Returning to Xiapi City, he told Chen Gong what he had seen and heard, Chen Gong was shocked into a cold sweat, and said in a loud voice: "Please forgive the lord, it is the fault of the lowly position, the lowly position did not think of it..." ”

"What's wrong with you, this is Liu Bei is too cunning, what does it have to do with you?"

Chen Gong said: "As a strategist under the lord's command, he should be aware of danger and foresee things that ordinary people can't foresee, but Liu Bei's move, I really didn't expect it, so that the lord fell into a passive situation." ”

Lu Bu casually picked up the brush on the table, wrote on the bamboo slip, and said: "Don't talk about the past, I'm in a hurry to control the six counties of Xuzhou now, what can you do?" ”

Chen Gong said: "My lord, I have asked General Luo Cheng to send a letter to the county guards, county orders, and all the clans, as long as they express their willingness to submit to the lord, then the lord has conquered the counties in name." After that, reliable men were sent to the rulers, and large armies were stationed in important towns. It's foolproof. ”

"Well, that's a good point. But it will take time, and there will also be enough troops. Lu Bu said, handed the bamboo slip full of characters to Chen Gong, and said: "This is a recruitment notice, you copy a copy and post it outside the city." ”

"Yes."

Chen Gong took the bamboo slip, looked at the contents on the bamboo slip, and frowned: "Lord, you are so polite and virtuous, the people in the city will definitely rush to take refuge, but... We don't have much food, and I'm afraid we won't be able to raise a hundred thousand troops, as the Lord's proclamation says. ”

Lu Bu chuckled and said, "I thought of this a long time ago. Don't worry, I'll get the food, you just need to be responsible for raising all the 100,000 people, and you don't have to worry about the rest. ”

"Yes."

Chen Gong felt that Lu Bu was really getting deeper and deeper, he couldn't see through, he couldn't think through, even the grain and grass of the 100,000 army could be taken care of, saying that it was wrapped up in himself, he was really curious, how did Lu Bu solve the food matter?

At this time, in Yangzhou, Liu Bei finally received the news of the fall of Xuzhou.

"Xuzhou is lost." In the military tent, Liu Bei sat on the couch with a look of remorse on his face.

If Zhang Fei hadn't been sent to defend the city, this would not have happened. But at that time, how could he be a ghost, knowing that Zhang Fei was reckless, and sent Zhang Fei to stay in Xuzhou. Isn't this waiting for bad luck.

Zhao Yun and Guan Yu looked at each other and hurriedly asked, "What about Yide?" ”

"Yide was captured by Lu Bu and imprisoned in Xiapi City."

Guan Yu said angrily: "Sure enough, it's Lu Bu, he is too despicable, taking advantage of my army to conquer Yuan Shu, he will start from behind and seize Xuzhou." He shouldn't have been taken in in the first place! ”

"What's the use of talking about this now?"

"So what now?"

Zhao Yun said: "Our current situation is very dangerous, I just received the news that Yuan Shu has sent the general Ji Ling, leading an army of 200,000 to come, which is less than 100 miles away from us, and we have now lost Xuzhou, and the people in the army are unstable, and they are in a dilemma. ”

Liu Bei thought about it for a long time and sighed: "Let's go, let's go back to Xuzhou." ”

"Hasn't Xuzhou already fallen?"

"Xuzhou is lost, but Lu Bu has insufficient troops to resist Cao Cao. If I had proposed to him that I should garrison Xiao Pei and join him in rejecting a strong enemy, he would have agreed. ”

Guan Yu's face was flushed with anger, panting, and said, "This is too embarrassing." Xuzhou was ours, but Lu Bu took it away, and we could only borrow it to stay in Xiaopei, could it be that this tone was so endured? ”

"Bear with me, we can't turn our faces with Lu Bu now." Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun and ordered: "Zilong, you quickly go to order the battalions, and after two hours, set off to return to Xuzhou." ”

"No."

On this day, all the soldiers sent to the counties to deliver the letter returned to Xiapi City.

Lu Bu convened the generals to discuss countermeasures.

"This is the list I just sorted out, there are fifteen big families on it, and they are inextricably linked with the Mi family, and they all wrote back and said that they should stay neutral and not help Liu Bei or help me. There is also the Taishou of Guangling County, who openly demonstrated against me. ”

Lu Bu glanced at Chen Gong, threw the list in his hand on the desk, and asked, "Mr. Gongtai, do you have any suggestions?" ”

Chen Gong thought for a while and said: "The Mi family is Liu Bei's granary, and it has a great influence in Xuzhou, and all the big families have business dealings with the Mi family. The fifteen families that the lord just mentioned must be dependent on the Mi family to survive, and they have no choice but to support the Mi family and Liu Bei. If the lord can move down the Mi family, then these fifteen families will definitely adapt to the times and switch to the lord. ”

"As for the Taishou of Guangling County, it is very surprising that he took the initiative to take refuge in Liu Bei, demonstrating the lord, and he must be severely punished!"

"Mr. Gongtai, you can't help but be too tactful, aren't you?" Luo Cheng interjected.

Chen Gong turned his head, looked at Luo Cheng, and asked, "Then what should General Luo do?" ”

"Ask me? I think we should make an example of the chickens and monkeys, and knock on the mountains and shake the tigers. What do you say to remain neutral, it is not that there is a glimmer of hope for Liu Bei, and that Liu Bei will continue to govern Xuzhou. For these people, they must be killed, and not killing them is not enough to establish the prestige of the army. ”

This suggestion is ruthless enough, Lu Bu was a little surprised, is this still Luo Cheng?

But he liked this suggestion very much, because that's what he thought in his heart, if he didn't kill all these families, where would he go to raise the grain and grass of the 100,000 army?

As for the consequences of this move, he didn't have time to think about it. It's a big deal to be the enemy of the big families. Raise 100,000 troops first, be able to suppress Liu Bei, and resist Cao Cao.

Otherwise, don't talk about governing Xuzhou, he can't deal with any prince.

"My lord, don't take General Luo's words and make enemies of all the great families." Seeing that Lu Bu was about to agree to Luo Cheng, Chen Gong hurriedly admonished.

"Why not?"

Chen Gong said: "The lord doesn't know, the family is a very special group, and their strength is really hard to imagine. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, after the imperial court selected officials by the inspection system, most of the officials in the court were recommended by the big families, and became their tools to entrap the scholars and form a party for personal gain, and the scholars were no longer loyal to the emperor, but to the old master, which caused the power of the family to expand infinitely and can influence the imperial court.... ”

"You pick up the important ones." Lu Bu rolled his eyes.

"Yes."

Chen Gong continued: "For example, Yuan Shao of Hebei, he is the largest family, the fourth generation and the third duke, and his protégés are all over the world. And among his forces, is there a family family related to our family in Xuzhou? If there is a connection, then it is very likely that they will persuade Yuan Shao to attack the lord through some means, and the consequences will be very serious. ”

"What you said is too suspenseful, I don't believe that the family has such strength to influence Yuan Shao's thoughts?"

"The lord must not believe it."

Chen Gong thought for a while and said, "Okay, if the lord doesn't believe that Yuan Shao will lead troops to attack, then he should always believe in Yuan Shu, right?" Yuan Shu has always wanted to win Xuzhou, but he is not sure to win. If, at this time, someone made a suggestion to him, claiming that he could defeat the lord, I believe that Yuan Shu would definitely listen. Don't forget, whether it is Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu, most of the generals and officials under their command are from the big families. Will Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu not listen to their advice? ”

"Then give it a try, look at Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, what can you do to me?!"

Lu Bu still insisted on his own ideas, and did not intend to adopt Chen Gong's advice. On the one hand, he was anxious to obtain food and grass and recruit troops to strengthen his strength; On the other hand, all the big families who have something to do with the Mi family are Liu Bei's people, and if they are kept and not disposed of, they will definitely raise tigers.

Even if he risks being attacked by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, he must remove these unstable factors to ensure that he can completely control Xuzhou and not be threatened by the family. Otherwise, as the days go by, Xuzhou will be full of Liu Bei's forces. How can we control Xuzhou?

In short, if you don't surrender, you are the enemy, and if you are the enemy, you should kill, it's as simple as that!

Lu Bu handed the list to Luo Cheng and said, "Second brother, leave this matter to you, and kill all of these fifteen families, and leave no one behind." Property confiscation and sealing. As for the Mi family, I will allow their people not to die, but the food and property must be taken away. ”

"No."

Holding the list in his hand, Luo Cheng sneered: "Big brother, don't worry, you can't run a single one." ”