Zhang Ning left, with questions, distress, and confusion! No one knew where she went, Zhang Jing went to stay, but she didn't say a word and left in silence. Wang Xu also did what he said, did not do anything to obstruct him, and even ordered everyone not to trouble Zhang Ning and let him do his own thing.

In fact, the Chinese military generals are not stupid, from the name Zhang Ning, and her conversation with Wang Xu, she has vaguely guessed. This woman is likely to be Zhang Jiao's daughter Zhang Ning back then, but everyone in the world knows that Guangzong was attacked by Wang Xu back then, and the death recital of Zhang Jiao's family was also drafted by Wang Xu. Now it suddenly pops up, and the strangeness in it can be understood. However, of course, no one will debunk it, not only does not mention a word, but also cleverly rots this matter in their hearts.

The night banquet was still completed in its entirety, but without the excellent performances of the dancers, it didn't seem so lively. But none of this matters, the ministers didn't come to participate to see that little performance. Selectively forget what happened just now, talk and laugh with each other and drink until late at night before returning home.

This year's New Year is undoubtedly the most relaxed and happiest for the generals of the General's Mansion. There is no pressure from external forces, there is no busyness in preparing for war, and everything is very stable. Perhaps the only regret is that the cold weather has made the streets and alleys much less lively. After all, this is far from being a cold region in the north, and the people there are not as used to it, and the weather is too cold to move around.

Wang Xu also put aside a qiē and spent a lively year with his family. In the past few months, Wang Yun, who has been tossing, is now quiet, his wife and children secretly helped the ministers of the court, and Li Dao Guo Yan escaped without special attention, and now the family is staying at home peacefully.

It was not until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year that Wang Xu returned to the General's Mansion with a group of wives and concubines, preparing for the beginning of the new year.

However, just after packing up the soft and soft, Wang Xu was about to go to the courtyard to move his muscles and bones when he opened the door. But when he saw Shan Huai, he was like a ghost. Stand quietly outside the door. I was taken aback.

"Shan Huai, what are you doing! Standing there silently, scared to death! ”

Shan Huai scratched his head a little embarrassed. "Lord, I was hesitating to knock on the door, but I didn't expect you to open it just now!"

"Oh my God, knock if you want, don't do that next time. If you pass by with a sword, you may not be spared! ”

"No!"

Wang Xu rolled his eyes, didn't bother to say anything more, and walked out of the room and said, "Say, what's the matter?" As soon as my front foot arrived, your back foot arrived! ”

"My lord. It is precisely because of this that I hesitate to sue you now! Shan Huai said.

"Then why don't you think about it before you come?"

“……”

Seeing Shan Huai's speechless appearance, Wang Xu smiled and stopped teasing him. "Alright! Say, what the hell is going on? ”

Yuan Shu was defeated by Cao Cao, and just a few years ago, Cao Cao personally led Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Yuan and Yu Ban to raid Runan in two ways. Yuan Shu led the defeated army and fled to Shouchun in Lujiang. But who knew that Chen Yu refused to accept it. The two armies are now at war, but the details are unknown. ”

"Hmm!" That's right. Wang Xu was not surprised, Cao Cao would not have been able to sleep if he didn't beat Yuan Shu away. "Then do you know why Chen Yu betrayed Yuan Shu? He himself is the Yangzhou assassin who was appointed and dismissed by Yuan Shu! ”

"This ......" Shan Huai frowned and thought about it, before he said with some uncertainty: "According to the analysis of his subordinates, it may be that Yuan Shu's tyranny in governing the land has angered Chen Yu!" And at present, Yuan Shu's prospects are not good, so he is reluctant to accept him. ”

"Huh! You guessed half right, in fact, the more important reason is that Chen Yu has already colluded with Tao Qian's side, so he is reluctant to return to Yuan Shu. After all, the foundation of the Xu family is in Xuzhou, and Chen Yu also considered it. Wang Xu said with a smile.

"Oh! This subordinate was negligent. Shan Huai smiled, didn't care, thought about it, and asked strangely: "Lord, it's just that his subordinates feel a little strange, so Tao Qian is currently strong and strong, why don't he join forces with Yuan Shu to attack Cao Cao?" In my opinion, Cao Cao is a person with great vision, and after beating Yuan Shu, the next target is likely to be Tao Qian. ”

"Hehe, that's a good question!" Wang Xu glanced at Shan Huai and said, "Actually, I have also discussed this matter with Guo Jia, Tian Feng, and Fu Zhi before, and Tao Qian did not send troops for three reasons!" ”

"First, it's his philosophy. Tao Qian is old, and the first half of his body served in the imperial court, and he doesn't have too many thoughts now, just hoping to keep one side safe. ”

"Second, he doesn't have the guts. He had known Cao Cao very early and knew him very well. Once he sent troops, it would mean a break with Cao Cao, and he had to think about the consequences. In fact, he could neither say wrong nor right in his choice. Because even if he and Yuan Shu join forces, they may not be able to beat Cao Cao. Of course, if he doesn't attack, he won't even have a chance. When Cao Cao recovers, he will definitely be the next piece of meat. ”

"Third, that is Yuan Shao. Tao Qian and Gongsun Chan became good friends, and the two sides formed an alliance, and Yuan Shao and Gongsun Chan are currently on the same footing, Gongsun Chan has been weak since the defeat of Panhe, if he sends troops to attack Cao Cao, Yuan Shao is likely to send troops to help. Obviously, Tao Qian didn't have the courage to die. ”

With Wang Xu's explanation, Shan Huai also quickly understood, and bowed respectfully before continuing: "But if this is the case, after Cao Cao recuperates, he will inevitably try to take Xuzhou, Tao Qian will definitely not be his opponent, at that time, Cao Cao's power is not ordinarily strong, it may be second only to Yuan Shao." I'll wait ...... then."

Before Shan Huai finished speaking, Wang Xu already smiled and waved his hand: "Hehe, you underestimate Tao Qian too much, although he can't defeat Cao Cao, but he has been running Xuzhou for a long time, and Cao Cao wants to take him down, and it is not something that can be done in a short time." Moreover, although the Central Plains is rich, after so many wars, how many materials, grain and grass can Cao Cao find in his hands. Rest assured! Before the autumn harvest this year, there will be no major problems in the Central Plains. ”

Saying that, Wang Xu paused, but suddenly smiled strangely: "Moreover, Cao Cao is expanding so fast, and the internal situation is naturally unstable, and when he eliminates the hidden dangers, he will inevitably focus on rectification." In my estimation, it is impossible for him to pose a threat to Jingzhou in three or four years. And this is the time for us to grow and expand! ”

"The lord is far-sighted, and his subordinates admire!" Shan Huai suddenly smiled.

"You're here again, why can't you get this habit around? If you say it, you have to bring admiration. ”

"This ......"

"Hey! Never mind. Don't talk about this. Is there anything else you would like to say? ”

"Yes. Chang'an's Li and Guo Yan hijacked His Majesty, and now they are in chaos. I don't know the specific situation, anyway, the courtiers themselves are precarious. Xiliang Ma Teng, Han Sui and Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou are also in full swing, although this is a stop for a month because the weather is too cold, but it is estimated that when it gets warmer, it will continue to fight. ”

"Let them fight. The crowd was no threat. I thought Ma Yi would give me some surprises, but after so many years, it was too disappointing. Waving his hand indifferently, Wang Xu turned his head to look at Shan Huai, and couldn't help laughing: "I think." The next thing you want to talk about must be the most important Sun Jian and Liu Yan! ”

"Huh? How does the lord know? ”

"It's time to change your habit of talking about the key points at the end." Wang Xu said with a smile.

Shan Huai nodded awkwardly. "Lord, it is said that Sun Jian and Liu Jian have made trouble again, and both parties are very dissatisfied!"

"Why?"

"Soldiers from both sides collided while collecting taxes at the border. There were also a few fights, and dozens of people died each. ”

"Have their borders never been drawn?"

"Hmmm! It's always unclear! Shan Huai nodded.

Hearing this, Wang Xu not only did not feel happy, but instead raised a trace of doubt. His brows were also tightly furrowed. "Shan Huai. Why didn't you say this earlier? ”

"This ......" Seeing Wang Xu so solemn, Shan Huai was a little puzzled. He hesitated and said, "Because the uneven distribution of the border is normal, it is not regarded as important information and reported to the lord." ”

Hearing this, Wang Xu couldn't help but sigh. "Hey! Shan Huai, you made a big mistake this time, let me tell you, nothing needs to be important with this information. ”

"Why?" Shan Huai said suspiciously.

Wang Xu looked at the sky in the distance lightly, frowned, and said, "Shan Huai, Sun Jian is a hero, don't underestimate him." Besides, there should be a lot of smart ministers and good generals under his command now, how could they not even pay attention to this kind of thing? When they first started the peace talks, if they really didn't want to fight again, they would have made it clear, but in fact, this matter was ignored. Why do you think so? ”

Shan Huai thought for a long time in disbelief, and suddenly exclaimed: "Leave an excuse!" ”

"Not bad!" Wang Xu said affirmatively: "Whether this is for the purpose of the Sun family or for Liu Xuan's purpose, it must be to leave an excuse." At the beginning, they negotiated peace because both sides had no chance, and Sun Jian didn't want to expand, but he was forced by Liu Miao, Wang Lang and others, so he was angry, so he won Huiji, but in fact, he was not well prepared. As for Liu Xuan, because he first arrived in Yangzhou, his power was not stable enough, so he did not dare to fight. ”

"From what you just said, it is obvious that this is a deliberate excuse to stay, hoping to wait for the rest of my breath to try against the other party. No matter whose plot it is, it also means that Yangzhou will definitely rise to war in the near future, which is very unfavorable for us! Whether it is Sun Jian's victory or Liu Xuan's victory, once Jiangdong is unified, it will be a great threat, especially when we have not yet taken Yizhou. ”

"This ......" Shan Huai also looked a little hesitant when he heard this. According to the lord's words, this is too cunning. If it was Sun Jian, it would be even more terrifying. ”

"Shan Huai, don't underestimate any opponent, they can sit on one side, they are not simple characters, sometimes success and failure are between figuring out and not figuring it out." Saying that, Wang Xu looked at Shan Huai with some doubts, and continued with a smile: "Whether it is Sun Jian's layout, I am not sure, but I must pay attention in the future." Although he doesn't have the heart to fight for hegemony, it is not his character to be bullied, and he is shrewd enough, so he is likely to be forced out of ambition by today's shape. What's more, his Wenchen generals are very likely to convince him. ”

"Lord, if this is the case, then the marriage between the fourth prince and the Sun family ......" Shan Huai hesitated and did not continue.

"This is to be expected, sooner or later there will inevitably be problems. But this matter is still uncertain, you should continue to be friendly, you should continue to be friendly, don't tell anyone, just know in your heart, and in the future, the collection of intelligence will be very contentious. ”

Shan Huai nodded wisely and did not say a word.

"Okay, what about Liu Yan? Let's talk about Liu Yan! ”

"Hmm!" Shan Huai lowered his head and pondered for a long time, and said: "Liu Yan seems to be a little wary of our Jingzhou, and has recently begun to mobilize and deploy, and has increased the garrison in Jiangzhou and Hanzhong. ”

"Has his internal problem been solved?"

"Most of them have been suppressed, but it is estimated that they have not been fundamentally resolved."

Wang Xu frowned and said, "Okay." Now you have to focus on understanding the inside of Liu Yan. And try to communicate with them, and tell me if there is any progress. ”

"Huh? The lord wants to ......"

"Yes, in order to benefit the state, we must seek a breakthrough from within. If it is a simple strong attack, in the face of the natural danger of the Shu Dao, it is not said whether it can be broken, even if it is broken. It will inevitably come at an unbearable price. I hope that before the war starts, I will seek the support of people in Shuzhong, whether it is an official, a general, or a local clan! ”

"My subordinates understood."

"It's not a question of whether you understand it or not, you have to give me a specific time. Whether it succeeds or not, it will probably take a long time to have a result. Otherwise, I'll need to find another way! ”

Shan Huai was slightly stunned, a little surprised, because this was the first time Wang Xu had made a request in time. After thinking about it carefully, he gritted his teeth and said, "Half a year at most!" ”

"Good! In this case, then I hope that you will give priority to Jiangzhou as the breakthrough point, after the autumn harvest, if there is a chance. I want to try to take Jiangzhou first. Explore the way for the army to cut down Shu. ”

"No!"

Seeing Shan Huai leave, Wang Xu also slowly fell into deep thought......

A qiē is as expected. Less than a month after the New Year's Pass, the heavy snow in Xiangyang had just melted, and the weather was getting warmer, and there were urgent reports from Yangzhou one after another. First, Yuan Shu defeated Chen Yu, captured Shouchun, and began to quickly control Huainan, while Chen Yu fled back to Xuzhou with his relatives and wolf Bèi.

At the same time, taking advantage of the great battle between the two armies, there was no time to take care of this time. Zheng Bao, the Lujiang thief, who was stolen by Wang Xu back then, suddenly led more than 10,000 men and horses to raise troops in Chaohu, and quickly occupied a large area, controlled and recruited many talents, and developed rapidly.

But this qiē is not as shocking as Jiangdong, there is a war between Liu Jian and Sun Jian! And it was the worst result, the first person to attack was Sun Jian. This undoubtedly fully shows that he is the person who laid out the layout from the beginning, and Sun Jian already has the heart to take Yangzhou!

Although Wang Xu had already prepared, he was still taken aback, and hurriedly summoned Guo Jia, Tian Feng, and Fu Zhu to the study to discuss the matter......

A few people had just entered the house, and after ordering no one to come in, Wang Xu immediately asked straight to the point: "Fengxiao, Yuan Hao, Gonghe!" Sun Jian sent troops, and you must all understand the strange things, so I won't say more. Convening you today for counsel is a solution! I don't know if you have a high opinion? ”

Unfortunately, with his words, the three of them were a little silent.

After a long time, Tian Feng looked at Guo Jia and Fu Zhu, and then slowly spoke: "Lord, now it seems that Sun Jian has been forced to rise. This attack on Liu Miao is to try to take Yangzhou, if he is strong, then in the future our strategy of unifying the south must be changed. ”

"So what?" Wang Xu asked.

"I think I can send troops to take Chang'an and Luoyang!" Tian Feng replied.

"No!" Hearing this, Fu Zhu suddenly interjected: "What can you do if you take down Si Li, first Dong Zhuo did all kinds of evil, and now Li Dao Guo Yan is in chaos, although the land of Sanfu is rich, it is also dilapidated." After painstakingly removing it, it is not of much value at all. And at that time, we had to face not only Cao Cao in the east, but also the threat of Xiliang, wouldn't we be in a quagmire? ”

Tian Feng asked rhetorically: "But if you don't look for an opportunity to march into the Central Plains and fight to the death with the Sun family, the shape of the north is bound to be clear." In my opinion, it is nothing more than one of the two Cao and Yuan families, and it is likely to form a three-point trend at that time, and they will contain each other, how can they still achieve great things? Besides, the north is rich and has a large population, and the south is congenitally deficient, so how can it be undefeated after a long time? ”

"Huh! This is a bad word, if the lord sits on the land of Erzhou, how can he be afraid of the Sun family? The war does not have to be protracted. However, it is an absolute mistake to march into the army, we are equal to several lines of enemy, and no matter what we do, we will be contained. ”

"Not necessarily." As soon as the words fell, Tian Feng had already answered: "Si Li, Li and Guo Yan are not a big deal, as long as we take Yizhou, we can easily take it." At that time, according to the danger of the Yellow River in the north, the generals in the east will guard the tiger prison and the water. If you curb Yuzhang in the south, you can wave your army to pacify Xiliang, seize half of the country in the west, and plot against the Central Plains, which is not impossible! ”

Listening to the fierce argument between the two, it is really public to say that the public is reasonable, and the mother-in-law is reasonable. Wang Xu couldn't help but interrupt with a wave of his hand: "What the two of you said is reasonable, why don't you listen to Feng Xiao's opinion again!" How is it? ”

"No!" The meaning of the two has been expressed, and they responded, and they also set their eyes on Guo Jia.

Feeling the gaze of the three of them, Guo Jia also frowned, and only raised his head after a while and said, "My lord, according to my subordinates, it is better to unify the south." ”

"Why?" Wang Xu asked.

A hint of wisdom flashed in Guo Jia's eyes, and after a moment of silence, he spoke again: "Originally, Yuan Hao's method was the best. According to the danger, it is indeed tactically achievable. But the crux of the matter is that the land of Xiliang is complex in shape, not to mention remote, and the folk customs have always been fierce, so it may be very difficult to take it. If there is an accident once the army goes on the expedition, we can't afford it. Therefore, compared to it, it is better to take Jiangdong. ”

But speaking of this, Guo Jia glanced at Wang Xu hesitantly, frowned, and said, "It's just that the most important thing is what the Sun family can do." If he is the same as Cao Cao, I am afraid that the future is not optimistic. (To be continued.) )