Chapter 153 Take Sun Jian first, then fight against Dong Zhuo?
Did Sun Jian really come to challenge Dong?
Perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, this is the case, but in the eyes of scholars who are proficient in the history of the Three Kingdoms, this may not be the case. The real process is much more complicated than imagined.
In the first year of Yonghan (AD 189), Dong Zhuo deposed the emperor and Yuan Shu fled;
In the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Sun Jian killed Wang Rui and Zhang Zi;
In February of the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Yuan Shu occupied Nanyang;
In the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Yuan Shu announced that Sun Jian was the general who defeated the captives and also served as the governor of Yuzhou;
In November of the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Liu Biao arrived in Jingzhou;
In the winter of the first year of Chuping (AD 190), Sun Jian attacked Dong, and the Battle of Liangdong broke out;
In February of the second year of Chuping (AD 191), Sun Jian and Hu Zhen fought against the Yang people, which was known in history as the Battle of the Yang people.
Although the Battle of Liang and Dong recorded in historical books does not specify the month and is simply replaced by the word "winter", the word "winter" in the lunar calendar represents October to December.
In other words, the Battle of Liangdong could not have occurred earlier than October of the first year of Chuping.
This is somewhat intriguing.
Since Sun Jian raised his army, he first killed Wang Rui, then Zhang Zi, and got together with Yuan Shu. It was only February, and his first battle against Dong, the Battle of Liangdong, was actually as early as October, or even November. December.
Then here comes the problem.
From February to October, there were eight months of free time. What was Sun Jian busy with?
If he really came to challenge Dong, why didn't he just go straight to Luoyangmang like Cao Cao?
What's even more strange is that although Yuan Shu was the rear general, he only had Nanyang County. Why did he declare Sun Jian as the general who broke the captives and also served as the governor of Yuzhou?
Wouldn't it be better to be the governor of Yuzhou yourself?
Why should it be given to Sun Jian?
This is obviously unreasonable.
According to historians' speculation, such an abnormal move was more like a deal between Sun Jian and Yuan Shu.
Let's look back at Sun Jian's unreasonable behavior. Why should Wang Rui be killed for no reason?
Is Sun Jian really easy to be instigated?
Not to mention that Sun Jian is already thirty-six years old, and has experienced hundreds of battles and has rich experience.
If he was really someone who was easily instigated, I really don't know how many nobles would die at his hands.
There may be only one answer.
That was Sun Jian's attempt to seize Jingzhou from Wang Rui and expand his territory and power by challenging Dong Fengbo.
It is a pity that Sun Jian forced Wang Rui to death, which triggered the taboo of the Nanyang nobles. As a black man from a poor family, killing Nanyang like this is equivalent to declaring war on the Nanyang nobles.
Nanyang was one of the three giants of the gentry in the late Han Dynasty, and even Yuan Shu, the fourth and third prince, might not be able to secure his seat. After Liu Biao became the governor of Jingzhou, he directly threw Nanyang out as a buffer zone, while he stayed in Xiangyang to enjoy peace and prosperity.
The Nanyang nobles are definitely not that easy to control.
Sun Jian relied on his recklessness to kill him, but in the end he was left alone.
The governor of Nanyang took advantage of Yuan Shu;
The governor of Jingzhou took advantage of Liu Biao.
Going to beg Dong is not what you want;
He retreated and returned home, but was cut off by Liu Biao.
What should Sun Jian do now?
He could only reach a cooperation agreement with Yuan Shu, temporarily join Yuan Shu, and work as a thug for others.
Yuan Shu knew that Sun Jian was ambitious and that the little governor could not satisfy his appetite, so he could only give the unobtained Yuzhou to him in advance to reassure him.
Although all this is speculation by historians, I have to admit that it is indeed very reasonable.
Sun Jian is by no means a tough guy in the traditional sense. This guy is very ambitious.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to climb from a minor official in a border county to the governor of Changsha, and then all the way from the southern part of the Han Dynasty to the central part of the Han Dynasty. It should be noted that among the princes who challenged Dong, no one was more crazy than Sun Jian.
And after he obtained the jade seal, he hurried back to Jiangdong, which further proved his ambition.
"History is indeed not that simple. I originally thought that Cao Cao was the only one who wanted to challenge Dong. Sun Jian was a true character and devoted himself to the Qing Dynasty and the support of the Han Dynasty. I didn't expect that Sun Jian was so ambitious."
"Yes! If Yuan Shu hadn't been in Nanyang, perhaps Sun Jian would not have embarked on the road to challenge Dong. Like Yuan Shao and others in Guandong, he would have been busy expanding his power under the banner of challenging Dong."
"Forgive me for being a kind person, but I can't understand the mystery."
"From now on, Sun Polu is no longer my idol."
"Oh, this human heart is so unpredictable."
"..."
At this moment, the voice of the Military Advisor Alliance sounded again: "Master Bian, no matter how credible this speculation is, in short, it is still the same sentence, never underestimate any opponent, and be prepared for the worst in everything."
"Um."
Liu Bian nodded and said: "Don't worry, I won't underestimate Sun Jian! But teacher, Yuan Shu can declare Sun Jian to be the governor of Yuzhou and the general of Polu, so how can I conquer Sun Jian?"
"certainly!"
The voice of the Military Advisor Alliance immediately sounded: "Master Bian cannot write empty promises at will, because these empty promises will be realized sooner or later. If he takes Yuzhou by then, it will not be appropriate if Sun Jian is not appointed as the governor of Yuzhou."
"That's right."
Liu Bian quickly echoed: "That's exactly what I'm worried about."
The Military Advisor Alliance was very satisfied with Liu Bian's answer.
This proves that Liu Bian has already thought about the problem with a certain depth.
"Don't worry, Mr. Ben."
The Military Advisor Alliance continued: "Although we cannot make any promises to Sun Jian, once Sun Jian steps into Nanyang, Jingzhou will never be able to return. If he does not surrender to Bian Ye, there will be no other way out."
"However, if you try to subdue a tiger in this way, the opponent will definitely not be willing to accept it. The best way is to fight. Only by defeating Sun Jian in the aspect that he is most proud of can Sun Jian be truly convinced."
"otherwise......"
The Alliance of Military Advisors emphasized: "Even if Mr. Bian temporarily subdues Sun Jian, as long as this boy is ambitious, he will always think about being the governor, the governor, or even the three princes and nine ministers, and become the emperor."
"But Sun Jian's actual combat experience may not even be that of Zhang Liao..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Bian suddenly remembered something and asked hurriedly: "Teacher, these days you taught me the mandarin duck formation word for word. Is it possible that it was done to deal with Sun Jian?"
"It's more than that."
The Military Advisor Alliance replied: "The Yuanyang Formation is a formation created by Qi Jiguang. It is suitable for fighting in areas with dense rivers. This formation places special emphasis on teamwork, a combination of long and short, and no room for error. It is the pinnacle of infantry in the cold weapon era.
.”
"Considering that the war against Dong is over, the military-strategist alliance should use Nanyang as the foundation and develop southward. If Zhang Liao learns the mandarin duck formation, his strength will be greatly increased, and he will be able to sweep Jingxiang and Jiangdong. It will be no problem."
"ah?"
Liu Bian looked slightly disappointed: "The Yuanyang Formation is only suitable for Jiangdong, not the northern plains? Can it be used to defeat Dong Zhuo?"
"sure!"
"But it can't be applied mechanically."
The Alliance of Military Advisors immediately added: "Most of Dong Zhuo's men are cavalry. In the northern wilderness fighting, a group charge may break the Yuanyang Formation."
"But this does not mean that the Yuanyang Formation cannot be used, but it must be combined with certain tactics of foot and trap riding to achieve its due tactical effect."
"Don't worry, Mr. Bian, there are military experts in cold weapons who will definitely tailor a strategy for you to defeat the enemy. Let's recruit Sun Jian first and then fight Dong Zhuo. This will definitely not delay things."
Liu Bian was anxious: "Damn! It's already the middle of the first lunar month. Let's continue quickly. As of today, even if we fight at night, we must copy the Mandarin Duck formation."
Military Advisor Alliance: "Okay, no problem!"
Liu Bian: "By the way, what if Dong Zhuo sends troops to attack?"
"Don't worry, we have more than 10,000 troops now. Dong Zhuo doesn't dare to act rashly. If he really wants to attack, just wait for the princes to raid their homes."
"I mean what if? What if we are attacked? How to deal with it?"
"Of course the main focus is on defense, and at the same time using your strength to fight, try to find a way to let Tiehanhan Sun Jian be your thug."
"Ah? Is this possible? Sun Jian is not stupid."
“Believe in the experts’ abilities and everything is under control.”
"..."
*****
Sili, Luoyang.
Prime Minister's Mansion.
Dong Zhuo frowned, put down the information he had just sent back from Nanyang, and turned to glance at Li Ru: "Wen You, you are really amazing. The situation in Nanyang is really as you expected. King Hongnong asked the nobles for soldiers, horses, money and food. Now,
We already have over 10,000 troops."
"Damn it!"
Dong Zhuo clung to the information tightly, as if he wanted to crush it into pieces, and his anger was beyond words: "The stupid things Niu Fu has done, even if he wants to make up for it, he probably won't be able to make up for it now."
Dong Zhuo, who had experienced hundreds of battles, naturally knew that if he wanted to conquer a city with over 10,000 troops, his troops would have to be at least three to five times more powerful. Moreover, Liu Bian would need the help of experts to defend the city, and he would probably need only two or three soldiers to defend the city.
You may not be able to win it every month.
What's even worse is...
The princes of Guandong came to form an alliance one after another, and even Shangdang Zhangyang, Wang Kuang of Hanoi and others joined in. If this momentum continues, little Luoyang will inevitably be surrounded.
Although Luoyang has eight gates as a barrier, the situation of blooming flowers on three sides and enemies everywhere finally made Dong Zhuo a little worried. Although he looked down on these ants, it would still be a headache if they gathered together to cause trouble.
Phew~~
Dong Zhuo exhaled angrily, forcing himself to stay calm.
However, the protruding veins on his forehead and the tightly knitted thick eyebrows betrayed him in the end.
"Is there anything Wenyou can do?"
Unwilling to be reconciled, Dong Zhuo asked for advice again.
Asking Li Ru for advice seems to have become his habit.
But this time...
"this......"
Li Ru looked carefree and slightly embarrassed.
He shook his head regretfully: "King Hongnong has become powerful in Nanyang, and there is nothing I can do for you. The only solution now is to hold on and not fight until the times change."
"To wait for the time to change?"
"Hmph~~"
Dong Zhuo snorted coldly and said angrily: "If we wait any longer, the gang of rats in Guandong will definitely gather together. It will indeed change by then, but I am afraid that my death is imminent, Dong Zhuo?"
Pa~~
Slap several cases angrily.
Dong Zhuo couldn't bear it any longer and became furious: "We must not sit back and wait for death. Since the road to Nanyang is dead, let's focus on dealing with these princes in Guandong."
"Yuan Ji, Yuan Wei is in our hands."
Dong Zhuo gritted his steel teeth, his eyes focused on fire, and gave a sonorous order: "Then write them a letter of surrender and order the Yuan family to take it to Guandong and deliver it to those rats!"
"I don't believe in evil. Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu will ignore the lives of Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji? And those group of disciples and former officials of the Yuan family, are they trying to force their own leader to death?"
The Han Dynasty governed the country with filial piety.
Filial piety was held in an extremely high position by Confucian scholars.
Dong Zhuo threatened the life of Yuan Wei, the head of the Yuan clan, in order to roast Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu in the position of filial sons.
If you don't retreat, the crime of forcing Yuan Wei to death will be pinned on your head.
As for Yuan's disciples and former officials...
It is the rule of the game for your noble clan to use ministers as the master.
If you don't retreat and the crime of forcing the leader to death will fall on you, it has nothing to do with me, Dong Zhuo.
Since you are calling me Dong Zhuo as a reckless man from a border county, I will show you how reckless I am!
Li Ru seemed to have expected it, and his expression was extremely calm.
He just bowed his head and said, "No."
Immediately.
He bowed and left the Prime Minister's Mansion, leading his troops straight to the Yuan family.
Although the fact that the Yuan family secretly arranged for the princes to attack Dong was all Li Ru's guess without any evidence, Li Ru was nearly 70% sure that it was true.
In this case...
Then, asking Yuan Wei to recruit and surrender the Guandong princes would definitely be in vain.
If Dong Zhuo hadn't been so angry, Li Ru wouldn't have bothered to come over.
now.
Li Ru and Yuan Wei sat facing each other.
Inside and outside the main hall, there were people standing with Xiliang warriors armed with swords.
Li Ru sipped his tea and asked tentatively: "Mr. Yuan, it concerns Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and other princes, who have formed an alliance to attack the prime minister. What do you think?"
Yuan Wei looked extremely calm, twirling a long beard under his chin, and asked: "Li Langzhong's sudden visit to the humble residence must be the intention of the Prime Minister. You might as well say frankly what you need me to do. No matter what, I will give you my full cooperation."
"Hmph~~"
Li Ru snorted lightly.
He would not believe Yuan Wei's lies: "What? Is Mr. Yuan already ready to die?"
Yuan Wei looked around at the guards with swords and said proudly: "Life is what I want; righteousness is also what I want; you cannot have both, and you must sacrifice life for righteousness."
Li Ru stared at the old man in front of him with burning eyes: "What a man who sacrificed his life for righteousness! Yuan Wei, are you worthy? Don't think that I don't know your plot. The person who brought trouble to the world is not Dong Zhuo, but you Yuan Wei!"
Yuan Wei was not shocked at all.
He only paused for a moment and then responded in a low voice: "Mr. Li, what crime do you have in slandering the current imperial master?"
Li Ru's eyes were sharp and his aura was overwhelming: "Then you deceived the world, messed up the government, plotted war, and ignored the people of the world, what crime do you deserve?"
Yuan Wei raised the corners of his lips slightly and smiled: "You have such a sharp mouth, but you have charged Yuan with such a big crime for no reason. After all, you are also an official of the imperial court. You should know that evidence is required in everything."
"snort!"
Li Ru snorted softly: "If any scholar has any evidence, he will teach you that the Yuan family will die without a burial place. How can I let you put on a hateful face of righteousness in front of me?"
Even though Li Ru was so insulting, Yuan Wei didn't make any fuss at all.
He just smiled.
That look...
It was clear that he had a mocking attitude of "You can't stand me, but you can't kill me".
Yuan Wei said nothing, but it was like a thousand swords piercing Li Ru's angry heart.
Li Ru couldn't bear it anymore, Teng De stood up and said sternly: "The Prime Minister has an order, ordering you to write a handwritten letter to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and the princes of Guandong, ordering them to stop their troops, otherwise the whole family of Yuan will be beheaded in public.
.”
Yuan Wei was still not annoyed, but responded coldly: "You want to use my Yuan Wei's hand to threaten the princes of Guandong? You are wishful thinking. Go back and tell Dong Zhuo that my Yuan Wei's head is here, and he can take it at any time."
"but......"
When the conversation changed, Yuan Wei said in a sinister tone: "Does he dare?"