As soon as Yuan Shang spoke, Cui Yan, who followed him here, was suddenly full of black lines.

Lu Bu did not send troops, and the Yuan family was qualified to question, but the same Yuan family did not send troops, and of course Lu Bu also had a reason to question.

According to Yuan Shang's statement, the alliance between the Yuan family and Lu Bu could not go too far.

Sure enough, as soon as Yuan Shang's words came out, Lu Bu asked him with a slight smile: "Dare to ask the Yuan family has many generals and neat armaments, has he sent troops to fight against Cao Cao?" ”

Yuan Shang was suddenly speechless when asked by Lu Bu.

Hebei Yuan Jia and Lu Bu are in alliance, since they can come to question why Lu Bu did not send troops, Lu Bu asked them a reason for not sending troops, of course, it is reasonable.

"Our Yuan family is waiting for General Lu to send troops." I really didn't know what to say, Yuan Shang said to Lu Bu: "As long as you send troops from your side, of course the Yuan family will not be left behind." ”

"I already said just now that there is a problem with the armor of the Xuzhou soldiers." Lu Bu replied: "If it weren't for the armor that couldn't be used, I would have sent troops to fight against Cao Cao a long time ago." Since Yuan Gong ordered Xianfu to come to Pengcheng, he also asked Xianfu to convey the difficulties here after returning to Yecheng. Since Yuan Gong and I have agreed to an alliance, we should support each other. I lack armor here, and presumably Yuan Gong will not sit idly by. ”

Lu Bu's words are reasonable, even Cui Yan can't find any fault.

Afraid that Yuan Shang would say something wrong again, Cui Yan asked Lu Bu: "Dare to ask the Marquis of Chu, how much armor do the soldiers in Xuzhou lack?" ”

"At least thirty thousand." Lu Bu replied: "I don't hide it from the two of you, the armor purchased in the army earlier was used by the villain to make a profit, all the armor is as thin as silk, and the soldiers wear it into battle, as if they are not wearing armor." Although Xuzhou is poor, I can't treat the lives of the soldiers as child's play. Kill the profiteers and those who profit from them, but there is no way to make up for the lack of armor. Recently, I've been trying to recreate the armor, but due to lack of manpower, it will take half a year to raise it completely......

"So, it will take half a year for General Lu Bu to crusade against Cao Cao?" The more Cui Yan was worried that Yuan Shang would say the wrong thing, the more Yuan Shang would talk.

His eyes fell on Yuan Shang's face, and Lu Bu replied: "How long I want to send troops is not actually up to me, but to see whether my alliance is true or false." If Yuan Gong is truly allied with me, he will definitely find a way to help me solve the armor matter. If Yuan Gong only wanted to obtain coal from Xuzhou through an alliance, this matter should be ignored. I am also a sincere person, and I will always say anything on the bright side. Since it is not a sincere alliance, it doesn't matter to me whether to crusade against Cao Cao or not. As long as Cao Cao can't break through Xuzhou and Yangzhou, I don't care how strong he is. As for coal, Hebei should not think that it can get even half a tael from Xuzhou! ”

Lu Bu's words were resolute, and Cui Yan also heard that he was not a threat, so he said: "General Lu doesn't need to be angry, some words are still suitable for sitting down and talking." The third prince and I came here, did the general just want us to stand outside the door and talk? ”

Cui Yan picked out Lu Bu's fault in the number of etiquette, and Lu Bu replied: "I was just in a hurry, and I actually forgot the number of etiquette, and please Xianfu and Cui Gong don't blame." ”

He stood sideways to the side and said to Yuan Shang and Cui Yan, "Please come into the front hall for a while." ”

Yuan Shang and Cui Yan entered the front hall accompanied by Lu Bu and Sun Ce.

Several people sat down separately, and Lu Bu said to Yuan Shang and Cui Yan: "Yuan Gong invited the two of you to come here to question me, which really made me very aggrieved. The enmity between me and Cao Cao must be very clear to the two of them. Since the First Battle of Xiapi, Cao Cao has always regarded me as a thorn in the flesh, and he has to uproot me! If I don't destroy Cao Cao, he will send troops to destroy me sooner or later. If you want to say that the most wanted to pacify Cao Cao in the world, except for me, I'm afraid there is no one else. ”

"What General Lu said is reasonable." Cui Yan replied: "Actually, Yuan Gong is also sincere in wanting to form an alliance with the general. In recent years, Cao Cao has grown too fast, and the Haoqiang in the Central Plains has been destroyed by him. If you sit back and watch the general be killed by Cao Cao, I am afraid that the life of the Yuan family will not be easy in the future. ”

"It's still Cui Gong who understands things." Lu Bu said: "Yuan Gong and I are actually cold-lipped. If Cao Cao destroys me, he will sit on several states, although the Yuan family is strong and strong, what are the chances of winning in the face of Cao Cao? ”

"Will our Yuan family still be afraid of Cao Cao?" Yuan Shang sneered and said, "If Cao Cao dares to send troops to Hebei, the Yuan family will definitely want him to look good!" ”

"Today's Yuan family's strength is indeed above Cao Cao." Lu Bu shook his head with a smile: "It's just that Xianfu didn't understand it, so he will be suppressed by the Yuan family, just because he didn't get Xuzhou, Yangzhou and other places." Once you get these places from me, dare to ask where the Yuan family's advantages are? ”

Yuan Shang still wanted to argue, but Cui Yan took over the conversation and said to Lu Bu: "What General Lu said is reasonable, in fact, I came to Pengcheng with the third prince to discuss with the general when to send troops to fight Cao Cao." Now Cao Cao's strength is too strong, and someone has to be able to restrain him. If he is allowed to continue like this, it will not take many years, but I am afraid that no one in the world will be his opponent. ”

"Cui Gong is right." Lu Bu replied: "Since the Yuan family has the intention to crusade against Cao Cao as soon as possible, I still have a reluctant request......

"General Lu wants armor, and the Yuan family doesn't have it ready-made." Cui Yan replied: "Why don't the general provide some coal to Hebei, wait until it is forged, and then send someone to the general?" ”

"If Cui Gong says so, I don't think there is any need to talk about it." Lu Bu shook his head with a smile and said to Cui Yan: "Since they are allies, each other should show some honesty. The Yuan family has many soldiers and horses, and armor is a standing thing, how can there be no inventory? ”

"Even if our Yuan family has the remaining armor, doesn't Xuzhou have it?" Yuan Shang interjected again without knowing whether he was alive or dead: "General Lu has been in Xuzhou for several years, and there should be a lot of armor left in the treasury." ”

"It seems that Xianfu really doesn't know what happened in Xuzhou." Lu Bu said that when Liu Xuande instigated Cao Cao to crusade against Xuzhou, I had already transferred all the armor in the treasury. Now that the treasury is empty, there is indeed not a single stock. Although the Yuan family has been fighting with Gongsun Chan for many years, except for a few times when they are at a disadvantage in the war, most of them are fighting against Gongsun Chan, and most of the armor left in the treasury is not used. Now that I have encountered a difficulty, I borrowed some armor from the Yuan family for use, and Xianfu has repeatedly ridiculed him, I don't know what the purpose is? ”

Lu Bu asked Yuan Shang again but didn't know how to respond, Cui Yan said: "The third prince didn't mean to ridicule General Lu, he just asked a question that seemed reasonable to ordinary people. ”

"It doesn't matter much to me whether it's reasonable or not." Lu Bu said: "What I really care about is that since it is my alliance, can Duke Yuan lend me 30,000 sets of armor?" ”

"With so many armors, not to mention me, even the third prince doesn't have such a big authority to make decisions." Cui Yan replied: "Why don't General Lu return to Pengcheng with me, and ask Yuan Gong ......."

"Cui Gong doesn't have to make such a big detour with me." Lu Bu interrupted Cui Yan and said to him, "If you are really sincere, you two can immediately send someone back to Yecheng and inform Yuan Benchu of the situation here." If there is no sincerity, even if the two of them return to Yecheng, they will not contribute to this matter. ”

Lu Bu poked through Cui Yan's dragging plan, which made him feel very embarrassed.

Yuan Shang and Cui Yan came to Pengcheng, saying that they wanted to question why Lu Bu did not send troops to fight Cao Cao, but in fact, the fundamental purpose was not here.

The most fundamental purpose of their coming over this time was nothing more than to ask Lu Bu for more coal.

As Lu Bu guessed, coal has a great role in forging steel.

Coke is extracted from coal, which is then used to forge steel, which increases the furnace temperature by a certain amount and makes the iron more tough.

The world is in turmoil, and heroes from all over the country are actively raising soldiers and horses and military supplies, although the Yuan family in Hebei has many people, how dare they slack off in this troubled world?

To Cui Yan's surprise, it was Yuan Shang who had a verbal conflict with Sun Ce when he came to Pengcheng, and when he saw Lu Bu, he also wanted to take the lead everywhere.

However, Sun Ce and Lu Bu were not easy to deal with, not only did they not let him get benefits in words, but they also dug a big hole for them.

Cui Yan had a feeling that Dakang was right in front of him, knowing that jumping into it would be a trap, but he had to jump helplessly.

Sitting opposite Lu Bu, Cui Yan's face showed embarrassment, and he didn't think about how to continue the topic.

Yuan Shang said at this time: "Cui Gong has already said just now, General Lu can send some coal to Yecheng first, and when our Yuan family creates a new armor, of course he will send some to Pengcheng." ”

"I've already said that the Yuan family's treasury is not without extra armor." Lu Bu interrupted Yuan Shang: "If the Yuan family is really sincere in forming an alliance with me, they should send the armor here first when they know that I have encountered difficulties." ”

Lu Bu stood up, as if he was unwilling to continue the topic: "The two of you have come from afar, and it must be hard along the way. I'll arrange for someone to entertain the two of you, and I've been so troubled by a lot of things these days that I'm not here to accompany you. ”

Lu Bu's face changed suddenly, Yuan Shang and Cui Yan didn't know what to do.

The two of them hurriedly stood up, and Yuan Shang, who had been trying to get a good deal in words, didn't speak, but Cui Yan said: "General Lu doesn't need to be angry, we can't be the master." It's better than this, and the third prince and I immediately sent someone back to ask Yuan Gong for instructions. If Duke Yuan agrees, ask him to transfer armor over ......"

"Please relay my words to Yuan Gong." Lu Bu said to the two of them: "If there is really a sincere alliance with me, our army lacks armor, so that it is impossible to send troops to fight Cao Cao in time, he should transfer 30,000 pairs of high-quality armor out of alliance feelings." Once the armor arrives, I will let people check it out, it is indeed fine armor, and I will send coal to Yecheng to help Yuan Gong forge better armor and weapons. ”

Dropping this sentence, Lu Bu went out directly.

Only Cui Yan and Yuan Shang were left in the room.

The two looked at each other very embarrassed, and Yuan Shang asked Cui Yan in a low voice, "Cui Gong, how is this good?" ”

"The third prince doesn't need to be in a hurry." Cui Yan lowered his voice and replied: "We came to Pengcheng for coal, Lu Bu wants 30,000 pairs of armor, and we can just take this opportunity to bargain with him." If he really gave us coal and 30,000 pairs of armor, the lord would not have taken it to heart. ”

"But I always feel like I've been blackmailed." Yuan Shang said with annoyance: "I came here to get coal from him. Unexpectedly, we haven't gotten the coal yet, but we have to give away 30,000 pairs of armor first. ”

"For Hebei, coal is much more important than 30,000 pairs of armor." Cui Yan said to Yuan Shang: "But the third prince must remember that from now on, don't ask for verbal benefits in front of Lu Bu and his subordinates." I don't think that Lu Bu and his men are on good terms. We are in Pengcheng, and we came here with the third son, so I have to keep the son well......"

"I don't need to be sure that Cui Gongbao is all about me." Yuan Shang replied: "Forgive that Lu Bu and his subordinates don't dare to do anything to me. It's just that what Cui Gong said is also reasonable, we are here for coal, and there is no need to ask for benefits from them in our tongues. ”

"Of course it's good that the third prince can understand." Cui Yan bowed and saluted Yuan Shang.

While the two were talking, a man walked in through the door.

After entering the front hall, the man bowed down and saluted Yuan Shang and Cui Yan: "Lu Su, under the command of the Marquis of Chu, has seen General Yuan and General Cui. ”

Lu Su is also a celebrity today, Lu Bu did not leave Sun Ce to receive them, but appointed Lu Su separately, which made Cui Yan feel a lot more at ease.

But all the famous people in the world should have heard of each other's names.

When Lu Su reported that he was out of the house, Cui Yan returned the salute and said: "I didn't expect it to be Lu Zijing who came to receive the third prince and me, and I have worked hard." ”

"Well said, well said." Lu Su replied: "Chu Hou has had a lot of affairs recently, and it is inevitable that he will be impetuous. When talking to the two of you, if your words are sharper, please ask the two Haihans. ”

"We also know Chu Hou's difficulties, of course we won't take it to heart." Cui Yan first responded, and then asked Lu Su: "Dare to ask Zijing, is there really a lack of armor in General Lu's army?" ”

Cui Yan lifted the armor, and Lu Su sighed and said, "Don't mention the armor in front of Chu Hou, two of you. On that day, it was found that most of the armor was of inferior quality, and the Marquis of Chu ordered the killing of countless profiteers and officials who profited from it. ”

After getting the definite news from Lu Su's mouth, and knowing that Lu Bubing did not fool them, Cui Yan and Yuan Shang glanced at each other and didn't say anything more.

"I've already prepared a place for you two." Lu Su said to the two of them: "Please also go with me, rest for a while, and talk to Chu Hou tomorrow if there is anything." ”

(End of chapter)