Chapter 93 The imperial court sent troops against Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu also attempted to establish a new king!
Deyang Palace in the capital.

"Your Majesty, Gongsun Zan is fanning the flames in Youbeiping, spreading rumors that locusts are edible. On the surface, he is fighting against Yuan Shao, but secretly colluding with him to rebel against the court. Youzhou Governor Liu Yu could no longer tolerate this, so he sent 100,000 troops to attack Gongsun Zan."

Youzhou is far away from the border and far away from the capital.

But the Jinyiwei quickly passed the message back, because the Jinyiwei's tentacles had already extended to Youzhou.

"Given Liu Yu's love for his people and his benevolent administration, he would not have resorted to war unless Gongsun Zan did something that angered heaven and man.

"I clearly said that gregarious locusts are not edible, but solitary locusts are edible, but these people are spreading rumors and slandering them, harming the people. We should send troops to suppress them!"

After hearing this, Liu Bian was neither surprised nor blamed:
"But precisely because Liu Yu is too kind and righteous, he might be used by Gongsun Zan to get the Imperial Guards to help him secretly and avoid any accidents."

"promise!!!"

Zhuque immediately took the order and retreated.

Liu Bian remembered it very clearly.

In the original history, Liu Yu also sent an army of 100,000 to attack Gongsun Zan.

However, he was too soft-hearted and ordered his soldiers not to trample on farmland, destroy civilians' houses, or harm civilians' lives. This made his soldiers feel restrained and gave Gongsun Zan an opportunity to take advantage of him.

Gongsun Zan didn't care about the lives of the people. Instead, he used them to make Liu Yu afraid to act rashly and eventually suffer a crushing defeat!

Liu Yu loved his people like his own children and was benevolent in his administration, which is worth learning from. However, when the two armies were fighting, he was timid and fearful, which plunged Youzhou into even longer-term chaos. This is something we should reflect on!

Not long after, Liu Yu's report to the court was also delivered, and Liu Bian reviewed it and agreed with his plan to send troops.

But Liu Bian hoped that Liu Yu would not be too soft-hearted!
Casualties in war are inevitable. We need to act with lightning speed and cut the Gordian knot, and provide relief and assistance afterwards.

I don’t know if Liu Yu can listen to it!

Liu Bian had been ordering people to keep an eye on the developments in Youzhou, but who knew that soon the Jinyiwei would bring news again.

Suzaku reported:
"Your Majesty, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to Youzhou to persuade Liu Yu to withdraw his troops and not to start a war. The war has destroyed lives and affected the common people!"

...

"When did Yuan Shao become so kind and righteous? What is his real intention?"

Liu Bian disagreed, thinking it was just a euphemism to persuade Liu Yu not to take action against Yuan Shao's ally Gongsun Zan.

If Yuan Shao was really so kind and righteous, he should have laid down his arms and surrendered instead of resisting the court.

Zhuque looked at Liu Bian's expression and continued:

"Yuan Shao had other intentions. The envoy finally met with Liu Yu in private and said that Yuan Shao and other noble families wanted to support him to ascend the throne and hoped that Liu Yu could become emperor!"

"..."

After hearing this, Liu Bian's expression froze, his eyes sternly swept over Zhuque, making her spine cold and terrified, and she immediately lowered her head and listened.

"Liu Yu refused, right?"

Liu Bian withdrew his gaze and calmed down. He still recognized Liu Yu's loyalty.

"Yes!"

Suzaku immediately said:

"Yuan Shao's envoys used the reasons that Your Majesty was cruel and merciless, killed innocent people indiscriminately, and started war without authorization, which caused the war to destroy the country, cause the country to be in turmoil, and cause social unrest. They hoped that Liu Yu would save the country from collapse and support the Han Dynasty.

"But Liu Yu refused to listen and ended up beheading the envoy!"

...

Liu Bian nodded. This was consistent with his impression of Liu Yu: "Liu Yu killed Yuan Shao's envoy. What was Yuan Shao's response?"

...

Suzaku continued:

"Yuan Shao used his followers to spread rumors that Liu Yu was plotting to usurp the throne. Gongsun Zan led an army of 100,000 to attack Liu Yu because he discovered his usurpation."

...

"This distortion of right and wrong and slander fits my stereotype of Yuan Shao!" Liu Bian sneered.

...

Suzaku said again:

"According to a secret report from the Jinyiwei of Jizhou, Yuan Shao secretly dispatched troops to the north, apparently intending to join forces with Gongsun Zan to defeat Liu Yu.

"Yuan Shao attempted to establish a new emperor, clearly intending to oppose Your Majesty and the court. Liu Yu refused, but Yuan Shao was able to capture Liu Yu alive and force him to become emperor.

"I think we should take this opportunity to weaken or even destroy Yuan Shao's military power."

...

After discussing with his ministers including Xun Yu, Liu Bian had just decided on a strategic policy of recuperating.

Who knew that plans could not keep up with changes!

But Yuan Shao acted so arbitrarily and attempted to establish a new king, which was something Liu Bian could not tolerate!

There cannot be two tigers in one mountain, let alone two kings in one country?

Although Liu Yu refused, he could not resist Yuan Shao's ambition and tried to force him to become emperor.

Given Liu Yu's benevolence and righteousness, if Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan join forces to encircle him, they will probably suffer a great loss!

Thinking of this, Liu Bian nodded and said:

"Yuan Shao is getting more aggressive than ever. I should rest and recuperate rather than sit back and wait for death. Summon Xun Yu, Xun You and other civil and military officials to the palace to discuss matters. I have decided to mobilize troops against Jizhou!"

"promise!!!"

After being summoned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Liu Bian's loyal ministers immediately entered the palace to discuss the matter.

After hearing the news, Xun Yu felt a little tired!
The tree wants to be calm and the wind does not stop.

The imperial court wanted to recuperate, but it could not stand Yuan Shao's restlessness and excessive demands!

The two Yuan brothers were really connected by blood and shared the same mind - Yuan Shu wanted to ascend the throne and become emperor himself. Yuan Shao wanted to establish a new emperor. Both were treasonous!
This time, Xun Yu did not object to sending troops.

It's right to recuperate, but Yuan Shao is so rebellious that he tries to establish a new king. This will shake the foundation of the Han Dynasty!
This is the bottom line that cannot be retreated!
Xun You said:
"Your Majesty, Henei, Sili, Qingzhou and other places have just experienced a locust plague, and the court has issued an edict to recuperate and cultivate the land.

"If you change your mind every day, it will be detrimental to the court and your majesty's reputation. But it is not right to sit back and watch Yuan Shao act so arbitrarily.

"I suggest that -

"The Hanoi, Sili and other Guandong regions continued to keep their troops on hold, and the court even expressed suspicion of Youzhou Mu Liu Yu, relaxing Yuan Ying's vigilance and ordering him to mobilize troops against Youzhou.

"And secretly, the court dispatched troops to Youzhou, burying Yuan's troops in Youzhou. This move will not only have a huge impact on Hanoi, Yanzhou and other Guandong areas, but also can launch a counterattack to severely damage Yuan Shao."

...

Xun You's strategic layout was supported by civil officials and military generals.

As for whether the Youzhou soldiers and civilians will be affected...

Liu Yu has already sent an army of 100,000 to attack Gongsun Zan. The signs of war have already appeared. There will definitely be an impact, but it will not be much greater.

On the contrary, the imperial court secretly came to the rescue, acted with lightning speed, cut the Gordian knot, and ended the war as soon as possible, thus minimizing the impact!
After hearing this, Liu Bian agreed with Xun You's proposal: "Let's follow Gongda's plan!"

"promise!!!"

Xun You's deployment of troops seems to consist of only a few hundred words.
However, the required mobilization of food and supplies, the secret mobilization of troops, the spread of rumors and public opinion, and the relaxation of Yuan’s camp’s defenses were all very cumbersome and troublesome pre-war preparations.

War is not just about two armies fighting on the battlefield. The logistics and food mobilization behind the scenes are the most important!
But fortunately, as the king of a country and the ruler of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bian had countless capable ministers and generals under his command.

Talented people in the opposition also flocked to join the imperial court!

This is the greatest advantage of being a ruler who is "mandated by Heaven" and "granted imperial power by Heaven" and possesses legitimate and orthodox rights!
This is also one of the reasons why Yuan Shao wanted to support a new king to fight against him!

Since the Liu family’s kingdom still has its luck and destiny, and if anyone other than the Liu family becomes king, the whole world will fight against them, so the only thing they can do is to support a puppet emperor from the Liu family to fight against them!

Comparing the two, Yuan Shao is smarter than Yuan Shu!
But whether it was Yuan Shao's support for a new emperor or Yuan Shu's self-proclaimed emperor, neither of them could be allowed by Liu Bian!

After Liu Bian, the leader of the Han Dynasty, issued the order to send troops, the entire state machinery started to move.

Food, fodder, supplies, soldiers, Jinyiwei spies, etc. secretly rushed to Youzhou.

Lü Bu and his Bingzhou troops, who had launched a surprise attack on Jizhou from Bingzhou, retreated to Bingzhou, and are now rushing to Youzhou via the Eight Passes of Taihang.

Jia Xu did not return to the capital to report on his work, but instead went to Youzhou with the Bingzhou army.

In order to conceal their tracks, they hid during the day and moved out at night, resting during the day and marching at night, and marching towards Youzhou in an orderly manner.

at the same time.

The imperial court cooperated on the surface and seemed to believe Yuan Ying's rumors. It began to suspect that Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, had acted presumptuously and issued an imperial decree to transfer Liu Yu back to the capital to serve as the chief of the imperial clan.

The common people thought that Liu Yu had been promoted, so they celebrated for him and told others about it!
But those educated people knew that this was a sign that the court was suspicious of Liu Yu, and it was a covert move!

After Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, was transferred from his core position, it was the prelude to a major cleanup of Youzhou!
...

"Your Majesty has really fallen into the trap!"

Yuan Shao was overjoyed when he saw the imperial edict promoting Liu Yu to the position of Zong Zheng!
Although Zong Zheng was one of the Nine Ministers, at this critical moment, he was trying to promote him in public but transfer him secretly, in an attempt to transfer Liu Yu away from Youzhou.

This expresses the court and Your Majesty's suspicion and doubt towards Liu Yu!
Even if Liu Yu later went to the capital to investigate the truth, it was too late. Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan had already taken control of Youzhou.

If the imperial court wants to make a comeback, it will have to face the powerful combination of the two armies!

It is estimated that by then, His Majesty and the court will regret it! If you insist on attacking Youzhou and Jizhou, it will drag down the court's finances!
The court will be caught in a dilemma!
When he thought of this, Yuan Shao laughed, and laughed heartily.

Because of the defeat of the Liyang garrison in the attack on Hanoi, and the heavy losses of the Pingyuan County garrison in the attack on Jinan, the frustration, anger and unwillingness of the Bohai Navy were gone!
Very popular!

Of course, not all of Yuan Shao’s civil and military officials are so optimistic!

But at that time Yuan Shao was in high spirits, and if they poured cold water on him, it would embarrass Yuan Shao, so many people did not dare to speak out.

However, Feng Ji and other loyal ministers still suggested:
"My lord, we must not be careless. This may be the imperial court's strategy of retreating to advance and luring the enemy to attack. We need to wait and see for the time being to avoid being drawn into the battle of Youzhou!"

...

"Of course I understand this!"

Yuan Shao nodded and said, "But the opportunity will never come again!
"We didn't send out all our troops, we just divided them up and sent them out. If anything goes wrong, we can withdraw immediately.

"Moreover, I believe that Your Majesty will definitely doubt Liu Yu. His prestige is too high. Now that rumors are spreading about his ambition to usurp the throne and become emperor, no ruler will feel at ease!"

Why was Yuan Shao so confident?

Because Yuan Shao himself is a suspicious person by nature, generous on the outside but jealous on the inside. He seems to be generous on the outside but suspicious in his heart and does not believe in the loyalty of others!
Yuan Shao judged others by himself and thought that the Han Emperor was the same.

...

After hearing this, Feng Ji did not try to persuade him any further, but just sighed in his heart.

Yuan Shao was a hero, but he was just a hero. He was still a long way from being a wise and capable leader!

After the agreement, Yuan's camp divided its troops and marched towards Youzhou, hoping to cooperate with Gongsun Zan to defeat Liu Yu and capture him alive.

Then he forcibly supported Liu Yu to ascend the throne and become emperor!

Speaking of which, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu rose in Youzhou. Now that the destiny has come together, they helped Liu Yu become emperor, which can also be regarded as his rise in Youzhou.

This is a sign of great prosperity!

Of course, Yuan Shao was not so arrogant as to send his troops to support Youzhou all at once, but instead sent a small force.

This was not only to conceal the truth, but also to prevent the imperial troops stationed in Guandong from taking the opportunity to attack.

However, the imperial garrison troops in Guandong have never acted rashly, but have been cultivating land, developing agriculture, and recuperating.

This made Yuan Shao feel more at ease.

However, Feng Ji and other civil officials were still worried, so at this time, they suggested:
"My lord, the Youji-Ji mobilization is a matter of great importance, and will affect the entire body. I suggest sending a special envoy to Huainan to order Yuan Shu to respond at any time and involve the court's troops."

"highway……"

Yuan Shao frowned after hearing this.

Because news came from Huainan recently that Yuan Shu actually attempted to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor!

Yuan Shao was extremely disgusted with Yuan Shu's short-sightedness, and Yuan Shu's previous insults to him also made him somewhat unbearable.

If he could forcibly support Liu Yu to become emperor, he would then be able to "use the emperor to command the princes" and would not have to form an alliance with Yuan Shu.

As if seeing Yuan Shao's thoughts, Feng Ji advised:

“My lord, those who accomplish great things do not dwell on small details.

"Yuan Shu's ally is an important force for us. Only when he can contain the imperial army in Huainan can we be more stable and assured in You and Ji, and he can share the pressure for us.

“Although Yuan Shu attempted to proclaim himself emperor, it was rumored that his civil and military officials strongly opposed it. This might have woken him up.

"Now that the Liu family's luck and destiny are still there, they will definitely discourage Yuan Shu's ambition to become emperor. Why don't we tell Yuan Shu our intentions and plans and work together to support Liu Yu to ascend the throne and become emperor.

"Yuan Shu will definitely agree.

"Since the execution of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and his entire family, Yuan Shu has gained much power from the Yuan family. My lord is related to him by blood. At this moment, we should put aside our prejudices and work together.

"Besides, the Bohai Navy was defeated by Liu Bei's scheme and suffered heavy losses. We can also exchange ships with Yuan Shu for preparations for war. We can help each other and benefit from each other, and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses!"

...

After hearing this, Yuan Shao felt a little unhappy.

It seemed as if without Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao would not be able to accomplish anything.

Moreover, Feng Ji and other civil officials expressed their disapproval of rushing to Youzhou's aid, believing that this was a strategy of the court and His Majesty to lure the enemy into attacking.

Boosting others' ambitions will destroy your own prestige!

However, Yuan Shao was not stubborn. Although he was unhappy with Yuan Shu, in the face of absolute interests, he could only hold his nose and agree:
"Just as you say!"

"promise!!!"

Yuan Shao immediately sent a special envoy south and quickly contacted Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu attempted to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, but was left speechless by the refutations of his civil servants, and was in an extremely depressed mood.

At this time, Liu Yao, the governor of Yangzhou appointed by the court, was stirring up trouble in the Jiangdong area and trying to resist Yuan Shu's rule, which also annoyed him.

Yuan Shu had been sending troops to Jiangdong to fight against Liu Yao, but with little success.

Therefore, there were no reports of victory in Yuan Shu's recent military reports, which made the military morale somewhat low.

Yuan Shu's attempt to become emperor failed again. One can imagine how depressed he was.
It was at this time that Yuan Shao's envoy arrived and informed Yuan Shao of his intentions.

"Support Liu Yu to become emperor?!"

After hearing this, Yuan Shu couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Yuan Shao, the adopted son of a maid, was very smart. Why didn't he think of this?

The Han Dynasty had a history of more than 400 years and was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Yuan Shu's attempt to become emperor would definitely be stopped by everyone.

But at this time, if Yuan Shu supported a new monarch, a puppet emperor from the Liu clan, and used the emperor to control the princes, there would not be so many voices of opposition.

And as he controls the country for a long time, he can force the puppet emperor to abdicate, and then he can ascend the throne and become emperor. Isn't that legitimate? !
When the time came, he refused and gave in again and again. It was not that Yuan Shu was trying to become emperor, but that his strength did not allow him to be low-key!

Yuan Shu regretted it!
He was still too eager!
"I wonder what General Yuan thinks?"

Seeing that Yuan Shu was lost in his thoughts and had not answered for a long time, Yuan Shao's envoy finally couldn't help but interrupt.

"Which servant am I... ahem, Benchu ​​and I are from the Yuan family, and we are brothers connected by blood, so I am naturally willing to support you..."

Yuan Shu said a lot of polite words, and finally said:
"The Jianghuai region has nothing but a lot of ships. Please rest assured, Benchu. He is willing to exchange the fine horses of Youzhou with me, and I naturally agree.

"Also, I will hold back the imperial army in Huainan. If the imperial army makes any rash moves, I will directly send troops to Yuzhou and Xuzhou to tie up the imperial army!"

Yuan Shao's envoy was relieved!

But after a pause, Yuan Shu said, "But! After supporting Liu Yu as emperor, I hope he can come to Huainan and establish his capital!"

Liu Yu was far away in Youzhou, under the control of Yuan Shao. Yuan Shu's power was out of reach, so he was naturally not stupid and did not want to make things difficult for others.

"This……"

Yuan Shao's envoy showed a hesitant attitude. In fact, Yuan Ying had already predicted Yuan Shu's idea. He paused and said:

“General, the king must be at the core of the dragon vein.

"According to the geographical orientation of China's mountains and rivers, the dragon vein extends from Kunlun to Qinling, out of the Yellow River and into the sea. The core is Chang'an and Luoyang, where the capitals of the Han Dynasty and the Han Dynasty were both established.

"The Yellow River Basin is also the center of the Han Dynasty's economy, politics, culture, and military. But because the imperial court has a very deep control over the military, we are far behind.

“But after Yuan Gong sent people to explore, he found that there is also a dragon vein in the north, starting from Kunlun, extending to Qilian Mountain, turning into Youzhou Daxinganling and Changbai Mountain, and flowing out to the sea at Liaodong Baitou Mountain.

"The core of this Northern Dragon is in Ji County! Any other place is not suitable to be the imperial capital!"

...

Hearing this, Yuan Shu frowned!
This theory of Feng Shui and geography is not what he is good at, but it is also what they value most.

Although Yuan Shao's envoys spoke very convincingly, Yuan Shu was unable to reach Chang'an and Luoyang in the Yellow River Basin, or Jixian County in Youzhou.

Yuan Shu could only rely on his own knowledge to make up a story:
"In fact, there is also a dragon vein in the south, starting from Kunlun and exiting from the mouth of the Yangtze River. The core is in the Wu County and Danyang County areas in the east of the Yangtze River.

“For example, in Jiangdong Moling, the mountains headed by Zhongshan Mountain are winding and crouching in the southeast like a blue dragon, while the mountains in the west, ending at Shitou Mountain, are like tigers squatting on the bank of the river.

"Huang Shigong once said with emotion, 'Zhongshan is like a dragon, Shitou is like a tiger, it is really the residence of an emperor!' This place is also suitable for the monarch to live in!"

Yuan Shao's envoy and Yuan Shu mentioned the three dragon vein cores - Luoyang, Jixian and Moling.

Luoyang is now controlled by the imperial court, so there is no need to think too much about it, but Jixian is Youzhou, which Yuan Shao can control. Moling is Jiangdong, which Yuan Shu can touch.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu both wanted to gain power by "supporting a new monarch", but the prerequisite was that the monarch's capital needed to be established in their territory.

By then, "holding the emperor hostage to command the princes", wouldn't it be wonderful? !
After discussing for a long time, the two could not make a decision.

Finally, Yuan Shao's envoy said:
"General, we haven't even succeeded yet, but we are already discussing the outcome of our victory. This is ridiculous. Why don't we wait until we succeed before making a decision?"

The two of them were arguing as if they were already imagining how to divide the profits after winning the jackpot, buying a carriage or a mansion? It was really ridiculous!
"Of course I have to say it first!" Yuan Shu sneered in his heart.

If he succeeds and Yuan Shao refuses to admit his mistake, will he still be able to lead his troops north? !

The two discussed and argued for a long time, but finally could not make a decision, so Yuan Shao's envoy could only go back and inform Yuan Shao.

Both brothers have their own plans, so it is difficult to reach an agreement!

But after this incident, Yuan Shu also had an association:

"That maid's adopted son can support Liu Yu as emperor, and I can also find a royal family member in Huainan and support him as a puppet emperor to control him!"

……

(End of this chapter)