binnovel Chapter 255 Lobbying
Chapter 255 Lobbying
Chapter 255 Lobbying
A few days later, Luoyang Arsenal.
Liu Bian held a crossbow in his hand and tried to pull it open with force.
His face turned red, but he only pulled it open a little.
Seeing this, Zhong Yu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this kind of crossbow requires three strong men to pull it. Be careful not to hurt yourself."
Liu Bian slowly let go, took a breath, and then said, "Not bad."
Zhong Yao noticed the awkward atmosphere and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, this kind of crossbow has a range of up to fifty feet, is extremely powerful, and is easy to carry. It is a powerful weapon whether it is for siege or field battle!"
Liu Bian took the towel handed over by Zuo Li, wiped his hands, glanced at Zhang Wen who remained silent, and asked, "How is Cao Cao now?"
Upon hearing this, Zuo Li immediately said, "Your Majesty, Cao Cao has stationed troops in Qiao County and has also raised food and troops from Yingchuan, Runan, and Liang State. Now, it is estimated that he has at least 30,000 troops. Moreover, Pei State, especially Xu County, seems to have had many contacts with Cao Cao."
"Xu County?"
Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly, then laughed and said, "So, Cao Cao suddenly marched into Qiao County with such a plan."
Zhang Wen didn't expect Dong Zhuo to be so straightforward. He glanced at his entourage and said nothing.
Zuo Li observed Liu Bian's profile and whispered, "Your Majesty, are you using some ulterior motive?"
Zhong Yu is the son of Zhong Yao, and Zhong Yao, Xun You and others have been trying to restrict Cao Cao and cannot tolerate Cao Cao's power becoming too great!
Zhang Wen kept staring at him and asked, "You have no plans to send troops?"
Liu Bian nodded and continued to walk around the armory.
Liu Bian raised his eyebrows and said, "Did you do it on purpose?"
Suddenly, a little boy of three or four years old ran out from behind the crowd and rushed towards Liu Bian.
The two of them were talking in an irrelevant manner, obviously testing each other.
The back hall was very quiet, as if everyone was thinking of countermeasures, but their eyes were actually on Dong Zhuo's face.
The little guy was very smart and self-disciplined. He always got top marks in his studies. Although he liked to run around, he never caused trouble, and was deeply loved by Liu Bian and Empress Dowager He.
Liu Bian felt somewhat guilty about his second son, so he let him do whatever he wanted and did not impose too much control on him.
"Thank you, father." The little guy spoke in a baby voice, his face flushed red, not sure if it was because of running all the way or because he was excited.
Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "Not necessary for now."
Liu Bian was startled and asked, "Why are there so few?"
Zhang Wen walked in front, seemingly not hearing anything, and said, "The court is determined to wipe out Yuan Shu as soon as possible. Is Zhongying willing to send troops?"
Compared to the dull and taciturn eldest prince, the second prince has been smart since childhood and everyone likes him. Unfortunately, he is the second son and has poor health.
But Zhang Wen had some reservations and did not take action.
Zhongying is Dong Zhuo's courtesy name.
Liu Bian smiled and said, "This guy always does things beyond other people's expectations. Let him have his fun. By the way, send Guan Yu and Zhang Xiu to Cao Cao, and give him another 20,000 men in the Imperial Guards Camp."
Zhang Wen looked at Liu Bian calmly and said, "I accept your order."
Guo Si and others followed suit, saying that they should send troops as soon as possible and not give the court any chance.
"I think so too,"
Dong Zhuo looked hesitant and pretended to be thoughtful, his eyes searching the group of people below.
Liu Yu had been weak and sickly since childhood, especially in winter, when he felt like he was going through a catastrophe. But in summer, he was full of energy and vitality.
Zhang Wen said: "Zhongying, you still need to be considerate of the court and contribute more."
There have always been voices in the court calling for the establishment of a crown prince, but because of Wang Yun's incident, the actions of the court and the public were relatively shady. Just a few days ago, Xun Yu said a few words to Liu Bian, but was scolded by Liu Bian.
Dong Zhuo saw that Zhang Wen was silent and panicked. He said anxiously, "Mr. Zhang, you know Dong Zhuo. He has always been loyal to the court. The court must kill me, right?"
Zhang Wen walked forward, glancing at Jia Xu and the others, and said, "Zhongying's men are full of talented people."
Hearing Liu Bian's question, Zhong Yu hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, the current distribution is less than 5,000."
Pan Yin, who had been standing behind, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, he should be in Pei State, but I don't know his exact location."
Li Ru didn't like Jia Xu, and immediately frowned and said to him: "Don't mention that Liu Biao of Jingzhou has already established himself, with more than 100,000 soldiers and the support of many noble families. If we go south, how can Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian and others just sit there and watch? Once we go south, we will immediately become the target of public criticism. I don't agree with it."
Since Li Ru defected to Dong Zhuo, he did come up with many good ideas and was highly trusted by Dong Zhuo. On the contrary, Jia Xu's importance in Dong Zhuo's court declined sharply.
Upon hearing this, the others looked at each other and whispered.
Zhang Wen arrived a little late, but finally arrived in Xiao County.
Dong Zhuo personally went out of the city to welcome his old superior, without any neglect.
Dong Zhuo's face remained unchanged, and he looked more and more sincere, saying, "Mr. Zhang, will the court really punish Cao Cao?"
Jia Xu's mysophobia has become more and more serious this year. Looking at the gray stain on the corner of his clothes, he felt uncomfortable and frowned, saying, "Mr. Dong, I think we should go south to defeat Yuan Shao and capture Jingzhou first."
Liu Bian would not be fooled by his appearance. He pulled out a knife from the shelf, almost unable to hold it steady. He waved it vigorously and said calmly, "I originally disagreed, but the Prime Minister strongly recommended it, so I can't reject it. When you arrive in Pei State, don't be polite to Dong Zhuo. Tell him directly to remember the duty of a minister, otherwise the heavenly soldiers will come and destroy him at any time."
Dong Zhuo's old face was full of respect and trepidation. He quickly raised his hand and said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhang. I was wrong yesterday. Please save me, Mr. Zhang."
Judging from the current situation, Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu have been surrounded by the imperial army. However, the troops in the north are completely controlled by the imperial court, while those in the south are not so controlled, especially Sun Jian.
Zhang Wen's face was expressionless, he said calmly: "Sun Jian is no longer the same as before. I am incompetent and unfit to be the governor of Yangzhou."
Liu Bian looked at Liu Yu, stretched out his hand to straighten his messy clothes, and said, "Have the others finished class too?"
Niu Fu, Guo Si and others were a little surprised. When did Jia Xu say "don't move for now"?
Li Ru's eyes flashed with pride, and he raised his hand to Dong Zhuo and said solemnly: "Mr. Dong, the court sent Zhang Wen here, which means that the court is unable to take action and can only delay time. Now is Mr. Dong's great opportunity!"
In the third year of Yonghan, at the beginning of October, Pei State, Xiao County.
Li Ru immediately interrupted and said, "Mr. Dong, the court sent Zhang Wen here to delay time. We must not wait and must take Xuzhou as soon as possible!"
Dong Zhuo waited for a long time, and then he seemed to understand, nodded, and said, "Wenhe's words make sense, let's not move for now."
After Liu Bian left the armory, he took his second son for a walk in Luoyang City, letting the little guy, who seldom left the palace, feel the atmosphere of the city.
Liu Bian knew their thoughts very well and said, "That's it."
Zhong Yu now also serves as the Zuo Langzhong of the Bingcao Department, and the armory is under the Bingcao Department, so Zhong Yu is naturally very clear about this.
Jia Xu had a blank expression on his face and said calmly, "If you want to annex Xuzhou, what will you do if the imperial army arrives in no time?"
Liu Bian glanced at him and said, "The Prime Minister has recommended you to be the governor of Yangzhou. Can you suppress Sun Jian?"
Dong Zhuo raised his hand, his face showing anger, and said: "Mr. Zhang, I know everything. It was Cao Cao who used the troops without authorization, deceived the emperor, and plotted evil. He should be punished by the court!"
Zhang Wen's face twitched, and then he said indifferently: "I accept your order."
Dong Zhuo seemed to be relieved and said quickly: "Oh, Mr. Zhang, please come into the city."
"If the court can send troops, why doesn't it?"
From the time Cao Cao occupied Qiao County to the present day,
Dong Zhuo was standing next to Zhang Wen and asked, "Lord Dong, I heard that the imperial court has sent more troops to Shanyang County?"
Li Ru immediately sneered in his heart, it turned out that Jia Xu had run out of tricks.
Zhong Yu became more and more hesitant, but still said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has blocked 80% of the money and grain of the Ministry of War."
Zhong Yu and others followed behind, looking at the loving and filial father and son not far away, and shook their heads silently.
Liu Yu looked up at the roof beams, then looked at Liu Bian seriously and said, "Except my brother, no one else has finished their get out of class."
Liu Bian smiled and said, "Not bad, you are doing well! Come on, let your father take you to eat something delicious!"
Although Qiao County has a special geographical location and is Cao Cao's hometown, Cao Cao still did not have sufficient reasons. But now it seems that Cao Cao has greater ambitions!
After a long silence, Zhang Wen simply asked directly: "What is Zhongying's plan for Qiao County?"
After entering the city, Dong Zhuo exchanged pleasantries with Zhang Wen and arranged for Zhang Wen to sit down. Dong Zhuo immediately summoned his trusted aides to the back hall.
Liu Bian stared at Zhong Yu for a while, and suddenly asked, "What is Huangfu Jian doing?"
Niu Fu followed up with a deep voice: "Foster father, I think so too. We can't wait any longer. We have to take action first!"
Dong Zhuo was a big, strong man sitting in the main seat, staring with a serious look on his face. He asked, "What do you think?"
Jia Xu, Li Ru and others followed behind, listening to the conversation with almost no expression on their faces.
……
Zhong Yu bowed and said, "I don't know."
Li Ru was shocked and said, "Mr. Dong, this is a golden opportunity. You must not miss it if you want to achieve your goal!"
After landing, Zhang Wen's round and indifferent face suddenly smiled and said, "Zhongying, how are you?"
Zhang Wen naturally didn't believe it, but after Dong Zhuo's move, he found it difficult to say many things.
He is a man who knows military affairs. Whether he captures Xuzhou or goes south to Jingzhou, he will be besieged, unless he can go out with Lu Bu and Yuan Shu!
Jia Xu looked at Dong Zhuo without saying anything, quietly stroking the stained corner of his clothes.
Zhang Wen's expression remained unchanged, and he said, "Yes."
As for Dong Zhuo, when he was fighting against the Yellow Turban Army, Zhang Wen realized that this man had the heart of a tiger and a wolf. Not only him, but even Sun Jian believed that he should be killed as soon as possible to avoid a disaster.
Dong Zhuo asked, "Mr. Zhang, I wonder if the court will be able to provide me with money and food?"
Liu Yu lay in Liu Bian's arms and said seriously, "Father, I have finished my homework. I came out only because the teacher agreed."
It has been almost a month since Cao Cao occupied Qiao County.
Zhang Wen is a mediocre old man in his early fifties. He doesn't look smooth, but rather very honest.
One headed towards Pei State, and the other went straight to Qiao County.
Dong Zhuo is a hungry wolf and Cao Cao is a fierce tiger. Liu Bian also wants to see who is better.
Zhang Wen raised his hand and respectfully saw Liu Bian off, but did not follow him.
Dong Zhuo even personally stood by the carriage and helped Zhang Wen get off.
Zhang Wen had to step forward at this time. He raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I am sure I can persuade Dong Zhuo."
Dong Zhuo listened for a while, and seeing that Jia Xu remained silent, he widened his eyes and asked, "Wenhe, what do you say?"
Zhong Yu was shocked when he heard this, and stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Cao Cao governs three counties, and already has more than 30,000 soldiers and horses. If he gives him another 20,000, I'm afraid..."
Dong Zhuo blurted out, his tone firm and powerful, "Cao Cao's crime should be decided by the court, it is not for me to say anything. If I wanted to send troops, how could I wait until Zhang Gong arrived?"
"no!"
Dong Zhuo's face was as hard as steel, and he immediately said in a deep voice: "Dong Zhuo is a minister of the Han Dynasty, and I have no intention of being disloyal. Please understand Zhang Gongming!"
On the other hand, Zhang Wen received an imperial edict and rushed to the Ministry of Personnel, the Secretariat, the Censorate, and the Grand Marshal's Mansion to obtain a series of official documents and count the imperial guards. Only then did he leave the palace and Beijing for Yuzhou.
There were also orders to leave the palace and head straight to the imperial guard camp.
Zhang Wen listened to Dong Zhuo's words, stared at him, and asked, "Zhongying really has no other ideas?"
"Father..."
After looking at some more weapons and armor, Liu Bian was quite satisfied with the development of the arsenal. He paced back and forth and asked, "Have they all been distributed to the Imperial Army camp?"
They never thought that many years would pass in the blink of an eye and they would meet again here in this capacity.
Zhang Wen was somewhat relieved and said, "Since Zhongying said so, I will report this to the court as well. Cao Cao will have his own rules, so you can rest assured."
Behind Dong Zhuo, Niu Fu, Guo Si, Jia Xu, Li Ru and others were standing, all observing Zhang Wen.
Zhong Yu didn't say anything, but he expressed his meaning very clearly.
Liu Bian turned around, picked up Liu Yu, patted his butt, and said with a smile: "Did you skip school again?"
When Zhang Wen left Sili and arrived in Yanzhou, Zhang Xiu was also rushing to Yuzhou with an army of 20,000, but their directions were opposite, one to the southeast and the other to the northwest.
Zuo Li couldn't guess Liu Bian's thoughts and retreated quietly.
Dong Zhuo also turned a deaf ear to him and said, "The troops in Langya County have also been increased. The imperial court, are they encircling me?"
No matter what Zhang Wen thought, it would not be his turn to be the governor of Yangzhou. Liu Bian turned to him and said, "Go see Sun Jian again and tell him that after Yuan Shu is defeated, he will be the governor of Yangzhou."
Jia Xu was clear about it, but the strategy he formulated two years ago was no longer applicable at this time.
Resisting the discomfort of the corner of his clothes, Jia Xu said, "Mr. Dong is from a Jiangdong family, and is used to following the wind. As long as Mr. Dong occupies the two counties of Jingzhou, he will surely be followed by many people. With Yuan Shu by his side, others will not dare to act rashly! Jingzhou is a place that must be fought for by military strategists. It has vast land and abundant food. With Jingzhou in hand, you can sit back and watch the world change, and great achievements can be expected!"
Li Ru immediately said, "Mr. Dong, we are unfamiliar with Jingzhou. Once we are trapped, it will be difficult to escape. If Mr. Dong leaves Pei State, the court will certainly send troops to recapture the entire Yuzhou. At that time, Mr. Dong will be unable to advance or retreat. What great cause can he expect?"
Jia Xu, who usually kept a calm expression, frowned rarely. This Li Ru was deliberately going against him!
Everyone knows what happened in July, so take care of yourself, good health is everything!
Please take care of yourself and your family!