The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

But it was Xun Chengzhi who asked Chen to buy and borrow food.

Borrowing grain is fine. The problem is, this is not the first time Xun Cheng has borrowed grain, it is the second time.

The first time I borrowed grain was eight days ago. On the grounds that he was in a hurry to help Qingzhou and defend against Yuan Tan's invasion, Xun Cheng said in the first letter that he had come too hastily, so that there is currently a lack of grain in the ministry, because he asked Chen to buy a loan. Grain two hundred thousand stone.

One mouth is 200,000 stone grains. It is true that the lion has a big mouth. If the Taiping season is about to be completed, the Yellow Turban army in Qingzhou has not been slain since the Guanghe seven-year Yellow Turban uprising. He can only talk about it. He heard that the Yellow Turbans were coming, so he fled after hearing the news. What he did every day was not to strengthen the army and train troops, but to get a bunch of sorcerers by his side, divination and fortune-telling, praying for the blessing of the gods, hoping to be able to do this. Come to destroy the Yellow Turban, but how could the Yellow Turban dissipate? The prefects of the five counties in Qingzhou are mostly of the same kind as Jiao He. Kong Rong, who is the most famous and has the largest position in the territory, is also an ignorant soldier. This has led to the fact that the number of Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou has not decreased, but has increased. , has been known as a million people, and even went to Yanzhou in the past to disturb the territory of Yanzhou, - the reason why the former prefect of Yanzhou Liu Gongshan was stabbed to death by the Yellow Turban, and the reason why Cao Cao was able to be the prefect of Yanzhou, it is because of Jiao. There is a close relationship with the incompetence. It has been almost ten years since the chaos started this year. No matter how rich Qingzhou used to be in the past, the prefectures of its counties are about to be opened. Where can Chen Mai give him 200,000 stone grains? ?

In fact, Chen Mai also knew that Xun Cheng asked him for food, "I was in a hurry to help Qingzhou, so I didn't have much luggage, and I was short of food." It was just an excuse for Xun Cheng, and Xun Cheng was obviously blackmailing him.

However, considering that he himself had just been appointed as the prefect of Qingzhou, and he was given the post by Xun Zhen's superiors, the prefects of several counties in Qingzhou have given some soldiers to him, even at his request. Ma and him, but this happened against the backdrop of Yuan Tan's army pressing down on the territory. Now that Yuan Tan has withdrawn his troops, will Kong Rong and others still support him unconditionally and resolutely? This is a big problem; secondly, due to this big problem, Chen Mai can't help but hope that he can continue to get some support from Xun Zhen to strengthen his strength in Qingzhou, so as to suppress the prefects of the remaining counties. Consolidate his position in Qingzhou.

Therefore, even though he knew that Xun Cheng was blackmailing him, Chen Mai was still full of grievances. He scraped together 100,000 shi of grain, sent officials to **** him, and sent it to Licheng.

Along with the food, there was a reply letter from Chen Mai.

In the letter, Chen Mai explained his difficulties to Xun Cheng in a very respectful and polite tone, and listed three objective difficulties. Be prepared to defend against Yuan Tan's troops in the event of Pingyuan County falling. Therefore, he did not carry a lot of luggage. If the county wants some troops and horses, it can be done, but if you ask the county for food, and the county is poor, I am afraid they will not give him, or will not give much; There are only five counties, not to mention the limited population, and it has been war-torn for a long time. Large tracts of fields have been deserted. There is really no food in the treasury of the county government of Qi.

Because, Chen Mai asked Xun Cheng to be considerate of him. He couldn't give 200,000 stones. He tried his best, but he could only get half of it.

Chen Mai is now in Dongpingling County. Dongpingling is in the northeast of Licheng, bordering Licheng, and the two county towns are only fifty or sixty miles apart. Xun Cheng received the food and letter that Chen bought a few days later, but he also politely bought back a letter for Chen without saying anything.

So, Chen Mai thought it was over.

Although Licheng is currently occupied by Xuzhou, Chen Mai has no plans to come back or call back for the time being, so Xuzhou will occupy it first, but Xun Cheng's identity is no better than Zhao Yun. Staying in Licheng, Chen Mai could not rest assured, so the day after receiving Xun Cheng's reply, Chen Mai sent another letter to Xun Cheng.

In this letter, Chen Mai tentatively asked Xun Cheng, Yuan Tan's troops have been withdrawn, why is he still staying in Licheng?

The implication is to ask Xun Cheng when he plans to return to Taishan County.

Then there was Xun Cheng's second request for food, which Chen Mai had just received not long ago.

Xun Cheng said in this letter that he had wanted to go back to Mount Tai for a long time, but the food in the army was not enough for the needs of the road. - The 100,000 stone grain that Chen Mai lent him a few days ago, after inspection, more than half of it was It has been moldy, but it is old grain for many years. How can this grain be eaten by soldiers? Therefore, Xun Cheng once again proposed to borrow 200,000 shi of grain from Chen Mai, and as long as the grain was delivered to Licheng, he would immediately pull out the camp and return to Mount Tai.

Of the 100,000 stone grains, some were used by Chen Mai's army, and some were taken out by Chen Mai forcing Jinan to take out. Thinking that Qingzhou has been in war for ten years, the treasuries are all empty. Where can there be old grain?

The so-called mold, needless to say, is another excuse for Xun Cheng.

No wonder Chen Mai was furious.

After Chen Mai led his troops to Dongpingling County, he built a barracks outside the city. He did not live in the city, but lived in the army. When he was furious and threw Xun Cheng's Xunwen to the ground, there were many civil and military officials from his headquarters and Qingzhou's prefectures sitting in the tent.

One person asked, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"

The person who asked the question had bright eyes and sparse eyebrows, a handsome image, a long beard under his chin, and he was floating like a fairy. It was none other than Wang Fan, the chief general of the Beihai Army.

Wang Fan, courtesy name Zifa, was one of Kong Rong's most trusted officials.

Chen Mai said angrily, "Xun Zhongren asked me to borrow 200,000 shi of grain again!"

Wang Fan's eyes fell on the letter that was thrown on the ground by Chen Mai, looked at it, raised his head, frowned and said, "Didn't you just send him 100,000 stone grains? He sent a reply letter to the envoy, He didn't say that he wanted more food, but why did he suddenly ask for food again?"

Chen Mai said: "He said in the letter that the 100,000 stone grains I gave him were all old grains, which had grown moldy and couldn't be eaten! Unless I gave him another 200,000 stone grains, he would be out of grain due to lack of grain. , I'm afraid I can't return to Taishan County!"

Wang Fan immediately understood why Chen Mai was angry, and he said, "Xun Zhongren is clearly looking for an excuse to extort the emperor!"

Another official in the account said: "If it's just extortion, it's fine. I'm afraid his purpose is not extortion."

The official who spoke was named Guo Liang, who was originally the chief registrar of the prefectural government in the state of Qi, Chen Mai. Guo Liang, who was born as a scholar, has both civil and military skills, and is eight feet long. He is both resourceful and courageous. He is Chen Mai's most trusted confidant.

Wang Fan asked, "What do you mean?"

Guo Liang didn't like seeing Wang Fan very much, so he ignored him and said directly to Chen Mai: "Your Majesty, Xun Zhongren is now commanding five thousand troops, and he will not leave Licheng and join Zhao Yunbu, that is to say, Xuzhou troops are here with me In Jinan County, there are already 7,000 troopers on and off, and Xun Zhongren is the general of Xuzhou, and Zhao Yun is the tiger general of Xuzhou. In the land, the morning and evening can come, what if it turns into an armpit? Sir, I am afraid that my Dongping Mausoleum will be in danger, and Jinan will be in danger!”

Chen Mai said, "You mean that Xun Zhongren asked me if it was false to ask me for food. If I don't meet his request, then he has found an excuse to attack my Dongping Mausoleum. Is it true?"

Guo Liang said with a deep worry on his face, "Yes, Shijun!"

How could Chen Mai not think of this, he slightly put away his anger, and said, "This is also my worry!" He asked everyone in the account, "You are equal to this, what are the countermeasures?"

There was a brief silence in the tent.

Afterwards, they were divided into two rows, left and right, and they expressed their opinions to the more than ten literati and military generals sitting in the tent.

Chen Mai listened to it for a long time, and found that the suggestions they expressed were impossible to implement.

Either he would gather more food for Xun Cheng, or he would not give it to him at all. If Xun Cheng and Zhao Yun came to fight the Dongping Mausoleum, the troops and horses from the Qingzhou counties currently stationed in the Dongping Mausoleum would total more than 10,000, but they would not be afraid of those seven. Thousands of Xuzhou riding.

If Chen Mai had enough food in his hand, in order not to give Xun Cheng an excuse to attack Dongping Mausoleum, he could endure the humiliation and bear the burden. Xun Cheng's 100,000 stone was already the only thing he could do, and the only thing he could make up. If he had to give Xun Cheng some of his few rations, then his own troops would be gone. Food is fed. There is no way to implement this suggestion.

"There are more than 10,000 soldiers and horses in the Qingzhou counties currently stationed in Dongpingling, but they are not afraid of the 7,000 Xuzhou infantry and horses." The person who made this suggestion seems to be ignorant of soldiers. Is it only the number of soldiers and horses in the battle between the enemy and me? If the side with more troops and horses can win, then when everyone fights, they just need to recruit more troops. It is true that the Qingzhou soldiers currently stationed in Dongpingling are more numerous than those of Xun Cheng and Zhao Yun, but in terms of combat power, they are far worse. Once the war starts, Chen Mai not only has no certainty of winning, but also thinks in private that he estimates that the certainty of defeat is not small. This suggestion cannot be implemented either.

Chen Mai couldn't help but be greatly disappointed.

Wang Fan didn't speak for a while, and when everyone was almost done talking, he stroked his beard and said slowly, "Your Majesty, the subordinates have a plan to solve the difficult situation in front of you."

Chen Mai asked, "What policy?"

Wang Fan sat kneeling on the table, under the eyes of everyone in the tent, calmly, talking freely, with the demeanor of a Confucian general, he said: "Your Majesty, didn't Tian Kai send a letter a few days ago, please make an alliance with your Majesty? Why should the envoy agree to it? After making a covenant with Tian Kai, the envoy can send another secret emissary to go to Dongjun to discuss the alliance with Cao Mengde. Xun Zhendong invaded and occupied the five counties of Yanzhou, and was actually Cao Mengde's number one enemy. As long as the emissary arrives in Dongjun, I expect that Cao Mengde will gladly form an alliance with Duke Ming!

"So, with Tian Kai as an alliance in the west, Cao Mengde as an alliance in the southwest, and Xun Cheng and Zhao Yun in the mere district, what is there to worry about? Not only do you no longer have to worry about him coming to invade my Dongping Mausoleum, but at that time, the emperor will be able to cooperate with Tian Kai and Zhao Yun. Cao Mengde joined forces to counterattack Licheng and regain lost ground!"

When Chen Mai heard the words, he was overjoyed and said, "Your plan is indeed wise!" He hesitated and said, "The person Tian Kai sent is now in Dongpingling, and he has made an alliance with Tian Kai; but he has formed an alliance with Cao Mengde. It's not something that can be done in a short day. Xun Zhongren asked me to get the food to him within five days in the letter of the order~www.wuxiaspot.com~, but how did you deal with it?"

Wang Fan smiled and said, "What's so difficult about this? Let's get him some 10,000 stone grains first, let him perfunctory, and just delay for a while."

Chen Mai thought about it for a while, and this was the only way. He praised Wang Fan and said, "I have heard for a long time that you are very resourceful, and today I heard your strategy, and it is true! No wonder Kong Beihai is more important than you!"

Wang Fan said a few words of humility and dared not even say it.

Chen Mai Nianxu pondered, and said: "This policy of your lord is certainly good, but to represent me to go to Dongjun to make an alliance with Cao Mengde is really something that cannot be done by someone who can speak well, who should be appointed? ?"

Everyone in the tent looks at me, I look at you, and no one answers.

Wang Fan, however, was brave enough to serve. Since he came up with the idea, and he was willing to carry out the specific operations, he volunteered and said, "The officials dare to ask the envoy to send the envoy to Dongjun!"

Chen Mai became more and more delighted, and said, "You have a reputation for being good at arguing. If you have your envoy on my behalf, this will definitely happen!"

On the same day, Chen Mai received Tian Kai's messenger. This messenger, who is an acquaintance with Zhao Yun, was Zheng Long, the chief clerk of Tian Kai, who had met Zhao Yun in Licheng last time. Chen Mai and Zheng Long agreed on the alliance between the two. Zheng Long finally completed his mission and went back to Pingyuan County happily. The next day, Wang Fan went out of the city and sneaked to Dongjun, representing Chen Mai and Cao Cao to discuss an alliance.

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