Chapter 99 One Fox Plays Three Tigers

"Sun Liu's allied forces have arrived in Xiangyang." Liu Ye sent the military report he had just received to Cao Qian. Cao Qian stopped the pen in his hand and took over the military newspaper, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he took a look at Liu Ye, with both surprise and disappointment in his eyes: "Are you really coming?"

Liu Ye nodded: "According to the news received, Jiang Dong has a lot of opinions about Sun Quan's death, saying that he used the prime minister's knife to kill Sun Ce's son."

Cao's mouth was crooked and he smiled disdainfully: "This is probably the wind released by Sun Shao again, right?"

"It should be." Liu Ye smiled. Just as he was about to speak, Xin Pi came in with a happy face and said breathlessly, "Capital, good news!"

"The good news?" Cao Yan and Liu Ye were stunned. Sun Liu's army was about to arrive. Even if they didn't work hard, they would at least fight. What's the good news at this time? Did Cao Pi catch the details?

Xin Pi stood still, gasped twice, and then said in one breath: "The Su coarse legs of the Zhendan Water Division turned against the water and escaped from the battle. The Qingxu Water Division completely annihirated Jiang Qin's troops of the Jiangdong Water Division. Zang Ba killed Jiang Qin. He took advantage of the victory and went straight to Jianye. Jiangdong shook and turned defeat into victory."

Before Xin Pi finished his words, Cao Qian stood up with a "ceng" and shouted, "What are you talking about? Did Zang Ba counterattack Jianye?

Xin Pi was shocked, nodded repeatedly, and handed over the urgent report in his hand. Cao Yan didn't say anything and took it over. He checked the seal on it, took the book knife from the case, cut the tied string at once, unfolded the simple strategy with a "wow" and quickly browsed it. This is Zang Ba's letter of invitation. Of course, it is more detailed than the news that Xin Pi heard from the population who sent the letter. Cao Qian's eyebrows danced, and a smile bloomed from the corners of his eyes full of crow's feet. For a long time, he slowly put down the bamboo slips in his hand, raised his head and sighed:

"Vertical is a good way!"

Liu Ye was inexplicable. He vaguely heard Cao Qian's meaning. It seemed that this matter was related to Sun Shao - because they often talked about Sun Shao recently. Cao Qian always called Sun Shao a vertical son - Zhendan sailor Su's thick leg was originally Sun Shao's subordinate, which was understandable, but since Sun Quan separated them, It is impossible that there is no means to encircle Su's thick legs. Judging from the performance of Su's thick legs a while ago, it seems that he has turned to Sun Quan, and now he suddenly turned against the water. Is it just because of Sun Shao?

Cao Qian can't say clearly that this situation will happen, but it is not often, especially when Sun Shao is now on the verge of defeat. If Su's thick legs are really that kind of loyal subordinates, he should not have betrayed Sun Shao and accepted Sun Quan's official position at the beginning, but if he really betrayed Sun Shao, it must not be him now. When he was loyal to Sun Shao again, because Sun Shao was trapped in Wancheng and in danger, even if he betrayed and made Sun Quan's rear unstable, he could not save Sun Shao.

Then there is only one possibility. Su's thick legs are not to betray Sun Shao. He is the foreshadowing that Sun Shao has laid for a long time and is one of Sun Shao's many measures to solve the difficulties. Moreover, Su's thick legs have enough confidence in Sun Shao that he can abandon his existing interests and follow Sun Shao with all his heart.

Because of this, Cao Wei thought that Sun Shao's means were smart. He had been forbearing, and then gave Sun Quan a fierce blow at the most critical moment. From this perspective, Sun Shao must have a later move. He must make Sun Quan unable to fight back.

So what's the way? Cao Qian was very curious, and Liu Ye and Xin Pi were also very curious.

"Will Sun Shao surrender?" Cao said again. In his opinion, the best way for Sun Shao to get rid of Sun Quan's control is to surrender to him. If this is really the case, then Cao Wei will not have any kindness. He just used Sun Shao to attack Sun Quan and reap the benefits of the fisherman himself.

"Look at it, it's not possible." Liu Ye shook his head. Although his tone was tactful, the meaning was very clear. Anyway, Sun Quan and Liu Bei led the army to arrive. Sun Shao's situation has improved. He didn't surrender before, let alone now.

Cao Yan looked at Liu Ye: "Even if Sun Quan comes, will he really launch an attack? Su's thick legs are against the water, which will only increase Sun Quan's killing. How can he help Sun Shao?

"Killing is one thing, and helping is another thing." Liu Ye shook his head repeatedly: "Even if Sun Quan wants to kill Sun Shao, he will not take this opportunity. What's the benefit to him if he really forces Sun Shao to surrender?

Cao Shen stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and suddenly smiled bitterly: "I understand that this vertical play is a trick of pretending to be a tiger. Now none of us have an absolute advantage. Whoever he joins will have the upper hand, so no one can offend him. In addition, the imperial edict of the emperor, this... I'm a little anxious. It's hard to deal with. All three of our tigers were fooled by one of his fox.

Liu Ye just nodded and didn't say anything. Cao Yan had already said what he wanted to say, and it was meaningless to show his cleverness. Although Cao Yan is very generous and has an adverbial mind, now he is no longer the former Lord Sikong. It's better to keep a low profile. Xin Pi also thought so. He twisted his beard and echoed Cao Qian's words: "It's still the Prime Minister's wisdom, and he saw through this son's trick at all. I was so stupid that I didn't find out his sinister intentions until now. Now it seems that his attitude towards peace has always been unclear, and he is probably waiting for Sun Quan and Liu Bei's army to arrive. Now that he is talking about Tianxian, it's really not easy for me to be rude to wait.

Cao Yan shook his head with a wry smile, put his hands on his back, and paced slowly in the tent. He has been using people all his life. Suddenly, he was used by others. It was really not a good idea. He thought hard, hoping to find a flaw and not to let Sun Shao have the opportunity to use them. However, after thinking about it, he weighed the interests. It seemed that it was better to unite with Sun Shao than to unite with Sun Quan and Liu Bei.

Politics, in the final analysis, is still an interest. How to make the greatest benefit is the best strategy. Cao was hesitant, frowned for a while, and then shook his head and smiled. Liu Ye and Xin Fei didn't dare to say anything and looked at it breathlessly.

"The Prime Minister, the messenger of heaven is here." Xu Zhen opened the curtain door and said softly. Although his voice is very soft, the words are clearly sent to everyone's ears, as if he were talking in your ear.

Cao Yan was stunned and stopped with his hand twisting his beard. He looked at Xu Zhen for a moment, and then turned his head to look at Liu Ye and Xin Pi. He pulled the corners of his mouth, as if he was smiling, but he could not see any smile on his face.

Liu Ye and Xin Fei looked at each other and smiled helplessly. As they expected, the imperial edict of the emperor came too late. It was too late. Obviously, there must be a shadow of Sun Shao behind it.

Cao is a little embarrassed. Should he take the edict or not? If you take the edict, then you can't say that you can besiege the city again. You can only unite with Sun Shao to become the tiger behind Sun Shao, the fox. But if you don't take the edict, it is equivalent to taking the initiative to declare that you are rebellious. Liu Bei and Sun Quan will definitely take this opportunity to attack him. Of course, he can also declare that this imperial edict is not the original intention of the emperor, just like Sun Quan and Liu Bei did not accept the edict issued by him before, but there is a premise that he wants to ensure that Sun Quan and Liu Bei can't do anything about him.

And now, he is not sure. His strength is not far from the total strength of Sun Quan and Liu Bei. If he loses this name again, who can guarantee that he will not be defeated? Who can guarantee that nothing will happen to Yecheng and Luoyang?

Just when Cao was in a dilemma, Xu Zhen said again, "Come with the imperial edict of the emperor, and the imperial edict of the queen."

Cao Qian was stunned and immediately understood. In Xu County, there are not only the emperor, but also his four daughters, as well as many of his cronies, which are the ears and eyes placed next to the emperor. These people must be controlled by Sun Shao now. Once he refuses to accept the edict, his daughter and these cronies will all die. Even if he can abandon these people, what about Cao Ren? What about the pet? Did he abandon them all?

Cao Wei only hesitated for a short time, and then made up his mind. He didn't delay for a moment and waved his hand: "take the edict."

Sun Quan and Liu Bei received the imperial edict of the emperor almost at the same time. Although they were dozens of miles apart, their expressions were very similar. They were stunned and smiled bitterly.

Sun Quan was so angry that he gritted his teeth. Su's thick legs accidentally turned against the water, which not only made him lose Jiang Qin, a general, and lost thousands of sailors, but also made Jianye fall into a crisis. The previous good situation of right and easy to advance and retreat suddenly became a bubble. Although he has no evidence that this matter is related to Sun Shao, he is sure that Sun Shao plays a role in determining the surname. Originally, he didn't understand why Su's thick legs would rather give up the interests of reality, make such a move of self-defendence, and follow Sun Shao with all his heart. Now after receiving the imperial edict, he understands that Sun Shao has planned to leave his reading power for a long time, but he has been waiting for the opportunity.

If he looks a little farther, when he wants to break up the Zhendan sailor, Sun Shao is ready, so he left Su's thick legs for nothing else, because Su's thick legs have enough strength to make trouble behind him. If it is changed to Cui Qian or cross the sea, they will not have this strength even if they have the heart. It is ridiculous that at that time, he thought that this was Sun Shao's kindness and loyalty. He couldn't help accepting Sun Shao's proposal happily. In the end, he found that Sun Shao had dug a hole for him. And he thought he had a plan and jumped in with great interest.

He wanted to deal with Sun Shao, but before he thought of a good idea, he found that he had no ability to deal with Sun Shao at all. Sun Shao hid behind the emperor. With the moral advantage of the emperor, he relied on Cao Qian's strong strength behind his back. As long as he showed a little unfavorable mentality to Sun Shao, Sun Shao might turn to Cao Wei became the vanguard of Cao Wei - of course, there is an imperial edict of the emperor.

I'm afraid that at that time, everyone will stand on Sun Shao's side, thinking that Sun Quan forced Sun Shao to take this road. The reason is very simple. When Sun Quan sees that he dies first and disobeys the imperial edict of the emperor, both the clan and the generals will sympathize with Sun Shao.

For Sun Quan, the emperor issued an edict to stop the war. If he resists, he is a traitor. He not only has to face Cao's army, but also Sun Shao's attack. Sun Shao has the flag of the emperor in his hand. As long as there is an imperial edict, he can justly replace him as Jiang Dongzhi. Lord, with the front pavement, I believe that many people will sympathize with Sun Shao, and then support Sun Shao and accept Sun Shao.

After weighing the pros and cons, Sun Quan discussed with Gu Yong and others and decided to accept the imperial edict.

For Liu Bei, the situation is similar. In the past, he could not accept the imperial edict of the emperor because the emperor was in Cao Yan's hands, and now the emperor is in Guan Yu's hands. Guan Yu is his contiary, his brother, and his humerus minister. Does he want to say that Guan Yu is an annihilar? He can't do it. More importantly, now that there is a confrontation between the three parties, no one can eat anyone. Although Cao Wei is a giant, Sun Quan, an ally, is not a trustworthy object. Sun Shao and Guan Yu have become the key pawns in the left and right of the war. You can ignore the imperial edict, but you have to have the strength to deal with the attacks of the other two sides.

And now no one has this strength. Cao Wei doesn't have it, Sun Quan doesn't have it, and Liu Bei doesn't have it.

What's more, the imperial edict of the emperor also wears a big hat, for the people of the world, with an unspoken benefit. As long as everyone sits down and talks, the three of them can justly divide the existing territory.

You only need to honor the emperor in name.

Cao Yan can not want the emperor, and Sun Quan can not have the emperor, but Liu Bei can't. He has always pretended to be the emperor's relatives and nobles. He knows that the emperor has become a decoration, and he can't ignore it. Even if he really wants to be the emperor, Liu Xie can't show this meaning every day if he doesn't die.

Everyone in the world can know it, but no one can say it.

So Liu Bei could only reluctantly accept the imperial edict.

Things went smoothly beyond the imagination of the emperor. Less than half a month after the edict was issued, Cao Sun and Liu responded one after another, accepted the emperor's edict, and sent messengers to Wancheng to participate in the talks. Although the emperor who received the reward was psychologically prepared, he still couldn't believe it when the exact news came to his ears. With emotion, he said to Liu Ruo, "General Sun is clever."

When Sun Shao heard the praise conveyed by Liu Ruo, he just laughed and said insincerely, "Well, this is the kindness of the Han Dynasty for 400 years. It is the wisdom of your majesty. It is the credit of General Guan and the pillars of the country. I just happened to come up with the meeting and came up with an idea."

Liu Ruo's face was full of smiles. He asked tentatively, "General, how should we arrange the next meeting?"

Sun Shao spread his hands and said, "I'm not good at such a thing. There are many sages in the court. Why don't you invite one or two to come out to host?" He thought for a moment and said, "I think of a person. I don't know whether to talk about it or not."

"Who?" Liu Ruo quickly said, "Please speak frankly."

"The old lieutenant, Mr. Yang."

Liu Ruo thought for a moment, suddenly realized, and patted his thigh excitedly: "Oh, how can I forget him? Yes, no one is more suitable than him to preside over this soldier's conference."

Yang Biao comes from the Yang family of the Hong family. Like the Yuan family, the Yang family is also a family of classics, four generations and three princes, and pays more attention to morality than the Yuan family. It is a resounding portal for the Han Dynasty. The reputation of the Yuan family has been destroyed, and now only the Yang family is left. Whether you like Yang Biao or not, you can't ignore the existence of such a family or the existence of a person like Yang Biao. Although he has been ill since the first year of Jian'an, his reputation has not diminished at all.

Such a person to preside over the military conference, whether it is Cao Jian, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, or the emperor, there will be no objection.

Liu Ruo was overjoyed and said to Sun Shaolian: "If this military conference is successful, the general will be the first achievement."

Sun Shao waved his hand disapprovingly: "Junhou, don't think too simply. Even if the messenger arrives in Wancheng, it will not be appropriate for a period of time. At present, Wancheng has become the actual capital of the country. There are many people talking. Those people who are about to come to Wancheng are intrigue. There are a lot of things in private. I went. As a close minister around your majesty, you have to guard against it.

Liu Ruo immediately understood what Sun Shao meant. Now the three parties have sent envoys to talk, which is forced by the situation. They have no choice but to be sincere. At this time, as long as they make a little basket, they may withdraw from the talks at any time. In order to ensure the success of the negotiation, the safety of Wancheng is the top priority, and no mistakes can be made.

"There should be nothing wrong with the general and General Sun, right?" Liu Ruo said tentatively.

"We?" Sun Shao's mouth was crooked: "The name is not right, the words are not good."

Liu Ruo smiled and understood. After a few words of gossip, he got up and said goodbye. It didn't take long. The emperor's imperial edict arrived, and he sealed Guan Yu as a cavalry general, leading the governor of Nanyang, and the safety around Nanyang. He appointed Sun Shao as General Wei, and was responsible for the security of Wancheng and pickets. Liu Ruo was responsible for the security of the city outside the palace. He was appointed as a lieutenant and responsible for the safety of the palace. At the same time, he ordered the former lieutenant Yang Biao to rush to Wancheng and preside over the military conference in Wancheng.

In addition to the issuance of the imperial edict, the emperor issued another edict that Wancheng was short of grain. Please ask the three feudal officials to transport the grain quickly. Cao Jian and others, who received the imperial edict, saw that the overall situation had been settled. They had no choice but to send food. They could not respect the emperor while starving the emperor. The most urgent thing was Cao Jian. Sun Shao sent someone to send him a letter in private. First of all, he thanked him for being the first to respond to the military conference and set an example for Sun Quan and Liu Bei. Then he said that if you don't send food, I will cut off the food of your Cao family first. Cao Yuming knew that he had been used by Sun Shao, but at this point, he could only pinch his nose and admit his bad luck. As he retreated 20 miles, he withdrew from the siege of Wancheng and sent food.

When the long grain truck drove into the city gate, the people who had been besieged for months were excited. When they heard the news that the emperor had decreed a truce, they all felt that the good day was about to arrive. They ran to tell each other, and Wancheng soon became a sea of joy. Although many people feel that this matter is still a long way from the final peace, ordinary people and soldiers will not think so much. They don't want to fight for a long time. They just want to go home early. As soon as they hear the news, they believe that the decades-long war are finally coming to an end.

It is logical that Guan Yu and Sun Shao have become the great benefactors second only to the emperor. Gradually, people come to the house to kowtow every day. Sun Shao was afraid of trouble and hid in the house and didn't go out. Guan Yu was not. He enjoyed this feeling very much. He liked to watch countless people who knew and knew him worship him and long live him. He liked to patrol the city with his own guards and enjoy the grateful eyes of the people wherever he went.

Wancheng, which used to be panicked, gradually calmed down. Sun Shao suggested that Guan Yu should release those uncompressive volunteers from the city. Now it is the spring ploughing season. Instead of putting them in the city to consume grain, it is better to let them go back to farm, which can also reduce the pressure of food supply and safety management pressure in Wancheng. . Guan Yu is now obedient to Sun Shao. He immediately asked the emperor to leave a small part of the more than 30,000 volunteers, and the rest were sent to the farmland outside the city for farming. Nanyang is ripe, but there has been a war in the past few years, and there is a serious shortage of manpower, so many places have been abandoned, and tens of thousands of labors have come at once. As long as it can be guaranteed that there will be no more wars, after the autumn harvest, the food pressure can be greatly relieved.

In March, Yang Biao rushed to Wancheng. At the beginning of getting out of the car, regardless of his physical fatigue, he immediately went into the palace to see the emperor. As soon as the emperor met, before Yang Biao could speak, the emperor got up from the throne and rushed to Yang Biao in three steps, holding Yang Biao's hand and crying. He ascended the throne at the age of nine, and spent the next few years in the bloody wind and rain. Dong Zhuo first killed in Luoyang, and then forced him to move to Chang'an. Wang Yun easily planned to kill Dong Zhuo, and Li Yu and Guo Yan disrupted Chang'an again until Zhongping fled Chang'an in two years. These years were his lingering nightmares. In the most difficult day, Yang Biao has always been by his side, supporting him like his father. After arriving in Xu County in the first year of Jian'an, Yang Biao was not angry with Cao Biao's behavior and designed to kill him when he came to meet him. As a result, the emperor was timid and did not agree. However, Cao Biao heard the wind. Later, he found another excuse to put Yang Biao in prison. The cruel official beat Yang Biao to death and almost killed him. . After that, Yang Biao was disheartened and Du Men did not come out. To sum up, the emperor has not seen him for more than 20 years.

Yang Biao is old, with white hair and wrinkles on his face. The brown old man's face is full of hands, but his waist is still straight and straight. When he stands there, he is still majestic and inviolable. As soon as the emperor saw him, he seemed to see the backbone of the main body. The burden all over his body was suddenly relaxed a lot, and all the grievances and pressures seemed to be vented with tears.

For more than 20 years, the emperor has been numb. Even when Empress Fu was dragged out, he did not cry. But today, when he saw Yang Biao, he suddenly couldn't restrain his feelings, as if a child who had suffered a lot of grievances finally saw his relatives.

Yang Biao was also in tears. He knelt down on his knees in front of the emperor and looked up at the emperor: "Your Majesty, I was ecstatic when I received the imperial edict and couldn't wait to fly to your majesty. Your Majesty, I didn't expect that in this dying year, I would have another chance to serve the big man.

The emperor was sad and happy. He helped Yang Biao hard, personally helped him to the seat next to him, and then dragged his mat to Yang Biao. He sat down next to Yang Biao, touched his knee, and asked softly with tears, "Mr. Yang, look at the big man... Do you still have a chance to Zung Fu?"

"Yes, no." Yang Biao's voice looked very tired, but he did not lose his composure.

The Son of Heaven is at a loss.

(to be continued)