While Cao Cao was preparing to deal with Wuhuan and the Yuan brothers, Liu Biao, who was far away in Xiangyang, also became a little restless.
At this moment, Liu Biao was in the Prefectural Shepherd's Mansion in Xiangyang City, discussing the current general situation with his aide Xu Shu, who had recently defected to him.
Xu Shu had lofty views, foresight, and extensive knowledge, which greatly satisfied Liu Biao.
The two of them were chatting happily, but Cai Mao, the naval commander of Jingzhou, suddenly barged in.
Cai Mao looked anxious, as if he had something very important to report to Liu Biao.
But Cai Mao glanced at Xu Shu, but kept silent, as if he was worried about his existence.
Seeing this, Liu Biao waved his hand magnanimously and said, "Xu Yuanzhi is a disciple of Mr. Shui Jing. He is a rare resourceful person in the world today... He is not an outsider. If you have anything to say, Desi, just say it."
When Cai Mao heard this, he no longer hesitated.
He came to Liu Biao and said: "My lord, our spies lurking in the north have just returned the news... Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, the sons of Yuan Shao, have opened the gate of Youzhou a month ago to let the Wuhuan people enter Youzhou.
.The Yuan brothers tried to unite with the Wuhuan people to fight Cao Cao in Youzhou!"
"What did you say?"
"What???"
Liu Biao and Xu Shu looked shocked and let the Wuhuan people enter Youzhou? Wouldn't that mean they were letting a group of hungry wolves into the sheepfold???
After Cai Mao waited for Liu Biao and Xu Shu to digest this information, he continued: "The Wuhuan people have 170,000 or 80,000 cavalry, plus the 50,000 or 60,000 soldiers in the hands of Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, the number of the coalition forces seems to have exceeded 200,000.
If this is the case, if Cao Cao wants to defeat the Yuan family and the Wuhuan people, they must come out in full force, otherwise he will only be strangled by the coalition forces of the Yuan family and the Wuhuan people!"
Liu Biao looked a little confused and asked Xu Shu: "I remember that Wuhuan is just a small tribe with no climate on the grassland. When did they be able to send out hundreds of thousands of troops at a time?"
Xu Shu had obviously known about it for a long time. Faced with Liu Biao's question, Xu Shu calmly replied: "Liu Jingzhou doesn't know something... Since Wuhuan, the three counties of Wuhuan, formed an alliance with the Yuan family, since they can trade with the Han people, they have been able to trade with the Han people recently.
It has developed greatly over the years.
The leader of the Wuhuan people, Tadun, has great talents and strategies. He has unified the three counties of Wuhuan under his iron-fisted control... Therefore, today's Wuhuan is no longer what it used to be, and they have even surpassed Xianbei.
and the Xiongnu, becoming the largest force among the northern grassland forces!"
After hearing Xu Shu's explanation, Liu Biao and Cai Mao suddenly said: "That's it!"
After Xu Shu waited for Liu Biao and Cai Mao to come to their senses, he continued: "I am a little worried... This time the Wuhuan people are going south in a large scale, and their ambitions may not stop at Youzhou..."
Liu Biao frowned when he heard this and said, "Yuanzhi, do you mean that these barbarians dare to covet the hinterland of my Han Dynasty?"
"I'm afraid that's what they have in mind!" Xu Shu replied decisively.
Liu Biao slapped the "expensive" specially customized glass on the table, which made even Cai Hao, who had a wealthy family, couldn't help but frown.
Liu Biao asked Xu Shu angrily, "Yuanzhi, what do you think we should do to combat the ambitions of those barbarians?"
However, before Xu Shu could answer, Cai Mao suddenly said, "Lord, this is not the time for us to pay attention to those Wuhuan people!"
"Huh?" Liu Biao turned his head in confusion, looked at Cai Mao and asked, "Degui, do you have any other ideas?"
"Of course!" Cai Mao's eyes suddenly narrowed, revealing a hint of sinisterness, and said: "My lord, think about it, now that Cao Cao has left all his troops to go to Youzhou, then Nanyang County and even Yingchuan must be empty!
As long as we unite with Sun Quan to launch a surprise attack, Cao Cao will definitely be unable to look after each other, and we can take the opportunity to welcome the emperor back, and great things can be expected!"
After listening to Cai Mao's suggestion, Liu Biao suddenly felt that what this guy said was somewhat reasonable, so he fell into deep thought.
However, Xu Shu's expression changed after hearing this, and he categorically dissuaded him: "My lord, you can't do that!"
Liu Biao was a little moved, but Xu Shu dissuaded him. He asked unhappily: "What did Yuan Zhi mean? Why not?"
"Cao Cao's move is to fight against foreign enemies for the Han Dynasty... If Liu Jingzhou takes the opportunity to attack Cao Cao secretly, then you have lost your righteousness!
If you lose your national justice, you will not only be cast aside by the scholar-bureaucrats, but the people will also gradually alienate you and leave you...
This disadvantage is too serious!”
Cai Mao saw that his proposal was dismissed as worthless by Xu Shu, and he suddenly became a little angry and said: "What is your identity? Can you represent the thoughts of the family?"
To be honest, when Cai Mao made the suggestion and Liu showed hesitation, Xu Shu already felt a little chilled in his heart.
At this moment, Cai Mao pointed at his nose and questioned him again. Xu Shu, who had always had a strong temper, naturally couldn't bear it anymore.
Xu Shu stood up and said to Cai Mao in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "Xu is just a man from the mountains. He cannot represent the family nor the common people."
When Cai Mao heard that he was a savage, he immediately said even more rudely: "Then you still have the nerve to stay here? Do you know that standing in front of you is the current royal family and the largest wealthy family in Jingzhou?"
Liu Biao still cherished Xu Shu's talent, but in his heart he still had some concerns about Xu Shu's identity, so he only asked him to serve as an aide but did not give him a substantial official position.
Now Xu Shu and Cai Mao had a falling out, and Liu Biao didn't know how to persuade them.
Seeing that Liu Biao remained silent, Xu Shu's last illusion about Liu Biao disappeared. He bowed to Liu Biao and said: "Thank you Liu Jingzhou for your hospitality and trust in recent days... The student is not talented, and he knows that he is not qualified for the position of staff.
, please also ask Liu Jingzhou to allow me to say goodbye and return home."
Cai Mao sneered disdainfully, "You don't understand shit, how about your staff?"
Xu Shu turned a blind eye, listened or heard nothing, and just stared at Liu Biao.
Liu Biao saw that Xu Shu was determined to leave. In order to show his elegance, he first symbolically scolded Cai Mao, "Degui, how can you talk to a guest like this?" Well, this time he had already stopped talking.
One of our own has become a guest...
"Huh!" Cai Hao snorted coldly and said nothing.
Liu Biao then continued: "Since Yuan Zhi has made up his mind, it is not convenient for me to force him."
Then, Liu Biao shouted outside: "Come here, give Xu Yuanzhi a hundred taels of gold and a good horse!"
"Thank you very much for Liu Jingzhou's kindness. Xu deserves it and takes his leave now!"
Xu Shu was a little desperate now. He hated himself for being so deluded in the first place that he agreed to Zhuge Jin to come out to help Liu Biao?
"Liu Biao is good but can't use it, and he can't go out when he's evil. He can't control the soldiers externally, and he can't manage the housework internally. Sooner or later, he will be in trouble... I promised Zhuge Ziyu to go out to help Liu Biao, but I was really blind!"
Arriving outside Jingzhou City, Xu Shu looked up to the sky and sighed: "The world is so big, where can I, Xu Yuanzhi, return?"
"Although the world is big, only Prime Minister Cao is the hero who can hold up the building before it collapses and turn the tide!"
Xu Shu was startled by the sudden words.
He turned around, looked at the man, and asked: "Your Excellency, is..."