Plan to cut off the nine states

After rubbing it for a while, Gan Zhao was finally satisfied. He put down his sword, pointed at the weapons in the room and said, "These are all magical weapons. I collected them after I entered Yi. King Yidu loves stones, and I like weapons even more."

"I also like weapons more." Xu Chu said with a smile.

Gan Zhao didn't smile, but said to Che Quanyi: "Step back."

"King of Shu..."

"You know, I don't like arguing with people."

Che Quanyi bowed and exited, closing the door gently.

"Tie Yuan's letter said that you were of great help to him. Without you, the Yizhou Army would have been completely wiped out."

"I actually didn't do anything, I just spread the word." Xu Chu looked at Gan Zhao curiously.

Gan Zhao walked toward the door with his knife in hand while talking. Xu Chu quickly stepped aside. Gan Zhao was still chatting. When he reached the door, he held the knife in both hands and stabbed it out along the crack of the door. "Hit!"

A scream came from outside, "Ah! Ah! It hit me. The King of Shu knows things like a god, and he really hit me this time..." The voice gradually disappeared.

Gan Zhao withdrew the knife and said with a smile: "He was not stabbed, but he would make a small wound himself and show it to me later. Ji Gong is an interesting person and he always suits my liking."

"King of Shu..."

Gan Zhao put down the hand that was not holding the knife, "No need, I know what you want to say. Ji Gong is a complete villain, but I need him now, not because he can flatter me, but because I am in Yizhou I need a reliable 'ally', Ji Gong cannot escape my control."

Xu Chu didn't want to talk about it, so he asked instead, "Has King Shu recovered?"

"Hey, I've recovered, and I've even become clearer in my heart. Mr. Xu played a good trick."

"That's not a trick. There is such a prescription."

"Smashing stones and having diarrhea, are these your prescriptions?"

"Experiencing everything personally is my prescription. The King of Shu has not yet established a stable foothold in Yizhou, and the world is in a state of flux, with changes happening all the time. At the moment, the general is leading his troops outside, but the King of Shu is deep in the palace, with the little one. It is unwise to work with others and give up authority to others.”

Gan Zhao laughed and said, "Sure enough, Mr. Xu is still the same as before. I'm still thinking that it would be a pity if Mr. Xu changed his career and started pretending to be a ghost."

"It is a pity not to see the true face of King Shu."

"Haha, please sit down."

The two of them sat down respectively. Gan Zhao put the knife on the table and poured the tea himself. He still had to explain a few words for himself, "Che Quanyi is not like this outside."

"To be appointed as Shangshu Ling by the King of Shu, he must be no ordinary 'little man'."

"Anyway, he has some abilities. The word 'chicken bus' is not a wasted name. It is both a mockery and a sign that he can travel dangerous roads. King Yidu was killed, and he escaped from the palace with the three princesses and settled in a friend's house. At home - I haven’t mentioned yet, Che Quanyi has many friends, whether they are indigenous people or guests, there are people who are willing to work for him, so he can escape. "

"He has so many friends. When there was chaos in Yizhou, why didn't he take advantage of the situation and raise troops?"

"It's like Mr. Xu. He already has the king's title, but he refuses to keep it. Che Quanyi has his own plans. Although he has many friends, they are all close friends. He contributes money and the other party contributes. If he really wants to take a risk, there won't be many left around him. Individual. So he kept wandering among the heroes, refusing to join any party until he met me."

"He was impressed by the King of Shu?"

"He was impressed by the soldiers under my command. Although there are many heroes in Yizhou, none of them can be called heroes. They are fighting for small profits at the head of the camp. Most of the soldiers are profit-seeking people. Today the Li family will be Zhao tomorrow. Family, unwilling to be loyal to anyone."

"Wandering back and forth, this is exactly what Che Quanyi does."

"It's not exactly the same. Che Quanyi is more comfortable. In short, after I led thousands of soldiers into Yi, I was invincible. Che Quanyi heard about my reputation and quickly came to visit me. He introduced me to the local customs and gave me advice. He gave me many ideas and told me how to join forces among the heroes, making me feel like a fish in water. In less than a year, I can seize Jindu City and dominate Yibei. "

"Good at raising fish."

"Haha, Mr. Xu can't change his opinion of Che Quanyi. It's not your fault. Today's Che Quanyi is very different from before. Che Quanyi dedicated the three daughters of King Yidu, and the Tie family brothers and I each Marrying a queen caused some unhappiness, and my wife was unreasonable and didn’t understand my intention. "

"Although King Yidu is greedy and violent, he was once the lord of Yizhou after all. Marrying his daughter will make the name of the King of Shu legitimate."

"That's the truth. Mr. Xu is a sensible person. Che Quanyi persuaded that woman for me to let her stay in another mansion to eat, drink and have fun, and not to ruin my affairs."

Gan Zhao suddenly smiled, seeming a little ashamed, "The queen is young and beautiful, completely opposite to my mother-in-law in every way, and the maids are also old people in the Yidu Palace..." Gan Zhao licked his lips, "It's nothing. Sorry, I like women, Che Quanyi said... At that time, I knew he was a villain. He advised me to have fun and taught me how to have fun. Mr. Xu was right, Che Quanyi was raising fish. I am that fish, the fatter the better. He also found many famous doctors to give me supplements and treat me. Then when Mr. Xu saw it, I really thought I was sick, so I had to work harder to have fun to avoid everything. It’s too late.”

"Fortunately, King Shu woke up in time."

"I owe it all to Master Xu. You are truly my lucky star. But Che Quanyi has no bad intentions towards me."

"King Shu still believes in him?"

"Che Quanyi didn't mean to lure me to have fun. He just... got used to this behavior around King Yidu and couldn't change it for a while. Moreover, he didn't have much ambition. He just took the opportunity to make some money and make friends. More friends, for me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

Xu Chu nodded and said: "Che Quanyi is like the sword in the hand of the King of Shu. As long as you use it well, you can defeat the enemy without hurting yourself."

"Well said, but Mr. Xu doesn't really agree with my approach."

"The King of Shu understands everything and can make his own decisions without the approval of others."

"Young Master Xu doesn't have to hide in front of me. I would rather listen to your truth. I will only be grateful and not blame you."

"Is it his idea to send Tie Yuan and Yizhou guest soldiers to Hanzhou?"

"Is this a bad plan? Although Yizhou has not yet been unified, the natives in the south have already expressed their intention to surrender and will not go north for the time being. The He Rong talents in Qinzhou are a big problem. The Hanzhou army is recovering lost territory and is also a big enemy. If we don't send troops northward at this time, it will be destroyed."

"There is nothing wrong with going north, but what does the King of Shu mean by sending only guest soldiers?"

"Haha, Che Quanyi said - and I agree - that Yizhou is in chaos but not strong, just because the forces are complicated, the heroes fight on their own, and the soldiers frequently change their masters. If you stay in Yizhou, there will be trouble, so it is better to send them to It’s hard work in other places.”

"Yizhou soldiers are indeed famous for their bravery in Hanzhou."

"This is Tie Yuan's ability. He can always get along with the soldiers and make them willing to fight to the death. The Yizhou Army is no longer a piece of sand." Gan Zhao said with a smile, and then his face darkened, "But Tie Yuan missed my big deal. Leave a good Yizhou army in Hanzhou."

"If Tie Yuan does not negotiate peace with the Hanzhou people, tens of thousands of Yizhou soldiers will be buried in the valley road."

"I don't care about his peace talks, but after leaving the valley, he should find a way to return to Yizhou, but he insists on speaking of faith. His faith to the people of Hanzhou is more important than his loyalty to me?"

"If Tieyuan returns now, Hanzhou will definitely fall into the hands of the He Rong people..."

"If he doesn't come back, Hanzhou won't be able to defend it."

"Not necessarily. Since the King of Shu has the foresight to send troops northward in advance, he should also..."

"I will not send any more reinforcements, because it is a waste. I want to capture Yinan as soon as possible, and then send troops to guard the pass. I still remember what Mr. Xu said back then. Yizhou is separated from the other states by mountains and rivers, and is self-contained. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. . It is indeed a big shortcoming that we did not get Hanzhou, but it is not that easy for He Rong people to get Yizhou.”

"Che Quanyi's plan?"

"I haven't discussed this matter with him yet. This is my own idea. Mr. Xu need not say more, I know how to use the 'villain', at least until I get the whole Yizhou, he will still be of great use."

It is harder to persuade the King of Shu when he is sober than when he is confused.

Xu Chu was silent for a while, "What if I can invite reinforcements from elsewhere? Is the King of Shu willing to send troops together?"

Gan Zhao smiled and shook his head: "Impossible, where else can Mr. Xu find reinforcements? Jingzhou? The Xi family has long been frightened. It was too late to hide from He Rong's army, so they would not dare to provoke it. What's more, Xi Suan died in Hanzhou, even more so. Cut off the friendship between the two states. Luozhou? Hey, Liang Wangkong has a name, and it only occupies the eastern capital and a few counties. What can he use as reinforcements? "

"Gotta give it a try."

"Mr. Xu is really... stubborn, and I don't want you to leave. You are my lucky star. Now that you are here, don't leave."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "The King of Shu should have heard that I had offended Shan Yu and escaped from him. The King of Shu took me in at this time, which just provided a reason for the He Rong people to attack Yizhou."

"Anyway, the He Rong people will always attack, but if you really want to leave, I can't force you to stay. I can only give you one sentence: If Mr. Xu can find 100,000 reinforcements, Yizhou should also send troops to fight the He Rong people. Otherwise, If so, I still have to find a way to bring Tie Yuan back."

"Please give me a winter deadline, King Shu."

"There are still more than two months before the New Year. This is the time limit I give you. No more time will suffice. Tie Yuan has many troops. It will not take a day or two to return to Yizhou."

"Okay." Xu Chu didn't want to argue anymore, "I'll leave tomorrow."

"Where to go?"

"Go to Jingzhou first."

"If Xi Suan is not dead, you still have some chance of winning. What are you going to do now? The Xi family already regards you as their enemy. With this new enmity, they will kill you if they see you."

"Maybe Xiyun also has a strange disease that needs my treatment."

"Haha, I will not give up until I see the Yellow River. I admire Mr. Xu and hope that Mr. Xu will be willing to stay when we meet next time."

"I'm also looking forward to our next meeting." Xu Chu stood up and left.

Gan Zhao pointed to the knife on the table, "There are two things I like most right now, women and knives. Women can't give them to you, so I'll give you a good knife."

"Thank you." Xu Chu did not refuse, picked up the sword with both hands, found an empty sheath nearby, put the sword into the sheath, still holding it with both hands, "I won't come to say goodbye to the King of Shu tomorrow."

Gan Zhao nodded.

Xu Chu walked out of the room and saw Che Quanyi standing not far away, with a thin scar on his face.

"Why do you have a knife in your hand?" Che Quanyi asked in shock.

"That's a gift." Gan Zhao said loudly at the door, "Send Mr. Xu out of the palace and give him the customs clearance certificate. He will leave tomorrow."

Che Quanyi bowed in agreement and took Xu Chu out, all the way to the outside of the palace. When leaving, he suddenly smiled and said: "Master Xu really wants to leave?"

"Well, the King of Shu refuses to send reinforcements. I'm going to Jingzhou to give it a try."

"Mr. Xu is shooting himself in the foot. If you had stopped interfering and asked me for troops, this might have worked. But you insisted on curing the King of Shu's 'disease', which made things irreversible."

Xu Chu smiled and said, "Everyone makes mistakes."

Che Quanyi put away his smile, looked around, and whispered, "I think Mr. Xu has some skills, maybe he can find reinforcements. Let me tell you: If Mr. Xu can bring a real king--" Che Quanyi turned his head to look at the palace, "It's not impossible to change the owner here."

Xu Chu smiled and said goodbye, unintentionally reminding Gan Zhao.

He has been here, and it's time to leave. Although there is no hope ahead, he has not lost confidence, but instead a sense of gratitude.

When is there any time when confidence is more needed than now?

(End of this volume)