When Liu Bei received Xu You's urgent letter, some very strange news had already spread in the Jianghuai area. While he was reading the letter, he listened sadly to the news that the scouts had come back from outside.
"The news that Qingzhou sent an envoy to Shouchun has been confirmed. Although Mi Heng was accompanying him, he rarely attended the meeting. Even if he did, he did not say a word during the meeting. Lu Su and Yuan Shu chatted happily...
"
"The person who left Tancheng yesterday was Zang Hong. He was working beside Zhang Miao brothers, but for some reason he suddenly became the commander of General Hussar. His destination this time should be Wancheng. According to reliable sources, Qingzhou seems to have
Intentionally mediating the war in Wancheng..."
"Your lord, we have an urgent report from Lujiang. Although Liu Xun is not retreating from the siege, he has stopped continuing to attack the city!"
The series of news made Liu Bei dizzy and at the same time made him feel chilled from the core of his body.
Before coming to Xiapi, he knew that he could not be Wang Yu's opponent. The gap in strength between the two sides was too big and could not be made up by resourcefulness. What's more, even if he compared resourcefulness, he had no confidence that he could surpass Wang Yu. Wang Yu
Needless to say, the heroes gathered around him are a greater threat than himself!
And what about Liu Bei? Xu You, the only one he could count on, was not around. Although Chen Gui and his son were smart, they had no sense of loyalty. It was okay to count on them to help. It was just pure hope to pin all your hopes on them.
I wish I had a long life.
Apart from this, the only people around him who could discuss matters were his old friend Jian Yong and Sun Gan, who was promoted after taking over Xiapi. Even Liu Bei himself felt shabby, let alone compared with the heroes of Qingzhou.
Liu Bei turned to Sun Qian, covered his forehead with his hands, and said with tears: "O Gongyou, you came to me at a time of crisis, which shows your kindness. I wanted to give you a fortune. At least you can show your talents. But nothing happened.
The current situation is unpredictable. I never thought about it. In the blink of an eye, I have reached the end of my rope and I cannot protect myself."
When Jian Yong heard that something was wrong, he quickly advised: "My lord, please don't lose confidence, the situation may not be what you think. Wang Yu has always been scheming, maybe he is bluffing."
"Being an enemy of Pengju is not what Bei wants in his heart, but one thing is unmistakable." Liu Bei shook his head and said with deep emotion: "When you fight against him, don't have any luck. Otherwise, don't take any chances.
, I must be the unlucky one in the end!"
"Before I prepared to send troops, I prepared to unite with the heroes from the Jianghuai River to resist Qingzhou's power and maintain regional peace. I thought that although my abilities were limited, as long as I was careless and not afraid of dangers, I could at least hold Qingzhou's troops at Xiapi.
Under the city, who wants to..."
He smiled bitterly and shook his head, sighing: "First, Zimeng was defeated miserably at Maling Mountain, and then Quexuan surrendered without a fight and was stationed at Xiapi. Suddenly, it became an enemy on both sides. Although Mr. Chen and his son from Guangling helped a lot, the situation
Still not very optimistic. Now, Yuan Shu is also shaken, seeing that Xiapi is surrounded by enemies on three sides. Under such a situation, no matter how strong the city is, how can it be defended for a long time?"
"Xianhe's words may not be unreasonable. I hope you can be at ease."
Sun Qian looked like a celebrity, with three long strands of beard floating on his chest. His slender eyebrows were neatly trimmed, and there was no trace of elegance in his body. He cupped his hands and said in a sweet voice: "
There is a saying in the art of war. It is as immovable as a mountain. This is what Ming Gong should say now. No matter how strong the enemy is, as long as our army calms it down and firmly defends the city, there will be nothing to fear."
"Even if Yuan Shu repeats it?"
"Even if Yuan Shu repeats it."
Sun Qian walked slowly to the large map hanging on the wall, pointed and said: "When Duke Ming entered the army, he made preparations to hold on to the isolated city. If Qingzhou went south in a large scale, as long as the lord held the city, he would have sharpened the enemy's edge. , is famous all over the world, and it is reasonable for the heroes to take action upon hearing the news. I think Mr. Ziyuan must have followed this idea when he presented his timepiece."
Facing the enemy head-on and tying all the opposition forces in Xuzhou together is not enough for the Six Hussars Army to fight, but defending the city is different. Throughout the ages, strong armies have been trapped under strong cities for a long time, and even the victory or defeat There are countless examples of reverse trends. Although Wang Yu is strong, he may not be able to escape this rule.
Once the Qingzhou Army fell into decline due to the setback in the siege of the city, Liu Bei, who defended the city, naturally rose to the occasion and took advantage of the situation to become famous.
Sun Qian had done his homework when he came to invest. He knew very well that Liu Bei came to Xiapi not just to plot Xuzhou, but what he valued more was the achievement of defending Xiapi City!
Of course, defending the city is not without risk, but compared to fighting for supremacy on the frontal battlefield, the risk of defending the city is much smaller. Especially with the help of the Chen family in Guangling, Liu Bei only needs to concentrate on fighting the battle to defend the city. , there is no need to worry about trivial matters such as food and grass supply, and the situation is very favorable.
Sun Qian put forward his point of view: "Since the strategy has been determined, Ming Gong does not need to waver. Yuan Shu is short-sighted and capricious. He may break the alliance because of the few benefits Wang Qiaoqi promised, but there is nothing to worry about. , the worst we can do is give up Pengcheng and the land south of Surabaya."
"Leave only Pi Gucheng?" Liu Bei and Jian Yong looked at each other, unable to believe that such a crazy proposal came from the mouth of Sun Qian, who was very Confucian.
"Exactly." Sun Qian nodded slightly and further explained: "The troops are concentrated in Xiapi, and only some officials are sent to other places to cooperate with local county soldiers and powerful forces to maintain order. Whether the Qingzhou Army goes south or the Huainan Army goes north, they can be abandoned at any time. That’s it.”
"But, in this case..."
Sun Qian's proposal was far from being superb, it was just a more thorough implementation of Liu Bei's original policy. But Liu Bei was not very willing. His main purpose was indeed to gain fame by defending the city, but he also wanted to use it to defend the city. machine to expand its power.
Now is not the time in the first year of Chuping. The sphere of influence of the heroes has been basically delimited. Even if they have a reputation, they will not lose a piece of land out of thin air. The ownerless land of Xuzhou is the most suitable foundation for him. If Pengcheng and the territory south of Surabaya were given up. Even if Wang Yu came, he still defended the city. Didn't he also make a wedding dress for Yuan Shu?
"How dare I ask my lord, even if you set up defenses everywhere, will you be able to defend Pengcheng when Yuan Shu attacks?"
Liu Bei frowned and didn't answer.
Of course he couldn't hold on, otherwise why would he be worried?
Sun Qian spread his hands and asked: "Since we can't defend it, what's the point of defending it and only losing troops and horses? Xiapi City is very big, and the lord has few troops and horses. It's not enough to defend the city with all our strength. How can there be troops and horses in these places?" loss?"
"That's different..." Liu Bei shook his head, but refused to explain any more. When Sun Qian first came, he could only be regarded as a guest. The reason why he dared to defend the city with insufficient troops was because he had a deep calculation. How could he Feel free to tell Sun Qian?
"Since Gongyou strongly advocates shrinking the military strength, what is your judgment on the post-war situation?" Liu Bei looked at Sun Qian expectantly.
He and Cao Cao actually have similar views. They both know that they are in a weak position and that if they want to make a comeback, they need to come up with surprise troops. Therefore, he is not very interested in Sun Qian's seemingly bold but actually seeking stability proposal. What he needs now is not old tactics. He is not a counselor of the country, but a genius who dares to devise strange plans and deploy surprise troops!
"Qian Yulu..." Hearing Liu Bei ask this, Sun Qian knew that his first performance was a failure. His strategy was not unexpected, but completely unnecessary.
Liu Bei couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes: "I blame Gongyou for being too modest. If the situation is so difficult, even if Guan Zhong is resurrected and Tian Dan is reincarnated, is there any good way to think of it?"
Hearing his sigh, Sun Qian felt more and more shameless to stay, so he said a few polite words and left.
After he left, Liu Bei still looked gloomy. Jian Yong had questions: "My lord, although Sun Gongyou's talent is not as stunning as Guo Fengxiao and Zhou Gongjin, he is still a temporary talent. Our army is short of talents now. , even if you don’t accept his plan, you can still win over the military counselors around you, so why should you..."
"Xianhe, you are too kind." Liu Bei answered an unexpected question, leaving Jian Yong in a daze.
"A war is never tiring of deceit. Sun Qian is a disciple of Zheng Xuan. The latter is now a professor at Taishan Academy, but he took the initiative to join me. Don't you think it's a little strange?" He raised his hand to stop Jian Yong from arguing. "Yes, he is. Recommended by Mr. Yuanlong, but you should also understand that the lack of troops in Xiapi is actually a trap set against Guangling..."
Liu Bei's thinking was very clear. Compared with Yuan Shu, the Chen family in Guangling really had no way out. If he was in Xiapi, Wang Yu could not threaten Guangling. In order to ensure safety, Chen Gui had to pay for food and let him stay in Xiapi. To stand firm, Xiapi's troops were insufficient, so Chen Gui had to find a way to supplement them.
The person introduced by Chen Deng might have been tricked by the Chen family. How could Liu Bei be easily fooled?
What he wants is Xuzhou, and Guangling is the richest county in Xuzhou. Wang Yu has been reluctant to go south, maybe he has seen through his thoughts and Xu You's plan. If the other party leaves, Liu Bei will be left out. It's here.
If that was the case, he would have no choice but to pursue Guangling's idea.
Of course, Liu Bei would not try to suppress the powerful, but he also did not want to share power with the Chen family, and was even excluded from the gate of Guangling. The current joint fight against the enemy may not be foreshadowing for future rebellion.
Therefore, no matter whether the city defense battle will happen or not, he does not plan to carry it to the end by himself. How much strength of the Chen family can be consumed in this war will determine whether he can successfully settle the Chen family and take over Guangling in the future.
So he said, this is a game!
Jian Yong was speechless.
He knew that the old man had changed a lot in the past year. It turned out that although Liu Bei also liked to tempt people, he had never been so keen on conspiracy. The current situation was all because of Xu You's influence... He could even guess what Xu You was doing. He didn't like what the urgent letter said, but he had no better way, so he had no choice but to let it go.
In the silence, there was a sudden sound of slight and rapid footsteps outside the door. The visitor stopped in front of the door and reported in a low voice: "Lord, there is a police officer in Tancheng..."
Liu Bei stood up suddenly, walked to the door in three steps, and whispered to the spy. Because he moved so violently, the letter on the table was blown up by the wind he brought, and fell fluttering.
On the ground, Jian Yong couldn't help but take a look. He couldn't see anything else clearly, only the shocking four words at the beginning: No matter the cost!
Before Jian Yong could take a closer look, Liu Bei had already turned around, his eyes were shining brightly, and he shouted loudly: "Beat the drums and gather the generals! Get ready to fight the Qingzhou Army!" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome
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