Only a month and a half later, Yuan Shao's plan of discord was a great success.

Under the desperate persuasion of Yuan Shao's envoys Xun Chen and Guo Tu, he easily believed in Yuan Shao's many promises, and soon issued an order to conscript troops and collect grain and grass for wintering in the name of the state capital, and at the same time united with the four attached tribes of 10,000 people, such as Wuhuan and Xianbei, to stop providing horses, cattle, sheep and furs to Gongsun Zhan, cut off the connection between Gongsun Chan and Liaoxi and Liaodong County, and announced that all iron ore mines in Yuyang and Youbeiping would be returned to the state capital.

Liu Yu's actions were tantamount to drawing salaries from the bottom of the kettle, and in the blink of an eye, Gongsun Zhan, who did not have any legal official position, was squeezed to the opposite side of the entire Youzhou.

The four attached Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes have always had a grudge against Gongsun Zhan, who has always been tough against foreign races, and after getting Liu Yu's support, they immediately prepared to move, gathered tens of thousands of cavalry, and constantly roamed behind Gongsun Zhan's army, forcing Gongsun Zhan, who was suffering from the enemy on his back, to shrink his forces and plan a countermeasure day and night.

At this time, the important ministers who supported Yuan Shao in the Chang'an court moved Li Dao and Guo Yan, who controlled the government, and sent the respected imperial servant Zhao Qi and Taifu Ma Riyan out of Kanto to Yecheng, and then went north to Anguo (now southeast of Anguo County, Hebei Province) to meet Gongsun Zhan, and make every effort to mediate the war between Gongsun Chan and Yuan Shao.

Gongsun Zhan, who was forced by Liu Yu to retreat, and his subordinate Wenwu discussed and agreed to stop the war and withdraw their troops, but asked Yuan Shao's army to withdraw first.

Yuan Shao, who was fighting with the Yellow Turban Army of Montenegro in the western part of Wei County, was overjoyed to receive the news from Zhao Qi and Ma Riyan, and immediately withdrew all the 60,000 troops deployed on the south bank of the Yishui River to the south, so that Gongsun Zhan, who had no worries, could attack Liu Yu.

Gongsun Chan saw Yuan Shao withdraw his troops. Safely lead the army to evacuate the north bank of Yishui. The majestic traversed Yuyang County, where Liu Yu was heavily armed. He went to Youbeiping, the old nest, and then immediately expelled all the officials of Youbeiping and Liaoxi County appointed by Liu Yu, and hoarded grain and grass through gritted teeth, in preparation for the expulsion of Liu Yu to occupy the entire Youzhou.

Gongsun Zhan's other Sima, Changshan State Minister Liu Bei did not follow the army to retreat north, but led 8,000 cavalry to defend the Yuanshi City of Changshan Zhizhi on the grounds of "attacking and suppressing the Yellow Turban of Montenegro to recover the lost territory". Liu Bei was so frightened that he closed the city gate, gathered 30,000 people in the city to climb the city wall, and waited for it.

The Jizhou Army, which continued to advance westward, had no intention of attacking Yuanshi City at all, but just bypassed the outside of Yuanshi City and rushed straight to Shangai (now Xincheng Village, Zhangzhuang Town, Shanxi) in the west, the old nest of the Yellow Turban Army in Montenegro, echoing with Yuan Shao's army on the southern front and launching a large-scale autumn offensive against the Yellow Turban in Montenegro.

On 18 September, the angels Zhao Qi and Ma Riyan, who had completed the war mediation, arrived in Linzi and were warmly received by Liu Ye, the Qingzhou pastor, and hundreds of civil and military officials.

During the banquet. Seventy-four-year-old Zhao Qi didn't see the shadows of Liu Cun and Gongsun Pei and others, so he grabbed Liu Ye nervously and asked.

It was learned that Liu Cun was preparing for the autumn harvest with the people in Bohai County at this time. Gongsun Pei went to Langya County to welcome his mother, wife and children back to his hometown Zou Ping'an, and Zhao Qi immediately understood that Liu Cun was annoyed.

After the banquet and entered the inner room, Zhao Qi took Liu Ye and Guoyuan's hands, and told Liu Ye and Guoyuan with great guilt: "I'm sorry for General Zijian, I wanted to make a special trip to ask General Zijian, but he didn't even give him a chance to meet!" ”

Ma Riyan, the nephew of the great Confucian Ma Rong, was even more sad, and he took out the letter that Huang Wan asked him to forward to Liu Cun: "Ziyang, this is the handwritten letter that Lord Ziyan told General Zijian to hand over to General Zijian before he died. ”

Liu Ye and Guoyuan were taken aback: "What's wrong with Lord Ziyan?" ”

Ma Riyan reported bitterly: "Because of the opposition to the two thieves Li Dao and Guo Yan to hold the saint hostage to grasp the government, Lord Ziyan was thrown into prison by the two thieves and died of illness soon after. ”

"Then there was Lord Cai Yong who died in prison, because after Dong Zhuo was beheaded, he went to cry for Dong Zhuo in a daze, and wanted to collect Dong Zhuo's body, but he was imprisoned by the angry Lord Situ Wang, and soon died of depression."

"What's even more sad is that on the day that Lord Cai Yong's daughter Wen Ji went to the suburbs to bury her father, she was suddenly robbed by a strongman from nowhere, and her whereabouts are still unknown, alas!"

Liu Ye was suddenly grief-stricken, and Guoyuan, whose eyes were red, took the letter from Liu Ye's hand, saluted Zhao Qi and Ma Riyan and left silently.

Ma Riyan helped the tearful Liu Ye to sit down on the couch, knelt in front of Liu Ye, and said regretfully: "Lord Ziyan was not released until he died, before he closed his eyes, I and Lord Zhao, Lord Wen Xian (Yang Biaozi) and more than a dozen colleagues in the DPRK and China stayed by Lord Ziyan's side, he never forgot the safety of the saint, said with tears that he was wrong, regretted not listening to General Zijian's advice, if you trust General Zijian and adopt General Zijian's strategy, the situation will never be corrosive, and the Holy Lord and the court will not be repeatedly hijacked by traitors, alas... …”

Zhao Qi sat down in front of Liu Ye slowly, wiped away his old tears, and asked in a low voice: "Ziyang, do you think General Zijian will take care of the saint?" Will you take care of our useless old ministers? ”

Liu Ye, whose eyes were red and swollen, was stunned for a long time, suddenly got up, ran to the door in a few steps and shouted to prepare the car, turned back, helped Zhao Qi and Ma Riyan, and asked excitedly: "Liu Ye just wants to ask the two seniors, have the saints and the ministers of the court figured it out?" ”

Zhao Qi's tears welled up again, and he raised his big sleeves to cover his face and nodded frequently.

Ma Riyan also cried: "Last year, my colleagues in the DPRK and China and the saints pinned their hopes on Yizhou Mu Liu Yan and Jingzhou Mu Liu Biao, so they didn't tell the truth to the tributary officials sent by Qingzhou and Langya, and they failed General Zijian's sincere heart!" ”

Zhao Qi and Liu Ye were heartbroken, and Ma Riyan then cried: "A few days after your tributary team left Chang'an, news came from Hanzhong...... Liu Yan actually killed the waiter sent by the Holy Lord to ask for help, burned the plank road, and blocked the Shu Pass ......"

"The saint and the courtiers were terrified, and turned to the emperor Liu Biao, who ruled the seven counties of Jingzhou, to be stable and prosperous, who knew that Liu Biao ignored the secret envoy sent by the saint, and was unwilling to send troops to welcome the saint back to Luoyang and reorganize the dynasty, so far the saint and the courtiers were completely desperate, and finally remembered the bitter advice of the tributary ministers of Qingzhou and Langya."

"Thinking of General Zijian's loyalty to the emperor in the past seven years, and his respectful worship to the imperial court, he cried bitterly in remorse, and even the young saint cried and said that he had no shame to face the brave and loyal imperial uncle!"

Liu Ye wiped away his tears and raised his head, and complained bitterly: "In the past two years, my brother Zijian has repeatedly asked the courtiers and the saint to temporarily move to Qingzhou, and wait for us to find the opportunity to control Luoyang and repair the ruined Luoyang before going back, but everyone would rather live under the authority of Dong Thief, but no one is willing to accept my brother's kindness, and I am afraid that my brother will plot something against everyone. ”

"After Dong Zhuo's death, the junior and elder brother sent a secret envoy to Chang'an again to plead, but everyone just didn't want to come to Qingzhou, and the last chance to save the saint from the sea of suffering was lost!"

"Right now, Li Dao and Guo Yan have lost their hearts, and heavy troops have gathered inside and outside Chang'an, blocking the water and land arteries entering Guanzhong, and forcing the highly respected ministers of the DPRK to death and fleeing, even if I want to pay tribute, I can't get to Chang'an, let alone send troops to rescue the driver......"

"From Qingzhou to Guanzhong, thousands of miles away, without 100,000 male soldiers, without a year's grain and grass reserves and national mobilization, there is no way to enter Chang'an City!"

Zhao Qi was extremely depressed, as if he had suddenly aged ten years old, his eyes were red and his face was full of sorrow, and he let Liu Ye and Ma Riyan help him out of the house, boarded the carriage, and drove out of the west gate of Linzi still did not come out of regret and grief. (To be continued......)