Chapter 404: Why are we still fighting each other at this time? (Four thousand)

Xuzhou
Guangling
In a courtyard, flowers are in full bloom, and a gentle sniff can fill the air with refreshing fragrance. Birds are perched on the eaves, but are startled by the crisp sound of falling birds, and they flap their wings and fly away into the distance.

"Yuanlong."

Mi Zhu held the white piece in his hand and looked at the person sitting opposite him. Although his face was calm, there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

"What on earth needs Zi Zhong to worry so much?" Chen Deng smiled.

Mi Zhu lowered his voice and expressed his concerns. "Zhang Feiyan is an official under the lord, and is from the same hometown as Gongyou in Qingzhou. Naturally, he can be trusted. But Zhang Baique is the real Zhang Yan after all, and Zhang Feiyan is just Zhang Qichi who took away Zhang Baique's name without knowing why. If he lets Zhang Baique go back home, can he successfully persuade Zhang Niujiao? Will he be regarded as his commander by Zhang Niujiao? I am always uneasy!"

"Hahaha!" Chen Deng laughed out loud. "Zi Zhong, you are really worrying too much. As the saying goes, heroes are made by the times. Even if Zhang Baique returns to Jizhou, he has no chance to show his talents. Even if Zhang Niujiao dies suddenly, he will not be the leader. Even if this person is ruthless and has extraordinary abilities, the Black Mountain Army will not submit to him. If this person wants to seize the leadership of the Black Mountain Army, bloody infighting is inevitable. In this way, even if the Black Mountain Army will not be seriously injured, it will be seriously injured and far worse than before. What's more, this person has seen the more excellent Zhang Feiyan's troops, so how could he embrace Zhang Niujiao's troops?"

"Then convince Zhang Niujiao."

"There is no need to worry about this matter. If Liu Biao and Gongsun Zan start a rebellion and we all attack together, how can Zhang Niujiao keep calm and not take a share? As for Zhang Baique, if we can gain Zhang Niujiao's trust, it will be beneficial for us to destroy the Black Mountain Army in the future."

Mi Zhu exhaled a breath, as if his worries were also exhaled with that breath, and there was no worry in his eyes anymore. He had heard that no matter whether Zhang Baique succeeded or not, it would not have a big impact on Chen Deng's subsequent plans. Of course, success would be the best. In short, no matter what the result was, the advantage was on their side?

"By the way, Yuanlong, aren't you going to lead the troops this time?" Mi Zhu suddenly asked, as if he had thought of something.

Chen Deng looked towards the south thoughtfully and shook his head slightly. "No, I still have to guard against Yuan Shu's invasion. I'll leave this matter to the commander Xu Chu and Zi Zhong."

"Xu Chu." Mi Zhu chewed the name, and ripples appeared in his mind.

Xu Chu was born in Qiao County, Pei State, and was a general of Cao Cao. However, things were different now. Chen Deng, who knew the direction of things in advance, began to pay attention to Xu Chu as soon as he returned to the Han Dynasty.

Since Chen Gui had served as prime minister of Pei State, finding someone in Pei State was as easy as eating and drinking.

Of course, Chen Deng did not recruit Xu Chu directly, but maintained correspondence with him.

Until the invasion of Runan bandits, Xu Chu had to gather thousands of able-bodied men and clansmen to build defense facilities to resist the invasion. However, these people were like duckweed in a storm when facing more than 10,000 bandits. If they were not careful, the city would be destroyed and people would die!

At such a critical moment, Chen Deng led his troops to attack. Xu Chu was overjoyed. The two of them fought one after the other and defeated the bandits!

The bandit leader's horse was shot by Chen Deng, so he panicked and climbed onto the back of an ox, pinning his hopes on the ox, hoping that the ox could lead him out of the battlefield.

The thief leader, who thought he had escaped, breathed a sigh of relief. However, when he looked back, he was so scared that the soul was about to jump out of his mouth and run away!
Xu Chu rushed out of the camp with big strides, ran behind the bandit leader like flying, grabbed the cow's tail with quick eyes and hands, gritted his teeth, and exerted force fiercely!

Everyone present stared with their eyes wide open. A cow weighing hundreds of pounds was actually pulled back hundreds of steps by Xu Chu? !
Such extraordinary power frightened the bandit leader so much that he gave up all hope of escaping, knelt down before Xu Chu, and begged for mercy.

At this point Xu Chu's name spread throughout Huai, Ru, Chen, and Liang.

Chen Deng, who came to help in times of need, naturally sought military service from Xu Chu. Without any hesitation, Xu Chu became Chen Deng's subordinate. At first, he was just a guard, but later he was promoted to captain for his repeated military exploits.

Today, he is even more like a "commander-in-chief" going to war.
"No." Chen Deng shook his head slowly, interrupting Mi Zhu's thoughts.

Mi Zhu: “Ah?”

Mi Zhu, whose thoughts had just been brought back to the present, was a little confused about the situation for a moment. He looked at Chen Deng with puzzled eyes, hoping that Chen Deng could solve his doubts, but who knew that he was just about to speak.

The official who came hurriedly interrupted him again, and shouted: "My Lord! My Lord! Commandant Xu wants to see you!"

"Good! Please invite Captain Xu in quickly!" Chen Deng put the black piece into the chess pot and slowly stood up.

The official clasped his fists and said "OK", then walked away quickly.

After a while, a burly man came striding over with his head held high. He clasped his fists towards Chen Deng and Mi Zhu, and said, "My Lord, my lord."

"Xu Duwei" Mi Zhu revealed the man's identity, which was Xu Chu from Qiao County.

"Haha, Zhongkang, please sit down!" Chen Deng extended his hand towards the empty seat beside him.

Xu Chu did not refuse, nor did he act pretentiously. He walked quickly to the seat and sat down.

"Zhongkang, how is the inventory of troops going?" Chen Deng asked.

Xu Chu didn't even think twice and said bluntly: "I have lived up to your high expectations. I have already counted the number of people! We can send troops at any time!"

"Good!" Chen Deng stroked his beard and laughed. As he laughed, he immediately picked up the teapot and made a cup of tea for Xu Chu.

Xu Chu was not polite, he took the tea and sipped it slowly.

"Besides, Zhongkang, I have a few important things to entrust to you."

"Master, what is the entrustment? As long as you ask, I am willing to go and fight even if it means going through mountains of swords and seas of fire!" Xu Chu patted his chest and said resolutely, "Master, just tell me! Not to mention two things, I won't frown even if it's ten or a hundred things! What exactly is it, Master?"

Chen Deng laughed dumbly, "It's not easy to say. First, I want Zhongkang to put Brother Zizhong first in everything when we are away. Second, no matter what, I must protect Brother Zizhong's health!"

"what?"

Mi Zhu, who had been a spectator, was stunned. No, how come he suddenly became the commander-in-chief? Even if he was leading thousands of people, he had no confidence!
He immediately came to his senses and was about to persuade Chen Deng to take back what he had just said.

However, Xu Chu was even faster than Mi Zhu. He patted his chest and said in a thunderous voice, "These two things are indeed important matters. Lord, I will obey your orders and protect your health. If you break this oath, you will be killed by both heaven and earth!"

A spit is a nail. It's not just Xu Chu. In the Han Dynasty, no one did not pay attention to the oath they made. Oh, except for a certain Sima who has not yet entered the government.
Mi Zhu gave up trying to persuade Chen Deng. He stood up and moved closer to Chen Deng, lowering his voice and asking, "Yuanlong, why do you trust me so much? You should know that I don't know anything about military affairs."

"Zi Zhong doesn't need to know about soldiers, but he needs to know about people. He needs to know who the enemy's commander is. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. If Zi Zhong knows who the enemy's commander is, doesn't that mean he knows the general temperament of the commander?"

"As for the strategy, Zi Zhong doesn't need to come up with any extraordinary ideas. Just proceed step by step and proceed steadily."

"What about logistics?"

"Brother Yuanda will be in charge."

Mi Zhu seemed to be thinking about something. Chen Deng was right. According to the original trajectory, Yuan Shao would have become the undisputed overlord of Hebei and one of Cao Mengde's biggest rivals.

Knowing where the future is headed, how could they not pay attention to Yuan Shao?
"We still have to rely on Zi Zhong in this battle!" Chen Deng smiled.

Mi Zhu took a deep breath, clasped his fists towards Chen Deng, and agreed, "Since Yuanlong believes in me, I will definitely not let Yuanlong down!"

"good!"

Chen Deng nodded, and then the two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Xu Chu scratched his head. He didn't hear the whispers between Chen Deng and Mi Zhu just now, but he wasn't the kind of person who would go into details. Since Mi Zhu didn't want to talk in front of him, he didn't want to ask more. He was curious and puzzled about why Chen Deng and Mi Zhu both liked to laugh?
It's really confusing.

He thought about it seriously but couldn't figure it out, so he just followed the two of them and started laughing.

"!"

Yuan Shao suddenly opened his eyes and the first thing he blurted out was "Someone protect me!"

Then he looked carefully and found that the eaves were still the same eaves, and he reached out to touch the bed and found that it was still the same bed.

"It turned out to be a nightmare." Yuan Shao breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tap tap tap—bang”

The sound of hurried footsteps knocked open the tightly closed door. The guards in leather armor walked quickly to Yuan Shao, clasped their fists and said, "Envoy! We are late! Do you know where the assassin is?!"

"No need." Yuan Shao waved his hand at his guards, "It was just a rant, everyone, please leave."

The guard clasped his fists and said "yes", then quickly stepped back and left the house.

As usual, Yuan Shao put on his robe slowly with the help of his maid, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably scared and vaguely felt that something bad was going to happen.

But the problem is, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out where the depression in his heart came from.
"Boom——"

A flash of lightning flickered in the gloomy clouds, followed by a deafening thunder, and then a heavy rain.

Frowning and staring at the rain hitting the curtains, Yuan Shao muttered to himself, "Is it because of the rain?"

Without thinking too much, Yuan Shao directly ruled out the possibility of rain. He felt more and more depressed, as if the mountains were about to collapse.

As he was thinking, Yuan Shao stood up suddenly, shocking the maid so much that she fell to the ground in panic, with a look of astonishment on her face.

"Somebody come!"

With a loud shout, Yuan Shao called the personal guards to his side again.

He ordered his guards, "Go and invite the gentlemen and generals. I have something important to discuss with you!"

"promise!"

After a while, all the people under Yuan Shao's command gathered together, except for Yan Liang and others who were unable to arrive.

Xu You had a pair of sleepy eyes, and he didn't care about the gazes of others as he vented his complaints, "Today is a great time to sleep on my bed, why did you call me to the state capital to discuss matters? My clothes are all wet."

Shen Pei couldn't bear to watch it any longer. He couldn't hold back his anger and sneered, "All you do is sleep and eat. Even a pig wouldn't be so content, right?"

"Haha." Xu You retorted, "Who are you talking about?"

"Zhizi said you were wrong!" Shen Pei blurted out, then quickly realized something and immediately closed his mouth, trying to hold back the words.

However, the damage was done and it was eventually heard by Xu You, who burst into laughter and cast a contemptuous look at Shen Pei.

Shen Pei's face changed drastically. He became angry and embarrassed and was about to yell at Xu You.

Unexpectedly, a hand grabbed his arm. He turned his head irritably and saw clearly that the person who grabbed him was none other than Ju Shou!

He was filled with anger, but facing Ju Shou, he lowered his voice and looked at Ju Shou with some annoyance, "Why did Gong Yu stop me?!"

"Brother Zhengnan, didn't you notice?"

"Perceive what?"

"Look behind me."

“Behind me.”

Shen Pei looked behind Ju Su and saw a familiar figure. His pupils slightly widened and he revealed the man's identity, "The Envoy."

His words were like a stone rippling the surface of a lake, causing everyone to clasp their fists and say, "Greetings, Envoy!"

"My fellow worthy men, no need to be polite!" Yuan Shao smiled at everyone present and waved his hand. When he passed by Shen Pei, he patted Shen Pei on the shoulder and whispered in a low voice, "Xu Ziyuan is arrogant because of his talent. This is his temper. Zhengnan, please bear with me."

Shen Pei opened his mouth and finally squeezed out a "yes."

Yuan Shao walked quickly to the main seat and sat down slowly. He looked at everyone, chatted for a few words about family matters, and then went straight to the point.

"I came in with a restless heart, fearing that something terrible might happen. You are all rare great sages in the world. I wonder what you think of the current Jizhou and Qingzhou. Please point out any inappropriateness. Feel free to speak your mind!"

Shen Pei spoke first, "Your Excellency, there is Gongsun Zan in the north and Liu Xuande who holds the emperor hostage in the west. The people of Jizhou are now demoralized and self-conscious. The trend is developing in an uncontrollable direction. I hope that Your Excellency will restrain the officials and rectify the style of the prefecture!"

Yuan Shao nodded, he felt that what Shen Pei said made sense.

But before he could speak, Xu You stood up and shot the first arrow against Shen Pei. "Haha, stupid, really stupid. As the saying goes, when an enemy comes, we will stop him; when water comes, we will block it with earth! Even if there are Gongsun Zan and Liu Xuande, I am not afraid at all. I have the soldiers of Qingzhou, the wealth of Jizhou, and our strategies. Why should I be afraid of Gongsun Zan and Liu Xuande?"

Yuan Shao frowned slightly. Xu You's words were a bit harsh, but there didn't seem to be any big problem with them.

However, this made Shen Pei furious, but it made Xin Pi and Xin Ping's eyes light up. They were full of anticipation, as if they were expecting a good show to be staged.

Unexpectedly, Ju Shou stopped Shen Pei and stood up, "Ziyuan's words are not without reason, but Mencius said: Born in sorrow, die in comfort, Zhengnan is not wrong."

This made Xin Pi and Xin Ping frown slightly, and they cursed in their hearts, "Ju Gongyu, you bastard!"

What made Xin Pi Xin Ping frown even more was that Yuan Shao nodded again.

The two looked at each other and thought that they could not remain silent any longer. What Ju Shou and Shen Pei insisted on was what they opposed. Xin Pi stood up and said, "That's true, Ju Biejia. After a war, people often need to rest and recuperate. Don't you know the difficulties in relocating the soldiers in Qingzhou?"

Xin Ping agreed, "Not bad, not bad. You all are just taking a break from your hard work, so what's wrong with that?"

“No matter how strong Liu Xuande is, or how brave Gongsun Zan is, can they defeat the envoy who controls three states?”

Shen Pei frowned. He didn't understand. They weren't in an advantageous position. Why were they still fighting among themselves at this hour? What a bunch of insects!
(End of this chapter)