"Someone," Han Zhan immediately ordered, "Bring the messenger in!" ”

Following his instructions, it didn't take long for the messenger sent by Xu Shu to deliver the letter into the council hall. After Han Zhan waited for the other party to kneel down in front of him, he opened his mouth and asked, "Ben Hou asked you, how many days have you been on the road?" ”

When the messenger heard this, he immediately replied without thinking: "Back to my lord, the little one has been on the road for five days. ”

After Han Zhan got the answer he wanted, he continued to ask: "Before you left Chang'an, how far were Ma Teng and Han Sui's soldiers and horses from the city?" ”

"Returning to the lord," replied the messenger truthfully, "when the little one left Chang'an, he heard from the soldiers guarding the city gate that the soldiers and horses of Ma Teng and Han Sui were only sixty miles away from the city, and they could reach the city in half a day at most. ”

"Ben Hou knows." After Han Zhan waited for the messenger to finish speaking, he said to him, "You go down to rest, Benhou will look for you again if he has something." Then he called a guard and told him to lead the messenger away.

"Lord!" As soon as the messenger left, Xun Yu gave Han Zhan a deep salute, and then said: "The lord is really like a god, saying that Ma Teng, Han Sui and others would raise troops to fight against Li Guo and other thieves, but I didn't expect them to really raise troops." If they can defeat Li Guo and other thieves, then we will be able to successfully rescue the civil and military officials in the court. ”

But Guo Jia didn't seem to be as optimistic as Xun You, and after he waited for Xun You to finish speaking, he shook his head and said, "Gongda, things are not that simple. Ma Teng and Han Sui came from afar, lacking siege equipment, and food and grass must be limited. If Li Guo and the other thieves don't come out, or in January, Ma Teng and Han Sui will retire because of the lack of food. ”

Regarding Guo Jia's analysis, Xun You immediately refuted it. Just when the two were arguing, Han Zhan's heart was shocked, although Guo Jia did not see Ma Teng and Han Sui with his own eyes, but he could accurately analyze that they could not defeat Li Dao and Guo Yan at all, and finally had to retreat because of the lack of food.

Therefore, he waited for the argument between Guo Jia and Xun You to come to an end, and humbly asked Guo Jia for advice: "Fengxiao, Ben Hou asked you, you said that Ma Teng and Han Sui will be defeated, so do we have any hope of rescuing the civil and military officials?" ”

Since the topic of this day revolved around the rescue of the civil and military officials, after hearing Han Zhan's question, Guo Jia shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Lord, if there is no incident of Ma Teng and Han Suibing committing Chang'an, then there is still a glimmer of hope for us to rescue the civil and military officials." But now, that last hope has been dashed. ”

Hearing Guo Jia say this, Han Zhan immediately asked in surprise: "Fengxiao, you didn't say that just now." Why do you think that it is impossible for us to rescue the civil and military officials after only half an hour? ”

Ma Teng and Han Sui Xingbing made Li Dao, Guo Yan and other thieves realize that their foundation was too shallow. If the talisman of civil and military officials is lost, any prince can raise an army against them. Guo Jia analyzed to Han Zhan: "Therefore, they must grasp the civil and military officials in their hands, so that the other princes will be jealous." If necessary, he can even find a member of the Han family and set up another monarch. In that case, the holy ones in our hands will be of no use. ”

"Do you have any good ideas?" Han Zhan asked a little flustered.

"There's no way." Guo Jia shook his head and said, "Unless Li Dao, Guo Yan and others are infighting, we will have a chance." ”

The speaker had no intention of listening, Guo Jia originally just said it casually, but when he heard Han Zhan's ears, it was like an enlightenment, which immediately reminded him of Li Guo Zhengbing in history, and he killed the dark in the Chang'an area. Thinking of this, he smiled and said, "If Li Dao, Guo Yan and others turn against each other, it is not a difficult thing. ”

When Guo Jia heard Han Zhan say this, his eyes couldn't help but light up, and he hurriedly asked, "Does the lord have any good plans?" ”

Although the people in the council hall were all henchmen and generals under Han Zhan, this matter was very important, and if the news leaked, it would not be a good thing. Therefore, as soon as he waited for Guo Jia to say it, he immediately said haha: "Everyone has worked hard today, let's disperse, it's not too late to discuss this matter in the next day." ”

Guo Jia is such a smart person, when the civil and military forces left the council hall, he came to Han Zhan's study with Xun You and asked him for advice on how to make Li Guo and the others turn against their goals.

After Han Zhan beckoned the two to sit down, he said to them: "Ben Hou has a plan, you can lead the two thieves Li Dao and Guo Yan to kill each other, and then Ben Hou will lead troops to Jingshi to sweep away the thief party and calm Sheji." ”

Regarding Han Zhan's generalized statement, Guo Jia asked with some disapproval: "I don't know if the lord's plan will be released?" ”

Han Zhan smiled faintly, and then said: "Ben Hou knows that Guo Yan's wife is the most jealous, but he can let people go to Guo Yan's wife to use a counterplot to let the two thieves kill each other. ”

"Lord, although Guo Yan's wife is jealous, there is no one around us who is familiar with her." Xun You was a little embarrassed and said: "If you can't get close to her, how can you make a counter-plot?" ”

"If you send our people out, it will definitely not work." Han Zhan smiled and said to the two: "But we can contact the ministers of the court through Yuan Zhi and Guangyuan, and let them go and make this counter-plot." ”

"If too many people know about this matter, it will inevitably leak out." Even Guo Jia was not optimistic about Han Zhan's statement, and he kindly reminded: "Once Li Dao and Guo Yan know that the lord is trying to plot against them, it may not be good for us." ”

"Yes," Xun Yu nodded, agreeing with Guo Jia's statement: "At that time, in the name of the imperial court, they will contact all the princes to attack us, I am afraid that our situation will be very dangerous." ”

On the way back to the study, Han Zhan had carefully recalled the details of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Emperor Han Xian sent people to provoke the confrontation between Li Dao and Guo Yan. Seeing that the two strategists under his command were all trying their best to oppose his proposal, he continued: "Ben Hou has thought about it again and again, and I feel that there are still reliable officials in the DPRK, such as Yang Biao, the chief lieutenant, and Zhu Jun, the chief Si Nong, who are the best candidates to make a counter-plot. ”

After Han Zhan's words were finished, there was a silence in the study. After a long while, Guo Jia spoke: "Lord, if this plan is carried out by Yang Biao and Zhu Jun, we have at least a fifty percent chance of winning. ”

"Since the lord thinks that Yang Biao and Zhu Jun can take on this important responsibility, then you might as well inform Yuan Zhi and Guangyuan through letters." Xun You used to be an official in the court, and he knew how Yang Biao and Zhu Jun were like, so he proposed a candidate for Han Zhan: "Let the two of them contact Yang Biao and Zhu Jun privately, and ask the two adults to come out and use this counter-plan." ”

"The lord's counter-plot is indeed wonderful." Just when Han Zhan thought that the three of them could reach an agreement, Guo Jia suddenly said: "Now that Ma Teng and Han Sui are in the city, Li Guo and the two thieves are in the same boat, and the effect will be greatly reduced if they are used at this time." ”

Xun You looked at Guo Jia and asked, "Then according to Fengxiao's opinion, when is the best time for us to use this counter-strategy?" ”

"At least after Ma Teng and Han Sui withdraw from the army, we will send people to Chang'an to contact Yang Biao and Zhu Jun." Guo Jia said confidently: "When the time comes, they will carry out this plan, and it will definitely be effective." ”

"Bong-hyo, wait a minute, I just forgot to think about the other two." Xun You first glanced at Guo Jia, then looked at Han Zhan, and said, "If Li Guo and the two thieves turn against each other, and Zhang Ji and Fan Chou come out to mediate, how should we deal with it?" ”

"Cousin Gongda is too worried." Regarding Xun You's worries, Han Zhan said with a smile: "Don't look at the four generals are all Dong Thief's subordinates, but the four of them are not in unison. For example, Li Dao and Guo Yan have a very good personal relationship, and their relationship with Zhang Ji is average, but they hate Fan Chou to the core. According to Ben Hou's estimates, once Ma Teng and Han Sui retreated, Li Wei might find an opportunity to kill Fan Chou. If Fan Chou dies, Zhang Ji will inevitably go to other places in order to avoid goods. In this way, there will only be Li Dao and Guo Yan left in Chang'an, and when we use the counter-strategy, we will be able to get twice the result with half the effort. ”

Regarding Han Zhan's statement, Xun You was skeptical: "Why is the lord so sure that after Ma Teng and Han Sui withdraw from the army, Li Dao will find a reason to kill Fan Chou?" ”

Han Zhan naturally wouldn't tell Xun You that the reason why Li Dao killed Fan Chou was because when Ma Teng and Han Sui retreated, Fan Chou's soldiers and horses had already caught up with Han Sui, and as long as he gave an order, he could capture Han Sui alive. But Han Sui and Fan Choupan became friends, and the latter was impulsive and let Han Sui go.

And Li Wei has always had no good impression of the reckless Fan Chou, and learned from his nephew Li Bei that Fan Chou let Han Sui go, so he took the opportunity to make a fuss, ambushed the knife and axe at the banquet, cut Fan Chou into meat sauce, and rightfully annexed the opponent's soldiers and horses. was so frightened that Zhang Ji had to stay away from Jingshi in order to protect himself.

After Han Zhan beckoned the two to sit down, he said to them: "Ben Hou has a plan, you can lead the two thieves Li Dao and Guo Yan to kill each other, and then Ben Hou will lead troops to Jingshi to sweep away the thief party and calm Sheji." ”

Regarding Han Zhan's generalized statement, Guo Jia asked with some disapproval: "I don't know if the lord's plan will be released?" ”

Han Zhan smiled faintly, and then said: "Ben Hou knows that Guo Yan's wife is the most jealous, but he can let people go to Guo Yan's wife to use a counterplot to let the two thieves kill each other. ”

"Lord, although Guo Yan's wife is jealous, there is no one around us who is familiar with her." Xun You was a little embarrassed and said: "If you can't get close to her, how can you make a counter-plot?" ”

"If you send our people out, it will definitely not work." Han Zhan smiled and said to the two: "But we can contact the ministers of the court through Yuan Zhi and Guangyuan, and let them go and make this counter-plot." ”

"If too many people know about this matter, it will inevitably leak out." Even Guo Jia was not optimistic about Han Zhan's statement, and he kindly reminded: "Once Li Dao and Guo Yan know that the lord is trying to plot against them, it may not be good for us." ”

"Yes," Xun Yu nodded, agreeing with Guo Jia's statement: "At that time, in the name of the imperial court, they will contact all the princes to attack us, I am afraid that our situation will be very dangerous." ”

On the way back to the study, Han Zhan had carefully recalled the details of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Emperor Han Xian sent people to provoke the confrontation between Li Dao and Guo Yan. Seeing that the two strategists under his command were all trying their best to oppose his proposal, he continued: "Ben Hou has thought about it again and again, and I feel that there are still reliable officials in the DPRK, such as Yang Biao, the chief lieutenant, and Zhu Jun, the chief Si Nong, who are the best candidates to make a counter-plot. ”

After Han Zhan's words were finished, there was a silence in the study. After a long while, Guo Jia spoke: "Lord, if this plan is carried out by Yang Biao and Zhu Jun, we have at least a fifty percent chance of winning. ”

"Since the lord thinks that Yang Biao and Zhu Jun can take on this important responsibility, then you might as well inform Yuan Zhi and Guangyuan through letters." Xun You used to be an official in the court, and he knew how Yang Biao and Zhu Jun were like, so he proposed a candidate for Han Zhan: "Let the two of them contact Yang Biao and Zhu Jun privately, and ask the two adults to come out and use this counter-plan." ”

"The lord's counter-plot is indeed wonderful." Just when Han Zhan thought that the three of them could reach an agreement, Guo Jia suddenly said: "Now that Ma Teng and Han Sui are in the city, Li Guo and the two thieves are in the same boat, and the effect will be greatly reduced if they are used at this time." ”

Xun You looked at Guo Jia and asked, "Then according to Fengxiao's opinion, when is the best time for us to use this counter-strategy?" ”

"At least after Ma Teng and Han Sui withdraw from the army, we will send people to Chang'an to contact Yang Biao and Zhu Jun." Guo Jia said confidently: "When the time comes, they will carry out this plan, and it will definitely be effective." ”

"Bong-hyo, wait a minute, I just forgot to think about the other two." Xun You first glanced at Guo Jia, then looked at Han Zhan, and said, "If Li Guo and the two thieves turn against each other, and Zhang Ji and Fan Chou come out to mediate, how should we deal with it?" ”

"Cousin Gongda is too worried." Regarding Xun You's worries, Han Zhan said with a smile: "Don't look at the four generals are all Dong Thief's subordinates, but the four of them are not in unison. For example, Li Dao and Guo Yan have a very good personal relationship, and their relationship with Zhang Ji is average, but they hate Fan Chou to the core. According to Ben Hou's estimates, once Ma Teng and Han Sui retreated, Li Wei might find an opportunity to kill Fan Chou. If Fan Chou dies, Zhang Ji will inevitably go to other places in order to avoid goods. In this way, there will only be Li Dao and Guo Yan left in Chang'an, and when we use the counter-strategy, we will be able to get twice the result with half the effort. ”

Regarding Han Zhan's statement, Xun You was skeptical: "Why is the lord so sure that after Ma Teng and Han Sui withdraw from the army, Li Dao will find a reason to kill Fan Chou?" ”

Han Zhan naturally wouldn't tell Xun You that the reason why Li Dao killed Fan Chou was because when Ma Teng and Han Sui retreated, Fan Chou's soldiers and horses had already caught up with Han Sui, and as long as he gave an order, he could capture Han Sui alive. But Han Sui and Fan Choupan became friends, and the latter was impulsive and let Han Sui go.