Plan to cut off the nine states

The ship headed against the current towards Yizhou. Looking at the bleak winter scenery on the shore, Guo Shifeng finally felt relieved and entered the cabin and said to Xu Chu: "Brother Chu, save my life."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "Brother Guo got rid of the suspicion himself, why do you need to thank me?"

"I am grateful that Brother Chu came back in time and dared to go to the Ma Camp to observe the situation."

"That's because I was not present when Ma Lao Machete was killed, and I was the least suspected."

"Brother Xie Chu made a quick decision and found a crucial piece of evidence - the person who escaped from the Xi family. It was really a big help."

“In the end, it’s up to Brother Guo to persuade the leaders.”

"Well, in terms of talking skills, even if I'm not better than Chu, I won't be much worse, but I have to know what to say first - this is Chu's credit."

Xu Chu still wanted to be humble, and Guo Shifeng said: "I now understand why King Ning valued Chu's younger brother. It was neither a cunning plan nor a rough strategy, but a matter of staying calm in times of crisis. Having Chu's younger brother present when he is panicked can indeed turn the crisis into safety."

Xu Chu was no longer humble this time, but smiled.

Guo Shifeng sighed with emotion for a long time, and then said: "All the five envoys left by the Xi family were killed, and the thieves sent troops to rob the Xi family's food and grass. This matter has been concluded, but I still want to ask: Who does Chu brother think is the real murderer? ?”

"Xi family." Xu Chu replied.

"Of course it's the Xi family." Guo Shifeng said with a smile, and after waiting for a while, he added: "If it's not the Xi family, who is it? Although the five envoys confessed - they had to strike with the knife on their necks - they only admitted that they were Messenger of the Lord, the perpetrator was not identified.”

"What do you think, Brother Guo?"

Guo Shifeng thought for a while and said with a smile: "It's the Xi family, it's the Xi family."

Xu Chu nodded in agreement.

Guo Shifeng left most of the guards in the Song camp and took only four people with him. He asked them to prepare some wine and food and bring them into the cabin to eat and chat with Xu Chu.

"Did General Song take the bamboo and call him the King of Chu?" Guo Shifeng asked.

"right."

"Why did you leave? Do you want to learn from Brother Chu?"

"He didn't learn from me. He just felt that his strength was too weak and he didn't live up to his reputation, so he quit."

"Well, this General Song is quite a character."

"Just because of the number?"

"The day before yesterday in the Ma Camp tent, I exposed the Xi family's conspiracy to the leaders. The situation was critical for a time. It was only General Song and Mrs. Ma who assisted me, so that I could keep talking without being interrupted. In the end, everyone decided to take revenge. When the three leaders were recommended to jointly assist Ma Lao Ma Ke Dao's grandson, General Song was very vocal, but he refused to accept it and refused to let Mrs. Ma participate, which impressed me deeply. "

"General Song is a Xiangyang hero, not a bandit. He recently married the Ma family's daughter, and his qualifications are still relatively low. He is indeed not enough to convince the public."

"This is the truth, but there are only a few people who can understand it and stick to it. That's Brother Chu. Back then... haha."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "It was true that I was impatient back then. I finally pulled back from the cliff and didn't go too far. But the legacy is still something that I can't get rid of."

"Brother Chu has great concentration, which is incomparable to others. This General Song is beyond my expectation."

"Let me boast, the title of King of Chu that General Song gave up is much worse than the title of King of Wu that I was."

"Haha, of course." Guo Shifeng drank a glass of wine and sighed: "It's a pity that the timing is not good. If General Song had taken action earlier, he might have become the overlord of one party and could compete with the heroes. But now it will be difficult, leaving him There are not many ways for him to go, either to seek refuge with Prince Ning or to follow Chen Bancai and fight for a title from the Tiancheng court, and it will be difficult for him to achieve anything great. "

"Unless the heroes of the Central Plains are defeated in the battle of Xiangyang City, those who survive may still have a chance."

"How could the heroes be defeated if Brother Chu came up with a plan?"

Xu Chu raised his glass and toasted, "Everyone has his own destiny. As counselors, we can only see two or three steps more than ordinary people. We may not be completely right. We can only do our best and listen to destiny."

Guo Shifeng drank freely, Xu Chu toasted to accompany him, and drank very little.

Although Guo Shifeng was drinking alone, he gradually became interested and said: "There are no outsiders here. The four guards outside are my confidants. They will never eavesdrop on our conversation and will watch the boatman for me. We will try our best to You can talk as much as you like, what do you think of Prince Ning?"

"Brother Guo is a little drunk."

"I'm wide awake."

"Now that you are sober, how dare you talk about your master behind his back?"

"Counsels are different from generals. They must gain the trust of the lord, but also maintain a little distance to avoid being confused by the authorities. Even the generals sometimes do not receive orders from the king, let alone you and me? I don't dare to discuss, I will come first."

"All ears."

"Let's talk about the benefits first. Prince Ning is a perseverant man who is not afraid of hardships and dangers. It takes a lot of effort to persuade others to take risks, but for Prince Ning, it is necessary to persuade him to take less risks. There is no smooth road in troubled times. This is a very simple truth, but there is no such thing as How many people can understand that it is ridiculous to always have a 'perfect strategy'? If there is a 'perfect strategy', will the world still be in trouble? Prince Ning does not have this problem. He dares to rob and give up. I thought he would be too greedy for women, but he Leaving Queen Mother Luan in Stone City and not taking her with the army gives me a lot of peace of mind."

"Prince Ning is indeed like this. When we go to Yizhou, what we are about to meet is a 'perfect strategy'."

"There is another advantage of Prince Ning. He can bend and stretch, and he can bow but not bend his will. There is no need to worry that he will give up halfway."

"I have harmed many people, including Brother Guo."

"Haha, brother Chu, don't think too much, but what you said is true. Abdicating will indeed harm many people, but it will also save many people. No matter what, if I have a choice, I would rather stay with Prince Ning in fear than stay with him. Follow people like Brother Chu in a down-to-earth manner.”

Xu Chu smiled and nodded, not taking it seriously, "Are there any other benefits?"

"These two are enough, everything else comes second."

“With good there comes bad.”

"You are too strong and fierce. You say you can bend and stretch, but you can only pretend to bend, not really bend. When you are angry, no one can persuade you. I only hope that King Ning can work hard. As long as he can stand firm, no one in the world can be like him. rival."

In Guo Shifeng's words, Prince Ning's "disadvantages" are also like "benefits". Xu Chu said: "Brother Guo and I have similar views."

"It's boring to be similar. Brother Chu must have other opinions."

"Prince Ning...I don't like Prince Ning."

"Haha, brother Chu really hit the mark. Not many people like Prince Ning, really not many, but when they think of Prince Ning's bright future, they don't want to leave."

"Prince Ning is not the only one qualified to compete for the title."

"Who else? King Liang? In terms of friendship, ten King Ning are not as good as one King of Liang. In terms of heroes, the opposite is true. Ten King of Liang are not as good as one King Ning. Stay with King Liang, As long as I remember the four words "Emperor of Liang", I will be able to live a secure life without worrying about food and clothing. At least I will be one of King Liang's confidants. As long as King Liang is undefeated, I will never have to worry about the safety of my family. But King Liang. Can it be undefeated?”

"Where was King Liang defeated?"

"He is famous but not real, he has big ambitions but few talents. He collected a lot of Qianliang relics in Dongdu, and took a lot with him when he went to Jizhou, right?"

Xu Chu nodded.

"The King of Liang does not take his wife, nor his important officials, nor his people, but only useless things. This is why he will fail."

Xu Chu sighed softly, "It's a pity that King Liang is stubborn."

"It's impossible for him to wake up. Who else does Brother Chu value?"

"Chanyu."

"The Chanyu... I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he conquered the world. I wouldn't be surprised if he was completely defeated and even died. Without it, the Chanyu used He Rongren's tricks to subdue the heroes of the Central Plains and win. If it is safe, if the strength is weak, it will collapse. There is no explanation.”

"Chen Bancai."

Guo Shifeng thought for a while, "This person is indeed a bit unfathomable. He is angry when he sees me, but he is not really angry. He calls himself the King of Diligence and praises the King of Xiangdong, but it is not true. I know too little about him. I have to listen to my brother. idea.”

"Chen Bingcai's sincerity has not yet been revealed, but he has become as powerful as he is now. Once he becomes public, his power will be immeasurable. He has the backing of Hunan and Guangzhou. Although they are scattered states, from what I heard, they are quite loyal to him. As far as I'm concerned, In terms of foundation, only the Huaizhou Sheng family can compare with it."

"Neither the Sheng family nor the King of Shu have great ambitions. If Chen Bingcai is really ambitious, he should not be underestimated. However, the number of soldiers is not strong, and the general is broad but not fierce. He risked crossing the river and staying away from Hunan and Guang. If he wants to achieve great things, he must Survive the Battle of Xiangyang."

"Chen Bingcai and Prince Ning are on the same level."

Guo Shifeng said with a smile: "The first step for King Ning to fight for the world is to stabilize Jiangnan and have disputes with Hunan and Guangzhou. But unexpectedly, the two sides did not meet in Jiangnan, but met in Xiangyang. Perhaps there is no need to wait for the end of this battle, Chen Being sick is no longer a threat. This is a good thing for him. His ambition has not yet been revealed and he can remain a loyal minister. "

"Brother Guo thinks Chen Bingcai is no match for Prince Ning?"

"Unless I misjudge the person, otherwise Chen Bingcai won't be able to survive three moves in front of Prince Ning."

"I think Chen Bing can only hold on for a while."

"We will find out when we come back from Yizhou."

"There is one person I haven't mentioned yet."

Guo Shifeng drank the wine in the cup, showing his obvious drunkenness, "Which one? King Jin? Or Yuyang?"

Xu Chu hesitated and said, "Prince Jin."

Guo Shifeng said with a smile: "Brother Chu still misses Yuyang, but the natural energy has been exhausted, and it's all in Brother Chu's hands. There is no way to bring him back to life, and besides, it's just a woman. As for King Jin, you can talk about it ”

Guo Shifeng filled himself up with wine and said, "The King of Jin had a chance. If he could persuade his father to become king, consolidate the state internally, connect with all the heroes externally, and try to make progress after two or three years, the situation would not be what it is today. But Jin The king was too anxious to claim the throne, to conquer the eastern capital, and to kill his father to seize power. As a result, he was in trouble internally and externally. The opportunity for the king of Jin was over, and the battle of Xiangyang was of no benefit to him. "

The King of Jin planned to return to Bingzhou, but Xu Chu told no one and remained tight-lipped at this time.

"After all, the general situation is uncertain, and there may be new heroes emerging."

"There are not many opportunities. It is difficult for even King Jin to come forward, let alone others? Brother Chu, don't hesitate any more. If you follow King Ning as soon as possible, you will at least have the power to follow the dragon. When the situation is determined and brother Chu falls behind, all you can do is Grab some leftovers."

"I have a small appetite, so some leftovers are enough." Xu Chu said with a smile.

Guo Shifeng's drunken eyes were dim, "Brother Chu's ambition is really unfathomable."

The two kept chatting until the evening, when the boat docked and stopped, they removed the food and wine and lay down to rest.

Xu Chu drank little and slept lightly. He was awakened by the sound of footsteps at night. He did not open his eyes and just listened.

Guo Shifeng walked outside the cabin and whispered to someone: "Take this letter and go back to see Prince Ning immediately. Don't delay. You must do it with your own hands..."

The rest of the words could not be heard clearly, and Xu Chu smiled slightly. After this discussion, Guo Shifeng had regarded Chen Bancai as his enemy, and he probably wrote a letter to remind King Ning about this.