Chapter 78: Ancient Array (Urgent Plea for Sanjiang!)

  Thirty thousand troops are ready to set off, Liu Bian is wearing a helmet and armor, with a large cape draped over his body, looking majestic. Several months of military camp life have made his originally weak body much stronger, even his height has increased a bit, looking like a real man now.

  Lu Zhi stood beside Liu Bian, looking at the confident and composed Son of Heaven, feeling relieved. To be honest, Liu Bian was not his ideal emperor, far from a true sage king. His learning was rough and he was somewhat reckless in his actions, still immature. However, Liu Bian worked hard, studying eagerly the knowledge that an emperor should have, and his progress looked very good.

  What moved Lu Zhi the most was Liu Bian's composure in the face of disaster. Perhaps in some small matters, Liu Bian did not handle things very well, but he was surprisingly calm and resilient in the face of disaster, as if nothing could bring him down. This is a rare quality. As an emperor, this is especially important.

  "Lu Qing..." Liu Bian turned his body slightly and said to Lu Zhi: "I have a question for you."

  Lu Zhi hastily stepped forward half a step, lowered his head, and listened intently: "Your Majesty, please speak, I will not dare to withhold anything."

  "Why don't you approve of me practicing Fengyi?"

  Lu Zhi was taken aback. He had thought Liu Bian would ask about state affairs or military matters, but instead he asked this question. After a moment's hesitation: "The Fengyi is the minister's way, not something the Son of Heaven should practice."

  "Is there a way of the minister?" Liu Bian thought for a moment and asked again: "So, is there also a way of the ruler?"

  Lu Zhi nodded: "Your Majesty's words are very true. I have heard my teacher Ji Changgong mention it occasionally, but I don't know the details." He paused and said: "The Phoenix Instrument Mind Method is actually a dowry of the Ma family."

  Liu Bian turned his head and looked at Lu Zhi in surprise: "The Phoenix Instrument comes from the Ma family?"

  Lu Zhi nodded.

  Liu Bian seemed to be deep in thought and didn't say anything else, but he had already made a plan in his mind.

  ……

  Liu Bian and Huangfu Song led 30,000 relief troops to arrive, and Henan Governor Zhu Jun let out a sigh of relief.

  "Has Gong Wei been sleeping badly these days?" Huangfu Song joked. He and Zhu Jun had a very good relationship. When they were putting down the Yellow Turban Rebellion together, they fought side by side. When Zhu Jun was at a disadvantage in battle, it was he who gave him credit, which led to Zhu Jun being granted the title of Right General of Chariots. The friendship between them had long surpassed that of ordinary colleagues.

  "Alas, every night I lie awake with my sword by my side, not daring to relax in the slightest." Zhu Jun let out a deep sigh: "The situation is grim, with troubles both within and without. I am like one sitting on a pile of kindling, fearing that even a single spark will reduce me to nothing but ashes."

  Huangfu Song patted Zhu Jun's shoulder and said with a half-joking tone, "You're worried that His Majesty is suspicious of you, aren't you?"

  Zhu Huan blinked his eyes and remained silent. As Huangfu Song said, what he was most worried about was not Yuan Shao, but the Emperor. Being a native of Kuaiji, he was a true Easterner from the mountains of Shandong. Now that Shandong had risen in revolt, if the Emperor were to have any suspicions about him, he might be summoned back to the capital at any time and lose his life, leaving him neither here nor there.

  "That's your fault." Huang Fu said comfortingly, "Although Your Majesty is young, you have the air of a king. Since you dared to use him, I believe in his character. If I didn't trust him, when adjusting the eight Guan Yu officials earlier, I would have replaced him then."

  "Really?" Zhu Jun stared at Huangfu Song without blinking.

  "Of course it's true." Huang Fu nodded without hesitation: "When you report the military situation to His Majesty later, don't be reserved. If you cover up and hide things, you'll only disappoint His Majesty's sincerity."

  Zhu Jun readily agreed.

  ……

  Seeing Zhu Jun's proud and upright walk, Liu Bian exchanged a glance with Huang Fu. Letting Huang Fu go to comfort Zhu Jun first was a joint proposal by Jia Yu and Yang Xiu, and Liu Bian also agreed. There had been a life-and-death friendship between Huang Fu and Zhu Jun, so he went to explain the situation in person, which could most easily gain Zhu Jun's trust.

  At the time of Shandong's reversal, reusing a Shandong person has extraordinary symbolic significance. Now it may not be possible to see the effect, but over time, it can have a great impact on people's hearts and minds. Huangfu Song and others do not want to turn the imperial court into a one-man show for Shanxi people, which would not necessarily be beneficial for Shanxi people. It is necessary to have Shandong people interspersed among them, as long as Shanxi people can dominate.

  "Zhu Qing has been working hard." Liu Bian slightly bowed his head, saluted Zhu Xuan, and asked with concern: "Has your family not been disturbed?"

  Upon hearing this, all the grievances and worries of these past days turned into a cloud of smoke, almost bringing tears to his eyes. He choked back a sob: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern; my family is safe."

  "That's good." Liu breathed a sigh of relief: "It is my fault, my behavior is absurd and reckless, which led to the chaos in the world. The more innocent people die, the more guilty I am. I hope you don't abandon me, quickly quell the rebellion, and bring peace back to the people."

  The civil and military officials hastily rose to their feet and said in unison: "We are willing to follow Your Majesty, quell the rebellion, punish those who refuse to submit, and bring peace to the world."

  Seeing this scene, Liu Bian couldn't help but think of the imperial court a few months ago where everyone looked up to Yuan Shu as their leader. He secretly smiled to himself, thinking that sometimes having more people isn't necessarily better. Now it's clear who the enemy is, and things are much simpler.

  "May I ask Zhu Qing to explain the situation for me?" Liu Bian asked politely.

  "I'm very fortunate." Zhu Jun didn't stand on ceremony, walking to the front of the map, taking the jing bamboo from Yang Xiu, and pointing at the map began explaining the situation around Xingyang.

  Xingyang is a key town east of Luoyang. To the west of Xingyang lies Suomen Pass, one of the eight passes of Luoyang. The north of Xingyang borders the Yellow River and to its south lies the majestic Mount Song, making it an important passage for those traveling from east to west. In the north of Xingyang, along the banks of the Yellow River, is the famous Ao Granary, a crucial storage facility for the imperial court. It was because Liu Bang, the founding emperor of Han Dynasty, and Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, had control over Xingyang and Ao Granary that they were able to hold on until the end during their struggle for dominance.

  To defend Luoyang, we must first defend Xiangyang. To march west to Luoyang, we must also capture Xiangyang first. If Yuan Shao captures Xiangyang and occupies Ao Village, then Suiguan Pass and Tiger Trap Pass will be of no use. Luoyang will be wide open to Yuan Shao, at his mercy. The previous victories at Xiaopingjin and Liang County are nothing but fleeting clouds, not worth mentioning.

  "Yuan Shao has an army of over 100,000 men and has not advanced westward for a long time. It's not because he is afraid of battle, but rather he wants to have a decisive battle with Your Majesty." After explaining the current situation, Zhu Yi earnestly said: "I humbly request that Your Majesty be cautious and prepared, lest there be any unexpected losses."

  Liu Bei nodded: "Thank you, Zhu Xing. Zhu Xing, you said Yuan Shao wants to have a fair and square battle with me, is it an ambush or a straightforward fight?"

  Zhu Huan nodded and said: "In my humble opinion, it should be so. The terrain east of Xiangyang is flat and suitable for deploying a large army. Yuan Shao's forces are three times stronger than ours, and if we array our troops before the battle, relying on strong bows and hard crossbows, war chariots and giant shields, we can suppress the cavalry advantage of our army. Moreover, a grand formation, winning with honor and integrity, is in line with the Confucian way of not taking shortcuts, valuing benevolence and eliminating deceit."

  Liu Bian laughed and asked in return: "Does Zhu Qing, a well-read person, also think this way?"

  Zhu Yi shook his head slightly: "This is a pedantic view, I don't think so. However... " He paused for a moment and continued: "If Your Majesty wants to quickly pacify Shandong, it's likely that you can't avoid fighting Yuan Shao."

  Liu Bian smiled. This issue, he had discussed many times with Huangfu Song and others, but he had some of his own ideas, which were not suitable to reveal for the time being. "Since Yuan Shao wants to learn from Song Xianggong and follow the style of the ancients, we might as well make this imitation even more ancient."

  Zhu Jun was puzzled: "Your Majesty is saying..."

  "I want to send someone for a duel, see if Yuan Shao dares to respond." Liu Bei smiled and spread his hands: "You see, I have many fierce generals here. Since Yuan Shao wants to be dignified and upright, why not let him take a look at what kind of formation is truly dignified?"

  Zhu Huan was stunned, staring at Liu Bian, and couldn't say a word for a long time. Is this a joke? Yuan Shao wants to fight with you first, and then you send someone to duel alone? It would be strange if Yuan Shao agreed to it.

  "Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, which of you is willing to go out and fight first?"

  This time, before Lü Bu could act first, Zhang Liao stood out and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I am willing to go into battle and test the strength of Yuan Shao. Please issue an edict ordering General Lü to follow me in breaking through the enemy lines."

  Lü Bu had originally wanted to fight, but after hearing Zhang Xiu's words, he withdrew the leg that had just stretched out. Heh heh, since you're so sensible, I won't compete with you for this small achievement. Wait until you can't handle it, and then I'll make my move - it will still be me, Lü Bu, who gets to show off.

  Zhang Liao cast a sidelong glance at Lü Bu, and seeing him retreat, couldn't help but secretly laugh. Heh heh, I've taken out all the top experts under Yuan Shao's command, making you drool with envy, unable to even get a sip of soup.

  First update, seeking recommendations, seeking collections!

  Okay, I've already been squeezed out of the top spot on Sanjiang Billboard, urgently seeking votes for Sanjiang, Lao Zhuang is going to make a comeback!