Chapter 161 Guan Yu changed sides and became Liu Wu’s vanguard!
Chapter 161: Guan Yu changed sides and became Liu Wu’s vanguard!
Jiangdong, Jianye.

In the mansion of Marquis Wu, in the council hall.

Several generals were tied up and kneeling in the center of the hall, but there was no fear on their faces.

Huang Zhong attacked Yuzhang County and captured several counties in succession. However, these generals of the local garrison fled without a fight and even ran back to Jianye openly?
This bunch of people simply don't take me, the Marquis of Wu, seriously!
Sun Shao, wearing the robe and cap of Marquis Wu, sat at the head of the group, his face gloomy: "Why? Isn't Yuzhang County part of Jiangdong? The Jiangdong army has its own laws and regulations..."

"All the commanders of the armies, if they lose territory and abandon land and flee, they will be executed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, His Highness and his ministers started to make a commotion:
"Lord Wu, you must not do that!"

"Yuzhang County is in chaos right now, and it's the right time to use troops. It's not good to kill a general during a war!"

"The reason why the counties of Yuzhang were lost is because Zhou Yu, Huang Gai and other generals were unwilling to serve the Marquis of Wu. The Marquis of Wu must not vent his anger on others."

"These men are all talented generals. Killing them would be a loss for Jiangdong. I hope the Lord Wu will understand."

"Lord Wu..."

The potential of a famous general?

Bullshit qualifications for a famous general!
Sun Shao, who was sitting at the top, twitched his mouth slightly...

He looked around.
Since that day when Zhou Yu and others were either imprisoned or retired, all the civil and military officials in this palace were from aristocratic families. The reason why these people were so determined to protect those generals who fled from the battlefield was very simple.

Because these generals, either with the surname Gu, Zhu, Zhang, or Lu, are all from aristocratic families and are birds of a feather!
These vast six counties and eighty-one states in Jiangdong, do they belong to me, the Marquis of Wu, or to their aristocratic families?

A sense of powerlessness flashed through Sun Shao's heart, and he subconsciously looked at the figure standing beside him: "Uncle Zhong..."

Liu Xuande sighed, slowly walked down the steps, and in front of the civil and military officials of Jiangdong, he bowed to Sun Shao and said, "Although these generals have violated military law, the army needs more people now."

"I think we can punish them by forcing them to pay money and grain..."

Punishment for silver, money and grain?

What does this mean to the children of the aristocratic families in Jiangdong?
It is ridiculous that a general deserted the battlefield and was fined some money and grain.

But what can be done?

In order to get the new ruler of Jiangdong to help him return to Jingnan, Liu Xuande had spared no effort to win over the Jiangdong families and support Sun Shao. Now, naturally, it is time for these families to collect their rewards.

The officials from the noble families around smiled with satisfaction:
"Uncle Liu is right!"

"Lord Xuande is worthy of the name of benevolence and righteousness, and his reputation spreads throughout the country."

"With the help of Lord Xuande, the Marquis of Wu will surely be able to bring order to Jiangdong!"

"Uncle Liu is a virtuous elder in the world, and the Marquis of Wu must accept his advice..."

All the civil and military officials in the hall praised Liu Bei highly.

Sun Shao was furious and was about to scold...

Uncle Liu gave him a helpless look in time, and Sun Shao came to his senses instantly. Isn’t Jiangdong today the Jiangdong of the aristocratic families?
The young Marquis of Wu bowed his head dejectedly and said, "I will follow the advice of Uncle Liu."

Be patient.

Hold on!
Sun Shao took a deep breath. Fortunately, Taishi Ci was willing to work for him now. After he drove Huang Zhong away, he would come and fight these noble families...

"Urgent report! Urgent report!"

A clerk stumbled into the hall, "Yuzhang scouts have an urgent report. Taishi Ci, Taishi Ci, he, he...he has rebelled!"

Taishi Ci rebelled?
Silence,

The originally noisy council hall suddenly became deathly silent, and Liu Xuande was dumbfounded.

Only the clerk's trembling voice continued: "Now Huang Zhong occupies nearly 70% of the counties in Yuzhang, and all the remaining counties are occupied by Taishi Ci..."

"The huge Yuzhang County has been completely divided up between Huang Zhong and Taishi Ci!"

The clerks came down and said something, but Sun Shao could no longer hear them.

Taishi Ci was his greatest reliance in the fight for military power with the aristocratic families, and now he was rebelling?

"Taishi Ziyi was a brave general that my father surrendered to me. He is loyal to our Sun family. He..." Sun Shao said with a smile: "How could he rebel?"

Yes, there must be a reason for this!
Liu Xuande suddenly woke up and asked: "Did Taishi Ci send someone to bring back a message?"

The clerk swallowed his saliva and said, "The historian Ziyi said that the Marquis of Wu is weak and has no qualities that would make him a leader..."

"He, he wants to wait for Sun Zhongmou to return to Yuzhang County and take control of Jiangdong again!"

……

call! ~
At the foot of Wancheng, Liu Wu and Guan Yu stopped their horses and stood facing each other.

Liu Wu looked at Guan Yu and asked, "What did Cao Mengde ask my uncle to tell me?"

Guan Yu took out a piece of yellow silk from his bosom and read out: "Imperial edict to Liu Zilie..."

This is the emperor's edict.

But Liu Wu still sat firmly on the horse, not moving.

As long as Cao Mengde wanted to get this thing, he could write one anytime and anywhere, and then stamp it with the emperor's seal. It is even unclear whether the emperor knew about the existence of this edict.

Liu Wu did not dismount and kneel, and Guan Yu pretended not to see it: "Alas, Liu Zilie! You have betrayed the emperor's grace and violated human ethics..."

"The former wanted to destroy the Han system, led thousands of troops north to the court, and committed illegal acts..."

"Without the imperial order, he led his troops to attack Xiangfan and capture Nanyang..."

The edict was full of words, almost calling Liu Wu the world's number one traitor, even more of a traitor to the Han Dynasty than Cao Mengde.

Liu Wu's expression remained unchanged. This Prime Minister Cao was always the type who would take action without wasting words, but now he was talking so much nonsense to him, so he was probably not willing to take action.

"... The ruler said, yes!"

After the imperial edict was announced, Guan Yu did not ask Liu Wu to receive the order, nor did he leave. He still rode Red Hare and stayed where he was.

Liu Wu looked directly into Guan Yu's eyes and asked, "Is this what Prime Minister Cao asked my uncle to say?"

of course not,

"Ahem..." Master Guan coughed softly, "This is the imperial edict Cao Mengde requested from the emperor."

Guan Yu's words were a little euphemistic, but his meaning was clear. This edict had little to do with the emperor. Cao Cao was just going through the motions to save his own face.

If he really wanted to bring it, it naturally could not be in this edict.

"When Guan Yu came here, Cao Mengde asked me to tell Awu that the matter in Xiangfan was a pure misunderstanding and everything could be discussed." Guan Yu looked a little strange, and the more he spoke, the weirder it became.

"These days, Cao Cao has been holding the letter you wrote to request an audience with the emperor. The more he reads it, the more he feels that your loyalty to the emperor and your patriotism are unparalleled."

"Bringing 10,000 soldiers into the capital is just a small matter. Although it violates the Han system, Cao Mengde is willing to explain it for you, Awu, in front of the emperor..."

Cao Aman is indeed a man who knows how to adapt to the times.

Liu Wu listened quietly to Guan Erye conveying Cao Mengde's words, fearing that Prime Minister Cao was willing to back down for other reasons.

Guan Erye continued, "Cao Mengde has allowed Awu to bring 10,000 soldiers into the capital, but Awu, your navy and infantry must immediately withdraw from Wancheng, Nanyang, and Xiangfan."

"Generals Cao Ren, Yu Jin, Xu Huang, Man Chong, and Lu Chang, as well as all captured Cao troops, must also be released."

"Cao Cao promised you, Wu, to lead 10,000 soldiers, but he also asked you to restore the situation in Xiangfan to the state before the Battle of Xiangfan. Both sides will just pretend that nothing happened..."

Prime Minister Cao had to give in many times in his life.

When Cao Cao welcomed the emperor in Xuchang, the emperor appointed him as the general and Marquis of Wuping.

After he became the general, Cao Cao suggested to the emperor to appoint Yuan Shao as the grand marshal. However, Yuan Shao was ashamed to be under Cao Cao and declined the position, so Cao Cao gave the general position to Yuan Shao.

But the other party was Yuan Benchu, who had three generations of officials and occupied the core area of ​​the north. He had students and former officials all over the world and was the real number one family in the world. It was not shameful to submit to him.

But Liu Wu was only a young man after all. Even though he was extremely prestigious, in the eyes of the world, could he be compared with Yuan Benchu, who had three generations of officials in his family?
Can Cao Cao submit to him?
But Prime Minister Cao at this time obviously could not care about these things... At that time, Cao's army was several times larger than Liu Wu's, but in the end Liu Wu still captured Cao Mengde alive.

Now the military strength under Cao Cao's command is far inferior to that of Liu Wu, so he naturally does not want to conflict with Liu Wu. This expedition is really related to Cao Mengde's personal interests, so he has no choice.

If Liu Wu could withdraw his troops by losing some face, that would be the best.

"I have finished what Cao Mengde asked me to say." Guan Yu hesitated a little and said, "Awu, what do you think?"

Guan Yu believed that if he were Liu Wu, he would never retreat.

This Cao Aman is so crazy that he even wants to make Ah Wu withdraw his troops? He is really treating Ah Wu like a child.

Liu Wu on the opposite side did not speak, but just smiled: "Please ask my second uncle to tell Cao Mengde that I understand..."

……

……

Kunyang City.

In the county government office,
Cao Mengde was lying on the county magistrate's desk at this time, and civil officials and military generals gathered in the hall.

"I am still a little worried. Liu Zilie is not someone who can be easily dealt with. Is it a bit too much to ask him to return Nanyang, Xiangfan, Cao Ren and other generals, as well as many captured soldiers?"

Cao Cao was a little worried at this time.

It seemed unrealistic for Liu Wu to give up all the territory he had conquered and the captured soldiers in one breath.

Given Liu Wu's personality, it might be close to nothing.

This is also the reason why Cao Cao asked Guan Yu to deliver the message.

As for asking Guan Yu to help him deal with Liu Wu, there is no possibility at all!
If Guan Yu were to help Liu Wu deal with himself, he would definitely stand on the side of his nephew. Of course, if there was Huarong Road again, Guan Yu would probably let Cao Mengde go when he grew up.

The purpose of letting Guan Yu go on this trip is very simple!
I know the conditions are a bit excessive, but for Yunchang's sake, please don't turn the table over. Let's calm down and talk slowly...

There is only one purpose for letting Guan Yu deliver the message, and that is to prevent Liu Wu from overturning the table right away!
Xun You stepped forward and said, "My Lord, since we have no intention of starting another war with Liu Zilie, all that remains is bargaining."

"Since we are bargaining, the price should naturally be higher at the beginning..."

Cao Mengde sighed and said helplessly: "I know this truth, but I am worried that Liu Wu will misjudge the strategy. I am afraid that he will take advantage of the victory in Xiangfan to take over Nanyang and launch the Battle of Kunyang without any regard for the consequences..."

This is what Cao Cao was worried about!
The most urgent task is to stabilize Liu Wu as soon as possible!

If Liu Wu's troops leave Nanyang, they will have to fight Cao Mengde again in Kunyang...

When.

Regardless of winning or losing, Cao Mengde's Central Plains base will be shaken! The Central Plains region, which has finally been united, is very likely to be torn apart again!
At this time, Jia Xu stood up and said, "Prime Minister, you are worrying too much. Although Liu Wu is very famous now, his army is old and tired. The navy of Jingzhou is not good at land warfare, let alone siege."

"Moreover, Liu Wu has been conquering cities and territories recently, and has already occupied Jingzhou, which covers a thousand miles. Even if he has 100,000 soldiers, the area is too vast after all. How many troops can he transfer to the north at this time?"

"Liu Zilie won a great victory in Xiangfan and has just occupied Nanyang. He has already gained a huge advantage. Now he is eager to negotiate peace with the Prime Minister..."

"It's just that Liu Zilie is as brave and strong as his name suggests, so we still have to be careful and not push him too hard."

Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe, the world's number one ruthless scholar, made a good analysis of the enemy and us, which finally put Cao Mengde's heart at ease.

Cao Cao came to his senses, leaned back in his chair, and had already made some plans in his mind.

The previous imperial edict has already been issued, and the troops from the provincial governors will not arrive until Liu Wu is stabilized.

That's fine.
They gathered together all the armies and began to march westward to completely eliminate those Liang warlords once and for all.

At that time, we will take action against Liu Wu. We will first capture Hefei from the east to block the possibility of the Jingzhou navy invading the Central Plains by water. Then we will send troops from Kunyang in the west to launch a southern expedition!
Herod! ~
The sound of a military horse neighing sounded outside the county government office.

Everyone in the hall looked up.

It turned out to be Guan Yu who came back.

Uh-huh! ~
Cao Mengde stood up quickly, even knocking over the chair behind him: "Yun Chang!~"

"I know Yunchang is a loyal and righteous man, and he will definitely return from this trip!"

"Yun Chang really didn't abandon me!"

"I, Cao Mengde, am lucky to have Yunchang willing to help me at this critical moment!~"

Ever since Xiling was taken care of by Liu Wu, Prime Minister Cao seemed to have restrained his rebelliousness a lot. He picked up this non-traditional craft again and became more and more proficient in it.

At this moment, his acting was sincere, his eyes were filled with tears, and he seemed to have returned to his peak.

Compared with Emperor Liu of the Han Dynasty, they were really Cao and Liu at the same time.

Guan Yu entered with his sword in hand.

Cao Mengde quickly poured a glass of wine and handed it over to Guan Yu, who took it and drank it all in one gulp.

It was a full two hundred miles from Nanyang to Kunyang, and Guan Yu did not rest for even a moment.

After letting out a long breath, Guan Yu said, "I am going to Wancheng."

As soon as the words fell, everyone in the field looked over, and countless eyes fell on Guan Yu...

"And then?" Cao Cao asked impatiently.

"Awu, after all, still recognizes me as his second uncle..." Guan Yu had a proud smile on his face.

Today, Awu is extraordinary.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is a powerful force that terrorizes all of China.

They were already top figures in the world, but they still respected Guan Yu as before, calling him "Second Uncle" all the time... If it weren't for his old friendship with Cao Mengde, Guan Yu would have wanted to chop off the life of this Han prime minister and send it to his nephew.

Liu Wu still recognizes Guan Yu!
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's many civil and military officials breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was settled!

"It has to be Yun Chang..."

Before Cao Cao could finish his words, he was interrupted by Guan Yu: "But the conditions proposed by the Prime Minister are too much. How can I give away the territory that my nephew has conquered with great difficulty so easily?"

"Even if Ah Wu agreed out of consideration for my friendship, I, Guan's uncle, will not stand by and watch Ah Wu suffer..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Cao Mengde was dumbfounded on the spot.

Then Guan Yu continued, "Awu said that for my sake, he is willing to have a talk with Prime Minister Cao."

"No!" Xu Chu stood up and said, "My lord, you must not meet Liu Zilie, or he might take you captive!"

"My Lord, don't you know how vicious Liu Zilie is?!"

"Even if we are your personal guards, I'm afraid we can't protect you completely!"

"Cowardly rat!" Guan Yu scolded directly, and then said: "With Guan's guarantee, Ah Wu will restrain himself. The Prime Minister can rest assured."

Reaching out and wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, Cao Mengde said, "Of course I am Xin Yunchang..."

"As long as the clouds are here, I won't panic, I won't panic..."

"But Yunchang, when will I meet my nephew?"

What a good nephew.

Guan Yu felt relieved when he heard the word "nephew". He said, "Awu said that either the Prime Minister goes to Wancheng or he comes to Kunyang."

"Guan Mou has stepped over the line and made the decision for the Prime Minister, allowing Ah Wu to lead the troops to Kunyang."

"Awu leads 30,000 soldiers to set out with Guan. Guan will go first. Awu should be here early tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow morning!
Liu Wu led 30,000 troops to Kunyang? !
Is he here for a negotiation or to attack the city? !
An atmosphere of panic and anxiety filled the entire county government hall...

This Guan Yu, how could he be a messenger? He was clearly the vanguard sent by Liu Zilie to Kunyang! !
　No more today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)