Chapter 225 In three years, Gu will be above the world!
Loyalty!
It is an eternal topic throughout the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era.
In particular, it was rendered by Lao Luo's pen and promoted by the four famous works, and its influence on the people of later generations was extremely huge.
There is no ambiguity in the word loyalty. Loyal to the country, loyal to the people, and loyal to the nation.
This is even more obvious, especially in border counties where ethnic conflicts are prominent.
Liu Bian believed in Hou Cheng's loyalty!
People who grew up in this environment must be loyal to the Han Dynasty.
But his meaning is controversial.
The meaning is complicated, especially when combined with different words, the meanings are different.
For example, justice, affection, kindness, faith, benevolence, chivalry, etc.
As a result, everyone's interpretation of the meaning of the word is also different.
It's obvious.
The word "righteousness" in Hou Cheng's heart is not only the kindness between masters and ministers, but also the friendship between friends.
Even in Hou Cheng's heart, his righteousness towards Lu Bu was more affection than kindness.
Therefore, he couldn't stand being abandoned by his friends, let alone being questioned by his lord.
"Shi Xun."
After Liu Bian ordered Cheng Pu to take Hou Cheng down, he ordered Zhu Tong to recruit Gao Shun: "What do you think of Hou Cheng?"
Gao Shun frowned: "Hou Cheng?"
At this moment, he didn't know that Cheng Pu had captured Hou Cheng.
Liu Bian nodded: "Well, Taiyuan Houcheng belongs to the same county as you. You should know each other, right?"
"Um."
Gao Shun didn't hide it, and honestly explained: "The general knows Hou Sima, but the relationship is not very harmonious. The Hou Sima in the general's heart is brave in battle and arrogant. He doesn't take anyone else seriously except Lu Bu."
inside."
"oh?"
Liu Bian couldn't help but wonder: "Is this person brave in battle?"
Gao Shun said with great certainty: "In terms of martial arts alone, compared with Song Xian and Wei Xu, his archery skills are as good as Cao Xing's. Since he joined the army, he has repeatedly accomplished extraordinary feats. Within a few years, he was promoted to Army Sima, and he is the same as Cao Xing."
A certain level."
hiss-!
Liu Bian was shocked and took a breath.
Hearing Gao Shun's evaluation of Hou Cheng, he felt that his three views were subverted.
After all, the impression of Hou Cheng during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era was that he was just a soy sauce guy at best.
But when it came to Gao Shun's mouth, he felt like he was seeing a mighty general.
"How does this person treat Lu Bu?"
After Liu Bian learned about Hou Cheng's basic situation, he went straight to the topic: "Can he be loyal and righteous?"
Gao Shun frowned and pondered for a long time: "Hou Sima was born in the Hou clan of Taiyuan. When the Yellow Turbans rebelled and invaded Bingzhou, the Hou clan of Taiyuan was massacred. Hou Sima led his tribe to join Lu Bu at that time."
"later......"
"..."
Gao Shun was talking about Hou Cheng's resume, but Liu Bian became interested in the "Taiyuan Hou family": "Teacher, is this Taiyuan Hou family still a noble family? Or is it a wealthy family?"
At this moment, the voice of the military advisor alliance sounded: "Master Bian, the Taiyuan Hou family originated from the descendants of the brothers Aihou of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period, but for hundreds of years, they have been migrating outwards and never stopped."
"Especially during the Qin and Han Dynasties, wars broke out frequently in the Central Plains. Some people of the Hou family migrated to Hebei, Gansu and other places. For example, Hou Ba in the Western Han Dynasty was from Julu, and Hou Jin in the Eastern Han Dynasty was from Dunhuang."
"During the late Han Dynasty, there were also descendants of Hou Xuanduo who migrated to the upper valley. Their grandson Hou Shu became the prefect of Beidi County and settled in Sanshui, Beidi. Hou Shu's fourth grandson, Hou Zhi, moved west with Emperor Xiaowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty and was given the surname Hou Fu.
He was also given the surname Hetu."
"..."
Liu Bian was a little confused: "I have never heard of these people. The Hou family seems to be nothing special. They are only two thousand stones at most."
The voice of the Alliance of Military Advisors followed: "You must have heard of Hou Junji, the great general of the Tang Dynasty, right? He was born in the Shanggu Hou clan and migrated from the Taiyuan Hou clan."
Liu Bian was surprised: "Hou Junji?"
"That's right!"
The Alliance of Military Advisors affirmed: "In the book "The Genealogy of the Hou Family", there are clear records of where the Taiyuan Hou family moved to, what kind of people there were in each dynasty and each generation."
"Don't underestimate Hou Cheng. The Hou family is also of great significance in Chinese history. It may be inferior to the Bingzhou Wang family, but its strength cannot be underestimated."
...
Gao Shun briefly recounted what happened to Hou Cheng. When he turned to look at King Hongnong, he found that King Hongnong's eyes were dull, full of surprise, and seemed to be a little dissociated:
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness?"
Gao Shun tentatively asked softly: "Your Highness, are you..."
Only then did Liu Bian come to his senses: "Oh, it's okay, just keep going."
Gao Shun agreed and continued: "The general will think that Hou Sima is loyal to Lü Bu, but it is not necessarily true how Lü Bu treats Hou Sima."
"Your Highness should know that Lu Bu is from Wuyuan County. He came from a poor family. He worked hard in Bingzhou for many years with his martial arts skills. Finally, he became the chief registrar thanks to the cavalry captain Ding Yuan."
"His favorite generals Song Xian, Wei Xu, and Cao Xing all came from poor families. Naturally, it would be difficult for them to get along with Hou Cheng, who was born in the Hou clan of Taiyuan."
"Lü Bu has some prejudice against Hou Cheng. If Hou Sima had not fought bravely and had no noble temperament, I am afraid it would be difficult for him to gain a foothold in the army."
So that’s it.
really!
After listening to Gao Shun's words, Liu Bian had a new understanding of Hou Cheng.
He no longer concealed anything and told the truth: "Shi Xun, let me tell you the truth. In the battle of Ximen today, Demou defeated Lu Bu, and Li Jue's coalition captured Sima Houcheng of the Wolf Cavalry."
"Ah, this..."
Gao Shun finally understood why King Hongnong was suddenly interested in Hou Cheng.
Liu Bian was completely relieved and said softly: "You may not know yet. Demou cut off the coalition forces of Lu Bu and Li Jue, and Hou Cheng was surrounded. Lu Bu paid gold to withdraw his troops and abandoned Hou Cheng. Hou Cheng had no choice but to submit to the lonely king."
Gao Shun nodded with interest, his expression extremely dull: "Well, if that's the case, Hou Sima's move is reasonable, and I will express my understanding."
"Okay."
Liu Bian completely solved the doubts in his mind and said softly: "Shi Xun, please go back to the camp and rest. I know what to do."
Gao Shun stood up, cupped his hands and clasped his fists: "In that case, I will retire at the end."
Liu Bian watched Gao Shun leave and communicated with the military advisor alliance again: "Teacher, it seems that Hou Cheng is not as described in the novel. This person may be useful. Even if he cannot be a general, he can be an army commander or a school captain.
No problem.”
"That's right."
The voice of the Military Advisor Alliance sounded: "The Hou family has its own heritage, and Hou Cheng is a different kind. Historically, he was a tragedy, but with Bian Ye, he can change his fate against the odds."
Liu Bianshen said in agreement: "Well, I understand."
"Report—!"
At this moment, a long announcement sounded outside the tent.
Liu Bian raised his eyes and looked.
But I saw that military advisor Xun You hurried into the account with a smile on his face, as if he was taking a breath of spring breeze: "Your Highness, it's a great joy. The detective horse has sent back the information. Sun Jian has killed Hu Zhen, and has returned with the allied troops from the direction of Yanjin. We are now far away from the main camp.
Less than three miles."
"oh?"
Liu Bian was surprised: "Have you come back yet?"
Xun You nodded affirmatively: "Yes, I'm back."
Liu Bian asked urgently: "Which princes are there?"
"Cao Cao, the heroic cavalry captain, Bao Xin, the prime minister of Jibei, and Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou."
"Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, is here too?"
"Um."
Xun You nodded and said softly: "Among the three princes, Liu Dai has the largest number of soldiers and horses, with more than 13,000 men. Jibei Prime Minister Bao Xin only has more than 6,000 men left, and Cao Cao has less than 3,000 men.
people."
"Your Highness!"
Xun You hurriedly bowed his bow and reminded: "When General Sun left, the troops and horses of these three princes were attacking Sishui Pass, while the troops and horses of the other princes still did not know where they were."
"This is enough to prove that these three princes are loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty. They are different from Yuan Yi, Zhang Miao and others. Your Highness can safely use and win over them to enhance the strength of our army."
Regarding Xun Yu's opinions, Liu Bian generally held a positive attitude.
but......
Liu Bian really couldn't trust Liu Dai.
Although he is the only clan member of the Han Dynasty, the military strength under his command is completely disproportionate to that of Cao Cao and Bao Xin.
You know, experts have already explained this period of history to Liu Bian. The combined forces of Bao Xin and Cao Cao totaled more than 20,000 people.
But now there are only nine thousand people left, and more than half of the force has been lost.
And what about Liu Dai?
The number of troops under his command is actually 13,000.
This means that Liu Dai's battle losses are not high, or that he is simply conserving his strength and using his weapons to make up for the loss.
Sun Jian may not know the inside story, but Liu Bian, who is keen, suddenly noticed the anomaly.
Putting aside his identity and analyzing the data alone, Liu Dai is indeed not as trustworthy as Cao Cao or Bao Xin. At least judging from his current performance, this is indeed the case.
"Thirteen thousand people."
Liu Bian frowned and pondered for a long time: "Wen Ruo, this Liu Dai is quite strong. So far in the war, he still has more than 13,000 men, which is more than Cao Cao and Bao Xin combined."
Cao Cao and others were inquiring about the defeat at Dagu Pass, and accordingly, Liu Bian was also inquiring about the situation at Sishui Pass.
They naturally have an understanding of the initial strength of both sides.
Xun Huo was not surprised at all. Apparently he was also aware of this matter: "In any case, Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, is a clan member of the Han Dynasty. If he can participate in this discussion against Dong, he is worth winning over."
"If you despise his hypocrisy and subterfuge, I'm afraid that the man in Chang'an will spend a lot of money to win over me. Rather than fall into the hands of thieves, why don't you, Your Highness, try your best to fight for it. This will be good for the future battle situation in Yanzhou."
really!
Xun Yu's vision is long-term.
In his heart, the war against Dong has been won, and the following war is what he really cares about.
Liu understood what Xun Yu meant. He took a deep breath and said softly: "If you try hard to win over Dong Zhuo, I'm afraid that the conditions Gu will give Liu Dai will be far inferior to Dong Zhuo."
"What I need here are people who really work hard to support the Han Dynasty. They are definitely not princes who come here motivated by profit. If the benefits are exhausted, the people will disperse, and Gu will not bother to do it."
at this point.
Liu Bian saw it very clearly.
Just like you cannot write a bad check to Sun Jian, you cannot write a bad check to Liu Dai, Cao Cao, Bao Xin and others, because once it is realized, it must be cashed.
In the future, the confrontation between the Northern and Southern Han Dynasties and the competition in political means will inevitably be inevitable. Fighting Dong Zhuo with empty promises and relying on profits to strengthen his power will only cripple Liu Bian himself.
Following one's own pace, working steadily and re-establishing a set of order is the most correct way to help the Han Dynasty. Allies won by profit will sooner or later be betrayed by profit.
As for Xun Yu's concerns...
I have to admit, it does make sense.
However, Liu Bian relies on the Alliance of Military Advisors to light up the technology tree in the future, not to mention a small Dong Zhuo, but also Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and the princes of the world, all of which are dimensionality reduction attacks.
In the face of absolute strength, those little tricks are not worth mentioning at all.
"this......"
Xun You frowned slightly and said softly: "Your Highness, Dong Zhuo's retreat to Chang'an will definitely stir up the world and put the Central Plains in civil strife. We, who are in Nanyang, may be the first to bear the brunt. At this time, we must gather some allies and join hands with Your Highness.
favorable."
"As for the benefits?"
Xun You pondered for a moment and then bowed his head again: "Your Highness's concerns are certainly reasonable, but I believe that not fighting at all will only make the princes of the world willing to be Dong Zhuo's butcher knife, which will put us at a disadvantage in the short term."
"short term?"
Liu Bian turned to look at Xun Yu: "How long will it take?"
Xun or bowed his head: "Sit down in Nanyang, recruit troops, and accumulate strength. I am afraid that in less than three or five years, it will be difficult to have the power to sweep the world and rebuild the world."
"Three, five years?"
Liu Bian admitted that it will take time to stabilize the fundamentals.
but......
Three years is long enough for him.
According to the expectations of experts from the Military Advisor Alliance, the Nanyang gentry will be conquered this year, and the food and grass problem will be solved next year. The military science and technology indicators in the year after that will far exceed the level that should be achieved in this era.
After all, Nanyang has natural advantages. It is a major grain-producing county in the country, and it is also the country's smelting and casting center. In addition, it has two-line hybrid rice and expert steel industry innovation.
Three years!
It will definitely be very different.
By the time the princes have calmed down and gained a certain level of fighting ability, and can attack Liu Bian, Liu Bian's strength is already at the peak of the entire era, and a dimensionality reduction strike is no longer a dream.
Moreover, once an advantage is established, it will snowball like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger. When the time comes, as long as a prince is not blind, he will never be in the wrong position.
Xun or said with absolute certainty: "It will take at least three to five years, or even longer."
Liu Bian, on the other hand, looked confident: "Three years! It only takes three years for me to surpass this world."
"this......"
Although Xun Yu didn't quite believe it, he even thought Liu Bian was too conceited.
However, from Liu Bian's eyes, he saw the domineering power of the king who ruled the world, and he couldn't help but acquiesced: "Your Highness, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Um."
Liu Bian was extremely sure: "The person who needs it is the one who is willing to sacrifice for the Han Dynasty, not the prince who takes this opportunity to expand his influence, even if he is a clan member of the Han Dynasty."
"Wen Ruo!"
Liu Bian stared at Xun Yu with bright eyes: "The people Gu needs are people like you. If you are willing, after returning to Nanyang, you should introduce talents to Gu and work together to build a new order for the Han Dynasty."