In the conference hall, Chen Deng and Mi Zhu paced back and forth with a lot of concern, seeing that the big things could be expected, who would have thought that the gate of Xuzhou City had been closed today, and suddenly it disrupted their established plan, the two of them never believed that Xuzhou City was really arresting any spies, Cao Bao did this, to put it bluntly, the pottery merchant did not want to see Liu Lan enter Xuzhou City, but Xuzhou City Pass can be closed for one day, and it can be closed for two days, but what about the third day? How could he be a potter and shut up the city of Xuzhou for three days.

Therefore, the two knew very well what the potter wanted to do, and the two could imagine that when the city gate was opened again, Xuzhou might have reached the hands of the potter, and even if Liu Lan entered the city, it would be useless.

Chen Deng's face was filled with a helpless wry smile, he expected that the Tao Chamber of Commerce would make things difficult for Liu Lan and would not let him come to Xuzhou as he wished, so he came up with a plan to hide from the world and cross the sea, so as to control Liu Lan, but who would have thought that at the last moment, Liu Lan came to Li Dai Tao stiff again, which made him glad that he was able to give up the established plan, but also worried about the situation in front of him.

He wanted the fake Liu Lan to go to see Tao Qian, but if the news leaked slightly, and Tao Qian knew that it was not Liu Lan, what would Tao Qian think? With Tao Qian's character, Chen Deng will know without thinking about it, he will inevitably think that his father is the obstacle, not to mention that Liu Lan will fall short when he takes charge of Xuzhou, and even the Chen family will suffer a catastrophe.

And Mi Zhu on the side is more clear than Chen Deng, he vaguely heard Liu Lan say that there is a fine work sent by a potter next to him, as for why he did this trick to hide the world and cross the sea, he doesn't know much, but he can guess that the reason why he will be suspicious is definitely to play that fine work. In order to confuse the potters and achieve their own goals.

But to be confused is to confuse the opponent. But he was accused outside the city, and Mi Zhu was extremely worried at this time. glanced at Chen Deng, who was pacing, sighed, and said, "Yuanlong, why don't we go back now to gather the generals, seize the city gate first, and welcome Liu Zhijun into the city?" ”

Chen Deng was taken aback, and looked at Mi Zhu in shock, this is almost equivalent to rebellion, there is no good fruit if it succeeds. Failure is not a good result, this person would say such stupid words, I don't know what he thinks, or he was lost by the bad situation in front of him, and was about to refuse, but he said again: "Now Xu Chu has three thousand elite guards in his hands, and I can gather five thousand family members, so it will be eight thousand, and then Yuanlong will come out with another five thousand." Don't say that it is the city gate, even the Danyang army with Cao Bao can fight high. ”

"No."

Chen Deng categorically rejected Mi Zhu's slightly tempting proposal, and said: "In this way, not only will Deran Gong fall to the mouth of forcibly seizing Xuzhou, but also make the Danyang army famous." Once we really start with the Danyang army, we can have a few percent chance of winning, and if we can't control Xuzhou, we will be quickly suppressed by Cao Bao. You said that with his person, he will inevitably use thunderous means to eradicate the forces of you and me in Xuzhou City first. By then, it will be too late to regret it. Although Chen Deng said this, what he was really worried about was his father Chen Qi, who had always been committed to the city.

Mi Zhu's expression darkened: "I can't fight again." The light will not wait for the Xuzhou city gate to open by itself. At the end, he said helplessly: "Could it be that we can only sit here?" ”

At this moment, I heard a sudden voice from outside the house, saying, "Childe, General Xu asks to see you." ”

Chen Deng and Mi Zhu glanced at each other and said in unison: "Why is he here?" Looking at each other and smiling bitterly, Mi Zhu said, "I don't know what he's here for." Looking at the other party with such a tacit understanding, Chen Deng also smiled bitterly and said, "Go see him first and see what he wants to do." ”

The two walked out of the house together, the sky was just bright, the fog was extremely heavy, and the scene was a hundred steps away, and the two of them turned around several corridors under the lighting of several wind lanterns, and came to Xu Chu's residence, only to see that a group of Liu Lan's personal guards were gathering not far away, and the first two were not the fake Liu Lan and Xu Chu.

The two of them walked quickly in front of Xu Chu, pointed to the assembled personal soldiers, and said, "General Xu, what do you want?" ”

Xu Chu said angrily: "My lord has a tip, let me take 'him' to see Tao Xuzhou." As he spoke, he pointed to the fake 'Liu Lan' beside him.

"No." Chen Deng's face was ugly, and he flatly refused: "If his identity is discovered by Tao Qian, wouldn't it be a big deal?" ”

"Yes." Mi Zhu nodded on the side and agreed, and said: "What Yuan Long said is right, according to my opinion, General Xu still waits for a while, although the city gate is open for half an hour later than usual, maybe it is just because of the fog, after the fog dissipates, the city gate may not be opened, even if it is really not opened, as long as Deran Gong can arrive at the city of Xuzhou in time, and there is a Tao envoy Jun hand, Zuo Lu may not dare not open the city gate." ”

Xu Chu shook his head, secretive, and said: "You don't have to worry so much, imagine if Tao Xuzhou is suspicious, as long as I am by my side, and there are two gentlemen as a guarantee, do you think Tao Xuzhou will still be suspicious?" At that time, Tao Xuzhou will believe it even if he has some doubts, and then when we get the tiger talisman, we will control the city gate with the power of thunder, and welcome my lord into the city, and the two of them will say that Xuzhou is not in control. ”

The eyes of the two lit up, the two had been ignoring Xu Chu before, he was Liu Lan's personal tiger guard, how could he doubt Liu Lan's identity when he saw him Tao Qian, and immediately Chen Deng laughed and said: "General Xu is right, let's go to the State Pastoral Mansion." ”

"Yes, yes, go now, it can't be too late." Mi Zhu also reacted in an instant.

A few people did not stay, immediately went to the governor's mansion, in front of the mansion to leave three thousand guards dressed as family members, a group of four people through the corridor to Tao Qian's room, only to see that the little girl who had been serving Tao Qian was waiting outside the house, the steward came to his side, and said: "I still hope to pass through, just say that Liu Deran and Mi Beijia and Chen Xiaowei want to see." ”

Lu Jin glanced at him meaningfully, then turned around and walked into the room, and after a while, he saw Lu Jin come out of the house and said in a low voice: "Master, please enter the room." ”

A group of four people walked into the house, and the steward outside the house whispered to Lu Jin, "Miss Lu Jin go and inform the young master, I am watching here." ”

Midori nodded and turned away.

Inside the house.

Watching a few people enter the house, Tao Qian's cloudy eyes suddenly stopped on Liu Lan, and his face like gold paper turned red in vain. Struggling to sit up, he said, "Deran." You're finally here. ”

Liu Lan stepped forward and helped Tao Qian to sit next to the bed, looking skinny. The old man with dizzy eyes and no thoughts, where is he still in good spirits a few months ago, he can't help but sigh in his heart, this is really sick like a mountain, looking at the situation in front of him, he is afraid that he has already reached the point where the oil has run out, and the reason why he holds on to his last breath may be to see his last face.

Liu Lan, who helped Tao Qian, comforted the old man and said, "Tao Gong." It's only been a long time, and you're sick like this, but you must take care of your health. Liu Lan said earnestly, but Tao Qian sighed in his heart, and said with a wry smile: "When you are old, this disease will be difficult to get better, the old man knows that my time is approaching, otherwise I will not invite you to see Deran." ”

"Tao Gong must not say that. If you want to open some, as long as you recuperate with peace of mind, don't say that you will live this year, that is, you will live for another ten or twenty years. It's not difficult, then the boy will congratulate Tao Gong on his old age. ”

"Haha." Tao Qian suddenly burst out laughing, and his face became even more ruddy. But then it was followed by a violent cough. Liu Lan gently patted Tao Qian's back to ease him. The effect was visible, and after a while the old man's coughing stopped. Tao Qian opened his mouth again and said, "The old man doesn't dare to think that he can live to the age of old age. At the end of the speech, he waved his hand weakly and said: "Let's not talk about these for the time being, I recruited Deran to come for Xuzhou." ”

"Tao Gong's intention is understood, but why should Tao Gong be like this, the eldest son and the second son are all the best choices, why should Tao Gong be a unique boy?"

"Moti, that rebel and Ying'er."

A hint of resentment flashed in Tao Qian's eyes, but he disappeared in an instant, and said: "If you are not Deran, you can't settle down in this state, if you let the two of you take charge of Xuzhou, sooner or later Xuzhou will be ruined, and there will be no one left." ”

"Tao Gong, it's not that Deran doesn't know the difficulties of Xuzhou, I'm afraid that even if I can really master Xuzhou, it will be difficult to go to prison in Xuzhou." Liu Lan said worriedly: "There is Zhenrong in the south of Xu, Zang Ba in the north, Cao Bao in the inside, not to mention Cao Cao and Yuan Shu outside. ”

Tao Qian waved his hand with difficulty, his voice was hoarse, and said: "Since ancient times, the art of emperors is just the word check and balance, and De Ran may understand the deep meaning?" ”

"Lan has some enlightenment."

"The three thieves you mentioned, although they are the heart of Xuzhou, are not to be worried. If you talk about it in detail, it's not that the old man can't move them, but that the old man deliberately keeps the three of them, do you know why the old man did this? ”

"Please advise."

Tao Qian looked at Liu Lan meaningfully and said, "This is called checks and balances, if there is no restraint, De Ran thinks you can still come here to see me?" Can you still sit in Xuzhou? If there is no Cao Bao, do you think Zang Ba will be at ease only in Langya County? If there is no Zangba? Will Cao Bao sit back and watch Zhenrong go south to Guangling? At the end of the sentence, the corners of his mouth had already hooked up a rather proud arc, and said: "So this is the art of checks and balances, only by letting them contain each other, they can't make waves." After speaking, his right hand trembled and took out a tiger talisman from a dark compartment on the bed behind him, held it with both hands, and carefully handed it to Liu Lan, saying: "Although this tiger talisman has little effect, it is also the old man's life-saving thing, although he can't command the Danyang army, but the old man's three thousand guards only recognize it, not people, does De Ran understand what I mean?" ”

"Tao Gong is asking me to control these three thousand guards?" Liu Lan blurted out.

"Huh." Tao Qian shook his head and said: "You are wrong, three thousand people are actually useless to the situation, but in Xuzhou today, he has become the key to breaking the deadlock, no matter who has it, who can get Xuzhou, the same Deran You have him, and if you want to deal with the three tigers of Xuzhou, it will be simple." ”

Liu Lan's eyes lit up in vain, although Tao Qian seemed to be talking about the three thousand guards, but the three thousand guards were not worth mentioning at all, as Jean said, but his extraneous meaning made Liu Lan have to pay attention to it, humbly asked, and said: "But I don't know where to break the deadlock first." ”

"Guangling, Langxie."

Tao Qian closed his eyes, muttered to himself, and said: "Cao Cao is here, only these two counties have not been plundered, Guangling Road is far away, and Langya has Zangba, so Deran must control these two places first, and expand the army with the grain and grass in the county, so as to have the strength to encroach on the surroundings." ”

"De Ran remember, thank you Tao Gong for teaching." Liu Lan got up and bowed respectfully.

Tao Qian shook his head disappreciatively and said, "Remember, gentleman, hide the weapon in your body!! A sentence with profound meaning can be described as Tao Qian's philosophy of establishing the world, if it were not for this, how could he have today? admonished, and said: "De Ran, some things are easy to urgent, but some things need to be delayed, just like that Cao Leopard, I know that De Ran has an enmity with him, but sometimes he kills people, but he doesn't need to do it himself." As he spoke, he looked to the south and said, "I think he is happy to have a showdown with his old rival in Guangling." ”

Tao Qian and Liu Lan's answer made Mi Zhu and Chen Deng on the side surprised, if the person in front of him was Liu Lan, he would not be surprised, but after all, the person in front of him was a fake Liu Deran, which inevitably made them sigh again and again, but they didn't expect that the fake Liu Lan could also answer Tao Qian fluently, and at the same time, he could not be humble or arrogant, just this point The fake Liu Lan in front of him made the two look at each other differently.

Despite this, Chen Deng still had a trace of doubt in his heart, looking at Liu Lan's back, he secretly said in his heart that it was either Liu Deran in front of him

Thinking of this, an indescribable look flashed in front of his eyes, could it be that Liu Lan heard something? So you are hiding yourself from it?

Secretly looked at Mi Zhu, and saw that he looked surprised, where is the way he knows the truth, if Liu Lan has the intention to hide it from me, Mi Zhu will definitely know the inside story, seeing that Mi Zhu and himself are generally kept in the dark by him, there is only one possibility, that is, Liu Lan hid the two of them together.

Thinking of this, Chen Deng was not unhappy with Liu Lan's concealment, but also concealed Mi Zhu from him, and exhaled from the bottom of his heart, as if a boulder had finally landed, and this result reassured him a lot.

At this moment, I heard a noise outside the house, and then I saw a person break into the door, sneered and said: "Father, this person is not Liu Lan, it's just that Mi Zhu and Chen Deng found a person who looks like Liu Lan to deceive their father in order to seize Xuzhou." ”

The two who were talking looked at the door that was suddenly pushed open, who else could be besides the pottery merchant who was making a noise in front of the door, when he said that Liu Lan's identity was not true, the latter immediately got up, laughed at him and said: "Tao Gongzi, you say I am not Liu Lan?" So who else in this world can be the real Liu Lan? Tao Gongzi, I think it's better for you not to talk nonsense here, if outsiders hear it, they may not think that you are crazy! (To be continued.) )