Xiaoqi

"Shi A, don't follow me step by step, relax, there are no assassins here." In the lobby, Li Li put down the bamboo slips, got up and walked down the hall, and when he turned around, he saw Shi A, the deputy commander of the Jinyi Guard, quietly following behind him , There is only one step between the two.

Hearing the sound, Shi A bowed his hands and said respectfully: "Before the commander left, he specially told the general not to leave the lord's side at all times. Even when the lord is going to bed, the general should keep one eye open. Therefore, due to the responsibility, the general will not stay away from you for a moment. Dare to slack off, if there is any disrespect, I hope the lord will forgive me."

Li Li shook his head helplessly, and said with a smile: "Forget it, I didn't blame you, but I think you've been staying by my side like this, whether you can hold on yourself, you must pay attention to rest."

"Thank you, my lord, for your compassion. In the end, I only need to rest for three hours a day. Usually, I will rest from noon to evening. My lord, don't worry about it." Shi A replied.

Li Li nodded slightly, beckoned the servant to serve tea, then sat down and Shi A stood behind him.

"It's been ten days. Zicheng should have arrived in Ye City. There must be news in the next few days. Pay attention and report to me immediately."

Shi A responded: "Promise, the general will obey." Before he finished speaking, Guo Jia and Zhuge Jin walked into the hall quickly.

After bowing and saluting, Li Li raised his hand to signal the two of them to sit down and talk, and asked Zhuge Jin with a smile on his face, "Is uncle feeling better? Has Kong Ming ever come back?"

Zhuge Jin nodded in response: "Thank you, my lord, for your concern. Now that the weather is getting warmer, my uncle is in much better health. My uncle asked Weichen to say hello to the lord on his behalf. I suggest that the lord sit and watch the changes, and don't act too hastily."

After a pause, a smile appeared on Zhuge Jin's face, and he seemed much closer. His expression was no longer restrained, and he smiled and said, "The second younger brother came back from a trip to Jiangdong three days ago. He was a little tanned, but he has grown a lot taller. As for The second brother said that he has no objection to the engagement with Miss Mi's family, and everything is up to the lord. However, he will go out soon, it is said that he will go to Jingnan and Yizhou, and he may not come back until the end of the year. At that time, he will come directly to Luoyang. After that Let’s not go.” Speaking of his younger brother Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jin was obviously much more relaxed than when he mentioned his uncle Zhuge Xuan, and he was obviously very happy that his younger brother and Li Li could become brothers with different surnames.

Li Li nodded slightly, knowing why Zhuge Jin felt a little heavy when he mentioned Zhuge Xuan. After all, Zhuge Xuan was very old, and life, old age, sickness and death cannot be changed by human power. Everyone has experienced this.Last year in the winter, Zhuge Xuan occasionally felt the wind and cold, and then he was bedridden, and spent the whole winter on the sickbed.Fortunately, winter went to spring, and he recovered after the weather got warmer.Otherwise, Li Li would consider dispatching troops to Nanyang in advance to seize Nanyang County before Liu Biao and open the door to Jingzhou.

"Ziyu has worked hard. The marriage between Kong Ming and Mi Huan, Miss Mi's family, will be arranged by me personally. Ziyu doesn't have to worry about it. I also told my uncle to make him happy. The wedding date will be after Kong Ming returns from his travels, and we will get married in Chang'an at the end of the year " Li Li said with a smile.

Zhuge Jin was overjoyed when he heard the words, and got up to pay homage: "My lord, on behalf of my second brother, thanked the lord first, and I have to worry about you." Although Li Li is his brother-in-law in name, in fact he and Li Li are about the same age, so Li Li can directly Call him by his name, but he has to abide by the way of a courtier and not be rude.

Seeing that Zhuge Jin was so respectful, even a little cautious, Li Li smiled and said: "Ziyu is serious, why should my brothers be separated from each other!"

Zhugejin was polite again, and then knew that Guo Jia still had something to report, so she bowed and left.

"Ziyu is tired all the way, go down and rest." Li Li nodded in response, bowed slightly to show him off, and then stood where he was and watched Zhuge Jin walk out of the lobby.

"My lord, Gongsun Zan of Youzhou sent someone here." As soon as Zhuge Jin left, Guo Jia got up and stood under Li Li's head, and said in a low voice.

Li Li's expression changed a little when he heard the sound, but he was not surprised. Obviously this was what he expected. "Well, counting the time, it's time for him to send someone to ask for help. Last year I thought he would send someone to ask for help, but I didn't expect Yuan Shao to withdraw his troops midway, giving Gongsun Zan a chance to breathe and let him escape. This time Yuan Benchu Announce to the world, openly crusade against Youzhou, it will definitely not be as anticlimactic as last year, let it go. We are very clear about this, and Gongsun Zan is naturally not confused, so he will definitely send someone to ask for help, and ask my Xiliang army to send troops Help."

After finishing speaking, Li Lihao sat down slowly in his spare time, and waved his hand to signal Guo Jia to sit beside him and report while drinking tea, don't worry.Indeed, the people who are really anxious now are Youzhou Gongsun Zan and the envoy he sent to ask Li Li to send troops to help, while Li Li and Guo Jia's ministers are old gods, and they are not in a hurry.

Chapter 930 Brotherhood, no regrets in life

"Who is the Youzhou envoy this time?"

Picking up the teacup and drinking with Guo Jia, until the cup of tea was finished, Li Li put down the teacup slowly and asked unhurriedly.

Seeing this scene, Guo Jia roughly guessed Li Li's intentions.After hearing the words, he was not in a hurry to answer, and then he lifted the teapot and poured two cups of tea, and then said: "In addition to Shi Guanjing, the governor of Youzhou who has been in charge of contacting us, this time there is Shan Jing who was once named Yanzhou Shepherd by Gongsun Zan. They came together and brought a lot of money. However, this time they did not send horses, and there were not many soldiers accompanying them, only more than [-] people. From this, it is not difficult to see that their trip was in a hurry. It must be that Yuan Shao's army was suppressing the situation, and the quiet The battle in Jizhou was tense, and Gongsun Zan was worried that he would not be able to withstand the army of Jizhou, so he hurriedly sent envoys to ask for help."

Li Li nodded with a smile and said, "That's for sure. Before we captured Bingzhou, Gongsun Zan was very active in forming an alliance with our Xiliang army. He would send envoys to bring food, grass and war horses every year and festival. However, when we regained Bingzhou Afterwards, Gongsun Zan not only stopped actively making friends with me, but was very negative, deliberately alienated us, and even intentionally or unintentionally guarded against us. During the Sili War, he wanted to take advantage of the fire to destroy Yuan Shao’s Jizhou lair in one fell swoop, but it was a pity. Fate is thinner than paper, even a mere Ju Yi can't deal with it, how dare you try to seize Jizhou?

After two years, if Yuan Shao hadn't pressed him hard and beat him repeatedly, making him breathless, he might still want to turn against us and tear up the covenant without authorization.Last year when Yuan Shao sent troops to attack Youzhou, Gongsun Zan insisted not to ask our Xiliang army for help, but he was defeated again.The loss of soldiers and generals further weakened their strength.This time Yuan Shao vowed to go out as a teacher, and it was clear that he would not give up until he took Youzhou.This made Gongsun Zan anxious, and finally couldn't bear to ask me for help.What is Feng Xiao's opinion on this? "Before he finished speaking, Li Li picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then savored the tea calmly.

Guo Jia also drank tea slowly from the teacup, and when the cup of tea bottomed out, he chewed a piece of tea in his mouth.After chewing it several times, I took out the tea leaves, which turned out to be intact.It's just that there are some dense tooth marks on the leaves.

Casually throwing the seemingly complete piece of tea in his hand, which was riddled with holes, into the bowl, Guo Jia stared intently at the beam in the northeast corner of the lobby, and said quietly: "Youzhou is located in the border, and there is still a vast land outside it. It is a barbarian grassland. The northeast corner is connected to many islands. There have always been wars and disasters, and the border is restless. Right now, Gongsun Zan’s biggest threat is not Yuan Shao in Jizhou, but the anti-Gongsun Zan forces headed by Yan Rou. This force is united with the barbarians. , and elected Liu He, the son of Liu Yu, the former Youzhou herdsman, as the leader, and confronted Gongsun Zan under the guise of avenging Liu Yu and regaining Youzhou.

It is said that this time Yuan Shao vowed to attack Gongsun Zan, also using Liu He as a shield, trying to arouse the memory of the old state shepherd Liu Yu among the people of Youzhou.The same hatred against the enemy fundamentally disintegrated the fighting spirit of Gongsun Zan's army.In this way, Gongsun Zan was completely eradicated and Youzhou was captured.Therefore, the situation in Youzhou was extremely unfavorable to Gongsun Zan. Once Yuan Shao joined hands with the forces of Yan Rou who were entrenched in Wuhuan to attack, Gongsun Zan would undoubtedly be defeated, and Youzhou would completely fall into Yuan Shao's hands. "Leaving half of the words on his lips, Guo Jia carefully watched Li Li's expression, so he didn't say any more.

Li Li smiled slightly, "Is Feng Xiao worried that I don't want to send troops to ask for help, and sit back and watch Gongsun Zan perish, so that Youzhou falls into Yuan Shao's hands?"

"This humble minister has no such intention." Guo Jia hesitated a little.

Before saying a word, Guo Jia was contemplating, and then said: "Actually, I am a little uncertain about this, hesitating and indecisive. In all fairness, we can't just sit back and watch Gongsun Zan perish. Youzhou fell into Yuan Shao's hands. In recent years, the most important reason why Yuan Shao in Jizhou was unable to advance an inch, and was unable to march his army into the Central Plains, was that Gongsun Zan kept holding him back, like a thorn in his back, like a thorn in his throat, forcing Yuan Shao not to act rashly. In other words , as long as you can't take Youzhou for a day, Yuan Shao in Jizhou can't do anything. He can only stay in place and cocoon himself. The hinterland of Jizhou is a plain and has nothing to defend, so Yuan Shao can only defend the enemy from the outside and cannot let the enemy invade the hinterland of Jizhou , otherwise Jizhou will inevitably fall, and he will be finished. Therefore, if you want to keep Jizhou, you must capture Youzhou, so that you can have peace of mind and then seek the Central Plains.

In contrast, Gongsun Zan of Youzhou originally occupied a certain geographical advantage, and had a great chance to capture Jizhou, annex Qingzhou, and dominate the land of Yanzhao.However, in recent years, Gongsun Zan's temperament has changed drastically, he is arrogant and arrogant, he kills wantonly, and becomes more cruel and inhumane, which makes his subordinates and military personnel dissociated from morality and people's hearts.In addition, the counterattack forces led by Yan Rou, Xian Yuyin and Xian Yufu brothers have not been completely wiped out, and now they are showing signs of resurgence, causing Gongsun Zan to suffer from the enemy, and the situation is not optimistic.In view of this, we should send troops to rescue, otherwise Youzhou will be lost. "

"However, there are many barbarian forces and small foreign countries outside Youzhou, and Gongsun Duhu, who occupies Liaodong, is on his side. For our Xiliang army, although Yuan Shao in Jizhou is powerful, he is not invincible, but these barbarians However, the forces, Liaodong vassal states and foreign barbarians are very troublesome.

Therefore, once our army goes to Youzhou, it will fall into the quagmire of war and cannot escape. Unless these barbarian forces are completely wiped out, our army will not be able to gain a foothold in Youzhou, let alone gain substantial benefits.Therefore, I was very hesitant, worrying about gains and losses, and it was really difficult to make a decision in my heart, so please make a clear decision, my lord! "This is what Guo Jia said from the bottom of his heart. It is the result of his careful consideration. As for what he said about being in a dilemma and being unable to make a decision, it may not be the truth. Maybe it is just an excuse to test Li Li's real thoughts. And this is exactly what Guo Jia said. Jia's brilliance clarifies all possible opportunities and difficulties, lays out the pros and cons, and finally hands over the decision-making power to Li Li;

"Hehehe!" Li Li laughed dumbfounded after hearing the words, and said inscrutablely: "Fengxiao's words have been thought about for a long time, and they are comprehensive. He put all possible wars and emergencies in the entire Jiyou battlefield in front of me. Throw the question to me. It's quite a taste that you are not as good as an aggressive general!"

"Uh!" Guo Jia was surprised when he heard the sound, and said anxiously, "I dare not. Please be enlightened, my lord."

Before Guo Jia finished speaking, Li Li raised his hand to signal that he didn't need to explain, and said with a smile, "I know what worries Feng Xiao has in mind. Because you know the opportunities and difficulties you mentioned, and I, Li Li, are also aware of them. Ming. For this reason, you are worried that in order to protect your own interests and the long-term strategy of the Xiliang Army, you will not go to war with barbarian nations such as Wuhuan, Xianbei, Liaodong, and Koryo before completely occupying the Central Plains. I will not send troops to rescue Gongsun Zan, let alone The main force of Xiliang will be thrown into the Northeast battlefield. Perhaps, in Feng Xiao's mind, this kind of stupid thing and a foreign war with side effects. I, Li Li, will never do it, and I have never done it. A foolish act of flattery." While speaking.Seeing that Guo Jia wanted to explain again, Li Li waved his hand to stop him, signaling him not to say more.

After a pause, the smile on Li Li's face disappeared completely.Instead, he looked solemn.Said in a deep voice: "As far as I know, the remnant forces led by Yan Rou, Xian Yuyin, and Xian Yufu now have 5 to [-] troops, and most of their strength has recovered, holding back most of Gongsun Zan's troops. There are probably [-] to [-] people in Wuhuan barbarians in Daijun and Liaodong, or even more, and their strength is not weak.

The eastern Xianbei on the Xianbei grassland is the most powerful tribe among the three major Xianbei tribes, with no less than [-] Xianbei cavalry.His strength was even greater than that of Youzhou Gongsun Zan.However, the Xianbei tribe was not united.The endless internal strife has caused a great loss of strength, but he is still the most powerful force outside Youzhou, and should not be underestimated.

Gongsun Du of Liaodong lives in a corner, and is the power of our Han princes, so there is nothing to fear.In my eyes, as long as he defends the three counties of Liaodong, he has made a contribution to the great man, so there is no need to rush to get rid of him, and he can completely force him to surrender voluntarily by virtue of his strong strength.As for foreign countries such as Goryeo and Fuyu outside Liaodong, as long as they don't take the initiative to plunder the Han territory, leave him alone for the time being, and wait until Youzhou is freed up, and it's not too late to deal with these clowns. "

"The lord's implication is to send troops to Youzhou?" Guo Jia asked suspiciously.

Li Li nodded and said with a smile: "Of course we will send troops. Not only will we send troops to aid Gongsun Zan, but we will also mobilize a large number of troops to go to Youzhou, and I will be in command to go to war!"

Guo Jia was shocked when he heard the words, and shook his head hurriedly: "The lord is in command of an expedition to Youzhou? No, absolutely not! The war situation in the Central Plains is at a critical moment, and the situation is changing rapidly. The lord should sit in the Sili and wait for the opportunity. Maybe he can win it in one fell swoop. The states in the Central Plains, Dingding Central Plains. At this juncture, the lord avoids the important and goes to the battlefield in Youzhou. He stopped, and then changed his rhetoric, relatively tactfully persuading Li Li to give up the act of being in command and change to other generals in the army.

"What's more, there are not a few generals in the army who can hold the commander-in-chief. Generals Zhou Yu, Teng Xiao, Xu Rong, Bo Cai, Zhang Liao, and Zhao Yun can all do it. No matter how bad it is, Wei Chen and Wen He, Yuan Zhong, and Wen You can choose First, you can also lead the battle on behalf of the lord!"

Seeing that Guo Jia was so anxious that he couldn't choose what to say, and his words were a little confused, Li Li laughed happily and was in a good mood.

Slightly refraining from laughing, Li Li said frankly with a smile on his face: "Feng Xiao is too worried. Nowadays, there are indeed many generals in our army. Zhou Yu is the top choice. Feng Xiao, Wen He, Teng Xiao, Xu Rong and others can lead the army. But you have overlooked a crucial link, that is, they are all generals, and their status and status are not equal to those of Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Du and other princes, so that they will not regard them as equals at all. Treat our generals with a peaceful attitude. This will inevitably lead to many unnecessary incidents and fights, resulting in unnecessary casualties, unreasonably consuming the strength of our army or their two vassal forces, and leaving an opportunity for the barbarians.

However, if I personally lead the army, no matter if it is Gongsun Zan or Gongsun Du, would they dare to put on airs in front of me, speak loudly and make trouble out of nothing?Give them 1 guts, and they won't dare to be my enemy; if given the chance, I'll let them obediently wait to be dispatched, and seize Youzhou and Liaodong vassal states without bloodshed.As long as Youzhou is in hand, Gongsun Zan is indeed no match for Yuan Shao. Could it be that I, Li Li, can't deal with Yuan Benchu?Once Yuan Shao is destroyed, the states in the Central Plains can be determined at a snap, and hegemony in the Central Plains is just around the corner; even if one or two princes resist stubbornly, they are just grasshoppers after autumn, and they will perish sooner or later.Therefore, I have made up my mind, there is no need to persuade Feng Xiao, it is decided like this! "

Guo Jia pondered for a while, and it was obvious that Li Li's words pointed to the crux of the problem.Today, there are indeed many famous generals in the Xiliang Army.But when it comes to deterrence and influence on the princes of the towns, no one can compare with Li Li, there is a big difference.Not the same.Even Yuan Shao of Jizhou, who is currently relying on the emperor to make the princes, if he sees Li Li, he will be three points short immediately, he has to be careful in every word and deed, and he dare not breathe, let alone the other princes.

However, Li Li can be said to be the God of War of the Xiliang Army, a mast that will never fall down.It is the military soul that can affect the fighting spirit and cohesion of the entire army, and its importance is self-evident.If he personally leads the army to go to Youzhou, in case something goes wrong.Then the entire situation in Xiliang may collapse suddenly; the generals do not belong to each other, and the civil servants are independent, and they are completely scattered, what else can they do?not to mention.Li Li left.What about the war situation in the Central Plains, who will take the helm?

"Well, no matter what the lord says, I will definitely not agree with the lord to lead the army in person!" After thinking for a long time, Guo Jia was still stubborn, resolutely uncompromising, and never letting go.

Li Li looked at Guo Jia in surprise, but Guo Jia looked at him without showing any weakness.His expression was firm, with the stubborn strength of a strong man who would rather give up than give up.

Look at each other for a moment.Li Li smiled, a gleam of light appeared in his pupils, and the corners of his eyes became moist.This is the first time Li Li shed tears in front of people, and the tears of emotion are happiness, like a hot spring flowing in the heart, warming people's hearts.He may have cried before, but no one saw it, but this time there was an eyewitness, he was Guo Jia and Guo Fengxiao.

While being moved, Li Li came up with an ancient philosophic saying: "If a family has stubborn sons, the family will not be ruined, and if the country has strong ministers, the country will not perish."

Before that, Li Li always thought that he liked Guo Jia because the two had similar interests and unrestrained personalities, so they got along very well and cooperated with each other tacitly.But today he realized that he was wrong, and it was outrageous.Although Guo Jia is a frail scholar, he has the heart of an upright child without the bones of a general.Guo Jia treats him like a brother, and often speaks cautiously, not because Guo Jia is cowardly or smooth, but because he respects Li Li from the bottom of his heart.This is not just to repay a kindness of knowledge and encounter, nor to obtain a piece of glory and wealth, but to support and protect with brotherhood.

There is no spirit of dedication in the world, but one day when you are willing to protect something or someone desperately, dedication will come into being.At this moment, Guo Jia looked at Li Li without fear, not because he really no longer feared Li Li, but because he was selfless in his heart, upholding righteousness and remonstrance, as if he put life and death aside, the selfless person is fearless, and the fearless person Fearless, those who are fearless are righteous.

"Hahaha!" Suddenly, Li Li laughed loudly, and sat down with his arms around Guo Jia's shoulders.He wanted to pour a cup of tea for Guo Jia, but Li Li suddenly felt that the bitterness of the tea was not suitable for drinking at this time, so he beckoned his soldiers to bring a jar of high-purity Jiuquan fine wine.Lifting the red silk from the seal, Li Li personally filled a cup for Guo Jia, and then filled it for himself, without saying a word, the two toasted and drank together.

Before he knew it, he drank more than a dozen cups of fine wine, and Li Li blushed on his cheeks. He said with a smile, "This is not urgent, and we won't send troops in a short time. Only when Gongsun Zan retreats steadily and is in danger, can our army be able to fight back?" Attacking, this is the real rescue, otherwise he won't appreciate it. And taking advantage of this time, we can plan in detail and make sure that we don't miss the opportunity, let alone any mistakes. Wait until the real dispatch of troops At the same time, you, Guo Fengxiao, will go with me, Zhou Yu and Wen He will sit in the Sili, and take charge of the army, and give them the right to act arbitrarily, and allow them to act cheaply. Does Fengxiao think this arrangement is appropriate?"

Seeing Li Li's moving tears with his own eyes, Guo Jia's heart was surging, and the emotion deep in his heart couldn't be added.

However, seeing that Li Li is using a devious strategy again at this moment, playing a rogue in broad daylight, Guo Jia couldn't laugh or cry, and said with a helpless wry smile: "Knowing you is the luck of my life, Guo Jia, but it is also a great misfortune. Work hard. Forget it, I have never persuaded you. This time it is up to you. I hope your decision is right. Come on, drink, it’s still the same sentence you once said: If you have wine today, you will be drunk today, but tomorrow you will have no wine cold water!"

"Hahaha!" Li Li couldn't help laughing heartily, but the tears that hadn't shed just now overflowed his eyes, and he laughed loudly.This is a doggerel he chanted casually when he was drunk when he invited Guo Jia and Li Xuan to a banquet not long ago, but Guo Jia memorized it, and even used it now.However, this doggerel is suitable for the time and situation at this moment, and it is appropriate and beneficial. The love between brothers is so deep that it only asks about the present regardless of the future. It is also a great joy in life to get drunk.