Now, although Zhang Lu had been destroyed, Yuan Xi, who was even more ruthless, had appeared in Hanzhong.
Liu Zhang could not figure out Yuan Xi's plan and was still hoping for a fluke.
He had a grudge against Zhang Lu, so it was not surprising for the two families to fight. However, Liu Zhang thought that he had no grudge against Yuan Xi, so it was not strange for him to be hoping for a fluke. Therefore, he sent Zhang Song to sound him out.
"The major events of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms have been brought forward … Is it because of my influence?"
Bai Xiaowen thought silently.
The sequence of events in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was Cao Cao destroying Yuan, three visits to the thatched hut, the Battle of Red Cliff, Ma Chao sending troops, Cao Cao suppressing Hanzhong, and Liu Bei conquering Sichuan.
However, before the Battle of Guandu, Zhuge Liang had been under Liu Bei's command. Later, Ma Chao sending troops and Bai Xiaowen conquering Hanzhong were all brought forward by several years.
Bai Xiaowen, the transmigrator, could no longer be considered a butterfly, but a roc. His wings were like the clouds in the sky. When he flapped his wings, the worlds of the Three Kingdoms would be turbulent, and the subsequent history would be changed beyond recognition.
Although the trajectory of history had changed, there were still traces to follow.
Bai Xiaowen could tell that if Zhang Song's trip to Hanzhong did not go well, he would visit Liu Bei on the way back and help Liu Bei conquer Xichuan.
For the past three days, Bai Xiaowen's eagerness for talent and humility had won Zhang Song's loyalty. Naturally, he had also intercepted Liu Bei.
Zhang Song's geographical map of Xichuan was not very useful to Bai Xiaowen. After all, he had the Mountain-River Geographical Map, which was an S-grade Gold item. However, Zhang Song's support was very important to Liu Bei.
Bai Xiaowen thought carefully about how to conquer Xichuan after gaining Zhang Song's support, so that Liu Bei would have no place to stay.
Zhang Song did not know what Bai Xiaowen was thinking. After gaining Bai Xiaowen's favor, he wanted to repay him.
"I am not a person who betrays his master for glory. As the saying goes: A gentleman dies for his bosom friend. Now that I have met the Duke Of Yan, he did not mind my ugly appearance and lowered himself to befriend me. How could I not work with all my heart to repay his kindness?
"Although Liu Jiyu (referring to Liu Zhang) has Yi Province's territory, his natural disposition is dark and weak; he cannot be used by virtuous people. If the Duke Of Yan does not take Xichuan, Liu Bei will certainly take it. When that time comes, there will be Liu Bei in the west, and Sun Ce in the east. With these two forces joining hands, the Duke Of Yan's grand undertaking of unifying the world will have a variable. This was the great opportunity of the world! May the Duke Of Yan investigate this matter. "
Speaking up to this point, Zhang Song took out a map from his bosom and said, "Before I came here, I secretly drew a map of the 41 provinces and counties in Xichuan and presented it to the Duke Of Yan. But looking at this map, you will know the path in Shu. "
Bai Xiaowen took the map and unfolded it to look at it. Written on the map were the distance, the width of the road, the mountains and rivers, as well as the treasury, money and grain.
Bai Xiaowen thanked Zhang Song and asked, "How are the people in Xichuan?"
Zhang Song said, "Although there are many civil and military talents, their hearts are not of one mind. I have two close confidants, Fa Zheng and Meng Da. Both of them are talented, but they have always been dissatisfied with Liu Zhang. When I go back this time, I will definitely persuade these two close friends to help the Duke Of Yan. "
Bai Xiaowen grabbed Zhang Song's hand and said with a laugh, "Don't give me priceless advice, how can Gu disobey?"
Zhang Song was delighted, "The Duke Of Yan must act quickly, otherwise there will be a change. If Xichuan is taken by Liu Bei, it will be too late to regret. "
Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. Now Xichuan has Liu Bei and Liu Zhang. If I lead the army to force them, the two Lius will definitely work together to resist. With Liu Bei's support of grain, fodder, troops and horses, plus Liu Zhang's strategists and valiant generals, it will be difficult to take Xichuan in a short period of time. Instead, it will give Liu Bei the opportunity to control Xichuan's military power and win the hearts of the people in Xichuan. "
Zhang Song nodded and said, "The Duke Of Yan's opinion is brilliant."
Bai Xiaowen continued, "Liu Zhang's temperament is dark and weak. Although he invited Liu Bei to enter Xichuan, he must be on guard in his heart. Gu will first write back to Liu Bei and confer him the title of Marquis of Xichuan, indicating that I have no intention of taking Xichuan. When Gu returns to Yizhou, I will tell him the pros and cons and persuade him to expel Liu Bei. Liu Bei will inevitably change and cause the two Lius to turn against each other! That will be the time for Gu to enter Xichuan. "
Zhang Song was convinced by his wise opinion, he cupped his fists and bowed, "The Duke Of Yan's opinion is clear and thorough. When Song returns to Xichuan, I will do my best to cooperate and expel Liu Bei as soon as possible to welcome the Duke Of Yan. "
Bai Xiaowen thus wrote a letter to Liu Zhang and gifted it to Zhang Song. He also drew a copy of the map of Xichuan and gave it to Zhang Song, instructing him to do so. Zhang Song nodded in agreement.
… …
Before Zhang Song returned to Yizhou, he purposely passed by a road near Jiameng Pass.
As expected, first Zhao Yun, then Guan Yu, welcomed Zhang Song and entered Jiameng Pass for a chat.
When Zhang Song arrived at Jiameng Pass, Liu Bei had already led Young Phoenix, Pang Tong, and Xu Shu out of their seclusion to welcome him. Along the way, they inquired about his well-being and cared for him in every way possible. They were even warmer than Bai Xiaowen's hospitality.
However, Zhang Song had already realized his self-worth in life from Bai Xiaowen. He couldn't help but feel a little disinterested in Liu Bei's hospitality.
After receiving the sincere treatment of the "most powerful person in the world" and being treated as a close friend, it would be futile no matter how courteous an ordinary duke was. Furthermore, Bai Xiaowen's charisma was even higher than Liu Bei's.
During the banquet, Liu Bei asked about the results of this diplomatic mission.
Zhang Song said, "Yuan Xi has achieved success at a young age. I only got to see him after staying at the inn for a few days. How infuriating!"
Liu Bei said, "Does Yuan Xi have any intention of attacking Xichuan?"
Zhang Song said, "Yuan Xi thinks that the path to Xichuan is dangerous and difficult, so he has no intention of attacking. He plans to give Liu Zhang the title of Marquis of Xichuan. As long as Liu Zhang pays tribute every year, he will not attack Xichuan. "
Liu Bei and Pang Tong were deep in thought. They then asked Zhang Song to stay at Jiameng Pass for a few days.
Zhang Song declined, "My lord, Liu Zhang, is still waiting for a reply. I can't stay for long."
Liu Bei held Zhang Song's hand and cried, "I feel like old friends at first sight. We can't do anything about fate! It's already late. Please don't stay at the pass for the night. It won't be too late to leave tomorrow. "
Zhang Song saw that Liu Bei was crying and quickly agreed. He was also quite emotional. Liu Bei's reputation for being benevolent and loving was indeed well-deserved.
That night, Liu Bei hosted a banquet to entertain Zhang Song. The banquet was very lively.
The two of them had a good conversation. Liu Bei invited Zhang Song to have a candlelight talk and sleep together.
The next morning, Zhang Song bade farewell. Liu Bei brought Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and the others to accompany them for ten miles. He even held Zhang Song's hand and was reluctant to part.
Zhang Song said, "Imperial Uncle, you don't have to send us off anymore. Guarding the pass is more important."
Liu Bei sighed, "Yongnian (referring to Zhang Song) and I feel like old friends at first sight. I don't know when we'll meet again after parting today! "As he spoke, tears stained his clothes again.
Zhang Song was touched.
He said, "Song also wants to serve Imperial Uncle by your side sooner or later. I only regret that I don't have the chance. If Imperial Uncle doesn't abandon me, Song has one thing to say: Jingzhou is a strategic place. To the north is Yuan Xi, to the east is Sun Ce. It is not a place where you can establish your foundation. The people of Yizhou are rich. Because of this, Gaozu became the emperor. Imperial Uncle, why don't you take Yizhou as your home? When the world changes, you can lead your troops to the Central Plains and support the Han Dynasty. The world will be very fortunate. "
As he spoke, Zhang Song handed over the map of Xichuan.
When Liu Bei heard this, he said, "How dare you do this? Liu Jiyu has been in Shu for two generations. His benevolence is widespread. "
Pang Tong said, "My Lord is the Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty. Why can't you occupy a province? Yuan Xi is a thief of the Han Dynasty, yet he uses force to invade our territory. Who in the world can tolerate this? "
Liu Bei stopped Pang Tong again. He repeatedly modestly said that he and Pang Tong were from the same sect. He couldn't bear to seize the foundation of the same sect and so on.
Zhang Song said, "Imperial Uncle, if you don't take Heaven's gift, you will be punished instead. Now Liu Zhang is weak and can't defend the territory. Imperial Uncle will take his place. When you succeed, if you consider his contribution to the foundation and confer him the title of Duke or Marquis, you will repay him with righteousness. How can you betray him? "
Liu Bei suddenly understood. He said, "Don't talk about gold and stone. I will engrave it in my heart."
…
Only then did Zhang Song return to Chengdu.
When he saw Liu Zhang, Zhang Song changed his story.
Liu Zhang asked about Yuan Xi's words. Zhang Song presented a letter and said, "Duke of Yan said that Xichuan is remote and he doesn't want to take the trouble to go on an expedition. My Lord only needs to pay tribute to the imperial court year after year. Naturally everything will be peaceful. My Lord will be conferred the title of Marquis of Xichuan and will rule Yizhou for generations to come. "
Liu Zhang read the letter and said with great joy, "What's so difficult about paying tribute? I didn't pay tribute to the imperial court in Yedu before only because Zhang Lu obstructed me. In addition, the various states are divided and the roads are impassable. Now that the Duke Of Yan has already pacified the north and eliminated Zhang Lu, the roads are all open. It's only right that I pay tribute and become a subject. "
Finished speaking, Liu Zhang rewarded Zhang Song.
After Zhang Song expressed his gratitude, he said, "My Lord, you invited Liu Bei to Xichuan only to resist Zhang Lu. Now that Zhang Lu has been pacified and the Duke Of Yan has no intention of taking over Xichuan, my Lord should expel Liu Bei as soon as possible to avoid raising a tiger and inviting future trouble."
Liu Zhang hesitated. "Xuande and I are of the same sect. At first, I invited him because I had something to do. Now that I have nothing to do, I want to expel him. It's inevitable that people will say that I'm cold-hearted. "
Someone next to him said, "My Lord, you're right. Moreover, the Duke Of Yan, Yuan Xi, said that he wanted to withdraw his troops. Who knows if he's telling the truth? If you expel Liu Bei and Yuan Xi really attacks, it'll be difficult to invite him again. "
Zhang Song was shocked and hurriedly looked over. The person who spoke was the chief secretary, Huang Quan.
In fact, in the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', Huang Quan was opposed to inviting Liu Bei to Xichuan.
However, that was then and this was now. The situation was different. At that time, Liu Zhang's enemy was Zhang Lu, who couldn't threaten Xichuan at all. Now, he was facing Yuan Xi, who was a big threat and completely capable of taking over Xichuan.
Therefore, Huang Quan advised Liu Zhang not to expel Liu Bei so easily.
Another person next to him said, "Liu Bei is also a big threat in Xichuan. My Lord, why don't you wait for a few days and observe the Duke Of Yan's movements? If you return to the imperial court, you can expel Liu Bei if you really don't have any intention of taking over Xichuan. If the Duke Of Yan stays in Hanzhong and doesn't go, it's not too late to discuss countermeasures. "
Zhang Song looked again. This time, the person who spoke was the chief secretary of Yizhou. His name was Wang Lei.
Among the civil officials who were loyal to Liu Zhang, only Huang Quan, Wang Lei, and the others were silent.
Liu Zhang asked Zhang Song, "What do you think we should do?"
Zhang Song said, "Chief Secretary Wang Lei is an experienced strategist. Don't be hasty, don't be slow. We can do it."
Liu Zhang also liked this kind of moderate method. Therefore, he ordered the dispatch of mounted scouts to investigate the movements in Hanzhong.
After Zhang Song returned home, Fa Zheng and Meng Da happened to come to visit.
Zhang Song had a secret discussion with the two men. He said, "Previously, I thought that Liu Bei was a wise ruler, a rare one in the world. This time I went to Hanzhong and saw the Duke Of Yan, Yuan Xi. Only then did I know what a wise ruler is! In my opinion, the Duke Of Yan will unify the world sooner or later. We will offer Yizhou to the Duke Of Yan. "
Fa Zheng laughed and said, "For you, Zhang Yongnian, to hold him in such high esteem, the Duke Of Yan must have outstanding ability."
Meng Da said, "I have also long heard of the Duke Of Yan's great name. He swept the Cao Family, Xiliang, and trampled the Wuhuan. His martial art prowess shook the world. Achieving success at such a young age, he still respects the virtuous and loves the scholars. If he is truly the destined ruler, I will follow him. "
The three of them laughed and discussed the matter over drinks all night.
…
Several days later, Liu Zhang's mounted scouts came back with news.
The Duke Of Yan had withdrawn from Hanzhong, passed through Wu Pass, and returned to Chang 'an. He left Great General Zhang Ji to guard Hanzhong and relocate the Hanzhong population to enrich Chang' an's Sanfu territory.
Liu Bei was delighted. "The Duke Of Yan really does not have any intention of taking Yizhou!" he said. Thereupon they gathered together to discuss how to 'send' Liu Bei out of the border.
While they were discussing, suddenly one of the two guards at Fu Shui Pass, Yang Huai, came to see Liu Bei with a letter from Liu Bei.
Liu Zhang opened the letter and read it. Frowning, he said, "Xuande says there is a change in Jing Province. Sun Ce seems to have the intention to betray the alliance and attack. He earnestly asks me to send thirty thousand elite troops and a hundred thousand grains to assist him. What should we do? "
Yang Huai said, "My Lord, you do not know. Since Liu Bei entered Sichuan, he has shown benevolence and won the hearts of the people. What is his intention? It is clear as day. Now he is asking for troops, horses, money, and grain. We must not give it to him. Otherwise, we will be holding firewood to extinguish the fire. "
Liu Zhang was hesitant.
Others, including Secretary Huang Quan and Supervisor Liu Ba, advised Liu Zhang. Zhang Song, Fa Zheng and the others also advised Liu Zhang.
Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Liu Zhang compromised. He sent four thousand old and weak soldiers and ten thousand grains to Liu Bei. At the same time, he sent Yang Huai back to guard Fu Shui Pass.
But two days later, Liu Zhang received bad news.
Fu Shui Pass had been lost. The two guards, Yang Huai and Gao Pei, had been beheaded by Liu Bei!
After asking for the reason, he found out that Liu Bei had received Liu Zhang's reply and started cursing him. He also used the excuse of returning to Jing Province to lure Yang Huai and Gao Pei to send him off.
Speaking of which, Yang Huai and Gao Pei were bursting with self-confidence. They actually carried sharp weapons and wanted to assassinate Liu Bei when he was sending him off, so as to avoid future troubles.
For some reason, the matter was exposed. At the time, Liu Bei was wearing heavy armor, and his subordinates caught Yang Huai and Gao Pei like they were chickens. They took out sharp weapons and beheaded them on the spot.
After hearing this bad news, Liu Zhang regretted his actions. "I really didn't expect Liu Bei to have such wild ambitions. He really wants to seize my foundation. I even treated him as a fellow disciple! What should we do now? "
Huang Quan said, "Now that Liu Bei has already taken Fu Shui Pass, his next step will definitely be Luocheng. Luocheng is Chengdu's barrier, and its strategic location is very important. My lord, you can send elite troops to guard Luocheng all night. Even if Liu Bei has elite troops and fierce generals, he won't be able to come over. "
Liu Zhang hurriedly ordered the four generals of Shu: Liu Gu, Ling Bao, Zhang Ren and Deng Xian to gather fifty thousand troops and guard Luocheng. The four generals received the order and set off.
After the four generals left, Zhang Song saw this opportunity and said, "My lord, Liu Bei has the wisdom of a crouching dragon and a young phoenix, and the courage of Guan, Zhang and Zhao. Can the four generals resist Liu Bei? "
Liu Zhang also felt a little guilty. "Then what should we do?"
Zhang Song said, "I have a plan that can make Liu Bei not dare to look Xichuan in the eye."
Liu Zhang was overjoyed. "A plan?"
Zhang Song said a few words.
It was precisely: Because the strategists of Shu entered, the heroes of the Central Plains were lured in. As for what will happen in the future, it will be explained next time.
(The ending was changed from a poem in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's interesting, but don't take it seriously.)
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