the most crucial thing now was the current war.
If they could directly defeat Liu Bei, occupy the two states of Yan and Qing, and then seize Xuzhou and Yuzhou, and occupy the four states of the Central Plains, why would they need to enter Guanzhong?
Go directly north to attack and destroy Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, and go south to wipe out Yuan Shu, Liu Biao and his ilk. Within the world and the eight wildernesses, where else can there be any opponent?
The war between Cao Cao and Liu Bei was fought with great caution, completely highlighting the rhythm of preferring not to win a big victory but never to make a mistake.
If the war between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan was for the position of overlord in the north, then the war between Cao Cao and Liu Bei was for the position of one of the overlords in the Central Plains.
Another strong competitor was Yuan Shu, but although Yuan Shu occupied part of the land in Yuzhou, his target was Jiangdong, Huai and Si.
In addition, because Liu Biao had been holding back in the rear, Yuan Shu, the most powerful one, did not participate in the war for hegemony in the Central Plains.
The winner between Liu Bei and Cao Cao will most likely be the one who challenges Yuan Shu. If the two of them can really defeat the other, they can gain a lot of war benefits.
Even though Liu Bei is Yuan Shu's ally now, as long as the situation changes, the relationship between the two sides will change, and today's allies may not necessarily become enemies.
In other words, where are the allies on the road to unifying the world?
In the battle for the throne, corpses pile up, blood flows like a river, and it is normal for countless heroes to lose their heads.
Yuan Shu himself was naturally extremely annoyed about not being able to participate in the Central Plains War, but on second thought, his goal had always been Xuzhou and controlling Huai and Si.
Now, while Cao Cao and Liu Bei were fighting to the death and had no chance to attack Xuzhou, he took the lead. This was simply an opportunity given by God.
As for Liu Biao, Yuan Shu didn't take him seriously at all. He was just a guard dog that even the gentry of Jingzhou couldn't deal with. How could he be Yuan Shu's opponent?
I, Yuan Shu, was born into a wealthy family in Luoyang. I am the legitimate son of the Yuan family of Runan, a family of three officials for four generations. Even the illegitimate son Yuan Shao was known as the most handsome man in the world. How could I, Yuan Shu, a legitimate son, be inferior to a illegitimate son?
Moreover, Yuan Shu thought that he had already controlled Jiujiang and Lujiang, and it would be easy to enter Xuzhou from Jiujiang and Lujiang.
Judging from the current situation in Xuzhou, it would not be difficult to obtain Huai and Si as long as the Xuzhou gentry and the Lanling Xiao and Huaiyin Han families did not strongly oppose it.
Even if they opposed, Yuan Shu was determined to use swords to subdue them. As one of the largest aristocratic families in the world, Yuan Shu thought that even if he killed those opponents, no one would say anything.
But just when he was full of confidence, he never expected that Sun Jian actually had rebellious intentions!
He had long suspected that Sun Jian had rebellious intentions from the beginning, and when Sun Jian gladly accepted the imperial court's appointment as the governor of Yangzhou, his suspicion reached its peak.
Sure enough, after Sun Jian occupied Jiujiang and Lujiang counties, he became very disobedient and was unwilling to follow his orders.
Now he was even disobeying his orders. When a war was about to begin, he brazenly started a war with Wujun in Jiangdong.
Although Yuan Shu was not that smart, he was not a fool. He certainly knew very well what Sun Jian was doing.
Isn't it just to take control of Yangzhou, become the real Yangzhou Mu, and then get rid of his own control?
This made Yuan Shu very angry, and he yelled, "What an ungrateful person!
If it weren't for this general, he would have been just a wanted criminal of the court. How could he have obtained his current status and position and actually committed such a blatant betrayal?
I will never let him go!"
————
Cao Cao was suspicious by nature, while Liu Bei was magnanimous. Cao was good at punishment, while Liu Bei was forgiving. Cao used law, while Liu Bei used benevolence. The two were like the Tai Chi of Taoism, and seemed to have a distinction between black and white. Later generations said, "Cao and Liu Bei both practiced the ways of kings and hegemons. Cao loved hegemony, while Liu Bei liked kings. The heroes of the world each served their master. This is how it was." - "Records of Heroes in the Late Han Dynasty"
(End of this chapter)
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