In the city of Liang Dynasty, senior officials of the Yuan army gathered together. Although Gongsun released a large number of captured civil servants and officers, making the place overcrowded, the atmosphere was even worse than after returning from defeat a few days ago.

"This is what happened." Beside Yuan Shao in the hall, Xin Ping held a file with a gloomy face, presiding over the military meeting on behalf of Feng Ji, who was still in Anping. "In this time of crisis, we have three things to do.

The matter had to be dealt with... One was that the White Horse Thieves sent troops to two wings, and they actually wanted to wrap up the entire Wei County and swallow us up together; the other was that Ju Yi suddenly repeated himself and occupied Ye City; the last one was an extension of the two previous ones.

What happened, our army was newly defeated, and people were depressed, so how could we regroup? And if we didn’t regroup, how could we deal with the first two things?"

"It is said that the strong wind knows the strong grass, and the loyal ministers are seen in times of crisis. Let's talk about it!" The cavalry general Yuan Shao was neatly and gorgeously dressed, looking quite energetic, but for some reason he slightly raised his forehead. At this time, when Xin Pingfu said something

After that, the person simply urged him, as if he was impatient.

It is said that the words "The strong wind knows the strong grass" were spoken by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty. They were his words of praise for the hero Wang Ba. At that time, Liu Xiu was ostracized after the Battle of Kunyang and went north to Hebei alone, with Yingchuan by his side.

The old generals left one after another. Deng Yu, Feng Yi and others either set off in advance to explore the way, or they had not yet followed. Liu Xiu looked around, and his side was extremely desolate. Only Wang Ba was recuperating at home. At this time

Instead, he abandoned his family and his father and came to follow him alone. Guangwu was moved and said these words to the latter.

Later, as a jailer, Wang Ba was ranked among the founding heroes of the Later Han Dynasty. According to the public opinion, he just relied on his "sincerity to serve the Lord and loyalty to the Lord".

As for Yuan Shao's use of this allusion at this time, one is to compare himself to his prowess and not lose his ambition, to remind everyone that he still has capital and strength, and to remind everyone that there is still a long way to go in the future, and he may not be able to make a comeback; the other is to encourage everyone, at this time

This is the time when he is most in danger, and he will never forget it as a person who keeps his integrity. Of course, there is also a layer of warning, so there is no need to say more... In short, this allusion is extremely useful at this time.

appropriate.

And sure enough, as soon as these words came out, everyone in the originally dull lobby stopped talking, and the first few people even hesitated for a moment before preparing to leave.

"Everything has its own sequence, every action has its weight." At this moment, a man sitting in the corner in front of the hall, outside the queue, suddenly answered directly. "These three things have cause and effect and weight, and the order cannot be messed up.

…”

Everyone looked around and saw that it was Xu You.

"Ziyuan might as well speak frankly." Yuan Shao closed his eyes and raised his forehead, speaking directly... He didn't need to look to hear the voice of this 'running friend' who had been with him for sixteen years.

"The first thing is Gongsun Wenqi's massive outflanking move. We actually have no way to deal with it at this time. This is because the officers and soldiers are all frightened, the military morale is depressed, morale is low, and there is no way to send troops; and it is

If you want to send troops to deal with it, you can't avoid Yecheng behind you as the foundation for a turnaround!" Xu You didn't go out or get up, but just said to himself. "So, this matter is really a last resort, so I can only leave it behind...

…”

"What about the latter two?" Xin Pi, who was standing not far from Xu You, suddenly turned around and asked after receiving a signal from his brother. "I dare to ask Brother Ziyuan, who comes first and who comes last?"

"The last two things are actually a dead end that is entangled with each other." Xu You glanced at Xin Pi coldly and continued. "If you want to deal with Ju Yi and recapture Ye City, whether it is war or intimidation, you must boost morale.

Just send a large army to accompany them! However, let alone the demoralization of our army due to the current defeat, let me just say one thing. Most of the officers in the army and the family members of the chariot general and the shogunate have been living in Yecheng for a long time. After the Poison Rebellion,

Although it was once moved to the Liang period, only one of Yuan Cheqi's family members stayed, and the rest were returned... In other words, Ju Yi not only occupied the strong city, but also held hostages. General Cheqi's own family was intact, but he forced his subordinates to ignore it

When the family gains and loses and seizes the city, doesn’t it mean that all the generals in the army are forced to follow Ju Yi’s example and find their own way out?”

The hall was deserted, Yuan Shao held his forehead and remained silent, while the rest of the civil and military officials had their own thoughts.

Xu You continued to speak rudely in the corner: "As for not taking Ye City, it is even more ridiculous... Ye City is the largest city in Hebei, the capital of Wei County, and the seat of Jizhou's state government. If we don't have Ye City in our hands, what's the point?

Stand firm and counterattack? Not to mention that at this time, tens of thousands of defeated soldiers are gathered here, surrounded by Yecheng and Handan, unable to advance or retreat. If Yecheng is not taken back, will the entire army die in this Liangqi city? Regardless of these

, the third major thing that Xin Zhongzhi just mentioned is to restore morale and prepare the military morale... How to prepare and how to recover? At the very least, the generals and subordinates can see their families and prepare with peace of mind, and the disabled soldiers can return.

Is it possible to recover properly after rural rotation?!"

"If Xu Ziyuan and you speak like this, isn't there only one way to go?" Guo Tu asked sternly. "You want my lord to bow to a sinner whose entire family was exiled in the past, a rebellious warrior with no loyalty at all?

Are you really going to grant him the title of Marquis of Pingyuan, Prime Minister of Pingyuan, and General of Zhendong?"

"In troubled times, etiquette breaks down..." Yuan Shao was silent for a moment, then suddenly closed his eyes and spoke. "Han Xin still had the humiliation of his crotch, so how could I not bear it? And Ju Yi also had his own version of this matter. That day

I promised him the position of Marquis, but before he could succeed, Gongsun suddenly arrived, and then we hurriedly fought, leading to a complete defeat. His worry that I would not be able to fulfill the contract after the defeat was probably true. Moreover, I am afraid that there were too many soldiers killed and injured, and he was restrained in the rout.

Because of the constant plundering, I decided not to stop doing anything and simply merged with Xue Fang's troops and captured Ye City to threaten me... Actually, if it really doesn't work, why not allow him to do it for a while?"

Guo Tu chatted and retreated, but the civil and military officials in the hall felt relieved.

"No!" At this moment, Xu You raised his voice to object again, but he still did not come out and just spoke from behind everyone. "I cannot agree to Ju Yi under any circumstances... First, Ju Yi is a martial artist, ignorant and fearless.

, but the plain connects Qingzhou and Jizhou, with a population of one million. It is the most important town on the east side of our army. He really captured it temporarily with his soldiers. How can he easily recapture it in the future? Secondly, our army was severely defeated.

, the world is paying attention, and there are selfish interests inside and outside. Once you show weakness at this time, it will be difficult to control people's hearts... And if this doesn't work, then I will just ask Yuan Cheqi again, okay?"

"You ask!" Yuan Shao still closed his eyes and held his forehead.

"If a robber like Ju Yi can get General Zhendong, Prime Minister Pingyuan, and Pingyuan Marquis..." Xu You sneered in the corner. "How dare you ask Yuan Cheqi? Li Tuizhi fought diligently and had better armor.

Sheng, and his family's power is spread all over Jiyin and Shanyang. His brother Li Qian even killed his eldest son for you Yuan Cheqi. In the current situation, do you have to give Li Tuizhi the title of General Zhennan?

Would it be enough to reassure his brother Li Qian that he would be appointed as the governor of Jiyin and the governor of Qingzhou? And then give his brother Li Qian three appointments to show his efforts? But if this is the case, Captain Cheng Wu should also have a Cangting marquis, right? The rear is responsible for deployment

General Cheng Yu, who is responsible for the military rations, should also have a prefect of Dongjun to join him, right?"

Yuan Shao opened his eyes slightly, Li Jin and Cheng Wu even hesitated to speak.

"There is also Ju Gongyu!" Before Yuan Shao and Li Jin could react, Xu You spoke sternly again. "Compared to our territory south of the Yellow River, which is now defeated in one battle, Hebei is the first to bear the brunt and is extremely critical... This

At that time, if you agree to the request of a person like Ju Yi, I dare to ask where will General Ju, whose own son is about to die and who still worked hard to support your retreat for Yuan Cheqi in that day's war, be put? How can he deal with being killed within a year?

The soldiers and people of Yecheng who have been plundered twice? It is easy for Yuan Cheqi to agree to Ju Yi, but by doing so, isn't he afraid that the people in the army will be dissatisfied?!"

Yuan Shao closed his eyes again.

"Xu Ziyuan." Xin Ping finally spoke directly to Xu You. "It's easy to criticize as you do, because no one is at fault in a defeat... But is this a difficult time? You have to go.

When doing things, you have to make choices, right?! It’s true as you said, are we just waiting to die in Liangqicheng?!"

Xu You sneered, but had no intention of defending Xin Ping. However, Guo Tu, Xin Pi and others took the opportunity to start loudly discussing whether to make peace with Ju Yi... However, as the powerful generals of the Yanzhou faction remained silent

, Jushu, the leader of the Hebei faction, said nothing, but their discussions always seemed to be scratching the surface, and it was difficult to make a decision at all.

"Ziyuan!" I don't know how long it took, but Yuan Shao suddenly opened his eyes and released his hand on his forehead. Immediately, the hall became silent.

However, it may be that the quarrel had not stopped when this call was made, and Xu You did not hear it, so he did not respond to the greeting.

Yuan Shao was startled for a moment, then he simply stood up and walked forward slowly amidst the solemnity of the civil and military officials in the hall. He came directly to the corner in front of the hall, but he actually bowed to Xu You and said, "Ziyuan, what did you say?"

Of course... Ju Yi's domineering and rebellious behavior as a warrior is not worth mentioning, but at this time we cannot ignore the people's hearts... Yuan Tu has not returned yet, and Gongtai died in the battle again. Please tell me, really there is no

Is there a solution?"

Xu You sat in the corner, rolled up his sleeves and turned sideways to look at the short-haired man in front of him who was saluting him. He remained silent for a long time, but Yuan Shao actually kept bending over with his hands raised.

There was silence in the hall.

"Benchu ​​shouldn't have worshiped me." After an unknown amount of time, Xu Youfang took a long breath, and then his tone trembled slightly. "There are only three people who can solve this matter for Benchu. I just said...

…Those are Ju Shou, Li Jin and Cheng Wu.”

Yuan Shao did not straighten his back, but he was slightly startled, raised his head, and became slightly awakened.

"At this time, we are newly defeated. Only Jugong and this local man can appease the people of Yecheng, but Li Tuizhi has special soldiers and horses... His core tribe are all affiliated with the clan and are his people. At this time

Although the defeat has caused some damage, as long as they are not forced to face the sudden cavalry in the north, they can rarely fight again immediately." Xu You sat there and explained hastily. "As for Captain Cheng Wu, his father Cheng Zhongde is the

The people of Dong'a are so popular that Xue Fang's subordinates will definitely be shaken when they see Cheng Wu. Therefore, Benchu ​​should go to pay homage to these three people now and ask Duke Ju to go to Yecheng with the seals of General Zhendong and Marquis Pingyuan.

Pretend to promise Ju Yi, and let him take the opportunity to take over Yecheng, and then lead the troops to follow and attack; then let Li Tuizhi set up an ambush on the road east of Yecheng; then let Captain Cheng Wu accompany him, and wait for the war to recruit Ju Yi's troops

The Xue Fang Department that has just been annexed by China... attack from the front and the back, and if the three of us work together, we will definitely succeed!"

Yuan Shao did not hesitate, turned around and bowed to the nearest Cheng Wu. Cheng Wu turned pale with fright and saluted directly on the ground. As for Li Jin and Ju Shou, they each sighed and glanced at the man sitting in the corner.

Xu You, however, hurriedly bowed down before Yuan Shao could.

The great discussion in the hall ended here, not to mention that Yuan Shao, who saw a glimmer of hope, did not hesitate and took action immediately. It is only said that that night, as the chief secretary of the Chariot and Cavalry General's Mansion, Guo Tu, who had great power in the army,

Alone, carrying a pot of turbid wine, he came to see Xin Ping, the actual manager of the Liang period city.

Of course, after the defeat, there was chaos inside and outside Liang Qi City... Although this place had many preparations and stores as the former base camp of Yuan's army, the placement of injured and defeated troops, the restoration of establishment and organization were all troublesome. Not to mention Gongsun's army at this time.

The outflanking from left and right, and Ju Yi's chaos in Yecheng were all done openly and could not be concealed at all, so that the panic in the city became more and more obvious.

Therefore, Xin Ping was busy until midnight before returning to his residence in the city, exhausted.

However, Guo Tu seemed to know that this was the only time he could see Xin Ping in private, so he kept calm. He drank up a pot of turbid wine and four bowls of rotten meat noodles for two meals, leaving Xin Ping sitting next to him.

Pi was somewhat uneasy.

"Is there something going on here, Gongze?" Xin Ping saw Guo Tu, but he just didn't take it seriously. He went to wash his hands first, then slowly ate a bowl of rotten meat noodles, and sorted them again.

After being clean, he took off the bowls and chopsticks, and then calmly faced the other party across the table in the back hall.

Simpi, on the other hand, sat down to the side to accompany him.

"I just came here to look for my old friend because I had nothing to do... Speaking of which, we have been friends for almost 20 or 30 years since we met at Duke Chen's place in the county when we were teenagers. In these troubled times, we have been friends for more than 20 years.

We are old acquaintances and we are strangers in a foreign land, does Zhongzhi want to drive me away?" Guo Tu's face was full of jest.

Xin Ping also sighed after hearing this: "Young Master can come to see me at any time, but in extraordinary times, military affairs are busy, and you are the chief clerk of the General's Palace of Chariots and Cavalry. Instead of sitting here all night, you might as well come with me at that time."

Let me straighten out the military affairs together... and save myself from being gossiped about!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Guo Tu, who was smiling while twirling his beard, suddenly became serious. "Xu Ziyuan was in the hall today, and he almost said that all of us in Yingchuan are trash according to the current situation! This is the situation.

Come on, are you still afraid of people gossiping?! And what’s the point of you working around here? Aren’t you making wedding dresses for others?!”

Xin Ping responded with silence. Xin Pi originally wanted to speak, but when he saw his brother was silent, he had no choice but to swallow his words.
To be continued...