svetikya Chapter 198
Chapter 198
"It's absolutely not feasible! The troops led by Shen Pei this time are conservatively estimated to be more than 30,000. If we gather the fleeing soldiers a little more, it is not an exaggeration to say that the number of troops will expand to 50,000!"
Such behavior is tantamount to aiding the enemy. Yuan Shu is not such a foolish person. Can he do such a self-destructive thing?
Yuan Shu will definitely not agree to this. He knows that if Liu Yao really gets these 50,000 people, he will become completely powerful!
No one in the entire north will be his opponent.
So he will never do such a thing to aid the enemy.
The argument between the two was like thunder in the summer afternoon. It lasted for a long time, but they could not reach a consensus.
In the end, Liu Yao and Yuan Shu had no choice but to directly pull people over.
As long as they were civil servants under their command, they were all pulled over. Shen Pei and Guo Jia, the two counselors, naturally became the core of this debate. Their words were sharp, like swords out of their sheaths, pointing directly at each other's vital points.
As the debate deepened, the gunpowder smell in the words became stronger, and they kept greeting each other's parents and ancestors.
In the end, Liu Yao's side accepted all of Yuan Shao's defeated soldiers, and Shen Pei also needed to pay a large amount of food and armor.
…
Yuan Shao, the former overlord of the north, was now curled up in the carriage on the way home, his figure stretched out under the swaying candlelight, revealing an indescribable desolation. His tears, like pearls on a broken string, were silent but surging, falling all the way on the winding road back to the city.
A few days ago, he was still a powerful overlord, with 200,000 soldiers under his command, surging like a tide, vowing to sweep across the Central Plains and unify the north. At that time, the blueprint he drew in his mind was magnificent, supporting Liu Bangchang to ascend the throne and become emperor, while he himself sat firmly in the position of the first powerful minister, with power over the court and the country, looking down on the world.
However, things are unpredictable and the situation changes suddenly. The defeats in battles were as ruthless as the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves, shattering his carefully constructed dream of an empire. Now, he only had 30,000 remnants of the army led by Shen Pei, like a small boat in the wind and rain, struggling to survive in the vast ocean. The glory of the past and the desolation of today formed a sharp and painful contrast, which made people sigh.
Yuan Shao's heart was filled with endless regret and unwillingness. He knew that with the current meager force, it would be extremely difficult to defend the territory he had worked hard for many years.
Moreover, they had to pay a large amount of food and armor. Even if the Yuan family had three officials for four generations, they could not withstand such a rush.
Even if Ximen Daguan came, he could not withstand several people coming together.
The remnants of the Yuan army, like the fallen leaves drifting in the autumn wind, slowly returned to the city. The whole city seemed to be shrouded in a heavy layer of sadness, and every inch of air was filled with sadness.
In the streets and alleys, cries were heard one after another, like the continuous drizzle in winter, soaking people's hearts. The widows were dressed in plain clothes, with haggard faces and eyes flashing with despair and expectation. They carried their young orphans and shuttled through the crowd, hoping to catch a trace of their loved ones' return in this vast sea of people.
Yuan Shao's expedition was like a storm that devoured lives, sweeping every inch of land under his rule, and almost all the young and strong men were involved in this endless war vortex.
Fathers and sons walked side by side, brothers walked together, they set out on the journey with great ambitions, but they did not expect the way back to be so difficult and even out of reach. Occasionally, the scene of the lucky ones reuniting was like encountering a sweet spring in the desert, crying with joy.
However, for more families, only empty houses and endless waiting greeted them. , Most people did not even see a piece of their relatives' bones.
An old woman knelt down in front of the city gate, shouting at the top of her lungs: "My Lord! My four sons are all passionate men who went to war with the army. Why has none of them returned home? Is there no place for my sons in this big world?"
Her voice echoed in front of the empty city gate, causing everyone around to burst into tears.
Yan Liang's face was stained with deep guilt, and he slowly lowered his head, as if even his neck was carrying an unspeakable heaviness.
Yuan Shao had a complicated expression and mixed feelings in his heart. He felt that it was difficult for him to face the eyes of those elders and villagers who were full of expectations and trust.
Just imagine that a mother needs to go through at least eighteen years of spring and autumn to raise her baby into a man who can stand tall and proud. In Zhoushan, within just a few days, the hopes and futures of countless families, along with the disappearance of tens of thousands of heroes, turned into endless elegy.
However, all this is not the most difficult problem for Yuan Shao.
What bothers him the most is how to properly handle the delicate relationship between him and Yuan Shu. At this time of crisis, if it were not for Yuan ShuIf he had not received timely help, Yuan Shao's life would have been extinguished by Liu Yao's cold and ruthless sword.
As the saying goes, "It is easy to invite a Buddha, but difficult to send him away." Now that this "god" has been invited, how can he be easily allowed to leave safely?
Yuan Shao thought to himself that he had to be cautious in every step, taking into account the brotherhood and the overall situation. It was actually very difficult to grasp the degree.
Moreover, Yuan Shu had long coveted the position of the head of the family!
He had long seen this opportunity and wanted to gain reputation in the family.
"My Yuan family has three dukes for four generations. Is there no place for me in this world?"
Yuan Shao sat in the carriage, looking around with a worried face.
At this time, Feng Ji, who came to meet him, showed a sinister smile.
"My lord, do you want to stay in Jizhou?"
Yuan Shao's eyes lit up immediately.
"Oh? Do you have a plan?"
Feng Ji said confidently: "My Lord, I have a plan that can allow you to enter Jizhou safely, and you will no longer need to rely on others! From now on, you will have your own territory!"
When Yuan Shao heard this, he stood up suddenly.
He immediately asked someone to stop the carriage and walked down quickly.
"Yuan Tu, what plan do you have? Tell me quickly!"
Yuan Shao saw Feng Ji's confident look, and his face was very excited.
"Now Han Fu is the governor of Jizhou. If I want to seize Jizhou, I am afraid that I am not his opponent with the people under my command. Moreover, my army consumed a lot of food and grass in this battle."
"Han Fu saw that the situation was not good on the mountain, so he fled first and preserved most of his strength. Does our army really have a chance to win if we fight him head-on?"
Yuan Shao asked with some concern.
At this time, Yuan Shao's indecision was revealed again.
Feng Ji said quickly: "My Lord, my strategy does not require us to send troops to attack Jizhou!"
……