Three Kingdoms

Xu County.

The yellow leaves on the branches outside the wall were torn off by the autumn wind. Some went away with the wind, and some fell in the courtyard. They staggered and stumbled against the wall several times before they gave up. lying on the ground.

Liu Ye looked at the fallen leaves and sighed softly.

Life is like this fallen leaf. It always has to bump into the wall several times before it lies down unwillingly. Well, maybe even lying on the ground is still unwilling to give in, and still wants to take advantage of the wind.

However, fallen leaves are fallen leaves.

If you can ride on the wind and travel thousands of miles away, you will no longer be a fallen leaf...

General Fei of the Hussars lurked in Chang'an to hold a grand discussion at Qinglong Temple. The news was like smoke and dust coming in the wind, and it immediately blinded the nobles in the Yingchuan area, including Liu Ye in Xu County.

Liu Ye's position was very noble, and he was the commander of Cao Cao in Kongcang. As the name suggests, they are officials in charge of Canggu affairs. Of course, they occasionally participate in political and military affairs, but this is not their main responsibility. After finishing the autumn storage in the past few days, I naturally had some free time.

On the surface, Cao Cao valued Liu Ye, treated him with courtesy, and bestowed favors on him, but in reality...

Liu Ye can also be considered a counselor, so what is the most important thing about a counselor? Do you count the chips every day and then count the numbers lightly? It should be that strategies can be adopted and talents can be used...

But when was the last time Liu Ye offered advice and Cao Cao adopted it?

It's time to fight against bandits...

After defeating Yuan Shu that year, Cao Cao moved to Shouchun.

The bandit Chen Ce gathered tens of thousands of people and defended according to the danger. At the beginning, Cao Cao didn't pay much attention to it, and casually sent a general to attack him. However, he came back with a bruised nose and face, so Cao Cao asked Liu Ye for advice, and then Liu Ye said that he could first offer a reward to persuade him to surrender. , and if we use military strength to press forward, the bandits will be defeated by themselves.

Cao Cao agreed and sent fierce generals in front and a large army in the rear. Chen Ce was finally put down as Liu Ye predicted.

Everything seems to indicate that Cao Cao valued Liu Ye and obeyed his advice, and that Cao Cao and Liu Ye complemented each other...

However, Liu Ye's advice so far is just this.

Could it be that Liu Ye's talents can only be used to defeat bandits?

Obviously not, but why didn't Cao Cao ask Liu Ye for advice on other major matters, but he expressed his willingness to accept Liu Ye's "good strategy" on the "big matter" of conquering the bandits, and publicized it to the extent that everyone knew about it?

Because Liu Ye is a clan member of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Ye himself knew this very well, so after presenting the "big strategy" to defeat the bandits, he basically acted as a competent Cangcao Bo and rarely participated in any other "little things".

However, not participating does not mean that Liu Ye does not care about anything. Just like the news of the Qinglong Temple lecture coming from Chang'an, Liu Ye had some indescribable feelings...

"Seeking truth and correctness?" Liu Ye muttered softly, his eyes a little wandering.

When he just heard the news, Liu Ye couldn't believe it. Even when he thought about it now, he still felt like this...

Cao Cao was still fighting life and death in Jizhou, and the Han Dynasty was still at war. Then Chang'an, where General Feiqian of the Hussars was calm, could sit down and talk about it. Should we discuss whether we should eat the Book of Changes or lick the Analects of Confucius today?

But having said that, Liu Ye felt that a real strong man should be like the hussar general Fei Qian, who was talented in literature and martial arts. He could go on an expedition as soon as he mounted a horse, and he could discuss scriptures after taking off his armor. This is the ideal state in Liu Ye's mind, but what's interesting is that he didn't see it in Xu County, but heard it in the news from Chang'an.

What is this?

Although Fei Qian did not come forward directly, it was almost as good as showing up.

This is "civilization and martial arts"...

In comparison...

Liu Ye couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and then stared at the fallen leaves under the wall, as if he wanted to see some tricks from the fallen leaves.

"Your Majesty..." The servant came to Zuojin to report, "Mr. Man Ling is here..."

"Oh?" Liu Ye stood up and greeted him outside the door. "Brother Boning, it's been a long time..."

"Xun Lingjun invites you..." Man Chong said directly before Liu Ye finished speaking, "Zhizi Yang Muxiu, but the matter is urgent, so I ordered you to come and summon me."

Liu Ye was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Well, Boning will stop for a moment while I change my clothes."

Not long after, Liu Ye got into Man Chong's vehicle and headed towards Sikong Mansion. Sikong Mansion was equivalent to the second court. Cao Cao was away on an expedition. Basically, all logistical matters were handled by Xun Yu, usually in the front hall of the Sikong Mansion. This time, Liu Ye and others were summoned here, and they also chose to do it here.

The wheels are rolling.

Liu Ye glanced at Man Chong and said softly amidst the sound of wheels, "Brother Boning, do you know what's going on?"

Man Chong was silent for a moment, and finally said only four words: "...The envoy from Chang'an..."

Liu Ye was slightly stunned, then nodded gently.

When Liu Ye arrived, he found that in the council hall, not only Xun Yu, but also Guo Jia and Cheng Yu, and even Xiahou Dun were sitting on one side. Of course, based on Liu Ye's experience, Xiahou Dun most likely came to listen. It was basically impossible for Xiahou Dun to come up with any strategies.

"Is Ziyang here?" Xun Yu shook his sleeves gracefully and asked Liu Ye to sit down.

Liu Ye bowed and greeted the others before sitting down.

"I know that Ziyang has great plans, so I summoned him and disturbed my rest period. It's my fault..." Xun Yu first apologized to Liu Ye, and then said, "I wonder if Ziyang has any opinions on this matter?"

Liu Ye glanced at Man Chong, then opened his eyes wide and said, "I wonder what your Majesty is talking about?"

"Oh? Didn't Boning tell you?" Xun Yu asked.

Man Chong cupped his hands and said, "I came in a hurry, so I didn't say anything."

Xun Yu nodded, and then explained the matter in general. It was that the cavalry general Fei Qianxian was so worried that he sent an envoy to pay tribute with some autumn harvests...

If one were to stand in Cao Cao's position, I'm afraid a sentence of "orange wheat peel" would be indispensable. He knew that Fei Qian had no good intentions, but he still couldn't refuse. After all, the behavior of princes from all over the world paying tribute to the court needs to be praised and cannot be stopped.

The key is to meet the emperor again.

As for other things, it is easy to say that on the matter of tribute, no matter how bold others are, before the emperor is officially dethroned, it is not easy to overstep and say that they can replace Liu Xie to accept the tribute gifts from the princes. How much should Liu Xie be made official? They met each other, and then chatted about five coins and ten coins for the expedition to the West...

It's okay not to let him meet, but who knows if he does meet him or not, maybe something will come out of a hornet's nest? At this stage, Cao Cao is in Jizhou. If there is any trouble in the rear area of ​​Xu County, it will be a trivial matter for Yanzhou and Yuzhou. If it affects the war situation in Jizhou, it will be quite bad.

Liu Ye listened and was silent. To be honest, even if he was sitting in Xun Yu's position, this matter would still be a bit tricky. These strategies of the hussar general Fei Qian are all yin and yang. If they are laid out openly and openly, they can only be answered with yin and yang. If they are yin and yang, let’s not talk about who has the courage to do it. Unless Cao Cao is prepared to act like this. It's like Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, who pulled out the flag to confront the big man, otherwise it would be really difficult to deal with...

What's more, when Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu killed the envoys, they mainly used the name of Dong Zhuo's chaos, and they still had some righteousness. But now, not only can they not use evil hands halfway, but they also have to send people to escort them all the way.

Fei Qian threw a hot potato over, now this side, you have to pick it up, and if you pick it up, you have to let him see you, and you will probably be in trouble, but at every step, you can't find any gap to start...

Of course, you can also bet that Fei Qian is really just paying tribute and has no other thoughts. But the possibility of this is extremely low. Even Xiahou Dun's intelligence would not believe it, let alone Xun Yu, Guo Jia and others.

"This envoy is Yang Xiu and Yang Dezu again?" Liu Ye asked.

Xun Yu shook his head and said, "No. As far as I know, it's Wang Can and Wang Zhongxuan..."

"Who?" Liu Ye's eyes widened, "Didn't you hear that Zhongxuan is dead?"

Cheng Yu said coldly from the side: "It's just a rumor..."

Everyone was silent.

Yes, it's just hearsay. Things that are heard often cannot be taken seriously. Everyone has heard about Wang Can's death, but after all, the situation has changed over the years, and rumors are spreading everywhere. For example, in Xu County, some people say that General Fei Qian did all kinds of evil, bullying the people, and eating every meal. They have to eat the hearts and livers of a dozen children...

Liu Ye glanced around slightly and looked at everyone's expressions. He guessed some questions in his mind and his expression changed slightly.

No wonder these people gathered together solemnly, it was indeed a problem!

Still a big question!

Where did the news that Wang Can was dead come from?

It was Dong Cheng who said it!

No one paid attention back then. Didn't someone just freeze to death? When Luoyang was in distress, officials not only froze to death, but also starved to death, and some even went out of the city to collect firewood and were arrested. There were so many people, so when they heard about it, they could only sigh and express emotion. , no one will actually dig up mass graves or conduct detailed investigations.

And from a certain perspective, the tragic situation in Luoyang that year was also one of the reasons that prompted Liu Xie to agree to move to Xu County. Naturally, Cao Cao would not say that he could actually transport some grain and grass to Luoyang back then...

Putting aside these issues that have nothing to do with Wang Can, if Dong Cheng also heard what others said back then, it means that Dong Cheng did not pay close attention, so the problem is not very big. But in case, if Dong Cheng did it intentionally back then... …

So it is equivalent to saying that Wang Can was clearly not dead back then, and Dong Cheng's words were just a cover for Wang Can and helped Wang Can escape from everyone's sight. So what was its purpose?

Yes, that's right. Dong Cheng was killed because of the issue against Cao Cao after he arrived in Xu County. But who can guarantee that Dong Cheng had no plans at all when he was in Luoyang. Only when he arrived in Xu County was he killed. Have a plan?

Now that Dong Cheng is dead, there is naturally no way to capture Dong Cheng's soul, interrogate him again, and find out the details. Therefore, when Wang Can comes this time, in addition to the so-called "Qiu Gong" mission, what else does he have? Other goals have become a big problem that cannot be thought of at the moment, and the more you think about it, the more you become afraid of it.

Dong Cheng, Wang Can?

Wang Can, Fei Qian? !

Then Emperor Liu Xie? ? ! !

Liu Ye looked around, and although Xun Yu hadn't said it clearly yet, he suddenly understood something. He was probably going to greet Wang Can himself, and he wanted to touch Wang Can's bottom first...

Sure enough, Xun Yu said slowly: "The Husband's envoy is here today. It is of great importance. We have thought about it again and again. Only Ziyang... Well, I'd like to trouble Ziyang to go first and welcome the Hussar's envoy..."

Cao Cao did not trust Liu Ye, or in other words, he could not completely trust Liu Ye. This is inevitable. After all, Liu Ye is a member of the royal family. This status has brought positive conveniences to Liu Ye, but it has also brought some negative effects.

At the beginning, Xun Yu only wanted to discuss with Guo Jia and then work with Xiahou Dun to solve Wang Can's problem. However, like Liu Ye, they soon realized the problem and were better than Liu Ye. There is another level of thought that goes even deeper: does the Cavalry General Fei Qian know about the affairs between Dong Cheng and Wang Can?

If you know, then what is Fei Qian's purpose in sending Wang Can as an envoy?

Therefore, it is necessary to learn as much information as possible before Wang Can arrives in Xu County. For Xun Yu, Liu Ye became the only choice.

Liu Ye is a member of the royal family. Only under the guise of royal family members can it be possible to extract some words from Wang Can in advance and prepare some responses in advance. Others, even Guo Jia, who has a stronger tongue than Liu Ye, or others I am afraid that no one can lick Wang Can loosely and leak out some juice...

After hearing this, Liu Ye's expression remained unchanged, but his heart sank.

really!

But this job is not easy!

If it is an ordinary envoy, just go. Anyway, it is arranged according to etiquette. When you get to the ground, it is done. No matter whether the subsequent negotiations are successful or not, it has nothing to do with you.

But this time, it was obviously different. If you say you went there and figured out the details, then report them to the police and pay them back. If you didn’t figure it out, or simply made a mistake, then you are not meticulous in your work, your personal ability is not strong, or you know it clearly. But you deliberately concealed it?

Or to put it simply, how can you prove that you are doing your best no matter what the circumstances?

Seeing Liu Ye being silent, Xiahou Dun's expression gradually darkened as he sat aside. If you asked about strategies, Xiahou Dun didn't know much about it, but he was loyal to Cao Cao. Therefore, seeing Liu Ye being silent, he was naturally dissatisfied and showed it outwardly.

Guo Jia, who was beside Xiahou Dun, naturally saw Xiahou Dun's expression, and quickly said with a smile: "Brother Ziyang, do you think there is something wrong?"

Liu Ye looked at Guo Jia, and of course he could see Xiahou Dun's dissatisfaction. Suddenly an idea came to his mind: "The villages along this road are sparse, and there may be bandits... And a certain guard has been feeling cold recently... I don't know General Xiahou." I have some manpower, let me borrow one or two for now..."

As soon as these words came out, even Cheng Yu, who had been gloomy next to him, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and looked at Liu Ye seriously. In the discussion just now, Cheng Yu originally disapproved of letting Liu Ye go, but Cheng Yu didn't have a better candidate, so he had to do this. However, Liu Ye's words made Cheng Yu a little surprised.

Before Xiahou Dun could react, he saw Xun Yu in the middle with a slight smile and said: "Don't worry, Ziyang, General Xiahou will definitely make arrangements! In this way, Ziyang Muxiu will not be delayed... Please also ask Boning to send it off on my behalf." Ziyang returns home..."

Man Chong nodded, stood up together with Liu Ye, and walked away. When they got to the car, Manchong said four words through the sound of the wheels: "This is a wonderful move!"

Liu Ye smiled slightly, but did not say anything. He just sighed in his heart and turned his gaze to the trees on the street, watching the dead leaves falling in the air...