On the same night, Xu Shu stood at the top of Baichuan City, looking at the Sichuan Army camp in the distance with a complicated expression. Li Yan stood next to Xu Shu with an angry look on his face.
"Sir, that Cai Mao is so abominable. He actually said such insulting words to you. Although you were defeated, the Sichuan army also won miserably. With the strength of the Sichuan army and Liu Zhang's cunning, it would be strange if he, Cai Mao, were allowed to take command.
.Fortunately, he has a reasonable sister who pleads for mercy in front of the lord, otherwise the gentleman would really be harmed by that villain Cai Mao."
Xu Shu's robes rustled in the strong wind. Xu Shu looked calmly into the distance with a vicissitudes of life on his face. He sighed for a long time and said slowly: "Zhengfang, in fact, I had already thought of this situation when I decided to seek refuge with Liu Biao.
, What's more, I also killed Cai Zhong, a younger brother of Cai Mao's clan, and Cai He also died in this battle. It would be abnormal if Cai Mao didn't question me.
On the contrary, it is Ms. Cai who intercedes for me, who is the real worry. The reason why Mr. Cai interceded for me is because now there is a powerful enemy. Ms. Cai knows that her younger brother is useless and can only rely on me to resist the Sichuan army. Ms. Cai is very scheming.
Shen is also my lord's pillow. Today she can make him exempt me from punishment with one word, and tomorrow she can kill me with one word. When the Sichuan army retreats or I am defeated by Liu Zhang, haha..."
Xu Shu smiled bitterly, his deep eyes hidden in the darkness.
Li Yan was surprised and said: "Sir, do you mean to say that as soon as the Sichuan army retreats, Cai will turn against him?"
Li Yan clapped his hands and said loudly: "If this is the case, it will be serious. If you are defeated by the Sichuan army, you will definitely die. Even if you win, the Cai family will also kill you because of the death of the two clan brothers. This
But what should we do?”
Li Yan had a look of anxiety on his face, but Xu Shu shook his head indifferently: "Zhengfang, don't worry too much, my life is no longer mine. Once I retire from the Sichuan Army, life or death will no longer matter."
"Sir, what do you mean by this? Mr. Li Yan has only seen a generation of geniuses in his life. How can he say that he will die so easily?"
Li Yan said quickly, looking at the Sichuan Army camp in the distance, suddenly showing a fierce look, and slowly said to Xu Shu: "Sir, haven't you ever thought of another way out?"
"What's the way out?" Xu Shu asked calmly.
"Submit yourself to Liu Zhang."
Li Yan uttered four words loudly and looked at Xu Shu intently. He originally thought that Xu Shu would be surprised or furious. Li Yan had thought of various ways to deal with it, but he saw Xu Shu's face was calm, as if what he said was
It's just an ordinary little thing.
Li Yan felt uneasy and continued: "Sir, to be honest, Li Yan has never been reused in Jingzhou. He has been dissatisfied for a long time. When he was the magistrate of Zigui County, he had thought of surrendering to Liu Zhang. After hearing about the massacre in Jiangzhou
I gave up this idea, but when Liu Zhang came to Jiangling, I came up with this idea again. It was not because Li Yan followed Yan's trend, but because Liu Biao only relied on the Cai family and the Kuai family. I had no chance of getting ahead in Jingzhou.
It was Liu Zhang who was a meritocracy.
At the beginning, I thought that Liu Zhang was an enemy of the clan and could not one day conquer the world. But the longer I stayed in Jingzhou, the more I realized that I, Li Yan, might not be able to assist a lord to achieve great things in my life, and could only live in mediocrity and inaction.
Choose between a violent death.
Liu Zhang may eventually be overthrown, but by following him you can at least leave a name in the history of history. But in Jingzhou, can I, Li Yan, only be a county magistrate in this life?
I had long wanted to leave, until I met Mr. Li Yan, whose talent impressed Li Yan so much. I felt that as long as I followed Mr., I would be able to achieve great success in these troubled times. But now, Liu Biao is old and dim, and Cai is in power.
They actually want to force Mr. Xi into a desperate situation. If Mr. Liu dies, even if Liu Zhang is defeated, how many days can Jingzhou survive?
Sir, he is also from a poor family. Why did he risk his life to protect the wealthy families in Jingbei? Liu Biao is unkind and we are unjust. Although Sir, he was defeated this time, but it also made Liu Zhang aware of Sir's strength. It is the right time to surrender. Li Yan can guarantee that,
If Mr. Wang joins Yizhou, his position will not be under the rule of law, and he will be able to fulfill his lifelong ambitions."
After Li Yan finished speaking, he looked at Xu Shu, waiting for Xu Shu's reply.
The wind was high on a moonlit night, and soldiers stood guard under dim torches. After a long time, Xu Shu said lonelyly: "Good birds choose trees to roost. Zhengfang, you are right. Compared to Liu Zhang, Liu Biao is indeed not worthy of allegiance. If
If you want to join Liu Zhang, you can go on your own, I will never mention it to my lord."
"What about sir?"
Xu Shu tightened the hilt of his sword and said slowly and decisively: "Fight to the death."
"Why?" Li Yan said loudly, his face full of dissatisfaction. Xu Shu's expression told him that Xu Shu also agreed with his words. Everyone has to die, and it depends on how he lives. Instead of being buried for Liu Biao, it is better to follow Liu Zhang and fight vigorously.
.
But why did Xu Shu still refuse?
"Li Yan will stay with Mr. Ding for the rest of his life. Since Mr. Ding won't go, Li Yan won't go either." Seeing Xu Shu's determined expression, Li Yan finally gave up persuading him and suppressed his reluctance deep in his heart.
Xu Shu looked at the darkness below the tower. There were some things that he couldn't mention to Li Yan, and he didn't want to mention them to anyone. Xu Shu's thoughts seemed to have returned to ten years ago.
I was born in Yingchuan, a place where talented people were born in large numbers. The fragrance of calligraphy and writing was everywhere. Scholars folded fans in the long streets, talented people recited in the mountains and fields, exchanged poems on pavilions and terraces, and laughed and talked about the world on small bridges.
Countless children of the same age as Xu Shu were studying in academies, taught by masters, and concise in calligraphy. However, Xu Shu was different from them. He was born into a poor family, a poor family among the common people. A poor family destined to be unable to get ahead in this era.
Xu Shu loved reading since he was a child, but his family could not afford to buy books, pens and ink, and they had no money to send Xu Shu to school. Xu Shu could only lie outside the academy and listen to the students in fine clothes and jade belts recite the Spring and Autumn Ode from the Book of Songs.
Xu Shu did not know how many times he was beaten, how many times he was laughed at by those students, and was regarded by his family as someone who did not know how to respect himself, did not know his own abilities, and did not do his job properly. However, Xu Shu still persisted until all the masters in the academy got to know him and ordered him not to enter the school again.
Within a hundred steps of the academy.
That night was unforgettable for Xu Shu. Xu Shu cried for a long time. This was the only time that Xu Shu cried in his memory. He cried about why he was born into a common people, why his family was poor, why the world was so cold, and why the world was so powerful.
At that moment, Xu Shu even felt that what his family said was right. As a member of a poor family, he should not be obsessed with studying to achieve fame and fortune. He should honestly work at home, planting rice, harvesting rice, plowing the fields, and carrying manure.
And it was also on that night that a person appeared in front of him and changed Xu Shu's life.
He fulfilled his dream of studying, and he finally got his wish and sat in the academy with those noble gentlemen. He also taught himself the ability to understand the world, making him full of confidence in the future.
Later, his mother became seriously ill, and he generously donated money, which not only cured her illness, but also cured her of many years of serious illness.
From that moment on, Xu Shu felt that his whole life had been sold to that person.