Chapter 316 Youzhou is in sight
Qi Zhou didn't discover this hidden secret until today. It was just that with the changes in the war situation in Yizhou today, he suddenly connected all of it.
He originally wanted to tell Xianyu Fu about this matter, at least this was someone who was definitely in the same camp as him, but he was worried that once he mentioned it to Xianyu Fu, the commander-in-chief of the Jinwu Guard would tell Liu Yu the news.
Judging from the attitude shown by Your Majesty, he will most likely be scolded and reprimanded.
After much thought, Qi Zhou felt that the doubts in his heart should be resolved, so he paid attention to the expressions of the people leaving the Zichen Palace.
Wang Yun privately thought that his expression of "worrying about the country and the people" was hidden very well, but he didn't know that to anyone who was observing carefully, it was not much different from a bright light.
Qi Zhou immediately took two steps at a time to catch up with him, which led to the conversation between him and Wang Yun.
Seeing that Qi Zhou seemed to have something important to discuss, Wang Yun also replied in a low voice: "This is not the place for you and me to talk. After we separate, you can find a chance to visit my house."
Near noon, Wang Yun met Qi Zhou from the back door of the mansion and welcomed him into the study.
"I wonder what brings Prime Minister Qi here?" Wang Yun had tea brought up and then waved his attendants away.
Qi Zhou calmed down and said, "You know, when I went to Yizhou to issue the imperial decree to appoint Liu Yizhou as the general, something unexpected happened, which exposed his rebellious behavior. That's why I appointed Bingzhou Mu as the Grand Marshal and sent troops to attack him."
"To be honest, Liu Yizhou's actions are true, but now I think that these facts should not appear in front of me unless someone deliberately guides them. Liu Yizhou is not so stupid as to rashly reveal these signs when the court is based in Chang'an."
Of course Liu Yan couldn't be a fool.
How could a person who took advantage of the weakening of the Han Dynasty's control over the four directions and manipulated it to seek the position of Governor of Yizhou for himself and wait for the times to change be so stupid?
His request for the position of Governor of Yizhou might have been based on the prophecy told by Dong Fu, but it was probably not so explicit as to be known to everyone.
Otherwise, his title of Governor of Yizhou itself would lose the authority of the Han Dynasty.
Wang Yun felt that something was wrong at the time, but Qi Zhou swore that what he had seen and heard in Yizhou was true, and those presumptuous actions had been confirmed. The subsequent expedition to seize Hanzhong not only contributed to the foundation of the Chang'an court, but also brought sufficient amounts of grain reserves to Guanzhong. For those who have gained vested interests, there may be no need to get to the bottom of what is going on behind the scenes.
But what if they are not the ones who enjoy the benefits?
This is the time to dig up old ties!
Wang Yun asked, "Why do you bring this up now?"
Qi Zhou frowned, "Because I found that there is something wrong with the person who went to Yizhou with me!"
"Among the people who went with me that year, there was one who was appointed by the Grand Marshal and called himself Li Meng."
This is a very unfamiliar name to Wang Yun.
Qi Zhou explained, "During that trip, this person acted like an idler who didn't contribute much. He even took a disciple with him to travel around Shu. It seemed that the Grand Marshal made concessions in the arrangement of personnel in order not to steal the limelight from Your Majesty, and specially found a less conspicuous subordinate. But I found out half a year ago that it was not the case at all!"
As early as two years ago, when the north-south confrontation in Xuzhou was formed, Li Ru and Jia Xu went to Chang'an to assist Qiao Yan because neither of them could convince the other whose disciple performed better on this trip to Xuzhou.
Of course, to be precise, Jia Xu, who was determined to do something, did not hesitate to drag Li Ru into the water.
But no matter what, the two of them arrived at the Grand Marshal's Mansion.
Li Ru was a reclusive person, and Qi Zhou's position belonged to the Grand Herald, and had no overlap in authority with the Grand Marshal's Office. Logically speaking, they would not meet.
But the capital city is only a small place after all, and there is always a chance of bumping into each other when going out for a meal. That's how Qi Zhou discovered Li Ru's existence.
"When I met him half a year ago, I found that he was not like the person who just muddled along like he did back then. Instead, he looked like... a deep and experienced person." Qi Zhou tried to describe it: "It's hard for me to describe that feeling. I think he looks more like a politician than you, Wang Situ."
Wang Yun: “……?”
Wang Yun felt speechless when he was suddenly pulled into such a comparison, but at least he understood what Qi Zhou wanted to express.
"Tell me the details of this man's appearance and what happened to you two in Yizhou, and I will take a look at his background."
Qi Zhou had indeed explained all the circumstances in the court, but the time in the court was limited. At the time, he did not have much suspicion of Li Ru, and would not tell about the conversation between the two. It was not until this time that he revealed to Wang Yun those words that sounded harmless at first but were actually intended to mislead.
After Qi Zhou finished speaking, he asked carefully: "In Wang Situ's opinion, am I overthinking it?"
Think more?
Wang Yun's brows were almost knotted into a knot.
If Qi and Zhou's speculation is called overthinking, then there is really no need to talk about any court game.
It was obvious that he was lured into a trap step by step, and it was not until today that he saw some clues!
This man's behavior was not at all unusual, at least it was not the behavior of someone who really wanted to get by with the imperial decree.
Wang Yun said, "I'm going to check him out. Don't spread the news of my visit today, and don't tell anyone else about this. I'll tell you when I know the details."
During the two and a half years that the Chang'an court had been based here, because Wang Yun was one of the Three Dukes, many descendants of the Wang family in Qi County had moved here. Whenever Wang Yun had something to do, he would always be able to find someone to help him, let alone just investigating a man who only had the title of a clerk in the Grand Marshal's Mansion.
There were traces of this man named "Li Meng" in Bingzhou, so the investigation results about this man were quickly placed in front of Wang Yun.
But even though he had made preparations, such as the possibility that the other party was secretly trained by Qiao Yan, he did not expect to receive such a result.
Li Meng is just a pseudonym, and his real name should be Li Ru.
Li Ru, who once gave advice to Dong Zhuo!
Five years had passed, and Wang Yun, who had met Li Ru several times back then, had almost forgotten his name. But when he followed the trajectory of Li Ru's movements in his investigation and waited on the road that Li Ru had to pass through in Chang'an City, pretending to meet him by chance, he suddenly matched the face in his memory with the face that Qi Zhou called shrewd and scheming.
After confirming this, Wang Yun couldn't help but gasp.
The fact that Li Ru would surrender to Qiao Yan is not scary in itself.
It has been three years since Dong Zhuo's death. Even two years before Dong Zhuo's death, when Qiao Yan led the Bingzhou army to capture Luoyang, Li Ru had been captured by Qiao Yan and then imprisoned.
A record of loyalty to a rebel cannot be used as a reason to sentence him to death.
But is it possible that Li Ru suddenly became a dull and inactive character and did nothing during his mission to Yizhou?
Wang Yun didn't believe this possibility at all.
From this perspective, Qi Zhou's statement that there was a hidden story behind the incident became more credible.
So is there a possibility that Li Ru's existence is to allow Qi Zhou to take advantage of the situation and make the judgment that Liu Yan has a rebellious heart and needs someone to restrain him, so that Qiao Yan can get the position of Grand Marshal in the process of denouncing Liu Yan, and push her to the pinnacle of power in one fell swoop!
Back then, Li Ru could suggest Dong Zhuo to take control of Luoyang at the right time, and mediate the confrontation between Lu Zhi and the Yuan brothers in Luoyang until he became the ruler of Luoyang. Today, Li Ru can also secretly plan for Qiao Yan and let her become the ruler of Chang'an with full legitimacy!
Because of this man's criminal record, Wang Yun, who had once been deeply harmed by Dong Zhuo, felt even more frightened.
When Wang Yun thought about how Qiao Yan had stepped on Liu Yan to gain the position of Grand Marshal, and then thought about how what happened in Yizhou today was still using Liu Yan's life to help Qiao Yan, he found more evidence to support his suspicions.
No, if we allow the other party to continue to develop, sooner or later the situation like the Former Han Dynasty was usurped by Wang Mang would happen. Unfortunately, the reigning emperor Liu Yu did not have any capable heirs. Even if Wang Yun wanted to help the emperor develop his power, he felt that the situation was very bad.
Perhaps for Guanzhong, such development is not as good as when Qiao Yan was in power.
At this moment, Wang Yun regretted more than ever why Li Jue had taken Liu Xie away so easily during the Chang'an incident that year.
If Liu Xie were still alive, with his potential and age advantage, he would have covered up all the bad things he discovered. What's wrong with being patient and forbearing?
But there is no such thing as "if" in this world.
After informing Yu Qizhou of the results of the investigation, Wang Yun closed the door and fell into deep thought, thinking about what Qiao Yan would do when she returned to Chang'an after pacifying Bashu, when she arrived with such a great victory but had no other title to offer. However, he had no idea that Qiao Yan wanted to bring back more than just a victory.
Fu Gan didn't just want to send the letter to Chang'an.
After completing this mission of reporting the incident, he went north along the Qinzhi Road from Gaoling, north of Chang'an, under the pretext of returning to Liangzhou for garrison.
The Qin Straight Road divided Liangzhou and Bingzhou, so he did not return to Liangzhou, but turned eastward and entered Bingzhou without attracting anyone's attention.
As soon as he arrived at Bingzhou Prefecture, he immediately contacted Xi Zhicai and mobilized the stored grain from the Bingzhou Prefecture treasury. The grain was delivered to Yunzhong County along with another secret order and handed over to Lu Bu.
"My lord, do you really want me to send troops?" Lu Bu stood up with shining eyes.
God knows how long he had been waiting for this news. He thought that he was of no use except for transporting brine and intimidating the people outside the Great Wall. It seemed that he, the General of Pingbei, did not get promoted by relying on military merits, but rather seemed to be a sinecure.
Especially when he thought about the endless stream of talented people among the next generation, he felt a sense of crisis of being replaced.
At the beginning of this year, Qiao Yan actually wrote him a letter, mentioning that Lu Lingju had brains in addition to his fighting ability, and Lu Bu had to work hard to follow suit. At the same time, he also mentioned that he should be prepared as there might be an opportunity to go to war this year.
Because of the drought, Lu Bu has made preparations for changes in the plan. Anyway, when he really wants to do something, he can ask Xi Zhicai to go to the Mobei grassland to fight against the scattered Xianbei tribes who do not obey Budugen's orders. He also has to continue to build his relationship with Red Hare in order to achieve the best coordination effect in actual combat.
In this light, postponing the plan for another year is not an incomprehensible decision.
But it is obvious that Qiao Yan has always been a person who would never break his promise to his subordinates.
Since we have agreed to give Lu Bu the opportunity to send troops this year, of course we have to let him go out and do his best!
Fu Gan replied: "General Zhonglang, please read this secret order in full first. The Lord has placed some restrictions on you."
"What's there to be afraid of about restrictions?" Lu Bu said nonchalantly, "Even if one of my hands is tied, I can still take the head of that little Gongsun."
As he spoke, he opened the secret order Qiao Yan had given him, and then he turned bitter, "Is it really necessary? I think it would be a good name for father and daughter to cooperate in hunting Gongsun Zan."
It was clearly written on this secret order that Lu Bu would take the stored grain from the Bingzhou treasury and meet up with Zhang Liao at Juyongguan, and send troops to attack Gongsun Zan at the end of July.
If Gongsun Zan cannot be intercepted in Yuyang County, Zhang Liao will continue the pursuit and Lu Bu will return immediately.
This time the army did not return to Shanggu County where Zhang Liao was originally located, but went to Zhuo County, which was adjacent to Jizhou and had no mountains blocking it, in order to prevent Yuan Shao from making any interception that would be detrimental to the war situation against Qiao Yan's conquest of Youzhou.
It is not unacceptable to turn to attack Yuan Shao if defeating Gongsun Zan fails.
However, Qiao Yan specifically stated in the letter that during the period when Lu Bu was stationed in Yuyang, he was not allowed to cross the Juma River and Baiyangdian. In other words, he could not even leave the border of Zhuo County. Because of the location of the Juma River, part of Zhuo County would even be transferred to Jizhou.
"Your Excellency said that you are a mature general. To move from a Lieutenant-General to a general, you must show your steadiness and set a good example for the generals who come after you."
Fu Gan and Lu Bu are on the same level. When this was said, Lu Bu did not doubt at all whether there was anything deceptive in this talk. He just felt that this was truly Qiao Yan's expectation for him.
He stiffened his neck and endured the unhappiness of having to face Yuan Shao across the river and not being allowed to send troops. He then listened to Fu Gan continue to say: "Your Excellency may not want to restrain General Lu. First, General Lu and Red Hare are the best in the world in martial arts. If they are stationed in Jumahebei, the people of Jizhou will be in panic, fearing that the general will lead his troops south. Secondly-"
"Why did General Lu assume that he would not be able to capture Gongsun Zan in Yuyang County?"
Zhang Liao also said the same thing when he met Lu Bu at Juyongguan.
"I have been stationed at Juyong Pass for nearly three years. Gongsun Zan has followed what you said back then and has always stayed within a short distance of Juyong Pass. He has also always believed that it is impossible for us to send troops to attack."
Zhang Liao pointed outside the pass, and Lu Bu saw the white-feathered arrow without stone. It was the one that Qiao Yan had shot when he came to Juyong Pass to support Liu Yu. Due to wind and sun, the tail end of the feather arrow looks a little broken, but it still remains there like a landmark.
Although Lu Bu did not see Qiao Yan shoot the arrow himself, he still heard a kind of awe-inspiring heroism from Zhang Liao's words "retreat to a place where one shot can be fired".
Zhang Liao said again: "General Lu, Gongsun Zan didn't know that we would send troops at this moment, or that you and I would join forces. Why didn't you dare to think about it and directly intercept them in Yuyang!"
Their all-out attack would also make Gongsun Zan less prepared for the enemies coming from the east!
Before Fu Gan arrived in Chang'an, Ma Chao and Yan Yan had already headed towards Hailing.
Just as Qiao Yan had specifically instructed Ma Chao, Liu Biao was still wondering why Qiao Yan's men had directly entered the Yangtze River waterway when he received a somewhat smug announcement from Ma Chao, saying that Yizhou had changed its owner and that Liu Biao was strictly prohibited from spreading the news.
Let alone the spin-offs, Liu Biao almost wished he hadn't heard of it.
Qiao Yan's previous timely support for Yingchuan had already made Liu Biao sense the danger. Now, Liu Yan was quietly killed by Liu Zhang in Yizhou, and Qiao Yan arrived in time to capture Liu Zhang. Afterwards, a large amount of grain and grass from Yizhou was dispatched in the direction of Xuzhou.
Wait, is there really no possibility of sting enforcement here?
While Liu Biao was pondering this question, he stared at his step-wife, Cai, who was more inclined towards his younger son, Liu Cong, for a long time. Cai thought her makeup was smudged, and she didn't hear Liu Biao explain why.
She only learned from Cai Mao that a fleet departed from Yizhou and headed towards Xuzhou, which seemed to be a sign of unusual movements in the direction of Xuzhou.
But this involves more than just Xuzhou.
The two largest ships escorting Zhuge Liang and others to Liaodong, guided by the compass and navigation map, had already returned to Xuzhou long after Gongsun Du told them to surrender, and were now waiting in the shipyard in Hailing.
As soon as Ma Chao and Yan Yan arrived, they put half of the grain onto the ship and ordered it to head back to Liaodong.
Almost a few days before the time agreed upon by Qiao Yan, Lu Bu, Zhang Liao and others to dispatch troops, these two large warships loaded with military rations stopped at the Da's Port in Youzhou.
Lu Lingju had been guarding the place for a long time, and together with Gan Ning, he immediately delivered the rations to Xiangping in Liaodong County.
Sent to Gongsun Du.
Gongsun Du had originally been prepared to provide manpower and food for the attack on Gongsun Zan. If this group of young men had not shown him methods that were difficult for him to resist in their three victories over him, asking him to pay such expenses would be no different from cutting his flesh with a knife.
But the military rations arrived today, and there might even be some left over after this expedition, which could be used to replenish his own treasury. He also developed some good feelings towards the Grand Marshal, whom he had never met before.
Just don’t show up in Liaodong in such an unexpected way next time.
Those young men were completely unaware, or even if they did, they were too lazy to care about Gongsun Du's complicated feelings at the moment.
The scheduled battle time has arrived, the military rations have arrived, and the allied forces are in place.
It's time for them to show their skills and take over the entire Youzhou!
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