"Why did you make peace with Yuan Shu in private? Why did you let Yuan Shu lead his army across the river? I said, Grand Master Liu, in the covenant I signed with your father, did it stipulate that our army should not make peace with Yuan Shu alone? And that treaty said that our army must wipe out Yuan Shupifu north of the Yangtze River? Master Liu, why don't you listen to it, what did the soldiers of our army look like when they were exhausted? What is the extent to which the reserves of munitions and baggage have been empty and in short supply? Is it capable of exterminating Yuan Shu north of the Yangtze River? ”

In the face of Liu Xuan's eldest son Liu Ji and Liu Dagongzi's questioning, our Deputy Director Tao of course had a yawning and lazy expression, and used a series of rhetorical questions to ask poor Liu Dagongzi with bruises on his forehead, and at the same time he was speechless. Appreciating the angry and helpless expression of the eldest prince Liu, our deputy director Tao smiled mildly: "Besides, Yuan Shu's team was able to cross the river smoothly and defeat your army in the Yangtze River water battle, it seems that your army's responsibility is greater, right?" At the beginning of Liyang Wharf, if your army did not retreat on its own in order to preserve its strength, but worked together with our army to annihilate Chen Fen's sailor at Liyang Wharf, could there be these things later? ”

Poor Liu Ji Gongzi was speechless, but this can't be blamed on Liu Jigongzi's poor eloquence, but Liu Ji's army did not do a good job in the Battle of Liyang, as long as he persisted, he could annihilate or severely damage the Huainan Water Division, Liu Miao chose to lead the army to retreat in order to preserve his strength, and gave way to the retreat channel of the Huainan Water Division, which eventually led to the Huainan Water Division to abandon the dry village and retreat to the Lujiang River from the waterway.

After being embarrassed for a moment, Liu Ji could only change the topic and said: "Envoy, my father sent me to meet the envoy because I wanted to talk to the envoy about renewing the covenant. For the sake of the common interests and friendly coexistence of your and our armies, my father hopes to revise the previous covenant with the envoy, and continue to join forces with your army to crusade against the Yuan Shu rebels, until the Yuan Shu rebels are completely eradicated! The two armies of your and us join forces for mutual benefit and mutual assistance, which will benefit the envoy without any harm, and I hope that the envoy will promise. ”

"Revise the covenant and continue to join forces? That's a good thing, of course no problem, I promised. Deputy Director Tao agreed, and said: "But you have to wait a little, Yuan Shu still has a group of rear troops and grain and grass baggage in the mouth of the water did not have time to cross the river, we must wait for this batch of rear troops to cross the Yangtze River, our army can modify the alliance with your army and continue to join forces to crusade against Yuan Shu - I once promised Yuan Shu that before he led the army across the Yangtze River, he would never send troops to attack his team, a gentleman's word, horses are difficult to chase, and you have to be a man with credit, Liu Ji Gongzi, do you say?" ”

Poor Liu Ji Gongzi was completely dizzy, and wanted to scold, but he didn't have the courage to find a reason to scold, and he didn't have the courage to pounce and fight with Deputy Director Tao, so he could only close his mouth with a blushing face, and grit his teeth creaked. Deputy Director Tao was not interested in entanglement with Liu Ji, and said with a yawn: "There should be a lot of military and political affairs to be handled, if Liu Ji Gongzi has nothing else to do, please go and rest first." Come on, please invite the eldest son of Liu Ji to rest in the pavilion, and entertain him, don't slack off. ”

The left and right guards agreed, and stepped forward to invite Liu Ji to leave, Liu Ji was even more angry, and simply bowed his hand to Tao Yingyi and said: "Thank you for your kindness, but I am still in a hurry to return to Jiangdong to report this matter to my father, so I won't bother and leave." ”

After that, Liu Ji turned around and left, angrily walked out of the hall, led the entourage team and left Shucheng, which had fallen into the clutches of the Xuzhou army, and returned to Jiangdong on the same day, Tao Ying did not stay, and looked at Liu Ji's back and sneered, and finally simply spit on the villain, "Phew! Do it yourself! People who want to take advantage of Lao Tzu still want to have a good end? ”

"My lord doesn't have to be like this." Liu Ye on the side persuaded: "Although Liu Xiangpifu is not afraid, our army's foothold in Huainan is not stable, the Huai people have not yet returned to their hearts, and the people's hearts are still in turmoil. For Liu Xiangpifu, it is also best to adopt the means of enveloping and appeasing, even if you can't be friends with him, you don't have to be an enemy with him. ”

"It doesn't matter, even if Liu Miao has the heart to embarrass our army, he must pass the Yuan Shu level first." Deputy Director Tao waved his hand confidently, and said: "Besides, the contradiction between me and Liu Miao this time is irreconcilable, if I agree to Liu Xuan's condition to send troops to the mouth, and betrayal will be scolded by the world, it may also lead to Yuan Shu being unable to balance each other with Liu Xuan after crossing the river, so this time I can only offend Liu Xuan once." ”

Liu Miao is just a new lackey in the end, and he is notoriously sleek and well-behaved, and he doesn't dare to be as outspoken as Lu Su and Jia Xu, so although he feels that Deputy Director Tao's move may not be completely appropriate, he didn't continue to insist, but just obediently shut his mouth. Tao Ying said again: "The only thing I'm worried about now is Liu Biao's side, although Liu Biao is just a gatekeeper, but his Jingzhou army is our strongest neighbor on the southern front, if we can't properly handle the relationship with him, then there will be real trouble." Yuan Fang has been gone for so long and there is no news, I am really a little worried. ”

"Ye doesn't think it's a big problem." Liu Ye was relieved: "Although there is no news from Chen Yuanfang's envoy to Jingzhou, and the Jingzhou army has not evacuated Zongyang, Liu Pan has also tried his best to restrain the team from clashing with our army. ”

"I hope so." Deputy Director Tao, who has always been very smart with a crow's mouth, did not pack a ticket this time, and frowned again: "I always have a very bad premonition, I'm afraid there will be some stories between us and Jingzhou." ”

Deputy Director Tao's crow's mouth this time finally did not come true, sent away Liu Ji on the morning of the sixth day, the Xuzhou military lord Bo Chen Ying who sent Jingzhou finally returned to Shucheng, and it was also under the protection of Liu Biaojun's team from Xiangyang directly to Zongyang by boat, all the way to Zongyang, from Xiangyang to Zongyang only five days away, Tao Ying was overjoyed after receiving the news, not only personally went out of the city to meet Chen Ying, but also asked Chen Ying as soon as they met: "Yuan Fang, how is the situation?" ”

"Thanks to the lord Hongfu, this time he finally fulfilled his mission and successfully ran the messenger of the main bus generation." Chen Ying replied excitedly: "After seeing Jingsheng Gong, and showing Jingsheng Gong Liu Pan and Huang Shot's repeated harshness to our army, as well as Yuan's original attitude towards the Huainan War, Liu Jingsheng lost his temper on the spot, scolded Liu Pan and Huang Shot in public, and apologized to our army in person, thanked our army for their repeated forbearance, and expressed his willingness to get along with our army and exchange trade. In addition, Liu Jingsheng also asked Wang Wei, a veteran general of Jingzhou who was escorting Ying to the south, to bring an order, so that Liu Pan and the second general Huang Shot would immediately lead the army to withdraw to Jiangxia, and there should be no conflict with our army! ”

"Good!" Tao Ying hung a stone in his heart on the ground, with a smile on his face, and hurriedly asked: "Then what is Liu Jingsheng's attitude towards the conflict between our army and Huang Jie in Anhui County?" ”

"Our army clashed with Huang Jie in Anhui County?" Chen Yingyi shook his head and said, "Our army clashed with Huang Jie in Anhui County? When was this? How did I not know? ”

"You don't know?" This time, it was finally Deputy Director Tao's turn to be surprised, and asked suspiciously, "When did you leave from Xiangyang?" It's been almost a month, why hasn't this news been delivered to Xiangyang yet? ”

"I set off from Xiangyang six days ago, and it was smooth sailing all the way, so I walked very fast." Chen replied: "But when Ying left Xiangyang, he did not receive any news of the conflict between our army and the Jingzhou army, and Liu Jingsheng personally went to the dock to see him off, and did not mention this matter. ”

"It's strange, at least twenty days have passed during this period, why doesn't Liu Biao know anything about Anhui County?" Tao Ying was even more confused, and said suspiciously: "From Zongyang to Xiangyang is all waterways, and the news is easy to transmit, at least twenty days have not sent such a major news to Xiangyang?" How could the Jingzhou Army's military intelligence transmission be so slow? ”

"My lord, there are only two explanations." Jia Xu next to him interjected and said, "First, Liu Pan and Huang Zhu didn't dare to report the incident of Anhui County to Liu Biaojuan; Second, Huang Zu withheld this military intelligence report, after all, this time Huang Zu's eldest son Huang Shot was too embarrassed, if Liu Biao knew about the affairs of Anhui County, not only Huang Zu might ruin his future, but Huang Zu would also have to be implicated, so Huang Zu hid this matter for his son. ”

"Mr. Wenhe's words are reasonable, it must be that Grandfather Huang and Liu Pan deceived their superiors and subordinates, boasted of victory and defeat, and did not dare to report the incident of Anhui County to Liu Biao." Deputy Director Tao, who had already practiced a good skill in the demolition and relocation office, suddenly realized, and said with a smile: "It's good to hide it, it's good to hide it, since Grandfather Huang and Liu Pan are unwilling to make a noise, we don't need to poke this thing out and offend Huang Zu to death, it's good to treat it as if it never happened." Be a man and leave a line, and it will be good to meet Huang Zu in the future. ”

……………………

Although Deputy Director Tao's wishful thinking was good, although Grandfather Huang and Liu Pan boasted about victory and defeat for their own interests, they also indirectly helped the Xuzhou army, which was also a great thing, but it was a pity that both Deputy Director Tao and Grandfather Huang and General Liu Pan were negligent a little, to be precise, they neglected an unexpected soy sauce role that should not have appeared in Zongyang - led the army to protect Chen Ying to the south, and by the way, ordered Liu Pan and Huang Biao to withdraw to Jingzhou, the Jingxiang general - Wang Wei!

As the only Jingxiang veteran who died for Liu Biao's father and son, Wang Wei's loyalty to Liu Biao naturally does not need to be explained, when he first arrived in Zongyang, Wang Wei did not find anything abnormal, but when he found that the number of soldiers was wrong and there were still a large number of wounded soldiers, Wang Wei, who was suspicious, only investigated a little, and immediately learned from the wounded soldiers about the conflict in Anhui County, so almost at the same time that Tao Ying and Chen Ying met, Wang Wei also rushed to Liu Pan and Huang Shot. Angry bullfighting asked Liu Pan and Huang Jie to explain why they concealed such a major military incident from Liu Biao?!

In the face of Wang Wei's angry questioning, the accomplice Liu Pan was of course speechless, and did not dare to have a half-point dispute with Wang Wei, but the poor Major General Huang Jie was red-faced, and finally simply knelt down on Wang Wei's knees, hugged Wang Wei's legs and cried, crying bitterly and begging Wang Wei to let him go, help himself conceal this military news that would definitely make his future unbright, and repeatedly said that he would definitely repay Wang Wei, and his father Huang Zu would definitely thank Wang Wei again. It's a pity that the luck of General Huang and Deputy Director Tao is also bad enough, but they met Liu Biaojun's loyal ministers who are not invaded by water and fire, and oil and salt are not invaded - it is likely that Wang Wei, who is still the only loyal minister of Liu Biaojun, so Deputy Director Tao and General Huang are naturally in the cup together............ When the iron-faced and selfless General Wang Wei sent the results of the investigation of the war in Anhui County to Liu Mian, when he heard about General Huang's humiliating performance on the battlefield, Liu Biao was of course so angry that he was so angry that he ordered to deprive Major General Huang of all his military positions on the spot, cut his post and send him home for the people to think about it behind closed doors! Then Huang Zu and Liu Pan, who helped General Huang Shao to deceive his superiors, were also unlucky, and were demoted to two levels of meritorious service together, and they were also scolded by Liu Biao together. Among them, Liu Pan, who was innocently implicated, was better, only complaining that he was unlucky to run into this incident, and General Huang Zu, the father of General Huang Shao, was extremely angry. To vent the humiliation of today! ”

By the way, an inconsequential little thing, poor General Huang was deprived of his post and went home to think about it, many relatives and friends came to visit and condole, General Huang never mentioned to them the reason why he fell into such a situation, but only told a little truth in front of a little sister of the same clan named Huang Shuo, admitting that he was because of the unfortunate defeat to the famous Xuzhou Tao envoy Jun in Anhui County, which led to the current consequences.

There are two reasons why General Huang Shao told the truth to his sister Huang Shuo, one is that he has always been close to this little sister of the same clan, and the other is because General Huang Shao knows that the affairs of Anhui County cannot be hidden from Huang Shuo's father. It's a pity that this little sister of Major General Huang still refuses to give up, and said: "Brother, so you have seen Tao Yingtao in Xuzhou?" Father once talked about Xuzhou Tao Envoy Jun in front of Xiaomei more than once, saying that he is the most obscure person in the world, and he is also the most difficult person in the world to see. ”

"Absolutely." Major General Huang gritted his teeth and described: "Tao Ying is a rude and brutal country horseman, a greedy and shameless young man!" Not only is he born as ugly as a pig, his face is like the bottom of a pot, his roe head is like a rat, and his face is green! Fortunately, he became a surname, up to a white-haired old woman in his fifties and sixties, and an ignorant young girl in his seven or eights, as long as he was favored by Tao Ying's thief, he would definitely not let it go! So little sister, if you meet that thief one day, you must be very careful of yourself! ”

……………………

What is the truth or falsehood of General Huang's angry words, I won't waste words to explain it here, let's take a look at the situation of the most important Yuan Sangong to Deputy Director Tao, in fact, long before the Huainan War was not over, the Great Yuan Sangong, who was repeatedly fooled by Cao Lao, had considered immediately sending troops to Xudu to recapture the Han Xian Emperor who should have belonged to him, but this decision of the Great Yuan Sangong was resolutely opposed by most of the strategists, not only Yuan Tan's henchmen opposed it, but the neutrals such as Tian Feng and Fu Zhu also believed that the time was not yet ripe, Persuade the Great Yuan Sangong to stay calm, first go all out to destroy Gongsun Zhan, the sworn enemy of Yuan Shaojun, who is now called Bo Xishan, and free up troops and horses to consider hijacking the car.

Tian Feng and the words of frustration did not immediately convince the Great Yuan Sangong, and the Great Yuan Sangong, who was known for his indecision, did not immediately decide to give up this plan, but at this time, good luck was once again on the side of Cao Boss, who was already at the end of his rope - Gongsun Zhan, who was almost at the end of his rope, fought a victory at this time, defeating the general of Yuan Shaojun's army, Lu Yi, who was not supported by the main force to the south, and forced the already lonely army to retreat and ask for help. After receiving this news, the Great Yuan Sangong had no choice but to give up the plan to enter Xudu, and mobilized a large number of troops on the southern front to the north for reinforcements, preparing to kill his sworn enemy Gongsun Zan first and then consider the war on the southern front.

Fortunately, Boss Cao is also very good at being a man, knowing that Yuan Sangong was jealous of holding the Son of Heaven hostage, so he took the initiative to give up the two positions of general and lieutenant in the highest position of the Han courtiers who could easily get his hands, and also gave him the title of governor of Ji, You, He, and Qing Prefectures, and rewarded the three princes of the Great Yuan with the honor of the Son of Heaven. It was at this time that Yuan Tan Gongzi, who hated Deputy Director Tao the most in Yuan Shaojun, also took the opportunity to stand up and asked the commander to go to Qingzhou to attack Gongsun Zhan's accomplice Tian Kai, completely cut off Gongsun Zhan's wings, and by the way, he also won the real Qingzhou pastoral position for Yuan Sangong.

"Capture Qingzhou?" Da Yuan Sangong began to hesitate a little, and hesitated: "Although Qingzhou Tiankai has few troops and few generals, and has been severely damaged by our army in the two battles of Linxi and Pingyuan, it is no longer a concern, but the capture of Qingzhou is not as easy as a field battle. Although Wu'er is brave, he ....... ”

Yuan Tan quietly glanced at Guo Tu next to him, Guo Tu understood, and immediately came out of the crowd, and said with a smile to the eldest Yuan Sangong: "Don't worry, my army captures Qingzhou, and we don't need to use too many soldiers, horses, money and food, I have a plan, so that the eldest prince only needs to dispatch more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, and he can easily take the entire territory of Qingzhou." ”

"What's the plan, Mr. Gongze? Come on, please. As soon as he heard that there was such a good thing, Da Yuan Sangong naturally hurriedly asked.

"The lord has forgotten your virtuous son-in-law, Xuzhou Tao Yingtao?" Guo Tu smiled and said: "Before, Mr. Xu You sent someone to play the lord, saying that Yuan Shu did not dare to resist the lord's divine might, and had already accepted the mediation of the lord, and handed over the entire territory of Huainan to the Xuzhou army, and the main force of Xuzhou was already preparing to return to the army. That being the case, why didn't the lord order Tao to send troops to Qingzhou and discuss Tian Kai with our army? ”

"My lord, Mr. Gongzhi is reasonable." Xin Ping also took the opportunity to stand up and said: "The reason why Tao Envoy Jun was able to successfully capture Huainan was due to the fact that the lord came forward to protect his northern line, so that he could not worry about the future, and relied on the blessing of the lord's heavenly might, forcing Yuan Shu to take the initiative to retreat across the Yangtze River when he still had the strength to fight, and cede the entire territory of Huainan to Xuzhou. Now, it's time for Tao to report back to the lord. ”

"The two gentlemen are reasonable, it's time for Tao Ying to repay my father-in-law." Da Yuan Sangong, who was really good to Deputy Director Tao, was overjoyed when he heard this, and said on the spot: "Just do it, immediately send an envoy to Xuzhou, tell my son-in-law, I don't want him to repay anything, help me take Qingzhou, he is my filial son-in-law!" ”

Hearing this, the third prince of Yuan Shang on the side was of course moved in his heart, and subconsciously wanted to stand up and compete with Yuan Tan for military power, and the judge on the other side hurriedly grabbed Yuan Sangongzi, and asked in a low voice in Yuan Sangongzi's ear: "Third prince, but you want to compete with the eldest prince for the position of commander of the army in Qingzhou?" ”

Seeing that Yuan Sangongzi nodded, the judge was busy and said in a low voice: "No, Qingzhou Tian Kai has a great kindness to Tao Yuanjun's father and son for rescue, even if Tao Yuanjun is forced to send troops this time, it will definitely be a failure to work, Qingzhou is definitely not so easy to take!" If the third prince goes to Qingzhou, it will not only make Tao Lingjun more and more difficult, but also difficult to succeed smoothly, it is better to let the eldest prince touch this nail, and it will also make the relationship between Tao Yuanjun and the eldest prince worsen, and he will stand on our side more and more firmly in the future. In addition, the third prince can also let Tao Yuanjun take action, so that the eldest prince can suffer more in Qingzhou and lose more ......face. ”

Yuan Shang's delicate eyes flickered a few times, and finally withdrew his right leg, which had already taken half a step, and a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

(To be continued)