It wasn't until the banquet was over that Yuan Tan saw his father.

Liu Bei's amount of wine is very good, even if he eats one cup after another, even if his face is red and his words are incoherent, he still speaks without leaking. On the contrary, it was Yuan Shao, who was very drunk, and went to the toilet in the middle and vomited.

The retinue with squinted eyes, Sun Gan, was also a master of the drinking field, not only quickly got into a fight with Yuan Shao's advisers, but also made the atmosphere very lively, saving his own lord a lot of trouble.

Several of Yuan Shao's strategists were not very friendly to Liu Bei, and they wanted to say a few words of ridicule, but they were all quietly blocked back by Liu Bei. All in all, the first time to wash the dust, between the guests and the host, the conversation was very pleasant.

"Father, this Liu Bei is just a down-and-out defector, why do you want to be so courteous to him?"

While everyone was leaving, Yuan Tan supported Yuan Shao, who was dizzy and blushing, and gently asked a question that had been hidden in his belly for a whole day.

Yuan Shao spat out a mouthful of wine, squinted at him, and said, "Xiansi, it's been two years since you arrived in Qingzhou, how is your situation recently?" How is Tarzan's Zang Ba now? ”

Yuan Tan heard his father ask about military politics, and immediately sat down straight and reported.

"At the beginning of June, a battle was fought in the north of Kaesong, killing 1,000 enemies, and Zang Ba retreated to Xiapi in a hurry. Later, we ran out of food and grass, so we had to retreat. Later, he fought a battle with Zhang Liao in the area of Dongpingling, killing 400 enemies, but neither side took advantage of it, and each retreated. Then in August, Sun Guan, Zang Ba's subordinate, was found south of Linzi, and he broke through by luck, and later chased him to Kaecheng and was rescued by Zang Ba. We had no choice but to withdraw because of the lack of food and grass. ”

"Stop!" Yuan Shao waved his hand and said, "Why is there always no food and grass?" ”

Yuan Tan's face turned red and said embarrassedly: "Qingzhou had a poor harvest last year, and the grain stock is limited......

Yuan Shaodao: "How is this year's harvest? ”

Yuan Tan's tone was stagnant, but his mind was blank.

Yuan Shao is so old-fashioned, he saw through his eldest son at a glance.

"Xiansi, my father has warned you a long time ago, to be a thorn in history, not to be a general, the battle must be fought, and the agricultural work cannot be left behind. Qingzhou is now full of wars, we must pay attention to rest with the people, there is no food, where are the soldiers? ”

Yuan Tan hurriedly bowed his head and said, "Yes." ”

Yuan Shao drank some wine, became excited, and gasped: "The family wealth that Kong Rong has accumulated in Linzi is probably almost squandered by you, right?" When a war is fought, it is actually food that is fought. Look at Gongsun Zhan, the cavalry is brave, but when you meet your father, isn't it defeated? Is it really for his father's army to fight to defeat him? In the battle of Yijing, I surrounded it with five times the number of troops and held out for five months. How much does the army cost? If I didn't have so much grain in Jizhou, do you think I could win this battle? ”

Yuan Tan was nervous, and the beads of sweat on his head dripped down.

Yuan Shao suddenly laughed as he spoke.

Yuan Tanqi said: "Why is my father smiling? ”

Yuan Shao said: "I suddenly remembered that Cao Mengde was leading the war everywhere, and he was a bit similar to you. A few days ago, Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou also wrote a letter to his father, Cao Cao sent his brother Cao Ren to Wancheng to start a war with Jingzhou. This Cao Apu, who has been competitive since he was a child, likes to fight, but he doesn't know the benefits of indisputability. He was indeed very effective, but the food he saved was used to defeat the enemy. When I wait until next year, he doesn't know how much military rations he can accumulate? ”

Yuan Tan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard him laugh at Cao Cao, and followed his father's words: "Yes, the two armies are decisive, and the military rations are indeed the first." ”

Yuan Shao said: "Do you know why I recruited Liu Bei? ”

Yuan Tan's heart sank, and he hurriedly said: "The child wants to hear about it." ”

Yuan Shao sighed, thinking that this eldest son's understanding was still a little worse.

"Liu Bei is the imperial uncle of the Han family."

Yuan Tan was stunned, thinking that the whole world knows about this matter, can the identity of an imperial uncle help us defeat Cao Cao? You must know that the Son of Heaven of the Han Dynasty is still in Cao Cao's hands, what is an imperial uncle? Besides, this imperial uncle was recognized not long ago.

Yuan Shao, like an ordinary father, earnestly guided: "Cao Cao holds the card of Emperor Han, crusading everywhere, driving tigers and devouring wolves, and there is no disadvantage. Within a few years, Lu Bu and Zhang Xiu's generation were all pacified. This year, your uncle Yuan Highway also died. ”

Yuan Tan's body was shocked, he knew the news that Yuan Shu was called emperor, but he was defeated so quickly, he really didn't expect it. When he was in Qingzhou, he also heard that Yuan Shu had lost Shouchun, but he didn't expect that by the time he arrived in Yecheng, Yuan Shu had already been defeated.

Yuan Shao smiled slightly and said: "Soon this news will be known to the whole world, and Cao Cao can't wait to let others know the consequences of claiming the emperor without authorization." Before he died, he also wanted to pass on the throne to me, and hand over the jade seal of the country to me, so that I could accept him. It's just stupid! Isn't it self-defeating to usurp the Han and claim the title of emperor at this juncture? ”

Yuan Tan scratched his head, he knew that Yuan Shao had already had the ambition to establish himself as an emperor, and he was not inferior to Yuan Shu, but now it sounded like a great loyal minister.

Yuan Shao sighed and said slowly: "But he can be regarded as seeing through Cao Cao's hole cards and pointing to his weakness." Liu Bei's loyal ministers in the Han family are just that, and Jiangdong Sun Ce's little boy actually sent troops to help, which is really cheap Cao Agui. ”

Yuan Tan said: "Yes, the Sun family is in Jiangdong, it is like an independent kingdom, and it does not respect the orders of the imperial court at all. Turning his head to deal with his uncle, he obviously intended it on the jade seal. ”

Yuan Shao said: "Now you know why I want to take Liu Xuande in, right?" Not only to take him in, but also to give him enough face. ”

Yuan Tan was stunned suddenly, it turned out that his father's intention was still on Cao Cao.

Yuan Shao smiled and said: "Although the war depends on the lives of the three armed forces, the matter on this table cannot be ignored. The so-called righteous have much help, and the unrighteous have little help. Uncle Liu Huang is a famous man in the world and has always been prestigious, and when he came to my side, in the eyes of others, the meaning is different. Ha ha. ”

Yuan Shao laughed heartily, and Yuan Tan also laughed a few words.

"The father is really scheming, and the child is ashamed of himself."

Yuan Shao stroked his back and said seriously: "Learn slowly, you can always learn." ”

This sentence was meaningful, which made Yuan Tan's heart excited. For a long time, the third brother Yuan Shang has done things skillfully and won the trust of his father, which makes Yuan Tan, who is the eldest son, very uncomfortable. Unexpectedly, his father's words at this time revealed another meaning.

"By the way, it's almost the end of the year, so you don't need to go back. I'll bring your two brothers back as well, and we'll all come and discuss the matter of going south. Qingzhou's affairs, you find a competent person to replace you temporarily. Remember, stop being proactive and recuperate. If you hit a rake in the east and a rake in the west, you can't solve the problem at all. Zang Ba and Zhang Liao sent troops to attack and harass, but they were not kind. ”

Yuan Tan's face turned red, he nodded hurriedly, and then asked: "Next year, Qingzhou's food and salary will be tight, I don't know ......."

He wanted to ask his father for some military rations, but when he was about to leave, he felt that it was inappropriate.

Yuan Shao said: "Looking for your third brother to go, he is in Nanpi, there should be surplus food." For the father's side, I have to prepare for the big war, and I can't spare my hands. ”

"Yes."

Although you have to be cheeky to find Yuan Shang, it is better than having no way. ...