Chapter 696: Meeting in Zhaocheng
The Zhaocheng envoys went in all directions.
In the world today, there are no less than twenty princes, both large and small, including their vassal states.
The first four people to receive the letter from Zhaocheng were naturally Yuan Shao of Jizhou, Cao Cao of Yanzhou, Zhang Yan of Qingzhou and Guan Hai of Henei.
After Liu Bei retreated to Xuzhou, Zhang Yan temporarily defected to Yuan Shao, while Guan Hai wavered between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Both were independent vassals.
However, as Cao Cao took control of Emperor Liu Xie, Guan Hai gradually sided with Cao Cao. As a former member of the Taiping Army, Guan Hai was most afraid that someone would bring up his former identity, so he cared a lot about his current official status and title in the Han Dynasty.
Yuan Shao, who had just returned from the northern battlefield, happened to receive a letter from Zhaocheng.
The content of the letter was very simple, "King Su issued an order, on September 13th, to invite you to Zhaocheng to discuss the major issues of the Xia Dynasty."
He thought for a moment and said immediately: "Start preparing the gifts now. I will go to Zhaocheng myself and bring Mi'er to Zhaocheng to see it for myself.
The affairs of Jizhou will be handed over to Gong Yu and You Ruo to decide together."
Go in person?
The civil and military officials of Hebei wanted to step forward to persuade him, but Yuan Shao stopped them and said, "This time, the King of Su has issued an order to destroy the Qin Dynasty. This has not happened in three hundred years. What a grand event!
You are all wise men, how can you not see Luo's determination?
Besides, Zhaocheng is in Jizhou. If you don’t even dare to go to Jizhou, what’s the point of fighting for the world?
Cao, Liu, Gongsun are all eyeing Jizhou covetously. If we offend Luo, Yecheng will fall at any moment. Please be aware of this."
After hearing what Yuan Shao said, everyone knew that they could not persuade him, so they heard Yuan Shao say: "Since it is the order of the King, this is a great event for the world. Tell all the princes in the world that they can come to Ji. I, Yuan Shao, welcome you all."
After Yuan Shao finished speaking, he left the courtyard and came to the backyard of the mansion. Madam Liu came up to him and took off his coat. Yuan Shao asked, "How is Mi'er these days?"
Zhen Mi had already been Yuan Shao's adopted daughter in a formal ceremony several years ago.
According to Han laws, adopted sons and daughters are eligible to inherit family property, except for the title, which is almost no different from formal children.
If he changed his surname and included it in the family tree, it would be like Yuan Shao inherited his uncle.
Zhen was naturally very happy to have such a relative with the Lord of Jizhou.
Although the Zhen family has very few direct descendants, women are not allowed to become the head of the family, so the current outcome is considered a good one.
Madam Liu smiled and said, "Mi'er has been learning needlework recently. She is very smart and can learn anything very quickly.
but……"
Yuan Shao raised his head and asked in confusion, "But what?"
Madam Liu said quickly, "My husband, do you still remember that when you brought Mi'er from Wuji County to Yecheng, the fortune teller Liu Liang said at the banquet that Mi'er had an extremely noble face?"
Yuan Shao's face became a little solemn. Some people in Jizhou suspected that he had directed and acted in this incident himself, but he really did not.
The most important thing is that the fortune teller Liu Liang left straight away after he finished speaking, and he refused to say more even if we used gold and jade to make him say more.
Recalling this, Yuan Shao asked solemnly: "I remember, but is there anything wrong?"
Madam Liu recalled with a shocked expression: "A few days ago in the afternoon, I went to Mi'er's boudoir. Outside the boudoir, I heard the sound of a rushing river. I looked through and saw that there was actually water lingering. A phoenix appeared in the river and then flew into her brow.
It disappeared the next moment. I thought I was dazzled, and this incident was too miraculous, so I never told anyone about it.
But these past few days, Mi'er exuded a noble air. A little girl who had not yet reached the age of marriage had a sense of splendor. She was truly noble beyond words.
After thinking about it, maybe it wasn't an illusion that day, but the phoenix is the totem of the Zhou clan, and Mi'er is not a daughter of the Luo clan, so how could she have such a mysterious appearance? "
Yuan Shao was shocked at first, then a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. He paced around the room, then couldn't help laughing and said, "Great!
good!
Isn't this God helping me, Yuan Shao, to achieve great things?"
Seeing his wife's confusion, Yuan Shao laughed and said, "Madam, don't you understand?
Priceless!
If a woman in this world wants to be extremely wealthy, she must always rely on her husband. Mi'er will definitely be able to marry a man of a very high status in the future.
There has been a rumor that a phoenix emerged from the Luo River since ancient times. Lingjun, the ancestor of the Luo family, is the god of the Luo River and is said to be entrusted with the Zhou clan's phoenix destiny.
The strange phenomenon happening to Mi'er just fits in with this legend. Doesn't this mean that Mi'er is born with a connection to the Luo family?
This time I went to Zhaocheng, and was going to bring Mi'er with me. Now it seems that this is all God's will.
What in this world can be greater than the will of God?"
Of course, Madam Liu had always known that Yuan Shao wanted to establish a relationship with the Luo family.
Yuan Shao had a reputation in the world for being courteous to the wise and humble. He would never refuse anyone who came to him as long as they were talented. However, he actually had a strange mentality. He had a mysterious confidence in the children of prominent families.
It just so happened that the Luo family was the most prestigious family, so he had a deep awe for them.
He had no descendants of the Luo family working for him, and the armed forces of the Luo family were in his inner circle. This made him feel insecure, as if his foundation would be in jeopardy at any moment.
In fact, the civil and military officials of Jizhou had proposed to Yuan Shao more than once to relocate the seat of Jizhou. They were even prepared to move the seat directly to Jicheng, away from Zhaocheng, after conquering Youzhou.
But they were all rejected by Yuan Shao. Isn't it obvious that doing so is to guard against the Luo family?
Now that he has finally found the opportunity, how can Yuan Shao not be happy?
…
The envoys from Zhaocheng and Yuan Shao went in all directions one after another, and the princes who received the news had different meanings.
Gongsun Zan naturally did not go there directly. How could he dare to enter Jizhou?
When Yuan Shao's envoy arrived in Youzhou, he was beaten up by him. If Liu Yu had not arrived in time, he would probably have died in Youzhou.
Although Gongsun Zan was unwilling to go to Zhaocheng, Liu Yu was willing to go. "The King of Su has issued an order. This is a great event in the world. Whether it is true or not, if no one from Youzhou goes there, it can be regarded as cutting themselves off from the world."
Gongsun Zan was not the only one who had the final say in Youzhou. Even within the Gongsun family, there were people who supported Liu Yu and opposed Gongsun Zan. Therefore, many scholars in Youzhou were willing to follow Liu Yu to Zhaocheng.
This made Gongsun Zan feel both aggrieved and angry. He did not dare to go, but it was not that he did not want to go. Liu Yu's words made it seem as if he was unwilling to go. Recalling the ridicule and sarcasm he had suffered after he was defeated and fled back to Youzhou, he felt even more resentful towards Liu Yu.
So he couldn't help but said sarcastically, "Yuan Shao once recommended you to be the emperor, but you pretended to refuse. Now you are taking the initiative to go to Jizhou. I don't know what An is thinking. Could it be that you regret it now and want to please Yuan Shao and become the emperor again?"
Liu Yu, an honest man, was provoked by Gongsun Zan to the point of drawing his sword, but in the end he just glared at him fiercely and left angrily. The relationship between the two princes in Youzhou became increasingly tense, and when the two sides met, they even became jealous and filled with murderous intent.
…
In Yanzhou, Cao Cao was busy preparing to attack Yuan Shu, but he did not expect this incident to happen. He wondered whether he should go or not, but could not come up with a plan.
So he asked his advisers for advice and said, "From the letter, Zhaocheng has invited me, so it must be a big event.
But Yuan Shu is disrespectful to Your Majesty. We have been preparing for an attack on Yuan Shu for so long. If we just give up now, wouldn't it be a waste of time and a missed opportunity?"
There are two largest power groups under Cao Cao. One is the Yingchuan advisers. The group of advisers headed by the two Xuns is basically the Yingchuan relatives and friends group.
The second is the group of clan members and military generals, who, including Cao Cao himself, were all born in Pei County.
Yingchuan County and Pei County both belong to Yuzhou!
Yingchuan County and Runan County are collectively called Ruying, which shows the close connection between the two. The intricate interest relationship between them has led to the confrontation between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu being imminent.
Cao Cao must go to war with Yuan Shu as soon as possible.
He has great influence in Yingchuan County and Pei County. As long as he can defeat Yuan Shu and seize Runan County, Chen County will most likely surrender directly.
It was for this reason that Cao Cao was concerned about delaying the war.
Although Cao Cao did not express his concerns directly, who in the room did not know what he was worried about?
It is easy to deal with the Cao and Xiahou families. Cao Cao is the lord, and as long as Cao Cao's power continues to grow, they as members of the royal family will always benefit.
Chen Gong and others in Yanzhou didn't care about this, it was mainly the thoughts of the Henan gentry in Yingchuan.
Xun Yu and Xun You looked at each other. Both of them were strategists with a broad vision of the overall situation. They would not only focus on family interests, but on the larger world.
In fact, this is the difference between first-rate strategists and second-rate strategists. Why is the gap in wisdom among these top smart people sometimes so big?
What really makes the difference between them is their thinking. How can they have the momentum to conquer the world if they only think about fighting in a narrow world all their lives?
Even though Mr. Luo's attributes and abilities are not as good as those of the ministers outside, the abilities he displays are not inferior at all, because Mr. Luo has a broad perspective and is not obsessed with personal gain.
Everyone who has met Xun Yu praised him for his talent as a king's assistant. Even the Luo family praised him so. This was because in addition to his amazing talent, he also had a vision that was rarely seen among ordinary aristocratic families.
Facing Cao Cao's embarrassment, Xun Yu clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "My lord, there are priorities. Some things may not necessarily benefit from participating, but not participating will definitely be harmful. This is exactly the case with the Zhaocheng incident.
It would be better for you to go to Zhaocheng, select a fighter to lead the army, pretend to attack, and then launch a surprise attack if Yuan Shu is unprepared.
This action can still keep Yuan Shu in Runan, and he will definitely not go to Zhaocheng."
Cao Cao's eyes lit up. He knew that he would definitely not be able to take many people with him to Zhaocheng. Once they reached the border between Yanzhou and Jizhou, the army would definitely not be able to enter, and both the civil officials and the military generals would have to stay in Yanzhou.
Cao Cao's eyes fell on Xiahou Dun and he smiled slightly, "Yuan Rang."
When everyone heard Cao Cao call out Xiahou Dun's name, they were not surprised at all. Whenever there was such a thing, Cao Cao always let Xiahou Dun do it.
Xiahou Dun stepped out and responded. Cao Cao smiled and said, "Yuan Rang, I am going to Zhaocheng, and the foundation of Yanzhou will be handed over to you. I order you to take charge of the expedition against Yuan Shu. Don't let me down."
Xiahou Dun said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, my lord. I will do my best."
Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun exchanged glances, and Xiahou Dun understood that Cao Cao was asking him to keep an eye on Emperor Liu Xie and not to make any mistakes in this matter.
Cao Cao now has a mix of good and bad people under his command, and there are not only people who come for him, Cao Cao. If these people want to do something, it is very likely.
…
Xuzhou East China Sea.
Liu Bei was probably the least worried about the letter from Zhaocheng. He smiled and said to Luo Qi, "Zi Qi, is there any big news in Zhaocheng?"
Luo Qi smiled and shook his head, saying, "Qi hasn't been back to Zhaocheng for a long time, so naturally he doesn't know what the family wants to do.
But although Duke Xuande, the great-uncle of Qi, is not well-known and is not as gifted as the successive Dukes Zhao recorded in history books, he should never be underestimated.
My great-uncle is a man of great talent. As he grows older, his wisdom grows. He is truly a wise man with a long-term vision.
Since he has invited the princes, it must be a really big deal. Just as the letter says, the King Su has issued an order. "
Liu Bei laughed out loud and said, "In that case, Ziqi, are you willing to go with me to Zhaocheng? You have not been home for a long time, and you must be missing me."
Luo Qi's eyes showed a trace of nostalgia, he really missed Zhaocheng, but he shook his head and said: "Lord Xuande, Qi will not go back.
Now Xuzhou is your cautious base. It is a place surrounded by wars and is easy to attack but difficult to defend.
If both of you leave Xuzhou, we will all be worried that something might go wrong here.
Qi will guard Xuzhou for you so that you can go to Zhaocheng safely."
Liu Bei was startled when he heard this, and everyone at the table was stunned.
Behind Luo Qi, there was a teenager who was looking at him with shining eyes, as if he was looking at Mount Tai.
Liu Bei was moved and said, "Zi Qi, I really don't know what to say. Please accept my greetings."
As he spoke, he bowed and saluted. Zhang Fei drank a glass of wine from the table and said in a rough voice, "Sir, I am a rough man.
In the past, I looked down upon the children of you aristocratic families, thinking that you were merely the benevolence of your ancestors and your descendants were unworthy.
But after meeting the Unparalleled Loyal Marquis and you, Master, I am truly convinced. This is what my second brother meant by unparalleled loyalty and righteousness, right? "
Guan Yu was guarding outside, and Zhang Fei could actually say such words. Even Luo Qi was quite surprised. In his impression, Zhang Fei was a rough man who could only follow Guan Yu and say "Me too".
Luo Qi first returned the greeting to Liu Bei, then smiled and clasped his fists at Zhang Fei and said, "Third General, you are too kind. Who can not admire the brotherhood between you, the Second General and Lord Xuande?"
Zhang Fei chuckled.
Luo Qi clasped his fists and bowed to Liu Bei, saying, "Lord Xuande, my wife has never been to Zhaocheng since we got married, and our child has also never been to Zhaocheng since he was born. This time when you go to Zhaocheng, I will ask the Luo family to take them there. I hope you can take care of them on the way."
Liu Bei waved his hand and said, "No problem!"
————
In the fifth month of summer in the fifth year of Jian'an, Duke Zhao sent a letter to the heroes of the Nine Provinces, saying, "The King of Su has issued an edict to inform all the Xia people. On September 13, we will meet in Zhaocheng to discuss the great plans for all the Xia people. Please wait patiently."
Since the reign of King Zhaosheng, six out of ten people attended the Zhaocheng League, and seven out of ten were heroes. Emperor Lingdi had never seen such a grand occasion when he met with the emperor. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Duke Zhao of Luo"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
