Cao Yuan's confrontation, although it was completely different from Wang Xu's memory because of the influence of the current situation, but the final result did not change much, Yuan Shao was still defeated in the end, still lost in a daze, and the defeat was unexpected.

An uneasy feeling gradually enveloped Wang Xu's heart, making it difficult for him to sleep peacefully every day.

Now Yuan Shao's main force is defeated, although Cao Cao has suffered a lot of losses in the long confrontation, but he has cut off the enemy, and no one in the north can compete with it anymore, and then he only needs to take advantage of the situation to pursue, after the annihilation of several powerful living forces of Yuan Shao, step by step, within two or three years, it is inevitable to gradually encroach on Yuan Shao's entire power.

At the same time, it also means that it has been able to draw out a certain main force to threaten the forces of Jingzhou, although its strength is not enough to really invade on a large scale, but if it only wants to hit Xiangyang and give Jingzhou a hard blow, it is okay.

Now Zhang Jing is only leading the Eastern Army of 30,000 people to garrison Nanyang, if Cao Cao is willing to slow down the time to pacify the north and give Jingzhou a blow first, it will be very dangerous, and Xiangyang, where the core of the power is located, is now extremely empty.

The most important thing is that now Jingzhou needs time to recover its vitality, and all the legions are now in danger of insufficient troops, if they don't seize the time to recover, and wait until Cao Cao unifies the north and digests Yuan Shao's forces, then it will be difficult to resist.

This cloud of sorrow not only pressed on Wang Xu's heart, but also quickly spread to all parties in just a few days.

When he first arrived in Yuzhang, he had already received dozens of letters from Jiang Wan, Kuai Yue and other important ministers from all sides, as well as the general's vassals, and all kinds of admonitions flew into his hands like snowflakes, and the core content was much the same - negotiate peace!

This put him in a dilemma! Very embarrassed!

Since the beginning of the conquest. It was the first time he had been so embarrassed. Just because I can't help it. Just because I am unwilling!

Guo Jia recuperated in Xiangyang for several months, received effective treatment, and his body has recovered.

Since he understood the situation in the north, he hurriedly set off and personally chased Wang Xu to Chaisang, because he knew Wang Xu too well and knew that it would be difficult for him to make a decision......

Chaisang County Government!

Wang Xu stood quietly outside Zhou Zhixiu's house, looking at the flowers and plants in the yard. Knit one's brows.

Suddenly, two figures walked into the arch of the courtyard.

Yan Liang was in front and hurriedly came with Guo Jia.

"Lord!" Guo Jia didn't care about anything else, and when he saw Wang Xu, he was already calling out loudly.

"Fengxiao, you're here, are you completely cured?" Wang Xu had already received the report, and there was no surprise.

Before walking closer, Guo Jia bowed his hand and saluted: "Lord, my subordinates' bodies have healed, but now I am in Jingyi Erzhou." If you have a stubborn disease, if you do not heal it. Mortal! ”

Wang Xu turned his head and smiled helplessly: "Fengxiao, you are really welcome to speak." ”

"Hey!" Guo Jiachang sighed, looked at him and said, "Lord, let's negotiate peace!" When the overall situation is the most important, know the way to advance and retreat. ”

"I understand!" Wang Xu nodded: "But the Jiangdong Sun family attacked me, but now they want me to negotiate peace, this breath is really difficult to swallow, and it was not easy for us to lay down Yuzhang back then, and since then, we have been operating Yuzhang County for many years, and now I am really reluctant to give it to others like this." What's more, in this battle, in order to resist Jiangdong, the soldiers suffered many casualties, Zhou Zhi was seriously injured, and even now he has not really survived the dangerous period, it is difficult to predict life and death, I really can't make that decision. ”

"The lord's mind, the subordinates understand!" Guo Jia quickly took over: "But has the lord thought about it, Jiangdong will have the upper hand on this expedition, if he can't Yu Zhang, Anken will give up?" Although the Sun family is also worried about the Huainan land that threatens them after Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao, in comparison, we can't afford to delay it even more than the Sun family, and our current forces are barely able to hold the two prefectures of Jingyi and the four counties of Sili, and we can't fight anymore. With all due respect, if our army can't break Jiangdong within half a month, Cao Cao will inevitably divide his troops to attack Nanyang, and Xiangyang is empty, and it will be difficult to resist! ”

"Half a month?" Wang Xu hesitated and said: "It shouldn't be so soon, Cao Cao is now busy requisitioning the main forces of Yuan Shao's various troops, as long as I am given two months, no, one month, I will be able to fight with the Sun family." ”

"Lord!"

Guo Jia knelt on the ground with a "poof", and cried bitterly to admonish: "My lord, Yuan Shao's main force has been defeated, and Cao's army has taken advantage of the victory to encircle and suppress, but it is an easy matter, at most two or three years, you can slowly pacify the entire territory of Yuan's army, Cao Cao does not need to be so anxious at all, although he does not dare to give Yuan Shao a chance to breathe, it is impossible to go south, but it is no problem to divide fifty or sixty thousand elite soldiers." ”

"Now Jingzhou is extremely empty, if his subordinates are beside Cao Cao, they will also be admonished like that, and Cao Cao's Xun Yu, Jia Xu, Xi Zhicai, Xun You, Cheng Yu and other resourceful people are innumerable, how can they not persuade him to go south? I'm afraid that he is already deploying troops and preparing to attack my Jingzhou, and if the lord does not withdraw his troops, he will have no chance. ”

"Fengxiao, you get up first!" Wang Xu stretched out his hand to support Guo Jia and said.

"No, if the lord does not retreat, Feng Xiao will kneel here until he dies!" Guo Jia's face was full of tears and resolutely replied.

"Why bother with filial piety!" Wang Xu's heart tingled, and he looked up to the sky and sighed.

Guo Jia didn't say anything more, just knelt on the ground, buried his head on the ground and refused to lift it.

"Alright! I'll retreat! ”

After a long time, Wang Xu finally popped out these words from the root of his teeth, closed his eyes and said: "You get up first, I will immediately write a letter to Sun Jian to discuss peace, but what if he doesn't retreat?" ”

Guo Jia raised his head instantly, his joy was overflowing, and he replied quickly: "Don't worry, the lord is assured, his subordinates will guarantee with their heads, and Sun Jian will definitely agree." They sent troops to sneak attack, but they took advantage of our army's inability to look south, but they failed to really break our army's defense line for so long, and only occupied Yuzhang County, and lost the best fighter. ”

"Now that the war has subsided, how dare he fight to the death with the lord? If it is entangled in my Jingyi Erzhou, my Jingzhou Xiangyang will indeed be unable to escape Cao Cao's invasion, but he Huainan will inevitably follow. Back then, Cao Cao missed the opportunity and was occupied by Sun Jian to Yuan Shu's Huainan, which was difficult to mind. In addition, the Lujiang River, Jiujiang, the southern part of Guangling and other regions, not only rich, but also always threaten the belly of the Cao army, how can Cao Cao have a soft hand, if Jiangdong and us fight to the death, Cao Cao will definitely invade Huainan on a large scale, and push the border to the Yangtze River. ”

"Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Zhang Zhao are all people of insight, and they will never make such a big mistake! Jiangdong and us, but fifty steps and a hundred steps, now they are holding on, nothing more than forcing the lord to withdraw first, and it is more difficult to seize our situation. ”

These Wang Xu actually understood in his heart, but it was difficult to accept, and after being silent for a long time, he finally sighed: "After all, we lost this battle, Sun Jian obtained Yuzhang, and he also obtained the entire territory of Yangzhou, and at the same time obtained an important defensive ground, and we lost a vital barrier." If you give up the counterattack today, it will be difficult to capture Yuzhang again when it gains a firm foothold in the future. ”

Guo Jia immediately replied: "Lord, you can take it again if you discard Yuzhang, but if Xiangyang is in danger, you will lose all the plates, which is more important, and I hope that the lord will know it!" ”

Wang Xu didn't answer, helped Guo Jia up from the ground, and stood silently!

Guo Jia looked at his expression and knew that his death had already played a role, so he didn't say more, glanced at Yan Liang, and slowly retreated.

After Wang Xu stood there alone for a long time, he slowly pushed open the door behind him with heavy steps.

As soon as he entered the room, he suddenly saw a pair of melancholy eyes, and after only a moment of stunned, he was already overjoyed, and hurriedly ran to the bed: "Zhou Zhi, are you awake?" When did you wake up? ”

"Boss, I just woke up for a while!" Zhou Zhi turned pale and said weakly.

"It's good to wake up, it's good to wake up!"

Wang Xu was so excited that he didn't care about calling the medical officer over, so he had already personally checked Zhou Zhi's pulse.

Zhou Zhiqiang smiled to himself: "Boss, I'm sorry, I couldn't recapture Yuzhang, I'm sorry brothers!" ”

"No, you've done a great job!" Wang Xu felt sour in his heart, and his eyes were a little moist.

"I did my best! Really tried my best! A line of tears slipped from the corners of Zhou Zhi's eyes.

"I understand that the Jiangdong elite gathers, it is not easy to block it near Chaisang, don't blame yourself, it's not good for your injury!" Wang Xu choked up and said.

Tears filled Zhou Zhi's face: "Boss, I heard what I just said, withdraw it!" Stay in the green mountains, don't worry about no firewood! ”

"But I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry for the soldiers who fought, I'm sorry for the old brothers who died in the land of Yuzhang!" Wang Xu closed his eyes and his voice was hoarse.

"We really did our best, the brethren will see, and I firmly believe that one day we will come back again, back to this land!" Zhou Zhi said with a misty look in his eyes, and tears kept sliding down his eyes.

"Definitely! We will definitely be back! Wang Xu whispered softly.

Zhou Zhi was silent and didn't speak for a long time.

After a long, long time, he suddenly grinned: "Boss, I'm afraid I won't live to be fifty years old!" ”

"What do you say!!" Wang Xu reprimanded angrily.

"Boss, don't lie to me, I know my body." Zhou Zhi smiled: "From the early years to the present, I have been seriously injured several times, especially this time, I was not only slashed twice, but also punched hard by Gan Ning, and my internal strength almost broke my tendons and veins, I am afraid that I will become a sick seedling in the future!" ”

Wang Xu's tears flowed down, when Zhou Zhi saved him, that arrow hurt his viscera, although he came back to life, but he left an eternal dark disease, every time it rained, his heart hurt, he knew.

Now that this injury, he knows even more that Zhou Zhizhi survived, he is already extremely strong-willed, and it is inevitable to take medicine all year round in the future, if you look at it purely from the perspective of a doctor, let alone fifty years old, Zhou Zhizhi is fortunate to have lived over forty years old.

"Zhou Zhi, don't worry, if you continue to practice your martial arts, self-conditioning with internal breath and medicine, you can suppress dark diseases and live a long life!"

"Boss, you're still lying to me!"

Zhou Zhi smiled faintly, and only spoke up again after a moment: "Do you think I can still see the day when the world is unified?" ”

"Yes, surely!"

"I hope so!" Zhou Zhi closed his eyes and said as if in a whisper: "Boss, take advantage of today to say something, if I die, I must be buried back in the small mountain village where I walked out back then, you have to help me!" ”

"Hmm!" Wang Xu nodded heavily, tears flowing silently. "Do you regret it?"

"No regrets!"

Not long after Zhou Zhi spit out two words, he fell asleep again and lost his voice...... (To be continued......)