Three Kingdoms

"Is this Zhengxi Tongbao?" Yuan Shao frowned and looked at the things presented by Gao Gan, his eyes flickered several times, and then he said, "What else can Zhengxi say?"

Gao Gan gritted his teeth and handed over Zheng Xi's letter in his arms.

Yuan Shao glared at Gao Gan, obviously dissatisfied with why Gao Gan didn't get the letter first, and then pulled out the scarf from the bamboo tube, only to see that it read:

"I sneaked under General Yuan's feet and found out that the general was fine. I'm so lucky!"

"In the past, the general had noble ambitions and outstanding talents. He abandoned his crown at the east gate and got the swan to soar high! Now that I think about it, how loyal he was! Today, the general established a government office in the north of Hebei, with a Zhu Lun Hua hub, which can be seen thousands of miles away. , Guarding the border and defending the territory, your merits are outstanding, how meaningful it is! How can it be so evil to be reduced to a fellow warrior, to attack colleagues and kiss barbarians, to plunder friendly troops and feed thieves and bandits!"

Yuan Shao gave a heavy "hum" and continued to look down.

"When the general hung up his crown and left, it was not because of him, but because there were thieves outside and traitors inside. The court did not tolerate the general's integrity, so the general left the Bohai Sea. Qian Gu's army moved to the north, and was rumored externally and indulged in rampage. Therefore, we also know how difficult it is for a general to be a general. A general has a broad mind, forgives sins and emphasizes merit, does not reject appointments because of shortcomings, respects the world with a sincere heart, and is at peace with all things. He deeply understands it, and always thinks about himself, and he is not as good as a great general. General, just in case."

"However, the general's knowledge of Qian is nothing more than a fake slave's talk in the market. Can it be believed that it is true? What Qian wants is nothing more than a hero and a famous general, wearing purple and yellow, riding on a horse to build festivals, even if he is appointed to the frontier. , and swear an oath as a punishment horse, and pass it on to your descendants, it will be enough to comfort you in your life."

"Qian also knows that all the frost and dew are all a blessing from heaven. But how can the Ji-Han old country tolerate miscellaneous barbarians? The northern barbarians have robbed and plundered places for many years. Their evil has accumulated misfortunes. Heaven is angry and people are resentful. It is time for the army to attack them. It is to follow the people's will. Qian dare not claim credit, but takes advantage of his coma and cunning to lead others to slaughter, move his tribe, and make him guess. If given time, he can tie himself around his neck and hang his head in the streets! At this time, when the general leads his troops to attack him, won't it hurt his relatives and make his enemies happy?"

"In late autumn and August, the sparkling crops in Zhuanghe were destroyed by military disasters, and the forts in Zhuangzhai and Wubao were damaged by war. Seeing the banners and drums of the Han Dynasty, and recalling my days in Taihang, I feel extremely sad!"

"At present, the general is gathering Youbei, hoping for peace and happiness in Hebei and Henan, enlightening virtues and virtuous people, respecting the youth of the people, and conquering the Central Plains, achieving unparalleled achievements. He has hidden himself in front of him and offered coins to drive his troops."

"This is a piece of cloth to talk about in my heart, and I hope the general will explain it in detail."

"General Zhengxi, Fei Qian."

Yuan Shao read it in one breath, took a deep breath, then frowned and waved his hand to ask Gao Gan to retreat. Although it is said that Gao Gan lost his troops and generals, after all, Gao Gan was his nephew, and Yuan Shao was not willing to kill his relatives for justice.

What Fei Qian said in the letter, except for some of the accusations that made Yuan Shao a little unhappy, the rest of the words scratched Yuan Shao's itch. He felt that it was quite close to his heart, and he felt somewhat like he had met a close friend.

Yuan Shao read it again from beginning to end, then closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. While summoning Tian Feng and Xu You to come to discuss the matter, he subconsciously fiddled with the Zhengxi Tongbao brought by Gao Ping, making a tinkling sound.

Money, weapons, war horses, these things Fei Qian mentioned are indeed the supplies Yuan Shao urgently needs. During this period of time, while Yuan Shao was busy collecting food and supplies from various places, he was also intensively preparing to launch the final blow against Gongsun Zan. After the autumn harvest, troops are needed, but there is only a gap of two or three months. Then it is freezing and snowy, and basically no one can move. Then there is spring plowing, and then there is no chance until next year. It's summer...

These days, Gongsun Zan kept a very low profile and did not make any moves towards Yuan Shao's territory. Although Gongsun Zan seems to be betraying his family at the moment, after all, he has been in Youzhou for many years and his arrogance is still there. Even Yuan Shao doesn't believe that Gongsun Zan lies down and waits for death, but Yuan Shao doesn't believe what Gongsun Zan has arranged behind his back. It’s very clear that there are still three pounds of nails in a rotten ship, right?

The war in the past few days was somewhat too much for Jizhou with such a large population base. What happened to Ju Yi before was almost an attitude of the Jizhou gentry uniting together. Unfortunately, that idiot Ju Yi really thought that these gentry in Jizhou Hao You will support him and be arrogant and domineering.

Sooner or later there will be a day to deal with him!

Yuan Shao snorted, and then his eyes fell on Fei Qian's letter again.

If he said he was not angry, he would be lying. However, after reading Fei Qian's letter, Yuan Shao suddenly felt that General Zhengxi's anger was not that strong anymore. Having said that, it seems that my position as general was suggested by Fei Qian, the general who conquered the West at that time...

And from this period of time, the caravan that conquered Xifeiqian was transferred from Hanoi to Jizhou, and it also brought a lot of materials that Yuan Shao urgently needed, such as weapons and equipment, and even some livestock and horses, etc. As the boss of Jizhou, Yuan Shao Naturally, a lot of benefits have been obtained from it.

If the trade continues normally, Yuan Shao can also benefit from it. As for gold, silver, and other treasures, they are all external possessions. When the day you succeed, won’t all the wealth in the world belong to you? How can you care about the temporary gains and losses of money?

So these Tongbao...

Yuan Shao played with it for a while and then threw it on the table.

"Ming Gong." Not long after, Tian Feng's trial partner Xu You arrived, and they all bowed their hands in salute.

"Here you go, sit down." Yuan Shao waved his hand to indicate that he should sit down, and then handed the letter from General Zhengxi to the guard at the side, asking the guard to pass it on to the three of them.

"General Zhengxi is still alive..." Tian Feng quickly scanned the letter up and down, handed it to the next person, and quickly handed it over to Yuan Shao and said, "My subordinates believed in the rumors and failed to investigate clearly. Please help me." Lord, punish me."

Yuan Shao waved his hands, obviously not interested in this topic, and said: "Yuan Hao has also been deceived, and there is no need to mention this matter again. But Zhengxi is now...how should we deal with it?"

For people, it is often easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. The same is naturally true for Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao was indeed very passionate and energetic back then, but it is no longer what it used to be. Moreover, Yuan Shao is getting older now and is not as impulsive and passionate as he was when he was young. Especially after he became the shepherd of Jizhou and held a high position of power, even if Back then, in Luoyang, he might not have been able to attract tens of thousands of people with just one word. If he was allowed to serve as an official at Dongmen, it would be absolutely impossible.

After the judge finished reading the letter, he cupped his hands and said: "Ming Gong, although the words in the letter of Zhengxi are modest, the actual situation is arrogant. This person must not be kept, and we should find an opportunity to get rid of him."

Yuan Shao was startled, but before he could speak, he heard Tian Feng sneer next to him: "It's so confusing. At this time, Ming Gong's enemy is in the north! The original march to the north was because it was rumored that Zheng Xi died. Now since Zheng Xi It is still there, how can it be so easy to conquer the north? Moreover, the letter of the expedition to the west also states that it is only for self-protection and has no intention of coveting it. Now Ming Gong only needs to conquer Youbei and turn to the Central Plains. The great cause will naturally be accomplished, so why bother? In a hurry?"

Xu You waved his hand and said, "Yuan Hao's words are wrong. Now that General Gao has suffered a new defeat, the morale of the army is in turmoil, and there are many soldiers who are afraid of conquering the Western Army. If we stop here, won't we lose our lord's great reputation?"

Yuan Shao looked around and felt a little strange. Today, these three close ministers seemed to have completely different attitudes towards Zheng Xi. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

However, originally Yuan Shao didn't want to see his subordinates united and united, so he didn't comment at all, but asked, "Zhengnan, what should I do if I follow your opinion?"

Shen Pei said calmly: "The wealth we have gained from the conquest of the West is already too rich. If we conscript the three auxiliaries, the population will increase. In time, there will be disaster. If the Ming Dynasty does not march to Taihang, it is not allowed to trade with him. Furthermore, the food, grass and equipment , How can you rely on others to breathe, isn't there no one in Jizhou?"

The judge's words were righteous and stern, but he heard Xu You chuckle.

Yuan Shao turned around and asked, "Why is Ziyuan laughing?"

Xu You quickly straightened up and said, "Ming Gong, I'm sorry! I just heard that Zhengnan talked about business... Well, I heard that Zhen's visit to Zhengnan today is probably for the Lord's great cause, right?"

"Oh?" Yuan Shao turned to look at Shen Pei and said, "Is this the case?"

The judge side glanced at Xu You, then raised his hands to Yuan Shao and said: "I was about to report this matter to Duke Ming... The Zhen family is looking for someone because they want to marry Duke Ming... The Zhen family has a daughter who has a golden hairpin in her youth. She is generous, dignified and beautiful, and is indeed a good match for the young master..." Marriage was early in the Han Dynasty, and Luoli started getting married in droves.

"Zhen?" Yuan Shao frowned.

If the Zhen family was in the late Western Han Dynasty, she would have been a powerful and well-known figure in Jizhou, but after all, she bet on the wrong chips, and then she lost so much with Comrade Wang Mang that she almost lost her underwear. As a result, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Zhen family The Lord is nothing but a thousand stones...

Of course, this is just a shortcoming of the Zhen family in terms of official positions, because after all, they are a large family that has lasted for hundreds of years, and the accumulated wealth and assets are not small. What's more, the Zhen family is also quite proficient in business, and is now one of the best among the big men. big businessman.

Tian Feng remained silent. He never cared much about this kind of thing. The Zhen family bet on Wang Mang two hundred years ago, and now they want to bet on Yuan Shao. It is not an ulterior thing. Isn't Tian Feng himself on Yuan Shao's side?

"Who does Zhen belong to?" Yuan Shao asked.

Shen Pei cupped his hands and said, "Second Young Master Xiye..."

"Xi'er..." Yuan Shao pondered for a moment and nodded, "If it's Xi'er, that's not bad... I agree..." Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang are direct children, and Yuan Xi is a commoner, so Qianshi Officials' House Probably worthy of it. What's more, the Zhen family has a rich family fortune. Yuan Shao has heard about this for a long time. If Yuan Xi really marries Zhen's daughter, it must be the money, haha...

Xu You smiled and cupped his hands and said: "So, congratulations, lord, on getting a good wife again!"

Yuan Shao laughed.

"Ahem..." Tian Feng coughed twice, and then raised his hand to Yuan Shao in congratulations, then pulled the crooked building back up and said, "Ming Gong, about the conquest of the West..."

"Oh, that's right. If you have any opinions on the Conquest of the West, you might as well tell us in detail." Yuan Shao stroked his beard and saw the Zhengxi Tongbao on the table, so he grabbed it and said, "This is It was made by Zheng Xi and is called Tongbao. You can also take a look at it..."

Tian Feng reviewed the betrothal and divided several of them into Xu You's, and watched them carefully.

Shen Pei raised the Tongbao, looked at it in a bright light, nodded and said, "The quality is quite good."

Xu You glanced left and right, and when others were not paying attention, he stuffed a gold Tongbao and a silver Tongbao into his sleeves, then he also weighed the six-baht copper and said, "Hey, this seems a bit... Not enough...but almost the same..."

Tian Feng also weighed it and said: "It should weigh five baht. Haha, it's not bad." Then he shook his head and put the Tongbao on the table. He didn't know much about this matter, so he saw The quality and weight of the Tongbao from Zhengxi were not bad, so I didn't care about anything. After all, these days, the princes don't mint money if they have the conditions?

Yuan Shao did not take out this Tong Bao to tell everyone immediately, but took it out now. In fact, it also shows that Yuan Shao on the one hand does not care about Zheng Xi's Tong Bao, and on the other hand, it also shows that Yuan Shao has no desire for Zheng Xi. Kill them all, at least not now, otherwise there would be no talk about Tongbao at all.

So Tian Feng shook his head and said nothing.

Tian Feng could see it, and so could Shen Pei. However, his original opposition to the expedition to the west was not really for Yuan Shao, but for the Zhen family's caravan. Because of Feiqian's relationship with the expedition to the west, the Zhen family's caravan shrank a lot. He originally wanted to follow Yuan Shao and attack Fei Qian. However, after seeing Yuan Shao bring out the Tongbao for the expedition to the west, Shenpei rolled his eyes and changed his words: "Ming Gong, we must be prepared for the expedition to the west at the moment. Although we have no time for him to take care of it for the time being, we still need to conquer Saigon." Sending weapons, equipment, and war horses to Ji is to comfort the troops' morale and weaken their strength."

Tian Feng nodded and said: "Zhengnan's words are very good." Tian Feng did not intend to target Fei Qian, but for Tian Feng, he was only loyal to Yuan Shao, so what is beneficial to Yuan Shao is naturally support, as for other princes Life and death are not within the scope of Tian Feng's consideration. Since the judge wants to pay tribute to the military supplies from the west, then let Fei Qian, the general of the west, pay tribute. All he needs is that Yuan Shao is not distracted and Gongsun Zan is dealt with first. .

Yuan Shao nodded, and then looked at Xu You.

Xu You stroked the mouse's beard and said: "Ming Gong, what do you think... Zheng Xi dared to offend Ming Gong Huwei, but the crime cannot be forgiven, but there was a reason, and Zheng Xi has always been respectful, if it had not happened before... ...Haha, so if the oppression is too much...I'm afraid..."

Yuan Shao said "hmm".

"Even though Ming Gong's reputation has been damaged, we can't let it go easily!" Xu You suddenly became impassioned and said, "If Ming Gong can trust someone, he is willing to send an envoy to the north, reprimand Zheng Xi face to face, count the key points, and say that he has surrendered. , wouldn’t it be best to have both?”

"Oh?" Yuan Shao thought about it for a moment, "That's good... then the work will be done..."