Plan to cut off the nine states

Xu Chu did come a step late. He had been delayed in Dongdu for too long. The situation in Xiangyang was changing every day. The Xi family sent people to buy Ma Lao's machete, and King Shen Dan of Jin was not idle either.

Liu Youzhong was holding a bottle of wine in his hand and said with a smile, "I haven't seen you for a long time. Has your fourth brother's drinking capacity improved again?"

"I'm about to quit."

"Why is this? The wine in the mortal world can no longer satisfy my fourth brother's appetite?"

"I suffered some minor injuries, and my drinking ability has been getting weaker day by day since then."

Hearing that Xu Chu had been injured, Liu Youzhong said: "It's my fault. You should have brought medicine. What kind of wine? How did the fourth brother get injured? Is it serious?"

"It's not heavy, it's just...what kind of wine did brother bring?"

Liu Youzhong picked up the wine bottle, took a look at it, and said with a smile: "To be honest, I just picked it up casually, I don't know what kind of wine it is."

"It tastes good, I think I could have a drink."

"It doesn't affect the injury?"

"One or two drinks is fine, just don't drink too much."

"Haha, fourth brother is still good at wine." Liu Youzhong took out two cups from his arms and handed one to Xu Chu.

There was no table in the tent, and the two of them each held glasses. Liu Youzhong filled the glasses and said, "It's a small glass of wine, so we can talk about our feelings. I hope my fourth brother will recover from his injury soon, and we'll get drunk before we stop."

"I also wish my eldest brother all the best and help King Jin to unify the world as soon as possible."

"Haha, fourth brother is laughing at me, but if I take over, King Jin will definitely rule the world."

The two drank for a while, Xu Chu only drank one cup, and Liu Youzhong drank three cups in a row, saying: "The rumors say that King Ning burned down the eastern capital, destroyed the walls and killed the people. Is it true?"

"Everything I heard was just rumors. When I left, Dongdu was still intact."

"But Prince Ning can do anything, but Prince Jin can't. Prince Jin loves Dongdu and would never bear to destroy it." Liu Youzhong put down his wine glass and said seriously: "Fourth brother has taken refuge with Prince Ning?"

"Just a guest."

"Fourth brother, you don't have to deceive yourself. Everything you do now is beneficial to King Ning. Although you don't have the title of king and minister, it is true. I am a person who has been here, and I would like to advise fourth brother: Now is no better than before. All the drones have risen, and everyone can be king. , everyone can find their own way, now is the time to place a bet, if you continue to hesitate like this, you may lose the opportunity to place a bet, and you can only watch on the sidelines with a lot of money. Find a place to stay early. , stop being half-hearted.”

"Eldest brother chose the King of Jin early, which is admirable and enviable." Xu Chu said with a smile.

"I'm not boasting, I will never leave King Jin."

"I have to wait a little longer."

"Well, if the fourth brother insisted on becoming king... forget it, there is no need to mention the past. The fourth brother is willing to be a lifelong guest, and it is up to you. At least it is harmless for the moment. All parties are confronting each other, and they all lack a messenger. And Who is more suitable than the fourth brother?"

"Brother, who do you need me to send a message to?"

"Chen Bancai is very familiar with his fourth brother, right?"

"We have met several times."

"I heard that it was my fourth brother who persuaded Chen Bancai to come to Xiangyang. He also invited the King of Eastern Hunan to sit in charge and made great achievements for him."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "Brother reminded me that when I go back, I have to ask for credit from General Chen."

"I have asked to see General Chen several times, but was always rejected. If my fourth brother can introduce me and facilitate this matter, both King Jin and I will remember this favor."

"I will introduce you, but the success or failure is still with General Chen."

"Of course, fourth brother tried his best, and I can't thank him enough."

Xu Chu drank another half of the cup, put the cup on the ground, shook his head and said, "You can't drink anymore."

Liu You eventually put down his cup, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "These words should not be mentioned now, but it is not easy to see my fourth brother. If I hide it, my fourth brother will definitely blame me in the future."

"Brother must not force it. If it concerns the King of Jin, eldest brother should first abide by the etiquette of a monarch and his ministers, and then talk about brotherhood."

Liu Youzhong smiled and said: "It does concern the King of Jin, but it will not damage the integrity of the ministers. That's it, the King of Jin is ready to return to Bingzhou."

Xu Chu raised his eyebrows slightly, "Does Chanyu allow it?"

"Haha, fourth brother can't believe that King Jin really took refuge in Shanyu, right?"

"I don't believe it, but I don't think now is the best time for King Jin to rebel against Shanyu."

"The King of Jin has said that it is better to create opportunities than wait for them. The Jin army is fully prepared and can raise the flag of righteousness at any time to expel the aliens and revive the court."

"Which court?"

"Of course it's the Tiancheng court in Yuyang."

"Where is King Jin's ambition?"

"I won't hide it from my fourth brother. King Jin and I have discussed it repeatedly and feel that we really have to wait for this opportunity, at least three to five years."

"Brother, do you want to see General Chen for this?"

Liu Youdian said, "General Chen went north to King Qin and coincided with King Jin."

Xu Chu smiled and asked, "Where is He Rong's army now?"

"Still in Hanzhou, the siege of Hanzhong City did not go well. Chanyu became angry and vowed to break the city and kill all the defenders."

"Hanzhong City is still there?" Xu Chu was surprised and pleased. Hanzhong should be guarded by Tie Yuan and Tang Weitian.

"It's still there, but it won't last long, a month at most. Chanyu sent some soldiers from Hebei and Qin states to Xiangyang, called assists, but actually for supervision. This is one of the reasons why the King of Jin wanted to raise the banner of righteousness again. one."

"And Prince Liang."

"Haha, the King of Liang is quite interesting. He seems timid, but he dares to take risks. He took advantage of the unpreparedness of the heroes to seize Jizhou and merged with the state. However, he thought too highly of himself and was not popular among the people. He only dared to take advantage of the situation and did not dare to fight face to face. Jin The king only needs to send one general back to defend, and the King of Liang can be driven back. The King of Jin wants to return to Bingzhou, and the person who cares is not the King of Liang, but to cut off the He Rong people's retreat. "

"If the King of Jin leaves, Shanyu will have to lead his army to attack Xiangyang. If the heroes are weak and not united, they will most likely be defeated. The He Rong people may not need a retreat."

"In terms of victory, unless all the heroes gather in Xiangyang and use all the power of the world, they can defeat He Rong's army. But... most of the heroes are Liang Wang's generation. Taking advantage of the chaos to expand their territory, how many of them can come to Xiangyang? Xiangyang must There is no sure way to win, only a narrow chance of victory. Not long after the He Rong people entered the fortress, they suddenly heard that their retreat was blocked, and the morale of the army was probably in chaos. There was still a glimmer of hope for the Xiangyang heroes. "

Xu Chu thought for a while and said, "Brother may really be able to persuade General Chen. I will try my best to facilitate this matter."

"Thank you, fourth brother. I know that fourth brother is not a person who climbs the dragon and clings to the phoenix, so I won't make any promises to you. In short, King Jin and I will remember the benefits of fourth brother."

"How to deal with this Liang army?"

"According to King Jin's intention, he wants to bring him back to Bingzhou. What suggestions does fourth brother have?"

"This Liang army has less soldiers and more food. It will be useless to bring them back to Bingzhou. The Jin army is a besieger. Retreating can boost the morale of Xiangyang. The Liang army is originally a reinforcement. Once it leaves, it may cause changes in the heroes."

"Well, what the fourth brother said makes sense. When I go back and discuss with the King of Jin, maybe we can keep this Liang army, at least to make up the number of 'heroes'. I'm afraid they don't want to."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "If King Jin opens his mouth, General Yu will have no reason to refuse."

The two chatted for a while, and Liu You finally resigned. Only then did Yu Yuan send someone to invite Xu Chu.

At the banquet, everyone only chatted and no one mentioned serious matters.

Early the next morning, Xu Chu said goodbye, thinking on the way: Liu Youzhong was right in reminding him that he really needs to join a force. Now it is no longer the chaotic situation when the world was in chaos. The old and new heroes have grown stronger, leaving the individual counselors with their own affairs. There is less and less room for maneuver.

The wisdom of a counselor can only be most effective if it relies on the courage of a king.

After thinking about it, Xu Chu felt that among the heroes, only King Ning was unsatisfactory. He couldn't help but sigh, and he was unwilling to do anything about it. He still could not forgive King Ning for burning and killing Wu soldiers.

Xu Chu went straight to the Confederate Army camp.

Without Guo Shifeng present, Chen Bingcai became much kinder and went out to greet him personally, and also invited the King of Eastern Hunan.

The King of Xiangdong has become fatter again and has a good face. It seems that he is well treated by the Southern Army. He is now very self-aware. After thanking Xu Chu, he does not speak again. No matter who speaks, he nods in agreement.

Chen Bingcai said: "Ning Baoguan is too violent and violent. If he rises, he will be another member of He Rong. Why did Mr. Xu recruit him?"

"First get rid of your close enemies, then discuss the problems in your elbows and armpits."

"Ning Baoguan can come as long as he comes, but he can't even think of ordering the heroes, at least I won't accept it. If Ning Baoguan can change his past and come to see the King of Xiangdong in person to show his sincerity in helping each other, I would Join him as a minister and support King Qin’s great cause.”

King Xiangdong nodded his head, but his expression changed slightly. He obviously didn't believe that King Ning would really come to pay homage to him.

"Although Prince Ning is cruel, he is not unreasonable. I will try my best to persuade him."

"I believe Mr. Xu. As for Guo Shifeng, please don't come again."

Xu Chu smiled and nodded, and then said: "The King of Jin sent someone to contact General Chen. Why did General Chen not see him?"

Chen Bingcai was slightly startled, "How did Mr. Xu learn about this?"

"Rumors abound."

Chen Bingcai turned to King Xiangdong and said, "Shen Dan is a sinister person who betrays his master, kills his father, and kills his brother. He sent people here, and it was necessary to use tactics, so I refused to meet and did not inform His Highness."

King Xiangdong still nodded, "General Chen can make the decision on this trivial matter. There is no need to inform me."

Chen Bancai turned to Xu Chu again, with a slightly stern look on his face, "Mr. Xu came to my place to be a lobbyist for Shen Dan, right?"

"I am only a 'lobbyist' in Xiangyang."

"It's my overthinking. The heroes came to defend Xiangyang, all relying on Mr. Xu's power. Others may switch to Shen Dan, but Mr. Xu will never."

"But I still have to say something for King Jin."

"Um."

"The enemy of Xiangyang is the He Rong tribe, not the King of Jin, nor the soldiers of Ji, Bing, and Qin. If there is a chance of maneuvering, we should not give up."

"Shen Dan sent people here just to persuade me to surrender, just like the Xi family..." Chen Bancai snorted with great disdain, "I'm not Xi Yun, why should Shen Dan bother me?"

“When two armies are at war, if you know yourself well, you must also know your enemy.”

Chen Bingcai thought for a while and asked King Xiangdong: "What do you think, Your Highness?"

"Huh? General Chen makes the decision. Everything is decided by General Chen."

"Okay, if Shen Dan sends someone again, I will meet him."

Xu Chu bowed his hands and said goodbye, but Chen Bingcai stayed and said, "It's getting dark, where else is Mr. Xu going?"

"Go back to the Majia military camp and go to Yizhou early tomorrow morning. Maybe we can invite some more reinforcements."

"Whether Xiangyang can be defended or not, Mr. Xu will be the main contributor."

It was evening when Xu Chu left the camp, and it was nearly three o'clock when he arrived at the camp. Before he entered, he noticed something was wrong. The guards in the camp became obviously tighter, and the tone of the soldiers was also unkind. After confirming his identity again and again, he opened the door. Release.

It was getting dark at night, so Xu Chu returned to his tent first.

Guo Shifeng also lives here. He hasn't slept yet, sitting on his bunk in a daze. When he saw Xu Chu come in, he immediately got up and said, "You are finally back. Things have changed."

"What's wrong?"

"Ma Lao Machete...was killed."