ushernet Chapter 243 The storm is rising
Chapter 243 The storm is rising
I wonder where Zhuge Liang has gone. I've been searching for so long based on historical records, but I still can't find him. Liu Bei thought to himself, "Could it be that Zhuge Liang is no longer in my thatched cottage? Or did I die too early? Or is Luo Guanzhong just lying to me?!"
Zhuge Liang, that's the legendary man who borrowed the east wind, the wooden horse, and the oxcart! We must find him! Liu Bei thought to himself, but he wouldn't say this to Jian Yong. It wouldn't be a good thing to praise someone else in front of his current subordinates.
Liu Bei had been secretly having people investigate, and once they found out, he would make three visits to the thatched cottage to persuade this extraordinary person to come out.
Liu Bei's forces had retreated to a place eighty miles south of the Yangtze River. No one knew what he was up to. Knowing his own strength, Zhang Lu did not dare to send anyone out of the city to pursue him, but only sent out a small number of scouts to monitor Liu Bei's movements.
"I wonder where my second brother's cannons are now," Liu Bei muttered to himself.
Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Jian Yong quickly replied, "According to the messenger's report, the artillery led by the two generals is still a hundred li away from us. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be able to arrive before sunset tomorrow."
"The roads in Shu are really too treacherous," Liu Bei said helplessly. "Let Zhang Lu be arrogant for now. Send down the order for the brothers to rest well. We will launch a general attack in three days. However, we must not relax our vigilance. We must not give that charlatan Zhang Lu any opportunity."
"Understood," Jian Yong replied to Liu Bei.
While Liu Bei was actively attacking Hanzhong, Yuan Shao in Luoyang also began to make new moves. After resolving the issue of the emperor, Yuan Shao not only immediately deployed an additional 30,000 mobile troops, but also captured a group of elite soldiers. These soldiers, after being dispersed, immediately replenished the overall combat strength of Yuan's organization, since they were all people with relatively rich practical experience.
Upon receiving news that the Xiliang organization had re-entered Yongzhou, Yuan Shao immediately became highly tense. These guys, Li Jue and his ilk, were trying to take advantage of the situation! He absolutely could not allow them to have their way.
While sending men to Liangzhou to gather more detailed intelligence, Yuan Shao also urgently assembled a force of 70,000 men and marched towards Yongzhou. He left only 20,000 new recruits to defend Luoyang. This time, Yuan Shao decided to personally lead the force on the expedition, and his advisors could not dissuade him, so they had no choice but to agree.
In fact, they had no choice but to agree. After a period of recuperation and expansion, Yuan Shao's forces were steadily recovering and growing. However, another problem arose in Yuan Shao's organization: Yuan Shao's troops lacked an organizer.
In particular, there was a severe shortage of senior organizational officers and frontline commanders. While the problem of soldiers was relatively easy to solve, the lack of organizational officers was more difficult. Yuan Shao suffered several major defeats, and many of his excellent generals were either killed in battle or captured. This is why, when withdrawing from Yanzhou, Yuan Shao preferred to give up some benefits rather than engage in conflict with the organizational teams in his self-governed areas.
It wasn't just because he and Chen Er had developed a tacit understanding; more importantly, none of his generals had the ability to contend with the self-governed district's organized forces, not even in local battles.
This time, when Yuan Shao entered Yongzhou, he was forced to take the lead himself. He took Xu You and Feng Ji with him, leaving Guo Tu to guard the area. Before leaving, Yuan Shao secretly instructed Guo Tu on something that he did not want anyone to know.
Guo Tu, who was usually fond of boasting, unusually kept quiet this time, which made others wonder what important task Yuan Shao had assigned him. Unfortunately, they only dared to speculate in their hearts and did not dare to ask Yuan Shao.
"Gongze, I'm entrusting everything back to you now that you're on this expedition."
Before departing, Yuan Shao bid farewell to Guo Tu. Behind them, squads of infantry marched past, with artillery pieces appearing in the ranks from time to time. It seemed that Yuan Shao had indeed gained a lot of benefits after capturing Luoyang, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to muster such a well-equipped force.
As Yuan Shao spoke, he gave Guo Tu a meaningful look. Guo Tu, understanding Yuan Shao's meaning, replied loudly, "Rest assured, my lord, I will make sure the rear is as secure as an iron barrel!"
"Yes, with Gongze's words, I am relieved."
Yuan Shao did not keep the news of his large-scale expedition a secret from anyone. He wanted to tell everyone that he, Yuan Shao, had set out to fight. This expedition was not only for Yongzhou, but also had an important purpose: to respond to Liu Bei. "You, Liu Bei, want to fight me, don't you?"
Alright, I'll give you that chance today. You're too far away from me. Now I'm going to attack Yongzhou, while you're attacking Hanzhong, aren't you? If you're so capable, then conquer Yizhou sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it will be difficult for you, Liu Bei, to get out again.
"A massive organization of tens of thousands of people, along with more than 100,000 laborers and logistics personnel, marched along the official road outside Luoyang. Liu Xie, who had been living in seclusion in the palace since the upheaval, also made an unprecedented appearance on the city wall today."
Yuan Shao did not restrict Liu Xie's freedom; Liu Xie could go wherever he wanted. However, now Liu Xie only had a dozen or so servants left. According to Yuan Shao, the treasury was in trouble, and he asked the emperor for forgiveness. He said it was not that he, Yuan Benchu, was stingy, but that he simply had no money. It would be too wasteful to keep so many idle people; it was better not to.
What could Liu Xie do against Yuan Shao when he was powerless? He was helpless. Seeing the large organization continuously passing through the western city and that all-too-familiar figure outside the city gate, Liu Xie's anger surged. He slammed his fist against the wall and said, "With such a large organization, why should I worry about not eliminating the bandits!"
Upon hearing Liu Xie's words, Xiao Dezi quickly glanced around and said to Liu Xie, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, be careful what you say!"
Upon hearing Xiao Dezi's words, Liu Xie's eyes immediately dimmed. Yes, what else could he do now? He had nothing left. He had heard that the Prefect of Ba Commandery, Liu Bei, was a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, but he didn't know if it was true or not. However, Liu Xie didn't have any hope for Liu Bei.
Since being supported by Dong Zhuo to ascend the throne, Liu Xie has seen too many people and things. He knows that the empire is now divided among warlords. Don't be fooled by their loud pronouncements; in reality, none of them are truly loyal to the court or the royal family. Otherwise, how could he be in his current state?
Upon hearing that Yuan Shao had launched an attack, some counties in Yongzhou immediately sided with him, sending messengers to deliver their letters of surrender. Other counties remained neutral, unsure of Yuan Shao's stance or strength. Now, the Xiliang organization was attacking once again.