Wang Xu decided to take some soldiers and horses to Sili to prevent Cao Cao from holding the Son of Heaven hostage, which was unanimously approved by Guo Jia and Fu Zhu.

Earlier, they couldn't understand why Wang Xu was jealous of Cao Cao beyond common sense, but after the last battle of Tangzishan and observing the current situation of Cao Cao in the Central Plains, they fully realized Cao Cao's terrible situation, and had designated him as the number one enemy in Jingzhou.

Since the Jingnanxing uprising, although the road has been bumpy, it has never suffered a crushing defeat like the battle of Tangzishan.

That battle, both strategically and tactically, was a complete defeat. At that time, if it weren't for the unclear situation in the Central Plains, Cao Cao could not afford to stay in Jingzhou for a long time, I am afraid that he might not be able to wait for the opportunity to turn the tide. In comparison, although Hebei Yuan Shao is more powerful, it is less dangerous.

Therefore, as the New Year approaches, all parts of the world have died down, and the three of them are vying to discuss the current situation and finally make a decision. When Wang Xu wrote a letter, persuading Yuan Shao to rescue the Son of Heaven, as long as Cao Cao moved, he would immediately send troops first.

After that, Wang Xu waved the book and wrote a letter of more than 2,000 words on the spot, but the matter was not made public, and the rest of the civil and military forces did not know about it. After more than a month, before and after the New Year, Jingzhou was stable and fine, and the busy Wenchen military generals also gathered with their families to enjoy a rare and comfortable time.

Hebei, Jizhou Wei County Government, Yecheng!

The icy north wind was howling, biting cold, and it was snowing heavily, covering the earth with a layer of bright silver, and even Yuan Shao's luxurious conference hall could not completely resist the wind and cold. The generals were okay, the armor on their bodies covered the clothes inside, but the ministers were wrapped in thick cotton clothes. The skin on the face is tightly contracted by the erosion of the cold wind.

Yuan Shao's handsome position was paved with a thick tiger skin. The person was dressed in a dog-fur coat. These years of conquest have added countless traces of wind and frost to his face, and he has become more mature than when the princes were discussing Dong.

At this moment, he was holding a white silk silk, and his majestic gaze swept over the faces of everyone in the hall. "Princess, I summoned you and others today because of a letter from Prince Yang of Jingzhou. Persuade the general to march into the division and welcome the Son of Heaven to my Yecheng! I wonder what your opinion is? ”

When Guo Tu, a native of Yingchuan, heard this, his face suddenly changed, and he got up excitedly and said, "Lord, don't do it!" ”

"Why?" Yuan Shao's face was indifferent, and he said: "Ziyang once said in his letter that if this general welcomes the Son of Heaven to Ye, according to the rich land of Hebei, with hundreds of thousands of armor, he can coerce the Son of Heaven to order the princes. The whole world will surely strive to belong to me, and he himself will want to live under me. How is it bad? ”

"Lord!" Guo Tu eagerly took over. "Although I don't know what Wang Ziyang's move means, but the act of welcoming the Son of Heaven is absolutely impossible, the Han royal family has declined, it has been a long time, and now it is too difficult for the lord to revive it! Today, heroes and heroes have raised troops one after another, and their subordinates are often tens of thousands in various states and counties. ”

"This is the time when Qin loses his deer and the first winner is king. Now, if you welcome the Son of Heaven to your side, and you have to obey the Son of Heaven in every move, wouldn't it be a reduction in the power of the lord? Disobedience is to be charged with disobedience to the Holy Decree, and the gain outweighs the loss, which is not the best policy! If ......"

"It's nonsense, Guo Tu, you are a big rebel!" Feng Ji didn't wait for him to finish speaking, he was already so angry that his face turned pale, and he reprimanded him on the spot. "Yuan Gongzu, the world's food Hanlu, the fourth and third princes, the grace of the saints, loyal to the monarch and patriotism, don't you trap Yuan Gong for disloyalty and injustice, and be scolded by the people of the world?"

"Now that Yuan Gong has basically pacified the Jizhou region, the soldiers are strong and strong, and the soldiers obey orders, if they go west to meet the Son of Heaven and move the capital to Yecheng, they can coerce the Son of Heaven and order the princes, accumulate soldiers and horses, and crusade against the rebellion that does not obey the imperial court, who in the world can confront Yuan Gong? Isn't it a great cause that has been passed down through the ages in the name of a loyal king and praised by the people below? ”

"Humph!" Another person in the hall glared angrily. This person has an elegant face and the appearance of a wise man, and it is Xin Ping, a strategist who is close to Guo Tu, he glanced at Feng Ji and retorted not to be outdone. "Feng Yuan Tu betrays the master villain, how can he be loyal?"

"What do you mean by that?" Feng Ji instantly glared angrily and looked at Xin Ping fiercely.

Xin Ping looked at him without fear, and said bluntly: "You are a retainer of the lord's family, and it is disloyal not to think about the lord's sake!" The lord treats you well, and the civil and military respect and believe in you, but you make such nonsense and ignore the public, which is unjust! ”

Feng Ji was so angry that his blood rose on the spot, his face was red, and he couldn't speak.

Seeing this, the judge next to him immediately spoke up: "Zhongzhi's words are serious, and Yuantu is the heart of the Lord, why is it disloyal and unjust?" Persuading the lord to go west is to obey the will of the righteous people, the lord can get a good name for a hundred generations, and he can have power to lean into the world, why not? This move is not only loyal to the Han Dynasty, but also loyal to the lord, and also makes all the princes here have a good name, which can be called three birds with one stone, why not? ”

Guo Tu retorted again: "What are you talking about? The Han family is in decline, how many people in the world still respect the Han? Even if you get your majesty xià ......"

For a while, the entire conference hall was noisy and shouting, on both sides you said that you are reasonable, I said that I am virtuous, you fight for me, and you will not give an inch.

In fact, in addition to their own different ideas, the reason why the two sides are so quarreled is also the fight between the two factions.

Guo Tu, Xin Ping and others are the first faction, and the trial match, Feng Ji and others are the same faction, and the battle between the two sides is not a moment and a half, which is due to the fact that when Jizhou was pacified, Yuan Shao took a shortcut.

Among these people, some of them were attached to him earlier and raised troops with him, while a large part of them were the ones who instigated Han Fu to sacrifice Jizhou at the beginning, and later surrendered en masse.

This formed two factions, plus they themselves have strong military power and power, and the family power is strong, and no one obeys anyone, so they naturally fight fiercely. Although Yuan Shao knew in his heart, there was no better solution, he relied on the common support of these people to get to where he is today, although his authority is absolutely no one can disobey, but it is difficult to settle the dispute between the two sides.

Even if they are respectful on the surface, when specific interests and matters are involved, disputes often arise.

At this moment, the leaders of the two factions were arguing, which soon provoked more people to quarrel, and even many generals were involved, and for a while there was a mess in the hall.

The more Yuan Shao listened, the more angry he felt, and he saw that the two sides were in trouble. The anger in my heart rises. There was a loud "pop". The powerful right hand was already slamming on the table. "Enough, it's all quiet!"

He was so angry that the characters on both sides instantly quieted down, glared at each other dissatisfied, and sat back in their places.

But after this silence, the problem has still not been solved, and Yuan Shao is not a stupid person who can come to this day. He still understands the truth in his heart. It's just that the matter of coercing the Son of Heaven to order the princes is too complicated and difficult to sort out.

If according to his own thoughts, of course, it is best to have no Son of Heaven, he sits alone in Hebei, only to completely pacify the three states of You, and Qing, you can get the land of four states, with the richness of the world, and the strength of the army is the best in the world. In addition, Hebei has many righteous people since ancient times, and there are countless famous ministers and good generals. At that time, wouldn't the army be invincible and invincible in the south?

But the main reason for his loose thoughts is Wang Xu's letter.

The letter said. Now in the north, the only heroes are Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and although he is powerful, he has not yet reached Cheng Dù, who looks down on the heroes of the north. Not to mention anything else, Zhang Yan of Montenegro has not yet been completely pacified, and the state is still divided, each is too strong to dominate the same place, Qingzhou is still fighting fiercely with Tian Kai, and Gongsun Zan of Youzhou is also difficult to pacify, which can be said to be in the situation of four wars.

But at this moment in the Central Plains, Cao Cao has initially occupied Yan and Henan Prefectures, with strong strength and rapid strength, if he Yuan Shao does not welcome the Son of Heaven, Cao Cao will inevitably welcome the Son of Heaven. At that time, Cao Cao's soldiers were strong and strong, and there were countless good generals, and with the help of the power of the Son of Heaven, Yan and Henan Prefecture would inevitably be quickly stable, and then with the order of the Son of Heaven to move the army eastward, Xuzhou will be in the bag, and Huainan Yuan Shu will also follow in the footsteps.

At that time, Cao Cao was majestic as the Son of Heaven, and there were countless soldiers and armor, money and food, who was the enemy in the world? As long as the Son of Heaven issued a decree, he Yuan Shao could be condemned as a rebel, even if Hebei was not chaotic because of his prestige, but the people's hearts must be unstable, the local officials in the counties and townships were worried, and the princes who depended on him would also have two minds.

Although this letter of more than 2,000 words did not make Yuan Shao believe, he was indeed very worried.

Earlier, Cao Cao was originally attached to him, but later he was welcomed as Yanzhou Mu by Liu Dai and others, which gradually broke away from control, and then Cao Cao's army became more and more prosperous, and the two sides have now become cooperative allies.

Although the relationship is still friendly, there are troubles.

He was friends with Cao Cao when he was a teenager, and he somewhat understood Cao Cao's ability, and at this moment, the chaotic situation in the Central Plains gradually stabilized, and Cao Cao's power grew, which was indeed a threat to him. If Cao Cao took the lead in taking Xuzhou and Huainan and pacifying the Central Plains when he had not completely pacified Qing, You, and Sanzhou, then Hebei would be next.

It was this suspicion that forced him to face Wang Xu's words carefully. But Yuan Shao also had doubts in his heart, that is, Wang Xu also had the opportunity to welcome the Son of Heaven, why didn't he do it himself, but supported him to do it.

Even if Wang Xu exalted him Yuan Shao in his words, belittled himself, said that his prestige was far above him, and he was willing to be under him Yuan Shao, etc., but Yuan Shao looked happy at these words, but he would not really believe it all, and he could become the most powerful prince in the world, and he was not a person who completely did not know the direction with a few words of praise.

Seeing that the hall was settled, but he couldn't decide what to do, Yuan Shao finally set his sights on another group of people.

Some of these people followed him in the early years, some returned from Han Fu, and some joined later, but they did not join Guo Tu or any faction in the trial, which can be called neutral.

Among them, Xu Yu was his old friend, and he also knew that his knowledge was extraordinary, so he immediately fixed his eyes on him and asked slowly: "Ziyuan, I don't know what you think about this matter?" ”

The old god Xu Yu was there, he knew Yuan Shao very well, and knew that it would be impossible for him to make a decision for a while, so he didn't participate from beginning to end, and let those people make trouble. Seeing Yuan Shao asking at this moment, he understood that the time had come, so he immediately stroked his beard and smiled: "Hahaha......"

Yuan Shao frowned, a little unhappy, although Xu You was talented and used to be his friend, he just didn't like Xu You.

That's -- insolence!

Now he Yuan Shao is the strongest prince in the world, and Xu Yu is his courtier, but he often meets and does not pay homage, does not bow when he replies, and is proud of himself and maverick, which makes him quite unhappy in his heart, but after all, he already knows his character in his early years, and he has always endured it.

Soon, Yuan Shao's brows widened, and he asked with a smile: "Ziyuan laughed, but did he have a wonderful idea?" ”

Although Xu You thinks highly of himself, he is still quite attentive to assisting Yuan Shao, and immediately said with burning eyes: "Yuan Gong, why do you need to discuss this matter again?" The matter of welcoming the Son of Heaven is a matter of course, how can it be let go? ”

"Although the Son of Heaven is in Yecheng, he is still young, and Yuan Gongli should be the prime minister, taking charge of the military and government of the world and pacifying the chaos in the world. At that time, Yuan Gong got the order of the Son of Heaven, and the state could be pacified in an instant, and the princes were too guarded in various places, who would dare not obey? You can appease him first, and after a long time, send someone to transfer him away with the order of the Son of Heaven, disperse his troops, and entrust it to his cronies to govern, wouldn't it cost not a single soldier? ”

"Qingzhou Tian Kai is Gongsun Zhan, but the son Yuan Tan led the army to fight with him for several years, which has made it the end of the strong crossbow, if you get the power of the Son of Heaven again, the people will return to the heart, and there will be counties and townships to attach, it will not take long to take it. At that time, only the grandson of Youzhou remained, but he was just a brave man, he did not understand the righteousness, he had lost the hearts of the people, and the court issued an edict, which must make him completely isolated. ”

In this way, Duke Yuan has the land of the four states, and after governing for a year or two, he will have countless soldiers, money, and food, and the number of households will be the highest among the princes. After that, with the order of the Son of Heaven to enter the Central Plains, all counties and townships will be attached, and the major princes will be defeated, and they can be easily determined to conquer the world! ”

In the end, Xu You also answered meaningfully: "At that time, Yuan Gonggong was high in the world, and his prestige was incomparable, and the world would be in his hands." ”

Yuan Shao trembled violently, he understood the meaning of Xu You's last sentence.

Xu Yu's words are reasonable, but what Yuan Shao scruples about is that the Son of Heaven has come to the court, adding variables and being restrained. Historically, he did not agree with Xu Yu and others' proposals, but now, these opinions, together with Wang Xu's letters, have played a role in reversing the balance in his heart.

Although his indecisive personality made him unable to decide for a while, he was already inclined to welcome the Son of Heaven to Yecheng.

Guo Tu and Xin Ping wanted to refute, but Yuan Shao waved his hand to stop them, and the two didn't dare to disobey him, so they had to sit back worriedly.

After thinking about it alone for a long time, Yuan Shaocai raised his head, swept the audience with a majestic gaze, and said quietly: "Let me think about this matter for a while before making a decision." ”

"Yuan Gong!" Xu You suddenly became anxious, got up and persuaded: "Now Wang Xu has no intention of welcoming the Son of Heaven, it is a good time for me to wait, if I delay any longer, I am afraid that there will be variables!" Other princes who are too weak in strength, like Yang Feng, Zhang Yang and other generations are difficult to do, they can not be cared for, but Cao Mengde is a big trouble, now he has just settled in the Central Plains, and is trying to appease the princes of all sizes, rectify and concentrate military strength, and still have no intention of going west, and when they are fully prepared, they will inevitably go west! ”

Yuan Shao paused as he left, but he still couldn't make up his mind, and he was not very happy with Xu You's attitude, so he immediately waved his hand impatiently: "Military affairs, this general will think about it, how can he act hastily?" Besides, General Ben is only thinking about it for a while, and Meng De can rectify Yan and Henan. Thou shalt not say any more, but disperse. (To be continued......)