Three Kingdoms

The sudden advance of Wei Yan caused Zhao Wei to have a slightly skewed understanding, although it was not completely wrong. Overall, if it was not a big problem, then for Liu Zhang and Pang Xi, the understanding based on the battle situation was already Going in a completely different direction.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Liu Zhang and Pang Xi saw with their own eyes the soldiers of General Zhengxi arriving in Guanghan, and almost killed them. Naturally, they were panicked and hurriedly left Pang Xi to set up defenses in the county to block the army. After leaving the West, Liu Zhang hurried back to Chengdu and summoned all ministers to discuss the matter.

At the beginning, Liu Zhang could generally paralyze himself, saying that the matter of Zhengxi was still far away, and the future would be discussed in the future, and the enjoyment he had now was the most important. Under the city of Guanghan, Liu Zhang suddenly realized that Zhengxi The blades of soldiers and horses are so close to me!

How to resist, or in other words, how to delay the approach of the Western Conquest troops, became a problem that Liu Zhang couldn't wait to solve...

Liu Zhang cleaned up, put on a wide robe with long sleeves, and put on a crown that reached the sky. If you just look at the appearance, he is quite majestic. However, the slightly trembling hands inside the sleeves truly reflect Liu Zhang's inner world.

The soldiers and horses of the Western Expedition have arrived in the county!

Once you pass the county, you will reach the hinterland of Sichuan and Sichuan!

Isn't this equivalent to knocking down the door of your own house?

The corners of Liu Zhang's mouth twitched involuntarily, hoping that someone would come up with some enlightening words of wisdom, but what he heard now was still the buzzing discussion of the ministers...

Speaking of talents from Sichuan and Shu, Liu Zhang did have a lot of people under his command, but when Liu Zhang looked at the ministers under him, he felt no sense of security in his heart.

"If Xiaozhi is still here..." Liu Zhang sighed slightly.

Fazheng is very capable, but Fazheng is not in Chengdu now. Speaking of which, Fazheng also seems to be deprecating southern Sichuan. Firstly, Fazheng, who was born in Guanzhong, belongs to the outsider sect among Sichuan and Sichuan, and has nothing to do with the original Sichuan-Sichuan sect. Secondly, Fazheng has a relatively rigid personality. Hard, I can't stand the way Pang Xi and Zhao Wei are fighting for power, and they are difficult to manage. In addition, southern Sichuan is invaded by barbarians from Yunnan. From time to time, barbarians from various caves come out to perform tooth sacrifices to improve their lives and promote national harmony. , so he couldn't bear the disturbance, so he needed a general to be in charge of southern Sichuan, so Fazheng recommended himself, thus avoiding Chengdu, a disgusting place for power struggle.

The outsiders were willing to guard the door for their family. The Sichuan-Shu faction was naturally happy to see this, so their evaluation of Fa Zheng was higher, even more than that of Pang Xi. Said it clearly. However, to Pang Xi, this kind of behavior was treated as if he had not heard it.

Pang Xi is now leading defense work in the county with Wu Yi, Yang Hong and others. So now in Chengdu, the only ones in Chengdu are Dong He, the governor of Chengdu. There are also generals such as Zhang Yi, Meng Da, and Wu Lan.

The number of people is not too large, but it is not too small. At least compared to the big-eared habitual criminals, it is already a luxurious lineup.

However, it was of no use.

Liu Zhang's father, Liu Yan, was originally the king of Lu Gong in the Western Han Dynasty. After Liu Yu, he was worshiped as Zhonglang because of his clan status, and successively served as the Luoyang order, Jizhou governor, Nanyang prefect, Zongzheng, Taichang and other official positions. Therefore, Liu Zhang has lived in an environment of clan members and officials since he was a child. Firstly, he does not worry about food and clothing, secondly, he does not worry about survival, and thirdly, he does not worry about his future. Just like flowers in a greenhouse, everything is done by his servants. Do the work for you.

As the saying goes, he is full of food all day long and has nothing to do. In addition, Liu Zhang is too lazy to even play chess. Therefore, how can Liu Zhang, a delicate flower grown in a greenhouse, withstand the rain, snow and autumn frost in troubled times?

Or maybe this is a reason why the Sichuan-Shu faction is not very optimistic about Liu Zhang.

The people of Dongchuan wanted to support Liu Zhang, and the Sichuan-Shu faction also knew it well, because Liu Zhang himself also had the characteristics that the Sichuan-Shu faction needed. Therefore, in terms of supporting Liu Zhang, the Sichuan-Shu faction and the Dongchuan faction The difference is not big, because in fact, in the hearts of the Sichuan-Shu faction and the Dongchuan faction, what is the role of Liu Zhang...

It's just better than a statue.

"My dear friends!" Liu Zhang coughed and said loudly, "Do you have a plan?"

The originally chaotic discussion in the hall fell into silence, and then fell into an unspeakable silence. Almost everyone turned into wooden sculptures, looking at their eyes, nose and mouth, silent and motionless.

There were some beads of sweat on Liu Zhang's forehead, and then they gathered at the temples, flowed down his hair, and finally dripped on the brocade robe, dyeing the brocade robe into dark circles.

Dong He, the governor of Chengdu on the side, couldn't stand it anymore. He broke the silence and said, "My lord, do you want war or peace?"

Liu Zhang's eyes widened, and he looked at Dong He a little confused and a little angry. Why did he ask me about it instead? Aren't you the ones who should come up with ideas? Otherwise, why did I call you here? Then you didn't say a word, but instead asked me what I should do?

Dong He glanced at Liu Zhang helplessly, hesitated to speak, and finally sighed slightly.

Liu Zhang turned to look at the other people.

Farewell Zhang Song smiled slightly and said: "Don't be anxious, sir... Why don't you go to Guanghan and meet with Zheng Xi... Zheng Xi and Sichuan are just pretending to be your brother, and I'm afraid you are your brother." His brother was confused, so he raised troops to go south. This is an unrighteous division! If someone sees Zhengxi, he should rebuke his words as unfair and devoid of justice. Perhaps he can use someone's immortal tongue to make Zhengxi repent. Home is harmonious and kind..."

Liu Zhang was overjoyed and said quickly: "It's so good! It's so good! I'll ask Zi Qiao to take a trip..."

Zhang Song raised his eyebrows slightly, showed a meaningful smile, lowered his head and saluted, and said: "You should not be lucky to work hard for me..."

Seemingly having found a solution to the problem, Liu Zhang lost interest in continuing to explore, hurriedly ended the meeting that made him feel very uncomfortable, and went to the back hall.

Not long after he collapsed, Liu Zhang heard an attendant saying that Dong He, the prefect of Chengdu, was coming...

Liu Zhang had to get up again, changed his clothes, went to the side hall to see Dong He, and asked, "Dong Aiqing, what are you looking for?"

Dong He was also older and his temper was somewhat milder. Hearing this, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "Your Majesty, is it true that we can't make peace?"

Liu Zhang was stunned for a moment and said: "Dong Aiqing, what do you mean by this...?"

Dong He said in a low voice: "If it is a trivial matter, there is nothing wrong with my lord ordering our idea. However, this is a military matter, a matter of life and death... How can it be, how can it be... Isn't this... Oh, my lord, you should think twice. For the best..."

Liu Zhang said doubtfully: "Dong Aiqing's intention...Zhang Biejia...is he trying to deceive someone?"

Dong He shook his head and said: "It's not necessarily cheating, but... my lord, it's better to think twice. Whether it's war or peace, there is always a conclusion before it can be done... I've said this, and I hope my lord will think twice, think twice... …”

After saying that, Dong He didn't stay long and left with his hands, leaving Liu Zhang staring blankly.

What does this mean?

Liu Zhang watched Dong He go away and wanted to call him back several times, but after thinking about it, he finally gave up. He frowned and wandered around the hall with his hands behind his back.

Above the hall, there is a plaque with the inscription "Listen to the Waves", which was originally inscribed by Liu Zhang's father Liu Yan, because there is a piece of mottled bamboo planted on the side of the hall. No matter it is windy or raining, the bamboo leaves rub each other, Just like clear waves. Of course, when Liu Yan wrote this plaque, Dong Zhuo was in Beijing, and the profound meaning contained in it may not be as simple as the simple reason Liu Yan said on the surface, but Liu Zhang could not understand it.

Just like now, Liu Zhang was spinning in circles, still not quite understanding what Dong He meant.

Does this mean that there must be a war?

Or are you saying that Zhang Song is unreliable and cannot be trusted?

The chaotic thoughts were like a mess, blocking Liu Zhang's head, making it impossible for Liu Zhang to think clearly. However, Liu Zhang's pain did not last long, because after Pang Xi deployed defenses in the county, he went to work overnight. I rushed back to Chengdu, hurriedly washed up and rushed to see Liu Zhang...

Because Pang Xi also knew that if the two in the family were not optimistic, the family might be torn apart at any time.

When Liu Zhang met Pang Xi, he felt relieved and quickly put aside the relevant matters that he and everyone had discussed over the past two days. However, Liu Zhang still had some thoughts on writing and did not say out what Dong He had said to persuade him.

When Pang Xi heard this, he couldn't help but sigh. As expected, Erha couldn't leave the house for even a moment. After only a few days away, the situation had already begun to turn in an unfavorable direction...

"Lord..." Pang Xigong cupped his hands and said, "Zhang Biejia has left? Why haven't we met him yet?"

Liu Zhang nodded and said: "It should be leaving... I heard that he left yesterday..."

Pang Xi was already unable to complain, but thinking about it on the other hand, wasn't it precisely because of Liu Zhang's qualities that he chose Liu Zhang in the first place? Therefore, Pang Xi didn't say anything. It was probably that Zhang Song was worried about meeting Pang Xi when he took the county road back, so he deliberately took a detour.

Pang Xi looked at Liu Zhang and explained patiently: "My lord, Zhang Biejia is from Sichuan and Sichuan, and his family property is here. Naturally, he does not want to be affected by the war, so he must persuade the lord to put peace first... Therefore, Zhang Biejia The desire to make peace with Zheng Xi is all due to his own concerns, not what the Lord wants..."

Liu Zhang suddenly understood and couldn't help but said angrily: "You treat me badly, why do you treat me like this!"

Is this still a question of who should be treated well?

Pang Xi didn't want to say anything more in this regard. After all, he had more important things to do at the moment. Zhang Song is from Sichuan and Shu, so his choice must be in the direction of Sichuan and Shu. It is not surprising that he is preparing for peace talks with Zhengxi, because in the minds of Zhang Song and others, Liu Zhang is also an external ruler and has nothing to do with Zhengxi. The difference between what is just and what is unjust is often just a matter of words.

But Pang Xi is different. As the Dongchuan faction, he must rely on Liu Zhang, because after all, what he holds in his hands is true and reliable. If a ruler is changed, the Dongchuan faction's interests will definitely suffer losses. , at least it won’t be as big an advantage as it is now.

Therefore, Pang Xi really wanted to preserve Liu Zhang.

Of course, the premise is that Liu Zhang can be saved. If he cannot be saved...

Pang Xi was silent for a moment and said: "My lord, the conquest of the west is now huge. It covers three states and connects the north and the south. It should not be underestimated. We only have the strength of one state. If we refuse, we may not be able to last long..."

Liu Zhang almost lost his breath, coughed twice before he calmed down, and asked: "Pang...Pang Aiqing...why did you say this again? Just now, didn't you just say..."

Pang Xi said solemnly: "I am different from Zhang Biejia. Zhang Biejia wants peace because he belongs to his clan, and I want peace because he is his lord!"

Liu Zhang blinked. To me, are there any differences between these two words "和"? Could it be that there are three or four ways to write the word "和"?

Pang Xi said: "If we conquer the west and enter Sichuan, we will definitely support my lord's brother, but my lord will have to rely on others... If we follow a certain plan, we can cleverly borrow the power of others to resist the expedition from the north to the west, and our lord can sit firmly in the middle of the Sichuan without any risk." !”

Liu Zhang suddenly became interested and urged Pang Xi to speak quickly.

Pang Xi was not too arrogant. He pointed with his hand and said: "My lord, your brother is asking for help from Zhengxi. Why can't we ask for help from outside? If there is strong reinforcements coming to Sichuan, we will be afraid of Zhengxi soldiers." horse?"

"Asking for help?" Liu Zhang asked in confusion, "Where can I ask for help?"

Pang Xi seemed confident and said: "Liu Jingzhou is located in Badong! I have heard many times that Liu Jingzhou is wise and benevolent. He has long been known as the Eight Horsemen. Now he controls the rich land of Jingxiang and has a hundred thousand soldiers. Moreover, he and his lord belong to the same clan. From now on, those who share the same bloodline should serve as reinforcements..."

"Liu Jingzhou?" Liu Zhang scratched his head and said, "If it is Liu Jingzhou...if it is..."

Pang Xi smiled and said: "Liu Jingzhou is located in a rich land, which is completely different from Zhengxi. Therefore... if you get help from him, your lord can rest assured and don't have to worry..." Pang Xi meant Liu Jingzhou's own family. The land is so good, why would he care about Liu Zhang's small fortune?

Of course, this is just Pang Xi's statement. As to whether Liu Biao is really so generous and full of the spirit of the hero Intner, it is a matter of opinion.

Liu Zhang didn't have many ideas. After listening to what Pang Xi said, he felt that it seemed to make sense. But after thinking about it, he added: "I heard that General Zhengxi studied in Jingxiang in his early years and married the Huang family in Miannan. This Jingxiang This person may not be suitable, right?"

Pang Xi laughed, stroking his hands and saying, "My lord is really smart! This is the secret!"

Although Liu Zhang didn't understand what was going on, he smiled in agreement, as if he had indeed seen through everything in the world.

"Back then, Liu Jingzhou also rode into Xiangyang alone, which was the same as the previous master..." Pang Xi did not embarrass Liu Zhang, and immediately explained, "I heard that the Miannan Huang family pretended to conquer the West and occupied Wancheng, what about Liu Jingzhou? Not complaining? There are many people under Jingxiang who have contact with Zhengxi, so how can Liu Jingzhou not be worried? The Jingxiang gentry always compares to Zhengxi, and they have a strong tendency to divide themselves into different clans, so how can Liu Jingzhou not be angry? Therefore, if the lord asks for help from Liu Jingzhou, Liu Jingzhou will definitely come to his rescue with all his strength! In this way, the lord has strong support on his side, and can fight or make peace, so he should not be controlled by others!"

After hearing this, Liu Zhang immediately felt that it made sense, and immediately agreed, with Pang Xi as the plenipotentiary representative, and immediately asked Liu Biao of Jingzhou for help...