At noon, Tao Ying entertained the trial in Taoling Town. The fatigue of this journey made the judge a little tired, so Tao Ying asked the judge to go to the post house to rest.

After the trial went to rest, it was in the afternoon that Cao Chun returned from Pengcheng. At noon, Tao Ying asked Cao Chun to go to Pengcheng to invite Zhang Zhao and others to come to the meeting. Tao Ying wanted to do this idea of whether to take refuge in Yuan Shao before he woke up before the trial.

In the evening, Zhang Zhao and others arrived from Pengcheng in a carriage. After arriving, Tao Ying received a few of them in his study.

Tao Ying's study is not very big, it is the size of three rooms, it is full of books written by Tao Ying, and there are many papers on the table, Tao Ying has not had time to write.

Xiaohuan asked the servant to move a lot of chairs and put them in the study, and after everyone sat down, Tao Ying looked left and right, as if his right-hand men in Pengcheng were here.

This time it was more uniform than the last time it was gathered, and even Yu Ban rushed back from Huainan. Yu Ban, who came from Huainan, heard that Cao Chun had also surrendered to Tao Ying, and he was happy and ashamed in his heart.

I am happy that there is finally a person from the same background as myself in Pengcheng, although everyone doesn't talk about him, but from the heart, the people of Pengcheng still look down on their generals who surrendered from Yanzhou. Although Yu Ban and Cao Chun were very valued by Tao Ying, each of them gave them very high official positions.

Yu Ban is now the marshal of Pengcheng's soldiers and horses, and he has always been in charge of Pengcheng's soldiers and horses. Cao Chun is in charge of Tao Ying's personal guards, so he is the person Tao Ying trusts the most.

With a squeak, Tao Ying pushed the door open, and the room was immediately much quieter.

Sun Shao followed Tao Ying and walked in, and everyone in the room hurriedly got up and shouted, "I've seen the lord!" ”

Tao Ying nodded, and everyone sat back down. After Tao Ying sat down, he said, "I am in a hurry to invite you to come today, because I have something important to discuss." That's why I'm so anxious, Qingzhou sent a messenger today, Yuan Shao wants to recruit me, what do you think? ”

Everyone thought about it, and then they all looked at Zhang Zhao. Zhang Zhao has the most status among Tao Ying's ministers, so he doesn't speak, and others dare not speak.

Zhang Zhao stood up and said, "Lord, this matter still needs to be discussed. Yuan Shao is powerful, we can't refuse first, otherwise we will provoke Yuan Shao, which will not be good for us. ”

Zhang Zhao stood up and made a statement, and said sternly: "Lord, I think it's better to follow his wishes first." Now Huainan Yuan Shu is conquering everywhere, and his forces are also dominant. If we are attached to Yuan Shao, presumably Yuan Shu will also be afraid of three points, not to mention Yanzhou Cao Cao and the eldest prince. ”

Speaking of this question, Tao Ying thought about it, and it seemed that there was really a sense of this. What have you been looking for in the past few years? Isn't it just peaceful development? Then it is to produce more things, and then sell them elsewhere, if the relationship with the people around you is very stiff, and there is no place to buy these things that you produce yourself, do you have to use them yourself?

After saying it severely, Kong Rong was unwilling. Kong Rong stood up and said: "Yuan Shao's wolf ambition, the lord must not help the abuse!" What Kong Rong said is also reasonable, because he was originally a Taishou in Beihai and was a good man, but he was driven away by Yuan Tan.

He has changed from a national-level civil servant to a strategist of local forces, although in terms of treatment, Tao Ying gave him a higher salary, but his status is far from the same after all.

After Kong Rong finished speaking, Tao Ying was still silent.

Tao Ying looked at Chen Deng, and Chen Deng also got up and said: "Lord, our soil is not bordering Yuan Shao, if you take refuge, how can you take refuge?" Is it to abandon Peng Cheng and the lord to follow Yuan Shao, or what? ”

After Chen Deng finished speaking, Tao Ying suddenly sighed, it seems that he really underestimated Yuan Shao's influence. In his impression, he always felt that Yuan Shao was very weak, because of the battle of Guandu, he had several times his troops and Cao Cao, but he was still defeated by Cao Cao.

But he didn't want to hear that Yuan Shao's army was going south on the eve of the Battle of Guandu, and even countless generals under Cao Cao secretly fornicated with Yuan Shao and prepared to take refuge. The people of the entire Yanzhou are panicked, and there are countless people who want to surrender.

Even Cao Cao, who brutally murdered, was afraid, and in the end, in order to stabilize the morale of the army, he had to burn the letters of those generals who fornicated with Yuan Shao in public, so as to solve their worries.

Compared with Yuan Shao of the fourth and third dukes, Tao Ying occupies a city, the place is small, and it is in the land of the four wars, Yuan Shao personally threw an olive branch, and everyone felt that Tao Ying had no reason to refuse.

Speaking of returning to Shun, let yourself abandon Pengcheng and go to Jizhou, Tao should be killed. Pengcheng is his hometown, and his dream is to build his hometown.

"I won't go to Jizhou, Pengcheng is my foundation."

Tao Ying spoke, and the room fell silent again.

Yu Ban stood up and asked, "Lord, Yuan Shao must have come this time to salute first and then soldier." Now that Yuan Tan has broken through Qingzhou, he must have come this time to make the lord and the eldest prince disagree, and when he has gained a firm foothold in Qingzhou, he will definitely wave his troops south, and Xuzhou will not be guaranteed at that time! ”

After Yu Ban finished speaking, Tao Ying looked at Cao Chun, Cao Chun didn't want to speak, but since Tao Ying signaled him to say, Cao Chun could only bite the bullet and say: "Yuan Shao came here this time, just to use the lord to contain Cao Gong of Yanzhou." Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan competed for Youzhou, Yuan Shao did not dare to fight on both sides, and was afraid that Cao Cao would attack his rear, so he wanted to form an alliance with the lord. He knew that the lord and Cao Gong did not agree, so he allied with the lord and made Cao Gong dare not go north. ”

After Cao Chun finished speaking, Tao Ying nodded. What Yu Ban and Cao Chun said is undoubtedly correct. Tao Ying looked at Wang Xiu again, and Wang Xiu was speechless. Tao Ying turned his head again and asked Sun Shao beside him, Sun Shao was a civil servant and was not good at military affairs, so he shook his head helplessly.

The ministers always did not want to fight, they demanded peace. Generals always look forward to war, because if they don't fight, how can they make achievements? Their merits were all earned in exchange for countless lives and blood donations, so they often saw things differently from Wenchen.

"Ask Zhang Zhao about internal affairs, who can I ask about foreign affairs?"

Tao Ying felt a little emotional.

Seeing that Tao Ying had something on his mind, Zhang Zhao persuaded again: "Lord, don't be an enemy of Yuan Shao." Now that Yuan Shao is willing to accept the lord, why not vote? Now Pengcheng is surrounded by enemies, even the eldest prince wants to use troops against the lord, if the eldest prince and Yuan Shu and Cao Cao form an alliance, my Pengcheng is not a turtle in the urn! ”

Tao Ying thought about it, and what Zhang Zhao said also made sense.

But surrendering Yuan Shao will definitely not work, just when Tao Ying is in a dilemma, at this time Sun Shao hurriedly said: "Since Lord Zhang advocates taking refuge, and General Yu and General Cao say that this is a conspiracy. In my opinion, this is just a mutual use! ”

Speaking of mutual use, Tao Ying's eyes lit up. yes, isn't that just mutual use? Yuan Shao had no time to go south, so he wanted to unite the people next to his enemies to make an appointment with his neighbors. But what about yourself, why don't you be confused by your neighbors?