Zhu Ling wanted to rush back overnight, and Yuan Tan personally sent him out of the camp and said goodbye. Zhu Ling was in a heavy mood when he came, but when he left, he was proud of the spring breeze and fluttering.

Cao Ang has always been by Yuan Tan's side, seeing all this in his eyes and remembering it in his heart.

Seeing Zhu Ling and his entourage disappear into the distance, Yuan Tan turned around and walked back, Cao Ang followed closely, and looked at Yuan Tan's side face, the smile had disappeared, the arch of his eyebrows was slightly raised, and there was a little more anxiety in his eyes.

Cao Ang resisted the urge to ask and quietly followed. Back to the big tent, the banquet had dispersed, the big tent was collected cleanly, Mao Jue and Cheng Yu stood outside the tent, without talking, thinking about their own thoughts. Hearing footsteps, they turned around at the same time and met them.

"Envoy."

"Speak in the tent." Yuan Tan beckoned: "Zixiu, you come too." ”

Cao Ang answered, stretched out his hand to invite Mao Jie and Cheng Yu to go first, and the two of them did not refuse, but just smiled at Cao Ang and was rude. Although Cao Ang's background is not popular, his popularity is very good, and even the most difficult to wait for Bian Rang praises Cao Ang.

After entering the account, everyone took their seats, Yuan Tan held the desk, fixed his mind, and when he raised his head, the anxiety in his eyes was gone, only murderous.

"Gentlemen, the big war is about to begin, and it may not matter if you win or lose, what matters is the opponent." Yuan Tan's gaze swept over the faces of the three people in the tent one by one, and said word by word: "Our opponent is the imperial court's captain. ”

Cao Ang's heart suddenly flickered, and he understood why Yuan Tan's expression was so solemn. His situation is actually more complicated than Yuan Tan, except for the Yuan family who has died, they are now in Hebei and have no worries, but his father Cao Cao and several uncles are in Chang'an, and his younger brothers are also in Chang'an. In this war with Zhu Jun, they are really on two sides, and maybe one day, their father, son, and brotherhood will fight to the death.

Although he had expected this day for a long time, when this day really came, he still felt that he couldn't face it.

Why did Aung make such a cruel choice?

Cao Ang lowered his head, avoiding Yuan Tan's gaze. Yuan Tan didn't speak, and turned to Mao Yu and Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu didn't react, but Mao Jue stroked his beard and shook his head slowly. "Envoy, this is really not a good choice, especially for Envoy. Success or failure isn't necessarily a good thing, so why not wait? The Black Mountain thieves are just some rogues, just drive them out of Yanzhou, and they don't have to kill them with Taiwei Zhu for this reason. ”

Yuan Tan nodded slightly. "Xiaoxian's high opinion, I have already told my father, and my father is grateful for Xiaoxian's reminder, but it is difficult to obey his fate."

Mao Jue sighed and had to close his mouth in a daze. Just when the atmosphere was awkward, Cheng Yu said: "Regardless of whether the Son of Heaven is the blood of the imperial court or not, as far as Zhu Jun is concerned, he has formed an alliance with the Black Mountain thieves, and plundered Chen Liuqiu's grain, where is he still like a captain." It is the duty of the monarch to defend the land, and it is the duty to expel the Black Mountain thieves, and it is also the duty to expel Zhu Jun. ”

Yuan Tan nodded appreciatively. Cheng Yu not only gave him a reason to go to war, but also gave him a reason to stop fighting. As long as Zhu Jun was expelled from Yanzhou and did not pursue into the realm of Henan Yin, he could not be regarded as a break with the imperial court. As for the Montenegrin thieves, whether they kill or chase, they don't have much impact.

This battle must be fought, but it is also important to give yourself a reason to get by before fighting, only in this way can you convince yourself and others.

Seeing that Yuan Tan agreed with Cheng Yu's suggestion, Mao Jue also understood Yuan Tan's difficulties, and then said: "Since this is the case, why not salute first and then soldier?" In any case, Zhu Jun is the imperial court after all, and the minister who is famous in the world. ”

Yuan Tan thought about it. "Who can do that?"

"Let's go of it, he is a celebrity, and he can say it best." Cheng Yu didn't think twice. Mao Jue wanted to speak and stopped. He knew that he was arrogant and open-mouthed, and he offended many people. But Yuan Tan valued him, no one dared to offend him, and it was not bad to let him go on an envoy. It's done, it's worthy of Yuan Tan's weight. No, let him suffer a little, don't look at everything all day long.

Seeing that no one objected, Yuan Tan accepted Cheng Yu's suggestion. After discussing some things again, when they saw that the leaky pot in the corner of the tent had already pointed to the child, Mao Jue and Cheng Yu got up and said goodbye. Yuan Tan gave Cao Ang a look. "Zixiu, send the two of you for me."

Cao Ang answered, got up and sent Mao Jue and Cheng Yu out of the big tent, watched them go away, and returned to the big tent. There were no outsiders in the tent, Yuan Tan was no longer sitting upright, and he was not as energetic as at the banquet, his face was full of tiredness, he was pinching his eyebrows with his hands, and when he heard Cao Ang's footsteps, he raised his head, his eyes were slightly red. "At the beginning, I fought with my father and acted according to orders, and I didn't feel anything, but now that I am in charge, I know that there are thousands of things, and it is very tiring. Zixiu, do you feel like this? ”

"I dare to compare the king's busy official business and every day."

"Yes, your responsibilities are not as heavy as mine, and your affairs are not as important as mine, but there is one thing, the two of us are sympathetic." Yuan Tan stood up, bypassed the desk, walked to Cao Ang, hugged his shoulder, and sighed, his voice was a little dark. "We are both the eldest sons abandoned by our fathers."

"Envoy?" Cao Ang exclaimed, his eyes were a little flustered, and he turned around to close the tent door.

"There are no outsiders here, just the two of us." Yuan Tan grabbed Cao Ang and signaled that he didn't need to worry. "Zixiu, I know that you are benevolent and filial, and I can't bear to see such a thing. If Ling Zun was not forced to do so, he would not have made such a choice. How could I do that? ”

Cao Ang thought of Yuan Tan's difficulties, and thought about his own difficulties, and couldn't help but be full of sympathy for Yuan Tan. Although he and his father Cao Cao belonged to two camps, his father did not abandon him, but regarded him as a real husband and pinned the hope of the family's future on his shoulders. Yuan Tancai was abandoned by Yuan Shao, and even after abandoning him, he didn't forget to use him and let him fight against Zhu Jun.

Does Yuan Shao hope that Yuan Tan will defeat Zhu Jun and tear his face with the imperial court? Or do you hope that Yuan Tan will be defeated by Zhu Jun, or even killed, so that he will be spared future troubles?

The more Cao Ang thought about it, the more sad he became, but more for Yuan Tan. "Envoy, you don't have to think too much, maybe things are not what you think. The leader of the alliance may have high expectations for the envoy, which is why he entrusted Yanzhou to ......"

"I have been lamenting and sleeping, and I hope so." Yuan Tan shook his head with a wry smile, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a hand towel, and pulled Cao Ang to sit down on the seat. "Zixiu, if you feel embarrassed, I won't force you, you can leave Yanzhou at any time."

Cao Ang shook his hand again and again. "No, no, no, how could I leave the envoy, no."

"Really, not leaving?"

"I really don't go, I definitely don't go." Cao Ang raised his hand and swore. "If the Yuan Alliance Lord really can't tolerate the envoy, how can he tolerate me?"

"That's just as well." Yuan Tan smiled, his expression was sad, and the smile disappeared before he could show it. "Ling Zun was defeated and went to Nanyang, my father was indeed a little disappointed, if it weren't for that, he wouldn't let Liu Bei be the Taishou of Dongjun. Zixiu, since you don't leave, then we will fight side by side this time and compete with Sun Ce. Can you be confident? ”

"Let's deal with Sun Ce? What about Brother Zhang Chenliu? ”

"They are just forwards, bait to test Sun Ce, and the real winners and losers are still you and me." Yuan Tan pointed at Cao Ang and then at himself. Seeing Cao Ang's astonishment, he smiled and said, "What are you afraid of, our two eldest sons can't beat one of his eldest sons?" ”