Although it was early summer, the cool breeze blowing while walking on the border of Youzhou still made Xu You feel desolate. Youzhou is located in the northern border of the Han Dynasty. It is the northernmost state among the thirteen states in the world. After passing Youzhou and going further north, it is the territory of Wuwan and Xianbei, who are outsiders. According to legend, it is even more beautiful than Wuwan and Xianbei. Xu You only knew about the far north of the country from the book slips. The ice and snow wasteland was an inaccessible place. The endless north wind rotated and roared in the sky all year round. Covered in ice and snow, there is only one season in a year, which is endless winter.
Xu You couldn't help but close his sleeves, as if he felt the cold air coming from the north. Looking into the distance, the corner of Xu You's mouth suddenly drew a rising arc, because smoke and dust were rising faintly at the end of the world. [bsp; The sound of horse hooves came from far away, and the sergeants in black clothes and black armor reined in the galloping horses at the same time in front of Xu You. The leading general held up his eight-foot-long snake spear and stared at Xu You with wide eyes. . Facing this fierce general with a swallow-like jaw and a tiger beard, if it were anyone else, he would inevitably feel a little panicked, but Xu You was unmoved at all. He still put his hands in his sleeves and sat firmly on the horse, with a smile on his face. The smile on his face has not faded, as if the person standing in front of him is not a tiger licking its claws, but a harmless kitten.
"Is this General Zhang Yide?" Xu You asked loudly.
"I am Zhang Yide from Yan!" Zhang Fei shouted like thunder, "Are you the envoy sent by Yuan Shao?"
Xu You raised his hands and saluted on his horse: "My Excellency Xu You, on the order of my lord, General Yuan, I came here to pay homage to Ambassador Liu. I wonder if General Zhang can introduce me to you?"
"My eldest brother is not free now." Zhang Fei said displeasedly, "If you have anything to do, sir, just tell me, and I will tell you your purpose."
Xu You stretched out a finger and shook it: "Sorry, General Zhang, I have nothing to say to you."
"Since I have nothing to say, then go back to Jizhou for me!" Zhang Fei was furious. He stabbed Xu You several times in front of Xu You with his snake spear, and then shouted: "You bullshit messenger, it seems that if I'm not here You have hundreds and eighty transparent holes in your body, you don¡¯t know how powerful your Grandpa Zhang is!¡±
Xu You was still smiling: "I'll kill you. I'm afraid General Zhang won't be able to explain himself in front of Ambassador Liu when he goes back."
"Damn it!" Zhang Fei was so angry that he stood on his head. He was about to teach the arrogant man in front of him a lesson, but he was stopped by the general who was flying from a distance. The general came in green robes and gold armor, with a fluttering beard, holding the Qinglong Yanyue Sword in his hand, followed by thirty or forty followers. The red-faced and long-bearded general shouted to Zhang Fei: "Third brother, don't be disrespectful to Mr. Ziyuan." present!"
The sergeants reined in their horses a dozen steps away from Xu You. The green-robed general dismounted and saluted Xu You: "Sir, you have been on a long journey and have been tired all the way. My brother has specially ordered Guan to come to greet you. If there is any neglect, Please forgive me, sir." After saying that, he glared at Zhang Fei and shouted in a low voice: "Third brother, why don't you get off your horse and apologize to Mr. Xu?"
Zhang Fei reluctantly got off his horse and hugged Xu You as an apology. Xu You also dismounted his horse and said, "Everyone in the world says that Liu Shijun is a kindhearted person who loves his guests. When I saw him today, he really lived up to his reputation." Although Xu You said this in his mouth, he disagreed in his heart: Send Zhang Fei to scare me first. If Guan Yu is sent to appease me, this tactic of soldiers first and courtesy second is too clumsy.
Guan Yu asked Xu You to get on his horse, and they rode together and headed towards Ji County. On the way, Guan Yu asked tentatively: "Sir, you came from Yecheng. It only took you two days to get here. If you didn't have something important, you wouldn't have come all the way. I would like to ask, sir." What's the purpose of coming here?"
Xu You was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "General Guan's information is very well-informed. Even Yecheng, who will be leaving at the next time, knows it. It seems that Liu Shijun has many eyes and ears in Yecheng. I also want to take the risk. Let me ask, I wonder what happened to my lord that made Liu Shijun so concerned?"
Guan Yu laughed awkwardly twice and said, "Sir, you made fun of me."
"Easy to say, easy to say." Xu You looked up at the sky and said calmly: "General Guan, it is very important to come here. I forgive you for not revealing the purpose of this trip before meeting Liu Shijun."
Guan Yu nodded slightly and said: "It should, it should." He stopped talking to Xu You and just walked towards Jixian.
The group entered Ji County silently, and everyone dismounted at the gate of the Governor's Mansion. Guan Yu made an invitation gesture, Xu You smiled at him and nodded, straightened his robes and crown, and walked in with his head held high, only to see Liu Bei. He had already come out to greet him: "I have heard Mr. Ziyuan's name for a long time, and it is like thunder in my ears. I just hate that I live in a remote state, and can't express my longing and admiration at the first sight. I don't know today.What kind of wind has brought you here? I am really flattered! "After that, Xu You walked towards the central hall with enthusiastic and persistent hands.
Xu You pretended to be sincere and frightened, and said: "It is really a great honor for me to be honored by the envoy with a humble name."
Liu Bei laughed loudly after hearing this, and led Xu You into the central hall. After the guests and hosts were seated, Liu Bei smiled slightly and asked: "Mr. Ziyuan is very resourceful and must not be driven by fame and fortune. I had some misunderstandings with General Yuan." , I have also competed several times on the battlefield in the past few years, and each has his own victory or defeat, but it can be regarded as an equal score. Since I am willing to see Ziyuan today, Ziyuan should also know that I am not the kind of person who holds grudges because we are not friends. It¡¯s just that we are not friends. But I want to know clearly why Mr. Ziyuan came this time? Is it for Mr. Yuan or for preparation?"
Xu You bowed slightly at the table and said in greeting: "Your Majesty is really magnanimous. Now that I have said it, I dare not hide it. I am here neither for Mr. Yuan nor for your Majesty. I am here for the righteousness of the world." Came here.¡±
"The world is righteous, Ziyuan has such a strong tone." Liu Bei shook his head and laughed: "But how come I heard the meaning of lobbying from your husband's words?"
Xu You stood up with a look: "Since I don't believe you, I have no intention of staying here any longer, so I'll say goodbye!" After that, he was about to leave with a flick of his sleeves.
Liu Bei stood up and smiled and said: "It's just a joke, Ziyuan, please don't care. I'm all ears if you have any advice, sir. But the world-famous Xu You and Xu Ziyuan should be different from the ordinary rhetorical lobbyists and villains who make things out of nothing!"
Xu You smiled coldly: "Of course it's different!" Then he changed the topic and said aggressively: "Liu Envoy, since you and I are already sitting here, why don't we be more honest. Even the envoy of Yecheng knows when I left. It¡¯s clear to me, how could you not be clear about my purpose?¡±
The two fell silent at the same time, looking at each other. After a moment, Liu Bei laughed: "Zi Yuan is really sharp. Yes, I do know the reason for your visit, so I guess you should also know my answer."
Xu You smiled faintly and said, "I said before that I am here for the righteousness of the world." After saying that, he took out a piece of cloth from his sleeve and handed it to the waiter beside him, "The righteousness lies here. , please let me read it before making a decision."
The waiter hunched over and presented the cloth in his hand to Liu Bei. Liu Bei shook the cloth open, scanned it quickly, and exclaimed: "The Emperor's secret decree!?"
"Yes, although it is not the original, the content is exactly the same!" Xu You said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty is in danger. Now that Cao Cao is in control of the government, his disobedience is clearly revealed. As a Miao descendant of the clan, Liu Shijun has always been committed to reviving the Han Dynasty. Is it possible that by allowing His Majesty to suffer humiliation in Xudu, the four hundred years of Han Dynasty history will be ruined?"
Liu Bei had a sullen face, staring closely at the edict in his hand without saying a word.
Xu You stood up and continued: "My lord has been favored by the emperor in this life, so he dares to be the first in the world. He is preparing to raise troops to serve the king, clear the emperor's side, and eliminate the sycophants. Now Xu You is specially appointed as the envoy to form an alliance with the envoy. In the past, Tian Heng was a strong man in Qi. , You still keep your righteousness and do not disgrace it. Liu Shijun is a member of the royal family, a man of extraordinary talent and admired by all the people. Do you want to shrink back in the northern border and end up doing nothing?"
When Liu Bei heard the words, he stood up and said: "Sir's words immediately opened the door. I have made up my mind, and there is no doubt about it. Tomorrow I will send an order to the civil and military officials to raise troops immediately and form an alliance with Yuan Gong to destroy them together." Cao Cao!"
After sending Xu You to the posthouse to rest, Guan Yu asked Liu Bei with some worry: "Brother, do we really want to form an alliance with Yuan Shao and attack Cao Cao together? Forgive me for talking, even if we really defeat Cao Cao, we will have to If you get any big benefit, I'm afraid it will be to marry someone."
Liu Bei said meaningfully: "Even the emperor's will has been carried out, how can I not send troops? But this time is a good opportunity."
"Opportunity?" Guan Yu asked puzzledly.
"That's right." Liu Bei rubbed his hands and whispered to Guan Yu: "Yun Chang, have you heard the story about Bian Zhuangzi stabbing the tiger? Now Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are like two tigers. After experiencing this fight, they will inevitably One is dead and the other is injured. As long as we wait around like Bian Zhuangzi and find the right moment, we can easily kill two tigers at the same time. Isn't this a perfect opportunity?"