Liu Bei is still attached to Liu Biao.

Although Liu Biao's Duke of Chu was self-proclaimed, his King of Chu was canonized by the imperial court, so Liu Bei had no reason to oppose Liu Biao.

Even if he knew that this was Cao Cao to appease Liu Biao, in the name of Liu Xie, he could only say that he was helpless.

By mid-May, an official document from Jingzhou was delivered to Wancheng.

Liu Biao hoped that Liu Bei could help him attack Ba County.

Liu Bei didn't want to go, but after Xu Shu's persuasion, he finally agreed to the matter.

So he reorganized his troops and horses and prepared to go south to Xiangyang.

And Shen Chen went a few days ago.

On the seventh day of the fifth month, after bidding farewell to the disciples, the convoy entered Xiangyang City.

At the gate of the city, Deng Hong, Liu Xian, Zhou Budo and others were already waiting for him.

Zhou Budo also followed Shen Chen to study, but he was too young in his early years, and Longzhong Township was too far away, and he had no place to live, so he could only go to school.

Someone would pick him up after class every day, and he had to walk a long way back from school.

In the past two years, the situation has changed slightly, because Shen Chen would go to Da Confucian to study the scriptures in the second half of each month, and often take him with him, living in Zhuge Liang or Pang Degong's house, so that he could teach privately.

Therefore, when Zhou Budo studied in the school in the first half of the month, he studied at home, and waited until the end of each month, and then followed Shen Chen to live in Zhuge or Yuliangzhou.

At this moment, Liu Biao asked Deng Hong and Liu to pick him up first, and Zhou Budo naturally followed.

"Brother!"

Zhou Budo worshipped Song Zhong with Shen Chen in his early years, so he never called him Shijun, but his brother.

Seeing Shen Chen coming over at this moment, the twelve-year-old boy greeted him again and again.

The carriage slowly stopped at the gate of Xiangyang West City, Shen Chen got out of the carriage, and first bowed to Deng Hong and Liu Xian: "Grandfather, the first prince." ”

Then he looked at Zhou Budo with a smile and said, "Don't doubt it." ”

"Ah Chen."

Deng Hong nodded and said, "The king asked you to see him." ”

"yes, I see."

Shen Chen said, "I probably know why he wants to see me. ”

"Let's go, then."

Deng Hong beckoned.

Everyone got back into the carriage and headed in the direction of the Chu Palace.

After arriving at the Chu Palace, Liu Xian asked Zhou Budo to go home first, and he and Deng Hong took Shen Chen into the palace.

At this moment, Liu Biao, Jia Xu, Kuaiyue and others were waiting for him.

Entering the hall and looking around, Shen Chen noticed Jia Xu, Jia Xu showed a faint smile on his face, and nodded to him.

"King!"

Shen Chen bowed his hand to Liu Biao, who was sitting on the main seat.

Liu Biao smiled: "Ah Chen, come and sit." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen Chen sat down next to him.

Liu Biao looked left and right, and suddenly said, "Let's go out first." ”

"Yui."

Jia Xu, Kuaiyue, Deng Hong, Liu Xian, and more than a dozen other Chu princes, such as Changshi, Sima, and the main book, retired.

Shen Chen was slightly surprised, because Liu Biao seemed to have planned to discuss things with everyone at first, but temporarily changed his plan, afraid that he would find him if he had a problem in private.

After everyone went out, there was only Cheng Qi who served Liu Biao in the corner not far away, Cheng Qi had always relied on Liu Biao as a cronie, a bit of the meaning of the head of the palace, and said that it was not good for Liu Biao to be the emperor in the future, so he had to be taken as a regular attendant.

At this moment, there was no one else in the hall, and Liu Biao said, "Ah Chen, how do you treat you with a widow?" ”

"The king treats me like a mountain!"

Shen Chen arched his hand and said.

Liu Biao sighed: "The only pity in my life is that there are no children and grandchildren like you, you have been in Xiangyang for ten years, I have always treated you as a nephew, and there are two things that call you today." ”

"Please command, the king should be the head of the morning life, and the grass should be the grass when he dies!"

Shen Chen said again.

Liu Biao groaned: "The first thing is naturally to hope that you will lead the troops to attack Liu Zhang's army. ”

"In the morning, you must go to the soup and go to the fire, and you will not give up."

Shen Chen agreed.

Liu Biao nodded, and said: "The second thing is to ask you, who should the widow take as his heir?" ”

Shen Chen's face changed slightly, and Liu Biao seemed to be very entangled, and he was looking for an outsider to make up his mind, I am afraid that he felt that he was old and would die of old age at any time, and he was thinking about who would be the heir.

Although because of Mrs. Cai, he likes his second son Liu Cong and hates his eldest son Liu Qi, but he still has to think about who he is giving his inheritance.

"The king's family affairs, it is inconvenient to talk about it in the morning."

Shen Chen shook his head and said.

Liu Biao waved his hand: "It's okay for you to say it, you and Youshuo are both my cronies, and I won't blame you." ”

Shen Chen said without hesitation: "Be the son Liu Cong." ”

"Oh?"

Liu Biao frowned and said, "I remember that you and Bury have always been friendly, why did you recommend Zhong Lin again?" ”

Qi and Cong are both jade, one word Bo Rui, one word Zhong Lin.

Shen Chen said: "Although Chen is friendly with the eldest son, the prince should be mainly virtuous, and the eldest son has always been strong, not as gentle as the second son." ”

"Oh"

Liu Biao nodded slowly and said, "I want to use you to attack Liu Zhang, what do you think?" ”

At this time, Shen Chen said to Cheng Qi: "Please also ask Cheng Gong to help me get some paper and pencils, I have been to Padang and want to draw a map for the king." ”

"Okay."

Cheng Qi turned around and went out.

After he left, Shen Chen immediately seized the opportunity and said, "Please also ask the eldest prince to be the heir." ”

Liu Biao was surprised: "Why did Ah Chen repeat? ”

Shen Chen said: "The second son is weak, and he was bewitched by Cai Mao and others. If he gets an heir, Jingzhou will be the world of Cai Mao, Kuai Yue and others. Now in Jingzhou, the eldest son is like Fusu, the second son is Hu Hai, and Cai Mao is Zhao Gaoli Si. Don't you forget that they once persuaded the king to join Cao Cao?

Liu Biao glanced at the door and said puzzledly: "Since that's the case, just now"

"The house is full of lady's eyes and ears, so I have to do it. Knowing the son is more than the father, doesn't the king know the temperament of the eldest son? Over the years, the king loves the second son but not the eldest son, and he is slandered by his wife. ”

Shen Chen stepped up his persuasion.

Liu Biao suddenly came to his senses, and then broke out in a cold sweat in an instant.

His son, of course, he knew.

Liu Qi has a benevolent and chivalrous personality, and his appearance is similar, so he should be the most suitable heir.

But over the years, I actually like the second son who is only willing to make promises, and I don't like the eldest son who is quite smart and determined.

What causes this?

Naturally, it was because Mrs. Cai had imperceptibly said bad things about Liu Qi in his ear all year round.

Liu Cong married Mrs. Cai's niece and had a deep entanglement with Cai Kuo's family.

At the beginning, Cai Mao Yue persuaded him to join Cao Cao.

Maybe if there will be changes in the north in the future, Cao Cao will unify the north, and after his death, the two will take their own foundation to Cao.

How can this work?

He had also asked Jia Xu about this matter in private before, but at that time, Jia Xu just smiled and said nothing, asking him to ask Shen Chen.

Now it seems that he is a fan of the authorities.

Thinking of this, Liu Biao eased his mood and let out a long breath and said, "Well, I know." ”

At this moment, Cheng Qi came in and put a pen and paper on Shen Chen's desk.

Shen Chen changed the color on his face, and sketched the terrain of Yiling with a pen and paper: "Your Majesty, please see, the only way to attack Bashu from Jingzhou is to take the Dajiang waterway directly into Bajun, or to attack Hanzhong by water. There is Zhang Lu in Han, so we can only fight Liu Zhang head-on in the waterway of the great river. ”

"I know this, but it's even harder to break into it."

Liu Biao shook his head.

Shen Chen said: "It's not impossible, but it takes time. ”

"How long?"

"It's as short as half a year, and as long as one or two years."

"How long is it going to take?"

Liu Biao frowned, he already wanted to be the emperor, which was longer than expected.

Shen Chen smiled bitterly: "This is also a matter of no choice, my strategy is to go north from Wuling County in Jingnan to Yishui, and then go upstream to Quren along Yishui, and raid the rear of Liu Zhang's army, or go north from Shaqu to Yong'an." But no matter how you go, this is the trail taken by the Wuling barbarians, and if you want the army to pass through, you must open the road in the mountains and build a bridge in the water. ”

The strategy he proposed was actually to go from Changde City, Hunan Province to Zhangjiajie, then go north to Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, and then continue north to Jianshi County, then to Badong County, and attack behind Liu Zhang's army.

This route has been unimpeded in later generations, but in the Han Dynasty, there were countless mountains and forests, all of which were endless primeval jungles.

The reason why he knew this road was because he had dealt with the barbarians, and occasionally went to Jingnan to study and see, and when he had nothing to do, he walked around Jingzhou, took a look, and drew a topographical map.

And there is also this route in history, that is, after Liu Bei arrived in Yiling, he opened a road from Sheshan and sent Ma Liang south to this area to recruit Wuling Mansha Moke.

Therefore, it is possible to go around from Jingnan to the rear of Liu Zhang, but the road is too difficult to walk, and it is estimated that it will take a year and a half.

After hearing this, Liu Biao nodded slightly and asked, "How sure are you?" ”

Shen Chen said: "As long as the road is successfully opened, when it reaches the rear of Liu Zhang's army, Chen is 100% sure." ”

"Okay."

Liu Biao immediately said: "Ah Chen, I ordered you to be the general of Zhonglang and order the army to go to Jingnan to open up this road!" ”

"Yui!"

Shen Chen should have given his hand.

Liu Biao said again: "You have been in Longzhong for a long time, and you don't often see Berry, just here, go and see him." ”

"Yui."

Shen Chen got up and left.

Looking at his departing back, Liu Biao's eyes glanced at Cheng Qi, who was honestly bending down to serve him, and thought in his heart.

He is old, and in the last two years, he has been thinking about the heir.

So I once asked Jia Xu for his opinion in private.

But Jia Xu shirked and asked him to ask Shen Chen.

Now it seems that Jia Xu is very likely to have discovered the problem, but he doesn't want to offend Cai Mao and them.

Now after Shen Chen's reminder, Liu Biao finally woke up.

Cai Maoyue's gang of guys did not firmly support him, but only cared about the interests of the family.

Once the throne is passed to Liu Cong, then Jingzhou will inevitably be controlled by this group of surrenderers.

In case Cao Cao gains power in the future and holds the Son of Heaven in his hands, they will surrender. Wouldn't the thousands of miles of rivers and mountains that he built by himself be destroyed in a flash?

So he had to come up with a countermeasure.

Liu Biao's eyes flashed.

And here, Shen Chen arrived at Liu Qi's courtyard, and when he entered, he saw Liu Qi sighing.

"Eldest son, why are you worried?"

Shen Chen was surprised.

When Liu Qi saw him coming, he was overjoyed and said, "Ah Chen, you are finally here." ”

"Come and see you."

Shen Chen smiled.

Liu Qi's age is actually a few years younger than Liu Bei, after all, his father is sixty-two, and he is also forty.

However, Liu Qi's personality is somewhat similar to Liu Bei, and he belongs to the kind of person with a bold personality, so he was more friendly with Shen Chen before, and occasionally asked him out of the city to hunt.

Seeing Shen Chen coming over at this moment, Liu Qi hurriedly pulled him into the house and said, "Ah Chen, come in, help me think of an idea." ”

"What's wrong?"

When the two entered the house, Shen Chen pretended to be surprised.

Liu Qi said: "Since my father inherited the throne, Mrs. Wang has become more and more eager to assassinate me, and I want to ask Ah Chen to teach me the art of self-peace." ”

Liu Qi has been in turmoil throughout history, and Mrs. Cai wants to kill him all the time, so she is very panicked every day.

But now the situation is even more critical, because Liu Biao is the king, and the throne is much more powerful than the state pastor.

Mrs. Cai didn't want to lose the glory and wealth of Mrs. Wang, so she naturally hoped that her niece's husband Liu Cong would succeed to the throne, and Liu Cong would inevitably be at their mercy at that time.

Therefore, the persecution of Liu Qi is getting worse day by day, making him afraid all day long.

Now that he saw Shen Chen coming, he naturally wanted to beg him for help.

Shen Chen shook his head and said, "I can't help with this matter, this is a family affair of my son, and my sixth grandmother"

Liu Qi pleaded: "Does Ah Chen want to see death and not save him?" ”

"I can't help it."

Shen Chen smiled bitterly: "Even my grandfather supports the second son."

Liu Qi sighed: "Since Ah Chen is unwilling to help me, there is no way, but I want to drink, how about accompanying me to the high-rise building over there to drink?" ”

He pointed to a tall building not far from the mansion.

Boy.

Going up the house and pumping the ladder?

Shen Chen scratched his head, looked left and right, there was no one around, and then gritted his teeth and said: "Go up to the house and draw the ladder is exempt, you don't see Shen Sheng inside and is in danger, and heavy ears are outside and safe?" ”

Liu Qi thought for a moment and said happily: "Thank you Ah Chen." ”

(End of chapter)