In the early morning, Liu Bei was in the room, sketching a map of Nanyang, which marked the stronghold of Cao's army.

"My lord, Mr. Yi is here to pay a visit."

"Please!"

Liu Bei smiled and stepped out to welcome the arrival of Yi.

Seeing Liu Bei condescending to greet him, Yi Ji apologized and said, "I've seen Xuande Gong, and it's too late to meet today, don't be surprised." ”

"It's not late, it's not late!" Liu Bei took Yi's arm and said with a smile: "How is Ji Bo doing recently?" ”

"Xie Xuande is concerned, and his status is still good recently." Yi took off his shoes and entered the house, sat on the side, and said, "I don't know what happened when I entered Xiangyang?" ”

Liu Bei asked people to serve tea cups and said: "The Han family is decadent, Cao Cao upholds Henan, except for loyalty and harm, Guandu and Cangting two battles, and defeats Yuan Shao." Now the situation in Hebei is turbulent, if you don't send troops to take Yuzhou in the north, clamp down on Cao Cao, and wait for him to unify Hebei, then Jing Chu and Wu Yue are in danger! ”

Yi Ji nodded slightly and said: "In the past, Liu Jingzhou wanted to follow King Wen of Zhou, cultivate virtue and politics internally, raise armor soldiers, sit in the land of Jianghan, and watch the victory or defeat of the world. However, the current situation in Hebei is in crisis, Yuan Cao is unbalanced, Liu Jingzhou does not dare to move, and will send Xuande Gong to the Northern Expedition. ”

In fact, Liu Biao's strong desire to forge ahead in the early and middle periods is different from the memory of later generations. At the beginning of Liu Yan's death, Liu Biao's faction drove Liu Qi to collude with Liu Zhang's generals Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Gan Ning to rebel, and after the defeat, Liu Zhang sent Zhonglang to send Zhao Wei to Jiangzhou and enter a state of war with Liu Biao.

When Zhang Jinan ran to Nanyang, he clashed with Liu Biao's soldiers and was shot, Liu Biao received his nephew Zhang Xiu and placed him in Wancheng, and sent people to help the court repair the palace.

But Liu Biao's biggest problem is that in dealing with the Central Plains pattern, he neither sends troops to the Central Plains, nor does he help one side. At the time of Yuan Cao's duel, everyone persuaded Liu Biao to choose one side to support, but Liu Biao refused to express his position. In order to prevent Liu Biao from backstabbing him, Cao Cao instigated Zhang Xian to rebel, and Liu Biao had no choice but to unite with Yuan Shao.

In the second war of Guandu and Cangting, Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao. When the northern situation of Cao Qiang and Yuan was weak, Liu Biao, who was sitting in Jingzhou, felt the crisis.

Especially after Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao, Cao Cao's front moved southward significantly. Therefore, last year, Liu Biao sent 10,000 people to attack Cao Cao in the north, launched the Battle of Western Hubei, and met Liu Bei, who was defeated in Runan, trying to let Liu Bei take Zhang Xiu's place and resist Cao Cao's southern invasion.

In the spring of this year, with the further deterioration of the situation in Hebei. Not only did Liu Bei, who had just entered Xinye, have a sense of crisis, but Liu Biao also felt the threat of Cao Cao. Under Liu Bei's strong advice, Liu Biao decided to support Liu Bei's Northern Expedition. This time, Liu Bei came to Xiangyang to discuss with Liu Biao the route of sending troops and the scale of the number of troops.

After a pause, Yi asked: "I don't know Xuande Gong, has the strategy for sending troops been decided?" ”

"There's a strategy!"

Liu Bei took the map to point out the Yi nationality and said: "Xuchang is close to Nanyang, and today we will send troops to Wancheng, pass Bowang, go out of Xia Road, take Yecheng, and go to Xuchang." If you can go to the city of Xuchang, you can take the loyal Han ministers as the internal response, or you can break the city. Once the city of Xuchang is broken, it can reverse the situation of the Central Plains. ”

Xinye is located in the Nanyang Basin, the main road from the Nanyang Basin to the Central Plains, and Fangcheng Xia Road is the core avenue. Out of Fangcheng Xia Road to the north through Kunyang can go to Luoyang, to the northeast to Xuchang. And Liu Bei's target this time was Xuchang, trying to dig out Cao Cao's ass.

Yi nodded thoughtfully, he didn't know much about military affairs, and he couldn't make very profound remarks.

After chatting about business, Yi and Liu Bei also began to chat, and said: "Tomorrow, I will hold a banquet at home, prepare a little wine, and want to invite a virtuous person, I don't know if the envoy can come?" ”

As he spoke, Yi lowered his voice and said, "Tomorrow's invitation, there is the eldest son (Liu Qi)'s confidant Wang Kai, and it may be beneficial to Duke Xuande." And if Xuande Gong wants to achieve great things, he must not be without humerus, there will be many wise men at tomorrow's banquet, and one person can be described as a genius, and Xuande Gong may be able to make friends with one or two. ”

During the few months that Liu Bei entered Jingzhou, Liu Bei participated in many banquets and knew a little about the internal doorways of Jingzhou. Especially in terms of talents, due to the chaos in the Central Plains, the northerners took refuge in the south, and there are many talented people entrenched in Jingzhou at present.

These handsome people, on the one hand, can't get Liu Biao's reuse, and on the other hand, they can't look down on Liu Bei's family background. And Liu Bei also has the same, he can't invite a capable handsome man; He doesn't look down on incapable scholars.

However, Liu Bei will not hold a grudge against them, after all, his own power is still weak, and it is not impossible to wait for the day when his power is strong to use it for himself.

"Huo Zhongmiao!"

Liu Bei listened to this unfamiliar name and asked, "Who is this Fang Junjie?" ”

"Huo Jun, Huo Zhongmiao, born in Zhijiang, Nanjun, came to Xiangyang day by day, and Wang Zhongxuan invited me to wait for the scholars from the north to pick up the wind for him, so we met."

"What about the characters?"

Yi Ji pondered a little and said: "The appearance is wonderful, the hope is high, and judging by his words and deeds, he can be described as Sergeant Jing Chu." Zhong Miao inherited Ji Changgong's disciple, Xiao Jun strategy, economy, especially good at decisiveness, the general trend of the world, everything in the middle. Zhong Xuan praised his talent compared to Wu Zi, and Gong Yi also said that 'the great instrument is natural'. ”

"In the battle of Guandu, the Cao clan won and the Yuan clan lost; The rebellion of Changsha, it is expected that the Liu family will win and the Zhang family will lose, and everything is as he said. is good at training the army, and the bravery of the troops is not inferior to the elite of Cainan County; It is also wonderful to pass the pipe, and build the city to benefit one party. ”

"He is only twenty or four years old, and he is very talented, and he can be described as a hero. Now in Xiangyang, there may be a meaning of making meritorious contributions. If Xuande Gong wants to achieve a great cause, he can accept this person into the account. ”

At the banquet, the double reed sung by Wang Cang and Huo Jun, and the meaning of asking Fu Xun to comment, how could Yi nationality not be clear. Huo Jun is from a strong background and has little fame, so he didn't enter Xiangyang to seek fame for officials, what else could he do for. In this troubled world, Yi is also a person of insight.

And the reason why he talked about Huo Jun to Liu Bei was also because he wanted to be a favor to push the boat along the river. He had a very good relationship with Liu Bei, and sometimes he would build bridges for Liu Bei and help him recruit heroes and make friends with scholars. Recommending Huo Jun to Liu Bei at the moment, success or not, is a beneficial thing for both parties.

Listening to what Yi said, Liu Bei really had some interest in Huo Jun, he traveled south and north, wandered for half his life, and saw many heroes. In the past, Tian Yu, Chen Qun, and Chen Deng were all capable people under his account, but unfortunately these people left him one by one with his defeat.

Now he seems to be respected, and Liu Biao also treats him with courtesy, but it is limited to that. There are only a few generals under his command, Zhang and Zhao, and there are only a few thousand soldiers, and Liu Biao's money and food are still provided by Liu Biao. Therefore, in order to accumulate strength, he is constantly recruiting heroes and accumulating strength bit by bit.

Liu Bei pondered for a while and said, "In that case, I'm sorry to disturb Jibo." Tomorrow we will have a banquet. ”

"No!"

……

In the study, Huo Jun was studying the military books with a focused expression, and there were many books of various theories stacked next to his desk.

The war at the end of the Han Dynasty was no more difficult than in the Internet society in the future, and it was extremely difficult to obtain knowledge. First of all, paper books are not popular, and it is inconvenient to compile bamboo slips, so it is not easy to obtain books; secondly, the families passed on poems and books, and each surname held the right to explain the books, forming a school valve; Third, the war at the end of the Han Dynasty caused a large number of books to be burned in the war.

Wang Cang's study room with more than 6,000 volumes, which is comparable to a small book view, made Huo Jun really addicted, and the forty-eight chapters of "Wu Qi's Art of War" made him even more addicted.

"Knock!"

"Knock!"

"It's me!" Wang Cang shouted.

"Please!"

Huo Jun put down the bamboo slip in his hand, got up and opened the door, and welcomed Wang Cang into the house. In the past few days, Wang Cang gave up his library to Huo Jun and hardly bothered.

Entering the room and sitting down, Wang Cang looked at the books neatly stacked on the case, and said with a smile: "Zhong Miao is diligent in studying, can you get anything?"

Huo Jun handed the teacup to Wang Cang and said, "There is Yan Ruyu in the book, and Jun caresses it like a beauty!"

"With a book as a beautiful woman, Zhong Miao is really interesting!" Wang Cang laughed.

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Wang Cang took a sip of bitter tea and said, "Tomorrow, Uncle Ji will hold a banquet at home, and General Zuo will also come at that time, and Zhong Miao may be able to prepare one or two."

However, Wang Cang said with a slight hesitation: "However, although I see that Liu Yuzhou is famous for his faith and righteousness and is famous all over the world, it is a pity that he abandoned Xuzhou and went to Runan, which is already in decline, and I am afraid that he is not a good lord."

Huo Jun raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a smile: "Otherwise, I think Liu Yuzhou is a hero in the world, but now he is just a dragon and a shallow ear, if he encounters wind and clouds, he will be able to cross the rivers and seas."

Standing up and pacing, Huo Jun said again: "For example, in the past, Gaozu was still defeated by Xiang Yu, went to Pengcheng, abandoned his wife and daughter, and finally won Xiang Yu in the next battle, and established the foundation of the Han Dynasty!" ”

Wang Cang seemed to groan. I heard Huo Jun say again: "Like Cao Gong, he was also defeated by Lu Bu's disciples, and when he was in distress, he had three counties, and he was able to recover in the end, and he defeated Yuan Shao in Guandu, and finally became a general trend." ”

"In this case, how can you cut off the hero because of a momentary difficulty!" Huo Jun added tea to Wang Cangzhan and said with a light smile.

Wang Cang frowned and picked up the teacup and didn't drink it for a long time.

"Han Ji Huo Da Sima Family": "Jun looks great, more than eight feet long, Fu Xun saw Da Sima, and said: "Jun Zhou is not suspicious, fruit is not reckless, the outside is round and the inside is square, and the talent of the big instrument is also." "However, Wang Cangbi is Wu Qi and the talent of the rhino head, and the people of the time do not think so."