Chapter 681 My Own Path
By the river, the wind was blowing wildly, above the sky, the clouds were rolling, and there was a faint sound of thunder.
Zhao Yun stood on his horse with his eyes wide open, his body covered in blood, the silver spear in his hand pointing forward, with a murderous look on his face.
His handsome face was covered in blood, which was slowly flowing down along with sweat, and behind him were corpses lying all over the place.
Zhang He and Gao Lan had already been defeated by Zhao Yun and retreated to the formation to lead their troops to attack.
If the martial arts cannot win, then the army will naturally have to charge in.
Just as a thousand Han Wumu were no match for King Xiang alone, but Han Wumu, commanding a large army, was able to defeat King Xiang, there is a difference between a commander and a fierce general.
But unexpectedly, Zhao Yun led his army to directly cut through the tens of thousands of troops in Hebei.
Zhao Yun used bloody facts to prove to Zhang He and Gao Lan that he, Zhao Yun, was not just a brave man. Although he might not be able to command a legion, he was more than enough to be a general of a small army.
Zhao Yun showed vividly how invincible a general of a small army with 10,000 enemies could be in a battle that was not fought by a large army.
Shen Pei, who had crossed the river, almost popped his eyes out. At this moment, he deeply understood why Yuan Shao valued Lu Bu.
Zhao Yun said proudly: "I am in Yanzhou, with 3,000 infantry and cavalry, and I dare to charge Cao Cao's 100,000-man army. You are just a few tens of thousands of people, what are you?"
How did Liu Bei come up with the evaluation that Zhao Yun was a brave man? It was because he did not know what fear was. With only three thousand infantry and cavalry, who were not elite cavalry, he actually dared to charge into the camps of Cao's army. He was simply inhuman.
Liu Bei's troops shouted in unison, and Yuan Shao's troops were all in panic.
Shen Pei calmed himself down, a hint of hostility flashed in his eyes. Even among the famous scholars in Hebei, he was a very arbitrary and tyrannical person, and such a person would never allow anyone to be so arrogant in front of him.
He immediately shouted angrily, “Generals Zhang and Gao, wait until all the troops have crossed the river and then join forces to attack.
Sometimes human power is exhausted!
Is the courage of a common man enough to be feared?
If martial arts were respected in this world, the one sitting on the throne right now should be the Xiang family, not the Liu family!"
When Zhao Yun heard what Shen Pei said, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He raised the silver spear in his hand slightly and looked at the soldiers who followed him. He did not feel any fear in his heart.
Sweat was steaming all over his body, and his blood was surging like the Yangtze River, even making a sound like thunder.
"Come on, let's have a good fight!"
…
The Kingdom of England.
Luo Qi, Liu Bei and their group walked into the country. Luo Chuan stood in the courtyard. The season was gradually getting cooler and autumn leaves were falling.
Liu Bei and others came forward to pay their respects. Luo Chuan turned around and looked at Liu Bei with a deep gaze.
Liu Bei didn't know why he suddenly felt nervous. Ying Hou was looking at him, but he felt that Ying Hou was not looking at him.
Even the usually carefree Zhang Fei was silent in front of Luo Chuan. After an unknown amount of time, Luo Chuan slowly said, "Three hundred years ago, Emperor Gao met my ancestor Yingxianxian Hou Huiyi by the river. He said, 'I am willing to fight for you.'
Afterwards, Marquis Wenxian followed Emperor Gao and founded the Han Dynasty's 300-year foundation.
Over the past three hundred years, the Yinghou Kingdom had fought wars in the south and the north, quelled rebellions and killed Emperor Li, suppressed the powerful, and helped Emperor Guangwu. Along the way, its former companions gradually disappeared.
Every Yinghou hopes to meet a descendant of the Liu family who can shine in the long river of history, just like those legendary saint kings.
Until now.
You walked in front of me, and I had countless doubts in my heart. Are you the trustworthy son of the Liu family?
I still don’t know where the future will lead me, but I am willing to trust you and let go and do your own thing. This is the last gift from the Kingdom of England.”
Luo Qi bowed his head deeply, but Liu Bei heard something else and asked in surprise, "Sir, are you not leaving here with us?
What will you do if Taishan County and Yinghou State cannot be defended?"
Luo Chuan just raised his head slightly and looked at the swaying autumn leaves falling down. His voice became a little bleak, "Lord Xuande, do you want to be crowned emperor now?
I am Ying Hou.
I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”
As soon as Liu Bei understood what Luochuan said, he took his leave and left the courtyard, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In addition to leaving behind troops to guard the Yinghou Kingdom, Luo Qi prepared to leave with many resources of the Yinghou Kingdom. As for where to go, it was naturally Xuzhou.
As they walked, Luo Qi said to Liu Bei, "Lord Xuande, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are now very powerful. The area north of Qingzhou and Linzi is flat and I'm afraid most of it will be lost.
Yinghou State is the throat of Qingzhou. It has dangerous mountains and rivers, but the most important plain areas cannot be defended.
The only plan now is to enter Xuzhou. Although there are no mountains or rivers blocking the way in Xuzhou, as long as we rely on the mountains and rivers in Qingzhou to stop Yuan Shao, and then use the land of Xuzhou to supply troops, we can still resist Cao Cao and Yuan Shu in the east and still be a local lord.
As long as there is a change in the Central Plains, we can still take back Qingzhou."
There are basically few large mountains and rivers separating Yanzhou, Xuzhou and Qingzhou, making it difficult for separatist forces to form. Whoever has the stronger military force will own Xuzhou.
Liu Bei couldn't help but glance at Liu Ye. Luo Qi's plan was similar to Liu Ye's. This was probably what it meant when wise men saw things in the same light.
But the difference between Luo Qi and Liu Ye is that Liu Ye is a mere strategist who is only responsible for proposing ideas. Whether they can be realized depends on execution, while Luo Qi directly completes the subsequent execution.
"The Mi family of Donghai County in Xuzhou is a large family in Xuzhou. Its head, Mi Zhu, Mi Zizhong, has served as the deputy governor of Xuzhou many times. He is a prestigious person in Xuzhou. He highly respects Lord Xuande.
I think Lord Xuande knows that Qi's fiancée is the noble lady of the Mi family. This time when we go to Xuzhou, Qi will introduce Mi Zizhong to Lord Xuande. If we can get Mi Zizhong's approval, we can take root in Xuzhou and quickly restore our strength."
It’s Mi!
Liu Bei was overjoyed, and then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Sir, do you know where the Marquis of Ling and the Marquis of Huaiyin are?"
The most prominent families in Xuzhou are not the aristocratic families, but these two families that have been passed down since the founding of the country.
Luo Qi frowned slightly and said, "Lord Xuande, you don't know that these two families have declined too seriously, and there are countless doubts in my heart.
A few years ago, when the Marquis of Huaiyin came to visit the Kingdom of Yinghou, he even said that he was planning to move his entire family to Jiangdong.
If you enter Xuzhou, these two families will certainly send their children to serve you, but it is really too difficult to expect these two families to help you."
Everyone present understood that the five surnames in Guandong were closely related, but precisely because of this, they suffered a severe blow.
The relatives of the emperor and the eunuchs who were in charge of the government might fight with each other, but it was the same when targeting the Five Surnames.
It wasn't just the imperial power, no one could even explain specifically what had happened that caused the Five Surnames to decline.
The decline of the Xiao and Han families was the most serious. Although they were still high-ranking families in terms of title, they were actually completely empty inside.
They look very much like those ruined nobles. They are still a noble family, but they can no longer be called a wealthy family because these two families are really not wealthy.
Up to now, Yinghou Luo clan no longer cared about destruction.
The two Lu families have deep backgrounds and are able to invest in Liu Bei, but not all of it. It is very likely that Marquis Anyang will follow Yuan Shao or Cao Cao.
Only the Xiao and Han families were left, and they were even prepared to flee to Jiangdong if Xuzhou fell into chaos.
Especially now that Jiangdong is ruled by Luo Chu, there is a relationship between the two families, so there will be no danger for the two families to go to Jiangdong.
Liu Bei understood the situation and sighed slightly.
The ancestors of the Early Han Dynasty were virtuous and left behind so many benefits, while the ancestors of the Later Han Dynasty were not virtuous and left behind so many disasters.
Thinking of this, Liu Bei murmured: "Restore the great cause of the former Han Dynasty and eliminate the bad policies of the latter Han Dynasty!
To restore the prosperous times of civil and military power, this is what I want."
…
Linzi.
Lu Shen is saying his final goodbye to his father Lu Lu.
Lü Lu said in a deep voice: “Even if Yuan Shao entered Qingzhou, he would not do anything to our Lü family.
As long as you are willing to serve, even if you cannot maintain your current prominent position, you will always be able to obtain a high position and generous salary."
Upon hearing this, Lu Shen smiled and said, "What kind of high position and generous salary?
The Lu family was originally the most prestigious family in the Han Dynasty. The two most powerful dukes in the world were Duke Zhao and Duke Qi.
Now the princes of the world still acknowledge the existence of the Han Dynasty, so we are still the Duke of Qi.
When the princes of the world no longer recognized the Han Dynasty, the Duke of Qi could no longer maintain his position.
What value does a high position and a generous salary have to me?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Lu fell silent. Lu Shen's words might be a little extreme, but his logic was sound. No matter whether it was Yuan Shao or Cao Cao, as long as they took control of Qingzhou and did not recognize the Han Dynasty, the position of Duke of Qi would be abolished.
Not to mention the Duke's status.
together!
This word alone is quite precious. Apart from Zhou and Luo, the most noble great countries in the Spring and Autumn Period, according to the perspective of today's people, are Jin, Qin, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Wei (Liang), Wu, Han and Yan.
Jin, a vassal state with the surname Ji, was the strongest state in the Spring and Autumn Period. Although Qin was criticized, it was the only state that unified the world. Chu was one of the legends of the Zhou Dynasty, and with the support of Xiang Yu, it ranked third. Next was Qi, the main implementer of the Ji-Jiang alliance, one of the guardians of the thousand-year-old Zhou Dynasty, and the first hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Qi State was supposed to be a title for a vassal king, but because of the existence of Duke Qi, there has never been a King of Qi on the land of Qingzhou since the founding of the Han Dynasty.
This is of course a very abnormal thing. Every generation of Duke Qi has thought about whether the name Qi will end in his hands.
However, because the five surnames are of the same blood, the title of each family is still the one that founded the country. Later emperors may have felt that changing the title of the Dukedom of Qi alone would cause backlash from other families, so they never mentioned the matter.
But once the new dynasty is established, as long as a self-proclaimed king rules Qingzhou, the title of Qi will certainly not be retained.
Seeing that his father was silent, Lu Shen smiled and said, "Liu Xuande is a great man of the time, and he is also a sentimental person.
Although there were often conflicts between the Lu and Liu families, they had cooperated with each other for three hundred years after all. How could such a deep friendship be compared with that of a newcomer?
Besides, with his sister and Marquis Ying around, Lu's position in Liu Bei's camp is as solid as Mount Tai. I think it is unwise to abandon Liu Bei and turn to Yuan Shao.
I may be a little unfilial, but I really have to leave Linzi this time. If I follow Liu Bei and end up being defeated, I will definitely die.
The father can just choose a brother to inherit the child's title of prince.
If one day Liu Xuande can return to Qingzhou and I can go back to Linzi, I will naturally take the lead."
Lu Shen's expression was very relaxed, and he spoke of his own death as if he was joking. As Lu Lu listened, he started to whip him with a stick.
After Lu Shen left, Lu Lu looked at the rising green smoke, a little dazed, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Lu Shen left Linzi City with a large amount of supplies and went to meet Liu Bei. At the same time, he sent someone to Zhao Yun to inform Zhao Yun that he could give up the northern part of Qingzhou.
After receiving the call, Zhao Yun followed Lu Shen's instructions and went straight to Taishan County, bringing Madam Lu with him. After several days of travel, Zhao Yun and Lu Shen brought Madam Lu to meet Liu Bei.
Looking at Zhao Yun who had returned safely, Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, Zilong!"
Then he walked up to Lu Shen, clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Brother!"
Liu Bei was somewhat surprised that Lu Shen was willing to follow him, because he was not an ordinary member of the Lu family, but the son of Duke Qi. With such an identity, there was really no need to gamble on an unknown tomorrow.
The same goes for his wife.
If his wife was willing to remarry, it would be no exaggeration to say that even if he had a son, both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao would be happy to accept him for their son.
But both brother and sister were willing to follow him. How could a sentimental person like Liu Bei not be moved?
After meeting Liu Bei, Madam Lu went straight to Luo Qi, then bowed and said, "Greetings, my dear brother. May you be well."
Luo Qi nodded and smiled in return, and Madam Lu then returned to Liu Bei. Some people's pupils shrank slightly as they watched this scene, and then they glanced at Madam Lu implicitly, and the level of importance in their hearts increased by several levels.
Mrs. Lu's position beside Liu Bei is as stable as a rock. With the support of Prince Qi and Lu Shen, no woman will be able to affect her position in the future.
However, Liu Bei had never thought of making trouble with the heir. As long as Mrs. Lu could give birth to a son, he would directly make him the heir. He would never make the same mistake as Emperor Gao, and finally got rejected in front of all the civil and military officials in the court.
After everyone arrived, Liu Bei started to head for Xuzhou without delay. With Taishan County and Yinghou Kingdom in his hands, the road to Xuzhou was quite smooth.
Lu Shen took Taishi Ci and others back to Taishan County. He wanted to stay there, relying on the advantages of mountains and rivers to temporarily withstand Cao Cao's attack and buy enough time for Liu Bei in Xuzhou.
————
Lü Shen, courtesy name Gongcheng, was a descendant of Zhou and Qi. His ancestor was King Weiguang of Qi. He was credited with defeating Qin and was granted the land of Qi. When the emperor came to Qingzhou, Shen saw that the emperor was a hero and followed the emperor. When the emperor was defeated by Yuan and Cao and fled to Xuzhou, Shen left his family and followed him. He shed blood on Mount Tai and resisted Cao in the city. The emperor then had the opportunity to visit Xuzhou and often praised him, saying, "Gongcheng is a truly loyal and cautious gentleman, beyond the reach of ordinary people." - "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biographies of the Lü Clan, Foreign Relatives"
(End of this chapter)
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